FR2829971A1 - Sliding panel for trapezoidal opening in automobile bodywork is guided by non-parallel rails and connected to rails by upper and lower guides, vertical runners on panel and lower guide compensate for variable gap between rails - Google Patents

Abstract

The sliding panel (12) is guided on non-parallel rails (111,112). The panel is fixed to the upper rail by an upper guide (141) and is connected to the lower rail by a lower guide (142). The sliding panel comprises two vertical runners (151,152) and the lower guide has two vertical runners (161,162), perpendicular to the lower rail, which engage the sliding panel runners in order to compensate for the variable gap between the rails. An Independent claim is included for a vehicle comprising a sliding panel.

Description

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 Device for closing a bay formed in a motor vehicle, with non-parallel rails, and corresponding vehicle.

 The field of the invention is that of motor vehicle bays.

More specifically, the invention relates to devices for closing a bay formed in the body of a vehicle, and comprising a sliding movable part, capable of releasing or closing an opening.

 Conventionally, to seal the opening of a vehicle, whether it be an automobile, a utility vehicle, a truck, a bus or a railway wagon, a glass, held by a connecting frame. The latter has an internal part and an external part, which pinch the edges of the glass and the opening in the bodywork simultaneously, with a seal.

 Another technique is described in patent documents EP-0 778 168 and EP-0 857 844, in the name of the same owner as the present patent application. The shutter device (hereinafter called flush bay) presented in these documents comprises a fixed part and a part that is movable relative to the fixed part. The mobile part is connected to the fixed part by functional elements which provide the required mobility and which are attached to the face of the fixed part facing the interior of the vehicle.

 To ensure the sliding of the mobile part, the functional elements include two parallel rails, having functions of guiding and / or holding this mobile part. This technique is very effective in many situations, especially when the berries have a large area and / or a substantially rectangular shape.

 However, in many vehicles, the bays are not rectangular, but trapezoidal, or having at least one rounded or inclined edge, or more generally of any shape, adapted to the vehicle, depending on aesthetic criteria for example.

 In this case, the space between the rails is limited by the short side (s)

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 bay, and / or the surface of the opening is very small. In both cases, this is not acceptable for a modern vehicle.

In addition, the rails are generally mounted in the vicinity of the edges of the fixed part, so that they can be concealed, for example by screen printing attached to the fixed part. When the bay is not rectangular, at least part of one of the rails is visible, unless the most of the glass is screen printed, which is clearly not the objective!
The invention particularly aims to overcome these drawbacks of the state of the art.

More specifically, an objective of the invention is to provide a technique for closing a bay of a motor vehicle using a sliding movable panel, which is adapted to bays of various shapes, and in particular trapezoidal or partially trapezoidal , and more generally having non-constant dimensions.

 Another object of the invention is to provide such a technique for closing a bay, which makes it possible to provide a large opening, whatever the general shape of the bay.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a technique for closing a bay, which retains all the advantages of flush berries already developed by the holder of this application, and in particular: flush aesthetic appearance; aerodynamic aspects; - ease and reduced cost of manufacture; - ease and reduced cost of assembly;
These objectives, as well as others which will appear subsequently, are achieved with the aid of a device for closing a bay provided in a motor vehicle, comprising at least one movable part capable of closing or freeing an opening, said movable part being slidably mounted using

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 two guide and / or holding assemblies, each comprising at least one element integral with said movable part and at least one element which is fixed relative to said vehicle, which can slide relative to one another.

 According to the invention, said guide and / or holding assemblies extend respectively in first and second non-parallel directions, and at least one of said elements has an additional degree of freedom, so as to be able to at least partially compensate for the variable spacing between said guide and / or holding assemblies.

 The invention is therefore based on the implementation of non-parallel rails. This approach is not in itself obvious to a person skilled in the art. Indeed, the latter logically considers, for decades, that the rails of a sliding window must be parallel. The inventors go against this a priori.

 After having formulated this approach starting from the new problem consisting in supplying sliding panels to glass panes of any shape, the inventors provide a specific technical solution, making it possible to implement non-parallel rails. Indeed, it directly appears that the technique conventionally does not work with non-parallel rails. The inventors therefore propose to introduce an additional degree of freedom, so as to compensate for the spacing, using sliding means.

 Advantageously, said degree of freedom corresponds to sliding in a third direction distinct from said first and second directions.

This embodiment allows simple and effective implementation.

 Said third direction is preferably substantially perpendicular to the direction defined by the corresponding guide and / or holding assembly, and / or is substantially vertical.

 According to a first advantageous embodiment, said element having an additional degree of freedom is a fixed element relative to said vehicle.

 According to a second advantageous embodiment, said element

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 having an additional degree of freedom is an element an element integral with said movable part.

According to a preferred approach, said element having an additional degree of freedom belongs to a guide and / or holding assembly extending in the lower part of said device
According to another preferred approach, said element having an additional degree of freedom belongs to a guide and / or holding assembly extending in the upper part of said device.

 Of course, the various embodiments considered above can be combined.

 In a particular embodiment, one of said guide and / or holding assemblies extends substantially horizontally.

 The invention advantageously applies to flush cabinets, and similar systems. In this case, the device preferably comprises at least one fixed part, on which said fixed elements are mounted relative to said vehicle.

 Preferably, at least one of said fixed elements has at least one extension capable of being secured to the bodywork or a fixed element of said vehicle.

 This characteristic is important in terms of safety in the event of glass breakage of the fixed part.

 According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, said movable part can perform: a sliding movement substantially parallel to the plane defined by said retaining and / or guide assemblies; and a movement substantially perpendicular to said plane defined by said holding and / or guide assemblies, so as to come into the plane of said opening to close it.

 Other kinematics can of course be placed in cavern.

 Preferably, at least one of said holding and / or

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 guide have elements connected to each other by a hinge having an axis whose position is movable.

 This makes it possible to facilitate the closing movement of the device. The invent5on also relates to motor vehicles equipped with at least one device for closing a bay as described above.

 Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, given by way of simple illustrative and nonlimiting example, and of the appended drawings among which: FIGS. 1A and 1B, schematically, a first embodiment of the invention; Figures 2A and 2B show, in section, a variant implementation of the device of Figures 1A and 1B; Figures 3A and 3B illustrate a second embodiment of the invention.

 As already mentioned, the device is advantageously a flush bay of the type described in patent document EP-0 778 168, already commented quickly in the preamble.

 It therefore includes a fixed part which will be attached to the vehicle body, for example by gluing. A movable part, mounted on the fixed part, makes it possible to close or free an opening defined in this fixed part. Rails fixed (or molded) on the inner face of the fixed part guide the movable part, the latter sliding along the fixed part.

 Advantageously, the movement of the movable part relative to the fixed part is broken down into two independent displacements: a perpendicular displacement relative to the plane formed by the fixed part, allowing the passage from a closed and locked position, in which the part mobile is in the same plane as the fixed part, and closes the opening, in a release position, in which the mobile part is offset in a plane

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 sliding, relative to the fixed part, so as to allow sliding.

 When passing from the closed position to the release position, it will be noted that, in the particular embodiment described below, the movable part is slightly offset downward, relative to the opening; a displacement parallel to the plane formed by the fixed part, in the sliding plane.

 Of course, other movements are possible. For example, the mobile part can follow a curve according to which the two movements (locking / unlocking and sliding) are linked.

 Furthermore, the device of the invention applies in particular to the side walls of a vehicle. However, it can also be placed in copper on the roof of a vehicle, and more generally in any location where this would be desirable.

 The glass may be made of glass or of a suitable transparent or translucent material. It can also be made of the same material as the bodywork. It can be flat, curved or curved. It should also be noted that it is possible to use several independent windows to seal a bay (for example one window moving to the left and the other to the right). If necessary, one of the windows may be fixed.

The invention therefore provides a technique for implementing a sliding movable panel guided and / or held by non-parallel rails. The embodiment, described below, relates to a device intended to equip a trapezoidal bay, as illustrated by FIGS. 1A and 1B.

It can be seen that the rails lli and 112 are not parallel, and that their implementation in parallel would not be acceptable: the surface of the movable panel 12 should be reduced and, above all, the rail 111 should extend in the middle of the panel fixed 13, in its widest part.

 The movable panel 12 is secured to the rail 1b by an upper guide 141,

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 capable of sliding relative to the rail 111. Similarly, it is connected to the rail 112 by a lower guide 142. However, according to the invention, this lower guide is not fixedly mounted relative to the movable panel 12 On the contrary, means for compensating for the variable spacing of the rails are provided.

 In the illustrated embodiment, the movable panel comprises two slides, or slides, 15], 152 extending substantially vertically. These are for example two sections, secured to the panel, adequately, for example by gluing.

 The lower guide 142 has two slides 161 and 162, extending substantially vertically and perpendicularly to the rail 112. These slides z and 162 cooperate with the slides z and 152 to compensate for the spacing between the rails, as this clearly appears in FIGS. 1A and 1B, where: in FIG. 1A, the movable panel is in the closed position, and the spacing is the smallest; in FIG. 1B, the movable panel is in the open position, and the spacing is greater.

 Figures 2A and 2B show sectional views of an alternative embodiment of the invention.

 In the closed position (Figure 2A), the movable panel 12 is in the plane of the fixed panel 13. The latter has been attached, from the outside, to the edges of the body defining the opening.

parties articulées 211, 212 autour d'un axe 213. L'une des parties 2h est solidarisé, par exemple par collage, au panneau mobile 12. L'autre partie z peut coulisser dans le rail Ill. Le principe et la mise en ouvre de ces parties articulées sont décrits notamment dans le document EP-0 857 844. The upper rail lli cooperates with the upper guide 142, formed of two

articulated parts 211, 212 around an axis 213. One of the parts 2h is secured, for example by gluing, to the movable panel 12. The other part z can slide in the rail Ill. The principle and the implementation of these articulated parts are described in particular in document EP-0 857 844.

 The lower rail 112 cooperates similarly with the lower guide 142,

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 also comprising two articulated parts 221 and 222 about an axis 223. The part 222 can slide in the Hz rail. The part 221 is extended by a slide 231, which can move along a guide element 24 1, attached to the movable panel 12.

 As a variant, the part 221 can be extended by a fixed slide in which it can move, being secured to the movable panel.

 In the open position (FIG. 2B), the movable panel 12 is offset, relative to the fixed panel 13. This is obtained in particular using the guides 14] and 142, and the displacement of their axes 213, 223.

 It can be noted that, with respect to FIG. 2A, the distance D2 between the two rails is greater than the distance D1. This difference is found in day 25.

 It is composed, according to the invention, by the displacement of the guide element 24 in the slide 23.

 Of course, many variants to this embodiment can be envisaged, without departing from the scope of the invention.

 In particular, the sliding connection with the movable panel can be associated with the upper rail, with vertical sliding of the upper guide 141, or even with the two rails.

 In the same way, it is not obligatory that it is one of the guides which is mounted sliding. It can also be one of the rails, as shown in Figures 3A and 3B.

 The upper rail 31 is not fixedly secured to the fixed panel 32, but by means of slides, or slides 331 and 332, in which the slides 341 and 342 can move which extend vertically from the upper rail. 31.

 According to yet another variant, it is the lower rail which can be mobile, using the same principle.

 Furthermore, the means implemented may vary, in particular in form and number. So there can be:

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 - several mobile panels; - several independent guides associated with each rail; - more than two sliding / sliding systems, or conversely a single system, sufficiently wide.

 The rail / guide connection can be of any suitable type, as can the slide / slide systems.

 The rails are not necessarily rectilinear.

Claims (14)

 CLAIMS 1. Device for closing a bay formed in a motor vehicle, comprising at least one movable part capable of closing or freeing an opening, said movable part being mounted to slide using two guide assemblies and / or holding element, each comprising at least one element integral with said movable part and at least one element which is fixed relative to said vehicle, which can slide relative to one another, characterized in that said guide and / or holding extend respectively in first and second non-parallel directions, and in that at least one of said elements has an additional degree of freedom, so as to be able to compensate at least in part for the variable spacing between said guide assemblies and / or maintenance. 2. Device for closing a bay according to claim 1, characterized in that said degree of freedom corresponds to sliding in a third direction distinct from said first and second directions. 3. Device for closing a bay according to claim 2, characterized in that said third direction is substantially perpendicular to the direction defined by the corresponding guide and / or holding assembly. 4. Device for closing a bay according to any one of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that said third direction is substantially vertical. 5. Device for closing a bay according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said element having an additional degree of freedom is a fixed element relative to said vehicle. 6. Device for closing a bay according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said element having an additional degree of freedom is an element an element integral with said movable part. 7. device for closing a bay according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said element having a degree of <Desc / Clms Page number 11>  additional freedom belongs to a guide and / or holding assembly extending in the lower part of said device. 8. Device for closing a bay according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said element having an additional degree of freedom belongs to a guide and / or holding assembly extending in the upper part of said device 9. Device for closing a bay according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in bone that one of said guide and / or holding assemblies extends substantially horizontally. 10. Device for closing a bay according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it comprises at least one fixed part, on which said fixed elements are mounted relative to said vehicle. 11. Device for closing a bay according to claim 10, characterized in that at least one of said fixed elements has at least one extension capable of being secured to the bodywork or a fixed element of said vehicle. 12. Device for closing a bay according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that said movable part can perform: a sliding movement substantially parallel to the plane defined by said holding and / or guiding assemblies ; and a movement substantially perpendicular to said plane defined by said holding and / or guide assemblies, so as to come into the plane of said opening to close it. 13. Device for closing a bay according to any one of claims 1 to 12, in that at least one of said retaining and / or guide assemblies have elements connected to one another by a articulation having an axis whose position is movable. 14. Motor vehicle comprising at least one bay shutter device according to any one of claims 1 to 13.