GB2314050A - Gutter support on a sliding-tilting roof. - Google Patents

Description

2314050 GUTTER SUPPORT ON A SLIDING-TILTING ROOF The invention relates to

a device for supporting a gutter on a motor vehicle sliding-tilting roof and to a sliding-tilting v cle roof.

Such a device on a sliding-tilting roof is known for example from DE-C4405742. Where this sliding-tilting roof Is concerned, a connecting link fixed to the cover Is so connected to a gutter-supporting slide on the gutter that removing the gutter is only possible when the slidingtilting roof Is completely removed.

The invention is based on the problem of designing the support for the gutter so that the gutter can be removed while the sliding-tilting roof is fitted.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there Is provided a device for supporting a gutter on a motor vehicle sliding-tilting roof having a cover which optionally closes a roof opening and a gutter which engages under the rear edge of the cover when the cover is in its pushed-out position, the cover being connected to the gutter via a leg spring the front end of which is articulated on a connecting link of the cover and the rear end of which is connected to a slider supporting the gutter, the slider being mounted for longitudinal displacement in a guide rail extending on at least one side of the roof opening, the device comprising: a slider for sliding in a guide rail, the slider having a housing for the rear end of a leg spring; and, a clamping part for pressing the rear end of a leg spring into the housing; the slider having a partially open guide for accommodating the clamping part.

2 According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sliding-tilting vehicle roof, the roof comprising: a cover which optionally closes a roof opening; a gutter which engages under the rear edge of the cover when the cover is in its pushed-out position; a leg spring for connecting the cover to the gutter, the front end of the leg spring being articulated on a connecting link of the cover; a slider supporting the gutter and having a housing for connecting the rear end of the leg spring to the slider; a guide rail extending on at least one side of the roof opening and in which the slider is mounted for longitudinal displacement; and, a clamping part for pressing the rear end of the leg spring Into the housing; the slider having a partially open guide for accommodating the clamping part.

By virtue of the fact that the slider comprises a housing for the rear end of the leg spring and an upwardly partially open guide to accommodate a clamping part which presses the rear end of the leg spring into the housing, it is possible to detach the leg spring from the slide on the gutter simply by moving the clamping part while the cover is pushed out. In a preferred embodiment, the clamping part serves at the same time to secure the gutter.

Preferably, the guide comprises a web which engages over the clamping part from above. In the case of a construction as a bent sheet metal part, this web is preferably formed from a side wall of the slide directly by stamping and bending. The same applies to a transverse web comprising the housing for the rear end of the leg spring.

The clamping part and the guide respectively comprise at least one mutually cooperating abutment surface to define the extreme position of the clamping part when the leg spring is fitted. This ensures that until it reaches 3 an abutment, the clamping part is pushed sufficiently far into the guide to secure the leg spring.

Furthermore, the guide and the clamping part have on their upper side bores or recesses to receive a fastener such as a fixing screw. In the case of the guide, this recess is preferably provided in the region of the upper web. The abutment surfaces ensure a coincident position of the bore in the clamping part and of the recess in the upper web. Preferably, the or each fastener (such as a fixing screw) serves at the same time to secure the gutter on the slider.

For reliable supporting and guiding of the leg spring, it is advantageous for the clamping part to have on its underside a slot for partial accommodation of the leg spring.

Finally, It is advantageous if the slider has on Its rear edge a hook part which engages over the rear edge of the gutter and which, in the case of construction as a bent sheet metal part, is preferably integrally formed on the slider. By means of this hook part, the rear end of the gutter is supported and its front part is secured by fasteners such as fixing screws which are accessible through the gap of the roof opening which is exposed when the cover is pushed out.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a sliding-tilting roof with the cover pushed out, according to the state of the art; and, 4 Fig. 2 is a perspective exploded view of connecting linkt slider, leg spring and clamping part according to the Invention.

Bymeans of a cover 1, it is possible optionally to close or at least partially open a roof opening 2 in a fixed vehicle roof 3. The cover has on its underside spaced apart cover supports 4 on which a connecting link generally designated 5 is fixed by means of bores 15. The connecting link 5 has its pivot spindle 7 articulated on a front sliding shoe 6. The front sliding shoe 6, like a rear sliding shoe 9, is mounted for displacement along a guide rail 8. The rear sliding shoe 9 is, in known manner, adapted to be driven by a drive cable which is not shown but which is guided In the guide rail 8. A catch hook 14 which in this case is disposed In the region of the rear sliding shoe 9 provides for fixing of thh cover 1 In the closed and pushed-out positions in relation to the guide rail 8.

Fixed to the rear sliding shoe 9 is an actuating bolt 10 which engages a slideway 11 on the connecting link 5 and which, upon longitudinal displacement of the rear sliding shoe 9, controls the push-out and displacement movements of the cover 1. At the rear end of the connecting link 5 is articulated the front end of a leg spring 12. The rear end of the leg spring 12 is fixed on a slider 18 which is guided for longitudinal displacement in the guide rail 8 and which carries on its upper face a gutter 13. The gutter 13 is secured by fixing screws 32 to the slider 18 and, when the cover 1 is closed or pushed out, engages under the seal provided between the cover 1 and the rear part of the fixed vehicle roof 3 or under the exposed gap in order to divert water penetrating this gap into gutters extending laterally parallel with the guide rails 8. Since the cover 1 of the sliding-tilting roof can be opened not only into a pushed-out position such as that shown In Fig.

1 but also, after its rear edge has been lowered, displaced under the rear part of the fixed vehicle roof 3, the gutter 13 must likewise be displaced rearwardly with it in order to make room for the cover 1. In this respect, the leg spring 12 provides for a flexible articulation of the gutter 13 with its slider 18 on the connecting link 5 of the cover 1.

Conventional gutters 13 and leg springs 12 are, as shown in Figure 1, so fixed to the slider 18 by means of fixing screws 32 that they cannot be removed while the cover 1 is pushed out. Therefore, the entire slidingtilting roof has to be dismantled for repair and maintenance purposes. 15 In contrast, Figure 2 shows a solution in which the leg spring 12 is separably fixed on the'slider 18. The front end of the leg spring 12 is pivotably fixed to the connecting link 15 by means of a transversely extending pin 20 16. The rear end 17 of the leg spring 12 is bent over downwardly and is accommodated by a housing 22 which is constructed In the form of a bore on a transverse web 21 of the slider 18. The slider 18 is preferably produced as a bent sheet metal part so that the transverse web 21 can be produced directly from the material of the slider 18 by being stamped out and bent over. The slider 18 as a whole has a substantially U-shape profile with side walls 24 and a bottom plate which is not visible but which joins portions of the side walls 24. Two spaced apart supports 20 are formed one behind the other from each of the side walls 24 by stamping and bending the stamped parts horizontally outwards. Fitted onto these supports 20 are synthetic plastics guide shoes 19 which provide a good sliding mounting of the slider 28 in the guide rail 8.

Bent outwardly from the front part of the slider 18 is a further web 25 which is directed horizontally inwardly 6 from a side wall 24. The web 25 covers over a guide 26 consisting of side walls 24 and the bottom plate which is not visible. A clamping part 27 can be inserted into this guide 26 from above, between the transverse web 21 and the front web 25 and then pushed forwards, as indicated by an arrow shown on the underside of the clamping part 27 In Figure 2. The clamping part 27 has a substantially parallelepiped form. On its underside, the clamping part 27 has a longitudinally extending central slot 28 which, in the fitted condition, accommodates a part of the leg spring 12, so guiding It laterally. Provided on the top of the clamping part 27 is a bore 29 in the form of a screw threaded bore which, when the clamping part 27 is inserted, lies in the guide 26 in line with a recess 31 on the web 25. By means of a fixing screw 32, the clamping part 27 can be fixed opposite the slider 18 and also the gutter 13 (not shown in Figure 2) can be fixed on'the slider 18.

For fixing the gutter 13, its rear edge is first pushed under a hook part 23 which is formed at the back of the slider 18 and out of the sheet metal thereof.

Therefore, the hook part 23 engages around the rear top edge of the gutter 13. At the front edge, the gutter 13 is fixed on the slider 18 by a single fixing screw 32 on each side. Since, as Fig. 1 shows, the front screw 32 is accessible through the gap between the cover 1 and the fixed vehicle roof 3, when the cover 1 is pushed out, said screw 32 can easily be removed. Once the fixing screw 32 has been removed, first the gutter 13 can be withdrawn out of the hook parts 23 in a forwards direction. Then, the clamping part 27, which in its extreme position has an abutment surface 30 bearing on an abutment surface provided on the rear edge of the web 25, is displaced rearwardly in the guide 26 and removed in an upwards direction.

Subsequently, the rear end 17 of the leg spring 12 can be removed upwardly out of the housing 21.

7 Producing the slider 18 as a bent and stamped sheet metal part with a transverse web 21, front web 25, hook part 23 and supports 20 formed from the material, is indeed very advantageous but it will be understood that these parts can also be replaced by separate parts which are fixed on the slider 18. For fitment, the rear end 17 of the leg spring 12 Is Inserted into the housing 22, the part of the leg spring 12 which is in front of it being adapted to be inserted into the slider 18 through the slot remaining between the front web 25 and the side wall 24 which is on the left in Fig. 2. Then, the leg spring 12 is pressed downwards, the clamping part 27 is inserted into the housing 26 and pressed downwardly against the thrust of the leg spring 12, and displaced forwards into its extreme position so that the abutment 30 abuts the front web 25. As a result, the clamping part 27 can lock the rear end 17 of the leg spring 12 on the slide 18 solely by virtue of the resilient clamping force of the leg spring 12. An additional fixing of the clamping part 27 by means of the fixing screw 32 could thus be dispensed with in an alternative embodiment. However, since the fixing screw 32, in conjunction with the bore 29 on the clamping part 27, serves at the same time to fix the gutter 13, the fixing screw 32 does fulfil a dual role and also ensures an absolutely secure supporting of the clamping part 27 in its extreme fitted position.

Embodiments of the present invention have been described with particular reference to the examples illustrated. However, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications may be made to the examples described within the scope of the present invention.

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Claims (17)

1. A device for supporting a gutter on a motor vehicle sl-iding-tilting roof having a cover which optionally closes a roof opening and a gutter which engages under the rear edge of the cover when the cover is in its pushed-out position, the cover being connected to the gutter via a leg spring the front end of which is articulated on a connecting link of the cover and the rear end of which is connected to a slider supporting the gutter, the slider being mounted for longitudinal displacement in a guide rail extending on at least one side of the roof opening, the device comprising:

a slider for sliding In a guide rail, the slider having a housing for the rear end of a leg spring; and, a clamping part for pressing the rear end of a leg spring into the housing; 1 the slider having a partially open guide for accommodating the clamping part.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the clamping part and the guide each comprises at least one cooperating abutment surface to limit the clamping part in its extreme position when the leg spring is installed.

3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the guide and the clamping part have bores to accommodate a fastener for fixing the clamping part to the guide.

4. A device according to claim 3, comprising a fastener which connects both a gutter and the clamping part to the slider.

5. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the clamping part has on Its underside a slot for partial accommodation of a leg spring.

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6. A device according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the guide comprises a web for engagement over the clamping part.

7. A device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the slider is constructed In one piece with the guide as a bent sheet metal part.

8. A device according to claim 7 when dependent on claim 6, wherein the web and a transverse web comprising the housing are formed from the bent sheet metal part as tabs.

9. A device according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein integrally formed on the rear edge of the slider is a hook part for engaging the rear edge of a gutter.

10. A sliding-tilting vehicle roof, thd roof comprising: a cover which optionally closes a roof opening; a gutter which engages under the rear edge of the cover when the cover is in its pushed-out position; a leg spring for connecting the cover to the gutter, the front end of the leg spring being articulated on a connecting link of the cover; a slider supporting the gutter and having a housing for connecting the rear end of the leg spring to the slider; a guide rail extending on at least one side of the roof opening and in which the slider is mounted for longitudinal displacement; and, a clamping part for pressing the rear end of the leg spring into the housing; the slider having a partially open guide for accommodating the clamping part.

11. A roof according to claim 10, wherein the guide and the clamping part have bores to accommodate a fastener for fixing the clamping part to the guide.

12. A roof according to claim 11, comprising a fastener which connects both the gutter and the clamping part to the slider.

13. A roof according to any of claims 10 to 12, wherein the clamping part has on its underside a slot for partial accommodation of the leg spring.

14. A device according to any of claims 10 to 13, wherein the guide comprises a web for engagement over the clamping part.

15. A vehicle having a device according to any of claims 1 to 9.

16. A vehicle having a roof according to any of claims 10 to 14.

17. A sliding-tilting roof, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.