Sunroof apparatus
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- MOTHERSON YACHIYO AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-01-16
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-06
Smart Images
Figure JP2026001326_06082026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Sunroof device
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sunroof device, and more particularly to a device used in a vehicle such as an automobile.
[0002] A sunroof device may be provided on the roof of a vehicle. As a front elevating and sliding mechanism of the sunroof device, a sliding block guide including a guide rail having a guide channel and a sliding block guided to move along the guide rail within the guide channel is known (see Patent Document 1). This sliding block guide is a mechanism for lifting and moving the front portion of the roof cover. The guide rail has a front inclined region inclined downward forward at its front end, a rear horizontal region extending substantially linearly and horizontally and located rearward, and a curved region located between the front inclined region and the rear horizontal region. The sliding block is rotatably supported via a support pin on a support body that supports the cover so as to be able to pass through portions corresponding to these regions within the guide channel.
[0003] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004 / 0032150
[0004] However, in the sunroof device described in Patent Document 1, the inclined region of the guide rail (the guide block that defines the inclined region of the guide channel) is provided so as to extend forward from the front end of the horizontal region through the curved region. Therefore, the front-rear dimension of the guide rail becomes long in the front direction.
[0005] In view of such a background, an object of the present invention is to provide a sunroof device capable of shortening the front-rear dimension of the guide rail.
[0006] To solve these problems, one embodiment of the present invention provides a sunroof device (10) comprising: a movable panel (11) for opening and closing an opening (3) formed in the roof (2) of a vehicle (1); guide rails (24) provided along the left and right edges of the opening; sliders (25) slidably provided on each of the guide rails; and a mechanism connecting the sliders to the movable panel, which moves the movable panel up and down between a closed position that closes the opening and a lifted position that is located above the closed position. The system comprises a link member (42) that tilts to a certain extent, guide grooves (30) formed along the front-rear direction on each of the guide rails, an engaging portion (47) provided on the link member that slidably engages with the guide groove when the movable panel is in the lift-up position, and a guide block (80) connected to the guide groove that defines a cam groove (74) extending downward from the guide groove to tilt the link member, wherein the guide block is provided in the middle of the corresponding guide rail in the front-rear direction.
[0007] With this configuration, since the guide block is provided in the middle of the guide rail in the front-to-back direction, a guide block extending forward from the front end of the guide groove becomes unnecessary, and the front-to-back dimension of the guide rail can be shortened.
[0008] In the above embodiment, each of the guide rails may have a notch (81) formed in it, and the guide block may be mounted in the corresponding notch of the guide rail.
[0009] According to this embodiment, the guide block can be installed in the middle of the guide rail in the front-rear direction without impairing the continuity of the guide rail. Therefore, a decrease in the rigidity of the guide rail can be suppressed.
[0010] In the above embodiment, the guide block may have an engaging projection (84) that is inserted into the portion of the guide groove opposite to the side to which the cam groove is connected and engages with the corresponding guide rail.
[0011] According to this embodiment, the mounting strength of the guide block to the guide rail can be improved. This suppresses rattling when the engaging portion of the link member moves through the cam groove of the guide block.
[0012] In the above embodiment, the guide block may have a hole (106) or recess formed therein for opening the lower end of the cam groove.
[0013] According to this embodiment, interference between the guide block and the engagement portion of the link member, specifically, the engagement portion of the link member moving downward through the cam groove, can be prevented from striking the guide block. On the other hand, since the portion of the guide block defining the lower end of the cam groove has a continuous structure around the hole or recess, the rigidity of that portion can be improved.
[0014] In the above embodiment, the guide rail has a guide rail piece (32) below the guide groove for guiding the slider, and the guide block preferably has upper and lower notched grooves (100) formed therein to connect the upper and lower guide spaces (37) partitioned by the guide rail piece in the front-rear direction.
[0015] According to this embodiment, even if guide rail pieces are provided on the guide rail, a guide block can be provided in the middle of the guide rail without hindering the forward and backward movement of the slider. The engaging portion can pass across the upper and lower guide spaces at the intersection of the cam groove and the upper and lower guide spaces.
[0016] In the above embodiment, the cam groove intersects with the upper and lower guide spaces and is formed deeper than the upper and lower guide spaces, and the engaging portion has a width greater than the depth of the upper and lower guide spaces and is configured to engage with the cam groove at a position deeper than the bottom surface of the guide space.
[0017] According to this embodiment, it is possible to suppress rattling of the engaging portion when passing through the intersection of the cam groove and the guide space.
[0018] In the above embodiment, the link member is connected to the front of the movable panel and tilts to move the front of the movable panel up and down, and the sunroof device may further include a rear link member (44) that connects the slider to the rear of the movable panel and tilts to move the rear of the movable panel up and down between the closed position and the lifted position.
[0019] According to this embodiment, the degree of freedom of movement of the movable panel can be improved by further including a rear link member in the sunroof device.
[0020] In the above embodiment, the guide grooves are formed on each side of the link member so as to sandwich the link member in the corresponding guide rail, and the engaging portions are provided on each of the left and right sides of the link member.
[0021] In this embodiment, the link member is stably supported by both engaging portions. This improves the support rigidity of the movable panel.
[0022] According to the above embodiment, a sunroof device can be provided that can shorten the front-to-rear dimensions of the guide rail.
[0023] A perspective view showing the closed state of the sunroof device according to this embodiment. A perspective view showing the tilted-up state of the sunroof device. A perspective view showing the fully open state of the sunroof device. A perspective view showing the slider and link members used in the sunroof device. An exploded perspective view showing the slider, link members and panel mounting members. A side view showing the main parts of the slider and link members in the closed state of the sunroof device. A side view showing the main parts of the slider and link members in the fully open state of the sunroof device. A cross-sectional view showing the guide rail, slider and link members, corresponding to the VIII-VIII cross-sectional view in Figure 4. A cross-sectional view showing the guide rail, slider and link members, corresponding to the IX-IX cross-sectional view in Figure 4. A side view showing the relationship between the front slider and engaging member and the guide rail in the closed state of the sunroof device. A perspective view of the main part at the front of the guide rail. A side view of the main part of the guide rail in the fully open state of the sunroof device. A perspective view of the guide block.
[0024] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.
[0025] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the closed state of a sunroof device 10 mounted on the roof 2 of an automobile 1. A rectangular opening 3 is formed in the roof 2 of the automobile 1, and the sunroof device 10 is mounted on the roof 2 so as to close this opening 3. Hereafter, the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-and-down directions will be defined based on the automobile 1 with the sunroof device 10 mounted on the roof 2. The sunroof device 10 is generally symmetrical, and the details of the symmetrical structure will be explained by illustrating the right side.
[0026] The sunroof device 10 includes a front panel 11 that closes the front of the opening 3 and a rear panel 12 that closes the rear of the opening 3. The front panel 11 and the rear panel 12 are positioned along the roof 2 such that their upper surfaces align with the upper surface of the roof 2. The front panel 11 is a movable panel that can move in the front-rear direction relative to the roof 2, while the rear panel 12 is a fixed panel that cannot move relative to the roof 2.
[0027] The front panel 11 has a front panel body 13 made of glass and an annular resin front molding 14 provided on the outer periphery of the front panel body 13. A front seal 15 made of an elastic material is provided between the outer periphery of the front molding 14 and the edge of the opening 3. The rear panel 12 has a rear panel body 16 made of glass and an annular resin rear molding 17 provided on the outer periphery of the rear panel body 16. A rear seal 18 made of an elastic material is provided between the outer periphery of the rear molding 17 and the edge of the opening 3. The front seal 15 and the rear seal 18 work together to form annular seals on the outer periphery of the front panel 11 and the rear panel 12, and also form a seal between the front panel 11 and the rear panel 12.
[0028] When the front panel 11 is driven in the opening direction by the sliding mechanism described later, it moves from the closed position (fully closed position) that closes the front of the opening 3 shown in Figure 1 to the tilt-up position (rear lift-up position), which is a partially open position with the rear raised, as shown in Figure 2. When the front panel 11 is driven further in the opening direction, its front is lifted up and the entire panel is raised (fully lift-up position), and in that position, it slides the upper side of the rear panel 12 backward, moving to the fully open position shown in Figure 3, which overlaps the upper side of the rear panel 12 and opens the front of the opening 3. When the front panel 11 is driven in the closing direction by the sliding mechanism, it slides the upper side of the rear panel 12 forward from the fully open position shown in Figure 3, moving to the closed position shown in Figure 1, via the tilt-up position shown in Figure 2.
[0029] Thus, the front panel 11 is slidable in the front-rear direction between the closed position shown in Figure 1 and the fully open position shown in Figure 3. The sunroof device 10 of this embodiment is an outer-slide type sunroof in which the front panel 11 moves back and forth above the rear panel 12.
[0030] As shown in Figure 3, a frame 20 supporting the front panel 11 and rear panel 12 is attached to the roof 2 so as to align with the opening 3 of the roof 2. The frame 20 is rectangular in shape along the opening 3 and has left and right side members 21 that extend in the front-rear direction along the side edges of the opening 3, and a front cross member 22 and a rear cross member (not shown) that connect the front ends and rear ends of the left and right side members 21.
[0031] Guide rails 24 extending in the front-rear direction are integrally provided on the left and right side members 21. The guide rails 24 guide the front-rear movement of the front panel 11.
[0032] A drive source (not shown) having an electric motor and a reduction mechanism is mounted in the middle of the rear cross member in the left-right direction. Left and right push-pull cables (not shown) for driving the front panel 11 are engaged with the output terminals of the drive source. The push-pull cables extend from the output terminals of the drive source outwards along the rear cross member, curve forward through left and right guide pipes (not shown), and then extend forward within the left and right guide rails 24. The push-pull cables are coupled to sliders 25, described later, which are slidably mounted on the guide rails 24 in the front-rear direction, and drive the sliders 25 in the front-rear direction.
[0033] The front panel 11 is connected to the slider 25 via a link mechanism described later, and moves between the closed position and the fully open position via a tilt-up position and a lift-up position as the slider 25 moves in the forward and backward directions. The tilt-up position (rear lift-up position) and the overall lift-up position are both lift-up positions in which part or all of the front panel 11 is positioned above the closed position.
[0034] Next, the details of the connection structure between the front panel 11 and the slider 25 via the link mechanism will be explained with reference to Figures 4 to 9. Figures 4 to 9 show the right-side guide rail 24, slider 25, and link mechanism. In the explanation using Figures 4 to 9, the side of the guide rail 24 facing the opening 3 is sometimes referred to as the inside (inward), and the side of the guide rail 24 that moves away from the opening 3 is sometimes referred to as the outside (outward).
[0035] The guide rail 24, as shown by dashed lines in Figure 4, and more specifically as shown in Figures 8 and 9, includes a bottom wall portion 24A and inner wall portions 24B and outer wall portions 24C that rise from the bottom wall portion 24A at a distance from each other in the left-right direction, and has a groove-shaped cross-section with an upward opening. The inner wall portion 24B is located closer to the opening 3 than the outer wall portion 24C in the left-right direction. The outer wall portion 24C is located further away from the opening 3 than the inner wall portion 24B in the left-right direction.
[0036] Guide grooves 30 extending in the front-rear direction are formed at the upper part of each of the inner wall portion 24B and the outer wall portion 24C. The left and right guide grooves 30 each have a horizontally inverted concave groove cross-sectional shape that opens to opposite sides in the left-right direction. A guide rail piece 32 extending in the front-rear direction is formed in the middle of the inner wall portion 24B in the vertical direction. The guide rail piece 32 is a flat cantilever piece that protrudes from the inner side surface of the inner wall portion 24B toward the outer wall portion 24C.
[0037] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the slider 25 includes a front slider 26, a rear slider 27 positioned behind the front slider 26, and a connecting slider 28 that connects the front slider 26 and the rear slider 27. The front slider 26 and the rear slider 27 are plate-shaped insert molded products having a strip-shaped metal plate extending in the front-rear direction and a resin molded portion covering the metal plate.
[0038] As shown in Figures 5 and 8, the front slider 26 has a pair of upper and lower resin engaging pieces 34 projecting inward from its inner side surface 26A at two locations, front and rear. Each engaging piece 34 slidably engages with the guide rail piece 32 by sandwiching it from above and below. As shown in Figures 5 and 9, the rear slider 27 has a pair of upper and lower resin engaging pieces 36 projecting inward from its inner side surface 27A at two locations, front and rear. Each engaging piece 34 slidably engages with the guide rail piece 32 by sandwiching it from above and below.
[0039] As a result, the slider 25, including the front slider 26 and the rear slider 27, is able to move in the direction of extension (front-to-back direction) of the guide rail 24 while its vertical displacement is restricted.
[0040] The engagement structure of the front slider 26 and rear slider 27 with respect to the guide rail 24 is not limited to this. For example, the front slider 26 and rear slider 27 may be received in at least one guide space 37 formed below the guide groove 30 and slidably engaged with the guide rail 24 by being sandwiched from above and below by the guide rail 24. In this embodiment, since the guide rail 24 is provided with a guide rail piece 32, two guide spaces 37 are formed above and below the guide rail piece 32. If the guide rail 24 is not provided with a guide rail piece 32, one guide space 37 is formed.
[0041] The front slider 26, as shown in Figures 5 to 7, has a front cam groove 38 formed by slots extending in the front-rear direction, and is a plate cam. The front cam groove 38 has a roughly hook shape with a raised portion on the front end side. The rear slider 27, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, has a rear cam groove 40 formed by slots extending in the front-rear direction, and is a separate plate cam from the front slider 26. The rear cam groove 40 has a symmetrical, V-shaped step.
[0042] As shown in Figure 8, a front link member 42 is positioned between the front slider 26 and the outer wall portion 24C of the guide rail 24. As shown in Figure 9, a rear link member 44 is positioned between the rear slider 27 and the outer wall portion 24C of the guide rail 24. The front link member 42 and the rear link member 44 are plate-shaped insert molded products having a strip-shaped metal plate extending in the front-rear direction and a resin molded portion covering a part of the metal plate.
[0043] As shown in Figure 8, the front slider 26 is positioned only on one side of the front link member 42 (hereinafter referred to as the inner side 42A). The outer side 26B of the front slider 26 and the inner side 42A of the front link member 42 overlap each other, and the flat surfaces of the respective resin molded parts are in slidable contact with each other.
[0044] At the middle part in the front-rear direction of the front link member 42, a front cam pin 46 (cam follower) is attached. The front cam pin 46 is slidably engaged with a front cam groove 38 of the front slider 26. The front cam pin 46 penetrates the front link member 42 in the left-right direction, and front engaging members 47 are attached to both ends thereof. The front engaging member 47 has a substantially elliptical shape in side view and is rotatably attached to the front cam pin 46. Each front engaging member 47 is slidably engaged with each corresponding guide groove 30 in the front-rear direction. At the rear end of the front link member 42, a support shaft 48 penetrating the front link member 42 in the left-right direction is attached. Substantially cylindrical rear engaging members 50 are attached to both ends of the support shaft 48. Each rear engaging member 50 is slidably engaged with each corresponding guide groove 30 in the front-rear direction.
[0045] As shown in FIG. 9, the rear slider 27 is disposed only on the side of one side surface (hereinafter referred to as the inner side surface 44A) of the rear link member 44. The outer side surface 27B of the rear slider 27 and the inner side surface 44A of the rear link member 44 face each other, and flat surfaces included in respective resin molded portions are in slidable contact with each other.
[0046] Rear cam pins 52, 54 (cam followers) are attached to each of the front end portion and the middle portion in the front-rear direction of the inner side surface 44A of the rear link member 44. Each rear cam pin 52, 54 is slidably engaged with a rear cam groove 40.
[0047] As shown in FIG. 5, the front end portion of the front link member 42 is pivotally connected to the front portion of the panel attachment member 60 by a fastener 55 such as a bolt. The rear end portion of the rear link member 44 is pivotally connected to the rear portion of the panel attachment member 60 by a fastener 56 such as a bolt.
[0048] The panel attachment member 60 extends in the front-rear direction and is fixed to the lower surfaces of the left and right edge portions of the front panel 11 (see FIGS. 1 to 3). Thereby, the front panel 11 is connected to the slider 25 including the front slider 26 and the rear slider 27 by a link mechanism including the front link member 42 and the rear link member 4.
[0049]
[0049] The front link member 42, engaged with the front cam groove 38 by the front cam pin 46 and engaged with the guide groove 30 by the front engaging member 47 and the rear engaging member 50, tilts relative to the front slider 26 to move the front panel 11 up and down as the front slider 26 moves in the front-rear direction. The rear link member 44, engaged with the rear cam groove 40 by the rear cam pins 52 and 54, tilts relative to the front slider 26 to move the front panel 11 up and down as the rear slider 27 moves in the front-rear direction.
[0050] When the front panel 11 is in the closed position, the movement of the slider 25 to the rearward position causes the front link member 42 and the rear link member 44 to tilt upward relative to the slider 25, moving from the closed position to the fully open position, passing through the tilt-up position and the overall lift-up position in sequence. When the front panel 11 is in the fully open position, the movement of the slider 25 to the forward position causes the front link member 42 and the rear link member 44 to tilt back to their original positions, moving from the fully open position to the closed position, passing through the tilt-up position.
[0051] The front slider 26 is positioned only on the inner side surface 42A (one side) of the front link member 42. The outer side surface 42B (the other side) of the front link member 42 includes a portion that faces the inner side surface 24D of the outer wall portion 24C of the guide rail 24 throughout the entire tilting range that moves the front panel 11 up and down from the closed position to the fully open position.
[0052] As shown in Figure 4, the front link member 42 has a front first protrusion 62, a front second protrusion 64, and a front third protrusion 66 on its resin molded portion, projecting from its outer side surface 42B toward the inner surface 24D of the outer wall portion 24C of the guide rail 24. The flat tip surfaces 62A, 64A, and 66A (vertical planes) of the front first protrusion 62, the front second protrusion 64, and the front third protrusion 66, respectively, face the flat inner surface 24D (vertical plane) of the outer wall portion 24C, as shown in Figure 8. In other words, the front link member 42 has the front first protrusion 62, the front second protrusion 64, and the front third protrusion 66 as protrusions that project from its outer side surface 42B to contact the guide rail 24.
[0053] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the front slider 26 and the rear slider 27 have leaf spring portions 68 and 70 that protrude from opposing portions 26C and 27C toward the vicinity of the guide groove 30 of the guide rail 24. The leaf spring portions 68 and 70 generate an elastic force that biases the front link member 42 and the rear link member 44 toward the outer wall portion 24C of the guide rail 24.
[0054] Figure 10 is a side view showing the relationship between the front slider 26 and front engaging member 47 and the guide rail 24 when the sunroof device 10 is in the closed state. When the sunroof device 10 is in the closed state, the front engaging member 47 is located below the guide rail 24. A detailed explanation follows below.
[0055] The guide groove 30 has a main groove portion 72 that extends in the front-rear direction along the guide rail 24, and a cam groove 74 that extends downward from the front end of the main groove portion 72. As shown in conjunction with Figures 12 and 13, the cam groove 74 has a curved portion 76 that curves downward from the front end of the main groove portion 72, and an inclined portion 78 that extends diagonally downward in a substantially straight line from the lower end of the curved portion 76. The cam groove 74 is formed by a guide block 80 that is separate from the guide rail 24.
[0056] As shown in Figures 4 to 8, the front cam pin 46 and the front engaging member 47 are located in the middle of the front-to-rear direction of the front link member 42. In other words, the front cam pin 46 and the front engaging member 47 are located behind the front end of the front panel 11. Therefore, the guide block 80 is located in the middle of the corresponding guide rail 24 in the front-to-rear direction. Because the guide block 80 is located in the middle of the guide rail 24 in the front-to-rear direction, the conventional guide block extending forward from the front end of the guide groove 30 becomes unnecessary, and the front-to-rear dimension of the guide rail 24 is shortened.
[0057] Figure 11 is a perspective view of the main part of the front of the guide rail 24. As shown in conjunction with Figure 11, notches 81 are formed in the inner wall portion 24B and the outer wall portion 24C of the guide rail 24 at positions corresponding to the front-rear direction. Guide blocks 80 are mounted in each notch 81 to define a cam groove 74 that drives the corresponding front engaging member 47 up and down at that position. As a result, the guide blocks 80 are provided in the middle of the guide rail 24 in the front-rear direction without impairing the continuity of the guide rail 24. Therefore, a decrease in the rigidity of the guide rail 24 is suppressed.
[0058] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the guide block 80 comprises a block body portion 82 positioned in a notch 81 of the guide rail 24, an engaging projection 84 that engages with the guide rail 24, and a pair of front clamping pieces 86 and a pair of rear clamping pieces 88 that clamp the guide rail 24.
[0059] The engaging projection 84 is formed to protrude forward from the front surface of the block body portion 82. When the guide block 80 is mounted, the engaging projection 84 is inserted into the front portion of the guide groove 30. This improves the mounting strength of the guide block 80 to the guide rail 24 and suppresses rattling when the front engaging member 47 of the front link member 42 moves in the cam groove 74 of the guide block 80. Note that a similar engaging structure is not provided on the rear surface of the block body portion 82, as the cam groove 74 is connected to the rear portion of the guide groove 30.
[0060] As shown in Figure 12, a pair of front clamping pieces 86 protrude forward from the upper front surface of the block body 82. The pair of front clamping pieces 86 clamp the horizontal wall portions of the guide rail 24 that define the upper and lower parts of the guide groove 30 from above and below. This improves the mounting strength of the guide block 80 to the guide rail 24 at the front.
[0061] A pair of rear clamping pieces 88 protrude rearward from the upper rear surface of the block body portion 82. The pair of rear clamping pieces 88 clamp the horizontal wall portions of the guide rail 24 that define the upper and lower parts of the guide groove 30 from above and below. This improves the mounting strength of the guide block 80 to the guide rail 24 at the rear.
[0062] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, a slit 90 is formed in the upper part of the rear portion of the notch 81 in the guide rail 24, extending rearward from the notch 81. The slit 90 extends vertically. The upper rear clamping piece 88 has a rear engaging projection 92 that protrudes downward and engages with the slit 90. The guide block 80 is positioned in the predetermined location shown in the figures by pushing the engaging projection 84 into the guide groove 30 from the side with the rear engaging projection 92 engaged with the slit 90.
[0063] As shown in Figures 10 and 12, an engagement recess 94 (Figure 12) is formed on the upper surface of the front portion of the notch 81 in the guide rail 24. The engagement recess 94 may be formed in the form of a through hole. A front engagement projection 96 (Figure 12) is formed on the lower surface of the upper front clamping piece 86, which protrudes into the engagement recess 94 and engages with the engagement recess 94. By engaging the front engagement projection 96 with the engagement recess 94, the guide block 80 is held in the predetermined position shown in the figure.
[0064] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the block body portion 82 defines the curved portion 76 of the cam groove 74 at its upper part and the inclined portion 78 of the cam groove 74 at its lower part, and has a larger front-to-back dimension at its upper part than at its lower part. The inclined portion 78 of the cam groove 74 intersects with the upper and lower guide spaces 37 that are partitioned by the guide rail pieces 32. Therefore, upper and lower notched grooves 100 are formed in the lower part of the block body portion 82 to allow a pair of engaging pieces 34 (see Figure 10) that grip the guide rail pieces 32 to pass through the guide block 80, thereby continuing the guide space 37 in the front-to-back direction.
[0065] Therefore, even if a guide rail piece 32 is provided on the guide rail 24, it is possible to provide a guide block 80 in the middle of the guide rail 24 without hindering the forward and backward movement of the front slider 26. The front engaging member 47 can pass across the upper and lower guide spaces 37 at the intersection of the cam groove 74 and the upper and lower guide spaces 37.
[0066] Each notched groove 100 has a width (vertical dimension) smaller than the height (vertical dimension) of the corresponding guide space 37 and is positioned on the guide rail piece 32 side. Between the upper and lower notched grooves 100, a rail piece extension 102 is formed that brings the guide rail pieces 32, separated by the notches 81, closer together. A base wall 104 is formed at the lower end of the block body 82, which rests on the bottom wall 24A of the guide rail 24.
[0067] When the sunroof device 10 is in the closed position, the front engaging member 47 of the front link member 42 is positioned to interfere with the base wall 104. For this reason, a hole 106 is formed in the base wall 104 to open the lower end of the cam groove 74. This prevents the guide block 80 from interfering with the front engaging member 47 of the front link member 42 when the front panel 11 is driven from the open position to the closed position (when the front panel 11 moves from the overall lift-up position to the rear lift-up position). Specifically, it prevents the front engaging member 47, which moves downward in the cam groove 74, from striking the guide block 80. On the other hand, since the base wall 104 of the guide block 80 that defines the lower end of the cam groove 74 has a continuous structure around the hole 106, the necessary rigidity of the base wall 104 can be ensured. Alternatively, instead of forming a hole 106 in the base wall 104, a recess may be formed in the base wall 104.
[0068] As shown in Figure 13, the cam groove 74 is formed deeper than the upper and lower guide spaces 37. That is, the depth (left-right dimension) of the cam groove 74 is greater than the depth (left-right dimension) of the notch groove 100. The front engaging member 47 has a width (left-right dimension) greater than the depth of the upper and lower guide spaces 37 (notch groove 100) and engages with the cam groove 74 at a position deeper than the bottom surface of the notch groove 100. This suppresses rattling of the front engaging member 47 when passing through the intersection of the cam groove 74 and the guide space 37.
[0069] As explained with reference to Figures 2 to 9, in this embodiment, the front link member 42 is connected to the front of the front panel 11 and tilts to move the front of the front panel 11 up and down. On the other hand, the sunroof device 10 further includes a rear link member 44. The rear link member 44 connects the rear slider 27 to the rear of the front panel 11 and tilts to move the rear of the front panel 11 up and down between a closed position and a tilt-up position. By further including the rear link member 44 in the sunroof device 10 in this way, the degree of freedom of movement of the front panel 11 can be improved.
[0070] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the left and right guide grooves 30 are formed on both sides of the front link member 42 in the corresponding guide rail 24 so as to sandwich the front link member 42, and the left and right front engaging members 47 are provided on both sides of the front link member 42. As a result, the front link member 42 is stably supported by the left and right front engaging members 47, improving the support rigidity of the front panel 11.
[0071] 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 front engaging member 47 is formed separately from the front link member 42 and attached to the front link member 42, and is slidably engaged with the guide groove 30 in the front-rear direction. In other embodiments, the engaging portion that engages with the guide groove 30 may be formed integrally with the front link member 42. Also, in the above embodiment, the present invention was applied to the roof 2 of an automobile 1, but it may also be applied to railway vehicles, trams, trailers, etc. Furthermore, the specific configuration, arrangement, quantity, material, etc. of each member and part can be changed as appropriate without departing 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.
[0072] 1: Automobile 2: Roof 3: Opening 10: Sunroof device 11: Front panel (movable panel) 12: Rear panel 24: Guide rail 25: Slider 26: Front slider 27: Rear slider 30: Guide groove 32: Guide rail piece 37: Guide space 42: Front link member (link member) 44: Rear link member 46: Front cam pin 47: Front engaging member (engaging part) 72: Main groove part 74: Cam groove 76: Curved part 78: Inclined part 80: Guide block 81: Notch 82: Block body part 84: Engaging projection 86: Front clamping piece 88: Rear clamping piece 100: Notch groove 106: Hole
Claims
1. A sunroof device comprising: a movable panel for opening and closing an opening formed in the roof of a vehicle; guide rails provided along the left and right edges of the opening; sliders slidably provided on each of the guide rails; a link member connecting the sliders to the movable panel and tilting to move the movable panel up and down between a closed position that closes the opening and a lifted position located above the closed position; guide grooves formed along the front-rear direction on each of the guide rails; an engaging portion provided on the link member that slidably engages with the guide groove when the movable panel is in the lifted position; and a guide block connected to the guide groove and defining a cam groove extending downward from the guide groove to tilt the link member, wherein the guide block is provided in the middle of the corresponding guide rail in the front-rear direction.
2. The sunroof device according to claim 1, wherein each of the guide rails has a notch formed therein, and the guide block is mounted in the corresponding notch of the guide rail.
3. The sunroof device according to claim 2, wherein the guide block has an engaging projection that is inserted into the portion of the guide groove opposite to the side to which the cam groove is connected and engages with the corresponding guide rail.
4. The sunroof device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the guide block has a hole or recess formed therein for opening the lower end of the cam groove.
5. The sunroof device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the guide rails has a guide rail piece below the guide groove for guiding the slider, and the guide block has upper and lower notched grooves formed therein for making the upper and lower guide spaces partitioned by the guide rail piece continuous in the front-rear direction.
6. The sunroof device according to claim 5, wherein the cam groove intersects with the upper and lower guide spaces and is formed deeper than the upper and lower guide spaces, and the engaging portion has a width greater than the depth of the upper and lower guide spaces and is configured to engage with the cam groove at a position deeper than the guide spaces.
7. The sunroof device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the link member is connected to the front of the movable panel and tilts to move the front of the movable panel up and down, and the sunroof device further includes a rear link member that connects the slider to the rear of the movable panel and tilts to move the rear of the movable panel up and down between the closed position and the lifted position.
8. The sunroof device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the guide grooves are formed on each side of the link member so as to sandwich the link member in the corresponding guide rail, and the engaging portion is provided on each of the left and right sides of the link member.