GB2185449A

GB2185449A - Drain for opening roof assemblies for motor vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2185449A
Application number: GB8601134A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jurgen Dufft
Original assignee: Tudor Webasto Ltd
Current assignee: Tudor Webasto Ltd
Priority date: 1986-01-17
Filing date: 1986-01-17
Publication date: 1987-07-22
Also published as: GB2185449B; GB8601134D0

Abstract

An opening roof assembly comprises a water channel (2) having one or more outlet apertures (3) connected to a respective drain pipe (4), wherein the or each said aperture contains a respective elastomeric grommet (5) which passes through the aperture and has external abutment formation forming a groove (6) overlying internal and external portions of the water channel and the respective drain pipe is tightly received in the respective grommet. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Opening roof assemblies for motor vehicles The present invention relates to an opening roof assembly for a motor vehicle and to vehicles incorporating such roof assemblies.

In particular, the invention relates to an opening roof assembly for a motor vehicle comprising a plastics water channel having one or more outlet apertures connected to a respective drain pipe.

Opening roof assemblies for motor vehicles usually or always incorporate one or more water channels or gutters to catch any water which seeps past the openable closure of the roof, which may for instance be a sliding panel. Drain pipes or tubes are provided connected to the water channel to conduct water away.

On steel framed sun roofs, these tubes are either welded or brazed to the frame to form a watertight joint with the sun roof frame.

Usually there is one tube at each of the four corners of the frame.

On plastics framed sun roofs, the tubes, which are also of plastics, are joined to the frame with adhesive.

However, we have found that this method is time consuming and requires care if a robust and leakproof joint is to be obtained. Furthermore, there is danger of the joint being ruptured by handling during instaliation. If a breakage does occur, it is not a simple matter to repair it.

The present invention provides an opening roof assembly for a motor vehicle which assembly comprises a water channel having one or more outlet apertures connected to a respective drain pipe, wherein the or each said aperture contains a respective elastomeric grommet which passes through the aperture and has external abutment formations overlying internal and external portions of the water channel and the respective drain pipe is tightly received in the respective grommet.

Preferably, the water channel is of plastics, for instance of sheet moulding compound (SMC).

Preferably, the drain pipe is injection moulded so as to avoid split lines in the region of the sealing surface which may often be a cause of leakage in conventional assemblies.

Preferably the pipe is a push fit into the grommet and preferably the head region of the pipe is provided with a formation adapted to cooperate with a complimentary formation on the interior of the grommet to resist removal of the pipe from the grommet.

Preferably, the formations of the head region of the pipe and the internal surface of the grommet are such as to aid insertion of the pipe and also to resist removal of the pipe.

For instance, the head region of the pipe may be provided with a circumferentially extending radially protruding formation providing a rearward facing abutment surface extending substantially at right angles to the surface of the pipe and a forwardly facing sloping surface providin a ramp to assist insertion of the pipe into the grommet. The grommet may be provided with an internal annular groove, suitably of rectangular cross-section or of a cross-section adapted to substantially exactly compliment the formation on the pipe.

However, any complimentary formations on the pipe head region and on the internal surface of the grommet adapted to form a secure and watertight formation may be employed.

For instance, there may be simply be a radially extending flange on the head region or head end of the pipe and a correspondingly shaped internal annular groove on the grommet.

Preferably, the abutments on the grommet adapted to overly the internal and external surface portions of the water channel are defined by opposite walls of an annular external groove which may for instance be of rectangular cross-section.

The grommet is suitably formed of natural or synthetic rubber.

The invention includes a motor vehicle roof incorporating a roof assembly as described herein.

The invention further includes a motor vehicle incorporating a roof assembly as described herein.

The invention will be illustrated by the following description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanging drawing in which: Figure 1 shows in sectional plan one corner region of a roof assembly in accordance with the invention including a connection between the water channel of the roof assembly and its respective drain pipe; and Figure 2 illustrates an alternative grommet and drain pipe for use in accordance with the invention.

As shown in Fig. 1, a roof assembly 1 includes a water channel 2 extending around the periphery of the frame of the roof assembly.

At each corner region, the water channel is provided with an aperture 3 in which is received a drain pipe 4. To form the seal needed between the water channel 2 and the drain pipe 4, a natural or synthetic rubber grommet 5 is provided which is a push fit into the aperture and which is generally tubular in shape having on its external surface an annular groove 6 sized tightly to receive the thickness of the wall of the water channel in the region of the aperture 3 and thus presenting opposed abutment faces which overly the internal and external surfaces of the water channel at the aperture.

On the internal surface of the grommet there is provided an annular groove 7 of rectangular cross-section in which is received a radially protruding flange 8 provided on the drain pipe in a head region thereof spaced from the end of the pipe. The drain pipe illustrated protrudes through the grommet to the end thereof inside the water channel but the flange 7 could less preferably be provided at the end of the drain pipe.

An alternative embodiment is illustrated in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 shows a similar grommet to that shown in Fig. 1 but the drain pipe is provided with an alternative form of radially projecting flange to engage the internal surface of the grommet. In Fig. 2, the radially projecting flange provides a rearwardly facing abutment surface 10 extending at right angles to the surface of the pipe and a sloping forwardly facing surface 11 adapted to assist the pushing in of the pipe into the grommet.

The drain pipes shown in both Figures have at their leading end a tapered surface formation to assist insertion of the pipe into the respective grommet. The unstressed diameter of the grommet is in each case chosen to provide a watertight seal against the aperture of the water channel and the pipe inserted in the grommet.

The embodiments illustrated have the advantage over the prior practice of using joints made with adhesive that they may be assembled speedily without difficulty or special skill and that they offer some resilience during handlig and assembly so as to prevent stresses imparted at this stage causing leakage.

If one of the joints is damaged however, replcement is a simple matter.

Whilst the invention has been described with reference to particular features of the preferred embodiments, many variations and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. An opening roof assembly for a motor vehicle which assembly comprises a water channel having one or more outlet apertures connected to a respective drain pipe, wherein the or each said aperture contains a respective elastomeric grommet which passes through the aperture and has external abutment formations overlying internal and external portions of the water channel and the respective drain pipe is tightly received in the respective grommet.

2. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the water channel is of plastics.

3. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the drain pipe is injection moulded so as to avoid split lines in the re gion of the sealing surface.

4. An assembly as claimed in any preced ing claim, wherein the pipe is a push fit into the grommet.

5. An assembly as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the pipe has a head region provided with a formation adapted to cooperate with a complimentary formation on the inerior of the grommet to resist removal of the pipe from the grommet.

6. An assembly as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the formations of the head region of the pipe and the inernal surface of the grommet are such as to aid insertion of the pipe and also to resist removal of the pipe.

7. An assembly as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the head region of the pipe is provided with a circumferentially extending radially protruding formation providing a rearward facing abutment surface extending substantially at right angles to the surface of the pipe and a forwardly facing sloping surface providing a ramp to assist insertion of the pipe into the grommet.

8. An assembly as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the grommet is provided with an internal annular groove of rectangular cross-section or of a cross-section adapted substantially exactly to compliment the formation on the pipe.

9. An assembly as claimed in Claim 5, wherein there is a radially extending flange on the head region of the pipe and a correspondingly shaped internal annular groove on the grommet.

10. An assembly as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the abutments on the grommet adapted to overly the internal and external surface portions of the water channel are defined by opposite walls of an annular external groove.

11. An opening roof assembly for a motor vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawing.

12. A motor vehicle roof incorporating a roof assembly as claimed in any preceding claim.

13. A motor vehicle incorporating a roof assembly as claimed in any preceding claim.