GB2594527A

GB2594527A - Recessed roof panel for vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2594527A
Application number: GB2008700.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dodsworth Paul
Original assignee: Ineos Automotive Ltd
Current assignee: Ineos Automotive Ltd
Priority date: 2020-06-09
Filing date: 2020-06-09
Publication date: 2021-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 2040-06-09
Also published as: GB2594527B; GB202008700D0

Abstract

A recessed roof panel 100 for a vehicle has a housing 101 with a basin 102 and a lip 104 at least partly surrounding basin 102. The housing is configured so that, in use, basin 102 extends towards an interior of a vehicle when lip 104 abuts an exterior surface of a vehicle roof. Panel 100 may comprise plastic and may be provided with a seal on lip 104. Panel 100 may also have connectors 106, reinforcement ribs, tie down members and a removable bar 114. Roof panel 100 may be removable, for example for maintenance or to be exchanged with a different roof panel module; in an embodiment spring clips may be used to bias lip 104 against the exterior surface of a vehicle.

Description

RECESSED ROOF PANEL FOR VEHICLES Background of the Invention The present disclosure relates to a recessed roof panel for a vehicle, particularly but not exclusively, for an off-road vehicle. Other aspects of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle, particularly but not exclusively, an off-road vehicle comprising a recessed roof panel.

Since the invention of the first automobile by Henry Ford, a large variety of different types of ground vehicles have been developed. One such vehicle type is the off-road vehicle or sometimes referred to as a 4X4 vehicle. Off-road vehicles are specifically designed to navigate to difficult terrains, such as steep slopes, rocky grounds, or even riverbeds. These vehicles are used by a variety of operators, such as safari tour guides, fishermen or even farmers, who can use off-road vehicles for a variety of agricultural tasks. Generally, in order to navigate difficult terrains, off-road vehicles are characterised by having large tyres with deep, open treads, a flexible suspension and a large ground clearance.

In recent years, the look and feel of off-road vehicles has become attractive to a wider range of vehicle customers. Oftentimes, such customers do not have a need for the off-road capabilities and the stability of such vehicles. Rather, this customer segment appreciates the large storage capabilities and the better overview larger off-road vehicles have to offer.

As a consequence of the new demand for off-road vehicles that are adapted for urban use, a large share of off-road vehicle manufacturers have developed their off-roaders to offer more comfort to the customers using these vehicles in urban environments.

Although most of the aforementioned 4X4s still have some off-road capabilities, these can be heavily compromised by additional convenience features, such as a variety of sensitive electronics and aesthetically pleasing interiors.

In view of the above, there is now a demand for more traditional off-road vehicles that are purpose built that work in a variety of difficult terrains, have an exceptionally long service life and are dictated by function rather than form.

It is an aim of the present invention to solve or at least ameliorate one or more problems of the prior art.

Summary of the Invention

Aspects and embodiments of the disclosure provide a recessed roof panel as claimed in the appended claims.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is a recessed roof panel for a vehicle, the recessed roof panel comprising a housing with a basin and a lip portion at least partly surrounding the basin, wherein the housing is configured such that, in use, the basin extends towards an interior of a vehicle when the lip portion abuts against an exterior surface of a vehicle roof.

The housing may be made of plastic material.

The recessed roof panel may be configured to be removably attached to a vehicle.

In another embodiment, the recessed roof panel comprises a sealing member arranged on the lip portion in such a way that, in use, the sealing member is located between the lip portion and an exterior surface of a vehicle.

The recessed roof panel may comprise at least one connector piece, particularly a metal connector piece, attached to the basin of the housing.

In another embodiment, the connector piece comprises one or more fastening members extending through the basin, said one or more fastening members being configured for attachment to a frame of a vehicle.

In another embodiment, the connector piece is received within the basin and sized such that no part of the connector piece protrudes over the lip portion of the housing.

In another embodiment, the basin has a concave surface and a convex surface arranged on opposite sides of the basin, and wherein the connector piece is connected to the concave surface of the basin.

In another embodiment, the basin comprises reinforcement ribs located on the convex surface of the basin.

In another embodiment, the basin comprises one or more flange portions configured to abut against a corresponding frame of a vehicle, when in use, the one or more flange portions being arranged on the convex surface of the basin, opposite to the at least one connector piece.

The connector piece may comprise one or more fie-down members.

The one or more tie-down members may be clamps, studs, or lugs.

The recessed roof panel may comprise a removable bar received within the basin.

In another embodiment, the recessed roof panel comprises at least two connector pieces attached to the basin of the housing, wherein the removable bar is removably connected to the at least two metal connector pieces.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle comprising a vehicle roof and at least one of the above recessed roof panels, the recessed roof panel being removably connected to the vehicle roof.

The recessed roof panel may be connected to a side edge of the vehicle roof.

In another embodiment, the vehicle roof comprises an opening for receiving the recessed roof panel, and wherein the recessed roof panel is connected to the opening such that the basin of the roof panel recess extends into the vehicle and the lip portion extends around the circumference of the opening and abuts against an exterior surface of the vehicle roof.

In another embodiment, the vehicle comprises one or more spring clips attached to an interior surface of the basin and adapted to bias the lip portion against the exterior surface of the vehicle.

In another embodiment, the vehicle comprises a reinforcement structure that is arranged between an exterior surface and an interior surface of the vehicle roof, and wherein the at least one connector piece is removably attached to the reinforcement structure.

Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, and the claims and/or the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken independently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and all features of any embodiment can be combined in any way and/or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and/or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner.

Brief Description of the Drawings

One or more embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present

disclosure;

Figure 2A shows a perspective front view of a recessed roof panel according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2B shows a perspective rear view of the recessed roof panel shown in Figure 2A; Figure 3 shows a schematic front view of another embodiment of the recessed roof panel

according to the present disclosure.

Figure 4 shows a schematic front view of yet another embodiment of the recessed roof panel of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a vehicle 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The vehicle 10 is an off-road vehicle and comprises a vehicle roof 12 as well as vehicle sides (only the right side shown) 14. The vehicle roof 12 has two side edges that connect the vehicle roof 12 to the sides (e.g. right side 14) of the vehicle 10. A right side edge 13 of the vehicle roof 12 connects the vehicle roof 12 to the right side 14 of the vehicle 10.

The right side edge 13 of the vehicle roof 12 in this embodiment is radiused to act as a transitioning portion between the generally horizontal vehicle roof 12 and the generally vertical vehicle side 14. The left side edge (not shown) of the roof 12 may be identical to the right side edge 13.

The vehicle side 14 in the embodiment of Figure 1 has a front door 16 and a rear door 18. Of course, in some alternative variants, the vehicle may only have one or no side doors on the right vehicle side 14.

The vehicle 10 of Figure 1 comprises two recessed roof panels. A first recessed roof panel 18 is arranged on the side edge 13 of the vehicle roof 12, above the rear door 18. A second recessed roof panel 20 is also arranged on the side edge 13 of the vehicle roof 12. The second recessed roof panel 20 is arranged behind the first recessed roof panel 18, i.e. between the first recessed roof panel 18 and a rear end of the vehicle 10. It will be understood that the to vehicle 10 of Figure 1 may also include front and rear recessed roof panels arranged on the other side edge of the vehicle roof 12, i.e. on a second edge of the vehicle roof 12 that is opposite to the first edge 13. In alternative embodiments (not shown) the vehicle may only comprise any other number of recessed roof panels arranged on the vehicle roof, particularly on one of the side edges of the vehicle roof 12.

The recessed roof panels 18,20 are removably connected to the side edges 13 of the vehicle roof 12 As will be described in more detail below, the recessed roof panels 18, 20 comprise a housing that is received in a corresponding opening (e.g. a cut-out, not shown) of the vehicle frame along the side edge 13 of the vehicle roof. 12. In other words, the recessed roof panels are removable from the frame of the vehicle 12. The recessed roof panels 18, 20 are, therefore, modular parts of the vehicle 12 that can easily be exchanged with different varieties of recessed roof panels or removed for maintenance purposes.

In the example of Figure 1, the recessed roof panels 18, 20 house a fie-down system. In Figure 1, the tie-down system includes a substantially vertical bar that can be used to attach straps, ropes, or any other fixation element to the vehicle. In one example, the bars 22, 24 of the first and second recessed roof panels 18, 20 may be used to strap objects to the vehicle roof 12 of the vehicle 10. The bars 18, 24 shown in Figure 1 may also be stable enough to support the weight of one or more users, e.g. in order to climb onto the roof of the vehicle 10, when the vehicle 10 is stationary. It will be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to particular uses for the bars 22, 24 (i.e. the tie-down elements) of the recessed roof panels 18, 20, shown in Figure 1.

Turning to Figures 2A and 2B, there is shown a first embodiment of the recessed roof panel according to the present invention. The recessed roof panel 100 of the example shown in Figures 2A and 2B comprises a housing 101. The housing 101 comprises a basin 102 and a lip portion 104. The lip portion 104 surrounds the circumference of the basin 102.

The housing is preferably a single part structure, for example a moulded plastic part. The housing 101 is constructed from a material that is elastically deformable, e.g. plastic. In particular, the material of the housing 101 is more flexible than a frame of a vehicle the recessed roof panel is attached to. As will be explained in more detail below, this has the advantage that the housing 101, and particularly the lip portion 104 will stay in contact with the exterior surface of the vehicle, even if the vehicle frame deforms during operation.

The lip portion 104 extends around the circumference of the basin 102. The lip portion 104 has an internal surface 109 (Figure 2B), which, when in use, faces an exterior surface of the vehicle frame. On an opposite site to the internal surface 109, the lip portion comprises an external surface 107, which, when in use, faces away from the vehicle frame.

In a vertical cross-section (not shown), the shape of the lip portion 104 along its side edges is 105a, 105b is substantially identical to the shape of the side edge of the corresponding vehicle (e.g. side edge 13 in Figure 1). In the example of Figure 1, the side edges 105a, 105b of the lip portion 104 are radiused in the same manner as the vehicle roof side edge 13. Accordingly, the lip portion 104 conforms with the exterior surface of the vehicle frame (e.g. along the side The recessed roof panel 100 further comprises a sealing member 116. The sealing member 116 is arranged on the internal surface 109 of the lip portion 104. Consequently, when the recessed roof panel 100 is attached to the side edge of a vehicle roof, the sealing member 116 will be located between the internal surface of the lip portion 104 and an external surface of the vehicle frame. The sealing member 116 may be made of any waterproof elastomeric material, such as rubber.

The basin 102 has a concave surface 103 shown in Figure 2A. A convex surface 105 (shown in Figure 2B) is arranged on an opposite side of the basin 102. The concave surface 103 of the basin 102 is an external surface of the recessed roof panel 100. Similarly, the convex surface 105 is an internal surface of the recessed roof panel 100, when in use. The concave surface 103 may be constructed in such a way that water that enters the basin 102 from the vehicle roof, for example, will flow out of the basin 102 at its lower edge, when the recessed roof panel is arranged on the vehicle.

As shown in Figure 2B, the convex (internal) surface 105 of the basin 102 comprises a plurality of reinforcement elements 140, 142, 144, 146. In the example of Figure 2B, the reinforcement elements 140, 142, 144, 146 are reinforcement ribs extending from the lip portion 104 towards a central portion of the basin 102. The rib-shaped reinforcement elements 140, 142, 144, 146 shown in Figure 2B increase in thickness towards the lip portion 104 of the housing 101.

The convex surface 105 of the basin 104 comprises a plurality of flange portions 120, 122, 124. In the example of Figure 2, three flange portions 120, 122, 124 are arranged on the convex (internal) surface 105 of the basin 104. The flanged portions 120, 122, 124 are configured to abut against a part of the frame of the vehicle, when in use. The flange portions 120, 122, 124 are arranged on opposite sides of the basin 104 to connector the pieces 106 that will be described in more detail below.

The flanged portions 120, 122, 124 may be configured to abut against a reinforcement structure that is part of the vehicle frame. For example, the reinforcement structure may be arranged between an exterior surface and an interior surface of the vehicle roof. In other words, the reinforcement structure may be arranged inside a frame inner that is neither visible from the outside of the vehicle, nor from the inside. It follows that, in this example, the convex surface 105 together with the flanged portions 120, 122, 124 are then hidden inside the frame inner.

As mentioned above with reference to Figure 1, the recessed roof panels 18, 20 are removably received within corresponding openings of the vehicle frame. In particular, the recessed roof panels 18, 20 are shaped and sized in such a way that the basin 102 will fit into the openings of the vehicle frame, whereas the lip portion 104 will substantially surround the openings. In other words, the lip portion 104 will abut against the exterior surface of the vehicle frame along the circumference of the frame opening.

Once the recessed roof panel is inserted into the opening, the lip portion 104 together with the sealing member 116 may be biased against the exterior surface of the vehicle frame. In one example, spring clips may be arranged between the vehicle frame and the internal surface 105 of the basin 102 in order to bias the lip portion 104 against the vehicle frame exterior. In this example, the spring clips will be received within an inner of the vehicle frame, together with the basin 102. The spring clips are preferably removably mounted such that the recessed roof panels are removable from the frame of the vehicle, e.g. for maintenance.

Going back to Figure 2A, the recessed roof panel 100 of the embodiment shown in Figures 2A and 23 comprises three connector pieces 106. The connector pieces 106 are part of a tie-down system that may be used to attach items to the exterior surface of the vehicle, for example. Of course, it should be appreciated that the recessed roof panel 100 may have any number of connector pieces or, in some embodiments, no connector piece at all. The connector pieces 106 are preferably made of a shape stable material, such as metal. In particular, the connector pieces 106 are made of a material that is less deformable than the material of the housings 101. Accordingly, while the housing 101 is flexible to conform with the changing shape of the vehicle frame, during operation, the connector pieces 106 are configured to maintain their shape and provide a rigid anchor point on the exterior of the vehicle.

The connector pieces 106 are directly connected to the frame of the corresponding vehicle via a plurality of fastening elements 108, 110, 112, 128, 132, 136. The fastening members 108, 110, 112, 128, 132, 136 extend through the housing 101 of the recessed roof panel 100. In particular, the fastening members 108, 110, 112, 128, 132, 136 extend from the concave surface 103 of the basin 104 to the internal surface of the basin 104. As shown in Figure 2B, the fastening elements extend through and protrude from the flanged portions 120, 122, 124.

The fastening elements extend through the housing 101 and directly into the frame of the vehicle (not shown). The connector pieces 106 are, therefore, directly supported by the frame of the vehicle, rather than the flexible housing 101 of the roof panel. At the same time, the connector pieces act as additional removable connections between the roof panel 100 and the In the embodiment of Figures 2A and 2B, the connector pieces 106 are clamps adapted to receive a bar 114. The bar 114 extends through the clamps of the three connector pieces 106 and is, thus, connected to the vehicle frame via the connector pieces 106. The bar 114 extending between the connector pieces 106 may be a hollow metal bar. Accordingly, to prevent water from entering the hollow metal bar 114, the bar 114 may comprise end caps 118 for closing-off the open ends of the bar 114.

According to another aspect, neither the connector pieces 106 nor the bar 114 protrude from the cavity defined by the concave surface 103 of the basin 102. In other words, neither the connector pieces nor the bar 114 protrude over the lip portion 104 of the housing 101. Rather, the connector pieces 106 and the bar 114 are fully received within the cavity of the basin 102. Accordingly, no part of the recessed roof panel of the present disclosure protrudes over the exterior surface of the vehicle. This greatly reduces the chance of inadvertently getting stuck on the surrounding environment, such as trees and bushes the vehicle may be driving past.

Figure 3 shows a further embodiment of the recessed roof panel according to the present disclosure. The recessed roof panel 200 shown in Figure 3 is substantially identical to the recessed roof panel 100 shown in Figures 2A, 2B, especially on its interior surface. The roof panel 200 of Figure 3 comprises a basin 202 and a lip portion 204 surrounding the circumference of the basin 202.

In contrast to the recessed roof panel 100, the recessed roof panel 200 of Figure 3 does not include a bar extending between the connector pieces. Rather, the recessed roof panel 200 of Figure 3 includes three connector pieces 206, 208, 210, which may be clamps, studs, or lugs that can be used as part of a tie-down system for attaching straps or other accessories directly to the connector pieces 206, 208, 210. As mentioned above, the umber of connector pieces is, of course, not limited to three.

An embodiment of the recessed roof panel according to the present disclosure that may not include any connector pieces is shown in Figure 4, for example. The housing of the recessed roof panel 300 shown in Figure 4 may be largely identical to the housing structure described with reference to the embodiment of Figures 2A and 2B. In particular, the recessed roof panel 300 of Figure 4 may have a basin that is surrounded by a lip portion 304. The interior surface of the housing may be identical to the interior surface shown in Figure 2B. However, the exterior surface, i.e. the concave surface of the basin (not shown) may not include connector pieces at all. Rather, the fastening elements 108, 110, 112, 128, 132, 136 shown in Figures 2A and 2B may be used for the sole purpose of attaching the housing to the vehicle frame, without also fixating connector pieces.

In view of the above, the recessed roof panel 300 of Figure 4 may have a substantially empty cavity defined by the concave surface of the basin. This cavity may be used as an additional storage compartment of the vehicle. In the example of Figure 4, a cover 310 may be provided that closes the cavity defined for protecting the cavity of the basin from the outside environment, e.g. rain or dust. The cover 310 may be pivotably connected to the housing, e.g. to the lip portion 304 of the housing, via one or more hinges 306, 308. In order to help operators open and close the cover 310, an optional handle 312 may be provided on the cover 310.

It should be understood that the cover 310 will have a radiused cross-section that conforms with the radiused shape of the side edge of the vehicle roof (e.g. roof side edge 13 of Figure 1) Preferences and options for a given aspect, feature or parameter of the invention should, unless the context indicates otherwise, be regarded as having been disclosed in combination with any and all preferences and options for all other aspects, features and parameters of the disclosure.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A recessed roof panel for a vehicle, the recessed roof panel comprising a housing with a basin and a lip portion at least partly surrounding the basin, wherein the housing is configured such that, in use, the basin extends towards an interior of a vehicle when the lip portion abuts against an exterior surface of a vehicle roof.
The recessed roof panel of Claim 1, wherein the housing is made of plastic material.
3. The recessed roof panel of Claim 1 or 2, wherein the recessed roof panel is configured to be removably attached to a vehicle.
4. The recessed roof panel of any of Claims 1 to 3, comprising a sealing member arranged on the lip portion in such a way that, in use, the sealing member is located between the lip portion and an exterior surface of a vehicle.
5. The recessed roof panel of any of Claims 1 to 4, comprising at least one connector piece, particularly a metal connector piece, attached to the basin of the housing.
6. The recessed roof panel of Claim 5, wherein the connector piece comprises one or more fastening members extending through the basin, said one or more fastening members being configured for attachment to a frame of a vehicle.
7 The recessed roof panel of Claim 5 or 6, wherein the connector piece is received within the basin and sized such that no part of the connector piece protrudes over the lip portion of the housing.
8. The recessed roof panel of any of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the basin has a concave surface and a convex surface arranged on opposite sides of the basin, and wherein the connector piece is connected to the concave surface of the basin.
9. The recessed roof panel of Claim 8, wherein the basin comprises reinforcement ribs located on the convex surface of the basin.
10. The recessed roof panel of Claim 8 or 9, wherein the basin comprises one or more flange portions configured to abut against a corresponding frame of a vehicle, when in use, the one or more flange portions being arranged on the convex surface of the basin, opposite to the at least one connector piece.
11. The recessed roof panel of any of Claims 5 to 10, wherein the connector piece comprises one or more tie-down members.
12. The recessed roof panel of Claim 11, wherein the one or more tie-down members are clamps, studs, or lugs.
13. The recessed roof panel of any of Claims 1 to 12, comprising a removable bar received within the basin.
14. The recessed roof panel of any of Claims 1 to 13, comprising at least two connector pieces attached to the basin of the housing, wherein the removable bar is removably connected to the at least two metal connector pieces.
15. A vehicle comprising a vehicle roof and at least one recessed roof panel according to any one of Claims 1 to 14, the recessed roof panel being removably connected to the vehicle
16. The vehicle of Claim 15, wherein the recessed roof panel is connected to a side edge of the vehicle roof.
17. The vehicle of Claim 15 or 16, wherein the vehicle roof comprises an opening for receiving the recessed roof panel, and wherein the recessed roof panel is connected to the opening such that the basin of the roof panel recess extends into the vehicle and the lip portion extends around the circumference of the opening and abuts against an exterior surface of the vehicle roof.
18. The vehicle of any of Claims 15 to 17, comprising one or more spring clips attached to an interior surface of the basin and adapted to bias the lip portion against the exterior surface of the vehicle.
19. The vehicle of any of Claims 15 to 18, when dependent on any of Claims 5 to 11, comprising a reinforcement structure that is arranged between an exterior surface and an interior surface of the vehicle roof, and wherein the at least one connector piece is removably attached to the reinforcement structure.