Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Let-down type top
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-25
2004-05-18
Patel, Kiran (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Let-down type top
C296S107080, C296S107090
Reexamination Certificate
active
06736445
ABSTRACT:
Priority to German Patent Application No. 101 52 944.9, filed Oct. 26, 2001 and hereby incorporated by reference herein, is claimed.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The invention relates to a top for a convertible vehicle, comprising a rear top part attached pivotably to the convertible vehicle, a front, movably mounted top part, the front top part and the rear top part being arranged over the convertible vehicle in a closed state of the top, the front top part and the rear top part being deposited behind front seats of the convertible vehicle in an open state of the top.
A general disadvantage of convertible vehicles is that the top is deposited in a rear storage compartment of vehicle in the open state of the top, as a result of which a trunk volume is significantly reduced in comparison with a comparable, conventional sedan. This is particularly true of convertible vehicles whose top is as least partially composed of rigid elements. However, everyday experience has shown that convertible vehicles are rarely driven with more than two occupants, at least in the open state of the top. Convertible vehicles are therefore advantageously provided, in which the backseat region of the vehicle, which is a four-seater vehicle in the closed state of the top, is used for depositing the convertible top. In addition, when the top is deposited in the rear storage compartment, technically complex measures, such as a pivotable rear window shelf and a rear lid which can be pivoted counter to the direction of travel are generally required.
DE 44 31 656 C1 describes a convertible vehicle having a top which essentially comprises two hard shell parts which, after pivoting of a rear seat bench, can be brought into the rear region of the vehicle, a front shell part of the top coming to lie above a rear shell part of the top, which part is pivoted into an inverted position and contains a rear window. This arrangement of the shell parts of the top severely restricts the creative possibilities when designing the bodywork shape of a vehicle of this type, since a large movement space for the rear shell part, which generally has a particularly wide shape in the region of the C-pillars, is required. In addition, the convexity of the two shell parts, the convexity being in opposite directions in the deposited position, leads to a large cavity remaining which, in the present case, is to be made use of as a loading region, but is generally found rather to be an unfavorable solution. In addition, the dimensions of the front shell part, for example, mean that it is not suitable for ensuring complete covering of the rear region of the vehicle in the open state of the top, as a result of which additional measures, for example rolling screens, are required. The rear seat bench also has to be pivoted in a complicated and unusual manner, which necessitates a design of the rear seat bench, which differs in comparison with a corresponding sedan and is therefore cost-intensive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a top for a convertible vehicle, in which the top takes up as small as possible an amount of a storage compartment volume provided in the rear region of the vehicle.
A top according to the invention for a convertible vehicle comprises a rear top part attached pivotably to the convertible vehicle, a front, movably mounted top part, the front top part and the rear top part being arranged over the convertible vehicle in a closed state of the top, the front top part and the rear top part being deposited behind front seats of the convertible vehicle in an open state of the top, and the front top part being deposited below the rear top part in the open state of the top.
In this case, the front top part is advantageously deposited below the rear top part in the open state of the top, which, with the top parts having a unidirectional convexity, results in a particularly small amount of space being taken up. In addition, the rear top part lying on top is, because of its shaping, particularly suitable for ensuring a covering of the convertible vehicle in the open state of the top, said covering extending from the rear wall of the front seats of the vehicle as far as the front edge of a conventional storage compartment lid. This means, in particular, that the further subassemblies, such as a movable rear window shelf and a rear lid which can be pivoted open counter to the direction of travel, which subassemblies are necessary in the case of multi-part hard-shell folding tops which can be deposited in a trunk region of the vehicle, can be omitted.
In a preferred embodiment of a top according to the invention, the front top part is connected to the convertible vehicle by means of a four-bar linkage comprising a first main link and a second main link, as a result of which, on the one hand, an especially adapted movement of the front top part is made possible in a simple manner and, on the other hand, a B-pillar of the convertible vehicle is formed by the correspondingly shaped main links in the closed state of the top. As a result, in the closed state of the top a particular degree of safety is ensured should the vehicle overturn due to an accident.
The rear top part is advantageously connected to the convertible vehicle via a link mechanism, the link mechanism, firstly, being drivable by means of a power input unit and, secondly, being connected to the front top part by means of a coupling element. The front top part and the rear top part can therefore particularly advantageously be driven at the same time by means of a single power input unit, with the result that the entire sequence of movement of a top according to the invention starting from one of the two, open or closed states of the top and ending in the respective other of the two states of the top can be realized with particularly few cost-intensive drive elements. In particular, the power input unit can be designed in a known manner as a linear drive cylinder.
In the case of a top according to the invention, a movable rear seat is preferably provided, a seat for a rear passenger being freed in a swung open position of the rear seat and a storage compartment for the top, which is deposited in the open position of the top, being freed in a swung down position of the rear seat. This makes it possible in a favorable manner for the storage compartment for the top, which is deposited in the open state of the top, to be provided by means of conventional rear seats, in which the backrest can be folded over in the direction of travel, with the result that in the case of a top according to the invention, costly special designs of the rear seats can be omitted.
In a preferred embodiment of a top according to the invention an upper front edge of the rear top part is positioned lower in the open state of the top than in the closed state of the top. This enables the rear top part to be used as a flat cover of a deployment region of the top in the open state of the top, achieving a fully opened roof with no open roof parts being arranged much higher than an essentially straight upper border of the vehicle body.
A particularly preferred embodiment of a top according to the invention further comprises a storage compartment lid, the storage compartment lid being arranged behind the rear top part and the storage compartment lid sealing the rear top part from above. Such a sealing arrangement not only ensures a safe protection of the inner parts of the vehicle against water and dirt, but also enables a very smooth and continuous design of the entire vehicle body.
In an alternative embodiment of a top according to the invention, the rear top part can further be arranged in the same position as in the closed state of the top with the front top part being opened and deposited behind front seats, thereby, in addition to the open state and the closed state, defining a third useable state of the top in which the opening of the roof is a targa-like opening. In this third state the upper front edge of the rear top part is positioned slightly above the region of the
Davidson Davidson & Kappel LLC
Edscha Cabrio-Dachsysteme GmbH
Patel Kiran
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