Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60J—WINDOWS, WINDSCREENS, NON-FIXED ROOFS, DOORS, OR SIMILAR DEVICES FOR VEHICLES; REMOVABLE EXTERNAL PROTECTIVE COVERINGS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES
  • B60J7/00—Non-fixed roofs; Roofs with movable panels, e.g. rotary sunroofs
  • B60J7/20—Vehicle storage compartments for roof parts or for collapsible flexible tops
  • B60J7/208—Vehicle storage compartments for roof parts or for collapsible flexible tops with improved trunk access by moving the folded roof package when opening the trunk lid for loading or unloading luggage

Definitions

• a retractable roof for a vehicle having a device for optimising the placing of luggage in the boot
• the invention relates to a retractable roof for vehicles comprising several rigid roof elements able to move between a position in which they cover the passenger compartment of the vehicle and a position in which they are stored in the rear boot of the vehicle.
• Such a retractable roof makes it possible to convert a vehicle of the saloon or coupe type into a vehicle of the cabriolet type.
• the roof elements when they are stored inside the rear boot of the vehicle, are placed one on top of the other and extend substantially horizontally under the boot lid.
• the threshold for access inside the boot that is to say the distance between the rear edge of the bottom roof element and the rear edge of the access opening to the boot, is limited, which impedes the placing of the luggage inside the boot.
• the aim of the present invention is to remedy the above drawback by creating a device for increasing the distance between the rear edge of the boot opening and the rear edge of the bottom roof element in order to facilitate the placing of the luggage inside the boot.
• the invention thus relates to a retractable roof for a vehicle, comprising several rigid roof elements able to move between a position in which they cover the passenger compartment of the vehicle and a position in which they are stored inside the rear boot of the vehicle, so as to be superimposed substantially horizontally under the rear boot lid.
• this retractable roof is characterised in that the assembly consisting of the roof elements, stored inside the rear boot, is mounted so as to pivot on an axis situated within the boot, so that this assembly can be raised upwards during or after the opening of the boot lid from rear to front.
• This arrangement thus facilitates the placing of luggage inside the boot.
• the retractable roof comprises a rear element, a front element and possibly an intermediate element, the movement of this assembly towards the boot being controlled by a pivoting arm articulated at a fixed point on the bodywork and at a point situated close to the front of the rear element, the latter being situated under the front element and possibly under the intermediate element, when these are stored in the rear boot.
• the assembly of roof elements stored inside the boot is mounted so as to pivot about the point of articulation of the said arm situated close to the front of the rear element.
• the said finger is connected to the rear part of the rear element by means making it possible, when the finger is in the end of travel position in the said runner, to space the rear part of the rear element apart from the said finger.
• the finger is fixed to a lug directed towards the rear of the rear element and having a groove in which there is slidably engaged at least one finger carried by a fixed lug at the rear part of the rear element.
• This arrangement makes it possible to guide the movement of the assembly consisting of the superimposed roof elements during their raising.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic view in longitudinal section of the boot of a vehicle in which there are stored the elements of a retractable roof according to the invention
• Figure 2 is an enlarged view of detail A in Figure 1 ;
• Figure 3 is a view in section along the plane Ill-Ill in Figure 2.
• the retractable roof shown in Figure 1 comprises three rigid roof elements 1 , 2, 3 able to move between a position in which they cover the passenger compartment of the vehicle and a position (the one shown in Figure 1) in which they are stored inside the rear boot 4 of the vehicle, in a superimposed fashion, substantially horizontally and under the lid 5 of the rear boot 4.
• the assembly consisting of the roof elements 1 , 2, 3 stored inside the rear boot 4 is mounted so as to pivot on an axis 6 situated inside the boot 4, so that it is possible to raise this assembly upwards during and after the opening of the lid 5 of the boot from rear to front.
• the retractable roof comprises a rear element 3, a front element 1 and an intermediate element 2.
• the movement of this assembly towards the boot 4 is controlled by a pivoting arm 8 articulated at a fixed point 9 on the bodywork and at a point 6 situated close to the front of the rear element 3.
• the latter is situated under the front element 1 and under the intermediate element 2, when these are stored in the rear boot.
• the assembly consisting of the roof elements 1 , 2, 3 stored inside the boot 4 is mounted so as to pivot about the point of articulation 6 of the arm 8 situated close to the front of the rear element 3.
• the roller 11 is connected to the rear part 3b of the rear element 3 by means making it possible, when the roller 11 is in the end of travel position in the runner 10, to space the rear part 3b of the rear element 3 apart from the roller 11 , as shown by Figures 2 and 3.
• roller 11 is fixed to a lug 12 directed towards the rear 3b of the rear element 3, and which has a groove 13 in which there are slidably engaged two fingers 14 carried by a lug 15 fixed to the rear part 3b of the rear element 3.
• Figure 3 shows that the spacing of the rear part 3b of the rear element 3 with respect to the roller 11 engaged in the runner 10 is controlled by means of a ram 16 whose body 16a is connected to the lug 12 carrying the roller 11 and the rod 16b is connected to the lug 15 fixed to the rear element 3.
• the actuation of the ram 16 is effected simultaneously with the actuation of the opening of the lid 5 of the boot 4.
• the distance D between the rear edge 7 of the opening of the boot and the rear edge 3a of the rear element 3 changes to D'.
• the increase in this distance facilitates the placing of the luggage inside the vehicle boot.
• the raising of the assembly consisting of the elements 1 , 2, 3 could be controlled manually, for example by means of a handle fixed to the rear of the rear element 3 or by an appropriate connection between this element 3 and the lid 5, so that the manual or motorised opening of the lid 5 simultaneously controls the lifting of the assembly consisting of the elements 1 , 2, 3.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Seats For Vehicles (AREA)
• Fittings On The Vehicle Exterior For Carrying Loads, And Devices For Holding Or Mounting Articles (AREA)
• Vehicle Step Arrangements And Article Storage (AREA)
• Body Structure For Vehicles (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8859609

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (4)

Families Citing this family (7)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (1)

• 2001
  • 2001-02-05 FR FR0101507A patent/FR2820370B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2001-12-04 EP EP01989564A patent/EP1358085B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-12-04 JP JP2002562586A patent/JP4106268B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2001-12-04 WO PCT/EP2001/014113 patent/WO2002062605A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2001-12-04 ES ES01989564T patent/ES2306735T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-12-04 DE DE60133934T patent/DE60133934D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-12-04 US US10/467,290 patent/US6848736B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (3)

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