Dr. Ing. H.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft

Magna Car Top Systems Gmbh

Audi Ag

Christof Blech

Matthias Aydt

Kurt Pfertner

Gunnar Wilke

Peter Thomas

Alexander Zeissner

Dominik Beierl

Thorsten Schumacher

Jan Just

Gunnar Dipl-Ing Wilke

A locking apparatus for a folding top of a vehicle includes a housing, a locking hook, a coupling device, a driving apparatus, and a sensor. The locking hook has a gripping end and a bearing end. The coupling device is movably mounted in the housing to be horizontally adjustable in a longitudinal direction of the locking hook. The bearing end is movably mounted to the coupling device to be horizontally adjustable with the coupling device in the longitudinal direction of the locking hook between closed and opened positions. The driving arm drives the locking hook to move the locking hook between the closed and opened positions. The sensor is configured to sense when the locking hook is in the closed and opened positions.

Locking apparatus with sensor for a folding top

A locking apparatus for a folding top of a vehicle includes a housing, a locking hook having a gripping end and a bearing end, a coupling device, and a driving apparatus. The coupling device is movably mounted in the housing to be horizontally adjustable in a longitudinal direction of the locking hook. The bearing end is pivotably mounted to the coupling device around a pivot axis oriented horizontally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the locking hook such that the locking hook is horizontally adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the locking hook between closed and opened positions. The driving apparatus is connected with the bearing end through the coupling device for driving the locking hook to move between the closed and opened positions.

Locking apparatus with coupling device for a folding top

A locking apparatus for a folding top of a vehicle includes a housing, a locking hook, a coupling device, and a driving apparatus. The locking hook has a gripping end and a bearing end. The coupling device is movably mounted in the housing to be horizontally adjustable in a longitudinal direction of the locking hook. The bearing end is mounted to the coupling device such that the bearing end is movably mounted in the housing to be horizontally adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the locking hook such that the locking hook is movable between closed and opened positions. The driving apparatus is for driving the locking hook to move between the closed and opened positions and includes a first two-bar linkage, a driving arm connected with the two-bar linkage, and an actuating drive for actuating the driving arm.

Locking apparatus with two-bar linkage for a folding top

A locking mechanism for latching a convertible top to a cross-member of a windshield frame of a vehicle. The locking mechanism includes a support element, a locking hook, and a pin having a retaining section and a shaft connected together. The support element is mountable to a front portion of the convertible top. The locking hook is pivotably connected to the support element to be movable between resting and operating positions. The retaining section of the pin is fixedly mounted to the support element. The shaft of the pin is projectable along a direction into a corresponding recess of a receptacle in the cross-member of the windshield frame. The pin is of a plastic material that is rigid in shape and plastically deformable and the shaft is constricted in the direction in which the shaft is projectable into the corresponding recess of the receptacle in the cross-member.

Locking mechanism for a movable top of a passenger vehicle

A folding top for a vehicle, particularly for a passenger car, comprises a folding top structure, which is pivotally disposed on vehicle-body-side folding top bases and a folding top covering, the folding top structure having a main hoop and at least one control arm connecting a forward folding top section with the folding top base. While the folding top kinematics are simplified, during the opening operation of the folding top, a coordinated movement takes place between the main hoop and of the control arm disposed in front of the main hoop. An adjusting device is arranged between the material-controlled main hoop and the control arm disposed in front thereof and is operative at least during the opening of the folding top.

Folding top for a vehicle, especially a passenger car

A folding top for passenger car vehicles is disclosed which can be displaced from a vehicle top closed position into a rearside deposited position and is composed of a supporting folding top structure and a folding top covering interacting therewith. The folding top structure includes a dimensionally stable folding top section which, in the closed position, is arranged adjacent to a windshield frame and can be displaced into the vehicle rear area in such a manner that the outer boundary surface of the dimensionally stable folding top section facing away from the passenger compartment is always directed upwards during the whole adjustment movement. The linking of the folding top covering to the longitudinal sides is designed in such a manner that, in addition to a smooth opening and closing of the folding top, tolerances of the folding top covering can be compensated and an overstretching of the folding top covering during the opening and closing is avoided. It is provided that the folding top covering, on the vehicle longitudinal sides, is fastened to the dimensionally stable folding top section and is fastened on a main hoop, whereas the folding top covering rests, without being fastened, against a B-column of the folding top structure disposed in-between and is pulled by means of a tension rope and a fabric control in a defined manner into a receiving device provided on the B-column.

Folding top for vehicles

A folding top for vehicles includes a folding top structure and a folding top covering, an edge area of the folding top covering being fastened on a rear-side tensioning bow of the folding top structure and a sealing body being held in position which is in an operative connection with an adjoining vehicle body part. In order to achieve a simple mounting of the folding top covering and of the sealing body on the tensioning bow during the first assembly and in the case of repair, it is provided that separate receiving devices for fastening the folding top covering and for holding the sealing body are arranged on the tensioning bow.

A folding top for vehicles, particularly passenger cars, is composed of a folding top structure and a folding top covering, the folding top covering and sealing strips being held in position on lateral frame parts of the folding top structure. So that, in the case of a folding top, the mounting expenditures for changing the folding top covering are reduced and, on the other hand, the surrounding noises in the driving operation which occur at the lateral frame parts are minimized, it is provided that the linkages for the folding top covering and for the sealing strips are provided separately and spaced away from one another on the lateral frame parts. Wall sections of the lateral frame parts extend between the two spaced linkages and are not covered by the folding top covering and form the shell of the vehicle body. The end area of the wall sections facing the folding top covering is constructed such that, together with the adjoining folding top covering, it forms a rain groove.

Growing community of inventors

Renningen, Germany

Christof Blech