Patent ID: 8167019

Claim:
A shade apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: a guide rail mechanism adapted to be arranged along a side portion of an inner periphery of an opening formed in an interior ceiling member of the vehicle; a shade panel mechanism slidably supported by the guide rail mechanism and configured to open and close the opening of the interior ceiling member, the shade panel mechanism including a first shade panel and a second shade panel, the first shade panel being arranged at one of front and rear sides of the opening, the second shade panel being arranged at the other of the front and rear sides of the opening and adjacent to the first shade panel, the first shade panel and the second shade panel movable relative to each other in a moving direction of the first shade panel and the second shade panel in the opening; an engaging member arranged at one of the first shade panel and the second shade panel; and an elastic member arranged at the other of the first shade panel and the second shade panel and including a fixing portion and a deformable portion, the fixing portion being fixed to the other of the first shade panel and the second shade panel, the deformable portion extending from the fixing portion with a predetermined length and including a contact surface contacting the engaging member when the other of the first shade panel and the second shade panel moves relative to one of the first shade panel and the second shade panel, wherein the first shade panel and the second shade panel move as a unit in the moving direction after one of the first shade panel and the second shade panel moves relative to the other of the first shade panel and the second shade panel in the moving direction and the engaging member engages with the elastic member so that the deformable portion is compressed and deformed, wherein the elastic member includes a contacting portion contacting with a wall member, which is supported by the guide rail mechanism, when the other of the first shade panel and the second shade panel moves relative to one of the first shade panel and the second shade panel, and wherein the wall member is fixed to the guide rail mechanism.