Motor vehicle roof with two covers

• US 20010033099A1
• Filed: 03/21/2001
• Published: 10/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Webasto Vehicle Systems International GmbH
• Original Assignee: Webasto Vehicle Systems International GmbH
• Inventors: Pfalzgraf, Manfred
• Granted Patent: US 6,805,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/222
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/047 movable to overlapping or nested relationship B60J7/041 takes precedence

Abstract

A motor vehicle roof with a roof opening in the fixed roof skin and with two successive adjustable covers for closing and partially clearing the roof opening. At least one of the covers is displaceable in the lengthwise direction of the motor vehicle into an open position and is swingable out of its closed position into a ventilator position by selectively lowering a front around the respective rear edge. The rear cover may be pushed out of its tilted ventilator position to under the closed front cover into an open position by being moved forward in its tilted position over most of its path of motion and then being lowered at its rear edge on the last section of the path of motion to essentially move completely under the front cover. Alternatively, the front cover can be moved rearward in its ventilator position to a point substantially overlying the rear cover in its ventilator position.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle roof comprising:

a fixed roof skin with a roof opening therein; and

front and rear displaceable covers for closing and partially clearing the roof opening;

wherein at least one of the covers is displaceable in a lengthwise direction of the motor vehicle roof into an open position and is swingable out of a closed position into a ventilator position in which a respective front edge thereof is lowered around a respective rear edge;

wherein said at least one of the covers is longitudinally displaceable from said ventilator position into said open position in which said covers are vertically arranged with respect to each other, said rear edge being maintained substantially at a height of the fixed roof skin at least until a last section of the longitudinal displacement.

2. The motor vehicle roof of

claim 1

, wherein said at least one of the covers is the rear cover which is displaceable from the tilted ventilator position to under the front cover which remains in the closed position by moving the rear cover forward with the rear edge thereof maintained substantially at the height of the fixed roof skin until the last section of the longitudinal displacement at which the rear edge of the rear cover is lowered to enable the rear cover to move completely under the front cover.

3. The motor vehicle roof of

claim 1

, wherein the rear cover in the open position is located essentially parallel to the front cover.

4. The motor vehicle roof of

claim 1

, wherein said at least one of the covers is the front cover which is displaceable rearward from the ventilator position to an open position in which the front cover is located above the rear cover to a major extent.

5. The motor vehicle roof of

claim 4

, wherein the front cover is located essentially parallel to the rear cover in the open position.

6. The motor vehicle roof of

claim 2

, wherein the two covers are movably guided on lateral guides on the roof frame of the roof opening.

7. The motor vehicle roof of

claim 6

, wherein the rear edge of the rear cover is guided essentially at the height of the roof contour by the lateral guides over most of the path of movement into the open position.

8. The motor vehicle roof of

claim 1

, wherein the covers are transparent glass covers.

9. The motor vehicle roof of

claim 8

, wherein the roof has a retractable covering or shading for the underside of the two covers.