GB2329367A

GB2329367A - Wind deflector arrangement for a vehicle roof

Info

Publication number: GB2329367A
Application number: GB9809953A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Manfred Hoeller
Original assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
Current assignee: Webasto Karosseriesysteme GmbH
Priority date: 1997-05-09
Filing date: 1998-05-08
Publication date: 1999-03-24
Anticipated expiration: 2018-05-08
Also published as: DE19719644C2; GB9809953D0; DE19719644A1; GB2329367B

Abstract

A wind deflector arrangement for a vehicle roof having a roof opening (2) which can be closed by means of a sliding cover (3) has a wind deflector (6) which is arranged along the front edge of the roof opening (2) to swivel about a swivel axis (7) extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The wind deflector (6) is connected by means of a holder (11) to a swivel lever (8) which is mounted to swivel about an axis (9) at its rear extending parallel to the swivel axis of the wind deflector (6). The swivel lever (8) is preloaded upwards by spring force and swivelled downwards by the incoming sliding cover (3), the wind deflector (6) thereby swivelling inwards.

Description

2329367 WIND DEFLECTOR ARRANGEMENT FOR A VEHICLE ROOF The invention

relates to a wind deflector arrangement for a vehicle roof.

A known wind deflector arrangement is disclosed in DE-A-3517067, for example. In this known wind deflector arrangement, the lower end of the wind deflector is mounted in a bearing bracket secured to the roof frame and a lo torsion spring is provided in order to preload the wind deflector in the swivelling direction.

An aim of the invention is to provide a wind deflector arrangement which is easier to install and which operates is in an improved manner.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wind deflector arrangement for a vehicle roof having a roof opening which can be closed by means of a sliding cover, the wind deflector arrangement comprising a wind deflector which is arranged along the front edge of the roof opening to swivel about a swivel axis extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and connected by means of a holder to a swivel lever provided at its front end with a pin extending parallel to the swivel axis of the wind deflector and engaging in a slot in the holder, the rear end of the swivel lever being mounted to swivel about a swivel axis extending parallel to the swivel axis of the wind deflector, and the swivel lever being preloaded upwards by spring force and arranged to be swivelled downwards when the sliding cover closes the roof opening, the wind deflector thereby swivelling inwards, the slot in the holder being in the form of a control groove which is curved in the opposite direction to the curve traversed by the pin during the swivel movement of the swivel lever, the 2 wind deflector being connected to the holder by means of a clamping joint which allows the wind deflector to be fitted onto the holder at an end face of the holder.

The invention consequently provides a clamping or snap-in joint for the wind deflector and the holder, designed so as to ensure that the wind deflector can be fitted onto its holder at an end face of the holder. The swivel connection of the wind deflector therefore requires lo few components. The wind deflector can be assembled in a problem-free and uncomplicated manner on the swivel lever or levers controlling it as the wind deflector simply has to be fitted on to its holder which may already be connected to the swivel lever or levers. The curved control groove controls precisely the movement of the wind deflector.

The holder for the wind deflector is preferably in the form of a solid component in order to ensure a permanent connection between the wind deflector and the holder or the holder and the swivel arm, a control groove being arranged in this solid component so as to prevent the holder from breaking loose in the groove region.

T-shaped or dovetailed components may be assembled together in order to allow for the clamping joint or snapin joint between the wind deflector and the holder in a reliable and problemfree manner. In addition, a locking hook cooperating with a stop groove is advantageously provided in order to ensure that this clamping joint is permanent. The locking hook is formed, for example, on the wind deflector, while the associated stop groove is formed on the holder for the wind deflector.

3 A tilting lever may be fixed for pivotal movement relative to the vehicle roof and arranged to bias the wind deflector to swivel to its outwards operative position. The tilting lever may have a leg which is engaged with a leg of the wind deflector to bias the wind deflector outwards. The tilting lever is preferably arranged to move the wind deflector to its inward inoperative position when the swivel lever swivels downwards.

A spring plate may be formed on the holder so that the wind deflector plate hinged onto the swivel arm by means of the holder can swivel in a def ined manner in the control groove, said spring plate being in engagement with the front end of the swivel lever when the wind deflector plate is swivelled out. The spring plate is advantageously formed in one piece with the holder, which is preferably in the form of a plastics injection moulded part.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a partial longitudinal cross-sectional view of a sliding roof with an example of a wind deflector 2s arrangement according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the unit consisting of the wind deflector and the holder of the wind deflector arrangement of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line B-B of Fig. 2; and, 4 Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the wind deflector arrangement according to the invention in the region of the holder and the wind deflector.

is Referring to the drawings, a fixed roof area 1 of a motor vehicle is provided with a roof opening 2 which can be closed by means of a rigid sliding cover 3. The roof opening 2 is surrounded at the front and sides by a roof frame 4, only part of the front side of which is shown in lo Fig. 1. The roof frame 4 is provided with lateral guide rails (not shown) extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and which have a U-shape cross-section for example. The sliding cover 3 is guided in the guide rails, by means of front sliding blocks (not shown) which are connected to the sliding cover 3 by means of a sliding block holder 5, only the upper part of which connected to the sliding cover 3 is shown in Fig. 1.

In the front part of the roof frame 4, an elongate wind deflector 6 is mounted to swivel about an axis directed transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and defined by two pinshape swing shafts 7, only the left-hand one of which is shown in Fig. 1, received at the front end of a swivel lever 8. The 2s arrangement on the right-hand side is a mirror image of that on the left-hand side. This means that another swivel lever is situated on the right-hand side and, together with the other swing shaft, forms part of a swivel mechanism for the wind deflector 6, as will be described in detail hereinafter. At its rear end, the swivel lever 8 is mounted in a bearing bracket 35 secured to the roof frame 4 to rotate about a swivel axis 9. When the sliding cover 3 is pushed back (Fig. 1), the swivel lever 8 is brought into its upwardly swivelled position, with the front of the swivel lever 8 being higher than the rear of the swivel lever 8 relative to the fixed roof 1, by biasing means, r_ such as one or more torsion springs (not shown) for example, and the wind deflector 6 is swivelled out in the direction opposite the direction of travel as prescribed, as shown by solid lines in the upper part of Fig. 1. During the forward movement of the sliding cover 3 towards its closed position (to the left in Fig. 1), a cam roller 10 mounted on the sliding block holder 5 runs onto the top surface of the swivel lever 8, as a result of which the latter is swivelled about the swivel axis 9 in an anti- io clockwise direction. The swivel lever 8 then takes the wind deflector 6 with it against the force of the torsion springs via the swing shaft 7 into a retracted position shown by dot and dash lines in the lower part of Fig. 1 in which the wind deflector 6 is substantially horizontal as will be described further below.

As will be clear, in particular from the sectional views of Figures 2 and 3 and from the exploded view of Fig. 4, the swing shaft 7 traverses a holder 11 connected to the actual wind deflector 6. The holder 11 consists of a solid, generally square body made of plastics and has a front end face 12 inclined at an angle of < 900 relative to the flat underside 13 of the holder 11. The rear end face 14 of the holder 11, on the other hand, extends at an angle of 900 relative to the flat underside 13. A spring plate 15 formed in one piece with the holder 11 and extending parallel to the underside 13 of the holder 11 projects rearwardly from the rear face 14. The spring plate 15 is a flexible leaf spring element by means of which the holder 11 is supported against the swivel lever 8 when the wind deflector 6 is swivelled outwards, as shown in Fig 1 and described hereinafter. Alternatively, a leaf spring element, possibly made of spring steel sheet, inserted into a slot in the holder 11 provided in the region of its underside 13 or its rear end face 14 and extending parallel to the latter, may be provided instead of the spring plate 15 integrally connected to the holder 11.

6 The holder 11 is traversed laterally by a control groove 16 having a curved, generally arcuate or bananashape cross-section. The control groove 16 opens into the s two opposed side faces 17,18 of the holder 11 and has its lowest height in the region of the front end face 12 of the holder 11 and its greatest height in the region of the rear end face 14 of the holder 11. The front and rear ends of the control groove 16 are at such a distance from the front lo end face 12 and the rear end face 14 of the holder 11 respectively that sufficient material remains in these regions of the holder 11 to be able to resist pressure and stress applied to the walls of the control groove 16 when the swing shaft 7 which traverses the control groove 16 is is situated in the groove end positions. As will be clear from Figures 3 and 4, the swing shaft 7 is in the form of a set pin which traverses not only the control groove 16, but also bores 19,20 respectively provided in the arms of the front fork-shaped end 21 of the swivel lever 8. The set pin 7 is held axially in position by a clamping plate or circlip 22 seated in a groove 23 at the free end of the set pin 7.

The wind deflector 6 consists of a wind deflector plate 24 and a support 25. The wind deflector plate 24 extends across the width of the roof opening 2 and has a generally V-shape transverse cross- section with a flat front portion 24A and a flat upper portion 24B. The support 25 is generally strip-like, a locking component 26 preferably being integrally moulded with the underside thereof. The locking component 26 has a front part 27 which is in the form of an inverted T when viewed from the front and which has a downwardly projecting locking hook 28 extending from its rear face. The upper part of the holder 11 is correspondingly formed. Thus, a groove 29 with an inverted T-shape or alternatively dovetail cross section is formed in the upper part of the holder 11 (over halfway up 7 the holder 11), said groove 29 opening into the front end face 12 of the holder 11 and extending inwards into the holder 11 over approximately half the length of the holder 11. The stem of the T-shape groove 29 opens into the top surface 30 of the holder 11 and has at its rear end a rearwardly upwardly inclined surface 32 which terminates in a web 33. The hook 28 of the locking component 26 has a corresponding component consisting of a recess 34 complementary to the outer contour thereof, the recess 34 opening into the rear face 14 of the holder 11 and into the top surface 30 thereof on the rear side of the web 33.

The assembly of the wind deflector plate 24 and the wind deflector plate support 25 and the holder 11 will be clear from Fig. 4, according to which the locking component 26 is first guided through a precision opening 31 in the wind deflector plate 24 until the whole of the support 25 bears against the upper flat portion of the wind deflector component plate 24. The locking component 26 is then introduced into the T-shape groove 29 in the holder 11 by means of its T- shape front part 27, the hook 28 finally running onto the inclined surface 32 formed at the end of the groove 29 as a guide surface for the locking hook 28 so that the locking hook 28 can overcome the web 33 which separates the groove 29 from the recess 34 into which the locking hook 28 descends as soon as the locking component 26 is introduced completely into the T-shape groove 29 by means of the T-shape front part 27. The wind deflector 6 is thus locked onto its holder 11. The holder 11 is then connected by means of the swing shaft 7 to the front forkshaped end 21 of the swivel lever 8. Alternatively, assembly can be effected in such a manner that the holder 11 is first connected to the swivel lever 8, after which the wind deflector 6 is slipped onto its holder 11 and locked, as described hereinbefore.

8 As shown in Figure 1, a stationary bearing support 36 is fixed to the front part of the roof frame 4 under the adjacent portion of the roof area 1 in front of the roof opening 2. The bearing support 36 has a bearing axle 37 s which runs across the roof frame 4 in a direction transverse to the direction of travel of the vehicle. A tilting lever 38 is fixed to the bearing axle 37 for pivotal movement about the axis defined by the bearing axle 37. The tilting lever 38 has a generally L- shape cross- lo section transverse to the direction of travel of the vehicle. A helical coil spring 39 is journalled on the bearing axle 37 with one leg of the spring 39 bearing against the roof frame 4 and the other leg bearing against and biasing the tilting lever 38 in an upwards direction (anti-clockwise in Figure 1). The front portion 24A of the wind deflector plate 24 sits in front of and bears against the rearwards generally vertical leg of the tilting lever 38 as shown in Figure 1.

As will be clear from Fig. 1, the wind deflector 6 adopts a position in which the support 25 and the upper flat portion 24B of the wind deflector plate 24 are substantially horizontal when the swivel lever 8 is lowered completely into its rest position (lower part of Fig. 1).

In this position, the underside 13 of the holder 11 for the wind deflector 6 bears against the roof frame 4. When the swivel lever 8 is swivelled into the position shown at the top of Fig. 1 by swivelling the swivel lever 8 upwards by means of spring force, as described hereinbefore, at the beginning of the stroke of the swivel lever 8, the springloaded tilting lever 38 can pivot upwards under the action of the coil spring 39 thereby causing the wind deflector 6 to pivot about the axis defined by the axle 37 to the position shown in the upper part of Figure 1 with the swing shaft 7 running rearwards and upwards along the control groove 16 to the rear/upper end of this groove 16. This movement is controlled by movement of the swing shaft 7 in 9 the curved control groove 16. The wind deflector 6 thereby adopts its swivelled-out position, as shown in the upper part of Fig. 1, in which the spring plate 15 bears against the underside of the swivel lever 8 on the rear face of the holder 11. During the movement in the opposite direction, when the swivel lever 8 is swivelled downwards into its rest position, the wind deflector 6 pivots in the opposite direction about the axis defined by the axle 37 towards the position shown in the lower part of Figure 1, the holder 11 coming to bear via its front end against the roof frame 4 and the swing shaft 7 running forwards and downwards along the control groove 16 until the holder 11 for the wind deflector 6 bears against the roof frame 4.

An embodiment of the present invention has been described with particular reference to the example illustrated. However, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications may be made to the example described within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wind deflector arrangement for a vehicle roof having a roof opening which can be closed by means of a sliding cover, the wind deflector arrangement comprising a wind deflector which is arranged along the front edge of the roof opening to swivel about a swivel axis extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and connected by means of a holder to a swivel lever provided io at its front end with a pin extending parallel to the swivel axis of the wind deflector and engaging in a slot in the holder, the rear end of the swivel lever being mounted to swivel about a swivel axis extending parallel to the swivel axis of the wind deflector, and the swivel lever is being preloaded upwards by spring force and arranged to be swivelled downwards when the sliding cover closes the roof opening, the wind deflector thereby swivelling inwards, the slot in the holder being in the form of a control groove which is curved in the opposite direction to the curve traversed by the pin during the swivel movement of the swivel lever, the wind deflector being connected to the holder by means of a clamping joint which allows the wind deflector to be fitted onto the holder at an end face of the holder.

2. A wind deflector arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the holder has a front end face into which a T-shape groove opens for the positive reception of a T-shape portion of a locking component which projects from the underside of the wind deflector.

3. A wind deflector arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the locking component has a downwardly projecting locking hook arranged to snap into a recess which is situated behind the blind end of the T-shape groove of the holder in the direction of insertion and which opens into the top surface of the holder.

4. A wind deflector arrangement according to any of s claims 1 to 3, wherein sufficient holder material is provided between the ends of the control groove and the end faces of the holder to prevent rupture of the control groove as a result of the engagement of the pin.

io

5. A wind deflector arrangement according to any of claims 1 to 4, comprising a tilting lever fixed for pivotal movement relative to the vehicle roof and arranged to bias the wind deflector to swivel to its outwards operative position.

6. A wind deflector according to claim 5, wherein the tilting lever has a leg which is engaged with a leg of wind deflector to bias the wind deflector outwards.

7. A wind deflector according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the tilting lever is arranged to move the wind deflector to its inward inoperative position when the swivel lever swivels downwards.

8. A wind deflector arrangement according to any of claims 1 to 7, comprising a spring plate extending from a rear end face of the holder as a continuation of its underside for engagement with the underside of the swivel lever.

9. A wind deflector arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the spring plate is formed in one piece with the holder.

12

10. A wind deflector arrangement according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the holder is in the form of a plastics injection moulded part.

11. A wind deflector arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.