Arrangement for a vehicle roof, vehicle roof for a motor vehicle, and motor vehicle

• US 10,639,973 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Webasto SE (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr)
• Original Assignee: Webasto SE (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr)
• Inventors: Sommer, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Pedder, Dennis H
• Application Number:
  US16/103,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20190061492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 296214, 296215, 29621601, 296223
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/0015 roller blind
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/06 Safety nets, transparent sheets, curtains, or the like, e.g. between occupants and glass B60R21/026 , B60R21/11, B60R21/12, B60R21/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/08 automatically movable from an inoperative to an operative position, e.g. in a collision electrical circuits for triggering safety arrangements B60R21/01

Abstract

An arrangement for a vehicle roof may have a roof element coupleable to a roof body of a motor vehicle and permits a view through the vehicle roof, and a safety device which is assigned to the roof element and which has a safety element and a drive means which is configured to move the safety element relative to the roof body and to transfer same from a first, retracted state, in which the safety element is stowed in a predetermined manner, into a second, extended state, in which the safety element covers a surface portion on a lower side of the roof element in a predetermined manner and opposes penetration of a body through the roof element. The safety device is designed as a darkening device and the safety element is designed as a darkening element, to selectively darken a vehicle interior of the motor vehicle.

Claims

1. An arrangement for a vehicle roof, comprising:

a roof element which can be coupled to a roof body of a motor vehicle and permits a view through the vehicle roof, and

a safety device which is assigned to the roof element and which has a safety element which is designed to oppose penetration of a body through the roof element, wherein the safety device furthermore has a drive means which is configured to move the safety element relative to the roof body and to transfer same from a first, retracted state, in which the safety element is stowed in a predetermined manner, into a second, extended state, in which the safety element covers a surface portion on a lower side of the roof element, wherein the safety device is furthermore designed as a darkening device and the safety element is designed as a darkening element, in order to selectively darken a vehicle interior of the motor vehicle;

wherein in which the drive means comprises a drive cable and a first motor unit, wherein the drive cable is coupled firstly to the safety element and secondly to the first motor unit, and wherein the first motor unit is configured to provide a first speed stage with a first speed and a second speed stage with a second speed for moving the drive cable and moving the safety element, wherein the first speed stage is provided for darkening the vehicle interior by means of the safety element and the second speed stage is provided for forming the second state of the safety element; and

wherein in which the drive means comprises a second motor unit, a gas line for conducting gas and a gas unit for providing and releasing gas, wherein the second motor unit is coupled firstly to the first motor unit and secondly to the gas line, and wherein the gas line is coupled to the gas unit such that, by release of gas by means of the gas unit, the second motor unit can be being operated and the second speed stage of the first motor unit can is thereby be formed.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein in which the safety device comprises a winding shaft and the safety element is designed as a roller blind which can be wound up and unwound and is coupled to the winding shaft.

3. The arrangement according to claim 2, wherein in which the roller blind contains metal wires, carbon fibers, and/or plastics fibers or combinations thereof.

4. The arrangement according to claim 2, wherein in which the safety device has a plurality of clamp-shaped carrier elements which each surround the winding shaft, and wherein the carrier elements each have a gap which is designed in such a manner that the roller blind can be wound up and unwound through the respective gap and the winding shaft is prevented from emerging out of the carrier elements through the respective gap.

5. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein in which the safety device has a first cross-member and a second cross-member, between which the safety element is arranged and is in each case coupled by a respective end to one of the cross-members, and wherein the first cross-member is configured to be fixedly connected to the roof body of the motor vehicle in a form-fitting, force-fitting, and/or integrally bonded manner or combinations thereof, and the second cross-member is configured to be moved along the lower side of the roof element by means of the drive means.

6. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein in which the gas unit comprises a gas container with compressed gas, and/or a pyrotechnic gas generator, or a combination thereof.

7. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein in which the safety device has a receiving unit which comprises a cross-member and one or more fixing elements which are designed to secure the safety element in the second, extended state.

8. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein in which the roof element is designed as a fixedly installed glass, and/or plastics skin, or a combination thereof, or is designed as a displaceable cover which is movable relative to the safety device in order to selectively close or open up a roof opening in the vehicle roof.

9. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle roof, and

an arrangement according to claim 1 which is coupled to a roof body of the motor vehicle.