US 5,558,388 A · Vehicle roof

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle roof with at least one roof cover part that can be opened during driving. This roof part can be moved into at least one open position in the manner of a conventional sliding-lifting roof on roof parts lying laterally to it or on guideways arranged on it in lengthwise direction of the vehicle. Furthermore, after complete opening of the roof part that can be opened, the roof as a whole is able to be placed in a lengthwise compacted configuration and then lowered into a stowage space behind the passenger compartment, whereby the vehicle becomes a fully open convertible-type vehicle without substantially consuming the usually available trunk space. In one set of embodiments, the compacted roof configuration is stored in a vertical orientation. In another embodiment, the compacted roof package is stowed under a rear window, and then the complete package of rear roof part and rear window lowered by retracting the B-columns supporting the rear roof part into a storage space between seats and rear axle.

Claims32

Dependent claims

Vehicle roof formed of vehicle roof parts including roof frame body parts and rigid roof panel body parts, at least one of said rigid roof panel body parts being slidably movable, during vehicle travel, relative to other of said vehicle roof parts in longitudinal vehicle directions, along roof frame body parts that are located at lateral sides of the vehicle roof, into at least one open position in which an opening is formed in the roof that is at least partially bounded by said other vehicle roof parts;

wherein first means are provided for moving the vehicle roof frame body parts and rigid roof panel body parts from said at least one open position into a compacted configuration in which the roof is substantially reduced in length and second means are provided for moving the vehicle roof frame body parts and rigid roof panel body parts into a stowage space located in a rear part of the vehicle, while in said compacted configuration, in a manner fully opening a passenger compartment of the vehicle in an upward direction;
and wherein said rigid roof panel body parts include parts which are substantially horizontally oriented in said closed position and which are positioned by said second means within the stowage space in a substantially vertical orientation.

Vehicle roof formed of vehicle roof parts including roof frame body parts and rigid roof panel body parts, at least one of said rigid roof panel body parts being slidably movable, during vehicle travel, relative to other of said vehicle roof parts in longitudinal vehicle directions, along a lateral one of said roof frame body parts located at each of lateral sides of the vehicle roof, into partial and fully open positions in which an opening is formed in the roof that is at least partially bounded by said other of said vehicle roof parts, said other of said vehicle roof parts remaining stationary during the sliding movement of said at least one of said rigid roof panel parts which is slidably movable roof part;

wherein the roof frame body parts at the lateral sides of the vehicle roof are connected to a rear roof part and to a transverse support which runs above a front windshield of the vehicle at least when said at least one of the rigid roof panel body parts is moved during vehicle travel and being disengageable from said transverse support when said at least one of the rigid roof panel body parts is in said fully open position;
and wherein first means are provided for moving the vehicle roof frame body parts and roof panel body parts from said fully open position into a compacted configuration in which the roof is substantially reduced in length and second means are provided for moving the vehicle roof frame body parts and the roof panel body parts into a stowage space located in a rear part of the vehicle, while in said compacted configuration, in a manner fully opening a passenger compartment of the vehicle in an upward direction, when the roof frame body parts at the lateral sides of the vehicle roof are disengaged from said transverse support.

A vehicle roof with at least one rigid roof cover part that can be opened during driving in a sunroof mode by being moved into at least one open position, in a lengthwise direction of the vehicle and relative to rigid roof parts lying laterally and to the rear with respect to said at least one roof cover part, said rigid roof parts including a rear roof part that is attached to lateral roof parts, said lateral roof parts and said rear roof part being fixed relative to a body portion of the vehicle at least in said sunroof mode, and means for fury opening the roof to provide a convertible-type roof opening by moving of all of the rigid roof parts and the at least one roof cover part into a storage space in a rear part of the vehicle;

wherein the lateral roof parts are attached to the rear roof part by means for displacing the lateral roof parts with respect to the rear roof part while attached thereto, after moving of the roof cover part into a completely open position, for reducing the length of said roof prior to moving thereof into said storage space.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Vehicle roof

Life of this patent

Vehicle roof

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims32