GB2069038A - Motor vehicle sliding roof driving mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

A sliding roof panel 1 is guided for movement along guides 7 between a rearward fully open position and an intermediate position from which the panel may be raised into a fully closed position blocking a roof opening. Thrust members 9 are connected to levers 12 which cause the roof panel to be raised as the thrust members 9 are moved apart. A longitudinally movable drive member 13 is coupled to the thrust members by links 17 and 18. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Sliding roof assembly drive mechanism This invention relates to a sliding roof assembly, especiaily of the type employed in a motor vehicle, in which a roof panel is movable longitudinally between an open position and an intermediate position, and vertically between the intermediate position and a fully closed position in which an opening in a fixed roof is closed. Generally, the roof panel moves forwardly from the fully open position to the intermediate position.

In the specification of our patent application No. 8017201 (serial number unpublished at the date hereof, is disclosed a roof assembly of this type in which a drive member disposed in the longitudinal centre plane of the roof is coupled with the rearward edge of the panel and is used to displace the panel longitudinally between the open and intermediate positions. Following movement of the panel into the intermediate position from the fully open position, continued movement of the drive member operates a linkage connected to transversely extending thrust members to cause the latter to operate lifting levers arranged to raise the roof panel into the fully closed position.

An object of the present invention is to improve a drive mechanism of this type and, accordingly, the invention provides for the longitudinally movable drive member to be coupled to the thrust members by links, each of which is articulated to the drive member about a pivot axis disposed on one side of a longitudinal axis through the roof panel and a respective thrust member about a pivot axis disposed on the opposite side of the longitudinal axis. During movement of the roof panel longitudinally between the open and intermediate positions, the links adopt crossedover positions in which force is transmitted from the drive member to the panel.Upon motion of the roof panel being blocked when it enters the intermediate position, continued movement of the drive member collapses the linkage, the links tending to move towards transversely extending parallel positions, and in so doing causing the thrust members to move apart and operate the lifting levers. The use of a scissor-like linkage of this type for driving the thrust members has the advantage that the links not only occupy little space but that they ensure uniform displacement of the thrust members and thereby uniform lifting of the roof cover into its fully closed position flush with the plane of the fixed roof.

The drive member may be provided at its forward end with a connecting member, conveniently in the shape of a bow, to which the links are pivoted. If the thrust members are carried by a transporting bridge, the latter will rise with the roof panel into its fully closed position, and it is therefore convenient for the connecting member to be pivoted to the drive member about a horizontal transverse axis, thereby to allow the links to pivot as they rise. For this purpose, the drive member may be in the form of a strip disposed in a horizontal plane, the forward end of the strip being turned-over to form an eye surrounding a cross-piece of the connecting member.

Preferably, the pivot axes of the links are inclined obliquely to a vertical transverse plane.

The pivot axes are parallel to one another and advantageously enclose with the vertical an angle of about thirty degrees. Oblique positioning of the pivot axis permits the links to be actuated with minimal friction even when the roof panel is in its raised position.

The links preferably have arcuate portions, such that when viewed in plan, one link appears concave while the other is convex, the ends of the links moving in a common plane. The ends of the links may have bearing eyelets which are bent back at right-angles to their lengths, the eyelets of each link being offset to the same side of the centre line of the link by such an amount that when the links adopt parallel positions, all of the pivot axes lie in a common transverse plane inclined by about thirty degrees to the vertical.

The thrust members may have projecting end portions which extend at right angles to the length of the thrust member and projecting beyond the rear edge of the roof panel or a transporting bridge if such is provided. Preferably, in the central region of the roof panel, the thrust members are guided in plastics guides fixed to the panel or bridge.

Alternatively, however, the links may be connected to the thrust members by means of angular elbows which are transversely movable in plastics guides and have one arm projecting beyond the rear edge of the cover or bridge.

The invention will now be described in greater detail but by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a plan view of part of a sliding roof assembly in its fully closed position, Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the parts of the roof assembly in the positions which they occupy when the roof is fully or partially open, Figure 3 is a side view of the parts shown in Figure 2, Figure 4 is a front view of the linkage shown in Figure 3, Figure 5 is a plan view of one of the links shown in the preceding figures, Figure 6 is a side view of the link shown in Figure 5, Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 1 but of a second embodiment, and Figure 8 is a side view of the parts shown in Figure 7.

Referring to Figures 1 to 6, a motor vehicle has a roof 5 with a roof opening 4 with which is associated a sliding roof cassette including guide rails 7 extending longitudinally of the roof, one on each side of the opening. A rigid panel 1 is arranged within the roof and is provided with supports which engage with the guide rails and permit the roof panel to slide between a rearward fully open position and a forward intermediate position, from which the rearward end may be raised to bring the panel into a fully closed position blocking the roof opening, this being the position in which the panel is depicted in Figure 1.

During opening, the panel is lowered into the intermediate position and made to slide rearwardly into the fully open position. Raising and lowering of the roof panel is brought about by rotation of lifting levers 12 mounted at the edges of the roof panel on a rod having a cranked portion received in an eye 10 formed by turning over the outermost end of a respective one of two thrust rods 9 extending transversely of the roof panel within a guide channel 8 adjacent the rearward edge of the panel. The innermost ends of the thrust rods lie adjacent each other in a central region of the rearward edge of the roof panel, raising of the panel being caused by moving the rods apart and lowering of the panel being caused by drawing the rods together.

Displacement of the roof panel in the forward and rearward directions between the fully open position and the intermediate position is effected by a motor not shown in the drawing and serving to extend and retract a bar 13 which applies force to the roof panel centrally of its rearward edge by way of a linkage connected to the thrust rods and hereinafter described. The arrangement for extending and retracting the bar 13 may, for example, be of the type described and illustrated in the above-mentioned specification to which reference may be made for further details of the construction and operation of a roof assembly of the type with which the invention is concerned.

Other driving mechanisms may of course be used instead.

The bar 13 has an eye 16 formed by turning over the forward end of the bar, the eye receiving the cross-piece 15 of a bow-shaped connecting member 14. The ends of the connecting member are connected to a rearward projection 21 of the thrust rods 9 by a pair of links 1 7 and 18, each such link being connected to a rod 9 and to an end of the connecting member which lie on respective opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle from each other. Eyelets 22 of the links are pivoted to the connecting arm and thrust rods by rivets 23 having axes 19 which extend at substantially thirty degrees to a vertical transverse plane when the roof panel is in any position between the intermediate and open positions, as best shown in Figure 3. The parts guided in guide members 20 of suitable plastics material.

Each of the links 17 and 1 8 is curved through part of its length, the link 1 7 having an arcuate portion adjacent the end pivot through the connecting member and the link 18 having an arcuate portion adjacent the end pivoted to the thrust rod 9. The direction of curvature is such that, when viewed from above, the link 17 appears convex and the link 1 8 appears concave. The end portions of each link, formed as bearing eyes, lie in the same plane.As the result of this arrangement, the links can move relative to each other between a crossed-over position as shown in Figure 2 wherein the ends of the thrust rods 9 are adjacent, and a parallel position as shown in Figure 1 wherein the axes 1 9 all lie in a common transverse plane inclined at substantially thirty degrees to the vertical and the ends of the thrust rods 9 are spaced-apart without interfering with each other.

To facilitate movement of the links-into the parallel positions shown in Figure 1, the axes 1 9 of the bearing eyes of each link are both disposed on the same side of the centre line of the web which extends between the eyes by suitable distances.

In operation, assuming the roof panel to be in its fully opened position, the bar 13 is propelled forwardly and force is transmitted through the links 17 and 18 and the projections 21 of the thrust rods 9 to the panel 1 to cause it to move.

Movement of the thrust rods apart from each other is either prevented during this phase of operation or the resistance to such movement substantially exceeds the resistance to movement of the panel. When the roof reaches the intermediate position, its forward end engages the forward edge of the roof opening and continued movement of the panel is blocked. The bar 13 continues to advance and the links 17 and 18 move from the crossed positions shown in Figure 2 into the parallel transverse positions shown in Figure 1, the thrust rods 9 being separated as the links change position. This outward movement of the thrust rods is accompanied by turning of the lifting levers 12 and the raising of the roof panel from the intermediate position shown in Figure 3 into the fully closed position in which the roof panel is in line with the fixed roof and the roof opening 4 is blocked. During this movement in the event that the thrust rods are arranged to rise with the roof panel, the links pivot about the cross-piece 1 5 of the connecting member 14 through an angle determined by the distance through which the roof panel is raised.

The embodiment shown in Figures 7 and 8 corresponds essentially with that described above, but with the difference that the guide channel 8 in which the thrust rods 9 are guided is formed in a separate transporting ridge supported in the guide rails 3 by slide members 7 connected to the roof panel by rigid connecting elements 6, so that the thrust rods are carried upwards with movement of the roof panel into its closed position.

Claims (13)

1. A sliding roof assembly including a roof panel movable longitudinally between an open position and an intermediate position and movable vertically between the intermediate position and a fully closed position closing a roof opening, and a drive mechanism for displacing the roof panel as aforesaid, said mechanism including thrust members extending transversely of the panel and connected to lifting devices located in lateral edge regions of the roof panel, and a drive member coupled to the thrust members by two links, each being articulated relative to the drive member on one side of a longitudinal axis through the panel and to a thrust member about a pivot axis located on the opposite side of the longitudinal axis.

2. A sliding roof assembly according to claim 1, wherein the drive member is articulated to a connecting member about a horizontal transverse axis, and the links are articulated to the connecting member.

3. A sliding roof assembly according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the axes of articulation of the links are inclined to the vertical.

4. A sliding roof assembly according to claim 3, wherein each said axis is inclined at an angle of substantially thirty degrees to the vertical when the roof panel is in the open position.

5. A sliding roof assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein each link has an arcuate portion, each link being curved oppositely to the other, such that one link when viewed in plan is concave and the other convex, and such that bearing points at the ends of the links move in a common plane, and that when the roof panel is in the intermediate position, all of the pivot axes of the links lie substantially in a transverse common plane inclined at substantially thirty degrees to the vertical.

6. A sliding roof assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the thrust members are guided for transverse movement in a guide channel adjacent the rearward edge of the roof panel, proximate end of the thrust members having rearward projections to which the links are articulated, and the remote end of the thrust members being connected to respective lifting levers.

7. A sliding roof assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the thrust members are guided in the mid-region of the guide channel in plastics guides fixed to the roof panel.

8. A sliding roof assembly according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the links are connected to the thrust members by means of angular elbows guided for movement transversely of the roof panel in plastics guides fixed to the rear edge of the roof panel and projecting beyond the rear edge with one of their arms.

9. A sliding roof assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the thrust rods are guided in a transporting bridge connected to the rear edge of the roof panel by means of rigid connecting members.

1 0. A sliding roof assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 or Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A drive mechanism for a sliding roof assembly of the type including a roof panel movable longitudinally between an open position and an intermediate position, and movable vertically between the intermediate position and a fully closed position closing a roof opening, the drive mechanism including transversely extending thrust members connected to lifting devices, a longitudinally extending drive member, and a pair of links connecting the drive member to the thrust members, the links crossing each other in a scissor-like manner.

12. A drive mechanism for a sliding roof assembly of the type including a roof panel movable longitudinally between an open position and an intermediate position, and movable vertically between the intermediate position and a fully closed position closing a roof opening, the drive mechanism including, a pair of thrust members, each extending transversely of the roof panel and being operatively connected to a lifting lever of one lateral side thereof, a longitudinally movable drive member, a connecting mechanism pivoted to the drive member about a transverse axis, and a pair of links, each pivoted about upstanding axes to the connecting member and a respective thrust member, such that the links cross each other when the mechanism is in the condition pertaining to shifting of the roof panel between the open and intermediate positions, and move towards transversely extending parallel positions to thrust the thrust members apart upon resistance to motion being transmitted from the thrust members through the links to the drive member.

13. A drive mechanism for a sliding roof as claimed in claim 12 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 or Figures 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.