Motor vehicle roof with outside solar generator

• US 6,423,894 B1
• Filed: 07/17/2000
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Webasto Vehicle Systems International GmbH
• Original Assignee: Webasto Vehicle Systems International GmbH
• Inventors: Teschner, Helmut, Ganz, Thomas, Pätz, Werner, Wecker, Reinhard
• Primary Examiner(s): DIAMOND, ALAN D
• Application Number:
  US09/618,118
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 136/244, 136/251, 136/291, 180/2.2, 180/65.3, 296/210, 296/211, 296/214, 296/220.01, 296/218
• US Class Current: 136/244
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/00 Non-fixed roofs; Roofs with movable panels , e.g. rotary sunroofsB60J10/00 takes precedence; window aspects B60J1/00; fixed roofs B62D25/06; mechanisms for operating wings E05F11/00, E05F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/90 Energy harvesting concepts as power supply for auxiliaries' energy consumption, e.g. photovoltaic sun-roof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 136/291 Applications

Abstract

A motor vehicle roof with a solar generator which is securely attached on the outside on the solid roof skin for producing solar current for the vehicle. The solar generator can be adjusted between a first spatially compact configuration and a second, less spatially compact configuration in which its active solar surface projected onto the plane of the roof is larger than in the first configuration. The invention also relates to a motor vehicle roof with an attachment element which runs in the lengthwise direction of the roof and which is mounted externally on the solid roof skin and which is made such that a mobile flat solar generator can be pushed into the attachment element and is held in the working configuration by it to produce solar current.

Claims

1. A solar generator for a motor vehicle roof, wherein said solar generator is adapted to be securely attached to the outside of said roof and wherein said generator is adapted to be adjusted between a first spatially compact configuration and a second, less spatially compact configuration in which a projection of the active solar surface of said generator onto said roof in said second configuration is larger than in said first configuration, said generator including an attachment element that extends in a lengthwise direction of said roof and wherein said attachment element attaches said generator to said roof in said second configuration, said attachment element supporting said solar generator for adjusted movement lengthwise of the roof between said first spatially compact configuration and said second, less spatially compact configuration.

2. The generator of claim 1, wherein said attachment element is a modified vehicle roof railing.

3. The generator of claim 1, said generator comprising a plurality of solar elements, wherein at least one of said plurality of solar elements is adjustable and wherein said solar elements lie over one another in said first configuration and lie essentially flat next to one another in said second configuration.

4. The generator of claim 3, wherein said plurality of solar elements are spaced a distance from said vehicle roof to define a ventilation space.

5. The generator of claim 3, wherein at least one of said plurality of solar elements is a stationary solar element having a position that is independent of the configuration of said solar generator.

6. The generator of claim 3, further comprising a housing which holds said plurality of solar elements in said first configuration.

7. The generator of claim 6, wherein said housing is a flat box.

8. The generator of claim 6, wherein at least one of said plurality of solar elements is a stationary solar element having a position that is independent of the configuration of said solar generator and wherein said housing includes a transparent cover under which said stationary solar element is located.

9. The generator of claim 1, said generator comprising:

a plurality of solar elements, wherein at least one of said plurality of solar elements is adjustable and wherein said solar elements lie over one another in said first configuration and lie essentially flat next to one another in said second configuration; and

a housing attached to said attachment element, wherein said housing holds said plurality of solar elements in said first configuration.

10. The generator of claim 1, said generator comprising:

a plurality of solar elements, wherein at least one of said plurality of solar elements is adjustable and wherein said solar elements lie over one another in said first configuration and lie essentially flat next to one another in said second configuration;

wherein said attachment element also acts as a guide for said solar elements when transitioning between said first and second configurations.

11. The generator of claim 10, wherein said attachment element comprises two parallel guide rails that run in a lengthwise direction of said vehicle roof and which guide said plurality of solar elements when not in said first configuration.

12. The generator of claim 11, wherein said guide rails provide electrical contact for the plurality of solar elements in said second configuration.

13. The generator of claim 1, wherein said first configuration is adapted for driving and said second configuration is adapted for stationary operation.

14. A solar generator attachment element for a vehicle roof, wherein said attachment element extends in a lengthwise direction of said roof, wherein said attachment element is mounted on said roof and wherein said attachment element is adapted to receive a mobile flat solar generator including a plurality of flat solar elements being pushed into said attachment element and which is adapted to hold said solar generator in a working configuration, each of said plurality of flat solar elements including a plurality of solar cells.

15. The attachment element of claim 14, wherein said plurality of flat solar elements lie next to each other in said working configuration.

16. The attachment element of claim 15, said element comprising two parallel guide rails extending in said lengthwise direction and wherein said guide rails are adapted to guide said flat solar elements.

17. The attachment element of claim 15, wherein said guide rails are adapted to provide electrical contact for each of said flat solar elements in said working configuration.

18. The attachment element of claim 15, wherein said plurality of flat solar elements define a ventilation area between said vehicle roof and said flat solar elements when said flat solar elements are positioned in said working configuration.

19. The attachment element of claim 15, wherein said plurality of flat solar elements are adapted only for stationary operation of said motor vehicle in said working configuration.

20. The attachment element of claim 14, said element comprising a modified vehicle roof railing.