Sunroof unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11498402-B2
Application number	US-202017637955-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2020
Priority date	Aug 27, 2019
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

Increase of an overall thickness of a sunroof unit is suppressed even when a flange portion depending from a side edge of an opening of a roof has a large height. A rear panel contacts an edge of an opening via a rear seal portion. The rear seal portion includes a first seal member mounted to a rear molded part in a rear portion of the opening and a second seal member extending in a fore and aft direction and supported by a frame via a support bracket to form a passage for a stay between the second seal member and the rear molded part in a side portion of the opening. The frame includes a pair of guide walls disposed more inboard than a side edge of the opening and slidably guiding the slider in the fore and aft direction and a vertical wall formed to stand upright at a position more outboard than the side edge of the opening. The support bracket has a U-shaped cross section opened upward and is disposed to receive a flange portion depending from the side edge of the opening.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sunroof unit for at least partially opening and closing an opening formed in a roof of a vehicle, the sunroof unit comprising:
a frame configured to be disposed below the roof so as to be aligned with the opening;
a rear panel secured to the frame to close a rear portion of the opening; and
a front panel that includes a stay depending from a side portion thereof and is supported by the frame via the stay so as to be slidable between a closed position to close a front portion of the opening and an open position where the front panel overlaps on top of the rear panel to open the front portion of the opening,
wherein the rear panel includes a rear panel main body and a rear molded part provided on an outer peripheral edge of the rear panel main body and contacts an edge of the opening via a rear seal portion,
the rear seal portion includes a first seal member mounted to the rear molded part in a rear portion of the opening and a second seal member extending in a fore and aft direction and supported by the frame via a support bracket to form a passage for the stay between the second seal member and the rear molded part in a side portion of the opening,
the frame includes a pair of guide walls disposed more inboard than a side edge of the opening and slidably guiding a slider, which supports the stay, in the fore and aft direction below the passage and a vertical wall formed to stand upright at a position more outboard than the side edge of the opening, the frame being fixed to the roof such that a flange portion depending from the side edge of the opening is received between the vertical wall and an outboard one of the guide walls, and
the support bracket has a U-shaped cross section opened upward, is disposed to receive the flange portion, supports the second seal member on an inboard side thereof, and is attached to the vertical wall on an outboard side thereof.

2. The sunroof unit according to claim 1 , wherein the vertical wall is formed with an elongated hole that extends in a vertical direction, and the support bracket is fastened to the vertical wall in a height adjustable manner by a fastening member penetrating through the elongated hole.

3. The sunroof unit according to claim 2 , wherein the frame has a drainage groove formed below the side edge of the opening by the vertical wall and the outboard one of the guide walls, and
a lower portion of the support bracket is disposed in the drainage groove.

4. The sunroof unit according to claim 3 , wherein the support bracket includes an outer vertical wall attached to the vertical wall, an inner vertical wall supporting the second seal member, and a connecting wall that connects a lower end of the inner vertical wall and a lower end of the outer vertical wall to each other, and
a position of a lower end of the elongated hole is set such that the connecting wall is spaced upward from the frame in a state in which the support bracket is attached to the vertical wall at a lowermost position.

5. The sunroof unit according to claim 4 , wherein the connecting wall includes multiple lateral ribs extending in a width direction and multiple drainage holes formed between the lateral ribs.

6. The sunroof unit according to claim 4 , wherein the outer vertical wall includes two fastening portions respectively disposed at a front portion and a rear portion, a protruding portion that protrudes in an inboard direction between the two fastening portions, and multiple vertical ribs formed on the protruding portion so as to protrude in the inboard direction and to extend in the vertical direction.

7. The sunroof unit according to claim 5 , wherein the outer vertical wall includes two fastening portions respectively disposed at a front portion and a rear portion, a protruding portion that protrudes in an inboard direction between the two fastening portions, and multiple vertical ribs formed on the protruding portion so as to protrude in the inboard direction and to extend in the vertical direction.

Assignees

• Yachiyo Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takahashi Yuya
• Nakamura Keiichiro

Classifications

• B60J10/85

  with additional seals on the body side · CPC title

• B60J10/32 Primary

  using integral U-shaped retainers · CPC title

• B60J7/02

  of sliding type {, e.g. comprising guide shoes} · CPC title

• B60J7/0435

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

• B60J10/82 Primary

  for movable panels in roofs · CPC title