หน้าต่างบานเลื่อนไฟฟ้า

Abstract

การประดิษฐ์นี้จัดให้มีหน้าต่างบานเลื่อนไฟฟ้าที่ชึ่งขนาดที่ยื่นออกของรางนำทางจากพื้นผิวแผ่นบานมีขนาดเล็กรางนำทาง(4)ดังกล่าวจะกำหนดขอบเขตร่องนำทางสลัก(26)ที่รวมถึงส่วนหลักของร่อง(26a)ที่ทอดตัวไปตามพื้นผิวแผ่นบาน(2b)และส่วนขยายของร่อง(26b)อย่างน้อยหนึ่งส่วนที่ถูกจัดโครงแบบให้ขับดันบานเลื่อน(3)ในทิศทางเข้าใกล้บานกระจกหน้าต่าง(2)ผ่านสลัก(16)เมื่อบานเลื่อนไปถึงบริเวณใกล้เคียงกับตำแหน่งปิดร่องนำทางตัวเลื่อน(27)ที่ถูกจัดให้มีขึ้นในรางนำทาง4เพื่อยอมให้มีการเลื่อนของตัวเลื่อน20ที่ถูกขับตันในลักษณะเลื่อนในทิศทางการเปิดและการปิดและส่วนหลักของร่อง(26a)ของร่องนำทางสลัก(26)ถูกสร้างขึ้นร่วมกันอย่างน้อยบางส่วน

Description

Power slide window

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power slide window that opens and closes an opening formed in a window glass with a slide panel that is slide-driven by a drive source.

[0002] The applicant has proposed a power slide window that smoothly opens and closes an opening formed in a window glass with a slide panel that is slide-driven in a direction along the panel surface of the window glass and in a direction intersecting the panel surface (Patent Document 1). In the power slide window described in Patent Document 1, a guide rail is provided along the panel surface of the window glass. The guide rail is formed with a slider guide groove for guiding a slider that is slide-driven by a drive source and a pin guide groove for guiding a pin provided on the slide panel. The slider guide groove extends in the opening and closing direction along the panel surface. The pin guide groove includes a groove main portion that extends in the opening and closing direction along the panel surface and a groove extension portion that extends from the groove main portion in a direction approaching the panel surface of the window glass. A pin drive groove extending in a direction intersecting the panel surface is formed in the slider, and the pin penetrates the pin drive groove and protrudes into the pin guide groove. When the slider is driven along the slider guide groove, the pin driven through the pin drive groove moves in the pin guide groove. The slide panel moves in a direction approaching and separating from the window glass when the pin moves in the groove extension portion, and moves along the panel surface at a position separated from the window glass when the pin moves in the groove main portion.

[0003] International Publication No. 2018 / 047614

[0004] However, in the power slide window described in Patent Document 1, the slider guide groove and the pin guide groove are formed side by side in a direction intersecting the panel surface of the window glass. Therefore, the protruding dimension of the guide rail from the panel surface is large.

[0005] In view of such a background, an object of the present invention is to provide a power slide window with a small protruding dimension of the guide rail from the panel surface.

[0006] To solve these problems, one embodiment of the present invention is a power slide window (1) that opens and closes an opening (2a) provided in a window glass (2) by a slide panel (3), comprising: a guide rail (4) provided in the window glass and defining a pin guide groove (26) extending in the opening and closing direction along the panel surface (2b) of the window glass; at least one pin (16) protruding from the slide panel in a direction intersecting the opening and closing direction along the panel surface and engaging with the pin guide groove; and a sliding mechanism provided in a slider guide groove (27) on the guide rail and driven by a drive source (5). The sliding panel has a slider (20) that is driven to slide in the opening and closing direction, and at least one pin drive groove (30) formed in the slider that receives at least one pin and extends in a direction intersecting the panel surface, wherein the pin guide groove has a main groove portion (26a) that extends along the panel surface and at least one extension portion (26b) that extends from the main groove portion to drive the sliding panel toward the window glass via at least one pin when the sliding panel reaches near the closed position, and the main groove portion of the pin guide groove and the slider guide groove are at least partially common to each other.

[0007] In this configuration, when the drive source drives the slider to slide along the slider guide groove in the opening and closing direction, the driving force is transmitted to the pin that enters the pin drive groove, causing the pin to move along the pin guide groove. Because the pin drive groove extends in a direction intersecting the panel surface, the movement of the pin in directions toward and toward the window glass is permitted. The sliding panel moves toward and toward the window glass when the pin moves along the groove extension, and slides in the opening and closing direction when the pin moves along the main part of the groove. Furthermore, because the main part of the pin guide groove and the slider guide groove are formed at least partially in common with each other, it is possible to reduce the protrusion dimension of the guide rail from the panel surface compared to when the main part of the pin guide groove and the slider guide groove are formed independently.

[0008] Preferably, in the above configuration, at least one of the groove extensions (26b) is connected to the closed end of the main groove (26a), and the slider guide groove (27) includes a slider-dedicated groove (27b) that extends beyond the closed end of the main groove in the direction of extension of the main groove, wherein the slider-dedicated groove is formed to be shallower than the main groove and at least one of the groove extensions (DS < DR), and at least one of the pins (16) has a protrusion length (LR > DS) greater than the depth (DS) of the slider-dedicated groove.

[0009] With this configuration, since the pin has an intrusion length greater than the depth of the slider-specific groove, the pin is reliably guided to the groove extension without entering the slider-specific groove from the main groove when sliding in the closing direction.

[0010] Preferably, in the above configuration, the slider (20) has a metal main plate member (21) having at least one pin drive groove (30), and at least one resin sliding member (22) attached to the main plate member and protruding into the slider guide groove (27), the end (10a) of the cable (10) that transmits power from the drive source (5) connected to the slider inside the slider guide groove, and the main plate member has at least one bent piece (34) that is bent and protrudes into at least one of the sliding members and locks the end of the cable.

[0011] In this configuration, the driving force of the cable is transmitted to the main plate member via a bent piece, and then transmitted to the slide panel via a pin through a pin drive groove provided in the main plate member. Therefore, there is no need for a resin sliding member to transmit the driving force, and the sliding member can be made thinner. As a result, the protrusion dimension from the panel surface can be reduced, and furthermore, there is no need to increase the width of the pin guide groove, which is formed in common with the slider guide groove, or the diameter of the pin.

[0012] Preferably, in the above configuration, at least one of the sliding members (22) includes an intrusion portion (28) that protrudes into the slider guide groove (27) and a pair of flange portions (29) that slide against the guide rail outside the slider guide groove.

[0013] With this configuration, the sliding member slides against the guide rail on both sides of the slider guide groove, preventing the sliding member from coming off the main plate member and falling into the deeper part of the pin guide groove when passing through the common section with the deeper pin guide groove compared to the slider-specific groove.

[0014] Preferably, in the above configuration, at least one of the pins (16) includes a first pin (16R) provided on the closing side of the slide panel (3) and a second pin (16L) provided on the opening side of the slide panel, and at least one of the groove extensions (26b) is connected to the end of the main groove (26a) on the closed position side and guides the first pin when the slide panel reaches the vicinity of the closed position, and is connected to the longitudinal middle part of the main groove and when the slide panel reaches the vicinity of the closed position The main plate member (21) includes a second groove extension (26bL) that guides the second pin when opened, and the main plate member (21) has two pin drive grooves (30) for driving the first pin and the second pin, and at least one sliding member (22) includes two sliding members (22L, 22R) positioned on both sides of the two pin drive grooves in the opening and closing direction, and at least one bent piece (34) includes two bent pieces (34L, 34R) that engage enlarged portions formed at the two ends of the cable, positioned on both sides of the two sliding members in the opening and closing direction.

[0015] In this configuration, the slider is driven by cables positioned on both sides in the opening and closing direction, and tension is applied to the two bent pieces from the corresponding ends of the cables positioned on both sides in the sliding direction. Therefore, the slider and sliding panel are driven more smoothly and reliably compared to the case where a push-pull cable is provided on one side in the opening and closing direction.

[0016] Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a power slide window in which the guide rail protrudes from the panel surface in a small manner.

[0017] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the overall configuration of the power slide window in the closed state according to the embodiment. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the main part of the power slide window in the open state. Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of the power slide window. Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of section IV-IV in Figure 1. Figure 1 shows an exploded view of section V. Figure 1 shows an enlarged view of section V. Figure 1 shows a plan cross-sectional view and a vertical cross-sectional view of the power slide window in the closed state. Figure 9 shows an explanatory diagram of the assembly procedure of the main part of the slider. Figure 1 shows a plan view illustrating the opening and closing operation of the power slide window. Figure 9 shows a cross-sectional view of section X-X comparing (A) the prior art and (B) the embodiment.

[0018] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an embodiment of the power slide window 1 according to the present invention applied to the rear window of a pickup truck will be described in detail.Hereinafter, the front and rear, and top and bottom are defined based on the state in which the power slide window 1 is mounted on the vehicle, and the left and right are defined by looking at the power slide window 1 from the passenger compartment side, that is, looking from the front to the rear of the vehicle.The front and rear sides may also be referred to as the inside and outside, with reference to the passenger compartment.Members provided in pairs on the left and right sides may be given the same reference numeral, with the subscripts "L" and "R" indicating left and right added after the numeral.When referring to them collectively or when there is no distinction between left and right, the subscripts may be omitted.

[0019] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the power slide window 1 in the closed state according to the embodiment, taken from a diagonal front view (from the passenger compartment side). The power slide window 1 is fixed to the body of a pickup truck and includes a window glass 2 that forms the rear window. The window glass 2 has a main surface that extends roughly vertically in the front-to-back direction, and is a roughly rectangular shape that is horizontally elongated, with the left-to-right dimensions along the main surface being larger than the up-to-down dimensions along the main surface. The window glass 2 is slightly curved in the left-to-right and up-to-down directions so as to be convex towards the rear.

[0020] The window glass 2 has a rectangular opening 2a (Figure 2) in its center, and a rectangular sliding panel 3 is provided to close this opening 2a. On one of the main surfaces of the window glass 2, the front surface (hereinafter referred to as the panel surface 2b), a light-shielding portion 2c is formed by applying a paint containing black pigment (black ceramic) to the periphery of the window glass 2 and the periphery of the opening 2a to provide light shielding.

[0021] A pair of upper and lower guide rails 4 are attached to the light-shielding portion 2c of the panel surface 2b of the window glass 2, extending horizontally and parallel to each other in the left-right direction along the panel surface 2b. The slide panel 3 is mounted on the pair of upper and lower guide rails 4 so as to be slidable in the left-right direction along the guide rails 4.

[0022] In this embodiment, the slide panel 3 slides along the guide rail 4 between a closed position, which closes the opening 2a shown in Figure 1, and an open position, which opens the entire opening 2a by sliding the slide panel 3 to the left from the closed position, as shown in Figure 2. In the open position, the slide panel 3 is located further forward (towards the passenger compartment side of the window glass 2) than in the closed position.

[0023] In other embodiments, the slide panel 3 may be configured to open a portion of the opening 2a in the open position, or to open the opening 2a by sliding to the right from the closed position. Alternatively, the slide panel 3 may be provided so as to be slidable both to the right and to the left from the closed position, and to open the opening 2a by sliding to one of the selected directions from the closed position. Furthermore, the slide panel 3 may be located further back (on the outside of the window glass 2) in the open position than in the closed position.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, a drive source 5 for sliding the slide panel 3 is provided below the window glass 2. The drive source 5 comprises an electric motor 6, a reduction mechanism, and a housing 8 that houses the reduction mechanism, and is fixed to the vehicle body via the housing 8. Four guide pipes 9 are connected to the housing 8. Two guide pipes 9 located on the right side extend to the right from the housing 8, then curve upward and connect to the upper and lower guide rails 4 from the right, respectively. Two guide pipes 9 located on the left side extend to the left from the housing 8, then curve upward and connect to the upper and lower guide rails 4 from the left, respectively.

[0025] The two guide pipes 9 connected to the upper guide rail 4 are connected at a position relatively forward of the housing 8, while the two guide pipes 9 connected to the lower guide rail 4 are connected at a position relatively rearward of the housing 8. Inside each guide pipe 9, a cable 10 (see Figure 3) is slidably provided to transmit the driving force from the drive source 5 and slide the slide panel 3.

[0026] The upper right cable 10 and the upper left cable 10 are wound and unwound complementaryly by a single pulley having a rotating shaft extending in the front-to-back direction. Similarly, the lower right cable 10 and the lower left cable 10 are wound and unwound complementaryly by another pulley having a rotating shaft extending in the front-to-back direction. These two pulleys are integrated with each other, and the upper left and right cables 10 and the lower left and right cables 10 are wound and unwound synchronously by two pulleys of the drive source 5. These cables 10 constitute a power transmission means that transmits the driving force of the drive source 5 to the slide panel 3 (more precisely, via the slider 20 as described later).

[0027] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the power slide window 1 shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Figure 1. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the slide panel 3 is composed of a movable glass 11 having the same thickness as the window glass 2, and a frame 12 provided on the periphery of the movable glass 11. The movable glass 11 is formed to be slightly smaller than the opening 2a of the window glass 2 and is arranged parallel to the window glass 2 within the opening 2a so as to be flush with the window glass 2. A light-shielding portion 11c is formed on the periphery of the front surface of the movable glass 11, which is treated with a light-shielding coating (black ceramic) containing black pigment.

[0028] The frame 12 has a bracket frame 13 that is joined to the light-shielding portion 11c on the front surface of the movable glass 11 via adhesive. The bracket frame 13 has a rectangular annular shape with an inner contour smaller than the outer contour of the movable glass 11 and an outer contour larger than the outer contour of the movable glass 11. As shown in Figure 4, the bracket frame 13 has a crank-shaped cross-section having an inner portion 13a that faces the movable glass 11 at a position relatively close to the front surface of the movable glass 11, an outer portion 13b that faces the window glass 2 at a position relatively far from the panel surface 2b of the window glass 2 which is flush with the front surface of the movable glass 11, and an intermediate portion 13c that connects the inner portion 13a and the outer portion 13b.

[0029] An annular sealing member 14 having a hollow cross-sectional shape is bonded to the rear surface of the outer portion 13b of the bracket frame 13. The sealing member 14 is made of an elastic material with a low modulus of elasticity, such as synthetic rubber. When not subjected to external force, the sealing member 14 has a height greater than the distance from the bracket frame 13 to the panel surface 2b of the window glass 2, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 4. When the movable glass 11 is positioned flush with the window glass 2, the sealing member 14 elastically deforms to reduce its height, as shown by the solid line in Figure 4, and its tip elastically contacts the panel surface 2b of the window glass 2. This ensures a seal between the movable glass 11 and the window glass 2.

[0030] An annular cover frame 15 is provided in front of the bracket frame 13, covering the bracket frame 13 and the sealing member 14. The cover frame 15 is fixed to the bracket frame 13 at an appropriate position. Thus, the frame 12, which includes the bracket frame 13, the sealing member 14 and the cover frame 15, is provided on the front side (passenger compartment side) of the movable glass 11 and extends across the light-shielding portion 11c of the movable glass 11 and the light-shielding portion 2c of the window glass 2. As a result, the gap between the periphery of the movable glass 11 and the opening edge of the window glass 2 is covered all around from the passenger compartment side by the frame 12.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, upper left and right pins 16 (16L, 16R) are integrally provided on the left and right ends of the upper part of the bracket frame 13 via a pin bracket 17. The upper pins 16 protrude upward (i.e., in a direction intersecting the opening and closing direction of the slide panel 3 along the panel surface 2b of the window glass 2). Lower left and right pins 16 (16L, 16R) that protrude downward are integrally provided on the left and right ends of the lower part of the bracket frame 13 via a pin bracket 17. The upper right pin 16R on the closing side is formed to be longer than the upper left pin 16L on the opening side, and the lower right pin 16R is formed to be longer than the lower left pin 16L. In addition, two leaf springs 18 that protrude upward are provided on the upper surface of the upper part of the bracket frame 13. The leaf spring 18 elastically contacts the lower surface of the upper guide rail 4, biasing the bracket frame 13 downwards, and also slides along the lower surface of the upper guide rail 4 as the bracket frame 13 slides.

[0032] An upper slider 20 is slidably mounted on the upper guide rail 4, and a lower slider 20 is slidably mounted on the lower guide rail 4. Each slider 20 comprises a metal main plate member 21 that extends along the opposing surfaces of the upper and lower guide rails 4, and resin left and right sliding members 22 (22L, 22R) attached to the left and right ends of the main plate member 21 that slide against the corresponding guide rails 4.

[0033] Each sliding member 22 is connected to a corresponding end of one of the four cables 10 used to slide the slide panel 3. This transmits the driving force (tension) of the drive source 5 to the upper slider 20 and the lower slider 20. The main plate member 21 is engaged with corresponding upper or lower left and right pins 16. That is, the slide panel 3 is supported by the upper slider 20 and the lower slider 20 via the upper left and right pins 16 and the lower left and right pins 16. The four cables 10 are connected to the left and right ends of the upper and lower parts of the slide panel 3 via the upper and lower sliders 20, and transmit the driving force of the drive source 5 to the slide panel 3 via the upper and lower sliders 20.

[0034] In other embodiments, a push-pull cable may be used as the power transmission means and connected to one of the left and right sides of the upper sliding members 22L, 22R and one of the left and right sides of the lower sliding members 22L, 22R. In this case, the upper and lower push-pull cables may be provided so as to extend from only one of the upper and lower sliders 20 to the left or right. Alternatively, the upper and lower push-pull cables may be provided so as to extend from one side of the upper slider 20 and from the other side of the lower slider 20.

[0035] On the left side of the upper and lower guide rails 4, two left stoppers 24 (only the lower one is shown) are provided to restrict the movement of the slide panel 3 to the open position by contacting the left end of the corresponding upper and lower sliders 20 when the slide panel 3 moves to the left. Furthermore, on the right side of the upper and lower guide rails 4, two right stoppers 24 (only the lower one is shown) are provided to restrict the movement of the slide panel 3 to the closed position by contacting the right end of the corresponding upper and lower sliders 20 when the slide panel 3 moves to the right. Each stopper 24 is equipped with an elastic member at least on its contact surface.

[0036] The connection structures of the lower left and lower right cables 10 to the slide panel 3 via the slider 20 differ in that the directions in which the cables 10 extend are opposite, but are otherwise similar. The connection structures of the lower and upper cables 10 to the slide panel 3 via the slider 20 differ in that they are vertically symmetrical with respect to the horizontal plane, but are otherwise similar. Therefore, as a representative example of these cables 10, the connection structure of the lower right cable 10 to the slide panel 3 will be described. In the following description, the term "lower" will be omitted.

[0037] Figure 5 is an exploded view of section V in Figure 1, and Figure 6 is an enlarged view of section V in Figure 1. Note that the cover frame 15 is omitted in Figures 5 and 6. Figure 7 is (A) a plan section and (B) a longitudinal section of the power slide window 1 in the closed state (a section shown along the line B-B in Figure 7(A)). As shown in Figures 5 and 7(A), the upper surface of the guide rail 4 (the surface facing the upper guide rail 4) is defined with a pin guide groove 26 for receiving and guiding the pin 16 and a slider guide groove 27 for slidably receiving the left and right sliding members 22L and 22R of the slider 20.

[0038] The pin guide groove 26 has a main groove portion 26a that extends left and right along the guide rail 4. A right extension portion 26bR extends diagonally backward to the right from the right end of the main groove portion 26a. The right extension portion 26bR is curved so that it faces further backward as it is to the right. A left extension portion 26bL extends diagonally backward to the right from the middle of the main groove portion 26a in the left-right direction. The left extension portion 26bL is also curved so that it faces further backward as it is to the right. The right extension portion 26bR and the left extension portion 26bL are inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 4 and have substantially the same shape in plan view. However, since the left extension portion 26bL extends backward from the middle of the main groove portion 26a, it is smaller than the right extension portion 26bR by the amount that it overlaps with the main groove portion 26a.

[0039] The slider guide groove 27 extends left and right along the guide rail 4 and is formed to the same width as the main groove portion 26a of the pin guide groove 26, and is positioned to overlap with the main groove portion 26a in the front-rear direction. That is, the slider guide groove 27 and the main groove portion 26a of the pin guide groove 26 are formed in common with each other in the portion that overlaps in the longitudinal direction. The slider guide groove 27 includes a common groove portion 27a formed in common with the main groove portion 26a of the pin guide groove 26, and a right-side slider-specific groove portion 27b that extends to the right (in the direction of extension of the main groove portion 26a) beyond the right end, which is the closed position end of the main groove portion 26a. In this embodiment, since the cable 10 also extends to the left from the slider 20, the slider guide groove 27 further includes a left-side slider-specific groove 27b (see Figure 3) that extends to the left (in the direction of extension of the main groove 26a) beyond the left end, which is the open-position end of the main groove 26a.

[0040] As shown in Figure 5, the sliding member 22 has an insertion portion 28 that protrudes into the slider guide groove 27, and a pair of flange portions 29 integrally formed at the upper end of the insertion portion 28 so as to protrude in the front-rear direction. The pair of flange portions 29 are larger than the width of the slider guide groove 27 and slide in contact with the upper surface of the guide rail 4 outside the slider guide groove 27. As a result, only the insertion portion 28 of the sliding member 22 is received by the slider guide groove 27.

[0041] As shown in Figure 7(A), the main plate member 21 of the slider 20 has left and right pin drive grooves 30 through which corresponding left and right pins 16 that protrude into the pin guide groove 26 are inserted. In addition, a resin member 31 that covers the sliding contact portion of the pin drive groove 30 is integrally outsert molded onto the main plate member 21 in order to reduce the sliding resistance of the pins 16. Each pin drive groove 30 extends generally in the front-rear direction at the front of the main plate member 21 and curves to the left toward the rear (in other words, it curves so that the angle of inclination with respect to the front-rear direction becomes larger toward the rear). That is, the pin drive groove 30 is inclined away from the window glass 2 from left to right, and extends at an angle both in the front-rear direction, which is perpendicular to the panel surface 2b of the window glass 2, and in the left-right direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 4. In the state shown in Figures 6 and 7(A), where the slide panel 3 is in the closed position, the right pin 16 is located near the left end of the pin drive groove 30 and at the right end of the pin guide groove 26 (the rear end of the groove extension 26b).

[0042] As shown in Figure 5, the pin 16 is inserted into the pin guide groove 26 by passing through the pin drive groove 30 of the main plate member 21. That is, as also shown in Figure 6, the pin 16 is fixed to the slide panel 3 by screwing the pin bracket 17 to the bracket frame 13 with the pin 16 in that position. The cable 10 in the lower right (Figure 5) extends to the right from the sliding member 22R on the right side of the slider 20.

[0043] Similarly, as shown in Figure 3, the lower left cable 10 extends to the left from the left end of the slider 20, the upper left cable 10 extends to the left from the left end of the upper slider 20, and the upper right cable 10 extends to the right from the right end of the upper slider 20.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 6, the right stopper 24 is provided in the right slider dedicated groove portion 27b and is supported by a support wall 32 protruding into the slider dedicated groove portion 27b. A guide pipe 9 (see Fig. 3) is received in a portion of the slider guide groove 27 to the right of the support wall 32. The tip of the guide pipe 9 abuts against the support wall 32, and the lower right cable 10 extending from the tip of the guide pipe 9 passes through grooves formed in the support wall 32 and the right stopper 24 to reach the right sliding member 22R. The end of the cable 10 is held by the right sliding member 22R. <所

[0045] As shown in Fig. 7(B), the groove main portion 26a of the pin guide groove 26 is formed to have a constant depth. The left groove extension portion 26bL is formed shallower than the groove main portion 26a, and the right groove extension portion 26bR is formed to have the same depth as the groove main portion 26a. That is, the left groove extension portion 26bL is formed shallower than the right groove extension portion 26bR. Also, the slider dedicated groove portion 27b is formed shallower than the groove main portion 26a of the pin guide groove 26.

[0046] The depth D of the slider dedicated groove portion 27b and the pin guide groove 26 and the intrusion length L of the pin 16 into the pin guide groove 26 are set to have the following relationship. That is, the intrusion length LL of the lower left pin 16L is smaller than the depth DL of the left groove extension portion 26bL, and the intrusion length LR of the lower right pin 16R is larger than the depth DL of the left groove extension portion 26bL and the depth DS of the slider dedicated groove portion 27b and smaller than the depth DR of the right groove extension portion 26bR. That is, the following equations (1) and (2) hold. LL < DL... (1) DL, DS < LR < DR... (2) Thereby, the lower left pin 16L can enter the left groove extension portion 26bL, and the lower right pin 16R cannot enter the left groove extension portion 26bL and the slider dedicated groove portion 27b and can enter the right groove extension portion 26bR. The relationship between the intrusion length L of the upper pin 16 and the depth D of the slider dedicated groove portion 27b and the pin guide groove 26 is the same.

[0047] FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of the assembly procedure of the main part of the slider 20. As shown in FIG. 8(A), an engaging end portion 10a that expands in diameter is formed at the end of the cable 10. A cable holding groove 33 that is open at the upper surface and reaches the right end is formed in the right sliding member 22R of the slider 20. The main board member 21 extends substantially horizontally in parallel with the upper surface of the guide rail 4, and includes left and right bending pieces 34L (see FIG. 7(A)) and 34R that are bent downward at the right end and the left end. The bending piece 34 is divided into left and right parts by a notch formed in the middle part in the left-right direction. Specifically, the right bending piece 34 is curved so as to hold the cable 10, and has a cable locking portion 34a that is disposed on the right side of the engaging end portion 10a and engages with the shoulder surface on the right side of the engaging end portion 10a, and a sliding member locking portion 34b that is disposed on the left side of the engaging end portion 10a and engages with an engaging claw (not shown) of the sliding member 22.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 8(B), the right sliding member 22R is covered with the bending piece 34 in a state where the cable 10 is held such that the cable locking portion 34a locks the engaging end portion 10a of the cable 10. By the sliding member locking portion 34b locking the sliding member 22R, the sliding member 22R is fixed to the main board member 21, and the state shown in FIG. 5 is achieved.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 7(B), the depth D of the slider dedicated groove portion 27b and the pin guide groove 26 and the intrusion length LS of the slider 20 (sliding member 22) into the pin guide groove 26 are set to have the following relationship. That is, the depth DS of the slider dedicated groove portion 27b is made larger than the intrusion length LS of the slider 20 and smaller than the depth of the groove main portion 26a (that is, the depth DR of the right groove extension portion 26bR). That is, the following formula (3) holds. LS < DS < DR... (3) Thereby, the slider 20 can slide in the groove main portion 26a of the slider dedicated groove portion 27b and the pin guide groove 26, and does not get caught on the step portion when entering from the groove main portion 26a into the slider dedicated groove portion 27b.

[0050] As described above, the lower right cable 10 and the lower left cable 10, whose winding and unwinding are complementary and controlled by a single pulley, constitute the lower drive cable that slides the lower part of the slide panel 3. Similarly, the upper right cable 10 and the upper left cable 10, whose winding and unwinding are complementary and controlled by a single pulley, constitute the upper drive cable that slides the upper part of the slide panel 3.

[0051] Figure 9 is a plan view illustrating the opening and closing operation of the power slide window 1, showing the states when the slide panel 3 is (A) in the closed position, (B) approximately forward of the closed position, and (C) forward and to the left of the closed position. When the power slide window 1 opens the slide panel 3, it follows the states from Figure 9(A) to Figure 9(C), and conversely, when closing the slide panel 3, it follows the states from Figure 9(C) to Figure 9(A).

[0052] As shown in Figure 9(A), when the slide panel 3 is in the closed position, flush with the window glass 2, the pins 16 (16L, 16R) are located at the rear end (left end) of the pin drive groove 30 of the main plate member 21 and at the rear end of the groove extension 26b of the pin guide groove 26. In this state, when the cable 10 is wound and unwound complementary to the left and the slider 20 is driven to slide to the left, the state shown in Figure 9(B) is reached. At this time, the left and right pins 16 are driven forward by the slider 20 along their respective pin drive grooves 30, and move forward and to the left along the groove extension 26b of the pin guide groove 26. As a result, the entire slide panel 3 slides while changing direction from the front, which is away from the window glass 2, to the left, which is parallel to the panel surface 2b, while maintaining a posture parallel to the window glass 2. In the state shown in Figure 9(B), the rear surface of the movable glass 11 is located in front of the panel surface 2b of the window glass 2.

[0053] From this state, if the cable 10 is further wound and unwound to the left in a complementary manner, causing the slider 20 to slide to the left, it will reach the state shown in Figure 9(C). At this time, the left and right pins 16 move to the left along the pin guide groove 26 while remaining positioned at the front end of their respective pin drive grooves 30. As a result, the entire slide panel 3 slides to the left. In this way, because the main plate member 21 has pin drive grooves 30 that are long in the front-rear direction, the slide panel 3 can be slid in the front-rear direction without changing the front-rear position of the slider 20 and the cable 10.

[0054] The open position of the slide panel 3 is set to a position where the entire opening 2a of the window glass 2 is open, as shown in Figure 2. When the slide panel 3 is in the open position, the right pin 16R is located to the left of the left groove extension 26bL in the main groove portion 26a.

[0055] When the slide panel 3 is in the open position, the cable 10 is wound and unwound to the right in a complementary manner, which drives the slider 20 to slide to the right. At this time, the slide panel 3 slides to the right from the fully open position, passing through Figures 9(C) and 9(B), and returning to the closed position in Figure 9(A).

[0056] As explained in Figure 7(B), the intrusion length LR of the right pin 16R is greater than the depth DL of the left groove extension 26bL. Therefore, when the slide panel 3 moves to the closed position, the right pin 16R passes through the branching point between the main groove 26a and the left groove extension 26bL (next to the left groove extension 26bL), and the right pin 16R does not enter the left groove extension 26bL.

[0057] Furthermore, as described above, the intrusion length LR of the right pin 16R is greater than the depth DS of the slider-dedicated groove 27b. Therefore, when the slide panel 3 moves to the closed position, the right pin 16R passes through the branching point between the slider-dedicated groove 27b and the right groove extension 26bR, and the right pin 16R does not enter the slider-dedicated groove 27b.

[0058] As described above, in the power slide window 1 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figures 9(A) and (B), the slide panel 3 is driven to slide in a direction intersecting the panel surface 2b of the window glass 2 by the movement of the pin 16 along the groove extension 26b. As shown in Figures 9(B) and (C), the slide panel 3 is driven to slide in a direction along the panel surface 2b of the guide rail 4 by the movement of the pin 16 along the groove main portion 26a. Through these operations, the slide panel 3 slides smoothly between the closed position and the open position to open and close the opening 2a.

[0059] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X in Figure 9, comparing (A) the prior art with (B) the embodiment. In this embodiment, the common groove portion 27a of the slider guide groove 27 and the main groove portion 26a of the pin guide groove 26 provided on the guide rail 4 are formed in common with each other. That is, the main groove portion 26a of the slider guide groove 27 and the pin guide groove 26 are at least partially common with each other. Therefore, compared to the conventional structure in which the main groove portion 26a of the slider guide groove 27 and the pin guide groove 26 were formed in parallel, it is possible to reduce the protrusion dimension of the guide rail 4 from the panel surface 2b by a difference of X.

[0060] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, the engaging end 10a of the cable 10 that transmits power from the drive source 5 is connected to the slider 20 inside the slider guide groove 27. The main plate member 21 of the slider 20 is formed by bending and includes a bent piece 34 that protrudes into the sliding member 22 and locks the engaging end 10a of the cable 10. Therefore, the resin sliding member 22 does not need to transmit the driving force, and the sliding member 22 can be made thinner. As a result, the protrusion dimension of the guide rail 4 from the panel surface 2b can be reduced, and furthermore, there is no need to increase the width of the pin guide groove 26, which is formed in common with the slider guide groove 27, or the diameter of the pin 16.

[0061] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the sliding member 22 is equipped with a protruding portion 28 and a pair of flange portions 29. Therefore, when passing through the common groove portion 27a, which is a common portion with the pin guide groove 26 which is deeper than the slider-dedicated groove portion 27b, the sliding member 22 does not detach from the main plate member 21 and fall into the deeper portion of the pin guide groove 26.

[0062] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 7, the slide panel 3 is provided with a right pin 16R on the right side, which is the closed position, and a left pin 16L on the left side, which is the open position. The main groove portion 26a has a right groove extension 26bR, where the right pin 16R is located when the slide panel 3 is in the closed position, which continues to the right end, and a left groove extension 26bL, where the left pin 16L is located when the slide panel 3 is in the closed position, which continues to the middle portion in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, as the right pin 16R and the left pin 16L move through the right groove extension 26bR and the left groove extension 26bL, a driving force acting on both the right and left sides of the slide panel 3 in the direction of approaching and moving away from the panel surface 2b of the window glass 2. This makes the sliding operation of the slide panel 3 between the closed position and the open position smoother.

[0063] In addition, the slider 20 is equipped with left and right sliding members 22L and 22R, and the main plate member 21 is equipped with two bent pieces 34L and 34R that engage with the engaged ends 10a, which are formed as enlarged diameter portions, of two cables 10 arranged on the left and right sides of the left and right sliding members 22L and 22R. That is, the slider 20 is driven by the cables 10 arranged on both sides in the opening and closing direction, and tension is applied to the two bent pieces 34 from the corresponding cables 10. Therefore, the slider 20 and the slide panel 3 can be driven more smoothly and reliably compared to the case where a push-pull cable is provided on one side in the opening and closing direction.

[0064] This concludes the description of the specific embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be broadly modified and implemented. For example, in the above embodiment, the power sliding window 1 was applied to the rear window of a pickup truck as an example, but it may also be applied to the rear window or side window of a station wagon or the like. The specific configuration, arrangement, quantity, angle, etc. of each member and part can be changed as appropriate, as long as it does not depart from the spirit of the present invention. On the other hand, not all of the components shown in the above embodiment are necessarily essential and can be selected as appropriate.

[0065] 1 Power slide window 2 Window glass 2a Opening 2b Panel surface 3 Slide panel 4 Guide rail 5 Drive source 10 Cable 10a Engaging end 16 Pin 16L Left pin (second pin) 16R Right pin (first pin) 20 Slider 21 Main plate member 22 Sliding member 22L Left sliding member 22R Right sliding member 26 Pin guide groove 26a Main groove portion 26bL Left groove extension (second groove extension) 26bR Right groove extension (first groove extension) 27 Slider guide groove 27a Common groove portion 27b Slider-specific groove portion 28 Protrusion portion 29 Flange portion 30 Pin drive groove 34 Bent piece 34L Left bent piece 34R Right bent piece DR Depth of groove main portion 26a and right groove extension portion 26bR DS Depth of slider-specific groove portion 27b LR Entry length of right pin 16R