Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roof structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-15
2002-06-04
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roof structure
C296S223000, C296S107160
Reexamination Certificate
active
06398296
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a motor vehicle roof with a least one openable roof part which can be actuated by a drive motor and at least one temporarily stationary roof part which supports the openable roof part in its open position.
2. Description of Related Art
In one such motor vehicle roof known from DE 42 03 229 C2 and counterpart U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,388, an openable roof part in the nature of a sunroof panel can be moved while driving in guides of side members in the lengthwise direction of the motor vehicle into any of various open positions, and the side members are pivotably coupled to the rear roof part as a temporarily stationary roof part that is detachably connected to a front cross beam which runs above the windshield and can be pivoted onto the rear roof part after unlocking from the front cross beam. The entire motor vehicle roof including a rear window which is connected to the rear roof part can be lowered, to create a convertible-like roof opening, into a stowage space in the rear part of the motor vehicle by means of a complex mechanism which comprises several drives. In the front cross beam, there is an electric drive which effects unlocking of the side members from the cross beam, a second electric drive in the rear roof part undertakes displacement of the openable roof part and another electric drive which is likewise attached in the area of the rear roof part is used to pivot the side members. Furthermore, there is a hydraulic cylinder in the area of the rear motor vehicle side walls which provides for pivoting of the rear roof part together with the openable roof part which is held by the rear roof part, side members which are swung onto the rear roof part and rear columns (c-columns) on which the rear roof part rests on both sides.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the present invention is to devise a motor vehicle roof of the initially mentioned type which makes do without a complex actuation mechanism, which can be easily operated, and universally used.
This object is achieved in a motor vehicle roof with a least one openable roof part (e.g., a folding roof) which can be actuated by a drive motor and having at least one temporarily stationary roof part (e.g., a roof cassette) which supports the openable roof part in its open position, by the drive motor actuating the locking and/or unlocking of the temporarily stationary roof part with reference to an at least temporarily fixed roof part (e.g., B-columns).
By using the drive motor which is necessary anyway for the opening and closing motion of the openable roof part also for locking and/or unlocking of the one temporarily stationary roof part with reference to another at least temporarily fixed roof part, the complexity of the motor vehicle roof is reduced while maintaining its functionality.
The temporarily stationary roof part is preferably a rear roof part and the at least temporarily fixed roof part is especially side rear columns (B or C columns) of the motor vehicle.
To increase the operating reliability of the motor vehicle roof the openable roof part can be locked in the open position in the temporarily stationary roof part, locking of the openable roof part being actuated in the temporarily stationary roof part preferably by the drive motor.
The construction cost of the motor vehicle roof can be kept low if the drive motor is fixed on the temporarily stationary roof part.
In another embodiment of the invention, the rear roof part, as a temporarily stationary roof part, can be lowered after its unlocking from the at least temporarily fixed roof part, especially after unlocking from the rear columns (B or C columns). In doing so, the rear roof part can be lowered by means of a four-bar arrangement, preferably to such an extent that the top of the rear roof part comes to rest roughly at the height of the equator of the motor vehicle.
Alternatively to, or in combination with, the possibility of lowering the temporarily stationary roof part, it can also be provided that the temporarily stationary roof part after its unlocking from the at least temporarily fixed roof part is completely removed from the motor vehicle.
If also the rear columns of the motor vehicle are made lowerable, a convertible-like roof opening can be created without body parts which project upward above the vehicle equator in the rear area of the motor vehicle. To increase reliability, there can be automatic extension of the rear columns as soon as the electronic monitoring means records a threatening roll-over.
The drive motor which is used to actuate the opening and closing motion of the openable roof part and for actuating the locking and/or unlocking of the temporarily stationary roof part with reference to the at least temporarily fixed roof part can also be used to actuate the locking of the rear roof part in the lowered position and/or to release it from the lowered position. In particular, the drive motor actuates a closing device which is preferably fixed on the temporarily stationary roof part, and is used also not only for locking/unlocking of the temporarily stationary roof part with reference to the at least temporarily fixed roof part, but also with reference, for example, to the four-bar arrangement which controls the lowering motion of the temporarily stationary roof part. For this purpose there can be a thrust bearing which interacts with the closing device on the at least temporarily fixed roof part and on the four-bar arrangement.
The back part of the motor vehicle which comprises a rear window can be fixed on the rear roof part. If the rear roof part is made lowerable, the rear window is preferably made of a foldable plastic material.
If the bottom of the rear part of the motor vehicle which is fixed on the rear roof part can be placed against a rear door of the motor vehicle and can be folded upward, especially the accessibility to a stowage space placed in the area of the motor vehicle rear can be improved.
Side members which comprise guides in which the openable roof part is at least in part movably held between its open position and its closed position can extend between the rear roof part and the front cross beam which runs above the windshield on either side of the openable roof part, there. These side members, preferably, are detachably connected to the front cross beams and the side rear columns of the motor vehicle. Here, it is advantageous if the rear roof part is locked on the at least temporarily fixed roof part to move the guides of the side members into alignment with guides which are fixed in the open position for movable accommodation and support of the openable roof part in the rear roof part.
The openable roof part can be a roof part which can be opened while driving, such as a folding roof or a louvered roof of a fundamentally known type. It goes without saying that the within the framework of this invention as the openable roof part also a sliding roof or a sliding and lifting roof with one or more covers, preferably with two covers, can be used.
In the following, advantageous embodiments of the subject matter of the invention are explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5018784 (1991-05-01), Yokouchi et al.
patent: 5052747 (1991-10-01), Kubota et al.
patent: 5242210 (1993-09-01), Fujisawa et al.
patent: 5558388 (1996-09-01), Fürst et al.
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Pedder Dennis H.
Safran David S.
Webasto Vehicle Systems International GmbH
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