Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Let-down type top
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-03
2001-11-06
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Let-down type top
C296S107160, C296S107170, C296S107180, C296S107190, C296S116000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06312042
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a hardtop vehicle roof consisting of a forward room section, and a rearward roof section and a kinematic adjusting system for adjusting the roof sections between a closed position covering a vehicle interior and a deposited position opening up the vehicle interior, the kinematic adjusting system comprising a vehicle-fixed guide link and a guiding element operatively guided in the guide link and connected with a roof section.
DE 197 06 397 C1 discloses a hardtop for a convertible which has an upper forward roof section and a rearward rear roof section which can both be adjusted between a closed position and a deposited position opening up the vehicle interior in the upward direction. The transfer from the closed position into the deposited position and vice-versa takes place by way of a kinematic adjusting system which has a folding linkage acting upon the roof sections as well as a vehicle-side guide rod on which a guiding element of the folding linkage is slidingly disposed for transferring the roof sections into the closed and into the deposited position.
The linear translational movement of the guiding element on the slide rod is converted by way of the folding linkage into a rotational movement of the roof sections, whereby, in the deposited position, the roof sections take up a folded-together position. The moving space of the vehicle roof required during the adjusting movement is in this case significantly determined by the position of the slide rail in the vehicle body as well as the rotational movement of the roof sections. It should be taken into account that the required moving space for the vehicle roof should not impair the vehicle interior and must be guided around vehicle-fixed components and assemblies, such as headrests, which requires an approximately circular moving curve. For constructive reasons and for space reasons, however, the moving space and the moving curve of the vehicle roof should be kept as small as possible.
Another lowerable vehicle roof, which consists of a total of three rigid roof sections, is shown in DE 196 42 154 A1. The three roof sections are kinematically coupled to one another, the rearward and the center roof section being deposited in the same direction in the deposited position, and the forward roof section, in contrast, being folded together in the opposite direction. By way of a multi-articulation mechanism, the center roof section is coupled with the rearward roof section and can be displaced from a common roof plane, in which the roof sections are in the closed position, by actuating the articulation mechanism, parallel to the rearward roof section. During the transition from the closed into the deposited position, when the articulation mechanism is operated, the center roof section is swivelled along a circular path into the deposited position in which the center roof section is deposited approximately parallel to the rearward roof section. In order to be able to implement the swivelling movement of the center roof section with respect to the rearward roof section, a relatively large moving space is required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a lowerable hardtop vehicle roof which requires a minimum of depositing space and can be adjusted on a variably designable moving path between a closed and a deposited position.
According to the invention, this object has been achieved by a roof where a second guide link is provided which is held to be swivellable about a vehicle-fixed axis of rotation, and in that the guiding element connected with the roof section is slidingly guided in the first as well as in the second guide link.
According to the present invention, in addition to the vehicle-fixed first guide link, a second guide link is provided which, however, can be swivelled about a vehicle-fixed axis of rotation. One of the roof sections (normally the rearward roof section) is now slidingly guided in the first as well as the second guide link. Advantageously, as a function of the shape of the guide links as well as of the momentary relative position of the guide links with respect to one another, a high degree of mobility of the roof section can be implemented. As a result, also the moving path of the vehicle roof can be very flexibly adapted to the constructive situations. In addition to the higher flexibility during the transition between the closed into the deposited position, the advantage is achieved that the position of the depositing space for the vehicle roof can be determined in a flexible manner, thereby permitting an optimization of the available trunk space and of the space in the vehicle interior.
The combination of two guide links allows the implementation of a rotary swivelling movement and of a translational sliding movement, in which case the two types of movement can be carried out simultaneously as well as successively. Depending on the shape of the guide links, a freely selectable translational movement can be superimposed on a rotational movement.
In an expedient embodiment, the two guide links are arranged at an angle with respect to one another, whereby a supporting of the roof is achieved in any position of the vehicle roof between the closed and the deposited position. Thereby, an uncontrolled sliding-along into an end position with correspondingly high impact forces caused by the force of the weight is avoided, or at least can be reduced to such an extent that only low holding or guiding forces are required for the transition movement.
In a currently preferred embodiment, the vehicle-fixed first guide link has a partial-circle-shaped section which is expediently adjoined by a linear section. The partial-circle-shaped section advantageously is assigned to a first swivelling movement for opening the vehicle roof, and the linear section is assigned to the subsequent transition of the vehicle roof into the depositing space. The relative position of the second swivellable guide link, in any possible angular position of the second guide link, encloses an angle with the first vehicle-fixed guide link, in which case the vehicle-fixed swivelling axis of the swivellable second guide link preferably coincides with the center point of the partial-circle-shaped section of the vehicle-fixed first link. As a result, the present invention achieves the advantage that the guiding element of the roof section, which is slidingly guided in the two guide links, at least in the area of the partial-circle-shaped section, carries out an exclusive swivelling movement without a translational component. Correspondingly, the roof section connected with the guiding element also carries out an exclusive rotational movement in this section, the axis of rotation of the roof section coinciding with the axis of rotation of the swivellable second guide link.
In the adjoining linear section of the first guide link, mainly a translational movement of the guiding element and of the pertaining roof section is carried out, on which, however, a rotatory component is expediently superimposed. The translational component of the movement is used particularly for the transition of the roof into the depositing space.
By way of the shape particularly of the vehicle-fixed first guide link, virtually any arbitrary movement of the vehicle roof can be implemented. The angular arrangement of the second guide link with respect to the first guide link ensures a transition by means of low adjusting forces.
Between the forward and the rearward roof section, an a articulated connection is advantageously provided by way of which a relative movement of the forward roof section which respect to the rearward roof section can be carried out in order to achieve a closely folded-together position in the deposited state. The articulated connection is preferably constructed as a four-bar kinematic system and permits the transition of the forward roof section into an approximately parallel position which is disposed directly in front of the rearward roof section and in
Halbweiss Thomas
Klein Berthold
Wezyk Wojciech
Crowell & Moring LLP
CTS Fahrzeug - Dachsysteme GmbH
Pape Joseph D.
Patel Kiran B.
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