Abstract:
A drive device for a shade arrangement for vehicles, in particular for a rear window or side window roller blind including a slider that is supported along a movement path and that supports a rod which rod facilitates moving the shade arrangement into a pulled out position or a pulled in position; a rope at which the slider is attached and which is run over an upper deflection arrangement proximal to the pulled out position and a lower deflection arrangement remote from the pulled out position; a drive roller at which the rope is at least attached by friction locking; and a drive motor which rotates the drive roller and moves the slider by the rope between the pulled out position and the pulled in position, wherein the lower deflection arrangement and the upper deflection arrangement are configured without a drive, and wherein the drive motor with the associated drive roller is arranged between the upper deflection arrangement and the lower deflection arrangement.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from and incorporates by reference German Patent Application DE 10 2016 111 168.6 filed on Jun. 17, 2016. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a drive device for a shade arrangement for vehicles, in particular for a rear window or side window roller blind including a slider that is supported along a movement path, the slider supporting a rod which facilitates moving the shade arrangement into a pulled out position and/or a pulled in position, including a rope at which the slider is attached and which is run over an upper deflection arrangement proximal to the pulled out position and a lower deflection arrangement remote from the pull out position, a drive roller at which the rope is at least attached by friction locking, a motor which rotates the drive roller and moves the slider by the rope between the pulled out position and the pulled in position. 
         [0003]    Drive devices for shade arrangements are known in many configurations. 
         [0004]    A drive device of this generic type is illustrated e, g. EP 1 979 182 B1 which moves a slider within a support tube back and forth between a pulled out position and a pulled in position. In this drive device the upper deflection arrangement that is proximal to the pulled out position is configured as a drive roller. The rod inserted into the slider is coupled with a pull out profile of the sun roller blind. When the slider is moved into the starting position, then the rod takes the pull out profile of the sun roll up blind along and thus moves the sun roll up blind into its shading pulled out position. An opposite movement retracts the sun roll up blind. 
         [0005]    DE 10 2016 100 208 also owned by applicant and not yet published shows a drive device of the generic type cited supra. Also this drive device includes an upper deflection arrangement and a lower deflection arrangement wherein both deflection arrangements are configured as a roller. The lower deflection arrangement is configured as a drive roller which moves the rope back and forth, and consequently moves the slider back and for the between the pulled out position and the pulled in position. 
         [0006]    The known drive devices like many other technical arrangements of vehicles are typically hidden between inner fairing elements so that cavities between the inner fairing elements and a vehicle body are the only place available for arrangement. Since a variety and number of pieces of equipment of modern vehicles has increased continuously a plurality of technical pieces of equipment shares the limited installation spaces. Behind door fairings of vehicle doors there are for example speakers, body stiffeners components of electrical window lifters, support elements for movable side windows, actuation motors for electrical locking doors, air bag components and shade devices and their control and drive elements. This installation space is further limited by indentations of the side fairings into the arrangement space in order to provide room for storage compartments in the interior. In order to use the limited installation space in the best way possible the pieces of equipment have to be minimized with respect to their installation space requirements. This minimization of installation requirement was achieved in the past in particular by minimizing electrical and electronic components. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    Thus, it is an object of the invention to achieve further installation space minimization for drive devices of the generic type recited supra. 
         [0008]    The object is achieved by a drive device for a shade arrangement for vehicles, in particular for a rear window or side window roller blind including a slider that is supported along a movement path and that supports a rod which rod facilitates moving the shade arrangement into a pulled out position or a pulled in position; a rope at which the slider is attached and which is run over an upper deflection arrangement proximal to the pulled out position and a lower deflection arrangement remote from the pulled out position; a drive roller at which the rope is at least attached by friction locking; and a drive motor which rotates the drive roller and moves the slider by the rope between the pulled out position and the pulled in position, wherein the lower deflection arrangement and the upper deflection arrangement are configured without a drive, and wherein the drive motor with the associated drive roller is arranged between the upper deflection arrangement and the lower deflection arrangement. 
         [0009]    In the art it was considered advantageous to configure the upper or the lower deflection arrangement as a drive roller in order to keep a number of components low. Instead of further minimizing the number of components the invention initially adds an additional component. In addition to the drive roller now an upper deflection arrangement without a drive and a lower deflection arrangement without a drive are provided. Thus, the invention departs from the regular path of installation space minimization by reducing the number of components and adds supplemental components instead. 
         [0010]    Decoupling the drive roller from the deflection arrangements facilitates freely positioning the motor between the upper deflection arrangement and the lower deflection arrangement wherein this applies with respect to the spatial arrangement between the deflection arrangements and alternatively also to an arrangement only relating to a rope support. Separating the deflection arrangement and the drive roller initially generates more freedom for arranging the components of the drive device within a predetermined arrangement space. 
         [0011]    In particular when the drive roller is arranged outside of the movement path of the slider, advantageously when it is arranged laterally from the movement path of the slider separating the drive roller and the deflection arrangement has another essential advantage. For an identical stroke movement of the drive device according to the invention and a prior art drive device the drive device according to the invention can be shortened with respect to a length that is measured along the movement path of the slider. Alternatively the stroke can be increased for a device length that is measured in a direction of the movement path. 
         [0012]    Thus the invention does not only implement greater flexibility for arranging the motor of the drive device by adding additional components but the invention also provides a pre-condition for reducing installation space requirement. 
         [0013]    It is furthermore provided that the rope is slung about the drive roller and a rope entry portion of the drive roller is in one plane with the rope exit portion of the drive roller, in particular when the plane is parallel to a rotation axis of the drive roller and in particular transversal to the movement path of the slider. 
         [0014]    It is furthermore envisioned that spacers are provided which arrange the upper and lower deflection arrangement with an offset from each other and combine it into a module unit. 
         [0015]    Thus, it is provided that the spacer device is a support tube and/or a dust cover. 
         [0016]    It is advantageously provided that the upper and lower deflection arrangement respectively includes a housing which is provided with coupling devices for arranging the spacer. This way the two housings are combined with each other to form a mounting unit. 
         [0017]    Similar to embodiments known in the art it is thus assured that the drive device can be delivered to a car manufacturer as a sub assembly. Providing the spacer device as a dust cover and/or support tube assures a safe function of the drive device according to the invention. 
         [0018]    The coupling devices which are formed by the housings of the upper and lower deflection arrangement facilitate a very simple adaptation of the drive device to different requirements with respect to the lift movement. When the slider has to cover a large stroke to actuate the roll up sun blind an accordingly longer spacer, an accordingly longer dust cover is used. A shorter stroke is implemented by using a shorter dust cover as a spacer. 
         [0019]    In another embodiment the lower deflection arrangement can form a unit together with the drive and the drive roller. In this case the housing of the unit is provided with an accordingly configured coupling arrangement. 
         [0020]    However, it is also conceivable that the drive roller including the motor has a separate housing and a first coupling device is arranged between the upper deflection arrangement and the drive housing and a second coupling device is arranged between the drive housing and the lower deflection arrangement. Varying a length of the spacers facilitates freely selecting a position of the drive housing with the drive roller and the motor. Furthermore the drive is provided as a fixed component of a mounting unit. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]    The invention is now described based on an embodiment with reference to drawing figures, wherein: 
           [0022]      FIG. 1  illustrates a generic known drive device in a partial sectional view; 
           [0023]      FIG. 2  illustrates a drive device according to the invention in a partial sectional view; 
           [0024]      FIG. 3  illustrates the known drive device according to  FIG. 1  and the drive device according to the invention according to  FIG. 2  in comparison; 
           [0025]      FIG. 4  illustrates a schematic view of an installed position of a generic drive device according to the invention at a vehicle door. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0026]    In the drawing figures a drive device according to the invention is overall designated with the reference numeral  10 . The drive device illustrated in  FIG. 1  that is known in the art is designated with the reference numeral  110 . 
         [0027]    As an introduction for the detailed description of the invention the prior art drive device  110  of  FIG. 1  is now described. This drive device includes an upper attachment mount  111  and a lower attachment mount  112 . The attachment mounts  111  and  112  are used for attaching the drive device  110  at a body component, for example a car door as schematically illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0028]    The upper attachment mount  111  is an integral part of a first housing element  113  which supports an upper deflection arrangement  114  configured as a roller  115 . The lower attachment mount  112  is part of a second housing element  116 . The second housing element  116  includes a drive  117  with an electric motor and a drive motor  118  which forms a lower deflection arrangement  119 . The first housing element  113  forms a first coupling arrangement  112  configured as a receiving spout  121 , the second coupling arrangement  122  which is also configured as a receiving spout  123  is provided by the second housing element  116 . Between the first housing element  113  and the second housing element  116  a spacer  124  configured as a guide tube  125  or a dust cover  125  is arranged which connects the first housing element  113  and the second housing element  116  to form a module that provides the drive device  110 . 
         [0029]    A slider  126  is arranged within the support tube  125  wherein the slider moves up and down along a movement path extending between the lower deflection arrangement  119  and the upper deflection arrangement  114 . The slider  126  supports a rod  127  and includes a first rope receiver  128 . A first rope  129  comes out of the first rope receiver and runs to the upper deflection arrangement  114 , wherein the rope is deflected over the upper roller  115  and run back into an opposite direction. The rope  129  runs within the guide tube  125  past the slider  126  and is attached at the drive roller  118 . A second rope  130  is fixated in a second rope receiver  130  and run from there to the drive roller  118 . There the rope is attached in a suitable manner and deflected by winding it onto and unwinding from the drive roller. 
         [0030]    Corresponding to the schematic illustration in  FIG. 4  the upper end of the rod is attached at a pull out profile  132  of a sun roll up blind  133 . Rotating the drive roller  118  in  FIG. 1  clockwise leads to winding up the first rope  129  while simultaneously unwinding the second rope  130 . Thus, the first rope  129  that is deflected over the upper roller  115  pulls the slider  126  in an upward direction and moves the sun roll up blind  133  into its pulled out position. An opposite rotation of the drive roller  118  counter clock wise causes the second rope  130  to be wound onto the drive roller  118  while simultaneously unwinding the other rope  129 . The slider  126  with the rod  127  attached thereto and the pull out profile  132  is moved downward. Thus, the sun roll up blind  133  is moved into its pulled in condition. 
         [0031]    A drive device  10  according to the invention is illustrated in  FIG. 2 . With respect to configuration and function the drive device  10  according to the invention to some extent corresponds to the prior art and therefore related reference numerals are used for identical or equivalent components. 
         [0032]    Also the drive device  10  according to the invention includes an upper attachment mount  11  and a lower attachment mount  12 . The upper attachment mount  11  forms part of a first housing element  13 . The first housing element  13  supports the upper deflection arrangement  14  configured as an upper roller  15 . 
         [0033]    The lower attachment mount  12  configured as part of the second housing element  16  includes a lower deflection arrangement  19 . The lower deflection arrangement  19  can be configured as a roller. In the instant embodiment, however, the lower deflection arrangement is a sliding rail with a circumference angle of approximately 180°. Differently from the prior art the lower deflection arrangement  19  is not configured as a drive roller. 
         [0034]    Also the drive device  10  according to the invention includes a first coupling device  20  configured as a first receiving spout  21  formed by the first housing element  13 . The second coupling arrangement  22  is formed by the second receiving spout  23  which forms part of the second housing element  16 . A support tube or a dust cover  25  is formed by the spacer  24  and is fixated in the first receiving spout  21  and the second receiving spout  23 . Also according to the invention the support tube  25  is connected to the first housing element  13  with the second housing element  16  to form a module. 
         [0035]    A slider  26  is arranged within the support tube  25  wherein the slide moves up and down along a movement path and extends between the upper deflection arrangement  14  and the lower deflection arrangement  19 . Also there the slider  26  carries a rod  27  which is connected at its end oriented away from the slider  26  according to a schematic illustration provided in  FIG. 4  in an installed condition of the drive device  10  wherein the rod is connected with the pull out profile  132  of a sun roll up blind  133 . As described supra a first rope  29  is fixated in a first rope receiver  28  of the slider  26 . The first rope  29  exits from the slider  26  in a direction towards an upper roller  15  and is deflected by the roller  15  so that it is run back in the opposite direction. 
         [0036]    A second rope  30  is fixated in a second rope receiver  31  of the slider  26 . The second rope  30  exits from the slider  26  in a direction towards the lower deflection arrangement  19  and is supported at this location in a direction towards the upper deflection arrangement  14 . 
         [0037]    As already stated supra the lower deflection arrangement  19  according to the invention is not configured as a drive roller, instead a drive roller  18  is arranged outside of the movement path of the slider  26 , in particular adjacent to the movement path of the slider  26  and spatially supported between the deflection arrangements  14  and  19 . In the same way also the electro motoric drive  17  of the drive device  10  according to the invention is arranged adjacent to the movement path of the slider  26  or laterally from the guide tube  25 . Besides the spatial arrangement of the drive roller  18  and the drive  17  also decoupling the two components from the second housing element is conceivable. The drive  17  including the drive roller  18  can be arranged with respect to the rope support between the deflection arrangements  14  and  19  and thus can be mounted at a suitable location that is remote from the support tube  25 . 
         [0038]    From a comparison view of  FIGS. 1 and 2  it is initially evident that the rope entry point of the respective ropes  29  and  30  coincides with a rope exit point of each rope  29 ,  30 . Differently from the prior art the rope entry or exit points, however, are in a plane that is oriented orthogonal to a movement path of the slider  26  and arranged parallel to the drive roller axis  41 . The return section  134  provided in the prior art which returns the first rope  129  in a direction towards the movement path of the slider and thus imparts an S-curve upon the slider is advantageously omitted. The S-curve in the portion of the drive roller that is imparted upon the rope in the prior art causes significant tension and bending forces that load the first rope  129 . The decoupling of lower deflection arrangement  19  and drive roller  18  thus leads to reduced rope loading. 
         [0039]    It is furthermore evident from a comparison view of  FIGS. 1 and 2  that a movement path of the slider  26  extends into the portion of the drive roller  18  so that the slider  26  can be run past the drive roller  18 . Contrary thereto the movement path of the slider  26  in the prior art terminates above the drive roller  118  since the drive roller  118  limits the movement path of the slider  126  in a downward direction. Thus, the invention facilitates to freely position the drive  17  including the drive roller  18  along the movement path  26  in an exemplary manner in the second housing element  16  and can be theoretically arranged in a separate housing at any place spatially between the deflections  14  and  19 . 
         [0040]    These high levels of freedom of arranging the drive  17  including the drive roller  18  facilitate arranging the drive  17 / 18  at a suitable location in an available receiving space for the drive device  10 . 
         [0041]    A substantial advantage of the invention is evident from  FIG. 3 . Therein the drive device  10  according to the invention is compared with the prior art drive device  110 . A stroke H of the drive device  10  according to the invention, thus a free movement travel of the slider  26  along is movement path between the deflection arrangements is  14  and  19  is thus identical with the stroke h of the drive device  110  according to the prior art. Also in the prior art the stoke h is defined by a free movement travel of the slider along its movement path between the deflection arrangements  14  and  19 . 
         [0042]    With identical stroke H, h the drive device  10  according to the invention is built much shorter than the prior art drive device  110 . This is achieved by a lateral offset of the drive roller  18  next to the movement path of the slider  26  so that the slider  26  can move past the drive roller  18 . Thus, for identical stroke H, h the invention facilitates a more compact drive device  10 . Since the window cut outs of motor vehicle bodies partially become larger using the invention facilitates a greater stroke H with identical installed length as the prior art and is thus suitable for larger travel distances of the slider  26  and the rod  27  and thus of the sun shade roll up blind  133 . 
         [0043]    Separating the deflection arrangement  19  and the drive roller  18  into two separate components and an increase in number of components over the prior art the invention advantageously facilitates to build the drive device more compact with strokes H, h identical or increasing the stroke H for an identical length of the drive device  10  compared to the drive device  110 . Decoupling the deflection arrangement  19  and the drive roller  18  furthermore facilitates to arrange the electro motoric drive  17  including the drive roller  28 , not only spatially between the deflection arrangements  14  and  19  and thus to optionally shorten a length of the drive device  10  or to increase the stroke H. The drive device according to the invention also facilitates a spatial decoupling so that the drive  17 ,  18  can be arranged at an almost random alternative location. Last not least the invention facilitates that the S-curve of the rope in the portion of the drive roller  118  that is provided in the prior art can be avoided and thus rope loads through tension and bending forces are reduced. 
         [0044]    As evident from  FIGS. 1-3  the first rope  29  and the second rope  30  is divided into two sections by the respective upper deflection arrangement  14  or lower deflection arrangement  19 . These sections are run within the support tube  25  parallel to the movement path of the slider  26  or parallel to each other. 
       REFERENCE NUMERALS AND DESIGNATIONS 
     Prior Art 
       [0000]    
       
         
           
               110  drive device 
               111  upper attachment mount 
               112  lower attachment mount 
               113  first housing element 
               114  upper deflection arrangement 
               115  upper roller 
               116  second housing element 
               117  electric motor drive 
               118  drive roller 
               119  lower deflection arrangement 
               120  first coupling arrangement 
               121  first receiving spout 
               122  second coupling arrangement 
               123  second receiving spout 
               124  spacer 
               125  support tube/dust protector 
               126  slider 
               127  rod 
               128  first rope receiver 
               129  first rope 
               130  second rope 
               131  second rope receiver 
               132  pull out profile 
               133  sun roll up blind 
               134  return section 
             Invention 
               10  drive device 
               11  upper attachment mount 
               12  lower attachment mount 
               13  first housing element 
               14  upper deflection arrangement 
               15  upper roller 
               16  second housing element 
               17  electric motor drive 
               18  drive roller 
               19  lower deflection arrangement 
               20  first coupling arrangement 
               21  first receiving spout 
               22  second coupling arrangement 
               23  second receiving spout 
               24  spacer 
               25  support tube/dust protector 
               26  slider 
               27  rod 
               28  first rope receiver 
               29  first rope 
               30  second rope 
               31  second rope receiver 
               40  sliding rail 
               41  drive roller axis 
             H stroke of  10   
             h stroke of  110