Roof system for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9636980-B2
Application number	US-201514970191-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2015
Priority date	Dec 17, 2014
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A roof system for a vehicle having a roof opening with a movable closure. A stationary guide rails guide operating mechanisms that operates the closure. The operating mechanism comprises a first device configured to move a rear edge upwardly and rearwardly and a second device including a lever to move a front edge of the closure. A guiding slide in the guide rail is coupled to the first device and the second device so as to move the closure. The lever has a pivotal connection to the closure and, remote from the pivotal connection, a sliding connection to the guiding slide by a first guide member and a sliding connection to a first stationary guide curve by a second guide member during movement of the closure. A third guide member on the lever of the second device engages a second stationary guide curve during movement of the closure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A roof system for a vehicle having a roof opening in a roof part thereof, comprising:
at least a closure 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 a rearwardly adjoining roof part;
a stationary guide rail at each longitudinal side of said roof opening, configured to slidably guide an operating mechanism that operates the closure in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, said operating mechanism comprising:
a first device configured to move a rear edge of the closure towards a raised position relative to the closed position and rearwardly above the adjoining roof part;
a second device including a lever configured to move a front edge of the closure in a horizontal and vertical direction; and
a guiding slide which is slidably accommodated in the guide rail and operably coupled to the first device and the second device so as to move the closure both in vertical and in horizontal directions through the first and second devices;
wherein the lever of the second device has a pivotal connection to the closure and, remote from the pivotal connection, a sliding connection to the guiding slide by a first guide member and at least a further sliding connection to a first stationary guide curve by a second guide member during at least a part of the movement of the closure, and wherein there is provided at least a third guide member on the lever of the second device arranged at a position forwardly of the pivotal connection to the closure and engaging a second stationary guide curve at least during a part of the movement of the closure.

2. The roof system of claim 1 , wherein the guiding slide includes a curve through which the first guide member moves when the closure moves between the closed position and a venting position in which the rear edge of the closure is lifted, an extent of the curve is such that if the rear edge of the closure is lifted from the closed position a movement of the pivotal connection in vertical direction and a tilting movement of the closure together result in a downward movement of the front edge of the closure.

3. The roof system of claim 2 , wherein the extent of the curve in the guiding slide is such that if the rear edge of the of the closure is lifted from the closed position, the pivotal connection moves in upward direction, but the front edge of the closure moves in downward direction.

4. The roof system of claim 3 , wherein the first and second devices are arranged such that the closure moves from the closed position first to a venting position in which the rear edge of the closure is lifted and the closure then moves rearwardly while the front edge of the closure is raised.

5. The roof system of claim 3 , wherein the curve comprises a first curve portion which is relatively straight and slightly inclined to cause said movement of the pivotal connection and a second curve portion having a large vertical component to allow the front edge of the closure to be raised and to lock the lever with respect to the guiding slide to move the closure rearwardly toward its open position.

6. The roof system of claim 1 , wherein at least the second stationary guide curve comprises a front portion at least partly inclined backwardly and upwardly to raise the front edge of the closure while it is moved rearwardly.

7. The roof system of claim 6 , wherein a mean angle of the front portion of the second stationary guide curve is between 25 and 60 degrees with respect to a vertical line.

8. The roof system of claim 1 , wherein the second and third guide members are arranged on opposite sides of the lever.

9. The roof system of claim 4 , wherein the second guide member is supported in the first stationary guide curve when the closure is moved rearwardly towards its open position after the front edge of the closure has been raised at least partly, while the third guide member is supported by the second stationary guide curve at least when the front edge of the closure is raised.

10. The roof system of claim 1 , wherein the third guide member is supported by the second stationary guide curve in all positions of the closure.

11. The roof system according to claim 10 , wherein the third guide member includes two slide shoes positioned at a distance from each other, and the second stationary guide curve comprises a flange along at least a part of its length such that the two slide shoes are guided by the flange with the flange extending between the slide shoes.

12. The roof system according to claim 10 , wherein the third guide member includes one sliding shoe, and the second stationary guide curve comprises a groove formed by two flanges along at least a part of its length such that the slide shoe is guided by the flanges of the groove.

13. The roof system of claim 1 , wherein the lever of the second device is pivotally connected to a slider slidably guided by the guide rail.

14. The roof system of claim 1 , wherein the first device also comprises a lever being pivotally connected to the closure near the rear edge thereof, having at least a first guide member slidably engaging the guiding slide on one of its sides and at least a slide member on its opposite side engaging a stationary guide curve.

15. A roof system for a vehicle having a roof opening in a roof part thereof, comprising:
a closure;
a pair of guide rails;
a pair of operating mechanisms, each operating mechanism moveable through one of the guide rails, each operating mechanism coupled to the closure to move the closure between a closed position herein defined as when the closure closes the roof opening and an open position herein defined as when the closure opens the roof opening at least partially, each of said operating mechanisms comprising:
a first device configured to move a rear edge of the closure towards a raised position relative to the closed position;
a second device including a lever configured to move a front edge of the closure in a vertical direction; and
a guiding slide which is slidably accommodated in a corresponding guide rail and operably coupled to the first device and the second device so as to move the closure both in vertical and in horizontal directions through the first and second devices;
wherein said lever of the second device has a pivotal connection to the closure and, remote from the closure, a sliding connection to the guiding slide through a first guide member and at least a further sliding connection to a first stationary guide curve of the guide rail through a second guide member during at least a part of the movement of the closure; and
wherein the lever of the second device comprises at least a third guide member arranged on a same side of the lever as the first guide member and at a distance forwardly thereof, and engaging at least during a part of the movement of the closure a second stationary guide curve of the guide rail.

Assignees

• Inalfa Roof Sys Group Bv

Inventors

• Van Boxtel Eduardus Christianus Henricus
• Nellen Marcel Johan Christiaan

Classifications

• B60J7/02 Primary

  of sliding type {, e.g. comprising guide shoes} · CPC title

• B60J7/024

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

• B60J7/0435 Primary

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