Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roof structure
Patent
1990-09-25
1992-04-28
Pedder, Dennis H.
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roof structure
296216, B60J 700
Patent
active
051081474
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention is directed to a device for fastening a preformed rigid headliner to horizontal flanges of a roof frame surrounding the roof opening of a sliding or sliding/lifting roof construction by means of a clamping section which receives the edges of the flange and cut out portion in two grooves which are arranged one above the other, wherein the headliner comprises a cut out portion corresponding to the roof opening.
The term "headliner" designates all conventional frame constructions which enclose the roof cut out portion in the fixed vehicle roof and are fastened from below at the fixed vehicle roof. This includes one-piece frames which are molded from sheet metal, frames comprising a plurality of parts, and also frames in which the frame parts are combined with the guide rails of the roof construction to form a one-piece U-shaped guide frame.
In a known cable guide for motor vehicle roofs (DE-C232 21 487), a device of the generic type named in the beginning is utilized. The clamping section extending around the cut out portion in the headliner is constructed in the manner of a flexible piping which is placed on the flange of the roof frame as well as on the edge of the cut out portion in the headliner by its two parallel and horizontal grooves, which are arranged one above the other. The headliner is reliably fastened to the horizontal flange of the roof frame with this arrangement, but the clamping section is visible from the interior of the vehicle and therefore makes itself apparent in a disturbing manner. In particular, it is difficult to harmonize the color and/or surface structure of the visible surface of the headliner with that of the clamping section, since they both comprise different plastics materials which can only be matched in a very imperfect way with respect to color. In this way, the roof opening, i.e. the cut out portion in the headliner, is emphasized in a disadvantageous way by the distinct framing effect of the clamping section, which results in a disturbing interruption in the roof view from the interior of the vehicle, which roof view is otherwise uniform and covers a large surface area.
In another known motor vehicle roof (DE-GM 77 09 851), a clamping section which disturbs the roof view is not provided for fastening the rigid preformed headliner at the roof frame; however, the fastening of the headliner in this motor vehicle roof requires a vertical bent edge of the roof frame which is overlapped at its upper edge by a correspondingly upwardly bent edge which is formed on at the headliner, projects into the roof opening, and is arranged at the edge of the headliner cut out portion. But such a vertical bent edge is not present in many roof frames which, on the contrary, end toward the roof opening in horizontal flanges to which the headliner is fastened.
Proceeding from the generic type indicated in the beginning, the invention has the object of providing a device for fastening the headliner at the roof frame which is simple and does not stand out in a disturbing manner in the field of view.
The proposed object is met in that the grooves of the clamping section are open in opposite directions, in that the lower groove receives the edge of the flange and the upper groove receives the edge of the cut out portion, in that the edge of the cut out portion comprises, in a manner known per se (DE-GM 77 09 851), an upwardly directed edge which is formed on at the headliner and projects into the roof opening, and in that the edge of the cut out portion comprises an edge strip which adjoins the upwardly bent edge and is displaced toward the clamping section.
As a result of this arrangement, the clamping section is located outside the area of the vehicle body visible from the vehicle interior. The roof view has the appearance of a uniform surface and is not disturbed by framing effects. The fastening of the headliner at the clamping section is likewise located in the area of the roof construction that is not visible from the vehicle interior. The edge strip of the upwardly bent edge
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patent: 4815194 (1989-03-01), Lievesley
patent: 4923245 (1990-05-01), Kuwabara
patent: 5002334 (1991-03-01), Meiler et al.
Grimm Rainer
Schmidhuber Karl
Pedder Dennis H.
Rockwell - Golde GmbH
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