Sunroof drain tube mounting arrangement

• US 7,568,757 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2007
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Romig, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; John Q.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilhelm; Timothy
• Application Number:
  US11/935,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20080061603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 280/730.2, 280/728.2, 296/208, 296/213
• US Class Current: 296/213
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/0084 Water draining for non-fixed roofs or roof panels for fixed roofs not integral with roof structure B60R13/06, for fixed roofs integral with roof structure B62D25/07
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/07 Water drainage or guide means not integral with roof structure B60R13/06, B60J10/25 take precedence; integral with roof structure B62D25/07; drainage openings having movable or removable closures B62D25/24
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars

Abstract

A vehicle mounting arrangement is provided for a vehicle having a sunroof with a sunroof drain tube and an inflatable airbag. The drain tube and the inflatable airbag are mounted to a vehicle roof rail of the vehicle. The vehicle mounting arrangement includes an inflatable airbag mounted to the vehicle roof rail. The inflatable airbag is expandable toward an interior side of the vehicle. A sunroof drain tube is pivotally mounted to the vehicle roof rail and positioned adjacent the inflatable airbag so that the drain tube is pivotally displaced upon expansion of the inflatable airbag.

Claims

1. A drain tube mounting arrangement in a vehicle, comprising:

an inflatable member mounted to a vehicle roof rail and expandable away from said vehicle roof rail along a passenger compartment of said vehicle; and

a liquid drain tube defining a fluid flow path therethrough pivotally mounted to said vehicle roof rail along said inflatable member so that upon deployment of said inflatable member said drain tube is pivotally moved to allow said inflatable member to pass thereby with said fluid flow path remaining intact so as to continue to allow drainage through said drain tube to flow along said drain tube past said inflatable member.

2. The vehicle mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein said inflatable member is a side curtain airbag.

3. The vehicle mounting arrangement of claim 1 further including at least one mount connecting said inflatable member to said vehicle roof rail.

4. The vehicle mounting arrangement of claim 1 further including:

a sling hingedly supporting said drain tube from said vehicle roof rail adjacent said inflatable member.

5. The vehicle mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein said drain tube is pivotally moved upward about said vehicle roof rail upon expansion of said inflatable member so as to avoid being projected into a passenger compartment of said vehicle.

6. The vehicle mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein said sunroof drain tube is mounted toward the interior side of the said vehicle relative to said inflatable member.

7. The vehicle mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein said drain tube has an axially extending section pivotally mounted to said vehicle roof rail and positioned adjacent said inflatable member so that said axially extending section is pivotally displaced about an axis generally parallel to said axially extending section upon expansion of said inflatable member.

8. The vehicle mounting arrangement of claim 1 further including:

a sling mounted to said vehicle roof rail and carrying said drain tube closely adjacent said inflatable member, said sling enabling said drain tube to move toward a roof of said vehicle upon deployment of said inflatable member.

9. The vehicle mounting arrangement of claim 1 wherein said drain tube is a sunroof drain tube having an inlet for receiving water drainage from an area around a sunroof of said vehicle and an outlet for draining said water drainage to ambient.

10. The vehicle mounting arrangement of claim 4 wherein said sling is a canvas sling having a secured end connected to said roof rail by fasteners and a looped end for carrying said drain tube.

11. The vehicle mounting arrangement of claim 10 wherein said sling is positioned between two mounts that secure said inflatable member to the roof rail.

12. A sunroof drain tube mounting arrangement, comprising:

a curtain airbag mounted along one side of a vehicle roof; and

a sunroof drain tube pivotally mounted along said one side of said vehicle roof adjacent an interior side of said curtain airbag so that said drain tube is pivotally directed toward said vehicle roof and away from occupants carried beneath said roof upon deployment of said curtain airbag, said sunroof drain tube defining a fluid flow path therethrough and being pivotally mounted along said one side of said vehicle roof such that said fluid flow path remains intact when said drain tube is pivotally moved upon deployment of said curtain airbag.

13. The sunroof drain tube mounting arrangement of claim 12 wherein said sunroof drain tube has an axial length portion that is pivotally mounted along said one side of said vehicle roof such that said axial length portion pivotally moves about an axis generally parallel to said axial length portion upon deployment of said curtain airbag.

14. The sunroof drain tube mounting arrangement of claim 12 wherein said drain tube and said curtain airbag are mounted to a vehicle roof rail of the roof and said drain tube is pivotally moved upward about said vehicle roof rail upon expansion of said curtain airbag so as to avoid being projected into a passenger compartment of said vehicle.

15. The sunroof drain tube mounting arrangement of claim 14 further including:

a sling pivotally connecting said sunroof drain tube to the vehicle roof rail.

16. The sunroof drain tube mounting arrangement of claim 14 further including:

a canvas sling mounted to the vehicle roof rail and carrying said drain tube adjacent said curtain airbag.

17. The sunroof drain tube mounting arrangement of claim 12 wherein said sunroof drain tube has an inlet for receiving water drainage from an area around a sunroof of said vehicle and an outlet for draining said water drainage to ambient.

18. A method for mounting a sunroof drain tube in a vehicle having a sunroof, comprising:

pivotally mounting a sunroof drain tube to a vehicle roof rail of the vehicle, said sunroof drain tube defining a fluid flow path therethrough;

positioning said sunroof drain tube adjacent an inflatable airbag on a side thereof so that said sunroof drain tube is pivotally displaced upon expansion of said inflatable airbag toward an interior side of the vehicle; and

deploying said airbag and pivotally moving said sunroof drain tube by said airbag being deployed with said fluid flow path remaining intact so as to continue to allow drainage through said drain tube to flow alone said drain tube past said inflatable airbag.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein pivotally mounting said sunroof drain tube includes supporting said drain tube in a sling hingedly mounted to said roof rail adjacent said inflatable airbag.