JPH07172181A - Sunroof device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent load more than sliding resistance from acting on an elevating link for preventing the occurrence of damage by making a stopper directly abutting on the end of a push pull cable connected to a rear slider prescribe the moving limit of a rear slider. CONSTITUTION:In the case where, when a slide panel 3 attached to the opening 2 of the fixed roof 1 of a vehicle is in a fully opened state, a tilt up operation is carried out, a push pull cable is pushed out to move a rear slider 9i forward. An elevating link 7 then moves forward along a guide rail 11, and the rear edge of the slide panel 3 is made to leap upward with the movement of the link 7. In this case, since a stopper 24 is firmly set before a position where the inward flange of the guide rail 11 has discontinued, the front end of the forward extending part 25a of a cable holder 25 united with the rear slider 9i abuts against the stopper 24 to prescribe the moving limit of the front side of the elevating link 7 for preventing overload from acting on the elevating link 7.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is constructed so that a rear edge of the fixed roof can be selectively moved up and down from a fully closed position which is a continuous surface with respect to the outer surface of the fixed roof, and the rear edge can be stored in the inner surface of the rear portion of the fixed roof. The present invention relates to a sunroof device for an automobile having the above-described slide panel.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A slide panel provided in an opening formed in a part of a fixed roof of an automobile is constructed so as to be movable back and forth along the inner surface of the fixed roof, and its rear edge side is tilted as necessary. Sunroofs that are designed to be upright are well known.

In the sunroof of this type, the outer surfaces of the fixed roof and the slide panel are generally formed so as to be a continuous surface when fully closed. Various technical measures have been made to enable the slide panel to perform both sliding and tilting operations without causing mutual interference with the outer peripheral edge.

As a mechanism for realizing the above-mentioned operation, for example, a slider driven in the front-back direction by a push-pull cable is engaged with a guide rail for guiding the slide panel, and a tilt-up having a vertical component is provided. A cam member having two cam grooves for lift-down and lift-down is provided on the slide panel side, a pin protruding from the slider is engaged with the cam groove for lift-down, and one end thereof is pivotally attached to the slider. Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-15325 discloses a structure in which a plurality of pins projecting from the other end of the formed link are engaged with a tilt-up cam groove.

[0005]

In the sunroof having the above-mentioned tilt function, the means for defining the tilt-up limit of the slide panel becomes a problem. Generally, it is possible to specify the working limit by the pin protruding from the link contacting the end of the tilt-up cam groove, but according to this, the push-cut force of the push-pull cable is always kept at the working limit. Since it acts on the link, each part of the link may be worn for a long period of time, which may cause backlash. It is also possible to provide a stopper on the guide rail that regulates the movement limit of the slider, but since the guide rail is also engaged with the front slider provided on the front end side of the slide panel, avoid interference with this. Providing a stopper for the rear slider is extremely difficult.

The present invention has been devised in order to eliminate such disadvantages of the prior art, and its main purpose is to:
(EN) Provided is a sunroof device for an automobile provided with an improved working limit defining means so that an excessive load does not act on a link at a working limit and interference with other members can be avoided without increasing an installation space. To do.

[0007]

According to the present invention, a slide panel mounted in an opening of a fixed roof of a vehicle and guide rails extending in the front-rear direction on both sides of the opening are provided. , A front slider that is provided on the front end side of the inner surface of the slide panel and that slides on the guide rail; a lifting link that engages the inner surface of the slide panel on one side and slides on the guide rail on the other side; and to drive the slide panel. With a push-pull cable connected to the lifting link,
In a sunroof device for vehicles in which a slide panel can be opened and closed by driving an elevating link back and forth and its rear edge can be tilted, an insertion groove for a push-pull cable is provided in a guide rail, and the insertion groove is provided in this insertion groove. This is achieved by providing a stopper member that defines the forward limit of the end of the push-pull cable connecting to the lifting link.

[0008]

According to this structure, the end of the push-pull cable directly abuts the stopper to limit the movement limit of the lifting link, so an excessive load exceeding the sliding resistance does not act on the lifting link. Complete. Moreover, the stopper can be arranged by effectively utilizing the play space in the guide rail.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The structure of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an outline of an automobile roof to which the present invention is applied. The fixed roof 1 is formed with an opening 2 having a substantially rectangular shape with its long side in the vehicle width direction,
The opening 2 can be complementarily closed by a slide panel 3 made of plate glass or the like. The slide panel 3 is opened and closed by pushing and pulling a push-pull cable, which will be described later, with a motor with a speed reducer.

The members constituting the present invention are arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal center line of the vehicle, and hence the positional relationship will be described below in the center of the passenger compartment unless otherwise specified. The explanation will be given using the standard.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, stays 4 extending in the front-rear direction are fixed to both left and right ends of the inner surface of the slide panel 3, respectively. This stay 4
A front slider 5 that engages with a guide rail, which will be described later, is mounted inside the front end of the. On the inner surface of the rear portion of the stay 4, an obliquely upward cam groove 6a and a substantially horizontal cam groove 6b are continuously formed via a curved groove 6c. As shown in FIG. 4 as well, a pin 8 protruding outward from the first apex 7a of the elevating link 7 having a triangular shape is engaged with the cam groove 6.

Rear sliders 9 are pivotally mounted on the left and right sides of the second apex 7b of the elevating link 7 so as to be rotatable around an axis extending in the left-right direction. Then, at the third vertex 7c, as shown in FIG.
As also shown, the roller 10 that rotates around the axis in the left-right direction is mounted as an engaging element. The rear slider 9 and the roller 10 are also adapted to engage with a guide rail described later.

A pair of guide rails 11 made of a drawn-out material of aluminum alloy are provided in the front and rear direction at both side edges of the opening 2 on the inner surface of the fixed roof 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the guide rail 11 includes a substantially flat base portion 12, a T-shaped portion 13 standing on an inner portion of the upper surface of the base portion 12, and an inward flange on the upper surface. 14 includes a C-shaped portion 15 which is provided upright on the outer side of the T-shaped portion 13 and a groove-shaped portion 16 which is formed adjacent to the outer side of the C-shaped portion 15, and which is inside the base portion 12. The flat portion 1 continuously provided on the end edge and the upper edge of the outer wall of the grooved portion 16.
7 and the stiffener 1 fixed to the inner surface of the fixed roof 1.
It is fixed at 8.

While the T-shaped portion 13 and the groove-shaped portion 16 basically extend over substantially the entire length of the guide rail 11 in the front-rear direction, the inward flange 14 of the C-shaped portion 15 is
The front side is cut off from a predetermined position. And T-shaped part 1
A sunshade 19 is slidably attached to the inner edge of the T-shaped portion 1.
A front slider 5 and an inner rear slider 9i are slidably engaged with the outer edge of 3, and the inward flange 14 is connected to a push-pull cable 20 provided in the C-shaped portion 15 and driven in the front-rear direction. The outer rear slider 9o and the roller 10 are in sliding contact with each other. Further, the groove portion 16 functions as a drain groove.

On both the left and right guide rails 11, a drain channel 21 slidably fitted to the inward flange 14 of each guide rail 11 is installed. This drain channel 2
1 has a function of receiving water drops dripping from the rear edge of the opening 2 of the fixed roof 1 and pouring them into the left and right groove portions 16. At a position corresponding to the position of the roller 10 at each of the left and right ends of the drain channel 21, a semicircular engaging member 22 that is concave downward is elastically supported through a leaf spring 23 that bends vertically. Has been done.

Next, further details will be described together with the operating procedure of the present apparatus. In the fully closed state of the slide panel 3 shown in FIG. 3, both the rear slider 9o and the roller 10 are in sliding contact with the lower surface of the inward flange 14, and the elevating link 7 is in an upright state. When the tilt-up operation is performed from this fully closed position, the push-pull cable 20 is pushed out and the rear slider 9 moves forward. As a result, the elevating link 7 moves forward along the guide rail 11.
Here, in the cam groove 6 of the stay 4, the first apex 7 of the lifting link 7
Since the pin 8 of a is engaged, the slide panel 3 flips up its rear edge upward with the front slider 5 as a fulcrum, as shown in FIG. 6, as the lifting link 7 moves forward.

By the way, the inward flange 1 of the C-shaped portion 15 on the predetermined position in the C-shaped portion 15 and the base portion 12.
The stopper 24 shown in FIG.
Is fixed. The stopper 24 has a C-shaped portion 15
Part 24a that substantially closes the inner hole of the second part 24b that closes the part surrounded by the C-shaped part 15 and the inward flange 14
Is integrally formed, and the front end of the extending portion 25a extending forward from the cable holder 25 integrally provided on the outer rear slider 9o is the first portion 2 of the stopper 24.
By hitting 4a, the movement limit on the front side of the elevating link 7 is defined.

On the other hand, a lock lever 26 is pivotally attached to an intermediate portion of the stay 4. As shown in FIG. 8, a front end 26 a of the lock lever 26 is pivotally attached to the stay 4, and a rear end 26 b of the lock lever 26 slides on the outer edge of the T-shaped portion 13 and the inward flange 14. A stepped portion 26c is provided at a position of the intermediate portion which is aligned with the inward flange 14.

When the slide panel 3 starts the tilt-up operation as the lifting link 7 moves forward as described above, the lock lever 26 causes the front surface 27a of the stepped portion 26c to move to the second portion 24b of the stopper 24. The front end 26a is tilted obliquely upward with the rear end 26b as a fulcrum while being brought into contact with. Since the front portion 27a of the stepped portion 26c of the lock lever 26 is brought into contact with the second portion 24b of the stopper 24, the forward movement of the lock lever 26 itself is restricted, so that the lock lever 26 tilts as the lock lever 26 tilts. , The front edge of the slide panel 3 is slightly retracted while performing the tilt-up operation. At the same time, the rear surface 27b of the stepped portion 26c of the lock lever 26 is moved toward the front edge 1 of the inward flange 14.
4a is engaged, and the slide panel 3 is prevented from moving rearward in the tilt-up state. In this way, since the front edge of the slide panel 3 is slightly retracted during the tilt-up operation, the pressing force acting on the seal member on the front edge side of the slide panel 3 is relaxed. The stepped portion 26c
May not be integrally formed with the lock lever 26, but may be configured by another member attached to the rear end 26b of the lock lever 26 via a leaf spring.

When the push-pull cable 20 is pulled in from the fully closed position of the slide panel 3 and the rear slider 9 is driven backward, the lifting link 7 is moved along the guide rail 11.
Moves backwards.

By the way, in the portion where the pin 8 of the first apex 7a of the ascending / descending link 7 in the inward flange 14 aligns with the roller 10 when the rear end of the cam groove 6 is reached, the roller is raised above the inward flange 14. Notch 2 for moving 10
8 is provided, and a slope 29 for guiding the upward movement of the roller 10 is provided, and the rear slider 9 is provided.
The roller 10 moved to the upper side of the inward flange 14 with the backward movement of the is held by the engaging member 22. As a result, as shown in FIG.
2 and the roller 10 is sandwiched between the upper surface of the inward flange 14 and the second slider 9 and the rear slider 9 is pivotally attached.
Since the up-and-down link 7 pivots in the forward tilt direction with the apex 7b as a fulcrum and the first apex 7a moves downward, the trailing edge of the slide panel 3 is lifted down together with the stays 4 along with this.

On the other hand, a hanging piece 30 is integrally formed inside the engaging member 22, as shown in FIG. A stepped groove 31 that can be engaged with the outer edge of the T-shaped portion 13 is formed on the inner side surface of the hanging piece 30. Also, the T-shaped portion 13
At a predetermined position on the outer edge of the horizontal wall of the stepped groove 31
A notch 32 into which 1a can enter is provided. The engagement between the step portion 31a of the stepped groove 31 and the cutout portion 32 is performed by the roller 10 riding on the inward flange 14 and engaging member 22.
It is canceled by pushing up.

Now, in this state, the push-pull cable 2
When 0 is further pulled and the rear slider 9 is driven backward, the slide panel 3 is pulled inside the fixed roof 1 by the engagement between the front and rear sliders 5 and 9 and the corresponding portions of the guide rail 11. At this time, the stepped groove 31 is engaged with the outer edge of the T-shaped portion 13 to restrict the vertical movement of the engaging member 22, so that the engaging member 22 is sandwiched between the inner surface of the engaging member 22 and the inward flange 14. Since the roller 10 and the engaging member 22 are integrated with each other, the drain channel 21 moves together with the slide panel 3 and receives the water drop dripping from the rear edge of the slide panel 3 and discharges it to the left and right groove portions 16.

When the push-pull cable 20 is pushed out from the open state of the slide panel 3, the step portion 33 formed at the first apex 7a of the elevating link 7 complementarily engages with the rear end of the stay 4 (see FIG. 11). ). As a result, the lifting link 7
The stay 4 is pushed out by this, and the slide panel 3 moves forward. A pressing plate 34 is screwed to the outer surface of the elevating link 7 to prevent the stay 4 from being disengaged.

The engaging member 22 moves together with the slide panel 3 to the fully closed position, and the front surface 27a of the stepped portion 26c of the lock lever 26 attached to the intermediate portion of the stay 4 contacts the second portion 24b of the stopper 24. Then, the stay 4 first stops. Further pushing out the push-pull cable 20,
The roller 10 moves downward through the notch 32 of the inward flange 14 and enters the lower surface of the inward flange 14. Here, since the engaging member 22 is biased downward by the leaf spring 23, when the roller 10 moves downward, the step portion 31 a formed on the hanging piece 30 causes the notch 32 at the outer edge of the T-shaped portion 13. And the drain channel 21 is stopped.
At the same time, the elevating link 7 rises and pushes up the rear end of the slide panel 3 to be in the initial fully closed state. The elastic force of the leaf spring 23 holds the engagement state between the step portion 31a of the hanging piece 30 of the engaging portion 22 and the cutout portion 32 of the outer edge of the T-shaped portion 13, so that the drain channel 21 vibrates. It is prevented to move back and forth.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the movement limit of the rear slider is defined by the stopper that directly abuts on the end of the push-pull cable connected to the rear slider, the sliding resistance is provided in the lifting link. Since the above load is not applied, the occurrence of wear can be suppressed. Moreover, since the stopper is provided in the insertion groove of the cable, the stopper can be arranged at a position where mutual interference is avoided without increasing the size of the guide rail itself, so that space efficiency in installation can be improved. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view showing an outline of an automobile roof to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the left side portion of the device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an inner side view of the right side portion of the device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV in FIG.

FIG. 6 is an inner side view of the right side portion showing the tilt-up state of the device of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a transparent perspective view of a forward limit stopper portion.

FIG. 8 is a transparent perspective view showing an operating state of a lock lever.

FIG. 9 is an outer side view of the left side portion showing the tilt-down state of the device of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a transparent perspective view showing an engagement state between an engagement member and a roller.

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view showing the relationship between the lifting link and the rear end of the stay.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Fixed Roof 2 Opening 3 Slide Panel 4 Stay 5 Front Slider 6 Cam Groove 7 Elevating Link 8 Pin 9 Rear Slider 10 Roller 11 Guide Rail 12 Base Part 13 T-Shaped Part 14 Inward Flange 15 C-Shaped Part 16 Groove-shaped Part 17 Flat part 18 Stiffener 19 Sunshade 20 Push-pull cable 21 Drain channel 22 Engaging member 23 Leaf spring 24 Stopper 25 Cable holder 26 Lock lever 27a Front face 27b Rear face 28 Cutout 29 Slope 30 Hanging piece 31 Stepped groove 32 Cutout 33 steps Part 34 Press plate

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A slide panel mounted in an opening of a fixed roof of a vehicle, guide rails extending in the front-rear direction on both sides of the opening, and a guide provided on a front end side of an inner surface of the slide panel. A front slider that slides on a rail, a lift link that engages the inner surface of the slide panel on one side and slides on the guide rail on the other side, and a push-pull cable that is connected to the lift link to drive the slide panel. A sunroof device for a vehicle, which has the following features: the slide panel can be opened and closed by driving the elevating link back and forth, and the rear edge can be tilted, wherein the push-pull cable is attached to the guide rail. A groove for insertion is provided, and a forward limit of a connecting end of the push-pull cable with the elevating link is defined in the insertion groove. Sunroof apparatus characterized by stopper member is provided that.