Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roof structure
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-15
2001-03-06
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roof structure
C160S227000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196626
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle sunshade device in which an opening formed in a roof of a vehicle is opened and/or closed by two front and rear sunshades.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 10-167238, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
A certain sunroof device fitted on a roof of a vehicle has a sunshade device provided under a sunroof lid for opening and/or closing an opening formed in the roof of the vehicle which comprises two front and rear sunshades for shielding a passenger compartment of the vehicle from sunlight.
In a sunshade device of this type, when the opening is closed, the front and rear sunshades are disposed substantially on the same horizontal plane with a rear end of the front sunshade and a front end of the rear sunshade abutting with each other, and when the front sunshade is slid rearward from the above state, the rear sunshade is pushed rearward, and after the rear sunshade is stored in a storing portion formed in a lower portion of the roof, the abutment relationship between the front and rear sunshades is released. Thereafter only the front sunshade is moved alone further rearward, and in a fully opened state, the front sunshade and rear sunshade are stored in the storing portion with the former being stacked above the latter in a one-on-the-other fashion (refer, for instance, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei. 5-60919).
Since a conventional sunshade device as described above is, however, constructed such that a rear end portion of a front sunshade abuts with a front end portion of a rear sunshade so as to move the rear sunshade rearward together therewith when the front sunshade is opened, there is caused a drawback that skin materials are liable to be damaged when rubbed with each other, and in addition, since a vertical abutment width of an abutment portion between the rear end portion of the front sunshade and the front end portion of the rear sunshade is not sufficient, there is also caused a drawback that the rear end portion of the front sunshade and the front end portion of the rear sunshade are disengaged from each other in vertical directions, this facilitating the occurrence of malfunctions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle sunshade device that can eliminate rubbing of the skin materials of the sunshades with each other and prevent a malfunction when the sunshades are opened or closed, whereby a smooth operation of the sunshade device can be attained.
According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle sunshade device comprising: a front sunshade and a rear sunshade arranged one after the other in a longitudinal direction for opening and closing an opening formed in a roof of a vehicle, the front and rear sunshades being guided between a fully closed position where the front and rear sunshades are arranged to align with each other in a longitudinal direction to thereby close the opening and a fully closed position where the front and rear sunshades are positioned below and rearward of the opening with the front sunshade being stacked above the read sunshade; and a link mechanism provided at a rear end of the front sunshade and a front end of the rear sunshade for pushing the front end of the rear sunshade until the rear sunshade reaches the fully opened position when the front sunshade is moved rearward and for pulling out the front end of the rear sunshade until the rear sunshade reaches the fully closed position when the front sunshade is moved forward. The link mechanism comprises rear side link means and front side link means. The rear side link means comprises: a pushing projection provided on an upper surface of a front end portion of a rear sunshade so as to protrude therefrom and having a portion for abutment at an front end thereof; and a pulling-out projection provided on the upper surface of the front end portion of the rear sunshade so as to protrude therefrom and having a portion for engagement at a rear portion thereof. The front side link comprises: a pushing portion provided at the rear end of the front sunshade and adapted to be brought into abutment with the portion for abutment of the pushing projection so as to push the front end portion of the rear sunshade rearward when the front sunshade is moved rearward and to be separated upwardly away from the portion for abutment so as to be moved alone rearward after the rear sunshade has reached a fully opened position; and a hook member provided having at a rear end thereof a hook portion oriented downwardly and adapted to be brought into engagement with the portion for abutment of the pulling-out projection so as to pull out the front end portion of the rear sunshade forwardly and upwardly when the front sunshade is moved forwardly.
The front side link preferably comprises a supporting piece secured to the rear end of the front sunshade, and the hook member is pivotally secured to the supporting piece with a shaft oriented transversely and is biased so as to be oriented downwardly.
The pushing portion can made integral with the hook member, and a line connecting a point of contact between the pushing portion and the portion of abutment and a rotating center of the hook member is constructed so as to be oriented substantially in the same direction as that in which the rear sunshade is moved.
Features and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments described in conjunction with the attached drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4852938 (1989-08-01), Hirshberg et al.
patent: 6056352 (2000-05-01), Ewing et al.
patent: 3223136 (1983-03-01), None
Foley & Lardner
Ohi Seisakusho Co. Ltd.
Pedder Dennis H.
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