Patent Publication Number: US-2009230732-A1

Title: Vehicle roof

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, of German application DE 10 2008 014 496.7, filed Mar. 15, 2008; the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a vehicle roof containing a first movable roof part having front and rear edges, slide bearings including front slide bearings and a rear slide bearing, a second roof part, and a guide device for displacing the first roof part relative to the second roof part for optionally at least partially opening and closing a roof opening. The guide device has a lateral guide with first and second lateral guide rails and a central guide with at least one third guide rail, in which the first roof part is guided with the front and rear slide bearings adjacent to the front and rear edges. 
     Such a vehicle roof is known from published, non-prosecuted German patent application No. DE 10 2005 026 827 A1, corresponding to published U.S. patent application No. 2008/0258509, which contains a first and/or front movable roof part, which may be moved on a guide device relative to a second roof part. The guide device contains, as a lateral guide, first and second guide rails, which bear at the side externally against the second roof part in parallel and at a distance from one another in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The guide device also has a central guide which has a central web, on which a third guide rail is attached and extends from a windshield frame as far as the second roof part. The movable first roof part is guided in the three guide rails by slide bearings. A slide bearing for the central guide is provided adjacent to the front edge of the first roof part and slide bearings for the lateral guide are provided adjacent to the rear edge. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a vehicle roof that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices of this general type, in which the comfort is improved for the vehicle passengers. 
     With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a vehicle roof. The vehicle roof contains a first movable roof part having front and rear edges, slide bearings including front slide bearings and a rear slide bearing, a second roof part, and a guide device for displacing the first movable roof part relative to the second roof part for optionally at least partially opening and closing a roof opening. The guide device has a lateral guide with first and second lateral guide rails and a central guide with at least one third guide rail. In the guide device, the first movable roof part is guided with the front and rear slide bearings adjacent to the front and rear edges. The front slide bearings are guided in the first and second guide rails of the lateral guide and the rear slide bearing is guided in the central guide. 
     The invention is characterized in that the front slide bearings, which are thus located adjacent to the front edge of the first roof part, are guided in the lateral guide rails and the rear slide bearing is guided in the central guide. As a result, it is possible to dispense with guide rails in the rear lateral region of the second roof part, whereby the headroom, in particular for passengers in the rear of the vehicle, is markedly increased. As a result, boarding the vehicle interior is simplified as the door cut-out is accordingly able to be enlarged upwards. The lateral guide rails may, therefore, merely extend to the side in the front region in the vicinity of the roof opening. The central guide with its third guide rail, however, merely requires an extension in the longitudinal direction along the second roof part. It is, therefore, not necessary to widen the central guide to the front as far as a windshield frame. Overall, as a result of shortened guide rails a weight gain may also be achieved relative to a vehicle roof according to the prior art. Moreover, with the arrangement of the slide bearings according to the invention, the roof opening may be opened as far as possible by the movable first roof part. It has also been shown that sufficient stability for the movable roof part is provided by the three-point guide with the two lateral guide rails and the central guide with one guide rail, thus formed, in particular when the roof part is located in an open position, in which it at least partially opens the roof opening. 
     Particularly preferred is an embodiment in which the second roof part is configured as a fixed roof surface. The roof surface is thus particularly advantageously suitable for receiving the guide rail for the central guide. In particular, it is provided that this guide rail is arranged on the outer roof surface of the second roof part, so that the vehicle roof according to the invention is a so-called externally guided sliding roof. 
     For increasing the comfort, in a preferred embodiment it may be provided that a central web is disposed below the central guide, which extends in the longitudinal direction. The central web, on the one hand, covers the guide rail disposed in the roof surface from below. On the other hand, it may receive at least one comfort element which may be, in particular, a roller blind as a sun shade, when the second roof part is at least partially configured to be at least partially transparent. Such a roller blind could be arranged for each vehicle passenger in the rear of the vehicle to the left and/or to the right separately on the central web and may be configured to be able to be extended and/or pulled out transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Air guiding channels for supplying air through the air conditioning system may also be disposed in the central web. Other vehicle internal fittings, such as lighting, speakers, control elements, receptacles, electrical connections, etc. may naturally be provided as at least one such comfort element. 
     For a structurally simple solution it is provided in a preferred embodiment to arrange the lateral guide rails immovably on the vehicle roof, in particular to attach the lateral guide rails to lateral roof members or adjacent to lateral roof members. The guide rails thus preferably extend from a front transverse edge of the roof opening to a rear transverse edge of the roof opening, the rear transverse edge of the roof opening being formed by the second roof part. 
     According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the third guide rail for the central guide is arranged adjacent to the rear transverse edge of the roof opening and extends from there in the direction of the rear of the vehicle. Preferably, in this connection the guide rail is arranged immovably on the second roof part. 
     According to a further preferred embodiment, the central web may also extend beyond the roof opening, and thus also receive a comfort element for front vehicle passengers, as is already disclosed above for different comfort elements. 
     Variants of the first and/or second roof part are set forth, and according to which at least one of the roof parts may be at least partially configured to be at least partially transparent. 
     Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. 
     Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a vehicle roof, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. 
     The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic, top plan view of a partially shown motor vehicle containing a vehicle roof in a closed position according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic, partial side view of the motor vehicle containing the vehicle roof in a partially opened position; 
         FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic, partial side view of the motor vehicle with the vehicle roof in a fully opened position; and 
         FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic, top plan view of the partial motor vehicle with the fully opened vehicle roof according to  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to  FIG. 1  thereof, there is shown a motor vehicle  1  from above with a body  2  which, above a waistline  3 , has side vehicle windows  4  and  5  as well as a front window  6  also denoted as the windshield. The side windows  4  and  5  are framed above the waistline  3  by lateral longitudinal roof members  7  and  8  extending substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle FL, which are connected to one another above the windshield  6  by a transversely extending frame piece  9 . Between the waistline  3  and the frame piece  9  extend lateral extensions  10  and  11 , which proceed from the A-pillars  12  and  13 , also denoted as door pillars and extend in accordance with the definition as far as the frame piece  9 . Thus the windshield  6  is surrounded by a windshield frame  14 , which may be completed in the waistline  3  by a so-called lower cowl  15 . 
     In the embodiment shown, the motor vehicle  1  has, between the lateral longitudinal roof members  7  and  8 , the frame piece  9  of the windshield frame  14  and a rear region  16  which, in this case for example, begins with a partially shown tailgate  17 , a roof cut-out  18  into which a vehicle roof  19  is inserted. In the embodiment shown, the roof cut-out  18  is defined by the lateral longitudinal roof members  7  and  8 , the frame piece  9  and the rear region  16 , in this case therefore the tailgate  17 . It might also be conceivable, however, to provide the roof cut-out  18  in a fixed roof skin, which may be located between the longitudinal roof members  7  and  8 , the frame piece  9  and the rear region  16 . In the embodiment shown, the vehicle roof  19  is preferably prefabricated with its components as a module and inserted from below or above into the roof cut-out  18  and connected to the body  2  of the motor vehicle. 
     The vehicle roof  19  has a first and/or front roof part  20  and at least one rear and/or second roof part  21 , which are positioned within the roof cut-out  18 , located behind one another and/or in succession in the closed position ST shown in  FIG. 1 , and preferably adjacent to one another and flush with one another. The first roof part  20  is configured to be movable and may—proceeding from its closed position ST shown—be displaced at least in a linear manner to the rear in the direction of the vehicle rear  16 . The second roof part  21  is configured in the embodiment as an immovable roof part which forms a fixed roof surface  22 . Thus a roof opening  23  of the vehicle roof  19  is defined by a front transverse edge  24 , a rear transverse edge  25  which may be formed from a front edge of the second roof part  21 , and partially by the lateral longitudinal roof members  7  and  8 . Consequently, the first roof part  20  has a front edge  26 , a rear edge  27  as well as lateral edges  28  and  29 . 
     For a linear displacement movement of the first roof part  20 , which is identified in  FIG. 1  by a double arrow  30  and which is oriented in the same direction as the vehicle longitudinal direction FL, a guide device  31  is associated with the vehicle roof  19  which—proceeding from the closed position ST shown—allows a displacement of the first roof part  20  overlapping the rear roof part  21 , in order to be able to open the roof opening  23  optionally partially (partially open position TT) or fully (open position OT) and to be able to close said roof opening again in the reverse direction (closed position ST). To this end, the guide device  31  has lateral first and second lateral guide rails  32  and  33  of a so-called lateral guide  34  extending adjacent to the longitudinal roof members  7  and  8  or fastened thereto, extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle FL, as well as a central guide with a third and/or central guide rail  35 . The third guide rail  35  is in this case approximately centrally attached between the two longitudinal roof members  7  and  8 . The first and second guide rails  32  and  33  extend approximately from the front transverse edge  24  approximately as far as the rear transverse edge  25  of the roof opening  23 , but they may project slightly over these edges. The third guide rail  35  extends—proceeding from the rear transverse edge  25 —in the direction toward the vehicle rear  16  over a length which corresponds approximately to the length of the first roof part  20 , this length being measured in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle FL. For supporting the first roof part  20  in the guide device  31 , two front slide bearings  37  and  38  are provided, as well as a rear slide bearing  39 . The three guide rails  32 ,  33  and  35  are illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 4  in dotted lines with a greater line thickness, and the slide bearings  37 ,  38  and  39  are recorded with the same line thickness. The three guide rails  32 ,  33  and  35  as well as the slide bearings  37 ,  38  and  39  are merely indicated schematically. Such slide bearings generally contain a non-illustrated sliding piece arranged in the guide rails, which is connected to the movable first roof part  20  via a lever arrangement, not shown, so that the roof part  20  may be raised or lowered from its position flush with the surface of the adjacent components, in order to convey it into the open position OT. Such slide bearings with lever arrangements are, however, known in the prior art so that further details will not be provided thereof. 
     Relative to the front edge  26  of the roof part  20 , the front slide bearings  37  and  38  are arranged adjacent to the edge  26  on the roof part  20  so that they come to bear, in the closed position ST shown, approximately on the front rail end, not shown in more detail, of the guide rails  32  and  33 . In the fully open position OT of the roof part  20  shown in  FIG. 4 , the slide bearings  37  and  38  are located approximately on the rear rail end of the guide rails  32  and  33 . Relative to the rear edge  27  of the roof part  20 , the rear central slide bearing  39  is arranged adjacent to this edge  27 , which comes to bear in the closed position ST on the front rail end and in the fully open position OT ( FIG. 4 ) comes to bear approximately on the rear rail end of the third guide rail  35 . 
     The first and second guide rails  32  and  33  are mounted fixedly on the vehicle roof  19  and/or on the longitudinal roof members  7  and  8 . They are located, relative to a roof skin  40  of the vehicle roof  19  illustrated in  FIG. 2  below the roof skin  40 , whereas in one embodiment, the third guide rail  35  may be located in the roof skin  40  and preferably externally in the roof surface  22  of the second roof part  21 . In this case, the first roof part  20  might be externally guided and may be located in the open position OT, as  FIGS. 3 and 4  show, above the second roof part  21 . According to a further embodiment it might be an alternative that the first roof part  20  does not come to bear—as described above—externally on the roof surface  22  in the open position, but is moved below the level of the roof skin  40 . The third guide rail  35  of the central guide  36  would thus be arranged on an underside and/or inner surface of the second roof part  21 , and the first roof part  20  would be pushed under the roof skin  40 , i.e. moved into a vehicle interior  42 . The displacement movement according to arrow  30  would, however, be identical. 
     From  FIG. 3  it is also visible that the vehicle roof  19  may optionally be fitted with a fixed or movable i.e. extendable wind deflector  41  about which, however, further details will not be provided here, as such wind deflectors are known in the prior art. 
     In  FIG. 4  a so-called central web  43  may also be seen, which is illustrated in dotted lines. It extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle FL and may extend over a substantial length of the vehicle roof  19 . It is shown that it may extend, approximately proceeding from the frame piece  9  of the windshield frame  14 , considerably far back in the direction of the vehicle rear  16 . If the motor vehicle  1  is configured with a vehicle interior  42  with a vehicle rear  44 , the central web  43  may be provided continuously. The central web  43  may receive one or more comfort elements (not shown). 
     In  FIG. 2  the partially open position TT of the first roof part  20  is also shown, in which the first roof part  20  is positioned and/or raised with its rear edge  27  about a pivot axis  45  extending in the transverse direction of the vehicle. This partially open position TT is also passed when the first roof part  20  is moved from the closed position ST in the direction of the fully open position OT and vice versa. Naturally, further partially open positions of the roof part  20  may be adopted which are located between the partially open position TT illustrated in  FIG. 2  and the fully open position OT and/or between the fully closed position ST and the partially open position TT. The same applies if the first roof part  20  in the open position OT is not located above—as shown in FIG.  3 —but below the roof skin  40  which is described above. For increasing the comfort, the two roof parts  20  and  21  or one thereof may be partially configured to be at least partially transparent, for example as a glass cover.