The invention relates to a fixed roof element for a vehicle roof, said fixed roof element comprising the features of the preamble of claim 1.
Such a fixed roof element is known from document WO 2020/015907 A1 and constitutes a roof element which is a component of a so-called panoramic roof and is mounted in a rigid or immobile way with respect to a vehicle body. Said fixed roof element comprises a flat (or flush or plane or two-dimensional) panel, which is formed by a glass panel and forms a roof body shell element. Moulded portions are formed on the underside of the glass panel, said moulded portions being formed in a foam moulding process or an injection-moulding process and each having a groove-like recess for an upper-side rib of a guide rail. In a manner not illustrated, the shading system of the fixed roof element 14′ illustrated in
The object of the invention is to create a fixed roof element which is of the kind mentioned in the introduction and makes it possible to join a guide rail to the underside of the panel in an installation space-saving way.
This object is attained in accordance with the invention by the fixed roof element having the features of claim 1.
In accordance with the invention, a fixed roof element for a vehicle roof is thus proposed, said fixed roof element comprising a panel to the underside of which at least one guide rail of a shading system is joined via a plastic moulded portion. Said plastic moulded portion receives a clamping unit, which keeps the guide rail at the panel and which is formed by at least one insert part of the plastic moulded portion.
By means of the clamping unit, an instrument is thus integrated into the plastic moulded portion which makes it possible to connect the guide rail to the panel or to keep it at the panel and which is able to reach around the guide rail on opposite flanks. The term clamping unit implies that portions thereof reach around the guide rail at its flanks, said portions in particular being resilient. Consequently, the clamping unit exerts a holding force, which acts in the transverse direction of the guide rail. When installing the guide rail, assemblers can manually make sure that the guide rail engages with the clamping unit. Screwing processes or the same for joining the guide rail to the underside of the panel are not required. The guide rail can quickly be installed after the plastic moulded portion has been formed, which receives the clamping unit as insert part(s). It can be installed during the cooling time after the moulding process outside of the moulding tool by means of which the moulded portion is produced. Consequently, short tool open times and fast production cycles can be realised. Since the guide rail is installed outside of the open and heated moulding tool, assemblers who install the guide rail are also safer.
The clamping unit can have a simple geometry so that a simple tool concept for integrating the clamping unit into the plastic moulded portion is also possible.
The plastic moulded portion can receive or be injection-moulded or foamed around the clamping unit in its entirety or the clamping unit can also protrude from the plastic moulded portion in part.
The clamping unit makes it possible to position the guide rail at the panel in a precise and reproducible way so that it can also be guaranteed that the guide rail has a precise interface with a neighbouring component.
The guide rail, which is held by the clamping unit, can have a low installation height so that the leverage forces which are acted upon the guide rail by the shading system are low. The risk of a deformation and compression of the guide rail is consequently low.
Forces which act upon the guide rail can be directly introduced into the panel via the clamping unit and the moulded portion. Since bolt flanges or the like are not required for joining the guide rail to the panel, lever arms upon which the forces act are short. This can in turn prevent any damage to the moulded portion and/or the panel or also deformations and sluggishnesses, which go hand in hand with the deformations upon operation of the shading system and also acoustic issues.
In a special embodiment of the fixed roof element according to the invention, the clamping unit has at least one clamping element, which includes a plate portion and at least one angled portion, which is preferably resilient and is an angled tab with respect to the plate portion and acts on a side surface or flank of the guide rail. The surface area or upper side of the guide rail is then substantially parallel to the plate portion of the clamping element. The resilient angled portion acts the holding force on the guide rail in the transverse direction.
The clamping element preferably comprises two angled portions, which are disposed on opposite sides and reach around the guide rail on opposite flanks or sides. The two angled portions can be offset from each other in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail.
It is also conceivable that multiple clamping elements are provided, which each only have a tab-like angled portion and directly rest against the guide rail or above the plastic moulded portion on opposite flanks.
In a special embodiment of the fixed roof element according to the invention, the clamping element has two angled portions, which are each formed in the manner of a tab and reach around the guide rail on opposite sides or flanks, and only one of the two angled portions is designed as an elastic element, whereas the other angled portion is configured as a rigid and mostly form-fitting element, which establishes a lock in the back in the direction of the main load. This angled portion is preferably the angled portion which rests against the inner side of the guide rail and which faces towards a shading element of the shading system. Forces which act in the vertical direction of the roof can consequently be absorbed in the best possible way. Simultaneously, high holding forces can be made available. By designing the angled portion which is disposed on the outer side to be elastic, installing the guide rail is nonetheless easy.
In order to prevent the angled portions of the clamping elements or of the clamping element from influencing the course of the guide rail on the underside of the panel, the at least one angled portion of the clamping element only has a length of approximately 10 mm to 30 mm in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail.
In order to be able to join the guide rail to the panel over its surface, the clamping unit, in a preferred embodiment of the fixed roof element according to the invention, comprises multiple clamping elements, which are disposed in such a way that they are spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail and which preferably have a distance of approximately 150 mm to 300 mm between each other. Consequently, the clamping elements can determine the course of the guide rail on the underside of the panel.
In a preferred embodiment of the fixed roof element according to the invention, the guide rail is an extruded plastic part, which is produced from piece goods which are initially unbent. Due to the deformability of the plastic material or its flexibility, the course and orientation of the plastic rail in relation to the panel can be determined by the clamping unit, which keeps the guide rail at the panel. Consequently, it is, for example, also possible that the clamping unit defines a substantially parallel orientation of the surface of the guide rail or also a horizontal orientation of the guide rail on the underside of the panel, which in turn makes packaging the guide rail on the vehicle roof in an installation space-saving way possible. This is not possible with the extruded profiles made of aluminium which have been used hitherto since they are very stiff. In particular, the extruded plastic part can also be bent in two directions, thus following a two-dimensional curvature of the panel.
In order to improve the sliding properties of the guide rail of the fixed roof element according to the invention, the guide rail can be a two-component extruded plastic part. The two components can be joined together in a coextrusion process, wherein one component, which is selected as the optimum with respect to the sliding properties with respect to the friction partner, which is guided in the guide channels, forms the surfaces of guide channels of the guide rail.
In order to further reduce the installation height of the shading system on the underside of the panel, the guide rail of the fixed roof element according to the invention can for example have a nearly trapezoidal cross-section. A base of the cross-section is preferably parallel to the plate portion of the clamping unit, said plate portion being received by the plastic moulded portion parallel to the panel or also under a defined angle with respect to the panel.
In order to prevent the guide rail from making rattling noises during operation of the relevant vehicle, it may be advantageous if the plastic moulded portion at least widely extends over the length of the guide rail and if the guide rail continuously rests against the plastic moulded portion in the longitudinal direction.
In order to prevent the guide rail from getting out of place with respect to the panel in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail, a fixing unit can be provided, which keeps the guide rail in position with respect to the panel in the longitudinal direction. The fixing unit can for example be realised by thorns or the like, which are either formed at the clamping unit or also at the plastic moulded portion and grip into the plastic of the guide rail. The fixing unit, which defines a fixed bearing point of the guide rail, allows for an otherwise floating bearing or a fixed-loose bearing of the guide rail so that it is possible to compensate for the different thermal expansion behaviour of the panel, which can in particular be formed by a glass component, and of the plastic of the guide rail. Consequently, axial twisting of the guide rail can be avoided, which could lead to an undesired deformation or an undesired curvature of the panel. In order to realise the fixed bearing point or the fixing unit, it is also possible to form an anchor point at the plastic moulded portion, said anchor point corresponding with a milled groove, borehole or the like of the guide rail.
The plastic moulded portion of the fixed roof element according to the invention, which forms the clamping unit at the panel, is preferably produced from a polyurethane foam material and moulded to the panel in a foam moulding or injection-moulding process.
In a preferred embodiment, the panel itself is a glass panel from a toughened safety glass or a laminated safety glass. As an alternative, the panel can also be produced from a plastic material such as a polycarbonate material.
In another special embodiment of the fixed roof element according to the invention, the clamping unit comprises a plastic element, on which clamping ribs are formed, on which the guide rail is locked. The plastic element is in particular an injection-moulding component, on the underside of which the clamping ribs are disposed, said clamping ribs laterally resting against corresponding flanks or ribs of the relevant guide rail.
The plastic element forms an insert part of the plastic moulded portion, which can be formed from a plastic foam material so that the plastic element, which is formed in the manner of a clip, is foam moulded to the panel.
The plastic element can comprise a base plate, which is substantially parallel or plane-parallel with respect to the panel. The base plate can be closed or also be formed like a frame. When joining or foam moulding the plastic element to the panel, a simple circumferential seal is possible in the relevant moulding tool so that the moulding material, which can be formed from polyurethane, can be prevented from leaking.
In the moulding tool for joining the plastic element to the panel, no slides have to be used since the main demoulding can substantially take place parallel to the opening direction of the tool.
In a special embodiment, the plastic element includes anchor ribs on its upper side, said anchor ribs being embedded into the plastic moulded portion. The anchor ribs also make it possible to exert uniform pressure upon the panel when joining the plastic element to the panel in the relevant moulding tool.
In order to realise a clearly defined position of the guide rail at the plastic element, a supporting rib, in an advantageous embodiment, is formed on an underside of the base plate, an upper-side counter-rib of the guide rail resting against said supporting rib, in particular laterally.
It is conceivable that the plastic element is substantially rigid in shape. In particular in this case, it is advantageous if the guide rail comprises an elastic locking rib, which interacts with the clamping unit or the plastic element. The elastic locking rib can be formed by a free leg of a lateral portion of the guide rail, which is in particular produced from plastic, said lateral portion substantially being U-shaped.
The invention also relates to a fixed roof element for a vehicle roof, said fixed roof element comprising a panel to the underside of which at least one element of a shading system is joined via a plastic moulded portion. Said plastic moulded portion receives a support component, at which the element of the shading system is locked and which is an insert part of the plastic moulded portion.
In this fixed roof element, a base for an element of a shading system is thus provided in an integrated manner so that installing the relevant shading system element is possible by simply locking it with the support component. A laborious installation of a support for the relevant element of the shading system is not required since the panel with the plastic moulded portion moulded thereto and with the support component is already designed for directly installing the element. A screwing or riveting process is not required for this. Since the position is unambiguously and precisely determined by the moulding tool in which the plastic moulded portion is moulded, the element, which is locked with the support component, can be fastened to the panel in a precise and repeatable way. Due to the support component which is already integrated at the panel and at which the relevant element of the shading system can be locked, no further frame components, screws and screw bosses have to be provided which would make it possible to install the relevant element of the shading system. The available installation space can consequently be used in an optimum way. Due to the fact that it is not necessary to provide a frame for the shading system, which would have to be installed on the inside of the panel, the panel can also be designed with a larger see-through area than usual in the state of the art. The fact that there is no frame and other fastening elements also leads to the system having a lower weight than known systems.
To be able to install the relevant element of the shading system at the support component without it producing any rattling noises, the support component preferably has a functional surface against which the element of the shading system rests. The functional surface forms a supporting surface against which at least portions of the element of the shading system rest in the locked state in a form-fitting way.
The support component preferably has a locking geometry, which corresponds to a locking counter-geometry, which is formed at the element of the shading system and into which said locking geometry reaches from below.
In order to guarantee that the support component is joined to the plastic moulded portion in a permanent and shake-free way, it can be advantageous that the support component has an anchor geometry around which the plastic moulded portion or the material of the plastic moulded portion reaches. For example, the anchor geometry is formed from ribs which have undercuts, from conically flaring pins or the like.
In a special embodiment of the fixed roof element according to the invention, the element of the shading system which is locked at the support component is a bearing unit for bearing a winding shaft, an element for centring fabric or an electronic component for controlling a drive of the shading system.
Further advantages and advantageous configurations of the subject matter of the invention are apparent from the description, from the drawing and from the claims.
Exemplary embodiments of fixed roof elements according to the invention are illustrated in the drawing in a schematically simplified way and will be described in the more detail in the following description.
In the drawing, a vehicle roof 10 is illustrated, which is realised as a fixed roof provided with a roof cutout 12, in which a fixed roof element 14 is disposed. The fixed roof element 14 is fastened in the roof cutout 12 in an immobile way with respect to a vehicle bodywork and comprises a body shell element 16, which is produced from laminated safety glass and forms an outer visible surface of the vehicle roof 10.
The fixed roof element 14 includes a substantially rectangular see-through area 18, which can be shaded by means of a shading system 20 which comprises a roof roller blind 22 as a shading element. The roof roller blind 22 is guided in a guide rail 24 on either side of a vertical longitudinal centre plane of the roof, said guide rail extending in the longitudinal direction of the roof, and can be displaced, by means of a tension bow 26, which is guided in the guide rails 24 with its ends via one slider each, between a cleared position, in which the see-through area 18 is completely cleared, and a shading position, in which the see-through area 18 is covered at least in part by the roof roller blind 22.
The shading system 20 includes a drive arrangement 28, which comprises two drive cables 30A and 30B driven by a common drive motor 32, which is joined to the underside of the body shell element 16 in the front of the see-through area 18. Each of the drive cables 30A and 30B is connected to one of the sliders of the tension bow 26, which are disposed on both sides and which are guided in the guide rails 24.
The drive motor 32 is connected to a control unit 34, which is also fastened to the underside of the body shell element 16.
The roller blind web of the roof roller blind 22 is fastened to a winding shaft 36 with its edge facing away from the tension bow 26, being wound up onto said winding shaft when clearing the see-through area 18 and being wound down from said winding shaft for shading the see-through area 18. The winding shaft 36, which is provided with a winding spring acting in the winding-up direction, is borne at a bearing unit 38 with each of its two ends, said bearing unit being fastened to the underside of the body shell element 16 at the end of the respective guide rail 24 facing away from the drive motor 32. The bearing unit 38 serves to bear the winding shaft 36 on the one hand and to centre the fabric of the roller blind web of the roof roller blind 22 on the other hand so that said roller blind web enters the relevant guide rail 24 neatly.
A plastic moulded portion 40 is formed on the underside of the body shell element 16, said plastic moulded portion 40 being produced from a polyurethane foam material. The plastic moulded portion 40 is formed to the body shell element 16 in a foam moulding tool in a foam moulding process or RIM process (Reaction Injection Moulding Process).
As
As
The guide rails 24 are each formed as a plastic extruded part whose course and orientation in relation to the body shell element 16 is predetermined by the clamping elements 42.
As in particular
The plastic moulded portion 40 extends over the entire length of the respective guide rail 24 so that the guide rails 24 continuously rest against the plastic moulded portion 40 in the longitudinal direction. In order to prevent the guide rails 24 from getting out of place in the longitudinal direction inadvertently, the guide rails 24 are each fixed in a front end area by means of a screw 52. The screw 52 also constitutes a fixing unit.
In the embodiment illustrated in
As
As
As the above description shows, it is possible due to the reception of the support components 58 and 68 and the reception of the clamping elements 42 or 42′ in the one-piece or multi-part plastic moulded portion 40 to equip the fixed roof element 14 or the body shell element 16 with the components of the shading system 20 simply and manually, namely by locking at the insert parts which are received by the plastic moulded portion 40. An additional frame for the shading system 20 is not required.
Corresponding to the embodiment described above, the fixed roof element 14′ also includes a substantially rectangular see-through area, which can be shaded by means of a shading system which comprises a roof roller blind as a shading element. The roof roller blind is guided in a guide rail 24 on either side of a vertical longitudinal centre plane of the roof, said guide rail 24 extending in the longitudinal direction of the roof, and can be displaced, by means of a tension bow, which is guided in the guide rails 24 with its ends via one slider each, between a cleared position, in which the see-through area is completely cleared, and a shading position, in which the see-through area is covered at least in part by the roof roller blind.
In a manner not illustrated, the shading system of the fixed roof element 14′ illustrated in
Again corresponding to the exemplary embodiment described above, the roller blind web of the roof roller blind is fastened to a winding shaft with its edge facing away from the tension bow, being wound up onto said winding shaft when clearing the see-through area and being wound down from said winding shaft for shading the see-through area.
A plastic moulded portion 40 is formed to the underside of the roof shell element 16, said plastic moulded portion 40 being produced from a polyurethane foam material. The plastic moulded portion 40 is formed to the roof shell element 16 in a foam moulding tool in a foam moulding process or RIM process (Reaction Injection Moulding Process).
Over the surface of each of the guide rails, the plastic moulded portion 40 receives multiple plastic elements 80 which are a component of a clamping unit and each form an insert part of the plastic moulded portion 40.
The plastic elements 80 each comprise a base plate 82, which can be realised like a frame or in a closed way and substantially has a plane-parallel orientation with respect to the roof shell element 16 constituting a panel. Two anchor ribs 84 are formed on the upper side of the base plate 82, said anchor ribs 84 extending in the longitudinal direction of the respective guide rail 24 and each being inclined with respect to the plane of the base plate 82 and the plastic moulded portion 40 reaching around said anchor ribs 84, the visible surface of said plastic moulded portion 40 being disposed in a flush way with the visible surface of the base plate 82. Two clamping ribs 86 are formed on the underside of the base plate 82, said clamping ribs 86 extending in the longitudinal direction of the respective guide rail 24 and also being inclined with respect to the base plate 82 and being tapered towards each other, as in particular shown by
The clamping ribs 86 are provided with stiffening ribs 88 on each of their outsides.
The clamping rib 86 which is disposed on the inside with respect to the vertical longitudinal centre plane of the vehicle roof engages with a holding channel 90 which is formed on the upper side of the guide rail 24. The clamping rib 86 which is disposed on the outside with respect to the vertical longitudinal centre plane of the vehicle roof interacts with an outer locking rib 92 of the guide rail 24, said locking rib 92 being formed by a free leg of an outer U-shaped portion of the guide rail 24 and including, at its upper end area, a projection 94, which is lug-like in cross-section and points towards the outside.
Furthermore, the plastic element 80 comprises a supporting rib 96 on the underside of the base plate 82, said supporting rib 96 extending in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 24 and an upper counter-rib 98 of the guide rail 24 laterally resting against said supporting rib 96.
The plastic elements 80, which are assigned to the two guide rails 24 are common parts, which are each realised in a mirror-symmetrical way with respect to a centre plane, which intersects the supporting rib 96.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2021 114 030.7 | May 2021 | DE | national |
This application is a U.S. national phase application filed under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Application No. PCT/EP2022/064608, filed on May 30, 2022, published under WO 2022/253754A1 on Dec. 8, 2022, designating the United States, which claims priority from German Patent Application Number 10 2021 114 030.7, filed on May 31, 2021, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2022/064608 | 5/30/2022 | WO |