Sunroof window assembly for vehicle

• US 9,475,370 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2015
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Snider, Darin J., Pham, Linh
• Primary Examiner(s): Pedder, Dennis H
• Application Number:
  US14/843,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20160059680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: 29621601-224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/053 sliding with final closing motion having vertical component to attain closed and sealed condition , e.g. sliding under the roof

Abstract

A sunroof assembly for a vehicle includes first and second side rails adhesively attached at an in-cabin surface of a vehicle glass roof, which has an aperture formed therethrough and between the side rails. A movable glass sunroof panel is movable along the side rails between a closed position and an opened position. When the movable panel is in its closed position, the movable panel is disposed at the aperture and has its upper surface generally co-planar with the upper surface of the vehicle glass roof. When the movable panel is moved from its closed position towards its opened position, the movable panel moves downward and rearward along the side rails and along and below a portion of the vehicle glass roof.

Claims

1. A sunroof assembly for a vehicle, said sunroof assembly comprising:

a frame portion having a first side rail and a second side rail;

wherein said frame portion is disposed at a vehicle roof, wherein the vehicle roof comprises a glass roof;

wherein the glass roof has an aperture formed therethrough;

wherein said first and second side rails are adhesively attached at an in-cabin surface of the glass roof;

a movable window panel that is movable along said first and second side rails via a plurality of support elements that engage and move along said first and second side rails, wherein said movable panel comprises a glass movable panel, and wherein said movable window panel is movable between a closed position and an opened position;

wherein, with said movable panel in its closed position, said movable panel is disposed at the aperture and has its upper surface generally co-planar with the upper surface of the glass roof;

wherein, when said movable panel is moved from its closed position towards its opened position, said movable panel moves downward along said first and second side rails and along and below a portion of the glass roof;

wherein said movable window panel is moved along said first and second side rails via a helical drive system comprising a helical element disposed along said first side rail, and wherein rotation of said helical element imparts movement of a connecting element that connects to a respective portion of said movable window panel; and

wherein said connecting element has a receiving portion that receives said helical element at one side of said first side rail and a connecting portion that connects at one of said support elements at another side of said first side rail, and wherein a portion of said connecting element between said receiving portion and said connecting portion is guided along a slot formed through an outer wall of said first side rail.

2. The sunroof assembly of claim 1, wherein said first and second side rails comprise channels along which guide elements of said movable panel travel as said movable panel is moved between its opened and closed positions.

3. The sunroof assembly of claim 2, wherein said channels each comprise a generally straight portion and a curved portion, and wherein said guide elements move downward along said curved portions when said movable panel is moved from its closed position towards its opened position, and wherein said guide elements move along said generally straight portion as said movable panel moves further towards its opened position.

4. The sunroof assembly of claim 1, wherein said movable window panel is supported by a frame that includes said support elements that movably engage said first and second side rails to move said movable window panel between said opened and closed positions.

5. The sunroof assembly of claim 4, wherein said support elements of said frame comprise pins and rollers and wherein said pins extend from respective corner regions of said frame for engaging and moving along channels of said first and second side rails.

6. The sunroof assembly of claim 5, wherein said rollers are disposed at ends of said pins for rollingly engaging said channels of said first and second side rails.

7. The sunroof assembly of claim 4, wherein said frame includes a perimeter sealing element that circumscribes said frame and said movable window panel, said sealing element engaging the in-cabin surface of the glass roof when said movable window panel is moved towards and into said closed position.

8. The sunroof assembly of claim 7, wherein said frame is adhesively bonded at the in-cabin surface of said movable window panel and about a perimeter region of the in-cabin surface of said movable window panel, and wherein said frame protrudes radially outwardly from the perimeter region of said movable window panel such that said perimeter sealing element is disposed radially outboard of said movable window panel to engage the in-cabin surface of the glass roof when said movable window panel is moved towards and into said closed position.

9. A sunroof assembly for a vehicle, said sunroof assembly comprising:

a frame portion having a opposite side rails;

wherein said side rails are adhesively attached at an in-cabin surface of a vehicle glass roof;

wherein the glass roof has an aperture formed therethrough and between said side rails;

wherein each side rail comprises a front channel and a rear channel;

a carrier adhesively attached at an in-cabin surface of a movable glass sunroof panel;

wherein said carrier includes front rollers protruding from opposite sides of a front region of said carrier and rear rollers protruding from opposite sides of a rear region of said carrier;

wherein said front rollers movably engage the respective front channels of said side rails and said rear rollers movably engage the respective rear channels of said side rails to move said carrier and said movable glass sunroof panel along said side rails between a closed position and an opened position;

wherein, with said movable glass sunroof panel in its closed position, said movable glass sunroof panel is disposed at the aperture and has its upper surface generally co-planar with the upper surface of the vehicle glass roof;

wherein, when said movable panel is moved from its closed position towards its opened position, said front rollers move downward and rearward along said front channels and said rear rollers move downward and rearward along said rear channels and along and below a portion of the vehicle glass roof;

wherein said movable glass sunroof panel is moved along said side rails via a helical drive system comprising a rotatable helical element disposed along a respective one of said rear channels of said side rails, and wherein rotation of said helical element imparts movement of a connecting element that connects at a respective rear roller of said carrier of said movable glass sunroof panel; and

wherein said connecting element has a receiving portion that receives said helical element at one side of the respective side rail and a connecting portion that connects at the respective rear roller at said rear channel, and wherein a portion of said connecting element between said receiving portion and said connecting portion is guided along a slot formed through an outer wall of the respective side rail and along said rear channel.

10. The sunroof assembly of claim 9, wherein said front and rear channels each comprise a generally straight portion and a curved portion, and wherein said front and rear rollers move downward along said curved portions of said front and rear channels, respectively, when said movable panel is moved from its closed position towards its opened position, and wherein said front and rear rollers move along said generally straight portions of said front and rear channels, respectively, as said movable panel moves further towards its opened position.

11. The sunroof assembly of claim 9, wherein said rollers are rotatably mounted on respective pins that extend from respective corner regions of said carrier.

12. The sunroof assembly of claim 9, wherein said carrier includes a perimeter sealing element that circumscribes said movable glass sunroof panel, said sealing element engaging the in-cabin surface of the vehicle glass roof when said movable glass sunroof panel is moved towards and into said closed position.

13. The sunroof assembly of claim 12, wherein said carrier protrudes radially outwardly from the perimeter region of said movable glass sunroof panel such that said perimeter sealing element is disposed radially outboard of said movable glass sunroof panel to engage the in-cabin surface of the vehicle glass roof when said movable glass sunroof panel is moved towards and into said closed position.