Roof rails

Abstract

This rail body section has a resin as the material thereof, has a shape that extends along a roof upper surface of a vehicle, and is configured such that a base carrier can be attached thereto without changing the external shape of a roof rail. A fixing section is a metal member that is incorporated into the rail body section. The fixing section is fixed, together with the rail body section, directly to the roof upper section using a metal engaging section and a metal engagement-receiving section that is mounted on the roof upper surface and threadedly engages with the engaging section. In this roof rail, a region that shows the external shape is divided in the length direction into a plurality of resin regions and at least one metal region, and there are fewer fixing sections serving as said metal regions than there are resin regions in the roof rail.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] ,

[0007] , ,

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a roof rail.

Background Art

[0002] Roof rails that are attached to the roof of a vehicle and to which base carriers are attached are known. The base carrier serves as a base for attaching a mounting member (for example, a roof box, a roof rack, etc.) for mounting a load such as a long object.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1 below, a roof rail including a roof rail body formed by extrusion molding of aluminum and resin covers connected to both ends of the roof rail body has been proposed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The roof rail described in Patent Document 1 has a problem that the weight is heavy because the material of the roof rail body is aluminum. On the other hand, if the entire roof rail body is made of resin, although the weight can be reduced, there is a risk that the roof rail body will be damaged when a base carrier is attached to the roof rail.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a roof rail that can suppress the possibility of damage when a base carrier is attached and can reduce the weight.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure is a roof rail for mounting on the roof of a vehicle, comprising a rail body and at least one fixing portion. The rail body is a resin member having a shape that extends along the upper surface of the vehicle's roof. The fixing portion is a metal member for fixing the rail body to the upper surface of the roof. The total area of ​​the fixing portions on the upper surface of the roof rail is smaller than the area of ​​the upper surface of the rail body.

[0008] With this configuration, the roof rails can be fitted with a base carrier on the metal fixing points on the upper surface of the roof rails, thus reducing the possibility of damage when the base carrier is attached. In addition, since the metal fixing points on the roof rails are smaller than the resin areas, the relative weight of the roof rails can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a roof rail. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the attachment of a base carrier to roof rails. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the roof rails. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a portion of the roof rails. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic exploded perspective view showing the area near the recess in the rail body. [Figure 6] Figure 6A is a schematic front view of the fixed part, and Figure 6B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the fixed part along the line VI-VI in Figure 4. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view of the fixing part seen from below. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the assembly of the roof rails. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a schematic perspective view of the front end of the roof rail, seen from the roof side (i.e., the joint groove side). [Explanation of Symbols]

[0010] 1...Roof rail, 3...Rail body, 5...Fixing part, 8...Roof, 10...Fixing bolt, 82...Bolt receiver, 821...Receiver body, 822...Welded nut, 101...Resin area, 102...Metal area. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this specification, "identical" does not mean identical in a strict sense, but rather that they do not have to be strictly identical as long as they produce similar effects. The same applies to "flat". In this specification, when the roof rail 1 is positioned on the upper surface 801 of the roof 8 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the upper surface 801 of the roof), the side facing the vehicle (i.e., the roof 8) (i.e., the side in the direction of gravity) is described as down, and the side facing outwards from the vehicle (i.e., the side opposite to the direction of gravity) is described as up. In addition, the forward direction of the vehicle is described as front or forward, the reverse direction is described as rear or rear, the right side when viewing the vehicle from the front is described as right, and the left side when viewing the vehicle from the front is described as left.

[0012] [Embodiment] [1. Structure] <Overview of roof rails> The roof rail 1 shown in Figure 1 is attached to the upper surface 801 of the vehicle's roof, as shown in Figure 4, which will be described later. Specifically, the roof rail 1 is fixed to a joint groove 81 provided in the roof 8. In the vehicle, although not shown, a roughly U-shaped groove (i.e., the aforementioned joint groove 81) extending in the front-rear direction is formed at the joint between the roof panel that constitutes the roof 8 and the side panels that constitute the left and right sides of the vehicle. The U-shape referred to here is a U-shape that opens at the top. The joint groove 81 is provided roughly parallel to the left and right ends of the upper surface 801 of the roof, although not shown.

[0013] Note that although not shown in the figure, a rail-shaped member having a substantially U-shaped cross section may be attached to the joining groove portion 81 so as to cover the joining groove portion 81, and the roof rail 1 may be fixed to this rail-shaped member. The roof rail 1 covers the joining groove portion 81 to maintain the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle.

[0014] When viewed from the front of the vehicle, the roof rails 1 are arranged in a pair on the left and right on the roof 8 and have a shape extending substantially parallel to each other in the front-rear direction. FIG. 1 shows the roof rail 1 arranged at the right end on the roof 8 of the vehicle.

[0015] As described above, the roof rail 1 is arranged on the right side of the roof 8 and is arranged substantially line-symmetric with respect to the symmetry line together with the left roof rail arranged at the left end of the roof 8. The symmetry line is a virtual line that extends in the front-rear direction through the center in the vehicle width direction on the roof 8 although not shown. The right roof rail 1 and the left roof rail have a shape that is line-symmetric with respect to the symmetry line. Note that the right roof rail 1 and the left roof rail may have the same shape.

[0016] A base carrier 9 is mounted on the roof rail 1. The base carrier 9 serves as a base for attaching a mounting member (for example, a roof box, a roof rack, etc.) for mounting a long object or the like. As shown in FIG. 2, the base carrier 9 includes a bar 91 and a foot portion 92. The bar 91 has a rod shape, and a mounting member is attached to the bar 91. The foot portion 92 is connected to the bar 91. The foot portion 92 is a portion for attaching the base carrier 9 to the vehicle body (for example, the roof rail 1). The foot portion 92 is configured to be detachable from the roof rail 1.

[0017] Hereinafter, the position on the roof rail 1 where the foot portion 92 is attached is referred to as the foot portion attachment position F. The attachment position includes the actually attached position and the position where attachment is highly likely.

[0018] <Configuration of the roof rail> As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the roof rail 1 comprises a rail body 3 and at least one fixing part 5. The rail body 3 has a shape that extends along the upper surface 801 of the vehicle's roof. The rail body 3 is made of resin. The fixing part 5 is the part for fixing the rail body 3 to the upper surface 801 of the roof. The fixing part 5 is made of metal. The roof rail 1 further comprises at least one cover part 7. In this embodiment, the roof rail 1 comprises two fixing parts 5 and two cover parts 7. The cover parts 7 are provided corresponding to openings provided in each fixing part 5 (i.e., fixing part openings 520 described later).

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, the roof rail 1 is divided in the longitudinal direction of the roof rail 1 into a resin region 101 made of resin and a metal region 102 made of metal, which represent the external shape of the roof rail 1. The external shape of the roof rail 1 refers to the shape that is visible when the roof rail 1 is attached to the vehicle (i.e., the roof 8).

[0020] The total area of ​​the fixing portion 5 on the upper surface 105 of the roof rail 1 is smaller than the area of ​​the upper surface 390 of the rail body 3. In other words, the area occupied by the metal portion 102 relative to the external surface area of ​​the roof rail 1 is smaller than the area occupied by the resin portion 101 relative to the external surface area of ​​the roof rail 1. The external surface area of ​​the roof rail 1 refers to the area of ​​the external shape of the roof rail 1. The external shape of the roof rail 1 will be described later.

[0021] In this embodiment, we describe an example in which, when the roof rail 1 is attached to the roof 8, one foot portion 92 is attached to the front side from the longitudinal center of the roof rail 1 and one to the rear side from the longitudinal center. In other words, two foot portion attachment positions F are assumed for the roof rail 1. The roof rail 1 has a fixing portion 5 at a position corresponding to the foot portion attachment position F.

[0022] <Rail body section> As shown in Figure 3, the rail body 3 has a recess 30 into which the fixing portion 5, which is a metal area 102, is fitted from above. Above refers to the upper part in the vertical direction of the vehicle when the roof rail 1 is attached to the vehicle. Fitted in includes being locked in place.

[0023] The rail body 3 has recesses 30 that are recessed downward from the outer surface (i.e., the outer surface) at positions corresponding to the foot mounting positions F in the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, the number of recesses 30 in the rail body 3 is equal to the number of foot mounting positions F on the roof rail 1. In this embodiment, since there are assumed to be two foot mounting positions F on the roof rail 1, the rail body 3 has two recesses 30. One fixing part 5 is incorporated into each of the two recesses 30.

[0024] Furthermore, the number of recesses 30 in the rail body 3 is not limited to two, but may be one or three or more, depending on the number of foot mounting positions F on the roof rail 1. In other words, the number of recesses 30 in the rail body 3 is not limited to two, but may be one or three or more, depending on the number of fixing parts 5.

[0025] In the rail body 3, the remaining portion other than the recess 30 is also called the non-recessed portion 39. As shown in Figure 4, in the non-recessed portion 39, the cross-section 301 in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction has a U-shaped form with an opening on the lower side. Because the non-recessed portion 39 has a U-shaped opening carved out in its cross-section, it is lighter than, for example, a solid rectangular cross-section without a carved-out section.

[0026] In this embodiment, the recess 30 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape so that the fixing part 5 can be incorporated from above. As shown in Figure 5, the recess 30 comprises a plate-shaped bottom 31 having a substantially rectangular shape, widthwise wall portions 33a, 33b that rise upward from two sides in the width direction of the bottom 31, and longitudinal wall portions 32a, 32b that rise upward from two sides in the longitudinal direction of the bottom 31.

[0027] The recess 30 has an opening (hereinafter referred to as the bottom opening 35) approximately in the center of the bottom 31. The bottom opening 35 is a through hole and has a shape larger than the outer shape of the columnar portion 51 so that the tip of the columnar portion 51 of the fixing portion 5, which will be described later, can be inserted through it. In this embodiment, the bottom opening 35 is approximately circular, and the radial length of the bottom opening 35 is greater than the radial length of the columnar portion 51, which is approximately cylindrical. In this specification, radial length refers to the length in the diametrical direction.

[0028] The recess 30 is provided with at least one rib 36a, 36b at the bottom 31. The ribs 36a, 36b have a shape that protrudes upward from the bottom 31. The ribs 36a, 36b may be configured to support the fixing part 5 when it is incorporated into the recess 30. In this embodiment, the recess 30 is provided with two ribs 36a, 36b at the bottom 31. The two ribs 36a, 36b have a shape that extends, for example, from the edge of the bottom opening 35 along the longitudinal direction of the rail body 3.

[0029] In this embodiment, at least one of the ribs 36a and 36b (for example, rib 36a) has a through-hole 37 through which a screw 59 for fixing the rail body 3 and the fixing part 5 can be inserted from below when the fixing part 5 is assembled into the recess 30. The through-hole 37 is a through hole. In the fixing part 5, a cylindrical part 56a having a screw hole 562 on the inside is provided at a position corresponding to the through-hole 37. The screw 59 inserted through the through-hole 37 is screwed into the screw hole 562, making it possible to fix the rail body 3 and the fixing part 5 with the screw 59.

[0030] As shown in Figure 9, which will be described later, the rail body 3 has at least one so-called resin clip 43 at its longitudinal front end 41. Although not shown, the rail body 3 also has at least one clip 43 at its longitudinal rear end 42. The clip 43 is a member that is pressed into a clip through hole 631 in a plate-shaped clip mounting plate 63. The clip mounting plate 63 is fixed to a mounting bracket 61. The mounting bracket 61 is welded to the roof 8 (i.e., the joint groove 81). For example, the clip mounting plate 63 may be fixed to the mounting bracket 61 by screws and weld nuts 62. The clip 43 comprises, for example, a conical tip 431, a columnar body 432, and a substantially disc-shaped flange 433 having a radial length greater than that of the body 432. The body portion 432 is connected to the opposite side of the tip of the conical tip portion 431 and has a radial length smaller than the radial length of the base surface 434 of the conical tip portion 431.

[0031] The clip 43 is pressed into the clip through hole 631 while being elastically deformed. The clip 43 holds the clip mounting plate 63 between the conical tip 431 and the flange 433, that is, at the body 432. In this way, the longitudinal front end 41 of the roof rail 1 is fixed to the vehicle by the clip 43. Although not shown, the longitudinal rear end 42 of the roof rail 1 is similarly fixed to the vehicle by the clip 43.

[0032] <Fixed part> The fixing part 5 is made of an alloy, such as aluminum die-cast. The metal material for the fixing part 5 is not limited to an alloy such as aluminum die-cast, but can be any metal material with sufficient strength to which the base carrier 9 can be attached. As shown in Figure 8, which will be described later, the fixing part 5 has a columnar part 51 whose tip is exposed from the rail body part 3 when it is incorporated into the rail body part 3, and the columnar part 51 has a through hole 52 inside. The fixing part 5 is directly fixed to the roof top surface 801 together with the rail body part 3 by a metal fixing bolt 10 inserted through the through hole 52 and a metal bolt receiving part 82 mounted on the roof top surface 801. At this time, the rail body part 3 is fixed to the roof top surface 801 with resin packings 701a and 701b sandwiched in between.

[0033] As shown in Figure 4, the bolt receiving portion 82 has a receiving portion body 821 manufactured by press-forming a metal plate, and a nut (hereinafter referred to as a welded nut 822) welded to the receiving portion body 821. The receiving portion body 821 has a base portion 823 and side ends 824a and 824b connected to both ends of the base portion 823. The receiving portion body 821 is fixed to the roof upper surface 801 (i.e., the joint groove portion 81) by welding the side ends 824a and 824b to the roof upper surface 801. The base portion 823 has a hole portion 825 through which the fixing bolt 10 can be inserted, and in this embodiment, it has a welded nut 822 on the lower side. The welded nut 822 has a screw groove (not shown) on its inner surface 826.

[0034] In this embodiment, the fixing part 5 is a member having a substantially U-shaped cross-section, as shown in Figures 6A, 6B, and 7. The U-shape referred to here is a U-shape that opens downwards. The fixing part 5 has a plate-shaped fixing body part 50, the columnar part 51 described above, and a pair of side plate parts 53a and 53b that extend from both ends of the fixing body part 50 in the width direction in the direction normal to the fixing body part 50. The columnar part 51 extends from approximately the center of the fixing body part 50 in the direction normal to the fixing body part 50. The direction normal to the fixing body part 50 corresponds to the downward direction when the roof rail 1 is mounted on the vehicle.

[0035] The pair of side plate portions 53a and 53b are each plate-shaped members, and the distance between the pair of side plate portions 53a and 53b in the width direction is smaller than the distance between the fixed body portion 50 in the width direction. Also, the distance between the pair of side plate portions 53a and 53b in the width direction is smaller than the distance between the recess 30 in the width direction. In other words, when the fixed portion 5 is assembled into the recess 30, the ends 501a and 501b of the fixed body portion 50 are locked into the recess 30, and the pair of side plate portions 53a and 53b are assembled inside the recess 30. In this embodiment, the ends 501a and 501b are locked into the upper ends of the longitudinal wall portions 32a and 32b that constitute the recess 30. As a result, when the fixed portion 5 is assembled into the recess 30, the fixed body portion 50 closes the recess 30.

[0036] Furthermore, the fixing portion 5 is configured such that when it is locked into the recess 30, no step is created between the upper surface 503 of the fixing portion 5 (i.e., the outer surface of the fixing body portion 50) and the upper surface 390 of the rail body portion 3 (i.e., the outer surface of the non-recessed portion 39).

[0037] "No step" means that the surfaces between them are configured to be flat. The upper surface 503 of the fixing part 5 (i.e., the outer surface of the fixing body part 50) corresponds to the metal area 102 in the external shape of the roof rail 1. Since there is no step between the upper surface (i.e., outer surface) 503 of the fixing part 5 and the upper surface (i.e., outer surface) 390 of the rail body part 3, there is no step between the resin area 101 and the metal area 102 on the upper surface 105 of the roof rail 1, and the aesthetic appearance of the roof rail 1 is maintained.

[0038] The fixed body portion 50 has an opening (hereinafter referred to as the fixed portion opening 520) approximately in the center, and the fixed portion opening 520 is in communication with the through hole 52 of the columnar portion 51.

[0039] The columnar portion 51 is a cylindrical part that extends from approximately the center of the fixing body portion 50 in the direction normal to the fixing body portion 50, and has a through hole 52 inside. The through hole 52 is sized to allow the fixing bolt 10 to pass through. The fixing bolt 10 has a head portion 110 and a shaft portion 111 connected to the head portion 110, the shaft portion 111 having a smaller outer diameter than the head portion 110 and having screw threads.

[0040] The through-hole 52 of the columnar portion 51 has a shape that includes a first through-hole 521 having an inner diameter through which the head 110 of the fixing bolt 10 can be inserted, and a second through-hole 522 having an inner diameter through which the head 110 of the fixing bolt 10 cannot be inserted but the shaft portion 111 can be inserted. The first through-hole 521 and the second through-hole 522 are in communication. In other words, the inner wall surface 530 of the columnar portion 51 having the through-hole 52 has a shape with a stepped portion 534. Also, the second through-hole 522 is shorter than the length of the shaft portion 11 of the fixing bolt 10.

[0041] As a result, the fixing bolt 10 inserted through the through hole 52 has its head 110 locked into the stepped portion 534, and the tip of its shaft portion 111 is exposed from the through hole 52. More specifically, the length of the shaft portion 11 of the fixing bolt 10 is greater than or equal to the sum of the length of the second through hole 522, the plate thickness of the receiving portion body 821 (i.e., the base portion 823) in the bolt receiving portion 82 described above, and the thickness of the welded nut 822. As a result, the fixing bolt 10 inserted through the through hole 52 has its tip of the shaft portion 111 exposed from the through hole 52, and the tip of the shaft portion 111 can be screwed into the welded nut 822 in the bolt receiving portion 82.

[0042] In accordance with the shape of the through-hole 52, the columnar portion 51 has a body portion 511 connected to the fixed main body portion 50 and a reduced-diameter portion 512 on the tip side having a smaller cross-sectional area than the body portion 511 (i.e., a smaller radial length than the body portion 511). The through-hole 52 passes through the body portion 511 and the reduced-diameter portion 512, with the through-hole 52 in the body portion 511 corresponding to the first through-hole 521 and the through-hole 52 in the reduced-diameter portion 512 corresponding to the second through-hole 522. The opening of the body portion 511 on the fixed main body portion 50 side is the fixed portion opening 520 described above.

[0043] In this embodiment, the columnar portion 51 is cylindrical and the through hole 52 has a substantially circular cross-section, but the shape of the columnar portion 51 and the cross-section of the through hole 52 are not limited to these and can be any shape.

[0044] Furthermore, the fixing portion 5 has cylindrical portions 56a and 56b. The cylindrical portions 56a and 56b are cylindrical members that extend from the inner surface 505 of the fixing body portion 50 in the direction normal to the fixing body portion 50 (i.e., downward). The cylindrical portion 56a is provided at a position corresponding to the insertion hole 37 and has a screw hole 562 on its inside.

[0045] The cover portion 7 is a member for closing the fixing portion opening 520 of each fixing portion 5. The cover portion 7 is fitted into the fixing portion opening 520 from above to close the fixing portion opening 520. In this embodiment, the cover portion 7 is made of resin. However, the material of the cover portion 7 is not limited to resin. Various materials can be used for the cover portion 7. For example, metal may be used as long as the weight does not affect the overall weight of the roof rail 1.

[0046] [2. Assembly and Installation] This section describes the assembly and installation of roof rail 1. (1) First, the fixing part 5 is locked into the recess 30 of the rail body 3, and a screw 59 is inserted from below into the insertion hole 37 of the rib 36a of the rail body 3, and the inserted screw 59 is screwed into the screw hole 562 of the cylindrical part 56a. As a result, the fixing part 5 is incorporated into the rail body 3 (i.e., locked or fixed), and the assembly of the roof rail 1 is completed.

[0047] (2) Next, the roof rail 1 is positioned on the roof surface 801 (i.e., the joint groove 81). Positioning here means temporary placement. The roof rail 1 is positioned (i.e., temporarily placed) such that the fixing opening 520 in the rail body 3 into which the fixing part 5 is incorporated corresponds to the bolt receiving part 82 mounted on the roof surface 801 (i.e., the joint groove 81). Resin packings 701a and 701b are sandwiched between the roof 8 side end of the roof rail 1 (i.e., the rail body 3) and the roof surface 801 (i.e., the joint groove 81). The resin packings 701a and 701b may be attached in advance to the roof 8 side end of the roof rail 1 (i.e., the rail body 3) with double-sided tape or the like.

[0048] (3) Next, the longitudinal front end 41 and the longitudinal rear end 42 of the roof rail 1 (i.e., the rail body 3) are fitted into the clip mounting plate 63 provided on the roof 8 by the clip 43 described above. This positions and fixes both ends of the roof rail 1.

[0049] (4) Next, at each fixing part 5 of the roof rail 1, a fixing bolt 10 is inserted from above into the fixing part opening 520, and the fixing bolt 10 is screwed into the welded nut 822 of the bolt receiving part 82. As a result, the fixing bolt 10 screws the fixing part 5 and the bolt receiving part 82 (i.e., the welded nut 822) with the tip of the columnar part 51 (i.e., the reduced diameter part 512), which is the tip of the columnar part 51, into contact with the bolt receiving part 82. Then the cover part 7 is fitted into the fixing part opening 520. All fixing parts 5 are similarly fixed with the fixing bolt 10.

[0050] Here, the fixing part 5 and the bolt receiving part 82 are screwed together by the fixing bolt 10, which compresses the resin packings 701a and 701b sandwiched between them. The compressed resin packing 701 suppresses rattling between the roof rail 1 (i.e., the end of the rail body 3 on the roof 8 side) and the roof surface 801. In addition, the compressed resin packings 701a and 701b prevent gaps from forming between the roof rail 1 (i.e., the end of the rail body 3 on the roof 8 side) and the roof surface 801. In other words, by preventing gaps from forming, it is possible to prevent rainwater, dust, etc. from entering the inside of the roof rail 1. This completes the assembly and installation of the roof rail 1.

[0051] In this embodiment, as described in (1) above, the roof rail 1 is assembled by pre-fixing the rail body 3 and the fixing part 5 with screws 59, and this roof rail 1 is fixed to the roof top surface 801 using fixing bolts 10. However, in the roof rail 1, the rail body 3 and the fixing part 5 do not necessarily have to be pre-fixed with screws 59. In other words, the assembly of the roof rail 1 may be completed by engaging the fixing part 5 with the recess 30 of the rail body 3. Then, the roof rail 1 with the fixing part 5 engaged with the recess 30 of the rail body 3 may be fixed to the roof top surface 801 using fixing bolts 10 as described above.

[0052] [3. Effects] The embodiments described in detail above produce the following effects.

[0053] (1a) The roof rail 1 is attached to the roof 8 of the vehicle and comprises a rail body 3 and at least one fixing part 5. The rail body 3 is made of resin and has a shape that extends along the upper surface 801 of the vehicle's roof. The fixing part 5 is a metal member for fixing the rail body 3 to the upper surface 801 of the roof. The total area of ​​the fixing part 5 on the upper surface 105 of the roof rail 1 is less than the area of ​​the rail body 3 on the upper surface 105 of the roof rail 1.

[0054] The total area of ​​the fixing portion 5 on the upper surface 105 of the roof rail 1 is the total area of ​​the upper surface 503 of the fixing portion 5 provided by the roof rail 1. The area of ​​the rail body portion 3 on the upper surface 105 of the roof rail 1 is the area of ​​the upper surface 390 of the rail body portion 3 provided by the roof rail 1 (i.e., the entire area of ​​the upper surface 390). According to this embodiment, since the base carrier 9 can be attached to the metal fixing portion 5 on the upper surface 105 of the roof rail 1, the possibility of damage when the base carrier 9 is attached can be suppressed.

[0055] Furthermore, on the upper surface 105 of the roof rail 1, the total area of ​​the metal fixing portion 5 (i.e., the area of ​​the metal region 102) is less than the area of ​​the resin rail body portion 3 (i.e., the resin region 101), thus making the weight of the roof rail 1 relatively lighter. The roof rail 1 is lighter than conventional roof rails, for example, those formed by aluminum extrusion molding.

[0056] In other words, the roof rail 1 can be made lighter because the total area of ​​the metal fixing parts 5 is smaller than the area of ​​the resin rail body 3. Thus, the roof rail 1 of this embodiment can reduce the possibility of damage when the base carrier 9 is attached, and can also be made lighter.

[0057] Furthermore, since the base carrier 9 can be attached to the metal fixing part 5 on the upper surface 105 of the roof rail 1, it is possible to attach the base carrier 9 without changing the external shape of the roof rail 1.

[0058] (1b) At a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the roof rail 1, the upper surface 503 of the fixing part 5 is exposed as the upper surface 105 of the roof rail 1. The predetermined position may be a predetermined position to which the base carrier 9 is attached (i.e., the foot part attachment position F described above). As a result, at the portion of the roof rail 1 corresponding to the predetermined position (for example, the foot part attachment position F), the metal fixing part 5 is exposed on the upper surface 105, so the base carrier 9 can be fixed by directly sandwiching the foot part 92 into the metal fixing part 5.

[0059] "Directly" means, in other words, "without changing the external shape of the roof rail 1." In this way, the foot portion 92, and consequently the base carrier 9, can be attached to the roof rail 1 at a predetermined position without changing the external shape of the roof rail 1.

[0060] Here, consider a comparative example of a roof rail that does not have a fixing part 5 as a metal area 102, and is entirely made of resin. If one attempts to fix such a comparative example of a roof rail by directly clamping the foot part 92 into the roof rail, it is thought that it may break due to the characteristics of the resin that constitutes the comparative example of a roof rail (i.e., its characteristic of being more easily damaged compared to metal).

[0061] In contrast, in this embodiment, the roof rail 1 has a metal fixing part 5 exposed on its upper surface 105 at a predetermined position (for example, the foot mounting position F). Therefore, even though a relatively large portion is made of resin (i.e., resin area 101), the foot part 92 can be directly fixed to the roof rail 1 (i.e., the fixing part 5) while suppressing the possibility of damaging the resin.

[0062] Furthermore, the roof rail 1 of this embodiment includes a resin area 101 and a metal area 102, and the fixing portion 5, which is part of the metal area 102, is where the foot portion 92 should be attached. Therefore, it is easy to identify the location on the roof rail 1 where the base carrier 9 (i.e., the foot portion 92) should be attached.

[0063] (1c) The fixing part 5, together with the fixing part, fixes the rail body part 3 to the roof upper surface 801, using the metal fixing bolt 10 and the metal bolt receiving part 82 which is fixed to the roof 8 and screwed into the fixing bolt 10 as mounting parts.

[0064] According to this embodiment, the fixing part 5 for fixing the roof rail 1 to the vehicle (i.e., the roof 8) is made of metal, and the fixing bolt 10 and bolt receiving part 82 used for fixing are also made of metal. Since the fixing part 5, fixing bolt 10 and bolt receiving part 82 are all made of the same material, which is metal, and are all made of strong materials, they are relatively firmly fixed to each other. In other words, the roof rail 1 can be relatively firmly fixed to the vehicle using the fixing part 5 and the fixing bolt 10 and bolt receiving part 82 as mounting means.

[0065] (1d) The rail body 3 may have a bottom opening 35 at its bottom 31. The fixing part 5 may have a columnar part 51 whose tip portion (i.e., the tip portion 531 of the columnar part) is exposed to the outside through the bottom opening 35. The columnar part 51 may have a through hole 52. The fixing bolt 10 is inserted through the through hole 52. The fixing bolt 10 includes a head 110 and a shaft portion 111 which is smaller in the radial direction than the head 110. The through hole 52 also locks the head 110 of the fixing bolt 10 inside the through hole 52 and exposes at least a part of the shaft portion 111 of the fixing bolt 10 to the outside on the tip portion side. The fixing part 5 is fixed to the roof upper surface 801 together with the rail body 3 by the fixing bolt 10 inserted through the through hole 52 and the bolt receiving portion 82.

[0066] According to this embodiment, the roof rail 1 can be fixed relatively firmly to the vehicle by a metal mounting structure. The metal mounting structure refers to the fixing part 5, the fixing bolt 10, and the bolt receiving part 82.

[0067] (1e) In the columnar portion 51, the through hole 52 may have a first through hole 521 and a second through hole 522. The first through hole 521 may be sized to allow the head 110 of the fixing bolt 10 to pass through. The second through hole 522 may be sized (for example in the radial direction) to allow only the shaft portion 111 to pass through without the head 110 passing through, and may have a shape (for example, its length in the longitudinal direction) shorter than the length of the shaft portion 111.

[0068] According to this embodiment, the head 110 of the fixing bolt 10 is locked at the boundary between the first through hole 521 and the second through hole 522 within the through hole 52 of the columnar portion 51. Furthermore, by making the length of the second through hole 522 shorter than the length of the shaft portion 111, the tip of the shaft portion 111 of the fixing bolt 10 inserted through the through hole 52 can be exposed to the outside of the through hole 52. This allows the exposed tip of the shaft portion 111 to be screwed into the bolt receiving portion 82. As a result, the roof rail 1 can be relatively firmly fixed to the roof surface 801 by the metal mounting structure including the fixing portion 5, the fixing bolt 10, and the bolt receiving portion 82.

[0069] (1f) The through hole 52 communicates with the fixing opening 520 provided on the upper surface 503 of the fixing part 5. According to this embodiment, when fixing the roof rail 1, the fixing bolt 10 can be inserted through the upper surface 105 of the roof rail 1, in other words, through the fixing opening 520 provided on the upper surface 503 of the fixing part 5, so that fixing can be easily done from above.

[0070] (1g) The rail body 3 is a recess 30 into which the fixing part 5 is locked, and the bottom 31 of the rail body 3 may have a recess 30 with a bottom opening 35. The fixing part 5 may include a plate-shaped fixing body 50 that closes the recess 30 when it is locked into the recess 30. The fixing body 50 may have a columnar member as a columnar part 51 that extends in the direction normal to the fixing body 50. The normal direction here refers to the direction toward the recess 30 when the fixing part 5 is incorporated into the recess 30. The fixing opening 520 provided in the fixing body 50 may communicate with a through hole 52 of the columnar part 51.

[0071] According to this embodiment, the fixing body portion 50 of the fixing portion 5, which is a metal area 102, can be exposed on the upper surface 105 of the roof rail 1. This makes it possible to obtain the same effects as in (1a) and (1b).

[0072] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the fixing opening 520 provided in the fixing part 5 (i.e., the fixing main body part 50) communicates with the through hole 52, the fixing bolt 10 can be inserted through the fixing opening 520 into the through hole 52 to fix the roof rail 1 to the roof upper surface 801. In other words, the same effect as in (1f) can be obtained.

[0073] (1h) The roof rail 1 may further be provided with a cover portion 7. The cover portion 7 closes the through hole 52, in other words, the fixing opening 520. This prevents raindrops, dust, etc. from entering the through hole 52.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the fixing bolt 10 corresponds to the bolt, and the bolt receiving portion 82 (i.e., the receiving portion body 821 and the welded nut 822) corresponds to the bolt receiving portion. The roof upper surface 801 corresponds to the upper surface of the roof, the metal area 102 and upper surface 503 correspond to the fixing portion and the upper surface of the fixing portion 5 on the upper surface of the roof rail 1, and the upper surface 390 corresponds to the upper surface of the rail body. The columnar portion tip 531 corresponds to the tip portion.

[0075] [4. Other Embodiments] Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be implemented in various modified forms.

[0076] (4a) In the above embodiment, the metal area 102 of the roof rail 1, in other words, the upper surface 503 of the fixing part 5 (i.e., the outer surface of the fixing body part 50), may be a different color from the resin area 101. This makes it easy to distinguish the fixing part 5 as the metal area 102, i.e., the foot part mounting position F, on the roof rail 1. It also improves the aesthetic appearance of the roof rail 1.

[0077] Furthermore, the metal area 102 on the roof rail 1, in other words, the upper surface 503 of the fixing part 5 (i.e., the outer surface of the fixing body part 50), may be treated with a textured finish. This makes it easy to identify the fixing part 5 as the metal area 102 on the roof rail 1, i.e., the foot part mounting position F. It also provides an anti-slip function when the foot part 92 is attached to the roof rail 1.

[0078] (4b) In the embodiments described above, the roof rail 1 had a fixing portion 5 at a position corresponding to the foot portion mounting position F when it was attached to the vehicle, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the roof rail 1 may have a fixing portion 5 at a position other than the foot portion mounting position F.

[0079] (4c) In the above-described embodiment, the rail body 3 and the fixing part 5 were fixed by screws 59, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The rail body 3 and the fixing part 5 do not have to be fixed by screws 59. In this case, the rail body 3 does not have to have through holes 37 in the rib 36a. Also, the fixing part 5 does not have to have screw holes 562 inside the cylindrical part 56a, or the fixing part 5 does not have to have a cylindrical part 56.

[0080] (4d) In the embodiments described above, the number of foot mounting positions F on the roof rail 1 was equal to the number of recesses 30, and the number of recesses 30 was equal to the number of fixing parts 5. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the number of foot mounting positions F on the roof rail 1 may be equal to the number of recesses 30, and the number of recesses 30 may be equal to the number of fixing parts 5. For example, in the roof rail 1, there may be one fixing part 5 and multiple recesses 30. In other words, the number of foot mounting positions F on the roof rail 1 may be multiple and equal to the number of recesses 30, and the number of fixing parts 5 may be less than the number of recesses 30.

[0081] (4e) Multiple functions of one component in the above-described embodiment may be realized by multiple components, or one function of one component may be realized by multiple components. Alternatively, multiple functions of multiple components may be realized by one component, or one function realized by multiple components may be realized by one component. Also, some of the configurations of the above-described embodiments may be omitted. Furthermore, at least some of the configurations of the above-described embodiments may be added to or replaced with the configurations of other above-described embodiments.

[0082] [Technical Concept Disclosed in This Specified Specification] [Item 1] A roof rail that is attached to the roof of a vehicle, A resin rail body having a shape that extends along the upper surface of the roof of the aforementioned vehicle, At least one metal fixing part for fixing the rail body to the roof surface, Equipped with, The total area of ​​the fixing portion on the upper surface of the roof rail is smaller than the area of ​​the upper surface of the rail body. Roof rails.

[0083] [Item 2] The roof rails described in item 1, The fixing portion is a roof rail whose upper surface is exposed as the upper surface of the roof rail at a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the roof rail. [Item 3] Roof rails as described in item 1 or item 2, A metal bolt and a metal bolt receiver fixed to the roof and screwed onto the bolt are used as mounting parts. The aforementioned fixing portion, together with the mounting portion, is a roof rail that fixes the rail body to the upper surface of the roof.

[0084] [Item 4] The roof rails described in item 3, The rail body has a bottom opening at its bottom. The fixing part is a columnar part, the tip of which is exposed to the outside from the bottom opening, The columnar portion has a through hole, The through hole through which the bolt, which includes a head and a shaft portion that is smaller in diameter than the head, is inserted, the head of the bolt is locked inside the through hole, and at least a portion of the shaft portion of the bolt is exposed to the outside on the tip side. The fixing portion is fixed to the upper surface of the roof together with the rail body portion by the bolt inserted through the through hole and the bolt receiving portion screwed onto the bolt. Roof rails.

[0085] [Item 5] The roof rails described in item 4, In the columnar portion, the through hole has a first through hole and a second through hole communicating with the first through hole. The first through-hole is sized to allow the head of the bolt to pass through. The second through-hole is sized such that the head does not pass through but the shaft does, and is shorter than the length of the shaft. Roof rails.

[0086] [Item 6] Roof rails as described in item 4 or item 5, The through hole communicates with the fixing opening provided on the upper surface of the fixing part. Roof rails.

[0087] [Item 7] A roof rail described in any one of items 4 through 6, The rail body portion has a recess into which the fixing portion is locked, and the recess has a bottom opening at its bottom, The fixing part has a plate-shaped fixing body that closes the recess when it is locked in the recess. The fixed body portion has a columnar member extending in the direction normal to the fixed body portion as the columnar portion, and an opening provided in the fixed body portion as a fixed portion opening communicates with the through hole of the columnar portion. Roof rails.

[0088] [Item 8] Roof rails as described in item 6 or item 7, The system further includes a cover portion that closes the opening of the fixed portion. Roof rails.

Claims

1. A roof rail that is attached to the roof of a vehicle, A resin rail body having a shape that extends along the upper surface of the roof of the aforementioned vehicle, A metal fixing part for fixing the rail body to the roof surface, Equipped with, The rail body has a recess into which the fixing portion is locked, and the recess has a bottom opening which is an opening at the bottom. The fixing part, when locked in the recess, has a plate-shaped fixing body for closing the recess, The fixed body portion has a columnar member extending in the direction normal to the fixed body portion as a columnar part, and the opening provided in the fixed body portion as a fixed part opening communicates with a through hole in the columnar part. The total area of ​​the fixing portion on the upper surface of the roof rail is smaller than the area of ​​the upper surface of the rail body. Roof rails.

2. A roof rail according to claim 1, The fixing portion is a roof rail whose upper surface is exposed as the upper surface of the roof rail at a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the roof rail.

3. A roof rail according to claim 1, A metal bolt and a metal bolt receiver fixed to the roof and screwed onto the bolt are used as mounting parts. The aforementioned fixing portion, together with the mounting portion, is a roof rail that fixes the rail body to the upper surface of the roof.

4. A roof rail according to claim 3, The rail body portion is provided with the bottom opening at its bottom, The fixing part is the columnar part, the tip of which is exposed to the outside from the bottom opening, The columnar portion has the through hole, The through hole through which the bolt, which includes a head and a shaft portion that is smaller in diameter than the head, is inserted, the head of the bolt is locked inside the through hole, and at least a portion of the shaft portion of the bolt is exposed to the outside on the tip side. The aforementioned fixing portion is fixed to the upper surface of the roof together with the rail body portion by the bolt inserted through the through hole and the bolt receiving portion screwed onto the bolt. Roof rails.

5. A roof rail according to claim 4, In the columnar portion, the through hole has a first through hole and a second through hole communicating with the first through hole. The first through-hole is sized to allow the head of the bolt to pass through. The second through-hole is sized such that the head does not pass through but the shaft does, and is shorter than the length of the shaft. Roof rails.

6. A roof rail according to claim 1, The through hole communicates with the fixing opening provided on the upper surface of the fixing part. Roof rails.

7. A roof rail according to claim 1, The system further includes a cover portion that closes the opening of the fixed portion. Roof rails.

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