CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to German Patent Application DE 10 2019 127 598.9, filed on Oct. 14, 2019, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

The disclosure relates to an electromotive drive arrangement for a transparent sunroof and a sun blind, arranged beneath the sunroof, of a vehicle, comprising one motor/gearing unit for actuating the sunroof and one motor/gearing unit for actuating the sun blind, wherein the motor/gearing units are fitted at the edge of the roof cut-out for the sunroof.

A drive arrangement of this kind is thus based on two motor/gearing units for actuating the sunroof and the sun blind. In an alternative, a single motor/gearing unit is provided which drives the two elements jointly by means of Bowden cables that can be activated separately.

FIGS. 1 to 4show typical configurations of the electromotive drive arrangement named at the outset having separate motor/gearing units for the sunroof and the sun blind and having a single motor gearing arrangement.

FIGS. 1 and 4show the variants of the drive arrangement with a single motor/gearing unit9for actuating both a two-part sunroof10,11and a sun blind (not shown). InFIG. 1the motor/gearing unit10comes to rest in the centre of a front edge region12of a rectangular roof cut-out13, which in this case is closed completely by the sunroof10,11, and inFIG. 4it comes to rest in the centre of a rear edge region14of the roof cut-out13, which in this case is fully open. The sunroof and sun blind are actuated by means of Bowden cables driven by the motor/gearing unit, wherein the sun blind is typically advanced in the rolling-up direction with assistance from a return spring device.

InFIGS. 2 and 3, a drive arrangement having two separate motor/gearing units15and16is used to drive the two-part sunroof10,11and the sun blind. InFIG. 2, the two motor/gearing units15and16come to rest next to one another to the left of the centre of the front edge region14of the roof cut-out13. InFIG. 3, the motor gearing arrangement15for driving the sunroof10,11is arranged in the centre of the front edge region12of the roof cut-out13, whereas the motor gearing arrangement16for driving the sun blind is arranged in the centre of the rear edge region14of the roof cut-out13.

The disadvantage of the variant having separate motor/gearing units10,11for the sunroof10,11and the sun blind, as shown inFIG. 3, is that a relatively long cable run is required to power the electric motor for the arrangement16at the rear. In addition, the free headroom for passengers in the back seats of the vehicle is restricted by the sun blind drive arrangement arranged there.

The disadvantage of the variant shown inFIG. 2in which separate motor/gearing units15,16for the sunroof10,11and the sun blind are positioned next to one another in the front edge region14of the roof cut-out13is that the controller for the arrangements15,16is provided at that point of the roof cut-out and takes up so much space that it is not always guaranteed that there is enough installation space left for the gearing/motor arrangements15,16.

The disadvantage of the two variants shown inFIGS. 2 and 3having separate motor/gearing units15,16for the sunroof10,11and the sun blind is that separate plug connectors are required for the two electric motors of the arrangements10,11, and that the electromotive drive arrangement does not block the light entering the rear region of the roof cut-out.

Therefore, there is a need for an electromotive drive arrangement for a transparent sunroof and a sun blind, arranged beneath the sunroof, of a vehicle of the type named at the outset that avoids the named disadvantages of conventional arrangements of this kind.

The object of the present disclosure is thus to provide an electromotive drive arrangement for a transparent sunroof and a sun blind, arranged beneath the sunroof, of a vehicle of the type named at the outset that avoids both long cable runs and a large number of plug connectors, that requires less installation space than conventional drive arrangements, and that does not block the light for passengers in the rear vehicle region.

This object is achieved by the features of claim1. The dependent claims set out advantageous developments of the disclosure.

The disclosure thus provides an electromotive drive arrangement for a transparent sunroof and a sun blind, arranged beneath the sunroof, of a vehicle, comprising one motor/gearing unit for actuating the sunroof and one motor/gearing unit for actuating the sun blind, wherein the motor/gearing units are fitted at the edge of the roof cut-out for the sunroof, and wherein the two motor/gearing units are combined into one motor/gearing block.

Combining the two motor/gearing units into one block achieves a compact design of the drive arrangement for the sunroof and the sun blind that allows the arrangement to be housed in a space-saving manner, preferably in the front region of the vehicle roof opening, thereby preventing the installation space for the arrangement and its controller from being insufficient in cases where the opening for the sunroof is narrow. In addition, positioning the entire drive arrangement in the front edge region of the opening ensures that the problem of reduced light for passengers in the back seats of the vehicle does not arise. Lastly, it is possible to omit, in a cost-effective manner, long cable runs for supplying power to and controlling the drive arrangement and the large number of plug connectors required when the roller drive arrangement is arranged separately in the rear region of the vehicle roof opening. The weight saving achieved by combining the two motor/gearing units into a common block should not be underestimated.

Advantageously, the electric motors of the motor/gearing units are opposite one another in a contiguous manner in the motor/gearing block.

To optimize the compact shape of the drive arrangement, the motor/gearing units are arranged in the motor/gearing block asymmetrically with respect to one another such that the stators of the two motors come to rest next to one another while extending in parallel with one another.

Advantageously, the stators of the two electric motors are housed, in particular in a form-fitting manner, in a common injection-moulded part. The noise caused by actuation of the electric motors is thereby greatly muffled. A similar advantage is achieved when the gearings of the two motor/gearing units are contained in respective further injection-moulded parts, which are connected to the common motor-stator injection-moulded part on either side thereof.

The injection-moulded parts preferably consist of plastics material or alternatively of aluminium. Preferably, the output pinions of the gearings of the two motor/gearing units come to rest on opposite sides of the motor/gearing block in a manner protruding therefrom. This favours the coupling of the driving cables for the sunroof and the sun blind.

