Upwardly pivotable vent or sliding roof panel for automobiles

Abstract

An openable vehicle roof structure to serve as a retractable sliding roof or an air vent has a roof opening in the horizontal portion; a downwardly recessed frame surrounding the opening on at least its front and side edges, as an integral part of the roof structure; a rigid panel matching the opening and serving as a closure member for it when aligned with the edges thereof; a pivot connection between the panel and the roof frame which permits the panel to be pivoted about a horizontal axis located near its front edge, the rear edge of the panel being thereby movable upwardly out of the roof opening; two rigid, generally flat shutter members arranged adjacent to the lateral edges of the panel to extend along at least a major portion of the panel length; a connecting mechanism for movably connecting the shutter members to the panel so that, when the rigid panel is in its open, upwardly pivoted position, they extend downwardly from its lateral edges, thereby substantially covering the gap between the panel and the lateral edges of the opening. The connecting mechanism include a pivot connection between each shutter member and the rigid panel, the pivot connection defining a horizontal pivotal axis located near the forward extremity of the shutter members, the latter being thereby pivotable vertically relatively to the panel, and means for spring-biasing the pivotable shutter members toward a downwardly extended position.