Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roof structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-31
2004-11-30
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roof structure
C049S421000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06824206
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The subject invention relates to an integrated one-piece sunshade assembly for covering a sunroof of a vehicle.
Sunshade assemblies are known in the art. Conventional sunshade assemblies include a sunshade panel that covers the sunroof of the vehicle, and other added parts for guiding and sliding the assembly within guide rails between an open and closed position. A conventional sunshade assembly as shown in
FIG. 1
includes a clip-on metal guide
10
for guiding the assembly within the guide rails. The conventional sunshade assembly as shown in
FIG. 2
also includes a snap-in cup
12
used as a handle recess for sliding the assembly between the open and closed positions.
In the prior art, the added parts, such as the clip-on metal guide and the snap-in cup, are assembled to the sunshade panel. It is costly to separately assemble such parts to the panel. Also, the parts frequently become loose and are a primary source of vibration, rattling, and even breaking in the vehicle. Further, these separate parts increase inventory costs and concerns for manufacturers of the sunshade assemblies.
It would be desirable to introduce an integrated one-piece sunshade assembly having guide flanges and a handle recess molded into a sunshade panel to form the one-piece sunshade assembly and eliminate separate parts added to the assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES
A sunshade assembly for covering a sunroof is mounted within guide rails in a roof of a vehicle for sliding between open and closed positions. The sunshade is mounted beneath a moonroof/sunroof.
The inventive sunshade assembly is a one-piece sunshade assembly including a panel for covering the sunroof, and other parts that are integrated into the sunshade panel for sliding the sunshade between the open and closed positions and for guiding the sunshade panel as it slides. More specifically, guide flanges and a handle recess are integrated into the sunshade panel by being molded in the same process that forms the sunshade panel. The guide flanges are molded into the sunshade panel for guiding the sunshade assembly within the guide rails. The handle recess is molded into the sunshade panel to provide a grasping surface for an occupant of the vehicle to slide the sunshade assembly into the open and closed positions. Since the guide flanges and the handle recess are molded into the sunshade panel, these parts are formed of the same molded plastic material as the sunshade panel and are integral with the panel.
Accordingly, the subject invention provides an integrated one-piece sunshade assembly that eliminates the separate parts of the prior art thereby eliminating sources of vibration and rattling in the vehicle, and also reducing the costs associated with separately assembling these ‘loose’ parts to the sunshade panel.
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patent: 4867220 (1989-09-01), Matsumoto et al.
patent: 5005899 (1991-04-01), Clenet
patent: 5593204 (1997-01-01), Wahl et al.
patent: 5976646 (1999-11-01), Stevens et al.
patent: 6050632 (2000-04-01), Aoki et al.
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Article: “Lightweight Polyurethane Gains More Ground”, Ward's Auto World, May, 1998.
Carlson & Gaskey & Olds
Meritor Light Vehicle Technology, LLD
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