GB2122955A

GB2122955A - Push-out/sliding roof for motor cars

Info

Publication number: GB2122955A
Application number: GB08309619A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Werner Sielk
Original assignee: Ford Motor Co
Current assignee: Ford Motor Co
Priority date: 1982-06-25
Filing date: 1983-04-08
Publication date: 1984-01-25
Also published as: DE3223750C2; GB2122955B; FR2529142B1; FR2529142A1; GB8309619D0; DE3223750A1

Abstract

A push-out/sliding roof for motor cars has a glass cover (4) which is disposed inside a roof opening (2) surrounded by a roof frame (3). The rear end of the cover may be pushed out upwards or lowered downwards and displaced backwards beneath the car roof. On the glass cover (4) or parts connected thereto, one or more resilient hooks (10) which extend forwards and downwards and - both when the glass cover (4) is closed and when it is pushed out - cooperate with tongues (13) which are provided on the roof frame (3) or parts (9) thereof which extend upwards and backwards. The glass cover is thus supported both when it is closed and when it is pushed out, its vibration and resulting noise at high speeds being avoided. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Push-out/sliding roof for motor cars The invention relates to a push-out/sliding roof for motor cars which can be pushed out upwards or lowered downwards and displaced backwardly.

A push-out/sliding roof for motor cars of this type is known from the German Offenlegungsschrift (Laid-out Specification) No.

29 14 855. A push-out/sliding roof with such a push-out and lowering mechanism or such a sliding and actuating mechanism has already been used in two different embodiments in mass production, namely with a cover of sheet metal which may be pushed out and displaced on the one hand and with a glass cover which may be pushed out and displaced on the other.

In the case of the embodiment with a glass cover it was found that the lower rigidity of the glass cover compared to a sheet metal cover resulted in a disturbing noise on account of the air vibration arising in both the closed and the pushed out positions and at high speeds. This noise was produced by the formation of a gap between the front sealing and the roof section and also by vibration of the front edge of the glass cover as a result of the effect of pressure fluctuations.

According to the invention, there is provided a push-out/sliding roof for motor cars, comprising a glass cover to be disposed within a roof opening, and rear end of which cover may, in use, be pushed out upwards or lowered downwards and displaced backwards beneath a rigid roof member or roof frame for surrounding the roof opening and, connected with the glass cover, one or more resilient hooks which extend forwards and downwards and - both when the glass cover is closed and when it is pushed out -- cooperate with tongues which are provided on the roof frame and which extend upwards and backwards.

By virtue of the fact that there are provided on the glass cover or on parts thereof one or more resilient hooks which extend forwards and downwards and - both when the glass cover is closed and when it is pushed out -- cooperate with tongues which are provided on the roof frame or parts thereof and which extend upwards and backwards, the front edge of the glass cover may be held in a manner which permits automatic release when slid backwards and which prevents vibrations occurring when pressure fluctuations arise at high speeds.

Advantageously, the hooks to be provided on the glass cover are formed from parts of a roof frame or are screwed on to the latter as angle members and the tongues provided on the roof frame are formed integrally with a cover strip of plastics material which covers a housing for the actuating cable. An additional tube seal, which may be held in a particularly simple manner on a flange provided for this purpose on the cover strip of plastics material, may be provided along the underside of the glass cover.

The invention is described in greater detail with reference to an embodiment illustrated in the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a vertical median section through a push-out/sliding roof in the region of the front edge of the glass cover; Figure 2 is a top view in the direction of the arrow II in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view in the direction of the arrow III in Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a similar section to Figure 1 with an additional tube seal.

A roof opening 2 is shown in Figure 1 which is formed on a roof 1 of a motor car and which is surrounded and reinforced by a roof frame 3.

In the roof opening 2 a glass cover 4 is disposed which is joined along its edge to a cover frame 5, a surrounding flange 6 of which receives a seal 7 which seals the gap between the roof opening 2 and the glass cover 4.

Cable housings 8, which extend in the front and to each side and which hold the actuating cables for the sliding mechanism which is driven by way of an actuating mechanism operable, for example, by a hand crank indicated by dash-dot lines, are provided in the roof frame 3. In this case the connection between the sliding mechanism and the glass cover comprises lateral shields (not shown in the drawings) which also contain the push-out mechanism. The cable shafts 8 are closed by a covering strip 9 of plastics material.

Since the connection between the glass cover 4 and the push-out or sliding mechanism is provided only at the lateral edges of the glass cover 4, at high speeds and where pressure fluctuations arise the front edge of the glass cover which not previously supported -- can vibrate thus produce undesired noise.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 a resilient hook 10 formed as an angle member is secured to a flange on the cover frame 5 by means of a screw 11 and an expansion nut 12 so as to extend forwards and downwards. A tongue 13, which extends upwards and backwards and cooperates with the resilient hook 10, is formed on the plastics covering strip 9 for the cable housing 8.

The cooperation of the resilient hook 10 and the tongue 13 is arranged in such a way that the front edge of the glass cover 4 is supported or stabilised both when the glass cover 4 is closed and when it is pushed out. In this way vibrations at high speeds and where pressure fluctuations arise and the noise resulting therefrom may be avoided.

Several hook-tongue arrangements may, of course, be arranged along the front edge of the glass cover, if required by its oscillation behaviour.

It has been found that if the volume of the seal 7 on the front edge of the glass cover 4 is insufficient undesired whistling noises may occur through a gap which is formed.

In the embodiment in Figure 4, an additional tube seal 14 is proposed which may advantageously be held on an integral flange 1 5 on the covering strip 9' for the cable shafts.

Advantageously, the additional tube seal may extend along the front edge of the glass cover 4 and also into the front lateral areas thereof.

Figure 4 also illustrates an embodiment in which the resilient hook 10' is integrally formed on a cover frame 5'.

Although the front edge of the glass cover 4 is stabilised by the arrangement of the resilient hooks in connection with the tongues cooperating therewith, in some cases where the tolerances on the seal 7 are unfavourable, the occurrence of undesired wind noise may only be avoided by the use of the additional tube seal 14.

Claims

1. A push-out/sliding roof for motor cars, comprising a glass cover to be disposed within a roof opening, and rear end of which cover may, in use, be pushed out upwards or lowered downwards and displaced backwards beneath a rigid roof member or roof frame for surrounding the roof opening and, connected with the glass cover, one or more resilient hooks which extend forwards and downwards and - both when the glass cover is closed and when it is pushed out cooperate with tongues which are provided on the roof frame and which extend upwards and backwards.

2. A push-out/sliding roof according to Claim 1, characterised in that the resilient hooks are formed in one piece on a cover frame connected to the glass cover.

3. A push-out/sliding roof according to Claim 1, characterised in that the resilient hooks are mounted on a cover frame, connected to the glass cover by a screw fastening.

4. A push-out/sliding roof according to any preceding claim, wherein the tongues are formed in one piece with a strip of plastics material which covers a housing for operating cables.

5. A push-out/sliding roof according to Claim 4, characterised in that an additional tube seal, which is held on a flange integrally formed on the covering strip of plastics material, is provided along the underside of the glass cover.

6. A push-out/sliding roof substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.