Roll-up sunroof shade

Details Roll-up sunroof shade Roll-up sunroof shade

2001-05-15

2003-01-21

Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)

Land vehicles: bodies and tops

Tops

Roof structure

Reexamination Certificate

active

06508507

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a sunroof assembly for a vehicle, more particularly, the invention relates to a sunroof sunshade.
Sunroofs are desirable features to many vehicle consumers. The sunroof is typically located over an occupant seating area, and as a result, may affect the available headroom to the occupants. Sunroofs typically move forward to rearward between closed and open positions. The sunroof may be stored in the open position on the exterior of the vehicle, or alternatively, the sunroof may be stowed between the roof and headliner, which reduces the headroom to the vehicle occupants. Most commonly sunroofs are stowed between the roof and headliner thereby reducing headroom.
Sunshades are commonly used with vehicle sunroofs to block sunlight when the sunroof is in the closed position. Sunshades are commonly stowed between the roof and headliner, further reducing the available headroom to the occupants. If sufficient headroom is unavailable to the occupants, the sunshade may be eliminated or expensive alternatives may be required to accommodate the sunshade. Accordingly, when the sunroof and/or sunshade is stowed in a closed position, which is typically within the vehicle compartment between the roof and headliner, the headroom is reduced. Therefore, what is needed is a vehicle sunroof assembly that includes a sunshade that minimizes the negative impact on headroom when the sunshade is in a stowed position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES
The present invention provides a vehicle sunroof assembly including a roof with a sunroof opening. A headliner is arranged adjacent to the roof in the vehicle occupant area. A track assembly is disposed between the roof and the headliner. The track assembly, which preferably supports the sunroof, includes lateral spaced apart guide members. A sunshade receptacle is arranged between the guide members, preferably in a lateral location near the side of the vehicle where it may be packaged without adversely affecting headroom. A flexible sunshade is supported by the guide members and is moveable between open and closed position along the guide members with the sunshade blocking at least a portion of the opening in the closed position. The sunshade is received in the sunshade receptacle in the open position. Preferably, the flexible sunshade is constructed from a plurality of rigid members that are secured to spaced apart flexible layers.
Accordingly, the above invention provides a vehicle sunroof assembly that includes a sunshade that minimizes the negative impact on headroom when the sunshade is in a stowed position.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4925238 (1990-05-01), Thaler
patent: 4978165 (1990-12-01), Schreiter et al.
patent: 3417983 (1985-11-01), None
patent: 258213 (1988-10-01), None
patent: 263133 (1988-10-01), None
patent: 269719 (1988-11-01), None

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