Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – With distinct wind deflector
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-12
2001-05-22
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
With distinct wind deflector
C296S217000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234567
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This application claims the priority of German application 198 53 358.6, filed Nov. 9, 1998 in Germany, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a vehicle roof with a roof cutout that can be closed by a movable roof part arrangement, with which cutout a wind deflecting profile is located in the vicinity of one end which is at the front in the normal direction of travel, said profile being movably mounted between a resting position and a functioning position.
Such a vehicle roof is known from German Patent Document DE 40 12 569C1. In the known vehicle roof of an automobile, a roof opening that can be closed by a sliding roof is provided. At the front of the roof opening in the normal direction of travel, a pivotably movable wind deflecting profile is provided. When the sliding roof is closed, the wind deflecting profile projects beyond the surface of the roof in its functional position. The portion of the wind deflecting profile that projects above the surface of the roof is provided with a plurality of cam-shaped profile sections arranged at uniform intervals with respect to one another in the transverse direction of the vehicle, said sections projecting upward and constituting raised bodies. Plane clear recesses are formed between the individual raised bodies. This shape of the wind deflecting profile is intended to reduce or eliminate so-called “drumming” in the vehicle interior at certain vehicle speeds when the sliding roof is open.
Another vehicle roof with a roof cutout is known from German Patent Document DE 41 26 568 C2, said cutout being closable by a sliding roof. This roof cutout also has a wind deflecting profile in the vicinity of its leading edge, said profile being provided with a short upwardly extending flow deflecting projection in the vicinity of its area that projects in the functional position above the surface of the roof. This deflecting projection is intended to form an extremely energy-rich U-shaped vortex when the motor vehicle is in motion which destroys ordered flow structures running in the same direction that extend from the other rectilinear edge areas of the wind deflecting profile, in the vicinity of the sliding roof opening. The incident air flow is intended to roll up on the symmetrical U-shaped vortex so that the “drumming” in the vehicle interior can be reduced or eliminated.
German Patent Document DE 3146 908 A1 (corresponding to UK Patent Application GB 2 110 749 A) describes a marginal gap seal for a motor vehicle sliding roof which, when the sliding roof is opened, has a diagonally and upwardly projecting external roof area that serves as a wind deflecting area. The external roof area is abutted by an internal roof area provided with three sealing ribs projecting at right angles for a sealing support on a lower side of the sliding groove.
A goal of the invention is to provide a vehicle roof of the type recited at the outset which reliably avoids “drumming” in the vehicle interior regardless of the vehicle speed when the roof cutout is open.
This goal is achieved by virtue of the fact that at least one upwardly projecting exciting edge as well as at least one elastically flexible disturbing lip are arranged in the wake of the exciting edge. The exciting edge preferably extends continuously in the transverse direction of the vehicle over the entire length of the wind deflecting profile and hence essentially over the entire width of the roof cutout. The disturbing lip also extends over the same length and therefore over nearly the entire width of the roof cutout. The exciting edge acts as a dimensionally stable disturbing body for the incident relative wind. The adjoining elastically flexible disturbing lip, as a result of its position in the wake of the exciting edge, moves when the vehicle is in operation so that it oscillates, vibrates, flutters, or moves alternately back and forth in some other fashion at uniform or nonuniform frequencies under the influence of the incident relative wind. As a result, the drumming noise that disturbs the vehicle interior is sharply reduced or eliminated completely. The solution according to the invention can be produced very simply, has an improved effect by comparison to the prior art, and guarantees an appropriate overall visual appearance. The exciting edge can project upward diagonally or vertically in the functional position of the wind deflecting profile. The exciting edge can also be made movable and moved into its stable functional position only when the wind deflecting profile is extended into the relative wind. The exciting edge can also be composed of a plurality of sections adjoining one another transversely to the flow direction. A one-piece sliding roof, a multipartite lamellar roof, a folding roof, or the like can be provided as the movable roof part arrangement. By providing the exciting edge and the disturbing lip on the wind deflecting profile, no additional space for positioning the exciting edge is required in a separate area of the vehicle roof or of the edge of the roof cutout.
In certain preferred embodiments of the invention, the exciting edge is formed in one piece on an upper side of the wind deflecting profile. Consequently, the wind deflecting profile can be manufactured especially simply.
In certain preferred embodiments of the invention, the disturbing lip is made of rubber and permanently attached to the wind deflecting profile. The deflecting lip is attached to the wind deflecting profile in such fashion that it projects diagonally or vertically upward from the wind deflecting profile into the wake of the exciting edge.
In certain preferred embodiments of the invention, the disturbing lip is provided with a profile foot held in a matching receiving groove, with the receiving groove being open at at least one end. It is therefore possible to push the disturbing lip in simple fashion from the end into the receiving groove and thus to produce a reliable seat for the disturbing lip on the wind deflecting profile.
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Office Action dated May 5, 2000 with English translation.
Copy of Search Report from UK Patent Office, Feb. 2000.
Daimler-Chrysler AG
Dayoan D. Glenn
Evenson, McKeown, Edwards & Lenahan P.L.L.C.
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