Bidirectional Sunroof with Nested Guide Rails
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional panoramic sunroofs primarily provide a sense of openness to front seat passengers, leaving rear seat passengers without the same experience and often result in interference between the front and rear glass components.
Innovation Solution
A bidirectionally open sunroof structure featuring rail assemblies on both sides of the vehicle roof, with front and rear tilt levers, sleds, and guide rails that allow both the front and rear glasses to slide and tilt, preventing interference and ensuring both front and rear passengers experience openness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional panoramic sunroof with a single glass panel is used, then front seat passengers experience a sense of openness, but rear seat passengers do not experience the same openness and interference occurs between glass components
Solution Approach 1:
The sunroof glass panel is divided into multiple independent sections (front glass and rear glass) that can move separately. Each glass section has its own sled and tilt lever mechanism, allowing independent operation. This segmentation enables both front and rear passengers to experience openness simultaneously while preventing interference between glass components through separate movement paths controlled by guide rails.
2Adaptability or versatility
If only a front glass is installed in a panoramic sunroof, then the structure is simple, but rear seat passengers do not experience openness
Solution Approach 1:
The sunroof structure employs a nested arrangement where the rear glass and its sled mechanism are positioned within the space defined by the front glass assembly. The rear sled moves along guide rails that are integrated into the front sled's movement path. This nesting allows both glass panels to operate independently without requiring completely separate structural systems, thereby enhancing passenger experience while controlling overall structural complexity.
3Ease of operation
If a single sled mechanism is used for one glass panel, then the mechanism is simple, but it cannot support bidirectional opening of multiple glasses
Solution Approach 1:
The sled mechanism is designed with multi-functionality to support both front and rear glass panels. Each sled can perform multiple operations: sliding along guide rails in the front-rear direction and tilting via connected levers. The rail assemblies serve universal purposes by guiding both sleds and accommodating their independent movements. This universal design enables bidirectional opening capability while managing mechanism complexity through standardized components.
Data Source
AI summary
A bidirectionally open sunroof structure includes rail assemblies installed at both sides of a roof panel, a front tilt lever connected to a front glass and the rail assembly and located at a front part of the front glass, a rear tilt lever connected to the front glass and the rail assembly and located at a rear part of the front glass, a front sled located on the front glass and driven by a driving motor to slidably reciprocate along the rail assemblies, and a rear sled located on a rear glass and driven by a driving motor to slidably reciprocate along the rail assemblies. The rail assembly includes a first guide rail configured to slidably move the front sled therealong, and a second guide rail located within the first guide rail and configured to slidably move the rear sled therealong.