Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roof structure
Patent
1989-02-22
1990-05-22
Song, Robert R.
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roof structure
296218, 49485, B60J 704
Patent
active
049272080
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a sun roof to be installed in a roof opening of a vehicle in which a rigid lining (solid canopy) is located beneath a roofing in which the sun roof is to be installed. The sun roof comprises at least a cover, substantially aligned with the roofing and which can be opened and closed and, in particular, can be pushed along or raised at the rear end thereof, or pushed along or raised at the rear end thereof and lowered, and a multiple part frame which can be clamped directly against the roofing; so that, when the frame is mounted, only the roofing and no other part of the vehicle roof such as the lining, for example, is clamped between the parts of the frame. The frame comprises a one-piece outer frame part which surrounds the roof opening and can be installed in the roofing from above, a one-piece inner frame part, which can be fixedly connected with the outer frame part in the area of the roof opening by connecting/fastening elements and which is supported against the roofing from beneath, and (preferably) an anchoring member that supports the solid canopy from beneath.
A sun roof of this kind is disclosed, among others, in German Pat. No. 3,241,652. In this known sun roof, a vertical clamping leg extending substantially perpendicular to the roofing from the inner frame part, is supported by its relatively small end surface against the roofing from beneath and clamps the latter to the outer frame part. With this known sun roof, the roof opening must first be cut out in the roofing of the vehicle. Then, in the lining (solid canopy) of the vehicle roof, an opening larger than the roof opening must be made, so that the opening in the solid canopy would circumscribe the opening in the roofing and would be spaced therefrom a certain distance. This process of "cutting back" is time-consuming and can only be made from beneath, and thus in an inconvenient work position.
In other sun roofs for vehicles now on the market, the cutting back of the solid canopy is avoided by cutting an opening in the solid canopy of the same size as the opening in the roofing. But there, the roof frame is not clamped directly against the roofing but, rather, the inner frame part is supported from beneath against the solid canopy. Since the solid canopy can be compressed, the clamping forces acting against the roofing may be relatively small.
Finally, another sun roof for vehicles, also now on the market, comprises a frame that includes an outer frame part which is a light metal molded part with appropriate rigidity. This outer frame part is screwed to a plurality of clamping members supported from beneath directly against the roofing. Although, in this known sun roof, the solid canopy is not cut back, it is necessary, after installation of the outer frame part, to maneuver the clamping members individually in space between the roofing and the solid canopy to bring them into a correct position and then screw them to the outer frame part. This maneuver is complicated and is thus time-consuming, and the holes for the screws are at a relatively high level in space, namely at about the level of the upper surface of the solid canopy that faces the roofing, and it is difficult to maneuver the screws between the surface of the solid canopy and the outer frame part that extends far downward.
Accordingly, the object of the invention is to provide a sun roof of this kind but installation of which in the vehicle roof is simplified and which can be attached with relatively large clamping force to the roofing of the vehicle.
The object is achieved according to the invention, by providing an inner frame part having a flange (clamping flange) to be extended under the roofing which can be pushed into a space between the roofing and the solid canopy. This flange may be continuous along the perimeter of the inner frame part or it may be formed in only one, but preferably, in several places of the frame rim, or it may consist of several spaced clamping members arranged along the perimeter of the frame, located radially relative to
REFERENCES:
patent: 4115955 (1978-09-01), Aldrich
patent: 4394044 (1983-07-01), Hough et al.
patent: 4585269 (1986-04-01), Lievesley
patent: 4666206 (1987-05-01), Haugh
patent: 4750781 (1988-06-01), Betteridge
patent: 4783116 (1988-11-01), Haugh
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