A sliding roof construction for a vehicle

Claim 2

A sliding roof for a vehicle, comprising a sliding panel movable between a closed position and an open position, said sliding panel including an inner frame adapted to be supported in guides carried by said vehicle, an operating mechanism mounted on said inner frame for moving the sliding panel between open and closed positions, an upper panel having front and rear edges and connected to said inner frame only along the front edges of the upper panel and of the inner frame spring means carried by said inner frame and acting upon said upper panel adjacent the rear edge thereof to exert a downward force on said upper panel, and cam means connected to the vehicle and in operative contact with said upper panel during the final period of the closing movemEnt of the sliding panel to swing the upper panel upwards about its front connection with the inner frame, said cam means being operative to permit lowering of said rear edge of the upper panel when said sliding panel is moved rearwardly from the closed position, whereafter said upper panel swings down about its front connection with the inner frame, until the rear side of the upper panel comes to rest under the pressure of said spring means upon said inner frame.

Claim 3

A sliding roof according to claim 1 comprising a first plate member extending downwardly along the front edge of said upper panel, and a second plate member extending upwardly along the front of said inner frame and connected to said first plate member.

Claim 4

A sliding roof according to claim 1, wherein said spring means comprises two torsion springs mounted on said inner frame, each said torsion spring having a laterally situated free end for operatively engaging the corresponding side of said upper panel.

Claim 5

A sliding roof according to claim 1, wherein the lower frame is supported on both sides in rectilinear and substantially horizontal guides, said cam means comprising first cams, the upper panel carrying said first cams on both sides thereof at said rear edge of the upper panel, each said first cam having a lower supporting surface which extends into an upwardly and forwardly inclined guide face, a pair of further cams rigidly connected with the vehicle and having a substantially horizontal bearing surface extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and an inclined guide face extending from said bearing surface in a downwardly and rearwardly inclined direction, each of the first said cams resting, in the closed position of the sliding panel, under pressure of said spring means on said bearing surfaces of the further cams such that, when said sliding panel is moved from the closed position, the supporting surfaces of said first cams disengage the bearing surfaces of the further cams, and said first cams slide downwardly by their inclined guide faces riding along the inclined guide faces of the further cams, whereby said upper panel swings down about its front connection with the inner frame, until the rear edge of the upper panel comes to rest under the pressure of said spring means upon said inner frame, while, conversely, during the final period of the closing motion of the sliding panel, the inclined guide faces of said first cams ride upwardly along the inclined guide faces of the further cams, during which operation the upper panel, moving against the pressure of the spring means swings back to its closed position, and, in said closed position, the supporting surfaces of said first cams again rest upon the bearing surfaces of the further cams.

Claim 6

A sliding roof for a vehicle comprising a sliding panel having front and rear sides, means for locking the sliding panel to a fixed roof portion of said vehicle, said means comprising two aligned locking members adapted to be moved in the transverse direction of the vehicle, a handle mounted on the front side of the sliding panel for effecting movement of said locking members, a control member operatively coupled to said handle and to said locking members and extending longitudinally with respect to the vehicle to effect movement of the locking members upon operation of said handle while concurrently the handle moves said sliding panel, said control member including a rear operating plate provided with cam-shaped driving faces and cam rollers fitted on said locking members and cooperatively engaged with said cam-shaped driving faces.

Claim 7

A sliding roof for a vehicle comprising a sliding panel having front and rear sides, means for locking the sliding panel to a fixed roof portion of said vehicle, said means comprising two aligned locking members adapted to be moved in the transverse direction of the vehicle, a handle mounted on the front side of the sliding panel for effecting movement of said locking members, a control member operatively coupled to said handle and to said locking members and extending longitudinally with respect to the vehicle to effect movement of the locking members upon operation of said handle while concurrently the handle moves said sliding panel, said control member including a rear operating plate provided with cam-shaped driving faces and cam rollers fitted on said locking members and cooperatively engaged with said cam-shaped driving faces.

Claim 8

A sliding roof according to claim 5, wherein said operating plate includes an opening into which said two cam rollers extend, the lateral edges of this opening being dimensioned to form said cam-shaped driving faces for said cam rollers.

Claim 9

A sliding roof according to claim 6, wherein the cam-shaped driving face for each of said cam rollers comprises a rearwardly and outwardly inclined portion and, contiguous Therewith, a rearwardly and inwardly inclined portion, and a juncture for said portions, said locking members occupying the locked position, when the cam rollers are in contact with said juncture, and when said cam rollers engage one of said inclined portions said locking members are displaced towards their unlocked position.

Claim 10

A sliding roof according to claim 5, comprising spring means biassing said locking members towards a locked position.

Claim 11

A sliding roof according to claim 5, wherein each locking member has a free end and includes thereat at least one tooth, and a rack fastened to and extending longitudinally with respect to the vehicle for meshing with said tooth in the locked position.

Claim 12

A sliding roof according to claim 9, including a locking strip at the free end of each of said locking members, said locking strip being provided with said tooth, a runner supported by said sliding roof and receiving said strip, and a fixed U-shaped guide rail extending longitudinally with respect to the vehicle and slidably receiving said runner, said rack being on said guide rail.

Claim 13

A sliding roof according to claim 10, including leaf springs supported adjacent said locking strips, each leaf spring including a cam adapted to engage a recess provided in said locking strip in the unlocked position of said locking member.

Claim 14

A sliding roof according to claim 10, wherein said locking strips are made of a plastic material.

Claim 15

A sliding roof according to claim 10, wherein each rack and the associated guide rail are integrally moulded of a plastic material.