Sunshade for a vehicle

Details Sunshade for a vehicle Sunshade for a vehicle

1998-12-17

2001-01-30

Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)

Land vehicles: bodies and tops

Tops

Roof structure

C160S273100, C160S370220

Reexamination Certificate

active

06179373

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a sun blind for a vehicle roof.
Although, in a known sun protector of this kind which can be wound roller blind-style onto a spool (DE 195 38 552 C1), a central strut can be provided in order to prevent the closed sun screen from sagging, no measures are taken to tauten the blind sheet in a transverse direction to its restraint between its front end and its spool. In a similar, known roller blind configuration (DE 44 24 188 C1), the blind sheet, clamped in longitudinal direction, is underpinned by a supporting arch, by means of which the blind sheet is divided into two tautened length areas so that head room in the vehicle interior is not significantly impaired by the blind sheet. Here too, the blind sheet is only tautened in its direction of movement, not in a transverse direction.
In fact sun blinds of this kind are usually tautened only between the front blind edge, usually held on a rod, and the spool, whereby, even with tight tautening of the blind sheet in this direction, the side areas of the blind sheet tend to flutter in the wind, for example in the case of roller blinds which close the roof opening while allowing air through.
A known insect-screening roller blind (DE 196 39 478 A1), non-generic here, for door and window openings on buildings has lateral guides for the insect-screening fabric, these having elastically deformable retention elements made of bristles or brush elements which engage in mesh openings of the lateral edges of the insect-screening fabric. A configuration of this kind cannot be used for vehicle roofs since the retention elements do not adequately protect the roller blind from being pulled out of the lateral guides as a result of the dynamic wind forces exerted on the roller blind during travel and since, moreover, sun blinds do not always have mesh openings.
The task of the invention is to provide a sun blind for vehicle roofs in which the side areas of the roller blind cannot make fluttering movements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Through the slidable guidance of the opposing side edges of the blind sheet in the guide rails according to the invention with simultaneous fixing in the transverse direction to the direction of movement of the blind, so that the side edges cannot be pulled out of the guide rails in the transverse direction, the side areas of the blind sheet are very effectively prevented from making fluttering movements. This provides a possibility of fixing the side edges of the blind sheet in a transverse direction in a manner which is equally simple and effective, while still ensuring that the side edges can be slid easily in the guide rails by means of the special formation of the guide grooves in the guide rails for the side edges of the blind sheet. The guide grooves have a guide area which is offset against the level of the blind sheet and in which the side edges of the blind sheet engage with strengthened borders. These strengthened borders can be folded over relative to the main level of the blind sheet, but can be restored to their straight, unfolded position when rolling up the blind sheet so that the blind sheet can be wound onto the spool without folding of the side edges. The folded side edges are held in place by the offset guide areas of the guide grooves in a transverse direction without any of the slide capability of the side edges in the guide grooves being lost.
If the guide rails are spaced in such a manner that the blind sheet is also tautened in a transverse direction, the blind sheet is, to a certain extent, biaxially tautened and drawn and therefore practically resists the wind, when the panel of the vehicle roof is open, without fluttering and vibrating movements.
The guide grooves in the guide rails are advantageously given a cross-section, this being approximately L-shaped, whereby the shorter, horizontal side is approximately at the level of the blind sheet while the longer side, which is directed downwards, forms the guide area for the side edge of the blind sheet. If the offset guide area is positioned approximately perpendicular to the level of the blind sheet, the associated side edge of the blind sheet is folded approximately at right angles inside the guide rail and is thus fixed against lateral extraction in a transverse direction to the direction of movement of the blind.
According to one embodiment, the roller blind is actuated at both sides by traction cables or similar which are accommodated inconspicuously in the guide rails. For this purpose, the guide grooves may have a location channel for the traction cable or similar below the offset guide area.
To avoid rethreading of the side edges of the blind sheet into the guide rails whenever the rolled blind is to be closed, it is advantageous if the front ends of the side edges of the blind sheet remain constantly in the guide rails, i.e. if the side edges retain their offset or folded position in relation to the level of the blind sheet at these front ends.
The bending or folding of the side edges before these are introduced into the guide grooves of the guide rails can be made easier through the use of feed elements. These feed elements receive the side edges of the blind sheet in a flat position at one end and pass these on to the corresponding guide grooves in the guide rails in the folded or offset position at the other end. For this purpose, the feed elements each have a guide channel which is open towards the blind sheet, part of the area of this channel, namely the guide area for the side edges of the blind sheet, being arranged in a spatially rotated manner without transition stages, by means of which the side edges, on passing through the feed element, are steadily and gradually bent or folded into the desired position.
Further details of the invention are explained in more detail using embodiments, sections of which are schematically reproduced in the drawings. These show:


REFERENCES:
patent: 436900 (1890-09-01), Morrison
patent: 1281571 (1918-10-01), Holt
patent: 3768540 (1973-10-01), McSwain
patent: 4792178 (1988-12-01), Kokx
patent: 2411774 (1975-09-01), None
patent: 0644075 (1994-09-01), None
patent: 4627 (1983-01-01), None
patent: 9601191 (1996-01-01), None

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