Opening vehicle roof with a retractable lid

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle roof (1) with a cover (3) closing a roof opening (4) and with a bearing device that movably mounts the cover (3) on longitudinal roof guides by means of a front bearing unit (8) and a rear bearing unit (10) in the longitudinal direction of the roof such that it is adjustable between a closed position that closes the roof opening (4) and an open position in which it is at least partially displaced over a rear roof surface section (6) adjoining the roof opening (4) from behind, wherein the longitudinal roof guides comprise a front longitudinal guide (9) with the front bearing unit (8) mounted thereon and a rear longitudinal guide (11) with the rear bearing unit (10) mounted thereon. According to the invention, the rear longitudinal guide (11) is provided to have a twisted guide profile (84) over at least a longitudinal section of its guide length.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle roof with a cover closing a roof opening and with a bearing device which mounts the cover on roof-side longitudinal guides in the longitudinal direction of the roof by means of a front bearing unit and by means of a rear bearing unit in such a way that it is adjustable between a closed position closing the roof opening and an open position in which it is at least partially displaced over a rear roof surface part adjoining the roof opening at the rear, wherein the roof-side longitudinal guides have a front longitudinal guide with the front bearing unit mounted thereon and a rear longitudinal guide with the rear bearing unit mounted thereon.

[0002] A generic vehicle roof with a cover is disclosed in DE 10 2021 131 573 A1. A bearing device supports the cover on both sides by means of a front bearing unit, which is slidably mounted on a front longitudinal guide, and a rear bearing unit, which is slidably mounted on a rear longitudinal guide. The cover is adjustable between a closed position in a roof opening, a ventilation position with its rear edge flared, and an open position in which the cover is at least partially adjusted by a roof surface section adjacent to the roof opening on the vehicle roof. The two front longitudinal guides and the two rear longitudinal guides run parallel to each other. A flare lever of the rear bearing unit is pivotable on the rear longitudinal guide in a longitudinal plane vertical to the rear longitudinal guide.This bearing device is suitable for adjusting the cover via a roof section adjacent to the rear of the roof opening, which has parallel side edges along which the two rear longitudinal guides run. In the case of a tapered vehicle roof, whose width decreases longitudinally and particularly towards the rear in the area of ​​the rear roof section, the two rear longitudinal guides are positioned on the vehicle roof at such a distance from each other that their rear ends are adapted to the narrower width at the rear end of the roof section. The front ends of the rear longitudinal guides are then offset inwards in the transverse direction relative to the ends of the front guide rails, so that the rear longitudinal guides restrict the field of view through a transparent rear roof section laterally and particularly in a front area near the rear edge of the cover.

[0003] Other state-of-the-art documents are US 5 228 743 A, US 10 059 179 B1, DE 102 01 636 A1 and WO 94 / 22 685 A1.

[0004] The invention is based on the objective of creating a vehicle roof of the aforementioned type, the bearing device of which is improved with regard to its use in vehicle roofs, in particular in vehicle roofs with non-parallel roof side edges.

[0005] This problem is solved by the subject matter of independent claim 1.

[0006] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0007] In the vehicle roof according to the invention, the twisted or rotated guide path of the rear longitudinal guide is provided by designing the rear longitudinal guide to be rotated about its longitudinal direction at least along a longitudinal section of the rear longitudinal guide or its guide length. The rear longitudinal guide can – viewed from its front end relative to the vehicle roof in the longitudinal direction of the roof or the direction of the lid opening – be formed with a twist or torsion in two opposite directions of rotation: either clockwise or counterclockwise. The twisted guide path follows the rotated rear longitudinal guide continuously according to the slope of the torsion over a specific angle of rotation of the rear longitudinal guide. The angle of rotation is advantageously in the range of approximately 20° to approximately 100° and preferably in the range of approximately 40° to 80°.

[0008] According to a preferred embodiment, the rear bearing unit has a space link comprising a space link foot and a space link head, the space link head is pivotally connected to a head bearing arranged on the cover, and the space link foot is slidably mounted on the rear longitudinal guide by means of a positive guide. The space link is thus a link with the function of an extension lever or support lever, which moves not only in a plane such as a vertical longitudinal plane along a straight longitudinal guide or guide rail, but also in spatial motion corresponding to the twisted guide path.

[0009] Advantageously, the space link head therefore maintains its spatial position relative to the space link foot, which moves along the rear longitudinal guide in a positively guided manner. In particular, the twisted guide path and the movement path of the head bearing, which supports the space link head and moves with the cover, are coordinated. The space link foot, which is slidably and positively guided on the rear longitudinal guide, is accordingly pivoted during its longitudinal movement along the twisted guide path in a transverse plane extending through the space link foot, which is oriented perpendicular to the twisted guide path and to the space link foot guided thereon.

[0010] The space control arm forms a rigid unit with its space control arm foot, so that the entire space control arm follows the twisted guide path of the rear longitudinal guide via its space control arm foot in forced guidance.

[0011] If, according to one embodiment, the rear longitudinal guide with its twisted guide path is fundamentally formed following a straight line about which the longitudinal guide or guide path is rotated, and the space link foot performs a pivoting movement about this straight line during its longitudinal movement following the straight line, the space link head moves spatially along a line characterized by a combination of a translational movement of the space link along the rear longitudinal guide and a rotational movement of the space link about the rear longitudinal guide. The space link head thus performs a spatial movement relative to the space link foot, which in particular represents a helical path with respect to the twisted guide path of the rear longitudinal guide following the straight line. In this case, the head bearing is movably or adjustably mounted on the cover such that it can perform a movement relative to the cover that follows the space link head.

[0012] The linkage head is pivotally mounted on the head bearing, which is located on the cover and is, in particular, part of the rear bearing unit. The linkage, which is coupled to the cover via its linkage head, supports the cover against the rear longitudinal guide. The cover is movably mounted on the front longitudinal guide by means of the front bearing unit, allowing movement in the longitudinal direction of the roof. Advantageously, a cover adjustment drive is provided, which is connected to the front bearing unit and adjusts the cover between its closed and open positions.

[0013] The articulated mounting of the space link head on the head bearing located on the cover allows the space link to pivot relative to the cover, while the space link, with its base, moves along the rear longitudinal guide via its twisted guide path. The rear longitudinal guide has a guide path adapted for this pivoting movement of the space link. The articulated mounting of the space link head is advantageously achieved via a pivot joint and, in particular, by means of a ball joint bearing that supports a ball joint located on the space link head.

[0014] When the cover is adjusted longitudinally, the head bearing or ball bearing, which supports the control arm and is located on the cover, moves along a path of movement that follows the cover. This path of movement of the ball bearing can be determined and defined by an optional design of the twisted guide path of the rear longitudinal guide, which affects the pivot angle of the control arm.

[0015] It is therefore advantageous that the rear longitudinal guide with the twisted guide path is formed such that the guide path, in the direction of the opening movement of the cover or in the longitudinal direction of the roof or in the x-direction, exhibits either a clockwise or a counterclockwise guide torsion. Preferably, of the two rear longitudinal guides opposite each other with respect to the roof opening, the left rear longitudinal guide with respect to the vehicle roof is formed with a clockwise or right-handed guide torsion, while the right rear longitudinal guide is formed with a counterclockwise guide torsion.

[0016] Additionally, the rear longitudinal guide can be curved along its length, so that the movement path of the ball joint bearing can also be determined and defined by the design of the curvature. This allows for a movement path of the ball joint bearing, which is fixed in position on the cover. Likewise, a movement path can be set along which the ball joint bearing, which is adjustable in position on the cover, moves, for example, if the ball joint bearing is mounted in such a way that it can perform a compensating movement relative to the cover in the transverse direction.

[0017] The twisted or rotated guide profile is formed, for example, by mechanically twisting the rear longitudinal guide, which is manufactured with a straight profile, or a guide rail that incorporates the rear longitudinal guide. The rear longitudinal guide or guide rail is permanently deformed in the process. The guide rail is, for example, an extruded profile made of light metal or aluminum. Alternatively, the twisted or rotated guide profile of the rear longitudinal guide can also be imprinted during the extrusion process of the guide rail.

[0018] The twisted or rotated guide path advantageously begins directly at the front end of the rear longitudinal guide, starting from a front normal position in which the rear longitudinal guide holds the space link via its space link foot in a starting position, where, for example, the lid is extended at its rear edge and ready for its displacement in the lid opening direction. Alternatively, the rear longitudinal guide can also have an initial section without a twisted or rotated guide path.

[0019] According to a preferred embodiment, the rear longitudinal guide, with its twisted guide path, is curved inwards along its length relative to the rear roof section in the transverse roof direction, the transverse lid direction, or in the y-direction. The two rear longitudinal guides opposite each other on the vehicle roof thus approach each other in their path. With this design, the rear longitudinal guide can be adapted to the shape of the vehicle roof, for example, with a tapered or conical profile of the side roof rails.

[0020] In principle, however, such an embodiment is also possible in which the rear longitudinal guide with the twisted guide path runs curved outwards over its guide length relative to the rear roof surface part in the roof transverse direction or cover transverse direction or in the y-direction.

[0021] According to the invention, it is provided, among other things, that the rear longitudinal guide with its twisted guide path is arranged on the vehicle roof in such a way that it lowers relative to the rear roof surface section along its guide path and in the longitudinal direction of the roof. In particular, the lowering path and the twisted guide path of the rear longitudinal guide are coordinated such that the head bearing moves along a path of movement with a substantially constant vertical distance above the rear roof surface section.

[0022] Advantageously, the path of movement of the head bearing, which moves with the cover, runs in a vertical longitudinal plane of the roof. The head bearing is mounted on the cover in a fixed or positionally stable position in the transverse direction or y-direction of the cover. In particular, the head bearing moves in the vertical longitudinal plane of the roof along a path of movement that curves downwards with respect to the rear part of the roof surface, as explained above.

[0023] According to a preferred embodiment, the rear longitudinal guide with its twisted guide path is designed such that the multi-link foot, when the cover is moved in the cover opening direction, executes a relative movement with respect to the head bearing in the transverse direction of the cover. This relative movement, directed inwards in the transverse direction of the cover, is based on a correspondingly shaped profile of the rear longitudinal guide, which is expediently adapted to the shape of the vehicle roof.

[0024] Advantageously, the head bearing is thus fixed in position on the lid. However, it can also be adjustable on a guide running lengthwise along the lid. Such an adjustable bearing is provided, for example, in a rear bearing unit where the spacer linkage performs a pivoting movement at its rear edge to open the lid, which involves a relative movement of the spacer linkage head with respect to the lid.

[0025] According to a preferred embodiment, the space guide moves within a gap between a side edge of the rear roof section and a roof edge side section located at the side of the roof when the cover is moved into its open position. Advantageously, two seals close the gap, one seal being attached to the rear roof section and the other to the roof edge side section. The two seals elastically conform to each other. The space guide moves within the gap between the two seals, which it elastically deforms.

[0026] Advantageously, the rear roof section is shaped such that the gap, starting from a front edge of the rear roof section, follows a path that approximates a vertical longitudinal center plane of the roof. The rear roof section, for example, has a trapezoidal shape. Furthermore, the rear longitudinal guide, with its twisted guide path, is initially located in an area below the gap and then runs laterally inwards under a side edge of the rear roof section. The spatial linkage pivots transversely around the gap, with the gap serving as the pivot center. The spatial linkage thus pivots in spatial or 3D motion such that a point representing an instantaneous pivot center on a spatial linkage body connecting the spatial linkage head to the spatial linkage foot is positionally variable depending on the movement of the spatial linkage in the gap when the cover is opened and closed.The space guide therefore moves relatively constantly in the middle of the gap during its 3D longitudinal and rotational movement.

[0027] Advantageously, the space guide comprises a foot section adjoining the space guide base and a head section adjoining the space guide head. When the lid is closed, the head section extends transversely outwards from the space guide head beneath the lid towards the foot section. Advantageously, the space guide or its body has a curved shape with a smooth transition from the head section to the foot section. In principle, the foot section and the head section can also each be essentially flat and positioned at an angle to each other.

[0028] According to a further preferred embodiment, the space link foot has three sliders that form a three-point spatial support on the rear longitudinal guide. This three-point spatial support provides the positive guidance for the space link foot. At least one of the sliders can be elastically mounted or designed to provide any necessary flexibility in the case of a statically indeterminate mounting of the space link. Alternatively, the space link foot can also be mounted and positively guided by means of differently designed slide elements, e.g., by means of at least one cuboid slider that is positively guided in a corresponding rectangular-section twisted guide.

[0029] According to a further preferred embodiment, the rear longitudinal guide has two opposing guide tracks in which two sliders, opposite each other in the transverse direction of the longitudinal guide, are received for lateral support of the linkage foot. An additional slider, arranged in front of or behind the two sliders, is received in one of the two guide tracks or in an additional guide track for longitudinal support of the linkage foot.

[0030] Preferably, the rear longitudinal guide comprises an outer guide track and an inner guide track. Two of the sliders are mounted spaced apart from each other in one guide track. The third slider is mounted in the other guide track. The two guide tracks can, for example, also be arranged one above the other.

[0031] It is therefore expediently provided that the front longitudinal guide has two longitudinal guides parallel to each other and arranged on both sides of the roof opening, and that the two rear longitudinal guides with their guide paths twisted in opposite directions are arranged below the side edges of the rear roof surface part and inwards from them.

[0032] According to a preferred embodiment, the roof-side longitudinal guide comprises a front longitudinal guide with the front bearing unit mounted thereon and a rear longitudinal guide with the rear bearing unit mounted thereon. These two longitudinal guides, or guide rails containing them, are advantageously arranged on a roof frame. Such a roof frame is advantageously a load-bearing part of the roof assembly supporting the cover, which is attached to the vehicle roof via this roof frame. Preferably, the front longitudinal guide is arranged in a dry area of ​​the roof frame and the rear longitudinal guide in a wet area of ​​the roof frame.

[0033] According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the cover is supported at the front longitudinal guide, the rear longitudinal guide, and the longitudinal guide on the cover side by means of sliders on two corresponding guide components or guides arranged side by side in the transverse direction of the cover. Such a double slider guide is suitable for supporting a heavier cover compared to known bearings and supports with only one slider on each guide. In particular, the double slider guide is continuously provided in every position of the cover and over the entire adjustment range of the cover.

[0034] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an embodiment of a vehicle roof according to the invention and the drawing. It shows: Fig. 1 in a perspective top view a vehicle with an opening vehicle roof and with a cover closing a roof opening; Fig. 2 in a perspective top view the vehicle roof of the Fig. 1 with the lid open; Fig. 3 in a top view a front longitudinal guide and a rear longitudinal guide of a bearing device of the cover; Fig. 4 in an isometric side view the rear longitudinal guide formed with a twisted guide path and the cover mounted on it by means of a rear bearing unit; Fig. 5 in an isometric view a lid frame of the lid with a lid rail and a rear lid auxiliary rail for the rear bearing unit; Fig. 6 in an isometric view the twisted rear longitudinal guide with the cover supported via a space link of the rear bearing unit; Fig. 7 in a cross-sectional view the twisted rear longitudinal guide with a space link foot attached to it; Fig. 8 in a side view the twisted rear longitudinal guide; Fig. 9 in a top view the twisted rear longitudinal guide; Fig. 10 in an isometric view the space guide and a cover slide of the rear bearing unit; Fig. 11 in an isometric view the space guide of the rear bearing unit in a position with the cover closed; Fig. 12 in an isometric view the space guide of the rear bearing unit as well as a front bearing unit with the cover closed; Fig. 13 in an isometric view the space guide of the rear bearing unit and the front bearing unit with the cover open; Fig. 14 in an exploded view the front bearing unit of the cover; Fig. 15 in an isometric view the front bearing unit in a position with the lid closed; Fig. 16 in a side view the front bearing unit with the lid closed; Fig. 17 in a cross-sectional view according to section line A - A in Fig. 16 a front guide rail of the front longitudinal guide and a drive slide mounted thereon; Fig. 18 in a cross-sectional view according to section line B - B in Fig. 16 the front guide rail with the drive carriage and with parts of a coupling device; Fig. 19 in a cross-sectional view according to section line C - C in Fig. 16 the front guide rail with the drive carriage and with other parts of the coupling device; Fig. 20 in an isometric view the front bearing unit with the lid closed according to Fig. 15 and Fig. 16; Fig. 21 in a side view the front bearing unit when the cover is swung out at its rear edge; Fig. 22 in an isometric view the front bearing unit when the cover is swung out at its rear edge according to Fig. 21; Fig. 23 in an isometric view the front bearing unit in a position in which it has fully raised the cover; Fig. 24 in a side view the front bearing unit in the Fig. 23 position shown; and Fig. 25 in an isometric view the front bearing unit in the Fig. 23 and Fig. Position 24 shown.

[0035] An opening vehicle roof 1 of a vehicle 2, such as a passenger car, has a cover 3 (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2), which can be lifted from a closed position in a roof opening 4 and adjusted into a ventilation position, and from the ventilation position with the rear edge of the cover 5 raised, via a roof surface section 6 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle or roof behind the roof opening 4 into an open position (position according to Fig. 2) is movable. Such a roof is, for example, an externally guided sunroof or a spoiler roof. The rear roof section 6, which includes, for example, a glass pane, is fixedly attached to the vehicle roof 1, but can also be formed by a movable roof section such as a glass cover that is adjustable by means of a bearing mechanism. The axis and direction designations used in the description, such as "front" and "rear", "top" and "bottom", "outside" and "inside", "horizontal" and "vertical", as well as "lateral", longitudinal or x-direction, transverse or y-direction, and z-direction or vertical direction, refer to a three-dimensional xyz vehicle coordinate system.

[0036] A bearing device for the lid 3 is designed such that the lid 3 is supported on both sides of the roof opening 4 by means of a front bearing unit 8 arranged, for example, in the area of ​​the front edge 7 of the lid ( Fig. 3 and Fig. 4) is movably mounted along a lateral front longitudinal guide 9 and by means of a rear bearing unit 10 with respect to the cover 3 along a lateral rear longitudinal guide 11. The front longitudinal guide 9 and the rear longitudinal guide 11 are arranged on the vehicle roof 1 and expediently on a frame of a roof assembly attached to the vehicle roof 1 and movably mounting the cover 3. The rear longitudinal guide 11 runs in the longitudinal direction of the roof essentially behind the roof opening 4 in the area of ​​the adjoining roof surface section 6. The rear bearing unit 10 has a space link 12 ( Fig. 4 and Fig. 6), which forms an opening lever and with which the cover 3 can be lifted at its rear edge 5 into its ventilation and spoiler position and moved along the rear longitudinal guide 11. The front longitudinal guide 9 and the rear longitudinal guide 11 are preferably each arranged on or formed by their own guide rails 13 and 14, respectively. The roof structure, as well as a roof assembly, sunroof assembly, or spoiler roof assembly containing the cover 3 and the bearing units 8 and 10, as well as the longitudinal guides 9 and 11, is largely symmetrical about a vertical longitudinal center plane of the vehicle roof 1, so that the following description is given with reference to the components and bearing units 8 and 10 arranged on the left longitudinal side of the vehicle roof 1 or the roof opening 4. The vehicle roof 1 has, in particular, a waisted shape in the longitudinal roof direction.The cover 3 has a width that decreases in the longitudinal direction of the roof, and the rear roof surface part 6 also has, for example, a waisted shape or a trapezoidal shape with a width that decreases in the longitudinal direction of the roof.

[0037] The lid 3 has a lid frame 15 ( Fig. 5, Fig. 15 and Fig. 18), which is formed, for example, by an inner cover sheet and is attached to the underside of the cover 3, for example, by means of a PUR foam 16 ( Fig. 18). The cover frame 15 includes a lateral frame longitudinal section 17, which is arranged inwards of the side edge 18 of the cover 3. A cover rail 19, e.g., an aluminum profile rail, is attached, for example, to the underside of the frame longitudinal section 17 and, in the transverse direction of the cover, to the inside of the frame longitudinal section 17 such that, when the cover 3 is closed, it is arranged in a longitudinal direction essentially above the front guide rail 13 on the roof side or also outside of the front guide rail 13. The cover rail 19, which forms a cover support, has a cover support arm 20 at its front end ( Fig. 4 and Fig. 16), which is attached to a flange 21 ( Fig. 18) is attached to the cover rail 19 and projects downwards. The cover support arm 20 has two transversely opposed sliders 22 at its lower or front end. The front guide rail 13 comprises two groove-shaped and opposing slider guides 23 associated with the sliders 22 ( Fig. 14 and Fig. 19), on which the two sliders 22 are slidably guided. An inner lifting cam 24 and an outer lifting cam 25 form curved, rising front sections of the inner and outer slider guides 23. The two lifting cams 24 and 25 are preferably formed on an inner cam component 26 and an outer cam component 27, which are attached to the front end of the front guide rail 13. When the cover 3 is closed, the sliders 22 are arranged in a lowered position at the front or lower end of the two lifting cams 24, 25 ( Fig. 16).

[0038] The space guide 12 of the rear bearing unit 10 ( Fig. 6, Fig. 7 and Fig. 10) has a multi-link foot 28 and a multi-link head 29. The multi-link foot 28 is slidably mounted on the longitudinal guide 11 of the rear guide rail 14, for example, by means of three preferably spherical sliders 30, 31, and 32. The three sliders 30, 31, and 32 form a three-point support 33 on the rear guide rail 14 in a triangular arrangement. The first front slider 30 and the second rear slider 31, spaced apart from it, are arranged on the multi-link foot 28 projecting laterally outwards in the transverse direction and aligned longitudinally, and are received in an associated outer cylindrical guide track 34 of the rear guide rail 14. The third slider 32 projects laterally inwards from the multi-link foot 28 in the transverse direction and is received in an inner cylindrical guide track 35 of the rear guide rail 14. Guide walls 36 and 37, which form the two guide tracks 34 and 35 respectively, enclose the sliders 30 and 31 respectively.32 to such an extent that the space link foot 28 is positively guided and supported against tipping in both the longitudinal and transverse directions by means of the three-point support 33 formed by the three sliders 30, 31 and 32 on the two guide tracks 34 and 35 of the rear guide rail 14. The space link 12, which forms a fixed unit with its space link foot 28, is thereby positively guided so that it follows a sliding bearing base 38 formed by the sliders 30, 31 and 32 during its spatial or 3D movement along the rear guide rail 14. The space link foot 28 or a part of the space link 12 extends through a gap 39 (. Fig. 7) between the two spaced-apart guide walls 36 and 37.

[0039] The space link 12 is pivotably mounted on a lid slide 41 via its space link head 29, which forms the end of the space link 12 facing the lid 3, by means of a head bearing 40. The head bearing 40 is designed such that the space link 12 can perform three-dimensional rotary and pivoting movements relative to the lid slide 41. The head bearing 40 is, in particular, a ball joint bearing that includes a ball head 42 arranged on the space link head 29. The lid slide 41 is mounted on associated slide guides 45 and 46 by means of an inner slide slide 43 and an outer slide slide 44. Fig. 6) slidably mounted. The slide guides 45 and 46 are formed on the cover rail 19 and on a cover auxiliary rail 47. The cover auxiliary rail 47 is parallel to a rear section of the cover rail 19 on the lateral longitudinal frame section 17 of the cover frame 15 ( Fig. 5) and depending on the arrangement of the cover rail 19 on the lateral longitudinal frame section 17 according to one embodiment laterally outwards of the cover rail 19 ( Fig. 5) or according to a further embodiment laterally inwards of the cover rail 19 ( Fig. 6) e.g. by means of screws.

[0040] At least one of the sliders 30, 31 and 32 is elastically mounted on the space link foot 28 or has such elasticity itself, e.g. by an elastic sliding coating, that a compensation possibility is given for the space link 12, which is statically overdetermined by the three sliders 30, 31 and 32 on the space link foot 28 and the mounting on the space link head 29.

[0041] An elongated control element 48 ( Fig. 6 and Fig. 14) is in a longitudinal guide 49 ( Fig. 19) slidably mounted, which is arranged, for example, on or formed on the cover rail 19. The longitudinal guide 49 comprises, for example, a cylindrical guide channel in which a control rod or a compression-resistant drive cable is mounted as a control element 48. The control element 48 is connected at its rear end to the cover slide 41 or to the slide glider 43 or 44. For example, the control element 48 includes at its rear end a lateral web or the like to which the slide glider 43 or 44 is attached or formed as an overmold. The control element 48 extends over the length of the cover rail 19 and is connected in the region of its front end to a control element glider 50, which is mounted in a glider guide 51 ( Fig. 16 and Fig. 19) the cover rail 19 is slidably mounted next to the control element 48. The control element slider 50 is, for example, attached to a lateral rib of the control element 48 ( Fig. 14).

[0042] A drive carriage 52 ( Fig. 13 to 16) of the lid adjustment drive is slidably mounted on the front guide rail 13 by means of sliders 53 and is connected to a drive cable 54, which is guided in a cable guide 55 to a drive motor (not shown) located, for example, on a roof frame of the vehicle roof 1 centrally in front of the roof opening 4. The drive carriage 52 is connected to the control element slider 50 by means of a coupling unit 56 ( Fig. 14) The coupling unit 56 has a coupling link 57 which is pivotally connected on one side to the drive carriage 52 by means of a pivot bearing 58 and on the other side is pivotally connected to a driver 59 which is arranged on the cover rail 19. The driver 59 has a U-shaped cross-section and has a base 60 as well as an inner leg 61 and an outer leg 62 ( Fig. 14 and Fig. 19). The driver 59 engages with its base 60 that area of ​​the cover rail 19 which contains the longitudinal guide 49 of the control element 48. The inner leg 61 projects downwards through an inner longitudinal slot 63 formed in the cover rail 19, with the base 60 moving in an upper recess 64 of the cover rail 19. The outer leg 62 projects downwards at the outer edge of the recess 64 and is firmly inserted from above into the control element slider 50.

[0043] The coupling link 57 is connected to the driver 59 via its inner leg 61 by means of a swivel joint 65 ( Fig. 14 and Fig. 21). The pivot joint 65 comprises a bearing bushing 66, which is attached, for example, as an injection-molded part at the end of the connecting link 57, and a bearing pin 67, which is inserted through a bearing opening 68 in the inner leg 61 of the driver 59 and is pressed or screwed into the bearing bushing 66, for example.

[0044] The drive carriage 52 has a control cam 69 ( Fig. 14 and Fig. 16), which is open laterally outwards towards the lid support arm 20. A control engagement element 70 is attached to the lid support arm 20, which projects inwards towards the drive carriage 52 and is received in the control cam 69. The control engagement element 70 is, for example, a rotary slide 71, which is mounted on a bearing pin 72 fixedly attached to the lid support arm 20. The control cam 69 comprises a horizontal section 73, which runs parallel to the front guide rail 13, a front vertical section 74, and a transition section 75, which forms a curved guide transition from the horizontal section 73 to the front vertical section 74.

[0045] The front guide rail 13 is arranged in a dry area 76 of the vehicle roof 1 or of a roof-mounted roof frame 77 (see Fig. 18), which extends laterally within a lid seal 78 that seals the lid 3 against the roof frame 77 and is attached to the roof frame 77. The front bearing unit 8 moves together with the drive carriage 52 in this dry area 76.

[0046] The rear guide rail 14 is arranged in a wet area 79 separated from the dry area 76. The rear release lever or space link 12 of the rear bearing unit 10 moves along the rear guide rail 14 in the wet area 79 when the cover 3 is moved rearward over the rear roof surface section 6 to release the roof opening 4.

[0047] The rear guide rail 14 has a lifting section 80 at its front end ( Fig. 4 and Fig. 6), in which the two opposing guide tracks 34 and 35 of the rear longitudinal guide 11 have a rising profile from a lower level to an upper level.

[0048] The lifting section 80 of the rear guide rail 14 is located laterally outwards next to a rear end 81 of the front guide rail 13 ( Fig. 4 and Fig. 11) and located approximately in front of a leading edge 82 of the rear roof surface section 6. With the lid 3 closed ( Fig. 11 and Fig. 12) The space link 12 with its space link foot 28 is positioned in the area of ​​the lifting section 80. The first front slider 30 is located at the lower level and the two rear sliders 31 and 32 are located at a higher level. The space link 12 ( Fig. 10) extends from its space link foot 28 and comprises a central space link body 83, which has a shape bent or curved laterally inwards towards the space link head 29 in the form of a flat, narrow profile. In this initial position, the space link body 83 is arranged such that its narrow profile is oriented longitudinally and transitions into the space link foot 28, which is also expediently formed as a narrow, plate-shaped component. The space link head 29 assumes its initial position, in which it is spatially arranged in a lower position in the z-direction or vertical direction. In the initial position, the space link foot 28 is positioned in a normal position on the longitudinal guide 11 of the rear guide rail 14 on the two guide tracks 34 and 35, which lie side by side in a horizontal plane. Even if the two guide tracks 34 and 35 do not run side by side at the same height and, for example,Since the sliders 30, 31, and 32 are offset vertically from one another and are accordingly arranged on the linkage foot 28, this represents a normal position of the linkage foot 28. Advantageously, the linkage foot 28, with its plate-shaped component, is vertically oriented. The linkage head 29 is offset inwards relative to the linkage foot 28 in the y-direction or transverse direction of the cover 3 or the vehicle roof 1. The linkage 12 is inclined forward in its initial position.

[0049] The rear guide rail 14 is formed adjacent to the lifting section 80 with a twisted or rotated guide profile 84 of the longitudinal guide 11 ( Fig. 6, 8 to 11). Starting from the normal and non-twisted arrangement of the two guide tracks 34 and 35 adjacent to the lifting section 80, the rear guide rail 14 is shaped to be right-handed along its longitudinal path in a clockwise direction. In addition, the rear guide rail 14 is curved downwards and inwards along its longitudinal path with respect to the vehicle roof 1 and the rear roof surface section 6. The rear guide rail 14 initially runs below a gap 85 ( Fig. 1) between a side edge 86 of the rear roof surface section 6 and a side roof edge section 87, which, for example, forms a side roof frame or covers a roof side rail. The rear roof surface section 6 has, in particular, a trapezoidal surface or shape, which is designed according to a width of the vehicle roof 1 that decreases towards the rear in the longitudinal direction of the roof. The two opposing side edges 86 of the rear roof surface section 6 are therefore not parallel to each other, but approach each other. An inner gap seal 88 attached to the side edge 86 of the rear roof surface section 6 ( Fig. 6 and Fig. 11) and an outer gap seal (not shown) on the roof edge side part 87 close the gap 85 by elastically fitting against each other. Fig. Figure 8 shows the left rear guide rail 14 arranged on the left side of the vehicle roof with its twisted guide path 84 and its downward curved longitudinal path in side view. Fig. Figure 9 shows this left rear guide rail 14 in a vertical top view and with its longitudinal path curved inwards at the vehicle roof 1. The rear guide rail 14 runs laterally inwards under a side edge area of ​​the rear roof surface section 6. Fig. Figure 3 shows in a vertical top view the vehicle roof 1 with the left rear guide rail 14 and a right rear guide rail 14, which is designed according to the left rear guide rail 14, but is shaped in a counterclockwise direction over its longitudinal course in accordance with the symmetrical structure of the vehicle roof 1 to the vertical longitudinal center plane.

[0050] The rear guide rail 14 is, for example, a metal profile, a light metal profile, or an aluminum profile. The rear guide rail 14 is manufactured, for example, as an extruded profile with the twisted guide path 84, or it is twisted and permanently deformed during manufacturing by applying a torsional force to the undeformed guide rail 14. The bending or curvature of the rear guide rail 14 is produced, for example, in a bending die. Other materials, such as composite materials, and other manufacturing processes are also possible.

[0051] The following describes how to open the lid 3 from its closed position ( Fig. 1, Fig. 11 and Fig. 12) into an open position ( Fig. 2 and Fig. 4) described. In the closed position, the cover 3 is arranged flush with the surrounding roof surface in the roof opening 4. The sliders 22 of the cover support arm 20 are located in a lower starting position in the two lifting guides 24 and 25 ( Fig. 16). The drive carriage 52 is in a forward starting position. The control engagement part 70 of the cover support arm 20 is arranged at the rear end of the horizontal section 73 of the control cam 69. The coupling unit 56, with its horizontally aligned coupling link 57, holds the control element 48 in a forward position. The driver 59 is located in a front area of ​​the recess 64 ( Fig. 20). The bearing bushing 66 rests against the underside of the cover rail 19 ( Fig. 18). The control element 48 holds the cover slide 41 in a forward position in which the space link 12 of the rear bearing unit 10 is positioned in the forward starting position with its space link head 29 pivoted forward ( Fig. 11 and Fig. 12).

[0052] The cover 3 is secured against vertical lifting from the roof opening 4 in the area of ​​the front bearing unit 8 by the sliders 22 in the two lifting guides 24 and 25 and by the rotary slider 71 in the horizontal section 73 of the control guide 69 of the drive carriage 52, and is securely supported and locked in the vertical or z-direction. Furthermore, the cover 3 is secured in the area of ​​the rear bearing unit 10 by the space guide 12 ( Fig. 11), which is held by the sliders 30, 31 and 32 in the two guide tracks 34 and 35 of the lifting section 80, is secured against vertical lifting out of the roof opening 4 and is securely supported and locked in the vertical or z-direction. At both the front bearing unit 8 and the rear bearing unit 10, the cover 3 is supported by two guide or sliding tracks or cams arranged side by side in the y- or transverse direction, and thus by two supports: namely, by the support of the sliders 22 on the two slider guides 23 or the two lifting cams 24 and 25, and by the support of the cover slide 41 via the two slide gliders 43 and 44 on the cover rail 19 and on the cover auxiliary rail 47.

[0053] To adjust the lid 3 from its closed position to a ventilation position with the rear edge of the lid 5 raised (movement from the position of the Fig. 12 in the direction of the position of Fig. 13) The drive carriage 52 is moved via the drive cable 54 along the front guide rail 13 in the x-direction or to the rear (movement from the position of the Fig. 15, Fig. 16 and Fig. 20). The cover 3 does not change its position in the longitudinal or x-direction, since the two sliders 22 in the lifting guides 25 and 26 are prevented from moving longitudinally, and the stationary rotary slider 71 can move relative to the rearward-moving control guide 69 in the horizontal section 73. The drive carriage 52, by means of the coupling unit 56, moves the control element 48 rearward in its longitudinal guide 49 on the cover rail 19 relative to the cover 3. The cover carriage 41 of the rear bearing unit 10, moved rearward by the control element 48, accordingly moves the space linkage head 29 rearward relative to the cover 3. In this process, the space guide 12 with its space guide foot 28 is moved to the rear, whereby the front slider 30 is raised along the rising outer guide track 34, while the two rear sliders 31 and 32 are already moving in the section of the two guide tracks 34 and 35 that lies at the upper level.This causes the space guide 12 to pivot and position itself in such a way that the space guide head 29 lifts up and opens the cover 3 with its rear edge 5 into its ventilation position.

[0054] While the drive carriage 52 is moved further to the rear, the control engagement part 70 or the rotary slider 71, which is mounted on the bearing pin 72, moves into the transition section 75 of the control cam 69, in which it is successively raised ( Fig. 21 and Fig. 22). This raises the two sliders 22 of the lid support arm 20 in the lifting guides 24 and 25 and shifts them rearward according to the inclination of the lifting guides 24 and 25, thereby also shifting the lid 3 slightly rearward. The control element 48 is held fixed in a rear end position on the lid rail 19 via the connecting link 57. This also holds the head bearing 40 in a fixed position relative to the lid 3.

[0055] To move the cover 3 from such a ventilation position to an opening position that at least partially releases the roof opening 4, the drive carriage 52 is moved further to the rear. This is achieved through the interaction of the sliders 22 guided in the lifting guides 24 and 25 and the control engagement part 70, which moves from the transition section 75 into the vertical section 74 of the control guide 69 of the drive carriage 52 ( Fig. 21 to 25), the cover 3 is moved into its upper position in the z-direction according to the sliders 22, which are raised to the upper level of the slider guides 23. A further movement of the drive carriage 52 in the x-direction causes, via the engagement of the control engagement part 70 in the vertical section 74 of the control cam 69, a displacement of the cover 3 in the longitudinal or x-direction along the guide rail 13 and a corresponding movement of the space link 12 along the rear longitudinal guide 11 of the rear guide rail 14 ( Fig. 6).

[0056] The path of the rear longitudinal guide 11 of the rear guide rail 14, with the torsion of the guide path 84, with the curved or bent path directed inwards under the roof surface section 6, and with the downward path relative to the roof surface section 6, is coordinated with the straight path of movement of the head bearing 40 in a vertical plan view such that the space link 12, with its space link body 83, moves in and along the gap 85 between the gap seals on the roof surface section 6 and the roof edge side section 87. The space link 12 thus follows the trapezoidal narrowing of the vehicle roof 1 with its space link foot 28 in the longitudinal roof direction. The rear roof surface section 6 can therefore have a comparatively wide shape, which is not narrowed by otherwise straight and non-torsioned rear longitudinal guides according to the prior art.The cover 3 is held by the space guide 12 over the course of the rear longitudinal guide 11 in the z-direction with a preferably small and constant distance above the gap 85 and the rear roof surface part 6, which is particularly curved in the longitudinal direction.

[0057] The space guide 12 pivots in spatial or 3D motion such that the instantaneous pivot point of its space guide body 83, which extends through the narrow gap 85, is formed at a point on the space guide body 83 that lies within the gap 85 and moves longitudinally within the gap 85 as the space guide 12 moves. This point forming the pivot point changes during the longitudinal movement of the space guide 12 along the twisted longitudinal guide 11.

[0058] The inner seal or inner gap seal 88, located on the rear roof surface section 6, and the outer seal or outer gap seal, located on the roof edge side section 87, lie close together and seal the gap 85 with a certain degree of flexibility, allowing the space guide 12, with its point of pivot forming the instantaneous pivot point of the space guide body 83, to move between the two seals and thus elastically deform the seals accordingly. The space guide body 83 is a flat component in cross-section and, when the cover 3 is opened and closed, moves with its respective front and rear narrow sides between the two seals through the gap 85. The space guide 12 advantageously has a curved or bent space guide body 83, so that the space guide body 83, with its instantaneous pivot point, performs a continuous sliding movement along the two seals.

[0059] Thus, the space guide 12 can move within a narrow gap 85, which is sealed by equally narrow seals. This ensures a reliable seal of the gap 85 while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

[0060] When closing the lid 3, the described movements occur in the opposite sequence. Reference symbol list 1 vehicle roof 2 vehicles 3 lids 4 Roof opening 5 Rear edge of lid 6 Roof area section 7 Lid front edge 8 front bearing unit 9 front longitudinal guide 10 rear bearing unit 11 rear longitudinal guide 12 space guides 13 front guide rail 14 rear guide rail 15 lid frames 16 Foaming 17 Frame longitudinal section 18 side margin 19 Cover rail 20 Lid support arm 21 Flange 22 gliders 23 slider guide 24 inner lifting backdrop 25 outer lifting backdrop 26 inner scenery component 27 outer scenery component 28 Space control foot 29 Spacer head 30 gliders 31 gliders 32 gliders 33 Three-point support 34 outer guideway 35 inner guideway 36 guide wall 37 Guide wall 38 Plain bearing base 39 gap 40 Head bearings 41 Lid slide 42 ball head 43 sled gliders 44 sled gliders 45 Slide guide 46 Slide guide 47 Additional cover rail 48 Control element 49 Longitudinal guidance 50 control element sliders 51 Slider guide 52 drive slides 53 gliders 54 drive cables 55 Cable routing 56 coupling unit 57 coupling links 58 swivel bearings 59 drivers 60 base 61 Inner thigh 62 Outer thigh 63 longitudinal slots 64 Exclusion 65 Swivel joint 66 Bearing bushing 67 bearing journals 68 Warehouse opening 69 Tax backdrop 70 Control intervention part 71 rotary gliders 72 bearing journals 73 Horizontal section 74 Vertical section 75 Transition section 76 Dry area 77 Roof frames 78 Lid seal 79 Wet area 80 Lifting section 81 Rear end 82 Front edge 83 space guide bodies 84 twisted leadership trajectory 85 gap 86 side margin 87 Roof edge side panel 88 Gap seal

Claims

[1] Vehicle roof (1) with a cover (3) closing a roof opening (4) and with a bearing device which supports the cover (3) by means of a front bearing unit (8) and by means of a rear bearing unit (10) on roof-side longitudinal guides in the longitudinal direction of the roof so that it is adjustable between a closed position closing the roof opening (4) and an open position in which it is at least partially displaced over a rear roof surface part (6) adjoining the roof opening (4) at the rear, wherein the roof-side longitudinal guides have a front longitudinal guide (9) with the front bearing unit (8) mounted thereon and a rear longitudinal guide (11) with the rear bearing unit (10) mounted thereon and the rear longitudinal guide (11) has a twisted guide profile (84) over at least one longitudinal section of its guide length, thereby characterized that the rear longitudinal guide (11) with its twisted guide path (84) is arranged on the vehicle roof (1) in such a way that it lowers itself over its guide path in the direction of the opening movement of the cover (3) or in the cover opening direction relative to the rear roof surface part (6). [2] Vehicle roof (1) according to claim 1, characterized by , that the rear bearing unit (10) has a space link (12) comprising a space link foot (28) and a space link head (29), that the space linkage (12) is articulated with its space linkage head (29) to a head bearing (40) arranged on the cover (3) and that the space control arm (12) with its space control arm foot (28) is slidably mounted on the rear longitudinal guide (11) by means of a forced guide. [3] Vehicle roof (1) according to claim 2, characterized by, that the space control head (29) maintains its spatial position relative to the space control foot (28) which moves along the rear longitudinal guide (11) in a forced-guided manner, and that the twisted guide path (84) and a movement path of the head bearing (40) which supports the space control head (29) and moves with the cover (3) are coordinated with each other. [4] Vehicle roof (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by , that the rear longitudinal guide (11) with the twisted guide path (84) is formed such that the guide path (84) in the direction of the opening movement of the lid (3) or in the lid opening direction has either a guide torsion clockwise or a guide torsion counterclockwise. [5] Vehicle roof (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by, that the rear longitudinal guide (11) with the twisted guide path (84) runs curved inwards over its guide length in the direction of the opening movement of the lid (3) or in the lid opening direction relative to the rear roof surface part (6) in the roof transverse direction or y-direction. [6] Vehicle roof (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by , that the path of movement of the head bearing (40) moved with the cover (3) runs in a vertical longitudinal plane of the roof, in particular with a path curved downwards in the direction of the opening movement of the cover (3) or in the direction of the opening of the cover with respect to the rear part of the roof surface (6). [7] Vehicle roof (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized by, that the rear longitudinal guide (11) with the twisted guide path (84) is formed and arranged such that the space linkage foot (28) performs a relative movement relative to the head bearing (40) in the transverse direction of the lid when the lid (3) is moved in the lid opening direction. [8] Vehicle roof (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized by , that the head bearing (40) is fixed in position on the cover (3) or is adjustable on a guide (45, 46) extending in the longitudinal direction of the cover. [9] Vehicle roof (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized by , that when the lid (3) is adjusted to its open position, the space guide (12) moves in a gap (85) between a side edge (86) of the rear roof surface part (6) and a roof edge side part (87) arranged on the side roof edge. [10] Vehicle roof (1) according to claim 9, characterized by, that the rear roof surface part (6) is formed such that the gap (85) from the front edge (82) of the rear roof surface part (6) has a course approximating a vertical longitudinal center plane of the roof, and that the rear longitudinal guide (11) with its twisted guide course (84) is initially arranged in an area below the gap (85) and runs laterally inwards under a side edge area of ​​the rear roof surface part (6). [11] Vehicle roof (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 10, characterized by , that the space-link foot (28) for forced guidance has three sliders (30, 31, 32) for a spatial three-point support (33) on the rear longitudinal guide (11). [12] Vehicle roof (1) according to claim 11, characterized by, that the rear longitudinal guide (11) has two opposing guide tracks (34, 35) in which two sliders (31, 32) opposing each other in the transverse direction of the longitudinal guide (11) are received for a transverse support of the space link foot (28), and wherein an additional slider (32), which is arranged in front of or behind the two sliders (30, 31), is received in one of the two guide tracks (34, 35) or in an additional guide track for longitudinal support of the space link foot (28). [13] Vehicle roof (1) according to claim 11 or 12, characterized by , that the rear longitudinal guide (11) has an outer guide track (34) and an inner guide track (35), wherein two of the sliders (30, 31) are spaced apart from each other in one guide track (34) and the third slider (32) is in the other guide track (35). [14] Vehicle roof (1) according to any one of claims 2 to 13, characterized by, that the space guide (12) has a foot section adjoining the space guide foot (28) and a head section adjoining the space guide head (29) and that when the lid (3) is closed, the head section extends outwards from the space guide head (29) in a transverse direction towards the foot section below the lid (3). [15] Vehicle roof (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized by , that the front longitudinal guide (9) has two longitudinal guides (9) parallel to each other and arranged on both sides of the roof opening (4) and that the two rear longitudinal guides (11) with their guide profiles twisted in opposite directions are arranged below the side edges (86) of the rear roof surface part (6) and inwards of the side edges (86).

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