I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a vehicle body construction and more particularly to a front roof rail and its adjacent framework of an automotive vehicle body.
II. Description of the Prior Art
FIGS. 7-9 show a prior art vehicle body construction including a frontroof rail 1, a pair of roof side rail inners 2, 2 and a pair of front pillar inners 3, 3. The front roof rail 1 are connected at the opposite end portions to trifurcated corner joint members 4, 4 which are in turn connected to the respective roof side rail inners 2, 2 and front pillar inners 3, 3. A similar vehicle body construction is disclosed in Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 57-47255.
The vehicle body construction has a larger strength at the joints between the front roof rail 1 and the respective cornerjoint members 4, 4 since they are laid one upon the other. The strength of the vehicle body construction at and near the joints between the front roof rail 1 and the corner joint members 4, 4 therefore varies largely. The front roof rail 1 has near the corner joint members 4, 4, work holes or access holes 5, 5 used for performing spot welding and installation of interior parts. Such access holes 5, 5 further enhances variation of the strength of the vehicle body construction near the end portions of the front roof rail 1. Due to this, when the front corner portion of the roof is subjected to an external force in an accident as overturn of a vehicle, the vehicle body is liable to buckle or bend at and near the joint between the corner joint member 4 and the front roof rail 1, causing an associated windshield glass or panel 8 to break near the buckled portion of the vehicle body construction. When the windshield panel 8 is broken, a particular portion of the front roof rail 1 is bent largely as shown in FIG. 8. Such breakage of the windshield panel 8 and bending of the front roof rail 1 is undesirable from the passenger's safety point of the view.