This application claims foreign priority benefits under 35 U.S.C. §119(a)-(d) to DE 10 2008 011 587.8, filed Feb. 28, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a closing device for a movable roof of a vehicle.
2. Background Art
DE 102 05 114 B4 describes a locking device for a folding top of a vehicle. The locking device includes a hook pivotably mounted on a front portion of the folding top. The locking device is movable as part of a multi-bar linkage by a drive mechanism from an opened position into a closed position. In the closed position, the hook engages a locking catch mounted on the vehicle body.
DE 10 2004 046 602 A1 describes a movable roof supportable in a closed position on a vehicle windshield frame by a movable engaging element and an actuating element. The actuating element transmits an actuating force through a force transmitting element that reaches out in the transverse vehicle direction with a component connected to the engaging element.
EP 1 053 900 A2 describes a closing device that acts between the vehicle body and a folding top. The closing device has two lateral closure elements each having a hook piece that cooperates with a counter bearing through a hook segment in the closed position. The hook piece is connected through a shaft with an actuating lever, which can be influenced by an actuator and a drive linkage.
An object of the present invention includes a closing device for a movable roof of a vehicle in which the closing device features secure functionality and can ideally be integrated into a given movable roof design.
In carrying out the above object and other objects, the present invention provides a closing device for a movable roof of a vehicle. The closing device includes a hook and a lever system. The hook is movable between a closed position in which the hook is operable to engage a pin of a vehicle body to thereby lock the closing device to the vehicle body and an opened position in which the hook is operable to disengage from the pin to thereby unlock the closing device from the vehicle body. The lever system has a hook lever pivotable about a first pivot axis extending in a longitudinal direction. The hook lever is connected to the hook to move the hook between the closed and opened positions in response to the hook lever being pivoted about the first pivot axis. The lever system further has a drive lever pivotable about a second pivot axis extending in the longitudinal direction and offset from the first pivot axis. The lever system further has a control lever assembly having a control lever with first and second end portions and a middle section. The first end portion is connected to the hook lever at a first link axis which extends in the longitudinal direction and is adjacent to the first pivot axis and the second end portion is connected to the drive lever at a second link axis which extends in the longitudinal direction and is adjacent to the second pivot axis to thereby couple the hook lever and the drive lever together.
A closing device in accordance with embodiments of the present invention operates between a movable roof and a vehicle body in order to lock and unlock the roof to and from the vehicle body. The closing device includes a closing hook and a lever system for moving the closing hook between closed and opened positions. The lever system is formed from a closing hook lever, a drive lever, and a control lever assembly which results in the closing device being functionally advantageous and structurally well-arranged. In the closed position of the closing hook, the lever system assumes a position above top dead center whereby the closing hook is ideally secured in the closed position even in the face of high stresses such as which may be caused by a disaster. The arrangement and design of the closing hook lever, the drive lever, and the control lever assembly enable an exemplary introduction of force in a four-bar linkage formed by these components. In order to produce the position above top dead center using simple means, a support pin is on the drive lever. The support pin abuts against a support section of the control lever assembly when the closing hook is in the closed position. For this purpose, an easily formed indentation is on the control lever assembly, and the control lever assembly has two control levers respectively arranged on both sides of the closing hook lever and the drive lever. One or more relatively inexpensive contact-less sensors may be arranged to determine the location of the closed and opened positions of the closing hook.
The above features, and other features and advantages of the present invention as readily apparent from the following detailed descriptions thereof when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Closing device 8 includes a left closing device portion and a right closing device portion which are located on respective sides of a longitudinal center plane A-A of vehicle body 2. The left closing device portion includes a left closing hook 9 and a lever system 13. The right closing device portion includes a right closing hook 10 and a lever system 14. Lever system 13 is actuable to move closing hook 9 between a closed position Schst and an opened position Ost. In the closed position Schst, closing hook 9 engages a vehicle body closing pin 11, extending along one longitudinal side of vehicle body 2 along a portion of the longitudinal vehicle direction B-B in the direction of forward vehicle travel C, to lock roof 4 to closing pin 11. In the opened position Ost, closing hook 9 disengages from closing pin 11 to unlock roof 4 from closing pin 11. Similarly, lever system 14 is actuable to move closing hook 10 between a closed position in which closing hook 10 engages a vehicle body closing pin extending along the other longitudinal side of vehicle body 2 and an opened position Ost in which closing hook 10 disengages from this closing pin.
The left and right closing device portions include the same type of components and function the same way. In particular, closing hooks 9, 10 and lever systems 13, 14 are formed essentially by the same components. As such, only the left closing device portion is described and illustrated in greater detail herein.
Referring now to
Lever system 13 for closing hook 9 includes a closing hook lever 15 and a drive lever 16. Closing hook lever 15 is mounted on a first pivot axis 17. Drive lever 16 is mounted on a second pivot axis 18. First and second pivot axes 17, 18 are both oriented in the longitudinal vehicle direction B-B at a distance from one another. A control lever assembly 19 is connected with closing hook lever 15 at a first link axis 20 and is connected with drive lever 16 at a second link axis 21. As a result, closing hook lever 15 and drive lever 16 are coupled to one another through control lever assembly 19.
A support pin 22 is affixed on drive lever 16 at a distance from link axes 20, 21 of control lever assembly 19. Support pin 22 produces a position Utpl above top dead center (
Control lever assembly 19 is formed by two identical control levers 25 and 26 (
A spring 30 such as a leaf spring 31 engages lever system 13. Leaf spring 31 attempts to move lever system 13 with closing hook 9 into the opened position Ost. Lear spring 31 acts on closing hook lever 15 in the embodiment. To this end, closing hook lever 15 has a first cam type section 32, a first cam track section 33, and a second cam track section 34. Leaf spring 31 cooperates with first cam track section 33.
Drive lever 16 includes a second cam type section 35 with a first cam track section 36 and a second cam track section 37. In the opened position of closing hook 9 (
With reference to
Sole plates 41 and 42 are used to respectively mount lever systems 13, 14. A connecting shaft 43 is used for coupling closing hook 9 with closing hook lever 15. Connecting shaft 43 extends in the longitudinal vehicle direction A-A and is held on legs 44 and 45 of a sole plate 46 having an approximately U-shaped cross-sectional profile.
The closed position Schst and the opened position Ost of closing hooks 9, 10 and/or lever systems 13, 14 are detected by contact-less sensors such as Hall effect transducers.
While embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the present invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2008 011 587.8 | Feb 2008 | DE | national |