Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roof structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-27
2003-11-11
Gordon, Stephen T. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roof structure
C296S216060, C296S216080
Reexamination Certificate
active
06644728
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a vehicular sunroof device wherein a guide rail and a front frame are constructed in separate fashion and the guide rail is also provided with a gutter portion.
2. Prior Art
One of the conventional or prior art sunroof devices of the type is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (so-called “KOKAI KOHOH”) No. H06-336119. This conventional or prior art sunroof device is made up of a pair of guide rails provided on a pair of inner peripheries of an open portion formed in a vehicular roof panel. Each of the guide rails includes a first gutter portion and a guide portion which is formed integrally with the first gutter portion, and supports a movable panel which covers and uncovers the open portion of the vehicular roof panel. A front frame placed on a front peripheral portion of the open portion of the vehicular roof panel, connected to both of the guide rails has a second gutter portion which is in fluid communication with the first gutter portion. A concave groove is formed in a connecting portion at which the guide rail and the front frame are connected. An upstanding wall is formed as a part of the second gutter portion at the connecting portion at which the guide rail and the front frame are connected. The first gutter portion is fitted or inserted into the second gutter portion such that the upstanding wall is made to be placed in the concave groove at the connecting portion at which the guide rail and the front frame are connected and a sealing member is provided between the guide rail and the front frame.
However, in the conventional or prior art sunroof device having the aforementioned structure, when the first gutter portion is brought into overlapped engagement with the second gutter portion, the sealing member confronts with the extremity end of the first gutter portion. Such a structure makes it easy for water that flows into the first gutter portion to contact the sealing member, resulting in that the water flowing in the first gutter portion along the sealing member is drained from a drain port. Thus, in the conventional or prior art sunroof device, it is required to establish a severe water tight sealing treatment for the connection portion of the guide rail and the front frame. For this sealing treatment, a butyl rubber sealing member, or a foamed sealing member is used. In addition, for securing the sealing member there, the connecting portion is required to be reinforced at which the guide rail and the front frame are connected.
In the prior sunroof device, for preventing water leakage, the firm connection for sealing between the guide rail and the front frame is treated. In an occasion of some troubles on the parts of the sunroof, and when the connection has to be released in order to replace the broken parts, because the firm connection makes difficult release of the guide rail and the front frame, sometimes the guide rail deforms and damages the rail.
Thus, for overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks, a sunroof device needs an easy connection between a front gutter portion and a second gutter portion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed to satisfy the requirement noted above and a first aspect of the present invention provides a sunroof device which comprises: a pair of guide rails placed at laterally opposed inner peripheries of an open area and supporting a movable panel covering and uncovering the open area;
a first gutter portion extending along a lengthwise direction of the guide rail; and
a second gutter portion positioned below the first gutter portion and brought into fluid communication with an end of the first gutter portion, the second gutter portion being formed with an upstanding wall locating at a distance from the end of the first gutter portion when the second gutter portion is brought into overlap condition in such a manner that the upstanding wall defines an area of the second gutter portion to be overlapped with the first gutter portion.
In accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, the upstanding wall of second gutter portion is provided at a longitudinal distance from the end of the first gutter portion, which makes it possible to prevent a direct invasion of fluid such as rain water into the overlapped portion between the upstanding wall and the first gutter portion. Thus, a sealing member disposed between the first gutter portion and the second gutter portion, is not limited as a bonding agent. Because only a foamed sealing member without a bonding agent is used for the connection sealing of the first gutter portion and the second gutter portion, the productivity in assembling the sunroof devices is improved, and also replacement of the sunroof device becomes possible, resulting in increasing or improving the recycling of the sunroof device.
Preferably, as the second aspect of the present invention indicates, it desirable to employ a structure wherein in the vicinity of a portion in the second gutter portion at which the second gutter portion is overlapped with the first gutter portion, a restricting wall is formed for restricting flow of fluid in the second gutter portion.
Such a structure makes it difficult for fluid to enter into the overlapped portion of the first gutter portion and the second gutter portion, with the result that the sealing function becomes more improved and preferable.
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Maeta Kenji
Makino Hiroshi
Nagashima Youji
Ochiai Hironori
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Gordon Stephen T.
Gutman Hilary
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