Removable roof panel for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10286764-B2
Application number	US-201715728059-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2017
Priority date	Oct 9, 2017
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

A roof panel includes a first member and a second member. A panel is attached to and interconnects the first member and the second member. The panel is configurable between a deployed configuration for attachment to a vehicle, and a stowed configuration for storage. The panel has a planar form when in the deployed configuration, and a rolled up form when in the stowed configuration. The panel may include an adjustable stiffness panel, such as a layer jamming panel, controllable in response to a control signal to exhibit a first stiffness when in the deployed configuration or the stowed configuration, or a second stiffness for reforming the panel between the deployed configuration and the stowed configuration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a body having a first structural member and a second structural member; and
a roof panel removably attached to the body, the roof panel including:
a first member releasably secured to the first structural member;
a second member releasably secured to the second structural member;
a panel attached to and interconnecting the first member and the second member;
wherein the panel is a layer jamming panel adjustable between a first stiffness and a second stiffness in response to a vacuum control signal; and
wherein the roof panel is configurable between a deployed configuration for attachment to the body, and a stowed configuration for storage, with the roof panel having a generally planar form when configured in the deployed configuration.

2. The vehicle set forth in claim 1 , wherein one of the first structural member and the second structural member include a control interface operable to communicate the vacuum control signal to the panel.

3. The vehicle set forth in claim 1 , wherein one of the first member and the second member include an actuator operable to generate the vacuum control signal.

4. The vehicle set forth in claim 3 , wherein the actuator includes a negative air pressure pump.

5. A vehicle comprising:
a body defining a passenger compartment having a forward roof member and a rearward roof member; and
a roof panel removably attached to the body to enclose the passenger compartment, the roof panel including:
a first member releasably secured to the forward roof member;
a second member releasably secured to the rearward roof member;
an adjustable stiffness panel attached to and interconnecting the first member and the second member, and controllable in response to a control signal to exhibit one of a first stiffness or a second stiffness;
wherein one of the first member and the second member include an actuator operable to generate the control signal; and
wherein the roof panel is configurable between a deployed configuration for attachment to the body, and a stowed configuration for storage, with the roof panel having a generally planar form exhibiting the first stiffness when configured in the deployed configuration.

6. The vehicle set forth in claim 5 , wherein the adjustable stiffness panel includes a layer jamming panel.

7. The vehicle set forth in claim 5 , wherein the actuator includes a negative air pressure pump.

8. The vehicle set forth in claim 5 , wherein the adjustable stiffness panel is controlled to exhibit the second stiffness when re-configuring the adjustable stiffness panel between the deployed configuration and the stowed configuration, and is controlled to exhibit the first stiffness when configured in the stowed configuration.

9. A roof panel for a vehicle, the roof panel comprising:
a first member configured for releasable attachment to a forward roof member of the vehicle;
a second member configured for releasable attachment to a rearward roof member of the vehicle; and
an adjustable stiffness panel attached to and interconnecting the first member and the second member,
wherein the adjustable stiffness panel includes a layer jamming panel controllable in response to a vacuum control signal to exhibit one of a first stiffness or a second stiffness;
wherein the adjustable stiffness panel is configurable between a deployed configuration and a stowed configuration, with the adjustable stiffness panel having a generally planar form exhibiting the first stiffness when configured in the deployed configuration; and
wherein the adjustable stiffness panel is controlled to exhibit the second stiffness when re-configuring the adjustable stiffness panel between the deployed configuration and the stowed configuration, and is controlled to exhibit the first stiffness when configured in the stowed configuration.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Kim Wonhee M
• Alexander Paul W
• Mourou Julien P
• Shoemaker James H
• Philip Besy J

Classifications

• B60J2007/1208

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B60J7/1256

  Inflatable soft tops · CPC title

• B60J7/1204

  Control devices, e.g. for compensating tolerances, for defining movement or end position of top, for tensioning the top or for switching to an emergency mode · CPC title

• B60J7/11 Primary

  Removable panels, e.g. sunroofs · CPC title

• B60J7/085 Primary

  winding up, e.g. for utility vehicles · CPC title