Patent ID: 7367614
Filing Date: 2008-05-06
Classification: B60J

Abstract:
1. A multi-panel sunshade device for selectively opening and closing an opening defined in a roof of a vehicle, comprising: a pair of right and left guide rails extending along either side of the roof opening, the guide rails each having a front end and a rear end; a plurality of sunshade panels slidably supported between the pair of right and left guide rails, the plurality of sunshade panels comprising a drive panel that is driven by a power source and at least one follower panel that can be caused to move by movement of the drive panel; and a panel storage room provided in a rear end portion of the right and left guide rails to store the plurality of sunshade panels in a stacked state when the sunshade panels are in a fully open position; and a panel linkage mechanism provided between adjacent sunshade panels for linking the adjacent sunshade panels to each other when the plurality of sunshade panels are slidably moved forward from the fully open position to a fully closed position where the plurality of sunshade panels are arranged one next to the other along the guide rails to form a substantially flat inner surface, wherein the drive panel consists of a forefront one of the sunshade panels that is positioned most distant from the panel storage room when the plurality of sunshade panels are in the fully closed position, and in the fully open position, the plurality of sunshade panels are stacked with the forefront sunshade panel being positioned at a bottom and a rearmost sunshade panel being at a top, wherein each of the plurality of sunshade panels are provided with a pair of right and left front slide shoes and a pair of right and left rear slide shoes, and wherein each of the pair of right and left guide rails comprises an upper guide rail and a lower guide rail and the right and left front slide shoes of the at least one follower panel are supported by the right and left upper guide rails, respectively, while the right and left rear slide shoes of the at least one follower panel are supported by the right and left lower guide rails, respectively, the multi-panel sunshade device further comprising: a pair of right and left front slide shoe storing rooms connected to the right and left upper guide rails, respectively, so that the right and left front slide shoes of the at least one follower panel can move between the right and left upper guide rails and the right and left front slide shoe storing rooms, respectively; and a pair of right and left rear slide shoe storing rooms connected to the right and left lower guide rails, respectively, so that the right and left rear slide shoes of the at least one follower panel can move between the right and left lower guide rails and the right and left rear slide shoe storing rooms, respectively.