Patent Application
20200139901
This disclosure relates to a roof ditch molding that is removable to enable mounting of accessory items.
Vehicle roof structures include moldings covering a seam between body panels and the roof structure. The seam is provided within a channel known as a roof ditch. The roof ditch provides water management and a roof ditch molding covers the ditch to provide a desired appearance. The roof ditch molding is typically attached in a manner that is not intended to be removed by a vehicle owner. In some vehicle configurations, accessory structures are mounted to a vehicle roof. Accessory structures can include roof racks, light bars and other mounting structures.
Vehicle manufacturers are continuously seeking improvements to meet changing consumer demands and maintain interest by introducing new product features that enable owner customization.
A vehicle roof molding assembly according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a base portion including an attachment portion on a first end and a securement portion on a second end and a cover portion attached at one end to the attachment portion and at a second end to the securement portion of the base portion.
In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing roof molding assembly, the base portion includes openings for receiving threaded members for securing the base portion to the vehicle structure.
In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing roof molding assembly, a nut is secured to the threaded members for removably securing the base portion to the vehicle roof.
In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing roof molding assembly, the attachment portion comprises a flange disposed parallel to the base portion and the cover portion includes a slot receiving the flange.
In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing roof molding assembly, the securement portion comprises a tab extending transverse from the base portion and the cover portion includes an opening receiving a portion of the tab.
In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing roof molding assembly, the tab comprises a snap portion that extends outward through the opening and is accessible from an exterior of the roof molding.
In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing roof molding assembly, the base portion includes biasing members that exert an outward bias force on the cover portion.
In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing roof molding assembly, the cover portion and the base portion are separate mating parts.
In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing roof molding assembly, the cover portion and the base portion are one integral part and the attachment portion comprises a hinge portion between the cover portion and the base portion.
A roof ditch assembly for a motor vehicle according to another non-limiting embodiment includes, among other things, a roof ditch including a plurality of outward extending threaded members, a base portion including mounting openings receiving the threaded members, and a tab extending transverse to the base portion. A cover portion is secured by the tab to the base.
In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing roof ditch assembly, the cover includes an opening receiving a portion of the tab at one end and a slot on a second end receiving a flange of the base portion.
In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing roof ditch assemblies, the base portion includes a transverse wall on the second end and the flange extends outward from the transverse wall.
In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing roof ditch assemblies, including a hinge attaching the cover portion to the base portion.
In a further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing roof ditch assemblies, including fingers biasing the cover portion away from the base portion.
A method of mounting an accessory item to a vehicle roof according to another non-limiting embodiment includes, among other things, releasing a tab disposed on a base portion within a roof ditch to free one end of a cover portion, pivoting the cover portion from the base portion to expose threaded securement fasteners, removing the base portion and cover portion, and mounting an accessory item onto the threaded fasteners within the roof ditch.
A further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing method includes removing a second end of the cover portion from the base portion by removing a flange of the base portion from a slot in the cover portion.
In a further non-limiting embodiment of the foregoing method wherein the flange extends outward from the base portion.
A further non-limiting embodiment of any of the foregoing methods, including securing the cover portion to the base portion with a hinge portion and pivoting the cover portion about the hinge portion to expose the threaded securement fasteners.
The various features and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows.
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In the disclosed example, the base portion 18 includes a first end 20 with a spring tab 22. The spring tab 22 is biased outward to provide a releasable lock to secure the cover portion 36. The base portion 18 includes a second end 24 that includes a flange 26. The flange 26 extends outwardly from a wall portion 25 and is spaced apart from the base portion 18. The flange 26 is disposed substantially parallel to the base portion 18 and provides a structure for releasable attachment of the cover portion 36.
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The base portion 18 may include fingers 34 that bias the cover portion 36 toward a release position. In the release position, the cover portion 36 is raised relative to the roof 12. The biasing force provided by the fingers 34 function to pop the cover portion 36 upward upon release of the tab 22 from the first slot 38. The cover portion 36 becomes easier to remove once popped upward by the fingers. As appreciated, the cover portion 36 maybe sealed or flush with the vehicle roof structure and therefore the slight upward bias provided by the fingers 34 enables a user to grasp the cover portion 36 for removal.
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It should be appreciated that although a light 50 and roof rack 56 are disclosed by way of example many different accessory items and structures could be mounted within the roof ditch 14. The accessibility to the mounting structures within the roof ditch 14 are provided by the ease of removal and installation enabled by the removable molding assembly 16.
It should be appreciated, that multiple molding assemblies 16 could be arranged in common roof ditch 14 and be separately removable as needed to accommodate different accessory item configurations. Additionally, a single molding assembly 16 could extend across the entire roof ditch 14. The accessory item could then include features to fit within the vacated parts of the roof ditch 14.
In this example, the roof ditch molding assembly 16 is formed from plastic material. The molding assembly includes an exterior surface that is painted or coated to correspond with the vehicle aesthetics. Moreover, the molding assembly 16 could be formed from metal or a combination of metal and plastic to provide both the desired aesthetic appearance and durability required to endure different removals and installations.
Accordingly, the disclosed molding assembly 16 enables removal without excessive difficulty or damage to the roof or molding assembly. The ease of removal enables use of threaded structures within various locations of the roof ditch 14 for accessory structures.
Although the different non-limiting embodiments are illustrated as having specific components or steps, the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to those particular combinations. It is possible to use some of the components or features from any of the non-limiting embodiments in combination with features or components from any of the other non-limiting embodiments.
It should be understood that like reference numerals identify corresponding or similar elements throughout the several drawings. It should be understood that although a particular component arrangement is disclosed and illustrated in these exemplary embodiments, other arrangements could also benefit from the teachings of this disclosure.
The foregoing description shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense. A worker of ordinary skill in the art would understand that certain modifications could come within the scope of this disclosure. For these reasons, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this disclosure.
