Hinged deflectors for sliding roofs

Claim 2

A hinged draught deflector for a vehicle sliding roof of the type comprising a longitudinally slidable panel for closing an opening in a front part of a vehicle roof, said hinged draught deflector comprising a transverse flap for location at the front end of an opening in a vehicle roof, a pair of transversely spaced longitudinally extending arms each having a forward end and a rear end, rigid connections between said forward ends of said arms and said flap, a pair of brackets for connection to roof structure on opposite sides of the opening, a pivotal connection between said rear end of each arm and one of said brackets, springs acting between said arms and said brackets to apply to said arms turning moments to urge said flap upwardly and rearwardly into an operative position, each bracket being provided with an arcuate slot having a forward end, and a transverse pin fixed in each arm slidably guided within said arcuate slot in said bracket to which that arm is connected by said pivotal connection, and an engagement between said forward end of each slot and said transverse pin slidably guided therein defining said operative position of said flap, said deflector being so constructed and arranged that when it is installed in a sliding roof the said arms are adapted to be engaged by the slidable panel as the panel is moved into a position to close the openingwhereby said flap is moved into an inoperative position in opposition to said springsin which said flap lies within the opening and the panel can slide over it.

Claim 3

A hinged draught deflector for a vehicle sliding roof of the type comprising a longitudinally slidable panel for closing an opening in a front part of a vehicle roof, said hinged draught deflector comprising a transverse flap for location at the front end of an opening in a vehicle roof, a pair of transversely spaced generally U-shaped channel section arms having a pair of substantially parallel downwardly extending spaced flanges and a forward end and a rear end, rigid connections between said forwards ends of said arms and said flap, a pair of brackets for connection to roof structure on opposite sides of the opening, each bracket having a pair of upstanding flanges which are straddled by said flanges of one of said arms, a pivotal connection between said rear end of each arm and one of said brackets, each pivotal connection comprising a transverse pivot pin passed through aligned complementary openings in said flanges of said arm and said bracket, a second transverse pin fixed in said flanges of each arm at a position spaced below said pivotal connection, said flanges of said brackets being provided with aligned arcuate slots in which said second transverse pins are received, an anchorage in each bracket forward of said pivotal connection, and helical tension springs acting between said second transverse pins and said anchorages to apply to said arms turning moments to urge said flap upwardly and rearwardly into an operative position, said deflector being so constructed and arranged that it is installed within a sliding roof the said arms are adapted to be engaged by the slidable panel as the panel is moved into a position to close the opening whereby said flap is moved into an inoperative position in opposite to said helical tension springs in which said flap lies within said opening and the panel can slid over it.

Claim 4

A hinged draught deflector for a vehicle sliding roof of the type comprising a longitudinally slidable panel for closing an opening in a front part of a vehicle roof, said hinged draught deflector comprising a transverse flap for location at the front end of an opening in a vehicle roof, a pair of transversely spaced generally U-shaped channel section arms having a pair of substantially parallel downwardly extending spaced flanges and a forward end and a rear end, rigid connections between said forwards ends of said arms and said flap, a pair of brackets for connection to roof structure on opposite sides of the opening, each bracket having a pair of upstanding flanges which are straddled by said flanges of one of said arms, a pivotal connection between said rear end of each arm and one of said brackets, each pivotal connection comprising a transverse pivot pin passed through aligned complementary openings in said flanges of said arm and said bracket, a second transverse pin fixed in said flanges of each arm at a position spaced below said pivotal connection, said flanges of said brackets being provided with aligned arcuate slots in which said second transverse pins are received, an anchorage in each bracket forward of said pivotal connection, and helical tension springs acting between said second transverse pins and said anchorages to apply to said arms turning moments to urge said flap upwardly and rearwardly into an operative position, said deflector being so constructed and arranged that it is installed within a sliding roof the said arms are adapted to be engaged by the slidable panel as the panel is moved into a position to close the opening whereby said flap is moved into an inoperative position in opposite to said helical tension springs in which said flap lies within said opening and the panel can slid over it.