Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roof structure
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-03
2003-11-25
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roof structure
C296S216010, C296S216040
Reexamination Certificate
active
06652023
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an open roof construction for a vehicle, having a roof opening formed in the roof of the vehicle and comprising at least one closure element, which is movable along a guide between a position in which it closes the roof opening and a position in which it releases the roof opening, wherein a driving mechanism is used for the closure element, which driving mechanism comprises a driving source and at least one driving element which couples said driving source to said closure element, which closure element can be locked in at least one position with respect to said guide, whilst the driving element can be disconnected from said closure element in said position and be moved with respect thereto for the purpose of driving another element that forms part of the open roof construction.
Examples of prior art open roof constructions of this type are to be found in, for example, German Offenlegungsschrift Nos. 3424334 and 19654558 and in U.S Pat. No. 4,974,902.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to further improve an open roof construction of the present type.
In order to accomplish that objective, the open roof construction includes a coupling arm present between said closure element and said driving element, which coupling arm is pivotally connected to said closure element with one end and which engages said driving element with its other end, in such a manner that the coupling arm, in a first pivoted position thereof, is substantially rigidly connected to the driving element, whilst in a second pivoted position of the coupling arm the closure element is on the one hand fixed in position with respect to said guide, whilst on the other hand the driving element becomes movable with respect to the coupling arm and the closure element.
In this way an effective, reliable construction is provided, by means of which the driving element is given an additional driving function.
It is noted that a variant wherein the coupling arm is pivotally connected to the driving element with one end and engages the closure element with its other end merely constitutes a kinematic reversal and consequently falls within the scope of the present invention as well.
In an advantageous embodiment of the open roof construction according to the invention, the selective movability of the coupling arm with respect to the driving element is effected in that the driving element includes a slide provided with an elongated groove, in which a slide block which is connected to the coupling arm is accommodated, wherein the groove and the slide block are so designed that movement of the slide block within said groove is not possible in the first pivoted position of the coupling arm, whereas such movement is possible indeed in the second pivoted position.
The coupling arm can be moved to its first and its second pivoted position in an advantageous manner in that the coupling arm carries a locking projection, which is moved through said guide for the purpose of defining said first pivoted position, and which is capable of engaging in a locking recess in the fixed roof construction of the vehicle, for example in said guide, in said second pivoted position so as to fix the closure element with respect to the guide, wherein the groove of said slide comprises a straight first portion having straight walls, which extends substantially parallel to said guide, and an adjoining second portion having sloping walls, which includes an angle with said straight portion, wherein the slide block is adapted or shaped, for example in a diamond-shaped, to be present in said second groove portion in the first pivoted position of the coupling arm, being rigidly connected to the slide by the sloping walls thereof, and wherein said slide block is positioned in said first groove portion in said second pivoted position, in which position it is capable of movement between the straight walls thereof.
When the locking projection of the coupling arm is being moved through the guide, the slide block is positioned in the second groove portion. In this position, the driving force that is exerted by the driving element can be transmitted to the slide block via the sloping walls, and consequently to the closure element via the coupling arm. In this manner, the driving element is connected to the closure element.
The sloping groove walls exert a force component on the slide block, which attempts to move the slide block out of the second groove portion. The co-operation between the locking projection and the guide prevents such movement of the slide block and the resulting pivoting movement of the coupling arm, however. When the locking projection reaches the aforesaid locking recess in the fixed roof construction, for example in the guide, however, said force component will cause the slide block to move, whereby the locking projection will engage in said locking recess. On the one hand, this will cause the coupling arm, and thus also the closure element, to be fixed in position with respect to the fixed roof construction. In addition, however, the slide block will move from the second groove portion to the first groove portion, thus enabling the slide to move with respect to the slide block. The slide block thus moves into the first groove portion.
Herein before it has been described how the closure element can be locked in at least one position, whilst the driving element can be disconnected from the closure element in that position. It is also possible, however, to achieve a comparable effect in yet another position of the closure element. In such a case the coupling arm can also take up a third pivoted position, in which movement of the driving element with respect to the coupling arm and the closure element becomes possible, and in which position the direction of the movement of the driving element on the one hand and the coupling arm and the closure element on the other hand with respect to each other is opposed to the direction of the relative movement of said parts in the second pivoted position.
This can be effected, for example, in that the groove comprises two straight groove portions adjoining the second groove portion on opposite sides thereof, wherein the slide block of the coupling arm is present in one straight groove portion in its second pivoted position, whilst it is present in the other straight groove portion in its third pivoted position. Preferably, the coupling arm will furthermore carry a second locking projection in such a case, which mates with an additional locking recess in the fixed roof construction in an similar manner.
In a practical embodiment of the open roof construction according to the invention, a second closure element is used, which can be driven together with the first closure element by the driving element, and which, in the position in which the first closure element is locked in position with respect to the guide, can be moved with respect to the first closure element by the driving element, which is likewise movable with respect to the first closure element in that position. Thus the two closure elements may first be moved to the position in which they close the roof opening, for example, after which the second closure element is moved back slightly with respect to the first closure element, in order to form an opening between the two closure elements, for example for the purpose of obtaining pressure equalization.
Such a manner of driving the second closure element with respect to the first closure element can be effected, for example, when the driving element is returned to said second closure element, to which it is connected, in a looped path through said first closure element. As long as the coupling arm is in its first pivoted position and the driving element is connected to said first closure element, the driving element and the first closure element will not move with respect to each other, and neither will the first and second closure elements, therefore. When the coupling arm has left its first pivoted position and the dri
Boersma Egbert
Johannes Manders Peter Christiaan Leonardus
Coletta Lori L
Inalfa Roof Systems Group B.V.
Koehler S.
Pape Joseph D.
Westman Champlin & Kelly P.A.
LandOfFree
Open roof construction for a vehicle does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Open roof construction for a vehicle, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Open roof construction for a vehicle will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3184987