JP2013006600A - Opening-closing device of roof panel - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an opening-closing device of a roof panel without mutually interfering between roof members, while restraining the number of driving sources.SOLUTION: This opening-closing device 2 includes: a driving motor 5 for driving front side and rear side link mechanisms 3 and 4; and a timing mechanism 8 for avoiding interference between front and middle roof panels 21 and 22, and a rear roof panel 23 and a back window 24, by transmitting driving force of the driving motor 5 to the front side and rear side link mechanisms 3 and 4 to make a moving distance of the front and middle roof panels 21 and 22 different from a moving distance of the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 when changing a position of a retractable roof 20. The timing mechanism 8 has a joint link 6 having one end part pivotally joined to a drive link 35 of the front side link mechanism 3 and having the other end part pivotally joined to a rear link 43 of the rear side link mechanism 4.

Description

  The present invention relates to a roof panel opening and closing device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a roof panel opening / closing device provided with a roof member that is openable and closable between a fully closed position that covers a passenger compartment and a fully open position that opens the passenger compartment and is housed in a trunk is known. (See Patent Document 1).

  The roof member of the switchgear according to Patent Document 1 has a three-part structure of a front roof, a middle roof, and a rear roof in order from the front. The front roof and the middle roof are supported by the vehicle body via a first link mechanism to which a first drive motor is connected, while the rear roof is connected to a second link mechanism to which a second drive motor is connected. Supported by the car body.

  The opening operation of the roof member configured as described above will be described. First, after the trunk lid is opened, the first drive motor is operated to house the rear roof in the trunk. Next, the second drive motor is actuated to move the front and middle roofs simultaneously and house them in the trunk. Thus, by moving the rear roof and the front and middle roofs at different timings, the front and middle roofs and the rear roof are prevented from interfering when the roof member is moved from the fully closed position to the fully open position. Yes. On the other hand, the closing operation of the roof member is performed in the reverse procedure of the above-described opening operation.

JP 2006-306266 A

  By the way, in the roof panel opening and closing device according to Patent Document 1, in order to avoid interference between the front and middle fools connected to the first link mechanism and the rear roof connected to the second link mechanism, the first link mechanism and the second link mechanism. The link mechanism is driven at different timings by separate drive motors. In such a configuration, the number of drive motors required is the same as the number of independent link mechanisms.

  However, when the number of drive motors increases, the cost increases, and a space for arranging the drive motors is also required, so that space saving cannot be achieved. Furthermore, the control content when opening and closing the roof panel is also complicated.

  The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object of the present invention is to realize a roof panel opening / closing device in which the roof members do not interfere with each other while the number of drive sources is suppressed. .

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a front roof member that covers a front portion of a passenger compartment, a rear roof member that covers a rear portion of the passenger compartment, the front and rear roof members, a fully closed position that covers the passenger compartment, and the vehicle. The roof panel opening and closing device is provided with a link mechanism that mutually changes the position to the fully open position that opens the chamber.

  The link mechanism includes a front link mechanism that moves the front roof member and a rear link mechanism that moves the rear roof member, and a drive source that drives the front and rear link mechanisms; When the positions of the front and rear roof members are changed, the driving force of the driving source is set to be different from the movement amount of the front roof member and the movement amount of the rear roof member. And a timing mechanism that avoids interference between the front roof member and the rear roof member, and the timing mechanism is pivotally supported by the first link member included in the front link mechanism. On the other hand, the other end is pivotally coupled to the second link member included in the rear link mechanism to transmit the driving force of the drive source from the rear link mechanism to the front link mechanism. The rear roof member has a joint link and rotates the second link member more than the first link member when starting to change the position of the front and rear roof members from the fully closed position. It is assumed that the driving force of the driving source is transmitted to the front and rear link mechanisms so as to move more than the front roof member.

  In the case of the above configuration, the front and rear roof members are moved via separate link mechanisms driven by the same drive source, that is, the front link mechanism and the rear link mechanism. Here, by providing the timing mechanism, the driving force of the driving source can be transmitted to the front and rear link mechanisms so that the amount of movement of the front roof member differs from the amount of movement of the rear roof member. It is possible to prevent the front roof member and the rear roof member from interfering with each other.

  In addition, when the front and rear roof members start to change positions from the fully closed position by the timing mechanism, the driving force of the drive source is adjusted so that the rear roof member moves more than the front roof member. By transmitting to the rear link mechanism, it is possible to avoid interference between the front and rear roof members when the front and rear roof members start changing their positions from the fully closed position.

  The drive source is connected to the rear link mechanism, and the joint link starts to change the position of the front and rear roof members from the fully closed position. The component that rotates the joint link about the end of the link gradually decreases, and the component that moves the joint link gradually increases so that the end of the front link mechanism moves. The driving force of the driving source is transmitted from the link mechanism to the front link mechanism.

  According to a third invention, in the first or second invention, the drive source is connected to the rear link mechanism, and the front link mechanism has one end portion pivotally coupled to the vehicle body and the other end portion. A front link member pivotally coupled to the front roof member, the first link member having one end pivotally coupled to the vehicle body side and the other end pivotally coupled to the front link member; One end portion of the second link member is pivotally coupled to the vehicle body side, and the other end portion is coupled to the rear roof member.

  In the case of the above configuration, when the front and rear roof members start to change positions from the fully closed position, the joint of the timing mechanism so that the rear transmission link member rotates more than the front transmission link member. When the link transmits the driving force of the driving source, the rear link mechanism can be rotated more than the front link mechanism, and the position of the rear roof member can be changed larger than that of the front roof member.

  In a fourth aspect based on the third aspect, when the position change of the front and rear roof members to the fully closed position is completed, the other end of the joint link is a vehicle body of the rear transmission link member. It is assumed that it is rotated around the pivot support portion on the side, and is located at a position beyond the thought point, which is a position aligned with the one end portion of the joint link in a straight line across the pivot connection portion.

  In the case of the above configuration, when the position change of the front and rear roof members to the fully closed position is completed, the other end portion of the joint link is rotated around the pivot coupling portion of the rear transmission link member. By positioning at a position beyond the thought point, it is possible to make it difficult for the front and rear roof members to be repositioned from the fully closed position due to disturbance or the like. That is, if the other end of the joint link is rotated to a position beyond the thought point, the joint link is rotated again in the opposite direction (the direction in which the front and rear roof members open from the fully closed position) beyond the thought point. In order to move, it is necessary to apply a driving force having a certain level such as a driving force from a driving source. Therefore, the front and rear roofs are held together with a holding mechanism for holding the front and rear roof members in the fully closed position by rotating the other end of the joint link to a position beyond the speculative point. The members can be held in the fully closed position, or the front and rear roof members can be held in the fully closed position only by the timing mechanism.

  Further, when the front and rear roof members are located at the fully closed position, the other ends of the joint links are located at positions beyond the above-mentioned consideration points so that the front and rear roof members are fully closed. When starting to change the position from the position, the other end portion of the joint link is rotated in the direction opposite to that when the front and rear roof members are moved to the fully closed position beyond the thought point. At this time, the direction of the driving force received by the other end portion of the joint link from the rear transmission link member that rotates around the pivot coupling portion coincides with or approximates the direction in which the joint link rotates around the one end portion. Therefore, the joint link mainly rotates about its one end to change its posture, and its one end slightly turns the front transmission link member around its pivot joint. Do not move. As a result, when starting to change the position of the front and rear roof members from the fully closed position, the driving force is not transmitted from the rear transmission link member to the front transmission link member via the joint link so much. The member can be largely rotated as compared with the front transmission link member.

  In a fifth aspect based on any one of the first to fourth aspects, the front link mechanism has one end portion pivotally coupled to the vehicle body side and the other end portion pivotally coupled to the front roof member. The first front link member and one end portion are pivotally coupled to the vehicle body side on the vehicle rear side with respect to the first front link member, while the other end portion is on the vehicle rear side with respect to the first front link member. A second front link member pivotally coupled to the front roof member, wherein the front roof member is pivotally coupled to the other ends of the first front link and the second front link member. It is assumed that the structure is divided into a member and a second rear roof member that is located on the vehicle rear side of the first front roof member and is coupled to the second front link member.

  In the case of the above configuration, the front roof member has a divided structure of a first front roof member and a second front roof member. That is, it is necessary to change the position of at least three roof members with the first front roof member, the second front roof member, and the rear roof member. In such a case, a configuration in which the position of the roof member is changed by two or more link mechanisms can be realized relatively easily. In the configuration in which the plurality of link mechanisms are driven by a single drive source, avoiding interference between the front roof member and the rear roof member by the timing mechanism is particularly effective.

  According to the present invention, when the positions of the front and rear roof members are changed by the timing mechanism, the driving source is configured to make the movement amount of the front roof member different from the movement amount of the rear roof member. By transmitting this driving force to the front and rear link mechanisms, it is possible to easily avoid interference between the front roof member and the rear roof member even when a plurality of link mechanisms are driven by a single drive source. can do.

1 is a schematic side view showing a vehicle when a retractable roof is in a fully closed state in a vehicle including a retractable roof opening and closing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic side view which shows a vehicle when a retractable roof changes a position a little from a fully closed state. It is a schematic side view which shows a vehicle in the state where most retractable roofs were stored in the storage room. It is a schematic side view showing the vehicle when the retractable roof is in the retracted state. It is the schematic perspective view which looked at the switchgear from the vehicles back. It is a schematic side view showing an opening and closing device when the retractable roof is in a fully closed state. It is a schematic side view which shows an opening / closing apparatus when a retractable roof changes a position a little from a fully closed state. It is a schematic side view which shows the opening / closing apparatus in the state in which most retractable roofs were stored in the storage chamber. It is a schematic side view which shows the opening / closing apparatus when a retractable roof is a retracted state. It is an enlarged side view which shows the state of a joint link when a retractable roof is a retracted state.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the vehicle 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is equipped with a roof member opening / closing device 2 including a retractable roof 20. The retractable roof 2 includes a front roof panel 21 and a middle roof panel 22 that cover the upper part of the vehicle interior 10, and a rear roof panel 23 and a back window 24 that cover the rear of the vehicle interior 10. As shown in FIGS. 5 to 9, the roof panel opening / closing device 2 includes the retractable roof 2, the front link mechanism 3 that connects the front and middle roof panels 21 and 22 to the vehicle 1, and the rear roof. A rear link mechanism 4 that connects the panel 23 and the back window 24 to the vehicle 1 and a drive motor 5 that drives the front and rear link mechanisms 3 and 4 are provided.

  The front roof panel 21 is provided so as to cover the upper part of the front portion of the passenger compartment 10. The middle roof panel 22 is provided adjacent to the rear of the front roof panel 21 so as to cover the upper part of the rear portion of the vehicle compartment 10. The front roof panel 21 constitutes a first front roof member, the middle roof panel 22 constitutes a second front roof member, and the front and middle roof panels 21 and 22 constitute a front roof member.

  The rear roof panel 23 is provided so as to cover a space between the middle roof panel 22 and a trunk lid 11 at the rear of the vehicle 1 described later. An opening is formed at the center of the rear roof panel 23, and the back window 24 is provided so as to close the opening. As shown in FIG. 5, the upper end of the back window 24 is attached to the rear roof panel 23 via hinges 24 a (only the portion on the right side in the vehicle width direction is shown in FIG. 5) at both ends in the vehicle width direction. Yes. That is, the back window 24 is configured to be able to turn inward of the rear roof panel 23 (space on the vehicle compartment side in FIG. 1) around the hinge 24a. The rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 constitute a rear roof member.

  In the vehicle 1, a trunk room is formed at the rear of the vehicle compartment 10, and a storage chamber 12 in which the retractable roof 20 is stored is formed between the vehicle compartment 10 and the trunk room so as to open upward. . The trunk room and the storage room 12 are closed so that the upper opening thereof can be opened and closed by the trunk lid 11.

  Here, the position change operation of the retractable roof 20, that is, the storage stored in the storage chamber 12 by opening the vehicle interior 10 from the fully closed position where the retractable roof 20 covers the vehicle interior 10 (this state is referred to as the fully closed state). A switching operation to a position (corresponding to a fully closed position, this state is referred to as a stored state) will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. Hereinafter, the switching operation from the fully closed position to the retracted position of the retractable roof 2 is referred to as an opening operation, and the switching operation from the retracted position to the fully closed position is referred to as a closing operation.

  In the fully closed position shown in FIG. 1, the front end portion of the front roof panel 21 is held by a lock mechanism (not shown) with respect to the front header 13 in a state of being in contact with the front header 13 of the vehicle 1. . Further, the rear end portion of the front roof panel 21 and the front end portion of the middle roof panel 22 are connected, and the rear end portion of the middle roof panel 22 and the front end portion of the rear roof panel 23 are connected to the lower end portion of the rear roof panel 23 and the trunk lid. 11 and the opening peripheral edge of the rear roof panel 23 and the outer peripheral edge of the back window 24 are in contact with each other via a weather strip (not shown). Thus, the vehicle compartment 10 is covered with the front, middle, rear roof panels 21, 22, 23 and the back window 24.

  First, the trunk lid 11 is moved from the fully closed position shown in FIG. 1 to the fully opened position shown in FIG. 2 by a drive source and a link mechanism (not shown) to open the upper opening of the storage chamber 12.

  Next, by operating a drive motor 5 which will be described in detail later, the front roof panel 21, the middle roof panel 22, the rear roof panel 23, and the back window 24 are rotated rearward (in the clockwise direction in FIG. 1). Move). The retractable roof 20 may be moved in parallel with the movement of the trunk lid 11 as long as the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 do not interfere with the trunk lid 11.

  When the operation of the drive motor 5 is continued, as shown in FIG. 3, the front roof panel 21 and the middle roof panel 22 are rotated backward so that the respective sides of the vehicle interior side are inwardly folded. It becomes a state. On the other hand, the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 are rotated so that the surfaces on the vehicle compartment sides are substantially upward. At this time, the back window 24 is immersed inside the rear roof panel 23 (the vehicle compartment side in the fully closed position in FIG. 1).

  Then, when the operation of the drive motor 5 is further continued, the retractable roof 20 is stored in the storage chamber 12 as shown in FIG. At this time, the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 are stored in a state in which the surface on the passenger compartment side faces completely upward. Further, the back window 24 is in a state of being immersed inside the rear roof panel 23. By doing so, the thickness (the vertical dimension in the storage chamber 12) when the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 are stored is reduced. The front and middle fool panels 21 and 22 are folded in such a manner that the surfaces on the vehicle compartment sides face each other and overlap each other in the upper and lower sides, and fit in the space inside the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24. Yes.

  After the retractable roof 20 is stored in the storage chamber 12, the trunk lid 11 moves from the fully open position to the fully closed position that closes the storage chamber 12. Thus, the retractable roof 20 is in a retracted state in which the passenger compartment 10 is opened.

  The closing operation of the retractable roof 20 is the reverse of the above.

  The retractable roof 20 that operates in this manner is connected to the vehicle body of the vehicle 1 via the front side link mechanism 3 and the rear side link mechanism 4 as shown in FIGS. These front and rear link mechanisms 3 and 4 are respectively disposed at both side positions in the vehicle width direction on the passenger compartment side of the retractable roof 20. 5 to 9, the front and rear link mechanisms 3 and 4 on the right side of the vehicle are illustrated.

  The front link mechanism 3 includes a roof side bracket 31 attached to the front roof panel 21, a main bracket 32 attached to the vehicle body side, and pivotally coupled to the roof side bracket 31 and pivoted to the main bracket 32. A first front link 33 and a second front link 34 that are connected to each other are included.

  The roof side bracket 31 is attached to both ends of the front roof panel 21 in the vehicle width direction from the vehicle interior side.

  The main bracket 32 is attached to the vehicle body at both ends in the vehicle width direction in the storage chamber 12.

  One end of the first front link 33 is pivotally coupled to the roof bracket 31 while the other end is pivotally coupled to the main bracket 32 via a pivot 33a. The second front link 34 has one end pivotally coupled to the roof side bracket 31 at a position rearward of one end of the first front link 33, while the other end is connected to the first front link 33. The main bracket 32 is pivotally coupled to the main bracket 32 via a pivot 34a at a position behind the other end. The first and second front links 33 and 34 are shaped along the side edges of the front, middle, and rear roof panels 21, 22, and 23 when the retractable roof 20 is fully closed (see FIG. 6). The middle roof panel 22 is attached to the second front link 34 via first and second brackets 34b and 34c. The first front link 33 constitutes a first front link member, and the second front link 34 constitutes a second front link member.

  Thus, in the front link mechanism 3, the roof side bracket 31, the main bracket 32, the first front side link 33, and the second front side link 34 constitute a so-called four-joint link.

  The front link mechanism 3 further includes a drive link 35 pivotally coupled to the main bracket 32 and a connecting link 36 connecting the drive link 35 and the second front link 34.

  The drive link 35 is pivotally coupled to the main bracket 32 via the pivot 35 a below the pivot 34 a of the second front link 34. In the fully closed state of the retractable roof 20 shown in FIG. 5, the drive link 35 circumvents the other end portion of the second front side link 34 around the rear side and extends to above the other end portion. And a coupling portion 35c formed below the pivot 35a. A joint link 6 described later is pivotally coupled to the coupling portion 35c.

  One end of the connecting link 36 is pivotally coupled to the tip of the flanged portion 35 b of the drive link 35, while the other end is pivotally coupled to the vicinity of the pivot 34 a of the second front link 34.

  On the other hand, the rear link mechanism 4 includes the main bracket 32, the vehicle body side bracket 41 attached to the vehicle body side, the window side bracket 42 attached to the rear window 24, the main bracket 32 and the rear roof panel 23. A rear link 43 pivotally coupled to each other and a control link 44 pivotally coupled to the vehicle body side bracket 41 and the window side bracket 42 are included.

  The vehicle body side bracket 41 is attached to the vehicle body at positions inside the main bracket 32 in the vehicle width direction at both ends in the vehicle width direction inside the storage chamber 12 (see FIG. 5).

  The window side bracket 42 is attached to the vehicle width direction end portion at the lower end portion of the rear window 24.

  The rear link 43 has a pivot part 43 a pivotally coupled to the main bracket 32 and an attachment part 43 b attached to the rear roof panel 23. The pivot 43a is pivotally coupled to the main bracket 32 via a pivot 43c at a position behind the pivot 35a of the drive link 35. In the fully closed state of the retractable roof 20 shown in FIG. 6, the attachment portion 43b is coupled to the pivot portion 43a so as to extend upward from the pivot portion 43a. The attachment portions 43b are attached to the rear roof panel 23 at three locations.

  In addition, a sector gear 43d centered on a pivot 43c is coupled to the pivot 43a. Further, the pivot 43a has a coupling portion 43e formed rearward of the pivot 43c in the fully closed state of the retractable roof 20 shown in FIG. A joint link 6 described later is pivotally coupled to the coupling portion 43e.

  Thus, the rear link mechanism 4 includes the vehicle body side members including the main bracket 32 and the vehicle body side bracket 41, the rear link 43 and the rear roof panel 23, the back window 24 and the window side bracket 42, and the control link 44. This constitutes a so-called four-section link.

  The drive motor 5 is attached to the main bracket 32. The drive motor 5 is an electric motor. The drive motor 5 has a drive gear 51 that outputs a rotational drive force, and this drive gear 51 meshes with the sector gear 43 d of the rear link 43. That is, the rear link 43 of the rear link mechanism 4 is directly driven by the drive motor 5. Here, the gear ratio between the drive gear 51 and the sector gear 43d is set so that the rotational driving force of the drive motor 5 is decelerated and transmitted to the sector gear 43d. This drive motor 5 constitutes a drive source.

  The rear link 43 of the rear link mechanism 4 and the drive link 35 of the front link mechanism 3 are connected by a joint link 6. Specifically, the joint link 6 has one end portion pivotally coupled to the coupling portion 35c of the drive link 35 via the one end side pivot 61, and the intermediate portion detours around the sector gear 43d and extends rearward. The end portion is pivotally coupled to the coupling portion 43 e of the rear link 43 via the other end side pivot 62. That is, the main bracket 32, the drive link 35 pivotally coupled to the main bracket 32 via a pivot 35a, and the rear link 43 pivotally coupled to the main bracket 32 via a pivot 43c. The joint link 6 that is pivotally coupled to the drive link 35 and the rear link 43 and connects the two constitutes a so-called four-bar link. As a result, when the rear link 43 of the rear link mechanism 4 is driven by the drive motor 5 and rotates around the pivot 43c, the drive link 35 also rotates around the pivot 35a via the joint link 6. That is, the driving force of the drive motor 5 is transmitted to the front link mechanism 3 via the joint link 6 so that the front link mechanism 3 is also driven. The drive link 35 constitutes a first link member, and the rear link 43 constitutes a second link member.

  Detailed operations of the front and rear link mechanisms 3, 4 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9 together with the opening / closing operation of the retractable roof 20. In the following description, “clockwise” and “counterclockwise” mean clockwise and counterclockwise in FIGS.

  FIG. 6 shows the retractable roof 20 and the front and rear link mechanisms 3 and 4 in the fully closed state.

  In the fully closed state, as described above, the front end of the front roof panel 21 is held in contact with the front header 13, and the front, middle, rear roof panels 21, 22, 23, and the back window 24 are The vehicle compartment 10 is covered in a state in which the gap between the members is sealed with a weather strip (not shown).

  FIG. 7 shows a state immediately after the retractable roof 20 starts the opening operation from the fully closed state toward the retracted state.

  First, the opening operation of the retractable roof 20 is started by operating the drive motor 5 in the direction in which the rear link 43 is rotated rearward of the vehicle (that is, clockwise). Specifically, when the drive motor 5 starts to operate counterclockwise, the torque is amplified by the sector gear 43d, and the rear link 43 of the rear link mechanism 4 starts to rotate clockwise around the pivot 43c. As the rear link 43 rotates, the rear roof panel 23 starts to rotate rearward. Further, when the rear roof panel 23 rotates, the back window 24 constituting a part of the rear link mechanism 4 also starts to rotate rearward. At this time, since the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 constitute a part of a four-bar link, the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 rotate backward while their postures are regulated. Specifically, the back window 24 fitted in a state of being sealed with a weatherstrip (not shown) in the opening of the rear roof panel 23 in the fully closed state is hinged 24a as the rearward rotation proceeds. Rotate with respect to the rear roof panel 23 around the rotation axis of the rear roof panel 23 and begin to be immersed in the rear roof panel 23 (see FIGS. 8 and 9).

  Thus, when the rear link 43 rotates clockwise, the other end portion of the joint link 6 pivotally coupled to the coupling portion 43e of the rear link 43 also pivots clockwise about the pivot 43c. Then, the joint link 6 moves around the one end side pivot 61 so as to rotate the one end side pivot 61 about the pivot 35 a of the drive link 35 while changing its posture. As a result, the drive link 35 rotates clockwise around the pivot 35a, and the second front link 34 is driven to rotate clockwise around the pivot 34a via the connecting link 36.

  Then, when the second front side link 34 rotates clockwise around the pivot 34a, the front roof panel 21 that forms a four-bar link together with the second front side link 34 starts to rotate rearward. Further, the middle roof panel 22 attached to the second front side link 34 also starts to rotate clockwise, that is, rearward together with the second front side link 34.

  When the drive motor 5 is operated in this way, the driving force is transmitted to the rear link mechanism 4 and the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 start to rotate rearward, and the drive transmitted to the rear link mechanism 4 is started. The force is transmitted to the front link mechanism 3 via the joint link 6 and the front and middle roof panels 21 and 22 begin to rotate backward.

  FIG. 8 shows a state in which approximately 2/3 of the process has elapsed from the fully closed position in the process of moving the retractable roof 20 from the fully closed position to the retracted position.

  When the operation of the drive motor 5 continues and the opening operation of the retractable roof 20 proceeds, about half of the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 are stored in the storage chamber 12. At this time, the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 are in a state in which the surface on the side of the passenger compartment faces substantially upward. Further, the back window 24 is further immersed inside the rear roof panel 23 (space on the vehicle compartment side in FIG. 6) immediately after the start of the opening operation.

  Further, the front roof panel 21 is moved rearward of the vehicle while being maintained in substantially the same posture as in the fully closed state by the four-bar link formed by the first and second front links 33 and 34 and the like. On the other hand, in accordance with the rotation of the second front side link 34, the middle roof panel 22 is rotated until the surface on the passenger compartment side faces the front and the surface on the outer side of the vehicle faces the rear. In this way, the front and middle roof panels 21 and 22 are folded so that the surfaces on the vehicle compartment sides are close to each other.

  FIG. 9 shows the retractable roof 20 and the front and rear link mechanisms 3 and 4 in the retracted state.

  When the operation of the drive motor 5 is further continued, the retractable roof 20 is completely stored in the storage chamber 12.

  At this time, the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 are rotated and stored in the storage chamber 12 until the back window 24 becomes substantially horizontal. Further, the back window 24 is in a state of being most immersed in the inside of the real roof panel 23 (space on the vehicle compartment side in FIG. 6).

  On the other hand, the front and middle roof panels 21 and 22 are in a state where the surfaces on the vehicle interior sides face each other and are folded up and down. At this time, the middle roof panel 22 is in a state of being accommodated in a space inside the rear roof panel 23 stored in the storage chamber 12. The front roof panel 21 is partially exposed above the storage chamber 12, but most of the front roof panel 21 is stored in the storage chamber 12.

  Thus, after the front, middle, rear rule panels 21, 22, 23 and the back window 24 are stored in the storage chamber 12, the trunk lid 11 is fully closed.

  The retractable roof 20 changes its position from the retracted position to the fully closed position by the reverse movement.

  Thus, in the retractable roof 20 whose position is changed between the fully closed position and the retracted position, the position needs to be changed so that the roof members do not interfere with each other. In particular, in the present embodiment, the front and middle fool panels 21 and 22 (changed in position by the front link mechanism 3) moved by separate link mechanisms, the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 (positioned by the rear link mechanism 4). Change) is necessary to avoid interference.

  Therefore, the opening / closing device 2 according to the present embodiment transmits the driving force of the driving motor 5 while suppressing the driving force of the driving motor 5 from the rear link mechanism 4 to the front link mechanism 3 immediately after the opening operation of the retractable roof 20 from the fully closed position is started. A timing mechanism 8 is provided. The timing mechanism 8 includes the drive link 35, the rear link 43, and the joint link 6.

  Specifically, when the rear link 43 rotates, the other end side pivot 62 of the joint link 6 is tangent to the other end side pivot 62 of a circle passing through the other end pivot 62 around the pivot 43c of the rear link 43. A driving force is applied in a direction (a direction perpendicular to the rotation radius of the other end side pivot 62 of the joint link 6 with the pivot 43c as the center). The joint link 6 has one end thereof due to a component (hereinafter referred to as a rotational component) in a direction perpendicular to a straight line connecting the other end side pivot 62 and the one end side pivot 61 of the joint link 6 in the tangential driving force. The posture is changed by rotating around the side pivot 61. At the same time, of the driving force in the tangential direction, the circle passing through the one end side pivot 61 of the joint link 6 around the pivot 35a of the drive link 35 is tangential in the one end pivot 61 (that is, the joint link around the pivot 35a). 6, the joint link 6 is rotated about the pivot 35 a of the drive link 35 by a component parallel to the rotational axis of the one-end pivot 61 (hereinafter referred to as a moving component). Move to. In this way, the joint link 6 is rotated around the pivot 35a of the drive link 35 while the posture and the rotational component of the driving force are combined to change the posture. To move.

  Here, in the fully closed state of the retractable roof 20, the other end side pivot 62 of the joint link 6 is located at a position opposite to the one end pivot 61 of the joint link 6 across the pivot 43 c of the rear link 43. (Strictly speaking, the other end side pivot 62 of the joint link 6 rotates the sector gear 43d when the retractable roof 20 is opened more than the straight line connecting the one end side pivot 61 and the pivot 43c of the rear link 43. (It is located at a position (hereinafter referred to as a stop position) that enters a predetermined angle (for example, 5 °) on the opposite side to the direction (that is, counterclockwise). When the sector gear 43d rotates in the direction in which the retractable roof 20 is rotated from this stop position, the direction of the driving force received by the other end side pivot 62 of the joint link 6 (ie, the pivot 43c of the rear link 43 is the center). The tangential direction of the circle on the other end side pivot 62 is substantially the same as the tangential direction of the circle on the other end side pivot 62 around the one end side pivot 61 of the joint link 6. That is, most of the driving force received by the joint link 6 at the stop position is a rotational component. As a result, for a while after the opening operation of the retractable roof 20 starts, the joint link 6 mainly rotates around the one end side pivot 61 to change its posture, and the one end side pivot 61 rotates around the pivot 35a. Only a small amount of movement of the joint link 6 is performed. In other words, the driving force applied to the other end side pivot 62 of the joint link 6 is mainly used to change the posture of the joint link 6 so that the one end side pivot 61 rotates around the pivot 35 a of the drive link 35. Is not often used to move the joint link 6. Accordingly, for a while after the opening operation of the retractable roof 20 described above is started, the drive link 35 does not rotate so much, and the drive force via the joint link 6 from the rear link mechanism 4 to the front link mechanism 3 is reduced. There is not much communication.

  Thus, although the driving force is not transmitted so much from the rear link mechanism 4 to the front link mechanism 3, the rear link 43 is rotated in accordance with the operation of the drive motor 5, so that it is connected to the front link mechanism 3. The front and middle roof panels 21 and 22 move only small, while the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 connected to the rear link mechanism 4 move greatly. As a result, the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 are largely rotated backward first, so that a space in which the front and middle roof panels 21 and 22 can move is secured behind the front and middle roof panels 21 and 22. Is done.

  As the rear link 43 rotates, the ratio between the rotational component and the moving component of the driving force applied to the other end side pivot 62 of the joint link 6 changes, and the opening operation of the retractable roof 20 is eventually performed. Compared to immediately after the start, the driving force is efficiently transmitted from the rear link mechanism 4 to the front link mechanism 3, and the front and middle roof panels 21 and 22 start to rotate more rearward.

  Thus, when the front and middle roof panels 21 and 22 start to rotate rearward greatly, the above-mentioned movable space is secured behind the front and middle roof panels 21 and 22, so that the front In addition, interference between the middle roof panels 21 and 22 and the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 is avoided.

  As described above, the joint link 6 changes the transmission efficiency from the rear link mechanism 4 to the front link mechanism 3 according to the positional relationship between the one end side pivot 61 and the other end side pivot 62 and the pivot 43c of the rear link 43. While driving force is transmitted. That is, the transmission efficiency of the driving force from the rear link mechanism 4 to the front link mechanism 3 is relatively low in the vicinity of the fully closed position of the retractable roof 20, and the rear link mechanism is not in the vicinity of the fully closed position of the retractable roof 20. The transmission efficiency of the driving force from 4 to the front link mechanism 3 is relatively high.

  By the way, by operating the drive motor 5 so that the drive gear 51 rotates counterclockwise, the rear link 43 and the drive link 35 rotate counterclockwise, that is, counterclockwise, that is, retractable. The roof 20 moves from the retracted state to the fully closed state. Even in this closing operation, in the vicinity of the fully closed position of the retractable roof 20, the transmission efficiency of the driving force from the rear link mechanism 4 to the front link mechanism 3 is relatively low. While the amount is relatively small, the movement amount of the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 is relatively large. That is, when the retractable roof 20 is in the fully closed state, first, the front and middle roof panels 21 and 22 are repositioned to a position where the front end of the front roof panel 21 is close to the front head 13 and is almost the same as in the fully closed state. Thereafter, the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 move greatly, and the front end of the rear roof panel 23 comes into contact with the rear end of the middle roof panel 23. Thus, in the vicinity of the retractable roof 20, the movement amounts of the front and middle roof panels 21 and 22 are relatively small, while the movement amounts of the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 are relatively large. Even when the vehicle is closed to the fully closed state, interference between the front and middle roof panels 21, 22 and the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 can be avoided.

  When the retractable roof 20 is fully closed, the other end side pivot 62 of the joint link 6 is opposite to the one end pivot 61 of the joint link 6 with the pivot 43c of the rear link 43 interposed therebetween, as shown in FIG. It is rotated around the pivot 43c of the rear link 43 to a position beyond the straight line X connecting the one end pivot 61 of the joint link 6 and the pivot 43c of the rear link 43. That is, when the retractable roof 20 is in the fully closed state, the other end side pivot 62 of the joint link 6 is replaced with the one end side pivot 61 of the joint link 6, the pivot 43c of the rear link 43, and the other end pivot 62 of the joint link 6. The state of the joint link 6 can be maintained by rotating to a position beyond the thought point, which is a position aligned on a straight line in this order. That is, when the other end side pivot 62 of the joint link 6 is positioned beyond the thought point, a certain amount of rotational driving force is required to rotate again in the opposite direction beyond the thought point. Therefore, it is possible to restrict the other end side pivot 62 of the joint link 6 from rotating beyond the thought point in the opposite direction, that is, the direction in which the retractable roof 20 is opened due to vibration or the like during traveling of the vehicle.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 connected to the rear link mechanism 4 are connected to the front link mechanism 3 when the retractable roof 20 starts to change position from the fully closed position. By transmitting the driving force applied from the drive motor 5 to the rear link mechanism 4 to the front link mechanism 3 via the timing mechanism 8 so as to move relatively larger than the front and middle roof panels 21 and 22. The interference between the front and middle roof panels 21 and 22, the rear roof panel 23 and the back window 24 can be avoided. As a result, even if the front link mechanism 3 and the rear link mechanism 4 have a plurality of link mechanisms, the plurality of link mechanisms are driven by a single drive motor 5 without interference of the roof members. be able to.

  More specifically, when the retractable roof 20 is repositioned from the fully closed position, the other end side pivot 62 of the joint link 6 is positioned on the circumference of the rear link 43 around the pivot 43c on the other end. Of the driving force applied to the part, the rotational component that rotates the joint link 6 around the one end side pivot 61 causes the joint link 6 to rotate around the pivot 35 a of the drive link 35. By moving the region that is larger than the moving component to be moved, the transmission efficiency from the rear link mechanism 4 to the front link mechanism 3 can be suppressed and the driving force can be transmitted.

  Further, when the retractable roof 20 is moved to the fully closed position, the other end side pivot 62 of the joint link 6 is rotated around the pivot 43c of the rear link 43 beyond the above-mentioned point, so that the timing mechanism 8 The fully closed state of the retractable roof 20 can be maintained. In the present embodiment, the retractable roof 20 is fully closed by the timing mechanism 8 and a lock mechanism (not shown) provided on the front head 13.

<< Other Embodiments >>
The present invention may be configured as follows with respect to the above embodiment.

  That is, in the above embodiment, the back window 24 is configured to be displaceable with respect to the rear roof panel 23, but is not limited thereto. A configuration in which the back window 24 is attached to the rear roof panel 23 so as not to be displaced may be employed. In that case, the rear link mechanism may be configured with a one-section link instead of a four-section link.

  Further, the roof member connected to the front side link mechanism 3 may not be a roof having a divided structure of the front and middle roof panels 21 and 22. That is, the roof member connected to the front link mechanism 3 may be a single roof panel.

  Furthermore, the joint link 6 is connected to the drive link 35 of the front link mechanism 3 and the rear link 43 of the rear link mechanism 4, but is not limited to this, and the rear link mechanism 4 to the front link mechanism 3. Any configuration can be adopted as long as it can transmit the driving force. For example, the front link mechanism 3 may not have the drive link 35 or the connecting link 36, and in this case, one end of the joint link 6 is pivotally coupled to the first front link 33 or the second front link 34. do it.

  In addition, the above embodiment is an essentially preferable illustration, Comprising: It does not intend restrict | limiting the range of this invention, its application thing, or its use.

  As described above, the present invention is useful for a roof panel opening / closing device, particularly, a switching device provided with a plurality of link mechanisms.

20 Retractable roof 21 Front roof panel (first front roof member, front roof member)
22 Middle roof panel (first front roof member, front roof member)
23 Rear roof panel (rear roof member)
24 Back window (rear roof member)
3 front link mechanism 33 first front link (first front link member)
34 Second front link (second front link member)
35 Drive link (first link member)
4 Rear link mechanism 43 Rear link (second link member)
5 Drive motor (drive source)

Claims (5)

A front roof member covering the front of the passenger compartment and a rear roof member covering the rear of the passenger compartment;
A roof panel opening and closing device comprising a link mechanism for repositioning the front and rear roof members to a fully closed position that covers the vehicle compartment and a fully open position that opens the vehicle compartment,
The link mechanism includes a front link mechanism that moves the front roof member, and a rear link mechanism that moves the rear roof member,
A drive source for driving the front and rear link mechanisms;
When the positions of the front and rear roof members are changed, the driving force of the driving source is set to be different from the movement amount of the front roof member and the movement amount of the rear roof member. And a timing mechanism for avoiding interference between the front roof member and the rear roof member.
The timing mechanism is
One end is pivotally coupled to the first link member included in the front link mechanism, and the other end is pivotally coupled to the second link member included in the rear link mechanism to drive the drive source. A joint link for transmitting force from the rear link mechanism to the front link mechanism;
When starting to change the position of the front and rear roof members from the fully closed position, the rear roof member is moved more than the front roof member by rotating the second link member more than the first link member. A roof panel opening and closing device that transmits the driving force of the driving source to the front and rear link mechanisms so as to greatly move. The roof panel opening and closing device according to claim 1,
The drive source is connected to the rear link mechanism,
When the joint link starts to change its position of the front and rear roof members from the fully closed position, components of the driving force that rotate the joint link about the end on the front link mechanism side are gradually increased. The driving force of the driving source is transmitted from the rear link mechanism to the front link mechanism so that the component that moves the joint link gradually increases so that the end of the front link mechanism side decreases and the end portion on the front link mechanism side moves. Opening and closing device for roof panel. The roof panel opening and closing device according to claim 1 or 2,
The drive source is connected to the rear link mechanism,
The first link member is
The front link mechanism includes a front link member having one end pivotally coupled to the vehicle body side and the other end pivotally coupled to the front roof member.
The first link member has one end pivotally coupled to the vehicle body side and the other end pivotally coupled to the front link member.
The second link member is a roof panel opening and closing device in which one end is pivotally coupled to the vehicle body side and the other end is coupled to the rear roof member. The roof panel opening and closing device according to claim 3,
When the position change of the front and rear roof members to the fully closed position is completed, the other end portion of the joint link is rotated around the pivot coupling portion on the vehicle body side of the rear transmission link member. The roof panel opening and closing device located at a position beyond a thought point, which is a position aligned with the one end of the joint link in a straight line with the pivot coupling portion interposed therebetween. The roof panel opening and closing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The front link mechanism includes a first front link member whose one end is pivotally coupled to the vehicle body side, and the other end pivotally coupled to the front roof member, and one end thereof from the first front link member. And a second front link member pivotally coupled to the front roof member on the vehicle rear side with respect to the first front link member, while being pivotally coupled to the vehicle body side on the vehicle rear side. ,
The front roof member is located on the vehicle rear side of the first front roof member, the first front roof member to which the other ends of the first front side and the second front side link member are pivotally coupled, and the second roof member. A roof panel opening and closing device having a split structure with a second rear roof member coupled to the front link member.

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