Open roof construction for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9242536-B2
Application number	US-201214359533-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2012
Priority date	Nov 23, 2011
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

An open roof construction for a vehicle includes a first closing element movably supported by a stationary part and is configured to move to an upward position with at least its front edge. A second closing element movably supported by the stationary part and is positioned rearward of the first closing element. The second closing element moves between a closed position in which it closes said roof opening and an at least partly open position. An air guide on a lower side of the first closing element guides and directs the air caught by said first closing element when in its upward position during driving of the vehicle to create a boundary layer of air which is situated between the outside and the inside of the vehicle at the position of the roof opening when said second closing element is in its at least partly open position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An open roof construction for a vehicle having a roof opening in a fixed roof portion, comprising:
a stationary part configured to attach the open roof construction to the fixed roof portion,
at least one first closing element movably supported by the stationary part and configured to move to an upward position with at least a front edge, and
a second closing element, which is movably supported by the stationary part and being positioned rearward of said at least one first closing element, said second closing element configured to move between a closed position in which it closes said roof opening and an at least partly open position in which it is slid rearwardly, and
wherein said at least one first closing element is provided with an air guide on a lower side of said at least one first closing element that is configured to guide and direct the air caught by said at least one first closing element, when in an upward position during forward driving of the vehicle, into a boundary layer of air which is situated between the outside and the inside of the vehicle at the position of the roof opening in front of the second closing element when said second closing element is in at least a partly open position in which it is slid rearwardly.

2. The open roof construction according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one first closing element is configured to open and close part of the roof opening.

3. The open roof construction according to claim 1 , wherein the air guide comprises at least one baffle configured to guide and direct the air, said baffle projecting downwardly from the lower side of said at least one first closing element.

4. The open roof construction according to claim 1 , wherein the air guide comprises at least one solid body projecting downward from the lower side of said at least one first closing element, said solid body having a shape configured to guide an airflow in a desired direction when said at least one first closing element is in the upward position.

5. The open roof construction according to claim 1 , wherein the air guide comprises at least one duct configured to guide and direct the air, said duct projecting downward from the lower side of said at least one first closing element.

6. The open roof construction according to claim 5 , wherein a part of the duct is formed by the lower side of said at least one first closing element.

7. The open roof construction according to claim 1 , wherein the air guide comprises a porous turbulation member configured to allow air to flow through and to turbulate the flow of air when said at least one first closing element is in the upward position, said turbulation member being attached on an upper end to the lower side of said at least one first closing element.

8. The open roof construction according to claim 7 , wherein the turbulation member is at least one of an air permeable net and open cell foam, sealing on a lower end to the stationary part when said at least one first closing element is in the upward position.

9. The open roof construction according to claim 1 , wherein the stationary part, in an area at the front of the open roof construction, is at least locally configured to guide the airflow in a desired direction when said at least one first closing element is in the upward position.

10. The open roof construction according to claim 3 , wherein the air guide is adjustably attached to the lower side of said at least one first closing element to vary an angle thereof so as to direct the airflow into different directions.

11. The open roof construction according to claim 10 , wherein said at least one first closing element comprises a drive to adjust the angular adjustment of the air guide.

12. The open roof construction according to claim 11 , wherein the open roof construction further comprises a control device connected to the drive.

13. The open roof construction according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one first closing element comprises at least two parts in a transversal direction.

14. The open roof construction according to claim 13 , wherein each part of said at least one first closing element is configured to be opened and closed individually and independent of each other.

15. A vehicle having a roof opening in a fixed roof portion, comprising an open roof construction having a stationary part attaching the open roof construction to the fixed roof portion, said open roof construction comprising:
a first closing element movably supported by the stationary part and configured to move a frontal edge thereof upwards to an upward position,
a second closing element movably supported by the stationary part rearward of the first closing element, said second closing element configured to move between a closed position in which it closes said roof opening and an at least partly open position in which it is slid rearwardly, and
wherein said first closing element is provided with an air guide on a lower side thereof that is configured to guide and direct the air caught by said first closing element, when in the upward position during forward driving of the vehicle, into a boundary layer of air which is situated between the outside and the inside of the vehicle at the position of the roof opening in front of the second closing element when said second closing element is in an at least partly open position in which it is slid rearwardly.

16. An open roof construction for a vehicle having a roof opening in a fixed roof portion, comprising:
a stationary part configured to support the open roof construction in the fixed roof portion,
at least one first closing element movably supported by the stationary part that is configured to move to an upward position with at least a front edge of the at least one first closing element, the upward position defining a gap below the front edge of said at least one first closing element, and with a rear edge at a level below the front edge during forward driving of the vehicle,
a second closing element movably supported by the stationary part rearward of said at least one first closing element, said second closing element configured to move between a closed position that closes said roof opening and an at least partly open position in which it is slid rearwardly, and
wherein said at least one first closing element is configured to close a first part of the roof opening in front of a second part of the roof opening that is closed by the second closing element in a closed position of the second closing element, the at least one first closing element configured to be raised when the second closing element is moved to a partly open position in which it is slid rearwardly.

17. The open roof construction according to claim 16 , wherein the at least one first closing element is provided with an air guide on its lower side configured to guide and direct the air caught by said at least one first closing element when in the upward position during driving of the vehicle into a boundary layer of air which is situated between the outside and the inside of the vehicle at a position of the roof opening in front of the second closing element when said second closing element is in an at least partly open position.

18. The open roof construction according to claim 16 , wherein the at least first closing element comprises a closable opening providing a passage between the upper and lower side of the at least one first closing element.

19. The open roof construction according to claim 18 , wherein the opening is closable by a closi

Assignees

• Inalfa Roof Sys Group Bv

Inventors

• Rikkert Robert

Classifications

• B60J7/22 Primary

  Wind deflectors for open roofs · CPC title