Roller blind for a storage compartment in a motor vehicle

Abstract

Roller blind for a storage compartment in a motor vehicle, which has guide elements (6) arranged one behind the other in a sliding direction of the roller blind (4), which are slidably guided in a guide groove (3), and with tensioning elements (8) which bear against a groove cheek (12) of the guide groove (3) with preload and press the guide elements (6) with the preload against an opposite groove cheek (13) of the guide groove (3), wherein the tensioning elements (8) are offset laterally to the guide elements (6), characterized in that the tensioning elements (8) are in the same longitudinal position as the guide elements (6) with respect to a longitudinal direction of the guide groove (3).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a roller blind for a storage compartment in a motor vehicle with the features of the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Patent application GB 2 366 554 A discloses a roller blind with hinged slats arranged one behind the other in a sliding direction and extending across the width of the blind. On the sides of the blind, the slats have guide elements that engage in guide grooves on both sides of the blind and are thus guided to slide along the longitudinal direction of the guide grooves. The longitudinal direction of the guide grooves is also the sliding direction of the blind; the guide elements of the slats engaging in the guide grooves guide the slats and the blind in both the sliding direction and the longitudinal direction of the guide grooves. Viewed from one side, the guide grooves are congruent and open on their facing sides. The guide grooves can be straight and / or curved.

[0003] The guide elements of the known roller blind feature arc-shaped, elastic tensioning elements that bear against one side of the guide grooves with elastic preload, pressing the guide elements against an opposite side of the guide grooves with this elastic preload. This eliminates play in the guide grooves and prevents rattling noises.

[0004] According to FR 2851966 A1, guide elements and tensioning elements with pretension are known which are guided in a guide groove transversely to the direction of movement of the roller blind and transversely to a surface of the roller blind.

[0005] The object of the invention is to improve the prevention of rattling noises in a roller blind of the type described above.

[0006] This problem is solved according to the invention by the features of claim 1. The roller blind according to the invention, with the features of claim 1, has guide elements arranged one behind the other in a sliding direction, which are slidably guided in a guide groove, and wherein the tensioning elements are located in the same longitudinal position as the guide elements with respect to a longitudinal direction of the guide groove. Normally, two guide grooves are provided on both sides of the roller blind, and the roller blind has guide elements on both sides. The roller blind can be at the same height as the guide grooves or above the guide grooves and extend laterally over the guide grooves so that the roller blind covers the guide grooves. The term "height" here refers to the case of a roller blind extending horizontally. In the case of a different extension, for example, vertically, the term is to be understood accordingly.The two guide grooves are located in two planes parallel to each other and perpendicular to the roller blind, and are congruent when viewed from one side. Usually, the two guide grooves are open on their facing sides for the engagement of the guide elements, but they can also be open on their opposite sides or on other sides. The guide grooves typically have straight sections or arc-shaped sections with a large radius of curvature and arc-shaped sections with a small radius of curvature. Straight sections of the guide grooves can be considered a limiting case of arc-shaped sections with a large, i.e., approaching infinity, radius of curvature. The arc-shaped sections do not have to be circular but can have a radius of curvature that changes along their length.A large radius of curvature is greater than the width of the roller blind or greater than the length of a storage compartment that can be covered by the roller blind; a small radius of curvature is less than the width of the roller blind or less than the length of a storage compartment that can be covered by the roller blind, in particular less than half the width of the roller blind or less than half the length of a storage compartment that can be covered by the roller blind.

[0007] To guide the roller blind smoothly and without rattling in the guide groove(s), the roller blind according to the invention has tensioning elements that bear against one side of the guide groove(s) with a preload and press the guide elements against an opposite side of the guide groove(s) with the preload. This holds the guide elements and the tensioning elements in the guide groove with the preload transversely to the direction of movement of the roller blind and transversely to a surface of the roller blind. The preload is high enough to prevent rattling and low enough to allow movement of the roller blind. Here, "surface of the roller blind" refers to an imaginary surface extending along a visible side of the roller blind.

[0008] According to the invention, the tensioning elements are offset laterally to the guide elements. Laterally means transverse to the direction of movement of the roller blind and parallel to the surface of the roller blind or perpendicular to a groove bottom of the guide groove(s), that is, the tensioning elements are offset relative to the guide elements in the direction of a groove depth of the guide groove. The lateral offset of the tensioning elements relative to the guide elements of the roller blind allows for a greater spring travel of the tensioning elements to generate the preload.

[0009] In the direction of movement of the roller blind, or with respect to the longitudinal direction of the guide groove(s), the tensioning elements are preferably located in the same longitudinal position as the guide elements, or at least have only a small offset in this direction. This ensures that the preload with which the tensioning elements and the guide elements bear against the groove wall in the guide groove(s) is independent of any curvature of the guide groove(s) and – assuming a constant groove width – is the same in tight curves of the guide groove(s) as in straight sections of the guide groove(s).

[0010] For a large spring travel of the clamping elements to generate the preload, one embodiment of the invention provides cantilever arms extending in a longitudinal direction of the guide groove(s). The cantilever arms need not extend exactly in the longitudinal direction of the guide groove(s); it is sufficient if they extend partially or approximately in the longitudinal direction of the guide groove(s). The clamping elements are arranged on the cantilever arms, particularly at their free ends, or are components of the cantilever arms. A large spring travel results in a small change in the preload even if the groove width changes due to a manufacturing tolerance or if the guide groove(s) are curved, even with a small offset of the clamping elements relative to the guide elements in the longitudinal direction of the guide groove(s).

[0011] In one embodiment of the invention, the cantilever arms extend away from the guide elements. To ensure that the clamping elements are in the same longitudinal position as the guide elements in the longitudinal direction of the guide groove(s), the cantilever arms are, for example, angled or U-shaped.

[0012] To support the guide elements in the guide groove(s) against tilting, one embodiment of the invention provides support elements that project from the guide elements in the direction of movement of the roller blind or in the longitudinal direction of the guide groove(s) and bear against a groove wall of the guide groove(s) in straight sections of the guide groove(s). Preferably, the support elements bear against the same groove wall as the guide elements. Even in curved sections of the guide groove(s) with a large radius, the support elements can bear against one groove wall of the guide groove(s). In curved sections of the guide groove(s) with a small radius, the support elements lift off the groove wall. "Tilting" refers to a pivoting of the guide elements about transverse axes of the roller blind parallel to its surface.The support elements extend the support of the guide elements by the distance of the support elements from the guide elements in the longitudinal direction of the guide groove(s) and thus counteract tilting.

[0013] To further reduce the tendency to tip, a further development of the invention provides support elements that protrude from the guide elements in opposite directions in a longitudinal direction of the guide groove.

[0014] The roller blind according to the invention is intended for closing a storage compartment in, for example, the center console of a motor vehicle. Other uses are not excluded.

[0015] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an embodiment illustrated in the drawing. The drawing shows: Fig. 1 a storage compartment with a roller blind according to the invention cut in a longitudinal central plane; Fig. 2 an enlarged and perspective view of a roller blind guide made of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 a front view of the guide Fig. 2 seen in a longitudinal direction of a guide groove.

[0016] The in Fig. The storage compartment 1 shown in Figure 1 has the shape of a box open at the top in its intended installation position and is designed for installation in the center console of a motor vehicle (not shown). Two parallel side walls 2 of the storage compartment 1 have U-shaped guide grooves 3 for a roller blind 4 according to the invention on their facing inner surfaces, such that the guide grooves 3 are open on their facing sides. Viewed from one side, the guide grooves 3 are congruent. The U-shaped guide grooves 3 extend over the open top of the storage compartment 1, then curve 180° around one end of the storage compartment 1 and under a bottom surface of the storage compartment 1. On the bottom surface of the storage compartment 1, the guide grooves 3 are straight; on the top surface, they have a slight upward curvature, although this is not mandatory.

[0017] The roller blind 4 is a slat blind with hinged, strip-shaped slats 5 that extend across the width of the storage compartment 1 and cover its side walls 2. On their undersides facing the storage compartment 1, the slats 5 have pin-shaped guide elements 6 that engage in the guide grooves 3 and guide the slats 5, and thus the roller blind 4, slidably in a longitudinal direction along the guide grooves 3. The guide elements 6 are arranged on tabs 7 that project from the undersides of the slats 5. The tabs 7 are each arranged at the joint of two slats 5, bridging the joint and hingedly connecting the two tabs 7. Each tab 7 has two guide elements 6 that are spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction along the guide grooves 6.A tab 7 arranged at the joint of two lamellae 5 with two laterally projecting guide elements 6 and clamping elements 8 arranged laterally next to them, which will be explained laterally, is in . Fig. 2 can be seen.

[0018] The roller blind has 4 tensioning elements 8 on the end faces of the guide elements 6. There is a gap between the guide elements 6 and the tensioning elements 8; the tensioning elements 8 are – as well as in Fig. As can be seen in Figure 3, the tensioning elements 8 are offset laterally to the guide elements 6. "Laterally" means transverse to the longitudinal direction of the guide grooves 3 and parallel to a surface of the roller blind 4. Along the longitudinal direction of the guide grooves 3, the tensioning elements 8 are in the same longitudinal position as the guide elements 6. In this exemplary embodiment, the annular tensioning elements 8 are arranged at the free ends of cantilever arms 9, which extend in the opposite direction along the longitudinal direction of the guide grooves 3 and are connected at the center of a connecting plate 10 that extends between the guide elements 6. Elastic membranes 11 extend between the cantilever arms 9 and the connecting plate 10, connecting the cantilever arms 9 to the connecting plate 10 in a single piece and elastically. The cantilever arms 9 are located in the guide grooves 3 and are resilient due to their elasticity, allowing the tensioning elements 8 to move transversely within the guide grooves 3 and transversely to the surface of the roller blind 4.

[0019] Both the guide elements 6 and the clamping elements 8 have a slightly smaller diameter than the guide grooves 3 are wide. The spring-loaded cantilever arms 9 press the clamping elements 8 with a preload against an upper or outer groove face 12 of the guide grooves 3, which simultaneously presses the guide elements 6 with the same preload against another, namely lower or inner, groove face 13 of the guide grooves 3. Fig.Figure 3 shows that the guide elements 6 rest on the lower or inner groove 13 of the guide grooves 3, and a gap exists between the upper or outer groove 12 and the guide elements 6. Conversely, the clamping elements 8 rest against the upper or outer groove 12 of the guide grooves 3, and a gap exists between the lower or inner groove 13 and the clamping elements 8. Due to the preload with which the guide elements 6 of the slats 5 of the roller blind 4 are pressed against a groove 13 and the clamping elements 8 against an opposite groove 12 of the guide grooves 3, the slats 5 or the roller blind 4 are held without play and therefore without rattling in the guide grooves 3 and are guided to move slidably in the longitudinal direction of the guide grooves 3.

[0020] Because the clamping elements 8 are in the same longitudinal position as the guide elements 6 in the longitudinal direction of the guide grooves 3, the preload with which the guide elements 6 and the clamping elements 8 are pressed against the opposite groove cheeks 12, 13 of the guide grooves 3 does not change in straight and curved sections of the guide grooves 3.

[0021] Support arms, referred to here generally as support elements 14, project from the guide elements 6 in the longitudinal direction of the guide grooves 3 and in opposite directions. In the straight sections of the guide grooves 3, the free ends of the support elements 14 rest against the same lower or inner groove walls 13 of the guide grooves 3 as the guide elements 6, both below the storage compartment 2 and on the upper side of the storage compartment 1. They extend the bearing surface of the guide elements 6 and reduce any tilting tendency about transverse axes perpendicular to the guide grooves 3 and parallel to the surface of the roller blind 4. In the sections where the guide grooves 3 curve around the end of the storage compartment 2 with a comparatively small radius of curvature, the support elements 14 lift off the lower or inner groove wall 13. Reference symbol list 1 storage compartment 2 side wall 3 guide grooves 4 roller blinds 5 slats 6 guide elements 7 tab 8 clamping elements 9 cantilever arms 10 Connecting plate 11 Membran 12 upper or outer groove cheek 13 lower or inner groove cheek 14 Support element

Claims

[1] Roller blind for a storage compartment in a motor vehicle, which has guide elements (6) arranged one behind the other in a sliding direction of the roller blind (4), which are slidably guided in a guide groove (3), and with tensioning elements (8) which bear against a groove cheek (12) of the guide groove (3) with preload and press the guide elements (6) with preload against an opposite groove cheek (13) of the guide groove (3), wherein the tensioning elements (8) are offset laterally to the guide elements (6), characterized by that the clamping elements (8) are in the same longitudinal position as the guide elements (6) with respect to a longitudinal direction of the guide groove (3). [2] Roller blind according to claim 1, characterized by , that the roller blind (4) has cantilever arms (9) which extend in a longitudinal direction of the guide groove (3), which spring transversely to the groove cheeks (12, 13) and on which the tensioning elements (8) are arranged. [3] Roller blind according to claim 2, characterized by, that the cantilever arms (9) extend away from the guide elements (6). [4] Roller blind according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by , that the cantilever arms (9) are angled. [5] Roller blind according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that support elements (14) protrude from the guide elements (6) in the direction of movement of the roller blind (4), which in straight sections of the guide groove (3) and / or in curved sections of the guide groove (3) with a large radius abut a groove cheek (13) of the guide groove (3). [6] Roller blind according to any of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the guide groove (3) has an arc-shaped section. [7] Roller blind according to claim 5 or 6, characterized by , that the support elements (14) protrude from the guide elements (6) in opposite directions in a longitudinal direction of the guide groove (3).

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