Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Let-down type top
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-15
2004-05-18
Morrow, Jason (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Let-down type top
C296S107080
Reexamination Certificate
active
06736444
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a motor vehicle roof with a front roof part, a middle roof part and a rear roof part, which can be displaced between a closed position which covers the motor vehicle interior, and a lowered position in a rear convertible top compartment which exposes the motor vehicle interior, the middle roof part being pivotally supported via a connecting rod means on the body and the front roof part being movably supported by means of a connecting rod means on the middle roof part and being displaced onto the middle roof part during lowering.
2. Description of the Related Art
German Patent DE 199 34 673 C1 discloses a motor vehicle roof in which the middle roof part is supported on the motor vehicle by means of a main four-bar mechanism, the front roof part is supported by means of a four-bar mechanism on the middle roof part, and the rear roof part is attached to the rear main connecting rod of the main four-bar mechanism and swings with it, all roof parts being guided by means of forced movement when the motor vehicle roof is being lowered. The roof parts are deposited on top of one another in the trunk of the motor vehicle such that the rear roof part is disposed bottom side up, while above it the front roof part position is disposed over the middle roof part in the identically cambered top side up position. The lid of the trunk and convertible top compartment is swung down before the motor vehicle roof is lowered in order to allow the rear roof part to swing into the trunk. With the roof closed, the front edge of the convertible top compartment cover rests on the rear edge of the rear roof part. Since the rear roof part is lowered in the opposite direction or with the opposite camber to the two front roof parts, a stowage space in the trunk which is higher in the vertical direction is needed.
Published German Patent Application DE 199 62 070 A1 discloses a comparable motor vehicle roof in which, likewise, the front roof part is coupled by means of a four-bar mechanism to the middle roof part of a three-part roof, the middle roof part is pivotally supported by means of a main four-bar mechanism on the body and the rear roof part is attached to the connecting rod of the main four-bar mechanism and swings with it. In this roof, the front and the middle roof parts are also located identically cambered in the trunk above the rear roof part which is deposited with an opposite camber.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the present invention is to devise a motor vehicle roof of the initially mentioned type which enables a space-saving lowered position of the roof parts in the convertible top compartment using simple kinematics.
The object is achieved in the aforementioned motor vehicle roof in accordance with the invention in that the rear roof part is pivotally supported by a connecting rod means on the middle roof part, and when the roof is lowered, is displaced over the middle roof part so that the three roof parts are deposited on top of one another in the identically cambered position. In this stack arrangement, the rear roof part can be located both over the front roof part and also under the front roof part, and in both cases, above the middle roof part. By means of the intended support on the middle roof part, compared to a fixed attachment on the main bearing means, it is possible to achieve a definable swinging of the rear roof part which can be adjusted and matched to the entire lowering process, and the motion of the lid of the convertible top compartment and/or a hat rack can be considered and included. By means of the three hardtop roof parts, a longer motor vehicle interior of even a four-seat cabriolet can also be covered and the parts can still be lowered in a space-saving manner. To lengthen the roof, it can be provided that, on the forward roof part, a front roof part is again supported which, when the roof is lowered, can be shifted to over or under the front roof part. The front roof part is thus more generally a roof part means with at least one roof part.
Preferably, the motor vehicle roof or the bearing kinematics is designed such that, when the roof is closed, the rear edge of the rear roof part rests on the closed lid of the convertible top compartment, forming a seal. This allows a simpler construction of the rear lower termination of the rear roof part, since only one seal is necessary, for example, on the bottom of the rear edge of the rear roof part which rests on the opposing top surface on the lid of the convertible top compartment. However, the seal can also be attached to the lid of the convertible top compartment.
In one preferred configuration, the swinging motion of the rear roof part relative to the middle roof part takes place depending on the pivoting motion of the connecting rod means which supports the middle roof part. Thus, the swinging motion of the rear roof part can begin directly with the swinging of the middle roof part and it begins, staggered in time, after initial swinging of the middle roof part.
One simple configuration calls for the rear roof part being forcibly coupled by means of kinematics to the connecting rod means which supports the middle roof part so that the swinging motion of the middle roof part immediately causes a swinging motion of the rear roof part. Furthermore, the connecting rod means for the front roof part can be forcibly coupled by means of kinematics to the connecting rod means which supports the middle roof part so that the front roof part does not require its own drive either.
For the sequence of motions in lowering the roof, it is feasible if a hat rack which is located on the front side on the lid of the convertible top compartment is movably supported on it so that, when the lid of the convertible top compartment is swung up, it can be moved into a return position under the lid of the convertible top compartment. Thus, the path necessary for the lowering motion, especially of the rear roof part, can be easily cleared.
In doing so, there can be a controlled sequence of motions, according to which, when the roof is lowered after lifting the rear edge of the rear roof part over the lid of the convertible top compartment, first the rear roof part is swung up at its front edge into its open position, and in doing so, the hat rack is displaced into its return position under the lid of the convertible top compartment. In this way, in the lowering motion of the rear roof part into the convertible top compartment, a path of motion in front of the front edge of the lid of the convertible top compartment and the front edge of the hat rack is made available to the rear edge of the rear roof part.
According to one alternative configuration, the rear roof part can be moved relative to the middle roof part by means of its own drive. Then, the rear roof part can be shifted first over the middle roof part before the main swinging motion of the middle roof part begins. Due to the rear roof part which is initially shifted forward, it is possible to use the lid of the convertible top compartment which contains an integrated or rigidly attached hat rack and which need not be shortened in the lengthwise direction for swinging up for reasons of space.
Feasibly, the rear roof part and the front roof part can also be coupled for joint motion and can be moved by means of their own drive. In this way, the motion of these two roof parts is controlled and executed jointly and can take place independently of the pivoting motion of the connecting rod means of the middle roof part.
Embodiments of the motor vehicle roof are explained in detail below with reference to the drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6336673 (2002-01-01), Rothe et al.
patent: 6478362 (2002-11-01), Obendiek
patent: 6502891 (2003-01-01), Russke
patent: 43 16 485 (1994-11-01), None
patent: 196 42 152 (1998-04-01), None
patent: 199 34 673 (2001-01-01), None
patent: 199 64 029 (2001-05-01), None
patent: 101 08 493 (2001-09-01), None
patent: 101 19 069 (2002-10-01), None
patent: 1 074 415 (200
Morrow Jason
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Safran David S.
Webasto Vehicle Systems International GmbH
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