Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roof structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-09
2001-09-18
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roof structure
C296S221000, C296S224000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290289
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sunroof apparatus in which a lid for opening and closing an opening formed in the roof of a vehicle can be moved to a fully-closing position, a tilt-up position, and a flap position.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 11-146530, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a conventional sunroof device, for example, there is known a sunroof device, which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 1-55124.
In this apparatus, a lid for opening and closing an opening formed in the roof of a vehicle is connected to a drive source through a cable, and a moving shoe slidably fitted with a pair of guide rails respectively disposed on the two sides of the opening is slidably engaged with a guide slit formed in a guide block fixed to the lower surface of the lid. As the drive source rotates forwardly and reversely, the moving shoe is allowed to move within the guide slit, whereby the lid is able to move to a tilt-up position where the rear end of the lid is raised up from its fully closing position and a flap position where the rear end of the lid is lowered from the fully closing position.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional sunroof apparatus, when the lid is situated at the fully closing position, a guide pin is situated substantially at the center of the guide slit in the longitudinal direction thereof; and, in case where the guide pin moves forwardly from the position, the lid is allowed to move to the tilt-up position and, in case where the guide pin moves backwardly from the position, the lid is allowed to move to the flap position. Therefore, when the lid is situated at the fully closing position, the moving shoe is standing still substantially at the center of the guide slit. Due to this, a structure for controlling the play of the moving shoe in the back and forth direction is made complicated, which results in the expensive cost of the sunroof apparatus.
Also, in a sunroof apparatus of a power type in which a lid can be moved by a drive source such as a motor, a motor control circuit for stopping a moving shoe at its stop position is complicated, which results in the expensive cost of the sunroof apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention aims at eliminating the drawbacks found in the above-mentioned conventional sunroof apparatus. Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a sunroof apparatus which, when a lid is held in its fully closing position, prevents the play of the lid and a drive shoe by a simple structure to thereby be able not only to reduce the cost of the sunroof apparatus but also to stop the drive shoe at its stop state positively.
In attaining the above object, according to the invention, there is provided
(1) a sunroof apparatus structured such that a drive shoe connected through a cable to a drive source is slidably fitted with a pair of guide rails respectively disposed on the two sides of an opening formed in a roof of a vehicle body, a guide pin provided on and projected from the drive shoe is movably engaged with a guide groove formed in a guide member disposed on the side a lid for opening and closing the opening and, as the drive source is operated, the drive shoe is moved along the guide rail and the guide pin is moved within the guide groove, whereby the lid can be moved to a fully closing position where the lid closes the opening, a tilt-up position where the rear end of the lid is raised upwardly of the surface of the vehicle body roof, and a flap position where the lid rear end is lowered downwardly of the roof surface, wherein, when the lid is situated at the fully closing position, the guide pin of the drive shoe is contacted with the front end of the guide groove and, from this state, as the drive source is driven and rotated forwardly, the guide pin is moved backwardly from the front end of the guide groove, whereby the lid can be moved sequentially to the fully closing position, tilt-up position and flap position in this order.
(2) In the sunroof apparatus as set forth in the above (1) aspect of the invention, the guide groove of the guide member includes a fully closing guide portion formed in the front portion of the guide groove and extending almost horizontally, a tilt-up guide portion formed continuously with rear end of the fully closing guide portion and facing downwardly in the backward direction of the guide groove, and a flap guide portion formed continuously with the rear end of the tilt-up guide portion and facing upwardly in the backward direction of the guide groove, while the rear end portion of the flap guide portion is positioned upwardly of the fully closing guide portion.
(3) In the sunroof apparatus as set forth in the above (1) or (2) aspect of the invention, in the intermediate portion of the guide member in the longitudinal direction thereof, there is disposed a stopper shoe which, when the lid is held in its fully closing state and tilt-up state, can be engaged with stopper grooves respectively formed in the guide rails and facing in the vertical direction to be thereby prevented from moving back and forth.
(4) In the sunroof apparatus as set forth in any one of the above aspects (1) to (3), in the rear of the drive shoe, there is disposed a vertically restricting shoe which is connected to the cable and are movably fitted with the guide rails, and also which, when the lid is held in the fully closing state, can be engaged with a rear guide shoe disposed in the rear portion of the guide member to thereby prevent the vertical movement of the lid.
Features and advantages of the invention will become understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments described in conjunction with the attached drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4877285 (1989-10-01), Huyer
patent: 39 19 998 (1991-01-01), None
patent: 196 35 145 (1997-10-01), None
patent: 0403734 (1992-03-01), None
patent: 1-55124 (1989-11-01), None
patent: 404078721 (1992-03-01), None
Ohtsu Masanobu
Takahashi Jun
Foley & Lardner
Ohi Seisakusho Co. Ltd.
Pedder Dennis H.
LandOfFree
Sunroof apparatus does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Sunroof apparatus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Sunroof apparatus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2530844