Sliding support arrangement and roof assembly for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9969245-B2
Application number	US-201715462107-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2017
Priority date	Mar 21, 2016
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A sliding support arrangement for supporting a slidable element in a closure of a roof assembly for a vehicle with respect to mutually orthogonal X, Y and Z directions, comprising at least a guide rail extending substantially in the X-direction. The slidable element carries a slide shoe engaging the guide rail and supporting the slidable element at least in the Z-direction. The slide shoe includes a first part fixed to the slidable element and a relatively movable second part. The second part is supported by the first part mainly through a spring urging the slide shoe parts in engagement with walls of the guide rail. The spring exerts a force which is directed at a non-perpendicular angle to at least one wall of the guide rail.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sliding support arrangement in a closure of a roof assembly for a vehicle with respect to mutually orthogonal X, Y and Z directions, the roof assembly comprising at least a guide rail extending substantially in the X-direction and a slidable element movable relative to the guide rail, the sliding support arrangement comprising: a slide shoe engaging the guide rail and supporting the slidable element at least in the Z-direction, the slide shoe including a first part fixed to the slidable element and a relatively movable second part, the second part being supported by the first part at least in part through a spring urging the slide shoe parts in engagement with walls of the guide rail, and wherein the spring exerts a force which is directed at an oblique angle to at least one of said walls of the guide rail.

2. The sliding support arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the spring exerts a force which is directed at the oblique angle to the Y- and Z-directions.

3. The sliding support arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the guide rail comprises adjacent walls which are substantially perpendicular to each other.

4. The sliding support arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein the spring is a leaf spring which is accommodated in the slide shoe in which the first part is rigidly supported and the second part is opposite and movable or deformable with the spring in between.

5. The sliding support arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein the spring is arranged at an angle to the Y- and Z-directions.

6. The sliding support arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the guide rail comprises at least one wall which is directed at an oblique angle to the Y- and Z-directions.

7. The sliding support arrangement according to claim 6 , wherein two lower walls of the guide rail are at an oblique angle to the Y- and Z-directions, whereas the spring exerts a force substantially parallel to the Z-direction.

8. The sliding support arrangement according to claim 6 , wherein two upper walls of the guide rail are at an oblique angle to the Y- and Z-directions, whereas the spring exerts a force substantially parallel to the Z-direction.

9. The sliding support arrangement according to claim 6 , wherein one upper wall of the guide rail is at an oblique angle to the Y- and Z-directions, whereas the spring exerts a force substantially parallel to the Z-direction.

10. A sliding support arrangement in a closure of a roof assembly for a vehicle with respect to mutually orthogonal X, Y and Z directions, the roof assembly comprising at least a guide rail extending substantially in the X-direction and a slidable element movable relative to the guide rail, the sliding support arrangement comprising a slide shoe engaging the guide rail and supporting the slidable element at least in the Z-direction, the slide shoe including two relatively movable parts connected to each other through at least a spring urging the slide shoe parts in engagement with the guide rail, wherein the spring exerts a force which is directed at an angle to the Y- and Z-directions, and wherein the spring is accommodated in the slide shoe in which a first part is rigidly supported and a second part is opposite and movable or deformable with the spring in between.

11. A sliding support arrangement in a closure of a roof assembly for a vehicle with respect to mutually orthogonal X, Y and Z directions, the roof assembly comprising at least a guide rail extending substantially in the X-direction and a slidable element movable relative to the guide rail, the sliding support arrangement comprising a slide shoe engaging the guide rail and supporting the slidable element at least in the Z-direction, the slide shoe including a first part fixed to the slidable element and a relatively movable second part, the second part being supported by the first part at least in part through a spring urging the slide shoe parts in engagement with walls of the guide rail, wherein at least two adjacent walls of the guide rail are at an angle to the Z-direction, and wherein the spring exerts a force which is directed at an oblique angle to both said walls of the guide rail.

12. A roof assembly for a vehicle having an opening in its fixed roof, comprising a guide rail, a closure element supported by at least one operating mechanism including at least one slidable element that is slidably guided with respect to the guide rail through a sliding support arrangement with respect to mutually orthogonal X, Y and Z directions, the sliding support arrangement comprising a slide shoe engaging the guide rail and supporting the slidable element at least in the Z-direction, the slide shoe including a first part fixed to the slidable element and a relatively movable second part, the second part being supported by the first part at least in part through a spring urging the slide shoe parts in engagement with walls of the guide rail, and wherein the spring exerts a force which is directed at an acute angle towards at least one of said walls the guide rail.

13. The sliding support arrangement according to claim 12 , wherein the spring is a leaf spring.

14. The sliding support arrangement according to claim 12 , wherein the spring is accommodated in the slide shoe in which the first part is rigidly supported and the second part is opposite and movable or deformable with the spring in between.

15. The sliding support arrangement according to claim 10 , wherein the spring is a leaf spring.

16. The sliding support arrangement according to claim 11 , wherein the spring is a leaf spring.

17. The sliding support arrangement according to claim 11 , wherein the spring is accommodated in the slide shoe in which the first part is rigidly supported and the second part is opposite and movable or deformable with the spring in between.

18. The sliding support arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the spring is a leaf spring.

19. The sliding support arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the spring is accommodated in the slide shoe in which the first part is rigidly supported and the second part is opposite and movable or deformable with the spring in between.

Assignees

• Inalfa Roof Sys Group Bv

Inventors

• Nellen Marcel Johan Christiaan

Classifications

• B60J7/02

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

• B60J7/022 Primary

  Sliding roof trays or assemblies · CPC title

• B60J7/05 Primary

  pivoting upwardly to vent mode and moving downward before sliding to fully open mode · CPC title