Abstract:
A convertible vehicle with a roof, which can be folded up, is provided with a rear window, can be stowed in a rear region of the vehicle and is braced over at least one tension bracket in the closed state with respect to the car body, the tension bracket being pivotable in the forwards direction for opening the roof and hereby bringing about a forward displacement of the rear window. In the case of such a construction, in order to be able to carry out the forward shifting of the rear region of the folding top, comprising the rear window, without being obstructed by upright parts, such as the rear head supports or roll bars, provisions are made so that the rear window is held in a frame which, on the folding top side, is opened downward and, during the opening and closing of the roof, can be swiveled up with respect to this frame.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a convertible vehicle with a rear window. 
     Convertible vehicles are known, for which the rear window is shifted towards the front while the roof is being opened or closed, in order to enable, by these means, one or more rear tension brackets to be swiveled up which, in the closed state, stretch the roof against the car body and lie, for example, on a lid of the box for the folding top, so that the swiveling up of the tension brackets is a prerequisite for being able to stow the roof. While the rear window is shifted forwards during opening or closing the roof, contact, especially of rear passengers or of solid obstacles, such as rear headrests or roll bars, with the rear window cannot be excluded. 
     It is an object of the invention to eliminate this disadvantage. 
     Due to the inventive construction of a convertible vehicle, the rear folding top region, including the rear window, can be shifted forwards while the roof is being opened or closed in spite of any obstacles, since the rear window can be swiveled up with respect to the frame, which ties the window into the folding top. As a result, the frame can pass to the side of and above the obstacles, without colliding with them. The collision between the rear window and the obstacles mentioned is avoided by this swiveling up. 
     If the swiveling up of the rear window is forcibly coupled with the opening or closing mechanism of the roof, a collision is prevented even without the operation of an additional control unit for the swiveling up. The user then does not have to carry out any further steps aside from the manual or automatic opening or closing of the roof. 
     Particularly advantageously, a swiveling lever arrangement for swiveling up the rear window is provided and can also be actuated independently of the opening or closing of the roof, so that the rear window can be swiveled into a venting position when the roof is closed. 
     If the rear window additionally can be lowered into the car body, then this possibility is an alternative for bringing about a venting position and, when the roof is open, the rear window, as a component of the roof, is then also stowed in the rear region of the vehicle. 
     When the rear window is essentially in a vertical position, the visibility towards the rear is particularly good. If the rear window is supported in a rigid frame, the glass pane may be constructed with heating wires or an antenna. 
     Further advantages and distinguishing features arise out of the examples of the object of the invention which are shown in the accompanying drawings and description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a perspective, diagrammatic partial rear view of an inventive convertible vehicle, 
     FIG. 2 shows a diagrammatic side view of the rear region of the vehicle with the rear window in the normal position, 
     FIG. 2 a  shows a section along the line IIa—IIa in FIG. 2, 
     FIG. 2 b  shows a section along the line IIb—IIb in FIG. 2, 
     FIG. 3 shows a view, similar to that of FIG. 2, during the opening of the roof, 
     FIG. 4 shows a view, similar to that of FIG. 3, as the opening of the roof has progressed further, 
     FIG. 5 shows the rear region of the vehicle with the roof completely stowed away, 
     FIG. 6 shows a view, similar to that of FIG. 2, with the rear window swiveled up partially into a venting position, 
     FIG. 7 shows a view, similar to that of FIG. 6, with the rear window swiveled up completely into the venting position, 
     FIG. 8 shows a view, similar to that of FIG. 7, with the rear window in a parallel position and partially lowered, 
     FIG. 9 shows a view, similar to that of FIG. 8, with the rear window completely lowered, and 
     FIG. 10 shows a view, similar to that of FIG. 9, of an alternative embodiment. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The inventive motor vehicle  1  is constructed as a convertible vehicle and has a roof  4 , which can be folded open, stowed in the rear region of the vehicle of a car body  2  and is provided with a rear window  3 , which is assigned to the roof  4 . When the roof  4  is opened or closed, the rear window  3  can be moved along with the roof  4 . 
     In the present example, the convertible vehicle  1  has a roof  4  with a textile covering, which includes in its rear region two lateral end regions  5 , which protrude towards the rear, are essentially triangular in plan view and in front of which and between which the rear window  3  is mounted. By these means, the rear window  3  can be held in an approximately vertical position, which ensures very good visibility towards the rear. An inventive convertible vehicle can also have an inclined rear window in a conventional end region of a roof, which is provided with a tension bracket. 
     The rear window  3  is held in a U-shaped frame  6 , which is open in the downward direction and comprises two short side legs  7  as well as a long, upper transverse leg  8 . 
     The rear window  3  is hinged in the upper region with respect to the frame  6  enclosing it and, as a result, mounted in the lower region so that it can be swiveled open in the direction of arrow  34 . So that the rear window  3  can be swiveled, a swiveling axis  32  is provided in the transverse leg  8  of the frame  6 . The rear window  3  can be swiveled up about the swiveling axis  32  in the direction of the arrow  34 . In so doing, it can be lifted off from a contact seal  36  along a parting plane  35 . The folding top material  33  of the roof  4  is pulled around a portion of the transverse leg  8  of the frame  6  and sealed by a seal  37  with respect to the rear window  3 . This seal  37  is flexible, so that is functions effectively when the rear window  3  is closed as well as when it is swiveled up. 
     In FIG. 2, the roof  4  is shown in the closed position. The rear regions  5  of the roof are placed under tension here by tension brackets  10  with respect to a folding top box lid, which is not shown. The tension brackets  10  are in an almost horizontal position. During the opening of the roof  4 , which is shown in FIGS. 3 to  5 , the tension brackets, which are constructed here as fins  10 , initially are swiveled upward about the swiveling axis  10   a  and forward in the direction of the arrow  9 , as a result of which the textile folding top  4 , shown here, loses its tension. Furthermore, during the upwards swiveling of the tension brackets  10 , the frame  6 , which carries the rear window  3  and, in the closed position, stands on the car body  2  in the region of the plane of the window parapet  11 , is shifted forward with its lower end on a circular path  13  about the swiveling axis  14  of the lever  12 . At the same time, the frame  6 , with its lateral legs  7 , is guided laterally past any obstacles, such as headrests  21  or roll bars or the heads of the rear passengers. On the other hand, the upper transverse leg  8  is guided above these obstacles and, in this respect, also does not constitute a point of danger for collision with said obstacles. In order to avoid a collision of the rear window  3 , held in the frame  6 , this window  3 , during the opening or closing of the folding top  4 , is swiveled up with respect to the frame  6  by a swiveling lever arrangement  15 . The swiveling lever arrangement  15  comprises two levers  16 ,  17 , which are coupled together over a joint  18 . The lever  16  connects a swiveling axis  19 , which is fastened to the car body and disposed in the region of the main bearing  29 , with the movable joint  18 , from which the swiveling lever  17  extends to the coupling axis  20 , which engages the rear window  3  in the lower region. Known hydraulic or electric driving elements may be provided for bringing about the swiveling movement of the swiveling lever arrangement  15 . Due to the movement of the swiveling lever arrangement  15 , the rear window  3  is swiveled up with respect to the frame  6  at an angle a, which becomes larger as the roof is being opened, so that, as the frame  6  is passed by or over the obstacles, such as the headrests  21 , the rear window  3  assumes approximately a horizontal position, so that it can be passed over these obstacles by these means. 
     A separate driving mechanism may be used for shifting the frame  6 . Alternatively, it is also possible, particularly advantageously, to bring about the shifting of the frame  6  under the constraint of the swiveling motion of the tension bracket  10  and the therefrom resulting folding kinematics of the roof  4 , so that it is possible to dispense with separate driving and control elements. 
     In the position shown in FIG. 4, the lid of the box for the folding top, which is not shown and hinged at the rear, can be swiveled up in order to make it possible by these means to stow the folding top  4  in a box  22 . The stowed position of the roof  4  is shown in FIG.  5 . The fins  10  about the swiveling axes  8 , which are guided downward during the movement, are inserted here essentially horizontally in the floor region of the box  22  for the folding top. The rear window  3  is swiveled in once again with respect to the frame  6 , so that a parallel disposition of the parts takes place and the angle α is returned to 0. In this stowed position of the roof  4 , the rear window does not occupy any space exceeding the space required for the frame  6 . The swiveling back of the rear window  3  with respect to the frame  6  is brought about by the coupled swiveling motions of the lever  12  about the axis  14  and of the swiveling lever arrangement  15  about the axes  18  and  19 . The frame  6  with the rear window  3  then lies essentially parallel above the fins  10 . Above this frame  6 , there are a central part  23  and a front part  24  of the roof. The frame  6  is supported with its front end region  25  in the closed position of the roof  4  on a windshield frame. Overall, therefore, the roof is folded in Z-shaped fashion into the box  22  for the folding top. In this folded-in position, the rear window  3  is held as if it could not be pivoted separately, that is, no disadvantages are created with respect to the space relationship as well as with respect to the possibility of damage in the stowed position. The closing of the roof  4  is similar to the opening with the same swiveling up motion of the rear window  3  and can be inferred from the reverse consideration of FIGS. 5 to  3 . 
     In accordance with a particularly advantageous construction, the swiveling up and swiveling back of the rear window  3  is coupled to the opening or closing movement of the roof  4 , so that an operating error of the swiveling mechanism during the opening of the roof is prevented and it is not possible to forget to swivel up the rear window  3 . This forced coupling can be accomplished, mechanically for example, by a suitable lever, for which the swiveling up of the fins  10  at the same time controls the swiveling lever arrangement  15 . On the other hand, an evaluating electronic system can be provided, which detects a respective state of movement of the roof  4 . 
     In FIGS. 6 and 7, the swiveling up of the rear window  3  in the closed position of the roof  4  is shown, in order to attain a venting position by these means. Only the swiveling lever arrangement  15  is operated here, the other opening and closing mechanisms of the roof not being started. The swiveling lever arrangement  15  can also be operated remotely, for instance, from the dashboard. Conventional driving elements can be provided for this purpose. With that, a second possibility is created for controlling the inventive roof, with which the rear window  3  can be moved independently of the closed roof  4 . 
     In accordance with a particularly advantageous embodiment (FIGS. 8 to  10 ), provisions have been made so that, in the closed position of the roof, the rear window  3  can be moved from a normal position, in which it seals the roof  4  towards the rear, into a lowered position, in which it is below the window parapet line  11  of the car body  2  and, with that, releases the rear section of the roof  4  in the example completely. 
     In the example of FIGS. 8 and 9, the lowering takes place owing to the fact that the swiveling lever arrangement  15  at the same time also forms a driving arrangement for lowering the rear window  3 , in that a downwards or upwards shifting of the rear window  3  is carried out by swiveling the levers  16  and  17  about the joints  18  and  19 . At the same time, the rear window  3  remains held in the frame  6  at least with its upper end region, for which purpose a sliding guide  30 , which may be provided with rollers, is provided. 
     The driving levers  16  and  17  can also be replaced by a telescopic guide  31 , which is constructed in the form of a drawer pull-out mechanism (FIG. 10) and the driving elements, either electrically or hydraulically or in the form of a sheathed cable, can act over the guide  31  on the rear window  3 , which hangs freely in the car body  2 , even in the lowered position. Such a solution offers the possibility of integrating the driving elements in the roof area. The construction of a telescopic driving and guiding unit  31  is shown in FIG.  10 . Even in the lowered position, the rear window  3  is held here in the pulled-out part of the telescopic guide  31 . The driving elements act directly on the guiding parts  31  in the frame. For example, it is possible to provide a sheathed cable, which is moved by an electric motor. The swiveling lever arrangement  15  does not function here. In this example, it is required only for swiveling the rear window  3  during the opening and closing of the roof  4 . 
     If provisions are made for being able to adjust the height of the rear window  3  in this manner, the guiding part  30  is swiveled along with the rear window  3  when the latter is swiveled up. In that case, the frame  6 , for example, is constructed L-shaped in cross section and the sliding or telescopic guide  30 ,  31  is constructed T-shaped or U-shaped in cross section, so that the latter can be swiveled up with respect to the frame.