MULTI-PANEL SUNROOF SYSTEM
A multi-panel sunroof employs at least three movable sunroof panels. In another aspect of the present invention, three sunroof panels are stacked upon each other in one or two different operating positions. A further aspect of the present invention provides for rearward opening movement of a front sunroof panel and forward opening movement of a rear sunroof panel.
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This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/316,382 filed on Dec. 22, 2005. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to automotive vehicle sunroofs and more particularly to a multi-panel sunroof system.
It is common to employ single-panel sunroofs in automotive vehicles. More recently, various attempts have been made to increase the sunroof opening area in vehicles to maximize open roof area above all of the vehicle passengers especially as the front windshield header continues to move rearwardly for styling and aerodynamic reasons. For example, various multi-panel sunroofs have been considered to increase open roof area and are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 5,746,475 entitled “Drive Mechanism for an Automotive Vehicle Sunroof Assembly” which issued to Caye et al. on May 5, 1998; 5,197,779 entitled “Power Sliding Sunroof” which issued to Mizuno et al. on Mar. 30, 1993; and 5,029,937 entitled “Roof System for Vehicle” which issued to Yamamoto on Jul. 9, 1991; all of which are incorporated by reference herein. While some of these patents offer significant improvements, the sunroof tracks take up considerable vertical space thereby encroaching on desired headroom of the vehicle occupants, and do not provide vertical access above the storage area of a sport utility vehicle or station wagon.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn accordance with the present invention, a multi-panel sunroof employs at least three movable sunroof panels. In another aspect of the present invention, three sunroof panels are stacked upon each other in one or two different operating positions. A further aspect of the present invention provides for rearward opening movement of a front sunroof panel and forward opening movement of a rear sunroof panel. Yet another aspect of the present invention provides for a unique locking member and hook structure of a sunroof movement mechanism. An additional aspect of the present invention sunroof system includes a sunroof slide block having a body, a diagonally extending camming surface, an opening therebetween, and a trailing ramp. A method of operating a sunroof system is also provided.
The multi-panel sunroof system of the present invention is advantageous over traditional constructions in that the present invention system employs a track having reduced vertical depth in order to maximize occupant head room within the vehicle. The present invention is further advantageous by maximizing opening area above the front and rear seat passengers while also allowing vertical opening access over the storage area of the vehicle, such that cargo can be stored therein and extend above the nominal roof plane. Furthermore, various embodiments of the present invention employ in-line, multi-panel tracks along each side rail of the vehicle which allows for the multiple sunroof panels to be substantially co-planar when closed (while being slightly curved to account for the normal vehicle styling curvature). The single common track on each vehicular side also reduces tooling and assembly costs, while reducing parts in an assembly plant. Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The preferred embodiment of a multi-panel sunroof system 61 of the present invention is employed in an automotive vehicle 62 as is shown in
Referring to
A middle track insert 131 is attached to track 101 and has a camming slot 133 with a first longitudinally elongated section 135 and a second generally diagonally angled section 137 blending into second channel 107 of track 101. A front track insert 139 is also attached to track 101 and has a generally diagonal camming slot 141 downwardly and rearwardly declining, and blending into first channel 105 of track 101.
Front movement mechanism 65 can be observed in
Housing 159 has a generally inverted-U shape with a predominantly vertical planar wall 191. A generally vertically elongated and closed slot 193 is disposed in wall 191 of housing 159. A middle of a front panel lock pin 195 selectively rides up and down within slot 193 of housing 159, an inboard end of pin 195 rides fore-and-aft or diagonally within the camming slot of middle track insert 131 and an outboard end of pin 195 is selectively engagable with its central panel locking hook.
Front movement mechanism 65 further employs a lift arm link 201 that is pivotally attached to the body of front slide block 151 and is pivotally attached to front bracket 175, by fixed axis pivots 203 and 205, respectively. A guide pin 207 (see
Central movement mechanism 69 is illustrated in
Rear sunroof panel 71 and its associated movement mechanism 73 are independently driven by a rear electric motor actuator 301 (see
A rear panel locking pin 351 extends in a crosscar direction with a proximal end acting as a cam follower riding in a camming groove 353 in rear track insert 311. Camming groove 353 has a generally fore-and-aft and horizontally elongated rear section and a front diagonal section that is forwardly declining. An opposite distal end of rear panel locking pin 351 rides within a generally vertical slot 355 (see
An extension spring 360 runs from a hole 361 in rear panel carriage lock 309 to a post 363 from rear panel carriage lock 309 in order to bias the carriage lock down into a receiver 365 stationarily secured to track 101. A ramp 371, shown in
While the multi-panel sunroof has been disclosed, it should be appreciated that other variations fall within the scope of the present invention. For example, two or more central sunroof panels and their associated movement mechanisms may be provided. Furthermore, a central sunroof panel may be actively driven by its own actuator although some of the advantages of the present invention may not be realized. Additionally, it is envisioned that alternate camming, linkages, or track configurations can be employed although various packaging advantages may not be achieved. Alternately, the central sunroof panel can be stationary and immovably affixed to the tracks with brackets, but with the common tracks still being employed. In another alternate embodiment, the rear header panel moves with the rear sunroof panel. It is further envisioned that some of the mechanisms disclosed herein can be used with a single panel sunroof although many of the advantages of the present invention will not be observed. The present invention can also be part of a modularized and preassembled unit including a roof rack, headliner, sun visor assist handles and overhead entertainment console, with a single electrical connection. It is intended by the following claims to cover these and any other departures from the disclosed embodiments which fall within the true spirit of this invention.
Claims
1. A sunroof locking system comprising:
- a first sunroof panel movable from an open position to a closed position;
- a first movement mechanism coupled to the first sunroof panel, the first movement mechanism including a cable-driven slide block operably moving the first sunroof panel, the slide block including a camming slot and a ramp, the ramp being located on a different portion of the slide block from the camming slot;
- a second sunroof panel movable from an open position to a closed position;
- a bracket coupled to the second panel; and
- a lock coupled to the bracket, and a portion of the lock being movable in a substantially vertical direction due to selective contact with the ramp of the slide block, the movable portion of the lock being elongated in a substantially crosscar direction.
2. The sunroof locking system of claim 1, further comprising a stationary structure including a substantially vertical abutment surface, the movable portion of the lock selectively contacting against the abutment surface when the movable portion is in a lowered position, in order to secure the second panel in its closed position.
3. The sunroof locking system of claim 2, wherein the first movement mechanism slide block slides along a fore-and-aft extending track and the abutment surface is stationarily attached to a portion of the track.
4. The sunroof locking system of claim 2, wherein movement of the slide block causes the ramp to disengage the moveable portion of the lock from the abutment surface thereby releasing the second panel from its secured closed position and allowing the second panel to move.
5. The sunroof locking system of claim 1, wherein the lock further comprises a substantially inverted-U shaped housing having a substantially vertically and linearly elongated slot, and the movable portion of the lock is an elongated pin which extends through the slot.
6. The sunroof locking system of claim 1, further comprising an electromagnetic actuator operably driving a cable connected to the slide block, the bracket including track-engaging guides, the bracket being passively driven by the slide block.
7. The sunroof locking system of claim 1, further comprising a biasing member biasing the moveable portion of the lock to a lowered position.
8. The sunroof locking system of claim 1, wherein the first sunroof panel is one of a frontmost or rearmost sunroof panel, the second sunroof panel is an central sunroof panel and further comprising at least a third sunroof panel moveable from an open position to a closed position.
9. The sunroof locking system of claim 1, wherein the lock when in a first position is operable to lock the second panel in a closed position and when in a second position is operable to allow the second panel to be passively driven by the first movement mechanism.
10. A sunroof locking system comprising:
- a first sunroof panel movable from an open position to a closed position;
- a first movement mechanism coupled to the first sunroof panel;
- a camming slot having a channel with a first section extending in a substantially horizontal and fore-and-aft direction and a second section extending in a substantially diagonal direction;
- a bifurcated hook projecting from the first movement mechanism and aligning with the second section of the camming slot when in a selected first sunroof panel position; and
- a locking pin movable along the camming slot and selectively engagable with the hook thereby securing the locking pin to the hook.
11. The sunroof locking system of claim 10, wherein the camming slot is part of a fore-and-aft extending track along which the first sunroof panel moves between the open and closed positions.
12. The sunroof locking system of claim 10, wherein the opening of the hook extends in a substantially forwardly and upwardly angled orientation.
13. The sunroof locking system of claim 10, wherein the opening of the hook extends in a substantially rearwardly and upwardly angled orientation.
14. The sunroof locking system of claim 10, further comprising:
- a second sunroof panel movable from an open position to a closed position; and
- a second movement mechanism coupled to the second panel;
- wherein the pin operably moves fore-and-aft with the second movement mechanism and the hook moves fore-and-aft with the first movement mechanism; and
- wherein engagement of the locking pin and hook serve to lock together the first and second movement mechanisms for at least partially simultaneous opening and closing of the first and second sunroof panels.
15. The sunroof locking system of claim 10, wherein the camming slot is stationary and the hook is attached to the first movement mechanism, and the first sunroof panel is a rearmost one of multiple sunroof panels.
16. The sunroof locking system of claim 10, wherein the sunroof mechanism further comprises a four bar linkage assembly, a cable-driven slide block, and a cam follower projecting from the four bar linkage assembly riding along a camming path within the slide block.
17. The sunroof locking system of claim 10, further comprising:
- a second sunroof panel movable from an open position to a closed position;
- a second movement mechanism coupled to the second panel;
- a third sunroof panel movable between a closed and an open position; and
- a third movement mechanism coupled to the third sunroof panel;
- the forwardmost and rearwardmost of the sunroof panels being at least partially movable independently of the other, and the forwardmost and central of the sunroof panels being at least partially movable in unison due to engagement of the locking pin and hook.
18. The sunroof locking system of claim 10, wherein the selected first sunroof panel position is a closed position.
19. A sunroof locking system comprising:
- (a) a movable slide block further comprising: (i) a body elongated in a substantially fore-and-aft direction; (ii) a pair of parallel walls having diagonally elongated camming slots therein projecting from a leading end of the body, an opening located in at least one of the walls between the camming slot and the body; (iii) track-engaging feet transversely extending from the body; (iv) a cable retainer transversely extending from the body;
- (b) a sunroof panel movable from an open position to a closed position; and
- (c) a bracket downwardly extending from the sunroof panel and having a transversely extending cam follower;
- the cam follower being insertable into the opening of the slide block to allow access for the cam follower to thereafter ride within the camming slots.
20. The sunroof locking system of claim 19, further comprising a link have a first end pivotally attached to the slide block and having an opposite end pivotally attached to the bracket.
21. The sunroof locking system of claim 19, wherein the slide block further comprises a ramp extending from a trailing end of the body in a downwardly and rearwardly projecting orientation.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 28, 2007
Publication Date: Jul 10, 2008
Applicant: Specialty Vehicle Acquisition Corp. (Los Angeles, CA)
Inventors: Arthur L. MacNee (Southgate, MI), Christopher J. Dilluvio (Farmington Hills, MI)
Application Number: 11/965,882
International Classification: B60J 7/185 (20060101);