Aisin Technical Center of America, Inc.

Aisin World Corp. of America

Tatsuya Matsui

Michael Mixon

Jacob Grimaldo

Micah Wedekind

Joel T Runyan

Mike Mixon

Glover Kosch

An assembly for a sunroof of a vehicle includes a longitudinal rail defining a longitudinal cavity having an opening. A bracket supports a first sunroof panel for movement along the rail, between a closed position and a fully open position. A portion of the bracket extends into the cavity opening and is movable along the cavity from a first side of a plane extending through a forward-most edge of the second sunroof panel to a second side of the plane opposite the first side of the plane, during movement of the first sunroof panel to the fully open position. Enabling the support bracket to move to the second side of the plane aids in maximizing the size of the sunroof opening when the panel is in the fully open position.

Panel support structure for expanded sunroof opening

Sunroof drive apparatus and related sunroof assemblies for use with vehicles are disclosed. A disclosed assembly includes a sunroof panel, a rail, a guide block attached to part of the rail, a bracket beneath the sunroof panel, a link in the rail removably connected to the guide block, and a drive shoe in the rail slidably coupled to the link. The drive shoe includes first and second slots to receive respective first and second pins of the link. The link can rotate about a rotation axis from a first orientation in which the link is inseparable from the guide block to a target orientation in which the link is separable from the guide block. When the first pin enters a locking area at an end of the first slot, the drive shoe imparts one or more loads on the first pin that urge the link into the target orientation.

Sunroof drive apparatus and related sunroof assemblies for use with vehicles

A weather seal system is provided for sealing a perimeter of a vehicle sunroof. The system includes a mounting base having an outboard first channel, and an inboard second channel spaced apart from, and extending generally parallel to, the outboard first channel. At least two connecting portions are positioned between and connecting the first and second channels. A spine is supported by the at least two connecting portions so as to reside above the first and second channels when the mounting base is mounted on a vehicle. The spine extends generally parallel to the outboard first channel. At least a first and a second opposed weather strip retention projections extend from respective opposite first and second sides of the spine. A weather strip is structured to engage the opposed first and second weather strip retention projections so as to secure the weather strip to the spine.

Weather seal system for a vehicle sunroof

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Novi, MI, United States of America

Tatsuya Matsui