Motor vehicle retractable roof with pivoting elements

• US 6,786,528 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2003
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Societe Europeenne de Brevet Automobiles
• Original Assignee: France Design, Co.
• Inventors: Guillez, Jean-Marc, Queveau, Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, D. Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLE, PATRICIA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US10/416,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20040061354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• Field of Search: 296/108, 296/107.01, 296/107.08, 296/107.09, 296/107.16, 296/107.17, 296/107.18, 296/107.19, 296/107.2
• US Class Current: 296/108
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/146 all elements being folded in same orientation and stacked fashion

Abstract

The invention concerns a motor vehicle retractable roof, comprising front (1), intermediate (2) and rear (3) roof elements. The displacement of the rear element (3) towards the rear deck is controlled by at least an arm (6) articulated to the vehicle chassis and to the rear element (3). The rear element (3) is linked to the intermediate element (2) through two levers (9, 10) forming a deformable quadrilateral. The intermediate element (2) is linked to the front element (1) through two other levers (15, 16) forming a deformable quadrilateral. The arm (16) is linked in articulation to one (10) of the two levers linking the rear (3) and intermediate (2) elements, through a hinge link (21). The other lever (9) linking the rear (3) and intermediate (2) elements is linked to one (16) of the levers linking the intermediate (2) and front (1) elements through a hinge link (24). The displacement of the rear element towards the rear deck (5) is further controlled by a finger (25) borne by the rear part (3) slidably engaged in a slide (28) extending inside the rear deck (5).

Claims

1. A vehicle retractable roof comprising at least a rear roof element and a first roof element located in front of the rear roof element, these two roof elements being movable between a position in which they cover a passenger compartment of a vehicle and a position in which they are superposed substantially horizontally in a rear luggage compartment of the vehicle, wherein displacement of the rear roof element towards the rear luggage compartment is controlled by at least one arm articulated with the vehicle body and with the rear roof element, wherein the rear roof element is connected to the first roof element by two levers articulated with said rear roof element and said first roof element, these two levers forming a deformable quadrilateral, and wherein said at least one arm is connected in an articulated manner to one of the two levers connecting the rear roof element and the first roof element by a connecting rod articulated with said at least one arm and said lever, and wherein displacement of the rear roof element towards the rear luggage compartment is further controlled by a finger carried by a rear part of the rear roof element fitted to slide in a groove extending inside the rear luggage compartment.

2. The vehicle retractable roof according to claim 1, wherein said retractable roof further comprises an a second roof element located in front of the first roof element, the first roof element being connected to the second roof element by two other levers articulated with said first roof element and with said second roof element, these two other levers forming a deformable quadrilateral, the lever which is not connected to the at least one arm and connects the rear roof element and the first roof element is connected to one of the two other levers connecting the first roof element and the second roof element by a connecting rod articulated with said levers.

3. The vehicle retractable roof according to claim 1, wherein the displacement of the rear roof element towards the rear luggage compartment is moreover further controlled by a second arm articulated with the body and with part of the rear roof element.