Slider structure of sunroof apparatus

According to a slider structure of a sunroof apparatus, the apparatus includes: a roof panel attached to an opening of a fixed roof; a panel support stay, where a cam groove is formed, is fixed to a side edge of the roof panel; and a slider that moves along a guide rail, is engaged with the cam groove through a pin, and tilts and slides the roof panel, wherein the slider structure includes: a pair of lifters that interpose the panel support stay, are divided, and are engaged with the cam groove through the pin; and a pair of slide shoes that are attached to the lifters, respectively, are connected with each other, integrate the lifters, and are slid on the guide rail.

REARGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a slider structure having a tilt-slide function of a roof panel in a sunroof apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art

In a sunroof apparatus of a vehicle, such a sunroof apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-146114 (hereinafter referred to as JP 2001-146114) is cited as a conventional example of a so called tilt-slide sunroof apparatus where a roof panel is tilted up or down, and thereby, is made to slide forward or rearward.

In JP 2001-146114 is described the sunroof apparatus including: a pair of link plates that interpose a bracket fixed to a sliding roof and join a first guide groove formed in the bracket through a pin; and a drive shoe that free-rotatably supports the link plates and slides in a guide rail tilting and sliding the sliding roof through a cam action between the link plates and the first guide groove by the drive shoe sliding.

A function of surely supporting a lifter (link plate in JP 2001-146114) connected with a sliding roof and a function of smoothly sliding in a guide rail are required for a slide shoe (drive shoe in JP 2001-146114) sliding in a guide rail with less jounce; a shape of the slide shoe is designed so that these functions are not damaged. When a push-pull cable is attached as the drive shoe as in JP 2001-146114, designing is performed by also considering the attached portion of the cable.

However, because the section space of the guide rail where the slide shoe is housed is narrow, there is a problem that if the above design requirements are intended to be met, the whole shape of the slide shoe tends to become complicated. If the shape of the slide shoe is complicated, a mold for forming the shoe is complicated, and it is a factor of increasing manufacturing cost.

Consequently, there is a need for the slide structure of a sunroof apparatus where the support function of its lifter and the sliding function of its slide shoe are compatible, and further, which can reduce manufacturing cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With respect to a slider structure of a sunroof apparatus according to the present invention, in order to solve the problem, the apparatus comprises a roof panel attached to an opening of a fixed roof; a panel support stay, where a cam groove is formed, is fixed to a side edge of the roof panel; and a slider that moves along a guide rail, is engaged with the cam groove through a pin, and tilts and slides the roof panel, wherein the slider structure comprises: a pair of lifters that interpose the panel support stay, are divided, and are engage with the cam groove through the pin; and a pair of slide shoes that are attached to the lifters, respectively, are connected with each other, integrate the lifters, and are slid on the guide rail.

Even if a slide space is narrow in a guide rail and a section shape of the space is complicated, a pair of slide shoes is configured to be divided and connected with each other, and to integrate both lifters; thereby, a shape of each of the slide shoes is simplified and it is easy to manufacture the slide shoes.

Furthermore, in the invention a slider structure of a sunroof apparatus is configured so that: in each of the lifters is formed a plate-like shoe connection portion extended in a horizontal direction; in each of the slide shoes is formed a lifter fixing hole where the shoe connection portion is horizontally inserted and fixed; and in the lifter fixing hole of at least one slide shoe is provided a bending space for releasing a bending in an up-and-down direction of the slide shoe and caused by contact with the guide rail.

In order to achieve smooth slidability while preventing a jounce of a slide shoe, an elastic portion always contacted with the guide rail by pressure is integrally formed in the slide shoe in many cases. By providing in a lifter fixing hole the elastic portion for releasing a bending in the up-and-down direction of the slide shoe, it is possible to thin the slide shoe without damaging the function of the elastic portion.

According to the present invention, because the shape of each slide shoe is simplified, manufacturing the slide shoe is easy and it is possible to reduce manufacturing cost relating to the slider.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, a sunroof apparatus1comprises a roof panel3attached to an opening of a fixed roof2, and in an embodiment of the invention, the apparatus comprises the panel3of a so called inner-slide type that can be tilted up and slide rearward in a state of being tilted down. The roof panel3is configured to be a panel made of, for example, glass.

On a lower face of the roof panel3is fixed a bracket4, and to the bracket4, by a bolt fastening and the like, is fixed a panel support stay5having a vertical face extended in a front-to-rear direction of a vehicle. On the vertical face of the panel support stay5is formed a cam groove5apenetrating left to right; to a front end of the stay5is attached a driven slider6where a lower face in contact with a guide rail9described later is formed like an arc. Although a description of a specific structure of the driven slider6is omitted here, it is configured to be, for example, a resin made member, and a lower face of the slider is configured to be elastically deformable, corresponding to a slight deviation in an up-to-down direction and accompanying with the tilt operation of the roof panel3.

An engagement pin8of a drive slider7is engaged with the cam groove5aof the panel support stay5. The guide rail is arranged along the front-rear direction of the vehicle below a side portion of the opening of the fixed roof2, and a push-pull cable10(FIG. 2) is connected to the drive slider7; the cable10is pushed and pulled by a drive source not shown, and thereby, the drive slider7and the driven slider6are guided by the guide rail9and are slid in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle.

The guide rail9is configured, for example, by an extrusion mold material of an aluminum alloy. As an example of a section structure of the guide rail9, in order from a vehicle-center near side as shown inFIG. 2are formed a sunshade guide portion9afor guiding the slider of a sunshade not shown; a roof panel guide portion9bfor guiding the slide of the drive slider7and the driven slider6; and a drain9c.

FIGS. 5A,5B, and5C are operation explanation drawings of the sunroof1.FIG. 5Bshows a state of the roof panel3being closed, and the engagement pin8is positioned at around middle of the cam groove5a. When the drive slider7is slid toward a vehicle front side by the push-pull cable10(FIG. 2), and the engagement pin8moves near front of the cam groove5a, the roof panel3is tilted up by receiving a cam action as shown inFIG. 5A. When the drive slider7is slid toward a vehicle rear side, and the engagement pin8moves near rear of the cam groove5a, the roof panel3is tilted down by receiving a cam action; and when the slider7is further slid rearward, the panel3moves rearward in a state of being tilted down as shown inFIG. 5C.

Here will be described a specific structure of the drive slider7of the invention.FIG. 3is an exploded perspective view of the drive slider7. In reference withFIGS. 2 and 3, the drive slider7interposes the panel support stay5, is divided, and comprises: a pair of lifters11,12engaged with the cam groove5athrough the pin8; and a pair of slide shoes13,14that are attached to the lifters11,12, respectively, are connected with each other, integrate the lifters11,12, and are slid on the guide rail9. The lifter11and the slide shoe13are positioned near a vehicle inside in a vehicle width direction; the lifter12and the slide shoe14are positioned near a vehicle outside in the vehicle width direction.

As shown inFIG. 2, the engagement pin8penetrating the cam groove5ais hanged across the lifters11,12. In opening and closing operations of the roof panel3, especially in tilt-up (lift-up) and tilt-down (lift-down), because the engagement pin8receives a comparatively large reaction force from the cam groove5a, a high intensity is requested for the lifters11,12for supporting the pin8. Therefore, in the embodiment the lifters11,12are configured to be a plate member made of metal by press working. Other than the press working, the lifters11,12may be formed by casting and the like.

Any of the lifters11,12is a vertical face form, wherein engagement pin support portions11a,12aindicating a chevron in a side view are formed, and fixing holes11b,12bfor fixing the engagement pin8are drilled in the support portions11a,12a, respectively. At front and rear of a lower edge of the engagement pin support portion11a, toward the vehicle inside are extendedly and horizontally provided shoe connection portions11c, respectively; at center of the lower edge of the support portion11a, toward the vehicle outside is extendedly provided a shoe auxiliary connection portion11d. At front and rear of a lower edge of the engagement pin support portion12a, toward the vehicle outside are extendedly and horizontally provided shoe connection portions12c, respectively;

The slide shoes13,14are made of a resin-molded member. As shown inFIG. 2, on the upper portion near the vehicle outside in the roof panel guide portion9bis compartmentalized an anchor groove9dinserted in an anchor (not shown) for assisting pull-in and the like in closing the roof panel3. To the extent that anchor groove9dis formed, a slide space for the slide shoe14is formed low and as a thin member compared to the slide shoe13.

As shown inFIG. 3, in the slide shoe13is formed a pair of rectangular lifter fixing holes13athat are laterally wider and where the shoe connection portions11cat the front and rear of the lifter11are horizontally inserted and fixed, respectively; in the slide shoe14is formed a pair of rectangular lifter fixing holes14athat are laterally wider and where the shoe connection portions12cat the front and rear of the lifter12are horizontally inserted and fixed, respectively.

At the front and rear of the slide shoe14are formed horizontal plate-like insertion portions14b, respectively, as a pair toward the slide shoe13, and on lower faces of the insertion portions14b, claw-like hooks14care formed, respectively. Furthermore, in the slide shoe14is formed a lifter auxiliary fixing hole14dwhere the shoe auxiliary connection portion11dof the lifter11is inserted and fixed, and is further formed a cable fixing portion14econnected and fixed to the push-pull cable10. In the slide shoe13is formed a pair of insertion holes13bwhere the insertion portions14bare horizontally inserted and fixed, respectively, and on bottom faces of the insertion holes13bare drilled lock holes13c, respectively, for locking the hooks14c.

Thus the shoe connection portions11care pressed into the lifter fixing holes13a, respectively, and thereby, the lifter11is fixed to the slide shoe13; the shoe connection portions12care pressed into the lifter fixing holes14a, respectively, and thereby, the lifter12is fixed to the slide shoe14. Then the insertion portions14are inserted in the insertion portions13b, respectively, and the hooks14care locked in the lock holes13c, respectively; thereby, the slide shoe13and the slide shoe14are connected with each other, and each lower portion of the lifter11and the lifter12is integrally supported.

When a slide space in the guide rail9is narrow and the section shape of the space is complicated, if it is directed to make a single slide shoe bear a good sliding function of a slide shoe matching the support function of the lifters11,12and the section shape of the guide rail9, the single slide shoe is required to be a complicated shape with a depression and a protrusion or a hole and the manufacturing yield ratio of the single slide shoe tends to be lowered; whereas, according to the present invention, because a slide shoe is divided into the slide shoes13,14that integrate the lifters11,12by being connected with each other, each shape of the slide shoes13,14is simplified, and manufacturing them is easy.

Furthermore, by making the plate-form shoe connection portions11c,12cthe structure of being inserted and fixed by being pressed into the lifter fixing holes13a,14a, respectively, it is easy to assemble the lifters11,12in the slide shoes13,14, respectively. Moreover, in the embodiment, because the shoe auxiliary connection portion11dof the lifter11is also inserted and fixed by being pressed into the lifter auxiliary fixing hole14d, the combined rigidity of the lifters11,12are stronger.

Next, as shown inFIG. 4(side view of the slide shoe4), in the lifter fixing holes14aof the slide shoe14are provided bending spaces H, respectively, for releasing a bending in the up-to-down direction of the shoe14and caused by contact with the guide rail9. Because the fixed roof2(FIG. 1) of a vehicle generally has a gradual curved surface, the guide rail9made of an extrusion mold material is bend-formed with a gradual curvature along the roof2in many cases; however, there is a case where the slide section spaces of the slide shoes13,14are not uniform across the longitudinal direction of the rail9due to a forming error in the bend forming.

In addition to considering the forming error of the guide rail9, in order to prevent the jounce of the slide shoes13,14and achieve their smooth slidability, their upper portions are formed, as sown inFIG. 3, as plate-form elastic portions15,16always contacted with the upper edge of the rail9by pressure. Specifically, protrusions17are protrudingly provided on upper faces of the slide shoes13,14, respectively, and are always contacted with an upper edge portion of the guide rail9by pressure; thereby, the jounce of the shoes13,14is prevented, and thereat, the elastic portions15,16acting as leaf springs are bent up and down in accord with the shape of the rail9.

As described above, because the slide shoe14is a thin member, it is difficult to separately form a bending space of the elastic portion16in addition to fixing portions (lifter fixing holes14a) of the lifter12. On the other hand, as described above, in the lifter fixing holes14aof the slide shoe14are provided the bending spaces H, respectively, for releasing a bending in the up-to-down direction of the shoe14and caused by contact with the guide rail9, and thereby, thinning the shoe14can be achieved without damaging the function of the elastic portions16. The bending spaces H are formed at upper-side center of the lifter fixing holes14a, respectively, and are a space of a gap between each upper face of the connection portions12cinserted in the holes14aand each lower face of the elastic portions16.

In the embodiment, because the slide shoe13is a member high in height, the elastic spaces H are compartmentalized from the lifter fixing holes13aand provided separately therefrom; not to mention, the spaces H may be provided in the holes13a.

Thus the best mode has been described. In the embodiment, although an inner-slide sunroof apparatus is described, the present invention is also applicable to an outer-slide sunroof apparatus.