Roof system for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019283557-A1
Application number	US-201916299895-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 12, 2019
Priority date	Mar 16, 2018
Publication date	Sep 19, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A roof system for a vehicle having a roof opening in a roof part thereof comprises a transparent panel in the roof opening, and a ventilation system for moving air into and/or out of the vehicle interior. The ventilation system includes an air guiding channel guiding air between the vehicle interior and the environment through at least one ventilation opening. The air guiding channel is fitted centrally below the transparent panel and extends in longitudinal direction of the vehicle, substantially completely along the panel and communicates with the interior at least along a substantial length of the panel through holes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A roof system for a vehicle having a roof opening in a roof part thereof above a vehicle interior, comprising:
at least one panel in the roof opening, which panel is at least partly transparent; a ventilation system configured to move air into and/or out of the vehicle interior, the ventilation system including an air guiding channel configured to guide air between the vehicle interior and the environment through at least one ventilation opening; and wherein the air guiding channel is fitted centrally below the transparent panel and extends in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and communicates with the interior at least along a substantial length of the panel.

2 . The roof system of claim 1 , wherein the air guiding channel comprises a plurality of holes towards the vehicle interior.

3 . The roof system of claim 2 , wherein the holes of the air guiding channel are distributed along a length thereof.

4 . The roof system of claim 3 , wherein the holes of the air guiding channel are distributed along a length thereof wherein preferably sizes and distribution density of the holes increase in a direction away from the at least one ventilation opening

5 . The roof system of claim 4 , wherein the holes are elongated in longitudinal direction of the air guiding channel

6 . The roof system of claim 5 wherein a length of the holes varies in length along the length of the air guiding channel to vary the size of the holes.

7 . The roof system of any of claim 1 , wherein the at least one panel defines an upper wall of the air guiding channel.

8 . The roof system of any of claim 7 , wherein a width of the air guiding channel increases in the direction of the ventilation opening.

9 . The roof system of claim 1 , wherein the ventilation system includes at least one blower in the air guiding channel near the at least one ventilation opening.

10 . The roof system of claim 1 , wherein the ventilation opening is at or near a front of the at least one panel.

11 . The roof system of claim 1 , comprising two blowers each communicating with its own air guiding channel, one blower introducing air into the interior of the vehicle and the other extracting air therefrom.

12 . The roof system of claim 1 , wherein the air guiding channel comprises a valve in or near the at least one ventilation opening.

13 . The roof system of claim 12 , wherein the ventilation opening is formed substantially completely in the panel, and wherein the valve comprises a movable flap that closes the ventilation opening in the panel in its closed position, an upper surface of the flap in the closed position being coplanar with the upper surface of the panel.

14 . The roof system of claim 13 , wherein the movable flap is provided with a mechanism to move the flap in a controlled manner and which is connected with the flap on the one hand and with an actuator on the other hand.

15 . The roof system of claim 14 , wherein the actuator, the mechanism and a blower comprise a module, and the module also includes an air duct connecting the blower with the ventilation opening and with the air guiding channel.

16 . The roof system of claim 1 , wherein the air guiding channel has an exterior which is provided with an ambient lighting system.

17 . The roof system of claim 16 , wherein the ambient lighting system is configured to directly illuminate the interior of the vehicle.

18 . The roof system of claim 16 , wherein the ambient lighting system is configured to indirectly illuminate the interior of the vehicle.

19 . The roof system of claim 1 , wherein the panel comprises solar cells providing electricity to the ventilation system.

20 . The roof system of claim 1 , wherein the panel comprises at least three of the following layers:
one or two glass layers; one or more clear or colored PVB layers; a semi-transparent PV layer comprising solar cells; and a variable light transmission foil layer.

21 . The roof system of claim 20 , wherein the panel also comprises an infrared reflecting (IRR) coating and/or a low emissivity (low-e) coating.

Assignees

• Inalfa Roof Sys Group Bv

Inventors

• Geurts Ruud
• Nellen Marcel Johan Christiaan

Classifications

• B60J7/00

  Non-fixed roofs; Roofs with movable panels {, e.g. rotary sunroofs}(B60J10/00 takes precedence; window aspects B60J1/00; fixed roofs B62D25/06; mechanisms for operating wings E05F11/00, E05F15/00) · CPC title

• B60H1/245

  located in the roof · CPC title

• B60J3/007

  Sunglare reduction by coatings, interposed foils in laminar windows, or permanent screens (layered glass products B32B17/00; process of coating windows C03C17/00) · CPC title

• B60J3/04

  adjustable in transparency · CPC title

• B60J7/1642 Primary

  Roof panels, e.g. sunroofs or hatches, movable relative to the main roof structure, e.g. by lifting or pivoting · CPC title