Abstract:
The invention relates to a vehicle roof with a movable roof part, which by means of a tilt lever, which is connected in an articulated manner close to the rear edge of the roof part, can first be tilted into a ventilating position and can then be slid above the vehicle roof or above an at least partially fixed roof part for the at least partial release of an opening in the vehicle roof, the movable roof part being continuously supported in the area of its rear edge when it is slid from the ventilating position backwards and the movable roof part having a continuous side skirt in the area of its side edges. In order to ensure reliable support and at the same time a pleasing appearance, the rear edge of the movable roof part is continuously supported during the tilting movement and the sliding movement by means of the tilt lever and the side skirt, which is independent of the support system for the movable roof part, lies continuously adjacent a seal arranged at the edge of the roof opening or close to the upper end of the guide rail during the tilting movement and during the sliding movement.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     The invention relates to a vehicle roof having a roof part which can be set out with its rear edge and can be displaced above the roof. 
     2. Related Technology 
     EP 1 468 367 A2 discloses a vehicle roof of said type. In said vehicle roof, a side wall of the displaceable roof part is embodied as a load-bearing wall and is provided at its underside with sliding elements which engage into the lateral guide rails. The load-bearing wall must be relatively stable. It is correspondingly heavy, and on account of the predefined fixed spacing of the upper edge of the cover to the sliding element, entails restrictions as viewed in the height of the vehicle with regard to the mobility of the roof part as the latter is displaced. 
     EP 0 863 817 B1 discloses a further vehicle roof having an externally-guided roof part. In said vehicle roof, the openable roof part is raised by means of a setting-out mechanism and, at the start of the displacement movement, is passed to a separate support lever which is displaceably mounted with its lower end in an upwardly open, laterally offset elongation of the guide rail. As the setting-out mechanism is passed to the support lever, the two elements are in engagement for a short movement phase, resulting in static overdetermination. In this phase, under some circumstances, the drive requires increased drive forces which also adversely affect a sensor arrangement for an anti-trap arrangement. 
     US 2002/0125743 A1 discloses a vehicle roof in which—similarly to EP 1 486 367 A2—an externally guided openable roof part is guided with a very simple mechanism which has a rigid bracket. The lifting takes place by means of suitable ramps in the guide rails, so that the setting-out of the rear edge can take place only at the same time as a displacement of the roof part. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides a vehicle roof wherein the openable roof part is supported continuously by setting-out levers during the setting-out and during the displacement, and is nevertheless visually appealing. 
     According to the invention, a vehicle roof has a movable roof part which, by means of a setting-out lever articulatedly connected close to its rear edge, can firstly be set out into a ventilation position and can subsequently be displaced above the vehicle roof, or above a roof part which is fixed at least at times, in order to at least partially open a roof opening in the vehicle roof, with the movable roof part being continuously further supported in the region of its rear edge as it is displaced rearwardly from the ventilation position, and with the movable roof part having in each case one side screen in the region of its lateral edges, wherein the support of the rear edge of the movable roof part takes place continuously, both during the setting-out movement and also during the displacement movement, by means of a setting-out lever, and wherein the side screen, which is independent of the support of the movable roof part, bears continuously, both during the setting-out movement and also during the displacement movement, against a seal which is arranged on the edge of the roof opening or close to the upper end of a guide rail. 
     The invention provides, in essence, that the rear edge of the displaceable roof part which can be set out is supported continuously in all movement positions by the same setting-out lever, so that no passing to separate support levers need take place. The setting-out levers are actuated by control carriages which are displaced from the closed position via the ventilation position to the fully-open position in the same direction. The control carriages also actuate a locking device which blocks a displacement of the roof part during the setting-out movement, as is described in the prior German patent application 10 2005 007 032.9-24 whose entire content of disclosure is hereby included in the content of the present application. In order to hide the actuating mechanism and to prevent the infiltration of side wind and dirt, a side screen which is fully independent of the actuating mechanism is provided at both side edges of the movable roof part, which side screen is at all times in contact with its outer side against a seal which seals off the outer edge of the guide channel on the fixed vehicle roof. Since, in contrast to the prior art, the side screen has no load-bearing function, it can be designed to be so narrow and coordinated with the setting-out and displacement mechanism in such a way that said side screen and setting-out and displacement mechanism do not hinder one another or entail additional installation space. 
     According to one advantageous embodiment, a further seal is arranged in the lateral edge region on the roof part which is arranged behind the roof opening and which is fixed at least at times, against which further seal the side screen bears with its inner side during a displacement of the roof part rearward. 
     Particularly advantageous is an embodiment in which the setting-out lever is arranged directly adjacent to the inner side of the side screen. 
     According to a further advantageous embodiment, the openable roof part, for the lifting of its front edge, is at least pivotably articulatedly connected to a front setting-out lever, with the setting-out lever being arranged directly adjacent to the inner side of the side screen. 
     The movable roof part is preferably formed by a glass plate and an extrusion coating, which surrounds the glass plate, in the form of a plastic frame. In this case, the side screen is preferably formed in one piece with the extrusion coating, that it is to say said side screen is preferably also generated in the mold during the production of the extrusion coating or is placed as a molded part into the mold during the extrusion-coating and is thereby embedded into the extrusion coating. 
     The side screen preferably has, in its front region, a lower edge which falls obliquely in the rearward direction, with the installation space required during the pivoting movement for the setting-out of the rear edge of the movable roof part being reduced. 
     The side screen preferably has, in its rear region, a rounding on its lower edge, as a result of which the pivoting movement for the setting-out of the rear edge with respect to the roof part which is arranged behind it is facilitated. 
     The control carriage is connected by means of a connection to a drive cable which is guided in a lateral cable channel of the guide rail. Said connection, which connects the drive cable to the control carriage, is led through below the side screen. The connection preferably has a U-shape. 
     The invention is particularly suitable for an externally guided sliding roof (ASD). The latter can also advantageously be a constituent part of a fixed-element cabriolet in which a sliding roof function firstly permits a partial opening of the roof before the entire roof is moved into a stowage space and the entire interior space of the vehicle is thereby opened in the upward direction. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The vehicle roof is explained in more detail below on the basis of an exemplary embodiment and with reference to the drawing, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic side view of a vehicle roof having a rear fixed roof part and a movable front roof part in the set-out ventilation position; 
         FIG. 2  shows a schematic side view of the vehicle roof as per  FIG. 1  with the front roof part open; 
         FIG. 3  shows a cross section through the front left part of the mechanism of the movable roof part as per the section line in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  shows a cross section through the rear left part of the mechanism of the movable roof part as per the section line IV-IV in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  shows a cross section through the front left part of the mechanism of the movable roof part in the completely open position as per the section line V-V in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 6  shows a perspective illustration of the left part of the mechanism of the movable roof part; and 
         FIG. 7  shows a perspective illustration of the left part of the mechanism of the movable roof part with four cross sections through the guide rail embedded therein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The vehicle roof  1  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  has, arranged in succession from front to rear, a movable roof part  2  which adjoins a windshield cowl above the windshield, and a rear fixed roof part  4 . The movable roof part  2  is preferably formed by a glass pane  2  A (alternatively by a transparent plastic pane) and an extrusion coating  2  B, which surrounds the glass pane  2  A, in the form of a plastic frame. The movable roof part  2  can, by means of a mechanism which is described below, be set out with its rear edge into a ventilation position ( FIG. 1 ) and, proceeding from the latter, be displaced rearward over the fixed roof part  4  ( FIG. 2 ), with a roof opening  5  being largely opened and with the movable roof part  2  being supported close to its rear edge  22  at all times, even during its rearward displacement, in contrast to conventional lifting-sliding roofs referred to also as spoiler roofs. Such openable vehicle roofs, which are known from EP 0 863 817 B1, are referred to as externally guided sliding roofs (ASD), since a part of the mechanism which supports the rear edge  22  of the roof part  2 —in this case a setting-out lever  40 —is displaceable in a guide  46  ( FIG. 4 ) which is open toward the upper side of the vehicle roof  1  even during a displacement behind the roof opening  5 , and is thereby stably supported at all times. The guide  46  is covered in the upward direction by means of a seal  1  A on the side edge of the fixed vehicle roof  1  and additionally to the rear by means of a seal  4  A on the outer edge of the rear fixed roof part  4  which deflect out of the path of the setting-out lever  40  as it is displaced rearward. 
     Provided at both side edges of the movable roof part  2  is in each case one side screen  3  which is preferably formed in one piece with the extrusion coating  2  B. This can be realized on the one hand in that the side screen  3  is co-formed in the mold for the extrusion coating  2  B as a cavity, or in that a molded part which forms the side screen  3  is placed into the mold of the plastic frame of the extrusion coating  2  B before the extrusion-coating process. It is however also possible to form a side screen  3  as a separate component and to fasten it to the extrusion coating  2  B or to a reinforcement region  2  C of the movable roof part  2 . The side screen  3  serves to laterally screen the setting-out and displacement mechanism in all operating positions of the movable roof part  2 . Said side screen  3  additionally prevents the infiltration of side wind or dirt into the interior space or into the guide rail  7 . The side screen  3  is completely independent of the setting-out and displacement mechanism of the roof part  2 . 
       FIG. 3  shows a lateral limb of a conventional wind deflector  20  which, when the roof is closed, bears against the front edge of the roof opening  5  below the movable roof part  2  and pivots upward into its operating position, preferably in a spring-loaded manner, only when the roof part  2  is displaced rearward. As an alternative to said wind deflector  20 , it is also possible for a wind deflecting plate which can be set out to be arranged in front of the movable roof part  2 . 
     The roof opening  5  is laterally delimited by lateral roof beams  6 . The latter can be a constituent part of the fixed vehicle roof  1 . They can however also, in the case of a fixed-element cabriolet, be movably arranged on the rear roof part  4  and can, after the movable roof part  2  has moved over the roof part  4 , be released from the front region of the fixed vehicle roof  1  and, for example after being pivoted against the roof part  4 , lowered with the entire roof pack into a stowage space. 
     Arranged on the fixed vehicle roof  1  or on the lateral roof beams  6  is in each case one guide rail  7  which extends both to the side of the roof opening  5  and also, behind the roof opening  5 , into the roof part  4  and between the latter and the lateral roof beam  6 , where said guide rail  7  forms the guide  46  for the lower support of the setting-out lever  40  during the displacement of the roof part  2  over the roof part  4 . Formed in the guide rails  7  is in each case one cable channel  8  in which is guided a tension- and compression-resistant drive cable  9  which is connected to an electric drive (not illustrated).  FIGS. 3 to 7  illustrate in each case only one guide rail  7 , on the left side of the vehicle, with the associated mechanism. All the parts are however provided on both sides of the roof opening  5  mirror-symmetrically with respect to a central longitudinal axis. 
     The movable roof part  2  is connected, close to its front edge  21 , to a front setting-out lever  10  which is mounted so as to be displaceable in the guide rail  7  by means of a front sliding element  11 . The front setting-out lever  10  is guided with the front sliding element  11  so as to be displaceable, depending on the position, in different guide tracks  7  A ( FIG. 3 ) or  7  B ( FIG. 5 ) of the guide rail  7 . The guide tracks  7  A and  7  B are connected to one another in the front region of the guide rail  7  by means of a rising ramp. 
     Close to the rear end  22  of the movable roof part  2 , a setting-out lever  40  is pivotably articulatedly connected by means of a joint to a cover support  30 , which is connected to the roof part  2  by means of a plurality of fastening points  31 , and a rear articulation which is fastened to said cover support  30 . As can be seen most clearly from  FIG. 6 , the setting-out lever  40  is of two-part design in its front region: an outer limb  48  and an inner limb  47  which is connected thereto engage from below around a control carriage  50  in the region of an upwardly-arched curved control slot  54  ( FIG. 4 ). The control slot  54  is provided at the outer side of the control carriage  50  in the rear region of the latter. The setting-out lever  40  engages into the control slot  54  with a front sliding element and a rear sliding element which is arranged approximately in the center of the setting-out lever  40  on the underside of the latter. A control slot which is identical in shape to the control slot  54  is preferably also formed on the inner side of the control carriage  50  in the rear region of the latter at the same height as viewed in the X direction and in the Z direction. The conventional co-ordinate system used in vehicle construction is indicated in  FIG. 6 . The X direction is defined as being parallel to the vehicle longitudinal axis, the Y direction parallel to the vehicle transverse axis and the Z direction parallel to the vehicle vertical axis. Sliding elements on the inner limb  47  of the setting-out lever  40 , which sliding elements are arranged mirror-symmetrically with respect to the front sliding element and with respect to the rear sliding element, engage into said inwardly open control slot. The engagement of in each case two sliding elements into the control slots  54  on the control carriage  50  ensures a symmetrical introduction of force and particularly stable support of the movable roof part  2 . The function would however also be ensured by means of a simple setting-out lever  40  which engages with only two sliding elements on one side into one control slot  54 . 
     The control carriage  50  is displaceably mounted with a pair of front sliding elements and a pair of rear sliding elements  12  ( FIG. 4 ) in a guide track  7  B of the guide rail  7 . A connection  53  to the drive cable  9  is at the same time provided on the outer side at the level of the rear sliding element  12 . The drive motor (not illustrated) therefore actuates the movable roof part  2  exclusively by means of a displacement of the control carriage  50 . Arranged on the control carriage  50  in its front region is a further slot which is open toward the inner side. An outward-pointing control pin is also provided in the front region of the control carriage  50 . The further slot serves for actuating a locking device which is formed by a locking lever  61  ( FIG. 6 ) which is arranged parallel to the inner limb  41  of the setting-out lever  40  and of the control carriage  50 , which locking lever  61  is pivotably mounted at its rear end with a joint on the inner limb  41  of the setting-out lever  40 , and which, at its front end, supports a locking bolt on the inner side, that is to say facing toward the roof opening  5 , and a control pin on the outer side, with the control pin being offset slightly downward and rearward with respect to the locking bolt. 
     The locking bolt engages into a slot which is provided on the inner side of the guide rail  7  and which has a profile which, from front to rear, initially is an obliquely falling profile which then merges into a horizontal guide track of the guide rail  7 . 
     The control pin engages into the further slot on the control carriage  50 . Since not all of the details of the setting-out and displacement mechanism and the locking device are illustrated in the present application, reference is made for further details to the prior German patent application 10 2005 007 032 as already cited in the introduction. 
     The side screen  3  which, according to the invention, is first provided in an externally-guided sliding roof (ASD) and is independent of the setting-out and displacement mechanism, is arranged such that, in all operating positions, it bears sealingly with its outer side against the seal  1 A on the side edge of the roof opening  5  and in the rear part against the side edge of the fixed vehicle roof  1  in the region of the side beam  6  ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ). In the rear part, said side screen  3  additionally bears with its inner side against a seal  4  A which is arranged on the side edge of the roof part  4  which is fixed at least at times ( FIG. 5 ). The mechanisms for setting out and displacing the movable roof part  2  and the side screen  3  are coordinated with one another in such a way that the side screen bears from the outside virtually without play against the front setting-out lever  10  ( FIGS. 3 and 5 ) and against the rear setting-out lever  40  ( FIG. 4 ). As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , the connection  53  between the drive cable  9  and the rear sliding elements  12  of the control carriage  50  is designed so as to pass through below the side screen  3  in a U-shape. The mechanism as a whole therefore permits a side screen  3  which is uniform in height over the entire length. As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , there are exceptions to this only in the front part and in the rear part. In the front region, the lower edge  3  A of the side screen  3  is designed so as to fall obliquely in the rearward direction, so that, during a pivoting movement of the rear edge  22  of the roof part  2  into a ventilation position ( FIG. 1 ), no additional installation height is required at the front by the side screen. In the rear region, a rounding  3  B is provided on the lower edge of the side screen  3 , so that the rear edge  22  of the movable roof part  2  can pivot easily past the front edge of the fixed roof part  4 . 
     The function of the above-described mechanism is described below, starting from the closed position. 
     In the closed position, the openable roof part  2  is in alignment with the fixed vehicle roof  1  and with the rear roof part  4  in the roof opening  5 . Here, the roof part  2  is held close to its front edge  21  by means of the front setting-out lever  10 . The front setting-out lever  10  is itself held in the Y direction and the Z direction, and is also secured in the X direction, by means of the web  13  indicated in  FIG. 7  and the plastic extrusion coating  14  which is arranged thereon in connection with the front sliding element  11 . 
     The rear end of the roof part  2  is held in the Y direction and in the Z direction by means of the setting-out lever  40 , whose sliding elements are in engagement with the control slot  54  of the control carriage  50 , and additionally by the web  41 , which is indicated in  FIG. 7  and is arranged parallel on the setting-out lever  40 , with the plastic molded-on portions  43  and  44  arranged thereon, and is secured in the X direction by means of the engagement of the locking bolt (not illustrated) into the locking slot on the guide rail. 
     The opening movement of the cover  2  begins with a setting-out movement of the rear edge  22 . For this purpose, the drive motor (not illustrated) moves the drive cable  9  rearward. Here, the control carriage  50  is displaced rearward by the same distance by means of the cable connection  53 . Here, the control slot  54  moves relative to the sliding elements of the setting-out lever  40  from the closed position into the ventilation position illustrated in  FIG. 1 . While the front sliding element of the setting-out lever  40  is situated in the upper region in the closed position and the rear sliding element of the setting-out lever  40  is situated at the rear lower transition of the curved control slot  54 , in the set-out position of the rear edge  22  of the roof part  2 , the front sliding element of the setting-out lever  40  has moved into the lower front transition region and the rear sliding element of the setting-out lever  40  has moved into the upper central region of the control slot  54 . In this way, the control lever  40  is forced to perform a counterclockwise pivoting movement which leads to the set-out position of the roof part  2  shown in  FIG. 1 . At the same time, as a result of the engagement of the control pin into the further slot, the locking bolt has been guided slightly rearward and slightly downward in the obliquely falling part of its associated slot, but without having already entered the horizontal guide track of the guide rail  7 . In this way, the locking bolt (not illustrated), by means of the locking lever  61 , still secures the setting-out lever  40  in its set-out position so as to prevent a rearward displacement. 
     For the complete opening of the roof part  2 , the control carriage  50  is displaced further rearward from the set-out position by the drive cable  9 . Here, the locking bolt is passed into the horizontal section of the associated slot by means of the guidance of the control pin in the further slot. 
     In the end position ( FIG. 2 ), the roof opening  5  is largely opened. The setting-out lever  10  close to the front edge  21  of the movable roof part  2  is situated directly in front of the rear roof part  4 . Said setting-out lever  10  can, for the complete opening of the roof part  2 , also travel yet further rearward adjacent to the front region of the rear roof part  4 . The closing movement of the movable roof part  2  takes place in precisely the reverse sequence to the sequence described above. 
     An advantage of the above-described mechanism for an externally guided sliding roof is that the drive from the closed position via the set-out position of the rear edge to the fully-open position takes place in the same direction by means of a single control carriage  50 . All of the temporary locking actions, which are required for this purpose, of the front carriage  10  and of the setting-out lever  40  so as to prevent an early displacement are controlled directly or indirectly by said control carriage  50 . The mechanism is of considerably smaller construction than the prior art recognized in the introduction. In the X direction, a single continuous guide rail  7  is used on each side, which guide rail  7  merges into the rear guide  46  for the support of the setting-out lever  40 . In this way, the width of the mechanism in the Y direction is likewise considerably reduced. The above-described mechanism also is reduced to a minimum with regard to height (Z direction). The flat curved slot  54  of the control carriage  50  requires minimal drive forces for generating the setting-out movement for the setting-out lever  40 . A continuous, jerk-free actuation of the movable roof part  2  is ensured, which also allows a direct pass through from the closed position via the ventilation position into the fully-open position without large and abruptly-changing drive forces, which could confuse an anti-trap arrangement sensor, being required here. The continuous side screen  3  hides the mechanism from view from the side in all operating phases and creates a visually pleasant appearance without adversely affecting the mechanism or entailing an increased installation space. Since said side screen  3  has no load-bearing function to perform, it can be of very narrow design. Said side screen  3  is held, in  FIG. 7 , by the narrow gap  42  between the outer side of the outer limb  48  of the setting-out lever  40  and the web  41  which is integrally formed on the outside of the latter, which web  41  supports the additional plastic molded-on portions  43  and  44  for additional support in the Y direction. 
     In the front region, the side screen  3  is formed by the narrow gap between the front setting-out lever  10  and the parallel web  13  which is integrally formed on the outside of the latter, on which web  13  is likewise integrally formed an additional plastic molded-on portion  14  for additional support of the mechanism and therefore of the displaceable roof part  2  in the Y direction. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 
     
         
           1  Vehicle roof 
           1 A Seal (on  1 ) 
           2  (Movable) roof part 
           2  A Glass plate 
           2  B Extrusion coating 
           2  C Reinforcement region 
           3  Side screen 
           4  (Fixed) roof part 
           4  A Seal (on  4 ) 
           5  Roof opening 
           6  (Side) roof beam 
           7  Guide rail 
           7  A First guide channel (on  7 ) 
           7  B Second guide channel (on  7 ) 
           7  C Third guide channel (on  7 , for roller blind) 
           8  Cable channel 
           9  Drive cable 
           10  (Front) setting-out lever 
           11  (Front) sliding element 
           12  (Rear) sliding element 
           13  Web 
           14  Plastic molded-on portion 
           20  Wind deflector 
           21  Front edge (of  2 ) 
           22  Rear edge (of  2 ) 
           30  Cover support 
           40  Setting-out lever 
           41  Web 
           42  Gap 
           43  Plastic molded-on portion 
           44  Plastic molded-on portion 
           46  Guide 
           47  Inner limb (of  40 ) 
           48  Outer limb (of  40 ) 
           50  Control carriage 
           53  Connection to drive cable 
           54  Control slot (for  40 ) 
           61  Locking lever