Link structure of storing-type roof of automotive vehicle
AssigneesMazda Motor Corporation, Webasto Japan Co., Ltd.
InventorsKouichi MATSUMOTO, Koji SAWAHATA, Takeshi MIZOGUCHI
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There provided an openable roof, a link mechanism foldably supporting the openable roof, and a drive device to drive a drive link of a link mechanism. The drive device comprises a drive unit including a drive gear connected to a drive motor, a driven gear provided at the drive link, and an intermediate gear engaging with the drive gear and the driven gear. The drive unit is located at a lower level than a beltline of the vehicle body, the driven-gear pivotal portion is located at a higher level than the beltline, and the intermediate gear is located at a specified level such that the intermediate gear overlaps the beltline in a side view.
Claims4
A link structure of a storing-type roof of an automotive vehicle, comprising:
- a storing-type roof configured to openably cover an opening formed above a cabin and be stored in a storing compartment of the vehicle body;
- a link mechanism including a drive link pivotally supported at a vehicle body via a pivotal portion and foldably supporting the storing-type roof;
- and
- a drive device to rotationally drive the drive link around a rotational axis of the pivotal portion,
- wherein said drive device comprises a drive unit including a drive motor and a drive gear connected to the drive motor, a driven gear provided at said drive link and having a gear shaft center thereof which matches the pivotal portion of said drive link, and an intermediate gear engaging with said drive gear and said driven gear,
- said drive unit is located at a lower level than a beltline of the vehicle body, said pivotal portion is located at a higher level than the beltline of the vehicle body, and
- said intermediate gear is located on an inward side, in a vehicle width direction, of said drive motor and at a specified level such that the intermediate gear overlaps the beltline of the vehicle body in a side view.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.