Multi-panel sunshade device

Abstract

In a multi-panel sunshade device for a vehicle comprising a drive panel and a plurality of follower panels slidably supported between the right and left guide rails to selectively open and close the roof opening, the right and left guide rails each comprises an upper guide rail and a lower guide rail, and right and left front slide shoes of each follower panel are supported by the right and left upper guide rails, respectively, while right and left rear slide shoes of each follower panel are supported by the right and left lower guide rails, respectively. Further, a pair of right and left front slide shoe storing rooms are connected to the right and left upper guide rails, respectively, and a pair of right and left rear slide shoe storing rooms are connected to the right and left lower guide rails, respectively.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Now the present invention is described in the following with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an embodiment of the sunshade device according to the present invention seen from the center of the vehicle body;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the embodiment of the sunshade device according to the present invention seen from the center of the vehicle body;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an essential part of the sunshade device according to the present invention seen from a point above a vehicle roof opening;

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view for explaining an operation of the sunshade device according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side view of an essential part of the sunshade panels in the closed state;

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view for explaining an operation of the sunshade device according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a view showing a middle panel stay according to the present invention in an initial phase of a panel-storing operation;

FIG. 8 is a view showing the middle panel stay according to the present invention in al last phase of a panel-storing operation;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged side view of an essential part of the sunshade device showing the pin and cam slot according to the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 showing another embodiment according to the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-panel sunshade device for selectively opening and closing an opening defined in a roof of a vehicle, comprising: a pair of right and left guide rails extending along either side of the roof opening, the guide rails each having a front end and a rear end;a plurality of sunshade panels slidably supported between the pair of right and left guide rails, the plurality of sunshade panels comprising a drive panel that is driven by a power source and at least one follower panel that can be caused to move by movement of the drive panel; anda panel storage room provided in a rear end portion of the right and left guide rails to store the plurality of sunshade panels in a stacked state when the sunshade panels are in a fully open position; anda panel linkage mechanism provided between adjacent sunshade panels for linking the adjacent sunshade panels to each other when the plurality of sunshade panels are slidably moved forward from the fully open position to a fully closed position where the plurality of sunshade panels are arranged one next to the other along the guide rails to form a substantially flat inner surface, wherein the drive panel consists of a forefront one of the sunshade panels that is positioned most distant from the panel storage room when the plurality of sunshade panels are in the fully closed position, and in the fully open position, the plurality of sunshade panels are stacked with the forefront sunshade panel being positioned at a bottom and a rearmost sunshade panel being at a top,wherein each of the plurality of sunshade panels are provided with a pair of right and left front slide shoes and a pair of right and left rear slide shoes, and wherein each of the pair of right and left guide rails comprises an upper guide rail and a lower guide rail and the right and left front slide shoes of the at least one follower panel are supported by the right and left upper guide rails, respectively, while the right and left rear slide shoes of the at least one follower panel are supported by the right and left lower guide rails, respectively,the multi-panel sunshade device further comprising:a pair of right and left front slide shoe storing rooms connected to the right and left upper guide rails, respectively, so that the right and left front slide shoes of the at least one follower panel can move between the right and left upper guide rails and the right and left front slide shoe storing rooms, respectively; anda pair of right and left rear slide shoe storing rooms connected to the right and left lower guide rails, respectively, so that the right and left rear slide shoes of the at least one follower panel can move between the right and left lower guide rails and the right and left rear slide shoe storing rooms, respectively.

2. The multi-panel sunshade device according to claim 1, wherein each of the right and left rear slide shoe storing rooms is connected to a rear end of the corresponding lower guide rail.

3. The multi-panel sunshade device according to claim 1, further comprising a stopper member for, when each of the right and left front slide shoes of the at least one follower panel reaches an entrance to the corresponding front slide shoe storing room in a sunshade opening operation, preventing further sliding movement of the front slide shoes of the at least one follower panel.

4. The multi-panel sunshade device according to claim 3, wherein each of the right and left front slide shoe storing rooms is connected to a rear end of the corresponding upper guide rail.

5. The multi-panel sunshade device according to claim 1, wherein the pair of right and left rear slide shoe storing rooms extend obliquely upward in a rearward direction from the rear end of the right and left lower guide rails, respectively.

6. The multi-panel sunshade device according to claim 5, wherein a distance between the front slide shoes and the rear slide shoes of each follower panel is greater than a distance between entrances to the front slide shoe storing rooms and entrances to the rear shoe storing rooms, whereby when the right and left front slide shoes of each follower panel reach the entrances to the corresponding front slide shoe storing rooms in a sunshade opening operation, the right and left rear slide shoes of the follower panel have entered into the corresponding rear slide shoe storing rooms.

7. The multi-panel sunshade device according to claim 6, wherein the right and left front slide shoes of each follower panel are slidably supported by the corresponding upper guide rails with such a play that allows each follower sunshade panel to pivot around the front slide shoes when the right and left rear slide shoes enter the corresponding rear slide shoe storing rooms while the right and left front slide shoes are still guided by the upper guide rails in the sunshade opening operation.

8. The multi-panel sunshade device according to claim 6, wherein each front slide shoe storing room extends vertically upward from the corresponding upper guide rail, and different follower sunshade panels have different distances between the front and rear slide shoes.

9. The multi-panel sunshade device according to claim 1, wherein the panel linkage mechanism comprises a laterally extending pin provided to one of the adjacent sunshade panels and a cam slot provided to the other of the adjacent sunshade panels, the cam slot extending obliquely in the direction of sliding movements of the sunshade panels and having an open end, and wherein when the adjacent sunshade panels are arranged one next to the other along the guide rails, the pin of the one of the adjacent sunshade panels is received in the cam slot of the other of the adjacent sunshade panels, and when the adjacent sunshade panels are in the stacked state, the pin of the one of the adjacent sunshade panels is released from the open end of the cam slot of the other of the adjacent sunshade panels to allow the adjacent sunshade panels to slidably move relative to each other.

10. The multi-panel sunshade device according to claim 9, wherein a part of an outer surface of the pin of the one of the adjacent sunshade panels that generally faces toward the cam slot of the other of the adjacent sunshade panels when the adjacent sunshade panels are in the stacked state is inclined with respect to a vertical direction when seen in a cross-section taken along a line parallel to the guide rails in such a manner that at least a portion of the pin has entered into the cam slot when the outer surface of the pin abuts an edge of the cam slot in a sunshade closing operation, wherein the inclined part of the outer surface of the pin extends in a vertical direction more than half of a height of the pin.

11. The multi-panel sunshade device according to claim 10, wherein the inclined part of the outer surface of the pin has a convex profile portion having a curvature that decreases in a direction from the open end toward a bottom of the cam slot when seen in the cross-section.

12. The multi-panel sunshade device according to claim 9, wherein an edge of the open end of the cam slot of the other of the adjacent sunshade panels that is away from the pin of the one of the adjacent sunshade panels when the adjacent sunshade panels are in the stacked state protrudes at least partially into a traveling path taken by the pin when the adjacent sunshade panels are slidably moved relative to each other from the stacked state to the state where the adjacent sunshade panels are arranged one next to the other in a sunshade closing operation.