Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roof structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-08
2002-07-16
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roof structure
C296S223000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06419309
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an open roof construction in a vehicle having an opening in a fixed roof. Such open roof constructions are known in a variety of versions thereof. Commonly, a guideway is provided under the panel, which may, for example, comprise a guide slot. The guide slot may or may not be curved. One or two pins of a slide engage the slot and with or without a lever effect the desired movement of the panel upon movement of the slide, for example by means of a driving cable. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,501 discloses a spoiler sunroof control mechanism comprising a supporting member having two pairs of guide pins. The control mechanism further comprises a stationary slide and a driving slide each having two guide slots. The guide pins are constantly in engagement with their respective guide slots.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to further improve the open roof construction of the kind referred to in the introduction.
By using two spaced-apart guide members which are successively in and out of engagement with the guideway, it is possible to have the maximum travel of the slide and the spacing between the two ends of the guideway differ from each other, thus providing a greater freedom in the selection of the length of the guideway in longitudinal direction and of the maximum travel of the slide. This makes it possible to gear the respective movements better to each other.
As discussed above, U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,501 discloses a spoiler sunroof control mechanism comprising a supporting member having two pairs of guide pins. The control mechanism further comprises a stationary slide and a driving slide each having two guide slots. The guide pins are constantly in engagement with their respective guide slots. The guide pins are not successively in and out of engagement with the guide slots.
In order to effect an easy transfer of the engagement of the guide members with the guideway, the guideway is preferably divided into two portions, so that a first guideway portion can come into engagement with the first guide member and the second guideway portion can come into engagement with the second guide member.
The invention is particularly suitable for an open roof construction in which the slide can be moved both forwards and rearwards from a position corresponding to the closed position of the panel so as to pivot the panel upwards, whilst the panel can also be moved rearwards in one of said two directions. The guideway is preferably formed so that when the slide is being moved so as to move the panel rearwards, said panel is pivoted less in an upward direction than when the slide is moved in the opposite direction.
It is advantageous thereby if the first guideway portion and the first guide member are positioned before the second guide way portion and the second guide member, respectively, seen in the longitudinal direction of the open roof construction from the front of the vehicle.
This embodiment has the advantage that the front guide member is in engagement with the front guideway portion in the front position of the slide, as a result of which a relatively large pivoting angle can be achieved without a large slope of said guideway portion being required, so that the overall height can remain small. On the other hand a very stable support of the panel is obtained in the rear position of the slide, wherein the rear guide member is in engagement with the rear guideway portion, without having to move the slide as correspondingly far to the rear for that purpose.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4699421 (1987-10-01), Schaetzler et al.
patent: 5069501 (1991-12-01), Baldwin et al.
patent: 5531501 (1996-07-01), Nabuurs
patent: 5618081 (1997-04-01), Nabuurs
patent: 196 35 145 (1997-02-01), None
patent: 0 657 316 (1995-06-01), None
Kaandorp Wouter Petrus
Nellen Marcel Johan Christiaan
Inalfa Industries B.V.
Koehler S.
Pedder Dennis H.
Westman Champlin & Kelly P.A.
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