Patent Publication Number: US-2015069788-A1

Title: Open roof construction for a vehicle

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The discussion below is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     Aspects of the invention relate to an open roof construction for a vehicle, comprising a roof opening provided in a stationary roof part, a movable panel for opening and closing said roof opening and a wind deflector assembly positioned near a forward edge of the roof opening, which wind deflector assembly comprises a frame part extending substantially in a transverse direction and movable between a retracted position below the level of the stationary roof part and an extended position above said level of the stationary roof part and a flexible member which with a first end is attached to said frame part and which with an opposite second end is attached to a stationary part of the vehicle. 
     For obtaining the best performance and appearance of the wind deflector the flexible member (which often comprises a mesh material) should be kept taut in at least all positions of the frame part above the level of the stationary roof part. 
     SUMMARY 
     This Summary and the Abstract are provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary, the Abstract and the Detailed Description are not intended to identify key features or essential features that must be included in any embodiment of the invention, nor are they intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     In one embodiment, an open roof construction is provided in which the wind deflector assembly further comprises a guide rod for the flexible member extending in a transverse direction and movable in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein the flexible member, starting from its second end, successively extends in a first sense substantially along said longitudinal direction towards the guide rod, partially around said guide rod and in an opposite sense substantially along said longitudinal direction, next passes a stationary guide there for and from there extends towards the frame part, and wherein the guide rod is movable in such a manner that the flexible member is maintained in a taut state in all positions of the frame part. 
     Through its movements the guide rod always assumes a position in which the flexible member is kept taut. When the frame part of the wind deflector assembly moves upward (further away from the stationary roof part) the guide rod will move closer to the said stationary part of the vehicle to which the second end of the flexible member is attached. When, however, the frame part of the wind deflector assembly moves downward (closer to the stationary roof part) the guide rod will move away from the said stationary part of the vehicle to which the second end of the flexible member is attached. Because of the loop-shaped trajectory of the flexible member (in a first sense substantially along said longitudinal direction towards the guide rod, partially around said guide rod and in an opposite sense substantially along said longitudinal direction) the distance over which the guide rod will move, only is half the distance over which the frame part will travel. As a result, the required space for accommodating the movements of the guide rod is limited. 
     It is noted that the effect of obtaining a reduction of the required space for accommodating the movements of the guide rod also will be obtained (although in a slightly reduced magnitude) when the trajectory of the flexible member in the first sense and/or the second sense does not exactly coincide with the said longitudinal direction; such embodiments, however, are considered to be encompassed by the present invention as well. 
     Further it is noted that the stationary guide will guide the flexible member in positions between the extended and retracted positions of the frame part. Whether it does so too in the extended and retracted positions, will depend from the specific constructional features. 
     It is conceivable that said first sense corresponds with a forward direction with respect to the vehicle. This results in a forward movement (with respect to the vehicle) of the guide rod when the frame part moves towards its retracted position. 
     In one embodiment of the open roof construction according to the invention, the guide rod is biased in said first sense substantially along the longitudinal direction. This means that the movement of the frame part and the resulting movement of the flexible member automatically will lead to a movement of the guide rod without the need for a separate drive for the guide rod. When, as will be the case in many embodiments, the frame part is also biased to its extended position (for example because it is carried by two pivot arms which are spring loaded), the flexible member is tensioned by two biasing means. 
     For example, it is possible that the guide rod is engaged by a spring (for example, compression springs or tension springs) extending between said guide rod and a stationary part of the vehicle. 
     For obtaining a smooth movement of the guide rod, in one embodiment it comprises two opposite ends which are guided in two corresponding stationary guide channels each extending substantially in the longitudinal direction. For achieving a guiding with as less friction as possible, the said outer ends of the guide rod and the corresponding guide channels may comprise cooperating parts made of low friction material, as is known per se. 
     In another embodiment of the open roof construction, the frame part of the wind deflector assembly is biased towards its extended position and at least part of its momentary positions are defined by an engagement with the movable panel, and wherein further a first drive mechanism for the movable panel is provided as well as a second drive mechanism for the guide rod for determining its longitudinal position, wherein the first and second drive mechanism are synchronised to keep the flexible member in a taut state. 
     In such an embodiment, the position of the wind deflector depends from the position of the movable panel. The frame part by its bias is pressed against the panel and only can move towards its extended position when the panel is moved by its first drive mechanism: the more the panel moves towards its open position, the more the frame part will move towards its extended position. Generally, but not necessarily, the frame part already will reach its fully extended position before the panel is fully opened. Again moving the panel towards the closed position will also move the frame part to its retracted position. Thus, the movement of the frame part (and, consequently of the flexible member) has a well-defined relation to the movement of the movable panel and this known relation may be used to control (synchronise) the second drive mechanism for moving the guide rod such that the flexible member always is kept taut. 
     The manner in which the synchronization between the first and second drive mechanism is obtained may vary. For example mechanical and/or electronic devices may be used for that goal. Mechanical devices generally define a purely mechanical connection between the drives using any kind of appropriate parts (gears, belts or alike), whereas electronic devices may rely on, for example, sensors sensing the position of the movable panel and a controller for, based upon the sensed position, calculating a position for the guide rod and thus a control signal for the second drive mechanism. 
     In yet another embodiment of the open roof construction the frame part of the wind deflector assembly is biased towards its open position and the guide rod is provided with a drive mechanism for defining its longitudinal position. In such an embodiment the position of the frame part is not defined by the position of the movable panel, but by the position of the (driven) guide rod. A movement of the guide rod will cause a movement of the frame part (in correspondence with its bias or opposite said bias, depending on the direction in which the guide rod moves under influence of its drive mechanism). 
     The stationary guide may be defined by a forward inner edge of the roof opening, for example a lower inner end of a constructive beam defining the forward edge of the roof opening. 
     For minimizing frictional forces and wear of the flexible member, the stationary guide may be defined by a rotatable guide roll having a stationary axis of rotation. 
     It is also conceivable that the stationary guide is defined by a plate shaped member positioned underneath a forward inner edge of the roof opening having a rounded edge facing the roof opening for guiding the flexible member. Such a plate shaped member may be attached to any appropriate stationary part of the open roof construction or of the vehicle. 
     Then, it is further possible that such a plate shaped member is shaped as water collecting gutter for collecting water entering the roof opening when the movable panel is in a position for opening the roof opening. The water collected by it may be directed to a water discharge member positioned there below and already present, as known in the state of the art. 
     In correspondence with what has been stated before with respect to the stationary guide, it is conceivable too that the guide rod is defined by a rotatable guide roll. 
     Constructively the open roof construction according to an aspect of the present invention may comprise a forward edge defined by a transverse hollow beam and wherein the guide rod is housed in said hollow beam. Because, as stated before, the required space for the movement of the guide rod is limited, the dimensions of such a hollow beam also may be limited. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Hereinafter aspects of the invention will be elucidated while referring to the drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  schematically illustrates part of a vehicle provided with an open roof construction in a perspective view; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment of the open roof construction in a closed position; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates the open roof construction in a (fully or partly) open position; 
         FIG. 4  shows another perspective view of said embodiment illustrating further details; 
         FIG. 5  shows an alternative embodiment for driving the guide rod; 
         FIG. 6  shows yet another alternative embodiment for driving the guide rod; 
         FIG. 7  shows still another embodiment for driving the guide rod; 
         FIG. 8  schematically shows the guiding of the guide rod, and 
         FIG. 9  shows an alternative stationary guide. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
     Firstly referring to  FIG. 1 , part of a vehicle  1  is shown schematically and in a perspective view. The vehicle  1  is provided with an open roof construction, comprising a roof opening  2  provided in a stationary roof part  3 , a roof assembly including a movable panel  4  for opening and closing said roof opening and a wind deflector assembly  5  positioned near a forward edge  6  of the roof opening. As generally known, said wind deflector assembly  5  comprises a frame part  7  extending substantially in a transverse direction (relative to the forward direction of travel of the vehicle  1 ). 
     As illustrated clearly in  FIGS. 2 and 3  said frame part  7  is movable between a retracted position below the level of the stationary roof part  3  (position according to  FIG. 2 ) and an extended position above said level of the stationary roof part  3  (position according to  FIG. 3 ), in the present case through pivot arms  12  ( FIG. 1 ). In most cases such pivot arms  12  will be spring loaded for moving the frame part  7  to its extended position, although also other ways are conceivable for obtaining a movement of the pivot arms  12  (for example co-operating pins and curves moving relative to each other). 
     The wind deflector assembly  5  further comprises a flexible member  8  (most commonly a mesh member) which with a first end  8 ″ is attached to said frame part  7  and which with an opposite second end  8 ′ is attached to a stationary part  10  of the vehicle (as will appear below from  FIG. 2 ). 
       FIG. 2  shows the basic components of a wind deflector assembly  5  according to an embodiment of the present invention in a perspective view. Apart from the frame part  7  already mentioned before, the wind deflector assembly  5  further comprises a guide rod  9  extending in a transverse direction and movable in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle  1  (that means in  FIG. 2  basically horizontally to the left and to the right). The guide rod  9  is positioned such that the flexible member  8 , starting from its second end  8 ′ (which is connected to said stationary part  10  of the vehicle), successively extends mainly in a first sense (in  FIG. 2  to the left, thus in this embodiment in the forward direction with respect to the vehicle  1 ; of course, as illustrated, an extreme end near to said second end  8 ′ may have a different orientation due to specific attachment requirements to the stationary part  10 ) substantially along said longitudinal direction towards the guide rod  9 , partially around said guide rod  9  and in an opposite sense (in  FIG. 2  to the right) substantially along said longitudinal direction, next passes a stationary guide  11  and from there extends towards the frame part  7  (to which the flexible member  8  is attached with its first end  8 ″). 
     The guide rod  9  is movable (basically in said longitudinal direction of the vehicle  1 ) in such a manner that the flexible member  8  is maintained in a taut state in all positions of the frame part  7  (as illustrated in different positions according to  FIGS. 2 and 3 ). 
     In  FIG. 2  the movable panel  4  is fully closed and the frame part  7  is in a fully retracted position. The guide rod  9  assumes it leftmost position. In the illustrated embodiment, the flexible member  8  does not engage the stationary guide  11  in this retracted position of the frame part. In other embodiments (in which, for example, the frame part  7  in its fully retracted position assumes a slightly higher position) it might do so, however. In this embodiment, however, the second end  8 ′ of the flexible member extends around a corner of the stationary part  10 , which corner for that reason might have a rounded contour (not illustrated). 
     In  FIG. 3  the roof opening  2  is (completely or partly) open and the frame part  7  has assumed its upper, totally extended position. The guide rod  9 , consequently, has reached its extreme right (rearward) position. Also in this position the flexible member  8 , depending on the constructional specifics, may or may not engage the stationary guide  11 . 
     In intermediate positions, when the movable panel  4  has moved (to the rear) to a position for partly freeing the roof opening  2  and the frame part  7  is partly extended, the guide rod  9 , starting from the  FIG. 2  position, has moved partly to the right (position  9 ′ in  FIG. 3 ). The distance the guide rod  9  has travelled basically is half the distance the frame part  7  has moved. As illustrated in dashed lines, the flexible member  8  then engages the stationary guide  11  and is guided thereby since the flexible member  8  is kept taut from edge  8 ′ to edge  8 ″. 
     In at least some of the intermediate positions as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the flexible member  8  from the guide rod  9  to the frame part  7  can extend at an oblique angle to the longitudinal direction, and wherein the oblique angle is different for different positions of the guide rod. In yet a further embodiment due to contact of the flexible member  8  with the stationary guide  11 , the flexible member extends at a first oblique angle to the longitudinal direction from the guide rod  9  to the stationary guide  11  and at a second oblique angle, different than the first oblique angle, from the stationary guide  11  to the frame part  7 , the angles again being different for different positions of the guide rod  9 . 
     However, it should noted in yet another embodiment the diameter of the guide rod  9  can be substantially the same as the height from the stationary part  10  to the guide  11 , in which case, an oblique angle formed in the flexible member from the guide rod  9  to the frame part  7  resides in the portion from guide  11  to the frame part  7  for at least some intermediate positions of the frame part  7 . 
     As is known from the state of the art, the frame part  7  at both its transverse ends is connected to pivot arms  12  (see for example the schematic illustration of  FIG. 5 ) carrying at one end the frame part  7  and with the other end being pivoted  13  to the vehicle  1 . In favorable embodiments, spring members  14  bias the pivot arms  12  towards the fully extended position of  FIG. 3 . One other possible embodiment could comprise a frame part  7  which does not rotate but which basically moves in a translating manner. 
       FIG. 4  further schematically illustrates one of two stationary guide channels  15  for the opposite ends of the guide rod  9  each extending substantially in the longitudinal direction. As better illustrated schematically in  FIG. 8 , said guide channels  15  may cooperate with guide shoes  16  or alike provided at opposite ends of the guide rod  9  for defining the trajectory along which the guide rod  9  will move. It is noted however, that the movement of the guide rod  9  also may be defined by other means, such as for example by drives as elucidated below. 
       FIGS. 2-4  illustrate an embodiment of the open roof construction in which the guide rod  9  is biased in said first sense substantially along the longitudinal direction, by being engaged by a spring device  17  extending between said guide rod  9  and a stationary part of the vehicle  1 . 
     In the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 2-4  the stationary guide  11  is defined by a plate shaped member positioned underneath the forward inner edge  6  of the roof opening  2  having a rounded edge  29  facing the roof opening for guiding the flexible member  8 . The plate shaped member  11  may be shaped as water collecting gutter for collecting water entering part of the roof opening  2  when the movable panel  4  is in a position for (at least partially) opening the roof opening  2  and for discharging the water to a water discharge system having an outlet  30  ( FIG. 4 ). 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , an embodiment is illustrated in which, again, the frame part  7  is carried by pivot arms  12  which are biased (spring  14 ) towards the extended position of the frame part. At least part of the momentary positions of the pivot arms  12  (and thus the frame part  7 ) are defined by an engagement with the movable panel  4  (as long as the movable panel  4  engages the pivot arms  12 ; when the pivot arms  12  have reached an extreme position -for example in a position corresponding with  FIG. 3- a  further movement of the movable panel  4  causes the movable panel  4  to disengage the pivot arms  12  which then will remain in said extreme position). This means that it is possible to define a relation between the position of the movable panel  4  and the position of the frame part  7 . 
     A first drive mechanism  18  for the movable panel  4  is provided as well as a second drive mechanism  19  for the guide rod  9 . Based upon the above relation between the position of the movable panel  4  and the position of the frame part  7  the first and second drive mechanisms  18  and  19  can be synchronized to keep the flexible member  18  in a taut state by adequately moving the guide rod  9 . This may be carried out by a controller  20  operably connected to the drive mechanisms  18  and  19  through control lines  25 . 
     Another, non limiting example, for achieving such a synchronization is to sense the angle of the pivot arms  12  by a sensor  26 , and to use the sensor signal therefrom and received by the controller  20  to control the second drive mechanism  19  of the guide rod  9 . Yet another example uses a sensor (not shown) for sensing the position of the movable panel  4  (such as, for example a pulse counter or Hall sensor in the drive motor  18  of the movable panel  4 ) or a sensor for measuring the tension in the flexible member  8  directly (e.g. tension in a connection in the flexible member  8  to frame member  7  or to the stationary part  10 , force against the guide  11  or against the roller  9 ) or indirectly (for example, tension in spring  14  or  17 , or tension in the connection of roller  9  to shoe  16 ). 
     Whereas  FIG. 5  basically relies on electronic device for achieving the desired synchronization,  FIG. 6  illustrates the principle of a mechanical synchronization. In the illustrated embodiment the pivot arms  12  carry gear wheels  21  driving a toothed belt  22 . The toothed belt  22  is provided with a drive arm  27  engaging the guide rod  9 . It follows that a rotation of the pivot arms  12  directly causes a movement of the guide rod  9 . It is noted, that this only is a non limiting example and that many other mechanical connections are conceivable within the scope of the present invention. 
     Whereas in the embodiments according to  FIGS. 5 and 6  the position of the guide rod  9  directly follows from the position of the movable panel  4  or from the position of the frame part  7  (or the pivot arms  12  thereof) by a mechanical or electronic coupling,  FIG. 7  shows an embodiment in which the position of the guide rod  9  determines the position of the frame part  7 . As illustrated, the frame part  7  of the wind deflector assembly  5  is biased by spring  14  towards its extended position and the guide rod  9  is provided with a drive mechanism  23  for defining its longitudinal position. Moving the guide rod  9  automatically leads to a corresponding movement of the frame part  7  while the flexible member  8  is maintained taut. In such a cause the movable panel  4  does not directly determine the position of the frame part  7  (for example by engaging the pivot arms  12 ), but it still might be conceivable that the operation of the drive mechanism  23  depends from the position of the movable panel  4 . 
     In the embodiments previously illustrated and described the stationary guide  11  is defined by a forward inner edge of the roof opening  2  (which may be part of or connected to a constructive member such as a forward transverse hollow beam  10  which also may house the guide rod  9 ) or by the plate shaped member. In  FIG. 9  there is illustrated an alternative embodiment, in which the stationary guide is defined by a rotatable guide roll  24  having a stationary axis of rotation  28 . Of course it is conceivable too that the guide rod  9  also is defined by such a kind of rotatable guide roll. 
     Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above as has been held by the courts. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.