Open roof construction for a vehicle

Abstract

An open roof construction for a vehicle comprising a roof opening that can be closed by a panel of which at least the rear edge can be pivoted upward and downward. A three-dimensional body is provided on the underside of said panel to influence the air flow, near the rear edge of the panel. The three-dimensional body generates swirls in the air flow over the panel.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. An open roof construction for a vehicle comprising: a movable panel for opening and closing the roof opening, the panel having a front edge and a rear edge, wherein at least the rear edge of the panel can be pivoted upward and downward; and at least one three-dimensional body provided on an underside of the panel spaced-apart from the rear edge and disposed between the front edge and the rear edge, wherein the three dimensional body is adapted to generate swirls in air flow. 
     
     
       2. The open roof construction according to  claim 1 , wherein the height of the three-dimensional body, measured in a direction perpendicularly to the panel, is approximately three times the thickness of the panel. 
     
     
       3. The open roof construction according to  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional body includes at least one windward surface and at least one leeward surface. 
     
     
       4. The open roof construction according to  claim 3 , wherein the three-dimensional body includes sharp transition edges between said at least one windward surface and said at least one leeward surface on its rear side, wherein the transition edges are oriented at an angle with the direction of flow. 
     
     
       5. The open roof construction according to  claim 3 , wherein the three-dimensional body includes at least one windward surface and at least one leeward surface that gradually blend into one another. 
     
     
       6. The open roof construction according to  claim 1  and further comprising a plurality of three-dimensional bodies arranged proximate each other. 
     
     
       7. The open roof construction according to  claim 6 , wherein the three-dimensional bodies are arranged adjacent to each other. 
     
     
       8. The open roof construction according to  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional body comprises a block having at least one of a zigzag rear edge and a zigzag front edge, wherein the block extends across the panel in a direction parallel to the rear edge. 
     
     
       9. The open roof construction according to  claim 1  wherein the three-dimensional body comprises a tetrahedron, having one surface, coinciding with the underside of the panel, with one corner point of said surface pointing in the direction of flow. 
     
     
       10. The open roof construction according to  claim 1 , wherein the panel includes a panel encapsulation, the three-dimensional body being integral with the panel encapsulation. 
     
     
       11. An open roof construction for a vehicle having a roof opening comprising: a moveable panel for opening and closing the roof opening, the panel having a front edge and a rear edge, wherein at least the rear edge of the panel can be pivoted upward and downward; and three-dimensional means located on an underside of the panel spaced-apart from the rear edge and disposed between the front edge and the rear edge for generating swirls in air flow. 
     
     
       12. The open roof construction of  claim 1  wherein the three-dimensional body comprises a tetrahedron, having one surface, coinciding with the underside of the panel, with one corner point of said surface pointing in a direction opposite of flow. 
     
     
       13. An open roof construction for a vehicle having a roof opening comprising: a moveable panel for opening and closing the roof opening, the panel having a front edge and a rear edge, wherein at least the rear edge of the panel can be pivoted upward and downward; the panel comprising at least one three-dimensional body on an underside of the panel spaced-apart from the rear edge and disposed between the front edge and the rear edge of the panel and adapted to generate swirls in air flow, the at least one three-dimensional body forming a raised structure on the underside of the panel including a windward portion, a leeward portion and a transition portion between the windward and leeward portions in a direction of the air flow and each of the windward, leeward and transition portions having a curved cross-sectional profile wherein the curved cross-sectional profile of the transition portion is larger than the curved cross sectional profiles of the windward and leeward portions.  
     
     
       14. The open roof construction of claim 13 wherein the height of the raised structure increases along the windward portion to a transition portion and the width of the raised structure decreases from the transition portion along the leeward portion in the direction of the air flow.  
     
     
       15. The open roof construction of claim 13 wherein a transition between the windward and leeward portions is edgeless.  
     
     
       16. The open roof construction of claim 13 wherein the at least one three-dimensional body joins the underside of the panel and a line defining an intersection between the body and the panel does not comprise sharp angles at a location where the windward and leeward surface meet in the direction of air flow.  
     
     
       17. The open roof construction of claim 13 wherein the windward portion and the leeward portion of the at least one three-dimensional body are generally mirror images.  
     
     
       18. The open roof construction of claim 13 wherein the at least one three-dimensional body includes a base portion where the at least one three-dimensional body joins the underside of the panel and the base portion has a larger cross-sectional profile as taken from a plane parallel to the movable panel as compared to a cross-sectional profile of a raised portion of the at least one three-dimensional body spaced from the base portion of the panel.