Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Let-down type top
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-29
2003-11-04
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Let-down type top
C296S107070, C296S107170, C296S154000, C296S146140
Reexamination Certificate
active
06641202
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a drainage arrangement for a folding roof of a hard-top vehicle having a front roof part that can be moved into a storage position within a rear luggage compartment with the aid of lateral and pivotable roof pillars, and a rear window that can be pivoted relative to the roof pillars during transfer to the storage position. A water-guiding channel is provided on the lower side of the rear window, and in the closed position of the roof, the channel extends underneath the luggage-compartment cover and is connected to a flexible hose for water drainage.
An apparatus for storing the roof structure of a hard-top vehicle is disclosed in German patent document DE 197 51 660 C1. This roof arrangement addresses the proposition that too much space is wasted in the rear area, especially in the luggage compartment, if the front roof part and the rear roof part are pivoted about a main center of rotation in such a way that they are deposited in the rear area with their curvatures facing in opposite directions. The rear window has therefore been decoupled from the rear roof part and provided with its own frame. The frame and the rear window are then pivoted independently of the front roof part and the roof pillars (C pillars) about a center of rotation on the C pillars in such a way that they can be deposited in the rear area in the same sense as or in the same direction of curvature relative to the front roof part. As a result, the deposited roof takes up significantly less of the volume of the luggage compartment. However, German patent document DE 197 51 660 C1 does not address the question of how adequate sealing and drainage is to be accomplished in such a roof arrangement.
German patent document DE 195 02 325 C2, on the other hand, discloses a drainage arrangement of the generic type stated at the outset. There, the rear window is held by means of a frame, which forms a water-guiding channel at the bottom edge of the rear window. This water-guiding channel is arranged and designed in such a way that, with the folding roof closed, it is below a water-guiding channel arranged on the lower edge region of the C pillars. At its base, this water-guiding channel associated with the C pillars is provided with a through opening, allowing water to pass into the rear window's water-guiding channel situated below it. In turn, the latter channel is provided with a drainage opening and a drainage hose leading to the wheel arch in the area of connection to the C pillar. A solution of this kind with a drainage hose on a water-guiding channel connected to the rear window cannot be implemented on a folding roof of the type such as disclosed in German patent document DE 197 51 660 C1, where the rear window and the roof pillars (C pillars) are deposited in the area of the luggage compartment with their curvatures facing in the same direction.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a drainage arrangement for a folding roof of the type stated above which can is effective even when the vehicle has been parked in a slanting position, e.g., when it has been parked partially on the pavement.
This and other objects and advantages are achieved by the drainage arrangement according to the invention, in which the water-guiding channel is provided in a seal associated with the rear window and opens in the area of each of the roof pillars into a collecting trough that is part of the sealing system of the roof pillars (or that part of the rear roof that lies outside the rear window). The collecting trough is connected by the flexible hose to the moisture space of one of the vehicle side windows.
This configuration makes it possible to transfer water drained off from the roof into an area which is provided in a known manner, with a drainage space. The use of a flexible connecting hose, in particular one designed as a type of corrugated hose, offers the advantage that the hose can follow the movement of the lateral roof pillars without problems and thus effects the drainage of water from the lowest point of the roof, i.e., the point where the collecting trough is arranged. In the stored position of the roof, the hose can fold up without buckling, especially if it is designed as a corrugated hose, and therefore remains as a connecting piece to the moisture space of the side window and the drainage channel associated with this space, even in the folded-up stored position of the roof.
According to a feature of the invention, the water-guiding channel can be formed between two parallel sealing beads, which are in alignment with corresponding beads of a second seal associated with the bottom edge of the roof pillars or with the lateral parts of the rear roof that are formed by these.
In a further refinement, the beads of the two seals can adjoin one another by means of joints that are arranged offset relative to one another when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the respective seal. By virtue of this configuration in the lower rear area, where water flowing off accumulates due to the lack of a gradient, water that enters, for example, via the joint of the main seal, when the vehicle is being cleaned with a high-pressure cleaner, for example, can spread out uniformly in the water-guiding channel situated underneath, and then be drained off.
In this configuration, the joint of the bead situated closer to the rear window can project farther into the area of the roof pillar or rear roof than the joint of the second bead. The effect of this configuration is that the joint surface of the main seal on the first bead is not in the critical corner area. As a result, largely homogeneous sealing planes can be produced.
Finally, according to another feature of the invention, the joints can be cut obliquely, ensuring that they rest properly one on top of the other when the roof is closed and, moreover, can also be used to compensate for tolerances in the Y direction.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Graf Thomas
Wacker Uwe
Crowell & Moring LLP
Daimler-Chrysler AG
Gutman H.
Pedder Dennis H.
LandOfFree
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