Articulation device between arms of a rod assembly of a folding roof

Abstract

Articulation device between arms of a rod assembly of a folding roof for a passenger vehicle, which roof may be adjusted between a closed position which spans a passenger compartment and an open position in which the roof may be stored in a rear space of the vehicle. The arms held in position by a rivet device which includes a blind rivet and a rivet shaft which extends through the arms.

Claims

1. An articulation device arranged between first and second arms of a vehicle roof, the vehicle roof being configured for moveable adjustment between a closed position which spans a passenger compartment of the vehicle and an open position which exposes the passenger compartment, the articulation device comprising: a rivet device configured to support the first arm and the second arm, the rivet device comprising a rivet sleeve, a securing disc, a blind rivet and a rivet shaft which extends through holes of the first arm and the second arm, respectively, the blind rivet having a collar configured to abut a stop of the second arm by way of a collar of the rivet sleeve and the securing disc, the blind rivet having a gudgeon head configured for movement in a direction towards a shaft stop in the hole of a bearing connection piece of the first arm; and first and second bearing bushes provided between the bearing connection piece of the first arm and the bearing hole of the second arm, wherein the first and second bearing bushes have substantially the same structural dimensions.

2. The articulation device of claim 1, wherein the arm comprises a cast component and the bearing connection piece is produced in a single casting operation with the arm.

3. The articulation device of claim 1, wherein the gudgeon head is supported on the shaft stop in a stepped hole of the bearing connection piece by way of a radial expansion of the rivet sleeve.

4. The articulation device of claim 1, wherein the securing disc, the bearing connection piece and the shaft stop are constructed in the hole of the bearing connection piece in such a manner that the first arm and the second arm are selectively adjustable relative to each other.

5. The articulation device of claim 1, wherein the first bearing bush has a radial collar provided between the first arm and the second arm.

6. The articulation device of claim 1, wherein the second bearing bush has a radial collar provided between the second arm and the securing disc of the blind rivet.

7. The articulation device of claim 1, wherein the first and second bearing bushes each comprise at least one of a polymer material, a metal material, a composite material, and combinations thereof.

8. A vehicle roof, comprising: a rod assembly operatively configured to permit a moveable adjustment of the vehicle roof between a closed position which spans a passenger compartment of the vehicle and an open position which exposes the passenger compartment, the rod assembly including at least one articulation device having: a first arm having a bearing connection piece; a second arm having a stop and a bearing hole through which the bearing connection piece is configured to extend therethrough; a rivet device configured to support the first arm and the second arm, the rivet device comprising a blind rivet and a rivet shaft which extends through the first arm and the second arm, respectively, the blind rivet having a collar configured to abut the stop and a gudgeon head configured for movement in a direction towards a shaft stop in the bearing connection piece; and first and second bearing bushes provided between the bearing connection piece of the first arm and the bearing hole of the second arm, wherein the first and second bearing bushes have substantially the same structural dimensions.

9. The vehicle roof of claim 8, wherein the arm comprises a cast component and the bearing connection piece is produced in a single casting operation with the arm.

10. The vehicle roof of claim 8, wherein the gudgeon head is supported on the shaft in a stepped hole of the bearing connection piece.

11. The vehicle roof of claim 8, wherein the securing disc, the bearing connection piece and the shaft stop are constructed in the hole of the bearing connection piece in such a manner that the first arm and the second arm are selectively adjustable relative to each other.

12. The vehicle roof of claim 8, wherein the first bearing bush has a radial collar provided between the first arm and the second arm.

13. The vehicle roof of claim 8, wherein the second bearing bush has a radial collar provided between the second arm and the securing disc of the blind rivet.

14. The vehicle roof of claim 8, wherein the first and second bearing bushes each comprise at least one of a polymer material, a metal material, a composite material, and combinations thereof.

15. A vehicle, comprising: a roof; a rod assembly operatively configured to permit a moveable adjustment of the roof between a closed position which spans a passenger compartment of the vehicle and an open position which exposes the passenger compartment, the rod assembly including at least one articulation device having: a first arm having a bearing connection piece; a second arm having a stop and a bearing hole through which the bearing connection piece is configured to extend therethrough; a rivet device configured to support the first arm and the second arm, the rivet device comprising a blind rivet and a rivet shaft which extends through the first arm and the second arm, respectively, the blind rivet having a collar configured to abut the stop and a gudgeon head configured for movement in a direction towards a shaft stop in the bearing connection piece; and first and second bearing bushes provided between the bearing connection piece of the first arm and the bearing hole of the second arm, wherein the first and second bearing bushes have substantially the same structural dimensions.

Description

DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and are explained in more detail in the description below:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a partially oblique view, viewed from the rear left, of a passenger vehicle having articulation devices of a rod assembly for a folding roof of a passenger vehicle in accordance with embodiments.

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates an oblique view of an articulation device of the rod assembly of FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic section along line V-V of FIG. 2 of the articulation device drawn to an enlarged scale.

DESCRIPTION

(5) As illustrated in FIG. 1, a passenger vehicle 1 has a structure 2 having a base member 3 and a folding roof 4. The base member 3 which has a wall structure 5, for example, of sheet metal, carries the folding roof 4, which may be assembled and moved from a closed position Schst which spans a passenger compartment 6 into an open position (not illustrated) recessed in a storage space 7.

(6) The roof 4 is provided with a plurality of roof bows 8, 9, 10 and 11 which extend transversely relative to the vehicle longitudinal direction A-A. The roof bows, 8, 9, 10 and 11, at least in the closed position Schst of the roof 4, support a roof cover 12 and cooperate with arm systems 15 of a rod assembly 16 that extend at longitudinal sides 13, 14 of the roof 4. The roof bow 11 delimits an upper edge of a rear window 17. The rod assembly 16 comprises one or more articulation devices 18, 19, which have first and second arms 22, 122 and 23, 124 which may be moved in a relative manner (FIG. 2).

(7) As illustrated in FIG. 2, the first and the second arms 22 and 23 of the articulation device 19 are held in position using a rivet device 48.

(8) As illustrated in FIG. 3, a schematic section along the line V-V of FIG. 2 of the articulation device is provided in accordance with embodiments, drawn to an enlarged scale. The rivet device 48 has a blind rivet 151 which comprises a rivet shaft which constructed as a rivet sleeve 158 and a gudgeon having a gudgeon head 152.

(9) A first arm 122 has a substantially cylindrical bearing connection piece 156 having a hole, the bearing connection piece 156 extending through a bearing hole 124 of a second arm 123 and the blind rivet 151 being in abutment against a stop of the second arm 123 by way of a cylindrical collar 157 of a rivet sleeve 158 by way of a securing disc 159. The gudgeon head 152 of the blind rivet is movable towards a shaft stop 154 in the hole 155 of the bearing connection piece 156. The gudgeon head 152 is supported by way of a radial expansion 153 of the rivet sleeve 158 on the shaft stop 154 in a stepped hole 155 of the bearing connection piece 156.

(10) In accordance with embodiments, the securing disc 159, the bearing connection piece and the shaft stop 154 are constructed in the hole of the bearing connection piece 156 in such a manner that the first arm 122 and the second arm 123 may be selectively moveably adjusted relative to each other.

(11) In accordance with embodiments, there are provided between the bearing connection piece 156 of the first arm 122 and the bearing hole 124 of the second arm 123, a first bearing bush 160 and a second bearing bush 162. The first bearing bush 160 has a radial collar 161 which is provided between the first arm 122 and the second arm 123, and the second bearing bush 162 having a radial collar 163 which is provided between the second arm 123 and the securing disc 159 of the blind rivet 151.

(12) Although embodiments have been described herein, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(13) 1 Passenger vehicle 2 Structure 3 Base member 4 Folding roof, roof 5 Wall structure 6 Passenger compartment 7 Storage space 8, 9, 10, 11 Roof bow 12 Roof cover 13, 14 Longitudinal sides of the roof 15 Arm system 16 Rod assembly 17 Rear window 18, 19 Articulation devices 22, 23 Arms 48 Rivet device 122, 123 Arms 124 Bearing hole 151 Blind rivet 152 Gudgeon head of a blind rivet 153 Radial expansion of a rivet sleeve 154 Shaft stop 155 Hole of a bearing connection piece 156 Bearing connection piece 157 Collar 158 Rivet sleeve 159 Securing disc 160 Bearing bush 161 Radial collar of a bearing bush 162 Bearing bush 163 Radial collar of a bearing bush