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US 4,364,600 AGranted
Safety vehicle sun roof lock and support apparatus
OwnerPeter Hauberinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerPeter Hauberinventor
Estimating the term…
Passenger safety in vehicles equipped with sun roof accessory is enhanced by provision of a safety vehicle sun roof lock and support apparatus for vehicle sun roof panels movably mounted in a vehicle roof opening circumscribed by a fixed flange. The apparatus comprises a roof panel, a roof opening interfitting flange defining a panel seat, anchor means secured to the flange freely of protrusions engendering personal injury, and an articulated coupler comprising first bar means connected at one end to the panel, and second bar means connected at one end to the anchor means, the first and second bar means being pivotally connected to each other at their respective other ends for locking the panel in seated or opened position relative to the flange, the second bar means being bodily deflectable from its said connected relations for complete panel removal from said flange, the anchor being thereby exposed and, by virtue of its design without exposing injury engendering protrusions. The passenger is thus not exposed to head injury otherwise resultant from jouncing upward in the car into contact with downwardly and outwardly protruding hardware heretofore associated with sun roof accessories.
Safety vehicle sun roof lock and support apparatus for vehicle sun roof panels movably mounted in a vehicle roof opening circumscribed by a fixed flange, said apparatus comprising a roof panel, a roof opening interfitting flange defining a panel seat, anchor means secured to the flange freely of protrusions engendering personal injury, and an articulated coupler comprising first bar means connected at one end to the panel, and second bar means having left and right hand portions separably connected at one end to the anchor means in biased relation, said first and second bar means being pivotally connected to each other at their respective other ends for locking the panel in seated or opened position relative to the flange, said second bar means being separable from its anchor means connection for complete panel removal from said flange, said anchor means being thereby exposed and without exposing injury engendering protrusions.
Safety vehicle sun roof lock and support apparatus for vehicle sun roof panels movably mounted in a vehicle roof opening circumscribed by a fixed flange, said apparatus comprising a roof panel, a roof opening interfitting flange defining a panel seat, anchor means secured to the flange freely of protrusions engendering personal injury, and an articulated coupler comprising first bar means connected at one end to the panel, second bar means comprising left and right hand members cooperating with said first bar means and said anchor means in panel locking relation, said first and second bar means being pivotally connected to each other at their respective other ends for locking the panel in seated or opened position relative to the flange, and means resiliently urging said second bar members into anchor means engagement, said second bar means being separable from its anchor means connection for complete panel removal from said flange, said anchor means being thereby exposed and without exposing injury engendering protrusions.
Safety vehicle sun roof lock and support apparatus for vehicle sun roofs, comprising a generally rectangular flange insertable in a vehicle roof opening, said flange comprising an extrusion having upper and lower vehicle opening-circumscribing recesses, a gasket fixed in the upper recess, and in the lower recess lock and support apparatus comprising a pair of substantially non-protruding blocks secured to the flange recess wall, each of said blocks defining one of a pair of opposed, coaxial cylindrical recesses, a mounting saddle at each block, each said saddle comprising first and second radially offset bearing structures and paraxial therewith a pintle extending outward from the saddle to be received in the adjacent block recess, one of said bearing structures being defined by axially spaced saddle annular bearings, a two piece interfitted shaft having a compression spring captured therein, said shaft pieces being terminally radially reduced to define shaft shoulders, said shaft shoulders bearing against said saddles in spring urged relation in shaft journaled condition of the annular saddle bearings thereon, a pair of right hand and left hand lock members comprising a socket journaled on said shaft between said saddle bearings, a further socket, and an arcuate web spacing said sockets apart, said members being urged relatively apart outwardly by said shaft spring acting on said saddles, a handle hinged to said members by a hinge pin passing through a series of apertures formed in handle ribs and alternately through said member sockets, a panel defining a roof portion and adapted to seat on said gasket in weathertight relation, bolt means depending from said roof panel rear edge margin, bolt connectors carried by said handle for connecting said panel to said handle and thus to said members and the flange, panel front edge retainers pivotally and removably securing the panel from edge to the flange, said handle and said members being relatively pivotable in over-center relation to lock down or support up the panel, said handle and members having cooperating detent structure to maintain the panel in adjusted condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.