Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Let-down type top
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-26
2001-08-07
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Let-down type top
C116S160000, C116S107000, C116S107000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270143
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a folding top for a convertible.
The invention is concerned with the problem of developing further a convertible vehicle with a folding top of the type known from EP 0 521 307 B1 in such a manner, that the kinematics of the folding top can be adapted with little effort to the respective roof contours and length dimensions of different vehicle bodies and that the linkages of the folding top, in a multi-element construction, can be transferred so that, during the material-protective setting motion into the opening position, the roof peak part has the protective cover position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the region of its two four-link chains integrated as a parallelogram link into the folding linkage, the inventive folding top is provided with a cantilever girder, which acts between these as a central control unit and specifies the distances from in each case two hinge points, optimum for two four-bar chains. This spatial assignment of the hinge points at the cantilever girder can be constructed structurally variably, so that a roof skin contour, adaptable to the vehicle dimensions of different car bodies, can be accommodated with the folding top kinematics and appropriate setting and closing movements are possible with the folding linkage.
The cantilever girder, provided as a control unit, comprises the four linkage legs of the four-bar chains disposed behind one another, the hinge points of at least one leg of each hinge chain being disposed in a central crossing region with a height distance at the cantilever girder and, at the latter, a steering cross, controlling the course of motion, being defined. With this, at least one leg part of the front four-bar chain can be relocated during the introduction of the swiveling movement of the folding top with a swiveling/pushing component. During the opening movement, at least one partial section of the folding top frame carrying the roof skin and supported at the leg of the four-bar is relocated in such a manner, that this part passes through its own curve of motion and, upon reaching the opening position above a rear frame part, is stowed. At the same time, the front roof peak part is guided with a simple swiveling motion out of its position at the windshield frame corresponding to the closed contour of the folding top into the rear protective cover position in such a manner, that the rear parts of the folding linkage, folded into the stowage position, are covered at least regionally.
During the setting motion, the parts of the folding linkage are controlled by means of the cantilever girder in such a manner, that the roof skin experiences optimum folding and, with that, excessive stressing due to compressive and/or tensile stresses in the region of the roof skin, which would lead to material breakage, are avoided.
Further details and advantageous effects of the invention arise out of the following description and the drawing, in which an example of the invention is illustrated in greater detail.
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Heselhaus Udo
Richter Wolfgang
Jordan and Hamburg LLP
Pape Joseph D.
Patel Kiran B.
Wilhelm Karmann GmbH
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