Mazda Motor Corporation

Satoshi Kubota

Seiichi Omoto

Kenji Matsumoto

Shigefumi Kohno

Tomoo Taguchi

Takahito Yokouchi

Seiichi Asoh

Hitoki Fukuda

Kajuhiro Ushijima

Fumiyuki Murakami

A slidable roof control device for a motor vehicle wherein a roof panel opening of a motor vehicle is covered with a slidable roof which can be opened both in forward and rearward directions of the vehicle body. The control device includes a first forwardly located ON/OFF command mechanism operable from the driver seat for commanding a drive mechanism to open or close the flexible member, a second rearwardly located ON/OFF command mechanism operable from the rear seat for commanding the drive mechanism to open or close the flexible member, and a control mechanism. The control mechanism is responsive to outputs from the first and second ON/OFF command mechanisms for controlling the activation of the drive mechanism and for restricting the closing motion of the rear portion of the slidable roof as a result of commands from the first ON/OFF command mechanism.

Slidable roof control device for a motor vehicle

A slidable roof device for a motor vehicle is provided wherein a roof panel opening of a motor vehicle is openably covered by a flexible member. A front portion of the roof panel opening can be uncovered when a front portion of the flexible member is moved in the rearward direction of the vehicle body. A tilt mechanism is provided at a rear portion of the flexible member so as to tilt up the rear portion thereof and to form at least a clearance between the rear portion of the flexible member and the vehicle roof panel, thereby making sure that rear seat passengers can enjoy more a comfortable ride in the vehicle. Further, the tilt mechanism can be made to operate when the front portion of the flexible member is moved rearwardly so as to tilt up the rear portion of the flexible member to form at least a clearance between the rear portion thereof and the vehicle roof panel when the front portion of the flexible member is opened. The rear portion of the flexible member is operatively interconnected with the drive mechanism. The drive mechanism can move the rear portion of the flexible member in the forward direction of the vehicle, thus opening the rear portion of the roof panel opening of the vehicle.

Slidable roof device for a motor vehicle

A slidable roof device for a motor vehicle wherein a roof panel opening of the vehicle body is openably and closeably covered with a flexible member. For opening both front and rear portions of the roof panel opening of the vehicle body, the device includes a first drive mechanism which is operatively interconnected with the front portion of the flexible member for moving the front portion thereof to the rearward direction of the vehicle body, and a second drive mechanism which is operatively interconnected with the rear portion of the flexible member for moving the rear portion thereof to the forward direction of the vehicle body. The first and the second drive mechanisms are provided at the rear end of the roof panel opening of the vehicle body.

A roof panel connected to the vehicle body through at least a pair of left-hand and right-hand front pillars and a pair of left-hand and right-hand rear pillars is provided with a wide open roof panel opening enclosed by a front header, a pair of left-hand and right-hand roof side rails and a rear header. To the pair of left-hand and right-hand rear pillars and the rear header is fixed a rear window glass panel. In order to close the roof panel opening, there is provided a flexible top foldable or windable. When the roof panel opening is in a closed state, a forward end portion of the flexible top is in abutment with said front header, its left-hand and right-hand side end portions are abutted with the left-hand and right-hand roof side rails, and its rearward end portion is in abutment with the rear header. The flexible top is displaceable along the roof side rails and the rear pillars. When the roof panel opening is in an open state, the flexible top is housed or accommodated in a folded or wound state at a position rearward of the rear window glass panel and nearby its lower end portion.

Flexible top apparatus for a vehicle

In a roof panel connected to a vehicle body through at least a pair of left-hand and right-hand front pillars and a pair of left-hand and right-hand rear pillars, there is formed a roof opening (3) large in size in such a manner as leaving a front header, a pair of left-hand and right-hand roof side rails, and a rear header and being surrounded by said four members. A foldable or windable flexible top having a size as substantially large as the roof opening is provided. The flexible top is disposed to selectively take a first posture in which the roof opening is closed and a second posture in which it is contracted in a longitudinal direction of the body and placed in a contracted state, i.e., in a folded or wound state, at a position nearby said rear header. The flexible top in such a contracted state is guided by a guiding means and transferred between the second posture and a third posture located nearby a lower end portion of the rear window glass panel in a spaced relationship away from and without contact with the rear window glass panel and the rear pillars.

Flexible top apparatus of a vehicle

Open roof structure for a motor vehicle in which a back door is hingedly mounted on a vehicle roof for movement between an open and closed position. The back door includes an upper portion having a recess. The back door opening includes a rear header on which the back door is mounted. The rear header is formed with a convex projection corresponding to the recess of the back door. A removable roof panel is mounted on a roof panel to open and close an opening which is formed at the rear end portion of the roof panel. The roof panel opening extends to the convex projection of the rear header.

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Hiroshima, Japan

Satoshi Kubota