Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Cover
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-18
2004-11-30
Coletta, Lori L. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Cover
C296S107080, C296S076000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06824194
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a convertible with a roof which can be stowed in the rear region of the vehicle below a lid.
The DE 197 56 062 C1 discloses a convertible with a lid part, which can be opened and closed, on the one hand, for unblocking an opening adjacent to its front end region for the passage of the roof and, on the other, for unblocking an opening for luggage, adjacent to its rear end region. In the opened position of the roof, the lid part covers the roof. The lid part is held by means of an auxiliary frame, which is hinged in the rear region of the body of the vehicle and, in the region, which is the front end region in the direction of travel, is connected over a multiple joint with the lid part. While the lid part is being opened in order to unblock the opening for accommodating luggage, the multiple joint opens up, so that a swiveling motion of the lid part results in an opening sense enclosing an obtuse angle with the driving direction. Due to the opening of the multiple joint, an upward motion of the front end region of the lid part also takes place simultaneously during this opening process. When the lid part is opened to unblock the opening for the passage of the roof, the multiple joint in one example is locked by a lock. In a further example, the locking can be canceled, since a defined motion of the multiple joint is possible over a crankshaft drive. While the roof is being opened, the multiple joint changes over from an extended position into a retracted position, so that the lid part lies flat against the auxiliary frame. Since the lid part, during the opening process in the last-mentioned sense, swivels about a rear hinge in the region of the upper edge of the bumper, the auxiliary frame must be disposed fairly far to the rear, in order to avoid that the lid part and the auxiliary frame tilt mutually towards one another. As a result, the hinge point of the auxiliary frame must be placed as an unfavorable position, since this area should remain for the taillights.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to improve a convertible with regard to the opening kinematics of the lid part.
With the inventive setting up or opening of the multiple joint when opening the lid part for unblocking the opening for the passage of the roof, the vertical distance between the auxiliary frame and the lid part is increased during the opening process. With that, a short lateral arm of the auxiliary frame can be formed, which is extended essentially in the vertical direction by the setting up of the multiple joint when the opening for the passage of the roof is unblocked. Because of the shortness of the lateral arm of the auxiliary frame, its mounting can be shifted towards the front from the rear region. With that, the space for the taillights does not become restricted. Their accessibility, as well as the trunk in this region, are fully maintained.
If the multiple joint comprises at least two coupled partial joints, one of which is assigned to the auxiliary frame and the other to the lid part, these partial joints can mutually effect one another by the movement of the auxiliary frame and, during the opening process of the lid part for unblocking an opening for the passage of the roof, be transferred as a whole into a stand-up motion, the lower partial joint, due to the driven motion of the auxiliary frame over the coupling part, bringing about the standing up of the upper partial joint. There is a defined stand-up motion of the upper partial joint, which makes do without further driving or guiding aids.
When the partial joints are connected with one another over a coupling body, which is freely moveable outside of its connection to these, no further installation is required for these at the car body. If, for example, the partial joints are constructed in each case as quadruple joints, the installation at the vehicle is limited to fixing two joint points of the lower partial joint to the car body and fixing two joint points of the upper partial joint to the lid part. The installation work therefore is not greater than that for a simple quadruple joint.
In the version of the multiple joint, which is to be opened as a whole, the multiple joint preferably is a quadruple joint, two joint points being assigned to the lid part and two to the auxiliary frame. The joint points, assigned to the auxiliary frame and the lid part, can then be connected with one another over guide rods, which, in the opening position, bridge the distance between the auxiliary frame and the lid part. In the closed position, these guide rods are aligned essentially horizontally and parallel to the side arms of the auxiliary frame, so that they can be held in the side area without reducing the capacity of the trunk to an extent worth mentioning.
Further advantages and details arise out of the examples of the object of the invention, which are described below and shown in the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5823606 (1998-10-01), Schenk et al.
patent: 6010178 (2000-01-01), Hahn et al.
patent: 6193300 (2001-02-01), Nakatomi et al.
patent: 6270144 (2001-08-01), Schenk
patent: 6318792 (2001-11-01), Neubrand et al.
patent: 6352298 (2002-03-01), Hayashi et al.
patent: 6419294 (2002-07-01), Neubrand
Heselhaus Udo
Weissmueller Olaf
Coletta Lori L.
Jordan and Hamburg LLP
Wilhelm Karmann GmbH
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