Folding soft top for a vehicle with sequential bow control

Abstract

Folding soft top for a vehicle, wherein the folding soft top is adjustable between a closed position spanning a passenger compartment and an open position stored in a storage compartment, comprising a plurality of roof bows arranged transversely to a forward direction of travel (F) of the vehicle, wherein the roof bows are each connected to sliding elements (2, 3) for displacement in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein the sliding elements (2, 3) are slidably arranged in body-fixed lateral guide rails (4), characterized in that first sliding elements (2) each have a front slide (2a) and a rear slide (2b), which are each pivotally connected to one another by means of a double link comprising a lever (5) and a lifting lever (6), wherein the first sliding elements (2) are designed such thatthat, during an opening operation of the folding roof, a relative movement of the front slide (2a) and the rear slide (2b) to each other results in the unlocking and, during a closing operation of the folding roof, the locking of the first sliding elements (2) in the guide rails (4), wherein, during the opening operation, the lifting lever (6) is actuated via the lever (5) between the front slide (2a) and the rear slide (2b), and the front slide (2a) and the rear slide (2b) are locked together and to a front first sliding element (2) or to another front sliding element (2) in the respective guide rail (4).

Description

Field of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a folding top for a vehicle which is adjustable between a closed position spanning a passenger compartment and an open position stored in a storage space. State of the art

[0002] In vehicle folding tops, it is common practice for the top fabric spanning the roof opening to be supported and tensioned in the closed folding top position by cross bows extending transversely to the vehicle's longitudinal axis. For this purpose, the cross bows are often divided into folding and guide bows, with only the folding bows being lifted from the roof when the folding top opens. Both types of bows, however, are held and guided by guide elements in guide rails located to the side of the roof opening. A variety of design variants exist for this basic principle.

[0003] For example, DE 10 2008 039 094 A1 discloses a folding top with folding and guide bows mounted on guide rails. The guide bows are fixed in height, while the folding bows are height-adjustable. Adjacent folding and guide bows are coupled in pairs via leaf spring elements.

[0004] For example, EP 0 613 799 A1 describes a folding roof that enables controlled folding using simple means. Folding bows are locked to their associated sliding elements by means of a locking mechanism when they reach their position under the respective recess before lifting from the guide rails. The bows are connected by a link belt system, allowing controlled opening and closing without additional control devices.

[0005] With uncontrolled, spring-loaded bows, the lowering occurs at the end of the closing movement at the same moment when the fabric tension in the convertible top must be built up. With longer folding tops, the energy available to tension the convertible top fabric becomes increasingly less, especially when closing a folding top while driving, as the buoyancy on the convertible top fabric always relates to the entire roof area. By distributing the lowering movement of the bows over the entire closing process, more energy remains available for the final build-up of fabric tension. In addition, when opening the folding top, the opening process appears more refined because the fabric tension does not collapse immediately. Summary of the invention

[0006] It is an object of the invention to provide a folding top which is improved with regard to the problem described above.

[0007] This object is covered by a folding top according to independent claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the present invention are described in the dependent claims.

[0008] The folding top according to the invention for a vehicle is adjustable between a closed position spanning a passenger compartment and an open position stored in a storage space.

[0009] A “folding roof” is any roof that opens and at least partially exposes the interior of a vehicle by folding a roof section or a top cover.

[0010] A "storage area" in the stowed open position is understood to mean any area in or on which a folded roof can be stored, including any storage position for folding roofs known to a person skilled in the art.

[0011] According to the invention, the folding top comprises a plurality of roof bows arranged transversely to a forward direction of travel of the vehicle, wherein the roof bows are each connected to sliding elements for displacement in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0012] According to the present invention, the sliding elements are arranged displaceably in lateral guide rails fixed to the body.

[0013] Guide rails and their use in folding roofs are well known. These are either integrally formed with the vehicle body or permanently mounted to it. Guide rails can be made of plastic or metal, such as aluminum.

[0014] According to the invention, first sliding elements each have a front slide and a rear slide, which are articulated to one another via a two-stroke mechanism consisting of a lever and a setting lever.

[0015] The position-related term "front" slide refers to the rear slide of a first sliding element, which is arranged toward the front of the vehicle. The position-related term "rear" slide refers to the front slide of a first sliding element, which is arranged toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0016] Furthermore, according to the invention, the first sliding elements are designed in such a way that, by means of a relative movement of the front slide and the rear slide to one another, unlocking of the first sliding elements in the guide rails occurs during an opening process of the folding top and locking of the first sliding elements in the guide rails occurs during a closing process of the folding top, wherein during the opening process the setting lever is actuated via the lever between the front slide and the rear slide and the front slide and the rear slide are locked to one another and to a front first sliding element or another front sliding element, such as a drive sliding element, in the respective guide rail.

[0017] The lifting lever can be designed as a rigid or flexible element.

[0018] Preferably, the roof bows are designed alternately as guide bows and as folding bows, with the guide bows being height-fixed and the folding bows being height-adjustable.

[0019] Particularly preferably, the raising lever is arranged on the front carriage of the first sliding element so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis, wherein, starting from the pivot axis of the raising lever, a first leg of the raising lever extends in a direction to the rear, namely opposite to the forward direction of travel of the vehicle, and a second leg of the raising lever, which is shorter than the first leg, extends in a direction to the front, namely in the forward direction of travel of the vehicle, wherein a second sliding element is arranged at the end of the first leg of the raising lever and a connecting element is designed at the end of the second leg of the raising lever.

[0020] The setting lever, the lever and the front slide preferably form a sliding crank compared to the rear slide.

[0021] The first sliding elements, more precisely the front slides of the first sliding elements, are preferably assigned to the guide bows. The second sliding elements are preferably assigned to the folding bows.

[0022] Particularly preferably, the first sliding elements, more precisely the rear slides of the first sliding elements, each have a locking element which can be brought into engagement with the respective guide rail, namely in a closed position of the folding top, each releasably engages in a recess provided for this purpose in the respective guide rail.

[0023] A “locking element” refers to components which, by engaging with another component, create a detachable connection between these two components.

[0024] The respective recesses in the respective guide rail can, for example, be a cutout, a clearance or a depression in the guide rail.

[0025] By means of the embodiment according to the invention, a folding top can be generated which, on the one hand, is characterized by maintaining the fabric tension in the non-moving part of the folding top during an opening process and, on the other hand, is characterized by a reduced closing force during a closing process. Brief description of the drawings

[0026] The invention is described below by way of example with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a side view of a section of a guide rail with a first sliding element, an actuated setting lever and a second sliding element. Fig. 2 shows a plan view of a guide rail with a first sliding element, a non-actuated setting lever and a second sliding element according to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a plan view of a guide rail with a first sliding element, an actuated setting lever and a second sliding element according to Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows a sectional view along the section plane BB according to Fig. 3 with the lifting lever not activated. Fig. 5 shows a sectional view along the section plane BB according to Fig. 3 with activated lifting lever. Fig. 6 shows a sectional view along the section plane AA according to Fig. 3 with the lifting lever not activated. Fig. Figure 7 shows a sectional view along the section plane AA according to Fig. 3 with activated lifting lever. Fig. 8 shows an exploded view of a section of a guide rail with a first sliding element, a second sliding element, a lever, a locking element. Fig. 9 shows a sectional view along the section plane CC according to Fig. 4. Fig. 10 shows a sectional view of a section of a guide rail in the situation in which two adjacent sliding elements 2 are locked together and the associated setting levers are actuated and set up. Detailed description of the invention

[0027] A folding top for a vehicle is adjustable between a closed position spanning a passenger compartment, namely closing a roof opening of the vehicle, and an open position stored in or on a storage area (not shown).

[0028] The roof opening of the vehicle is delimited on the left and right sides of the vehicle by a lateral guide rail 4 fixed to the body. The guide rails 4 extend essentially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A plurality of sliding elements 2, 3 are displaceably mounted in each of the guide rails 4. A section of such a guide rail 4 with sliding elements 2, 3 according to the present invention is shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 7 shown as examples in different views.

[0029] A vehicle's longitudinal direction is essentially a direction along or parallel to a longitudinal center axis of the vehicle.

[0030] The folding top is designed to be mirror-symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal center axis of the vehicle and comprises a plurality of roof bows arranged transversely to a forward direction of travel F of the vehicle. The roof bows are designed alternately as guide bows and folding bows. The guide bows are designed to be height-fixed, while the folding bows are height-adjustable (not shown). The roof bows are each connected to associated sliding elements 2, 3 for displacement in a vehicle's longitudinal direction.

[0031] The one in all figures ( Fig. 1 - Fig. 8) shows the forward direction of the vehicle.

[0032] Due to the mirror-symmetrical design of the folding roof, only one side of the folding roof and the corresponding opening and closing process will be described below for the sake of clarity.

[0033] In the exemplary embodiment shown, a part of the guide rail 4 is shown with a first sliding element 2 and a second sliding element 3 ( Fig. 1 - Fig. 8). The first sliding elements 2 are assigned to the guide bows. The second sliding elements 3 are assigned to the folding bows.

[0034] It is understood, although not shown, that several first sliding elements 2 and second sliding elements 3 are arranged alternately along the guide rail 4.

[0035] The sliding element 2 has a front slide 2a and a rear slide 2b. The front slide 2a and the rear slide 2b are connected to each other in an articulated manner via a two-stroke mechanism comprising a lever 5 and a setting lever 6 ( Fig. 4, Fig. 5, Fig. 8).

[0036] The front slide 2a of the first sliding element 2 has an element 12 for connection to a guide bow ( Fig. 2, Fig. 3).

[0037] On the front carriage 2a of the first sliding element 2, a substantially rigid raising lever 6 is arranged, which is pivotable about a pivot axis Z1. Starting from the pivot axis Z1 of the raising lever 6, a first leg 6a of the raising lever 6 extends in a rearward direction, namely opposite to the forward direction of travel F of the vehicle, and a second leg 6b of the raising lever 6, which is shorter than the first leg 6a, extends in a forward direction, namely in the forward direction of travel F of the vehicle ( Fig. 4, Fig. 5).

[0038] At the end of the first leg 6a of the setting lever 6, the second sliding element 3 is arranged - the second sliding element 3 has elements 13 for connection to a folding bow ( Fig. 2, Fig. 3). At the end of the second leg 6b of the setting lever 6, a connecting element 8 is designed or formed. In the present embodiment, the connecting element 8 is designed in a "hook-like" manner, with the hook pointing in a direction toward an upper side 14 of the guide rail 4 ( Fig. 4 - Fig. 7, Fig. 8, Fig. 10).

[0039] The rear slide 2b of the first sliding element 2 has a locking element 9 which can be brought into engagement with the guide rail 4 ( Fig. 6, Fig. 7, Fig. 8). The locking element 9 is pivotally mounted on the rear slide 2b about a pivot axis Z4.

[0040] In the closed position of the folding top, the first sliding element 2 is releasably held in the guide rail 4 via the locking element 9, in that the locking element 9 releasably engages in a recess 10 provided for this purpose in the guide rail 4 ( Fig. 6).

[0041] The recess 10 in the guide rail 4 is designed in the present embodiment as a depression in the guide rail 4 ( Fig. 6, Fig. 7).

[0042] The closed position of the folding top is the position in which a front roof element, in this case a roof cap (not shown), is locked to a body component of the vehicle, in this case a windshield frame (not shown). In this position, the sliding elements 2, 3 are fixed and cannot be moved along the guide rail 4 ( Fig. 2, Fig. 4, Fig. 6).

[0043] The roof cap defines the front section of the roof opening. The roof cap is guided longitudinally via drive sliding elements (not shown) in the opposite guide rails 4.

[0044] The drive sliding elements are connected to a pull rope or at least a drive cable, with the drive cable being connected to a motor unit, usually an electric motor (not shown). When the folding top is closed, the roof cap rests against the vehicle's windshield frame and is locked there. The sliding elements 2, 3 are moved via the drive sliding element located on both sides in the guide rails 4.

[0045] In the following, an opening process, i.e. a transfer of the folding top from the closed position to the open position, is described using the present embodiment according to the invention: The roof cap of the opening folding top, more precisely the drive sliding element of the roof cap, comes into collision with the front slide 2a of the first sliding element 2 during the opening process in its movement along the guide rail, opposite to the forward direction of travel F of the vehicle. Due to the pressure of the drive sliding element, the front slide 2a moves towards the rear slide 2b of the first sliding element 2 ( Fig. 2 - Fig. 7). The rear slide 2b is at this time connected to the guide rail 4 via the locking element 9 ( Fig. 6). Due to the relative movement of the two slides 2a, 2b to each other, a two-stroke mechanism consisting of lever 5 and setting lever 6 is activated, which results in the raising of setting lever 6 ( Fig. 4, Fig. 5).

[0046] As can be seen particularly from the exploded view of the Fig. 8 and the sectional view of the Fig. As can be seen in Figure 9, the lever 5 is pivotally mounted on the front carriage 2a via a pivot axis Z2 and on the rear carriage 2b via a pivot axis Z3. The pivot axis Z2 lies above the pivot axis Z3 when viewed in the vertical direction of the vehicle. In the non-positioned position of the positioning lever 6, which for example is the case in the Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the pivot axes Z2 and Z3 have an offset in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0047] The setting lever 6, the lever 5, and the front slide 2a form a sliding crank relative to the rear slide 2b. Towards the end of the setting movement of the setting lever 6, the locking element 9 in the common linear guide of the two slides 2a, 2b is released from its locking position with respect to the guide rail 4 and moved into a locking position of the two slides 2a, 2b relative to each other ( Fig. 7). By locking the two slides 2a, 2b to each other via the locking element 9, the setting lever 6 is fixed in its raised position ( Fig. 1, Fig. 3, Fig. 7). In this installed position, the lever 5 is positioned vertically and the pivot axis Z2 is located above the pivot axis Z3 when viewed in the vertical direction.

[0048] By rotating the setting lever 6 about the pivot axis Z1, the connecting element 8 is coupled to the drive sliding element of the roof cap, which is attached to the first carriage 2a of the first sliding element 2, similar to a wagon to a train - for this purpose, a suitably coded engagement for the connecting element 8 is provided on the drive sliding element. Both carriages 2a, 2b now move in a locked manner, directly connected to the drive sliding element of the roof cap, as a combination 11, so to speak, along the guide rail 4 until they run up against the next first sliding element 2, which is releasably fixed in the guide rail 4. Due to the pressure of the combination 11, the front carriage 2a of the next first sliding element 2 moves towards the rear carriage 2b of the next first sliding element 2. At this point, the rear carriage 2b of the next first sliding element 2 is connected to the guide rail 4 via the locking element 9.The relative movement of the two carriages 2a, 2b to one another activates the dual action of lever 5 and raising lever 6 of the next first sliding element 2, resulting in the raising of the raising lever 6 on the first carriage 2a of the next first sliding element 2. Towards the end of the raising movement of the raising lever 6, the locking element 9, in the shared linear guide of the two carriages 2a, 2b, is released from its locking position with respect to the guide rail 4 and moved into a locking position of the two carriages 2a, 2b relative to one another. By locking the two carriages 2a, 2b relative to one another via the locking element 9, the raising lever 6 is fixed in its raised position.By rotating the positioning lever 6 about the pivot axis Z1, the connecting element 8 of the next first sliding element 2 is coupled to the assembly 11, more precisely to the rearmost second slide 2b of the assembly 11—for this purpose, a suitable engagement for the connecting element 8 is provided on the second slide 2b. This situation is illustrated in the . Fig. 10. The suitable engagement for the connecting element 8 is a connecting counter element 16, which is designed, for example, as a bolt or eyelet on the second slide 2b.

[0049] Both carriages 2a, 2b of the next first sliding element 2 now move in a locked manner, directly connected to the assembly 11, as part of the assembly 11, along the guide rail 4 until they run into the next first sliding element 2 in the guide rail 4. This last-described process is repeated until the folding top has reached its final open position.

[0050] The closing process, i.e. transferring the folding top from the open position to the closed position, takes place in the reverse order to the opening process, whereby a sequence deviation is avoided by suitable geometric coding of a locking geometry along the guide rails 4.

[0051] The first sliding element 2 is accordingly designed in such a way that, by means of a relative movement of the front slide 2a and the rear slide 2b to one another, unlocking of the first sliding element 2 occurs during an opening process of the folding top and locking of the first sliding element 2 in the guide rails 4 occurs during a closing process of the folding top, wherein, during the opening process, the setting lever 6 is actuated via the lever 5 between the front slide 2a and the rear slide 2b and the front slide 2a and the rear slide 2b are locked to one another and to a front first sliding element 2 or another front sliding element, such as the drive sliding element, in the guide rail 4. List of reference symbols 2 First sliding element 2a Front carriage 2b Rear carriage 3 Second sliding element 4 guide rail 5 levers 6 lifting levers 6a First leg 6b Second leg 8 Connecting element 9 locking element 10 Recess 11 Association 12 Element for connection with a guide bow 13 Element for connection with a folding bow 14 Upper side of a guide rail 16 Connecting counter element F Forward direction Z1 swivel axis Z2 swivel axis Z3 swivel axis Z4 swivel axis 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 10 2008 039 094 A1

[0003] EP 0 613 799 A1

[0004]

Claims

[1] A folding top for a vehicle, wherein the folding top is adjustable between a closed position spanning a passenger compartment and an open position stored in a storage area, comprising a plurality of roof bows arranged transversely to a forward direction of travel (F) of the vehicle, wherein the roof bows are each connected to sliding elements (2, 3) for displacement in a vehicle longitudinal direction, wherein the sliding elements (2, 3) are arranged displaceably in lateral guide rails (4) fixed to the body, characterized byin that first sliding elements (2) each have a front slide (2a) and a rear slide (2b), which are each articulated to one another via a two-stroke comprising a lever (5) and a setting lever (6), wherein the first sliding elements (2) are designed in such a way that a relative movement of the front slide (2a) and the rear slide (2b) to one another unlocks the first sliding elements (2) in the guide rails (4) during an opening process of the folding top and locks them during a closing process of the folding top, wherein during the opening process the setting lever (6) is actuated via the lever (5) between the front slide (2a) and the rear slide (2b) and the front slide (2a) and the rear slide (2b) are locked to one another and to a front first sliding element (2) or another front sliding element (2) in the region of the respective guide rail (4). [2] Folding top according to claim 1, characterized by that the roof bows are designed alternately as guide bows and as folding bows, with the guide bows being fixed in height and the folding bows being height-adjustable. [3] Folding top according to claim 1 or 2, characterized byin that the raising lever (6) is arranged on the front carriage (2a) of the first sliding element (2) so as to be pivotable about a pivot axis (Z1), wherein, starting from the pivot axis (Z1) of the raising lever (6), a first leg (6a) of the raising lever (6) extends in a rearward direction, namely opposite to the forward direction of travel (F) of the vehicle, and a second leg (6b) of the raising lever (6), which is shorter than the first leg (6a), extends in a forward direction, namely in the forward direction of travel (F) of the vehicle, wherein a second sliding element (3) is arranged at the end of the first leg (6a) of the raising lever (6), and a connecting element (8) for establishing the locking with the front first sliding element (2) or another front sliding element (2) is designed at the end of the second leg (6b) of the raising lever (6). [4] Folding top according to claim 3, characterized bythat in order to establish the locking with the front first sliding element (2), the associated rear slide (2b) is designed with a connecting counter element (16). [5] Folding top according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the setting lever (6), the lever (5) and the front slide (2a) form a sliding crank relative to the rear slide (2b). [6] Folding top according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the first sliding elements (2), more precisely the front slides (2a) of the first sliding elements (2), are assigned to the guide bows. [7] Folding top according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized by that the second sliding elements (3) are assigned to the folding bows. [8] Folding top according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized bythat the first sliding elements (2), more precisely the rear slides (2b) of the first sliding elements (2), each have a locking element (9) which can be brought into engagement with the respective guide rail (4), namely in a closed position of the folding top, each releasably engages in a recess (10) provided for this purpose in the respective guide rail (4).

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