The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 21, 2003
Filed:
Oct. 03, 2001
Laurentius Andreas Gerardus Mentink, Haaksbergen, NL;
Actuant Corporation, Glendale, WI (US);
Abstract
A hydraulic actuating unit for integration into a preassembled folding roof unit of a motor vehicle is adapted for mounting as a single unit in a motor vehicle with the hydraulic actuating unit integrated therein. The preassembled folding roof unit has a folding roof with a foldable cover and a framework for the cover. A main bow is pivoted by a hydraulic main bow actuator and a rear bow is pivoted by a hydraulic rear bow actuator, each actuator being of the double-acting type. The hydraulic actuating unit also has an actuable two-position control valve, which control valve has an outlet port, an inlet port and a reservoir port, the outlet port being connected to a working chamber of the main bow actuator and/or a working chamber of the rear bow actuator. The control valve, in a first position, connects the associated outlet port to the reservoir port and, in a second position, connects the associated outlet port to the inlet port of the control valve. The hydraulic actuating unit also has two hydraulic connection ports to connect the actuating unit, which is integrated in the pre-assembled folding roof unit, to a hydraulic pump/reservoir unit, which is mounted away from the actuating unit. A valve element with a non-return valve action opening towards the relevant connection port is provided in the connection between the reservoir ports and the connection ports.