Roof system for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11273693-B2
Application number	US-201916673414-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2019
Priority date	Nov 5, 2018
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

A roof system for a vehicle having an opening in a roof includes a panel and a guide rail at each longitudinal side of said opening. An operating mechanism operates the closure panel in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The operating mechanism includes a front device including a lever for moving the front edge of the panel in a vertical direction. A driving slide is slidably accommodated in each guide rail and is drivable by a drive member. The lever is connected to the driving slide through a pin-curve assembly and is provided with a slide-shoe. A curve of the pin-curve assembly has a first curve section extending horizontally allowing a pin to slide along to move the rear of the panel vertically. A locking curve section extends mainly in vertical direction to allow the driving slide to rotate the lever.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A roof system or a vehicle having a roof opening in a roof part thereof, comprising:
a closure panel which is movable between a closed position in which it closes the roof opening and an open position in which it opens the roof opening and is positioned at least partially above an adjoining portion of the roof part;
a stationary guide rail at each longitudinal side of said roof opening;
an operating mechanism slidably coupled to each stationary guide rail, the operating mechanisms being joined to the closure panel to operate the closure panel in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, said operating mechanism comprising:
a rear device configured to move a rear edge of the closure panel towards a raised position relative to the closed position and above the adjoining portion of the roof part;
a front device including a lever configured to move a front edge of the closure panel in a vertical direction; and
a driving slide slidable relative to each guide rail and is drivable by a drive member to move the closure panel both in a vertical and in a horizontal direction through the front device and the rear device;
wherein a pin-curve assembly connects the lever of the front device to the driving slide;
wherein the lever is provided with a slide-shoe which is in engagement with a stationary guide curve and is pivotally in engagement with the closure panel; and
wherein a curve of the pin-curve assembly is provided with a first curve section extending mainly in horizontal direction and allowing a pin of the pin-curve assembly to slide along and thereby allowing the driving slide to move at least the rear side of the closure panel at least in vertical direction, and is provided with a locking curve section extending mainly in vertical direction when the pin is positioned in the locking curve section in order to allow the driving slide to rotate the lever due to a displacement of the slide-shoe of the lever through a curved front portion of the stationary guide curve and to slide the closure panel in longitudinal direction.

2. The roof system according to claim 1 , wherein the locking curve section and the first curve section of the pin-curve assembly are provided in the lever and the corresponding pin is provided on the driving slide.

3. The roof system according to claim 1 , wherein the lever of the front device is in engagement with two stationary guide curves one on each lateral side of the lever by two slide-shoes.

4. The roof system according to claim 3 , wherein the slide-shoes are positioned at the front end of the lever of the front device.

5. The roof system according to claim 3 , wherein the lever of the front device is pivotally connected to a panel bracket at a position substantially above the slide-shoes.

6. The roof systems according to claim 1 , wherein the stationary guide curve includes a short substantially vertical front portion, a connecting inclined portion and a connecting long portion following the curvature of the roof part.

7. The roof system according to claim 1 , wherein the lever of the front device is rotationally supported at its rear end on a pivot which is mounted on a slide which is slidable in the stationary guide rail.

8. The roof system according to claim 1 , wherein the rear device is configured to move the rear side of the panel in the vertical direction and which is configured to allow the panel to slide with respect to the rear device when the panel moves above the adjoining portion of the roof part.

9. The roof system according to claim 8 , wherein the rear device includes a lifting lever to move the rear side of the panel in the vertical direction , wherein a coupling member is connected to the lifting lever at a first end and is selectively drivingly coupled to the driving slide.

10. The roof system according to claim 9 , wherein the lifting lever is supported by an auxiliary lever which is pivotally connected to the lifting lever, the auxiliary lever having first and second guide pins in engagement with first and second stationary guide curves, respectively, to force the auxiliary lever to rotate when the lifting lever is driven by the driving slide.

11. The roof system according to claim 8 , wherein the rear device includes a lifting lever pivotally connected to the closure panel, and further comprising a coupling detachably coupling the lifting lever to the driving slide.

12. The roof system according to claim 11 , wherein the rear device is connected to the coupling by an elongated connecting member.

13. The roof system according to claim 1 , wherein the front device is movable on the stationary guide with movement of the driving slide so as to be positioned at least partly beside the rear device in a most rearward open position of the panel with respect to the roof opening.

Assignees

• Inalfa Roof Sys Group Bv

Inventors

• Nellen Marcel Johan Christiaan
• Jungling Rainer Gerhard

Classifications

• B60J7/0573 Primary

  power driven arrangements, e.g. electrical · CPC title

• B60J7/047 Primary

  movable to overlapping or nested relationship {(B60J7/041 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F16B17/006

  of rods or tubes to sheets or plates · CPC title

• B60J7/0435

  pivoting upwardly to vent mode and moving at the outside of the roof to fully open mode · CPC title

• B60J7/024 Primary

  characterised by the height regulating mechanism of the sliding panel (B60J7/043 - B60J7/053 take precedence) · CPC title