The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 17, 2003
Filed:
Aug. 16, 2002
John T Reed, Royal Oak, MI (US);
Matt Edward Maser, Frankfort, IL (US);
Paul Elia, West Bloomfield, MI (US);
Peter Ellis Hackett, Belleville, MI (US);
Ford Global Technologies, L.L.C., Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
A vehicle roof structure including a front header, a pillar support member, a side roof rail, and a roof rail outer front member. The front header has a substantially box-shaped cross-section. The pillar support member has an elongated member extending between a windshield opening and a door opening, a short first member at one end of the elongated member extending along the windshield opening, and a short second member at the end extending along the door opening. The first member includes a first edge adjoining an end of the front header. The side roof rail has a substantially box-shaped cross-section and adjoins a second edge of the pillar support second member. The roof rail outer front member is affixed to the pillar support member. The roof rail outer front member adjoins the end of the front header in a region of the first edge, adjoins the side roof rail in a region of the second edge, and extends along at least a portion of the elongated member of the pillar support member. The roof rail outer front member and the pillar support member form a substantially box-shaped cross-section extending between the first, second and elongated members such that a continuous substantially box-shaped cross-section exists throughout the joint defined by the vehicle roof structure.