Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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Cars and Concepts A-339
This invention relates to sunroofs for vehicles
and more par-ticularly to pop-up sunroofs in which a panel
covering an opening in the vehicle roo-f is tiltable to a
partially opened position or is removable from -the
vehicle.
A variety of sunroofs have been provided, many
of which have disadvantages such as the requirement of a
heavy frame which changes the profile and appearance of a
vehicle. When a lighter duty frame is used it permits
deflection relative to the relatively thin metal roof
panel which leads to leakage~ In some sunroofs the panel,
which is made of transparent material such as glass, is
relied on to provide sealing surfaces and since glass is
very deflectable the loads imposed in clamping the panel
to a closed position lead to deformation and leakage.
It is an object of the invention to overcome
the above mentioned and other disadvantages by the
provision of an :improved pop-up sunroof comprising: an
opening in a shee-t metal roof panel of a vehicle, a
unitary stamped metal tray formed from sheet material and
having a flange supported from -the top of said roof panel,
said tray having an inner wall, a bottom wall, and an
outer wall, said walls of the tray forming a continuous
trough around the roof opening at a location below said
roof panel, clamping means moun-ted along the outer wall at
spaced locations around the opening and at a location
above said bottom wall, said clamping means opposing the
lower side of the tray flange at spaced loca-tions arourd
the opening at the underside of the roof panel to
cooperate with the flange in clarnping the roof panel
therebetween in order -to secure the tray to the roof
panel, a transparent panel covering said opening and being
supported for swinging movement between open and closed
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Cars and Concepts A-339
positions with respect to the roof opening, a first seal
acting between the inner wall of said tray and the
perimeter of said transparent panel, a second seal actiny
between the outer wall of said tray and the perimeter of
said transparent panel when the latter is in -the closed
position, and said perimeter of said -transparent panel,
said seals and said trough forming a substantially closed
drainage channel to receive and accumulate moisture.
The objects of the invention are accomplished
by a vehicle sunroof supported relative -to an opening in a
sheet metal roof of a vehicle and which includes a metal
tray forming a moisture accumulating channel located below
the level of the roof and wi-thin the opening. The me-tal
tray is supported from the roo-f panel by a flange lying on
top of the vehicle roof which is formed of a material
having a minimum thickness. The opening including the
tray is covered by a transparent panel which has a primary
seal between the tray and panel to prevent the entry of
moisture to the interior of the vehicle. A secondary seal
is provided between the panel and -the tray to divert the
majority of dirt and moisture. The tray and the panel are
reinforced and the hinge and latch arrangement is so
arranged that it applies a minimum of deflection to the
relatively thin and flexible roof panel and to the
deflectable glass panel. Provision is made for the
drainage of any moisture which may accumulate in -the
substantially closed drainage panel so that it is diverted
directly to the ground.
The presently preferred embodiment of -the
invention is disclosed in the drawings in which:
~-33~ Cars ~ncl Concepts
~9~i6~`
Figure 1 is a cross-sectional vi~w of a
pop-up vehicle sunroof embodying the invention;
ri~ure 2 is an exploded view of the various
components of the sunroof ~Jhich are installed in the
vehicle;
~igure 3 is a cross-sectional view at a greatly
enlargecl ~scale of a section taken through one of the sides
of the sunroof assembly; and
Figure 4 is a cro~ss-sectional view also at an
enlarge~ scale o~ the hinge assembly by which the sunroof
can be moved to a partiallv open position.
~ vehicle sunroof embodving the invention is
designate~ generally at 10 and is sho~n in association
with openin~ 12 in the roof 14 of a vehicle. In general
the sunroof 10 includes a frame 16 fixed to the perimeter
of the opening 12 ~hich is covered by a panel 18 which can
he moved from a closed ~osition to a hinged, partially
open position or ~hich can ~e completely removed from the
openincJ 1~.
~he roof 14 of the vehicle typically is made up
of a thin sheet metal ~anel and sunroofs 10 typicall~ are
installed after the vehicle has been manu~actured and
someti~es at some su~stantial period after the vehicle has
gone into use on the highway~
The installation of ~he sunroof 10 of the
present invention, whether in a new vehicle or one which
has been in use for a period of time, requires cutting of
an openinc3 12 into the met~l roof panel 14, perferably
centrally of the vehicle and immedia~ely above the forward
3n sea~. The peri~eter o ~he opening 12 is surrounded ~y a
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I~-33~ Cars an~ ~once~ts
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continuous frame mer~er or tray 24 ~rhich ha.s an outwardly
extending flange 26 adapte(~ to abut the to~ of the roof
~anel 1~. ~xtending do~nwardly from the flange 26 is an
outer wall 2~ which extends around ~he en~ire ~erimeter of
t~e o~ening 12. The outer ~-lall 28 ~er~e~ with an in~lar~-
1~ slo~ing ~all 30 and a norizontal, bottom ~.~7all 32~ ~n
inner ver~ical ~all 34~ extends from the bottom 7,~all 32
and its u~per end is provided ~ith an in-.7ardly directed
flange 36. The entire tray 24 and particularly the flange
1~ 2~ is made u~ of relatively thin metal of substantiall~
the same thickness a~ the metal roof panel 1~. The tray
me~)er 24 is stamped and orms a unitary tra~ in tlhich the
structure is su~ported from the toD of the rooE panel 14
of the vehicle and in which the ~pace betl~een the outer
~7all 28 and the vertical inner wall 34 form a trough 40.
inhe trough 4~ is dis~osed inwardly of the o~ening 12 and
below the line of the roof panel 14.
~s .seen in Figure 3, the trav .?4 is ri~idl~
sec~lred to the roof panel 14 by attachinc3 means ~7hich
2~ includes cli~s 42. The clip~ 42 are made of resilient,
spring like ~aterial and have a curved lo~er end ~4 adap~ed
to be inserted in openings 46 in mounti.ng hars 4~ rigidly
attached to the exterior of tray ~4 b~ ~elding or the like~
~he up er end of the clips 42 are ~rovided ~ith an arm 50
.having a retaining tab 5~0 The tab 52 is adapted to rest
in a groove 53 formed in the under~ide of a horizontal
flange 54 of a reinforcinc3 ring 56. Reinforcing ring 56
is associated with the exterior ~erimeter of the opening 12
and i6 held in abut~ing rela~ion wikh the underside of tlle
3~ roof panel 1~. Both the metal panel 14 of ~he vehicle
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~-339 ~ars an~ Concepts
~9~6~"
roof 14 and the tray 24 are for~ed of thin metal, to the
order of .04~ inc~es in thickness and as a consequence are
relatively flexible. The reinforcing ring 56 lies in
abutting relationship wi~h the edges of the opening 12 and
the spring li.~e cliDs 42 can be moved rom the position
sho~n in ~rokenline to the full line position in which the
tabs 52 are disposed in t~e groove 53. In that position
the ~ra~ 24 is clam~ed in position relative to the m~tal
roof ~anel 20 by means of ~he flan~e 2h on the outside of
tlle roof ~anel and the arm 50 spring loaded by the curved
end ~4 against the under~ide of the ring 56. A plurality
o cli~s are associated with each side of the tray 24 and
ring 56. .~ particular advantage of the clips 42 and the
mounting system employed with the present sunroof 10 is that
installation can be made by a sinyle person from either the
exterior or the in~erior of the vehicle by simply placing
the trav 24 in ~osit.ion in tlle opening 12 and sul~se~uently
installing clips 42 and moving them into engagement ~ith the
reinforcing r.inq 56 which can be temporarily held in posi-
ti.on by one hand of the ins~aller ~hile the o~her-is used
to swing the clips into locked position.
The tray 24 su~por~s a moldi.ng or trim member 64
~nich can be made of plas~ic material. The ~rim member 64
is held in position relative to the tray 24 by screw fa.sten-
ers 66 ~assing throuyh openings in the horizontal flange 36
and engaging to wedge in a groove 68 extending continuously
aroun~ ~he trim member 6~. The ~.rim memher 64 may be used
to secure a headliner 70 made of rela~ively ri~id material
by clamping it b~ween a flanye 72 extending outwardly from
the remainder of the txim member 6~ to en~age the underside
/~-33~ ~ars an~ Concepts
~966~L
of the headliner 7~ to clamp it bet~leen the flan~e 72 and
the bottor;l wall 32 of the trav 24. In the case of vehicles
havina soft headliners 74 the soft material can be fol-'ed
over tlle o~tside of the trim member 64 and over the top of
the groove fi6 and can ~e held in position by ad~eslve.
~ith eitlner tlle hard headliner 7n or the soft headliner 74
the upper flange 36 is covered by a seal element 76.
The seal 76 is a continuous strip of elastomeric
~aterial havin~ a channel portion 78 which extends over the
to~ of flan{3e 35 and enga~es the vertical wall 34 of the
tra~.~ 24 and the outer perimeter of the trim member 54 and
~erves not only to hold th~ seal element in position but
also to conceal the scre~.~ 66 and form a finishin~ element.
The channel 73 is provkled ~ith a li~ seal 8~ formed in-
te~rallv r,lith the channel 78 and which is ada~ted to he
deflected and to enga~e the underside of the panel asse~bl~
lS to ~rovide a ti~ht seal to keep out water, dirt and air.
The panel 18 is preferably tran~sparent and pre-
era~1y is made of terlpered glass 82. The entire Perimeter
2~ of thc ~anel 18 is surrounded by a frame assembly 84 ~hich
includes a plastic frame 8~ ~hich grips the ed~e of the
glass 82 and fits over a supporting frame mem~er 88 of
extru~ed metal. The ~lass 82 is held relative to the
~lastic frame ~6 and supnort frame 88 by means of trans-
parent adhesive.
The frame assembly 84 is ada~ted to secure a
second seal ~ ~/hich is generally L-shaped in cross section
havin~ one le~ 9~ pressed into a groove 94 of the support
frarne 88 and the other l~g 36 forming a flexible liP
3~ adapted to éngage and seal against the outer t~all 28 of
.~-33~ Cars an~ Concepts
3966~l
the tra~ 24.
In a closed ~osition of the panel 18 relative
to the o~eninc~ 17, the seal element 76 is engaged with
the under.~,ide of the su~ort frame 88 and the seal 90 is
encJa~ed ~ith the outer ~all 2~ so that the trough.40 is.
.su:~stantially enclosed. The bulk of rainfall or moisture
de~osited on the vehicle flow.s away over the surfaces of
tne vehicle and smaller amounts which matt pass the seal sn
are tral~ped at least tempor~rily in the substantially closed
1~ troucJh 40.
Selected portions of the tray 24 such as the
corners are nrovided ~ith drain fittin~s which, as seen in
Figure 2, include a threaded nipnle 97 held to the tra~ 24
~y a nut 98 to receive a flexi~le tube 99,. A len~th of
tube 9q is located ~ithin vehicle cavities to divext
accumulated moisture in trough 40 to the exterior road
surface.
~he panel 18 is attached to the frame 16 by a
pair of hinqe asse~blies ln~ associated with a forward edge
of the panel 18 and a latcn 102 associated with the rear-
ward edqe of the panel 18. As seen in Figure 4, each
hin~e assembly 100 includes a forwardly projecting prong
lOh attached to t~e panel 18 and more specifically to the
su7port frame 88 bv means of screw fasteners 1~3. The
~rong ln6 has a cylindrical ~ivot portion 110 which fi~s
into a com~lemen~ar~7 ~cab~ard mem~er 112 made of resilient
material and ~itted into openings 114 in the outer wall 28
o~ the tra~ 24. The scahbards 112 are open into th~ trough
4~ and receive khe ~ivot ~ortion 11~ on the pron~s 1~6.
3~ The .scal)~ard~ have diver~ing interior walls 116 which ~ermit
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~-33~ Car~ an(l concepts
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~9966~
the panel 1~ to pivot about the pivot portion lln. The
scabbard 112 of resilient material also permits su~ficient
defor~ation so that the prongs 1~6 ma~ be retracted from
the ~.ockets 112 so that the entire panel 18 may he removed
Erom the vehicle roof 14.
The latch mechanism 1~2 which acts to hold the
~anel 18 in tiyht sealing en~agemen~ ~ith the seal element
76 is sho~n in Piqure 1 and is associated with the rear
edge of thc`nan~l 18 and tray 24. In general the latch
mechanism 102 is an overcenter linkage arrangement having
a handle llB pivoted by a pin 119 to the panel 18 and a
lin~i 12~ havin~ opposit~ ends ~ivoted to the handle 11~ by
a pin 121 and to the tra~ 24 by a quick relea~e pin 122.
The over center linkage arranyement permits piv~ting of
the nanel about its hinge as$emblies 1~0 from ~he full line
~Q5itiOn shown in Figure 2 to the broken line position. In
that position, panel 18 is maintained in a partially onen
position to permit ventilation o the passenger com~artment
o the vehicle. If desired, the quick release ~in 122 can
2~ be remov~d permittin~ retraction oE the prongs 1~ from the
scabl~ards 112 so ~hat the entire nanel 18 can be seyarated
frorl the vehicl`e carrving with it the latch mechanism 102.
po~-up vehicle sunroof has been nrovided in
~hich an opening in the ~heet metal roof of a vehicle is
provicled with a stamped metal ~ray which is su~ported from
the ton of the roof by means of a thin metal flanye which
minimi~es the chanye in ~npearance and nrofile of the
ve}licle roof. The op~ning in ~he roof is ~overed ~v a
panel ~ ich can he hin~ed to a parti~lly open position or
3~ can be completel~ removed from the vehicle. In a closed
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,~-339 Cars and Concepts
9~61
position of the panel, a primary seal acts bet-r~een -the
inner ed~es of the tray and panel ancl a secondary seal
acts between the panel and the inner ed~e of the tray to
provide a substantially closed drainage channel in ~hich
any moisture ~hich accu~ulates can be diverted to the
ground. Both the mounting of the frame or tray relative
to the roof panel and tne coverin~ panel it.self are re-
inforcecl in a manner to reduce de~lections ~hich might
reduce seal effectiveness.
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