Method for fastening a reinforcement frame in a vehicle roof opening

To fasten a reinforcement frame in an opening in a vehicle roof member, the roof member is supported on a flanging bed and moved in succession against flanging edges of a plurality of flanging jaws. To insert the jaws into the roof opening, the jaws can be displaced in a plurality of moves of individual jaws parallel to the plane of the opening in which jaws are withdrawn from straight portions of the margin of the opening to permit corner jaws to be withdrawn from comer portions of the opening.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 This invention relates to methods for flanging the periphery of a roof
 opening for a sliding roof portion and to an arrangement for carrying out
 the flanging.
 As used herein, the term "sliding roof" includes not only a sunroof but all
 variations, such as a sliding ventilator roof, a ventilator roof, a large
 or small folding roof, etc. By the present invention, any motor vehicle
 roof opening can be framed, independently of the nature of the material of
 the roof portion to be inserted in the opening.
 The fabrication of a sliding roof in a motor vehicle is comparatively
 expensive since, for stability of the roof and secure guidance of the
 slide, an auxiliary or reinforcing frame be mounted around the roof
 opening to receive the sliding roof. In the manufacture of the motor
 vehicle the sliding roof opening is usually punched out of the roof but,
 during or after its production and before it is attached to the body
 member, a flanged edge extending inwardly in relation to the roof is
 formed. Then the reinforcing frame is laid over the flanged edge and is
 attached to the roof by applying adhesive to the inside of the roof and/or
 to the reinforcing frame. When the reinforcing frame is inserted into the
 roof opening, the flanged edge centers it in the opening. Then the roof
 with the reinforcing frame is placed in a folding press in which the
 flanged edge is folded over the adjacent edge of the reinforcing frame. A
 disadvantage of this arrangement is that the conventional tools and
 presses used for such flanging, beside being expensive, require a
 considerable amount of space, several presses usually being required for
 several folding operations including prefolding and finish folding. The
 mounting arrangements for the presses are also expensive, since they need
 special foundations and are therefore fixed in place. Because of the high
 cost of the folding tools, any change, for example to a different size of
 sliding roof opening, is very expensive and cost-intensive.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method
 and an arrangement for fastening a reinforcement frame in a vehicle roof
 opening which overcomes disadvantages of the prior art.
 Another object of the invention is to provide a method and an arrangement
 for producing a flanging or folding connection in a vehicle roof opening
 that is inexpensive and flexible in operation.
 These and other objects of the invention are attained by placing the
 peripheral edge of a reinforcing frame in contact with the inner edge of a
 roof opening and flanging one of the edges until it has been folded over
 the other edge. A preferred flanging arrangement has several flanging jaws
 which are insertable in the roof opening and displaceable toward and away
 from the marginal edges of the reinforcing frame and the roof opening and
 which have flanging edges directed outwardly with respect to the roof
 opening, the jaws being disposed at least at the comers of the opening or
 around at least 300.degree. of the periphery of the opening or around at
 least 80% of the periphery of the opening.
 In the method of the invention for fixing the frame in a roof opening of
 the motor vehicle, it is essential that a fixture is employed instead of a
 press. That is, the roof member is not, as heretofore, moved into a press
 in which two tools are forced together to flange and fold the margin of
 the opening. Instead, the roof member is engaged by at least one, and
 preferably at least five to eight jaws that are disposed essentially only
 around the marginal portion to be flanged, and which have dimensions
 essentially corresponding only to the bending forces required for
 flanging. These jaws each have one or more flanging edges, preferably up
 to four, which successively engage and flange the margin of the roof
 opening or the frame. It is likewise essential to the invention that the
 jaw or jaws are arranged inside the roof opening when the roof member is
 being engaged by their flanging edges. This permits a markedly compact
 conformation of the fixture so that the roof member with its opening can
 be laid on a platform, the jaws being arranged within the platform in the
 region of the roof opening, allowing the roof member to be slid in place
 and removed simply and quickly from above, whereas in the presses hitherto
 employed, the roof member must be placed between and removed from between
 opposed pressing tools.
 During the flanging operation, the roof member or sheet metal member rests
 on a flanging bed which is adjustable in relation to the jaws. For a
 positive flanging operation, hold-downs may also be provided to retain the
 roof member or sheet metal member against the bed, and filler slides may
 be provided to support the marginal region to be flanged. Preferably the
 filler slides are accommodated in the hold-downs.
 Ordinarily the marginal region of the roof opening is flanged or folded
 over the marginal region of the frame, first because the frame is thereby
 held securely to the roof, and second because the roof material is usually
 several tenths of a millimeter thinner than that of the frame.
 Advantageously, to provide a connection of high stability, at least 80% of
 the marginal region is flanged.
 An important step in the present invention is the displacement of the jaws
 horizontally to the opening, i.e. parallel to the plane of the opening,
 while the jaws are surrounded by the margin of the opening. This
 displacement of the jaws is preferably effected without any vertical
 component of displacement, the necessary vertical motion preferably being
 provided by the platform on which the roof member is retained. Horizontal
 displacement of the jaws can be effected by a comparatively simple
 arrangement, the displacement preferably taking place in several moves of
 individual jaws, i.e. one or more but not all of the jaws are first
 displaced horizontally into or out of a flanging position, and then one or
 more other jaws, preferably all the remaining jaws, are then displaced
 horizontally. This method enables the entire edge margin of the roof
 opening to be flanged by the jaws. Advantageously, jaws are provided for
 the corner portions of the roof opening and at least one, preferably four
 or more, jaws are provided for the substantially straight portions of the
 roof opening, each set of the straight jaws and the corner jaws preferably
 being displaced concurrently. In this way, the roof opening can be passed
 over the jaws onto the platform and then first the corner jaws and second
 the side jaws are closed onto the marginal region, so that up to 100% of
 the marginal region may be covered by the jaws. After the platform has
 been elevated against the jaws, more than once if necessary, the platform
 is lowered and the jaws are retracted again in the reverse order and the
 roof member with the flanged frame is taken out. In order to advance and
 retract the jaws horizontally, a rotary motion is especially suitable,
 i.e. rotation of a shaft or disc about its longitudinal axis, the shaft or
 disc having jaw engagers distributed about its periphery which are coupled
 to the corresponding jaws. By rotation of the shaft, the engagers are
 pulled and or pushed, and the corresponding jaws thereby retracted or
 advanced. Alternatively, the jaws may be displaced by hydraulically
 powered piston and cylinder units, preferably one for each jaw, which are
 located outside of the opening in the roof member. The jaws are preferably
 mounted on guides.
 In a preferred embodiment, the advance of the jaws toward the margin of the
 roof opening is utilized to bend the marginal region in a first step,
 preferably by at least 45.degree., and desirably by 60.degree. to
 90.degree.. That is, the jaws are moved against the marginal region so as
 to bend it over in a preflanging step. To support the marginal region
 which is not to be bent, filler slides are moved against that region as
 described above. After the preflanging step the flanging bed lifts and
 presses the preflanged marginal region against the flanging edges of the
 jaws. In this way the entire folding and flanging operation can be
 performed with one or two flanging edges per jaw.
 Preferably, the marginal region being flanged according to the present
 invention is not in the plane of the roof but projects away from it,
 desirably at an angle of about 90.degree.. This makes possible an
 especially favorable engagement of the marginal region with the flanging
 edges of the jaws. This orientation of the roof opening of the marginal
 region to be flanged can actually be carried out in the press in which the
 roof is fabricated.
 A flanging fixture useful in the invention has a plurality of jaws which
 are horizontally displaceable, as described above, in an opening in a
 metal sheet member, the jaw displacement preferably being essentially in
 the horizontal direction only. The sheet metal member is supported on a
 platform or flanging bed by which it is lifted against the flanging edges
 of the jaws, flanging the marginal region of the opening, preferably as
 far as a complete fold. This flanging fixture has enough jaws with
 flanging edges located in a region in which the opening in the sheet metal
 member is placed so that at least 300.degree. of the area of the opening,
 starting from the center of gravity of the open area, or at least four
 corners, or at least 80% of the marginal region of the opening, can be
 flanged. Preferably several of the foregoing conditions are met, and
 desirably all of them. For this purpose, the flanging fixture has at least
 five and preferably at least eight jaws with corresponding flanging edges,
 the jaws being horizontally displaceable in two or more stages, as
 described above. The jaws may have several, for example two to four,
 flanging edges located one above another, against which the edge to be
 flanged or folded can be brought successively. For this purpose, the sheet
 metal member is placed with its opening surrounding the jaws, the marginal
 region of the opening preferably projecting upwardly out of the plane of
 the sheet metal, desirably at an angle of from 45.degree. to 90.degree.
 measured from the side facing the opening or, alternatively, from the
 sheet metal side. First the corner jaws and then the straight edge jaws
 are moved toward the marginal region of the opening. Then the platform
 holding the sheet metal member is lifted, and a preflanging operation is
 carried out on the first flanging edges of the jaws, which are suitably
 configured. The jaws are then retracted in reverse order and the platform
 is moved somewhat higher, or else lower depending on the arrangement of
 the flanging edges of the jaws, and the jaws are shifted back to the
 marginal region as described. Then the platform is raised again and an
 additional flanging or folding of the marginal region takes place. All
 this may be repeated if necessary. The horizontal displacement of the jaws
 is preferably effected by a rotary motion, as described above, and the
 fixture preferably has the structure described above.
 In accordance with the foregoing mode of operation of the fixture, there is
 another method of the invention, which is preferably carried out jointly
 with the method described above, and is combinable with any of the
 individual steps described above. This method involves the displacement in
 the horizontal plane of an opening in a sheet metal member of a plurality
 of jaws having flanging edges, followed by motion of the margin of the
 opening toward the flanging edges of the jaws, the marginal region of the
 opening being flanged over at least 300.degree. with respect to the center
 of gravity of the opening and/or over at least four corner regions and/or
 over at least 80% of the margin region of the opening

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
 In the typical roof opening arrangement shown in FIG. 1, a formed sheet
 metal roof member 1 with a reinforcing frame 2 inserted in and encircling
 an opening 3 for a sliding ventilator roof panel is partially shown. The
 reinforcing frame 2 is connected to the roof 1 partly by bonding and
 partly by a folded flange 4 encircling the entire opening 3.
 A portion II of the folded flange 4 is shown in more detail in section in
 FIG. 2. In its original state, before folding, the sheet metal roof member
 1 projects a few centimeters above the flanged edge 6 in the region of the
 opening 3 as indicated by the dot-dash lines The flanged edge 6 projects
 at an angle 7 of about 85.degree. to the plane of the roof sheet metal 1,
 and is inclined toward the roof member. The flanged edge 6 also serves to
 center the reinforcing frame 2 which is connected to the flanged edge 6 by
 a layer of adhesive.
 After the reinforcing frame 2 has been positioned on the flanged edge 6,
 the portion 5 which extends beyond the flanged edge 6 is folded over the
 marginal region 8 of the reinforcing frame 2 to its final flange position
 9 by a folding fixture in several steps. This folding takes place in three
 steps at three flanging edges 20 to 22 of each jaw, as indicated in FIG.
 3. For a clean flanging operation, a filler slide 34 is held against the
 marginal region 8 of the reinforcing frame. The first flanging edge 20
 provides a preflanging fold of the projecting edge 5 of the roof, the
 second flanging edge 21 provides a further preflanging, and the flanging
 edge 22 provides the final flanging as the sheet metal member is moved
 successively against the flanging edges 20 to 22 by a flanging or folding
 bed 24 as indicated by the arrow 23. Between these flanging operations,
 the jaw 10 is advanced and retracted a shown by the horizontal
 double-headed arrow.
 FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the jaws 10-19 in the roof
 opening 3. The jaws 10-19, arranged as slides guided by pin guides 25, are
 displaced by a total of four rotary drives 26-29, the drives 26 and 27 and
 28 and 29, respectively, being arranged concentrically. The jaws 10, 12
 and 14 are connected to the rotary drive 26 by engagers 30, and the jaws
 11 and 13 are similarly connected to the rotary drive 27 while the jaws
 15, 17 and 19 are connected to the rotary drive 28 and the jaws 16 and 18
 are connected to the drive 29. After flanging by one of the jaw edges 20,
 21 and 22, the jaws 10, 12 and 14 are retracted from the positions shown
 in FIG. 4 by rotation of the rotary drive 26, so that the jaws 11 and 13
 are exposed at the sides and can then likewise be retracted by rotation of
 the rotary drive 27 and the jaws 15-19 are similarly retracted. This
 releases the marginal region 6 of the opening 3 so that the roof member
 may either be moved to one of the other flanging edges or removed from the
 fixture.
 FIGS. 5a and 5b show a flanging operation for which only a single flanging
 edge 120 is required. In this method, the flanging edge 120 of the jaw 110
 is first moved against the edge region 5 of sheet metal member 1 which is
 to be flanged and which rests on a folding or flanging bed 124. Above the
 sheet metal member 1 the auxiliary frame 2 is pressed toward the flanging
 bed 124 by a hold-down 134. From the hold-down 134, a filler slide 135 is
 extended, abutting on the lower part 4 of the marginal region to be
 flanged. By displacement of the jaw 110 in the direction of the arrow, the
 upper portion 5 of the marginal region to be flanged is folded at an angle
 of about 90.degree. toward the filler slide 135, moving a gap 140 in the
 flanging edge 120 over the marginal region 4. At the same time, the filler
 slide 135 is withdrawn into the hold-down 134. Then the flanging bed 124
 moves up, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 5b, causing the upper marginal
 region 5 to be folded over and flanged to the auxiliary frame 2.
 Alternatively, the marginal region 4 may be backed up by a separately
 movable part of the flanging bed 124.
 Compared to the folding presses heretofore used, the folding fixture
 according to the invention has the advantage of a substantially smaller
 space requirement, since a fixture of the type described permits operation
 in several stages. At the same time, the folding fixture or method does
 not require a separate foundation, as is usual for folding presses.
 Consequently, the folding fixture is not fixed in location but can be
 moved. As a result lower production costs are possible overall.
 Although the invention has been described herein with reference to specific
 embodiments, many modifications and variations therein will readily occur
 to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, all such variations and
 modifications are included within the intended scope of the invention.