Lowerable motor vehicle roof for a cabriolet

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The invention relates to a motor vehicle roof with a front roof part, a middle roof part and a rear roof part, which can be displaced between a closed position which covers the motor vehicle interior, and a lowered position in a rear convertible top compartment which exposes the motor vehicle interior, the middle roof part being pivotally supported via a connecting rod means on the body and the front roof part being movably supported by means of a connecting rod means on the middle roof part and being displaced onto the middle roof part during lowering.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] German Patent DE 199 34 673 C1 discloses a motor vehicle roof in which the middle roof part is supported on the motor vehicle by means of a main four-bar mechanism, the front roof part is supported by means of a four-bar mechanism on the middle roof part, and the rear roof part is attached to the rear main connecting rod of the main four-bar mechanism and swings with it, all roof parts being guided by means of forced movement when the motor vehicle roof is being lowered. The roof parts are deposited on top of one another in the trunk of the motor vehicle such that the rear roof part is disposed bottom side up, while above it the front roof part position is disposed over the middle roof part in the identically cambered top side up position. The lid of the trunk and convertible top compartment is swung down before the motor vehicle roof is lowered in order to allow the rear roof part to swing into the trunk. With the roof closed, the front edge of the convertible top compartment cover rests on the rear edge of the rear roof part. Since the rear roof part is lowered in the opposite direction or with the opposite camber to the two front roof parts, a stowage space in the trunk which is higher in the vertical direction is needed.

[0006] Published German Patent Application DE 199 62 070 A1 discloses a comparable motor vehicle roof in which, likewise, the front roof part is coupled by means of a four-bar mechanism to the middle roof part of a three-part roof, the middle roof part is pivotally supported by means of a main four-bar mechanism on the body and the rear roof part is attached to the connecting rod of the main four-bar mechanism and swings with it. In this roof, the front and the middle roof parts are also located identically cambered in the trunk above the rear roof part which is deposited with an opposite camber.

[0007] The primary object of the present invention is to devise a motor vehicle roof of the initially mentioned type which enables a space-saving lowered position of the roof parts in the convertible top compartment using simple kinematics.

[0008] The object is achieved in the aforementioned motor vehicle roof in accordance with the invention in that the rear roof part is pivotally supported by a connecting rod means on the middle roof part, and when the roof is lowered, is displaced over the middle roof part so that the three roof parts are deposited on top of one another in the identically cambered position. In this stack arrangement, the rear roof part can be located both over the front roof part and also under the front roof part, and in both cases, above the middle roof part. By means of the intended support on the middle roof part, compared to a fixed attachment on the main bearing means, it is possible to achieve a definable swinging of the rear roof part which can be adjusted and matched to the entire lowering process, and the motion of the lid of the convertible top compartment and/or a hat rack can be considered and included. By means of the three hardtop roof parts, a longer motor vehicle interior of even a four-seat cabriolet can also be covered and the parts can still be lowered in a space-saving manner. To lengthen the roof, it can be provided that, on the forward roof part, a front roof part is again supported which, when the roof is lowered, can be shifted to over or under the front roof part. The front roof part is thus more generally a roof part means with at least one roof part.

[0009] Preferably, the motor vehicle roof or the bearing kinematics is designed such that, when the roof is closed, the rear edge of the rear roof part rests on the closed lid of the convertible top compartment, forming a seal. This allows a simpler construction of the rear lower termination of the rear roof part, since only one seal is necessary, for example, on the bottom of the rear edge of the rear roof part which rests on the opposing top surface on the lid of the convertible top compartment. However, the seal can also be attached to the lid of the convertible top compartment.

[0010] In one preferred configuration, the swinging motion of the rear roof part relative to the middle roof part takes place depending on the pivoting motion of the connecting rod means which supports the middle roof part. Thus, the swinging motion of the rear roof part can begin directly with the swinging of the middle roof part and it begins, staggered in time, after initial swinging of the middle roof part.

[0011] One simple configuration calls for the rear roof part being forcibly coupled by means of kinematics to the connecting rod means which supports the middle roof part so that the swinging motion of the middle roof part immediately causes a swinging motion of the rear roof part. Furthermore, the connecting rod means for the front roof part can be forcibly coupled by means of kinematics to the connecting rod means which supports the middle roof part so that the front roof part does not require its own drive either.

[0012] For the sequence of motions in lowering the roof, it is feasible if a hat rack which is located on the front side on the lid of the convertible top compartment is movably supported on it so that, when the lid of the convertible top compartment is swung up, it can be moved into a return position under the lid of the convertible top compartment. Thus, the path necessary for the lowering motion, especially of the rear roof part, can be easily cleared.

[0013] In doing so, there can be a controlled sequence of motions, according to which, when the roof is lowered after lifting the rear edge of the rear roof part over the lid of the convertible top compartment, first the rear roof part is swung up at its front edge into its open position, and in doing so, the hat rack is displaced into its return position under the lid of the convertible top compartment. In this way, in the lowering motion of the rear roof part into the convertible top compartment, a path of motion in front of the front edge of the lid of the convertible top compartment and the front edge of the hat rack is made available to the rear edge of the rear roof part.

[0014] According to one alternative configuration, the rear roof part can be moved relative to the middle roof part by means of its own drive. Then, the rear roof part can be shifted first over the middle roof part before the main swinging motion of the middle roof part begins. Due to the rear roof part which is initially shifted forward, it is possible to use the lid of the convertible top compartment which contains an integrated or rigidly attached hat rack and which need not be shortened in the lengthwise direction for swinging up for reasons of space.

[0015] Feasibly, the rear roof part and the front roof part can also be coupled for joint motion and can be moved by means of their own drive. In this way, the motion of these two roof parts is controlled and executed jointly and can take place independently of the pivoting motion of the connecting rod means of the middle roof part.

[0016] Embodiments of the motor vehicle roof are explained in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a portion of a cabriolet with a hardtop vehicle roof having a front, a middle and a rear roof part, the roof being in a closed position;

[0018] FIGS. 2 to 7 each show the three roof parts in a schematic side view in a respective position as the hardtop vehicle roof is lowered;

[0019] FIG. 8 is an enlarged a side view of the front roof part when being swung up over the middle roof part;

[0020] FIG. 9 is a partial schematic side view of the connecting rod connection of the four-bar mechanism between the front roof part and the middle roof part;

[0021] FIGS. 10 to 12 are respective schematic side views of the rear connecting rod of the four-bar mechanism when the front roof part is swung onto the rear roof part;

[0022] FIG. 13 is a perspective overhead view of the roof when the front roof part is being swung up over the middle roof part;

[0023] FIG. 14 is an enlarged extract from FIG. 3 showing the lever linkage for the front connecting rod of the front four-bar mechanism;

[0024] FIG. 15 is a schematic perspective overhead view of the lever linkage with the adjacent roof parts;

[0025] FIG. 16 is a side view that is enlarged as compared to FIG. 1 with the rear roof part in the closed position;

[0026] FIG. 17 is a side view showing the support of the middle and rear roof part that is enlarged relative to FIG. 5;

[0027] FIG. 18 is a partial schematic side view of another embodiment of a hardtop vehicle roof with a front, a middle and a rear roof part in the closed position; and

[0028] FIG. 19 is a side view of an enlarged extract of encircled area of the vehicle roof shown in FIG. 18 in the intermediate open position.

[0029] A motor vehicle roof 1 of a cabriolet 2 is made as an openable hardtop with a front roof part 3, a middle roof part 4 and a rear roof part 5 (see FIG. 1). The cabriolet 2 can have one row of seats or a front 6 and a rear row 7 of seats, as shown in FIG. 1, so that the lengths of the individual roof parts 3, 4, 5 are matched to the respective length of the motor vehicle interior. When the motor vehicle roof 1 is opened and lowered after the front roof part 3 has been decoupled from the windshield apron 8 or from the A columns 9, the front roof part 3, the middle roof part 4 and the rear roof part 5 are lowered into a roof storage space, i.e., convertible top compartment 10, which is located behind the back row 7 of seats in the rear area of the cabriolet 2, and can be covered by the lid 11 of the convertible top compartment or trunk.

[0030] The three roof parts 3, 4, 5 are pivotally supported via the supports which are shown in the figures and which are each provided on either side on the roof parts. The middle roof part 4 is pivotally supported by means of a main four-bar mechanism which has a main connecting rod 12 and a main column 13 on the body such that it its top surface faces upward when stowed in the convertible top compartment 10. The front roof part 3 is pivotally supported by means of a four-bar mechanism which contains a front connecting rod 14 and a rear connecting rod 15 on the middle roof part 4 and when lowered, its top surface, likewise, faces upward and it is disposed over the middle roof part 4. The rear roof part 5 or the rear element, which contains, for example, a rear window, is pivotally supported by means of a front lever 16 and a rear lever 17 in an arrangement of the four-bar mechanism on the bearing arm 18 which is attached to the middle roof part 4 and projects to the rear over its back end.

[0031] When the hardtop roof 1 is lowered, the front roof part 3 is swung onto the middle roof part 4 and the rear roof part 5 is swung onto the front roof part 3. This compact, uniformly cambered unit then is swung into the convertible top compartment 10. The lowering motion is accomplished by pivoting the main four-bar mechanism 12, 13 which also pivots the front four-bar mechanism 14, 15 and the rear four-bar mechanism 16, 17, for example, via kinematic forced coupling. The lowering motion of the three roof parts 3, 4, 5 takes place continuously (see FIGS. 2 to 7). When the roof 1 is lowered, the lid 11 of the convertible top compartment is raised with the hat rack 19 supported on it (see FIGS. 3, 11′ and 19′ designate the rest position of the lid of the convertible top compartment and the hat rack) and is swung up with at its front edge 58 into the open position (FIG. 4), while the hat rack 19 which is movably supported on the lid 11 of the convertible top compartment is pushed to the rear to under the lid 11 of the convertible top compartment. Further pivoting of the main four-bar mechanism 12, 13 lowers the front roof part 3 onto the middle roof part 4 and swings the rear roof part 5 onto the front and the middle roof part 3 and 4 (FIGS. 5 & 6) until all three roof parts 3, 4, 5 have been lowered completely into the convertible top compartment 10 in a stacked arrangement in which the roof parts all face in the same direction, whereupon the lid 11 of the convertible top compartment is swung back down again and the hat rack 19 extends forward and finally assumes its cover position (FIG. 7).

[0032] The front connecting rod 14 of the front four-bar mechanism, which supports the front roof part 3, is pivotally supported by means of a lever linkage 20 on the front end of the bracket 21 (see especially FIG. 8) which is attached to the middle roof part 4 and extends forward beyond the front edge 22 of the roof shell 23 of the middle roof part 4 in an arrangement such that it is covered by the side area 24 of the front roof part 3 in the closed position. The front drive or coupling rod 25 for swinging the front connecting rod 14 is coupled by means of the rear hinge 26 on the main connecting rod 12 and by means of the front hinge 27 on the lever linkage 20.

[0033] The front end of the rear connecting rod 15 is pivotally coupled by means of the hinge 28 on the back end 29 of the front roof part 3. The back end of the rear connecting rod 15 is pivotally supported by means of a hinge 29 which is located on the middle roof part 4 roughly in the middle between the front edge 22 and the rear edge 30 of the roof shell 23 and is lowered relative to the surface of the roof shell 23 so that the rear connecting rod 15, in the closed position of the roof 1, is accommodated in a recess 31 which is in the form of a lengthwise groove or channel which extends between the middle section 32 and the side section 33 (see FIG. 13) of the middle roof part 4 over its length. The recess 31 is, for example, a so-called weld groove in which the two adjacent side edges of the middle section 32 or of the side section 33 which are directed downward are joined to one another, for example, by welding.

[0034] The front hinge 28 of the rear connecting rod 15 is attached to an elongated bearing part 34 (FIG. 9) which is accommodated in a recess 35 which has been formed, for example, likewise by the weld groove between the middle section 36 and the side section 37 of the front roof part 3 (FIG. 13) and is attached thereto. A screen or cover 38 covers the recess 35 with the bearing part 34 held therein flush with the surface of the front roof part 3.

[0035] The weld groove or the recess 31 on the middle roof part 4 forms a wet area (i.e., an area exposed to the elements and into which water running over the roof may enter) which is bordered forward by the seal 39 which is attached to the front edge 22 of the middle roof part 4. In the closed position of the roof 1, the seal 39 tightly adjoins the bottom of the front roof part 3.

[0036] A screen 40 (FIG. 10) covers the rear section of the recess 31 between the hinge 29 on the back end of the rear connecting rod 15 and the rear edge 30 of the roof shell 23. The screen 40 is supported to be able to pivot around the rear axis of rotation 41 and is pre-tensioned upward into its cover position by a pre-tensioning means, for example, a spring 66. In the cover position, screen 40 is arranged flush with the top of the roof shell 23 and its downwardly curved front end 42 adjoins a projection 43 on the back end of the rear connecting rod 15 from underneath. If the rear connecting rod 15 is pivoted rearward around the hinge 29, the projection 43 presses the front end 42 of the screen 40 down (FIGS. 11 & 12) so that the rear connecting rod 15, which is being swung to the rear, can drop into the recess 31, and in doing so, presses the screen 40 down. When the roof 1 is closed the rear connecting rod 15 is lifted out of the recess 31 and its projection 43 guides the screen 40 into its cover position.

[0037] Due to the comparatively large bearing distance between the rear hinge 29 of the rear connecting rod 15 and the rear hinge 44 of the front connecting rod 14 on which it is pivotally supported on the bracket 21, as also between the front hinge 28 of the rear connecting rod 15 and the front hinge 45 of the front connecting rod 14 which forms the coupling to the front roof part 3, a four-bar mechanism with a large support base is formed which enables stable support of the front roof part 3.

[0038] The rear connecting rod 15 is made such that, in the closed position of the roof 1, it is arranged flush with the roof surface so that it visually covers the recess 31 and a cover for the front section of the recess 31 is therefore not necessary.

[0039] The screen 40, in an alternative configuration, can be attached securely on its back end to the recess 31 of the middle roof part 4 and can be made, for example, of plastic with a certain flexibility so that it bends down flexibly when it is pressed down on its front end 42 and by resting flat on the connecting rod 15. The reset force is made available by the plastic material.

[0040] The lever linkage 20 which is located on the front end of the bracket 21 (see especially FIGS. 14 & 15) contains, for example, a right angle lever 46 with a first leg 47 which is pivotally supported at one end on the front end of the bracket 21 in a hinge 48 which is located above the hinge 44 which supports the front connecting rod 14. The coupling rod 25 is coupled to the second leg 49 of the angle lever 46 in a hinge 27 which is located set back from the end of the second arm 49. One end of a short connecting lever 51 is coupled to the end of the second lever 49 by means of a hinge 50, and the other end is pivotally connected by means of a hinge 52 to the end of the front connecting rod 14 which projects over the hinge 44.

[0041] The distance between the hinge 27 and the hinge 48 in the direction perpendicular to the coupling rod 25 forms the effective lever arm for application of the drive force to the lever linkage 20 and thus to the front connecting rod 14. By means of this design of the compactly built lever linkage 20, the effective lever arm is always large enough so that, at a large pivot angle of the front connecting rod 14, both in the closed position and also in the open position of the roof 1, the coupling rod 25 is relatively far away from the dead center position relative to the lever linkage 20 and to the hinge 48.

[0042] The drive for moving the rear roof part 5 (see especially FIGS. 16 & 17) contains a rear drive rod 53 which is coupled on one end to the hinge 26 attached to the main connecting rod 12 and at the other end to the hinge 54 which is adjacent to the hinge 55 which pivotally supports the rear lever 17 of the four-bar mechanism supporting the rear roof part 5 on the bearing arm 18. When the roof 1 is lowered, the main connecting rod 12 of the main four-bar mechanism is swung around its hinge 56, with which it is coupled to the bearing arm 18. The pivoting motion of the hinge 26 is transferred via the rear drive rod 53 and the hinge 54 to the rear lever 17. According to the establishment of the distances between the hinges 26, 56 and hinges 55, 54, the behavior of the rear lever 17 in motion can be set depending on the motion of the main connecting rod 12.

[0043] The front roof part 3 is swung at the same time via the drive rod 25 which is likewise coupled to the hinge 26. The drive rod 25 is omitted if the front roof part 3 has its own drive.

[0044] Due to the coupled forced control of the movements of the front roof part 3 and the rear roof part 5, during the lowering motion of the middle roof part 4, in the embodiment shown, the described rearward displacement of the hat rack 19 to under the lid 11 of the convertible top compartment is necessary so that the rear edge 57 of the rear roof part 5 can be lowered during the lowering motion in front of the front edge 58 of the opened lid 11 of the convertible top compartment (see FIGS. 4 to 6).

[0045] When the roof is closed, the rear edge 57 of the rear part 5, which edge contains a seal, in one simple sequence of motions, is placed, from above, on the already closed lid 11 of the convertible top compartment (motion of FIG. 2 to FIG. 1).

[0046] The driving of the main four-bar mechanism around the body-mounted hinges 59, 60 of the main connecting rod 12 and the main column 13 takes place, for example, by means of a hydraulically actuated piston-cylinder unit 61 which, for example, engages the main column 13.

[0047] In one alternative configuration, the coupling rod 25 is not connected to the hinge 26, but to its own drive means which is controlled via a control means for coordinated lowering motion.

[0048] Another alternative configuration (see FIGS. 18 & 19) calls for the front coupling rod 25 and the rear drive rod 53 to be connected to one another in the hinges 26, 26′; however, these hinges 26, 26′ are not attached to the main connecting rod 12, but to a pivot lever 62 which is supported by means of a hinge 64 on the middle roof part 4. A drive means 65 engages pivot lever 62 so that the movements of the front roof part 3 and the rear roof part 5 proceed coupled, but can be adjusted by controlling the drive means independently of the motion of the main four-bar mechanism or of the middle roof part 4. Thus, when the roof is lowered, first the front roof part 3 can be swung onto the middle roof part 4 and the rear roof part 5 onto the middle roof part 4 and onto the front roof part 3 located over it before the middle roof part 4 with the compactly arranged unit of the three roof parts is lowered to the rear into the convertible top compartment 10. Here, the hat rack 19 can be formed as a fixed unit with the lid 111 of the convertible top compartment since the lid 11 of the convertible top compartment is only opened when the rear roof part 5 has been swung over the middle roof part 4, and thus, the rear edge 57 of the rear roof part 5 can be easily moved past in front of the forward edge 63 of the hat rack 19.

[0049] In another embodiment of the motor vehicle roof (not shown), in the four-bar mechanism support of the front roof part 3, the rear connecting rod 15 is supported on the projecting section of the bracket 21 in front of the roof surface 23 of the middle roof part 4, so that the rear connecting rod 15 which is formed especially curved or at a right angle (according to the arrangement as is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,362) is swung in front of and over the roof surface 23 of the middle roof part 4 and the described recess 31 is not necessary. The drive means can be formed according to the aforementioned statements.

[0050] In general, instead of the supports shown with four-bar mechanisms, also multiple hinge means with more than four hinges can also be used.