Retractable roof panel

• US 20020060479A1
• Filed: 11/20/2001
• Published: 05/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meritor Light Vehicle Technology, LLC (Meritor, Inc. (Nevada))
• Original Assignee: Meritor Light Vehicle Technology, LLC (Meritor, Inc. (Nevada))
• Inventors: Engelgau, Steven J., Tolinski, Roch J.
• Granted Patent: US 6,494,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/216.04
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/1861 vertically, e.g. into lower part of rear door before opening rear door
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/101 for non-load transporting vehicles, i.e. family cars including vans
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/104 where lower door part optionally moves independently, or follows as component the movement of the entire door structure, e.g. by being hinged in a door frame or releasably connected to upper door part
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/043 Sunroofs B60J7/047 - B60J7/053 take precedencee.g. sliding above the roof

Abstract

A vehicle is provided that includes a roof with a roof opening and a rear body portion with a rear opening. Spaced apart guide rails are supported on an exterior surface of the roof. A retractable roof panel is supported on the guide rails by guide members that move along the guide rails along a path. The roof opening and the roof panel extend to the rearward end where the roof panel defines a rear header. The retractable roof panel may be driven from a closed positioned forward to an open position where the roof panel is adjacent to the exterior surface of the roof. The rear gate assembly, which is arranged in the rear opening, may be opened to provide access to the rear cargo area of the vehicle. With the rear gate assembly and retractable roof panel open, large items may be slid into the cargo area and may extend above the plane of the roof.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body having a roof with a roof opening extending to a rear of said roof, and said vehicle body having a rear body portion with a rear opening extending to said roof opening to form a large opening with said roof opening;

a rear gate assembly disposed within said rear opening in a closed gate position; and

a retractable roof panel movable from an open roof position to a closed roof position in which said roof panel is disposed within said opening, said roof panel including a rear header that defines an upper boundary of said rear opening with said roof panel in said closed roof position, and a portion of said rear gate assembly adjacent to said rear header with said roof panel and said rear gate assembly in said closed roof and gate positions.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said roof panel is a unitary rigid structure.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a motor is on said exterior surface, said motor interconnected with said roof panel driving said roof panel between said closed and open roof positions.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said rear gate assembly includes a lower body and a window arranged above said lower body, wherein said window is said portion adjacent to said rear header with said roof panel and said rear gate assembly in said closed roof and gate positions.

5. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said lower body is a tailgate movable between a closed tailgate position in which said tailgate is at least partially disposed within said rear opening and an open gate position in which said window is received within said lower body with said tailgate pivotally removed from said rear opening.

6. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said rear gate assembly includes a frame pivotally supported within said rear opening in said closed gate position, said lower body and said window pivotally supported on said frame, and said frame rotatable upward and outward relative to said rear body portion to said open gate position.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, further including a wiper mounted on said rear header.

8. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle body defines an interior cabin and said roof has an exterior surface opposite said interior cabin with said roof panel adjacent said exterior surface in said closed roof position.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8, further including spaced apart guide rails supported on said exterior surface with at least a portion of said roof panel supported by said guide rails.

10. The vehicle according to claim 8, wherein said cabin includes a forward portion and said roof panel moves over said forward portion in said closed roof position.

11. A method of accessing a cargo area of a vehicle comprising the steps of:

a) providing a roof panel that defines a rear header;

b) providing a rear gate assembly having a portion adjacent to the header;

c) moving at least the portion of the rear gate assembly to expose a rear opening;

d) retracting the roof panel to expose a roof opening; and

e) creating one large opening including the rear opening and the roof opening.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the rear gate assembly includes a lower body and a window arranged above the lower body.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein step c) includes retracting the window into the lower body and rotating the lower body downward away from the roof opening.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein step c) includes retracting the window into the lower body.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein step d) includes raising the roof panel and stowing the roof panel adjacent to an exterior surface of the roof.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein step d) includes moving the roof panel forward away from the rear opening.

18. The roof assembly according to claim 17, wherein said roof includes a perimeter with said rear head defining a portion of said perimeter in said closed roof position.

19. The roof assembly according to claim 17, wherein said roof opening is generally U-shaped.

20. The roof assembly according to claim 17, wherein a motor is on said exterior surface, said motor interconnected with said roof panel driving said roof panel between said closed and open roof positions.

21. The roof assembly according to claim 17, further including a wiper mounted on said rear header.

22. The roof assembly according to claim 17, wherein said roof panel is a unitary rigid structure.

23. The roof assembly according to claim 17, wherein roof includes a first wall portion defining a forward portion of said roof opening, and said roof panel includes a second wall portion adjacent to said first wall portion in said closed roof position with at least one latch assembly mounted between said wall portion locking said roof panel to said roof in said closed roof position.

24. The roof assembly according to claim 17, wherein said guide member includes a roller assembly received within a channel in each of said guide rails.

25. The roof assembly according to claim 24, wherein said roller assembly includes a first roller having a horizontal rotational axis and a second roller having a vertical rotational axis.

26. The roof assembly according to claim 25, wherein said roller assembly includes a pair of each of said first and second rollers.

27. The roof assembly according to claim 25, wherein said guide member includes a cage supporting said rollers with a lateral member interconnecting said cage to said roof panel.

28. The roof assembly according to claim 27, wherein said lateral member includes a damper.

29. The roof assembly according to claim 27, wherein said guide member includes a bracket having an elongated generally vertical aperture with said lateral member disposed therein.

30. The roof assembly according to claim 29, wherein said guide member includes a biasing member urging said lateral member downward in said aperture.

31. The roof assembly according to claim 29, further including a drive cable attached to said bracket for moving said roof panel between closed and open roof positions.

32. The roof assembly according to claim 17, further including a luggage rack arranged between said guide rails with said roof panel interposed between said luggage rack and said exterior surface in said open roof position.

17. A roof assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a roof having a roof opening extending to a rear of said roof, said roof having an exterior surface and forward and rearward ends;

spaced apart guide rails supported on said exterior surface defining a path;

a guide member received in each of said guide rails movable along said path; and

a retractable roof panel with a portion supported by said guide members and movable along said path from an open roof position to a closed roof position in which said roof panel is disposed within said roof opening, said roof panel defining a rear header at said rearward end with said rear header moving toward said forward end when moving between said closed and open roof positions, respectively.

33. A method of exposing an opening in a vehicle roof comprising the steps of:

a) providing a roof assembly having a roof including roof opening with a roof panel disposed therein defining a closed roof position, the roof panel including a rear header and a perimeter partially defined by the rear header; and

b) retracting the roof panel from the closed roof position to expose the roof opening defining an open roof position.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein step b) includes raising the roof panel and stowing the roof panel adjacent to an exterior surface of the roof.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein step a) includes a wind deflector at a forward end of the roof, and step b) includes moving the roof panel toward the wind deflector.

36. The method according to claim 33, further including step c) includes unlocking a latch that secures the roof panel to the roof, wherein step c) occurs prior to step b).