Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roof structure
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-07
2003-06-03
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roof structure
Reexamination Certificate
active
06572184
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an operational control for a motor vehicle roof which can be opened by motor over different intermediate stages with at least one rotary switch, and operating positions which are located around the rotary switch and which signal the respective stage.
2. Description of the Related Art
One example of an operational control for a motor vehicle is disclosed in German patent DE 44 11 388 C1 which is used to control a complex, openable motor vehicle roof. The roof comprises a second cover, columns and cover elements which are all adjustable by means of separate drives, via a rotary switch during a rotary motion, in various peripheral areas for approaching predetermined opening stages, including an opening stage in which the motor vehicle is a completely open convertible. This control for actuating a complex motor vehicle roof allows comfortable, one-handed operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide an operational control for a limited number of roof elements of an openable roof, including a blind for a transparent or translucent cover, which ensures comfortable, one-handed operation of all components.
The above object and other objects are achieved by providing an operational control for a motor vehicle roof openable by motor over different intermediate stages, the motor vehicle roof including a motorized blind and successive roof components, including a wind deflector louver, a cover and a rear window, which can be actuated by means of separate drives so as to approach predetermined opening stages, wherein the motorized blind is located under the cover. The operational control comprises at least one rotary switch with operating positions located around the rotary switch for signaling respective opening stages. The rotary switch is capable of a rotary motion for actuating the separate drives and includes a pushbutton which operates as a rocker for manual control of the motorized blind only when the motor vehicle roof is completely closed and operable to open the motorized blind both before a raising of the wind deflector louver and before movement of at least one of the cover and the rear window in an opening direction. The invention is also directed to a motor vehicle roof in combination with the operational control of the present invention.
Reliable operation of relatively few roof elements, specifically a wind deflector louver, cover and rear window, of an openable motor vehicle roof is ensured by the present invention. In addition, reliable operability of a blind, free of problems and damage, is achieved in that the pushbutton contained in the rotary switch is used for manual control of the motorized blind which is located under the transparent or translucent cover. The pushbutton allows control by permitting the blind to be optionally moved by the motor only with the motor vehicle roof completely opened and completely wound up before raising the wind deflector louver and before moving the cover and the rear window. This design, on the one hand, yields motorized blind control without problems with the motor vehicle roof closed and, on the other hand, by promptly winding up the blind, prevents it being exposed to the wind load with the motor vehicle roof opened or partially opened.
Advantageously, the push button can be provided with another roof control function. Thus, according to one advantageous development of the invention, it is provided that, in the open position of the motor vehicle roof, a quick closing or central closing function for an overall closing process of all components of the motor vehicle roof is assigned to the pushbutton.
Two advantageous versions of the operational control are possible. According to a first version in which the rotary switch during rotary motion activates in succession the individual drives for the roof elements in various peripheral areas for approaching predetermined opening positions of the motor vehicle roof, it is provided that the rotary switch, between the peripheral area for actuating the wind deflector louver and cover and the peripheral area for actuating the rear window, has a neutral position in which the blind can be manually moved by means of the pushbutton.
According to a second version, two concentric rotary switches are used, by which an inner rotary switch contains a pushbutton for control of the blind, wherein one of the two rotary switches is used for actuating the wind deflector louver and the cover and the other rotary switch is used to actuate the rear window. The blind can be actuated manually via the pushbutton only when the inner and the outer rotary switch both assume a neutral position which corresponds to the completely closed motor vehicle roof. In this version of two concentric rotary switches, a stationary ring is positioned advantageously between the two rotary disks and bears symbols for indicating the operating positions, for example, in the form of pictograms. In this design of the operational control with two concentric rotary switches, a quick closing function can be implemented for manually closing the motor vehicle roof, for example, by turning the rotary switch or the two rotary switches beyond the neutral positions.
The rotary switches preferably have catch positions in order to be able to repeatedly trigger predetermined opening positions of the motor vehicle roof in a concerted manner.
When several drives are triggered in combination for actuation of the respective roof elements and of the blind, various strategies can be used. For example, there can be evaluation of the operational control by several controls at the same time. Certain operating positions are logically assigned to only one drive so that the respective control decides for itself alone whether it is possible to react to a control request. Alternatively, evaluation of the operational control by a single control and relay of movement requests to other controls follow. Depending on the position of the operational control, the individual drives are triggered in a suitable sequence from the main control. Moreover, it can be provided that some special operating positions control either one drive or the other for the roof elements, depending on the situation.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5331260 (1994-07-01), Ahmed
patent: 5372401 (1994-12-01), Odoi et al.
patent: 5749617 (1998-05-01), Weissrich et al.
patent: 5961177 (1999-10-01), Caye et al.
patent: 6409261 (2002-06-01), Lindinger et al.
patent: 44 11 388 (1995-05-01), None
patent: 198 12 528 (1999-09-01), None
patent: 199 08 253 (2000-09-01), None
Bauer Bernd
Schwanitz Günther
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Pedder Dennis H.
Safran David S.
Webasto Vehicle Systems International GmbH
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