Open roof construction for a vehicle

Abstract: An open roof construction for a vehicle having an opening (2) in its fixed roof (1) comprises a frame (3) to be fixed to the roof. The frame includes guide rails (6) extending on either side of the roof opening. An adjustable closure element (4) is adjustable between a closed position, in which it closes the roof opening, and an open position, in which it has been moved rearwards to a position above the fixed roof. An operating mechanism (5) is disposed between the closure element and the guide rails, and includes a supporting member (7), which supports said closure element, and a slide (9) which is capable of sliding movement along said guide rails. The slide and the supporting member (7) each include one of a guideway (12, 13), extending at least in longitudinal direction, and guide means (10, 11). The guideway (12, 13) and said guide means (10, 11) are in engagement for the purpose of moving the closure element upon movement of the slide. The guide means (10, 11) includes first and second guide members, which are formed in spaced-apart relationship in the longitudinal direction of the guide rails (6). The guide members (10, 11) are successively in engagement with the guideway (12, 13) and out of engagement with the guideway (12, 13), respectively.

Description: The invention relates to an open roof construction in accordance with the preamble of claim 1. Such open roof construction is known from EP-A-0 657 316. US-A-5,069,501 discloses a spoiler sunroof control mechanism comprising a supporting member having two pairs of guide pins. The control mechanism further comprises a stationary slide and a driving slide each having two guide slots. The guide pins are constantly in engagement with their respective guide slots. The object of the present invention is to further improve the prior art open roof construction. In order to accomplish that objective the open roof construction shows the features defined in the characterizing portion of claim 1. By using two spaced-apart guide members which are alternatively in and out of engagement with the guideway, it is possible to have the maximum travel of the slide and the spacing between the two ends of the guide way differ from each other, thus providing a greater freedom in the selection of the length of the guideway in longitudinal direction and of the maximum travel of the slide. This makes it possible to gear the respective movements better to each other. In order to effect an easy transfer of the engagement of the guide members with the guideway, the guideway is preferably divided into two portions, so that a first guideway portion can come into engagement with the first guide member and the second guideway portion can come into engagement with the second guide member. The invention is in particular suitable for an open roof construction in which the slide can be moved both forwards and rearwards from a position corresponding to the closed position of the panel so as to pivot the panel upwards, whilst the panel can also be moved rearwards in one of said two directions, and wherein the guideway is preferably formed so that when the slide is being moved so as to move the panel rearwards, said panel is pivoted less far upwards than when the slide is moved in the opposite direction. It is advantageous thereby if the first guideway portion and the first guide member are positioned before the second guide way portion and the second guide member, respectively, seen in the longitudinal direction of the open roof construction. This embodiment has the advantage that the front guide member is in engagement with the front guideway portion in the front position of the slide, as a result of which a relatively large pivoting angle can be achieved without a large slope of said guideway portion being required, so that the overall height can remain small. On the other hand a very stable support of the panel is obtained in the rear position of the slide, wherein the rear guide member is in engagement with the rear guideway portion, without having to move the slide correspondingly far to the rear for that purpose. The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing, which very schematically shows an exemplary embodiment of the open roof construction according to the invention. Figs.1 - 3 are longitudinal sectional views of the embodiment of the open roof construction according to the invention, showing three different positions thereof. The drawing shows only those parts of the open roof construction which are necessary for a good understanding of the present invention. A more detailed description of the open roof construction of this kind is given in the prior international patent application No.PCT/NL00/00070, whose contents are incorporated herein by reference thereto. The drawing shows the fixed roof 1 of a motor vehicle, such as a passenger car, wherein an opening 2 is formed in the fixed roof 1 for accommodating the open roof construction. Said open roof construction comprises a frame 3 or similar stationary part to be fixed to the vehicle, which functions to movably support a closure element 4. In the illustrated embodiment the open roof construction is a so-called spoiler roof, which is provided (in this case) with a more or less rigid and preferably transparent panel 4 as the closure element, which is capable of selectively closing roof opening 2 or releasing it to a smaller or larger extent. Panel 4 is to this end laterally supported by operating mechanisms 5, which are slidably accommodated in guide rails 6, which are mounted on frame 3, for example, or form part thereof and which extend in parallel relationship in longitudinal direction on either side of roof opening 2 and slightly forwards and rearwards thereof. Said operating mechanisms 5 can be moved synchronously in guide rails 6, thus moving panel 4 not only in longitudinal direction, but also in vertical direction. The operating mechanisms 5 are to this end operated from a driving apparatus (not shown), such as an electric motor or a crank, for example via driving cables (not shown). The drawing shows the operating mechanism 5 on one of the long sides of panel 4, and as can be seen in the figure, panel 4 is supported by a supporting member 7, which is pivotally supported at its front end, in this case by a pivot pin 8 which is more or less fixedly connected to guide rail 8. In the illustrated embodiment panel 4 is movably supported, in a manner not shown, by supporting member 7 and it can be moved with respect to said supporting member in a manner not shown so as to position panel 4 above the fixed roof 1. Operating mechanism 5 comprises a slide 9 which is connected to the aforesaid driving cable and which is slidable in each guide rail 6, which slide functions to operate panel 4 and effecting the movements thereof. Said slide 9 is in engagement with the supporting member 7, and in this embodiment slide 9 is to that end provided with a first, front guide member 10 and a second, rear guide member 11. Supporting member 7 is in the form of a curve plate, and to that end supporting member 7 comprises a longitudinally extending, vertically curved guideway which, according to the invention, is divided into a first, front guideway portion 12 and a second, rear guideway portion 13. Guide members 10 and 11 and guideway portions 12 and 13 may be configured in various ways, for example as pins and slots, but in the illustrated embodiment the guideway portions 12 are ribs projecting to both sides of supporting member 7, whilst guide members 10, 11 each consist of two sets of cams disposed one above the other, which are capable of engaging the upper side and the lower side, respectively, of the ribs of guideway portions 12 and 13. The spacing between guide members 10 and 11 is larger than the spacing between the ends of guideway portions 12 and 13, so that the guide members 10 and 11 can be simultaneously in engagement with their associated guideway portions 12 and 13, so that an overlap is present between the respective engagement ranges. As can be seen in the drawing, the slope of the two guideway portions 12 and 13 is at least substantially the same, whilst the length of the first guideway portions 12, parallel to panel 4, is greater than that of the second guideway portion 13. The operation of the illustrated embodiment of the open roof construction according to the invention is as follows. Fig. 1 shows panel 4 in its closed position, in which the panel is positioned entirely within roof opening 2 and closes said opening 2 by means of seals. First guide member 10 of slide 9 is positioned in a horizontal (parallel to panel 4) part of first guideway portion 12, whilst the second guide member 11 is positioned in a front horizontal part of second guideway portion 13, so that panel 4 is firmly retained in its closed position. In Fig. 2 slide 9 has been moved to its front position, and the panel has thereby been moved about pivot pin 8 to an upwardly pivoted ventilating position. This movement has been effected by the movement of the first, front guide member 10 with respect to the first guideway portion 12. Said movement has been effected both by the slope of the first guideway portion 12 and by the movement of the fist guide member 10 of slide 9 in the direction of the pivot pin 8 of panel 4 (at a higher level than pivot pin 8). Since the front guide member 10 of slide 9 is in engagement, the slope of the first guideway portion 12 need not be very large in order to achieve a large pivoting angle of panel 4 all the same, which has an advantageous effect on the overall height of the open roof construction. Guide member 11 has moved out of engagement with the front part of the second guideway portion 13 quickly already during the forward movement of slide 9, so that only the first guide member 10 remains in engagement. Upon return movement to the rear of slide 9, the second guide member 11 will come into engagement with the second guideway portion 13 again near the closed position of panel 4, and the position which is shown in Fig. 1 will be reached again. The conical end of second guideway portion 13 facilitates said re-engagement. When slide 9 is moved from the closed position according to Fig. 1 to the position according to Fig. 3, on the other hand, it is only the second guide member 11 which is in engagement, that is with the second guideway portion 13, whilst the first guide member 10 has moved out of engagement with the first guideway portion 12. In this position according to Fig. 3 the second guide member 11 is positioned a large distance away from the pivot pin 8, and thus maximally rearwards with respect to panel 4. In this position the pivoting angle of panel 4 is smaller than in the position which is shown in Fig. 2. In this flat position of panel 4, said panel 4 can be moved rearwards with respect to supporting member 7 in a manner as disclosed in the aforesaid international patent application PCT/NL00/00070, which will not be explained in more detail herein. From the foregoing it will be apparent that the invention provides an open roof construction which makes it possible to gear the movements of the slide and the panel very well to each other without this being at the expense of the overall height. The invention is not restricted to the above-described embodiment as shown in the drawing, which can be varied in several ways without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Thus the invention can also be used very well with a sliding-tilt roof. Furthermore, it is possible that the guideway is formed on the slide and the guide members are formed on the supporting member of the closure element.

Claims: An open roof construction for a vehicle having an opening (2) in its fixed roof (1), comprising a stationary part (3) to be fixed to the roof, said stationary part including guide rails (6) extending on either side of the roof opening, at least one adjustable closure element (4) supported by said stationary part, which is adjustable between a closed position, in which it closes the roof opening, and an open position, in which it has been moved rearwards to a position above the fixed roof, as well as an operating mechanism (5) disposed between the closure element and the guide rails, and including a supporting member (7), which supports said closure element and which is pivotably connected to the stationary part by a pivot pin (8) , and a slide (9) which is capable of sliding movement along said guide rails, said slide including either a guideway (12, 13) extending at least in longitudinal direction or guide means (10, 11) and said supporting member (7) including the other of said guideway (12, 13) or guide means (10, 11), wherein the guide means (10, 11) include first (10) and second (11) guide members, which are formed in spaced-apart relationship in the longitudinal direction of the guide rails (6), characterized in that said guide members (10, 11) are alternatively in engagement with the guideway (12, 13), and out of engagement with the guideway (12, 13), respectively, such that for a first portion of movement of the closure element (4) the first guide member (10) is in engagement with the guideway (12, 13) while the second guide member (11) is disengaged from the guideway, and for a second portion of movement of the closure element the second guide member (11) is in engagement with the guideway while the first guide member (10) is disengaged from the guideway. An open roof construction according to claim 1, wherein the guideway is divided into two portions (12, 13), so that a first guideway portion (12) can come into engagement with the first guide member (10) and the second guideway portion (13) can come into engagement with the second guide member (11). An open roof construction according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the slide (9) can be moved both forwards and rearwards from a position corresponding to the closed position of the panel (4) so as to pivot the panel upwards, whilst the panel can also be moved rearwards in one of said two directions, and wherein the guideway (12, 13) is preferably formed so that when the slide is being moved so as to move the panel rearwards, said panel is pivoted less far upwards than when the slide is moved in the opposite direction. An open roof construction according to claim 2 and 3, wherein the first guide guideway portion (12) and the first guide member (10) are positioned before the second guide way portion (13) and the second guide member (11), respectively, seen in the longitudinal direction of the open roof construction. An open roof construction according to claim 4, wherein both guide members (10, 11) are in engagement with their associated guideway portion (12, 13) in the position of the slide (9) which corresponds to the closed position of the panel (4). An open roof construction according to any one of the claims 2 - 5, wherein the two guideway portions (12, 13) extend at least substantially parallel to the panel (4) over a small distance at their facing ends and subsequently downwards in opposite direction. An open roof construction according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the panel (4) is slidably supported by said supporting member (7). An open roof construction according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the guideway (12, 13) is formed on the supporting member (7) and wherein the guide members (10, 11) are formed on the slide (9).

Inventors: KAANDORP WOUTER PETRUS, NELLEN MARCEL JOHAN CHRISTIAAN, KAANDORP, WOUTER PETRUS, NELLEN, MARCEL JOHAN CHRISTIAAN
Applicants: INALFA ROOF SYS GROUP BV, INALFA ROOF SYSTEMS GROUP B.V.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: B60J7
IPC codes: B60J7