Covering device and method for covering and releasing an opening of an interior trim part of a vehicle

Abstract

A covering device (10) for an opening (13) in an interior trim part (12) of a vehicle, comprising at least two mutually displaceable grids (16, 18, 20) which can be moved from a release position into a covering position. In the release position, at least areas of the opening (13) are uncovered. In the covering position, larger areas of the opening (13) are covered than in the release position, or the opening (13) is completely covered. At least one of the grids (16, 18, 20) can be displaced along the elongated extent (L) of the bars (16a, 18a, 20a) of the grids (16, 18, 20) by means of a drive unit (32) to uncover the opening (13). In a method for covering and uncovering an opening (13) of an interior trim part (12) of a vehicle, at least one of the grids (16, 18, 20) is displaced along the elongated extent (L) of the grid bars (16a, 18a, 20a) to uncover and cover the opening (13).

Description

The invention relates to a covering device for covering and releasing and an opening of an interior trim part of a vehicle. The invention further relates to a method for covering and releasing and an opening of an interior trim part of a vehicle. The invention furthermore relates to a vehicle which comprises the covering device.Openings in vehicles are generally necessary, for example, in order to guide air into the vehicle interior.For example, DE 10 2008 049 876 A1 shows a device for controlling the air passage of an air inlet in the front region of a vehicle. In this case, a blocking device for the air flow is provided in the cross section of the opening of the air inlet, the opening width of which blocking device can be adjusted. The blocking device has two blocking elements which can be displaced relative to one another and which determine the opening width as a result of the displacement relative to one another. The blocking elements comprise a plurality of openings, in particular slot-shaped openings, which can be brought into register with one another, so that the air throughput is maximized.The current design philosophy in motor vehicles is directed to generating surfaces that are as smooth as possible without interruptions due to joints, etc.This requirement results in the smallest possible holes or openings being introduced into cladding elements in order to achieve optically and haptically appealing, high-quality surfaces. However, this can entail considerable disadvantages, in particular in the vehicle interior.For example, in a cladding element, as few holes as possible, which are introduced in the region of a loudspeaker, lead to the necessary sound passage not being reached or the sound passage deteriorating. In particular, the sound of music of high-quality installations with corresponding loudspeakers is thereby limited in its qualityIt is the object of the invention to create an opening in an interior trim part of a vehicle, for example for the passage of sound, which opening allows an improved passage, wherein a surface of the interior trim part that is as smooth and as important as possible is ensured.According to the invention, there is provided a covering device for an opening of an interior trim part of a vehicle, comprising at least two mutually displaceable gratings which are movable from a release position into a covering position, wherein in the release position at least regions of the opening are released, and in the covering position larger regions of the opening are covered than in the release position or the opening is completely covered, and wherein at least one of the gratings is displaceable along the elongate extent of the rods of the gratings for releasing the opening.The solution according to the invention provides a region which is completely covered by the interior trim part and has a very smooth appearance, which offers a dynamic opening effect. In particular, this can increase the sound transmission during the operation of a loudspeaker which is arranged behind the interior trim part. Moreover, the dynamic opening effect is indicative of the vehicle interior, thus reflecting luxation and value suggestion.In particular, the interior trim part is designed as a door trim. The covering device is also suitable for other positions in the vehicle, however.Preferably, the rods of the two grids are adjacent to each other in a substantially identical surface. The surface can be in particular a plane, but it can also have bulges.This enables a sliding grid closure with a smooth, uncanpped surface.Advantageously, the rods of the grids lying next to one another have slide guides coordinated with one another, with which they engage one another at least slightly overlapping one another.This allows for a mutually improved support and thus in turn a more robust structure and a better secured sliding function. In addition, an improved sealing effect can be achieved in the closed state.Preferably, several movable grids are provided, which are displaceable in the same sliding direction.As a result, a plurality of covering or opening conditions can be set without the rods being only partially pushed out or pushed in, which can be an undesired static state of the covering device because of the appearance.Advantageously, all the gratings are movable. This also allows a complete release of the opening.Preferably, an immovable grid is combined with a plurality of movable grids. A more robust structure is thereby achieved.Advantageously, the plurality of movable grids may cover adjacent openings with a fixed rod therebetween. A more robust structure is also achieved as a result.Preferably, the rods of the movable grids together cover an opening between two adjacent immovable rods, which can be completely closed only when both or all movable grids are inserted or pushed into one another. This allows for greater opening ratios.In particular, the rods of the movable grids can cover the opening together with a rod of the immovable grid located therebetween in the covering position.Advantageously, a rail is formed on each of two opposite sides of each displaceable grid, which rail extends in the direction of the elongate extent of the grid bars and is coupled to a drive unit for displacing the grid, which drive unit is assigned specifically to the respective grid.In particular, the drive unit comprises a motor-driven drive wheel, in particular a gearwheel, which during its rotation moves the rail of the grid and thus the grid.Preferably, the covering device comprises a fixed rail arrangement for guiding the displaceable gratings, wherein a second displaceable grating is displaceably mounted in a first displaceable grating.According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle comprising a covering device according to any preceding claim.According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of covering and releasing and an opening of an interior trim part of a vehicle, wherein the opening is covered and released again by at least a first and a second grid, which are displaced relative to one another in order to assume a release position and a covering position, wherein the grids in the release position release at least regions of the opening, and in the covering position cover larger regions of the opening than in the release position or completely cover the opening, wherein at least one of the grids is displaced along the elongate extent of its grid rods in order to release and to cover the opening.Preferably, the rods of the grids mutually engage and, in the covering position, form a common, substantially identical surface which completely covers at least the regions of the opening.Advantageously, the gratings are displaced during their movement into the release position and / or into the covering position at least temporarily independently of one another along the elongate extent of their rods.In the method, the device according to the invention is used in particular.Although a free space is necessary in the solution according to the invention for moving the movable grid away, it is thereby possible to open the opened opening, which is still protected by remaining rods of the second grid, in a more free or greater opening ratio than 50%.For example, it is possible to push a grid with wider rods out of a grid with narrower rods and thus to release a percentage of larger area.A preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to drawings. The following are shown: FIG. 1 shows an interior cladding element of a motor vehicle having an opening, on the rear side of which a covering device is arranged in the region of the opening; FIG. 2 shows a view of the rear side of the interior trim element together with the covering device and a loudspeaker; FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the covering device mounted on the rear side of the interior lining element; FIG. 4 shows an enlarged partial area of the covering device in a similar perspective view as in FIG. 3 ; FIG. 5 shows an enlarged, different partial area of the covering device in the area of a drive unit in a perspective view; and FIG. 6 shows an enlarged partial area of the rear side of the interior trim element with the covering device mounted thereon in a covering state in which the intermeshing grid bars of different grids respectively cover the opening to different extents.FIGS. 1 and 2 show a covering device 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, which is arranged on an interior trim 12 of a vehicle in the region of an opening 13 in order to cover it (see FIG. 1 ). In this example, the interior trim 12 is designed as a door trim, on the rear side 14 of which a loudspeaker 15 is arranged in the region of the opening 13 (see FIG. 2 ). The cover device 10 is arranged between the loudspeaker 15 and the opening 13.As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the covering device 10 comprises a plurality of grids 16, 18, 20, each of which comprises a plurality of grid bars or bars 16 a, 18 a, 20 a, which are aligned parallel to one another and are designed as lamellae. The gratings 16, 18, 20 together form a grating arrangement 22.The grids 16, 18, 20 or groups of slats are displaceable relative to one another along the elongate extent L of their rods 16 a, 18 a, 20 a, so that they can be moved from a release position into a covering position and moved back. In the state shown in FIG. 3, the grids 16, 18, 20 are in a completely covered state, i.e. the opening 13 is completely covered by the rods of the grids.By mutual displacement of the gratings 16, 18, 20 into a release position, the opening 13 is at least partially or partially released. In contrast, in the covering position, the opening 13 is either completely covered by the rods of the different grids 16, 18, 20 lying next to one another, depending on the displacement position of the grids relative to one another, or larger regions of the opening 13 are covered than in the covering position.That is, by displacing one or more of the grids 16, 18, 20, a corresponding release or covering position of the grid arrangement 22 is also effected, which can be partial or complete.In the covering position, the intermeshing rods 16 a, 18 a, 20 aof the grids 16, 18, 20 lie next to one another in a substantially identical area. In this case, they form a closed, substantially smooth surface at least in the region of the opening 13 which is covered jointly by them.By displacing at least one of the grids 16, 18, 20 in the direction L to reach the release position, gaps are created between the remaining grid bars of the other grids. For example, the first grid 16 with its rods 16 acan be displaced in the direction L in order to achieve a release position, so that instead of the rods 16 a, gaps are now formed between the remaining rods in the grid arrangement.As can be seen in FIG. 4, the rods 16 a, 18 a, 20 aof the grids 16, 18, 20 lying next to one another have slide guides 24 matched to one another for mutually sliding the grids, with which they engage one another at least slightly overlapping one another.In the example illustrated here, two grids of the grid arrangement 22 are movable, namely the first grid 16 and the second grid 18, while one grid of the grid arrangement 22 is stationary or immovable, namely the third grid 20.Each movable grid 16, 18 comprises rails 26 and 28, respectively, arranged on its two sides, which rails are formed by the two outer rods 16 a, 18 aof the movable grids 16, 18, wherein each rail 26, 28 is coupled to a respective drive unit 32 (see FIG. 5 ). This allows the movable gratings 16, 18 to be displaced independently of each other. The rails 26, 28 thus extend parallel to the rods of the grids 16, 18, 20, i.e. in the direction of their longitudinal extension L.The respectively assigned drive unit 32 comprises a drive wheel 34 designed as a gearwheel, which is driven by a motor 36. By rotating the drive wheels 34 coupled to the displaceable grids 16, 18, the rails 26 of the first grid 16 and / or the rails 28 of the second grid 18 and thus the respective grid 16, 18 are displaced individually and independently of one another in the direction of the longitudinal extent L.Due to the arrangement of the grid bars 16 a, 18 a, 20 a, the different grids 16, 18, 20 relative to one another and the drive unit 32 respectively coupled to the displaceable grids 16 a, 18 a, for example, first only the first grid 16 can be displaced into a partial or complete release position and subsequently the second grid 18 can follow the first.Conversely, during a movement from the release position into an arbitrary covering position, the displacement of the second grating 18 can be started first, and the displacement of the first grating 16 can be started slightly later, so that the movement of the second grating 18 follows the second grating 18 with a spatial distance. As a result, by activating the displacement solely by the duration of the displacement activation and thus the movement, any desired covering positions of the displaceable grids 16, 18 can be set.A fixed rail arrangement 38 serves for guiding the first displaceable grid 16 in its displacement direction, i.e. in the direction L. The second displaceable grid 18 is in turn mounted displaceably in the first displaceable grid 16 in the same manner. In this case, the rail 28 of the second movable grid 18 is mounted displaceably in the rail 26 of the first movable grid 16 or is guided therein.The rail arrangement 38 comprises two guide rails 42 running parallel to one another, in which the first displaceable grid 16 or the rails 26 thereof are displaceably mounted.FIG. 6 shows a detail of the covering device 10 in a possible release position. In this case, all the rods 16a of the first movable grille 16 are located completely outside the opening 13 of the interior trim panel 12 of the vehicle. This means that the grid 16 is in a complete release position or it has been moved into this position by the drive unit 32 coupled to it.By contrast, partial regions of some rods 18 aof the second movable grid 18 partially cover the opening 13. that is to say, the second grid 16 is in a partial release position or it has been moved into this position by the drive unit 32 coupled to it.The third grid 20, which is stationary, furthermore covers the opening 13 with its rods 20a. Gaps have been created between the remaining rods 20a of the grid 20 by the rods 16a, 18a of the grids 16, 18 which are pushed away partially or completely from the region of the opening 13, which gaps offer a passage for the sound of the loudspeaker 14.The grid bars 16 a, 18 a, 20 amay have different widths. For example, it may be advantageous for the movable grid bars 16 a, 18 ato be wider than the immovable grid bars 20 a, as in the example shown here.An example of a method of covering and releasing and opening an interior trim part of a vehicle using the above-described covering device 10 will be described below.The opening 13 is covered and released again by at least two of the gratings 16, 18, 20 which are displaced relative to one another in order to assume a release position and a covering position. The gratings 16, 18, 20 release at least regions of the opening 13 in the release position. In the covering position, they cover larger areas of the opening 13 than in the release position, or they cover the opening 13 completely. To open and cover the opening 13, at least one of the movable grids 16, 18 is displaced along the longitudinal extension of its grid bars 16 a, 18 a.The rods 16 a, 18 a, 20 aof the grids 16, 18, 20 mutually engage laterally in one another and, in the covering position, form a common, substantially identical surface which completely covers at least regions of the opening 13.For partially or completely opening and / or closing the cover unit 10, both grids 16, 18 can be displaced simultaneously or successively.For example, depending on the desired operating mode, it is possible to first shift one of the gratings 16, 18 into the desired position and then the other, wherein one of the gratings 16, 18 can also follow the other at a distance while both gratings are moving.In a preferred mode for opening and / or closing the cover unit 10, the displacement of the two gratings 16, 18 is started at a time interval and the movement of the gratings is stopped when a desired release position or cover position of the two gratings 16, 18 is reached.For example, for opening, the movement of the first grid 16 is first started and after a short time the movement of the second grid 18 is started, so that now both grids 16, 18 move simultaneously at a distance in the direction of the release position. The movement is stopped depending on the desired position of the grids 16, 18, or is carried out until complete opening.For closing, for example, the movement of the second grid 18 is started first and, after a short time, the movement of the first grid 16 is started, so that now both grids move simultaneously at a distance in the direction of the closed position. The movement is stopped depending on the desired position of the grids 16, 18, or is carried out until complete closing.The different possibilities for opening and / or closing can also be combined in different ways in order to achieve a desired grid position of the grid arrangement 22.In principle, a different number of movable grids can also be provided. Depending on the design of the covering device, it is in principle also possible not to provide any immovable grid bars or grids, so that the opening 13 can be completely released in the released state.However, a fixed grid, as in the preferred embodiment of the cover device shown and described in detail, increases the stability and robustness of the cover device 10.References included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedDE 10 2008 049 876 A1

[0003]

Claims

Covering device for an opening of an interior trim part of a vehicle, comprising at least two gratings (16, 18, 20) which are displaceable relative to one another and are movable from a release position into a covering position, wherein at least regions of the opening (13) are released in the release position, and larger regions of the opening (13) are covered in the covering position than in the release position or the opening (13) is completely covered, characterized in that at least one of the gratings (16, 18, 20) is displaceable along the elongate extent (L) of the rods (16a, 18a, 20a) of the gratings (16, 18, 20) in order to release the opening (13).Covering device according to claim 1, characterised in that the rods (16a, 18a, 20a) of the grids (16, 18, 20) are adjacent to one another in a substantially identical surface.Covering device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the rods (16a, 18a, 20a) of the grids (16, 18, 20) lying next to one another have slide guides (24) matched to one another, with which they engage one another at least slightly overlapping one another.Covering device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a plurality of movable gratings (16, 18) can be displaced in the same sliding direction.Covering device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that all the gratings (16, 18) are movable.Covering device according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that an immovable grid (20) is combined with a plurality of movable grids (16, 18),Covering device according to claim 6, characterised in that the plurality of movable grids (16, 18) cover the openings (13) with their adjacent rods (16a, 18a) and with a respective rod (20a) of an immovable grid (20) between them.Covering device according to one of Claims 4 to 7, characterized in that the rods (16a, 18a) of the movable grids (16, 18) together cover the opening (13) between adjacent immovable rods (20a), which can be completely closed only when both or all movable grids (16, 18) are pushed into one another.Covering device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a rail (26, 28) is formed on each of two opposite sides of each displaceable grid (16, 18), which rail extends in the direction of the elongate extent (L) of the rods (16a, 18a, 20a) of the grids (16, 18, 20) and is coupled to a drive unit (32), which is assigned specifically to the respective grid (16, 18), for displacing the grid (16, 18).Covering device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bya fixed rail arrangement (38) for guiding the displaceable gratings (16, 18), wherein a second displaceable grating (18) is displaceably mounted in a first displaceable grating (16).Method for covering and releasing and an opening of an interior trim part of a vehicle, wherein the opening (13) is covered and released again by at least two gratings (16, 18, 20) which are displaced relative to one another in order to assume a release position or a covering position, wherein the gratings (16, 18, 20) in the release position release at least regions of the opening (13), and in the covering position cover larger regions of the opening (13) than in the release position or completely cover the opening (13), characterized in that at least one of the gratings (16, 18, 20) is displaced along the elongate extent (L) of the grid bars (16a, 18a, 20a) in order to release and to cover the opening (13).Method according to claim 11, characterised in that the rods (16a, 18a, 20a) of the grids (16, 18, 20) mutually engage and, in the covering position, form a common, substantially identical surface which completely covers at least the regions of the opening (13).Method according to claim 11 or 12, characterised in that the grids (16, 18) are displaced during displacement into the release position and / or into the covering position at least temporarily independently of one another along the elongate extent of their rods (16a, 18a).Vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a covering device according to one of Claims 1 to 10 and / or is designed to carry out the method according to one of Claims 11 to 13.

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