WO2008049421A1

WO2008049421A1 - Openable vehicle roof with an actuating device for a roof element

Info

Publication number: WO2008049421A1
Application number: PCT/DE2007/001926
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rudolf Dietl
Original assignee: Webasto Ag
Priority date: 2006-10-27
Filing date: 2007-10-29
Publication date: 2008-05-02
Also published as: GB0907174D0; DE102006050874B4; DE102006050874A1; DE112007003186A5; GB2455483A

Abstract

An openable vehicle roof is proposed, comprising a roof element (24) which can be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and, in the closed position, is adjacent with its front edge to a fixed body section, and guide rails (44) which are arranged on both sides of the roof element (24) and in which a respective actuating device (42) for the roof element (24) is guided, said actuating device being displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and moving the roof element in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and positioning it in a front end position. In order to design the actuating devices (42) such that they are compact, they each have, according to the invention, a driven locking hook (72), the pivoting of which brings about a vertical offset of the roof element (24) and which, in the closed position of the roof element, is locked at a locking bolt (78).

Description

Reveal vehicle roof with actuator for a

roof element

The invention relates to an apparent vehicle roof according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

Such a vehicle roof is from the

DE 102 03 204 B4 known and designed as a folding roof of a designed as a convertible passenger car. The known vehicle roof comprises a foldable top, which is formed of a flexible material and has at its front end facing the vehicle as a roof top front bow, which is a front rigid roof element and in the closed state of the top sealingly to a front cowl above a windscreen of vehicle in question. The front cowl is a stationary body section. On both sides of the front bow formed as Daσhspitze aligned in the vehicle longitudinal direction guide rails are arranged, in each of which an actuating device for the front bow in vehicle longitudinal direction is guided displaceable. The actuators, which are each connected to a drive cable, each comprise a toggle lever system, which is guided to reach a blocking position, which is associated with the closed position of the front bow, along a control link. In order to trigger a lifting movement of the front bow when the top is opened, a further control cam is provided, on which a control lever of a four-bar mechanism is guided, which is articulated on the one hand to a bearing sσhlitten the respective actuator and on the other hand on the front bow or on a carrier of the front bow , The actuator thus serves to move the rooftop in the vehicle longitudinal direction, to initiate a lifting or lowering movement in. the front bow and its positioning in a front end position. However, such an actuator has a plurality of components required for transmitting the force exerted by the drive cable to the front bow. Also, different structural units are required to perform a vertical movement of the front bow and to secure the closed position of the front bow, which are arranged in adjacent functional planes, for each of which sufficient space must be provided.

The invention has for its object to provide a vehicle roof of the aforementioned type with an optimized actuator for a roof element.

This object is achieved by the apparent vehicle roof with the features of claim 1. According to the invention, therefore, a vehicle roof is proposed, in which an actuating mechanism for a displaceable in the vehicle longitudinal direction roof element has a driven locking hook, the pivoting a vertical offset of the roof element be ~ acts and is locked in the closed position of the roof element to a locking bolt. The driven locking hook thus assumes both a lifting or lowering function as well as a locking or securing function for the roof element. The lowering or raising of the roof element is effected solely by pivoting the locking hook, which acts on the roof element. The integration of the blocking function and the lifting or lowering function in the locking hook, ie in a component, one wins compared to the above-described prior art, a complete functional level. Also, only a small number of components is required to ensure the different functions of the locking hook. These consist essentially of a drive for the locking hook, a pivot bearing for the locking hook and the locking bolt, which is arranged at least during the locking or unlocking body fixed. Since no slide guides or the like are required, the manufacturing costs are also reduced compared with the vehicle roof according to the prior art described above. Due to the omission of slide tracks also simplifies the installation of the actuator.

In a specific embodiment of the disclosed vehicle roof according to the invention, the roof element forms a front bow or a roof top of a folding top of a vehicle designed as a cabriolet. It is also conceivable, however, for the roof element connected to the actuating device to comprise a cover element of an outside leash. sliding sunroof, a slat of a slatted sliding roof or the like.

In a preferred embodiment of the disclosed vehicle roof according to the invention, the locking hook acts on a multi-joint mechanism, in particular on a four-bar mechanism, which is connected on the one hand to the roof element and on the other hand to a guided in the respective guide rail slider. By a four-bar mechanism, a defined or parallelogram-like lifting movement of the roof element can be achieved. The locking hook then acts on a control lever or -lenker the four-bar mechanism. The other link of the four-bar mechanism represents a guide link.

The drive of the locking hook can be effected in particular by means of a sliding element, which is connected to a pressure-resistant drive cable, which in turn can be driven by means of an electric motor. A method of the sliding element in the respective guide rail thus causes a pivoting of the relevant locking hook and thus a vertical offset of the roof element.

In order to be able to secure the locking position of the locking hook, in a preferred embodiment of the vehicle roof according to the invention an intermediate link between the sliding element and the locking hook is arranged, which occupies an over-center position in the locking position. This Übertotpunktlage ensures that the locking hook can not be pivoted by forces acting on the roof element, unintentionally in a release position. This can be done only by moving the slider in the relevant guide rail. In order to clearly define the pivoting position of the locking hook in the release position, the locking hook can have guide elements which are guided on the guide rail when the roof element is displaced. A particularly maintenance-friendly Äusführungsform exists when the guide elements are designed as rollers. These rollers can then be guided on opposite sides of a web of the respective guide rail.

In order to be able to steadily increase the contact pressure during the process of the roof element in the closed position, in which this is usually pressed against a sealing element, the locking hook preferably has an eccentrically shaped active surface, which cooperates with the locking bolt.

The sliding element, to which the locking hook is connected, and the slider to which the multi-joint mechanism is connected, are in particular designed so that the sliding element is moved during pivoting of the locking hook in the release position against the slider, in particular against a buffer element of the slider and the slider and the sliding element during the process of the roof element in the vehicle longitudinal direction are fixed relative to each other substantially.

Thus, the slider can be moved easily in the respective guide rail, guide rollers are provided in a preferred embodiment, each roll on a support surface of this guide rail. Further advantages and advantageous embodiments of the article according to the invention are the description, the drawings and the claims removed.

An embodiment of a vehicle roof according to the invention is shown schematically simplified in the drawing and will be explained in more detail in the following description. It shows:

Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a motor vehicle, which is provided with a vehicle roof according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective top view of the vehicle roof; FIG.

3 shows a side view of an actuating device of the vehicle roof in the blocking position;

4 shows a side view of the actuating device in its release position;

Fig. 5 is an interior view of the actuating device in its release position;

Fig. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the actuator with a guide rail in lock division;

Fig. FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6, but without the guide rail being shown; FIG.

Fig. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 7, but in the release position of the actuating device;

Fig. 9 shows a cross section through a guide rail and a driven sliding element; and Fig. 10 is a front view of the guided in the guide rail actuator.

In Fig. 1, a motor vehicle 10 is shown, which is designed as a convertible and with a folding top 12, that is provided with a so-called soft-top. The Folding top 12 forms a vehicle roof, which extends in the closed position shown in Fig. 1 between a front cowl 14 and a rear portion 16 of the motor vehicle 10 and can be brought by means of an electric motor or hydraulically driven convertible top link 18 from its closed position in a vehicle interior releasing open position in which it is stored in a rear side, schematically indicated hood box 20.

The folding top 12 illustrated in isolation in FIG. 2 comprises a waterproof roof skin 22 formed from a flexible and foldable material, which extends from a front bow 24 forming a roof top and sealingly adjacent the cowl 14 in the closed position to a rear fixing bow 26, which in the FIG Area of the top compartment 20 is arranged. In its rear-side region, the roof skin 22 comprises a transparent window section 28. Furthermore, the roof skin 22 is guided over a plurality of transverse beams 30, 32, 34 and 36, of which the foremost transverse bow 30 accommodates at least one drive motor 38, the two drive cables 4OA and 4OB drives, which are each connected to an actuator 42 shown in more detail in Figures 3 to 10 for the front bow 24. In the figures 3 to 10, respectively, the actuating device is shown, which is connected in the direction of travel left with the front bow 24. On the right in the direction of travel side arranged a mirror symmetry to the actuator 42 formed actuator is connected to the front mirror 24. This works in a drive through the drive cable 4OB in synchronism with the left actuator 42 shown in the drawing. The folding top 12 further has on both sides between the front bow 24 and the transverse bow 30 on a Dachseitenholm performing guide rail 44,. in which the relevant actuator 42 is guided displaceably in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The guide rail 44 each have an E-shaped profile shape, which can be seen in particular in Figures 6, 9 and 10.

The actuator 42 includes for guiding in the associated guide rail 44, a slider plate 46, which has two upper guide rollers 48 and a lower guide roller 50, each roll on a central web 52 of the guide rail 44. Furthermore, hinged to the slide plate 46 is a four-bar mechanism, which has a control lever 54 and a guide lever 56 which are each connected to a vehicle in the longitudinal direction extending support 58 having sleeves 60 for fixing the front bow 24 in its respective associated lateral end region. The pivot axis of the control lever 54 in the region of the slide plate 46 is aligned with the axis of the Führungsrόlle 50th

Furthermore, the actuating device 42 comprises a sliding element 62, which is displaceably guided in a lower guide track 64 of the guide rail 44 and is connected to the pressure-resistant drive cable 4OA guided in a cable channel 66 of the guide rail 44.

An intermediate link 68 is articulated to the sliding element 62, which in turn is connected via a simple rotary joint 70 to a locking hook 72, which cooperates with a locking pin 78 via an eccentrically formed effective surface 76 opposite its pivot axis 74 formed by a guide roller 86. The locking hook 72 comprises a lever 82, in whose Rich an articulation point 80 is formed, via which the locking hook 72 is connected to the control lever 54 of the four-bar linkage, so that pivoting of the locking hook 72 from a blocking position shown in Fig. 3 in the release position shown in Fig. 4 via the lever 82 a lifting movement is introduced into the four-bar mechanism and thus in the front bow 24.

At the locking hook 72, a further guide roller 84 is mounted next to the guide roller 86. The guide rollers 84 and 86 roll when returning the front bow 24, d. H. in the position shown in FIG. 4, in each case on the central web 52 of the guide rail 44.

The actuator 42 shown in Figures 3 to 10 operates in the manner described below.

From the closing or blocking position shown in Fig. 3, a tensile force is exerted on the sliding member 62 by means of the drive cable 4OA, which is transmitted by means of the intermediate link 68 on the locking hook 72, so that this with its eccentrically shaped effective surface 76 on the Locking bolt 78, which is formed body-mounted, slides along. As a result, a lifting movement is exerted on the four-bar mechanism and thus on the front bow 24 via the lever 82 of the pivotable locking hook. If the sliding element 62 moves further in the direction of the rear of the vehicle, the sliding element 62 strikes against a buffer element 88 which is formed on the front end side of the slide plate 46, so that the slide plate 46 and thus also the four-bar mechanism and the front bow 24 move in the direction of the vehicle. be moved back. The trajectory of the front edge of the front bow 24 when opening the folding top 12 is shown in Figures 3 to 5 with reference to a dashed line X.

When closing the folding top 12, the sliding member 62 is moved by means of the drive cable 4OA in the direction of the vehicle front. In this case, the slide plate 46 is entrained via the connection of the four-bar linkage to the prestressing hook 72. Once the mounted on the locking hook guide roller 84 is pushed over the front end of the central web 52 of the guide rail 44 and thus has left its support surface, the locking hook 72 is upwardly, ie pivoted into its locked position, so that in the four-bar linkage and thus in the front bow 24 a lowering movement is entered. At the same time, the locking hook 72 engages over its active surface 76 on the locking bolt 78, whereby the front bow is sealingly pulled against a arranged on the front cowl 14 seal. The intermediate lever is pivoted into the upper dead center position shown in FIG. 3 for securing the locking position of the locking hook 72. The locking hook 72 is thus arranged self-locking

Reference sign

10 Motor vehicle 12 Folding top 14 Front cowl 16 Rear section 18 Hood frame 20 Top compartment 22 Roof skin 24 Front bumper 26 Fixing bracket 28 Window section 30 Crossbar 32 Crossbar 34 Crossbar 36 Crossbar 38 Drive motor 4OA, 4OB Drive cable 42 Actuator 44 Guide rail 46 Slider plate 48 Guide roller 50 Guide roller 52 Center bar 54 Control lever 56 Guide lever 58 Carrier 60 Sleeve 62 Sliding element 64 ^' Guideway 66 Cable duct ■ 68 Intermediate link 70 Rotary joint 72 Locking hook 74 Swivel axis 76 Effective surface 78 Locking bolt 80 Coupling point 82 Lever 84 Guide roller 86 Guide roller 88 Buffer element

Claims

Patent claims

1. Reveal vehicle roof, comprising a displaceable in the vehicle longitudinal direction roof element (24) which adjoins in the closed position with its front edge to a fixed body portion, and both sides of the roof element (24) arranged guide rails (^ 4), in each of which an actuating device (42) for the roof element (24) is guided, which is displaceable in the vehicle longitudinal direction and which moves the roof element (24) in the vehicle longitudinal direction and positioned in a front end position, characterized in that the actuating means (42) each having a driven locking hook (72) whose Swiveling causes a vertical offset of the roof element (24) and is locked in the closed position of the roof element on a locking bolt (78).

2. revealable vehicle roof according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking hook (72) with a lever (82) acts on a multi-joint mechanism, in particular a four-bar linkage, on the one hand with the roof element (24) and on the other hand with a in the respective guide rail (44 ) guided slider (46) is connected.

3. Apparent roof according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the locking hook (72) by means of a sliding element (62) is actuated, with a drive cable (40A, 40B) is connected.

4. revealable vehicle roof according to claim 3, characterized in that between the sliding element (62) and the locking hook (72), an intermediate link (68) is arranged, which occupies a Übertσtpunktlage in the locking position of the locking hook (72).

5. revealable vehicle roof according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the locking hook (72) guide elements (84, 86) which are guided during the displacement of the roof element (24) on the respective associated guide rail [A4).

β. Reveal vehicle roof according to claim 5, characterized in that the guide elements (84, 86) are designed as rollers.

7. Reveal vehicle roof according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the locking hook (72) has an eccentrically shaped active surface (76) having a contact pressure of the roof element (24) on the fixed body portion during pivoting of the locking hook (72) its blocking position increases.

8. Reveal vehicle roof according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the sliding element (62) during pivoting of the locking hook (72) in the release position against the slider (46) is driven and the slider (46) and the sliding element (62) Method of the roof element (24) in the vehicle longitudinal direction relative to each other substantially fixed are .

9. revealable vehicle roof according to claim 2, characterized in that the slider (46) guide rollers (48, 50).

10. revealable vehicle roof according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the roof element

(24) is a arranged on a rooftop front bow of a folding top (12).