Abstract:
A subassembly for a sliding roof includes right and left guiderails, which lie opposite each other. A component extends between the left and right guiderails and is guided therein. A cable includes a first section that extends between a right front side of the component and a left rear side of the component. The cable also includes a second section that extends between a left front side and a right rear side. Some sections of the cable are guided in a Bowden cable sheath.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to European Application No. 08 004 012.4, which was filed Mar. 4, 2008. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a subassembly for a sliding roof, and in particular relates to a component which is guided displaceably in two mutually opposite guiderails. The component can be, for example, a sunshield roller blind or a cover. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    One problem with a component of the type mentioned above is that it should not tilt in the guiderails. Another problem with the component is that it may not be smoothly displaced in the guiderails. This problem becomes more significant the shorter the component (as viewed in its direction of displacement). If, for example, a bow is considered, the bow, as viewed in idealized form, being mounted in a point-like manner in each guiderail, it can be seen that this type of guide does not provide any protection whatsoever against tilting. 
         [0004]    DE 100 64 718 C1 disclosed a sunshield roller blind with a bow to which two cables are attached. The two cables are guided via a total of six deflecting pulleys such that tilting of the bow is prevented. The construction is comparatively complicated because of the large number of deflecting pulleys. 
         [0005]    The object of the invention is to provide a subassembly for a sliding roof, in which tilting of the component guided in the guiderails is reliably prevented. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    To achieve this objective, the invention provides a subassembly for a sliding roof that includes right and left guiderails which lie opposite each other. A component extends between the left and right guiderails and is guided therein. A cable includes a first section that extends between a right front side of the component and a left rear side of the component, and includes a second section that extends between a left front side and a right rear side, some sections of the cable being guided in a Bowden cable sheath. 
         [0007]    The use of Bowden cable sheaths for guiding the cables results in a particularly space-saving construction. Furthermore, the cables are well protected, thus preventing soiling. 
         [0008]    If use is made in the application of terms such as “at the front”, “at the rear,” “on the right” and “on the left,” this is to facilitate good comprehension. These terms are directed to the customary arrangement of the subassembly on the roof of a motor vehicle and also toward the customary direction of travel of the vehicle. However, there is no change to the technical function if the subassembly is constructed “in a laterally reversed manner,” and therefore the components which are described in the application as “on the right” are then arranged on the left side. 
         [0009]    According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the cable is designed as a single piece. This reduces the outlay on installation, since only a single cable of endless design has to be attached. 
         [0010]    The cable is connected to the component to be displaced, at the right and left ends thereof, such that tensile forces can be transmitted. In particular, drivers that are fitted into the component are attached to the cable. Forces can thereby be transmitted to the component, and vice versa, with little outlay. 
         [0011]    According to an embodiment of the invention, it is provided that a deflecting pulley for the cable is attached to the front end of each guiderail. This makes it possible to deflect the cable at the front end of the deflecting rail in a very narrow space without a large amount of friction being produced. 
         [0012]    A first Bowden cable sheath extends from an abutment, which is assigned to the right deflecting pulley, to the rear where the first Bowden cable sheath extends to an abutment of the left deflecting pulley on the left guiderail. A second Bowden cable sheath extends from an abutment, which is assigned to the left deflecting pulley, to the rear where the second Bowden cable sheath extends to an abutment on the right guiderail. In this embodiment, construction space is not required for the cable in front of the guiderails. 
         [0013]    According to an alternative embodiment, a first Bowden cable sheath extends from a front abutment on the right guiderail to the left guiderail where the first Bowden cable sheath extends to the rear to a rear abutment. A second Bowden cable sheath extends from a front abutment on the left guiderail to the right guiderail where the second Bowden cable sheath extends to the rear to a rear abutment. The advantage of this embodiment is that construction space is not required for the cable behind the guiderails. 
         [0014]    A compression spring is arranged between an abutment and that end of the Bowden cable sheath which is assigned thereto. The required prestressing of the cable, such that the prestressing centers the component without play, can be produced by the compression spring with little outlay. 
         [0015]    According to an embodiment of the invention, a cable sheath which is used to move the cable is provided. The cable sheave can be arranged at any location and can be used in order to couple a driving motor to the cable such that the component can be displaced by the driving motor. 
         [0016]    The component may be a bow which is part of a sunshield roller blind. The component may alternatively also be a cover which is part of a sliding roof system. 
         [0017]    The invention is described below with reference to two embodiments which are illustrated in the attached drawings, in which: 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  shows schematically a vehicle roof with a sliding roof attached thereto; 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  shows schematically in a top view a first embodiment of a subassembly according to the invention; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  shows schematically in a top view a second embodiment of a subassembly according to the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0021]      FIG. 1  shows schematically a roof  1  of a motor vehicle which is provided with a sliding roof. The sliding roof has a rear cover  2  and a front cover  3 , with the front cover  3  being shown in a partially pushed-back position in which the front cover  3  overlaps with the rear cover  2 . The front cover  3  serves to partially or completely open up a roof opening formed in the roof  1 . A sunshield roller blind can be displaced below the cover between a pushed-back position, in which a bow  5  is located at the rear, and a pulled-forward position, in which the bow  5  is located at the front and a roller blind web  6  provides shade for the interior. 
         [0022]    Guiderails  4  to which the cover  3  can be displaceably attached are attached to the roof  1 . Component  5  which, in the exemplary embodiment shown here, is the bow  5  of the roller sunblind is guided displaceably in the guiderails  4 . The roller sunblind includes the roller blind web  6  that extends between the bow  5 , which is arranged at the front as seen in the direction of travel, and a winding shaft  7  arranged at the rear. 
         [0023]      FIG. 2  shows the sunshield system in detail. The bow  5 , as a component which is mounted in the two guiderails  4 , is provided at each of its outer ends with a slider  10  which is guided displaceably in the guiderails  4 . A deflecting pulley  12  is arranged on each side at the front end of the guiderails  4 . The deflecting pulley  12  is assigned a respective abutment  14  for a Bowden cable sheath  16 . An abutment for each Bowden cable sheath is likewise arranged at the rear end of each guiderail, with the abutment which is arranged at the rear end of the right guiderail  4  being provided with the reference number  18  and the abutment which is assigned to the left guiderail  4  being provided with the reference number  20 . The abutment  20  is provided with a compression spring  21  which endeavors to push the Bowden cable sheath  16  away from the actual abutment. 
         [0024]    A cable  22  which is designed as a single piece, i.e. is of endless design, is provided. The course of the cable  22  is described here starting from the right end of the bow  5 . The cable  22  is provided with two drivers or fitting seals  24  of which one is fitted into a corresponding receptacle in the left slider  10  of the bow  5 . The cable  22  runs from there, i.e. from the front edge of the bow  5 , forward about the right deflecting pulley  12  and through the abutment  14  where the cable  22  enters the Bowden cable sheath  16  which is supported there. The cable  22  then continues to run to the rear on the right side and is deflected to the left behind the right guiderail  4  such that it finally runs through the left abutment  20  at which the corresponding Bowden cable sheath  16  ends. From the abutment  20 , the cable  22  runs forward to a point where the second fitting seal  24  is fitted into the left slider  10  of the bow  5 . The cable  22  runs from there forward about the left deflecting pulley  12  and through the abutment  14  where it enters the second Bowden cable sheath  16 . The cable  22  runs in the second Bowden cable sheath  16  along the left guiderail  4  to the rear where the cable  22  is deflected at the end of the guiderail  4  such that the cable  22  passes to the abutment  18  on the right guiderail  4 . It emerges there from the Bowden cable sheath  16  and runs forward to the slider  10  at the right end of the bow  5  on the rear side thereof. Owing to the course of the cable  22 , the cable  22  prevents the bow  5  from tilting between the guiderails  4 . This is based on the fact that a displacement of the cable  22  at the right end of the bow  5  leads to the displacement of the same at the left end of the bow  5 . This can easily be understood with reference to an assumed displacement of the bow  5  to the front in the guiderails  4 , as indicated by the arrow P. In the process, the cable  22  is carried along both on the right and the left side of the bow  5 , as the arrows assigned to the cable show. 
         [0025]    The compression spring  21 , which is arranged on the abutment  20 , prestresses the entire system comprising the cable  22  and Bowden cable sheaths  16  such that there is no play. The Bowden cable sheaths  16  ensure a low-friction and soiling-protected guide for the cables  22 . 
         [0026]    A cable sheath  30  is shown that can be used to couple a driving motor to the system. For this purpose, the cable  22  is looped around the cable sheath  30  in a plurality of revolutions such that a driving force can be introduced into the cable  22  by the cable friction produced. The cable sheath  30  can be arranged at any location on the cable  22  such that the driving motor can ultimately be arranged optimally with regard to the available space. 
         [0027]      FIG. 3  shows an alternative configuration. The same reference numbers are used for the components known from the embodiment from  FIG. 2 . The essential difference over the embodiment from  FIG. 2  is that the cable  22  from the right to the left side and from the left to the right side is not guided behind the winding shaft  7  but rather in the front region of the system. This makes it possible to arrange a driving motor, for example, in the front region of the sunshield system. 
         [0028]    In the embodiment shown, no deflecting pulleys are used. However, in a departure therefrom, in the region of the deflection at the rear end of the guiderails  4 , where the cable is deflected by 180°, use can be made of deflecting pulleys similar to those which are arranged at the front end of the guiderails  4  in the embodiment according to  FIG. 2 . 
         [0029]    In the embodiments described, a bow  5  is used as the component which can be displaced in the guiderails  4 . However, it can also be provided according to the invention that the component is a cover of a sliding roof system, in which it is ensured by the cable that the cover is not tilted during displacement in the guiderails. 
         [0030]    Although an embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.