Sunshade roller blind with length compensation to prevent warping

Abstract

Sunshade roller blind (100) for a vehicle window, comprising: a roller blind track (105) configured to at least partially cover the vehicle window in an unwound state; a winding shaft (107), wherein a first section of the roller blind track (105) is attached to the winding shaft (107) and the winding shaft (107) is configured to receive the roller blind track (105) in a wound state; and an extendable length compensation device (101) with a housing (101a) to which a second section of the roller blind track (105) is attached, and a guide pin (101b), wherein a first section of the guide pin (101b) is mounted to be longitudinally displaceable in the housing (101a) and a second section of the guide pin (101b) is guided in a first lateral guide rail (103a) to guide the length compensation device (101) during movement relative to the winding shaft (107).wherein the length compensation device (101) further comprises a cleaning device (101c), and the cleaning device (101c) is configured to remove contaminants from a surface of the guide pin (101b) when the guide pin (101b) moves relative to the housing (101a), wherein the cleaning device (101c) is designed in a sleeve-like form and is arranged to at least partially surround the guide pin (101b) in a radial direction in order to remove contaminants from the surface of the guide pin (101b) when the guide pin (101b) is displaced into the housing (101a).

Description

The present invention relates to a sunshade roller blind for a vehicle window, in particular a sunshade roller blind with length compensation against distortion. Modern car body designs are characterized by relatively large window areas. These large window areas can lead to significant heating of the vehicle interior in strong sunlight, and in vehicles with air conditioning, this increased heating results in considerable energy consumption to counteract the heat buildup. Therefore, motor vehicles are increasingly being equipped with sunshades. Common sunshade roller blinds often use guide rails, for example, a front and a rear guide rail in a sunshade roller blind for a vehicle's side window. These rails are designed to guide the movement of the roller blind's fabric relative to a winding shaft when the fabric is unwound or wound up. Due to the varying geometries of vehicle windows, the guide rails of a sunshade roller blind are often at different angles to each other. This means that the gap between the rails can be larger in the lower section than in the upper section, for example, in a sunshade roller blind for a side window or a rear window of a vehicle. To compensate for the varying gaps between the guide rails and thus prevent undesirable distortion of the roller blind, it is known to provide an end-guided length compensation device (also known as a drop bar) with a guide pin that is slidably mounted in a housing of the length compensation device. However, the guide pin can become dirty, for example, due to dust particles or other contaminants on its surface. These contaminants are then introduced into the housing of the length compensation device by the movement of the guide pin when the roller blind is wound up or unwound, which can lead to a malfunction of the length compensation device and consequently of the sunshade roller blind. According to DE 100 05 970 A1, a side window roller blind is provided with a rotatably mounted winding shaft to which the blind fabric is attached at one edge. An actuating element engages a section of the blind fabric located away from this edge section in order to pull the blind fabric away from the winding shaft and hold it in the extended position. Furthermore, DE 10 2005 033 763 A1 discloses a sunshade roller blind with an axial guide for the winding tube that can withstand increased forces on the winding shaft regardless of the overall length. This separation allows the axes of the bearing arrangement for receiving the winding tube to be made larger in diameter. This results in a stiffening of the supports for the winding shaft, which is particularly advantageous for longer overall lengths. Based on this, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sunshade roller blind for motor vehicles in which the length compensation device is better protected against dust particles and other contaminants that can lead to a malfunction of the sunshade roller blind. The present invention is based on the finding of providing a cleaning device designed to remove contaminants, particularly dust particles, from the surface of the guide pin when the guide pin moves relative to the housing of the length compensation device. The invention prevents negative visual and acoustic phenomena as well as malfunctions that can arise from dust ingress on an electric sunshade roller blind in the area of ​​the guide pin. By using a cleaning device according to the invention, it is possible to prevent dust particles from entering the housing of the length compensation device, where the guide pin is located.The invention thus prevents the guide pin from becoming unevenly movable due to contaminants introduced into the housing, thereby preventing jerky movements caused by increased frictional resistance. This, in turn, can lead to unwanted noise or an unsightly retraction / extension process of the sunshade. Furthermore, the invention prevents creasing in the roller blind's fabric, which can result from tension differences in the fabric caused by uneven tension due to the stiff guide pin. Finally, the invention prevents, for example, the rear end of the length compensation device, which is guided in the rear guide rail, from moving forward due to the stiff guide pin, thus diminishing the visual appeal of the sunshade.Furthermore, the invention prevents the end of the length compensation device from completely moving out of the corresponding guide rail in the event of heavy contamination in the housing of the length compensation device and thus an even greater impairment of the sliding movement of the guide pin, which would then lead to a complete failure of the sunshade roller blind. Thus, the problem is solved by a sunshade roller blind for a vehicle window, comprising: a roller blind strip configured to at least partially cover the vehicle window in an unwound state; a winding shaft, wherein a first section of the roller blind strip is attached to the winding shaft and the winding shaft is configured to receive the roller blind strip in a wound state; and an extendable length compensation device with a housing to which a second section of the roller blind strip is attached and a guide pin, wherein a first section of the guide pin is mounted in the housing to be displaceable in the longitudinal direction, i.e. in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the guide pin, and a second section of the guide pin is guided in a first lateral guide rail to guide the length compensation device during movement relative to the winding shaft.The length compensation device further comprises a cleaning device, wherein the cleaning device is designed to remove contaminants, in particular dust particles, from a surface of the guide pin when the guide pin is moved relative to the housing. This achieves the technical advantage that the length compensation device of the sunshade roller blind is better protected against contamination, especially dust particles, compared to conventional sunshade roller blinds, and is therefore more reliable. According to the invention, guiding the guide pin in the first lateral guide rail can also be achieved by connecting the second section of the guide pin to a guide slide which is guided through the first lateral guide rail. In one embodiment, the guide pin is cylindrical or tubular. In another embodiment, the cleaning device is sleeve-shaped and arranged to at least partially surround the guide pin in a radial direction in order to remove contaminants, particularly dust particles, from the surface of the guide pin when the pin is moved into the housing. In another embodiment, the inner diameter of the sleeve-shaped cleaning device is dimensioned such that a radially inward-facing inner surface of the cleaning device contacts the surface of the guide pin without unduly impeding its sliding movement. This achieves the technical advantage that the sleeve-shaped cleaning device can very effectively remove contaminants from the entire surface of the guide pin. In one embodiment, the thickness of the cleaning device in the longitudinal direction of the guide pin is at least 2.5 millimeters, preferably at least 5 millimeters. The cleaning device preferably has a minimum thickness in the longitudinal direction to ensure that all or at least a large part of the contaminants on the surface of the guide pin are removed as it moves along the cleaning device. In one embodiment, the cleaning device comprises a textile material, in particular a felt material, and / or an elastic plastic material. For example, a medium-density felt can be used that exhibits no or only minimal lint formation even when the guide pin is moved through it. This achieves the technical advantage that the cleaning device can conform to the shape of the guide pin in order to effectively remove contaminants from its surface without unnecessarily impairing the guide pin's sliding ability. In one embodiment, the length compensation device further comprises a sliding bearing arranged in the housing, which is designed to support the guide pin in a longitudinally displaceable manner. This achieves the technical advantage that the cleaning device effectively protects the sliding bearing from contamination that could lead to a malfunction of the sliding bearing and thus of the length compensation device. In one embodiment, the cleaning device is arranged in the housing, preferably in the longitudinal direction of the guide pin between an opening in the housing through which the guide pin extends and the sliding bearing. This achieves the technical advantage that the cleaning device effectively protects the sliding bearing from contamination that could lead to a malfunction of the sliding bearing and thus of the guide pin. Furthermore, the housing protects the cleaning device from external influences that could cause it to malfunction. In one embodiment, the distance between the cleaning device and the sliding bearing in the longitudinal direction of the guide pin is at least 1.5 millimeters, preferably at least 3 millimeters. This achieves the technical advantage that material particles abraded from the cleaning device by the movement of the guide pin do not enter the sliding bearing. In one embodiment, the housing has one or more retaining ribs on its inner surface, which are designed to hold or fix the cleaning device within the housing. In another embodiment, the one or more retaining ribs define at least one, preferably circular, opening through which the guide pin passes. In another embodiment, the radius of the circular opening defined by the one or more retaining ribs is at most 1 millimeter, preferably at most 0.5 millimeters, larger than the radius of the guide pin. This achieves the technical advantage that the cleaning device is securely fixed within the housing against the frictional action of the guide pin. In one embodiment, the cleaning device is arranged outside the housing of the length compensation device. This offers the technical advantage that contaminants, particularly dust particles, are removed from the surface of the guide pin before the corresponding section of the guide pin moves into the housing of the length compensation device. Furthermore, in this design, the cleaning device is easily accessible, for example, should maintenance or replacement of the cleaning device become necessary due to wear. In one embodiment, the length compensation device, in particular the housing, is further guided in a second lateral guide rail to guide the length compensation device during movement relative to the winding shaft. This achieves the technical advantage that the length compensation device is guided stably on both sides. In one embodiment, the sunshade roller blind further comprises an electric drive motor configured to drive the winding shaft in order to extend or retract the length compensation device and to unwind or wind the blind fabric. This achieves the technical advantage that the sunshade roller blind can be driven efficiently by means of the electric drive motor. The invention is described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments and the figures. In the figures: Fig. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a sunshade roller blind according to a first exemplary embodiment; and Fig. 2 shows a schematic sectional view of a sunshade roller blind according to a second exemplary embodiment. The following detailed description refers to the accompanying figures, which form part thereof and illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention can be implemented. It is understood that other embodiments can also be used and structural or logical modifications can be made without deviating from the concept of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to be understood as limiting. Furthermore, it is understood that the features of the various embodiments described herein can be combined with one another, unless specifically stated otherwise. The aspects and embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the figures, where the same reference numerals generally refer to the same elements. For explanatory purposes, numerous specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of one or more aspects of the present invention. Fig. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a sunshade roller blind 100 for a vehicle window according to a first embodiment. The sun protection roller blind 100 comprises a roller blind panel 105 which is designed to at least partially cover the vehicle window when unwound. Furthermore, the sunshade roller blind 100 comprises a rotatable winding shaft 107 to which a first section of the roller blind fabric 105 is attached. The winding shaft 107 is designed to accommodate the roller blind fabric 105 in a wound state; that is, when the winding shaft 107 rotates in one direction, the roller blind fabric 105 is wound onto the winding shaft 107, whereas when the winding shaft 107 rotates in the opposite direction, the roller blind fabric 105 is unwound from the winding shaft 107. In the schematic representation of Fig. 1, the roller blind fabric 105 is shown, by way of example, almost completely unwound from the winding shaft 107. Furthermore, the sun protection roller blind 100 includes an extendable length compensation device 101, which is also referred to as a drop bar and whose purpose is, firstly, to secure the roller blind track 105 and guide it without creases, and secondly, to compensate for or offset length differences caused by the geometry of the window pane to be covered, as described in more detail below. The length compensation device 101 comprises a housing 101a to which a second section of the roller blind track 105 is attached, the second section being opposite the first section of the roller blind track 105 attached to the winding shaft 107. The length compensation device 101 further comprises a guide pin 101b, wherein a first section of the guide pin 101b is mounted to be longitudinally displaceable within the housing 101a, and a second section of the guide pin 101b is guided in a first lateral guide rail 103a to guide the length compensation device 101 relative to the winding shaft 107 during an extension or retraction movement. If, for example, the vehicle window to be covered is a side window of a vehicle, the first lateral guide rail 103a can be a front or rear lateral guide rail 103a relative to the direction of travel.To guide the guide pin 101b in the first lateral guide rail 103a, it is also possible that the guide pin 101b itself does not slide in the first lateral guide rail 103a, but is mounted in a further component in the form of a slide, which then performs the up and down movement in the first lateral guide rail 103a. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the length compensation device 101 comprises a sliding bearing 101d arranged in the housing 101a, which is designed to support the guide pin 101b so as to be displaceable in the longitudinal direction. In addition to guidance by the guide pin 101b and the first lateral guide rail 103a, the longitudinal compensation device 101 can, as shown in the embodiment of Fig. 1, also be guided, for example, via the housing 101a by a second lateral guide rail 103b. If the vehicle window to be covered is, for example, a side window of a vehicle, the second lateral guide rail 103b can be a front or rear lateral guide rail 103b relative to the direction of travel. The position and orientation of the first and second lateral guide rails 103a, 103b are generally determined primarily by the geometry or shape of the corresponding side edges of the vehicle window to be covered. In the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first and second lateral guide rails 103a, 103b run at an angle to each other, i.e., not parallel to each other. This non-parallelism between the first and second lateral guide rails 103a, 103b is compensated for by the length compensation device 101. The first lateral guide rail 103a and / or the second lateral guide rail 103b may also have at least partially curved sections, which can be compensated for by the length compensation device 101. As shown in Fig. 1, the length compensation device 101 further comprises a cleaning device 101c, which is designed to remove impurities, in particular dust particles, from the surface of the guide pin 101b when the guide pin 101b is moved relative to the housing 101a, as indicated by a double arrow in Fig. 1. In one embodiment, the guide pin 101b, in particular the first section of the guide pin 101b mounted in the housing 101a, can be cylindrical or tubular. Accordingly, the cleaning device 101c can be sleeve-shaped, for example, in the form of a dust scraper sleeve 101c, which is arranged to at least partially surround the guide pin 101b in a radial direction in order to scrape off and thus remove contaminants, in particular dust particles, from the surface of the guide pin when the guide pin 101b is moved into the housing 101a. In one embodiment, the inner diameter of the dust scraper sleeve 101c is dimensioned such that the inside of the dust scraper sleeve 101c contacts the surface of the guide pin 101b without unduly impeding the movement of the guide pin 101b. To ensure a good radial fit around the guide pin 101b without unnecessarily increasing friction between the guide pin 101b and the cleaning device, in particular the dust scraper sleeve 101c, the cleaning device, in particular the dust scraper sleeve 101c, can be made, for example, of a textile material, especially felt, and / or an elastic plastic material. For example, a medium-density felt can be used that exhibits no or only minimal linting even when the guide pin 101b is inserted. In one embodiment, the cleaning device, in particular the dust scraper sleeve 101c, has a thickness of at least 2.5 millimeters, preferably at least 5 millimeters, in the longitudinal direction of the guide pin. As shown in Fig. 1, according to one embodiment, the cleaning device, in particular the dust scraper sleeve 101c, can be arranged in the housing 101a of the length compensation device 101. Fig. 2 shows another embodiment in which the cleaning device, in particular the dust scraper sleeve 101c, is arranged outside the housing 101a of the length compensation device 101. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the cleaning device, in particular the dust scraper sleeve 101c, is arranged longitudinally along the guide pin 101b between an opening in the housing 101a, through which the guide pin 101b extends, and the sliding bearing 101d in the housing 101a. To prevent material components of the cleaning device, in particular the dust scraper sleeve 101c, worn away by friction from entering the sliding bearing 101d and thus impairing its functionality, the distance between the cleaning device, in particular the dust scraper sleeve 101c, and the sliding bearing 101d is, according to one embodiment, at least 1.5 millimeters, preferably at least 3 millimeters. According to one embodiment, one, preferably at least two, retaining ribs can be formed on the inside of the housing 101a, which serve to hold the cleaning device, in particular the dust scraper sleeve 101c, in the housing 101a. According to one embodiment, the retaining ribs define at least one circular opening through which the guide pin 101b passes. In one embodiment, the radius of the circular opening defined by the retaining ribs is at most 100 millimeters, preferably 0.5 millimeters, larger than the radius of the guide pin 101b. The retaining ribs can, for example, be formed as circularly circumferential, radially inwardly extending protrusions on the inside of the housing 101a. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the cleaning device, in particular dust scraper sleeve 101c, is arranged directly in front of the opening, i.e. outside the housing 101, through which the guide pin 101b extends. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sunshade roller blind 100 can further comprise an electric drive motor 109, which is configured to drive the winding shaft 107 in order to extend or retract the length compensation device 101 and to unwind or wind the roller blind track 105. For details regarding a possible drive of the winding shaft 107 or the length compensation device 101 and thus the unwinding or winding of the roller blind track 105, reference is made, by way of example, to DE102007054252A1, DE102015106528A1 and DE102017101017A1, to which reference is hereby made in full. Reference symbol list 100 Sunshade roller blind 101 Length compensation device 101a Housing 101b Guide pin 101c Cleaning device 101d Slide bearing 103a First side guide rail 103b Second side guide rail 105 Roller blind track 107 Winding shaft 109 Drive motor

Claims

Sunshade roller blind (100) for a vehicle window, comprising: a roller blind track (105) configured to at least partially cover the vehicle window in an unwound state; a winding shaft (107), wherein a first section of the roller blind track (105) is attached to the winding shaft (107) and the winding shaft (107) is configured to receive the roller blind track (105) in a wound state; and an extendable length compensation device (101) with a housing (101a) to which a second section of the roller blind track (105) is attached, and a guide pin (101b), wherein a first section of the guide pin (101b) is mounted to be longitudinally displaceable in the housing (101a) and a second section of the guide pin (101b) is guided in a first lateral guide rail (103a) to guide the length compensation device (101) during movement relative to the winding shaft (107).wherein the length compensation device (101) further comprises a cleaning device (101c), and the cleaning device (101c) is configured to remove contaminants from a surface of the guide pin (101b) when the guide pin (101b) moves relative to the housing (101a), wherein the cleaning device (101c) is designed in a sleeve-like form and is arranged to at least partially surround the guide pin (101b) in a radial direction in order to remove contaminants from the surface of the guide pin (101b) when the guide pin (101b) is displaced into the housing (101a). Sunshade roller blind (100) according to claim 1, wherein the guide pin (101b) is cylindrical or tubular. Sunshade roller blind (100) according to claim 1, wherein an inner diameter of the sleeve-shaped cleaning device (101c) is dimensioned such that a radially inwardly pointing inner surface of the sleeve-shaped cleaning device (101c) touches the surface of the guide pin (101b) without impairing the movement of the guide pin (101b). Sunshade roller blind (100) according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the cleaning device (101c) in the longitudinal direction of the guide pin (101b) is at least 2.5 millimeters. Sunshade roller blind (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cleaning device (101c) comprises a textile material. Sunshade roller blind (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the length compensation device (101) further comprises a sliding bearing (101d) arranged in the housing (101a), wherein the sliding bearing (101d) is designed to support the first section of the guide pin (101b) in a longitudinally displaceable manner. Sunshade roller blind (100) according to claim 6, wherein the cleaning device (101c) is arranged in the longitudinal direction of the guide pin (101b) between an opening of the housing (101a) through which the guide pin (101b) extends and the sliding bearing (101d) in the housing (101a). Sunshade roller blind (100) according to claim 7, wherein in the longitudinal direction of the guide pin (101b) the distance between the cleaning device (101c) and the sliding bearing (101d) is at least 1.5 millimeters. Sunshade roller blind (100) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein one or more retaining ribs are formed on an inside of the housing (101a), the retaining ribs being designed to hold the cleaning device (101c) in the housing (101a). Sunshade roller blind (100) according to claim 9, wherein the one or more retaining ribs define at least one opening through which the guide pin (101b) is passed. Sunshade roller blind (100) according to claim 10, wherein a radius of the circular opening defined by the one or more retaining ribs is at most 1 millimeter larger than a radius of the guide pin (101b). Sunshade roller blind (100) according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the cleaning device (101a) is arranged outside the housing (101a). Sun protection roller blind (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the length compensation device (101) is further guided in a second lateral guide rail (103b) to guide the length compensation device (101) during a movement relative to the winding shaft (107). Sunshade roller blind (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the sunshade roller blind (100) further comprises an electric drive motor (109) configured to drive the winding shaft (107) in order to extend or retract the length compensation device (101) and to unwind or wind up the roller blind track (105).

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