Vehicle Roof Comprising a Painted Rigid Roof Module

Abstract

A vehicle roof comprising a base structure and a rigid roof panel which is attached to the base structure and which is a composite component having at least one structural layer, which is a fiber matrix layer, and a design paint, which forms a visible surface on an outer side of the structural layer, the composite component having a machining edge provided with a sealing paint covered by the design paint.

Claims

1. A vehicle roof comprising: a base structure and a rigid roof panel which is attached to the base structure and which is a composite component comprising at least one structural layer, which is a fiber matrix layer, and a design paint, which forms a visible surface on an outer side of the structural layer, the composite component having a machining edge provided with a sealing paint covered by the design paint.

2. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the outer side of the structural layer has a central portion which is free from the sealing paint and which is provided with the design paint.

3. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the outer side of the structural layer is provided with the sealing paint in an edge strip.

4. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the design paint is disposed on a primer covering the sealing paint.

5. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the structural layer is disposed on a backing layer.

6. The vehicle roof according to claim 5, wherein the backing layer comprises a honeycomb structure.

7. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the sealing paint is a paint cross-linking under UV radiation.

8. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the sealing paint is free from solvents.

9. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the sealing paint is an acrylate paint.

10. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the sealing paint comprises at least one compound selected from the group consisting of dipropylene glycol diacrylate; trihydroxymethylpropyl triacrylate; trimethylolpropane triacrylate; neopentyl glycol diacrylate ester (propolyated); 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropiophenone; methyl benzoylformates; 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate; and ethyl phenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphinate.

11. A use of a sealing paint for sealing a machining edge of a composite component, the composite component being a rigid roof panel of a vehicle roof or a panel of a convertible vehicle structure and comprising a structural layer which is a fiber matrix layer.

12. The use according to claim 11, wherein the sealing paint is an acrylate paint.

13. The use according to claim 11, wherein the sealing paint is a paint cross-linking under UV radiation.

14. The use according to claim 11, wherein the sealing paint comprises at least one compound selected from the group consisting of dipropylene glycol diacrylate; trihydroxymethylpropyl triacrylate; trimethylolpropane triacrylate; neopentyl glycol diacrylate ester (propolyated); and 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropiophenone.

Description

[0029] An example of an embodiment of a vehicle roof according to the invention is schematically illustrated in the drawing and will be discussed in more detail in the following description.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle body having a vehicle roof according to the invention; and

[0031] FIG. 2 is a highly schematized section through a roof panel of the vehicle roof of FIG. 1 along line II-II in FIG. 1.

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle structure 10 of an off-road vehicle having a vehicle interior 12 covered by a vehicle roof 14. Vehicle structure 10 has four pillars 16, 18, 20 and 22 on either side of a vertical longitudinal center plane of the vehicle, pillar 16 forming what is known as an A-pillar, pillar 18 forming what is known as a B-pillar, pillar 20 forming what is known as a C-pillar, and pillar 22 forming what is known as a D-pillar. In the area between pillars 20 and pillars 22, vehicle roof 14 has a solid roof portion 24 mounted rigidly or permanently relative to vehicle structure 10. In the area between pillars 16 and pillars 20, vehicle roof 14 has a roof opening 26 which can be closed with four rigid and removable roof panels 28A, 28B, 28C and 28D.

[0033] Roof panels 28A, 28B, 28C and 28D, which are attached to a base structure 29 of vehicle roof 14, which comprises transverse roof beams and longitudinal roof beams, when in the installed position, each are a lightweight composite component comprising a backing layer 30 as illustrated in the case of roof panel 28B in FIG. 2, backing to layer 30 being formed by a honeycomb structure provided with a polyurethane/glass giber mixture on both sides. A structural layer 32, which is a fiber matrix layer or an SMC (sheet molding compound) layer and faces the vehicle environment, is disposed on backing layer 30. The composite component formed by backing layer 30 and structural layer 32 has a machining edge 34 which is produced by milling and which in particular exposes the structure of structural layer 32.

[0034] In a cross section, machining edge 34 is covered by a sealing paint 36 in a U-shape, sealing paint 36 forming an edge strip 38 on the outer side of structural layer 32, edge strip 38 being adjacent to a central portion 40 of the composite component, central portion 40 being located on the outer side of the rigid roof panel and being free from the sealing paint.

[0035] Furthermore, the composite component is provided with a primer 42 on machining edge 34 and on its outer side, primer 42 covering machining edge 34 and consequently also sealing paint 36. Primer 42 is in turn a substrate for a design paint 44 applied to the entire surface, design paint 44 also covering sealing paint 36 and central portion 40 adjacent to sealing paint 36 and forming the visible surface of respective roof panels 28A, 28B, 28C and 28D.

[0036] Sealing paint 36 covering machining edge 34 is an acrylate paint cross-linking under UV radiation. In particular, the sealing paint consists of a mixture of substances that comprises the following compounds: [0037] dipropylene glycol diacrylate [0038] trihydroxymethylpropyl triacrylate [0039] trimethylolpropane triacrylate [0040] neopentyl glycol diacrylate ester (propolyated) [0041] 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropiophenone [0042] methyl benzoylformates [0043] 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate [0044] ethyl phenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphinate.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0045] 10 vehicle structure [0046] 12 vehicle interior [0047] 14 vehicle roof [0048] 16 pillar [0049] 18 pillar [0050] 20 pillar [0051] 22 pillar [0052] 24 solid roof portion [0053] 26 roof opening [0054] 28A, B, C, D roof panel [0055] 29 base structure [0056] 30 backing layer [0057] 32 structural layer [0058] 34 machining edge [0059] 36 sealing paint [0060] 38 edge strip [0061] 40 central portion [0062] 42 primer [0063] 44 design paint