Abstract:
In order to improve a wind stop device for convertible vehicles, comprising a wind blocker consisting of two wind blocker parts which, for their part, can be brought about a wind blocker folding axis from an extended position, in which the wind blocker extends with a maximum extension in a direction of extension, into a folded position, in which the two wind blocker parts are essentially located on top of one another, and further comprising a cover with two cover parts for a section of a passenger compartment opening, in such a manner that this is more easily manageable during folding it is suggested that the cover parts be mounted on one another so as to be pivotable about a cover folding axis and be adapted to be brought from an extended position, in which the cover extends with a maximum extension in the direction of extension, into a folded position, in which the two cover parts are essentially located on top of one another, and that in a functional position the wind blocker and the cover be connected to one another at least by a connection of one of the wind blocker parts to the one of the cover parts bordering on it.

Description:
The present disclosure relates to the subject matter disclosed in German Application No. 100 53 701.4 of Oct. 24, 2000, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a wind stop device, in particular, for convertible vehicles, comprising a wind blocker which is formed from two wind blocker parts which, for their part, can be brought about a wind blocker folding axis from an extended position, in which the wind blocker extends with a maximum extension in a direction of extension, into a folded position, in which the two wind blocker parts are essentially located on top of one another, and further comprising a cover connected to the wind blocker for a section of a passenger compartment opening of a body which is formed by two cover parts. 
     Wind stop devices of this type are known, for example, from DE 195 45 405. In the case of these wind stop devices the problem is that they are unwieldy during folding. 
     The object underlying the invention is therefore to improve a wind stop device of the generic type such that this is more easily manageable during folding. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This object is accomplished in accordance with the invention, in a wind stop device of the type described at the outset, in that the cover parts are mounted on one another so as to be pivotable about a cover folding axis and can be brought from an extended position, in which the cover extends with a maximum extension in the direction of extension, into a folded position, in which the two cover parts are essentially located on top of one another, and that in a functional position the wind blocker and the cover are connected to one another at least by a connection of one of the wind blocker parts to the one of the cover parts bordering on it. 
     The advantage of this solution is to be seen in the fact that not only the wind blocker but also the cover can each be folded separately about its own folding axis and the folded wind blocker and the folded cover are held on one another merely via the movable connection of one of the wind blocker parts to the corresponding one of the cover parts bordering on it. 
     It is particularly favorable when the connection is designed such that the one of the wind blocker parts and the one of the cover parts can be moved from the functional position, in which they extend transversely to one another, into a folded position, in which they are essentially located on top of one another. 
     A particularly favorable solution provides for the movable connection to be a connection pivotable about a connection folding axis, for example, a hinge. 
     With respect to the connection of the other one of the wind blocker parts and the other one of the cover parts in the functional position, no further details have so far been given. 
     In principle, it would be conceivable not to provide any connection between them but to fix each of them on the body when they are in the functional position, i.e., when the wind blocker parts and the cover parts are in the extended position aligned transversely to one another. It is, however, particularly favorable when the other one of the wind blocker parts and the other one of the cover parts can be releasably connected to one another in the functional position. 
     In this respect, it is particularly favorable when the other one of the wind blocker parts and the other one of the cover parts can be releasably connected to one another by means of a movable connection. 
     A particularly favorable solution provides in this respect for the other one of the wind blocker parts and the other one of the cover parts to be connected to one another in the respectively extended position so as to be pivotable about an axis coaxial to the connection folding axis. 
     With this solution it is possible, in particular, to pivot the wind blocker in the extended position in the direction of the cover and place it on the cover in order to fold the wind stop device even further, for example, due to the fact that, subsequently, the releasable connection between the other one of the wind blocker parts and the other one of the cover parts is released and the other one of the wind blocker parts is folded onto the one of the wind blocker parts. 
     With respect to the design of the wind blocker, no details have been given in conjunction with the preceding explanations concerning the individual embodiments. It would, for example, be conceivable to form the wind blocker, comprising the two wind blocker parts, by way of two self-supporting parts. 
     One particularly favorable solution does, however, provide for the wind blocker to comprise a wind blocker frame which holds a web of flat material, wherein the web of flat material can also, for example, be designed to be self-supporting and stiff. 
     It is, however, particularly favorable when the wind blocker frame holds the web of flat material so as to be tensioned so that, in this case, a web of flat material with bending slackness is preferably used which has proven to be particularly expedient in the case of known wind stop devices. 
     A suitable web of flat material in accordance with the invention is, for example, a web of flat material which is slightly permeable to air but protects against wind. 
     In order to be able to fold the wind blocker frame in the case of flat material tensioned by it, it is preferably provided for the wind blocker folding axis to be located close to a surface area, in which the web of flat material extends. 
     In this respect, the wind blocker folding axis is preferably located close to a plane, in which the web of flat material is arranged in the case of wind blocker parts located in an extended position. 
     With respect to the design of the wind blocker frame, no further details have so far been given. In this respect, the wind blocker frame is preferably formed by a lower and an upper frame support as well as connecting supports connecting them. 
     In order, in particular, to achieve as little optical impairment of the view to the rear as possible in the case of the wind blocker it is preferably provided for the lower frame support and the upper frame support to have two frame support parts connected by a respective hinge and for no connecting supports to be provided between the upper and the lower frame supports in the area of the wind blocker folding axis so that the wind blocker frame encloses a continuous frame opening. 
     The wind blocker frame is preferably formed from two C-shaped frame sections which adjoin the wind blocker folding axis with their open sides. 
     With respect to the design of the cover, the most varied of possibilities are conceivable. For example, the cover could be formed from two plate-like, self-supporting parts. 
     A particularly favorable solution does, however, provide for the cover to comprise a cover frame which holds a web of flat material. 
     In the case of the cover frame, the web of flat material is also preferably held by the cover frame so as to be tensioned. 
     With respect to the arrangement of the cover folding axis, no further details have likewise been given. One particularly advantageous solution provides for the cover folding axis to be located close to a surface area, in which the web of flat material extends. 
     In this respect it is particularly favorable when the cover folding axis is located close to a plane, in which the web of flat material extends in the case of cover parts located in an extended position. 
     With respect to the design of the cover frame itself, likewise no further details have so far been given. 
     It is favorable when the cover frame has two frame supports which extend transversely to the cover folding axis and are connected to one another by connecting supports. 
     One of the frame supports is preferably a front frame support and the other a rear frame support. 
     The cover frame can be designed for forming the cover parts either such that it encloses a continuous frame opening and has, in particular, two C-shaped frame parts which adjoin one another with their open sides at the cover folding axis. 
     It is, however, also conceivable to form the cover frame from two frame parts closed around their circumference so that each of them encloses a frame opening and these frame parts are mounted so as to be pivotable on one another along the cover folding axis. 
     With respect to the releasable connection of the other one of the wind blocker parts and the other one of the cover parts, it is preferably provided for this to represent at the same time a fixing device for fixing the inventive wind stop device to the body of the convertible vehicle. 
     Additional features and advantages of the invention are the subject matter of the following description as well as the drawings illustrating several embodiments. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a sectional illustration of a body of a convertible vehicle with a first embodiment of an inventive wind stop device mounted thereon in a functional position; 
     FIG. 2 shows an illustration of the first embodiment of the inventive wind stop device considered in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 shows an illustration of the first embodiment of the inventive wind stop device during folding about a connection folding axis; 
     FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of further steps for the folding together of the inventive wind stop device; 
     FIG. 5 shows a perspective illustration of the first embodiment of the inventive wind stop device in a folded position; 
     FIG. 6 shows a partially folded out illustration of the first embodiment of the inventive wind stop device with illustration of one embodiment of a releasable connection for one of the wind blocker parts and one of the cover parts; 
     FIG. 7 shows an illustration similar to FIG. 2 of a second embodiment of an inventive wind stop device; 
     FIG. 8 shows an illustration similar to FIG. 3 of the second embodiment of the inventive wind stop device; 
     FIG. 9 shows an illustration similar to FIG. 4 of the second embodiment of the inventive wind stop device and 
     FIG. 10 shows an illustration similar to FIG. 5 of the second embodiment of the inventive wind stop device. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A first embodiment of an inventive wind stop device for a motor vehicle, the body  10  of which is illustrated in sections in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprises a wind blocker  12  which projects upwards beyond a belt line  14  of the body  10  of the convertible vehicle as well as a cover  16  which covers a section  18  located behind the wind blocker  12  of a passenger compartment opening located at the level of the belt line  14 , for example, this is a section  18  located above rear seats  20 , wherein the wind blocker  12  is essentially arranged directly behind headrests of front seats of the body  10  which are not illustrated. 
     The cover  16  is preferably articulatedly connected to the wind blocker  12  and both can be connected to the body  10  in the area of the belt line  14  via fixing devices  22 ,  24 , wherein the fixing devices  22 ,  24  are arranged either on the wind blocker  12  or on the cover  16 , as will be explained in greater detail in the following. 
     The wind blocker  12  is formed by a wind blocker frame  30  which has a lower frame support  32  and an upper frame support  34  and outer connecting supports  36 ,  38  connecting the lower frame support  32  and the upper frame support  34  to one another, these connecting supports each connecting outer end areas of the lower frame support  32  and the upper frame support  34  to one another so that the frame  30  encloses a frame opening  40 . 
     A web of flat material  42  extends in the frame opening  40 , is held on the wind blocker frame  30  and is preferably held by the wind blocker frame  30  so as to be tensioned insofar as the web of flat material  42  is a web of flat material with bending slackness. 
     In order to form two wind blocker parts  50  and  52  of the wind blocker  30  which can be pivoted relative to one another about a wind blocker folding axis  44 , the lower frame support  32  and the upper frame support  34  are provided approximately centrally with a respective hinge  54  and  56 , the hinge axes of which are arranged coaxially to the wind blocker folding axis  44 . 
     As a result, the lower frame support  32  and the upper frame support  34  each comprise two frame support parts  32   a, b  or  34   a, b  separated by the hinges  54  and  56 . The frame support parts  32   a ,  34   a  form with the connecting support  36  a C-shaped wind blocker frame part  58   a  while the frame support parts  32   b  and  34   b  with the connecting support  38  form a C-shaped wind blocker frame part  58   b  and both wind blocker frame parts  58   a , b border on the wind blocker folding axis  44  with their open sides. 
     Furthermore, the cover  16  comprises two cover parts  60  and  62  which can be folded relative to one another about a common cover folding axis  64 . 
     The cover  16  also preferably comprises a cover frame  70  which, in this embodiment, comprises a front frame support  72  and a rear frame support  74 , the two being connected to one another by outer connecting supports  76  and  78 . Furthermore, inner connecting supports  80   a  and  80   b  are provided which extend on both sides of the cover folding axis  64  and likewise connect the front frame support  72  and the rear frame support  74  to one another, wherein the front frame support  72  and the rear frame support  74  are separated along the cover folding axis  64  and likewise preferably connected to one another by means of hinges  82  and  84  which are arranged with their hinge axes coaxially to the cover folding axis  64 . 
     It is, however, also possible to arrange the hinges  82  and  84  in the area of the inner connecting supports  80   a  and  80   b  and thus configure the connecting supports  80   a  and  80   b  so as to be foldable relative to one another about the cover folding axis  64 . 
     As a result, the inner connecting support  80   a  and the outer connecting support  76  form a frame section  85   a  together with a front frame support part  72   a  extending between them and the rear frame support part  74   a  extending between them and the inner connecting support  80   b  forms a further frame section  85   b  with the outer connecting support  78  and a front frame support part  72   b  extending between them and a rear frame support part  74   b , wherein each frame section  85   a  and  85   b  surrounds a frame opening  86   a ,  86   b , over which a web of flat material  88   a  and  88   b , respectively, extends, wherein the web of flat material is preferably held by the frame sections  85   a  and  85   b , respectively, so as to be tensioned. 
     In the functional position of the wind stop device, the wind blocker parts  50  and  52  are in an extended position and have a maximum extension in a direction of extension  91  parallel to the connection folding axis  90 . Furthermore, the cover parts  60  and  62  are also in an extended position and likewise have a maximum extension in the direction of extension  91 . 
     Furthermore, the wind blocker  12  is connected to the front frame support  72  of the cover  16  with its lower frame support  32 , wherein this connection is preferably a connection which can be pivoted about a connection folding axis  90  extending transversely to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and which, as will be explained in detail in the following, can be realized in the most varied of ways. 
     In the functional position of the wind stop device illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the two wind blocker parts  50  and  52  located in the extended position are aligned relative to one another in such a manner that they are approximately located in a plane E V  which extends approximately vertically, wherein the term approximately vertically comprises an angular deviation of plus/minus 30° in relation to the exactly vertical direction. 
     The plane E V  is located transversely to a plane E H , in which the cover parts  60  and  62  are located in the functional position of the wind stop device, wherein the plane E H  extends approximately parallel to the belt line  14  of the body  10  in the section  18 . 
     In order to fold the inventive wind stop device together, the wind blocker  12  and the cover  16  may be folded towards one another about the connection folding axis  90  such that a rear side  92  of the wind blocker  12  is located on an upper side  94  of the cover  16 , wherein for this purpose no folding about either the wind blocker folding axis  44  or the cover folding axis  64  need have taken place (FIG.  3 ). 
     Moreover, as illustrated in FIG. 4, it is possible to fold one of the wind blocker parts  50  or  52 , for example, the wind blocker part  52  about the wind blocker folding axis  44  such that a front side  96  of the wind blocker part  52  is located on a front side  98  of the wind blocker part  50 , as illustrated in FIG.  5 . 
     In order to configure this folding as simply as possible, the web of flat material  42  is located each time in a surface area, preferably a plane E F , which essentially coincides approximately with the respective front side  96 ,  98  of the wind blocker parts  50 ,  52  and the wind blocker folding axis  44  is also preferably located in a line of intersection of these surface areas E F . 
     Furthermore, it is possible to also fold the cover parts  60  and  62  about the cover folding axis  64 , for example, such that a lower side  100  of the cover part  62  is located on a lower side  102  of the cover part  60 . 
     In order to configure the folding of the cover parts  60  and  62  as simply as possible, the cover folding axis  64  is located in a line of intersection of the surface areas defined by the lower sides  100  and  102 . 
     The wind blocker folding axis  44  and the cover folding axis  64  are preferably placed such that the wind blocker folding axis  44  and the cover folding axis  64  are essentially located one above the other and extend at a distance parallel to one another when a wind blocker  12  is folded onto the cover  16  about the connection folding axis  90  so that the frame support parts  32   a, b  and  34   a, b  as well as the outer connecting supports  36  and  38  are likewise located on top of one another when wind blocker parts  52  and  50  are folded onto one another, as illustrated in FIG.  5 . 
     Furthermore, the cover  16  is likewise designed such that the frame sections  85   a  and  85   b  are likewise located essentially congruently on top of one another. 
     The wind blocker parts  50  and  52  as well as the cover parts  60  and  62  are preferably essentially of approximately the same size and same shape so that in the completely folded state of the inventive wind stop device a stack can be formed, with which two cover parts, namely the cover parts  60  and  62 , are, first of all, located on top of one another and two wind blocker parts  50  and  52  located above one another are located on them. 
     In order to place the wind blocker parts  52  and  50  as well as the cover parts  60  and  62  on top of one another, an at least releasable connection between the wind blocker part  52  and the cover part  62  is preferably provided, with which the lower frame support part  32   b  extending in the wind blocker part  52  can be secured to the front frame support part  72   b  extending in the cover part  62  in a releasable manner. 
     In contrast thereto, the wind blocker part  50  is preferably securely connected to the cover part  60  via a hinge  104 , the hinge axis of which coincides with the connection folding axis  90 . 
     The releasable connection between the wind blocker part  52  and the cover part  62  is preferably brought about via a locking unit  110  which has a locking bolt  114  which can be displaced in a direction  112  parallel to the front frame support part  72   b , is part of the fixing device  24  and serves to fix the wind stop device to the body  10  (FIG.  6 ). At the same time, the locking bolt  114  is, however, displaceable in the direction of the cover folding axis  64  such that the locking bolt  114  can be brought into or out of engagement with a hook  116  which is held on the frame support part  32   b  and through which the locking bolt  114  extends in the connected state of the wind blocker part  52  to the cover part  62  so that the hook  116  and the locking bolt  114  form a hinge between the wind blocker part  52  and the cover part  62 , the hinge axis of which is located coaxially to the connection folding axis  90 . 
     Such a hinge may, however, be formed from the hook  116  and the locking bolt  114  only when the locking bolt  114  is arranged coaxially to the connection folding axis  90  and also the hook  116  is coaxial to the connection folding axis  90  which can be achieved only when the wind blocker parts  50  and  52  as well as the cover parts  60  and  62  are each folded about the corresponding folding axes  44  and  64  to such an extent that they are in their extended position and, for example, the wind blocker  12  and the cover  16  are located on top of one another or at least the lower frame support  32  extends parallel to the front frame support  72 . 
     The fixing device  22  also preferably has a locking bolt  118  which can likewise engage in a corresponding recess in the body  10  in order to fix the wind stop device on it. 
     In a second embodiment of an inventive wind stop device, illustrated in FIGS. 7 to  10 , those parts which are identical to those of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and so with respect to their description reference is made in full to the comments on the first embodiment. 
     In contrast to the first embodiment, the cover  16  has a cover frame  70 ′ which is formed merely from the front frame support  72 , the rear frame support  74  and the outer connecting supports  76  and  78  and is thus of a similar construction to the wind blocker frame  30 . For this reason, the front frame support  72  and the rear frame support  74  are provided with the outer connecting supports  76  and  78  so that the cover frame  70 ′ has a uniform frame opening  86 ′, in which the web of flat material  88  is held so as to be tensioned. 
     Thus, the cover frame  70 ′ likewise comprises two C-shaped frame sections  85   a ′,  85   b ′ which adjoin the cover folding axis  64  with their open sides. 
     To simplify the folding about the folding axis  64 , the web of flat material  88  is located in each frame section  85   a ,  85   b  in a surface area, preferably a plane E U , which coincides with the lower sides  100  and  102  of the cover parts  60 ,  62  and the cover folding axis  64  is located in a line of intersection of these surface areas E U . 
     As for the rest, the wind blocker  12  comprises two wind blocker parts  50  and  52  and the cover  16  two cover parts  60  and  62  which, as illustrated in FIGS. 8 to  10 , can be folded in the same way and about the same axes as described in detail in conjunction with the first embodiment. 
     In the second embodiment, the wind blocker frame  30  and the cover frame  70  are, in particular and in principle, of an identical construction so that in the folded state illustrated in FIG. 10 a uniform picture preferably results.