Locking device for the roof of a convertible car

[0002] The invention relates to a closing device for a folding top for a convertible and a locking device for the roof of a convertible car.

[0003] The invention is concerned with the problem of creating a closing device for the folding top of a convertible of the type mechanisms are controlled by a small number of individual components and which can be shifted when not in use into a position in which the danger of damage and injury to the user is less and the operating comfort is improved.

[0004] In a locking device for a folding top of a convertible car in accordance with the invention, a torsion bar is provided for transferring the operating motion of a swiveling handle and has a profiled bend in the longitudinal direction so that the swiveling handle, interacting with two supporting/swiveling connections to a roof peak part provided at the ends of the torsion bar, and towards the respective locking mechanisms, forms a kinematic chain. This enables a movement, independent of the user, in the form of a forced control. After the device is actuated by means of the manually operated swiveling handle, the handle and the locking mechanisms of the closing device are shifted automatically, without additional hand movements, into a storage position. After that, components which can be moved out of the roof plane are secured in a position largely inaccessible to the user. In this manner, while the operating comfort is improved, injuries due to inadvertent contact with protruding components of the closing device are avoided.

[0005] The components of this forced control for the closing device are integrated with little technical effort in the roof peak part of the folding top so that, with few individual parts to be installed, a functionally reliable opening and closing kinematic is achieved. In view of the unimpeded accessibility of the simply constructed components, a rapid, low-cost, partial installation is possible during installation or repair work in the region of the closing device and, in the case of different tolerance dimensions, for example, in the region between the locking components and the abutment at the windshield frame, expensive adaptations are unnecessary because the parts can be adjusted easily.

[0006] With regard to further details and advantageous developments of the closing device in accordance with the invention, reference is made to the following description and the drawings, in which an example of the object of the invention is illustrated in greater detail.

[0007] FIG. 1 shows a sectional representation of a partial region of a roof peak in which there is a closing device for a folding top of a convertible, the details of which are not shown,

[0008] FIGS. 2-6 each show a sectional representation of the closing device in the region of a swiveling handle supported in the longitudinal median plane of the vehicle and the components of which in each case have different movement phases,

[0009] FIG. 7 shows an enlarged sectional representation of the closing device in the region of one of the lateral locking mechanisms of FIG. 1, and

[0010] FIGS. 8-13 show a sectional representation along a line III—III in FIG. 1 with different movement phrases in the region of the locking mechanism.

[0011] In FIG. 1, a closing device, which is labeled 1 as a whole, is shown in the left part of a roof peak 2, and by means of which the folding top of a convertible, the details of which are not shown, can be locked in the region of the windshield frame 3 (FIG. 2). The closing device I is provided with a single-handed swiveling handle 5 supported at the roof peak part 2 in the region of the longitudinal median plane 4 of the vehicle. In its actuating region 6, the single-handed swiveling handle 5 has a connecting rod 9 which extends symmetrically to the longitudinal median plane 4 of the vehicle and by means of which a swiveling movement (arrow C, FIG. 3), produced by the hand movement of a user, is transferred synchronously to the end parts 7 (and 8, not shown). The respective end part 7, 8, is provided with a locking mechanism 12 which, in the closed position of the folding top, engages an abutment 11 (FIG. 8) at the windshield frame 3 and is, in turn, guided pivotably by a holding body 13 (FIG. 7).

[0012] In the closing device 1, the connecting rod is constructed as a torsion bar T which can be displaced jointly with the swiveling handle 5 about a drag bearing 14 of the swiveling handle 5 at the roof peak part 2 and the end part 7 (or 8) in each case is mounted immovably at the roof peak part 2 in the region of the locking mechanism 12. Starting out from its middle part 15, which is fixed non-rotationally at the swiveling handle 5, the torsion bar T, in the longitudinal direction to the locking mechanism 12, in each case has an arched profiled part 16 so that a distance A integrated into the torsion bar T is formed between the middle part 15 and the offset-extending end part 7. The end part 7 of the torsion bar T, in turn, is supported immovably over an external and an internal friction bearing 17, 18.

[0013] In light of this construction of the kinematic chain within the closing device I with the torsion bar which can be displaced by a manual actuation in the region of the swiveling handle 5 and pivotably takes hold of the respective locking mechanism 12 at the roof peak part,2, when the folding top is displaced into the open position (FIG. 6), elastic stresses which act as restoring forces are produced in the closed position 1. In this manner, after the manual actuation is ended, the central swiveling handle 5 as well as the respective locking mechanism 12 in the region of the holding body 13 can be returned automatically towards the roof peak part 2 into a storage position (arrow Z, FIG. 6 or arrow Z′, FIG. 13), these two components having opposite swiveling directions.

[0014] The plan view of FIG. 1 shows that the drag bearing 14 of the swiveling handle 5 has a swiveling axis 19 which in the closed position (FIG. 2) of the folding top lies in the direction of the longitudinal median plane 4 of the vehicle, in front of the actuating region 6 of the swiveling handle 5. In front of this swiveling axis 19, the torsion bar T is connected by a connecting axis 20 formed by the middle part 15 of the swiveling axis 19 with the swiveling handle 5. The swiveling position of FIG. 4 illustrates in a sectional side view that the swiveling handle 5 defines a first lever part H which extends to the swiveling axis 19 of the swiveling handle 5 and acts together with a second lever part H′ in the form of a connecting strut 22 which takes hold of the middle part 15 of the torsion bar T in the region of the connecting axis 20.

[0015] Starting out from the width, available for the connecting strut 22 (with the lever length H′) in the roof part 2 or in a molded trough 21, the lever ratio H/H′ can be selected so that by an optimum translation with the slight manual force of an operator, the torsional resistance of the torsion bar T and the frictional resistance in the region of the friction bearing 17, 18, are overcome and a problem-free unlocking is possible. The displacement of the torsion bar T (sequence of motions of FIGS. 3-5) together with the locking mechanisms 12 can be carried out manually even by an operator with little practice so that the roof peak part 3 can be detached simply with a high degree of operational comfort from the windshield frame 3 (FIG. 6, FIG. 13).

[0016] The displacement of the torsion bar T in the region of its central connecting axis 20 takes place during the opening movement by means of the swiveling handle 5 on a movement path (FIG. 5) extending above the drag bearing 14 or the swiveling axis 19 extending as an arc of a circle K. During this swiveling motion, the torsion bar T is shifted freely within the molded trough 21 arranged in the roof peak part 2 during the opening as well as during the closing process.

[0017] In FIG. 2, the swiveling handle 5 is shown in its closed position and has a lockable dead center position. For this locking, a locking hook 23 is arranged at the swiveling handle 5. The locking hook 23 is constructed essentially symmetrically to its swiveling axis 24 and has a pressure leg 25 and a hook part 26. By introducing a compressive force, illustrated by an arrow D, on the pressure leg 25, for example by exerting thumb pressure, the locking hook 23 is swiveled about the swiveling axis 24 (arrow A), a peak part 27 of the pressure leg 25 is shifted into a locking notch 28 at the swiveling handle 5 and, at the same time, a latch 29 of the hook part 26 is detached from an abutment 30 at the roof peak part 2 (FIG. 3). Thereafter, the swiveling handle 5 can be shifted in the opening direction (arrow C), the locking hook 23 being moved through an opening 21′ out of the roof peak part 2. The locking hook 23 is supported at the swiveling handle 5 by a return spring, which is not shown, so that after the unlocking phase, the locking hook 23 can be swiveled automatically by the compressive force D out of the index notch 28 and remains in the position shown in FIG. 4. The locking takes place in the reverse sequence of motions.

[0018] In this opening position (FIG. 5) of the swiveling handle 5, the hand of the operator remains at the actuating region 6 of the swiveling handle and the roof peak part 2 can be detached from the windshield frame 3 as a whole by a lifting motion (arrow 41′). During a guided return (not shown), which then becomes possible by means of the torsion bar T into the position of FIG. 2, the above described movement of the component in the reverse sequence takes place and the locking hook 23 is swiveled through the opening 21′ into the roof peak part 2.

[0019] In FIG. 7, the support of the torsion bar T in the region of its end parts 7 is shown with structural details. It can be seen that the end part 7 interacts with the two friction bearings 17, 18 arranged at a distance B and between which the respective holding body 13 is provided with the locking mechanism 12. This perspective representation of FIG. 7 illustrates that the holding body 13 in each case is constructed as a U-shaped profiled part which is supported in the region of a transverse axis 32, defined from the end part 7 of the torsion bar T and in turn defines the distance A to the connecting axis 20 of the middle part 15, by two parallel leg parts 33, 34 to the friction bearings 17, 18. A swiveling axis 35, supporting the locking mechanism 12, extends at a distance from the transverse axis 32 between the two leg parts 32 and 33.

[0020] In the region of the swiveling axis 35, the locking mechanism 12 is provided with a return spring 36 braced between the locking mechanism 12 and the holding body 13. The return spring 36 holds the locking mechanism 12 in the U-shaped holding body 13 (FIG. 7). During the opening and closing movements, the return spring 36 acts together with the torsion bar T and, during the introduction of a rotational movement E, synchronous with this opening movement C, the return spring 36, in the swiveling region of the holding body 13 (arrow 37), is acted upon with a pre-tension acting against the force of the spring. In this manner, after the opening process, the re-setting of the components can be supported so that the above-described movements, indicated by arrows Z and Z′ (FIG. 6 or 13), can be repeated functionally reliably a large number of times. In FIGS. 10-13, these movement phases are illustrated in the region of the locking mechanism 12 in a representation, which is synchronous with the movement phases of the swiveling handle 5 of FIGS. 3-6, so that as a result of these movements, the production of the pre-tensions can be reconstructed in the torsion bar T as well as in the return spring 36.

[0021] In the closed position shown in FIG. 8, the locking mechanism 12 is held at the windshield frame 3 and forms with the holding body 13 a dead center position, the two components lying in contact with one another in a region P and being fixed in this manner. When a swiveling motion C is introduced in the region of the swiveling handle 5, the holding body 13 is moved out of the dead center position (FIG. 9) and the locking mechanism 12 still remains at the windshield frame 3 in its closed position. As the opening process is continued in the region of the swiveling handle 5, the holding body 13 is swiveled in its swiveling direction 37 about the transverse axis 32, the locking mechanism 12 at the same time being released from the closed position at the abutment 11 (FIG. 10). At the same time, the locking mechanism 12 is guided from the abutment 11 into a region R, since the swiveling motion 37 in the region of the holding body 13 acts in this opening phase as a thrust motion in the region of the locking mechanism 12 (arrow F, FIG. 10).

[0022] The continuation of the swiveling motion in the region of the swiveling handle 5 leads to the swiveling positions of the locking mechanism 12, which are shown in FIGS. 11-13. In the closing device in accordance with the invention, a rear supporting shoulder 38 is provided at the locking mechanism 12 and makes contact with an abutment 39 of the roof peak part 2. With this contact of the components, the above-described pretension of the return spring 36 can be initiated, a swiveling motion (arrow 40) now taking place against the force of the restoring spring and the locking mechanism 12 being shifted against the movement (arrow 37) of the holding body 13 (FIG. 11). At the same time, the locking mechanism 12 is moved about the swiveling axis 35 (FIG. 12) and out of the region of the abutment 11 at the windshield frame 3. At the same time, the movement of the locking mechanism 12 is guided by the supporting shoulder 38 in the form of a connecting link guide. A radii contour 38′ of the supporting shoulder 38 rolls on a plane 39′ of the abutment 39, a non-positive restricted guidance of the components being achieved and, at the same time, the swiveling axis 35 being displaced in the direction of the longitudinal median plane of the vehicle. The shifting of the swiveling axis 35 takes place until the locking mechanism 12 assumes an essentially vertical position (FIG. 13). In this swiveling position, the folding top can now be raised into an opening position of arrow 41 without colliding with the windshield frame 3. A gap S, adequate for movement, is now formed between the locking mechanisms 12 and the windshield frame 3 so that any unintended contact of the components is avoided.

[0023] After the folding top is lifted off and the swiveling handle 5 is released by the operator, the components can be swiveled back by the operator as described above. The spring action between the parts 7, 15 of the torsion bar T, which was shifted during the opening process and the pre-tension produced in the region of the restoring spring 36, at the same time being effective such that the swiveling handle 5 automatically swivels back in the direction of the roof peak part 2 (opposite to the sequence of motions of FIGS. 2-7) and the locking mechanism 12 also is swiveled into a position approximately parallel to the roof peak part 2 (FIG. 2). Accordingly, a storage position of the components of the closing device 1 is attained and the entire folding top can be shifted into an opening position in the rear of the vehicle, the details of which are not shown. At the same time, there are no protruding parts of the folding top in the region of the closing device 1 which may pose a danger to the operator.

[0024] For the sequence of motions described above, the locking mechanism 12 preferably is constructed in two parts with a locking hook 42 and a supporting body 43 which supports the locking hook 42. The supporting shoulder 38 can be placed against the counter-contour of the roof peak 2 and preferably is integrally molded in one piece with the supporting body 43. The locking hook 42 of the locking mechanism 12 is fixed at the supporting body 43 so that it can be shifted in an accommodating groove 44. In this manner, with little effort, the locking hook 42 or the locking mechanism 12 can be adapted optimally to the abutment 11 in the region of the windshield frame 3 by an adjustment by an adjusting screw 46. The locking hook 42 can be adjusted in the direction of arrow N (FIG. 11) such that, in the closed position, the locking mechanism 12 is clamped optimally and a reliably tight contact between the roof peak part 2 and the windshield frame 3 is achieved in the region of a sealing profile 47.