GB2332400A

GB2332400A - Boot opening mechanism for a Cabriolet having a foldable roof

Info

Publication number: GB2332400A
Application number: GB9828023A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Carlos P Machado; Siegfried Zipperle
Original assignee: Daimler Benz AG
Current assignee: Daimler Benz AG
Priority date: 1997-12-20
Filing date: 1998-12-18
Publication date: 1999-06-23
Anticipated expiration: 2018-12-18
Also published as: GB2332400B; GB9828023D0; DE19756981A1; FR2772674B1; IT1302931B1; ITRM980781A1; FR2772674A1; DE19756981C2

Abstract

A Cabriolet has a roof structure including at least one roof part and a rear window part which can be partially stowed in a boot below a rear lid 1. To open the boot to the rear, the lid 1 is coupled at each side to a first pivoting link device 2. The lid 1 is connected in the rear region to the vehicle body via a releasable latching device 14. A base plate 4 of the link device 2 forms a connecting means for a four bar linkage having an upper and a lower guide bar 5,7 via which the lid 1 is pivotable into a position for storing the roof, the latching device 14 being undone at the same time. At least one of the guide bars 8,9 can be connected to the vehicle body via a releasable latching element 13 and a locking device 12.

Description

1 Cabriolet having a roof structure which has at least one roof part and a

rear-window part 2332400 The invention relates to a cabriolet having a roof structure which has at least one roof part and a rear-window part and, in an opening position in the rear region of the vehicle, can at least partially be put away in a boot below a rear lid.

DE 44 45 944 Cl describes a hard top vehicle having a roof structure, in which the rear lid is coupled by its pivot spindle to a tubular auxiliary frame and the latter, for its part, is supported on the body side via a pivot spindle in the lower vehicle end region. In the case of movement about its front pivot spindle, on the one hand, the rear flap can be pivoted into an opening position releasing the boot to the rear and, on the other hand, in the case of movement about a second, rear pivot spindle, can be pivoted together with the auxiliary frame into a second opening position which upwardly releases a folding-top compartment and the boot and in which the roof structure can be lowered.

Of disadvantage in this case is the fact that the two lateral auxiliary frames are connected to each other in the rear region by means of a transverse part by which the rear pivot spindle is also formed. This arrangement means that there are relatively severe limitations as regards the vehicle design in the rear region, in particular in the region of the bumper. Moreover, a not inconsiderable part of the boot is required for it.

EP 0 277 295 B1 discloses a fixed folding roof for a vehicle, in which the rear lid can be moved from a closed position into an opened position by a four-bar linkage hinge.

For further prior art as regards the actuation of rear lids of motor vehicles reference is made to DE 1063 911, DE 44 45 580 Cl and DE 195 16 877 Cl.

The present invention seeks to provide a cabriolet which, with the use of simple technical means, permits movement of the rear lid both into an opening which releases the boot to the rear and into an oppositely directed opening in which the storage of a roof structure in the rear region of the vehicle is possible, it being intended for the loss of boot space at the same time also to be limited, for the advantages of a 2 conventional, tubular auxiliary frame to be retained and for there to be a greater number of design options for the rear region of the vehicle.

According to the present invention there is provided a cabriolet having a roof structure which has at least one roof part and a rear-window part and, in an opening position in the rear region of the vehicle, can at least partially be put away in a boot below a rear lid, having the following features:

c) a) for an opening which releases the boot to the rear, the rear lid is laterally connected in each case to a link device having a front pivot spindle, b) in the rear region, for the purpose of a roof storage function, the rear lid is connected to a vehicle body via a releasable latching device, a base plate of the link device forms a connecting means for a four-bar linkage having an upper and a lower guide bar via which the rear lid is pivotable into a position for storing the roof structure, the latching device being undone at the same time, d) on the body side, the two guide bars are in each case mounted in a pivot in the rear region of the vehicle behind the front pivot spindle of the rear lid, and at least one of the two guide bars is adapted to be connected to the motor-vehicle body via a releasable latching element and a locking device. By means of the combination according to the invention uncoupled frames, which are in each case formed from the two lateral guide bars, are provided in such a manner that the rear pivoting device in the rear region for the rear lid and the movement of the frame are uncoupled. When the rear lid is opened to put away the roof structure, the link device, which is advantageously a multiple link device and hence forms a front pivot spindle, is released from the body by the locking device being opened. Via an actuating device, for example a hydraulic device, the guide bars are then in each case erected and in this manner bring the rear lid into the position in which the roof structure can be stored. In this manner, the device according to the invention provides a four-bar linkage on each side. Whereas in the case of the prior art when the rear lid was opened

1 3 to store the roof structure, the rear lid was rotated by the latching device about a fixed pivot in the rear central part, namely a second, rear pivot spindle and, as a result, the bumper contour had to be matched to the path of the rear lid, in the roof storage function for the rear lid there is no longer a fixed pivot but rather the four-bar linkage executes a lifting and pivoting movement for the rear lid. The parts of the four-bar linkage are in each case situated laterally in the boot without an unnecessarily large amount of space being required for this purpose.

One of the essential advantages of the embodiment of the invention described hereinafter is the fact that in the vehicle design there is substantially more design freedom in the rear region because the rear lid is released from the rear latching device during storage of the roof structure and thereby comes free from the body during the lifting movement.

Compared to known structures which use a tubular auxiliary frame having a transverse part in the rear region, the result is also a markedly smaller loss of boot space.

Compared to structures which do not have an auxiliary frame, the structure remains correspondingly stiff. Also in comparison to frameless variants in which scissor-type kinematics or telescopic cylinders have to be used with relatively large opening angles, the four-bar linkage having the two guide bars means that the movement of the rear lid is possible using simple hydraulic cylinders.

To open the rear lid having an opening which releases the boot to the rear, for example for loading the boot, at least one of the guide bars is connected to the body via a latching element and the latching device for the rear lid in the rear region is opened, opening of the rear lid then taking place via the link device.

It is furthermore of advantage that in addition an auxiliary loading function is possible.

Advantageous refinements and developments of the invention are revealed in the embodiment described by way of example below with reference to the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows the kinematics for moving a rear lid according to the invention, with the rear lid closed; and Fig. 2 shows the kinematics of the rear lid according to Fig. 1 in an opened position 4 for storing a roof structure.

Since the type of roof structure, which generally has at least one roof part and a rear-window part, and the kinematics for putting the roof structure away are not of importance for the invention, in the embodiment the roof structure and the kinematics for putting it away are not shown and the kinematics for moving a rear lid 1 are merely outlined.

The rear lid 1 is in each case laterally provided with a link device in the form of a multiple link 2 on its end which is in front in the direction of travel. Since the multiple link 2 may be of a known design, it is not gone into in more detail below. A known seven-bar linkage may, for example, be used for this (see, for example, DE 44 45 944).

The purpose of the multiple link device 2 is to allow a vertical movement of the rear lid at the same time as the rear lid 1 pivots. The multiple link 2 is provided with a latching part 3 by which the rear lid 1 is arrested or positioned. When latched in place by the latching part 3, the multiple link 2 is unable to function. The multiple link 2 forms a front pivot spindle for the rear lid 1. When the multiple link 2 is actuated there results, in a known manner, a path of movement by means of which the rear lid 1 is pivoted into a "normal" opening position in such a manner that the boot is opened to the rear for loading. Since this mode of functioning is known, it has not been illustrated in the drawing.

A base plate or carrier plate 4 for the link device is arranged on the underside of the multiple link 2. The base plate 4, on which the levers of the seven-bar linkage are mounted, at the same time also forms a connecting means for a four-bar linkage which has an upper guide bar 5 and a lower guide bar 7. On its end which is remote from the base plate 4, the upper guide bar 5 is coupled pivotably to a pivot 6 on the body side, whereas the lower guide bar 7, likewise at its end which is remote from the carrier plate 4, is coupled pivotably on a pivot 8 on the body side in the rear region of the vehicle. The two pivots 6 and 8 are in each case laterally situated in the lower rear region of the vehicle and hence form pivot points for the four-bar linkage for moving the rear lid 1.

In the central region a piston rod 9 of an actuating cylinder 10 acts on at least one of the guide bars 5 or 7. The actuating cylinder 10 is mounted in an articulated manner in a supporting point 11 on the body side. The guide bar 7 is furthermore provided with a locking device 12 which is fixed on the body side and cooperates with a latching element 13 connected to the guide bar 7.

In the rear region, the rear lid 1 is connected releasably to a vehicle body via a latching device 14, for example a servo lock.

Fig. 2 shows the position that the rear lid I adopts in order to receive a roof structure below the rear lid 1. In order to achieve this, the actuating cylinder 10 is actuated, as a result of which the piston rod 9 extends and respectively pivots the two lateral guide bars 5 and 7 upwards and to the rear. For this purpose, the locking device 12 has to be undone and the latching element 13 correspondingly released from it. During this pivoting movement the link device 2 is arrested by the latching part 3.

Pivoting of the rear lid for storing a roof structure takes place by means of the four-bar linkage having the upper and the lower guide bar 5 and 7, respectively, and the base plate 4 of the link device 2 as connecting means. During the opening movement of the rear lid the base plate 4 is pivoted upwards with the entire link device 2 and, to be precise, without the link device carrying out a movement internally. The connecting means or base plate 4 is rotated about a theoretical pivot which is the intersecting point of the two guide bars 5 and 7. If the two guide bars 5 and 7 lie parallel to each other in the closed state of the boot, the intersecting point is thus infinite, meaning that during the opening movement for the rear lid I first a pure lifting movement is carried out followed by the rearwardly directed pivoting movement. A parallel arrangement of the two guide bars 5 and 7 is, however, not absolutely necessary for a functioning mode.

For this storage function the latching device 14 can also be unlocked remotely. By virtue of the four-bar linkage large opening angles can also be achieved with conventional actuating cylinders 10, which will generally be hydraulic cylinders. In a subsequent closing of the rear lid after storage of a roof structure, the latching part 3 in the multiple link 2 secures the entry of the rear lid I into an initial latch (not shown) on the latching device 14, after which the rear lid I can then be closed completely.

If the rear lid I is to be pivoted into a position in which the boot obtains an opening released to the rear, the guide bars 5 and 7 remain latched in place by the 6 locking device 12. The latching device 14 is released and the rear lid 1 is pivoted via the multiple link 2. This results in an opening to the rear for loading the boot.

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Claims

1. A cabriolet having a roof structure which has at least one roof part and a rear-window part and, in an opening position in the rear region of the vehicle, can at least partially be put away in a boot below a rear lid, having the following features:

a) for an opening which releases the boot to the rear, the rear lid is laterally connected in each case to a link device having a front pivot spindle, b) in the rear region, for the purpose of a roof storage function, the rear lid is connected to a vehicle body via a releasable latching device, a base plate of the link device forms a connecting means for a four-bar linkage having an upper and a lower guide bar via which the rear lid is pivotable into a position for storing the roof structure, the latching device being undone at the same time, d) on the body side, the two guide bars are in each case mounted in a pivot in the rear region of the vehicle behind the front pivot spindle of the rear lid, and at least one of the two guide bars is adapted to be connected to the motor-vehicle body via a releasable latching element and a locking device.

2. A cabriolet according to Claim 1, wherein at least one of the guide bars is adapted to be.actuated via an actuating cylinder.

3.

A cabriolet having a roof structure which has at least one roof part and a rear-window part, substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

1

3. A cabriolet having a roof structure which has at least one roof part and a rear-window part, substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows A cabnolet having a roof structure which has at least one roof part and a rear-window part and, in an opening position in the rear region of the vehicle, can at least partially be put away in a boot below a rear lid, having the following features:

a) for an opening which releases the boot to the rear, the rear lid is laterally connected to a link device having a front pivot spindle, b) in the rear region, for the purpose of a roof storage function, the rear lid is connected to a vehicle body via a releasable latching device, a base plate of the link device forms a connecting means for a four-bar linkage having an upper and a lower guide bar via which the rear lid is pivotable into a position for storing the roof structure, the releasable latching device being undone at the same time, on the vehicle body side, the two guide bars are in each case mounted in a pivot in the rear region of the vehicle behind the front pivot spindle of the rear lid, and at least one of the two guide bars is adapted to be connected to the vehicle body via a releasable latching element and a locking device.

d) 2. A cabriolet according to Claim 1, wherein at least one of the guide bars is adapted to be actuated via an actuating cylinder.