U.S. patent application number 09/750788 was filed with the patent office on 2001-11-15 for convertible motor vehicle roof.
Invention is credited to Miklosi, Stefan, Schutt, Thomas.
Application Number | 20010040386 09/750788 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 7935160 |
Filed Date | 2001-11-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010040386 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Miklosi, Stefan ; et
al. |
November 15, 2001 |
Convertible motor vehicle roof
Abstract
The invention relates to a convertible motor vehicle roof having
a front roof section and a rear roof section, each roof section
being pivotally mounted on the vehicle body by a lever mechanism.
The rear roof section is mounted so as to pivot over the front roof
section, and can be lowered jointly with the front roof section
into a back stowage space or area in the motor vehicle. The rear
roof section being supported with a pivoting capacity on at least
one of the front roof section and the lever mechanism. Preferably,
when the motor vehicle roof is in a closed position, at least one
of the lever mechanism and the lever for the front roof section are
located substantially vertical in an area of one side front edge of
the front rear roof section.
Inventors: |
Miklosi, Stefan; (Munchen,
DE) ; Schutt, Thomas; (Furstenfeldbruck, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
NIXON PEABODY, LLP
8180 GREENSBORO DRIVE
SUITE 800
MCLEAN
VA
22102
US
|
Family ID: |
7935160 |
Appl. No.: |
09/750788 |
Filed: |
January 2, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
296/108 ;
296/107.08 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60J 7/146 20130101;
B60J 7/207 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
296/108 ;
296/107.08 |
International
Class: |
B60J 007/14 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 30, 1999 |
DE |
199 64 029.7 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A convertible roof for a motor vehicle, said convertible roof
comprising: a front roof section; a rear roof section; and a first
lever means for pivotally-mounting said front roof section to said
motor vehicle, said rear roof section being pivotally-mounted on at
least one of said front roof section and said first lever means;
wherein said rear roof section in operation is pivoted upwardly
into a position over said front roof section and is lowered jointly
with said front roof section into a rear stowage space of said
motor vehicle.
2. The motor vehicle roof as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first
lever means includes a first lever and a second lever which combine
to form a four-bar mechanism.
3. The motor vehicle roof as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rear
roof section is supported by a second lever means.
4. The motor vehicle roof as claimed in claim 3, wherein said
second lever means includes a first rod member and a second rod
member which combine to form a four-bar mechanism for supporting
said rear roof section.
5. The motor vehicle roof as claimed in claim 4, wherein said
second rod member is coupled to said front roof section and said
first rod member is coupled to said second lever.
6. The motor vehicle roof as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first
lever means is located substantially in an area proximate to a side
front edge of said rear roof section when said motor vehicle roof
is placed in a closed position.
7. The motor vehicle roof as claimed in claim 3, wherein said
second lever means includes a first rod member supported on said
front roof section and a second rod member which is coupled to said
second lever via a supporting rod member.
8. The motor vehicle roof as claimed in claim 7, further including
a drive means for changing a distance between said first rod member
and said second lever, said drive means interconnecting said first
rod member and said second lever for supporting said front roof
section.
9. The motor vehicle roof as claimed in claim 8, wherein said
second lever for supporting said front roof section and said second
rod member for supporting said rear roof section are supported on
said front roof section.
10. The motor vehicle roof as claimed in claim 9, further
comprising a positioning means for positioning said rear roof
element on said front roof section.
11. The motor vehicle roof as claimed in claim 10, wherein said
positioning means includes a crank mechanism mounted on said second
lever and an actuating mechanism connected to said second rod
member for engaging said crank mechanism to change an angular
position of said second lever relative to said front roof
section.
12. The motor vehicle roof as claimed in claim 11, wherein when
said motor vehicle roof is lowered, said rear roof section is
pivoted over said front roof section, and said front roof section
and said rear roof section are jointly deposited into the stowage
space.
13. The motor vehicle roof as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
front roof section and said rear roof section are individually
actuated using separate drive mechanisms.
14. The motor vehicle roof as claimed in claim 13, wherein said
front roof section and said rear roof section are individually
actuated using a common drive mechanism.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention relates generally to a convertible motor
vehicle roof having a front roof section and a rear back section.
More specifically, the invention relates to a convertible motor
vehicle roof having a front roof section pivotally mounted using a
lever device on the body of the motor vehicle and a rear section
that can be pivoted via the front roof section and can be lowered
jointly with the front roof section into a back stowage space in
the motor vehicle.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] German Patent DE 44 35 222 C1 discloses a motor vehicle roof
with a front roof section and a rear roof section. The front roof
section, which can be locked on an apron via a roof rod coupled
with a pivoting capacity, is coupled with a pivoting capacity to
the body of the motor vehicle by means of a pivoting lever. The
rear section which adjoins the front roof section to the rear and
sits on a flap of the box for the folding roof to form a seal. The
rear roof section forms a transition to the trunk and is movably
supported via a pivoting lever which is supported on the vehicle
body and which can be pivoted by means of a hydraulic cylinder. The
hydraulic cylinder is coupled via another hydraulic cylinder to a
rear coupling point of the rear roof section to the latter, and
with an additional hydraulic cylinder and a telescoping guide which
is parallel to it, which on the one hand are attached to the
pivoting lever and on the other engage the rear section at the
front coupling point, such that by pivoting and actuating the lever
and hydraulic cylinder device the roof section can be raised from
its closed position by the flap of the box for the folding top and
can be pivoted forward to over the roof section. Then the rear
section is locked on the roof section and after unlocking the roof
rod and by actuating the lever and hydraulic cylinder device it is
pivoted as a unit with the roof section to the rear into a stowage
space and deposited there. In doing so the roof section swivels
according to a guide by its pivoting rod and by the lever and
hydraulic cylinder device of the rear section. This arrangement of
the lever and hydraulic cylinder device however requires a lateral
elongated recess for passage of the lever and hydraulic cylinder
device in the flap of the box for the folding roof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a motor
vehicle roof with a simplified and improved deposition mechanism.
This object is achieved in accordance with the invention by
providing a rear roof section being supported with a pivoting
capacity on at least one of the roof section and the lever device.
Such a configuration eliminates a direct lever connection between
the rear roof section and the vehicle body so that when the rear
roof section is pivoted up while opening the roof the cover of the
box for folding the roof can be pivoted up unhindered by levers and
rods. The levers and rods are used for supporting the rear roof
section with a pivoting capacity in order to open the stowage space
for the motor vehicle roof. The front roof section can also be
divided into two or more sections which are coupled to one another
and can be deposited jointly by the lever device.
[0006] Preferably, the lever device which supports the roof section
contains two levers which form a four-bar mechanism. Depending upon
the chosen position of the joints of the two levers, the pivoting
motion of the roof section can be easily dictated and adjusted.
Moreover, the rear roof section is also supported by a lever device
which has two rods which form a four-bar mechanism. If one rod of
the rear roof section is coupled to the roof section and the other
rod is coupled to one of the two levers which support the roof
section, by the relative motion of this lever a specific dynamic
behavior of the rear roof section can be set when the motor vehicle
roof is being lowered. But also, the two rods can also be coupled
to the roof section and to at least one of the levers and one rod
at the time can be coupled to one of the levers. At least one of
the rods in these cases can contain a hydraulic cylinder device or
it can be made as such in order to be able to change the length for
the pivoting motion.
[0007] A configuration is especially preferred whereby when the
motor vehicle roof is closed, the lever device or the levers of the
roof section are located substantially vertically roughly in the
area of one side front edge of the rear section. At the same time
this front edge borders the door opening. By means of this
arrangement unhindered viewing through the side window located in
the rear section is not affected at all or is only slightly
impaired. In addition, the pivoting path of the cover of the box
for the folding roof with the hat rack is not adversely affected
and lateral elongated recesses in the cover of the box for the
folding roof are not necessary for the levers.
[0008] According to another preferred embodiment, the lever device
for supporting the rear roof section has one rod which is supported
on the roof section and another rod which is coupled by device of a
supporting rod to one of the two levers which support the roof
section. Compared to a four-bar mechanism, by means of the
additional supporting lever, improved dynamic behavior can be
achieved, especially when there is a drive device which couples the
rod connected to the supporting rod and the lever which supports
the roof section and upon actuation can change the distance between
the rod and the lever for moving the rear section. Preferably, one
of the levers which supports the roof section and one of the rods
which supports the rear section are supported on the roof section,
and, depending upon its pivoting position relative to the roof
section, the lever fixes the pivoting position of the rod which
supports the rear section relative to the roof section by a
positioning device. One simply configured yet reliable positioning
device contains a crank which is located on the lever and an
actuating section which is connected to the rod and which engages
the crank at least over a certain pivoting range. Preferably, the
stowage space for the motor vehicle roof is a box for the folding
roof which can have side boundaries and a bottom. When the bottom
of the box for the folding roof can be removed behind the seats
when the motor vehicle roof is closed, a cargo space or the trunk
space can be enlarged.
[0009] In one preferred configuration, the two lever device are
designed such that when the motor vehicle roof is lowered, first
the rear section is pivoted over the roof section, then the cover
of the stowage space or of the box for the folding roof is pivoted
up, the roof section with the rear section is deposited into an
substantially horizontal arrangement in the stowage space or the
box for the folding roof and the cover of the stowage space or the
box for the folding roof is pivoted down again. Preferably, the
roof section and the rear section each contain its own drive, but
there can also be a common drive for the roof section and the rear
section.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 shows in a side view a first embodiment of a hardtop
motor vehicle roof of a convertible in the closed position;
[0011] FIG. 2 shows in a side view the motor vehicle roof in a
first intermediate open position;
[0012] FIG. 3 shows in a side view the motor vehicle roof in a
first intermediate open position with the cover of the box for the
folding roof opened;
[0013] FIG. 4 shows in a side view the motor vehicle roof in a
second intermediate open position;
[0014] FIG. 5 shows in a side view in a schematic representation
the motor vehicle roof deposited in the box for the folding
roof;
[0015] FIG. 6 shows in a side view the motor vehicle roof deposited
in the box for the folding roof with the cover of the box for the
folding roof closed;
[0016] FIG. 7 shows in a side view a second embodiment of the
hardtop motor vehicle roof in the closed position;
[0017] FIG. 8 shows in a side view the motor vehicle roof as shown
in FIG. 7 in a first intermediate open position;
[0018] FIG. 9 shows in a side view the motor vehicle roof in a
first intermediate open position with the cover of the box for the
folding roof opened;
[0019] FIG. 10 shows in a side view the motor vehicle roof in a
second intermediate open position;
[0020] FIG. 11 shows in a side view the motor vehicle roof
deposited in the box for the folding roof;
[0021] FIG. 12 shows in a side view the motor vehicle roof
deposited in the box for the folding roof with the cover of the box
for the folding roof closed;
[0022] FIG. 13 shows in an enlarged representation the lever
mechanism which supports the front roof section;
[0023] FIG. 14 shows in an enlarged representation the lever
mechanism which supports the front roof section in the position as
shown in FIG. 8; and
[0024] FIG. 15 shows in an enlarged representation the lever
mechanism which supports the front roof section in the position as
shown in FIG. 10.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0025] And now to the drawings, in which FIG. 1 shows a motor
vehicle roof 1 of a convertible motor vehicle 2 having a
convertible hardtop including a front solid front roof section 3
and a rear solid roof section 4 which contains one back side window
5. The motor vehicle roof 1 can be converted for opening by a front
roof section 3 with the rear roof section 4 being deposited in a
stowage space 6 such as a box for the folding roof, behind the
vehicle seats. The stowage space 6 of the folding roof includes a
cover 7 supported by a rod 8 with a rear joint 9 on the body of the
vehicle 2. The cover 7 may contain a hat rack 10 and also can be
pivoted in an upward position relative to its resting position (the
description of the motor vehicle roof is made on the basis of
bearing device which are on the left side relative to the vehicle
and which face the viewer, of course also the opposite right motor
vehicle side having the corresponding bearing means). With the
motor vehicle roof 1 closed, the rear roof section 4 sits tightly
on the cover 7.
[0026] The front roof section 3 is pivotally-supported on the
vehicle 2 by a lever device having two levers 11, 12 which form a
four-bar mechanism. The first lever 11 is supported on a lower
joint 14 inside an area of a rear door frame 13 of the vehicle 2
body. When the vehicle roof 1 is placed in the closed position, the
first lever 11 is aligned substantially vertically along one side
front edge 15 of the rear roof section 4, the first lever 11 being
located on the inside of the rear roof section 4 behind a door seal
which is attached to the side front edge 15 of the rear roof
section 4 for a side door window. A top end section 16 of the first
lever 11 is angled forward on the upper door seal on the side edge
of the front roof section 3 and extends as far as a joint 17 which
is spaced away from the rear edge 18 of the front roof section 3.
The second lever 12 of the lever device is supported on a lower
joint 19 located laterally on the vehicle body 2 underneath the
lower joint 14 of the first lever 11. The second lever 12 extends
substantially proximate to the first lever 11 upward as far as a
joint 20 in the area of the rear edge 18 of the front roof section
3. The positions of the joints 14, 17, 19, 20 of the levers 11, 12
are chosen according to the dynamic behavior which can be achieved
by a four-bar mechanism.
[0027] The rear roof section 4 is pivotally-supported via a lever
device having two rods 21, 22 which are supported in the four-bar
mechanism, the first rod 21 is bent angularly and extends forward
from a joint 23 on the side lower edge 24 of the rear roof section
4. The front rod 21 extends upwardly on the front edge 15 up as far
as a joint 25 which is located on the second lever 12 of the front
roof section 3. The second rod 22 is laterally supported on a joint
26 on the rear edge 18 of the front roof section 3 and also on a
joint 27 on the lateral roof area of the rear roof section 4.
[0028] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, to open the vehicle roof 1, the
rear roof section 4 is pivoted by a drive device 31 from its closed
position on the cover 7 of the stowage space 6 into an intermediate
position upward and forward over the front roof section 3. The
drive device 31 is a hydraulically actuated piston-cylinder unit
located hidden on the rear roof section 4, and is connected on one
end to the second rod 22 which supports the rear roof section 4 and
on the opposite end to the rear roof section 4. After the rear roof
section 4 has assumed the open position as shown in FIG. 2, the
pivoting path for the cover 7 is uninhibited, and the cover 7 is
folded up by means of the rod 8 around the joint 9, and thus,
clears the stowage space 6. A second drive device 32 including a
hydraulically actuated piston-cylinder unit being coupled at one
end to the lever 12 which supports the front roof section 3 and on
an opposite end is supported on the body. Through the second drive
device 32, the front roof section 3, upon being released on its
front edge from the lock engagement on an airscoop 28, is pivoted
and lowered via levers 11, 12 to the rear in the direction of the
stowage space 6.
[0029] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, synchronously with the motion of
the front roof section 3, the rear roof section 4 is entrained and
lowered towards the front roof section 3 as a result of the lever
and rod kinematics. As shown in FIG. 5, in the end swivel position,
the roof 1 is deposited in the stowage space 6 in a substantially
horizontal position. The rear roof section 4 is deposited via its
rods 21 and 22 in a space-saving arrangement closely adjacent on
the roof section 3. Finally, the cover 7 is folded back on the
stowage space 6 for the folding roof again into its covered
position in which it covers the front roof section 3 and the rear
roof section 4 partially or completely (FIG. 6). Thus the vehicle
roof 1 of the convertible 2 is in its open position. Closing the
vehicle roof 1 takes place in the opposite sequence of motions. The
bottom 29 of the stowage space 6 can be made removable so that with
the vehicle roof 1 closed a cargo space 30 located underneath the
box 6 for the folding roof (shown in FIG. 1 by the broken line) is
accessible via the stowage space 6.
[0030] FIGS. 7-15 illustrate a second embodiment of the vehicle
roof 1 including a modified bearing device for the rear roof
section 4. The front roof section 3 is movably supported according
to the first embodiment via the levers 11, 12 on a body-mounted
main bearing 33 by means of joints 14, 19 and can be pivoted by the
drive device 32. The rear roof section 4 is movably supported via
the rods 21, 22 of the four-bar mechanism. Here, one end of the
second rod 22 is laterally supported according with the first
embodiment by a joint 26 on a carrier part 34 attached to the rear
edge 18 of the front roof section 3, and on a opposite end by the
joint 27 on the side roof area of the rear roof section 4. The
first rod 21 is pivotally-connected to a supporting rod 36 which
supports the front roof section 3 by a joint 35, the supporting rod
36 being pivotally-mounted on the lever 12 by a joint 37.
Furthermore, a control rod 38 is coupled at one end by a joint 39
to an end section 40 of the supporting rod 36 projecting over the
joint 37, and at an opposite end to a body-mounted coupling 41
located on the main bearing 33. The drive device 42, preferably a
hydraulic piston-cylinder unit, joins the lever 12 to the first rod
21 (see FIG. 10).
[0031] As shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 13, the lever 12 is supported
at one end by the joint 20 including a crank 43 on which a roller
44 rolls, the roller 44 being supported on a bearing part 45 which
is permanently connected to the rod 22. To open the vehicle roof 1,
first the rear roof section 4 is pivoted by the drive device 42 out
of its closed position on the cover 7 into an intermediate position
up and forward over the front roof section 3 (FIG. 8), the
hydraulic piston-cylinder unit of the drive device 42 being
pressurized and the piston rod emerging from the cylinder. After
the rear roof section 4 has assumed the position shown in FIG. 8,
the cover 7 is folded upward by the rod 8, the rod 8 preferably
being driven by the drive device 48 and thus clears the stowage
space 6 or the box for the folding roof to the top (FIG. 9). By the
hydraulic piston-cylinder unit of the drive device 32, the front
roof section 3, upon its release on its front edge from locking
engagement on the airscoop 28, is pivoted and lowered via the
levers 11, 12 to the rear in the direction of the stowage space 6
(FIG. 10), and at the same time the hydraulic piston-cylinder unit
of the drive device 42 is cleared such that the piston can be
pushed into the cylinder by the lever 12 and the rod 21 which
approach one another as they move. The positioning of the rear roof
section 4 on the front roof section 3 is supported by a positioning
device which is formed by the crank 43 and the roller 44 which
rolls on a crank path 47 of the crank 43 (see FIGS. 13-15) by the
swivel position of the lever 12 changing relative to the carrier
part 34 and thus the joint 26 when the two levers 11 and 12 are
pivoted backwards.
[0032] As shown in FIG. 14, the respective distance between the
crank path 47 and the joint 26 changes during this motion so that
the roller 44 which is guided on a circular path around the joint
26 and which starting from a certain swivel position adjoins the
crank path and runs on it determines the respective swivel position
of the rod 22 with respect to the front roof section 3 depending
upon its position. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, in the end swivel
position, the front roof section 3 is deposited in the stowage
space 6 and the cover 7 is again folded back into its cover
position by the drive device 46 pivoting the rod 8. Thus, the
vehicle roof 1 of the convertible 2 is placed in its open position.
The vehicle roof 1 is closed in the opposite sequence of
motions.
[0033] While the present invention has been illustrated and
described in connection with what is considered the most practical
and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is
not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein but is intended to
cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of
the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements.
* * * * *