OPENING ROOF FOR MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract: At least the front part of an opening (12) in a motor vehicle roof (10) is covered by a panel (14) which is openable by pivoting upwardly about its front edge. A front frame member (22) is fixed to the top surface of the vehicle roof (10) so as to extend along the edge of the opening (12) and has an edge groove (36) in its front surface and a top groove (38) in its top surface. The front edge of the panel (14) has a downwardly extending flange (24) carrying a lug (44) arranged to engage in the edge groove (36) in the front frame member (22). The panel (14) also has a downwardly extending projection (64) arranged to extend into the top groove (38) and engage with the outer side (40) thereof to prevent disengagement of the lug (44) from the edge groove (36) when the panel (14) is at less than a predetermined angle to the vehicle roof (10).

Description: This invention relates to an opening roof for a motor vehicle of the type in which at least the front part of an opening in the vehicle roof is covered by a panel which is movable to an open position by pivoting about a transverse horizontal axis adjacent to its front edge so as to raise its rear edge above the vehicle roof, as described in GB-A-2171964. According to the invention, in an opening roof of the foregoing type, a front frame member is fixed to the top surface of the vehicle roof so as to extend along the edge of the opening and has an edge groove in its front surface and a top groove in its top surface, and the front edge of the panel has a downwardly extending flange located in front of the front frame member and carrying a lug arranged to engage in the edge groove, the panel also having a downwardly extending projection arranged to extend into the top groove and engage with the outer side thereof to prevent disengagement of the lug from the edge groove when the panel is at less than a predetermined angle to the vehicle roof. Preferably the outer side of the top groove is of arcuate cross-section, centred on a central location within the edge groove. The edge groove itself may be of part circular cross-section centred on said central location, and the lug may carry a formation of complementary shape. The invention can be to be applied to an opening roof of the type in which the pivoting panel covers the front part of the roof opening and the rest of the opening is covered by a sliding panel which is mounted on a pair of tracks secured to the vehicle roof so as to extend along respective sides of the opening and project behind the opening, so that the sliding panel is slidable to a position above the vehicle roof behind the opening. With this type of roof, in accordance with a preferred feature of the invention, the tracks are of the same cross=section as the front frame member with their respective edge grooves facing outwardly, and the sliding panel has a respective downwardly extending flange on each side located outside the corresponding track and carrying a lug arranged to engage in the corresponding edge groove, together with a respective downwardly extending projection arranged to extend into the top groove of the corresponding track so as to engage with drive means therein. Preferably each top groove has a recess in one of its side walls and the drive means comprises a drive cable received in such recess. Recesses of this type may be provided in both side walls, one accommodating the drive cable for the left hand side of the sliding panel and the other the drive cable for the right hand side thereof. An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the roof of a motor car having an opening roof in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the roof shown in Figure 1, but with the opening panels removed; Figure 3 is a scrap sectional view taken on the line 3 - 3 in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a scrap sectional view taken on the line 4 - 4 in Figure 1; Figure 5 is a scrap sectional view taken on the line 5 - 5 in Figure 1; and Figure 6 is a scrap sectional view, similar to Figure 4, but with the front panel in its open position. As shown in Figure 1, the roof 10 of a motor vehicle has an opening 12, the front part of which is covered by a panel 14 which is hinged along its front edge. The rear part of the opening is covered by a second sliding panel 16 which is mounted on a pair of tracks 18 and 20 which are mounted on the vehicle roof 10 so as to extend along respective sides of and project behind the opening 12. The front and side edges of the front panel 14 are bounded by a frame member 22 having a downwardly extending flange 24 on its outer edge. The side edges of the rear panel 16 are bounded by similarly shaped frame members 26 and 28 having downwardly extending flanges 30 and 32 on their outer edges. It can be seen from Figure 2 (in which the two panels 14 and 16 have been removed) that the tracks 18 and 20 are formed integrally with a front frame member 34 which interconnects their front ends and extends across the front edge of the opening 12. This integral unit is of uniform cross-section throughout its length in that it has a first groove 36 in its outwardly facing side surface and a second groove 38 in its top surface. The outer side 40 of the second groove 38 is of arcuate cross-section, centred on a location within the first groove 36. Referring to Figure 3, the flange 26 has a downwardly and inwardly directed formation 42 which embraces the edge of the panel 14. The lower edge of the flange 30 has an inwardly directed lug 44 which carries a plastics slider 46 engaging in the first groove 36 in the outside edge of the track 18. Openings in the side walls of the second groove 38 communicate with respective cylindrical bores 48 and 50. The bore 48 nearer to the side of the car contains a drive cable 52. A drive coupling member 54 projects downwardly from the formation 42 into the groove 38 and has side projections extending into the bores 48 and 50, the projection extending into the bore 48 being clamped onto the drive cable 52. The track 20 on the other side of the roof has a second drive cable 56 accommodated in the other bore 50, the two drive cables both extending into the front frame member 34 where they are coupled to common drive means, which include a pinion 58, in a similar manner to that described in EP-A-0348069. As can be seen from Figure 4, the part of the frame member 22 which extends across the front edge of the front panel 14 is of the same cross-section as the frame members 26 and 28, in that its flange 24 has a lug 60 on its lower edge projecting into the groove 36. The lug 60 carries a plastics member 62 of the same shape as the slider 46 (Figure 2). As can be seen in Figure 5, the lug 60 is cut away from the parts of the frame member 22 which extend along the sides of the front panel 14 so as to allow the panel 14 to pivot about the plastics member 62. A guide member 64 projects downwardly from the frame member 22 and its outer edge remains in engagement with the arcuate outer side 40 of the groove 38 as the panel 14 moves from the position shown in the Figure 4 to the position shown in Figure 6. The panel 14 can be disengaged from the frame member 34 only after it has been tilted sufficiently to lift the projection 64 clear of the groove 36.

Claims: An opening roof for a motor vehicle in which at least the front part of an opening (12) in the vehicle roof (10) is covered by a panel (14) which is movable to an open position by pivoting about a transverse horizontal axis (60, 62) adjacent to its front edge so as to raise its rear edge above the vehicle roof (10), characterised in that a front frame member (34) is fixed to the top surface of the vehicle roof (10) so as to extend along the edge of the opening (12) and has an edge groove (36) in its front surface and a top groove (38) in its top surface, and the front edge of the panel (14) has a downwardly extending flange (24) located in front of the front frame member (22) and carrying a lug (44) arranged to engage in the edge groove (36), the panel (14) also having a downwardly extending projection (64) arranged to extend into the top groove (38) and engage with the outer side (40) thereof to prevent disengagement of the lug (44) from the edge groove (36) when the panel (14) is at less than a predetermined angle to the vehicle roof (10). An opening roof according to claim 1, wherein the outer side (40) of the top groove (38) is of arcuate cross-section, centred on a central location within the edge groove (36). An opening roof according to claim 2, wherein the edge groove (36) is of part circular cross-section centred on said central location, and the lug (44) carries a formation (46) of complementary shape. An opening roof according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the pivoting panel (14) covers the front part of the roof opening (12) and the rest of the opening (12) is covered by a sliding panel (16) which is mounted on a pair of tracks (18, 20) secured to the vehicle roof (10) so as to extend along respective sides of the opening (12) and project behind the opening (12), so that the sliding panel (16) is slidable to a position above the vehicle roof (10) behind the opening (12). An opening roof according to claim 4, wherein the tracks (18, 20) are of the same cross-section as the front frame member (22) with their respective edge grooves (36) facing outwardly, and the sliding panel (16) has a respective downwardly extending flange (26, 28) on each side located outside the corresponding track (18, 20) and carrying a lug (44) arranged to engage in the corresponding edge groove (36), together with a respective downwardly extending projection (54) arranged to extend into the top groove (38) of the corresponding track (18, 20) so as to engage with drive means therein. An opening roof according to claim 4 or 5, wherein each top groove (38) has a recess (48, 50) in one of its side walls and the drive means comprises a drive cable (52, 56) received in such recess (48, 50). An opening roof according to claim 6, wherein each top groove (38) has a respective recess (48, 50) in each of its side walls, one accommodating the drive cable (52) for the left hand side of the sliding panel (16) and the other the drive cable (56) for the right hand side of the sliding panel (16).

Inventors: CUNNINGHAM, DOUGLAS JAMES
Applicants: BRITAX WEATHERSHIELDS LIMITED
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B60J7
IPC codes: B60J7