Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Roof structure
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-20
2002-11-26
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Roof structure
C296S220010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06485091
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an openable motor vehicle roof with at least two successive, separately openable roof systems of which the front roof system comprises at least one cover which can be raised at its rear edge above the fixed motor vehicle roof.
2. Description of Related Art
Published German Patent Application EP 0 531 881 A1 discloses a motor vehicle roof with two covers which are located in succession in a fixed motor vehicle roof. The two covers can be actuated by a single drive, but activation can take place separately for each cover.
Furthermore, motor vehicles are known in which a rear window in a rear hatch can be separately lowered to facilitate access to the rear cargo space of the motor vehicle especially for stowing bulky articles.
German Patent DE 43 29 583 discloses a louvered roof in which the louvers can be opened from back to front in one version.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of this invention is to develop an openable motor vehicle roof of the initially mentioned type such that the function of facilitated loading of a cargo space is added to the generous opening possibilities of a motor vehicle roof with several successively arranged roof systems.
This object is achieved by the rear roof system being formed by a louvered roof which having several louver-like cover parts, which is located with its rearmost cover part over the rear area of a cargo space of the motor vehicle and which can be opened from back to front.
It is provided in accordance with the invention that an openable motor vehicle roof has a louvered roof in the rear area which is composed of several louver-like cover parts and that it can be opened from back to front so that it thus clears a large cargo opening in the motor vehicle roof. In front of this louvered roof, there is a front roof system with at least one cover which can be raised at its rear edge to above the fixed motor vehicle roof. This combination of two known roof systems enables the set of louvers which has been pushed together towards the front to be protected from oncoming wind forces while driving by the cover of the front roof system which has been raised at its rear edge.
To simplify loading, it is advantageous if the rear edge of the rear cover part directly adjoins the rear hatch, rear door or rear window of the motor vehicle. Thus, for example, by lowering the rear window into the rear door or the rear hatch with the louvered roof open, a continuous opening can be achieved which comprises the rear roof area and half the height of the rear door. Thus the cargo area is cleared similarly to a pick-up truck for loading from the rear and at the top.
It is especially advantageous if the rear edge of the cover of the front roof system, in the completely raised state, is higher than the opened cover parts of the rear roof system. In this way, the airstream is routed completely over the set of the opened louvered roof. However, this only makes sense when the louvers are sloped obliquely forward and upward toward their front edge when opened. At a conventional angle of the louvers with their rear edge directed rearward and upward, the frontmost raised louver itself acts like a wind deflector for the part of the roof opening which lies behind.
Between the two roof systems there is advantageously a narrow transverse bow or a narrow area of the fixed motor vehicle roof. The stability of the motor vehicle is increased by one such connection between the side members.
One embodiment is especially advantageous in which the front roof system is an externally guided sliding roof with a cover which is supported near its rear edge by support levers which have bottom ends which are supported on sliding elements which can be moved on guides which lie laterally outside the guides for the louver-like cover parts of the rear roof system. The use of an externally guided sliding roof enables comfortable clearance of a large front roof opening as long as the rear louvered roof has not reached a certain degree of opening. The motor vehicle thus has a double: with the front roof system opened, it offers the advantages of a large sliding roof, and with the rear roof system opened it offers generous access to the cargo space, at the same time with the front cover raised there also remaining a ventilation possibility there.
In an alternative embodiment, the front cover is made as the cover of a spoiler roof which with its rear edge can be raised into the ventilator position and in this tilted position can be moved partially over the roof which is located behind. In this case a single continuous guide rail can be advantageously used in which both the cover of the spoiler roof as well as the louvers which lie behind are guided.
In an especially advantageous development, the front and the rear roof system can be driven via separate electric drives which can be triggered by a common control device, such that the cover of the front roof system can be only raised and moved to a limited degree in the lengthwise direction when the rear roof system is closed and has reached a certain partial degree of opening. The control device thus assumes the task of precluding collisions of the roof system. According to one version, it can be provided that the cover of the front roof system is necessarily moved into its raised position as soon as the control device receives a signal for opening the rear roof system at least for a certain partial degree of opening.
Finally, it is advantageous if the front roof system is preceded by a wind deflector louver which is moved into a raised position as soon as the cover of the front roof system has reached at least one certain partial degree of opening. This embodiment also effectively protects the front roof opening with the roof moved at least partially to the rear against the draft and wind noise.
In the following embodiments of the invention are described using the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3333889 (1967-08-01), Golde
patent: 4063774 (1977-12-01), Hanks
patent: 4272121 (1981-06-01), Kim
patent: 4630858 (1986-12-01), Bez
patent: 4786102 (1988-11-01), Sakamoto et al.
patent: 6158803 (2000-12-01), Reihl et al.
patent: 43 29 583 (1994-10-01), None
patent: 19908253 (2000-09-01), None
patent: 0 531 881 (1993-03-01), None
patent: 406191436 (1994-07-01), None
Birkner Joachim
Karami Malamiri Jadolah
Pfalzgraf Manfred
Schätzler Walter
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Pedder Dennis H.
Safran David S.
Webasto Vehicle Systems International GmbH
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