Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Let-down type top
Reexamination Certificate
2004-02-19
2004-12-21
Morrow, Jason (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Let-down type top
C296S108000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06832807
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an open roof apparatus mounted to a vehicle body to permit a roof covering the top of a passenger compartment to move between an extended position in which it extends over the vehicle top and a stored position in which it is stored in a vehicle rear portion.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This kind of open roof apparatus is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI-7-232561 or Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. HEI-5-44642.
An open roof apparatus of HEI-7-232561 has a structure in which a roof covering the top of a passenger compartment is mounted to a vehicle body via a link mechanism so as to be movable between an extended position in which it extends over the top of the vehicle and a stored position in which it is stored in a storage compartment at a vehicle rear portion.
An open roof apparatus of HEI-5-44642 has a structure in which a hood-shaped roof covering the top of a passenger compartment is folded and stored in a storage provided at the rear of the passenger compartment.
FIG. 16
illustrates the open roof apparatus presented in HEI-7-232561.
Referring to
FIG. 16
, a vehicle
200
has a front hard roof
202
and a rear hard roof
203
which cover the top of a passenger compartment
201
.
When a gear
204
is rotated clockwise by a motor not shown, a drive link
205
moves upward, tracing an arc path. A roof set bracket
208
coupled to a distal end portion of the drive link
205
is rotated clockwise about a fulcrum
207
. The rear hard roof
203
is swung clockwise and stored in a storage compartment
209
formed at the rear of the vehicle
200
.
At the same time, a cam
212
supported on a fulcrum
211
relative to the vehicle body
206
is driven by the roof set bracket
208
to rotate counterclockwise about the fulcrum
211
. As a result, a first link
213
is swung clockwise, causing the front hard roof
202
to swing clockwise via a bell crank
214
, a second link
215
and an arm member
216
, to be stored in the storage compartment
209
.
In a stored state, the first link
213
, bell crank
214
, second link
215
and arm member
216
are also stored in the storage compartment
209
. As a result, the vehicle
200
can be used as an open car.
Thereafter, the motor can be reversed to return the front and rear hard roofs
202
,
203
from the storage compartment
209
to their original states.
Meanwhile, in the vehicle
200
running, a bending moment or a twisting moment is produced. For example, during running, road reaction forces act on a front portion
223
and a rear portion
224
of the vehicle body
206
via front wheels
221
and rear wheels
222
, thus inducing a vertical bending moment or twisting moment in the vehicle body
206
. Against such moment, the vehicle body
206
needs to have sufficient rigidity.
In particular, when the vehicle
200
is used as an open car, the front and rear hard roofs
202
,
203
are stored in the storage compartment
209
, so that the front and rear hard roofs
202
,
203
cannot support the top of the vehicle body
206
. Accordingly, the rigidity of the vehicle body
206
should be increased. To ensure a rigidity balance throughout the vehicle body
206
, it is also necessary to ensure sufficient rigidity at the rear portion
224
. For this, the rear portion
224
is partially reinforced by a number of reinforcing members at portions where it is desirable to increase rigidity. The addition of the reinforcing members, however, leads to an increase in vehicle weight, preventing weight reduction of the vehicle body
206
, and thus leaving room for improvement.
The same is true for the open roof apparatus of HEI-5-44642.
It is thus required to ensure rigidity at a rear portion of a vehicle body while avoiding weight increase of the vehicle body of a vehicle having a roof covering the top of a passenger compartment which is movable between an extended position in which it extends over the vehicle top and a stored position in which it is stored in a vehicle rear portion.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle open roof apparatus which permits a roof covering a top of a passenger compartment to be stored in a storage compartment at a vehicle rear portion, which open roof apparatus comprises: at least one link mechanism swingably mounted to a vehicle body of the vehicle to permit the roof to move between an extended position in which the roof is extended over the top of the vehicle and a stored position in which the roof is stored in the storage compartment; and at least one link lock mechanism for fastening a swinging distal end portion of the link mechanism to a rear end portion of the vehicle body when the roof is moved into the stored position.
As just described, the open roof apparatus in this invention has the link lock mechanism for fastening the swinging distal end portion of the link mechanism to the rear end portion of the vehicle body when the roof is moved into the stored position, so that the vehicle body can be supported by the link mechanism between a portion thereof to which a swinging proximal portion of the link mechanism is mounted and the rear end portion to which the swinging distal end portion is fastened when the roof is moved into the stored position. This results in an increase in longitudinal rigidity of the vehicle rear portion. The securement of rigidity of the vehicle rear portion while preventing weight increase of the vehicle body can ensure a sufficient rigidity balance throughout the vehicle body.
The link mechanism and the link lock mechanism in this invention are preferably provided at either side of the vehicle body. Thus, the vehicle rear portion is supported at its both sides by the left and right link mechanisms. The longitudinal rigidity of the vehicle rear portion can thus be further increased to ensure a more sufficient rigidity balance throughout the vehicle body.
The link lock mechanism in this invention preferably comprises a striker provided at the swinging distal end portion of the link mechanism and a latch mechanism provided at the rear end portion of the vehicle body for locking and unlocking the striker, thus having a simple structure.
Further, the link lock mechanism in this invention preferably has an auxiliary lock mechanism, which auxiliary lock mechanism comprises a vertically elongated lock pin provided at the rear end portion of the vehicle body or the swinging distal end portion of the link mechanism, and a lock hole provided in the swinging distal end portion of the link mechanism or the rear end portion of the vehicle body, into which hole the lock pin is vertically fitted. The lock pin and the lock hole prevent rattling of the vehicle rear portion in all horizontal directions. Thus, the longitudinal and lateral rigidity of the vehicle rear portion can be further increased to ensure a more sufficient rigidity balance throughout the vehicle body.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4805956 (1989-02-01), Saunders
patent: 4948194 (1990-08-01), Dogliani
patent: 5533777 (1996-07-01), Kleemann et al.
patent: 6033008 (2000-03-01), Mattila
patent: 6595574 (2003-07-01), Shaw et al.
patent: 5-44642 (1993-06-01), None
patent: 7-232561 (1995-09-01), None
Honda Motor Co. Ltd.
Merchant & Gould P.C.
Morrow Jason
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