US20020005653A1

US20020005653A1 - Convertible vehicle

Info

Publication number: US20020005653A1
Application number: US09/879,285
Authority: US
Inventors: Udo Heselhaus; Karl Rothe; Klaus Russke; Werner Schnieder
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Valmet Automotive Oy
Priority date: 2000-06-15
Filing date: 2001-06-12
Publication date: 2002-01-17
Anticipated expiration: 2021-06-12
Also published as: EP1164041A2; DE10029473A1; EP1164041B1; US6454342B2; DE10029473B4; DE50109733D1; EP1164041A3

Abstract

A convertible vehicle has a folding top frame (3) with a rear folding top clamping collar (4; 4′; 4″), which is constructed in mirror image fashion to the longitudinal median plane (2) of the vehicle. By being shifted about a main bearing (5) attached to the car body, a folding top (7) can be stowed in or returned from a rear folding top compartment (8). The flexible roof skin (6) has in the rear region particularly a dimensionally stable rear window (9) with an essentially rectangular circumferential contour, which extends above the folding top clamping collar (4; 4′; 4″). Only in the region of the upper transverse side edge (10) as well as of its two longitudinal side edges (11, 12) is the dimensionally stable rear window (9) provided with a connection taking hold of the flexible roof skin (6). A lower transverse side edge (13) of the rear window (9) is supported in the closed position of the folding top (7) directly from above on the folding top clamping collar (4; 4′) in a detachable connecting engagement.

Description

The invention relates to a convertible vehicle with a folding top having a rear clamping collar in accordance with the introductory portion of

claim

1 In the case of a known convertible vehicle of this type (DE 41 28 115C1), the folding top has a folding-top cloth, which borders the rear window and, in the region above the folding top clamping collar, extends in a broad fabric strip to the rear window, so that the latter, due to the small dimensions, offers a limited field of vision and has a negative effect on the safety of the users of the vehicle. In the case of a folding top of DE 43 09 607 A1, the adjustable rear window is supported with its lower edge region from inside against the folding top clamping collar, so that an external sealing joint, which tends to become soiled and requires disadvantageously high contacting forces and an expensive control system for the components, is formed in a narrow contacting region.

The invention is concerned with the problem of creating for a convertible vehicle a rear window, which is integrated in the skin of the roof with little technical effort in such a manner that, in the region of the folding top clamping collar, an enlarged window area makes possible an improved rear vision and a reliable leakproofness.

Pursuant to the invention, this objective is accomplished with a rear window convertible vehicle with the distinguishing features of

claim

1. With regard to significant further developments of the inventive convertible vehicle, reference is made to claims 2 to 14.

In the case of the inventive convertible vehicle, the rear window has a window area, the lower transverse edge of which is pulled down to the folding top clamping collar to such an extent, that this clamping collar, when the folding top is closed, acts as a supporting and closing part. In its upper region, the rear window is integrated into the skin of the roof by a three-sided enclosure in the form of a U-shaped frame and the latter is no longer provided between the lower transverse side edge of the rear window and the folding top clamping collar. With its lower transverse side edge, the rear window lies over a sealing system directly on the folding top clamping collar in a closed position in such a manner that the overlapping achieved therewith shows reliable tightness even if the contacting forces are small.

With this tying of the rear window into the roof skin, an advantageous enlargement of the cut-out in the roof skin, provided for the rear window, is achieved and the vision in the rear region of the vehicle is improved as a whole, so that the safety requirements are fulfilled even in the case of different roof contours and aerodynamically changed folding tops of different types of vehicles.

With regard to significant further details and advantageous developments of the invention, reference is made to the following description and the drawing in which several examples of convertible vehicles with the inventive rear window are explained in greater detail. In the drawing, [0006]
FIG. 1 shows a perspective rear view of a convertible vehicle with a folding top, having a rear window, in the closed position, [0007]
FIG. 2 shows an enlarged side view of the folding top frame with a lateral control assembly in a first embodiment in the closed position of FIG. 1, [0008]
FIG. 3 shows a perspective detailed representation of the folding top frame, similar to that of FIG. 2, with the rear window and the folding top clamping collar in an opening phase, [0009]
FIG. 4 shows an enlarged detailed representation of the assembly group, formed by the rear window and the folding top clamping collar, with a second embodiment of a control assembly group, [0010]
FIG. 5 shows an enlarged sectional representation of the rear region of the convertible vehicle with the rear window support at the folding top clamping collar in a multi-part embodiment and [0011]
FIG. 6 shows an enlarged perspective representation of the rear window connection with the multi-part folding top clamping collar of FIG. 5.[0012]
FIG. 1 shows a convertible vehicle, which is labeled [0013] 1 as a whole and has a folding top frame 3 (FIG. 2) with a rear folding top clamping collar 4, the folding top frame 3 being constructed in mirror image fashion to the longitudinal median plane 2 of the vehicle. When shifted about a main bearing 5, which is attached to the car body, the folding top 7, which has a flexible roof skin 6, together with the folding top frame 3 can be stowed in a folding top compartment 8 (FIG. 5) or returned from this into the closed position. In the rear region of its flexible roof skin 6, the folding top 7 is provided with a rear window 9 with an essentially rectangular circumferential contour, which extends above the folding top clamping collar 4 and is constructed especially as a solid glass window.
The convertible vehicle, which is constructed pursuant to the invention, has a [0014] rear window 9, which has a connection, which takes hold of the flexible roof skin only in the region of the upper transverse side edge 10 as well as of the two longitudinal side edges 11 and 12 of the rear window, which are parallel to the longitudinal median plane 2 of the vehicle. The rear window 9 is supported with its lower transverse side edge 13 directly on the folding top clamping collar 4. With that, vision through the rear region of the vehicle is improved in all of the embodiments of FIGS. 2 to 6 shown, owing to the fact that, with the direct support, components impeding vision are avoided and a vehicle user has a greater field of vision in a vision plane E (FIG. 5).
To handle this enlarged [0015] rear window 9, the latter has a control assembly 14, which engages the longitudinal side edges 11 and 12 (of which only one is shown), and is connected with the driving kinematics of the folding top frame 3, the main bearing 5 and the folding top clamping collar 4. Directly in the edge region in which the rear window 9 and the roof skin 6 are connected, this control assembly 14 may be hinged in such a manner, that it is subjected during the movement of the folding top to a constrained control due to the folding of the roof skin (not shown).
In the embodiment of the rear window connection of FIGS. [0016] 2 to 6 shown, the rear window 9 in each case has a frame 15, which embraces it with an upper transverse side leg 32 and parallel longitudinal side legs 33 and 34 and to which the control assembly 14 is hinged. With a connection of this design, the rear window 9 can be shifted under the control of the folding top kinematics. Likewise, it is conceivable that a driving organ, which is not shown, is integrated into the assembly for moving the rear window 9.
The lower [0017] transverse side edge 13 of the rear window 9 can be fixed over its whole width on the folding top clamping collar 4 in a detachable connecting engagement. The views of FIGS. 2 to 4 illustrate that the lower transverse side edge 13 of the rear window 9 lying in the closed position (FIG. 2) of the folding top 7 from above on the folding top clamping collar 4 so as to form a seal, can be shifted relative to the folding top clamping collar 4 and, during the movement of the latter, a distance A is formed at least phase-wise between the transverse side edge 13 and the folding top clamping collar 4. With the embodiment of the control assembly 14 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the rear window 9, starting from its closed position, in which it lies on the folding top clamping collar 4, is shifted towards the outside (arrow L, FIG. 4).
In FIG. 3, the [0018] control assembly 14 is provided with a parallelogram link arrangement having two hinged struts 16 and 17, so that the rear window 9, during a first opening phase (arrow B) of the folding to top 7, is swiveled up together with the folding top clamping collar 4, these two parts forming the distance A with an expansion position (angle W). The hinged struts 16 and 17 are hinged, on the one hand, to the longitudinal side leg 33 (and 34, not visible) of the frame 15 and, on the other, a connection is produced with the folding top frame 3 and with the folding top clamping collar 4.
In the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 4, the [0019] control assembly 14, in the vicinity of the folding top frame 3, has a swiveling leg 18, which is provided between the longitudinal side leg 33 of the frame 15 and the folding top clamping collar 4 and interacts over a guiding assembly 19 (instead of the swiveling strut 17, FIG. 3) with the rear window 9 and the folding top clamping collar 4. With this driving concept, a swiveling and lifting movement, illustrated by arrow C, is imparted to the rear window. The swiveling leg 18 is connected over a guiding strut 18′ with the folding top frame 3 (FIG. 2).
In FIGS. 5 and 6, the construction, connecting the [0020] rear window 9 to the frame 15, is provided with a folding top clamping collar 4′, which is constructed in three parts in its longitudinal direction and has two side parts 21 and 22 (not visible), which extend parallel to its middle part 20. In this embodiment, the lower transverse side edge 13 of the rear window 9 is supported on the middle part 20, which extends between the side parts 21 and 22.
The two [0021] side parts 21, 22 are connected with the middle part 20 by a supporting axis 23, which extends essentially perpendicularly to the longitudinal median plane 2 of the vehicle and, in the rear window 9 in the region of its lower transverse side edge 13, is firmly connected with the middle part 20 in any manner, the details of which are not shown. In an appropriate embodiment, this firm connection between the rear window 9 and the folding top clamping collar 4′ is achieved owing to the fact that the U-shaped frame 15, in region of its side legs 33 (and 34), is connected terminally in the region of an arched contour 26 with the middle part 20 and the transverse side edge 13 is gripped from below by a seal (not shown).
This type of connecting the [0022] rear window 8 to the folding top clamping collar 4′ of FIG. 6 also results in improved vision in the plane E. The rear window 9 can be swiveled jointly with the middle part 20 (arrow K, FIG. 5), so that, when this assembly is stowed in the folding top compartment 8, the rear window 9 can be swung down as far as the plane of the folding top clamping collar 4′ and a space-saving, tight, packed position of this folding top 7 is achieved.
In the embodiments of the folding [0023] top frame 3, shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the individual parts of the roof skin 6, for greater clarity, have been shown in each case by a line of dots and dashes. For an optimum movement and folding of this roof skin 6, it has turned out to be advisable that, in the region connecting the rear window 9 or externally in the region of the respective longitudinal side legs 33 (and 34) of the frame 15, a pocket 31 for the fabric of the folding top (broken line in FIG. 6) be provided, which extends in the roof skin 6 to the respective folding top clamping collar 4, 4′ or to the side parts 21, 22 of the latter and acts as a tension compensating zone during the movement of the folding top 7.

Claims

1. A convertible vehicle with a folding top (7), which has folding top frame (3) with a rear folding top clamping collar (4; 4′; 4″) constructed in mirror image fashion to the longitudinal median plane (2) of the vehicle and can be stowed in a rear folding top compartment (8) or returned from this by shifting it at about a main bearing (5) fixed to the car body, and the flexible roof skin (6) of which, in the rear region, has especially a dimensionally stable rear window (9) with an essentially rectangular circumferential contour, which extends above the folding top clamping collar (4; 4′; 4″), wherein the rear window (9) has a connection only in the region of the upper transverse side edge (10) as well as of its two longitudinal side edges (11, 12), the connection taking hold of the flexible roof skin (6), and a lower transverse side edge (13) of the rear window (9), in the closed position of the folding top (7), can be supported directly from above on the folding top clamping collar (4; 4′) in a detachable connecting engagement.

2. The convertible vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rear window (9) has a control assembly (14), which is connected with the folding top frame (3) and/or the folding top clamping collar (4; 4′).

3. The convertible vehicle of claims 1 or 2, wherein the rear window (9) is encircled by an essentially U-shaped frame (15), at which it engages the control assembly (14).

4. The convertible vehicle of one of the claims 1 to 3, wherein the lower transverse side edge (13) of the rear window (9), which lies, in the closed position of the folding top (7), against the folding top clamping collar (4; 4′) so as to form a seal, can be shifted relative to the folding top clamping collar (4; 4′) and, when the latter is moved, a distance (A; L) is formed at least phasewise between the transverse side edge (13) and the folding top clamping collar (4; 4′).

5. The convertible vehicle of claim 4, wherein the rear window (9), starting from its closed position, in which it lies on the folding top clamping collar (4), can be shifted towards the outside (arrow C).

6. The convertible vehicle of claims 4 or 5, wherein the rear window (9), during the movement of the folding top frame (3) assumes at least phasewise an expansion position (angle W) to the folding top clamping collar (4).

7. The convertible vehicle of one of the claims 4 to 6, wherein the rear window (9), as connection, has the U-shaped frame (15), which is integrated into the roof skin (6), the upper transverse side leg (32) and the longitudinal side leg (33, 34) of the U-shaped frame (15) being connected with the roof skin (6) so as to form a seal.

8. The convertible vehicle of one of the claims 4 to 7, wherein the control assembly (14), acting together with the folding top frame (3) and/or the folding top clamping collar (4), is hinged at the respective longitudinal side leg (33, 34) of the frame (15).

9. The convertible vehicle of one of the claims 1 to 8, wherein the folding top clamping collar (4′) is constructed in three parts in the longitudinal direction and the lower transverse side edge (13) of the rear window (9) is supported on a middle part (20), which is disposed between the side parts (21, 22), which extend in mirror image fashion.

10. The convertible vehicle of claim 9, wherein in each case a supporting axis (23), which extends essentially perpendicularly to the longitudinal median plane (2) of the vehicle and forms a swiveling joint, is provided between the respective side part (21, 22) and the middle part (20).

11. The convertible vehicle of claims 9 or 10, wherein the rear window (9) is firmly connected with the middle part (20) of the folding top clamping collar (4).

12. The convertible vehicle of one of the claims 9 to 11, wherein the U-shaped frame (15), connected with the rear window (9), is connected in the region of its longitudinal side leg (33, 34) terminally (at 26) with the middle part (20) of the folding top clamping collar (4′).

13. The convertible vehicle of one of the claims 9 to 12, wherein the rear window (9) can be tilted about the supporting axis or axes (23) (arrow K) jointly with the middle part (20) by the control assembly (14).

14. The convertible vehicle of one of the claims 1 to 13, wherein the rear window (9) has externally, in the region of its respective longitudinal side edge (11, 12), a pocket (31) for the fabric of the folding top, which extends in the roof skin (6) to the respective folding top clamping collar (4; 4′) and is provided as a tension compensating zone.