Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roof structure
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-28
2001-02-20
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roof structure
C296S224000, C296S214000, C296S219000, C180S281000, C280S730100, C280S753000, C160S007000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189960
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle with a sunroof in which a roof opening portion formed in a vehicle compartment ceiling portion is openable and closable.
2. Description of the Related Art
A vehicle with a sunroof in which a roof opening portion formed in a vehicle compartment ceiling portion is openable and closable is shown in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open (JP-U) No. 3-47226.
As shown in
FIG. 27
, in this vehicle with a sunroof, a sunshade (also referred to as a sunroof shade)
200
is slidably provided on the inner side of sunroof glass for opening and closing an opening portion which is formed in a portion of a vehicle compartment ceiling portion of an automobile. This sunshade
200
can be stored between a ceiling panel, which forms the vehicle compartment ceiling portion, and its ceiling interior member. Further, a pair of engaging brackets
202
are provided at an innermost end, in the storing direction, of the sunshade
200
, and these engaging brackets
202
are adapted to open the sunshade
200
in an interlocking manner when the sunroof glass is opened. The engaging brackets
202
have resiliently deformable shapes having clip grooves which are open in the direction in which the sunshade
200
is stored in a storing section. Further, a pair of lock pins
204
are respectively disposed on a pair of fixing side members of the storing section, and in a state in which the sunshade
200
is stored in the storing section, the lock pins
204
are adapted to engage in the clip grooves of the engaging brackets
202
so as to lock and hold the engaging brackets
202
.
With this sunshade
200
, however, it is conceivable that if the vehicle rolls over with the sunroof glass and the sunshade
200
open, luggage or the like in the vehicle compartment might be thrown out of the vehicle through the opening portion formed in the vehicle compartment ceiling portion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-described circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle with a sunroof which makes it possible to prevent luggage or the like in a vehicle compartment from being thrown out of the vehicle through the roof opening portion when the vehicle rolls over.
To this end, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle with a sunroof in which a roof opening portion formed in a vehicle compartment ceiling portion is openably provided, comprising: rollover detecting means for detecting a rollover of a vehicle; driving means operable on the basis of a detection value of the rollover detecting means; and closing means for closing the roof opening portion by the operation of the driving means.
For this reason, when a rollover of the vehicle is detected by the rollover detecting means, the driving means is operated, and the roof opening portion is closed by the closing means. Hence, it is possible to prevent luggage or the like in the vehicle compartment from being thrown out of the vehicle through the roof opening portion.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle with a sunroof which is equipped with a sunroof shade which opens and closes a roof opening portion formed in a vehicle compartment ceiling portion, comprising: a lock mechanism for preventing movement of the sunroof shade only when an acceleration of a predetermined value or greater is applied in a sunroof shade opening direction.
For this reason, when an acceleration of a predetermined value or greater is applied in the sunroof shade opening direction at times such as during a rollover or a rear collision, the sunroof shade is locked at its position. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the sunroof shade from being opened further from its position of use. Further, since the sunroof shade is locked only when an acceleration of a predetermined value or greater is applied in the sunroof shade opening direction this locking is released when the acceleration in the opening direction ceases to be applied, so that it is possible to close the sunroof shade by making use of an inertial force acting in the closing direction.
In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle with a sunroof which is equipped with a sunroof shade which opens and closes a roof opening portion formed in a vehicle compartment ceiling portion, comprising: a belt-shaped member accommodated at a vehicle longitudinal direction front side of the roof opening portion, the belt-shaped portion being connected to a front end of the sunroof shade and adapted to be spread to a position for closing the roof opening portion in interlocking relation to the sunroof shade.
For this reason, if the sunroof shade is opened, the belt-shaped member is drawn out and is spread to the position for closing the roof opening portion. If the sunroof shade is closed, the belt-shaped member is wound up in roll form. Consequently, in either state, the roof opening portion is always closed by either the belt-shaped member or the sunroof shade, so that, through a simple construction, it is possible to prevent luggage or the like in the vehicle compartment from being thrown out of the vehicle in the event of a rollover.
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patent: 5707075 (1998-01-01), Kraft et al.
patent: 5775726 (1998-07-01), Timothy et al.
patent: 5788270 (1998-08-01), Haland et al.
patent: 5865462 (1999-02-01), Robins et al.
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patent: 3-47226 (1991-05-01), None
patent: 3-47227 (1991-05-01), None
patent: 3-47228 (1991-05-01), None
patent: 3-47229 (1991-05-01), None
patent: 3-98123 (1991-10-01), None
patent: 4-65616 (1992-06-01), None
patent: 4-65615 (1992-06-01), None
patent: 7-309129 (1995-11-01), None
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IBM Research Disclosure, No. 416, Copy in Class 280, Subclass 749, Dec. 1998.
Hironaka Shuichi
Ishimoto Shuichi
Mumura Etsuhisa
Ohno Mitsuyoshi
Otsuka Takuya
Pedder Dennis H.
Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP
Toyota Jidosha & Kabushiki Kaisha
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