Bent wrap tube assembly, roller screen system, roof assembly, and vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a curved winding tube assembly for a roller blind system, comprising a static inner tube and a segmented outer tube, wherein a first segment of the segmented outer tube provides a bearing support for a floating end of the static inner tube, and a fixing member engages a plurality of interconnected segments. The invention further relates to a roller blind system comprising such a curved winding tube assembly, to a roof assembly comprising such a roller blind system, and to a vehicle comprising said roof assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a curved winding tube assembly for a roller blind system, the assembly comprising a static inner tube and segmented outer tubes, wherein a first segment of the segmented outer tube provides bearing support for a floating end of the static inner tube, and a fixing member engages multiple interconnected portions. The invention also relates to a roller blind assembly including such a curved winding tube, a roof assembly including such a roller blind assembly, and a vehicle including said roof assembly. Background Technology

[0002] Vehicles, such as passenger cars, may be equipped with a roof or roof system having one or more roof panels. The roof panels can move between a closed position and an open position, wherein the roof opening is covered or uncovered, or the roof panels may be fixed. In either case, one or more roof panels may be transparent to allow light into the vehicle's passenger compartment. To control the amount of light entering, the vehicle may be equipped with a roller blind assembly including a blackout curtain that can move between a closed position and an open position, and any position in between (i.e., partially closed or partially open). The roller blind assembly may also be called a roller assembly, and similarly, the blackout curtain may be called a roller blind or roller shade. The blackout curtain is movable by winding or unwinding on a winding tube or shaft. In the fully open position, the blackout curtain is completely wound onto the winding tube. In the closed position, the blackout curtain is almost completely unwinding from the winding tube.

[0003] In known roller blind assemblies, the sunshade is operated via a drive cable driven by a motor, which connects to an operating beam of the sunshade via a sliding plate. The operating beam can also be called a pull beam because it pulls the sunshade, or a front beam, depending on its position relative to the front of the vehicle. The motor drives the movement of this drive cable, thereby moving the driven sliding plate and the connected operating beam. Therefore, pulling the operating beam away from the winding tube will release the sunshade from the winding tube. Pulling the operating beam towards the winding tube will allow the sunshade to wind onto the winding tube. Furthermore, the winding tube is typically equipped with a spring-like assembly to allow winding when the roof opening is opened through the sunshade.

[0004] Alternatively, a roller blind assembly can be provided, wherein the movement of the blackout curtain is operated by a motor that directly drives the winding tube of the blackout curtain (instead of via a drive cable). In order to keep the blackout curtain taut in every position that the operating beam can be in (between the fully open and fully rolled-up blackout curtains), a tension line is provided between the winding tube and the operating beam.

[0005] This direct-drive roller blind assembly offers improvements in noise, vibration, and roughness, as well as operational performance and cost. However, due to different vehicle designs, some roof systems require arched roller blind assemblies, or more specifically, arched or curved winding tubes, to conform to the profile of certain vehicles.

[0006] Known solutions for arched or curved winding tubes typically involve curved inner tubes fixed to both ends of the winding tube, with multiple rotatable sections rolling around these inner tubes. For directly driven roller blind assemblies, this requires complex fixing structures at the ends driven by a drive motor. To reduce complexity, the curved inner tube is preferably held in place by a final rotatable section at the outer end, thus forming an indirect fixation at a essentially floating end of the winding tube. However, this introduces the risk of the floating end swaying within the rotatable sections.

[0007] In addition, with this setup, multiple rotatable sections may have too much room to wiggle, which risks the rotatable sections becoming loose relative to each other and causing each section to rotate independently rather than together, thus causing several problems when winding or unwinding the bent tube. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a curved wound tube that appropriately holds the floating end of the inner tube in place while reducing the risk of the rotatable section becoming loose.

[0009] The object of the present invention is achieved by providing a curved winding tube assembly for a roller blind system, wherein the curved winding tube comprises: a static inner tube having a curvature; a segmented outer tube comprising a plurality of interconnected segments; wherein a first segment of the segmented outer tube provides bearing support for a floating end of the static inner tube, and a fixing member engages the plurality of interconnected segments to maintain the relative positions of these segments with respect to each other.

[0010] The static inner tube has a curvature whose radius depends on the vehicle profile to which the winding tube will be applied. The outer tube comprises multiple segments that are relatively short compared to the inner tube, wherein each segment is preferably straight or has only minimal curvature, and the segments are interconnected to form an outer tube capable of rotating about the inner tube.

[0011] The static inner tube has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is located near the drive motor, and the second end is located on the opposite side and fixed to a stationary element. Conversely, the first end is supported by a first section on the first end of the outer tube. Specifically, the inner side of the first section provides a bearing support for the first end of the inner tube. Therefore, the first end of the inner tube is not directly fixed, but is held in a stable position by internal operation of the first section, such that the inner tube is axially constrained to align with the first section. Thus, the first end of the inner tube can be considered to float within the winding tube assembly.

[0012] The segmented outer tube may have a second segment at its second end, located on the side opposite to the side where the first segment is located. The inner tube may extend through the second segment toward a fixed, immovable element. Therefore, the second segment does not necessarily need to provide bearing support.

[0013] The first and second sections preferably both include a winding drum portion, which also includes a winding groove for winding or unwinding the wire onto or from the winding drum. Therefore, the first and second sections include a winding drum portion and a shaft portion, wherein the shaft portion is interconnected with a further section of the outer tube located between the first and second sections.

[0014] Multiple sections of the outer tube can be interconnected by interlocking interfaces, such as teeth or fingers that slide on each other and interlock when engaged.

[0015] To prevent the interconnection between the multiple sections from loosening during the winding process, the sections are interlocked by fastening components. These fastening components can be, for example, adhesive tape strips bonded to all sections and extending from one section toward the next. The tape strips can be double-sided tape to allow additional attachment of light-blocking curtains to the segmented outer tube. Alternatively, the fastening components can be spring-like elements on either side of the outer tube that apply force to one side of the outer tube, thereby pushing the sections toward each other.

[0016] The objective of this invention is achieved by using a first section as a bearing support for the inner tube and by using a fixing component to keep the section interlocked.

[0017] In one embodiment, the first segment of the segmented outer tube includes a wound drum portion and an elongated shaft, wherein the elongated shaft has a minimum length to provide bearing support to the floating end of the static inner tube and a maximum length to accommodate the curvature of the static inner tube.

[0018] The floating end of the static inner tube is located within the slender shaft and abuts against its inner surface, providing bearing support to prevent displacement during operation. The slender shaft must be of sufficient length to provide a adequate number of contact points or contact area to adequately prevent displacement. However, if the slender shaft is too long, the curvature of the static inner tube will create too many contact points or contact area, clamping or jamming the first segment and thus preventing its rotation. The larger the radius of the static inner tube, the more critical these lengths become. Therefore, the slender shaft needs to have a length within a certain range to accommodate the amount of curvature of the static inner tube.

[0019] In one embodiment, the first segment is configured to be driven by a motor. The first segment may have a slot to receive a motor shaft, thereby allowing the first segment to be driven by the motor through the motor shaft.

[0020] In this embodiment, each segment of the segmented outer tube includes at least one slidable interlocking interface for locking in the direction of rotation and ensuring that all segments rotate together about the inner tube. The slidable interlocking interface may be a set of teeth or fingers on at least one side of each segment. The teeth or fingers may engage with the edges of adjacent segments or complementary teeth or fingers of adjacent segments, thereby enabling the segments to interlock with each other while allowing a degree of movement of the interlocking interfaces, thus making them slidable.

[0021] Due to the curvature, the segments are closer together on the bottom side of the curvature than on the top side, which means the sliding interlocking interface has more engagement on the bottom side than on the top side. As the segmented outer tube rotates, the sliding interface allows this engagement to be dynamically adjusted according to the interface's position during rotation. Therefore, while rotating together, the segments remain connected to each other, but the amount or degree of engagement of each individual element of the interface changes during rotation.

[0022] In one embodiment, the second segment of the segmented outer tube includes a winding drum portion, wherein the second segment is located at the outer end of the outer tube, and the static inner tube extends through the inner portion of the second segment. In the case of a short winding tube, the second segment may be adjacent to the first segment. However, a longer winding tube will have multiple third segments between the first and second segments.

[0023] In one embodiment, the static inner tube is attached to a fixed structure adjacent to the outer side of the second section. The static inner tube may protrude through the second structure, the fixed structure may protrude through the second section, or at least a portion of both the static inner tube and the fixed structure may protrude through the second section.

[0024] In one embodiment, the protective component includes a spring element located at at least one end of the segmented outer tube, thereby compressing the segments toward each other.

[0025] In one embodiment, the protective component includes tape adhered to the surface of each segment of the segmented outer tube. The tape can be used in conjunction with the spring element of the aforementioned embodiments. The tape can also be used as an alternative to the aforementioned embodiments. The tape strip can be double-sided tape to additionally attach the blackout curtain to the segmented outer tube, rather than a separate device for securing the blackout curtain, or any other separate device.

[0026] In an embodiment, the second segment includes an elongated shaft having a minimum length for providing adhesive support to the tape and a maximum length to accommodate the curvature of the static inner tube. When the static inner tube is secured by a fixing structure, the second segment does not necessarily require a minimum length to support the static inner tube. However, when using tape to secure the segmented outer tube, the tape needs to have sufficient surface area for adhesion. Also, similar to the first segment, the elongated shaft of the second element is preferably not too long, otherwise it would impede the rotation of the second segment.

[0027] In an aspect of the invention, a roller blind system for a roof assembly is provided, the roller blind system comprising the curved winding tube assembly as described above.

[0028] In another aspect of the invention, a roof assembly for a vehicle is provided, the roof assembly including the roller blind system described above.

[0029] In another aspect of the invention, a vehicle is provided that includes the roof assembly described above.

[0030] Other objects, aspects, effects, and details of specific embodiments of the invention are described in the following detailed description of several exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0031] By way of example only, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0032] Figure 1A A perspective view of a curved winding tube assembly according to the present invention is shown;

[0033] Figure 1B Another perspective view of the curved winding tube assembly according to the invention is shown;

[0034] Figure 2 This shows a top view of the curved winding tube assembly according to the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3A A cross-sectional side view of the curved winding tube assembly according to the present invention is shown;

[0036] Figure 3B It means as Figure 3A An enlarged view of one end of the curved winding tube assembly shown;

[0037] Figure 3C It means as Figure 3A An enlarged view of the other end of the curved winding tube assembly shown. Detailed Implementation

[0038] In the following description, the X, Y, and Z directions will refer to the directions corresponding to the length, width, and height of the vehicle, or the longitudinal, lateral, and vertical directions, respectively.

[0039] Figure 1A and 1B The diagram shows a perspective view of a curved winding tube assembly 1. Assembly 1 includes a segmented outer tube 3 having multiple sections, including a first section 3a at a first end of assembly 1 and a second section 3b at a second end of assembly 1.

[0040] The first section 3a includes a winding drum 31a, and the second section 3b includes a winding drum 31b. Assembly 1 also includes a drive motor 4 located at the first end and connected to the first section 3a. Assembly 1 also includes a fixing structure 5 located at the second end adjacent to the second section 3b.

[0041] Each segment of the segmented outer tube 3 includes a slidable interlocking interface 32, which resembles a set of teeth or fingers that slide into or across each other to allow the segments to interlock, while also allowing the interface to slide in and out continuously as the segmented outer tube 3 rotates around the curved inner tube 2. Figure 1A It may not be directly visible in 1B.

[0042] exist Figure 1B The image shows the curved winding tube assembly 1, wherein, for the purpose of making the sliding interlocking interface 32 visible, Figure 1A The fixing component 6 is omitted. The fixing component 6 is the adhesive tape strip that is bonded to each section.

[0043] exist Figure 2 In the diagram, the bent winding tube assembly 1 is shown in a top view in the XY plane. It can be seen that the bent winding tube assembly 1 is not bent within this particular XY plane.

[0044] Figure 3A , 3B Figures 3C and 3C represent a side sectional view of the bent winding tube assembly 1 in the YZ plane. (See figure 3C.) Figure 3A As shown, the bent winding tube assembly 1 is bent in the YZ plane and has a curvature RR' represented by the dashed curve, so the bent winding tube assembly 1 has a radius extending along the Z direction.

[0045] exist Figure 3B In the middle, it indicates that according to Figure 3AAn enlarged and more detailed view of the first end of the curved winding tube assembly 1. It can be seen that the curved inner tube 2 is located within the segmented outer tube 3. The first segment 3a is connected to the drive motor 4. It can be seen that the inner tube 2 has a floating end 2a, which is held in place by the inside of the first segment 3a and is not fixed to any particular structure.

[0046] Figure 3C It indicates that according to Figure 3A An enlarged and more detailed view of the second end of the curved winding tube assembly 2. The fixing structure 5 is adjacent to the second section 3b, wherein the curved inner tube 2 has a portion 2b extending through the second section 3b and fixed to the fixing structure 5.

[0047] This document discloses detailed embodiments of the invention; however, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of the invention, which can be implemented in various forms. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but rather serve as the basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to implement the invention with any suitable detailed structure contemplated. In particular, features presented and described in the individual dependent claims can be applied in combination, and together any advantageous combinations of these claims are disclosed.

[0048] Furthermore, it is anticipated that structural elements can be generated using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. Therefore, any reference to a structural element will contain any computer-executable instructions that instruct a computer to generate such a structural element using 3D printing technology or a similar computer-controlled manufacturing technique. Moreover, any such reference to a structural element will also contain a computer-readable medium carrying such computer-executable instructions.

[0049] Furthermore, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting, but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention. As used herein, the term “a” or “an” is defined as one or more. The term “multiple” as used herein is defined as two or more. As used herein, the term “another” is defined as at least a second or more. As used herein, the terms “include” and / or “have” are defined as “include” (i.e., open-ended language). As used herein, the term “connection” is defined as a link, but not necessarily a direct link.

[0050] Although the invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, it is not intended to limit it to the specific forms set forth herein. Rather, the invention is limited only by the appended claims, and other embodiments different from those described above may also be within the scope of these appended claims.

[0051] Furthermore, although exemplary embodiments have been described above with some example combinations of components and / or functions, it should be understood that alternative embodiments can be provided by different combinations of components and / or functions without departing from the scope of the invention. Additionally, it is particularly anticipated that specific features described individually or as part of an embodiment can be combined with other separately described features or portions of other embodiments.

Claims

1. A curved winding tube assembly (1) for a roller blind system, the curved winding tube assembly comprising: A static internal tube (2) having a curvature (RR′); The segmented outer tube (3) includes multiple interconnected sections, wherein the first section (3a) of the segmented outer tube (3) provides bearing support for the floating end (2a) of the static inner tube (2), and the fixing component (6) engages the multiple interconnected sections to maintain the relative positions of the multiple interconnected sections with respect to each other.

2. The bend and wrap tube assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The first section (3a) of the segmented outer tube (3) includes a winding drum portion (31a) and an elongated shaft having a minimum length for providing bearing support to the floating end (2a) of the static inner tube (2) and a maximum length for adapting to the curvature (RR') of the static inner tube (2).

3. The bent winding tube assembly (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first section (3a) is configured to be driven by a motor (4).

4. The curved winding tube assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: Each section of the segmented external pipe (3) includes at least one slidable interlocking interface (32).

5. The curved winding tube assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The second section (3b) of the segmented outer tube (3) includes a winding drum portion (31b), the second section (3b) being located at the outer end of the segmented outer tube (3), and the static inner tube (2) extending through the inner portion of the second section (3b).

6. The bent winding tube assembly (1) according to claim 5, wherein: The static internal tube (2) is attached to the fixed structure (5) adjacent to the outside of the second section (3b).

7. The curved winding tube assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The protective component (6) includes a spring element located at at least one end of the segmented outer tube, thereby compressing the plurality of interconnected segments toward each other.

8. The curved winding tube assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The protective component (6) includes adhesive tape bonded to the surface of each section of the segmented outer tube.

9. The bent winding tube assembly (1) according to claim 8, wherein: The second section (3b) includes an elongated shaft having a minimum length for providing adhesive support to the tape and a maximum length for adapting to the curvature of the static inner tube (2).

10. A roller blind system for a roof assembly, the roller blind system comprising a curved winding tube assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.

11. A roof assembly for a vehicle, the roof assembly comprising the roller blind system of claim 10.

12. A vehicle comprising the roof assembly according to claim 11.

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