Convertible top frame for a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a convertible top frame (1) for a motor vehicle and a motor vehicle which has a convertible top frame (1) according to the invention for moving a folding convertible top from a starting position to a final position. The convertible top frame (1) according to the invention has a corner bow (10) which is attached to a roof housing (60) via a pivot arm (11) and a four-joint linkage (15) arranged thereon. The four-joint linkage (15) is designed to move the corner bow (10) relative to the roof housing (60) from a starting position to a final position. According to the invention, the four-joint linkage (15) further comprises a first joint (15a) which is designed as a pivot pin (121) guided in an elongated hole (141).Furthermore, according to the invention, the convertible top frame (1) has a locking mechanism which is designed to allow movement of the pivot pin (121) within the elongated hole (141) only in a defined angular range of the first joint (15a).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a convertible top frame for a motor vehicle and a motor vehicle having a convertible top frame according to the invention in order to bring a foldable or folding roof (convertible top) from an initial position into an end position.

[0002] Motor vehicles with foldable or folding roofs have long been known in the art, with such vehicles being known as convertibles or cabriolets for short. The foldable roof can be moved from a closed position – i.e., a position in which the vehicle roof protects the vehicle interior from rain and external influences, as in vehicles with fixed roofs – to an open position. The vehicle roof is stored in a roof housing provided for this purpose, which is usually located in the rear of the vehicle. Of course, moving the roof from an open position to a closed position is also possible. For the purposes of this application, the open position of the roof is also referred to as the starting position and the closed position as the end position.The drive for the movement is either manually controlled by the user, fully automatically controlled by a dedicated drive (electric motor), or semi-automatically controlled, with a drive providing part of the movement while the rest is manually operated. Both folding fabric roofs and retractable roofs (so-called hardtops) are used.

[0003] Folding roofs feature a roof frame that determines the shape of the roof and defines its movement and correct "unfolding." The roof frame also features what are known as bows, which support the roof and over which the folding fabric roof is stretched. A particularly important role is played by the corner bow, which connects the horizontal section of the roof, which is stretched over the vehicle occupants, to the rear section of the roof, which merges into the body at the rear of the vehicle. It is therefore largely responsible for the roof's geometry. Additional bows can also be provided to support the roof at other points.

[0004] To store folding fabric roofs in an orderly and space-optimized manner, the convertible top frame's mechanism must allow the bows to move smoothly and along a fixed movement curve from an initial position to an end position and vice versa, preventing unwanted creases from forming on the folding roof. The roof and bows must be housed in as compact a space as possible to avoid taking up too much space in the vehicle.

[0005] The prior art contains various disclosures regarding convertible top frames and the corresponding mechanisms. For example, patents DE 2825526 C2 and US 3030140 A disclose a four-bar mechanism and a multi-bar mechanism, respectively, for moving a convertible top corner bow, in which a pivot pin is guided by a curved guide. Documents DE 69305959 T2, DE 10 2012 105 171 A1, and DE 10 2018 114 807 B4 each disclose a multi-bar mechanism for moving a convertible top corner bow, in which a pivot pin is guided in an elongated hole. In the patent specification DE 10 2004 010 930 B3, a multi-joint mechanism for moving a convertible top corner bow is known, in which a guide element (roller) connected to the corner bow is guided in a guide device (groove) formed on a tension rod.

[0006] When designing the mechanics of convertible top frames, it is important to ensure that the movement curve of the bows, especially the corner bow due to its prominent placement, is such that collisions cannot occur either within the convertible top or with other components such as a roll bar. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the corner bow has a particularly compact movement curve.

[0007] The object of the present invention, in light of the prior art, is to provide a convertible top frame with a mechanism that enables the corner bow to move in the most compact possible manner. Furthermore, the object of the present invention is to provide a motor vehicle with a convertible top frame according to the invention.

[0008] This object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are contained in the subclaims.

[0009] The convertible top frame according to the invention for a motor vehicle for opening and closing a vehicle convertible top has a corner bow which is fastened to a roof enclosure via a pivot arm and a four-bar linkage arranged thereon. The four-bar linkage is designed to move the corner bow with respect to the roof enclosure from an initial position to an end position and vice versa. The term "four-bar linkage" is understood to mean a joint arrangement comprising four individual joints. According to the invention, the four-bar linkage further has a first joint which is designed as a pivot pin guided in an elongated hole. According to the invention, the elongated hole can be designed as a straight elongated hole or as a guide with a non-straight trajectory, such as an arc or an S-shaped curve.Furthermore, according to the invention, the convertible top frame has a locking mechanism designed to allow movement of the pivot pin within the elongated hole only within a defined angular range of the first joint. Thus, movement of the pivot pin within the elongated hole is blocked outside the defined angular range, preventing any translational movement of the pivot pin, but only a rotational movement. If the rotational movement enters an angular range in which the locking mechanism loses its locking effect and thus releases the elongated hole, the pivot pin can also be moved along the elongated hole and thus describe a translational movement.

[0010] The convertible top frame according to the invention can provide a possibility of keeping the movement path of the corner bow compact, so that the space required by the convertible top when moving from a closed state (starting position) to an open state (end position) can be minimized.

[0011] It should be noted at this point that the invention is also applicable to hardtop roofs, even if only folding roofs (i.e., fabric roofs) are discussed as examples. For hardtops, which are also stowed in a roof enclosure in the vehicle, the components on which the mechanism of the convertible top frame engages to move the roof are referred to in the context of the invention as bows. Thus, analogous to the folding roof, the corner bow refers to the transverse connection of the hardtop roof located at the transition between the horizontal part and the rear part of the convertible top, in which the rear window is located.

[0012] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the four-bar linkage is arranged between the pivot arm, a movable pivot element, a movable steering arm, and the vehicle body or roof enclosure. Movable elements are those elements that perform at least one rotation about a rotation axis or a translational movement when moving the convertible top from its initial position to its final position. A combination of both movements is also possible.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the locking mechanism is designed as a locking contour. The locking contour preferably exerts its locking effect in a purely mechanical manner. A locking effect is achieved when the translational movement of the pivot pin in the elongated hole is not possible. This option allows for a purely mechanical variant for implementing the locking mechanism, which is low-maintenance and requires no power supply.

[0014] However, it is also conceivable to implement the locking mechanism via a sensor designed to detect a rotation angle of the first joint, wherein an actuator is also provided that is designed to be controlled based on the angle detection in order to achieve the locking effect, for example, magnetically or via a mechanical barrier that can be provided in the elongated hole to achieve the locking effect or can be removed therefrom, thus releasing the elongated hole for a translational movement of the joint pin. In particular, it is also conceivable to detect the angle using a locking contour, for example, via an inductive sensor.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of an embodiment of the invention with a purely mechanically implemented locking mechanism with a locking contour, the first joint is provided between the pivot arm and the steering arm, wherein in particular the locking contour is fixedly provided on a joint receptacle arranged on the steering arm, wherein the joint receptacle also has the elongated hole. In this case, a joint section is also arranged on the pivot arm and is designed to enable movement of the pivot pin in the elongated hole or to lock it purely mechanically, depending on the position of the first joint in conjunction with the locking contour. In the context of the application, a purely mechanical lock is understood to mean that no electrical component is used to prevent movement. The embodiment presented is a purely mechanical possibility for implementing the locking mechanism and thus offers all the advantages of a purely mechanical embodiment of the lock.These include, for example, cost-effective, low-maintenance and energy-efficient implementation, to name just a few.

[0016] A particularly preferred embodiment is one in which the hinge mount is made of plastic. Plastic is an inexpensive and easy-to-process material and thus offers many advantages for the aforementioned application. It is particularly preferred if a metallic reinforcement is provided at the elongated hole and at the locking contour. This is understood to mean a material application in the corresponding areas that at least partially comprises a metal. This allows elements of the hinge mount that are particularly subject to wear to be reinforced with the metal, thereby extending the service life of the convertible top frame.

[0017] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, a stop is provided on the pivot arm and a stop head is provided on the pivot element, which are arranged such that they define a maximum position of rotation of the first joint. The maximum position is a position of rotation of the pivot element against the pivot arm in which no further rotation in one direction is possible. In other words, the stop and the stop head, which can be referred to as the counter element of the stop, mark a maximum rotation between the pivot arm and pivot element. If a force causing rotation is still applied to the pivot element in this position, this force is transmitted to the pivot arm via the stop and the stop head.

[0018] Such an embodiment is particularly preferred if the locking contour and the joint section are designed in such a way that they only allow movement of the pivot pin in the slotted hole when the stop head and the stop are in contact. In this way, a force transmission from the pivot element to the pivot arm can be ensured using purely mechanical means, enabling movement of the pivot pin in the slotted hole.

[0019] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the pivoting element is connected to a roof bow and / or a lateral roof guide such that, upon rotation of the pivoting element, the roof bow and / or the lateral roof guide move from a starting position to a final position, or vice versa. Thus, the pivoting element becomes the central element, which, upon its own rotation, causes both the bow and the lateral roof structure to move from a starting position to a final position.

[0020] A further advantageous embodiment of the invention is one in which a mechanism defined by the design of the four-bar linkage is configured such that the pivot pin (121) is moved back and forth once in the elongated hole when transferring the corner bow from the starting position to the end position. Such an embodiment allows for an advantageous movement pattern with regard to the space required for the movement of the corner bow.

[0021] The motor vehicle according to the invention has a convertible top frame according to the invention, wherein the convertible top frame is designed to transfer a roof (convertible top) of the vehicle from a starting position to an end position.

[0022] Advantageous aspects of the invention and embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. They show: Fig. 1a schematic view of an embodiment of a convertible top frame 1 according to the invention in the starting position Fig. 1b schematic detailed view of the four-bar linkage 15 of the embodiment according to the invention according to Fig. 1a in the starting position Fig. 1c schematic detailed view of the joint holder 14 of the view from Fig. 1b Fig. 2a schematic detailed view of the four-bar linkage 15 of the embodiment according to the invention according to Fig. 1a in a first transition position Fig. 2b schematic detailed view of the joint holder 14 of the view from Fig. 2a Fig. 3a schematic detailed view of the four-bar linkage 15 of the embodiment according to the invention according to Fig. 1a in a second transition position Fig. 3b schematic detailed view of the joint holder 14 of the view from Fig. 3a Fig. 4a schematic detailed view of the four-bar linkage 15 of the embodiment according to the invention according to Fig. 1a in a third transition position Fig. 4b schematic detailed view of the joint holder 14 of the view from Fig. 4a Fig. 5a schematic detailed view of the four-bar linkage 15 of the embodiment according to the invention according to Fig. 1a in the final position Fig. 5b schematic detailed view of the joint holder 14 of the view from Fig. 5a

[0023] Before discussing the individual figures in detail, it should be noted that all figures show only one exemplary embodiment of the invention. All directional references such as right, left, top, and bottom refer to the drawing plane of the perspective depicted in the figures. If the perspective of the arrangement changes, the directional reference also changes accordingly.

[0024] The Fig. 1b to 5b show the exact same view, with only the position of the top frame 1 changing. Fig. 1a, Fig. 1b and Fig. 1c which is also the starting position and the Fig. 5a and Fig. 5b shows the final position after passing through various transition positions shown in the other figures. In particular, the locking mechanism during the movement of the convertible top frame 1 from the starting position to the final position will be explained in more detail.

[0025] Fig. Figure 1a shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a convertible top frame 1 according to the invention in the starting position. The convertible top frame 1 has a corner bow 10, a roof bow 20, a locking element 30, and a lateral roof guide 40. A foldable fabric top is stretched over these elements to form the roof of a vehicle. The fabric top is not shown. In the starting position shown, the roof is locked to the body of the vehicle, more precisely to the windshield frame, by means of the locking element 30, and thus fixed in the closed position. When moved to the open position, i.e., the end position, the lock is naturally released.

[0026] A pivot arm 11 with a joint section 12 is provided on the corner bow 10, the pivot arm 11 being firmly connected to the corner bow 10. A first joint 15a in the form of a joint pin 121, which engages in a slot 141 of a joint receptacle 14, is provided on the joint section 12. The joint receptacle 14 is firmly connected to a steering arm 13, which in turn is connected via a further joint (fourth joint 15d, see Fig. 1b) is connected to the body or a roof enclosure 60 arranged therein. Between the roof enclosure 60 and the pivot arm 11, a pivot element 50 is also provided, which is mounted on the pivot arm 11, the roof enclosure 60, and the roof bow 20 via joints.

[0027] During the transition to an end position (not shown), the corner bow 10, roof bow 20, locking element 30 and the lateral roof guide 40, which folds into two parts, are folded into the roof housing 60 via a defined movement path. In this case, dashed lines schematically illustrate, by way of example, a first movement path x of the corner bow 10 according to a conventional convertible top frame 1 and a second movement path y of the corner bow 10 according to a convertible top frame 1 according to the invention. The first movement path x of a conventional convertible top frame 1 requires considerably more space than the second movement path y of the described embodiment of the convertible top frame 1 according to the invention. The technical elements leading to this are described with reference to the Fig. 1b to 5b are explained in more detail.

[0028] Fig. 1b shows a detailed view of a four-bar linkage 15 of the embodiment according to the invention according to Fig. 1a. It should be noted that the view of the four-bar linkage 15 is different from the view from Fig. 1a from the opposite side. The first joint 15a is provided between the joint section 12 of the swivel arm 11 and the joint receptacle 14 of the steering arm 13, wherein the first joint 15a is formed by a joint pin 121 which engages in a slot 141 in the joint receptacle 14 (see also Fig. 1a and Fig. 1c). Furthermore, a second joint 15b is formed between the pivot arm 11 and the pivot element 50. A third joint 15c is provided between the pivot element 50 and the roof enclosure 60. A fourth joint 15d mounts the steering arm 13 against the roof enclosure 60. The four joints 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d form the four-bar linkage 15 (indicated by the dashed line) and thus mount the movable elements (pivot element 50, pivot arm 11, and steering arm 13) against the roof enclosure 60. Furthermore, a stop 111 can be seen on the pivot arm 11, and a stop head 51 on the pivot element 50. The significance of these joints will be discussed in more detail later.

[0029] Fig. 1c shows a detailed view of the joint holder 14 in the view of Fig. 1b. This has a locking contour 142, against which the joint section 12 abuts in the position shown, such that movement of the pivot pin 121 within the elongated hole 141 is prevented or blocked. Thus, only a pure rotational movement of the pivot arm 11 against the steering arm 13 is possible.

[0030] The Fig. 2a and Fig. 2b show the exact same view as the Fig. 1b or 1c. However, the top frame 1 is in a first transition position on the way from the starting position (see Fig. 1a to 1c) into the final position (see Fig. 5a and Fig. 5b). Thus, both the steering arm 13 has rotated relative to the roof enclosure 60 by means of the fourth joint 15d of the four-bar linkage, and the pivot arm 11 has rotated against the steering arm 13 via the first joint 15a. In this case, the joint section 12 continues to abut against the locking contour 142, thereby continuing to prevent the translational movement of the pivot pin 121 in the elongated hole 141.

[0031] Another transitional position where the rotation is more advanced is in the Fig. 3a and Fig. 3b. In the position shown here, the rotation has progressed so far that the locking contour 142 no longer prevents the translational movement of the pivot pin 121 in the slot 141. From this angle of rotation of the first joint 15a, the translational movement of the pivot pin 121 in the slot 141 is enabled. The translational movement influences the movement of the corner bow 10, resulting in the second movement path y (see Fig. 1a).

[0032] Furthermore, in this position, the stop head 51 is in contact with the stop 111, so that upon further rotation of the pivot element 50, the force is transmitted directly via the stop to the pivot arm 11. As a result, the pivot arm 11 rotates about the second joint 15b, causing a translational movement of the pivot pin 121 in the elongated hole 141. Contact between the stop head 51 and the stop 111 thus preferably occurs simultaneously with the release of the locking effect through the interaction of the locking contour 142 and the joint section 12, which in the embodiment shown form the purely mechanically implemented locking mechanism.

[0033] The Fig. 4a and Fig. 4b shows a third transition position of the convertible top frame 1 according to the invention, wherein the further rotation has resulted in the pivot pin 121 now being located on the right side of the elongated hole 141 and no longer on the left as in the previous figures. The joint section 12 of the swing arm 11 engages with the locking contour 142 in such a way that upon further rotation of the convertible top frame 1 counterclockwise, a translational movement of the pivot pin 121 in the elongated hole 142 occurs in the direction opposite to the previous direction of movement, i.e., diagonally downwards to the left in the plane of the drawing. In this case, the steering arm 13 is also rotated further counterclockwise.

[0034] Fig. 5a and Fig. 5b show the final position of the top frame 1, with the pivot pin 121 in the slot 141 back in the starting position and the joint section 12 rotated by 90 degrees relative to the steering arm 13. Between the Fig. In the positions shown in Figures 3a / 3b and 5a / 5b, the pivot pin 121 in the embodiment shown moves back and forth once in the elongated hole 141.

[0035] The dashed line in Fig. Figure 5a illustrates the position and orientation of the four-bar linkage 15 relative to the initial position. The roof bow 30, the side roof guide 40, the corner bow 10, and the pivot element 50 are positioned almost parallel and flat within the roof enclosure 60.

[0036] The angular range of the first joint 15a defined by the locking contour 142 in conjunction with the joint section 12, in which a translational movement of the joint pin 121 in the slot 141 is possible, lies in the embodiment shown between the angles defined by the Fig.3a / 3b and 5a / 5b defined positions of the swivel arm 11 in relation to the steering arm 13. If the swivel arm 11 and the steering arm 13 enclose a different angle which is not within this defined angular range of the first joint 15a, the movement is prevented by the locking contour 142 in conjunction with the joint section 12.

[0037] The final position of the convertible top frame 1 is equivalent to an open convertible top. The convertible top can be returned to the closed position, i.e., the starting position, by performing the reverse movement. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 1 convertible top frame 10 corner bows 11 Swivel arm 111 attack 12 Joint section 121 pivot pins 13 Steering arm 14 Joint holder 141 slot 142 locking contour 15 four-bar linkage 15a first joint 15b second joint 15c third joint 15d fourth joint 20 roof bows 30 locking element 40 side roof guide 50 swivel element 51 Stop head 60 roof enclosure QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 2825526 C2

[0005] US 3030140 A

[0005] DE 69305959 T2

[0005] DE 10 2012 105 171 A1

[0005] DE 10 2018 114 807 B4

[0005] DE 10 2004 010 930 B3

[0005]

Claims

[1] Roof frame (1) for a motor vehicle for opening and closing a vehicle roof, comprising a corner bow (10) which is fastened to a roof enclosure (60) via a pivot arm (11) and a four-bar linkage (15) arranged thereon, wherein the four-bar linkage (15) is designed to transfer the corner bow (10) from a starting position to an end position with respect to the roof enclosure (60), and the four-bar linkage (15) has a first joint (15a) which is designed as a pivot pin (121) guided in a slot (141), wherein furthermore a locking mechanism is provided which is designed to allow movement of the pivot pin (121) within the elongated hole (141) only in a defined angular range of the first joint (15a). [2] Convertible top frame (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the four-bar linkage (15) is arranged between the pivot arm (11), a movable pivot element (50), a movable steering arm (13) and the roof housing (60). [3] Convertible top frame (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the locking mechanism is designed as a locking contour (142) and the locking contour (142) is designed in particular to achieve its locking effect purely mechanically. [4] Top frame (1) according to the preceding claim 3 in conjunction with claim 2, wherein the first joint (15a) is provided between the pivot arm (11) and the steering arm (13), wherein in particular the locking contour (142) is fixedly provided on a joint receptacle (14) arranged on the steering arm (13), which joint receptacle has the elongated hole (141) and a joint section (12) is arranged on the pivot arm (11) in such a way that it is designed to enable or disable a movement of the joint pin (121) in the elongated hole (141) depending on the position of the first joint (15a) in conjunction with the locking contour (142). [5] Convertible top frame (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the joint receptacle (14) is made of plastic and has a metallic reinforcement in particular at the elongated hole (141) and the locking contour (142). [6] Top frame (1) according to one of the preceding claims 2 to 5, wherein a stop (111) is provided on the pivot arm (13) and a stop head (51) is provided on the pivot element (50), which are arranged such that they define a maximum position of rotation of the first joint (15a). [7] Top frame (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the locking mechanism is designed such that it allows movement of the pivot pin (121) in the elongated hole (141) only when the stop head (51) and the stop (111) are in contact. [8] Top frame (1) according to one of the preceding claims 2 to 7, wherein the pivoting element (50) is further connected to a roof bow (20) and / or a lateral roof guide (40) such that upon rotation of the pivoting element (50) the roof bow (20) and / or the lateral roof guide (40) move from a starting position to an end position or vice versa. [9] Top frame (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a mechanism determined by the design of the four-bar linkage (15) is designed such that the pivot pin (121) is moved back and forth once in the elongated hole (141) when transferring the corner bow (10) from the starting position to the end position. [10] Motor vehicle with a convertible top frame (1) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the convertible top frame (1) is designed to transfer a roof of the vehicle from a starting position to a final position.

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