Open roof construction for a vehicle, as well as a vehicle having such open roof construction

Abstract

The invention relates to an open roof construction for a vehicle, as well as to a vehicle fitted with such an open roof construction, in particular a folding roof. More in particular, the invention relates to special features which make it possible to swing down the folding roof ( 1 ) into the boot ( 5 ) of the vehicle together with a rear window structure ( 2 ) so as to provide a convertible-like vehicle.

1 . A vehicle comprising a movable closing part as well as a part of the vehicle that co-operates therewith, which closing part and which co-operating part can be disconnected from each other and be connected to each other again, said parts including a locking element and a mating counter element, wherein said locking element includes a self-locating fitting means, which can mate with a counter element, wherein the counter element is present on a swing-down rear window frame and the locking element is present on detachable roof part, in particular side beams of the roof. 
   
   
       2 . The vehicle according to  claim 1 , being fitted with an open roof construction which is mounted on the co-operating part of the vehicle and which includes a closure element and at least one guide rail provided with a groove, in which at least one sliding shoe or slide of the closure element is guided, which guide rail is built up of a number of rail parts joining each other in the longitudinal direction, wherein at least one rail member is present on the closing part of the vehicle and at least one of the other rail members is present on the co-operating part, whereas grooves in the guide rail members diverge slightly at the ends facing towards each other in the interconnected condition. 
   
   
       3 . A folding roof for a vehicle having a roof opening, comprising stationary guide rails on either side of the roof opening, a flexible liner, a drivable operating beam on the opening side of said liner, which operating beam is guided in said guide rails for selectively opening and closing the roof opening, a number of folding elements, which support said liner and which define a folding movement thereof upon opening of the folding roof, which folding elements are mounted on slides which are guided in said guide rails, wherein said slides are provided with locking elements and in that the guide rails are provided with counter elements at such locations that the locking elements can come into engagement with the counter elements in an extreme closed position of the slides in question, whereas the slides include unlocking elements for unlocking the locking elements of the next slide, seen in the opening direction, when the folding roof is being opened. 
   
   
       4 . The folding roof according to  claim 3 , wherein the locking elements consist of a movable locking member provided with a projection, whereas the counter element is a recess in the guide rail, in which the projection can engage. 
   
   
       5 . The folding roof according to  claim 4 , wherein the locking element is an element which projects in the direction of the next slide, seen in the opening direction, which is capable of moving the movable locking member of the locking element for the purpose of moving the projection out of the recess. 
   
   
       6 . The folding roof according to  claim 5 , wherein the projecting part of the unlocking element is provided with a pin which can come into engagement with a slot formed on the moving locking member of the locking element, which extends in a direction that deviates from the direction of movement of the pin. 
   
   
       7 . The folding roof according to  claim 6 , wherein the locking element, in the position in which it has been moved out of the counter element, mates with the guide rail to block the pin in the slot so as interlock the adjacent slides into one unit. 
   
   
       8 . A folding roof for a vehicle having a roof opening in its fixed roof, comprising stationary guide rails on either side of the roof opening, a flexible liner, a drivable operating beam on the opening side of said liner, which operating beam is guided in said guide rails for selectively opening and closing the roof opening, a number of folding elements, which support said liner and which define a folding movement thereof upon opening of the folding roof, which folding elements are mounted on slides which are guided in said guide rails, as well as a as well as a cover plate on the side of the liner remote from the opening side, which provides a seal against the fixed roof, wherein the slides and the cover plate of the open roof construction are interlocked to form one unit in an entirely open position, after which they can be moved further as a unit, wherein said cover plate is mounted on slides capable of sliding movement in said guide rails, which each comprise a height adjusting mechanism to be actuated by an adjacent rear slide for moving the cover plate upwards before further movement the aforesaid unit is possible. 
   
   
       9 . The folding roof according to  claim 8 , wherein the height adjusting mechanism includes pin-slot mechanisms, and wherein each slide preferably includes two pins which engage in two slots of the cover plate. 
   
   
       10 . The folding roof according to  claim 8 , wherein each slide of the cover plate includes a coupling element for coupling the adjacent slide to the cover plate in the entirely open position of the folding roof. 
   
   
       11 . A vehicle comprising a swing-down rear closing part, which closing part includes a frame with a rear window, wherein the frame is supported by arms, which are pivotally connected to the vehicle, in such a manner that the closing part is movable between a closed position at the location of the rear window and a swung-down position in the vehicle, wherein the arms each include two arm members, which are movable relative to each other, and first and second locking means, wherein the first locking means lock the arm members in a position which corresponds with the closed position of the frame, whereas the second locking means lock the arm members in an intermediate position of the arm members and the frame which is different from the closed position, in which position the arms and the frame can be jointly pivoted to the swung-down position. 
   
   
       12 . The vehicle according to  claim 11 , wherein the frame has an upper edge which includes tapered hinges, which on the one hand lock the frame in the closed position, only allowing pivoting movement during the movement of the arm members from the closed position to the intermediate position, whereas on the other hand the hinges become disengaged when the arm members, and thus the frame, are at least substantially in the aforesaid intermediate position. 
   
   
       13 . The vehicle according to  claim 11 , wherein the first arm member is pivotally connected to the vehicle, whereas the second arm member is fixedly connected to the frame. 
   
   
       14 . The vehicle according to  claim 13 , wherein the two arm members are interconnected by means of two pin-slot joints, the slots being formed in such a manner that they impose a defined relative sliding and pivoting movement on the arm members upon movement of the arm members between the closed position and the intermediate position. 
   
   
       15 . The vehicle according to  claim 11 , wherein the first locking means include a first locking pin formed on one of the arm member and a latch formed on the other arm member, in which said first locking pin can be retained. 
   
   
       16 . The vehicle according to  claim 11 , wherein the second locking means are arranged for automatically locking the arm members with respect to each other upon reaching the intermediate position from the closed position. 
   
   
       17 . The vehicle according to  claim 16 , wherein the second locking means include a locking plate which is pivotally connected to one of the arm members and which is spring-loaded in the direction of the locked position, in which locking plate a locking slot comprising a locking portion is present, as well as a second locking pin formed on the other arm member, which is positioned in the locking portion of the locking slot in the aforesaid intermediate position. 
   
   
       18 . The vehicle according to  claim 11 , wherein one of said arm members, in particular the first arm member, is supported by a gas spring, in such a manner that part of the weight of the rear window structure is taken up.