Open roof construction for a vehicle and wind deflector assembly

An open roof construction for a vehicle comprises a panel for a roof opening and a wind deflector assembly positioned at the front edge of the roof opening. The wind deflector assembly is provided with a substantially rigid upper frame member extending at least along the front edge. A flexible member connects with an upper edge to said upper frame member and with a lower edge to a stationary part. The upper frame member is movable by an operating mechanism between a lower, inactive position and at least two upper, active positions. Tensioning members keep the flexible member taut over in all active positions, and is provided with a substantially rigid, elongate lower frame member at its lower edge. The lower frame member connects to the stationary part through the tensioning members having a maximum tension force which is substantially lower than a maximum operating force of the operating mechanism.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates to an open roof construction for a vehicle having a wind deflector assembly.

A known wind deflector assembly has a flexible member constructed as a rollo, i.e. the flexible member is windable at its lower edge onto a spring loaded winding roller. If the flexible member has side portions, there are provided two more winding rollers. This rollo structure enables the wind deflector assembly to take in different active positions, while keeping the flexible member tensioned at all times.

SUMMARY

An open roof construction for a vehicle comprises a movable panel for selectively opening and closing a roof opening and a wind deflector assembly positioned at the front edge of the roof opening. The wind deflector assembly is provided with a substantially rigid upper frame member extending at least along the front edge of the roof opening and a flexible member connected with an upper edge to said upper frame member and with a lower edge to a stationary part of the open roof construction. The upper frame member is movable by an operating mechanism between a lower, inactive position and at least two upper, active positions. The flexible member is provided with tensioning members to keep it taut over its entire width in all active positions, and is provided with a substantially rigid, elongate lower frame member at its lower edge. The lower frame member is connected to the stationary part through the tensioning members having a maximum tension force which is substantially lower than a maximum operating force of the operating mechanism.

The substantially rigid lower frame member movably connected to the stationary part through the tensioning members can be very simple. The spring force is such that it will keep the flexible member taut, but will not disturb the operation of the wind deflector assembly.

The tensioning members may be bending springs which preferably extend from the elongate member substantially rearwardly as there is normally sufficient space for the bending springs in this part of the stationary part.

The bending springs may be leaf springs or wire springs, although other although other types of springs are not excluded, while different types of springs may be combined in one embodiment.

The spring members are preferably distributed along the length of the elongate member in order to evenly load the flexible member.

A very simple structure is obtained if the spring members are hooked into the stationary part and/or hooked into the elongate member. No separate fixing members are required then.

The operating mechanism of the wind deflector assembly may be electrically or mechanically operated. Both operating systems could be combined with the tensioning members as described.

Generally, the flexible member will comprise an air-permeable mesh material, but other materials will be conceivable.

Due to the present invention, it is possible that the elongate member is non-linear. For example, if the upper frame member has a main part extending substantially in transverse direction of the open roof construction and two arms extending mainly in longitudinal direction of the open roof construction, in which the arms are connected to the main part through a bend, the lower frame member may extend along the main part of the upper frame member and at least along a portion of the bends. It is no problem then to connect the tensioning members in any portion of the lower frame member.

An aspect of the invention also includes a wind deflector assembly presenting all the features of the wind deflector assembly as described above and being thus constructed and evidently intended for use in the open roof construction as described.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Firstly referring toFIG.1, an open roof construction for a vehicle comprises a roof opening1which is provided in a stationary roof part2of the vehicle. A movable panel3is provided for selectively opening and closing said roof opening1. The manner in which the movable panel3is moved is known per se and thus will not be elucidated further within the context of this description. Generally, the panel will at least be slidable back and forth creating a passage adjacent the front edge of the roof opening1.

At the front edge of the roof opening1a wind deflector assembly4is positioned. In the illustrated embodiment this wind deflector assembly4is movable between a retracted position (FIG.5) and two or more extended positions (FIGS.2,3and6,7). In the retracted position of the wind deflector assembly4the movable panel3can be moved to a forward position for closing the roof opening1.

As is shown inFIGS.2-8, the wind deflector assembly4is provided with an upper frame member6. In the illustrated embodiment, in which the wind deflector assembly4can be moved between a retracted position and an extended position, arms7are attached to the upper frame member6through rounded corners8and are connected to the stationary part through at least pivots9, which are possibly slidable. The upper frame member6includes a main part that extends transversely to a direction of movement of the movable panel3, or generally parallel to a front edge of the roof opening1. The arms7extend longitudinally in the direction of movement of the movable panel3, or transversely to the front edge of the roof opening1. It should be noted, however, that a movable wind deflector assembly4not necessarily has to pivot, but also could perform a translational movement between its retracted and extended positions.

In a way known per se an operating system (for example mechanically or electrically operated, here through spring members10) is provided, which moves the wind deflector assembly4from the lower retracted position towards the higher extended position. For example, in the present embodiment, the wind deflector assembly4is held down in its retracted position by the movable panel3(when latter is in its closed position). When the movable panel3moves rearwardly towards its opened position (see for exampleFIG.1) it will disengage arms7of wind deflector4which, forced by spring members10, will move the upper frame member6towards its extended position. In a reverse order, when the movable panel3is moved towards its closed position, it will engage arms7of the extended wind deflector4and urge it towards its retracted position against the load defined by spring members10. Through a separate electric drive or a mechanical system actuated by the operating mechanism for the panel (not shown, but known per se), the height position of the upper frame member6could be changed, for example depending on the speed of the vehicle.

A flexible member11, in the illustrated embodiment an air-permeable mesh material, is attached with one edge (its upper edge) to the upper frame member6. In the illustrated embodiment, the edge of the flexible member9remote from the upper frame member6(i.e. its lower edge) is attached to a lower frame member12which, in the illustrated embodiment, is a strip which is at least substantially rigid against bending around a longitudinal axis. The lower frame member12can have any structure, but will generally be elongate in transverse direction of the open roof construction. The lower frame member12is connected to a stationary part5through tensioning members13, such that the lower frame member12could be moved in upward direction against the force of tensioning members13. This ensures that if upper frame member6is moved to different extended positions flexible member11can be kept taut because lower frame member12can move along against the load of tensioning members13. In the lowest active position of wind deflector assembly4(cf.FIG.6), flexible member11will already be kept taut and if upper frame member6is moved to a higher active position (seeFIG.7), lower frame member12will move along and tensioning members13will be loaded so as to load lower frame member12in downward direction.

FIGS.3and4show that a plurality of tensioning members13is distributed along the length of lower frame member12. In fact, in this particular embodiment, there are two types of tensioning members13, first tensioning members13A in a central main portion14of the lower frame member12and second tensioning members13B at the lateral ends where lower frame member12is bent into corner areas15. First and second tensioning members13A,B extend from lower frame member12rearwardly. For the sake of completeness it is noted that lower frame member12is not only bent in its end portions, but also main portion14is slightly curved depending on the curvature of the front edge of roof opening1. Upper frame member6including the rounded corners7has a similar curvature.

FIG.11show first tensioning member13A ofFIGS.3and4on a larger scale. It is made from steel wire and bent into a U-shape having a web16and two legs17. Each leg17has an upright foot18that can be hooked into an opening19the stationary part2, here the front beam of the frame (seeFIGS.5-7). The web16of first tensioning member13A can be hooked into openings (not shown) in lower frame member12of wind deflector. First and second tensioning members13A and13B act as a bending spring.

FIGS.5-7show how first tensioning member13A is mounted to an upright wall20of stationary part5and to lower frame member12. Feet18of legs17are fitted between wall20and a vertical flange21so that they cannot rotate thereby causing legs17to bend with respect to feet18when lower frame member12with one end of tensioning members13A is moved upwardly. They also show how first frame member6of wind deflector assembly4is moved from the lower retracted position (FIG.5) to a first extended position (FIG.6) in which tensioning members13A are hardly loaded and to a second, higher extended position (FIG.7) in which lower frame member12is moved upwardly by upper frame member6and flexible member11against the spring force of loaded tensioning members13A. If first frame member6is moved to a lower position again, tensioning members13A will move lower frame member12downwardly again so as to maintain the relative distance between frame members6and16as long as wind deflector assembly4is in one of its extended positions.

FIGS.8and12show second tensioning member13B in mounted position and separately. Second tensioning member13B is a single wire having on its front end a hook22for insertion into lower frame member12and having on its rear end a hook23for insertion in the bottom wall of a guide rail24of the operating mechanism for panel3.

FIGS.9,10and13show a second embodiment of the wind deflector assembly4, in which tensioning members13are constructed as leaf springs. The drawings show 3 leaf springs in main portion14of wind deflector assembly4, but other numbers and distributions are conceivable. A spring13could also be arranged at rounded corner areas15of lower frame member12. It is noted that flexible member11could also be extended to positions below arms7. Lower frame member12will then be extended as well and additional tensioning members13could be positioned in those areas.

FIG.13shows a first tensioning member13A constructed as a leaf spring in detail. As is shown first tensioning member13A has a main body portion25having a convex shape so as to be preloaded. Both ends of the leaf spring are provided with hooks26,27the rear26for hooking into upright wall20of stationary part5and front hook27for hooking into lower frame member12.

In general it is noted that the total force of the plurality of tensioning members13should be strong enough to keep flexible member11taut but should be weak enough not to effectively influence the operational force on upper frame member6. The operational force for upper frame member6could e.g. range between 14 and 20 N. Tests have shown that a force on lower frame member12of around 2-3 N in the lower extended position and around 3-4 N in the highest extended position meets both requirements. It is further noted that varying wind forces during driving will lead to movements of lower frame member12, which has the advantage that upper frame member6will better keep its position. The invention is not limited to the embodiment described before, which may be varied widely within the scope of the invention as defined by the appending claims. Aspects of different embodiments may be combined. The flexible member may not only be made from air permeable mesh material, but may also be partly non-permeable. Flexibility may be obtained through the material, but also by means of the construction, for example through pivotable parts. The tensioning members may also be formed by other spring types, such as pull springs. The lower frame member may also be connected to the stationary part through a stretchable part, for example stretchable mesh material or other e.g. rubber-like material forming the tensioning member. The lower frame member and the one or more tensioning members can also be integrated.