Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roof structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-19
2003-01-07
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roof structure
Reexamination Certificate
active
06502898
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This application claims the priority of 199 27 654.4, filed Jun. 17, 1999, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a lamella roof for a roof opening of a motor vehicle having at least two lamellae which can be fixed to the roof and, guided on rails, can be moved, via a guide mechanism, between a closed position, in which they are arranged in a composite sheet-like arrangement covering the roof opening, and an open position.
Lamella roofs are known, for example, as seen in DE 197 20 822 C1 and comprise a plurality of lamellae which extend transversely to the direction of travel and, with the roof closed, form a sheet-like, closed composite lamella arrangement. If the lamella roof is opened, then the lamellae are moved together at the rear end of the roof opening, as seen in the direction of travel; to be more precise they are positioned obliquely upward in the rearward direction such that they partially overlap one another in a layered manner. In the region of their mutually adjacent edges, running transversely to the direction of travel, successive lamellae in each case are connected to a common guide carriage.
Of these lamellae, the rear lamella, as seen in the closing direction of the roof and thus usually also the direction of travel of the vehicle, can be pivoted, in its front border region, about a pin which is fixed in relation to the guide carriage. The front lamella, as seen in the closing direction, is guided, in its rear border region, via a control rocker which can be extended and, in the extended position, raises the rear lamella end. The lamella is pivoted about the associated fixed pin which is assigned to the upstream guide carriage, as seen in the closing direction. If the lamella is displaced in the opening direction via the extended control rocker, then it overlaps the correspondingly positioned downstream lamella.
With the roof closed, in the known solution, the respective lamella carrier is supported against the control rocker, which guides the carrier at its rear end, as seen in the closing direction. The control rocker is assigned, as a securing means and additional blocking element, a safety catch which, in a hammer-shaped configuration, in the region of its handle, is mounted on the control rocker and, in the region of its head, on the one hand is supported on the bearing bracket of the guide carriage. The bracket receives the pivot pin for the control rocker, and, on the other hand, with the lamella closed, overlaps the latter in the stop region against the control rocker.
The longitudinal displacement of the lamella assembly in the opening direction with the opening out of the rear lamella, as seen in the closing direction, via a separate opening-out guide results in an opening-out operation of the lamellae which run onto the rear lamella if the control rocker, which is pressure-loaded and/or spring-loaded in the opening-out direction, loses in each case its guide bearing in relation to a guide rail by latching into a rail-side receiving unit and the hammer-shaped safety catch releases the displacement. This results from the fact that the safety catch, during pivoting of the control rocker, changes its position in relation to the bearing bracket as guide surface and in relation to that end of the lamella carrier which supports the control rocker. With the control rocker running into its functional end position, the safety catch releases the longitudinal displacement in the direction of the already opened-out, upstream lamella, as seen in the opening direction.
As a result of the space conditions given in the case of lamella roofs for motor vehicles, the hammer-shaped safety catch is of a comparatively intricate design which, as far as the sought-after functions are concerned, also has to have high processing accuracy in relation to the associated guide surfaces. It is necessary, in addition, for relatively high forces to be controlled reliably. In addition, the multiplicity of functional parts entail high production requirements and the risk of greater tolerances. This is aggravated by the fact that the sought-after, gradual opening out of the lamellae is achieved, via the assignment to certain rail positions, that is to say to parts which are independent in relation to the respective guide carriage, and is also controlled independently for each lamella. In addition, the tie to certain rail positions limits the possible variations of a lamella roof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a control for a lamella-roof structure which is easier to produce, does not restrict the possible variations of a lamella roof and, while being of space-saving construction, provides a favorable distribution of the respective functions in relation to opening and closing of the lamella roof. Nevertheless, the lamella roof is to be locked securely in the respectively adjusted positions.
This has been achieved according to the invention by positive coupling between the control rocker and the rear lamella carrier, as seen in the closing direction.
This positive coupling is provided in the opening direction of the lamella carrier, guided by the control rocker, but preferably in the opening and closing directions and over the entire pivoting path in each case. For this purpose, the pivot pin assigned to a guide carriage is preferably positioned such that these pivot pins for the control rocker of the front lamella, as seen in the closing direction, and for the lamella carrier of the rear lamella, as seen in the closing direction, are located in each case adjacent to the other lamella. As a result, the pivot pin assigned to the control rocker and provided on the guide carriage is offset in the opening direction of the roof in relation to the fixed pivot pin assigned to the same control carriage, and belonging to the downstream lamella carrier, as seen in the closing direction, which follows in the opening direction.
Starting from the pivot pins, with opposite directions of extent, there is overlapping between the control rocker, on one hand, and the lamella carrier, on the other hand, in the region between the pins thereof which are provided on the same guide carriage. This makes it possible, in a particularly straightforward manner, for the pivoting movements of the rear lamella carrier, as seen in the closing direction, which can be pivoted about its fixed pin, to be converted synchronously, during opening of the roof, into corresponding pivoting movements of the control rocker.
All that is necessary is for the control rocker, in the region between the pivot pins, to be supported in the vertical direction against the overlapping lamella carrier. The corresponding support may be configured straightforwardly in design terms, for example by a supporting bolt running in a slotted guide. It is possible for respectively desired transmission ratios to be determined straightforwardly in design terms via the inclination of the supporting surfaces running transversely to the pivot pin of the control rocker and/or via the distance between the respective pivot pins.
In such a basic configuration, it is also expediently contemplated for the support, with high compressive strength in the opening direction, of the lamella carrier, which is guided via the respective control rocker, to be realized in that the control rocker and the lamella carrier are assigned corresponding supporting surfaces. These are preferably located on both sides of the lamella-carrier crosspiece, which is preferably perpendicular to the respective lamella plane. It is expedient for the stop surfaces provided on both sides of the crosspiece to be arranged in a staggered manner in relation to the displacement direction in order, with the small width in the pivoting direction, to cover a large angle range in which the covering with high compressive strength can be achieved.
In a further expedient embodiment of the invention, the control rocker serves as a carrier for a blocking element formed
Crowell & Moring LLP
CTS Fahrzeug - Dachsysteme GmbH
Pedder Dennis H.
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