Abstract:
A flexible hood for a convertible car which includes a cover with a front portion and a rear portion and a frame for supporting the cover which includes side portions secured to the car body, extending along the sides of the hood and each including a first and a second parallelogram linkage arranged in series and operable to enable the hood to be moved to an extended configuration covering the driving compartment and to a configuration folded away behind this compartment. Each of the second parallelogram linkages has means enabling it selectively to move independently of its associated first linkage, thus making it possible to fold only the front portion of the flexible hood.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a flexible hood for a convertible motor car. 
     In more detail, this hood includes a cover with a front portion and a rear portion, and a support frame with side portions secured to the body of the car, which side portions extend along respective sides of the hood and each include a first and a second parallelogram linkage arranged in series and operable to allow the hood to be extended to cover the passenger compartment and folded behind this compartment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to improve the versatility and the ways of using a hood of the type described above. 
     This object is achieved according to the invention by providing a flexible hood having the characteristics described above and characterised in that each of the said second parallelogram linkages has means allowing it selective movement independent of the first linkage with which it is associated, thereby making it possible to fold only the front portion of the flexible hood. 
     In this way, the flexible hood can be used in an intermediate configuration between the fully extended and the fully folded positions, thus increasing the comfort of the occupants of the car, in particular should they want some ventilation of their compartment without uncovering it completely. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows, with reference to the appended drawings, provided purely by way of non-limitative example and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a car with a flexible hood according to the invention in a first operating configuration, 
     FIGS. 2 and 3 are schematic perspective views of the car of FIG. 1 with the hood in respective further operating configurations, 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded view of components of the hood of the invention, 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the components of FIG. 4 assembled, 
     FIGS. 6 and 7 are perspective views of details of the device of the invention in the configuration of FIG. 1, 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the detail of FIG. 6 in a different operating configuration, and 
     FIGS. 9 and 10 are perspective views of details of the device of the invention in the configuration of FIG.  3 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A flexible hood for a convertible car includes (FIG. 1) a cover  10  with a front portion  12  and a rear portion  14 , and a frame  16  for supporting the cover  10  The frame  16  includes side portions secured to the body of the car, which extend along the respective sides of the hood and each include a first and a second parallelogram linkage  18 ,  20  arranged in series. The frame  16  also includes, in a manner known per se, a series of central batten elements  22  connecting the parallelogram linkages  18 ,  20  positioned at the sides. In a known manner, once again, the most forward batten element  22  has a catch mechanism  24  for securing it to the upper portion of the windscreen frame  26 , which is not described further, or shown in detail in the drawings, since it is well known in the art. Each of the first parallelogram linkages  18  includes (FIGS. 4 and 5) substantially parallel first and second arms  28 ,  30 , each with a respective end  32 ,  34  pivotally connected to the body and the other end  36 ,  38  pivotally connected to a first transverse rod  40 . 
     Each second parallelogram linkage  20 , on the other hand, includes the first rod  40 , an auxiliary lever  42 , a third arm  44  and a second rod  46 . One end of the third arm  44  and the lever  42  are pivotally connected to respective ends of the first rod  40 , while the ends of the second rod  46  are pivotally connected to the third arm  44  and to one end  48  of the auxiliary lever  42  respectively. 
     The latter is made up, in particular, of first and second wings  50 ,  52  arranged at an angle to each other. The pivotal connection  54  to the second rod  46  is along the distal portion of the first wing  50 , while the pivotal connection  56  to the first rod  40  is along the median portion of the wing  50 , in such a way that this last pivotal connection has a common axis with the connection between the first rod  40  and the first arm  28 . In addition, a tooth  60  protrudes laterally from the distal portion  58  of the second wing  52 , while a hole  62  passes through the junction area of the two wings  50 ,  52 . 
     Each tooth  60  is operable to engage—as described in detail later—a respective locking device which includes (FIG. 7) a hook element  64  with one end  66  pivoted on a plate  68  secured to the chassis and the other end  70  shaped like a hook and controlled by an actuator member such as a Bowden cable  72  and a biasing spring  74 . Alternatively, in embodiments of the invention which are not shown, the Bowden cable  72  could be replaced by other electrical and/or mechanical and/or hydraulic actuator members. 
     On each first arm  28  a pin  76  is mounted so it is slidable (see FIGS. 4 and 5) along a direction parallel to the axis of the pivotal connection  56  and able to engage the hole  62  in the auxiliary lever  42 . A control lever  78  and a biasing spring  80  are associated with the pin  76  for controlling its sliding movement. 
     The control lever  78  is formed by first and second wings  82 ,  84  arranged in a substantially L shape and pivoted on the first arm  28  in the junction area of the two wings  82 ,  84 . The distal end of the first wing  82  is connected to the pin  76 , while the distal end of the second wing  84  is connected to an actuator member, such as a Bowden cable  86 . Alternatively, in embodiments of the invention which are not illustrated, the Bowden cable  86  could be replaced by different electrical and/or mechanical and/or hydraulic actuator members. 
     The flexible hood just described can be moved to a fully extended configuration covering the driving compartment (FIG.  1 ), a fully folded configuration leaving the said compartment totally uncovered (FIG. 2) and an intermediate position (FIG. 3) in which the front portion  12  is folded while the rear portion  14  is extended, leaving the driving compartment partially uncovered. 
     The hood is normally held in its extended position by the mechanism  24  which enables the fowardmost batten element  22  to be secured to the upper portion of the windscreen frame  26 . In this extended position, the pins  76  are engaged in the holes  62  in the levers  42  (FIG.  6 ). 
     In order to fold the hood from its extended configuration (FIG. 1) into its fully folded configuration (FIG. 2) a user needs only disengage the mechanism  24  and push back the front portion of the frame  16 . 
     During this movement, the engagement of the pins  76  in the holes  62  ensures that each auxiliary lever  42  remains rigidly secured to a respective first arm  28 , whereby both parallelogram linkages  18 ,  20  move backwards simultaneously, thus fully folding the hood. 
     It is clear that the latter could be fitted with automatic operating means well known in the art, so as the hood would be folded by activating these means, rather than by manual action, but the result would be the same as that described. 
     In order to return the hood from a fully folded configuration (FIG. 2) to an extended configuration covering the driving compartment (FIG.  1 ), the user needs only reverse the cycle of operations just described. 
     On the other hand, to move the hood from its extended configuration (FIG. 1) to a partially folded position (FIG.  3 ), in addition to disengaging the catch mechanism  24  and pushing back the front portion of the frame  16 , it is necessary to disengage the pins  76  from the holes  62 . This is done by pulling on the cables  86 , causing the levers to pivot anticlockwise (FIG. 8) and thereby withdraw the pins  76  from the holes  62 . 
     In this way, the rigid connection between each auxiliary lever  42  and an associated arm  28  is broken, leaving them pivotally connected in such a way that the second linkages  20  arranged on either side of the frame  16  are disengaged from their respective first linkages  18 . Pushing back the front portion of the frame  16  thus affects only the second linkages  20 . These pivot relative to the first linkages  18 , which remain fixed in position, thus folding only the front portion  12  of the flexible hood. 
     This configuration is held in place by the teeth  60  which, on the pivoting of the second linkages  20  (see FIGS. 9 and 10) each engage a respective hook-shaped end  70  of the catch members  64  of the locking devices. 
     In order to return the hood from a partially folded configuration (FIG. 3) to an extended configuration covering the driving compartment (FIG.  1 ), a user, first of all, acts on the cables  72  thereby pivoting the catch members  64  about their pivoted end  66  and disengaging the teeth  60  from the end  70 . In this way, when pushed forwards, the second parallelogram linkages  20  are free to pivot in the opposite sense to that of the folding movement. 
     Naturally, the principle of the invention remaining unchanged, manufacturing details and embodiments may vary widely from those described purely by way of non-limitative example, without departing thereby from the scope of the invention.