IP Library Granted Patent US 12698038
Granted Patent B2
US 12698038 · App. 18/218,226 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Vehicle body structure

Inventors: Do Hoi Kim (Sejong-si, KR); Jong Woo Shim (Suwon-si, KR); You Jin Park (Suwon-si, KR); Jae Sup Byun (Seongnam-si, KR); Jang Ho Kim (Seoul, KR)
Assignees: KIA CORPORATION; HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
B62D25/04B60R13/04B62D25/06B62D27/023B62D29/004
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12698038
App. No.
18/218,226
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle body structure includes a roof side assembly connecting upper end portions of pillars of a vehicle body in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, the roof side assembly forming an A-pillar itself, a mounting bracket fixing the roof side assembly to a lower vehicle body, and an external garnish coupled to an outside of the roof side assembly, wherein the roof side assembly includes a pipe extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, the pipe including a closed cross-section, and a molding member injection-molded with the pipe inserted thereinto.

Claims (70)

1 . A vehicle body structure comprising:

a roof side assembly connecting upper end portions of pillars of a vehicle body in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, wherein a front portion of the roof side assembly constitutes an A-pillar and a remaining portion of the roof side assembly connects to upper end portions of other pillars of the vehicle body;

at least one mounting bracket fixing the roof side assembly to a lower vehicle body; and

an external garnish coupled to an outside of the roof side assembly,

wherein the roof side assembly includes:

a pipe extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, the pipe including a closed cross-section; and

a molding member injection-molded with the pipe inserted thereinto,

wherein a plurality of nut members and a plurality of insert brackets are mounted on the pipe, and

wherein the molding member is molded to expose a portion including the nut members mounted thereon toward an interior side of the vehicle body and to surround the insert brackets.

2 . The vehicle body structure of claim 1 , wherein the molding member is injection-molded with a plurality of insert nuts inserted thereinto.

3 . The vehicle body structure of claim 1 ,

wherein the molding member of the roof side assembly includes a plurality of loop coupling holes formed therein and coupled to the external garnish, and

wherein the external garnish includes a plurality of loop rings provided therein and respectively inserted into the plurality of loop coupling holes, wherein each of the loop rings includes a closed loop shape partially integrated into the external garnish.

4 . The vehicle body structure of claim 1 ,

wherein the external garnish includes a plurality of coupling bosses provided therein, and

wherein each of the coupling bosses includes a coupling screw coupled thereto and configured to penetrate the molding member to be coupled thereto.

5 . The vehicle body structure of claim 1 ,

wherein the external garnish includes a plurality of loop rings protruding toward the molding member, a plurality of coupling bosses, and a plurality of hook plates,

wherein the molding member includes a plurality of loop coupling holes formed therein and configured to allow the plurality of loop rings to be respectively inserted thereinto and fixed therein, and a plurality of hook plate holes formed therein and configured to allow the plurality of hook plates to be respectively inserted thereinto and fixed therein, and

wherein the plurality of coupling bosses have a plurality of coupling screws respectively coupled thereto and configured to penetrate the molding member to be coupled thereto.

6 . The vehicle body structure of claim 5 ,

wherein the plurality of loop rings are provided on an upper side of the external garnish in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body,

wherein each of the coupling bosses is disposed between the loop rings on the upper side of the external garnish, and

wherein the plurality of hook plates are provided in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body below locations at which the loop rings and the coupling bosses of the external garnish are formed.

7 . The vehicle body structure of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of hook plates are additionally provided on a front side of the vehicle body of the external garnish.

8 . The vehicle body structure of claim 1 ,

wherein an A-pillar reinforcement is provided between the outside of the vehicle body of the roof side assembly and the external garnish to be coupled to the external garnish, and

wherein the external garnish is coupled to the A-pillar reinforcement by a plurality of coupling members coupled thereto in an upward-and-downward direction, a forward-and-rearward direction, and a left-and-right direction thereof.

9 . The vehicle body structure of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of coupling members include:

a first A-coupling bolt coupled to the A-pillar reinforcement by penetrating the external garnish from an upper side of a front end portion of the external garnish toward a lower side of the front end portion;

a second A-coupling bolt coupled to the A-pillar reinforcement and the molding member by penetrating the external garnish in the left-and-right direction from a side of the external garnish; and

a third A-coupling bolt coupled to the A-pillar reinforcement and the molding member by penetrating the external garnish from a rear of the external garnish toward a front thereof.

10 . The vehicle body structure of claim 1 ,

wherein the molding member includes a garnish mounting boss formed to be integrated into a portion thereof, the portion being connected to an upper end portion of a B-pillar of the lower vehicle body among the pillars, and

wherein the external garnish includes a garnish B-pillar mounting hole formed therein and configured to allow a coupling member coupled to the garnish mounting boss to pass therethrough.

11 . The vehicle body structure of claim 1 , wherein the external garnish includes:

a rear flange provided at a rear end portion thereof coupled to a C-pillar among the pillars and formed to surround a rear upper side of the C-pillar; and

a C-coupling bolt coupled to the C-pillar by penetrating the rear flange from a rear of the rear flange toward a front thereof.

12 . The vehicle body structure of claim 1 ,

wherein the external garnish is formed by connecting a plurality of garnish portions divided in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and

wherein the divided garnish portions are coupled to each other by a hook coupling method.

13 . The vehicle body structure of claim 12 , wherein one of the garnish portions coupled to each other includes a plurality of hooks provided at an end portion thereof and protruding toward another garnish portion, and another garnish portion includes a plurality of hook holes provided at an end portion thereof and formed to allow the plurality of hooks to be respectively coupled thereto.

14 . The vehicle body structure of claim 1 ,

wherein the external garnish includes a thickness reduction portion having a connection portion, and

wherein the thickness reduction portion is formed by reducing a thickness of a lower end portion of a portion of the external garnish toward a surface of at least one pillar among the pillars, the portion being coupled to the at least one pillar of the vehicle body.

15 . A vehicle body structure comprising:

a roof side assembly connecting upper end portions of pillars of a vehicle body in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, wherein a front portion of the roof side assembly constitutes an A-pillar and a remaining portion of the roof side assembly connects to upper end portions of other pillars of the vehicle body;

at least one mounting bracket fixing the roof side assembly to a lower vehicle body; and

an external garnish coupled to an outside of the roof side assembly,

wherein the roof side assembly includes:

a pipe extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, the pipe including a closed cross-section; and

a molding member injection-molded with the pipe inserted thereinto, wherein the at least one mounting bracket includes:

an A-pillar mounting bracket coupling the roof side assembly to a fender of the lower vehicle body; and

a B-pillar mounting bracket coupling the roof side assembly to an upper end portion of a B-pillar of the lower vehicle body.

16 . The vehicle body structure of claim 15 ,

wherein the A-pillar mounting bracket is mounted on an interior side of the roof side assembly, and

wherein an A-pillar reinforcement is provided between the outside of the vehicle body of the roof side assembly and the external garnish to be coupled to the external garnish.

17 . A vehicle body structure comprising:

a roof side assembly connecting upper end portions of pillars of a vehicle body in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, wherein a front portion of the roof side assembly constitutes an A-pillar and a remaining portion of the roof side assembly connects to upper end portions of other pillars of the vehicle body;

at least one mounting bracket fixing the roof side assembly to a lower vehicle body; and

an external garnish coupled to an outside of the roof side assembly,

wherein the roof side assembly includes:

a pipe extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, the pipe including a closed cross-section; and

a molding member injection-molded with the pipe inserted thereinto, wherein the external garnish includes a plurality of hook plates protruding toward the molding member, and

wherein the molding member includes a plurality of hook plate holes formed therein and configured to allow the plurality of hook plates to be respectively inserted thereinto and fixed therein.

18 . The vehicle body structure of claim 17 , wherein each of the hook plates of the external garnish includes:

a flat plate portion protruding from the external garnish;

an elastic piece including one end portion fixed to an internal center portion of a first side surface of the flat plate portion; and

a hook protrusion protruding from the elastic piece.

19 . The vehicle body structure of claim 18 , wherein each of the hook plate holes of the molding member includes side protrusions provided on opposite portions thereof and protruding in an inward direction thereof, wherein the side protrusions respectively support opposite portions of a second side surface of the flat plate portion in a state in which the hook plates are inserted into the hook plate holes, wherein the second side surface is opposite to the first side surface from which the hook protrusion protrudes.