GB2079697A

GB2079697A - Motor vehicle roof with a closable roof opening and wind deflector

Info

Publication number: GB2079697A
Application number: GB8111409A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Webasto Werk W Baier GmbH and Co
Current assignee: Webasto Werk W Baier GmbH and Co
Priority date: 1980-04-17
Filing date: 1981-04-10
Publication date: 1982-01-27
Also published as: ES265983Y; ES265983U; FR2480686B1; GB2079697B; FR2480686A1; DE8109956U1; DE3113306A1

Abstract

A wind deflector (5) associated with a closable opening in a vehicle roof (1) is moved between its wind- deflecting and storage positions by a tilting lever (12) pivotally attached to the wind-defector and a gutter (3) at least partly surrounding the opening. A first spring (14) biasses the lifting lever upwardly and, in another embodiment, a second spring (30) biasses the wind defector into its sloped position. The second spring (30) can be replaced by a separate slope adjusting device acting between the gutter (3) and the wind deflector. In the storage position, the tilting lever and the separate slope adjusting device, if present, are received in the gutter to allow the roof opening to be closed. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Motor vehicle roof with a closable roof opening and wind deflector The invention relates to a motor vehicle roof having a roof opening, which is at least partly surrounded by a gutter and is closable by means of a roof cover, and a further having a wind deflector associated with the front part of said opening.

Vehicle roofs of the aforementioned type are known in the most varied designs, particularly as sliding roofs, lifting and sliding roofs, roofs with removable tilting covers, etc. In all these cases it has proved advantageous to provide a wind deflector, which deflects the air flowing over the vehicle roof and prevents an undesired strong draight within the vehicle.

In the case of sliding roofs, it is known to pivotably fix the region of the leading edge of the wind deflector to the fixed roof part, resiliently bias it in the direction of its working position and equip it with 3 resetting or return mechanism which, on closing the sliding roof, tilts the deflector back into its inoperative position. In the case of vehicle roofs with a removable tilting roof covering, wind deflectors have been provided, which can be fitted into corresponding receptacles on the fixed roof part in place of the cover. Wind deflectors fitted in the firstmentioned manner take up too much space in the inoperative positive or they must be made so short that they only deflect the air flow to a limited extent.

Plug-in wind deflectors are difficult to manipulate and are impractical.

The problem of the invention is to provide a vehicle roof with a closable roof opening and wind deflector in which the latter is particularly effective, even when limited space is available, whilst being easy to manipulate, no matterwhetherthe roof in question is a sliding roof, a lifting and sliding roof or a tilting roof with a removable cover.

According to the invention, this problem is solved in that the wind deflector is raised by means of a lifting mechanism and is secured in its operative position by means of a slope adjustment device and in that when the roof cover is closed, the lifting mechanism and slope adjustment device are accommodated in the gutter.

Due to the fact that the wind deflector is raised as a whole with an at least partly opened roof, it can be kept comparatively small, but still ensures an effective deflection of the air flow. In the inoperative position, the wind deflector, together with the lifting mechanism and the sliding adjustment device is housed in space-saving manner in the gutter preferably in such a way that it cannot be seen from inside the vehicle. The lifting mechanism and slope adjustment device can be constructed in simple manner in such a way that they are automatically actuated in the necessary manner on opening and closing the roof cover.

Suitably, the lifting mechanism comprises at least one tilting lever articulated at or near one end to the gutter and at or near its other end to the wind deflector. Advantageously this lever is resiliently baissed in the direction of its tilting open position.

Thus, when the roof cover is open, the wind deflector is raised by spring tension, whilst in the closed position of said cover the deflector is pressed downwards into the gutter. Preferably the tilting lever is pivoted about a hinge bolt carried by the gutter, the said bolt being surrounded by a spring acting between the gutter and the tilting lever.

The slope adjustment device suitably comprises an arm, which at or near one end is articulated to the gutter and at or near its other end is articulated to a position on the wind deflector which is spaced from the position at which the tilting lever is articulated to the wind deflector. In this arrangement it is preferred that the tilting lever is articulated to a position close to the leading edge of the wind deflector and the said arm is articulated to a position close to the trailing edge of the wind deflector and wherein the tilting lever is articulated in that part of the gutter associated with the leading edge of the roof opening and the arm is articulated to that part of the gutter associated with a lateral edge of the roof opening.

According to a modified embodiment, the slope adjustment device comprises a spring acting between the wind deflector and the tilting lever to bias the deflector into its tilted open position limited by a stop member.

Preferably, there is at least one holding-down device by means of which, with the roof cover closed, the wind deflector is resiliently held in its inoperative position. This holding-down device is appropriately fixed to the roof cover and comprises a pad or cushion. This prevents direct engagement of the wind deflector on the underside of the roof cover. This is important, particularly in the case of glass or transparent plastic covers, because otherwise they could be scratched by contact with the deflector.

The following is a description, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, of preferred embodiments in accordance with the invention. In the drawings: Figure lisa perspective view of a vehicle roof with the tilting cover removed; Figure 2 is a partial plan view of the roof of Figure 1, revealing details of a lifting mechanism and a slope adjustment device in accordance with one embodiment; Figure 3 is a side view of the slope adjustment device along line Ill-Ill of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a section along line IV-IV of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a section corresponding to Figure 4 for a second embodiment; Figure 6 is a section along the line VI-VI of Figure 4; Figure 7 is a section along the line VII-VII of Figure 2;; Figure 8 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 with the tilting roof cover in the closed position; Figure 9 is a larger scale plan view of region A of Figure 8; Figure 10 is a section along line X-X of Figure 9; and Figure 11 is a partial plan view of the arrangement of Figure 8.

Figure 1 shows the motor vehicle roof 1 with the tilting roof cover removed. The roof has a roof opening 2, surrounded by a gutter 3. Atilting mechanism 4 for opening the cover is diagrammatically indicated. A lifting mechanism 6 and a slope adjustment device 7 are used for adjusting a wind deflector 5.

The construction of lifting mechanism 6 is shown in detail in Figures 2,4 and 6. the gutter 3 is directed inwards from the edge of the roof opening and points upwards. A seal 8 is placed on the inner edge of the gutter, which simultaneously secures a canopy 9 running below the said gutter. A fixing bracket 10 is spot welded to gutter 3. A bearing 11 is fixed by means of screws 17 and nuts 18 to the fixing bracket 10. A hinge bolt 13 extends through bearing 11. A spring 14, which biasses the tilting lever 12 upwards is placed on the hinge bolt 13. Tilting lever 12 is connected by means of a hinge bolt 15 with a mounting 16 of wind deflector 5. A stop member 19 limits, in conjunction with bearing 11, the swinging movement of tilting lever 12 and in this way defines the raised position of the wind deflector.

The slope adjustment device 7 is shown in detail in Figures 2,3 and 7. In the vicinity of the two ends of wind deflector 5, it has in each case an arm 20 which, with a hinge bolt 25 engages in a slot 27 of a mounting 26 of the deflector. Arms 20 extend rearwards in the right and left-hand portions of the gutter. In each case, they are connected via a hinge bolt 23 with a support 22, which in turn engages with a fixing bracket 21 spot welded to the gutter. A spring 24 is placed on the hinge bolt 23 and biasses the arm 20 upwards. Arms 20 raised by spring tension hold the ends of wind deflector 5 in the working position, whilst the deflector is simultaneously raised by means of lifting mechanism 6.

When the roof cover is closed, arms 20 are held in the gutter by the bottom of the cover.

According to the modified embodiment of Figure 5, a spring 30 is placed on hinge bolt 15 and bears against mounting 16 of tilting lever 12 and wind deflector 5. If wind deflector 5 is forced upwards by means of the spring 14 surrounding the hinge bolt 13, spring 30 brings the wind deflector into the desired angular position. The wind deflector slope is limited by a stop member 31, connected to mounting 16 and which engages on the bottom of tilting lever 12.

The wind deflector does not ever impede the fitting and removal of the roof cover. If the cover is removed, the deflector is automatically brought into its working position. When the roof cover is fitted and closed, the deflector is forced downwards into the gutter. The lifting mechanism, slope adjustment device and wind deflector form a hinged mechanism making it possible to keep the requisite components extremely small. Since in its working position, the wind deflector is raised close to the top of the roof, it can be kept shorter than known deflectors in the direction of travel. In the collapsed state, the arrangement takes up very little space. It can be completely satisfactorily housed in a narrow shallow gutter.

Figure 8 shows a roof cover 32 in the form of a glass cover, which is connected to the fixed roof part by means of joints 33 constituted by a plug-in members 37 and receptacles 38. The plug-in members 37 are connected to the front part of roof cover 32 by means of screws 41, screw caps 35 and spacers 36, whilst the receptacles 38 are fitted to vehicle roof 1 by means of screws 40 and nuts 39 connected in one piece with the receptacles. A seal 34 is placed on the outer edge of cover 32.

In addition to securing the plug-in member 37, screw 41 secures a holding-down device 42, which engages on the top of wind deflector 5 and can force the latter downwards. A cushion or pad 43 in fixed to the bottom of holding-down device 42. Holdingdown device 42 can be a plate-like and suitably curved component, which is advantageously relatively soft. For example, the holding-down device 42 can be made from synthetic resin. The cushion or pad can be constituted by a soft, elastic covering layer, e.g. of foam, rubber or the like. The cushion or pad can be coated onto the holding-down device, but the latter can also be covered with fibres for forming the same.

The holding-down device 42 prevents damage both to the roof cover 32 and to the wind deflector and further effectively suppresses vibration of the deflector.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle roof having a roof opening, which is at least partly surrounded by a gutter and is closable by means of a cover, and further having a wind deflector associated with the front part of said opening, and movable between an operative winddeflecting position and an inoperative storage position, wherein the wind deflector is raised from said inoperative position by means of a lifting mechanism and is secured in operative position by means of a slope adjustment device and wherein, with the roof cover closed, the lifting mechanism and slope adjustment device are accommodated in the gutter.

2. A vehicle roof as claimed in Claim 1,wherein the lifting mechanism comprises at least one tilting lever articulated at or near one end to the gutter and at or near its other end to the wind deflector.

3. A vehicle roof as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the tilting lever is resiliently biased in the direction of its tilted open position.

4. A vehicle roof as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the tilting lever is pivoted about a hinge bolt carried by the gutter, the said bolt being surrounded by a spring acting between the gutter and the tilting lever.

5. A vehicle roof as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the slope adjustment device comprises an arm articulated at or near one end to the gutter and at or near the other end at a position on the wind deflector which is spaced from the position at which the tilting lever is articulated to the wind deflector.

6. A vehicle roof as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the tilting lever is articulated to a position close to the leading edge of the wind deflector and the said arm is articulated to a position close to the trailing edge of the wind deflector and wherein the tilting lever is articulated in that part of the gutter associ ated with the leading edge of the roof opening and the arm is articulated to that part of the gutter associated with a lateral edge of the roof opening.

7. A vehicle roof as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein the slope adjustment device comprises a spring acting between the wind deflector and the tilting lever to bias the deflector into an open position limited by a stop member.

8. A vehicle roof as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein a holding-down device is provided by means of which the wind deflector is resiliently held in its inoperative position when the roof cover is closed.

9. A vehicle roof as claimed in Claim 8 in which the roof cover is constructed as a removable tilting cover having at or near its leading edge at least one plug-in member for insertion into a receptacle carried by the vehicle roof, wherein the holdingdown device is secured together with the plug-in member to the cover.

10. A vehicle roof as claimed in Claim 8 or Claim 9 wherein the holding-down device comprises an elastic and resiliently flexible pad and/or a cushion to abut the roof cover.

11. A vehicle roof as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as herein before described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 4,6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.

12. Avehicle roof as claimed in Claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

13. Avehicle roof as claimed in Claim 11 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 8 to 11 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A vehicle roof as claimed in Claim 12 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 8 to 11 of the accompanying drawings.