Vehicle roof and roof opening mechanism

• US 9,776,488 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2016
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Webasto-Edscha Cabrio USA, Inc (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr), Webasto Thermo & Comfort North America, Inc. (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr)
• Original Assignee: Webasto-Edscha Cabrio GmbH (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr)
• Inventors: Bowles, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Pedder, Dennis H
• Application Number:
  US15/145,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20160263976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 29621601, 296214, 296219
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/11 Removable panels, e.g. sunroofs
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/1291 Soft tops for closed vehicle bodies

Abstract

A vehicle roof having a roof structure with a roof opening, which, by a roof opening mechanism, can be closed or at least partially uncovered as desired, said roof opening mechanism being designed as an interchangeable insert. Additionally, a roof opening mechanism is proposed, being designed as an interchangeable insert, for unlockable fixation at a roof structure of a vehicle roof, and comprising a frame, which can be placed upon an edge region of the roof structure, said edge region limiting a roof opening.

Claims

1. A vehicle roof having:

a roof structure with a roof opening, which, by a roof opening mechanism, can be closed or at least partially uncovered as desired, said roof opening mechanism being designed as an interchangeable insert,

wherein the inter-changeable insert comprises a base frame, which follows an edge of the roof opening, wherein the roof opening mechanism further comprises a fabric covering element, which, by a linkage arrangement comprising at least one tensioning bow pivotable with respect to the base frame, is displaceable between a closed position for covering the roof opening and an uncovering position for uncovering the roof opening,

wherein the base frame is at least one piece and comprises a structure and composition selected from the group consisting of a plastics material, a plastics composite material, a sheet moulding compound, organo sheets and a honey comb construction, wherein the base frame is an open frame having the shape of an U and comprising a transversal rear leg and two longitudinal side legs, and

wherein the base frame is formed in one piece with pivot sockets for the tensioning bow.

2. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the base frame comprises a rib structure.

3. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the pivot sockets each comprise two vertical flaps having a hole for a pivot pin defining a pivot axis of the tensioning bow.

4. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the base frame is attached to the roof structure via fixation elements being manually unlockable.

5. The vehicle roof according to claim 4, wherein the manually unlockable fixation elements are in each instance formed from a handle screw, which reaches through the roof structure from below.

6. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the tensioning bow, in the closed position, is adjacent to a front edge of the roof opening and is secured at the roof structure by a fastening mechanism.

7. The vehicle roof according to claim 1, wherein the tensioning bow is coupled to a pivotable auxiliary tensioning bow.

8. The vehicle roof according to claim 7, wherein the base frame integrally comprises pivot sockets for the auxiliary tensioning bow, each comprising two vertical flaps having a hole for receiving a pivot defining a pivot axis of the auxiliary tensioning bow.

9. A roof opening mechanism, being designed as an interchangeable insert, for unlockable fixation at a roof structure of a vehicle roof, and comprising a base frame, which can be placed upon an edge region of the roof structure, said edge region limiting a roof opening, further comprising a fabric covering element, which, by a linkage arrangement comprising at least one tensioning bow pivotable with respect to the base frame, is displaceable between a closed position for covering the roof opening and an uncovering position for uncovering the roof opening, wherein the base frame is at least one piece wherein the base frame is formed in one piece with the pivot sockets for the tensioning bow and has a structure and composition selected from the group consisting of a plastics material, a plastics composite material, a sheet moulding compound, organo sheets and a honey comb construction, wherein the base frame is an open frame having the shape of an U and comprising a transversal rear leg and two longitudinal side legs.

10. A vehicle roof having a roof structure with a roof opening, which, by a roof opening mechanism, can be closed or at least partially uncovered as desired, said roof opening mechanism being designed as an interchangeable insert, wherein the interchangeable insert comprises a base frame, which follows an edge of the roof opening, wherein the roof opening mechanism further comprises a fabric covering element, which, by a linkage arrangement comprising at least one tensioning bow pivotable with respect to the base frame, is displaceable between a closed position for covering the roof opening and an uncovering position for uncovering the roof opening, wherein the tensioning bow is coupled to a pivotable auxiliary tensioning bow, wherein the tensioning bow, in relation to a vertical longitudinal center plane of the roof, is on each of its two sides connected to the auxiliary tensioning bow via a coupling rod, wherein at least one end position of the linkage arrangement is defined by end stoppers attached to the linkage arrangement, and wherein the stoppers are each made of elastical element fixed to the linkage arrangement and cooperating with a linkage of the linkage arrangement.

11. The vehicle roof according to claim 10, wherein the tensioning bow comprises a transversal header element fixed on both sides to a linkage member pivotable fixed to the base frame, wherein each of the linkage members of the tensioning bow follows a straight line and is tubular.

13. The vehicle roof according to claim 11, wherein the auxiliary tensioning bow comprises a transversal bow member connected on both sides to a respective linkage member pivotable fixed to the base frame and the respective linkage member being tubular.

14. The vehicle roof according to claim 10, wherein bushings are fixed to the linkage arrangement for defining a pivot axis between linkages of the linkage device and a lateral distance between these linkages.

15. The vehicle roof according to claim 10, wherein the base frame is made of one piece.

16. The vehicle roof according to claim 10, wherein the base frame is an open frame having the shape of an U and comprising a transversal rear leg and two longitudinal side legs.

17. The vehicle roof according to claim 10, wherein the base frame is attached to the roof structure via fixation elements being manually unlockable.

18. The vehicle roof according to claim 10, wherein the manually unlockable fixation elements are in each instance formed from a handle screw, which reaches through the roof structure from below.

19. The vehicle roof according to claim 10, wherein the tensioning bow, in the closed position, is adjacent to a front edge of the roof opening and is secured at the roof structure by a fastening mechanism.

12. A vehicle roof, having a roof structure with a roof opening, which, by a roof opening mechanism, can be closed or at least partially uncovered as desired, said roof opening mechanism being designed as an interchangeable insert, wherein the inter-changeable insert comprises a base frame, which follows an edge of the roof opening, wherein the roof opening mechanism further comprises a fabric covering element, which, by a linkage arrangement comprising at least one tensioning bow pivotable with respect to the base frame, is displaceable between a closed position for covering the roof opening and an uncovering position for uncovering the roof opening, wherein the tensioning bow is coupled to a pivotable auxiliary tensioning bow, wherein the tensioning bow, in relation to a vertical longitudinal center plane of the roof, is on each of its two sides connected to the auxiliary tensioning bow via a coupling rod, wherein at least one end position of the linkage arrangement is defined by end stoppers attached to the linkage arrangement,

wherein the tensioning bow comprises a transversal header element fixed on both sides to a linkage member pivotable fixed to the base frame, wherein each of the linkage members of the tensioning bow follows a straight line and is tubular;

and

wherein the tubular linkages each comprise an end cap or end insert for connecting the respective linkage to the base frame.

20. A roof opening mechanism, being designed as an interchangeable insert, for unlock-able fixation at a roof structure of a vehicle roof, and comprising a base frame, which can be placed upon an edge region of the roof structure, said edge region limiting a roof opening, further comprising a fabric covering element, which, by a linkage arrangement comprising at least one tensioning bow pivotable with respect to the base frame, is displaceable between a closed position for covering the roof opening and an uncovering position for uncovering the roof opening, wherein the tensioning bow is coupled to a pivotable auxiliary tensioning bow, wherein the tensioning bow, in relation to a vertical longitudinal center plane of the roof, is on each of its two sides connected to the auxiliary tensioning bow via a coupling rod, wherein at least one end position of the linkage arrangement is defined by end stoppers attached to the linkage arrangement, and wherein the stoppers are each made of elastical element fixed to the linkage arrangement and cooperating with a linkage of the linkage arrangement.