Trunklid for a convertible vehicle

In a convertible vehicle with a vehicle body, a rear cover including a support frame supported on the vehicle body pivotally about a first pivot axis, a trunk lid supported on the support frame pivotally about a second pivot axis which is spaced from the first pivot axis, such that, upon opening the rear cover in a first phase of movement, the support frame is pivoted open and in a second phase of movement, the trunk lid is pivoted open on the support frame, all by a single actuating element.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a trunk lid for a convertible vehicle, including a support frame and a lid pivotally supported on the support frame wherein the support frame is mounted on the vehicle body pivotally about a support axis arranged in spaced relationship from the pivot axis of the lid such that in a first phase of movement the frame is pivoted and in a second phase, the lid is pivoted about its pivot axis on the frame.

DE 195 16 876 C1 discloses a rear vehicle lid, which is movable between a closed position and an open position for a trunk which also accommodates a vehicle roof in the storage position thereof. In order to provide on one hand, a sufficiently large passage for transferring the vehicle roof into the trunk and, on the other hand, to provide uninhibited access to the trunk for the loading and unloading of the vehicle trunk from the rear, the trunk lid is selectively pivotable about a front pivot axis which is adjacent the vehicle interior and a rear pivot axis which is disposed at the rear end of the vehicle. This is achieved by a two-part design of the rear lid which comprises a support frame pivotally connected to the vehicle body and a lid member pivotally mounted on the support frame. For the transfer movement of the vehicle roof between its closed and its storage position, the support frame and the lid which is locked to the support frame are pivoted together about the rear pivot axis by means of a hydraulic operating member. For opening the trunk however, the support frame remains in its closed position on the vehicle body and only the lid is pivoted open relative to the support frame about its pivot axis adjacent the interior vehicle space.

For the storage of the vehicle roof and for opening the trunk, the trunk lid performs different opening movements for which also different operating mechanisms or operating elements are provided. It also must be considered that during the raising of the rear lid at the front edge thereof for depositing or closing the vehicle roof, the rear lid section will not project beyond the rear end of the vehicle in order to avoid collisions with objects behind the vehicle.

De 44 45 944 C1 discloses a hardtop vehicle with a removable vehicle roof which can be deposited in a rear trunk provided with a rear cover comprising a frame which is pivotally supported on the vehicle body and on which a trunk lid is mounted so as to be pivotable thereon. For opening the trunk for loading and unloading and for transferring the vehicle roof into and out of the trunk two hydraulic operating elements are provided. A first hydraulic operating element is supported on the vehicle body and engages the support frame for pivoting the support frame together with the trunk lid relative to the vehicle body and a second operating element is supported on the support frame and engages the trunk lid for pivoting the trunk lid relative to the support frame.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a rear lid support arrangement for a convertible vehicle of simple design which is pivotable about the front and also about the rear end thereof and which remains within the contour of the vehicle at any time during opening or closing of the lid.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a convertible vehicle with a body having a rear cover comprising a support frame supported on the vehicle body pivotally about a first pivot axis, a trunk lid supported on the support frame pivotally about a second pivot axis which is spaced from the first pivot axis, such that, upon opening the rear cover in a first phase of movement, the support frame is pivoted open and in a second phase of movement, the trunk lid is pivoted open on the support frame, all by a single actuating element.

The second phase concerning the relative movement of the lid with respect to the support frame can be basically uncoupled from the first phase so that the second phase follows only optionally the first phase and is executed only if it is desired by the driver or another operating person. This division into two phases of movement has the advantage that each phase of movement can be provided for a particular application. It is therefore particularly possible, to open the trunk in the first phase of movement in which the support frame and the lid are jointly raised to open the trunk and, in the second phase, in which the lid is pivoted relative to the support arm to provide a passage for the transfer of the vehicle roof between the closed and the storage positions. Since the second phase of movement follows the first phase for the transfer movement of the vehicle roof for opening the rear lid, no basically different opening movement is needed than for the opening of the trunk lid. Only an additional pivot movement of the lid part relative to the support frame is initiated. The first phase of movement is identical for both opening movements. For this reason, the design can be simplified in comparison with the state of the art.

In a first expedient embodiment, altogether two operating elements, for example, two hydraulic cylinders, are provided, each for one phase of movement. A first operating element is supported on the vehicle body and actuates the support arm; the second operating element is disposed between the support arm and the lid for pivoting the lid relative to the support arm. The two operating elements can be controlled independently of each other. Each operating element can be adapted to the respective design conditions in an optimal way.

In a second expedient embodiment, the support frame and the lid part are operable by a common actuating element. In this embodiment, the two movement phases of the rear cover are assigned to different operating sections of the operating part of the actuating element. This embodiment can be supported in that the operating part is connected to the cover element. In order to make sure that in the first phase of movement both components of the rear cover, that is, the support frame and the lid, are both raised concurrently, it is advantageous to provide at a distance from the pivot axis of the lid part a releasable locking mechanism for locking the lid part to the support frame. For the execution of the second phase of movement, the locking mechanism is released so that the lid part can be pivoted open with respect to the support frame. In the embodiment with only one actuating element, the actuating element is directly connected to the lid part to raise it relative to the support frame.

In order to support the opening movement, a passive spring element may be provided which biases the rear cover in the opening direction. The spring element, for example a gas spring, facilitates the opening of the trunk also upon failure of the actuating element.

Further advantages and expedient embodiments of the invention will become apparent from the following description on the basis of the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Below identical components are designated by the same reference numerals.

The vehicle roof1shown inFIG. 1is a removable roof of a convertible vehicle which may be for example in the form of a hardtop including two roof parts2and3. Alternately, it may be in the form of a soft top. The vehicle roof1including the roof parts2and3is movable between a closed position as shown in full lines in which it covers the interior of a vehicle and a storage position which is indicated by the numerals2′ and3′ in which the roof parts are deposited in the trunk4of the vehicle. The trunk4is closed by a rear trunk cover5, which comprises two parts that is a support frame6and a trunk lid7. The support frame6is pivotally supported on the vehicle body by way of a pivot joint8, which is disposed at the front end of the rear cover adjacent the vehicle interior or the closed vehicle roof1. The trunk lid7is supported on the support frame6by another pivot joint9disposed adjacent the rear end of the vehicle and in spaced relationship to the pivot joint8. The trunk lid7is locked to the vehicle body12by a first locking mechanism10, which is disposed in the closed position of the lid7at a downwardly extending rear end portion of the trunk lid7. The trunk lid is also locked to the support frame6by a second locking mechanism11. Both locking mechanisms10and11are releasable.

In addition, there are two active actuation elements13and14one for pivoting the support frame6upwardly about its pivot joint8or, respectively, the trunk lid7about its pivot joint9. The first actuating element13′ is supported on the vehicle body and engages the pivot arm6at a distance from the pivot joint8thereof. The second actuating element14is arranged between the support frame6and the trunk lid7, wherein the coupling point of the actuating element14with the two components are disposed at a distance from the pivot joint9. Both actuating elements are expediently hydraulically operable.

FIG. 2represents the first phase of movement during opening of the rear cover5, wherein the support frame6and the trunk lid7are locked together by way of the locking mechanism11and the rear end of the rear cover is raised so that the trunk is opened from the rear end thereof whereby the trunk becomes accessible. Upon actuation of the first actuating element13′ after the rear locking mechanism10between the rear section of the trunk lid7and the vehicle body is released, the rear cover5is pivoted open about the pivot axis of the vehicle body-based pivot joint8at the support frame6along the path15of movement indicated by the dashed line. It is made sure in this connection that the rear cover5does not extend beyond the rear end of the vehicle. During the first phase of movement, the locking mechanism11remains closed and the second actuating element14is not operated.

Following the first phase of movement, there may be a second phase of movement which is shown inFIG. 3, and wherein the trunk lid7is pivoted open relative to the support frame6in order to provide a passage for the transfer of the vehicle roof between its closed and its storage positions into, or out of, the trunk. For executing the second phase of movement, the second locking mechanism11between the trunk lid7and the support frame6is released and the second actuating element14is operated. As a result, the trunk lid7is pivoted open about the pivot axis of its pivot joint9relative to the support frame6which remains in its position. Also, in the second phase of movement, the rear cover5will not extend beyond the rear end of the vehicle. By pivoting the trunk lid7relative to the support frame6, the front edge of the trunk lid7adjacent the vehicle interior is raised whereby a sufficiently large passage area for the transfer of the vehicle roof into the trunk and out of the trunk4is provided.

The embodiment of the rear cover5according toFIG. 4corresponds essentially to that of the preceding figures, however, with the difference that an additional passive spring element16is provided which, with one end thereof is supported on the vehicle body and, with its other end, is pivotally connected to the support frame6. The spring element16, which is preferably a gas spring, applies to the support6a lifting force in the opening direction of the support frame6. In this way, the rear cover5can be relatively easily opened even when the first active controllable actuating element13′ should fail.

TheFIGS. 5-7show another embodiment for a rear cover5, which is shown in a closed position, and inFIGS. 6 and 7after completion of the first phase of movement. Different from the preceding embodiment a single active actuating element13′ is provided with which the first phase of movement as well as the second phase of movement is performed. The actuating element13′ is supported at one end on the vehicle body and is connected with its other end to the trunk lid7at a distance from the pivot joint8of the support frame6with the vehicle body and from the pivot joint9of the trunk lid7with the support arm6. Upon operation of the actuating element13′ after releasing the first locking mechanism10at the vertically downwardly extending section of the trunk lid7in the area of the vehicle body12, the combination of the support arm6and the trunk lid7is pivoted open together about the pivot axis of the pivot joint8. During the first phase of movement, the second locking mechanism11between the trunk lid7and the support frame6remains locked. The first phase of movement for raising the rear cover5represents to a first phase of operation of the actuating element13′.

To initiate the second phase of movement in accordance withFIG. 7, the second locking mechanism11is released and the actuating element13′ is operated in a second phase of operation which follows the first phase of operation. In this phase, the trunk lid is pivoted about the pivot axis of the pivot joint9relative to the support frame6and the front edge of the trunk lid7is raised in order to provide sufficient clearance for the passage of the roof into, and out of, the vehicle trunk. In this way, the two different phases of movement of the rear cover can be realized with a single actuating element.