Open roof construction for a vehicle

Abstract

An open roof construction for a vehicle, a drive motor is placed near the rear edge of an opening in a fixed roof and near the longitudinal centre line of the opening. The drive motor comprises an elongated drive member which from its output shaft extends opposite the rear edge of the opening (2). An operating mechanism is movably connected between the frame near the rear edge of the opening and the rear edge of the panel. The operating mechanism comprises two height adjustment members on the frame, one on each lateral side of the drive motor, and the height adjustment members are guided for movement in a lateral direction initiated by the drive member. The two height adjustable members are non-movably fixed to the panel and cooperate with the height adjustment members on the frame, which together with the drive member move in order to cause height adjustment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an open roof configuration for a vehicle having an opening in its fixed roof, the roof configuration including a fixed frame mounted in the opening of the fixed roof, and at least one panel movably supported by the frame and capable of at least partially opening and closing the opening in the fixed roof by tilting the panel with its rear edge up and down. Background Technology

[0002] Such an open roof construction is known, for example, from JP2015-123805A. This prior art open roof construction is a so-called pop-up roof, in which the panel can only be tilted from its closed position to a ventilated position and back. The operating mechanism includes a rod structure below each side edge of the panel. Summary of the Invention

[0003] One of the objectives of this invention is to provide an open roof structure that provides better headroom for vehicle occupants and also provides stable support for the panels.

[0004] To achieve this objective, the open roof configuration according to the invention includes: a drive motor positioned near the rear edge of an opening in a fixed roof and near the longitudinal centerline of the opening, the drive motor being connected to a fixed frame, the drive motor including an output shaft and an elongated drive member extending relative to the output shaft along the rear edge of the opening; an operating mechanism movably connected between the frame and the rear edge of the panel near the rear edge of the opening, the operating mechanism including: two height-adjusting members on the frame, one height-adjusting member on each lateral side of the drive motor, and the height-adjusting members being guided for lateral movement initiated by the drive member; and two height-adjustable members immovably fixed to the panel and cooperating with the height-adjusting members on the frame, the height-adjusting members moving together with the drive member to induce height adjustment.

[0005] By placing all or most of the drive motor and operating mechanism components behind the roof opening, a low vertical enclosure can be provided for open roof constructions along the sides of the roof opening where maximum headroom is required. The rear of the roof opening is typically located between the front and rear occupants of the vehicle, so there is no compromise in headroom due to the greater build height there. Panel support can be more stable and less complex due to the fixed, height-adjustable components. Generally, when build heights are similar, the lift height will be smaller compared to a bar, making such fixed components particularly suitable for open roof constructions requiring relatively small lift heights.

[0006] The height adjustment member on the frame is preferably connected to the height adjustable member on the panel at a certain distance from the corresponding side edge of the panel. In particular, the distance between the longitudinal center of the panel and the mid-spacing of the connection between each height adjustment member and the height adjustable member is in the range of 10%-45% of the local width of the panel.

[0007] By using two height-adjustable components instead of a single component positioned at the center of the panel, and by attaching the two components at a distance from the edge of the panel instead of at the edge itself, stability is improved compared to the other two methods. Furthermore, if the connection is spaced apart from the center and sides of the panel, the sealing pressure on the seal below the rear edge of the closed panel will be better distributed.

[0008] In one embodiment, the height adjustment member and the height-adjustable member each include a guide curve and a guide pin engaging the curve, one of which is fixed to the panel and the other to the frame.

[0009] This is a simple yet stable way to achieve a high degree of adjustability.

[0010] When the panel is tilted about a lateral axis near the front edge of the panel, if at least a portion of the pin engaging the curved portion is shaped like a barrel, it is advantageous to be able to perform a limited angular rotation about the lateral axis between the pin and the curved portion.

[0011] In an advantageous embodiment, the drive motor includes a substantially vertical output shaft, and an elongated drive member engages with a gear on the output shaft.

[0012] In one embodiment, each of the drive components is a drive cable that engages with the gear on its opposite side, the height-adjustable component and the height-adjusting component are mirror images of each other, and the drive cable and the height-adjusting component move in opposite directions.

[0013] In an arrangement where the height adjustment component is close to the motor, the elongated drive component can be shorter and have only a slight curvature. Therefore, the operating mechanism can be driven with low motor torque, and thus only a small drive motor is required, which is generally cheaper and occupies less space.

[0014] In another embodiment, each of the drive members is the end of a single drive cable that extends substantially in a straight line in the lateral direction of the roof, the height-adjustable member and the height-adjusting member are identically shaped, and the height-adjusting member moves in the same direction via the single drive cable.

[0015] This straight, single drive cable results in lower resistance in the drive cable, and therefore requires less torque from the drive motor.

[0016] The height adjustment component can be guided to move only in the lateral direction, resulting in low resistance in the operating mechanism.

[0017] However, the height adjustment component may also move at least partially along a path that is inclined in both the lateral and vertical directions.

[0018] This results in slightly higher resistance in the operating mechanism, and also results in a higher lift for the lower panel at the same package height, or a lower package height and the same lift height.

[0019] Each height-adjustable component may be provided with a guide curved part, and each height-adjustable component may be provided with a guide pin, or each height-adjustable component may be provided with a guide pin and each height-adjustable component may be provided with a guide curved part.

[0020] In a particular embodiment, each height adjustment member is provided with a rod, the rod having a guide pin near its free end, and each rod engaging the frame such that when the rod moves together with a corresponding drive member, the rod is pushed to rotate. Preferably, each rod engages the frame at a location near the free end of the rod, at a distance generally below the guide pin.

[0021] The operating mechanism is preferably configured such that the panel can only tilt up and down, which results in ventilation and a low enclosure height, because the operating mechanism is concentrated at the rear of the open roof structure near the center of the open roof structure, where there are usually no passenger seats.

[0022] According to another aspect of the invention, the height adjustment member on the frame is connected to the height adjustable member on the panel at a certain distance from the corresponding side edge of the panel, and in particular, the distance between the longitudinal center line of the panel at the mid-spacing of the connection between each height adjustment member and the height adjustable member is in the range of 10%-45% of the local width of the panel.

[0023] The present invention also includes a vehicle comprising the above-described open roof structure. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Further details and advantages of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 It is a perspective view of the roof of an embodiment including an open roof structure.

[0025] Figure 2 It is a perspective view of the open roof structure separated from the vehicle.

[0026] Figure 3 It is similar to Figure 2 The view is shown, but only the panels of the open roof structure are shown.

[0027] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 and Figure 3 An enlarged exploded view of a first embodiment of an electric motor and operating mechanism for opening and closing a panel in an open-roof structure.

[0028] Figure 5A It is in the assembly state. Figure 4 A perspective view of the motor and operating mechanism.

[0029] Figure 5B and 5C yes Figure 5A Enlarged front view of the motor and operating mechanism in the closed and open positions.

[0030] Figure 5D It is built into the vehicle Figure 5C A cross-sectional side view of the operating mechanism.

[0031] Figures 6A-6D And 7A-7D are with Figures 5A-5D This is a view similar to the one shown, but other embodiments are illustrated.

[0032] Figure 8A It is similar to Figure 5A The view shows, but also another embodiment of the motor and operating mechanism with an open roof construction.

[0033] Figure 8B It corresponds to Figure 4 The exploded diagram, but shows... Figure 8A Examples of implementations.

[0034] Figure 8C-8E It corresponds to Figures 5B-5D The view, but shows Figure 8A Examples of implementations.

[0035] Figures 9A-9D It corresponds to the appendix Figures 8A-8D The view is shown, but another embodiment is illustrated.

[0036] Figure 9E yes Figure 9A The motor and operating mechanism in Figure 9D The rear view of the location.

[0037] Figure 9F It corresponds to Figure 8E The view, but showing Figure 8A Examples of implementations.

[0038] Figures 10A-10C It corresponds to Figures 5A-5C The view is shown, but the last embodiment is shown.

[0039] In the following embodiments of the open roof construction, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same parts in different embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0040] refer to Figure 1 The image shows a vehicle, in this case a passenger car, with a fixed roof 1 having an open roof structure located in a roof opening 2 within the fixed roof 1. This roof opening 2 can be opened and closed by a panel 3 of the open roof structure. In this case, the panel 3 is a rigid, at least partially transparent panel made of glass, plastic, or a similar material. The open roof structure is of the so-called "pop-up" type, meaning that the operating mechanism of the open roof structure can lift the panel 3 upwards at its rear end to open the panel 3 to a rearward and upward-tilted ventilated position (see, for example...). Figure 5D And operate downwards again to close panel 3 in the closed position, which is substantially flush with the fixed roof of the vehicle (see...). Figure 1 and Figure 2 as well as Figure 5D (dashed lines in the text). The openable panel 3 can be a top-mounted open roof structure or a bottom-mounted roof structure, meaning that the open roof structure can be assembled from the upper (top) side of the fixed roof 1 of the vehicle or from the lower (bottom) side of the roof. The accompanying drawings in this document show a top-mounted open roof structure.

[0041] exist Figure 3 In the diagram, panel 3 is shown separately from the rest of the open roof structure. This rest includes a fixed frame 4 through which the open roof structure is attached to the fixed roof 1 of the vehicle. Figure 5D The diagram shows a crossbeam 5 forming a flange 6 around a fixed roof 1 and a roof skin. The rear of a frame 4 rests on the flange 6, with seals 7, adhesive beads, and similar elements inserted between them (this indicates a top-mounted roof). The frame 4 can be bolted, glued, welded, etc., to the fixed roof 1. Seals 8 further seal the frame 4 to the fixed roof 1 and to the periphery of the panel 3, while when the panel 3 is in its closed position, seals 9 seal the frame 4 to the lower surface of the panel 3, see [reference needed]. Figure 5D The dashed line in the middle.

[0042] Figure 4 The exploded view shows all the components of the operating mechanism, including the electric motor 10 that drives it. Dashed lines indicate the connections between the components.

[0043] Motor 10 is fixed to plate-shaped motor support 11 by fixing device 10A, which is attached to frame 4 (not shown here) by fixing device having vibration damper 12. Motor 10 has an output shaft that is oriented substantially vertically in use and is provided with an output gear 13. Drive cables 15 with teeth on their surfaces engage with opposite sides of gear 13 and remain engaged with guide tubes 14 held between motor 10 and motor support 11. Motor support 11 carries guide rails 16, each guide rail 16 having a guide groove 17 communicating with one of the guide tubes 14 and guiding the corresponding drive cable 15. Because the two drive cables 15 are 180 degrees apart on opposite sides of gear 13 (i.e., circumferentially separated). 0 The two drive cables 15 are engaged at their respective positions, so that when the output shaft of the motor 10 and the gear 13 rotate, the two drive cables 15 move in opposite directions. The drive cables 15 are guided in the lateral direction of the open roof configuration. Because the two drive cables 15 are offset at the position of the gear 13, a portion of one or both drive cables 15 is guided in an S-shape so that the two drive cables 15 are aligned with each other before entering the aligned guide grooves 17 of the guide rail 16.

[0044] The operating mechanism for panel 3 includes a fixed guide rail 18 on frame 4. The guide rail 18 includes two pairs of guide slots 19 engaged by sliding pins 20, which are attached to a pair of curved sliders 21. These curved sliders 21 include cable connectors 22 that engage corresponding guide grooves 17 of the guide rail 16, and corresponding drive cables 15 are attached to the cable connectors 22 to drive the curved sliders 21 in opposite directions, causing the sliding pins 20 to slide from one end of the corresponding guide slot 19 to the other end.

[0045] The two curved sliders 21 are mirror-shaped, and the guide curved portions 23 therein are also mirror-shaped. Each guide curved portion 23 includes two short horizontal ends 23', 23'' at different heights and an inclined main portion 23''' connecting them. A guide pin 24 engages its respective guide curved portion 23 and is fixed to the downwardly extending leg 25 of the common bracket 26. The bracket 26 is attached to a reinforcing member 27 on the lower surface of the panel 3. The curved sliders 21 with guide curved portions 23 serve as height adjustment members, while the guide pins 24 on the legs 25 of the bracket 26 serve as height-adjustable members.

[0046] In this embodiment, the connection between the height adjustment member (curved slider 21 with guide curved portion 23) and the height adjustable member (guide pin 24) is located at the center Y0 of the panel 3. Figure 3 and 5BThe connection (or the center of the connection) is located between the center and the side edge of the panel 3, at a certain distance from the center and the side edge. Preferably, the distance between the connection (or the center of the connection) and the longitudinal center Y0 of the panel 3 is the local width W of the panel 3 (see [reference]). Figure 3 The width W of panel 3 will be between 10% and 45%. In fact, the width W of panel 3 will be between 800mm and 1200mm, and the distance between the center of the connection and the center Y0 of panel 3 will be between 100mm and 550mm.

[0047] Figure 5B and 5C The two extreme positions of the operating mechanism are shown. Figure 5B In this position, the drive cable 15 is in the retracted position, so that the curved slider 21 is closest to the center of the panel 3 and therefore closest to the drive motor 10. As a result, the guide pin 24 is located in the lower horizontal end 23'', so that the panel 3 is in its lower, i.e., closed position.

[0048] exist Figure 5C In this process, the drive cable 15 and its cable attachment 22 have moved outward from the drive motor 10. As a result, the curved sliders 21 have been driven by their sliding pins 20, which have moved to the outer ends of their respective guide slots 19. The guide pins 24 are held in a laterally fixed position by the bracket 26 of the panel 3, so that the guide pins 24 are forced to slide over the guide curved portion 23, thereby moving upward through the main portion 23''' of the guide curved portion 23 to the upper horizontal end 23'.

[0049] Figure 5D The diagram shows panel 3 in its upward-moving, ventilated position, with the front of panel 3 remaining downward while the rear moves upward, resulting in a rearward-tilted position. Therefore, panel 3 has rotated about the front axis, and consequently, the guide legs 25 with guide pins 24 have also rotated slightly during their upward movement. To allow the guide pins 24 to rotate about the lateral axis relative to their guide curves 23, the guide pins 24 are slightly barrel-shaped, as... Figure 5D As shown. The cross-section of the guide curved part 23 can also be adapted to the barrel shape of the guide pin 24, but this is not necessary if rotation is restricted.

[0050] Figures 6A-6DA second embodiment of the operating mechanism is shown. This embodiment can result in a larger lift height within the same package height, or a similar lift height with a smaller package height. The main difference is that the guide slots 19 are not horizontal and / or aligned, but extend in an inclined direction, with a pair of guide slots 19 extending outward and upward parallel to each other. This means that as the curved slider 21 moves outward away from the motor 10, not only is the guide pin 24 lifted during its travel through the guide curve 23, but the curved slider 21 itself also moves upward as the sliding pin 20 moves through the inclined guide slots 19. As shown, the guide rail 16 and drive cable 15 extend a certain length parallel to the adjacent guide slots 19, such that the cable attachment 22 moves parallel to the curved slider 21, and therefore the cable attachment remains immovably fixed to the curved slider 21.

[0051] exist Figures 7A-7C In this embodiment, the guide rail 16 and drive cable 15 do not extend parallel to the guide groove 19, but remain substantially horizontal, i.e., substantially parallel to the upper reinforcing member 27 and panel 3. Therefore, the connection between the cable attachment 22 and the curved slider 21 must be height-adjustable to compensate for non-parallel movement between the cable attachment 22 and the curved slider 21. Here, this is accomplished by a pin-slot connection, which includes a vertical slot 28 in the curved slider 21 and a pin 29 on the cable attachment 22.

[0052] exist Figures 8A-8E In this embodiment, the guide curve 23 and guide pin 24 switch positions. The guide pin 24 is now present on each cable attachment 22, while the guide curve 23 is now present in the bracket 26 (on the reinforcing member 27) below the panel 3. As the motor 10 moves outward away from the guide pin 24 to close the panel 3, the guide curve 23 now includes an outwardly and upwardly inclined main portion 23''' between the ends 23' and 23''. When the panel 3 is closed, the end 23' of the guide curve 23 in which the guide pin 24 is located is now located at the upper outer end of the guide curve 23. In this embodiment, the distance between the height adjustment member (pin 24 on the cable attachment 22) and the height adjustable member (bracket 26 with guide curve 23) connected to the center Y0 is slightly variable, but still within the range described above.

[0053] Figures 9A-9F Another modified embodiment of the operating mechanism for an open-roof structure is shown. This embodiment includes a rod 30, but the rod is supported in a very stable manner. Figure 9BAs shown, the rod 30 is pivotally connected to the cable attachment 22 via a pivot 31. The fixed guide rail 18 now has a single guide slot 19 at each end, which is engaged by a sliding pin 20 on the lower part of the free end of the rod 30. A guide pin 24 on the upper part of the free end of the rod 30 (generally above the sliding pin 20) engages with a guide curve 23 at each end of the bracket 26 below the panel 3. Therefore, the force from the panel 3 is transmitted almost directly from the guide pin 24 to the sliding pin 20, without applying a bending force to the rod 30.

[0054] Fastener 32 is used to attach bracket 26 to reinforcing member 27 below panel 3. Figure 9D and 9E The operating mechanism is shown from the front and rear sides. Figure 9F The guide pin 24 on rod 30 is shown to be barrel-shaped.

[0055] Therefore, in this embodiment, the rod 30 rotates due to the movement of its sliding pin 20 in the inclined guide groove 19, while another height adjustment is achieved due to the movement of the guide pin 24 in the inclined guide curve 23. The advantage of this embodiment is the relatively low resistance of the operating mechanism during operation, and consequently, the low load on the electric motor 10.

[0056] exist Figures 10A-10C The last embodiment shown differs from the previous embodiments in that it uses only one drive cable 15, such that the cable attachment 22 is attached to opposite ends of the same drive cable 15. Therefore, the cable attachment 22 does not move in opposite directions as in other embodiments, but rather in the same direction. Consequently, the components cooperating with the cable attachment 22 are not mirror-shaped, but identically shaped, because they should respond to the same oriented movement of the cable attachment 22 and the curved slider 21 attached thereto. An advantage of this embodiment is that the single drive cable 15 can be completely straight (e.g., Figure 10A (As shown by the dashed line 15 in the diagram), therefore the resistance of the drive cable 15 and the resulting load on the electric motor 10 are relatively low. Other embodiments have two drive cables 15, and at least one of these cables 15 should have an S-shaped portion to align the end portions of the cable attachments 22 to be aligned. This single-cable embodiment can also be used in other embodiments if the height adjustment components on either side of the motor 10 are also similarly shaped and not mirror-shaped.

[0057] Detailed embodiments of the invention are disclosed herein; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of the invention, which can be implemented in various forms. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but merely as the basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to employ the invention differently in any suitably detailed structure. Specifically, features presented and described in the individual dependent claims may be applied in combination, and any advantageous combination of such claims is disclosed herein.

[0058] Furthermore, the terminology and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting, but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention. As used herein, the term "a" is defined as one or more. The term "a plurality" as used herein is defined as two or more. The term "another" as used herein is defined as at least a second or more. As used herein, the terms "including" and / or "having" are defined as including (i.e., open language). The term "coupled" as used herein is defined as a connection, although not necessarily a direct connection.

[0059] Therefore, it is apparent that the invention can be varied in many ways. For example, the drive cable can be replaced by other elongated drive components, particularly in the case of a single drive cable, which can be replaced by rigid drive elements such as rods, racks, and pinions. Such variations are not considered to depart from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An open roof configuration for a vehicle, the vehicle having an opening (2) in its fixed roof (1), the open roof configuration comprising: A fixed frame (4) is fitted into the opening (2) of the fixed roof (1). At least one panel (3) is movably supported by the frame and is capable of at least partially opening and closing the opening (2) in the fixed roof (1) by tilting the panel up and down by causing the rear edge of the panel to tilt the panel. A drive motor (10) is positioned near the rear edge of an opening (2) in the fixed roof (1) and near the longitudinal centerline of the opening. The drive motor (10) is attached to the fixed frame (4). The drive motor (10) includes an output shaft and an elongated drive member (15) extending relative to the output shaft along the rear edge of the opening. An operating mechanism is movably connected between the frame (4) at the rear edge of the opening (2) and the rear edge of the panel (3), the operating mechanism comprising: two height-adjusting members (21, 23, 22, 24) on the frame, one height-adjusting member on each lateral side of the drive motor (10), and the height-adjusting members being guided for movement in a lateral direction initiated by the drive member (15); and two height-adjustable members (24, 25, 26; 23, 26) immovably fixed to the panel (3). The height-adjustable components (24, 25, 26; 23, 26) are characterized in that they cooperate with the height-adjusting components on the frame to cause height adjustment, and The height adjustment members (21, 23; 22, 24; 22, 24, 30) on the frame (4) engage with the height adjustable members (24, 25, 26; 23, 26) on the panel (3) at a certain distance from the corresponding side edge of the panel, such that the distance from the longitudinal centerline (Y0) of the connection between each height adjustment member (21, 23; 22, 24; 22, 24, 30) and the height adjustable member (24, 25, 26; 23, 26) is within 10% to 45% of the local width (W) of the panel.

2. The open roof structure according to claim 1, wherein, The height adjustment components (21, 23; 22, 24; 22, 24, 30) and the height adjustable components (24, 25, 26; 23, 26) each include a guide curved portion (23) and a guide pin (24) that engages the guide curved portion. One of the guide curved portion and the guide pin is fixed to the panel (3), and the other is connected to the frame (4).

3. The open roof structure according to claim 2, wherein, The panel (3) is tiltable about a lateral axis near the front edge of the panel, and at least a portion of the guide pin (24) that engages the guide curve (23) is generally barrel-shaped, so that a limited angular rotation is possible between the guide pin (24) and the guide curve (23) about the lateral axis.

4. The open roof structure according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The drive motor (10) includes a substantially vertical output shaft, and the elongated drive member (15) engages with a gear (13) on the output shaft.

5. The open roof structure according to claim 4, wherein, Each of the drive components (15) is a drive cable, which engages with the gear (13) on the opposite side of the gear. The height-adjustable components (24, 25, 26; 23, 26) and the height-adjusting components (21, 23; 22, 24; 22, 24, 30) are each mirror-shaped relative to the longitudinal centerline (Y0), and the drive cables (15) and the height-adjusting components move in opposite directions.

6. The open roof structure according to claim 4, wherein, Each of the drive members (15) is the end of a single drive cable that extends substantially in a straight line in the transverse direction of the fixed roof. The height-adjustable members (24, 25, 26; 23, 26) and the height-adjusting members (21, 23; 22, 24; 22, 24, 30) are each shaped identically relative to the longitudinal centerline (Y0), and the height-adjusting members move in the same direction via the single drive cable.

7. The open roof structure according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The height adjustment components (21, 23; 22, 24; 22, 24, 30) are guided to move substantially only in the lateral direction.

8. The open roof construction according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the height adjustment members (21, 23, 22, 24) are guided to move at least partially along an inclined path in the lateral and vertical directions.

9. The open roof structure according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, Each of the height adjustment components (21, 23) is provided with a guide curved part (23), and each of the height adjustable components (22, 24) is provided with a guide pin (24).

10. The open roof structure according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, Each of the height adjustment components (22, 24) is provided with a guide pin (24), and each of the height adjustable components (23, 26) is provided with a guide curved part (23).

11. The open roof structure according to claim 10, wherein, Each of the height adjustment components (22, 24, 30) is provided with a rod (30), and the rod (30) is provided with a guide pin (24) near the free end of the rod, and wherein each rod engages the frame (4, 18) such that when the rod moves together with the corresponding drive component (15), the rod is pushed to rotate.

12. The open roof structure according to claim 11, wherein, The rod engages with the frame (4, 18) at a position near the free end of the rod (30), substantially at a distance below the guide pin (24).

13. The open roof structure according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The operating mechanism is configured such that the panel (3) can only be tilted up and down.

14. A vehicle comprising an open roof configuration according to any one of claims 1-13.

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