Sunshade roller blind for a vehicle window

Abstract

Sunshade roller blind (10) for a window of a motor vehicle, comprising: - a flat rollable sunshade element (12); - a roll-up mechanism (14) with a roller axle (16) for rolling up the sunshade element (12) into a stowed position that exposes the window; - a driver (20) movable translationally along a guide (18) arranged laterally next to the sunshade element (12) for extending the sunshade element (12) from the stowed position into a working position covering the window;- a receptacle (24) arranged off-center at an upper end region (22) of the sun protection element (12) with a contact surface (28) for the driver (20) which is inclined relative to the roller blind axis (16) and which forms an angle (α) of less than 90° between itself and the guide (18), as a result of which a normal force exerted on the contact surface (28) by means of the driver (20) points obliquely away from the roller blind axis (16) in the direction of the guide (18) and pulls the upper end region (22) of the sun protection element (12) in the direction of the guide (18), wherein - the driver (20) has a driver head (26) which is arranged between the contact surface (28) and a further contact surface (30) of the receptacle (24) arranged opposite it, wherein the driver head (26) has such a shape that it is rotatable between the contact surfaces (28, 30).

Description

Technical field The present invention relates to a sunshade roller blind for a window of a motor vehicle. State of the art Vehicle interiors can heat up considerably in direct sunlight. Furthermore, vehicle occupants can be blinded by the sun's rays. Therefore, various measures are taken, particularly in the rear of vehicles, to counteract the heating of the interior and / or the glare for passengers. It is common practice to install sunshades, which can be used, for example, to cover the rear side windows when needed. This helps prevent the interior from heating up and the occupants from being blinded by the sun. In addition, such sunshades can also serve as privacy screens, restricting or completely blocking the view into the vehicle from the outside. With these types of sunshade roller blinds, it is generally desirable that they appear taut when covering the window. In other words, the flat sunshade element of the roller blind should neither sag nor wrinkle when covering the window. Depending on the installation situation, particularly the geometry of the window to be covered and the available space for installing the sunshade roller blind, it can prove difficult to prevent sagging and / or wrinkling of the flat sunshade element. US patent 2006 / 0260771A1 discloses a sunshade actuation device. DE 10 2007 012 259 A1 discloses a sunshade roller blind for motor vehicles. Description of the invention The object of the present invention is to provide a sunshade roller blind for a window of a motor vehicle in which sagging and / or wrinkling in a position of use covering a window can be reliably prevented. This problem is solved by a sunshade roller blind for a window of a motor vehicle with the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments with expedient and non-trivial further developments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims. The sunshade roller blind according to the invention for a motor vehicle window comprises a flat, rollable sunshade element. This sunshade element can be, for example, a woven fabric, knitted fabric, or the like. A key feature of the sunshade element is that it has a structure or properties that allow it to be rolled up and unrolled easily. Furthermore, the sunshade element has a structure that is at least partially opaque, so that sunlight is not completely transmitted by means of the sunshade element. The sunshade roller blind also includes a winding mechanism with a roller axle for rolling the sunshade element into a stowed position that exposes the window. The winding mechanism can be concealed, for example, in a side door of the vehicle, out of sight of the occupants. In this stowed position, the sunshade element is wound onto the roller axle of the winding mechanism in such a way that it exposes the window, for example, by being recessed, at least substantially, into the side door. Furthermore, the sunshade roller blind includes a drive mechanism that moves translationally along a guide located laterally next to the sunshade element. This mechanism extends the sunshade element from its stowed position to a position covering the window pane. The guide can be, for example, a guide rail or similar structure within which the movable drive mechanism is mounted. Using this drive mechanism, the sunshade element can be pulled out from its stowed position into the aforementioned position. In other words, the drive mechanism allows the sunshade element, previously wound onto the roller tube, to be unwound and pulled off the tube to cover the window pane in its operating position. The drive mechanism can be moved along the longitudinal direction of the guide, with the longitudinal direction of the guide corresponding to the extension direction of the sunshade element.The guide in question is arranged laterally next to the sunshade element, so that the actuator interacts laterally, at least indirectly, with the sunshade element in order to move it from the storage position to the operating position. Furthermore, the sun protection roller blind includes an off-center receptacle at an upper end area of ​​the sun protection element with a contact surface for the driver that runs at an angle to the roller blind axis and forms an angle of less than 90° between itself and the guide, as a result of which a normal force exerted on the contact surface by means of the driver points obliquely away from the roller blind axis in the direction of the guide and pulls the upper end area of ​​the sun protection element in the direction of the guide. The mounting surface for the drive mechanism is therefore not parallel to the roller blind axis, which would correspond to conventional solutions. Instead, according to the invention, the mounting surface for the drive mechanism is inclined such that an angle of less than 90° is enclosed between the mounting surface and the guide along which the drive mechanism is mounted for translational movement. Thus, with respect to a standard installation position of the sunshade roller blind, for example, the mounting surface slopes downwards towards the guide. In other words, the mounting surface for the drive mechanism has a ramp-like shape. When the drive element is moved along the guide to move the sunshade element from the stowed position to the operating position, the inclined position of the contact surface ensures that a force is exerted on the sunshade element not only in the extension direction, i.e., parallel to the longitudinal direction of the guide. Due to the inclined position of the contact surface for the drive element according to the invention, a tensile force is exerted on the sunshade element both in the extension direction and in the direction of the guide when the sunshade element is extended and, especially, when in the operating position. This tensions the sunshade element, particularly in areas that are relatively far from the drive element when viewed from the side. Despite the off-center mounting point at the upper end of the sunshade element, the guide mechanism prevents sagging or wrinkling. This is because the angled mounting surface for the guide mechanism prevents sagging or wrinkling, particularly in the area of ​​the sunshade element furthest from the guide. This angled mounting surface creates a tensile stress or tension force in the area furthest from the guide, ensuring that the sunshade element remains reliably taut, especially when in its operating position. It is also possible that the entire sunshade element will be taut when being pulled from its stowed position to its operating position. For example, if the sunshade element is pulled from its stowed position in the vehicle's vertical direction into its operating position by means of the drive mechanism, the inclined contact surface for the drive mechanism ensures that the drive mechanism exerts a force on the sunshade element not only in the vehicle's vertical direction but also in the vehicle's transverse direction, mediated by the contact surface. This force is such that the sunshade element is tensioned diagonally upwards in the direction of the guide. Thus, despite the asymmetrical, i.e., off-center, arrangement of the mounting, the sunshade roller blind according to the invention promotes reliable tensioning of the entire sunshade element. The sunshade roller blind according to the invention can, for example, protect essentially triangular windows or window areas of motor vehicles from sunlight, while simultaneously ensuring that the roll-up sunshade element is taut in all areas, at least in its operating position, without sagging or wrinkling. The window can have a wide variety of shapes. Therefore, even if the geometry of the window to be covered and / or the available space for installing the sunshade roller blind requires the mounting point to be positioned off-center at the upper end of the sunshade element, the inclined mounting surface for the drive mechanism, as described in the invention, ensures that the sunshade element is taut everywhere, at least in its operating position. One possible embodiment of the invention provides that the contact surface is oriented at such an angle relative to the roller blind axis that, in the operating position, a tensile stress acts on a region of the sunshade element facing away from the guide. This allows the region of the sunshade element facing away from the guide to be reliably tensioned, at least in the operating position, and thus arranged without sagging or wrinkling. It can be provided that the contact surface is oriented at such an angle relative to the roller blind axis that, in the operating position, the side or region of the sunshade element facing the guide is also taut.In other words, the mounting surface is oriented at such an angle relative to the roller blind axis that the sunshade element is fully taut, at least in its operating position, without any localized wrinkling or sagging. The angle of the mounting surface is chosen to match the material properties and shape of the sunshade element, ensuring that the angle between the mounting surface and the guide is always less than 90°, but neither too small nor too large, so that the sunshade element remains reliably taut throughout its entire surface, at least in its operating position. Another possible embodiment of the invention provides that the mounting surface is oriented at such an angle relative to the roller blind axis that, in the operating position of the sunshade element, a line aligned with the direction of the normal force passes through a point located at the level of the roller blind axis that is closer to a side of the sunshade element facing away from the guide than to a side facing the guide. This ensures that, in the operating position, the area of ​​the sunshade element facing away from the guide is reliably taut. Sagging or wrinkling of the area of ​​the sunshade element facing away from the guide is thus reliably prevented.Because the line aligned with the direction of action of the normal force passes through the point located at the level of the roller blind axis, which is closer to the side of the sun protection element facing away from the guide than to the side facing the guide, such a moment is applied within the surface of the sun protection element in the operating position that, in particular, the area of ​​the sun protection element facing away from the guide is stretched taut. According to another possible embodiment of the invention, the sunshade element tapers asymmetrically towards its upper end region, specifically towards the side facing the guide. For example, the sunshade element can have a substantially triangular shape to cover a correspondingly substantially triangular window area or a triangular window or pane of a motor vehicle. One side of the sunshade element facing the guide runs, for example, parallel to the guide. An opposite side of the sunshade element tapers upwards, resulting in an asymmetrically pointed shape. Other shapes of the sunshade element are also possible. Another possible embodiment of the invention provides that the winding mechanism has a return element which exerts a return torque on the roller blind axle to wind the sunshade element into the stowed position. For example, the return element could be a torsion spring. The return element ensures that, in the extension direction, the sunshade roller blind is always subjected to a tensile force which attempts to twist the roller blind axle so that the sunshade element is wound onto the roller blind axle in the stowed position. When the sunshade element is extended, the drive element is moved transversely to the roller blind axle in the extension direction along the guide. Due to the aforementioned inclination of the contact surface, the drive element exerts a tensile force on the sunshade element in the direction of extension, i.e., opposite to a return force resulting from the return torque.Secondly, due to the aforementioned angled mounting surface, a tensile force acts diagonally away from the roller blind axis towards the guide, affecting the sunshade element. This ensures that the sunshade element, particularly in the area furthest from the guide, remains taut, especially in the operating position. The interaction between the return element of the winding mechanism and the drive mechanism, combined with the angled mounting surface for the drive mechanism, guarantees that the sunshade element remains fully taut across its entire surface, particularly in the operating position. This reliably prevents sagging and / or wrinkling of the sunshade element, especially in the operating position. Another possible embodiment of the invention provides that the drive mechanism has a drive head which is arranged between the contact surface and a further contact surface of the receptacle located opposite it, wherein the drive head has such a shape that it is rotatable between the contact surfaces. The contact surfaces can be spaced apart so far that the drive head is, for example, always in contact with both contact surfaces. The rotatability of the drive head allows for the compensation of various tolerances in the sunshade roller blind. The rotatability of the drive head between the two contact surfaces also prevents the formation of undesirable mechanical stresses within the sunshade roller blind, which could otherwise occur, particularly due to manufacturing tolerance variations. Another possible embodiment of the sunshade roller blind provides that the extension mechanism has a drive unit, in particular an electric motor, by means of which the carrier can be moved along the guide. This allows the sunshade element to be moved back and forth between the stowed position and the operating position in a particularly simple manner. Further advantages, features, and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a possible embodiment and from the drawings. The features and combinations of features mentioned above in the description, as well as those shown below in the figure description and / or in the figures themselves, can be used not only in the combinations specified, but also in other combinations or individually, without departing from the scope of the invention. Brief character description Fig. 1 shows a side view of a sunshade roller blind for a motor vehicle window, wherein a flat, rollable sunshade element is arranged in an extended operating position; Fig. 2 shows another side view of the sunshade roller blind, wherein the sunshade element is arranged in its lowered and rolled-up storage position and some trim parts of the sunshade roller blind have been omitted; Fig. 3 shows a side detail view of a receptacle arranged off-center in an upper end region of the sunshade element with an inclined contact surface for a drive mechanism, which serves to pull the sunshade element from the rolled-up and lowered storage position into the extended operating position; and in Fig.4 Another side view of the sunshade roller blind while the sunshade element is in the operating position, with forces acting on the sunshade element due to the inclined contact surface shown schematically. In the figures, identical or functionally equivalent elements have been provided with the same reference symbols. A sunshade 10 for a window of a motor vehicle (not shown) is shown in a side view in Fig. 1. The sunshade 10 comprises a flat, rollable sunshade element 12. The sunshade element 12 can be, for example, a fabric, a material, or the like, which serves to protect a vehicle interior from sunlight and / or from outside views. The sunshade roller blind 10 further comprises a winding mechanism 14 with a roller axle 16 for winding the sunshade element 12 into a stowed position that exposes the pane. In addition, the sunshade roller blind 10 includes a driver 20, which is only partially visible here and is movable along a guide 18 arranged laterally next to the sunshade element 12, for extending the sunshade element 12 from the stowed position into a working position covering the pane, as shown here. As can be seen, the sunshade element 12 has an essentially triangular shape, tapering asymmetrically towards the top (in the vehicle's vertical direction z) relative to the vehicle's longitudinal direction x. An off-center receptacle 24 is arranged at an upper end 22 of the sunshade element 12. The receptacle 24 serves to receive the drive mechanism 20, enabling the drive mechanism 20 to unwind the sunshade element 12 from the roller blind axis 16 and pull it into the operating position shown here. The drive mechanism 20 moves along the longitudinal direction of the guide 18, which corresponds to the extension direction of the sunshade element 12. As can be seen, the extension direction of the sunshade element 12, and thus the longitudinal direction of the guide 18, need not be exactly aligned with the vehicle's vertical direction z.For example, the guide 18 is arranged such that it runs like a frame part of a vehicle door (not shown here), to which the pane (not shown here) to be covered by means of the sunshade 10 is attached. Contrary to the illustrations in the figures, the mechanism, i.e., the sunshade roller blind 10, can also be arranged in the vehicle rotated by 90 degrees, for example. The roller blind axle 16 can then be integrated, for instance, where the guide 18 is located. In this case, the sunshade element 12, serving as the covering, can then be extended, at least substantially, in the longitudinal direction x of the vehicle along the so-called sill edge of the door trim, e.g., towards the rear of the vehicle. The drive mechanism 20 would then no longer move from bottom to top, but from right to left, i.e., at least substantially, in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. For this purpose, a guide (not shown here) could be provided above or below the sunshade element 12 in the vertical direction z of the vehicle, on which the drive mechanism 20 can then be mounted so that it can be movably guided in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.The driver 20 could then engage off-center on the sunshade element 12 via the receptacle 24. The receptacle 24 would then be positioned off-center relative to the vehicle's vertical direction z on the sunshade element 12. Fig. 2 shows a further side view of the sunshade roller blind 10, with the sunshade element 12 depicted in its stowed position, rolled up and lowered onto the roller blind axle 16. Several unspecified trim parts have been omitted in the area of ​​the roller blind axle 16, allowing a view of how the sunshade element 12 is wound onto the roller blind axle 16. Furthermore, a trim part of the receptacle 24, not specified in Fig. 1, has been omitted, thus revealing the interior of the receptacle 24. The driver 20 has a driver head 26, which has a rounded shape. The driver head 26 is arranged between two inclined contact surfaces 28, 30 of the receptacle 24. When the driver 20 moves upwards along the guide 18 to extend the sunshade element 12 into the operating position, the driver head 26 presses against the upper of the two contact surfaces 28. Due to the inclination of the upper contact surface 28, the driver 20, mediated by the receptacle 24, exerts a tensile force not only in the extension direction but also in the direction of the guide 18 when the sunshade element 12 is extended into the operating position. As a result, a normal force exerted on the contact surface 28 by means of the driver 20 points obliquely away from the roller shutter axis 16 in the direction of the guide 18 and pulls the upper end region 22 (see Fig. 1) of the sunshade element 12 in the direction of the guide 18.Despite the asymmetrical arrangement of the mounting 24, it can be reliably ensured that the entire sun protection element 12 is taut everywhere, at least in the operating position - as shown in Fig. 1 - so that it can be prevented that the sun protection element 12 sags anywhere or tends to wrinkle. Fig. 3 shows an enlarged side view of the receptacle 24 for the driver 20. As can be seen, the upper contact surface 28 forms an angle α of less than 90° between itself and the guide 18, as a result of which a normal force exerted on the contact surface 28 by means of the driver head 26 or the driver 20 points obliquely away from the roller shutter axis 16 (not shown here) in the direction of the guide 18 and pulls the upper end region 22 (not shown here, but in Fig. 1) of the sun protection element 12 in the direction of the guide 18. The lower mounting surface 30 of the receptacle 24 is aligned at least substantially parallel to the upper mounting surface 28 and accordingly also forms an acute angle between itself and the guide 18. As mentioned, the drive head 26 has a rounded shape. More generally, the drive head 26 is shaped in such a way that it can rotate between the mounting surfaces 28 and 30 of the receptacle 24. This allows for the compensation of manufacturing tolerances in the sunshade 10. Furthermore, the receptacle 24, and in particular the mounting surfaces 28 and 30, are designed such that the drive head 26 can pull the receptacle 24 towards the guide 18. Fig. 4 shows the sunshade roller blind 10 in another side view, with the sunshade element 12 – as in Fig. 1 – again arranged in its unrolled and extended operating position. The reference numeral b denotes the width of the sunshade element 12. The view into the interior of the receptacle 24 is again unobstructed, so that the inclined contact surfaces 28, 30 and the adjacent drive head 26 can be seen. The contact surface 28 is oriented at such an angle to the roller blind axis 16 that, in the operating position shown here, a tensile stress acts on a region 32 of the sunshade element 12 facing away from the guide 18. Despite the asymmetrical arrangement of the mounting 24, this area 32 is held taut in the operating position, so that it neither sags nor tends to wrinkle. Furthermore, the contact surface 28 is oriented obliquely relative to the roller blind axis 16, or rather, the angle α (not shown here) between the contact surface 28 and the guide 18 is chosen such that, in the operating position of the sunshade element 12, a line aligned with the direction of action 34 of the normal force exerted on the contact surface 28 by means of the driver 20 passes through a point 36 located at the level of the roller blind axis 16. This point 36 is closer to a side 38 facing away from the guide 18 than to a side 40 of the sunshade element 12 facing the guide 18. Therefore, point 36 is not located at half the width b of the sunshade element 12, but—according to the present illustration—off-center in the left half of the sunshade element 12. In other words, the line of action 34, along which the normal force (not shown here) acts on the contact surface 28 via the drive head 26, passes through the off-center point 36. A restoring force 44 also acts at a center point 42 of the sunshade element 12 at the level of the roller shutter axle 16. This restoring force is exerted on the sunshade element 12 by a restoring element of the winding mechanism 14 (not shown here). The restoring element could, for example, be a torsion spring, which exerts a restoring torque on the roller shutter axle 16 to wind the sunshade element 12 into the stowed position. As a result of this restoring torque, the resulting restoring force 44 then acts at the center point 42. This restoring force 44 must be overcome by the drive 20 in order to move and hold the sunshade element 12 from the stowed position into the operating position shown here. A further line of action 46 is schematically shown, according to which the normal force would be exerted by the drive head 26 on the contact surface 28 if the contact surface 28 were parallel to the roller blind axis 16. If the contact surface 28 were not inclined as shown here, but parallel to the roller blind axis 16, then in the operating position shown here, and also when the sunshade element 12 is pulled out, insufficient tension would act on the area 32 facing away from the guide 18. Depending on the geometry of the sunshade element 12, a slight compressive force could even act on area 32 in the extension direction, i.e., parallel to the longitudinal direction of the guide 18, as a result of which area 32 would sag or tend to wrinkle. Another line of action 48 is shown schematically. The normal force exerted on the contact surface 28 by means of the driver head 26 would act along this line of action 48 if the contact surface 28 formed an acute angle between itself and the guide 18, but this angle was smaller than the angle α (see Fig. 3) due to the inclined position of the contact surface 28 shown here. As can be seen, the line of action 48 in the extended operating position of the sunshade element 12 runs exactly through the center point 42. For example, the inclination of the contact surface 28 is chosen such that the line of action 34 forms an angle of 3° between itself and the line of action 48. With the geometry of the sunshade element 12 shown here, this results in an ideal compromise with regard to the forces acting within the sunshade element 12, which, in the operating position, ensure that both the area 32 facing away from the guide 18 and the remaining, unlabeled area of ​​the sunshade element 12 are and remain reliably taut in the operating position. The specific inclination of the mounting surface 28 must be selected to suit the material properties of the sunshade element 12 and, in particular, the geometric design of the sunshade element 12 and the point of force application of the driver 20. This means that the inclination of the mounting surface 28 is selected so that, at least in the operating position of the sunshade element 12, it is taut everywhere and does not sag or wrinkle at any point. Despite the off-center point of application of the driver 20 on the receptacle 24, the inclined position of the mounting surface 28 ensures that the sunshade element 12 neither sags nor wrinkles in its operating position. The sunshade roller blind 10 is, of course, not limited to the shape of the specific sunshade element 12 shown here. Nor does the sunshade element 12 necessarily have to have an essentially triangular shape. The off-center arrangement of the mounting 24 may also be necessary, for example, due to prevailing space constraints, in which case the sunshade element 12 could, for example, also be at least substantially rectangular. Essentially, in all possible embodiments of the sunshade roller blind 10, the mounting surface 28 has an inclination adapted to the off-center arrangement of the mounting 24, which ensures reliable tension of the sunshade element 12, at least in the operating position, without wrinkling or sagging, especially in the area 32 of the sunshade element 12 facing away from the guide 18. REFERENCE MARK LIST 10 Sunshade roller blind 12 Sunshade element 14 Roll-up mechanism 16 Roller blind axle 18 Guide 20 Driver 22 Upper end area of ​​the sunshade element 24 Receptacle 26 Driver head 28 Upper contact surface for the driver 30 Lower contact surface for the driver 32 Area of ​​the sunshade element facing away from the guide 34 Line of action 36 Point 38 Side of the sunshade element facing away from the guide 40 Side of the sunshade element facing the guide 42 Center point 44 Restoring force 46 Further line of action 48 Further line of action α Angle b Width of the sunshade element x Vehicle longitudinal direction z Vehicle vertical direction

Claims

Sunshade roller blind (10) for a window of a motor vehicle, comprising: - a flat rollable sunshade element (12); - a roll-up mechanism (14) with a roller axle (16) for rolling up the sunshade element (12) into a stowed position that exposes the window; - a driver (20) movable translationally along a guide (18) arranged laterally next to the sunshade element (12) for extending the sunshade element (12) from the stowed position into a working position covering the window;- a receptacle (24) arranged off-center at an upper end region (22) of the sun protection element (12) with a contact surface (28) for the driver (20) which is inclined relative to the roller blind axis (16) and which forms an angle (α) of less than 90° between itself and the guide (18), as a result of which a normal force exerted on the contact surface (28) by means of the driver (20) points obliquely away from the roller blind axis (16) in the direction of the guide (18) and pulls the upper end region (22) of the sun protection element (12) in the direction of the guide (18), wherein - the driver (20) has a driver head (26) which is arranged between the contact surface (28) and a further contact surface (30) of the receptacle (24) arranged opposite it, wherein the driver head (26) has such a shape that it is rotatable between the contact surfaces (28, 30). Sun protection roller blind (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting surface (28) is oriented so obliquely opposite the roller blind axis (16) that in the operating position a tensile stress acts in an area (32) of the sun protection element (12) facing away from the guide (18). Sun protection roller blind (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the mounting surface (28) is oriented at an angle to the roller blind axis (16) such that in the operating position of the sun protection element (12) a line aligned with a direction of action (34) of the normal force passes through a point (36) located at the level of the roller blind axis (16) which is closer to a side (38) facing away from the guide (18) than to a side (40) of the sun protection element (12) facing the guide (18). Sun protection roller blind (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sun protection element (12) tapers asymmetrically towards the upper end region (22) towards the side of the sun protection element (12) which faces the guide (18). Sun protection roller blind (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the winding mechanism (14) has a return element which exerts a return moment on the roller blind axle (16) to wind up the sun protection element (12) into the stowed position. Sun protection roller blind (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that the return element is a torsion spring. Sun protection roller blind (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the extension pull mechanism has a drive device, in particular an electric motor, by means of which the driver (20) can be moved along the guide (18). Sunshade roller blind (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sunshade element (12) is a fabric.

Images