Abstract:
A sliding roof system for a motor vehicle, having at least one guide rail, a cover holder which is adjustable relative to the guide rail, and a slide which is shiftable in the guide rail, wherein the slide and the cover holder each have a locking member provided thereon, each locking member being configured to engage into each other at least when the cover holder is in the closed position.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority under 35 USC 119 to the following European Patent Application No. EP 10 014 787.5 filed Nov. 19, 2010, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The invention relates to a sliding roof system for a motor vehicle, including at least one guide rail, a cover holder which is adjustable relative to the guide rail, and a slide which is shiftable in the guide rail. 
     An example of such a sliding roof system can be found in EP 2 072 304 A. It serves to attach a cover  10  (see  FIG. 1 ) to a vehicle roof in such a way that the cover can be shifted between a closed position, in which it closes an opening in the vehicle roof, and various more or less fully opened positions. The cover  10  is fitted to a cover holder  12  which is adjustably accommodated in a guide rail  14  by means of various interconnected components. In practice, typically two guide rails and, accordingly, two cover holders are used, namely, at the lateral edges of the roof as viewed in the direction of travel. For adjusting the cover holder  12 , a slide  16  is provided which is mounted for sliding movement in the guide rail, is adjusted by a drive cable (not shown), and determines the position of the cover holder  12 . By shifting the slide along the guide rail  14 , the cover holder  12  and thus the cover  10  can be transferred from the closed position shown in  FIG. 1  via a ventilation position shown in  FIG. 2  to a raised position shown in  FIG. 3 . In the ventilation position, the rear edge of the cover  10  as viewed in the direction of travel is raised outward while the front edge of the cover rests substantially unchanged against the front edge of the roof opening. In the position raised outward, the cover holder is lifted outward so far that the cover  10  can be transferred rearward, as a result of which the roof opening associated with it is exposed. 
     One requirement placed on all sliding roof systems, irrespective of the specific configuration of the adjustment mechanism, resides in that the cover be held as stably as possible in the vertical direction, that is, the z-direction, when the cover is in the closed position or also in the ventilation position. In fact, due to the flow conditions in the roof area, a partial vacuum acts on the front edge of the cover which attempts to pull the front edge of the cover upward. If the cover is not stably mounted, this would result in the front edge of the cover protruding over the adjacent roof area. This would lead to undesirable flow noises. 
     The object of the invention resides in further developing a sliding roof system of the type initially mentioned to the effect that the front edge of the cover is held particularly precisely on the vehicle in the vertical direction. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To achieve this object, the slide and the cover holder each have a locking member provided thereon, which engage into each other at least when the cover holder is in the closed position. The invention is based on the fundamental concept of providing, in the region of the front edge of the cover, a mechanical locking mechanism which is actuated directly by the slide. As long as the slide is in a pushed-forward position, the locking members engage into each other, so that the front edge of the cover cannot be pulled upward. Only when the slide has moved sufficiently far to the rear in the course of its control movement is the locking mechanism released, and the cover can be adjusted in the usual manner. The advantage of this locking consists in that no additional actuating devices are required for carrying out the locking process. The advantage further consists in that the cover holder is locked directly (by means of the slide) on the guide rail, so that no external tolerances come into play, for example due to the assembly of the guide rail at the vehicle roof Also, it is not required to readjust the locking mechanism following a setting of the correct position of the guide rail relative to the roof. 
     Preferably, provision is made that one of the locking members is an opening and the other is a projection which can be transferred into the opening. In this way, a mechanically simple structure is produced. 
     The opening is preferably provided on the cover holder, and the projection is rigidly fitted to the slide. This allows the shifting motion of the slide to be directly used for pushing the projection into the opening on the cover holder. 
     According to a preferred embodiment, provision is made that the projection includes an abutment edge which is set obliquely relative to the adjustment direction of the slide. In this way, a pretention can be applied to the cover holder in the locked condition. 
     According to a variant embodiment, it is provided for that the projection is formed by two arms arranged parallel to each other. In this way, a pretension can be generated also in the y-direction when the projection is inserted into the opening. 
     In one embodiment a sliding roof system for a motor vehicle is provided, the sliding roof system having at least one guide rail, a cover holder which is adjustable relative to the guide rail, and a slide which is shiftable in the guide rail, wherein the slide and the cover holder each have a locking member provided thereon, each locking member being configured to engage into each other at least when the cover holder is in the closed position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be described below with reference to an embodiment which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a side view of the sliding roof system disclosed in EP 2 072 304 A in a schematic side view, the cover being in a closed position; 
         FIG. 2  shows the sliding roof system of  FIG. 1 , the cover holder being in a ventilation position; 
         FIG. 3  shows the sliding roof system of  FIG. 1 , the cover holder being in a raised outward position; 
         FIG. 4  shows a schematic exploded view of part of the components of a sliding roof system according to the invention; 
         FIG. 5  shows a schematic, broken-away view of the cover holder locked on the slide; 
         FIG. 6  shows a view corresponding to  FIG. 5 , the cover holder being shown in a section; and 
         FIGS. 7-12  show a sliding roof system according to the invention in a schematic side view in different stages of the transition from a closed condition to an open condition. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     The sliding roof system according to the invention will now be explained with reference to  FIGS. 4 to 7 . 
     The cover holder  12 , which may be in the form of a bent sheet metal part, for example, is provided with a sliding member  20  which is fitted to the front end of the cover holder  12 . The sliding member is provided with an extension  22  which protrudes downward and to which two sliding blocks  24  are fitted for pivotal movement. The sliding blocks  24  engage into a guide slot  26  of the guide rail  14 . 
     Coupled to the sliding member  20  is the slide  16  by means of a connecting member  28 . The slide  16  is adjusted in the guide rail  14  by an entrainment means  30  which is engaged by a drive cable  32  which is schematically indicated here. 
     The further components such as locking levers, springs, etc. are of no significance to the basic mode of functioning and will therefore not be discussed in more detail. 
     The sliding member  20  is provided with an opening  40  extending through it in the longitudinal direction (see also  FIG. 6 ) which acts as a locking member. Furthermore, the slide  16  is provided with a projection  42  at its front end as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the projection likewise acting as a locking member. In the embodiment shown here, the projection  42  is formed by two arms  44  extending parallel to each other. As can be seen in particular in  FIG. 6 , the projection  42  is configured such that it can extend through the opening  40 , with the lower edge of the projection  42  acting as an abutment edge  46  (see  FIG. 6 ) which rests against the edge of the opening  40  of the sliding member  20 .  FIG. 6  also shows that the abutment edge  46  is set slightly obliquely, as related to the longitudinal direction of the slide and thus to the shifting direction of the slide. 
     When the sliding roof system is in the closed position, the projection  42  on the slide  16  engages into the opening  40  in the sliding member of the cover holder  12 , so that the abutment edge  46  either touches the sliding member  20  or is located opposite thereto at a very small distance. In this way, the cover holder  12  is prevented from being moved upward, that is, in the positive z-direction, in the region of the sliding member  20  (and thus the front edge of the cover  10  is prevented from being moved upward). Any forces acting on the front edge of the cover, seeking to pull the latter upward, are introduced directly into the guide rail  14  by means of the sliding member  20  and the abutment edge  46  on the projection  42  of the slide  16 ; any vertical shifting of the cover outward is therefore reliably prevented. 
     When the sliding roof system is actuated in order to transfer the cover to the raised position (see  FIG. 8 ), the front end of the cover holder remains in the lowered position, in which the projection  42  continues to engage into the opening  40  of the sliding member  20 . It is only a continued actuation of the sliding roof system that will cause the slide  16  to be adjusted rearward (see  FIG. 9 ) until, finally, it is shifted to the rear so far that the projection  42  has come clear of the opening  40  and the sliding member  20  of the cover holder  12  can be freely shifted in the guide rail  14 , first obliquely upward (cf. the motion sequence in  FIGS. 8 ,  9 , and  10 ) and finally further to the rear (see  FIG. 11 ) until eventually the cover holder  12  can be shifted further to the rear together with the cover  10  (not illustrated in these figures) (see  FIG. 12 ). 
     When the cover is closed, the motion sequence occurs in the reverse direction: shortly before reaching the closed position, the sliding member  20  of the cover holder  12  is lowered at the front edge of the guide rail, and the projection  42  is inserted into the opening  40  of the sliding member  20  as soon as the slide  16  reaches the region of its front final position. The front edge of the cover  10  is thereby reliably arrested again in the vertical direction. 
     The special advantage of the locking achieved in this way by the engagement of the projection  42  into the opening  40  resides in that it is realized automatically by the adjustment of the slide  16 . Any separate actuation is not required. 
     Reference is also made to the following patent U.S. Pat. No. 7,784,859 and European Patent Publication No. EP 2072304A1 the contents each of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference thereto. 
     While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.