Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roof structure
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-13
2003-07-08
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roof structure
C296S223000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06588835
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a controller of a sunroof for a vehicle.
As a sunroof apparatus of a motor vehicle, the structure is made such that a longitudinally moving lid is provided in an opening formed in a roof and the opening is opened and closed by the lid (refer to Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 8-5852 as a similar technique).
In the structure mentioned above, a case of fully closing the lid includes a case of fully closing by descending from a tilt-up position and a case of fully closing by ascending from a flap position. However, in the case of fully closing by descending from the tilt-up position, a sliding resistance between the lid and the roof is great. Accordingly, if it is stopped as it is, a rear end position of the lid becomes a little higher and a weather strip is left in a drawn state, so that it is not preferable in view of an appearance.
Accordingly, in the case of fully closing by moving from the tilt-up position, the lid is temporarily descended at a predetermined over flap amount from the fully-closed position, is thereafter ascended and is stopped at the fully-closed position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
However, in the case of employing the structure made such as to temporarily descend the lid at the predetermined over flap amount from the fully-closed position, thereafter ascend and stop at the fully-closed position, there is a risk that the lid is changed at each time of operating the lid due to various kinds of reasons such as a mounting error of the lid, a change of hardness of the weather strip caused by an environment, a deterioration with time and the like, so that it is necessary to previously set the over flap amount of the lid to be a little greater. Otherwise, it is impossible to obtain the fully closed position at which the lid and the weather strip are securely received.
Accordingly, the over flap amount becomes greater than necessary, the lid descends at the over flap amount, and a time required for ascending is increased.
The present invention is made by taking the condition mentioned above into consideration, and an object of the present invention is to provide a controller of a sunroof for a vehicle which can minimize an over flap amount of a lid.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a controller of a sunroof for a vehicle comprising:
a lid provided in an opening formed in a roof of a vehicle body; and
a drive unit for achieving a fully-closed position closing the opening by a forefront position of the lid, a tilt-up position at which a rear end of the lid ascends from the opening, a flap position at which the rear end of the lid is descended from the opening and a fully-open position at which the lid slides rearward so as to leave open the opening, whereby in the case of moving the lid from the tilt-up position and stopping at the fully-closed position, the lid is temporarily descended at a predetermined over flap amount from the fully-closed position, is thereafter ascended and is stopped at the fully-closed position,
wherein the over flap amount of the lid is adjusted to be fixed in correspondence to a power supply voltage of the drive unit or an operating speed of the lid.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is considered that a reason of changing the over flap amount of the lid is a fluctuation of the power supply voltage of the drive unit for the lid or a fluctuation of the sliding resistance of the lid with respect to the roof. The structure is made such as to adjust the over flap amount in correspondence to the reasons mentioned above. With respect to the sliding resistance of the lid against the roof, an operating speed of the lid becomes smaller as the resistance is great, and the operating speed becomes greater as the resistance is small. Accordingly, the over flap amount is adjusted in correspondence to the operating speed. Since the over flap amount becomes always constant, it is not necessary to previously set the over flap amount to be a little greater and it is sufficient to set to a minimum level. Accordingly, it is possible to shorten a time for which the lid descends at the over flap amount and ascends.
Further, according to a second aspect of the present invention, the structure is characterized by detecting the power supply voltage of the drive unit, and reducing the time of the over flap in the case that the power supply voltage is high and increasing the time of the over flap in the case that the power supply voltage is low, thereby making the over flap amount constant without relation to the power supply voltage.
According to the second aspect of the present invention mentioned above, even when the power supply voltage of an over flap amount drive unit in the drive unit fluctuates, it is possible to make the over flap amount constant by adjusting the time of the over flap.
Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, the structure is characterized by detecting the operating speed of the lid in a predetermined section of the fully-closed position between the tilt-up position and the over flap position, and reducing the time of the over flap in the case that the operating speed is high and increasing the time of the over flap in the case that the operating speed is low, thereby making the over flap amount constant without relation to the sliding resistance between the lid and the roof.
According to the third aspect of the present invention mentioned above, even when the sliding resistance between the lid and the roof fluctuates, it is possible to make the over flap amount constant by adjusting the time of the over flap.
Further, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the structure is characterized by detecting the power supply voltage of the drive unit, and reducing a pulse number of the over flap in the case that the power supply voltage is high and increasing the pulse number of the over flap in the case that the power supply voltage is low, thereby making the over flap amount constant without relation to the power supply voltage.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention mentioned above, even when the power supply voltage of the drive unit fluctuates, it is possible to make the over flap amount constant by adjusting the pulse of the over flap.
Further, according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the structure is characterized by detecting the operating speed of the lid near the fully-closed position of the lid moving to the fully-closed position from the tilt-up position, and reducing a pulse number of the over flap in the case that the operating speed is high and increasing the pulse number of the over flap in the case that the operating speed is low, thereby making the over flap amount constant without relation to the sliding resistance between the lid and the roof.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention mentioned above, even when the sliding resistance between the lid and the roof fluctuates, it is possible to make the over flap amount constant by adjusting the pulse of the over flap.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5098152 (1992-03-01), Sakai
patent: 5707102 (1998-01-01), Takahashi et al.
patent: 6290288 (2001-09-01), Ritter et al.
patent: 2520865 (1991-09-01), None
patent: 2966015 (1991-09-01), None
patent: 8-5852 (1996-02-01), None
patent: 08-186994 (1996-07-01), None
Horiuchi Yoshifumi
Kawanobe Osamu
Okada Kimikatsu
Kilpatrick & Stockton LLP
Ohi Seisakusho Co., Ltd
Pedder Dennis H.
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