GB2068304A - A sliding roof for an automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

The sliding roof is of the type which comprises a lid 1 slidably guided in a frame defining a roof opening, lateral guides 12 fixed relative to the frame, on which the lid is slidably guided, and drive means 17, 52 capable of acting on the lid. To open, the lid is raised outwards by the drive means, and is then slid rearwardly with a simultaneous change of its inclination to a position over a rear, fixed roof surface of the automobile. The sliding roof is characterised by the following features:- (a) The lid is pivotally mounted at its forward edge; (b) Raising-out elements 29 on which the lid is displaceably guided are disposed at a fixed location relative to the frame at the rear end of the roof opening, and (c) The raising-out elements 29 are force-transmittingly connected at both lateral sides of the frame to the drive means and, as the lid is slidably displaced, continuously change their height relative to the roof opening in such a manner that the inclined position of the lid during its opening slidable displacement decreases and during its closing slidable displacement increases. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A sliding roof for an automobile This invention relates to a sliding roof for automobiles.

One known such sliding roof comprises a lid slidably guided in a frame defining a roof opening, lateral guides fixed relative to the frame, on which the lid is slidably guided, and drive means capable of acting on the lid, which lid can be raised outwards with the help of the drive means acting on it, can be slidingly displaced relative to the frame with a simultaneous change of its inclined position after the outward raising, and in its sliding displacement is situated with its rear region in use over a rear, fixed roof surface of the automobile.

Sliding roofs according to the immediately preceding paragraph are sometimes also known as upper ridge sliding roofs. In one known such roof the lid is provided with a plurality of sliding or rolling elements on each side at or near the forward edge, which engage in curved, lateral, fixed guides in the roof opening. The curved guides have the effect, during the opening displacement of the lid, that its rearward end is raised above the roof skin and is gradually brought into an inclined position which becomes progressively steeper towards the rear. The result of this is that the lid, as the width of the gap between the forward edge of the roof opening and the forward edge of the lid increases, projects increasingly further above the fixed roof surface of the automobile, so that the wind resistance of the lid increases with increasing size of opening.

The air resistance coefficient of the vehicle, which influences directly the fuel consumption, is thereby also increased. Also, the known lid tends, when pushed far out, to vibrate and causes considerable wind noise when the vehicle is running.

The drive means acting on the lid of the known sliding roof consists of a threaded spindle, journalled rotatably but axially fixed in the centre of the vehicle, which co-operates with a threaded nut fixed to the lid and can be driven by a flexible shaft. On account of the central position of the threaded spindle, the raised up lid is supported only in its longitudinal central plane, so that it is not given sufficient stability. Also, the central threaded spindle in the roof opening is readily visible. The same is true also for the flexible shaft, which when a winding crank is provided in the vicinity of the dashboard, more or less divides the windscreen area into two.

Embodiments of the present invention seek to provide a sliding roof construction, which even at the maximum possible opening displacement of the lid does not lead to any substantial deterioration in the air resistance coefficient, which makes possible a firm, lowoscillation position of the opened lid, which is quiet in operation and for which the drive means are not disturbingly apparent.

According to the present invention there is provided a sliding roof for an automobile, comprising a lid slidably guided in a frame defining a roof opening, lateral guides fixed relative to the frame, on which the lid is slidably guided, and drive means capable of acting on the lid, which lid can be raised outwards with the assistance of the drive means acting on it, can be slidingly displaced relative to the frame with a simultaneous change of its inclined position after the outward raising, and in its sliding displacement is situated with its rear region in use over a rear, fixed roof surface of the automobile, wherein (a) the lid is journalled and pivotally movable in the vicinity of its forward edge, (b) raising-out elements are disposed at a fixed location relative to the frame in the vicinity of the rear end of the roof opening, (c) the lid is guided displaceably on the raising-out elements, and (d) the raising-out elements are force-transmittingly connected at both lateral sides of the frame to the drive means and, as the lid is slidably displaced, continuously change their height relative to the roof opening in such a manner that the inclined position of the lid during its opening slidable displacement decreases and during its closing slidable displacement increases.

In a sliding roof according to this invention the raising-out elements, on account of the way they are mounted are formed, ensure that the lid, in each of its slidingly displaced positions, projects only so far above the fixed vehicle roof as is necessary for a contactless relative displacement between the lower side of the lid and the rear, fixed roof surface. On account of the arrangement of the raising-out elements in the vicinity of the rear edge of the roof opening, the lid obtains a firm mounting also in each of its positions. Since the lid in its slid positions projects only slightly above the roof surface, it adversely affects to only a slight extent the air resistance coefficient of the vehicle and causes also only a slight noise production during travelling. The drive means disposed on both sides of the roof opening are not disturbingly visible from the outside.

Because the lid is slidably guided at its forward edge and at the same time is pivotally journalled in the vicinity of its forward edge, the lid is only hinged in the vicinity of its forward edge during sliding, whereas the positive control of the lid inclined positions is assured by the raising-out elements.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the raising-out elements comprise threaded telescopic members which are secured on each lateral side of the frame by their inner ends to the lateral guides and by their outer ends to sliding joints, which are guided displaceably on guide rails situated on the lid. With this arrangement, the threaded telescopic members undertake the control of the inclined position of the lid in its sliding displacement.

The guides or guide rails mounted on the lid and the sliding joints fixed to the outer ends of the treaded telescopic members ensure positive control of the inclined positions of the lid with accompanying stable support of the lid in every one of its slidingly displaced positions.

Suitably, the drive means comprises two flexible drive threaded cables guided to transmit tension and thrust, engaging with a drive pinion, each cable being guided on a respective lateral side of the frame, which cables are each in engagement by means of their thread, until the maximum possible lid inclined position is reached before the commencement of the sliding movement, with a driven pinion journalled stationarily on a component fixed to the frame in the vicinity of the rear end of the roof opening, which driven pinion is in meshing connection with its associated threaded telescopic member.As a result of this arrangement, when the drive means are operated by hand or motor, the lid, starting from its closed position in which it is flush with the roof opening, is first raised out of the roof surface with its rear edge with simultaneous pivoting about its forward edge until its maximum possible lid inclined position is reached. When this position is reached, the working engagement between the drive threaded cables and the driven pinions is automatically removed, so that as the drive means continue to be actuated, there is no longer any action upon the threaded telescopic members.

For the sliding movement of the lid, an entraining device may be attached to each of the two drive threaded cables, which when the maximum possible lid inclined position in the sliding location of the closed position of the lid has been reached, comes into engagement with a coupling component connected to the lid, and wherein two flexible threaded adjusting cables, guided in a tension and compression transmitting manner, are provided, one of which is disposed on each lateral side of the frame parallel to the threaded drive cable situated there, engages at its forward end on a component connected to a front region of the lid, and comes into engagement by means of its thread with the adjacent driven pinion when the maximum possible lid inclined position is reached in the sliding position of the closed position of the lid.

As a consequence of this constructional arrangement, the result is achieved that, as the drive means continue to be actuated after the maximum lid inclined position has been reached, the lid opening displacement takes place accompanied by simultaneous reduction in the inclined position of the lid as a consequence of the action of the threaded adjusting cables in conjunction with the driven pin ions.

Here, the threaded telescopic members previously screwed out by the threaded drive cables during the raising of the lid are driven in the contrary direction by the threaded adjusting cables, that is they are screwed in. The arrangement here is such that the engagement between the entraining device and the coupling component still exists also during the closure displacement of the lid and is not removed until the limiting position of the lid closure displacement and the maximum possible lid inclined position have been reached.

Starting from this position of the lid, as the drive means continue to be actuated, the lid already situated in its closed position is swung back into its starting position, in which it lies flush in the roof opening.

With advantage the arrangement is such that the driven pinion is coaxial with and rotationally keyed to a gear wheel which is in engagement with a smaller gear wheel, which in turn is coaxial with and keyed to the associated threaded telescopic member. As a result an upward gear ratio is obtained of the gear connection between the driven pinion and the threaded telescopic member. By an appropriate selection of the threaded pitches on the threaded telescopic member and/or of the transmission ratio between the two gear wheels, the length of travel of the threaded telescopic members can be related to the distance of sliding displacement of the lid, so that the lid is raised in each of its slid positions only so far as is necessary to achieve freedom from contact between the lower edge of the lid and the rear, fixed roof surface.

In order to ensure that the engagement between the entraining device and the coupling component can be removed only in the closed position of the lid, it is of advantage if a resilient tongue member which releases the entraining device only in the closed position of the lid is provided on the coupling component for the engagement between the entraining device and coupling component. The arrangement may here favourably be such that the resilient tongue member, when the lid is in its closed position, is located opposite to a corresponding recess in the lateral lid guide.

In the decoupling of the entraining device from the coupling component, the resilient tongue member can therefore enter this recess, whereas in all other positions of the lid it bears against the lid guide in such a manner that the entraining device cannot come out of engagement with the coupling component.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of the upper part of a personnel-carrying automobile body, show ing diagrammatically the lid raised to the maximum extent out of its closed position; Figure 2 is a side view similar to Fig. 1, in which the lid adopts an intermediate sliding position; Figure 3 is a side view similar to Fig. 1 and 2, in which the lid is illustrated in its rearmost sliding position; Figure 4 is a cut-away plan view of the left, front corner of the sliding roof; Figure 5 is a section taken on the line V-V in Fig. 4; Figure 6 is a side view of the subject of Fig.

5; Figure 7 is a cut-away plan view on the left side of the sliding roof; Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the sliding roof with the lid closed; Figure 9 is a partially cut-away plan view of the subject of Fig. 8, in which the lid is omitted to illustrate the drive components; Figure 10 is a longitudinal section similar to Fig. 8, with the lid raised to the maximum extent but not yet slidingly displaced; Figure ii is a plan view similar to Fig. 9 to illustrate the position of the drive components for the lid position illustrated in Fig. 10; Figure 12 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to Figs. 8 and 10 with the lid in an intermediate sliding position; Figure 13 is a plan view similar to Figs. 9 and 11 which illustrates the position of the drive components for the lid position illustrated in Fig. 12;; Figure 14 is a sectional view taken on the line XIV-XIV in Fig. 7; Figure 15 is a sectional view taken on the line XV-XV in Fig. 7; and Figure 16 is a sectional view taken on the line XVI-XVI in Fig. 9.

As is apparent from the side views illustrated in Fig. 1 to 3, the lid 1 adopts different inclined positions in its different displaced and sliding positions. In the displaced position shown in Fig. 1, the lid 1 is still in the sliding location of its closed position in the roof opening 2. The lid is raised upwards at its rear edge to the maximum extent, however, so that it adopts its maximum inclined position, as is necessary immediately before the commencement of the sliding movement. In the slidingly displaced position of the lid 1 shown in Fig. 2, this lid has already been slidingly displaced by about half the distance of sliding travel towards the rear, so that the roof opening 2 is exposed in its forward region.In this position, the lid already has a smaller inclination (or outward displacement at its rear edge), which decreases still further as the sliding displacement is continued, by the lower side of the lid 1 approaching the rear fixed roof surface 3. In the maximum slidingly displaced and open position illustrated in Fig. 3, the lid has achieved its minimum inclination (and outward displacement), in which it projects only insignificantly above the rear, fixed roof surface 3. The above described mode of displacements is reversed during the sliding closure of the lid.

A suitable construction for achieving the aforementioned, desired mode of displacement is described below with reference to the remaining Figures. In Figs. 1 to 3, reference 4 denotes the windscreen, in order to illustrate the direction of travel.

In the position of the parts illustrated in Figs. 4 and 7 the lid 1 is situated in its closed position inside the roof opening 2. The roof opening 2 is bounded by a surrounding bent over flange 5 of the vehile roof, referenced generally 6. Firmly connected to the vehicle roof and adjoining the flange 5, there is disposed a sliding roof frame 7, usual in sliding roofs. The lateral frame members of the frame 7 are wider than its front and rear members. The cross-sectional profile of the lateral members of the sliding roof frame 7 can be seen from Fig. 16.

The sliding roof is symmetrically arranged about its longitudinal central axis of the vehicle, so that in the following description in conjunction with the drawings, only one side of the roof is explained, although the described elements are each present in pairs.

The lid 1 is journalled to- be pivotally movable in the vicinity of its forward edge by hinge assemblies, of which one hinge part 8 is fixed to the lid, while the associated hinge part 10, connected to it by the hinge pin 9, is fixed to a forward guide shoe 11, as apparent in more detail, for example, from Fig. 9. A guide rail, aligned with the sliding direction and referenced generally 12, is firmly con- nected to the lateral member of the sliding roof frame 7. The profile of this guide rail 1 2 can again be seen in Fig. 16. A guide flange 1 3 of this rail 1 2 is directed inwardly with respect to the roof opening 2. The forward guide shoe 11 is guided on and longitudinally slidable along this guide flange 1 3.

A mounting plate 1 4 is rigidly fixed on the forward member of the sliding roof frame 7. A tubular support 1 5 for the mounting of a drive means is attached to mounting plate 1 4.

The drive means are composed of threaded drive cables 1 6 and 1 7 guided in a tension and thrust-transmitting manner, with which a drive pinion 18, which is rotatably journalled on the mounting plate 14, is in engagement.

The drive pinion 1 8 can be connected by its drive shaft 1 9 in known manner to a hand crank device or electric motor drive. In the forward roof region, the threaded cables 1 6 and 17 are guided in tubes 20 and 21. On the left hand region of the roof, the tube 21 is connected to a guide duct 22 in the guide rail 1 2. On the right hand side of the roof region, the tube 20 adjoins a corresponding duct of the guide rail 1 2 present there.In the leftr hand region of the roof, the tube 20 extends linearly and contains the free end of the threaded cable 1 6. On the right hand side of the roof, the tube 21 also extends linearly and contains the free end of the threaded cable 1 7. Rotation of the drive pinion 1 8 in the one or other rotational direction causes a displacement of the threaded cables 1 6 and 1 7 in the tubes 20 and 21 and in the ducts adjoining them of the guide rails 1 2. The threaded cables 1 6, 1 7 are connected, in a manner to be explained below, with the raising-out elements disposed stationarily in the vicinity of the rear edge of the roof opening 2.

To explain in more detail the engagement of the threaded drive cables and more specifically for the left hand side of the roof assembly that of the threaded drive cable 1 7 with the associated raising-out element, reference is first made to Figs. 8 and 9.

As can be seen from Fig. 9, a guide tube 23 for the threaded cable 1 7 adjoins the guide duct 22 at the rear end of the guide rail 1 2. The guide tube 23 extends through a split housing 24 and has an aperture 25 within the housing 24 whereby the threaded cable 1 7 engages a driven pinion 26. Pinion 26 is journalled to be rotatable in the housing 24 and is connected coaxially and rotationally keyed to a spur wheel 27, likewise disposed in the housing 24. The housing 24 is disposed stationarily with respect to the vehicle roof by fixing it to the sliding roof frame (Fig.

8).

The spur wheel 27 engages with a smaller spur wheel 28. Spur wheel 28 is rotationally keyed and concentrically connected to a screw telescopic 29. This screw telescope 29 constitutes the raising-out element for the lid 1 and consists for this purpose of an inner rod 30, an intermediate sleeve 31 and an outer sleeve 32, to which the spur wheel 28 is attached.

The aforementioned parts of the screw telescope 29 are connected to one another by mutually engaging threads, as indicated in Fig. 14. Here, the rod 30 carries an external thread, the intermediate sleeve 31 an internal thread and an external thread, and the outer sleeve 32 an internal thread. Since the rod 30 is non-rotatably attached to a sliding joint 33 (Fig. 14), rotation of the outer sleeve 32 induced by the spur wheels 27 and 28 have the effect, depending on the direction of rotation, of retracting or extending the screw telescope 29 consisting of the components 30, 31 and 32.

The sliding joint 33 consists, as illustrated in Fig. 1 4 in conjunction with Fig. 7, of two lateral guide pieces 34 and 35, which are supported rigidly relative to each other by connecting webs 36. Pivot bearing pins 37, which are coaxially aligned, are attached to a U-shaped pin support 38. These pins 37 extend into apertures formed in the guide pieces 34 and 35. The rod 30 of the screw telescope 29 is rigidly attached to this support 38.

The pivot axis formed by the pivot bearing pins 37 enables the sliding joint 33 to adapt its inclination to the different inclinations of the lid 1 while the alignment of the screw telescope 29 remains approximately vertical.

The guide pieces 34 and 35 of the sliding joint 33 serve for displaceably guiding the screw telescope 29 with the lid 1. For this purpose, as can best be seen again from Fig.

7 in conjunction with Fig. 14, two guide rails 40 and 41 are arranged opposite to each other on a lid stiffening member 39. The guide pieces 34 and 35 are guided to be longitudinally slidable along these rails. In Fig.

4, the guide rails 40 and 41 are not drawn in, in order to simplify the drawing. For the same reason, representation of the guide rail 1 2 and of the parts connected therewith has been omitted in Fig. 7. As can be seen from Figs. 11 and 13, the threaded cable 1 7 has a helical thread 42, which makes the rack-like engagement with the drive pinion 18 and driven pinion 26. Thread 42 is interrupted and does not extend over the entire length of the drive threaded cable 1 7. As illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11, the lid 1 is in its maximum outwardly displaced position and yet remains slidingly undisplaced.Here, the helical thread 42 has come out of engagement with the driven pinion 26 so that a further longitudinal displacement of the threaded cable 1 7 towards the right cannot produce any further rotation of the screw telescopic 29 which in this position is fully extended. Starting from the lid position illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11, the sliding displacement of the lid 1 now takes place as described below.

As is apparent from Figs. 4 to 6, an entraining device 43 is attached to the threaded cable 1 7. This entraining device 43 penetrates through a slit 44 of the tube 21. During the actuation of the screw telescope 29 which accompanies outward displacement of lid 1, the entraining device 43 moves freely in the slit 44 towards the guide rail 1 2. In the position of the lid 1 illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11, i.e. in the maximum inclination position, the entraining device 43 strikes a coupling component 45 carried by the guide shoe 11.

If the drive is continued, i.e. as the threaded cable 1 7 moves further towards the right, the entraining device 43 travels into a seating chamber 46 of the coupling component 45. A resilient tongue 47 bounds the bottom of the seating chamber 46 and is pivoted elastically downwards into a recess 48 of the guide rail 1 2. Upon further displacement of the entraining device 43, this device 43 strikes against an inner wall of the coupling component 45, and thereafter continued actuation of the drive results in the sliding displacement of the pivoted out lid 1. A stop 49 located in the vicinity of the rear edge of the roof opening 2 terminates this sliding movement (Fig. 13). Stop 49 is fixed to the sliding roof frame 7 and lies in the path of movement of the guide shoe 11.In the closure displacement, the threaded cable 1 7 is displaced towards the left. In this phase, the entraining device 43 bears against a projection 50 of the resilient tongue 47, which on account of its resting against the guide rail 1 2 over the entire distance of sliding travel cannot deflect downwards, so that the coupling between the entraining device 43 and the coupling component 45 is maintained during the closure displacement. Only once the position of the lid 1 illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 is reached, can the resilient tongue 47 deflect into the recess 48, as the drive is continued, i.e. as the entraining device 43 continues to move towards the left. The entraining device 43 then runs over the projection 50 and pivots the resilient tongue 47 downwards.The resilient tongue 47 strikes at the front against the forward face of the recess 48 (Fig. 10) and thus marks the termination of the closure sliding displacement of the lid 1.

The continuous change in the height position of the lid 1 during the sliding movements of the lid 1 is effected with the assistance of the screw telescope 29 in the following manner. In the guide rail 12 (see Figs. 9 and 13) there is situated, opposite to the guide duct 22, a second guide duct 51 in which a threaded adjusting cable 52 is guided longitudinally displaceable in a tension and thrust transmitting manner. The adjusting threaded cable 52, which extends parallel to the threaded cable 17, is attached at its forward end to an entraining device 53 mounted on the guide shoe 11. In this manner as the lid 1 slides this cable 52 moves together with the lid 1 and thus slides in the guide duct 51.

The adjusting threaded cable 52 is displaceable within a guide tube 54. Guide tube 54, in similar manner to the guide tube 23, extends through the housing 24 (Fig. 9) and at its forward end abuts the guide duct 51 of the guide rail 1 2. At the location of the driven pinion 26 inside the housing 24, the guide tube 54 is also provided with an aperture 55 whereby the adjusting threaded cable 52 is drivingly engageable by the driven pinion 26.

As is apparent from Fig. 9, the free end of the adjusting threaded cable 52 likewise possesses no helical thread, so that in the situation of the components illustrated in Figs. 8 to 11, no force-transmitting working engagement exists between the threaded adjusting cable 52 and the driven pinion 26. At the commencement of the sliding opening movement of the lid 1, however, the helical thread on the adjusting threaded cable 52 comes into engagement with the driven pinion 26, which at this instant no longer engages in the helical thread of the drive threaded cable 1 7.

The adjusting threaded cable 52, due to its engagement with the driven pinion 26, can therefore drive the spur wheel gear 27, 28 and thus the screw telescope 29. The adjusting of the screw telescope 29 produced in this way is carried out in such a manner that the screw telescopic 29 shortens during the opening displacement of the pivoted out lid 1. As a result of this shortening, the inclination of the lid 1 reduces as the opening in the roof increases. During the closure sliding of the lid 1, by contrast, the screw telescope 29 is driven in the sense of an extension, so that the inclination of the lid 1 again increases with increasing closure of the roof opening 2.

Instead of the adjusting threaded cable 52, which executes essentially a rectilinear movement, a rigid toothed rack could also be used, for the guiding of which a second guide duct in the guide rail would not be necessary. In this case, certainly, the toothed rach would not be guided as illustrated for example in Fig. 11 with a curved path through the housing 24, but would run straight. The symmetrical configuration of the housing 24 illustrated in the drawings permits its use on the right or left hand sides.

Claims (9)

1. A sliding roof for an automobile, comprising a lid slidably guided in a frame defining a roof opening, lateral guides fixed relative to the frame, on which the lid is slidably guided, and drive means capable of acting on the lid, which lid can be raised outwards with the assistance of the drive means acting on it, can be slidingly displaced relative to the frame with a simultaneous change of its inclined position after the outward raising, and in its sliding displacement is situated with its rear region in use over a rear, fixed roof surface of the automobile, wherein (a) the lid is journalled and pivotally movable in the vicinity of its forward edge, (b) raising-out elements are disposed at a fixed location relative to the frame in the vicinity of the rear end of the roof opening, (c) the lid is guided displaceably on the raising-out elements, and (d) the raising-out elements are force-transmittingly connected at both lateral sides of the frame to the drive means and, as the lid is slidably displaced, continuously change their height relative to the roof opening in such a manner that the inclined position of the lid during its opening slidable displacement decreases and during its closing slidable displacement increases.

2. A sliding roof as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the raising-out elements comprise threaded telescopic members which are secured on each lateral side of the frame by their inner ends to the lateral guides and by their outer ends to sliding joints, which are guided displaceably on guide rails situated on the lid.

3. A sliding roof as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the drive means comprises two flexible threaded drive cables guided to transmit tension and thrust, engaging with a drive pinion, each cable being guided on a respective lateral side of the frame, which cables are each in engagement by means of their thread, until the maximum possible lid inclined position is reached before the commencement of the sliding movement, with a driven pinion journalled stationarily on a component fixed to the frame in the vicinity of the rear end of the roof opening, which driven pinion is in meshing connection with its associated threaded telescopic member.

4. A sliding roof as claimed in Claim 3, wherein for the sliding movement of the lid an entraining device is fixed to each of the two threaded drive cables, wherein each entraining device, when the maximum possible inclination of the lid in the sliding location of the closed position of the lid has been reached, comes into engagement with a coupling component connected to the lid, and wherein two flexible threaded adjusting cables guided in a tension and thrust transmitting manner, are provided, one of which is disposed on each lateral side of the frame parallel to the threaded drive cable situated there, engages at its forward end on a component connected to a front region of the lid and, when the maximum possible lid inclined position in the sliding position of the closed position of the lid has been reached, comes into engagement by means of its thread with the adjacent driven pinion.

5. A sliding roof as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the engagement between each entraining device and its coupling component exists also during the closing sliding displacement of the lid and is not removed until the limiting position of the lid closing sliding displacement and the maximum possible lid inclined position are reached.

6. A sliding roof as claimed in Claim 5, wherein for the engagement between the entraining device and the coupling component, a resilient tongue member which releases the entraining device only in the lid closure position is mounted on the coupling component.

7. A sliding roof as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the resilient tongue member, when the lid is in the closed position, is located opposite to a corresponding recess in the lateral lid guide.

8. A sliding roof as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 7, wherein the driven pinion is coaxial with and keyed to a gear wheel, which is in engagement with a smaller gear wheel, which is coaxial with and keyed to the åssoci- ated threaded telescopic member.

9. A sliding roof for an automobile, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.