Guide ramp for sunroof check systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10974580-B2
Application number	US-201916356189-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2019
Priority date	Mar 18, 2019
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

A tilt and slide apparatus and method for a sunroof of a vehicle includes a movable panel, a drive shoe configured to slide in a forward/rearward direction relative to the front of the vehicle, a lift guide connected to an end of the movable panel, and a check assembly including a locking component. The check assembly couples the drive shoe and the lift guide when the drive shoe is slid in the forward direction to the lift guide. A guide ramp formed on the drive shoe is an angled indented surface configured to align a portion of the locking component in order to couple the drive shoe and the lift guide. The guide ramp is formed as a tapered groove that has a width in a vehicle width direction that is continuously broadened from a front end of the groove toward a rear end of the groove.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tilt and slide apparatus for a sunroof of a vehicle, comprising:
a movable panel configured to open and close an opening formed at a roof of the vehicle;
a rail provided at each edge portion in the opening and being extended in a front-rear direction of the vehicle;
a receiver bracket affixed to the movable panel;
a guide block having a first guide channel, the first guide channel extends along a length of the guide block;
a drive shoe configured to slide along the rail and a pivot link pivotally coupled to the drive shoe, the pivot link configured to slide along the first guide channel of the guide block to control tilting of the movable panel as the drive shoe slides in a forward direction toward the front of the vehicle;
a lift guide connected to an end of the movable panel for maintaining a position of the front of the receiver bracket;
a check assembly including a locking component, the check assembly couples the drive shoe and the lift guide when the drive shoe is slid in the forward direction to the lift guide; and
a guide ramp formed on the drive shoe,
wherein the guide ramp is an angled indented surface configured to align a portion of the locking component in order to couple the drive shoe and the lift guide.

2. The tilt and slide apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the guide ramp is formed as a tapered groove that has a width in a vehicle width direction that is continuously broadened from a front end of the groove toward a rear end of the groove.

3. The tilt and slide apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the tapered groove is sloped from an edge of the drive shoe to a position below the edge within a surface of the drive shoe.

4. The tilt and slide apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the tapered groove has curved sides.

5. The tilt and slide apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a receptacle mounted to the drive shoe,
wherein the guide ramp is positioned proximate to the receptacle and is configured to urge the locking component into alignment with the receptacle.

6. The tilt and slide apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the check assembly maintains the drive shoe and the lift guide in a coupled state in order to facilitate sliding of the movable panel in a rear direction opposite the forward direction.

7. The tilt and slide apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the receptacle includes an opening with recessed areas,
wherein the portion of the locking component is a locking feature, and
wherein the recessed areas are configured to substantially match the locking feature in an orientation in which the locking component is properly aligned with the receptacle.

8. The tilt and slide apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the locking feature is a pair of opposing locking features.

9. The tilt and slide apparatus of claim 8 , wherein each of the locking features is formed as a geometric shape.

10. The tilt and slide apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the locking features protrude from a surface of the locking component and are formed as a triangular shape with three apexes fixed to the surface.

11. A method for a tilt and slide apparatus for a sunroof of a vehicle, the tilt and slide apparatus including a drive shoe configured to slide along a rail and a pivot link pivotally coupled to the drive shoe, the pivot link configured to slide along a first guide channel of a guide block to control tilting of a movable panel as the drive shoe slides in a forward direction toward the front of the vehicle, a lift guide connected to an end of the movable panel for maintaining a position of the front of a receiver bracket, a check assembly including a locking component, and a guide ramp formed on the shoe as an angled indented surface, the method comprising:
when the drive shoe is slid in the forward direction to the lift guide, the check assembly begins coupling the drive shoe and the lift guide; and
aligning a portion of the locking component, by the angled indented surface of the guide ramp, in order to couple the drive shoe and the lift guide.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the check assembly includes a receptacle mounted to the drive shoe, the guide ramp being positioned proximate to the receptacle, and
wherein the aligning includes urging the locking component by the guide ramp into alignment with the receptacle.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the guide ramp is formed as a tapered groove that has a width in a vehicle width direction that is continuously broadened from a front end of the groove toward a rear end of the groove,
wherein the portion of the locking component is a locking feature, and
wherein the urging includes urging the locking component to rotate as the locking feature enters the front end of the tapered groove and slides along the tapered groove into an orientation in which the locking component is properly aligned with the receptacle.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the receptacle includes an opening with recessed areas,
wherein the locking feature is a pair of opposing locking features,
wherein the recessed areas are configured to substantially match the locking features in the orientation in which the locking component is properly aligned with the receptacle, and
wherein the urging includes urging the locking component to rotate as one of the pair of locking features enters the front end of the tapered groove and slides along the tapered groove.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein each of the locking features protrude from a surface of the locking component and are formed as a triangular shape with three apexes fixed to the surface, and
wherein the urging is such that when an apex of one of the locking features enters the tapered groove, the locking component is urged to rotate to a position in which the locking features are in an orientation enabling them to pass through respective recessed areas defined by the opening.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the receptacle is cylindrical with a cylindrical hollow passage through its center.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
maintaining, by the check assembly, the drive shoe and the lift guide in a coupled state while sliding the movable panel in a rear direction opposite the forward direction.

Assignees

• Aisin Technical Ct America Inc

Inventors

• Carlson Erik
• Katsura Shintaro

Classifications

• B60J7/192

  for locking the sunroof panel to the roof · CPC title

• B60J7/0573

  power driven arrangements, e.g. electrical · CPC title

• B60J7/0435 Primary

  pivoting upwardly to vent mode and moving at the outside of the roof to fully open mode · CPC title

• B60J7/024

  characterised by the height regulating mechanism of the sliding panel (B60J7/043 - B60J7/053 take precedence) · CPC title