ITTO980667A1 - LIGHT VEHICLE WITH OPENING ROOF. - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION of the industrial invention entitled: "Light vehicle with sunroof"

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a light vehicle having a sunroof.

The invention relates in particular to a sunroof for a light vehicle in which the sunroof can be easily folded into a compact condition, the pillars supporting the roof are also folded into a compact condition, and both the folded roof both the uprights can be housed in a containment space of the vehicle.

Light vehicles, such as scooters, fitted with roofs have been proposed and used in practice in order to ensure a comfortable ride in rainy weather.

Most traditional roofs for light vehicles are of the fixed type.

Usually, the roof stays attached to the light vehicle regardless of the weather, so once the roof is fixed it cannot be easily removed from the vehicle even when the weather turns nice after rain.

Proposals have been made to remove the previous roof from the vehicle. An example of such a roof for a light vehicle is known from Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 3-52.396. In this publication, the roof includes a roof panel extending over a driver, a rear panel extending downward from a rear end of the roof panel, and a rear subpanel disposed under the rear panel. A bar having a cross section in the shape of an inverted letter U is disposed at the rear end of the vehicle for the purpose of supporting the rear panel, and can assume raised and lowered positions.

The foregoing panels are made of rigid resin material or the like, and are constructed so that the leading edge of the roof panel is coupled to a top edge of a windshield. The rear end of the roof panel is supported by the bar which is vertical, and the rear panel covers the rear surface of the bar.

With the light vehicle described in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 3-52.396, the roof is removed from the vehicle in the following sequence. First, the hard roof panel is removed from the windshield, and the rear panel is then detached. The removed panels rest against the rear of the vehicle, and covered by the rear sub-panel or the like.

In the previous light vehicle, the roof panel, rear panel and rear sub-panel are very rigid.

These panels must be disassembled in order to remove the roof. Subsequently, they are collected and rested against the rear of the vehicle using fastening devices.

Therefore, there is the problem that the removal of the previous panels and the positioning of the removed panels against the rear of the vehicle are inconvenient and not performed efficiently.

The roof panel and other roof components are made of rigid materials, so they cannot be folded. It is difficult to provide a space to house the detached panels in a small light vehicle. Therefore, the panels must be placed against the rear of the vehicle.

The removed components are bulky and protrude from the rear of the vehicle so that the vehicle inevitably becomes longer. Also, the components in the rear of the vehicle will make the vehicle less aesthetic.

The roof including the rigid panels tends to make the vehicle heavier when attached to the vehicle. Also, there is the problem that the assembled panels cause the vehicle to look heavy and poorly proportioned, which is not appropriate for a light vehicle that provides a nice and light appearance.

The present invention has been devised for the purpose of overcoming the problems of the prior art.

The invention is directed to the realization of a light vehicle with a sunroof that can be easily folded into a compact form by means of a one-step operation and housed with uprights in a containment box present under the driver's seat.

Another object of the invention is to improve the functionality of the sunroof by simplifying its structure so that the sunroof can be folded easily and quickly. In addition, the sunroof can be reliably maintained in an extended condition and in a folded condition. When folded, the roof can be made as small as possible, whereby it can be easily and reliably housed in a containment space which is basically used to hold a helmet or the like.

Furthermore, the invention is intended to provide a light vehicle with a sunroof, which comprises lightweight components and ensures a pleasant and soft appearance of the vehicle when the roof is in an extended condition. In addition, the vehicle can maintain a nice and aesthetic appearance when the roof is folded and stored.

The invention is also intended to provide a light vehicle with a sunroof and a structure for effectively housing the sunroof in a compact condition. In particular, the folded roof becomes narrow and short, i.e. the sunroof has a variable and compact shape at its front edge so that it can be folded easily, and can be effectively housed in the containment space.

According to the invention, the rear pillar supporting the rear part of the roof can be folded quickly and easily. In particular, the rear pillar keeps the roof in an extended condition, and is divided into upper and lower parts, so that these can be housed in the containment box in the compact condition. The rear pillar can be easily folded, locked in the straight or folded condition, and released from the locked condition.

To achieve the previous objects of the invention, according to claim 1, a light vehicle is provided with a sunroof arranged between a windscreen and a rear pillar in its rear part. The rear upright is made up of hollow members, the sunroof is made of fabric and extends between right and left tie rods having the shape of a metal wire, and the tie rods can be housed in the rear upright.

According to claim 1, the sunroof of fabric slides on the tie rods so as to be able to extend in the direction of the length of the vehicle, or to be able to be arranged in a folded condition. The tie rods are then made to slide within the rear upright and contained in the latter. The fabric sunroof, defined in claim 2 which depends on claim 1, has the front edge fixed to the tie rods, the rear edge separably coupled to the rear upright, and the remainder supported so as to slide on the tie rods.

According to claim 2, the rear edge of the fabric sunroof is released from the rear pillar so as to be folded towards the front edge of the tie rods. When the fabric sunroof is folded towards the front edges of the tie rods, the remaining portions of the tie rods are exposed and can slide unimpeded into the rear pillar. In this condition, the fabric sunroof is located at the front edge of the rear pillar, so that the tie rods, together with the fabric sunroof, become very compact.

The rear pillar, defined in claim 3 depending on claim 1 or 2, comprises the upper pillar tubes and the lower pillar tube for supporting the upper pillar tubes. The lower riser tube includes the locking mechanism for keeping the upper riser tubes in an upright condition. As defined in claim 3, the upper pillar tubes are reliably held in the upright condition by the locking mechanism in the lower pillar tube when the sunroof is in the extended condition. When the roof is folded, the C-pillar is flexed and can be shortened. The rear pillar with the folded roof can be accommodated in the storage space under the seat.

The upper riser tubes, defined in claim 4 which depends on claim 3, are bent with respect to the lower riser tube. The lower pillar tube with the folded roof can be accommodated in the storage space under the seat.

According to claim 4, the folded roof in a compact condition is housed in the relatively limited containment space under the seat of the light vehicle.

The fabric roof, in claim 5 depending on claim 1 or 2, is supported by a retaining member positioned across its leading edge. The restraint member is extendable in the direction of the width of the vehicle.

According to claim 5, since the restraint member is freely extendable in the width direction of the vehicle, it can be narrowed, folded and held in compact form while the fabric roof is not used.

The retaining member, defined in claim 6 depending on claim 5, comprises the windshield attachments which are hinged on the tie rods for the purpose of retaining the leading edge of the fabric roof.

The retaining member in claim 6 can swing at the forward ends of the tie rods. When the folded fabric roof is housed in the containment space, the retainer can be held parallel to the bottom of the containment space.

According to claim 7, which is dependent on claim 3, the lower pillar tube comprises arms which have ends movably supported by a vehicle body frame and movably support the bases of the upper pillar tubes. A locking bar which is freely separable from the upper post tubes is arranged along the length of the arms, and is coupled to a movable locking member which is movably supported by the arms via a movable pin, and has locking elements capable of engaging with, or separating from, a locking member of an immobile locking member attached to the body frame. The movable pin of the movable locking member is made to oscillate by the operating lever.

According to claim 7, the actuation lever releases the movable locking member from the immobile locking member. The movable locking member swings freeing the upper pillar tubes from the locking bar. Therefore, the upper riser tubes can be unlocked from the lower riser tube. Operation of the operating lever can simultaneously perform the previous unlocking operations.

In claim 8, which depends on claim 7, the locking elements of the movable locking members are two jaws. The locking element of the immobile locking member consists of two notches, and the locking elements of the movable locking member are selectively brought into engagement with the locking elements of the immobile locking member when said upper tubes of the post are arranged in an upright position or are bent in response to actuation of the locking member.

The upper tubes of the post in claim 8 can be reliably locked in the upright and folded positions by the engagement of the jaws with the notches.

(Thus, the roof can be extended, held in the extended condition, and folded and stowed reliably. The jaws are movable while the notches are immobile, so that locking and unlocking operations can be performed reliably using a structure. simple.)

The invention will be described with reference to an embodiment illustrated in the attached drawings. The drawings should be viewed according to the orientation of the reference numbers.

Figure 1 represents a side view of a light vehicle equipped with the sunroof according to the invention;

Figure 2 'represents an enlarged top view of the sunroof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged side view of the roof;

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along line 4-4 in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view along line 5-5 in Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a front view of the retaining member at the front edge of the roof;

Figure 7 is an enlarged front cross-sectional view of the main part of the retaining member;

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view along the line 8-8 in Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view along line 9-9 in Figure 7;

Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view along the line 10-10 in Figure 7; Figure 11 is an exploded view of the retaining member;

Figure 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the mechanism for coupling the rear edge of the roof and the rear pillar;

Figure 13 is a longitudinal sectional view, similar to Figure 12, showing the rear pillar from which the rear edge of the roof has been removed;

Figure 14 is a front view of the rear pillar lower tube with the front trim removed therefrom;

Figure 15 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lower tube of the upright locked in an upright condition; Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view along the line 16-16 in Figure 15; Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view along the line 17-17 in Figure 15; Figures 18 to 21 show the manner in which the lower post tube is pushed back, in which; Figure 18 shows the manner in which the lower post tube is unlocked by operation of the operating lever; Figure 19 shows the operation of pushing the lower tube of the upright backwards; Figure 20 shows the lower tube of the upright held in the pushed back condition; and Figure 21 shows the locking condition of the lower tube of the upright;

Figure 22 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the locking condition of the lower tube of the upright, similar to Figure 15;

figure 23 shows the way in which the sunroof is folded forward;

Figure 24 shows the way in which it is possible to move the folded roof backwards and insert the tie rods into the upper tubes of the upright;

figure 25 shows the folded roof;

Figure 26 shows the lower post tube pushed back and the upper pillar tubes pushed forward and down;

Figure 27 shows the condition of the folded roof arranged in the containment box;

Figure 28 is a side view showing how the folded roof is housed in the containment box, and the containment box is closed; And

Figure 29 is a perspective view of the mechanism for moving the windshield up or down.

Drawings of a rear post locking mechanism and drawings showing the sequences of operation will be described below.

With reference to Figure 1, a light vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle 1") is constituted in this embodiment of a scooter. The vehicle 1 comprises: a covering 3 of the body which protects a frame 2 of the body and which defines an external aspect thereof; a front wheel 4 which is freely steered by means of a handlebar 5; an oscillating-type powerplant 7 at the rear end of the vehicle; and a rear wheel 6 arranged behind the drive unit 7 and which acts as a driving wheel.

Furthermore, a front liner 8 is positioned over the front wheel 4, and side mirrors 9 are attached to the opposite upper ends of the front liner 8.

A seat 10 of the driver is located in the center of the vehicle 1. A space under the seat 10 is surrounded by a rear trim 11. A containment box 12 having an open top is contained in the space bounded by the rear trim 11.

The saddle 10 is positioned above the containment box 12. The containment box 12 is opened and closed by upward and downward movement of the saddle 10 whose front end is hinged.

A windshield 13 protrudes from the front trim 8 at the front of the vehicle l, and is inclined so that its upper edge faces the rear of the vehicle 1.

The windshield 13 is constructed to drop from its highest position illustrated in FIG. 1 in response to the folding of a rear post 40, as will be described below.

A roof 20 extends between the upper edge of the windshield 13 and the rear pillar 40 at the rear of the vehicle 1.

The roof 20 is shaped as illustrated in Figures 2 to 6. The roof 20 in an extended condition will be described below.

The roof 20 is constituted by an impermeable and flexible fabric 21, with right and left tie rods 25 extending in the direction of the length of the vehicle 1. The tie rods 25 are constituted by flexible, resilient and elastic harmonic threads, for example.

A plurality of short tubes 22 are sewn along opposite side edges 21a of the fabric roof 21, maintaining predetermined spaces between them. The right and left tie rods 25 are slidably inserted into the tubes 22, so that the fabric roof 21 covers the distance between the right and left tie rods 25.

A plurality of joints 23 are sewn along the lateral edges 2a of the fabric roof 21 maintaining predetermined spaces between them. The joints 23 are positioned substantially in the center of the fabric roof 21 in the length direction, and engage smoothly with the tie rods 25.

A reinforcing wire 26 consisting of a harmonic wire or the like spans the distance between each pair of left and right joints 23, and is disposed on the lower surface of the fabric roof 21 in order to keep the fabric roof 21 in place. correct shape.These reinforcing metal wires 26 are arranged in the direction of the length of the fabric roof, as shown in Figure 2.

With reference to Figures 4 and 5, reinforcement flaps 24 are suspended from the lateral edges 21a of the fabric roof 21, thus keeping the tie rods 25, the tubes 22 and the joints 23 invisible.

This sunroof 20, a so-called soft roof, extends between the upper edge of the windshield 13 and the rear pillar 40, improving a soft and pleasant line of the light vehicle.

A member 30 for retaining the front edge of the sunroof 20 will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 11. In order to aid understanding of the structure, Figure 11 represents an exploded perspective view thereof, with the fabric roof 21 removed. .

The retaining member 30 comprises an oblong base plate 31 having a cross section substantially in the shape of the letter C, and a pair of side plates 32, as illustrated in Figures 9 to 11.

A pair of upper and lower grooves 31a are formed by the upper and lower curved portions of the base plate 31. These grooves 31a face each other. The central rear surface of the base plate 31 is coated with a pair of reinforcing plates 31b.

The left and right side plates 32 are symmetrical. Each of the side plates 32 has an oblong front portion 32a and a short folded portion 32b, i.e. each side plate 32 is substantially in the shape of the letter L.

A pair of upper and lower oblong recesses 32d are formed near the inner end of each front 32a, maintaining some space between them. Each of these recesses 32d has a notch 32c at its first end. An oblong slot 32e is present between the recesses 32d. Each front part 32a is provided, in its lower half and near the folded end, with circular holes 32f and 32g which are spaced apart, and with an oblong slot 32h above the circular holes 32f and 32g. The recesses, notches, oblong slits, and circular holes are formed symmetrically on the two side plates 32.

The side plates 32 are positioned behind the base plate 31 with their upper and lower edges in engagement with the upper and lower grooves 31a. Therefore, the side plates 32 are laterally sliding on the rear surface of the base plate 31.

A pair of tension and biasing members, such as rubber ring belts 33, extend between the notches 32c which are symmetrically formed on the side plates 32. The rubber ring belts 33 elastically pull the plates towards each other. side 32 in engagement with the rear surface of the base plate 31.

A pair of small screws 34 are inserted through holes in the reinforcement plates 31b fixed to the base plate 31, within the oblong slots 32h of the side plates 32, thus allowing the side plates 32 to slide reliably on the base plate 31.

Each of the preceding tie rods 25 has a portion 25a bent substantially at right angles, to which a joint 27 is movably fixed.

Each joint 27 is shaped similarly to a hinge part, and has a pair of cylindrical portions 27a, 27a which movably engage with the bent portion 25a of the tie rod 25. A flattened portion 27b 'of each joint 27 is provided a hole 27d near its right side edge and a protruding rivet 27c near its left side edge.

The flattened portions 27a of the joints 27 are brought into contact with the rear surface of the retaining plates 32, with the rivets 27c passing through the holes 32g, and all these members are coupled together as illustrated in Figure 9.

With reference to Figure 8, when the joints 27 are fixed to the retaining plate 32s, the cylindrical members 27a are received in the oblong slots 32h, thus preventing them from interfering with the retaining plates 32.

Small countersunk head screws 35 are inserted from the front sides of the holes 32f with their tips 35a projecting from the rear surfaces of the flattened portions 27b.

Nuts 36 are screwed onto the tips 35a and secure the flattened portions 27d to the retaining plates 32 with the rivets 27c. Also, hooks 37 are movably supported through pins 37a, at the rear ends of the nuts 36, as illustrated in Figure 8.

In particular, the rear end of each nut 36 is forked in order to enclose the pin 37a, thus allowing the hook 37 to swing freely using the pin 37a as a fulcrum.

Relatively large openings 14 are formed near the opposite upper side edges of the windshield 13. The hooks 37 are intended to be arranged at right angles to the windscreen 13.These hooks 37 are inserted through the openings 14, and are folded down and rotated in order to bring the retaining plates 32 into engagement with the windshield 13. Thus, the retaining plates 32 are in engagement with, and attached to, the windshield 13.

Figure 8 shows how the retaining plates 32 are attached to the windshield 13. In this condition, the retaining member 30 comprising the retaining plates 32, the base plate 31 and the tie rods 25 are in engagement with the upper edge of the windshield 13 and fixed to it.

When pushed downward as indicated by a solid line in Figure 8, the hooks 37 are in contact with the rear surface of the windshield 13 near the openings 14 so as not to exit the opening 14.

Conversely, when the hook 37 is pushed upwards as illustrated by an arrow (1), it is arranged flush with the opening 14 as illustrated by a dashed line 37A.

Therefore, the hook 37 can be pulled out of the opening 14 by moving the retaining member 30 including the retaining plates 32 to the left in Figure 8, i.e. the retaining member 30 can be detached from the windshield 13.

Referring to FIG. 10, the small screws 34 which pass through the stiffeners 31b on the rear surface of the base plate 31 have their heads 34a received in holes 13a which are present between the openings 14. Thus, the retaining plate 32 may be in close proximity. contact with the front surface of the windscreen 13.

The front edge 21b of the fabric roof 21 is made integral with the front surfaces of the retaining plates 32 and of the base plate 31 which constitute the front surface of the retaining member 30. Furthermore, the front edges of the right reinforcement flaps and left side 24 are made to adhere to the folded parts 32b of the retaining plates 32.

The retaining member 30 can be removed from the windshield 13 by pushing up the hooks 37 (as indicated by the dotted line 37A in Figure 8) and releasing them from the openings 14.

In the retaining member 20, the retaining plates 32 which slidably engage with the base plate 31 near the center of the windshield 13 are resiliently biased in the direction of mutual approach by the rubber ring straps 33.

Therefore, when released from the windshield 13, the retaining plates 32 in contact with the base plate 31 approach each other due to the tension and elasticity of the rubber belts 33, whereby the withholding 30 becomes tighter overall.

In this condition, the flexible fabric roof 21 is folded in the width direction.

The reinforcing metal wires 26 extending through the tie rods 25 are flexible and elastic like harmonic wires, so that they deform with the folding of the fabric roof 21, but can return to their original shape.

Therefore, the retaining member 30 released from the windshield 13 automatically deforms and becomes narrower together with the fabric roof 21, the tie rods 25 and the reinforcing metal wires 26, and can be housed in the containment box 12.

The retainer 3 is movably supported from the forward ends of the tie rods 25 through the retainer plates 32 using the joints 27. Therefore, when the retainer 30 is removed from the windshield 13, the brace 30 can be moved using the ends 25a of the tie rods 25 as fulcrums.

As a result, the retaining member 30 can freely modify its attitude, for example it can be arranged at right angles to the extensions of the tie rods 25.

Therefore, the opening canopy 20 can be housed in the containment box 12 with the retainer 30 parallel to the bottom 12a of the containment box 12, as illustrated in Figures 27 and 28. This will be described below.

The rear end of the sunroof 20 is supported as described below.

With reference to Figure 1, a pedestal 15 of the rear upright 40 is fixed to the rear part 2a, inclined upwards and backwards, of the frame 2 of the body so that the pedestal 15 projects upwards therefrom. support frame 16 extends from the pedestal 15, and the lower tube 46 of the rear post 40 is fixed to the support frame 16 through a locking mechanism. Therefore, the lower post tube 46 can freely assume an upright or folded position, and can be held in the previous position by the locking mechanism.

The pedestal 15 and the support frame 16 except its upper edge are covered by the rear of the rear trim 11, so that the rear pillar 40 is erected and over the rear of the rear trim 11.

A rear plate 28 extends across the rear edge of the sunroof 20 similarly to the retaining member 30 in the front of the roof 20, as illustrated in Figure 2. In particular, the rear plate 20 has a leaf tie 28a arranged transversely and held by the rear edge 21c of the fabric roof 21.

As illustrated in Figure 12, U-shaped hooks 29 are attached to internal surfaces of the rear plate 28 (towards the front of the vehicle 1), using small screws 29a. U-shaped hooks 29 are present near the left and right side edges of the back plate 28.

The rear pillar 40 includes a pair of upper pillar tubes 41 which are symmetrical and have the shape of the letter L.

Lower portions 41a of the rear pillar tubes 41 are symmetrical and are folded inward. The upper riser tubes 41 extend upward from the lower portions 41a, have a predetermined height, and are curved forward and upward as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3.

Jaw pieces 42 are attached to outer surfaces of the upper ends of the upper post tubes 41, and freely engage and separate from the U-shaped hooks 29.

Cylindrical guides 43 made of resin or the like having a low coefficient of friction are fixed concentrically around the tips of the upper tubes 41 of the post using small screws 43a or the like. Rear ends 25b of the tie rods 25 are slidably inserted into the upper tubes 41 of the upright through the cylindrical guides 43.

Spring supports 44 are attached to the rear ends 25b. Coil springs 45 are disposed between the spring supports 44 and the lower ends 43b of the cylindrical guides 43 in the upper end of the upper tubes 41 of the post. In particular, the helical springs 45 are wound around the rear ends 25b.

Referring to FIG. 13, when the back plate 28 is pulled rearward, the U-shaped hooks 29 of the back plate 28 separate from the jaws 42 of the upper post tubes 41.

The rear edge of the sunroof 20 is then freed from the upper pillar tubes 41 as shown in Figure 13.

In this condition, when the rear plate 28 is pushed forward in order to advance the sunroof 20, the flexible fabric roof 21 is folded, sliding unhindered on the tie rods 25 and on the tubes 22.

The reinforcing wires 26 which cover the distance between the tie rods 25 move with the fabric roof 21 being folded as the tubes 23 slide along the tie rods 25, which means that the reinforcing wires 26 are folded together with the fabric roof 21.

The folded fabric roof 21 is folded and compacted so as to lie on the retainer 30 and collects at the forward ends of the tie rods 25, as illustrated in Figure 23. The folded roof 20 becomes narrower in the lateral direction.

In this condition, most of the tie rods 25 are exposed except where the folded fabric roof 21 is present, as shown in Figure 23. The tie rods 25 are then pushed backwards by gripping the retaining member 30.

The tie rods 25 slide in the upper tubes 41 of the upright and are withdrawn in the latter

The cylindrical guides 43 contribute to the unhindered sliding and retraction of the tie rods 25. The elastic thrust of the springs 45 produces an initial thrust force for the tie rods 25, and favors an unobstructed and reliable insertion of the tie rods 25 into the upper tubes 41 of the mast.

The tie rods 25 are withdrawn into the upper tubes 41 of the upright except for the portion on which the folded fabric 21 and the rear plate 28 are present, until the rear plate 28 comes into contact with the tips of the cylindrical guides 43.

Figure 24 shows how the folded roof 20 is present between the tips of the upper tubes 41 of the post.

The structure and operation of the lower tube 46 of the upright, the structure and operation of the locking and unlocking mechanisms, and the connection between the upper and lower tubes of the upright 41 and 46 are described below.

With reference to Figure 14, a body 47 constitutes the lower tube 46 of the upright, has the shape of a shallow box, and is narrow at the front and rear edges.

The body 47 constitutes an elongated rectangle in a front view, comprises a back plate 48 and a cover 49 to cover the front of the back plate 48 and contains a pair of arms 50 along its opposite side edges as integral members.

The body 47 comprising the arms 50 can oscillate on a support pin 54 provided on the frame of the vehicle body (which will be described later) as a fulcrum.

A support tube 51 extends through the upper ends 50a of the arms 50.

A pin 52 supporting the upper post tubes 41 is pivotally inserted through the support tube 51.

The opposite ends 52a of the pin 52 project from the opposite ends of the support tube 51 and engage with the folded portions 41a of the upper tubes 41 of the post.

The lower tubes 41 of the upright and the pin 52 are movable with respect to the support tube 51, as a single integral member.

As clearly illustrated in Figure 15, the support pin 52 has a groove 52b formed at a predetermined angle on its outer surface, and a radial opening 52c at the end of the groove 52b.

A pair of supports 16a is provided, leaving a certain space between them, on the front end of the support frame 16 of the pedestal 15 (erected on the rear part 2a of the frame 2 of the body, illustrated in figure 1). and 16.

The supports 16a are coupled to a pair of support supports 17 which are spaced from each other, as illustrated in Figures 15 to 17.

A pair of raised side portions 53a of a bracket 53 having the shape of an E channel are in contact with the outer surfaces of the support supports 17. The lower ends 50b of the arms 50 are in contact with the outer surfaces of the raised side portions 53 In this way, the arms 50 and the bracket 53 oscillate as a single integral member.

The support pin 54 extends between the raised side portions 53a and the lower ends 50b of the arms 50. The lower post 46 including the arms 50 is movably supported by the support pin 54.

A pair of left and right locking pieces 55 are attached to the outer surface of the support pin 54 inside the arms 50, and open at right angles to the support pin 54.

The locking pieces 55 are provided with a first and a second notch 55a and 55b, and constitute an immobile locking member. The first notches 55a are open backwards and downwards while the second notches 55b are open forward and downwards.

A support pin 56 extends under the arms 50, and above and behind the support pin 54. With reference to Figure 15, the locking jaw 57 substantially in the shape of the letter C has its center fixed to the support pin 56. The locking jaws 57 act as a movable locking member for holding the lower post tube 46 in the upright position.

Each locking jaw 57 has at its first end a jaw piece 57a having the shape of an inverted letter L. When the lower post tube 46 remains straight as illustrated in FIG. 15, the jaw pieces 57a are brought into engagement with the first notches 55a of the locking pieces 55 which are immobile. Thus, the lower post tube 46 is held in the upright position.

A pair of right and left locking bars 58 are placed side by side inside the arms 50, leaving a certain space between them. Cavities 51a are formed on the lower surface of the support tube 51 while maintaining a certain space between them. The locking bars 58 are inserted into the recesses 51a through the bottom of the support tube 51. The recesses 51a are provided with guides 51b in their lower parts.

Tips 58a of the locking bars 58 reach the holes 52c through the recesses 51a and the grooves 52b of the pin 52.

The tips 58a of the locking bars 58 are brought into engagement with and separated from the holes 52c in order to serve as a locking mechanism for the upper post tubes 41.

Furthermore, the locking bars 58 act as a stop to limit rotation of the pin 53 in accordance with the engagement of the plates 58a in the holes 52c. Since the support pin 52 cannot rotate, the upper tubes 41 of the upright connected to the opposite ends of the support pin 52 are blocked preventing its rotation. Therefore, the upper riser tubes 41 are locked in the condition that they are erected on the lower riser tube 46 as illustrated in FIG. 1.

Therefore, the sunroof 20 can be maintained in the extended condition.

Rotatable supports 57c are provided at the bases 57b of the locking jaws 57, and support the lower portions of the locking bars 58 so that the locking bars 58 are axially sliding (in the vertical direction in FIG. 15).

Spring supports 58b are arranged in the center of the locking bars 58, and coil springs 59 are wound between the spring supports 58 and the supports 57c. Each lower end 58c of each locking bar 58 extends downwardly from the rotatable supports 57c, and is provided with a stop 57d. In Figure 14, the stops 57d consist of adjustable screws to adjust their position.

One end of the support pin 56, i.e. the right-hand end in Figures 14 and 16, is coupled to a base of the operating lever 60.

The operating lever 60 projects outward from one side of the body 47 as indicated by a solid line in Figure 14 and a dashed line in Figure 15. The operating lever 60 has an inwardly curved gripping member 60a at its summit.

A base 60b of the actuation lever 60 is joined to a cylindrical joint 66a at a first end of the support pin 56. The oscillation of the actuation lever 60 allows the rotation of the support pin 56.

A first end 61a of a return spring 61, such as a helical spring, is in engagement with the locking jaw 57 near the rotatable support 57c. The other end 61b of each return spring 61 is in engagement with a pin 62 in the center of the arms 50.

In Figures 14 and 15, the reference number 63 indicates a reinforcement lever which extends between the arms 50.

The folding operation for closing the lower tube 46 of the upright is described below.

In Figures 14 and 15, the lower post 46 and the upper post tubes remain erect. In other words, the sunroof 20 remains extended as illustrated in Figure 1.

Before pushing down the lower post tube 46, the rear plate 28 of the sunroof 20 is removed from the upper tubes 41 of the pillar, and the fabric roof 21 is folded forward on the tie rods 25 as indicated by an arrow (2 ) shown in figure 23.

The sunroof 20 is folded at the forward ends of the tie rods 25, and becomes extremely short.

The retaining member 30 is removed from the windshield 13 and pushed backwards, and this allows the tie rods 25 to be inserted into the upper tubes 41 of the post as indicated by an arrow (3) in Figure 24. Therefore, the folded roof 20 and the retaining member 30 are present between the upper tubes 41 of the upright.

In the previous condition, the saddle 10 is unlocked and rotated upwards using its front edge as a hinge so that the containment box 12 is open in order to house the folded roof 20.

The upper pillar tubes 41 and the lower pillar tube 46 are pushed downward as described below. Reference will be made to figures 18 to 21, and 25.

First, the operating lever 60 is swiveled in the direction of an arrow (4) (i.e. to the left in Figure 18 or in the forward direction of the vehicle).

Therefore, the support pin 56 rotates, thereby allowing the locking jaws 57 to rotate counterclockwise in Figure 18, using the support pin 56 as the fulcrum. The actuation lever 60 is swung against the thrust of the spring 61.

With the rotation of the clamping jaws 57, the jaw members 57a at their tip are freed from the first notches 55a of the clamping pieces 51. The bases 57b of the clamping jaws 57 are made to move downwards, thereby causing that the locking bars 58 are pulled downwards against the thrust of the springs 59.

As a result, the tips 58b of the locking bars 58 are released from the holes 52c of the support pin 52, whereby the support pin 52 can rotate in the support tube 51 at the upper end of the lower post tube 46.

With the downward movement of the locking bar 58, the support pin 52 and the upper tubes 41 of the post are unlocked. In particular, the upper pillar tubes 41 (having the ends 41a coupled to the opposite ends of the support pin 52) are unlocked from the lower pillar tube 46, thus allowing the upper pillar tubes 41 to rotate in the direction of an arrow (5 ) in figures 19 and 25.

In this condition, the upper tubes 41 of the upright which accompany the folded roof 20 at its front ends are ready to be pushed downwards into the containment space 12.

With the jaw pieces 57a released from the first notches 55a (of the immobile locking piece 55), the lower post tube 46 is released from a self-locking condition and becomes free. Thus, the lower post tube 46 can rotate on the support pin 54 counterclockwise, i.e. in the direction of an arrow (6) shown in figures 19 and 25.

Thereafter, the rear post tube 46 is pushed backwards, and the upper post tubes 41 are also pushed downwards as illustrated in Figures 20 and 26. In particular, the upper pillar tubes 41 which have been released from the tube 46 of the upright can be pushed downwards.

Referring to Figure 26, the upper pillar tubes 41 can be pushed down to a level below the rear post 46 of the pillar which has been pushed down to be substantially horizontal so that the folded roof 20 can be introduced into the containment box 12.

Figure 21 shows how the rear part 46 of the post is pushed back while the upper tubes 41 of the post are tilted forward and down. In this condition, the jaw pieces 57a of the clamping jaws 57 are located underneath. the second notches 55b of the locking pieces 55.

The jaw pieces 57a then engage with the second notch 55b as illustrated in Figure 21. In this condition, the lower post tube 46 is locked in the condition in which it has been pushed down.

When the operating lever 60 is swung upward from the substantially horizontal position as indicated by an arrow (8) in Figure 21, the locking jaws 57 are rotated, thereby freeing the jaw pieces 57a from the second notches 55b. Subsequently, the lower upright 46 is released from the locking condition, and is arranged in an upright position. The upper tubes 41 of the post are also arranged in an upright position, so that the folded roof 20 can be extended.

The lower pillar tube 46 and the upper pillar tubes 41 are erected and locked, and the folded roof 21 is extended in the reverse sequence to that for folding the sunroof. This operation can be easily understood. Figure 22 shows the condition in which the lower post tube 46 is pushed back.

With reference to Figure 26, the containment box 12 is provided with a recess 12a on its bottom in order to receive the folded roof 20 coupled to the upper tubes 41 of the upright.

In Figure 26, the folded roof 20 is located above the recess 12a, and is therefore pushed downwards so as to be in contact with the latter. In this condition, the tie rods 25 in the upper tubes 41 of the upright can be easily pushed downwards.

The folded roof 20 is fully received in the recess 12a as illustrated in Figure 27.

The retaining member 30 is movably coupled to the tie rods 25 using the hinge pieces 27, thus allowing the folded roof 20 to be parallel to the recess 12a. Therefore, even when the retaining member 30 is rigid, the folded roof 20 is retained preventing it from being erected in the recess 12a, and is reliably kept compact in the recess 12a.

Subsequently, an internal door 12b is pushed forward and downward in order to close the containment box 12 with the folded roof 21, as indicated by an arrow (9) in Figure 27.

Finally, the saddle 10 is pushed downwards as indicated by an arrow in Figure 27, thus closing the containment box 12.

Although not illustrated, two recesses are formed on the rear surface of a seat back 10a in order to receive the upper pillar tubes 41. Therefore, the upper pillar tubes 41 and a helmet H can be housed in the rear of the containment box 12, as illustrated in Figure 28.

In this embodiment, the windshield 13 is intended to be made to move downward to a predetermined position in accordance with the folding and retraction of the sunroof 20.

This is due to the fact that the upper edge of the windshield 13 is preferably slightly higher than the driver's head in order to protect the driver from rain while the sunroof 20 is used.

However, when the sunroof 20 is not used, the upper edge of the windshield 13 is preferably under the driver's eyes, as shown in Figure 28.

Figure 29 shows a mechanism 70 for adjusting the height of the windshield 13. The mechanism 70 comprises a pair of supports 13b positioned at the lower edge of the windshield 13. A base plate 71 is fixed in the front trim 8 of the vehicle 1. A pair of guides 72 are arranged along the opposite side edges 13c of the windshield 13, and slide thereon. A pair of feed screws 73 are arranged near the opposite side edges of the base plate 71. A pair of nuts 74 are screwed on the feed screws 73, and are fixed to the supports 13b.

A motor 75 is attached to the bottom of the base plate 71, and includes drive gears 76 rigidly coupled to its left and right output shafts. The drive gears 76 are in engagement with a pair of driven gears 77 at the bottom of the feed screws 73.

Operation of the motor 75 allows the drive gears 76 to rotate back and forth through the feed screws 73. As a result, the nuts 74 in engagement with the feed screws 73 move up or down, thereby causing so that the windshield 13 coupled to the nuts 74 rises or falls.

The windshield 13 is raised or lowered as follows.

As illustrated in Figure 15, a starter switch 78, such as a microswitch, is fixed close to one of the arms 50, i.e. this switch is disposed in a fixed position in the upper tube 41 of the upright. In Figure 15, an element 78a of the switch 78 remains open.

When the upper riser tubes 41 are pushed rearward as previously described, the switch 78 moves rearward together with the arms 50, whereby the element 78a contacts a cam 79 attached to the pin. <3 ⁄4i support 56.

Therefore, element 78a is pushed by activating the switch 78, thereby allowing the motor 75 to rotate and operate the feed screws 73. As a result, the windshield 13 is lowered to a predetermined height.

Figures 26 and 27 show how the windshield 13 is lowered to the predetermined height when the lower post tube 46 is pushed down.

The present invention is advantageous under the following aspects. According to claim 1, the sunroof is disposed between the windscreen and the rear pillar. The sunroof consists of a folding fabric and a variety of tie rods. The fabric roof can be folded or extended in the direction of the length of the vehicle when it is slid on the tie rods. After the fabric roof has been folded, the tie rods are withdrawn into the rear post tubes.

With the light vehicle having a sunroof, the roof can be folded and retracted when not in use. Further, since the tie rods are retracted within the rear pillar tubes, the fabric roof can be held in the folded condition at the rear end of the rear pillar, and housed in the storage box in a compact condition.

Therefore, the present invention can equip the light vehicle with the sunroof which can be folded and housed in the containment box of the vehicle.

The sunroof comprises the tie rods which can be retracted into the rear pillar, and the flexible fabric which slides over the tie rods and is easily foldable. In addition, the sunroof can be easily extended following the opposite sequence to the folding sequence.

The sunroof comprises the tie rods which keep the roof in correct shape, can be retracted within the rear pillar and are made of harmonic threads or the like, and the fabric roof slides on the tie rods. Therefore, the roof can be made in light form, and is suitable for a light vehicle.

In addition, the roof has a simple structure and is inexpensive.

The roof is of the opening type, and can be retracted when not in use. The roof includes the fabric extending between the windshield and the C-pillar, thus acting as a soft top roof. The roof is lightweight and can enhance the attractive exterior and functionality of the light vehicle.

According to claim 2, which depends on claim 1, the fabric roof is fixed to the front ends of the tie rods, is slidably retained by the tie rods, and has the rear end separably coupled to the rear upright. When removed from the rear pillar, the fabric roof can be folded forward on the tie rods.

When the fabric roof is folded at the forward ends of the tie rods, the remaining portions of the tie rods are exposed, and are slid and retracted into the rear upright.

Thus, the roof can be folded by removing its rear edge from the rear pillar, and is easily moved to the front ends of the tie rods, without any of the awkward steps of removing a roof panel and the like that are required by the prior art.

When the tie rods are retracted into the rear pillar, only the folded fabric roof remains at the front edge of the rear pillar. In this condition, the folded roof is very compact, ie it becomes extremely short, and can be housed in the containment box without problems.

According to claim 3, which is dependent on claim 1 or 2, the rear pillar comprises a pair of upper pillar tubes and the lower pillar tube 46 supporting the retracted upper pillar tubes. The lower riser tube includes the locking mechanism to keep the upper riser tubes in the upright condition.

When the sunroof is extended on the light vehicle, the C-pillar can be reliably held in the upright condition. Conversely, when the sunroof is folded down, the upper pillar tubes are withdrawn into the lower pillar tube, thereby shortening the overall length of the rear pillar.

The folded roof and the rear pillar can be easily accommodated in the containment box or the like.

The upper riser tubes, in claim 4 which depends on claim 3, can be bent relative to the lower riser tube. The lower pillar tube with the folded roof fits compactly into the small cramped containment box under the seat.

The upper riser tubes are designed to be bent relative to the lower riser tube. Even when folded, the length of the upper riser tubes corresponds to the length when the roof is extended. When pushed down, the upper strut tubes do not protrude from the rear of the vehicle, do not increase the length of the vehicle, and can be accommodated in the containment space.

The retaining member, defined in claim 5 depending on claim 1 or 2, is arranged in the width direction of the vehicle for the purpose of retaining the leading edge of the fabric roof, and is extendable. When the sunroof is not in use, the width of the front edge of the roof can be reduced.

The sunroof consists of the symmetrical tie rods and the fabric roof, and can be folded into a tight condition at the front edge. Therefore, the sunroof can be narrowed and shortened overall, - that is, it becomes compact.

The folded roof can therefore be easily accommodated in the storage box under the vehicle seat.

The retaining member, according to claim 6 which depends on claim 5, is provided with the attachments for connecting the front edge of the sunroof to the windscreen. The attachments are hinged to the tie rods of the fabric roof, whereby the retaining member is made to oscillate at the front ends of the tie rods. Therefore, the retaining member can be parallel to the bottom of the containment box when the folded roof is retracted.

The height of the retaining member is reduced, and it can be housed in the containment box with the roof folded in a compact condition and parallel to the bottom of the containment box. Therefore, the folded roof can be housed together with the helmet and the like in the containment box. The containment box can still perform its original function of holding items.

According to claim 7, which depends on claim 3, the lower pillar tube comprises arms which have bases movably supported by the vehicle body frame and movably support at their tips the lower ends of the upper pillar tubes; a locking bar which is freely separable from the upper post tubes is disposed along the length of the arms, and is coupled to the movable locking member which is movably supported by the arms via the movable pin, and has a locking element capable of engaging with and separating from a locking element of an immobile locking member fixed to the body frame, and the movable pin of the movable locking member is made to oscillate by an operating lever. The operation of the actuation lever separates the movable locking member from the immobile locking member. The swinging of the movable locking member releases the locking bar from the rods of the upper strut tubes, and frees the upper strut tubes from the lower strut tube.

The operating lever simultaneously releases the lower mast tube and the upper mast tubes from their locking conditions. In other words, the operating lever can efficiently retract the upper strut tubes that support the folded roof into the lower strut tube by pushing the lower strut tube backward in a coordinated manner.

A single actuation lever ensures a reliable push back of the lower mast tube using the coordination mechanism.

The locking element of the movable locking member, defined in claim 8, which depends on claim 7, consists of two jaws, the locking element of the immobile locking member consists of two notches, and the element The locking member of the movable locking member selectively engages the locking member of the immobile locking member when the upper post tubes are erected in response to the actuation of the movable locking member. The movable locking member engages with the immobile locking member using the jaws and notches, so that the upper post tubes can be reliably held in the upright or folded position.

Therefore, the upright rear pillar can reliably support the extended roof even when the vehicle is exposed to wind action. Also, the rear pillar can be kept in the folded condition after the roof has been folded and retracted.

The movable jaws and immobile notches are capable of ensuring reliable locking, locking and unlocking operations.

Claims (8)

CLAIMS 1. Light vehicle with a sunroof arranged between a front windshield and a rear pillar at its rear, where: the aforesaid rear upright is made of a hollow material; the aforementioned sunroof is made of fabric, is capable of folding, and is extendable between right and left tie rods having the shape of a metal wire; And the aforesaid tie rods can be retracted within the aforesaid rear upright. 2. A light vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said sunroof comprises a front edge fixed to said tie rods, a rear end which engages separably with said rear pillar, and the remainder which slides on aforementioned tie rods. 3. Light vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said rear pillar includes upper pillar tubes and a lower pillar tube for supporting said upper pillar tubes in a folded condition, and said lower pillar tube comprises a mechanism for locking to keep the upper tubes of the aforementioned upright erect. 4. Light vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the upper tubes of the aforementioned pillar are folded forward and downward relative to the lower tube of the above pillar, and the lower tube of the above pillar with the aforementioned sunroof folded over it is housed in a containment box under a vehicle seat. 5. Light vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a restraint member is provided through the front edge of the fabric roof, and said restraint member is extendable in the direction of the width of the vehicle. 6. Light vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said retaining member comprises fastening devices to the windshield hinged on said tie rods. 7. Light vehicle according to claim 3, wherein: the lower tube of the aforementioned pillar comprises arms which have bases movably supported by a frame of the vehicle body; the aforesaid arms movably support the lower ends of the upper tubes of the aforesaid upright at their tips; a locking bar which is freely separable from the rods of the upper tubes of the aforesaid upright is disposed in the direction of the length of the aforesaid arms and is coupled to a movable locking member which is movably supported by the aforesaid arms through a movable pin, and comprises locking elements capable of engaging with, or separating from, locking elements of an immobile locking member secured to the body frame; and the pin of the aforesaid movable locking member is made to oscillate by an actuation lever. 8. Light vehicle according to claim 7, wherein: the aforesaid locking elements of the aforesaid movable locking member consist of two jaws; the aforesaid locking elements of the aforesaid immobile locking member consist of two notches; and the upper tubes of the aforesaid upright are selectively brought into engagement with the aforesaid two notches of the aforesaid immobile locking member in the upright or folded position with the oscillation of the movable locking member.