Open-top vehicle body

• US 4,838,604 A
• Filed: 01/26/1988
• Issued: 06/13/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Kochi, Yasuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Pedder, Dennis H.
• Application Number:
  US07/148,548
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 296/1 S, 296/186, 296/206, 296/217, 296/65 R, 296/107, 296/84 C, 296/116, 280/756
• US Class Current: 296/180.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/223 specially adapted for convertible cars
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/00 Vehicle bodies characterised by streamlining

Abstract

An open-top vehicle body having a passenger compartment defined rearward of the front windshield, a rigid shield member swingably mounted on the vehicle body. The shield member can move between an upright position where the shield member projects from the belt line upward to block a wind blast into the passenger compartment and a retracted position where the shield member is retracted under the belt line to allow the wind blast to flow forward into the passenger compartment.

Claims

1. An open-top vehicle body comprising:

a front windshield,

a passenger compartment located behind said front windshield,

side walls defining opposite sides of said passenger compartment, said side walls each having an upper edge defining side belt lines,

a floor panel defining a bottom of said passenger compartment,

passenger seat members located in said passenger compartment,

a shield member located behind said seat members and extending in an upright position between said belt lines and from below said belt line to above said belt lines, said shield member extending in a transverse direction to the vehicle body and said shield member including a rigid panel member to prevent a swirling wind blast from flowing from behind said passenger compartment forwardly into said passenger compartment, and said shield member being swingably mounted on said floor panel by supporting means so that said shield member may swing forwardly from said upright position where said shield member projects from said floor panel to above said belt lines to block the wind blast into said passenger compartment to a retracted position where said shield member is retracted to below said belt lines to allow the wind blast to flow forward into said passenger compartment.

2. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 1, wherein said supporting means supports said shield member to extend along said floor panel rearward of said passenger compartment when said shield member is in said retracted position.

3. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 1, wherein said supporting means supports an upper end of said shield member so that it is positioned lower than an upper end of said seat member when said shield member is in said retracted position.

4. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 1, wherein said supporting means supports an upper end of said shield member so that it is positioned lower than said belt lines when said shield member is in said retracted position.

5. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 1, wherein said seat member includes a seat and a seat back connected to said seat, said seat being slidably mounted on said floor panel in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and said seat back being swingably mounted on said seat so that a reclining angle of said seat back can be adjusted.

6. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 2, wherein said floor panel includes a front floor panel carrying said seat members, a wall panel extending upwardly from a rear end of said front floor panel and a rear floor panel extending rearwardly from an upper end of said wall panel, and said supporting means supports an upper end of said shield member so that it is positioned along said wall panel when said shield member is in said retracted position.

7. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 6, wherein said shield member is swingably mounted at one end around a transverse axis located in the vicinity of a connecting portion of said wall panel and said rear floor panel.

8. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 7, wherein said supporting means is provided with a transverse shaft fixed to one of the vehicle body and said shield member, and a holding member for rotatably carrying said shaft and said holding member being fixed to the other of the vehicle body and said shield member.

9. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 8, wherein said holding member includes a stay clip brought into frictional engagement with said shaft to allow rotatable movement of said shaft so that said shield member can be stably maintained at any angular position.

10. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 8, wherein said holding member and a portion of said shield member engaged with said holding member are covered by a cover member.

11. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 8, wherein said shield member is formed with a cutout portion at one end, and a part of said supporting means being disposed in said cutout portion.

12. An open-top vehicle body comprising:

a front windshield,

a passenger compartment located behind said front windshield,

side walls defining opposite sides of said passenger compartment, said side walls each having an upper edge defining side belt lines,

a floor panel defining a bottom of said passenger compartment,

passenger seat members movably disposed in said passenger compartment, each of said seat members being provided with a seat and a seat back swingably mounted whereon so that an angular position of said seat back can be adjusted by an adjusting mechanism attached to said seat back,

a shield member located behind said seat members and extending in an upright position between said belt lines and from below said belt lines to above said belt line, said shield member extending in a transverse direction to the vehicle body and said shield member including a rigid panel member to prevent a swirling wind blast from flowing from behind said passenger compartment forwardly into said passenger compartment, and said shield member being swingably mounted on said floor panel by supporting means so that said shield member may swing forwardly from said upright position where said shield member projects from said floor panel to above said belt lines to block the wind blast into said passenger compartment to a retracted position where the shield member is retracted to below said belt lines to allow the wind blast to flow forward into said passenger compartment and the upright shield member being adapted to swingably moved by contact with at least one of said seat backs as said seat members are moved.

13. A open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 12, wherein said shield member is swingably mounted on the vehicle body around a transverse axis located at one end of shield member, and said shield member being adapted to be maintained at said upright position by a holding member brought into frictional engagement with said shield member.

14. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 12, wherein said adjusting mechanism includes reclining adjusting means for adjusting the angular position with respect to said seat of said seat back and slider adjusting means for adjusting the longitudinal position of said seat member with respect to said floor panel.

15. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 12, wherein an upper end of said shield member is located lower than an upper end of said seat member when said shield member is in said retracted position.

16. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 12, wherein a storage space is provided behind said seat member for receiving a convertible roof structure of the vehicle.

29. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 13, wherein said supporting means is provided with a transverse shaft fixed to one of the vehicle body and said shield member, and said holding member rotatably carrying said shaft and being fixed to the other of the vehicle body and said shield member.

30. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 29, wherein said holding member includes a leaf spring having a holding portion which is brought into frictional engagement with said shaft to allow rotatable movement of said shaft so that shield member can be stably maintained at any angular position.

17. An open-top vehicle body comprising:

a front windshield,

a passenger compartment located behind said front windshield,

side walls defining opposite sides of said passenger compartment, said side walls each having upper edges defining side belt lines,

a floor panel defining a bottom of said passenger compartment,

passenger seat members located in said passenger compartment,

a shield member located behind said seat members and extending in an upright position between said belt lines and from below said belt lines to above said belt lines, said shield member extending in a transverse direction to the vehicle body and said shield member including a rigid panel member to prevent a swirling wind blast from flowing from behind said passenger compartment forwardly into said passenger compartment, and said shield member being swingably mounted on said floor panel by supporting means so that said shield member may swing forwardly from said upright position where said shield member projects from said floor panel to above said belt lines to block the wind blast into said passenger compartment to a retracted position where the shield member is retracted to below said belt lines to allow the wind blast to flow forward into said passenger compartment.

18. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 17, wherein said shield member is swingably mounted at one end around a transverse axis.

19. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 17, wherein a pair of seat members is disposed in said passenger compartment side by side in a transverse direction of the vehicle, there being a space between said seat members, and said shield member being placed rearward of said seat members and extending so as to cover the space.

20. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 17, wherein said upright shield member blocks wind blast through a space formed between said seat members and said side walls of the vehicle.

21. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 17, wherein said shield member has a curved configuration so that said shield member extends upwardly and rearwardly at a lower portion thereof and extends generally vertically at an upper portion thereof in said upright position.

22. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 18, wherein said supporting means includes a shaft extending transversely and fixed to one of said shield member and said floor panel, and a holding member fixed to the other of said shield member and said floor panel, and said holding member rotatably carrying said shaft.

23. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 19, wherein spaces are formed between the sides of said seat members and said side walls, and said shield member extends transversely to at least partially cover the spaces at a position rearward of said seat members.

24. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 19, wherein said shield member is made of an opaque material, and an upper end of said shield member is located lower than an upper end of said front windshield.

25. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 22, wherein said supporting means includes at least one engaging member formed on said shaft and said holding member engages with said engaging member so as to maintain said shield member at said upright position.

26. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 25, wherein said engaging member is provided with a projection extending radially from said shaft, and said holding member includes a resilient leaf spring member and is fixed to one of said floor panel and said shield member at one end portion formed with a recess for engaging said projection.

27. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 25, wherein said shield member is provided with a stopper for limiting the swingable movement thereof, said stopper being adapted to be engaged with a member fixed to said floor panel.

28. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 26, wherein said leaf spring is brought into engagement with said engaging member when said leaf spring is deformed by a predetermined amount.

31. An open-top vehicle body in accordance with claim 24, wherein an upper end of said upright shield member is lower than an upper end of said seat member.