Sunroof seal apparatus and related sunroof assemblies for use with vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11260732-B1
Application number	US-202017103598-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 24, 2020
Priority date	Nov 24, 2020
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

A disclosed assembly includes a rail and an inner seal fixedly coupled to the rail that is arranged along a length of the rail. The inner seal includes a flap hiding a part of the rail adjacent the flap from view in a vehicle cabin. A shoe slidably coupled to the rail adjacent the flap is movable along the rail to open or close a sunshade held by the shoe. A channel extending through the shoe receives the flap. The shoe is engaged with a first segment of the flap folded in the channel while a second segment of the flap external to the channel is unfolded. Movement of the shoe causing the second segment to pass into the channel and fold therein as the first segment exits the channel and unfolds to prevent the part of the rail from being exposed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly for a sunroof of a vehicle, comprising:
a rail extending in a length direction of the vehicle, the rail including a guide channel to receive and guide at least one movable sunroof component;
an inner seal fixedly coupled to the rail that is arranged along a length of the rail between a panel of the sunroof and an interior roof portion of the vehicle, the inner seal including a flap extending in a downward direction away from an attachment point of the inner seal and the rail to hide a part of the rail adjacent the flap from view in a vehicle cabin; and
a shoe slidably coupled to the rail adjacent the flap that is movable along the rail to open or close a sunshade held by the shoe, the shoe including a channel extending through the shoe that receives the flap, the shoe engaged with a first segment of the flap folded in the channel while a second segment of the flap external to the channel is unfolded, movement of the shoe along the rail toward the second segment causing the second segment to pass into the channel and fold therein as the first segment exits the channel and unfolds to prevent the part of the rail from being exposed.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the shoe includes a flipping structure attached thereto adjacent an end of the channel that urges the flap to move away from the rail.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the flipping structure of the shoe is a hook including an end abutting the flap that is spaced from a body of the shoe, where the hook and the body, together, define an aperture through which the flap is fed into the channel when the shoe moves in a forward direction.

4. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein the shoe includes a base surface that is inclined and a wall surface angled relative to the base surface that, together, define an area of the channel at the end of the channel, the base surface and the wall surface configured to apply forces to a segment of the flap in the area of the channel causing a fold to form on the segment that extends along the segment.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the shoe includes
a guide member positioned in the guide channel that slides through the guide channel,
a support member coupled to a roll shade bar around which the sunshade is wrapped that extends in a width direction of the vehicle, and
a body coupled to the guide member and the support member, the channel being on the body between the guide member and the support member.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flap extends toward the interior roof portion such that an end of the flap spaced from the rail is in-line with an end of the interior roof portion.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the inner seal includes an upper portion hiding a glass attachment of the sunroof adjacent the inner seal, the upper portion configured to engage a molding on a sunroof panel to reduce wind noise.

8. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the inner seal includes an attachment member connected between the upper portion and the flap that attaches the inner seal to the rail.

9. The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the attachment member defines a slot in which a portion of the rail is inserted.

Assignees

• Aisin Technical Ct America Inc

Inventors

• Wedekind Micah
• Grimaldo Jacob
• Ke Chanli

Classifications

• B60J7/043 Primary

  Sunroofs (B60J7/047 - B60J7/053 take precedence){e.g. sliding above the roof} · CPC title

• B60J10/82

  for movable panels in roofs · CPC title

• B60J1/2052

  Guides · CPC title

• B60J10/72

  with integral wind-deflecting means, e.g. for preventing soiling · CPC title

• B60J7/0015 Primary

  roller blind · CPC title