Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roof structure
Reexamination Certificate
2003-03-03
2004-09-07
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roof structure
C296S147000, C296S146140
Reexamination Certificate
active
06786539
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a motor vehicle, especially a limousine, sedan or coupe, with a vehicle roof with a sequence of cover elements which are guided on roof-mounted guides for selective closing or at least partial clearance of a roof opening in the vehicle roof, and the cover elements can be swung out and are located stacked in their swung-out position on the back end of the roof opening for complete clearance of the roof opening.
2. Description of the Related Art
Published European Patent Application EP 0 591 644 B1 discloses a motor vehicle roof with a sequence of louvers which are intended for selective closing or at least partial clearance of a roof opening in the vehicle roof and are guided on roof-mounted guides. When the louvered roof is opened the louvers are moved to under the fixed roof part which adjoins the roof opening to the rear and are located stacked there in the stored position. One version calls for the louvers to be horizontally aligned and spaced apart from one another from the rear window. The roof opening thus has the conventional size in the fixed roof surface.
Published European Patent Application EP 0 922 384 A2 discloses a motor vehicle in which between the lateral lengthwise roof members of a continuous rear roof a front roof part and a rear roof part are movably supported in order to selectively close a large roof opening or at least partially clear it. The two roof parts can be pushed to the rear onto a continuous rear window frame on top of one another and together with the continuous rear window frame which contains a rear window, they are swung around a transverse pivot axis into a lowered position into the vehicle interior so that a large roof opening in the manner of a semi- or quasi-cabaret is formed. The roof parts and the continuous rear window frame however require a large storage space within the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to devise a motor vehicle of the initially mentioned type with a vehicle roof which has a clearable roof opening that is as large as possible and which requires as little storage space as possible, or none at all, for the lowered cover elements in the motor vehicle or in the trunk.
This object is achieved in accordance with the invention in the aforementioned motor vehicle in that the roof opening extends as far as the rear trunk lid. While in the initially mentioned motor vehicle roofs either a fixed rear window is located in the fixed roof structure or a rear window in its entirety is removed from the roof opening, as a result of its size, however, the window represents a part which requires a large storage space and which is very unwieldy when lowered, the roof elements which are formed to be comparatively short in the lengthwise direction of the vehicle, in their raised stacked arrangement can be deposited on the back end of the roof opening without storage space in the trunk or in the stowage space behind the seats and under a hat rack being required. The cleared roof opening, which extends into the area of the trunk lid, yields a cabaret-like motor vehicle which still has the advantages of increased safety due to the lateral lengthwise roof members. The roof opening extends as far as the trunk lid, the term trunk lid being defined as any body part which is located at the top on the vehicle rear, such as, for example, the cover of the engine compartment of a motor vehicle with a rear-mounted engine or also a fixed, flat outside body part.
The cover elements are feasibly louvers of a louvered roof and at least the rear louvers are transparent and form a transparent roof section in the manner of a rear window. The louvers are especially glass louvers.
The roof-mounted guides can be located directly on body-mounted lengthwise roof members which laterally border the roof opening. Alternatively, the cover elements or louvers can be supported on the guides of an insert frame which is located laterally on the lengthwise roof members. In this way, the prefabricated louvered roof can be mounted with low installation effort on the motor vehicle roof.
Such an insert frame of the louvered roof then also contains the bearing means for the louvers and a drive means for moving the louvers.
To increase the strength and stiffness of the insert frame, and thus also of the roof structure, the frame can have a transverse link or transverse bracing which is located between its front end and its back end. At least one sunshade can be located on this cross connection. The cross connection is feasibly located above the head area of the back seat passengers.
For water management on the louvered roof, at least one gutter is formed, preferably on the insert frame.
One embodiment of the motor vehicle is explained in detail below with reference to the drawings.
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Nixon & Peabody LLP
Pedder Dennis H.
Safran David S.
Webasto Vehicle Systems International GmbH
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