Folding top for vehicles

So that when a folding top is closed, a good sealing is achieved with respect to an adjacent lateral viewing window and the folding top can be stored without any problems in a rear side accommodating space of an aerodynamically optimized vehicle body, a rear edge of the viewing window, which extends approximately upright, interacts, in a sealing manner, with a pillar section which is pivotally connected with the rear folding top frame. The pillar section, by means of a connecting member, is connected to a control lever. During the swivelling-back of the folding top, a free end of the pillar section carries out a forced movement toward the inside.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention generally relates to a folding top for vehicles, 
particularly passenger cars, and more particularly to a folding top having 
a reduced lateral dimension when folded. 
A folding top for passenger cars is disclosed by German Patent 
Specification (DE-PS) 706,864. In such a folding top, which is typical, 
all rotational axes of the kinematics of the top extend in the same 
direction and vertically with respect to the vertical longitudinal center 
plane of the passenger car. In order to house this type of a folding top 
completely immersed in a rear-side accommodating space of the vehicle 
body, the rear area must have at least the same width as the largest width 
of the top. 
Therefore, in new, aerodynamically optimized vehicle bodies which are 
tapered in the rear, considerable problems arise with respect to housing 
the top in an immersed position in an accommodating space at the rear 
side. 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to take such measures 
with respect to a folding top so that, when the top is closed, a good 
sealing is achieved on the circumferential side with the adjacent lateral 
window and that, even in the case of aerodynamically optimized vehicle 
bodies (tapering of the rear), the folding top can be accommodated without 
any problems in a completely immersed position in a rear-side 
accommodating space. 
Main advantages achieved by preferred embodiments of the invention are 
that, by means of a pillar section provided in the rear upright edge area 
of a side window and connected with the folding top by way of a forced 
control, a good sealing of the window is achieved. Additionally, a 
reduction of the width of the folding top during the swivelling-back is 
achieved, since the free end of the pillar section is forced to carry out 
a movement toward the inside. 
The decisive factor for this movement toward the inside is a diagonally 
extending rotating shaft between the rear top frame and the pillar 
section. The provision of ball joints for an associated connecting rod 
causes a good sequence of movements without any distortions of the 
kinematics of the folding top. When the folding top is closed, the 
connecting rod fixes the pillar section in longitudinal direction of the 
vehicle. 
In this construction, the window and the folding top may have a 
considerable lateral drop (diagonal position), and the folding top can 
nevertheless without any problems, and without any cost-intensive changing 
of the rear, be housed in an accommodating space at the rear. 
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will 
become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention 
when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing and will be 
explained in detail in the following. 
FIG. 1 shows a convertible two-seat passenger car 1, the body 2 of which, 
above a belt line 3, comprises a folding top 4 which extends between a 
windshield frame 5 and a rear area 6. In its closed position A, the 
folding top 4, by means of clamps which are not shown in detail, is held 
in position at the windshield frame 5. After the release of the clamps, 
the folding top 4 can be swivelled behind the two front seats 7. 
According to FIG. 2, the folded-back top 4 (open position B) is arranged 
underneath a rear cover 8 made of plastic, the rear cover 8 being 
pivotable at the body 2. In top view, the aerodynamically constructed rear 
cover 8 is adapted to the curved course C of the rear contour. Front end 
areas 9 of the rear cover 8, which are located laterally toward the 
outside, extend approximately as a continuation of a rear boundary edge 10 
or a side door 11. 
The door 11 is provided with a vertically adjustable window 12, this 
viewing window 12 being guided without any frame above the belt line 3. An 
upper, approximately horizontally extending edge 13 of the viewing window 
12, when the folding top A is closed, supports itself under prestress at a 
sealing device mounted at the folding top 4 and not shown in detail. 
The folding top 4 includes a folding top structure 14 and a folding top 
covering 15 as seen in FIG. 4, adjacent to the rear area 6, a flexible or 
rigid rear viewing window 16 being provided as seen i FIG. 1. The folding 
top structure 14 comprises a front folding top frame 17, a rear folding 
top frame 18, a parallelogram linkage 19 engaging at the rear folding top 
frame 18, a transverse front bow 20, a transverse rear bow 21 and a corner 
bow 22 (FIG. 4). 
The front folding top frame 17 includes a transverse member 23 extending 
adjacent to the windshield frame 5 and two lateral front longitudinal 
members 24, the two longitudinal members 24, at their front end areas, 
being fixedly connected with the transverse member 23. The rear folding 
top frame 18 comprises two rear longitudinal members 27 located laterally 
on the outside, each longitudinal member 27 having a longitudinal control 
arm 51 disposed on the inside and a holding part 52 disposed on the 
outside. A seal is fastened at the holding Part 52 which is not shown in 
detail and which interacts with the viewing window 12 in a sealing 
fashion. The holding part 52 locally is fixedly connected with the 
longitudinal control arm 51, for example, by means of welding. 
Corresponding to FIG. 4, the-holding part 52 is adapted to the curved 
course of the shape of the top edge 13 of the viewing window 12, while the 
longitudinal control arm 51 has a straight construction. 
According to FIG. 4, the front folding top frame 17, at reference number 
25, is hinged to the rear folding top frame 18, the hinge shaft 25 being 
aligned horizontally and extending in transverse direction of the vehicle. 
The hinge shaft 25 connects a bearing 26 provided at the longitudinal 
member 24 with the longitudinal control arm 51. 
Each longitudinal control arm 51, in a central area of its longitudinal 
course, is rotatably connected with a main bow 29 by a rotating shaft 28. 
The rotating shaft 28 of the main bow 29 is aligned horizontally and 
extends in transverse direction of the vehicle. The main bow 29 and a 
control lever 30 located behind it as viewed in a forward driving 
direction D, form the parallelogram linkage 19 (FIG. 7). The main bow 29 
and the control lever 30 are pivoted at a bearing plate 31 fastened on the 
body side as best seen in FIG. 7 by rotating shafts 32, 33 respectively. 
Both rotating shafts 32, 33 are aligned horizontally and extend in a 
transverse direction of the vehicle. In this case, the rotating shaft 33 
of the control lever 30 is disposed lower than the rotating shaft 32 of 
the main bow 29, specifically below the bearing plate 31. Viewed in 
driving direction D, the rotating shaft 32 is disposed in front of the 
shaft 33. 
An upper end of the control lever 30, at reference number 35, is pivotally 
connected with the rear end of the longitudinal arm 51. An arm 36 of the 
main bow 29 located above center of rotation of shaft 28 is pivoted about 
linking point or pivot axis 39 with a lever 37, one portion of which is 
pivoted at the bearing 26 of the member 24. The other linking point 39 of 
the lever 37, in driving direction D, is located in front of the ax of 
rotation of shaft 28. In a central area of its longitudinal course, the 
front transverse bow 20 is pivotally to the lever 37 which rises 
diagonally in upward direction. The main bow 29, adjacent to the axis of 
rotation of shaft 28, has an approximately horizontally aligned section 
40, from a tube-shaped hoop 42 leads away which spans the compartment 41. 
The hoop 42 is fixedly connected wit 40, for example, by means of welding. 
In addition, th transverse bow 21 and the corner bow 22 are pivotally to 
the main bow 29. The transverse bows 20, 21, the bow 22 and the hoop 42 
are connected with one another means of longitudinally extending catch 
bands 43 (FIG. 5). 
So that a rear, approximately upright extending edge 44 of the viewing wind 
12 is properly sealed when the folding top 4 is closed, and folding top 4 
can be housed in an accommodating s 45 on the body side without changing 
the rear area 6 in a car which, for aerodynamic reasons, has a tapered a 
pillar section 46 is provided adjacent to the edge 44 in lateral view, 
extends approximately in parallel to the contour of the viewing window 12. 
At its upper end 47 as seen in FIG. 7, the pillar section 46 is rotatably 
connected with angle 48 mounted at the rear longitudinal 27. The rotating 
shaft 49 of the pillar section 46 below the rotating shaft 35 and, viewed 
in the forward driving direction D, in front of the shaft 35. In addition, 
the rotating shaft 49 as seen in the top view of FIG. 8, an acute angle 
.alpha. with respect to a vertical auxiliary plane 50 extending 
transversely to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle in such a manner that 
an exterior area o rotating shaft 49, viewed in driving direction D, is 
farther in front than an interior area of the rotation 49 (FIG. 8). Viewed 
in the vertical direction, the contact surface of the pillar section 46 
and the holding 48 may either be aligned vertically or be slightly sloped. 
The upper end 47 of the pillar section 46 is overlapped in by the holding 
part 52 of the longitudinal 27 (lateral view). 
As a result the diagonally extending rotating shaft 49, the bottom free 54 
,of the pillar section 46, when the folding top 4 i back, carries out a 
movement toward the inside so the pillar section 46 is moved toward the 
inside into the space 45 without any change of the configuration of the 
rear area 6. The swivelled-back position of the folding top 4 is shown in 
FIG. 4 by a dash-dotted 1 In addition, the pillar section 46, in a central 
area of its vertical course, is connected to the control lever 3 . means 
of a connecting member 55. The connecting member 55 is constructed as a 
rod 56, the two ends of which, by means of ball-and-socket joints 57, on 
one side are connected the control lever 30 and, on the other side, with 
the pill ion 46. The linking point 58, on the pillar side, is 
approximately below the liking point 59 of the corner 22. When the folding 
top 4 is closed, the rod 56--as against the driving direction D--extends 
diagonally in a direction. The end 60 of the rod 56 on the side of the 
lever 30 is provided above the linking point 59 of the bow 22. 
When the folding top 4 is closed, the bottom free end 54 of the pillar 46 
interacts with a locking device 61, as seen in FIGS. 8, in such a manner 
that the pillar section 46 is fixed in the transverse direction of the 
vehicle. The device 61 is formed by a longitudinally directed pin 62 when 
the folding top 4 is closed, is aligned horizontally. The pin 62 is molded 
onto an angular fi 63 which is fastened to the pillar section 46 by means 
of such as screws. Viewed i driving direction D, the pin 62 extends away 
from the pillar section 46 toward the rear 
According FIGS. 7 and 8, the pin interacts with a bow-shaped guiding member 
64 arranged on the body side. The guiding member as seen in the top view 
provided by FIG. 8, has a U-shaped end area 65, two tube-shaped legs 66, 
67 extending against the driving direction D diagonally in an upward 
direction. The leg 67 facing the longitudinal center plane E--E of the has 
a longer length then leg 66 and, in sections, a shape. During the closing 
of the folding top 4, the pin 62 interacts with the longer leg 67 in such 
a manner that the end 54 of the pillar section 46 is moved toward the outs 
At both its ends, the guiding member 64 is fixedly screwed the bearing 
plate 31 and extend, with the exception of the points, essentially above 
the bearing plate 31 According to FIG. 8, the guiding member 64, with its 
lo leg 67, extends approximately along the length of the bearing plate 31. 
When the folding top 4 is closed, the Pin 2 is arranged between the two 
legs 66, 67 of the U-shaped end 65 of the guiding member 64 which are 
directed in the direction. For the purpose of reducing noise, the pin is 
provided with an enclosure of plastic or rubber which is shown in detail. 
The main 29, as seen in the lateral view afforded by FIG. 6, extends at a 
distance from the contour of the pillar section 46. The lower, 
approximately upright section 68 of the main bow 29, by of a diagonally 
extending projection 69, is connected wi upper upright section 70 of the 
main bow 29 which is arranged farther on the inside. 
The ball-and socket joints 57 for the rod 56 are formed by ball sockets 71 
are adjustably screwed onto the ends 72, 73 of the rod 5 The ball sockets 
71 are pressed on ball heads 74 which are mounted at the control lever 30 
and at the pillar section 46. The pillar section 46 is preferably 
constructed as a die cast aluminum part, and, in cross-sectional view, has 
an approximately L-shaped profile. 
The folding top covering 15 is fixed laterally at the front folding top 
frame 17 and at a lower area of the pillar section 46, whereas it rests 
against the rear folding top frame 18 without being fastened. 
FIG. 10 shows how a sealing body 75 interacting with the rear edge 44 of 
the viewing window 12 is fastened at the pillar section 46. In the 
folded-back position B of the folding top, the pillar section 46 has the 
reference number 46 (FIG. 4 and 5). 
Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in 
detail, it is to be clearly understood that the same is by way of 
illustration and example only, and is not to be taken by way of 
limitation. The spirit and scope of the present invention are to be 
limited only by the terms of the appended claims.