Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Standing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-07
2001-09-04
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Standing
C117S107000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283531
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a vehicle including an electric folding roof, and more particularly to convertible including such a roof and designed to detect attachment of a detachable rigid roof (a so-called hardtop) thereto. 2. Description of the Related Art
Convertibles or open cars have manually foldable roofs carried thereon. Such roofs are folded down when housed in vehicle bodies of the convertibles. The convertibles have detachable rigid roofs set thereon.
In recent years, there have been increased demands for easy-to-operate electric folding roofs, and hence many convertibles have such electric folding roofs carried thereon.
One example of the electric folding roofs is shown in (a) through (c) of
FIG. 9
hereof.
Referring to (a) of
FIG. 9
, an electric folding roof
101
shown by a phantom line is unfolded for use as a roof of a convertible
100
.
The roof
101
includes an upper part
102
, side parts
103
, a rear part
105
having a rear window
104
mounted thereon, and a mechanism (not shown) for automatically folding and unfolding; the roof
101
. The mechanism includes a link for folding the roof
101
into a given configuration, an electric motor for driving the link, a folding switch and an unfolding switch. Both the folding and unfolding switches function to operate the electric motor. Reference numeral
106
denotes a windshield. Designated by reference numeral
107
is a vehicle body.
As shown by the phantom line in (a) of
FIG. 9
, the upper part
102
of the roof
101
has a front end portion thereof connected to an upper part of the windshield
106
. The side parts
103
have lower end portions mounted on the vehicle body
107
. Likewise, the rear part
105
has a lower end portion thereof mounted on the vehicle body
107
.
When the folding switch is turned on with the roof
101
arranged as shown by the phantom line in (a) of
FIG. 9
, the electric motor operates.
Upon the operation of the electric motor, the upper part
102
is disconnected from the upper part of the windshield
106
, and then moves upwardly and rearwardly of the convertible
100
as shown by a solid line in (a) of FIG.
9
. During the upward and rearward movement of the upper part
102
, a bending portion
108
of the upper part
102
is bent. The side parts
103
subsequently commence to contract while bending a bending portion
111
of the rear window
104
of the rear part
105
.
As shown in (b) of
FIG. 9
, the bending portion
108
of the upper part
102
is further bent, whereby the upper part
102
moves more rearwardly. At this time, the side parts
103
further contract, and thus the bending portion
111
of the rear window
104
of the rear part
105
is also further bent. Therefore, the folding roof
101
is ultimately folded and housed in the vehicle body
107
, as shown in (c) of FIG.
9
.
When the unfolding switch is turned on with the roof
101
folded in the manner as stated above, the electric motor operates to unfold the roof
101
by reversing the sequence as described with reference to (a) through (c) of FIG.
9
.
However, when the unfolding switch is accidentally turned on with a rigid roof
112
attached to the vehicle body
107
, as shown by a phantom line in (c) of
FIG. 9
, and with the roof
101
folded and housed in the vehicle body
107
, the electric motor operates to unfold the folding roof
101
. In such a case, the electric motor may be overloaded and thereby fail.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle which includes an electric folding roof folded and housed in a vehicle body thereof and which is capable of inhibiting the electric folding roof from unfolding when a detachable rigid roof is attached to the vehicle body.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle which comprises a vehicle body, an electric folding roof housed in the vehicle body in a folded state, an electric motor being operable to unfold the folded electric folding roof, a rigid roof designed to be attached to the vehicle body when the electric folding roof is folded and housed in the vehicle body, and an inhibiting means for inhibiting an operation of the electric motor upon detection of the attachment of the rigid roof to the vehicle body.
By virtue of the inhibiting means, it becomes possible to prevent unfolding of the folded electric folding roof when the rigid roof is attached to the vehicle body. This leads to the advantage that failure of the motor can be prevented.
Desirably, the inhibiting means comprises a hardtop detecting switch for detecting the attachment of the rigid roof to the vehicle body and outputting a detection signal, and a control unit for controlling, on the basis of the detection signal fed from the hardtop detecting switch, the electric motor such that the motor does not operate.
Preferably, the hardtop detecting switch is designed to be turned on by the attachment of the rigid roof to the vehicle body.
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Hoshikawa Tsuguo
Odahara Jun
Shinoda Masanobu
Tanigawa Masahiro
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Merchant & Gould P. C.
Pape Joseph D.
Patel Kiran B.
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