GB2059884A - Vehicle sunroof structure - Google Patents

Abstract

A movable panel (3) is arranged or selectively closing an aperture in a stationary panel (1) and a frame (4) defining a water collecting channel (14) is attached to roof side rails (8) by a plurality of brackets (27). This structure allows the wide use of a frame of the same kind for different kinds of vehicles and furthermore allows easy installation of a driving mechanism for the movable panel. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Vehicle sunroof structure The present invention relates to a vehicle sunroof structure, and more particularly to a vehicle sunroof structure wherein an improvement is made in the installation of a frame on the underside of the roof stationary panel, particularly of a sunroof structure including a movable panel arranged to close an aperture in the stationary panel.

Taking a slidable type vehicle sunroof structure as an example, a vehicle sunroof structure, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, is known wherein a movable panel 3 made of a rigid material is arranged in a generally rectangular aperture formed in a front portion of a stationary panel 1; a frame 4 is attached to the under surface of the stationary panel in a manner to define a container 5 for receiving the movable panel, which can be moved into the container by a driving motor.

In prior art devices, the frame only is attached to the stationary panel before the vehicle is painted, leaving the movable panel and driving mechanism for installing at a later date, along with other electrical and interior accessories.

According to a manner of attaching the frame 4 to the stationary panel 1 employed in this vehicle roof structure, as shown in Fig. 3, the frame is formed at its upper periphery with a flange 6; a structural adhesive or sealant 7 being painted on this flange. The flange is then pressed against the under surface of the stationary panel, and the frame is also attached to the edge of the stationary panel aperture by spot welding. A sealing rubber 11 fixedly attached to the peripheral edge of the movable panel effects a seal between the movable panel and the aperture edge.

Obviously, the presence of such a massive aperture in the stationary panel greatly weakens the panel notwithstanding the formation of flanges at the aperture periphery which inherently strengthen the panel somewhat.

Additionally of course, the added mass of the sunroof panel, frame and driving motor assembly contributes extensively to the reduction of structural integrity of the stationary panel.

To help overcome this structural problem, conventional sunroof frames include a peripheral flange which is intended to be bonded to the under side of the stationary panel so that the frame itself will add structural rigidity to the stationary panel. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate the problems inherent in attempting to adhesive-bond the frame flange to the stationary panel. Initially, the mating surfaces must have exactly the same contour so that the adhesive material will spread evenly therebetween, and any unevenness will result in weak points in the bonding from which further separation occurs due to inherent vehicle vibration during normal driving. Those skilled in the art will also readily appreciate that this requirement of matchedcontour mating sufaces will rarely be satisfied in mass production.Secondly, to form a suitable adhesive bond, the adhesive material takes time to cure, and with the weight of the frame constantly pulling down away from the stationary panel, especially in the rear where the frame is heavier, the resuiting bond is severely weakened. Thirdly, the problem is further compounded by the fact that the stationary panel curvature is different for different vehicle models, requring different contoured sunroof frames for each model.

In an attempt to overcome the structural problem, prior art devices include a center reinforcement member 10c (Fig. 4) to help locally strengthen the stationary panel. Although it may accomplish its intended purpose, due to its thickness resulting in nonuniform mating surfaces of the frame flange and stationary panel, it does so at the risk of impairing the bond therebetween. In the event the mating surfaces of the reinforcing member and stationary panel are of nearly the same contour, a good adhesive bond may occur, resulting in the considerable weight of the entire frame, movable panel, drive mechanism, etc., being localized therealong, tending to deform the stationary panel.Additionally, non-unifsrm bonding along the mating frame and stationary panel surfaces results in nonuniform weight distribution, tending to locally deform the stationary panel.

Furthermore, the frame must be welded to the edge of the aperture in the stationary panel in order to maintain the rigidity and strength of the front and side sections of the aperture edge, so that a water collecting channel 14, defined by the bottom of the frame, is limited or restricted in its width, thus failing to provide a sufficient capacity.

According to the present invention, a vehicle sunroof structure has a movable panel for selectively closing an aperture in a stationary roof panel and a frame defining a water collecting channel attached to roof side rails, sealingly engaging the stationary panel. Since the frame is not attached to the stationary panel, the inconveniences caused by the direct attachment of the frame to the stationary panel have been eliminated.

Another feature of the vehicle sunroof structure according to the present invention resides in the provision of reinforcement means for maintaining structural rigidity of the stationary panel around the aperture thereof separately from the frame, rather than using the frame as a reinforcement member for the stationary panel as in the prior art.

Still another feature of the vehicle sunroof structure according to the present invention resides in that it is not necessary to attach the frame to the edge of the aperture in the stationary panel because the frame does not reinforce the structural rigidity of the stationary panel around the aperture. Therefore, the water collecting channel can have an increased size.

Accordingly an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle sunroof structure wherein the attachment process of the frame is simplified and the inconvenience caused by the direct attachment of the frame to a stationary panel is eliminated.

In the accompanying drawings:- Figure 1 is a plan view of an automobile with a sunroof structure; Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of Fig. 1 showing the known sunroof structure mentioned above; Figure 3 is a section taken through the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 2; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a frame employed in the known vehicle sunroof structure; Figure 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a preferred embodiment of a vehicle sunroof structure according to the present invention; Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the sunroof structure shown in Fig. 5 with the movable panel removed to show the structure around an aperture in the stationary panel; Figure 7 is a section through the line Vll-Vli of Fig. 5; Figure 8 is a section through the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 5; and Figure 9 is a section through the line lX-lX of Fig. 5.

Referring to a preferred embodiment illustrated in Figs. 5 to 9, a stationary panel 1 includes a generally rectangular aperture 2 in the front portion thereof, the edge of the aperture having a downwardly extending flange 1 5 all the way around the aperture; a front reinforcement member 1 Of and a rear reinforcement member 1 Oc are attached to the front section and rear section of the edge of the aperture, respectively, as shown in Fig.

6. This front reinforcement member 1 Of is an elongate metal plate having a generally Lshape cross-section with both of its longitudinal ends bent rearwardly to form bent portions 16, as shown in Fig. 6. With the corner 1 7 of the front reinforcement member 1 Of positioned at a level lower than the corner 1 8 defined by the general surface of the stationary panel 1 and the flange 1 5 thereof, the front reinforcement member is spot welded to the front end and the front portions of the side sections of the flange around the aperture 2. As the front reinforcement member 1 Of is attached to the stationary panel 1 at generally a right angle to the stationary panel surface, the rigidity and strength at the front section of the aperture edge are maintained.

As shown in Figs. 6 to 8, the reinforcement member 1 0c is a corrugated elongate metal plate having its longitudinal end portions bent to form a generally L-section, designed to contact the rear side sections of the aperture edge. As best shown in Fig. 8, the corrugated metal plate 1 0c has a series of adhesive strips 7 formed on the upper ridges 21 thereof to bond the plate to the underside of the rear section of the stationary panel 1 adjacent the aperture 2.

As is also shown in Fig. 8, a water collecting channel 22 is attached to the rear of, and below the rear edge of, the movable panel 3 for collecting water that seeps between the stationary roof panel 1 and the movable panel. This water channel 22 permits water to drain into the side water collecting channels 14, as best shown in Fig. 9.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the frame 4 is rectangular and adapted to fit against the underside of the stationary panel 1 so that the movable panel 3 will close the roof aperture 2 in the forward position, and will slide back into a container area 5 between the stationary panel and vehicle interior to open aperture.

The frame 4 includes a floor section 23 which cooperates with a side wall 24 to define the water collecting channel 14. As best shown in Fig. 9, the side wall 24 extends upwardly under the stationary panel 1 and reinforcing flange 1 5. The side wall 24 terminates in a flange 6, to which is attached a rubber sealing element 26 for sealing against the underside of the stationary panel 1. A second sealing element 39 is attached to the reinforcing flange 1 5 to engage the side wall wall 6+ to define an environmental insulation chamber 25.

As best shown in Fig. 9, the vehicle in- cludes roof side rails 8 extending essentially the entire length of the roof, to which a plurality of body-side brackets 31 are attached.

As shown in Fig. 9, brackets 27 are attached to the front, center and rear portions on each side of the frame 4, each of these brackets including welding surfaces 28 welded to the frame bottom 23 and side walls 24. A flange 29 projects outwardly from the bracket 27 for attachment to respective bodyside brackets 31, by bolting or the like. The attachment is adjustable, as by including oversize bolts holes, to permit precise adjustment of the sunroof assembly once installed in the vehicle, another feature impossible in the prior art devices because of the intended permanence by spot welding of the frame 4 to the vehicle stationary panel flange 2.

Before painting the vehicle, the front and rear reinforcement members 1 Of and 1 Oc are spot welded to the roof aperture edge 2. After painting, the sunroof mechanism, as a unit including the frame 4, the movable panel 3, the motor drive mechanism 1 3 and the at tachment brackets 27 welded to the frame, is positioned so that the sealing element 26 engages the underside of the stationary panel 1, and then is bolted in place, as shown. As shown in Fig. 7, the front edge of the frame 4 is partially supported by a motor bracket 37 for a drive motor 3.6 which is attached to a front roof rail 35.

It should be noted that it is not essential to use two separate reinforcement members I Of and 1 0c attached to the front and rear aperture opening flanges of the stationary panel. it is possible to use an integral piece as a reinforcement member in a manner to surround the aperture 2 or use separate pieces attached to desired locations.

Although in the above embodiment three brackets 27 are attached to each side of the frame 4 at three locations thereof, the number of brackets is not limited to three and can be determined by the weight of the frame 4.

Furthermore, it is not essential to provide the brackets 31 on the vehicle-body-side; it is possible to use frame side brackets 27 which extend to the roof side rail 8 and are bolted thereto.

Therefore, since, according to the vehicle roof structure of the present invention, a plurality of brackets are attached to the both sides of the frame and those brackets are bolted to the roof side rails which serve as reinforcement members for the vehicle body to support the frame, it is now possible to position the sunroof mechanism, including the drive mechanism for the movable panel preassembled therewith beforehand, and easily bolt the entire mechanism in place, resulting in simplified installation.

Furthermore, since the sealing element 26 is attached to the frame flange 6 to engage the under surface of the stationary panel, the flange and stationary panel 1 need not perfectly fit together to effect a structural support, as in prior art devices, because the sunroof mechanism is not supported by the stationary panel, but by the structural side rails 8. In fact, the sunroof frame 4 lends support to the stationary panel 1 to further strengthen the panel around the aperture 2.

The sealing element 26 may be designed to enable a single style/shape-frame 4 to be used universally on various vehicle models, the sealing element conforming to the variations in stationary panel shape.

Furthermore, since the rigidity and strength of the stationary panel edge aperture are maintained by separate reinforcement members, it is unnecessary to weld the frame side wall to the stationary panel aperture flange to support the stationary panel. Thus it is possible to increase the width of the water collecting channel by spacing the frame side wall 24 further from the the aperture flange. This arrangement, therefore, increases the drainage capacity of the water collecting channel.

Claims (9)

1. A vehicle sunroof structure comprising: a stationary panel having an aperture; roof side rails for maintaining structural rigidity of said stationary panel; a movable panel for selectively closing said aperture; and a frame attached to said roof side rails, defining a water collecting channel, said frame sealingly engaging said stationary panel.

2. A sunroof structure as claimed in claim 1, further comprising reinforcement means attached to said stationary panel for maintaining structural rigidity of said stationary panel.

3. A sunroof structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein said reinforcement means is attached to said stationary panel at the edge of said roof aperture.

4. A sunroof structure as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said frame is attached to said roof side rails by brackets.

5. A sunroof structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of said brackets is welded to said frame and bolted to the corresponding one of said roof side rails.

6. A sunroof structure as claimed in claim 1, including a sealing rubber disposed between said frame and said stationary panel to effect an environmental seal therebetween.

7. A sunroof structure as claimed in claim 6, wherein said frame has a side wall defining said water channel which terminates at an outwardly extending flange and wherein said sealing rubber is disposed between said outwardly extending flange and said stationary panel.

8. A sunroof structure as claimed in claim 7, including a second sealing rubber disposed between said side wall of said frame and said stationary panel to effect an environmental seal therebetween.

9. A vehicle sunroof structure substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 5 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.