Vehicle roof with a wind deflector

Abstract

Vehicle roof (1) with a wind deflector (7) arranged at a roof opening (3), the wind deflector element having a flexible wind deflector element (10) which is attached with its upper edge (43) to a support bracket (9) movably mounted on a roof frame (11) and with its lower edge (31) to a base element (8) which is fixed to a separating unit (18) arranged on the roof frame (11) and which separates a wet area (17) from a dry area (16) of the roof frame (11), wherein the wind deflector element (10) is held in its functional position between the support bracket (9) and the base element (8) when the support bracket (9) is extended and is received in a receiving space (15) arranged in the dry area (16) when the support bracket (9) is swung down, wherein the base element (8) has a cover leg (30) which covers a partition wall (34) of the separation unit (18) on the upper side and is formed with a drainage element (39) which projects beyond the partition wall (34) and drains any liquid that occurs towards the wet area (17). characterized by that the drainage element (39) of the cover leg (30) is formed as a lip which lowers in front of the partition wall (34).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle roof with a wind deflector arranged at a roof opening, the wind deflector element comprising a wind deflector element which is attached with its upper edge to a support bracket movably mounted on a roof frame and with its lower edge to a base element which is fixed to a separating unit which is arranged on the roof frame and separates a wet area from a dry area of ​​the roof frame, wherein the wind deflector element is held in its functional position between the support bracket and the base element when the support bracket is extended and is received in a receiving space arranged in the dry area when the support bracket is swung down.

[0002] A generic vehicle roof with a wind deflector is disclosed in DE 20 2017 102 016 U1. A flexible wind deflector element of the wind deflector is attached at its lower edge to a rim strip, which is inserted into a fixing channel located on the roof side. The rim strip is formed as a two-component injection-molded part and has an approximately L-shaped cross-section, with one leg of the rim strip forming a cover section that covers the fixing channel and can serve to deflect water. Furthermore, DE 10 2011 116 109 A1 discloses a vehicle roof according to the preamble of independent claim 1. Further prior art is provided by DE 10 2018 211 970 A1.

[0003] The invention is based on the objective of creating a vehicle roof of the aforementioned type that is improved with regard to the drainage of water that has entered through the roof opening.

[0004] The problem is solved by a vehicle roof according to independent claim 1 and requires, among other things, that the base element has a cover leg which covers a partition wall of the partition unit on the upper side and is formed with a drainage element which projects beyond the partition wall and drains incident water in the direction of the wet area.

[0005] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0006] The base element is designed so that its cover leg, in combination with the drainage element, collects and diverts water, particularly water present on the underside of the front edge of the cover, for example, in the form of drops, from where it flows or drips. The base element, with its cover leg and drainage element, is positioned on the roof frame in such a way that, when the wind deflector's support bracket is lowered and the wind deflector element is stored in its designated compartment, the cover leg and drainage element are functional, allowing the water to be collected and diverted towards the wet area. This prevents the water from entering the dry area, and especially from entering the dry area's storage compartment, where, when the cover is closed, the wind deflector element is conveniently stored folded, collapsed, or collapsed.This prevents the deflated wind deflector element from becoming damp or wet and from freezing in its deflated position at sub-zero temperatures, which could impair its ability to swing back into its functional position. The wind deflector element is preferably made of a fabric, mesh, or film. It can also be composed of interconnected rigid elements that are adjustable between a deflated and a functional configuration. Each of these adjustable wind deflector elements is therefore a flexible wind deflector element.

[0007] The wind deflector is specifically located and functional in the area at the front edge of the roof opening. Advantageously, the deflector's support bracket has a curved corner section on each side at the transition to its support arm. Preferably, the wind deflector element extends over the curved corner section. Accordingly, the base element, which forms a lower edge strip of the wind deflector element, has lateral end sections that are at least partially arcuate. The partition unit, with its partition wall, extends across the width of the front roof frame cross section associated with the front edge of the roof opening and also extends—following the lateral curved corner sections of the support bracket—into the respective roof frame corner area and may even extend further onto the roof side frame.The design of the roof frame with the wet area, the dry area and the separating unit as well as the attached base element in the area of ​​the front roof frame cross section is basically the same as the design in the roof frame corner areas.

[0008] In particular, the base element, with its cover leg and drainage element, is positioned on the roof frame in such a way that water is collected and drained away by the cover leg and drainage element even when the vehicle is on a surface or road with an upward slope of, for example, 15%. Consequently, the water will not drip directly into a water collection channel in the wet area, but will instead drip diagonally onto the cover leg and drainage element relative to the roof frame. The same applies to water that drips from the corners of the cover onto the cover leg and drainage element in the curved end sections of the base element when the vehicle is tilted laterally.

[0009] The term "water" refers to any liquid that can penetrate into the vehicle interior from the top of the vehicle roof and past the edge of the lid, e.g., even with the lid closed in a car wash, where washing fluid is sprayed against the vehicle roof under high pressure and can penetrate past the lid seal.

[0010] Advantageously, the drainage element of the cover leg is formed as a lip that slopes down in front of the partition. The lip extends beyond the partition towards the wet area and is preferably inclined downwards. The drainage element, or lip, thus covers at least the upper edge of the partition and advantageously an upper section of the front surface of the partition facing the wet area. This prevents water from penetrating into the dry area, particularly due to capillary action, between the cover leg and the upper edge of the partition.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment, the base element is formed as a two-component injection-molded plastic part. A rigid component forms the fastening unit of the base element, which secures the base element to the separating unit. The cover leg and the deflector element are formed by a flexible component. During assembly, the base element can be bent more easily at the two curved corner sections of the separating unit in the area of ​​the roof frame corners because the cover leg and the deflector element, as flexible components, have lower bending stiffness and can stretch and deform more readily compared to the rigid fastening unit, which rests against the separating unit and has higher bending stiffness and lower deformability. The rigid component is, for example, made of a rigid polypropylene plastic. The flexible component is, for example, made of a thermoplastic elastomer.

[0012] It is preferred that the wind deflector element is fixed to the base element by means of the rigid component. This ensures a permanent attachment in the less deformable area that is fixed to the separating unit. Thus, the wind deflector element is also supported essentially directly by the separating unit. The soft component is not subjected to any or only negligible stress.

[0013] Preferably, the partition unit comprises an insertion channel containing the partition wall. The insertion channel is bounded on one side by the partition wall facing the wet area and on the other side by a mounting bracket facing the dry area. The insertion channel provides a simple yet secure attachment of the base element, which is positioned in the insertion channel by means of a mounting leg or insertion leg and fixed to the mounting bracket.

[0014] It is therefore advantageous that the base element with the drainage element is positioned on the roof frame, offset inwards and beneath the edge of the cover closing the roof opening. This design ensures the collection of any water that has entered the vehicle, whether it is positioned longitudinally or laterally tilted. The respective tilt can be in the range of approximately 15% to 20%.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment, the lid has a rim section at its front edge, which has a drip edge on its underside that causes any water that has penetrated the lid to drip off against the drainage element. Such a drip edge facilitates dripping at a defined point. The base element with the drainage element is positioned relative to this drip point.

[0016] According to a further preferred embodiment, the base element has a raised section projecting upwards from the cover leg. Such a raised section is, for example, formed as a deflector rib that extends the cover leg at its rear end and is directed vertically upwards or obliquely backwards and upwards. The deflector rib provides an additional raised barrier against water impact in the direction of the dry area.

[0017] The deflector's extension bracket is typically mounted on two lateral extension arms, which are pivotally attached to the roof frame and can pivot about a transverse axis. The extension arms are, for example, pre-tensioned upwards into the deflector's operating position by springs and can be pivoted down into their rest position by the movable cover of the opening vehicle roof or by an adjustment mechanism. However, other types of adjustment mechanisms are also possible. The two extension arms preferably run essentially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle or roof, or in the direction of airflow.

[0018] The invention is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment of a vehicle roof according to the invention, with reference to the drawing. It shows: Fig. 1 in a perspective view a vehicle with a wind deflector arranged and extended at the front edge of a roof opening; Fig. 2 in a perspective view a corner area of ​​the displayed wind deflector; Fig. 3 in a perspective view according to Fig. 2 the wind deflector, which was swung down and filmed in a recording room; Fig. 4 in a longitudinal section view of the vehicle roof with the cover closed and with water droplets penetrating, striking a deflector element of the wind deflector and being diverted into a wet area; and Fig. 5 in a longitudinal section view a basic element of the wind deflector with the deflector element.

[0019] A vehicle 1 such as a car (see Fig. 1) includes a vehicle roof 2 with a roof opening 3 and with a cover 4, e.g., of a sunroof or sliding / tilting roof, which in a known manner switches between a closed position closing the roof opening 3 and an open position releasing the roof opening 3 (see Fig. 1) and is adjustable in intermediate positions. A rear section of the roof opening 3 is closed by means of a rear movable or fixed cover 5. In an alternative design, the vehicle roof 2 has a roof opening 3 with only one movable cover 4 and a fixed roof surface adjoining the roof opening 3 at the rear.

[0020] A wind deflector 7 associated with a front edge 6 of the roof opening 3 comprises a base element 8, a support bracket 9, and a wind deflector element 10 formed by a wind deflector mesh. The base element 8 extends substantially along the front edge 6 of the roof opening 3, is attached to a roof frame 11 that delimits or surrounds the roof opening 3, and has an arcuate end section 12 on each side, which extends rearward along a longitudinally extending lateral roof frame section. The support bracket 9 has a support arm 13 on each side, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle or roof and is pivotably mounted at its rear end about a transverse pivot axis 14 by means of a bearing device. The support arm 13 is, for example, retracted into the position indicated by spring force when the roof is open. Fig. The functional position shown in Figure 2 is swung upwards, for example by means of a lever 44, so that the wind deflector element 10 is held under tension between the base element 8 and the swung-out extension arm 9. When the roof opening 3 is closed, the cover 4, moving forward into its closed position, pushes the extension arm 9 downwards against the roof frame 11 about the transverse pivot axis 14 in sliding contact with the upper side of the extension arm 13. The folding wind deflector element 10, together with the extension arm 9, settles into a receiving space 15, which is formed in a drying area 16 of the roof frame 11. The receiving space 15 is located at the front of a front roof frame cross member 26 and extends laterally at least along the arcuate end section 12 of the base element 8 and far enough into the roof frame side member 28 to accommodate the extension arm 9 with the wind deflector element 10.

[0021] The receiving chamber 15 is located on the roof frame 11 inwards from an outer wet area 17, which is separated from the receiving chamber 15 by a separating unit 18 formed or arranged on the roof frame 11. The roof frame 11 expediently contains a water collection channel 19 in the wet area 17. The separating unit 18 is positioned on the roof frame 11 relative to the front edge 6 of the roof opening 3, offset rearward in the longitudinal direction of the roof, such that the water collection channel 19 has a sufficient width in the longitudinal direction of the roof, allowing water 20, which, for example, in the form of water droplets when the cover 4 is closed, penetrates between the cover 4 and a cover seal 21 attached to a flange 22 of a roof membrane 23 at the front edge 6 of the roof opening 3, and collects on the underside of a cover edge part 24, e.g.a foaming at the edge, flows inwards towards the lid essentially to a drip edge 25 of the lid edge section 24, drips from the drip edge 25 into the water collection channel 19, and is collected and drained away therein. The water 20 that has penetrated cannot thus enter the drying area 16 or the receiving chamber 15. The based on the . Fig. 4 The design of the roof frame 11 with the wet area 17 and the dry area 16 as well as the separation unit 18 and the water collection channel 19 on the front roof frame cross part 26 in the area of ​​the front edge 6 of the roof opening 3 continues equally laterally in the arc-shaped transition area 27 between the roof frame cross part 26 and the roof frame side part 28, in which the base element 8 with its end section 12 is arranged, and expediently continues over an initial section of the roof frame side part 28.

[0022] The base element 8 has a mounting leg 29 and a cover leg 30, which projects laterally from the mounting leg 29. The wind deflector element 10 is rigidly connected in the region of its lower edge 31 to a fastening unit 32, which is arranged on or forms the mounting leg 29. The base element 8 is formed as a two-component plastic injection-molded part, wherein the fastening unit 32 is formed by a hard component of the 2K injection-molded part and the mounting leg 29 and the cover leg 30 are formed by a soft component of the 2K injection-molded part. Advantageously, the rigid connection of the wind deflector element 10 to the fastening unit 32 is made during the injection molding of the base element 8. The mounting leg 29 can also be formed as a single hard component together with the fastening unit 32.

[0023] The separating unit 18 is formed with an insertion channel 33, which includes a front partition 34 and a rear mounting web 35. The mounting web 35 contains a locking recess 36 into which a locking lug 37 formed on the mounting unit 32 engages when the base element 8 is inserted into the insertion channel 33, so that the mounting leg 29 supporting the mounting unit 32, and thus the base element 8, is detachably fixed. Several such locking recesses 36 for the engagement of associated locking lugs 37 of the base element 8 are provided distributed along the length of the insertion channel 33 to ensure secure fixation of the base element 8 to the separating unit 18 or in the insertion channel 33. At least in the area of ​​each locking lug 37, the mounting leg 29 has a thickness such as, for example,in the form of a local thickening or a rib (not shown) so that it can support itself in the insertion channel 33 transversely to the insertion direction against the fastening web 35 and can press the fastening unit 32 against the fastening web 35 with sufficient force.

[0024] The base element 8 is held in the insertion channel 33 such that the cover leg 30 rests on an upper edge 38 of the partition 34. The cover leg 30 has an extension that forms a drainage element 39 for any water 20 or water droplets that may be falling on it. The drainage element 39, also made of soft plastic, extends in the form of a lip beyond the partition 34 into the wet area 17 and slopes downwards towards the water collection channel 19. The drainage element 39 prevents water dripping from the cover 4 or the cover edge 24 from striking the partition 34, particularly near its upper edge 38. This prevents water from entering the insertion channel 33 and from there into the dry area 16, especially due to capillary action, between the cover leg 30 and the upper edge 38 of the partition 34.

[0025] The cover leg 30, with its drainage element 39, is positioned relative to the lid edge 24, and in particular to its drip edge 25, such that water dripping from the drip edge 25 strikes the cover leg 30 and the drainage element 39 even when the vehicle is on a surface or road inclined upwards at a gradient of approximately 15%. Even when water is sprayed at high pressure onto the vehicle roof 2 during a car wash and penetrates between the lid 4 and the lid seal 21, water droplets can be splashed against the drainage element 39 due to spray pressure-induced turbulence and be diverted from it if they do not drip vertically into the water collection channel 19 as desired.

[0026] This prevents water, which especially when the lid 4 is closed enters at the front edge of the lid towards the wet area 17, from also entering the receiving space 15 for the wind deflector element 10 and moistening or wetting it.

[0027] Advantageously, the base element 8 includes a deflector 40 that extends the cover leg 30 at its rear end and is directed upwards. The deflector 40 provides an additional raised barrier against impinging water. The wind deflector element 10 rests against the rear side 41 of the deflector 40 facing the dry area 16, or it is molded onto the rear side 41 of the deflector 40. The cover leg 30 thus forms a collection and drainage area 42 with the front deflector element 39 and the rear deflector 40, which is effective in a water collection area that is enlarged both longitudinally (x-direction) and vertically (z-direction).

[0028] Since the base element 8 is formed as a two-component plastic injection molded part, it can adapt to the bending shape required for inserting the base element 8 into the curved insertion channel 33 during assembly in the roof frame corner areas, particularly due to the better deformability of the soft cover leg.

[0029] With the wind deflector 7 extended, the wind deflector element 10 is held in its extended functional position by the extension bracket 9, to which it is attached with its upper edge 43, and is permanently and securely fixed via its lower edge 31 to the fastening unit 32 formed as a hard component. Reference symbol list 1 vehicle 2 Vehicle roof 3 Roof opening 4 lids 5 lids 6 Front edge 7 wind deflectors 8 Basic element 9 awning brackets 10 wind deflector elements 11 roof frames 12 Final section 13 Display arm 14 Transverse pivot axis 15 Recording room 16 Dry area 17 Wet area 18 separation unit 19 Water collection channel 20 Water 21 Lid seal 22 flange 23 Roof membrane 24 Lid edge part 25 drip edge 26 Roof frame cross section 27 Transition area 28 Roof frame side panel 29 Mounting legs 30 cover legs 31 Lower edge 32 Mounting unit 33 Insertion channel 34 Partition wall 35 Mounting bracket 36 rest recess 37 Rastnase 38 top edge 39 Drain element 40 drainage bridge 41 Back 42 Collection and drainage area 43 Upper edge 44 ejection levers

Claims

Vehicle roof (1) with a wind deflector (7) arranged at a roof opening (3), the wind deflector element comprising a flexible wind deflector element (10) which is attached with its upper edge (43) to a support bracket (9) movably mounted on a roof frame (11) and with its lower edge (31) to a base element (8) which is fixed to a partition unit (18) arranged on the roof frame (11) and separates a wet area (17) from a dry area (16) of the roof frame (11), wherein the wind deflector element (10) is held in its functional position between the support bracket (9) and the base element (8) when the support bracket (9) is extended and is received in a receiving space (15) arranged in the dry area (16) when the support bracket (9) is swung down, wherein the base element (8) has a cover leg (30) which forms a partition (34) of the partition unit (18). is covered on the top side and is formed with a drain element (39),which projects beyond the partition (34) and directs any incident liquid towards the wet area (17), characterized in that the drainage element (39) of the cover leg (30) is formed as a lip that lowers in front of the partition (34). Vehicle roof (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the base element (8) is formed as a two-component plastic injection molded part, wherein a fastening unit (32) of the base element (8), which secures the base element (8) to the separating unit (18), is formed of a hard component and the cover leg (30) with the deflecting element (39) is formed of a soft component. Vehicle roof (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the wind deflector element (10) is fixed to the base element (8) by means of the hard component. Vehicle roof (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the partition unit (18) has an insertion channel (33) containing the partition wall (34). Vehicle roof (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the base element (8) with the deflecting element (39) is positioned on the roof frame (11) relative to a lid (4) closing the roof opening (3) inwards under the lid (4). Vehicle roof (1) according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the cover (4) has a cover edge part (24) on its front edge, which has a drip edge (25) on its underside, which causes any water that has entered to drip off against the drainage element (39) when the vehicle is in an inclined position. Vehicle roof (1) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the base element (8) has a deflecting web (40) which projects upwards from the cover leg (30). Vehicle roof (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the wind deflector element (10) is made of a fabric, a net or a film.

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