Vehicle Top With Pivotable Cover

Vehicle tops of this type have already become known in a great variety of embodiments. The known opening devices for the cover, however, are relatively complicated and particularly, require relatively much space, so that they can, to be sure, be employed for the opening of eyelet holes in busses, but not for the opening of pivotable covers in tops of passenger cars where the passengers' heads must be as free as possible and therefore the opening device must require as little space as possible.

The invention aims at the construction of a vehicle top with a cover that can be pivoted outward and whose opening device consists of few parts, requires little space and besides, permits a safe fixation of the cover in various positions of outward pivoting.

A further purpose of the invention is the construction of a vehicle top with a pivotable cover which can be removed without great effort, so that the top opening remains uncovered.

According to the invention an opening device is provided between the cover in the area of its rear edge and the vehicle top, which opening device consists of a substantially vertical thread element, rotatably fastened to the top, with a handwheel and a counterthread element cooperating with the said thread element, which counterthread element is connected with the cover in a non-rotatable but pivotable manner.

Preferably the opening device consists of a telescopic worm whose parts consist of the thread element, the counterthread element and an intermediate thread element mounted between these two elements. Such an opening device excels by a particularly small space occupied, at a relatively large opening path.

In order to permit removal of the cover, the latter is provided, at its front edge, with projecting connector links which can be slid into slots arranged in a frame section extending from the top opening vertically downward. The thread element of the opening device is pivoted on a support which is provided with a vertical recess open toward the bottom, engaged by a complementary upward directed rib of a support fastened to the vehicle top, which rib is held by a detachable stop. This stop has at least one pin displaceable against spring force, which extends through oblong holes in the support walls limiting the recess, as well as through a corresponding oblong hole provided in the rib of the support, from one end of which oblong hole a V-shaped recess extending to the upper edge of the rib stretches.

In order to achieve a fixation of the rear cover end also in lateral direction, the recess and the rib cooperating therewith are provided with a middle section which extends transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and two slanting side section laterally adjacent to the said middle section.

Further characteristics and details of the invention can be learned from the following descriptiom in connection with the drawings wherein an embodiment of the invention is represented. There is shown in

FIG. 1, a plan view upon a motor vehicle top with a cover according to the invention;

FIG. 2, a section along line II--II in FIG. 1, the cover being shown in open position;

FIG. 3, a section along line III--III in FIG. 1 at an enlarged scale, the cover being shown in its closed position;

FIG. 4, a section along line IV--IV in FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5, a section along V--V in FIG. 3.

In FIG. 1, numeral 1 indicates the top of a motor vehicle, especially a passenger car, provided with a top opening 2 which can be shut by means of a cover 3. Cover 3 is provided, along its front edge 4, with projecting connector links 5 which constitute a pivoting connection to be described in greater detail below. In the area of its rear edge 6 the cover is connected via an opening device 7 with top 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, top opening 2 is surrounded by a rain gutter 8 constituted by a frame element 9 which extends from top 1 vertically downward, and a bottom element 10 with a bent-up edge or frame 11 upon which a circular elastic packing 12 is slid. In front edge element 9 two horizontal slots 13 are provided whose length width corresponds approximately to the length of connector links 5 and which are surrounded by elastic packing rings 13a. Connector links 5 are inserted in slots 13, as shown in FIG. 2, and form a hinge for cover 3. Packing rings 13a prevent the water from flowing from rain gutter 8 through slots 13 into the interior of the motor vehicle.

Opening device 7 is provided with a telescopic worm, composed of a thread element fixed with a handwheel 15, an intermediate thread element 16, and a counterthread element 17. Thread element 14 is provided with an external thread 18 engaged by the internal thread 19 of intermediate thread element 16. Intermediate thread element 16 has also an external thread 20 which engages an internal thread 21 of counterthread element 17. Counterthread element 17 is pivotably fastened via two supports 22 (FIG. 4) which are screwed on cover 3 and with which counter thread element 17 is connected via pins 23, to cover 3. Thread element 14 is mounted in a support 24 provided with an annular shoulder 25 by which thread element 14 is supported via a disc 27 of low-friction material, e.g., PTFE (lubricant) screwed on by means of screws 26.

When handwheel 15 is turned in one direction, the counterthread element 17 which is non-rotatably fixed on cover 3, is pushed outward in FIGS. 2 and 3, in which process cover 3 is pivoted outward about the axis of rotation constituted by connector links 5. The degree of the opening can be adjusted in a stepless manner. A pushing out of intermediate thread element 16 from thread 18 of thread element 14 is prevented by a stop 28 provided at the upper end of thread element 14, while a pushing outward of counter thread element 17 from external thread 20 of intermediate thread element 16 is prevented by a stop 29 provided at the end of intermediate thread element 16. When handwheel 15 is turned in the other direction, counter thread element 17 is retracted and cover 3 is brought into its closed position.

To permit complete removal of cover 3, support means is provided comprising a second portion 24 which is detachably connected with vehicle top 1. For this purpose a bracket or first portion 30 is provided which is screwed, by means of screws 31, to top frame 32 and has an upward directed rib 33 which engages a vertical recess 34, open at the bottom, in support or second portion 24. Rib 33 and recess 34 are each provided with a middle section 33a and 34a, respectively, extending transversely to the longitudinal axis 45 of the vehicle, and two laterally adjacent slanting side sections 33b and 34b, respectively. In support 24 a locking element 35 rests in such a way as to be displaceable transvorsely to the longitudinal vehicle axis 45. It bears two pins 36 which extend through oblong holes 37 in the walls of support 24 which limit recess 34, as well as through corresponding oblong holes 38 provided in rib 33. A V-shaped recess 39 extending to the upper edge 40 of rib 33, stretches from one end of the said oblong hole 38, as is shown in FIG. 5. Locking element 35 is actuated by a spring 41 which rests, on one side on a shoulder 42 of a pin 43 pressed into support or second portion 24, and on the other side on a shoulder 44 on locking element 35 and strives to press locking element 35 in FIG. 4 toward the right, so that pins 36 abut against the end -- the left one in FIG. 5 -- of oblong holes 38 and establish a positive connection between support or second portion 24 and bracket or first portion 30. When locking element 35 is pressed, against the action of spring 41, toward the left in FIG. 4 and toward the right in FIG. 5, pins 36 enter the area of the V-shaped recesses 39 in rib 33, whereby the support or second portion 24 can be lifted off rib 33 and cover 3 pivoted upward up to such a point where connector links 5 can be extracted from slots 13. When the top is put on again connector links 5 are inserted in slots 13, and when the top is hinged down, the V-shaped recesses 39 facilitate the insertion of pins 36 in the oblong holes 38 of rib 33. In this process locking element 35, due to the slant of recess 39, is pressed, against the action of spring 41, toward the left in FIG. 4 until the pins enter the area of oblong holes 38, whereafter pins 36 can under the action of spring 41 be brought into the locked position shown in the drawing.

The parts of the telescopic worm, i.e., elements 14, 16, and 17 are preferably of plastic material, while support or second portion 24 and bracket or first portion 30 consist preferably of metal.