Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Let-down type top
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-28
2001-12-04
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Let-down type top
C296S107040, C296S107080, C296S107010, C296S219000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325446
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a folding top for vehicles having a front top component, which rests on a part of the body when the top is closed, is mounted pivotably on another top component and can be pivoted up about the bearing axis when opened, and having an automatic facility for pivoting the front top component by means of a spring energy store, which is stressed (regenerated) as the top is pivoted down and released as the top is pivoted up.
2. Background Information
When operating a folding top, it is difficult to carry out the sequence of motion smoothly, especially in the final stage of the closing operation. Owing to unfavorable lever ratios in the roof linkage and to angle ratios in the pivoting mechanism which become less favorable just before the stretched rest position is reached, there is a tendency toward marked acceleration or even a “gap” in the kinematics of the top. In this situation, the sequence of motion is often performed with too much kinetic energy at this stage, with the result that the roof cover strikes the body frame in an almost uncontrolled manner. This problem exists both with manual and motor-assisted operation of the top. Although this tendency is counteracted by the stiffness of the top cover and the requirement to stretch and tauten it, it is not eliminated. In accordance with the generally accepted convention, the axis of the vehicle in the direction of travel is referred to as the X axis, the horizontal axis of the vehicle transverse to the direction of travel as the Y axis and the vertical axis of the vehicle transverse to the direction of travel as the Z axis.
Conversely, there are also difficulties with the sequence of motion in the first stage of the opening operation when opening the folding top. The top linkage is in a kind of dead-center position in its extended rest position. Since it is precisely at the beginning of the opening operation that the upward-pivoting movement and the backward movement of the top have to be superimposed, it is very difficult to control the action of forces and moments in such a way that a smooth sequence of motion can be achieved. In the case of manual actuation, there are particular difficulties associated with this first part of the movement until the resistance have been overcome and the linkage has been moved out of its dead-center position. When the opening operation is controlled or assisted by motor, it can be observed that the front top component slides on the body before the front top component is released by being pivoted up.
German Patent Document No. 41 21 226 purports to disclose a folding top of the type in the field of the invention in which a compression spring is arranged as a spring energy store in the rear roof frame below the hinge joint, between the front and the rear roof frames, the compression spring being arranged and supported in a piston and, at its free end, resting against a tappet which has, toward the front, a neck with a significant reduction in diameter relative to a rod-shaped portion, this rod passing through the front plate of the rear roof-frame part and resting against the rear front plate of the front roof-frame part. Because of the very restricted installation space conditions, this supporting arrangement, the length of which can be varied to a limited extent, is arranged below the pivot-bearing axis between the two roof-frame parts. This results in very short lever arms and very short lengths of motion for the force vector in the x direction and hence in the longitudinal direction of the spring. This necessitates a very stiff compression spring with an extremely high spring constant and has the effect that, in the rest position of the top, the tappet rests with very high pressures against the rear front plate of the front roof-frame part, said front plate lying opposite the spring arrangement, and pushes said part forward within the play tolerance of the pivot mounting. This results in the front top component being pivoted up accordingly, leading to leaks and poorer contact between the top and the body frame.
Any solution to the problem is subject to the particular difficulty that the installation space conditions in the folding top are extremely restricted and complex. The installation spaces available must be outside the pivoting range of the top linkage and must not be in the way when folding the top up. The installation spaces which are likewise still available are so unfavorably positioned relative to the linkage components relevant for the critical sequences of motion that it is extremely difficult to accommodate them structurally.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
A technical problem underlying the present invention is to retard the sequence of motion of the folding linkage in the final part of the closing operation and to assist the upward-pivoting drive input in the initial part of the opening operation and, for this purpose, to find a less expensive solution which allows existing installation spaces to be used. In the case of a folding top described in the field of the invention, this problem is solved by virtue of the fact that the front top component is connected by a cable to the spring energy store, which is fixed in relation to movement of the front top component (i.e., has a point which remains stationary in a relative sense when the front top component moves, e.g. a spring support), the cable being guided over at least one deflection element between the front top component and the spring energy store, or that the spring energy store is connected by a cable passed over the deflection element to a point which is arranged behind the deflection element in the x direction and above said element in the z direction and is fixed in relation to the movement of the front top component, the deflection element being secured on the front top component, or that the front top component is connected by a cable to a point which is fixed in relation to the movement of the front top component and a spring energy store is integrated into the cable between the front top component and the fixed point, the location of attachment of the cable at the fixed point being arranged behind the front top component in the x direction and above the location of attachment of the cable to the front top component in the z direction.
The two alternative solutions proposed first are the reverse of each other kinematically, while the third alternative corresponds to the first but without deflection. The alternatives correspond to a common general inventive idea.
By using a flexible cable to connect the front top component directly or indirectly to the spring energy store and guiding the cable over a deflection element, a technical problem underlying the present invention has been solved in a manner which enables the available installation spaces to be used, even at remote locations, without the need to provide expensive or restrictive structures for this purpose. An embodiment in which the deflection element located nearest to the front top component is arranged behind the location of attachment of the cable to the front top component in the x direction and above it in the z direction makes it possible to configure the lever-arm ratios in an effective manner both for the retardation of the last part of the motion during closure and for the purpose of assisting driving and acceleration in the first part of the motion when opening the top, as is also the case in the exemplary embodiment in which the deflection element is secured on the front top component and the point to which the spring energy store is connected by a cable, which point is fixed in relation to movement of the front top component, is arranged behind the deflection element in the x direction and above it in the z direction.
An embodiment in which the front top component is connected by a cable to a point fixed in relation to its movement and a spring energy store is integrated into the cable between the front top component and the fixed point has the advantage of a
Steinbrenner Rudolf
Wuellrich Heinrich
Davidson Davidson & Kappel LLC
Edscha Cabrio-Verdecksysteme GmbH
Pape Joseph D.
Patel Kiran B.
LandOfFree
Retardation and energy storage device for folding-top... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Retardation and energy storage device for folding-top..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Retardation and energy storage device for folding-top... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2601381