Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is directed to a motor vehicle roof including a fixed roof structure having front and rear roof openings, two selectively adjustable covers for closing a respective roof opening, whereby at least one of the covers is selectively movable longitudinally from a closed position into an open position to at least partially clear a respective roof opening, and whereby the covers are pivotable out of the closed position into a ventilation position. The invention, furthermore, relates to a headliner arrangement for a motor vehicle roof with a roof opening which is made in the fixed roof structure and with two successive adjustable covers for closing and partially clearing the roof opening, and the front headliner unit can be pushed out of the covering position which is assigned to the front cover to the rear into the open position, and the rear headliner unit can be pushed out of the covering position assigned to the rear cover, forward into the open position. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     European Patent Publication EP 0 447 781 A2 describes a sliding and lifting roof with two covers which are located in succession in a closed position which closes the roof opening. The front cover can be raised at its rear edge from the closed position into a ventilation position. When the front cover is raised into the ventilation position, the displacement means forcibly lowers the front edge of the rear cover. In the raised ventilation position of the front cover, it can be shifted to the rear to over the rear cover, or the rear cover can be pushed under the front cover in order to clear the front or the rear section of the roof opening. 
     With known headliner arrangements of the type the invention is directed toward, two comparatively large-area headliner elements are guided on respective guide rails which are located with a vertical offset relative to one another under the fixed roof structure so that they can be stowed at the same time on top of one another under the middle part of the roof. However, the free head space for vehicle passengers is reduced by the guide rail which has been offset down. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the invention is to devise the initially mentioned motor vehicle roof in which optimized ventilation of the motor vehicle can be achieved by different cover positions. 
     Another object of the invention is to devise a headliner for a motor vehicle roof of the initially mentioned type which can be stowed under the roof in its open position with little space requirement. 
     These and other objects may be achieved in accordance with the present invention in the initially mentioned type of motor vehicle roof in that the front cover and the rear cover can be raised with their respective rear edges about their front edges into their ventilation positions. The rear edges can be raised by pivoting the cover about its front edge or about a transverse axis which runs in the continuing area about the front edge of the cover. Accordingly, two sliding and lifting roofs are combined, and the rear sliding and lifting roof or the rear cover can be moved forward to under the front cover by a guide mechanism from its closed position. 
     The objects may also be achieved in the initially mentioned type of motor vehicle roof in accordance with the present invention also in that the front cover can be lowered about its rear edge into its ventilation position and the rear cover can be raised about its front edge into its ventilation position. The front, lowerable cover, as a result of the lowering of its front edge, is also called the “front vent”. By way of the lowered front edge on the front cover and the raised rear edge of the rear cover two ventilation openings which are distant from one another are made available with improved ventilation action for the entire motor vehicle interior. 
     Furthermore, the objects may be achieved in accordance with the present invention in the initially mentioned motor vehicle roof in that the front cover can be pivoted about its front edge into its ventilation position and the rear cover can be lowered about its rear edge into its ventilation position. 
     Finally, the objects of the invention may be achieved such that the front cover and the rear cover can be lowered on their respective front edges about their respective rear edges into their ventilation positions. In addition, in a preferred embodiment, the motor vehicle roof includes a pivotable wind deflector in front of the front cover, the wind deflector being pivotable so that a draft can be produced for ventilating the interior of the motor vehicle, and especially for the front cover which can be lowered on its front edge, a clearly larger ventilation opening can be set when the pivoted-out wind deflector also clears an additional opening. 
     The objects may also be achieved with respect to the aforementioned headliner in that the two headliner units are guided roughly in a common plane near the roof out of their cover positions in the direction to their open positions and that at least one of the two headliner units in the longitudinal direction is divided into at least two headliner elements which can be displaced or pivoted relative to one another, and while it is being pushed to its open position, it is guided from its arrangement near the roof to under the other headliner unit. The division of the large-area headliner unit into at least two or even more headliner elements which are shorter in the longitudinal direction makes the headliner unit flexible about one or more transverse axes such that it can be moved into a stowed position and can be deposited therein, and the guides to the stowage position can be located near the roof. In this way, the head space for the vehicle passengers is not unduly limited. The headliner unit can have individual, separate elements which can be flexibly or pivotably joined to one another, or alternatively, it can be made in one piece with sections divided in the longitudinal direction with varied bending flexibility in order, for example, to be able to follow a guideway which is bent in a S-shape. 
     Preferably, a headliner unit is movably supported on a guide which essentially follows the roof contour and which extends from the assigned cover to the middle part of the headliner, and the other headliner unit is movably guided on a guide which runs in the area of the middle part of the headliner underneath the other guide. If the two headliner units can be moved independently of one another, according to the requirements of the vehicle passengers, then only one of the headliner elements can be partially or completely closed. 
    
    
     Embodiments of the motor vehicle roof and the headliner are explained below with reference to the drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the roof of a motor vehicle; 
     FIGS. 2A to  2 H are schematic side views of a motor vehicle roof in different positions of the covers of the roof openings; 
     FIGS. 3A to  3 D are schematic side views of a motor vehicle roof with a wind deflector in different positions of the covers of the roof openings; and 
     FIGS. 4A to  4 C are schematic side views of a roof with a headliner in the open and closed position of the roof and of the headliner. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle roof including a fixed roof structure  10  which has a roof opening  11  which extends from near the front edge  12  of the fixed roof structure  10  to near the rear edge  13  of the fixed roof structure  10 . On the bottom of the fixed roof structure  10 , a frame (not shown) is attached which, on each side of the roof opening  11 , has guide rails in which the front cover  14  and the rear cover  15  are movably supported in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle. Furthermore, the two covers  14 ,  15  are each provided with a pivoting-out mechanism (not shown) by which the front cover  14  and the rear cover  15  can be raised or lowered into the ventilation positions on the respective rear edge  16  and  17  of the covers with respect to the front edge  18  and  19  of the covers, or alternatively, on the front edge  18  and  19  of the covers with respect to the rear edge  16  and  17  of the covers. Moreover, the two covers  14 ,  15  can be raised or lowered about their front or rear edges, or one of the covers  14 ,  15  can be raised or lowered about its front edge and the other cover can be raised or lowered about its rear edge. 
     For their pivoting motion and their displacement motion along the guide rails, the covers  14 ,  15  are each driven by a separate drive which can be made in the known manner as an electric motor with a pinion and compressively-stiff drive cables. As shown in FIG. 2D, a displacement mechanism (not shown) lowers one of the covers  14 ,  15  as it is pushed lengthwise to under the other cover. As shown in FIG. 2A, in the closed position of the motor vehicle roof shown, the front cover  14  closes a front section  20  of the roof opening  11 , when the covers  14 ,  15  are the same size, while the rear cover  15  closes the rear section  21  or the rear half. FIG. 2B shows a position in which the rear edge  16  of the front cover  14  and the rear edge  17  of the rear cover  15  are raised for ventilation purposes by pivoting about the respective front edges  18  and  19 . 
     In FIG. 2C, the front cover  14  is selectively moved to the rear out of its closed position along its guide rails, and in doing so, is lowered and pushed entirely under the rear cover  15  which is still pivoted into the ventilation position in order to completely clear the front section  20  of the roof opening  11 . In FIG. 2D, the front cover  14  is lowered out of its closed position and is selectively moved along its guide rails to the rear to under the rear cover  15  which is pushed out of its closed position, forward into the middle of the roof opening  11 . One part of the front section  20  and of the rear section  21  of the roof opening  11  at a time are thus cleared, in a middle arrangement of the covers  14 ,  15 , two same-sized openings sections  20  and  21  being formed. 
     In another embodiment, the front cover  14  can be lowered via its raising mechanism on its front edge  18  into a ventilation position. According to FIG. 2E, a roof position can be set in which the front cover  14  is lowered on its front edge  18 , while the rear edge  17  of the rear cover  15  is raised toward the top. In this way a ventilation opening  22  is formed on the front edge of the roof opening  11  and a ventilation position  23  is formed on the rear edge of the roof opening  11 . As shown in FIG. 2F, for complete opening of the rear section or of the rear section  21  of the roof opening  11 , the rear cover  15  can be pushed out of its closed position forward to under the front cover  14 . Alternatively, the rear cover  15  is pushed forward on its guide rails, after the front cover  14  has been lowered (not shown). 
     In the embodiment of the motor vehicle roof shown in FIG. 2G, the rear cover  15  can be lowered at its front edge into a ventilation position by way of its raising mechanism, while the front cover  14  can be raised at its rear edge  16 . In the position of the two covers  14 ,  15  shown in FIG. 2G, a middle ventilation opening  24  is opened at roughly twice the height obtainable by either cover by itself. Finally, as shown in FIG. 2H, in another embodiment of the motor vehicle roof both the front cover  14  and also the rear cover  15  on their front edges  18  and  19  can be lowered in the ventilation positions. 
     For complete opening of the front and the rear sections  20 ,  21  of the roof opening  11 , or for partial opening of at least one of the front section  20  and the rear section  21  of the roof opening  11 , in the described embodiments the front cover  14  is pushed to the rear and the rear cover  15  is pushed to the front by the corresponding path, one cover being pushed horizontally on its guide rails and the other cover being lowered to under the former cover. The control of the drives of the two covers  14 ,  15  is made such that the pivoting motions of the covers  14 ,  15  and also their displacement motions can be executed independently of one another, collision of the covers  14 ,  15  being precluded during the displacement by the arrangement of the guide rails. 
     The embodiments of the motor vehicle roof shown in FIGS. 3A-3D are formed essentially, like the above described examples, however, they include a wind deflector  25  which is located between the front edge  12  of the fixed roof structure  10  and the front cover  14 , and can be raised at its rear edge  26  by being pivoted up about its front edge  36 . The wind deflector  25  can be made as a louver which is located as a layered part of the fixed roof structure  10 , flush on the latter, and can be pivoted up out of this flush arrangement so that the fixed part of the roof structure  10  which remains underneath the louver preserves its fixed arrangement. As shown in FIG. 3A, in an alternative embodiment, the wind deflector  25  forms a movable part of the fixed roof structure  10  in its entirety which can be pivoted up as the wind deflector unit of the fixed roof structure  10  and thus can clear an additional ventilation opening  22  between the raised rear edge  26  of the wind deflector  25  and the front edge  18  of the front cover  14  which is located in its closed position. The wind deflector  25  can be used in all the motor vehicle roofs which are shown in FIGS. 2A-2H. 
     FIG. 3B shows a position of the covers  14 ,  15  in which the front cover  14  is pushed out of its closed position to the rear into the middle of the roof opening  11  and to under the rear cover  15  while the rear cover  15  is raised at its rear edge  17  in the ventilation position. As shown in FIG. 3C, the rear cover  15  is lowered at its front edge  19  into the ventilation position. While, when the front cover  14  is closed, the front ventilation opening  22  which is formed by the raised wind deflector  25  and the ventilation opening  24  which is partially cleared by the rear cover  15 , yield good, draft-free ventilation, the ventilation action is improved even more when, as shown in the figure, the front cover  14 ,  16  is pivoted out at its rear edge into the ventilation position so that the ventilation opening  24  is opened with its greatest height which is twice that obtainable by moving the covers as shown for opening  24  in FIGS. 3B and 3D, for example. 
     The motor vehicle roof shown in FIG. 3D contains a front cover  14  which can be lowered at its front edge  18  into the ventilation position. With the wind deflector  25  pivoted up, between the rear edge  26  of the wind deflector  25  and the front edge  18  of the front cover  14  lowered relative to the closed position (on the broken line of the roof), thus, a much larger front ventilation opening  22  is formed which, in conjunction with the ventilation opening  24  which has been cleared by the rear cover  15 , enables even more improved ventilation by air circulation from the interior through the front ventilation opening  22  to the outside over the front cover  14  and though the middle ventilation opening  24  back into the interior. 
     FIGS. 4A to  4 C show a motor vehicle roof including a headliner  27  having a front headliner unit  28  which is assigned to the front section  20  of the roof opening  11  and the front, especially transparent, cover  14 , and a rear headliner unit  29  which is assigned to the rear section  21  of the roof opening  11  and the rear, especially transparent, cover  15 . The headliner units  28 ,  29  are movably located on each side of the roof opening  11  on a respective one of the guide rails  30 ,  31 . The rear guide rail  31  extends in the plane near the roof, forward to beyond the rear edge  16  of the front cover  14 . The front guide rail  30 , which runs roughly in the area under the front cover  14  approximately in one plane with the rear guide rail  31  near the motor vehicle roof, is lowered at the beginning of the middle section  32  of the headliner to under the rear guide rail  31 , and extends underneath from it at a distance which is slightly greater than the thickness of the front headliner unit  28 . 
     At least the front headliner unit  28  is divided in the longitudinal direction into a plurality, for example, three headliner elements  33 ,  34 ,  35 , which are connected flexibly to one another and are connected especially offset relative to one another, or so as to pivot about one or more transverse axes. By dividing the headliner unit  28  into headliner elements  33 ,  34 ,  35  which are shorter in the longitudinal direction, they can follow, as a result of their greater flexibility, the path of the front guide rail  30  which is curved in an S-shape over a short distance (thereby reducing headroom in the smallest possible region) and can be guided into the lower deposition plane under the middle section  32 . As shown in FIG. 4C, the rear headliner unit  29  is pushed on its guideway  31  over the front headliner unit  28  which is located underneath into the middle section  32  of the headliner so that the two headliner units  28 ,  29  clear front and rear sections  20 ,  21  of the roof opening  11 . The rear headliner unit  29  can also be divided into two or more headliner elements, this division not being necessary in this embodiment, in which the rear headliner unit  29  is guided roughly on the largely planar path of the guide rail. The plane in which the guide rails  30 ,  31  are essentially arranged can be flat or curved according to the shape of the fixed roof structure. 
     It is noted that the displacement mechanisms for the covers and headliners have not been shown or described in specific detail since such forms no part of the invention. Those skilled in the sunroof art, given the motions described, will easily be able to apply any of various known drive and linkage techniques to achieve the described effects.

Technology Category: b