Openable vehicle roof

The invention relates to an openable vehicle roof which comprises at least one cover element (18) which is guided in lateral guiding rails (20B), by means of which said roof opening can be selectively closed or at least partially opened, and an anti-blocking device which guides along the guiding rails (20B). In order to offer active anti-blocking protection for vehicle passengers, the anti-blocking devices are formed, respectively, by a strip-shaped switching device (28) which interacts with respective guiding rail (20B) and which is connected to the control element of a cover element drive.

This application is a 35 U.S.C. §371 National Stage entry of PCT/DE2006/002234, filed Dec. 14, 2006, which claims priority from German Patent Application No.: DE 10 2005 060 043.3, filed Dec. 15, 2005, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

The invention relates to an openable vehicle roof having the features of the preamble of patent claim1.

An openable vehicle roof having an anti-trapping device is known from DE 199 13 106 C1 and comprises a roof opening, which roof opening can be selectively closed off or at least partially opened by means of a cover element which is generally guided in lateral guide rails and which roof opening is surrounded by a hollow profile which serves as a sensor for detecting any trapping situation and which are provided with metallic conductors for this purpose. In a trapping situation, the hollow profile is deformed to such an extent that the metallic conductors are short-circuited, which in turn triggers a switching of the anti-trapping device and in particular stops or reverses a drive motor for the cover element. Said anti-trapping device however does not detect for example when a vehicle occupant reaches from the inside of the vehicle into a drive mechanism, which is arranged in the region of the guide rails, for the cover element.

Furthermore, it is known, for visual reasons, for acoustic reasons or else for safety reasons, to provide a faceplate which serves to cover a drive mechanism for the cover element, which drive mechanism is arranged in the region of the lateral guide rails of said cover element, such that it is not possible to see into said drive mechanism from the vehicle interior. In particular, a bellows which extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction is often used for this purpose, which bellows follows an opening-out movement of the cover element.

The invention is based on the object of providing an openable vehicle roof of the generic type specified in the introduction, having an anti-trapping device which acts in particular for vehicle occupants.

Said object is achieved according to the invention by means of the openable vehicle roof having the features of Patent Claim1.

The essence of the invention is consequently that in each case one anti-trapping system, which preferably acts over the entire extent of the roof opening in the vehicle longitudinal direction, is provided at both sides of a roof opening in the region of guide rails for a movable cover element, which anti-trapping system is formed by the switching element and can be attached directly to the respective guide rail. Within the context of the invention, the anti-trapping device can be arranged, at any suitable point of the respective guide rails, in front of the drive mechanism for the cover element as viewed from the vehicle interior space, such that the anti-trapping device can prevent a vehicle occupant both from reaching into the possibly moving drive mechanism and also from being trapped by the cover element. In the event of a trapping situation being detected, a corresponding signal is transmitted to the drive motor controller and the movement of the cover element is stopped or else reversed.

The strip-shaped switching element can fundamentally be attached directly to the associated guide rail or, opposite the associated guide rail, to the cover element. For safety reasons, however, an attachment to the guide rail is advantageous because any impending trapping situations can then possibly even be detected early without a person who is at risk actually being trapped between the moving cover element and the vehicle body.

In one preferred embodiment of the vehicle roof according to the invention, the strip-shaped switching element is a profiled strip which is mounted in a resilient fashion and which interacts with a switch which is connected to the controller of the cover element. In a trapping situation, the profiled strip is pressed down counter to the spring force, such that the switch switches and transmits a corresponding signal to the controller for moving the cover element. The profiled strip is preferably spaced apart from the cover element at least in the closed position of the cover element. In the presence of a trapping situation, said spacing is bridged by a trapped body part or object.

In a special embodiment of the vehicle roof according to the invention, the profiled strip is a U-shaped profile, between the limbs of which engages a vertically aligned web of the guide rail. An in particular lug-like web of said type can be provided in any case in known sliding roof or tilting/sliding roof constructions, and also serves for example to fix certain functional elements or else fixed roof elements. The switching element can also be formed from a plurality of U-shaped profiles which engage one into the other, such that said switching element is telescopic in the vertical direction, that is to say in the direction of the limbs of the U-shaped profiles, in order to form a faceplate.

The profiled strip is expediently latched to the web or to the lug of the associated guide rail, and provided with stops for limiting the vertical movement of the U-shaped profile.

In a further special embodiment of the vehicle roof according to the invention, the profiled strip is connected, and thereby secured, to the associated guide rail by means of a joint. In this case, it can be necessary to additionally provide a lateral guide for the profiled strip, which lateral guide prevents lateral tilting of the profiled strip with respect to the associated guide rail. In the case of the above-specified profiled strip which is embodied as a U-shaped profile, the lateral guide can be formed by the limbs of the U-shaped profile. The profiled strip can be pivotable about a pivot axis which is aligned in the vehicle transverse direction or else about a pivot axis which is aligned in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

If the profiled strip is pivotable about a pivot axis which is aligned in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the respectively associated guide rail can have a section which is in the form of a C-shaped profile, in which the strip-shaped switching element is pivotably mounted by means of at least one cylindrical section. The switching element is preloaded in the upward direction by means of a spring element and interacts with the switch which is likewise preferably arranged on the guide rail.

Alternatively, a hinge-like joint can be provided, in which the strip-shaped switching element and the associated guide rail have sleeve sections which are in each case aligned with one another and through which extends a joint rod which have a clearance fit with respect to the guide rail or the switching element and a press fit with respect to the in each case other component.

In a further special embodiment of the vehicle roof according to the invention, the profiled strip is a faceplate for a drive mechanism of the cover element.

In this embodiment, during an opening-out movement of the cover element, the profiled strip preferably likewise performs an opening-out movement or a lifting movement, so as to ensure that the drive mechanism for the cover element is shielded even in the opened-out and if appropriate retracted state of the cover element. As the cover element is closed, the profiled strip is lowered or pivoted back again. The lowering movement is restricted, when there is no trapping situation, by the preload and the structural height of the mounting spring(s) for the profiled strip. If the profiled strip is a U-shaped strip and is placed onto a vertical lug, the opening-out path of the U-shaped profile is limited by the height of the lug and therefore correspondingly by the height of the limbs of the U-shaped profile.

In an alternative embodiment of the vehicle roof according to the invention, the strip-shaped switching element is a plastic profile which is preferably compressible in its transverse direction and which is provided with at least one electrical conductor. A plastic profile of said type can be designed as a capacitive sensor element or else as a resistive sensor element.

In the case of the design as a capacitive sensor element, the plastic profile is preferably provided with only one conductor. In the case of the design as a resistive sensor element, the plastic profile is preferably a hollow profile with two electrical conductors which are short-circuited in a trapping situation in which the plastic profile is compressed in the transverse direction. The two electrical conductors are arranged on the inner wall of the hollow profile. It is also conceivable for the hollow profile itself to be provided with two wall sections which are produced from an electrically conductive material and which are isolated from one another and which form the two conductors.

In the case in particular of the design of the anti-trapping device with a capacitive sensor element, it is possible even for a situation in which one of the guide rails is being approached to be evaluated as a trapping situation, such that any trapping situation is detected early and corresponding countermeasures, such as stopping or reversing a cover element drive, can be initiated.

The plastic profile can be provided with an adaptor cap which, for the purpose of cable guidance, is preferably arranged as close as possible to the drive motor controller.

Further advantages and advantageous embodiments of the subject matter according to the invention can be gathered from the description, from the drawing and from the patent claims.

FIG. 1illustrates a motor vehicle10which is provided with a vehicle roof12designed according to the invention. The vehicle roof12comprises a rear, fixed roof region14which is adjoined at the front by a roof opening16which can be selectively closed off or at least partially opened by means of a cover element18which is for example composed of a transparent glass pane. The cover element18is embodied as a sliding roof cover which runs on the outside and which, during opening, is consequently firstly pivoted outward with respect to a pivot axis which runs in the vehicle transverse direction, and moved over the rear, fixed roof region14on the outside of the vehicle.

The roof opening16is delimited at both sides in each case by a guide rail20A and20B which extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction and in which a drive mechanism (not illustrated in any more detail here) for the cover element18is guided so as to be movable in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The two guide rails20A and20B are formed mirror-symmetrically with respect to one another, withFIG. 2illustrating a cross section through the guide rail20B which is at the right-hand side in the direction of travel.

The guide rail20B has, in addition to guide channels for sliders and a drive cable for the cover element18, a vertically upwardly projecting lug22which extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction and which can serve inter alia for fastening functional elements such as parts of the drive mechanism for the cover element18.

Arranged at the inner side of the lug22with respect to the vehicle interior space is also an acoustic seal24which serves as a sound deadening element and, in the closed position of the cover element18, bears against a foam cladding26which is formed on the underside of the cover element18.

Furthermore, a U-shaped profile28is placed onto the web-like lug22in such a way that the lug22, which extends over the length of the guide rail20B, engages between the limbs of the U-shaped profile. The U-shaped profile28, which constitutes a strip-shaped switching element, is advantageously mounted by means of a spring element30. The U-shaped profile28is fixed by means of latching catches to the lug22.

The U-shaped profile28serves as an anti-trapping device and, for this purpose, interacts with an electrical switch35which is connected to a controller70for the cover element18. The switch switches if the U-shaped profile28is pressed downward, for example by 1 mm, counter to the force of the spring30. A trapping situation of said type is for example present if an object or a body part of a vehicle occupant exerts a vertical pressure on the U-shaped profile, which is also the case if the object or body part is inserted into the intermediate space between the plastic foam cladding26and the U-shaped profile during the closing of the cover element16. In the event of the switch switching, an emergency shut-off or reversal of the cover drive takes place.

As viewed from the vehicle interior space, the lug22and the U-shaped profile28which is placed onto the lug22are arranged behind the acoustic seal24. Since the acoustic seal24is formed so as to be higher than the lug22with the U-shaped profile28placed on it, the anti-trapping device which is formed by the U-shaped profile28cannot be seen from the vehicle interior space. In an alternative embodiment, the lug and the U-shaped profile which is placed onto the lug could also be arranged in front of the acoustic seal.

FIG. 3shows an alternative embodiment of an anti-trapping device in a sliding roof, which runs on the outside, of the type illustrated inFIG. 1. This embodiment substantially corresponds to that inFIGS. 1 and 2, but differs from these in that its guide rails20A,20B have no vertical lugs onto which in each case one anti-trapping device is placed.

In fact, the guide rails20A,20B, of which likewise the guide rail20B which is at the right-hand side in the direction of travel is illustrated inFIG. 3, are designed such that in each case one step38is formed on them, on which step38is placed a strip-shaped plastic hollow profile32which is connected to the step38by means of a foot34which is dovetail-shaped in cross section.

The plastic hollow profile32, which forms a strip-shaped switching element, serves as an anti-trapping device and, for this purpose, has two electrical conductors36A,36B on its inner wall, which electrical conductors36A,36B are short-circuited in the event of a sufficiently large lateral pressure being exerted on the plastic hollow profile32.

The plastic hollow profile32can consequently operate as a resistive sensor which switches if an additional object or a body part of a vehicle occupant is inserted between the plastic foam cladding26of the cover element18and the step38of the guide rail20B, since the plastic hollow profile32is then compressed in its transverse direction.

FIGS. 4 to 6show a further embodiment of an anti-trapping device in a sliding roof, which runs on the outside, of the type illustrated inFIG. 1. This embodiment differs from the embodiment as perFIGS. 1 and 2in that it comprises lateral guide rails20A,20B which are provided in each case at their upper side with a receptacle42in the form of a C-shaped profile, in which C-shaped profile is mounted a strip-shaped switching element44which serves as an anti-trapping device and which is of substantially plate-shaped design, points in the direction of the vehicle longitudinal central plane and is mounted by means of a cylindrical section46in the receptacle42of the guide rail20A,20B, such that said switching element44is pivotable about a pivot axis which runs substantially in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The switching element44also serves as a faceplate for shielding the mechanism for actuating the cover element.

In the rest position, the switching element is preloaded in the upward direction by means of a spring device48which engages on the cylindrical section46. If an object or a body part is arranged between the cover element and the associated guide rail20A or20B, the switching element44is pressed downward as the cover element is closed, such that said switching element acts on a switch50and the movement of the cover element is stopped or reversed by means of the cover element drive controller.

FIG. 7illustrates a further embodiment of an anti-trapping device, embodied according to the invention, in an openable vehicle roof. This embodiment substantially corresponds to that ofFIGS. 4 to 6and differs therefrom in that sleeves62are formed in each case on the guide rails20A,20B, which sleeves62are aligned with sleeves64which are formed on a strip-shaped switching element66. A bearing rod68extends through the sleeves64and66, with a clearance fit being provided between the sleeves64and the bearing rod68and with a press fit being provided between the sleeves66and the bearing rod68.

The switching element (not shown) is in turn preloaded in the upward direction by means of a spring element (not illustrated in any more detail here) which can engage on the bearing rod68or directly on the switching element66, and when said switching element66is pressed downward, it interacts with a switch (likewise not illustrated) for an emergency stop of the cover element movement.