Vehicle with a vehicle roof that can be opened

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle, especially a limousine or a coupe, with a motor vehicle roof (4) with body-mounted lengthwise roof beams (5), with a roof opening (8) in the motor vehicle roof (4), with a movable cover (9) for selectively closing or at least partially clearing the roof opening (8), and with a rear window (11) which adjoins the motor vehicle roof (4), and a trunk lid (2), and the cover (9) and rear window (11) can be moved by guide means into the open position in which they are located on top of one another on the trunk lid (2).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a motor vehicle with the features of the preamble of claim 1 and a motor vehicle with the features of the preamble of claim 23.

[0002] When driving in an open passenger car, such as for example a convertible, in an accident with overturning of the vehicle there is a high risk of injury to the passengers. Therefore, in convertibles there are fixed or retractable roll bars for passenger protection when the roof is opened. Limousines and coupes offer high safety in a rollover, but when an openable roof, for example a sliding roof, is installed, only a limited roof opening is possible which ordinarily cannot impart the feeling of driving as when driving an open convertible.

[0003] EP 0 591 644 B1 describes a motor vehicle with a roof which has a roof opening which can be selectively closed or at least partially opened by means of the louvers of a louvered roof. To open the roof opening the louvers which are movably supported on bilateral roof-mounted guides are moved to the rear to under the fixed roof part which adjoins the roof opening to the rear. In the lowered position the louvers can be stacked into a package of relatively low height or they are located at a mutual vertical distance like blinds in front of the rear window.

[0004] FR 2 718 485 discloses a sliding head liner for a closed, transparent motor vehicle roof. The sliding head liner contains individual louvers which are movably supported on bilateral lengthwise roof beams. When the sliding head liner is opened, the individual louvers are pushed to the rear to under the transparent motor vehicle roof into a storage position in which they are located on top of one another as a package.

[0005] DE 196 34 507 C1 discloses a motor vehicle roof which can be lowered into the rear of a passenger car. A movable roof arrangement which is provided selectively for closing or clearing a roof opening is made especially as a louvered roof which when opened can be folded up in the form of a package on the roof frame and can be lowered with the motor vehicle roof in the rear of the vehicle.

[0006] The object of the invention is to devise the initially named motor vehicle with a roof which can be opened over a large area and which still has a high stiffness as passenger protection in a vehicle rollover. Furthermore, the components which have been removed from the roof opening will be stored in a space-saving manner.

[0007] The object is achieved in the initially mentioned motor vehicle as claimed in the invention in that the cover and rear window can be moved by guide means into the open position in which they are located on top of one another on the trunk lid.

[0008] In this way a roof opening can be formed which extends as in a convertible from the front window as far as the trunk lid over the entire passenger compartment, but compared to a convertible the lengthwise roof beams remaining in their body-mounted arrangement and thus making available improved passenger protection if the motor vehicle rolls over and comes to rest on the roof The lengthwise roof beams are attached via the rear roof columns, for example, the C columns, to the body. Deposition of the trunk lid does not require any space in the vehicle interior or in the trunk.

[0009] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are given in the dependent claims.

[0010] The object is also achieved in the initially mentioned motor vehicle as claimed in the invention in that the roof opening extends essentially over the entire vehicle interior and can be closed by means of a cover arrangement which has at least two cover elements and that the cover elements are guided on lateral guides and when the roof opening is cleared are moved along the lengthwise roof beams into a rear storage space and deposited therein in the packed position and especially in the essentially upright position. In this motor vehicle a roof opening can also be formed which, like in a convertible, extends from the front window to the trunk lid over the entire passenger compartment, but compared to the convertible the lengthwise roof beams remaining in their body-mounted arrangement and thus making available improved passenger protection if the vehicle rolls over and comes to rest on the roof.

[0011] Advantageous embodiments of the invention are given in the dependent claims.

[0012] The rear storage space for the roof dividing elements is preferably in the lowered position so that it is not raised or is not significantly raised over the equator line of the motor vehicle which is formed by the lower edge of the side windows and the trunk lid. Thus, visibility from the vehicle interior to the rear is not obstructed. The storage space is thus behind the rear seats roughly underneath the top edge of the rear seats in a four-seat or five-seat limousine or in one such coupe.

[0013] Embodiments of the respective motor vehicle are detailed below with reference to the drawings.

[0014] FIG. 1 shows in a perspective rear view one embodiment of a motor vehicle with a movable cover and a movable rear window in the closed position;

[0015] FIG. 2 shows in a perspective rear view as shown in FIG. 1 the motor vehicle with the roof open and the rear window and the cover on top of one another on the trunk lid;

[0016] FIG. 3 shows in views (a) to (e) in a lengthwise section in a schematic representation the motor vehicle in various positions of the cover and the rear window;

[0017] FIG. 4 shows in views (a) to (e) in a lengthwise section in a schematic representation the motor vehicle with another roof execution in various positions of the cover and the rear window;

[0018] FIG. 5 shows in a lengthwise section in a schematic representation the motor vehicle with the cover and the rear window in the closed position;

[0019] FIG. 6 shows in a perspective rear view a second embodiment of a motor vehicle with a roof with four movable cover elements in the closed position;

[0020] FIG. 7 shows in a perspective rear view as shown in FIG. 6 the motor vehicle with a partially opened roof and two cover elements lowered into the storage space;

[0021] FIG. 8 shows in a perspective rear view as shown in FIG. 7 the motor vehicle with the roof opened and the four cover elements lowered in the storage space;

[0022] FIG. 9 shows in a lengthwise section in a schematic representation the motor vehicle with the four closed cover elements;

[0023] FIG. 10 shows in a lengthwise section in a schematic representation the motor vehicle with the roof opened and the four lowered cover elements; and

[0024] FIG. 11 shows in a lengthwise section in a schematic representation the motor vehicle with the roof closed and the storage space.

[0025] A motor vehicle (see FIGS. 1 to 3), which in the embodiment is a passenger car like a coupe with a trunk 3 which can be closed by a trunk lid 2, has a roof 4 with side lengthwise roof beams 5 which adjoin the A columns 6 forward and pass to the rear into the C columns 7. Between the lengthwise roof beams 5 extends the roof opening 8 which is selectively closed (see FIG. 1) or at least partially cleared (FIG. 2) by a movably supported cover 9, especially a glass cover. The roof opening 8 extends to the rear between the lengthwise roof beams 5 and the C columns 7 as far as the trunk 3 or the trunk lid 2 and in this area of a rear window opening 10 which is selectively closed (see FIG. 1) or at least partially cleared (FIG. 2) by a movable rear window 11.

[0026] The cover 9 is movably supported via a guide means on the lengthwise roof rails 5 and, when opened, travels with its raised rear edge 12 over the rear window 11, the lateral rear sliding element of the cover 9 being guided either on a guide rail 13 on the lengthwise roof beam 5 and on the C column 7 or on the guide rail 14 on the rear window 11. The cover 9 can be positioned in the intermediate open positions in which it partially clears the roof opening 8, or it is moved completely over the rear window 11.

[0027] To further open the roof opening 8 the rear window 11 which is movably supported laterally via one front sliding element at a time on the guide rial 13 on the lengthwise roof beam 5 and the C column 7 and via a rear sliding element 15 (see FIG. 5) on a crank guide 16, together with the cover 9 is pushed by a drive means to the rear onto the trunk lid 2. Here, initially the rear sliding element 15 slides on an ascending section of the crank guide 16 so that the rear edge 17 of the rear window 11 and thus also the rear window 11 is lifted out of the window seal. Then the rear sliding element 15 or another guide means of the rear window 11 engages the guide means on the trunk lid 2. The guide means is for example a guide rail (not shown) which runs in the lengthwise direction, which is located in the surface of the trunk lid 2 or lowered under it, and in which the guide means or the rear sliding element 15 is movably held. The sliding element 15 has a bearing foot dimensioned such that the rear window 11 is kept spaced away from the surface of the trunk lid 2.

[0028] In one preferred embodiment the guide rail 18 is located on a carrier means 19 which is movably located in the trunk lid 2. In the closed position (see FIG. 1) the carrier means 19 is lowered so that the guide rail 18 is located in the surface of the trunk lid 2 or is lowered under it and is covered especially by a cover. The carrier means 19 is extended for example by a drive by means of an electric motor 20 (see FIG. 5) in order to accommodate to hold the rear window 11 and support it in the open position (see FIG. 2).

[0029] The carrier means 19 can alternatively also be located fixed in its position above the surface of the trunk lid 2.

[0030] The rear window 11 with the cover 9 resting on it is supported in the open position both with the rear and also the front sliding element completely on the guide rail 18 in the position such that the trunk lid 2 can be opened in the conventional manner by swivelling up, depending on the type of drive for example a drive cable leading from the trunk lid 2 to the body.

[0031] In one alternative embodiment the front bearing or sliding element of the rear window 11 remains in the open position of the rear window 11 on the guide rail 13 on the lengthwise roof beam 5 and the C column 7. The front bearing or sliding element contains a hinge which enables swivelling of the rear window 11 relative to the guide rail 13 when the trunk lid 2 is opened. The hinge is located in the open position of the rear window 11 feasibly in the swivelling axis of the trunk lid 2.

[0032] The drive control for the cover 9 and the rear window 11 can be designed such that the rear window 11 can be moved to the rear into the ventilator position or partially open position, while the cover 9 remains in its closed position which closes the roof opening. The rear window 11 can also be moved entirely into its open position onto the trunk lid 2 when the cover 9 is closed.

[0033] To open the roof, in one alternative version the rear window 11 can be swivelled around its rear edge 17 (see FIG. 4) by its front edge 21 being slightly lowered. This position can also be set as the ventilator position. Then the cover 9 is moved along the guide rail 13 to the rear over the rear window 11 which has been lowered in this manner and is moved together with the rear window 11 onto the trunk lid 2.

[0034] Behind the seats 22 which border the trunk 3, in the vehicle shown the rear seats, there is a protection means 23 which with the roof opened and the roof opening clear, if necessary, for example in a rollover of the motor vehicle, can be extended upward into the protective position. The protection means 23 is made for example as a roll bar.

[0035] In the completely opened position of the motor vehicle roof (see FIG. 3), thus a roof opening with a size similar to a convertible is formed, but the lengthwise roof beams 5 and the C columns 7 remaining in their position and forming a rigid structure which in the case of a rollover impart a high level of protection to the passengers.

[0036] A second embodiment of the motor vehicle 101 as claimed in the invention (see FIGS. 6 to 11), which is likewise a passenger car like a coupe with a trunk 103 which can be closed by means of the trunk lid 102, has a motor vehicle roof 104 with lateral lengthwise roof beams 105 which adjoin the A columns 106 forward and pass to the rear into the C columns 107. Between the lengthwise roof beams 105 extends the roof opening 108 which is selectively closed (see FIG. 6) or partially or entirely cleared (FIGS. 7 and 8) by a roof arrangement 109 consisting of for example four movably supported cover elements 110 to 113 which are especially transparent covers or glass covers.

[0037] The first and second cover element 110 and 111 are coupled to one another and on their two narrow sides they are each movably supported on one guide rail 114 which extends along the lengthwise roof beam 105 and the C column down into a storage space 115 for the cover elements. The storage space 115 is located in the area of the trunk 103 which borders the vehicle interior or the seat back 116, for example of the rear seat of a four-seat coupe, and contains a fixed front wall 117 which is adjacent to the seat back and a rear wall 118 which can be moved via a mechanism; the rear wall can be moved out of a minimum position on the front wall 117 in which the cover elements 110 to 113 in their closed position as shown in FIG. 6 close the roof opening, if necessary into the intermediate position or the maximum position into the trunk 103. In the intermediate position the size of the storage space 115 is sufficient to accommodate the front two cover elements 111 and 112. The maximum position of the rear wall 118 with the maximum storage space 115 is set in order to accommodate the two rear cover elements 112 and 113 which are movably supported according to the front cover elements 110 and 111 on another guide rail 119 which likewise extends along the lengthwise roof beam 105 and the C column 107 down into the storage space 115.

[0038] The two guide rails 114 and 119 are spaced apart from one another on the storage space 115 in the lengthwise direction of the motor vehicle so that the front cover elements 110 and 111, which are moved when opened as a coupled unit underneath the rear cover elements 112 and 113 on the guide rail 114 into the storage space 115, are located on the front wall 117. The front cover elements 110 and 111 are thus decoupled along their two bordering edges and are located vertically or slightly tilted in a space-saving parallel arrangement. The two rear cover elements 112 and 113 can be moved independently of the front cover elements 110 and 111 to the rear into the storage space 115, their bordering the extended rear wall 118.

[0039] According to different arrangements of the guide rails 114 and 119 also other deposition positions can be accomplished. The cover elements which are located tilted or vertical in the storage space are housed in a space-saving manner, protected against dirt, and do not obstruct vision to the rear.

[0040] The cover elements are pushed for example via electric drive motors and cable pull connections. The mechanism of the rear wall 118 of the storage space 115 moves by sustained forcing, depending on the movements of the cover elements 110 to 113. With the roof closed thus the entire trunk cargo space remains available.

[0041] In addition to the opening motion described here, the cover elements can hang chain-like on one another and can be movably guided on a path, to open the roof in an overall motion of all the cover elements coupled to one another in the direction to the storage space first the rear cover element being deposited in the storage space, its coupling to the next forward element being cancelled to the required degree. The next forward cover element is then located in another overall displacement motion of all remaining cover elements next to the already deposited cover element in the storage space. The remaining cover elements are accordingly deposited in the storage space in a stacked arrangement. The roof opens successively from front to back. Intermediate position can also be set.

[0042] A raisable wind deflector 120 can be mounted on the front edge of the roof opening, for example on an apron (See FIGS. 9 and 10)

Claims

1. Motor vehicle, especially a limousine or a coupe, with a motor vehicle roof (4) with body-mounted lengthwise roof beams (5), with a roof opening (8) in the motor vehicle roof (4), with a movable cover (9) for selectively closing or at least partially clearing the roof opening (8), and with a rear window (11) which adjoins the motor vehicle roof (4), and a trunk lid (2),

2. Motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rear window (11) is located on the trunk lid (2) and the cover (9) is located on the rear window (11).

3. Motor vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the rear window (11) has lateral guides for movably accommodating the bearing means of the cover (9).

4. Motor vehicle as claimed in one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the rear window (11) and the cover (9) are located in the open position on the trunk lid (2) such that the trunk lid (2) can be folded up.

5. Motor vehicle as claimed in one of claims 1 to 4, wherein each lengthwise roof beam (5) has a front guide rail (13) for movably supporting the cover (9) and a rear guide rail (14) for movably supporting the rear window (11).

6. Motor vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the rear guide rail (14) borders the guide located on the trunk lid (2) for the rear window (11).

7. Motor vehicle as claimed in claim 6, wherein the bilateral guides for the rear window (11) are located concealed on the trunk lid (2).

8. Motor vehicle as claimed in one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the trunk lid (2) contains a carrier means (19) for the rear window (11).

9. Motor vehicle as claimed in claim 8, wherein the carrier means (19) is located stationary on the trunk lid (2) or can be extended out of the lowered position into the operating position.

10. Motor vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the position of the carrier means (19) in its operating position is adjustable relative to the trunk lid (2), especially vertically adjustable.

11. Motor vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the carrier means (19) has guide rails for the rear window.

12. Motor vehicle as claimed in one of claims 1 to 11, wherein in the partial opening position the cover (9) is located on the rear window (11) and wherein for complete opening of the roof the rear window (11) with the cover located thereon moves onto the trunk lid (2).

13. Motor vehicle as claimed in one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the cover (9) is raised at the beginning of its opening motion to over the rear window (11).

14. Motor vehicle as claimed in one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the rear window (11) on its front edge can be lowered by swivelling around its rear edge.

15. Motor vehicle as claimed in one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the cover (9) in its opening motion is moved essentially along the guide rails over the rear window (11) which has been lowered on its front edge.

16. Motor vehicle as claimed in one of claims 1 to 15, wherein one drive means at a time is assigned to the cover (9) and the rear window (11).

17. Motor vehicle as claimed in one of claims 1 to 16, wherein on the rear edge of the rear window (11) there is a drive motor.

18. Motor vehicle as claimed in claim 17, wherein the drive motor of the rear window (11) is covered by the cover which has especially one brake light.

19. Motor vehicle as claimed in one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the cover (9) consists of at least two successive cover parts.

20. Motor vehicle as claimed in one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the rear window (11) has a rear bearing means which is transferred to the guides of the trunk lid (2) when the rear window is opened.

21. Motor vehicle as claimed in one of claims 1 to 20, wherein there is a retractable head protection means for the vehicle passengers, especially on the rear seats.

22. Motor vehicle as claimed in one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the rear window with the cover closed can be opened into a ventilation position and can be moved especially onto the trunk lid.

23. Motor vehicle, especially a limousine or a coupe, with a motor vehicle roof with body-mounted lengthwise roof beams, with a roof opening in the motor vehicle roof, with a movable cover arrangement for selectively closing or at least partially clearing the roof opening and with a trunk which adjoins the vehicle interior,

24. Motor vehicle as claimed in claim 23, wherein the cover elements (110 to 113) are coupled to one another and can be moved in their entirety into the storage space (115) and can be deposited therein.

25. Motor vehicle as claimed in claim 23, wherein the two cover elements or the front and the rear group of cover elements (110 and 111 or 112 and 113) can be moved independently of one another into the storage space (115) and can be deposited therein.

26. Motor vehicle as claimed in claim 25, wherein the lateral guides (114 and 119) of the cover elements have a guide means (114) for the front cover element or cover elements (110, 111) and a guide means (119) for the rear cover element or cover elements (112, 113).

27. Motor vehicle as claimed in one of claims 23 to 26, wherein the storage space (115) is located in the transition area between the vehicle interior and the trunk (103).

28. Motor vehicle as claimed in one of claims 23 to 27, wherein the storage space (115) has a trunk-side, movably located boundary (118) which, when the storage space (115) is not being used, makes it smaller, and to enlarge the storage space (115) can be moved into the trunk (103) for depositing the cover elements (110 to 113).

29. Motor vehicle as claimed in one of claims 23 to 28, wherein the cover arrangement (109) has four cover elements (111 to 113).