Daimler Chrysler Ag

Thomas Sailer

Konrad Eipper

Matthias Schroeder

Roland Wendler

Heinz Koslowski

Thomas Lohse

A roof frame arrangement of a motor vehicle has a front, a rear and two lateral roof frames, and a supporting device for a motor vehicle tailgate. The supporting device includes a tailgate hinge and at least one gas-filled compression spring. At least the lateral roof frame contains an inner shell and an outer shell connected to the latter. A hollow space is formed between the inner shell and outer shell. In order to provide a roof frame arrangement having increased stiffness, which can be produced in a simple and space-saving manner and with as few manufacturing tolerances as possible and in which a relatively great outlay on leakproofness is not required, it is proposed to form a rear end region of the lateral roof frame as a single-piece, circumferentially closed hollow profile which encloses the hollow space there and forms a receiving housing in which at least one of the hinge and the gas-filled compression spring is fitted.

Roof frame arrangement for motor vehicles

A rear roof frame of a motor vehicle has a tailgate which is fastened to the roof frame and includes an upper shell and a lower shell which is fitted to the latter. For the design of a rear roof frame, which, in spite of the shell-type construction, provides, in a simple manner and lightweight construction, sufficient torsional and flexural stiffness in order to withstand high mechanical stresses, it is proposed to arrange within the shell structure a hollow profile which leads in each case from the transition region to the lateral roof frame and parallel to the longitudinal extent of the structure, and emerges, at least at the end facing away from the lateral roof frame, in a knee which kinks in the front-end direction of the vehicle. The end of the rear roof frame forms a tubular hollow profile of the lateral roof frame, which is connected to the hollow profile of the rear roof frame.

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Metzingen, Germany

Thomas Sailer