Aisin Technical Center of America, Inc.

Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha

Shintaro Katsura

Erik Carlson

Michael Mixon

Ryuta Fukada

Jacob Grimaldo

Ryan Heins

Shintaro Suzuki

Tetsuya Hirata

Kiyozumi Fukami

Joel T Runyan

Eric Jay MacLean

Hiroyuki Noda

Ryuuta Fukada

Kohji Matsuoka

Koji Matsuoka

Systems, apparatus, and methods to adjust dimming associated with dual panel sunroof are disclosed. A disclosed sunroof dimming system for a vehicle includes a first dimmable panel of a sunroof and a second dimmable panel of the sunroof. The first dimmable panel is moveable relative to the second dimmable panel to open or close the sunroof. The sunroof dimming system also includes a controller operatively coupled to the first and second dimmable panels. The controller is configured to adjust dimming associated with the first and second dimmable panels to maintain a brightness of an external light associated with a vehicle cabin that is experienced by a vehicle occupant when the sunroof changes between a closed state and an open state.

Systems, apparatus, and methods to adjust dimming associated with dual panel sunroofs

A tilt and slide apparatus and method for a sunroof of a vehicle includes a movable panel, a drive shoe configured to slide in a forward/rearward direction relative to the front of the vehicle, a lift guide connected to an end of the movable panel, and a check assembly including a locking component. The check assembly couples the drive shoe and the lift guide when the drive shoe is slid in the forward direction to the lift guide. A guide ramp formed on the drive shoe is an angled indented surface configured to align a portion of the locking component in order to couple the drive shoe and the lift guide. The guide ramp is formed as a tapered groove that has a width in a vehicle width direction that is continuously broadened from a front end of the groove toward a rear end of the groove.

Guide ramp for sunroof check systems

An apparatus and method for a sunroof of a vehicle, including a movable panel, a rail, a drive shoe, a pivot link to control tilting of the movable panel as the drive shoe slides in the forward direction, a lift guide facilitating sliding of the movable panel, and a check assembly for engaging and disengaging the lift guide and the drive shoe. The check assembly includes a mechanical lock, a locking pin, a rotatable lock rotatable about the locking pin and configured with a locked position to prevent movement of the lift guide when the check assembly is disengaged, and a lock guide to guide the rotatable lock into the locked or an unlocked position. The rotatable lock includes a notch to catch an end portion of the mechanical lock and prevent the rotatable lock from rotating into the unlocked position when the check assembly is disengaged.

Rotating lock having notch for sunroof check systems

An tilt and slide apparatus and method for a sunroof of a vehicle, includes a movable panel, a rail provided at each edge portion in the opening, a receiver bracket affixed to the movable panel, a guide block having a first guide channel that extends along a length of the guide block and has an angled portion, a second guide channel positioned at an end of the guide block, an upper guide channel extending away from the second guide channel to an opposite end of the guide block and above the first guide channel, and a drive shoe that slides along the rail. A pivot link is configured to slide along the first guide channel to control tilting of the movable panel as the drive shoe slides in a forward direction. A lift guide facilitates sliding of the tilted movable panel along the upper guide channel in a rear direction.

Tilt and outer slide system for panoramic sunroofs

An apparatus and method for a sunroof of a vehicle, including a pivot link pivotally coupled to a drive shoe, the pivot link having a first pivot pin configured to slide along a first guide channel of a guide block to control tilting of a movable panel as the drive shoe slides, a lift guide, and a check assembly including a mechanical lock. The mechanical lock includes an inner surface having a locking guide channel to guide a second pivot pin of the pivot link, the locking guide channel includes an upper guide portion. The pivot link is configured to pivot to a raised position to tilt the movable panel when the drive shoe is slid in the forward direction and becomes coupled to the lift guide by the check assembly. The upper guide portion engages the second pivot pin to lock the pivot link in the raised position.

Lockable pivot link and lock for panoramic sunroofs

A tilt and slide apparatus for a sunroof of a vehicle includes a movable panel, a drive shoe configured to slide in a forward/rearward direction relative to the front of the vehicle, a lift guide connected to an end of the movable panel, and a check assembly. The check assembly couples the drive shoe and the lift guide when the drive shoe is slid in the forward direction to the lift guide. The check assembly includes a cylindrical portion, a cylindrical portion a locking component that is positioned on the cylindrical portion, and a check collar that is positioned on and coupled to an end of the cylindrical portion adjacent the locking component.

Check assembly for sunroof systems

A tilt and slide apparatus for a sunroof of a vehicle includes a movable panel, a drive shoe configured to slide in a forward/rearward direction relative to the front of the vehicle, a lift guide connected to an end of the movable panel, and a check assembly. The check assembly couples the drive shoe and the lift guide when the drive shoe is slid in the forward direction to the lift guide. The check assembly includes a pin that extends through the mechanical lock, a receptacle coupled to the drive shoe. The pin passes into the receptacle when the drive shoe moves toward the lift guide.

Drive link apparatus for use with vehicle sunroofs are disclosed herein. An example assembly for a vehicle sunroof includes a drive shoe. The drive shoe is movable along a rail and includes a ramp portion positioned thereon. The assembly also includes a drive link that is rotatably coupled to the drive shoe and supports a panel. The drive link includes a guide portion that is positioned thereon and configured to slidably engage the ramp portion to prevent the drive link from rotating during a sunroof operation. The guide portion includes an extension that is positioned thereon and interposed between the drive shoe and a guide block. The extension is configured to slidably engage the drive shoe, the ramp portion, or the guide block to prevent the drive link from twisting during the sunroof operation.

Drive link apparatus for use with vehicle sunroofs

The present disclosure relates to a sunroof apparatus of an automotive vehicle. Specifically, the present disclosure describes a constraining portion of a guiding drive shoe and a constrained portion of a drive link to maintain a drive link angle during high-speed operation of the sunroof apparatus. Moreover, the present disclosure describes a guiding portion of a rear drive shoe and a guided portion of a bracket to guide a glass panel of the sunroof apparatus into a fully-closed position during high-speed operation.

Sunroof high speed catch device

A guide assembly in a vehicle sunroof includes: a housing including a lock feature; a sunroof panel; a rail, wherein the sunroof panel is slideably connected to the rail; and a rail guide extending in a front-rear direction and including a rail channel extending a length of the rail guide, wherein the rail channel is closed at a first end of the rail guide adjacent to the housing, the rail channel is open at a second end of the rail guide adjacent to the rail, and the rail channel is connected to the rail at the second end and receives the slideably connected sunroof panel, and the first end of the rail guide slides under the lock feature.

Sunroof rail guide assembly

The present disclosure relates to a sunroof apparatus of an automotive vehicle. Specifically, the present disclosure describes a constraining portion of a guiding drive shoe and a constrained portion of a drive link configured to maintain a drive link angle during high-speed operation of the sunroof apparatus. Moreover, the present disclosure describes a guiding portion of a rear drive shoe and a guided portion of a functional bracket configured to guide a glass panel of the sunroof apparatus into a fully-closed position during high-speed operation.

Anti-rotation sunroof drive link

A sunroof apparatus for an automotive vehicle having a roof is disclosed. The sunroof apparatus includes a movable panel, a pair of guide rails extending along a length direction of the vehicle, a housing mounted to the roof and supporting the movable panel, and tubes. The housing is a split housing structure including a first housing panel and a second housing panel. A first pair of tubes are connected in a slideable manner to the first housing panel and a second pair of tubes are connected in a slideable manner to the second housing panel. The first housing panel and the second housing panel are moved by sliding them along the tubes away from each other to align outer edges of the first housing panel and the second housing panel with respective guide rails.

Sunroof adjustable housing

A vehicle sunroof apparatus includes check mechanisms each including a rotary cam and a fixed cam. The fixed cam includes a switch guide which switches the check mechanism between an engaged state and a disengaged state. The switch guide allows advancement of the rotary cam which is at an advancement and retraction rotary position, pushes the rotary cam to a first rotary position, and further pushes the rotary cam to a second rotary position, the check mechanism is thereby switched to the engaged state. The switch guide pushes the rotary cam to a release preparation position, further pushes the rotary cam to the advancement and retraction rotary position, the check mechanism is thereby switched to the disengaged state. The fixed cam includes an initialization guide that pushes the rotary cam to the release preparation position.

Sunroof device for vehicle

A sliding apparatus for a sunroof of an automobile including a shoe having a first channel and a second channel slidably connected to a rail, a guide block including a front channel connecting a lower channel to form a first path, and a rear channel connecting to an upper channel to form a second path, and a lever with a first pin projecting from a first side and a second side, a second pin projecting from the first side and a third pin projecting from the second side. The first pin is connected to the front channel and the second pin is connected to the rear channel on the first side, and the first pin is connected to the first channel and the third pin is connected to the second channel on a second side.

Sliding apparatus for sunroof of an automobile

An air deflector system for a sunroof of a vehicle including an air deflector with holes along the length of the air deflector and having an input port, an air pump connected to the input port, an airspeed sensor, and an air controller configured to control a speed of the air pump based on the airspeed sensor to enable discharge of an air stream through the holes of the air deflector.

Growing community of inventors

Novi, MI, United States of America

Shintaro Katsura