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US 7,246,847 B2Granted
Vehicle closure system
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorJoseph Michael Polewarczyk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle closure system includes a first track portion rigidly connected with respect to a vehicle body and a second track portion rigidly connected with respect to a closure panel. The closure panel is selectively movable between open and closed positions. The first and second track portions align when the closure panel is in the closed position. The track portions facilitate movement of a window between a closed position and a stowed position, while allowing independent movement of the closure panel with respect to the window.
Claims11
A vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle body defining a body opening;
- a first track member defining a first track segment and rigidly connected with respect to the vehicle body;
- a closure system including
- a closure panel movably connected with respect to the vehicle body;
- a second track member defining a second track segment and rigidly connected with respect to the closure panel for movement therewith;
- a window member;
- and
- a window guide member rigidly connected with respect to the window member;
- wherein the window member is selectively rotatable such that the closure system is selectively movable between
- a first configuration in which the closure panel is in a generally vertically oriented closed position to partially obstruct the body opening, the window member is generally vertically oriented to further obstruct the body opening, and the window guide member is at least partially in the first track segment, and
- a second configuration in which the window guide member is at least partially in the second track segment and not in the first track segment such that the window member is movable with the closure panel.
8 more elements
A vehicle body characterized by a body opening, the vehicle body comprising:
- a first track member rigidly connected with respect to the body opening and defining a first partially annular slot;
- a closure panel selectively movable between a closed position in which the closure panel is generally vertically oriented to partially obstruct the body opening and an open position in which the closure panel is generally horizontally oriented;
- a second track member rigidly connected with respect to the closure panel for movement therewith, the second track member defining a second partially annular slot;
- wherein the first and second track members are sufficiently positioned to align with one another when the closure panel is in the closed position such that the first and second partially annular slots cooperate to define an annular track.
1 more element
A vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle body defining a body opening;
- a first track member defining a first track segment and rigidly connected with respect to the vehicle body;
- a closure system including
- a closure panel movably connected with respect to the vehicle body;
- a second track member defining a second track segment and rigidly connected with respect to the closure panel for movement therewith;
- a window member;
- and
- a window guide member rigidly connected with respect to the window member;
- wherein the closure system is selectively movable between
- a first configuration in which the closure panel is in a generally vertically oriented closed position to partially obstruct the body opening, the window member is generally vertically oriented to further obstruct the body opening, and the window guide member is at least partially in the first track segment,
- a second configuration in which the window member is rotated downward to be generally parallel to and in juxtaposition with the closure panel such that the window guide member is at least partially in the second track segment and not in the first track segment and the window member is movable with the closure panel, and
- a third configuration in which the closure panel is generally horizontally oriented and the window member is generally vertically oriented and the window guide member is at least partially in the first track segment and not the second track segment.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.