A front header structure of a vehicle body has an elongated shape in a lateral direction of the vehicle body and is attached to side structures of the vehicle body. In a longitudinal direction, the front header structure is arranged between a front section of a sunroof opening and an upper section of a windshield opening. The front header structure includes an upper part attached to an lower part and a rear part, where the rear part forms a front frame section of a sunroof frame encompassing the sunroof opening. The lower, upper and rear parts each have a rear lower section, a front upper section and an intermediate step section arranged between the rear lower section and the front upper section. The front header structure includes a first compartment formed between the lower and upper parts and a second compartment formed between the upper and rear parts.

A sunroof structure includes a frame, a transparent material and a decorative panel. The frame is configured to install to a vehicle roof structure above a passenger compartment. The transparent material is installed to the frame such that light can pass therethrough to the passenger compartment. The decorative panel is installed to the frame such that at least a portion of the decorative panel covers an interior portion of the transparent material.

A retractable roof apparatus for an autonomous hardtop vehicle is described. The apparatus includes a vehicle roof having an opening to a compartment that extends below the surface of the vehicle roof and a retractable cover assembly that encloses sensor devices. The retractable cover assembly includes a top panel having a peripheral size and shape that matches the roof opening to the compartment. The sensors include an array of cameras having a field of view of the full width of the vehicle in at least the front of the vehicle when the retractable roof cover is in the raised position. The height of the top panel in the raised position above the vehicle roof is a minimal height to accommodate the height of the cameras. When the retractable cover assembly is retracted into the compartment, the top panel is flush with the surrounding roof panel of the vehicle.

A sun shade apparatus is provided. Each of a pair of right and left roof side rails is constituted of upper and lower members which are joined to each other. A dimension in an up-down direction can be reduced while a closed cross-sectional area required for the roof side rail is ensured to maintain a strength and a rigidity thereof, and a height of a vehicle cabin can be ensured by compactly disposing a sun shade apparatus under a lower surface of a roof panel while enhancing side collision resisting performance by restricting bending of the roof side rails in cooperation with a cross member when a collision load of a side collision is input. Due to roof side garnishes covering outer end portions of the roof panel and upper surfaces of the roof side rails, the rigidity and the strength of the roof side rails can be further enhanced.

Methods of producing core layers with a variable basis weight across a width of the core layer are described. The core layers can be used in vehicle headliners to permit proper side air bag deployment in the vehicles during crashes. Systems and various materials used to produce the core layers are also described.

A segmented headliner includes a plurality of segments connected together and outlining a central opening.

A ceiling material for a vehicle includes a ceiling interior material facing a vehicle cabin inner surface of a roof panel for a vehicle, and a reinforcement member arranged on an upper surface of the ceiling interior material on the side of the roof panel. The reinforcement member may include a rod-like member and supporting members for respectively supporting at least two sections in a slidable manner in a longitudinal direction of the rod-like member. Each of the supporting members includes a fitting portion which allows the rod-like member to be fitted from a radial direction.

A sunroof structure includes a frame, a transparent material and a decorative panel. The frame is configured to install to a vehicle roof structure above a passenger compartment. The transparent material is installed to the frame such that light can pass therethrough to the passenger compartment. The decorative panel is installed to the frame such that at least a portion of the decorative panel covers an interior portion of the transparent material.

Headliner for vehicle roof with a transparent portion, where said headliner comprises an opening in correspondence with said transparent portion. To reinforce the headliner weakened by the presence of the opening, the headliner comprise a plastic frame in a single piece located in the area corresponding to the perimeter of the opening and attached to the headliner comprising four straight segments and four curved segments distributed along the entire perimeter of the opening, such that each curved segment is connected to two of the straight segments, and such that each one of the curved segments comprises a notch the edge thereof describes a curved line without corners that delimits the area of said notch.

A fastening clamp for fastening a molded headliner to a vehicle roof, in particular a panoramic or sliding roof, having a base element which is formed plate-shaped. Two support elements are arranged opposite one another and extend away from the base element and at least substantially towards one another. A latching element projects from the support element and is arranged on each support element for latching the fastening clamp to the molded headliner or to the vehicle roof. The respective latching element has, spaced from the base element, a latching lug for engaging behind an edge section of the molded headliner or of the vehicle roof, and the respective latching lug projects from the outer side of the support element, which side faces away from the opposite support element.