Mercedes-benz Aktiengesellschaft

Helmut Rottler

Martin Guckel

Jurgen Schrader

Stefan Orth

Walter Cornel

Klaus P Claar

Karl Koster

Oliver Pudschies

Jurgen Schnader

The invention relates to a folding top for motor vehicles with a dimensionally stable rear window which, when the top is opened, can be folded down from an upright, position of use into a flat position of non-use. The top cover encloses the rear window and is connected along the lower edge side of the rear window and laterally thereto to a material retaining section arranged at the lower termination of the top. The rear window exhibits an axis of articulation extending approximately parallel to the lower edge side of the rear window which is displaced rearwards relative to the material retaining section during movement of the rear window toward a position of non-use. The axis of articulation is arranged to be displaceable to ensure the displaceability of the rear window. In order also to permit appropriate rearward displacement of the rear window with top arrangements in which the lower edge side of the rear window extends at a relatively short distance from the material retaining hoop when the top is closed, the top cover is provided on both sides of the rear window with a fabric zone of variable length, the fabric zones being capable of being drawn apart by the rearward displacement of the rear window when the folding top is laid flat and being capable of shortening to their initial length when the folding top is erected into the closed position of use.

Folding top for motor vehicles

A folding hood for motor vehicles has a hood frame supporting the hood cover and being fordable to an open position in order to stretch the hood cover, and a reinforcement of the stretched hood cover, adjoining a strut supporting the cover, by way of a shaping shell mounted between the strut and the hood cover. Because of its dimensional rigidity, the cover interacts in a shaping manner with the hood cover resting flat thereon. The shaping shell is positioned under the hood cover via a tensile connecting device extending transversely to the strut and stretched tightly when the hood frame is folded open. In order to permit a space-saving storage position of the folding hood even with a larger-sized shaping shell the shaping shell is transversely deformable, in a flexurally resilient manner, about a longitudinal axis extending along its bearing position on the strut. When the folding hood is open, the shaping is retained in a relaxed initial position. The shaping shell can only be bent into its shaping position of use by way of the tensioning advance of the tensile connecting devices when the folding hood is closed.

Motor vehicle folding hood

The invention relates to a folding top for vehicles having a dimensionally stable rear window which, when the top is pushed back, can be folded down from an upright position of use into a stowed position displaced to the rear. Sliding control of the rear window during the stowing operation is provided via a strut of the top frame. The central region of the strut rests against the underneath of the top cover in front of the rear window when the top is closed and overlaps the rear window in its swung-back end position. A coupling device is provided for transmitting movement by means of which the rear window and the strut are connected to one another, in each case at a distance from their pivot axis. In order to make possible a rearward displacement of the rear window when stowing the folding top, largely independently of the lowering of the rear window relative to a material retaining profile, the coupling device includes tie members unstable under bending loads, which connect the rear window in the region of its front window edge to the central region of the strut. After a free movement the tie members are stable under tension only when a final phase of the rearward swinging movement of the strut is reached, after which the rear window participates in the rearward transverse advance of the central region and is moved positively into its pushed-back end position.

Folding top for vehicle

The invention relates to a folding vehicle top whose top cover, which can be stretched over a supporting top frame, has laterally unsecured border regions which are connected to an associated leg of a corner strut via tie means and are only pulled into a fixed tensioned position, via a relative swinging movement of the corner strut, during the closure of the top. In order to be able to fix top cover corners present in the corner region between the top support pillars and the material retaining hoop on the top support pillar by means of the tensioning advance of the tie means, a rearwardly offset intermediate deflection of the tie means on the associated leg of the material retaining hoop is provided.

Growing community of inventors

Aidlingen, Germany

Helmut Rottler