Patents by Inventor Steven Patrick Balgaard

Steven Patrick Balgaard has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5795014
    Abstract: A roof structure for a vehicle body includes a roof opening defined by a pair of spaced apart side rails, each having a flange extending inwardly and being vertically offset below the roof surface, and by front and rear headers, each having a flange defining a window opening. A roof panel assembly includes a roof outer panel and a pair of inverted hat-shaped reinforcement rails which underlie the outer side edges of the roof outer panel and include inwardly and outwardly directed legs abutting the underside of the roof outer panel. The outermost portion of the side edges of the roof outer panel are hem flanged over the outwardly directed flanges of the reinforcement rails so that the roof outer panel and the reinforcement rails define the roof panel assembly. The roof outer panel has fore and aft end flanges which overlie the flanges of the front and rear headers and are spot welded thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Steven Patrick Balgaard