Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roof structure
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-13
2004-07-13
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roof structure
C296S223000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06761396
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sunroof apparatus, and more particularly to a sunroof apparatus in which a dummy full-close position exists within a range of longitudinal movement of a lid.
2. Description of the Related Art
A sunroof apparatus of a motor vehicle is structured 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 Publication Laid-Open No. H8-5852 as a related art). As aspects during the longitudinal movement of the lid, there are a full-close position at which the lid closes the opening, a full-open position at which the lid is received within a roof at the rear of the opening so as to be in a state of leaving the opening open, and a tilt-up position at which a rear end of the lid is lifted up in comparison with the opening. Conventionally, the full-close position exists in a center of the longitudinal moving range of a slider controlling the lid, and the structure is made such that the slider moves to a front side so as to achieve the tilt-up position, and moves to a rear side so as to achieve the full-open position.
However, in the related art as mentioned above, for the purpose of securing a watertightness and preventing a wind noise, the full-close position of the lid in which a severest position holding in a longitudinal direction is required has been set to a center in a longitudinally moving range of the lid. Accordingly, it is hard to obtain a stable state of the lid, and a high accuracy and a high rigidity are required for keeping the position of the lid. That is, since the center position in the longitudinally moving range of the lid is an unstable position capable of moving to both of a front side and a rear side, a position holding mechanism in both directions is required, so that a high accuracy and a high rigidity are required to be provided, and a structure becomes complex.
Then, there can be considered a novel structure in which the full-close position is changed to a front end in the longitudinally moving range of the lid, the tilt-up position is disposed in the center and the full-open position is disposed at a rear end. When making the structure in the manner mentioned above, it is possible to obtain a stable position holding state in the longitudinal direction of the lid only by bringing the lid into contact with the front end of the opening.
However, according to the novel structure mentioned above, the lid becomes at a flap position at which the rear end is descended rather than the opening immediately before becoming at the full-open position, and thereafter slides rearward so as to become at the full-open position, however, a dummy full-close position at which the opening for the sunroof is temporarily closed by the lid exists between the flap position and the tilt-up position.
An auto switch controlling an opening and closing operation of the lid is structured such that the full-close position, the tilt-up position and the full-open position are sequentially obtained by every pressing operation. However, the structure is made such that when again pressing the auto switch during the moving operation of the lid, the lid stops at this position. Accordingly, there is a risk that a passenger erroneously recognizes the dummy full-close position as an inherent full-close position and presses the switch so as to stop the lid.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been achieved by taking the condition into consideration, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sunroof apparatus which can prevent a lid from being erroneously operated to stop due to an erroneous recognition.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sunroof apparatus comprising: a lid capable of opening and closing an opening formed in a roof of a vehicle body; a slider longitudinally moving on a side rail connected to the lid and provided in a side of the vehicle body; a full-close position at which the lid closes the opening at the forefront position of the slider moving forward; a tilt-up position at which a rear end of the lid is ascended rather than the opening at an initial stage of a backward movement of the slider; a flap position at which the rear end of the lid is descended rather than the opening by further moving the slider rearward; a full-open position at which the lid completely opens the opening by further moving the slider rearward via the flap position; the lid being moved between the respective positions; the longitudinal movement of the slider being automatically obtained by an actuator; and a dummy full-close position existing between the tilt-up position and the flap position and at which the opening is temporarily closed by the lid, wherein the lid is made incapable of stopping at the dummy full-close position at a time of moving in an opening direction and a closing direction.
According to the invention as described in the first aspect, since the structure is made such that the lid can not stop at the dummy full-close position at a time of moving in the opening direction and the closing direction, there is no risk that the passenger erroneously stops the lid at the dummy full-close position. In an automatic type switch in which the lid moves to a predetermined position on the basis of an one-touch control, the lid does not stop at the dummy full-close position but passes therethrough. If it is intended to again press the switch at the dummy full-close position so as to forcibly stop the lid, a switch control at the dummy full-close position is cancelled.
Further, an actuator can detect a position of the lid on the basis of a count number from a reference point, and the structure is made such that the lid can not be stopped at the dummy full-close position. According to this invention, since the actuator can detect the position of the lid on the basis of the count number from the reference point, it is possible to accurately recognize the dummy full-close position of the lid, and it is possible to securely cancel the switching operation at that position.
Further, according to the present invention, the lid stops at the tilt-up position at a time of moving in the opening direction and does not stop the tilt-up position at a time of moving in a reverse closing direction. Accordingly, the structure is made such as to stop at the tilt-up position at a time of moving in the opening direction and to move to the full-close position without stopping at the tilt-up position in the reverse closing direction, in the case that the passenger applies a switch control for the purpose of going to close the lid, the passenger does not move apart from the vehicle with erroneously leaving the lid at the tilt-up position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5527085 (1996-06-01), Ochiai et al.
patent: 6290289 (2001-09-01), Ohtsu et al.
patent: 6428091 (2002-08-01), Ito et al.
patent: 3728008 (1989-03-01), None
patent: 4020351 (1992-01-01), None
patent: 275422 (1987-05-01), None
Ohtsu Masanobu
Omori Masaki
Holmes Brenda O.
Kilpatrick & Stockton LLP
Ohi Seisakusho Co. Ltd.
Pedder Dennis H.
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