Patent Document

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   The application claims priority to German Patent Application No. DE 103 46 524.3 which was filed on Oct. 7, 2003. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates generally to a sunroof system that includes a wind deflector system and to the wind deflector system itself. 
   A wind deflector system improves airflow conditions when an adjustable panel of a sunroof system is at least in a partially open position. The wind deflection system includes a wind deflector that is usually located at a front edge of a roof opening. The wind deflector is adjustable between a lowered position, in which the wind deflector is located below an outside surface of the vehicle roof, and an extended position, in which the wind deflector protrudes above the outside surface of the vehicle roof. Depending on actuation of the wind deflector, various intermediate positions are possible as well. 
   When the wind deflector is in the extended position, there is usually a clearance below the wind deflector into which a vehicle occupant can reach. If the wind deflector is then moved to the lowered position, for instance when the sunroof is closed, a risk exists where the vehicle occupant&#39;s hand might be pinched by the descending wind deflector. 
   It is an object an embodiment of the present invention to create a wind deflector system in which the risk of a vehicle occupant getting pinched during operation is eliminated. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The wind deflector system for a sunroof system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a wind deflector that is adjustable between a lowered and an extended position. In one embodiment an additional component, such as a pinch protection element, is mounted to the wind deflector. The pinch protection element is mounted to the wind deflector and extends downwards from the wind deflector. The pinch protection element makes a space below the wind deflector inaccessible (i.e. the space into which the wind deflector is lowered) at least when the wind deflector is moved from the lowered position to the extended position. 
   In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a sunroof system is provided with a wind deflector system that includes a pinch protection element. The pinch protection element extends between the wind deflector and a frame of the sunroof system when the wind deflector is in its extended position, such that a vehicle occupant cannot reach between the extended wind deflector and the roof. 
   These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  schematically illustrates a vehicle roof with a sunroof system; 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective view of a sunroof system in accordance with the prior art; 
       FIG. 3  schematically illustrates a section through a wind deflector system of one embodiment of the present invention along plane III—III of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  illustrates another embodiment of the wind deflector system according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  illustrates yet another embodiment of the wind deflector system according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a further embodiment of the wind deflector system according to the present invention; and 
       FIG. 7  illustrates another embodiment of the wind deflector system according to the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1  shows a vehicle roof  5  that includes a sunroof system. The sunroof system includes a panel  7  that is movable relative to a frame  8  in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle. The panel  7  is moveable between a first position, located forward in vehicle A, where the panel  7  closes a roof opening  9  in the vehicle roof  5 , and a second position, rearward in the vehicle, where the panel  7  partially or completely clears the roof opening  9 . A wind deflector system, not show in  FIG. 1 , is mounted at a front end of the frame  8  and the roof opening  9 . 
     FIG. 2  illustrates a left side portion of a known wind deflector system along plane III—III as shown in  FIG. 1 . The complete wind deflector system includes both a left side portion and a right side portion where the right side portion would be mirror-inverted across the plane III—III. The complete wind deflector system includes a wind deflector  10  wherein the wind deflector  10  comprises a U-shaped rigid component including lateral legs  12 . The wind deflector  10  is pivotally mounted to the frame  8  at bearing points  14 . The wind deflector system includes a pop-out spring  16  that biases the wind deflector  10  into an extended position. In the extended position, a middle portion of the wind deflector  10 , located between the lateral legs  12 , protrudes beyond an outer skin of the vehicle roof  5 . From the extended position, the wind deflector  10  is moveable against the biasing force of the pop-out spring  16  to a lowered position where the wind deflector  10  is located below the outside skin of the vehicle roof  5 . Further, the wind deflector  10  is in the lowered position when the panel  7  is almost or completely in a closed position. 
   In the known wind deflector system illustrated in  FIG. 2 , when the wind deflector  10  is in the extended position, a clearance  18  exists between the wind deflector  10  and the frame  8 , i.e., below the wind deflector  10  and above the frame  8 . In this known system, there is a risk that a vehicle occupant may pinch a hand in the clearance  18  when the panel  7  is open or during the process of closing. As known, the wind deflector  10  typically moves to the lowered position as the panel  7  is closing. When the panel  7  is closing, there is a risk of pinching the hand of the vehicle occupant because the wind deflector  10  has, in most cases, already moved into the lowered position and, while the panel  7  is still open to some extent, the vehicle occupant does not yet recognize it as necessary to withdraw his hand from the roof opening. The risk of pinching also exists in electrically actuated wind deflectors that are automatically retracted based upon external parameters and without notice to the vehicle occupant. 
   To eliminate this risk, a wind deflector system of one embodiment of the present invention includes a pinch protection element  20  ( FIG. 3 ). The pinch protection element  20  is mounted to the wind deflector  10  and extends downward through the clearance  18  where it contacts the frame  8 , preventing access to the clearance  18  when the wind deflector  10  is in its extended position. The pinch protection element  20  is mounted not only at the illustrated middle portion of the middle portion of the wind deflector  10 , but also at the lateral legs (element  12  in  FIG. 2 ). The pinch protection element  20  extends between the wind deflector  10  and the vehicle frame at these areas. The pinch protection element  20  is designed such that it does not impede movement of the wind deflector  10  from the extended position to the lowered position. 
   In one embodiment, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the pinch protection element  20  comprises a bellows  22 , which collapses in a zigzag manner when the wind deflector  10  is moved from an extended position into a lowered position. 
   In another embodiment, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the pinch protection element  20  comprises a resilient cover, such as a rubber cover which, due to its shape, is biased to contract or collapse away from the clearance  18  when the wind deflector  10  is moved from an extended position to a lowered position. In this way, any object, such as a hand in the area is pushed away from the wind deflector. 
   In yet another embodiment, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the pinch protection element  20  is formed by a plurality of shields  26  movably mounted to each other which, apart from the uppermost and lowermost shields, are each moveably connected at one end with an overlying shield and at the other end with an underlying shield. Therefore, the plurality of shields  26  can be layered together to form a stack when the wind deflector  10  is in a lowered position, where the height of the stack corresponds to the height of a single shield  26 . 
   In a further embodiment, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the pinch protection element  20  comprises a plurality of shields  27  wherein the shields  27  are hinged to one another such that they fold inward from a clearance  18  when the wind deflector  10  is moved from an extended position to a lowered position, thereby pushing away a potentially present hand from the wind deflector  10 . In sum, all embodiments discussed include an additional component that has little or no wind deflection function and that can be subsequently mounted, with little effort, to an existing wind deflector system to provide reliable anti-pinch protection. 
   In yet another embodiment, the pinch protection element  20  could be a net ( FIG. 7 ). 
   Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.

Technology Category: 7