Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Let-down type top
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-15
2001-04-10
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Let-down type top
C292S033000, C292S341160, C292SDIG005
Reexamination Certificate
active
06213534
ABSTRACT:
DESCRIPTION
The present invention relates to a locking device for motor vehicle folding tops in accordance with the introductory portion of claim
1
.
Motor vehicle folding tops in the form of foldable tops or hard tops are, as a rule, supported in the rear area of the motor vehicle and can be swivelled on this, whereby they can be folded or swivelled from a closed position of the folding top into an open position.
Folding tops have, as a general rule, a frontal, transversely-proceeding front support unit or a corresponding reinforcement device and are, for the placement of the cover, fixed to the wind cowl of the windshield of the motor vehicle.
Corresponding connecting devices for fixing are provided for this purpose. A locking device of the conventional state of the art has a first connecting device which has a first closing mechanism for the fixing of the folding top to the motor vehicle, and additionally has at least one second connecting device which is positioned at a distance from the first connecting device, and also has a plug-like element as well as a guide element which is suited for the accommodation of the plug-like element.
In the locking device in accordance with the state of the art, the second connecting device serves only for the guiding of the plug-like element, and the first connecting device makes possible the connecting of the folding top or the hard top to the motor vehicle.
It is disadvantageous in this connection that, because of the connection to only one point, an effective and particularly tightly sealed connection of the folding top to the motor vehicle is only provided to an insufficient degree in the area of the upper edge of the windshield, as the result of which, because of the air pressure which is brought about, the folding top can be raised again and a correspondingly large air gap can be brought about, especially at high speeds, which allows the outside air to penetrate unimpeded, and this is particularly disadvantageous, especially during bad weather, such as rain or snow.
The task of creating a locking device for motor vehicle folding tops which overcomes the disadvantages which have been noted above, and which guarantees a secure sealing of the folding top, particularly also at high speeds of the motor vehicle, therefore forms the basis for the present invention.
This task is solved through the characteristics of claim
1
.
Through the fact that the second connecting device has a locking device for the temporary locking of the plug-like element in the guide element, and that the second locking device is connected with the closing mechanism in such a manner that, upon the fixing of the first closing mechanism in its closed position, the locking of the plug-like element takes place at the same time, it is brought about that the folding top is securely fixed at at least two points, and a tightly-sealed securing of the position of the folding top to the motor vehicle at the area of the forward edge of the folding top is consequently made possible.
The raising of the forward edge of the folding top at high speeds is, in particular, thereby prevented, and a tightly-sealed placement of the folding top to the wind cowl in the area of the upper edge of the windshield is brought about, so that the air gap which has previously disadvantageously come about is prevented, even at high speeds.
An additional second connecting device is advantageously provided, preferably centrally, between the first connecting device, so that an extremely stable three-point connection of the folding top with the motor vehicle is thereby made possible.
The two connecting devices thereby advantageously both have essentially the same distance from the first connecting device.
The locking of the second plug-like element is advantageously carried out, in a first preferred form of implementation, by pneumatic means.
The locking of the plug-like element can, in an alternative manner to this, be carried out in a hydraulically-controlled manner.
The guiding element is advantageously constructed as a tube and has an internal annular space in which an at least partially flexible ring device is positioned, which at least partially encircles a section of the plug-like element if this is inserted into the guiding element, whereby a fluid or gaseous medium, which produces a locking of the section of the plug-like element by means of a pressure stressing or enlargement of the volume of the annular space, is positioned in the interior of the ring device. A secure locking of the plug-like element is hereby advantageously achieved in an extremely simple manner, whereby a rapid detaching again is made possible, with particular advantage, through the relieving of the pressure in the simplest manner, and the folding top can be brought back into a “convertible” position again in a correspondingly simple manner.
It is additionally advantageous that a channel filled with a medium is provided between the first connecting device and the at least one second connecting device, and the control of the locking or the detaching of the plug-like element is carried out by means of pressure stressing or detaching by means of the first connecting device.
In one preferred configuration, the channel is positioned in the wind cowl of the motor vehicle. It is, of course, also possible to position the channel, through a corresponding adjustment of the remaining elements, in the forward edge area of the folding top.
The pressure stressing is advantageously carried out by means of a pressure element, which can be activated by the first connecting device. By that means, the pressure stressing is carried out, or the detaching is made possible upon the removal of the pressure stressing, in a very effective manner and with simple means.
For this, the pressure element advantageously has a plug which can be pressed against the channel and can be activated by means of a lever mechanism of the first connecting device.
The first connecting device is advantageously positioned on the forward transverse support unit of the motor vehicle folding top.
In addition, the first connecting device is, advantageously, a lever mechanism which has an attachment lever, a locking lever connected with the same, as well as a moving lever of the pressure element.
In an alternative form of implementation, the first connecting device is positioned on the wind cowl of the motor vehicle. It can advantageously have a clamp-like hooking device which, by means of rotating, engages with a plug of the folding top and guides this into a locking position and locks it.
The rotation of the hooking device into the locking position can be controlled, in an advantageous manner, by means of an adjusting pinion. This adjusting pinion can be a stepping motor, a hydraulic cylinder, or a pneumatic cylinder, for example.
Furthermore, in an alternative preferred form of implementation, the at least [one] second connecting device has a tubular body which can, by means of an activation device, be moved into a locking- or detaching position of the plug-like element.
The activation device is, in an advantageous manner, a rod which is linked with the hooking device.
The rod of the tubular body can, in an advantageous manner, be moved, through the activation of the rod in a translatory manner, into a locking position or into a detaching position.
Alternatively to this, through a corresponding formation of the tubular body and of the corresponding locking device, the movement into the locking position or detaching position can take place through the rotation of the tubular body.
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patent: 2560459 (1951-07-01), Lundberg et al.
patent: 3296742 (1967-01-01), Mortimer
patent: 4101161 (1978-07-01), Currall
patent: 5595407 (1997-01-01), Ter Horst
patent: 0 337 983 A1 (1989-10-01), None
patent: 0 430 425 A2 (1991-06-01), None
patent: 0 657 607 A1 (1995-06-01), None
patent: 20274 (1898-09-01), None
Dura Convertible Systems GmbH
Gardner Carton & Douglas
Pedder Dennis H.
LandOfFree
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