Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Let-down type top
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-06
2002-08-13
Patel, Kiran B. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Let-down type top
C296S108000, C296S107170
Reexamination Certificate
active
06431636
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a convertible vehicle roof and to a convertible vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
Gennan Patent DE 44 35 222 C1 discloses a vehicle roof having a front roof part and a rear roof part or rear element. The front roof part, which can be locked to the cowl via roof links which are articulated in a manner such that they can pivot, is articulated in a manner such that it can swing on the vehicle body by means of a pivot lever. The rear roof part adjoins the front roof part to the rear and sits in a sealing manner on a folding-top compartment flap which forms a transition to the trunk. The rear roof part is mounted in a manner such that it can be moved via a pivot lever which is mounted on the vehicle body, can be swung by means of a hydraulic cylinder and is coupled via a further hydraulic cylinder to the rear roof part at a rear articulation point of the roof part. The rear roof part is also mounted such that it can be moved by an additional hydraulic cylinder and a telescopic guide which is parallel thereto, the hydraulic cylinder and telescopic guide being fastened at one end to the pivot lever and engaged at the other end on a front articulation point on the rear roof part. The rear roof part is mounted movably in such a manner that it can be raised from the folding-top compartment flap and out of its closed position, by the lever and hydraulic cylinder devices being pivoted and actuated, and can be swung forwards over the front roof part. After the rear roof part has been locked to the front roof part and the roof link has been unlocked, actuation of the lever and hydraulic cylinder devices causes the front roof part to be swung as a unit to the rear together with the rear roof part into a stowage space and to be put away horizontally therein. The front roof part moves in accordance with the guidance provided by its pivot link and by the lever and hydraulic cylinder devices of the rear roof part. However, this horizontal storage of the front roof part and of the rear roof part requires a large stowage space which reaches right into the trunk and reduces the size of the latter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle roof for a convertible vehicle, the roof comprising at least one front roof part and at least one rear roof part, the front roof part being supported by means of a pivot-bearing device which is mounted displaceably on a guide device, the guide device, in use, being fixed on a vehicle such that, during the opening and putting away of the front roof part, the pivot-bearing device moves along the guide device, and in the process, lowers the front roof part into a roof storage space of the vehicle.
In the preferred embodiment, the front roof part is brought by a swinging movement into a position from which the front roof part is lowered and inserted into the roof storage space by a displacing movement. In comparison with a swinging movement, the displacement of the front roof part into a comparatively narrow roof storage space can be designed as a sequence of movements which can be executed in a simple manner. The front roof part may comprise two or more elements which, in turn, can be moved relative to one another.
In a particularly preferred arrangement, the front roof part, when being lowered into the roof storage space, is arranged in an obliquely set or substantially vertical position. In the preferred embodiment, in the storage position, the front edge of the front roof part points upwards and the rear edge is arranged above the roof storage space or is already pivoted into the latter. The front roof part is therefore set upright with respect to the direction of travel, with the inside of the front roof part pointing forwards.
According to a preferred arrangement, the roof storage space extends downwards behind the seats. In the case of a two-seater cabriolet, the space behind the driver's and front-passenger's seat is therefore used as the roof storage space, said space running downwards and obliquely forwards from the opening on the top side in accordance with the inclination of the rear seat backs. This arrangement of the put-away vehicle roof is particularly saving of space in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and therefore the volume of the customary trunk is not restricted. Furthermore, the approximately vertical orientation of the put-away vehicle roof in the substantially vertical roof storage space means that a useful space which is optionally provided directly behind the seats remains accessible from above even when the vehicle roof has been put away. In the case of a vehicle having a second, rear seat row, the roof storage space can be arranged in a corresponding manner behind the rear seat row.
The pivot-bearing device supporting the front roof part may comprise a multibar mechanism, and in particular a four-bar mechanism, which is mounted displaceably on the guide device. A four-bar or other multi-bar mechanism enables a certain course of movement to be set for the swinging of the front roof part. Thus, for example, a rear edge of the front roof part can be lowered in a manner deviating from a circular path and, for example, can be moved in front of the roof rear part which has already been lowered into the roof storage space. A four-bar mechanism of this type is arranged on the right-hand side and on the left-hand side of the vehicle or vehicle roof. A seven-bar mechanism may be used.
In one preferred embodiment, the pivot-bearing device and the multi-bar mechanism is mounted on a slide which is mounted displaceably on the guide device. The slide forms a base which can be mounted in a play-free manner on the guide device and can be fixed on the guide device in any desired position in order to set intermediate positions of the front roof part during the opening or closing process.
The guide device may have a linear guide rail. On the other hand, a curved guide rail may be provided in which the slide can be moved and, by means of its change in inclination with regard to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, also confers on the front roof part a corresponding pivoting movement to accompany the introducing movement into the roof storage space. In one arrangement, the guide rail is arranged substantially parallel to an oblique position of a seat back. This results in a particularly economical storage of the front roof part in terms of space.
The rear roof part may be mounted in a manner such that it can pivot about a transverse axis which is fixed on the vehicle and runs in particular in the region of an upper section of the guide device or guide rail. The exact position of the transverse pivot axis is determined in particular by the space required for putting the rear roof part away into the roof storage space and by the size of the rear roof part. Even if pivoting about a transverse axis fixed on the vehicle body is preferred, which transverse axis can be provided by a simply constructed pivot bearing, the rear roof part may also be lowered into the roof storage space by means of linear and/or curved displacing movements which can be combined with a pivoting movement.
The course of movement for opening and for closing the vehicle roof and for putting the roof parts away into the roof storage space and for removing them from the roof storage space can be resolved in different ways. For example, pivot-bearing devices for the front roof part and the rear roof part may be arranged in such a manner that, in order to completely open the vehicle roof, first of all, the rear roof part is swung at least partially into the roof storage space and subsequently, or partly at the same time, the front roof part is swung in front of the rear roof part and is retracted downwards into the roof storage space.
By way of another example, pivot-bearing devices for the front roof part and the rear roof part may be arranged in such a manner that, when the vehicle roof is opened, first of all the front
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Patel Kiran B.
Safran David S.
Webasto Vehicle Systems International GmbH
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