Abstract:
A cargo space cover for vehicles including a roller blind which is fixated with a first edge at a winding shaft and which includes a tension rod at a second edge that is remote from the winding shaft; a winding shaft drive which acts against a pull out movement of the roller blind and which moves the roller blind from a pulled out position into a pulled in position; and a support device which cooperates with the tension rod and by which the roller blind is movable into an intermediary position that releases a vehicle cargo space at least partially, wherein a positioning drive is provided in addition to the winding shaft drive, wherein the positioning drive moves the tension rod which moves the roller blind into at least one intermediary position.

Description:
RELATED APP APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from and incorporates by reference German Patent Application 10 2015 118 775.2 filed on Nov. 3, 2015. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a cargo space cover for vehicles. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    A generic cargo space cover is known from EP 0 941 176 A1. The cargo space cover is used in station wagons to cover the cargo space below a window edge and conceal it from view. In order to provide access to the cargo space without respectively winding the cargo space cover onto the winding shaft completely the recited document provides a guide which moves the cargo space cover into an intermediary position that is arranged between the cover position and the pulled in position. In the instant embodiment the cargo space cover is run back slightly and in particular in an upward direction. This way the cargo space cover releases an opening which has a size that is similar to the body opening formed by the hatch of the station wagon. 
         [0004]    Pulling back the cargo space cover into the intermediary position is performed in the instant embodiment by a motor drive which operates the winding shaft of the cargo cover and tightens the cargo space cover by winding it up. 
         [0005]    It is furthermore known in the art to return the cargo space cover that is in the intermediary position by an additional, typically electric drive into a covering position during or after closing the hatch. 
         [0006]    These known solutions have worked reasonably well in practical applications. However, it has been a disadvantage that the intermediary position of the cargo space cover is exactly defined by the guide and not adaptable to user requirements. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a cargo space cover of the general type described supra where the intermediary position of the cargo space cover can be selected according to requirements of the user. 
         [0008]    The object is achieved by a cargo space cover for vehicles including a roller blind which is fixated with a first edge at a winding shaft and which includes a tension rod at a second edge that is remote from the winding shaft; a winding shaft drive which acts against a pull out movement of the roller blind and which moves the roller blind from a pulled out position into a pulled in position; and a support device which cooperates with the tension rod and by which the roller blind is movable into an intermediary position that releases a vehicle cargo space at least partially, wherein a positioning drive is provided in addition to the winding shaft drive, wherein the positioning drive moves the tension rod which moves the roller blind into at least one intermediary position. 
         [0009]    Using a separate positioning drive, which shall be configured in particular as an electric motor drive facilitates influencing the desired intermediary position with a motor control. Thus, many situations can be considered. A personal convenience opening width can for example be defined by influencing the motor control. A taller person can for example select an intermediary position where the roller blind releases a larger cargo space opening than for a shorter person. It is furthermore conceivable to adapt the intermediary position to particular frequently occurring loading situations. It is furthermore possible to define plural intermediary positions increasing convenience. Thus, it is possible for example that opening the hatch of the vehicle causes an opening movement in pull in direction of the roller blind into a first intermediary position which releases the cargo space opening as far as possible. As a function of a particular loading situation, however the roller blind is not moved back into its cover position but into a second intermediary position that covers the cargo. This is useful in particular when the cargo does not allow a movement of the roller blind into the cover position. It is also possible to detect such loading situations in an automated manner so that no user interference is necessary. 
         [0010]    Overall the invention facilitates to adapt the intermediary position of the roller blind in a particularly simple manner to user requirements or loading situations using a separate electrical positioning drive. 
         [0011]    An advantageous embodiment is characterized in that the support device is at least one support profile that is directly or indirectly arranged at the vehicle body wherein the tension rod engages the support profile at least with one end of the tension rod. Thus, it is provided in particular that the support profile forms a portion of the inner vehicle body fairing and includes in particular a support groove that is engaged by the end of the tension rod. 
         [0012]    It is furthermore provided that an operating element is arranged in a portion of the support profile wherein the operating element supports the tension rod against the winding shaft drive and wherein the positioning drive moves the roller blind into an intermediary position using the operating element. Thus, the operating element can be in particular a motor driven slide that engages the support groove and is guided in the support groove. 
         [0013]    The invention provides in an embodiment that the support profile includes a first seat for the tension rod in which the tension rod is supported relative to the winding shaft drive in the cover position. In this seat the tension rod is retained in the cover position also without interference of the electric motor drive. It is furthermore provided that the support profile includes a second seat for the tension rod in which the tension rod is supported relative to the winding shaft drive in an intermediary position. Also here the tension rod is retained in the intermediary position solely by the seat without any interference from the electric motor drive being required. It is certainly conceivable to provide additional seats for additional intermediary positions. 
         [0014]    It is particularly advantageous when the support profile includes at least one inlet through which at least one end of the tension rod is insertable into the support profile and/or retrievable from the support profile, in particular when the inlet is arranged proximal to the first seat and/or when the inlet is arranged proximal to the second seat. 
         [0015]    The inlet proximal to the first seat facilitates inserting the roller blind into the support profile in the cover position of the roller blind or to extract the roller blind in this position from the support profile in order to wind the roller blind onto the winding shaft. In the same manner the inlet is advantageously useable proximal to the second seat. Additionally extracting the tension rod from the support profile is also possible when the loading situation does not allow returning the tension rod into the pull out position of the roller blind. 
         [0016]    Eventually it is provided that the inlet is arranged in a pull in direction of the roller blind in front of the first seat or in front of the second seat. This arrangement of the inlet in the pull in direction of the roller blind in front of the respective seat facilitates that the winding shaft drive provides for a supporting movement of the tension rod in a direction of the respective seat when the electric motor drive has no impact. 
         [0017]    Another embodiment provides that the operating element is movable within the support profile against a spring element in a direction of an intermediary position. It is an essential advantage of this embodiment that the tension rod can move the operating element against a spring force so that the operating element is in particular moved into an inlet. Upon a corresponding positioning of the inlet relative to the cover position of the tension rod the tension rod can be retrieved from the support profile even when the power supply of the electric motor operated positioning drive is cut off and the roller blind can be rolled onto the winding shaft until the tension rod is in its pulled in position. 
         [0018]    It is furthermore provided that the support profile has a stop in the portion of the inlet. Through the stop a tactile marking of the inlet can be provided in particular for manual operations which is advantageous in particular because the roller blind typically conceals a portion from view in which portion the inlet is arranged when extracting the tension rod from the support profile. 
         [0019]    It is furthermore provided that the stop moves the tension rod into the inlet for a manual movement along the support profile. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]    Additional advantages of the invention and improved comprehension can be derived from the subsequent description of advantageous embodiments with reference to drawing figures, wherein: 
           [0021]      FIG. 1  illustrates a first embodiment of the invention with the tension rod in the pulled out position; 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  illustrates the depiction according to  FIG. 1  with an operating element applied to the tension rod; 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  illustrates the depiction according to  FIG. 1  with the tension rod raised by the operating element; 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  illustrates the depiction according to  FIG. 1  with the tension rod inserted into the operating element; 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  illustrates the depiction according to  FIG. 1  with the tension rod in a first intermediary position; 
           [0026]      FIG. 6  illustrates the depiction according to  FIG. 1  with the tension rod in a second intermediary position; 
           [0027]      FIG. 7  illustrates a second embodiment of the invention with the tension rod inserted into the support profile; 
           [0028]      FIG. 8  illustrates the depiction according to  FIG. 7  wherein the operating element lifts up the tension rod; 
           [0029]      FIG. 9  illustrates the depiction according to  FIG. 7  with the tension rod in pulled out position; 
           [0030]      FIG. 10  illustrates the depiction according to  FIG. 7  with the tension rod in a first intermediary position; 
           [0031]      FIG. 11  illustrates the depiction according to  FIG. 7  with the tension in a second intermediary position; 
           [0032]      FIG. 12  illustrates extraction of the tension rod from the support profile in a particular loading situation; 
           [0033]      FIG. 13  illustrates the support profile in a third embodiment; 
           [0034]      FIG. 14  illustrates the support profile according to  FIG. 13  with the tension rod in an extraction position; 
           [0035]      FIG. 15  illustrates the depiction according to  FIG. 13  with the tension rod in the inlet; 
           [0036]      FIG. 16  illustrates the support profile according to  FIG. 13  with the support rod retained in the cover position by a slide; 
           [0037]      FIG. 17  illustrates the depiction according to  FIG. 16  with the slide moved back; 
           [0038]      FIG. 18  illustrates the depiction according to  FIG. 16  with the tension rod in the inlet; 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0039]    Using only schematic figures exclusively showing the essential portion of a cargo space cover the invention is now described based on two embodiments. 
         [0040]      FIG. 1  illustrates a support device  10  configured as profile groove  11  which is configured by a side fairing element  12  of a motor vehicle. In this profile groove a first seat  13  is configured between a lower profile groove end  19  and an upper profile groove end  23  wherein a tension rod  14  of a cargo space cover is inserted into the first seat  13  in the pulled out position of the cargo space cover. Arranged in pull in direction E of the roller blind in front of the first seat  13  and thus transitioning into the lower profile grove end  19 , the profile groove  11  includes an inlet  15  through which the tension rod  14  can be extracted from the profile groove or is insertable into the profile groove corresponding to the arrows EB indicating the insertion direction or the arrows AB defining the extraction direction. Eventually a slide  16  is supported in the profile groove  11  and movable by a positioning drive wherein the slide is provided with a lifting lug  17 . The slide is arranged in  FIG. 1  in its starting position at the upper profile groove end  23  from which it is movable in a direction towards the first seat  13  and back again from there. 
         [0041]    In  FIG. 2  the slide  16  was moved far enough in a direction towards the tension rod  14  within the profile groove  11  until the lifting lug  17  contacts the tension rod  14 . Using the lifting lug  17  the tension rod is now pushed in pull out direction A of the roller blind from the first seat  13  and received by the slide  16 . Thus, as evident from the comparing view of  FIGS. 2, 3 and 4  a lifting surface  18  slides under the tension rod  14  and thus moves the tension rod  14  into a tension rod receiver of the slide  16 . As soon as the tension rod  14  is inserted into the tension rod receiver of the slide  16  the position of the tension rod within the profile groove  11  is only determined by the position of the slide. 
         [0042]    Using the motor driven slide  16  the tension rod  14  is freely movable within the profile groove  11 . Thus, the position of the slide  16  arranged proximal to the first seat  13  at a lower profile groove end  19  defines the so called pull out or cover position of the roller blind in which the roller blind protects the cargo space of the station wagon from view when the hatch is closed. 
         [0043]    Based on  FIGS. 5 and 6  it is now illustrated how the slide  16  is moved back within the profile groove  11  in a direction of its starting position at the upper profile groove end  23  so that the tension rod  14  is moved into an intermediary position at least partially releasing the cargo space access. This process of moving the slide  16  in a direction of its starting position illustrated in  FIG. 1  can be coupled with the opening process of the trunk hatch of the station wagon, however it is also conceivable that this movement of the slide  16  is decoupled from the opening process. 
         [0044]    As evident from the FIGs. the tension rod can always be moved by hand back into the seat  13 . It is also possible anytime to move the tension rod  14  out of the inlet  15  by hand in order to move the roller blind completely in pull in direction E and in order to completely release the cargo space. 
         [0045]      FIGS. 7-12  illustrate a second embodiment of the invention. This embodiment is similar to the embodiment illustrated in  FIGS. 1-6  in many respects, in particular with respect to structure and function. Also here the figures illustrate the support device  10  which is formed by a side fairing element  12  with a profile groove  11 . This profile groove  11  forms a first seat  13  in which the tension rod  14  is inserted in  FIG. 7 . A slide  16  illustrated in  FIG. 7  in a starting position at an upper profile groove end  23  also includes the described lifting lug  17  with the lifting surface  18 . Differently from the first embodiment the first seat  13  defines a first intermediary position, the starting position of the slide  16  defines a second intermediary position of the tension rod  14  and thus of the roller blind. Also here the inlet  15  is not arranged in the portion of the pull out or cover position at a lower profile grove end  19  of the tension rod  14  but in the portion of the seat  13  forming a first intermediary position. 
         [0046]    It is now illustrated in  FIG. 8  that the slide was moved from its starting position in a direction towards the first seat  13  and reaches with its lifting lug  17  and the lifting surface  18  under the tension rod  14 . The tension rod  14  is now disengaged from the first seat  13  in the pull out direction A of the roller blind as already described with reference to the first embodiment so that the tension rod is supported in the tension rod receiver of the slide  16 . The slide  16  now moves further forward at the lower profile groove end  19  towards the pull out or cover position of the roller blind until the slide  16  has reached its pull out or cover position as illustrated in  FIG. 9 . 
         [0047]    Like in the first embodiment the tension rod  14  is only moveable in a direction towards its starting position into an intermediary position at least partially releasing the cargo space by moving the slide  16  backward. This backward movement which can in induced by opening the hatch back or also independently therefrom is illustrated in  FIG. 10 . Therein the tension rod  14  that is supported by the slide  16  reaches approximately the first intermediary position illustrated in  FIG. 7 . During a further displacement of the slide  16  into its starting position illustrated in  FIG. 7  the tension rod  14  follows the slide movement and thus moves into a second intermediary position which increases the access opening to the cargo space in size. 
         [0048]      FIG. 12  furthermore illustrates the advantages of the inlet  13  arranged proximal to the first intermediary position.  FIG. 12  illustrates schematically that cargo  20  is now arranged in the cargo space. The cargo  20  has a certain height which does not permit a backward movement of the tension rod  14  into the pull out or cover position at the lower profile groove end  19 . In this case the tension rod  14  can be moved in a direction towards the inlet  15  by hand and can be removed from the profile groove by a corresponding extraction movement AB. 
         [0049]    It is certainly conceivable to arrange an additional inlet in the portion of the pull out or cover position of the tension rod  14 . Furthermore it is evident from the drawing description that an intermediary position of the tension rod  14  most convenient for the user or most appropriate for a loading position can be implemented for optimum coverage or optimum access to the cargo space by a respective control of the separate positioning drive operating the slide  16 . Thus, the instant invention provides a high level of flexibility to select advantageous intermediary positions by using the separate positioning drive. 
         [0050]      FIGS. 13-18  illustrate a third embodiment of the invention.  FIG. 13  illustrates a side fairing  12  configured as a portion of a support device  10  and provided with a profile groove  11 . The profile groove forms a first seat  13  where the pull out or cover position that can be assumed by the tension rod  14  is reached. Arranged thereafter in pull in direction E a first inlet  15  is arranged.  FIG. 13  illustrates a second inlet  21  where the profile groove  11  forms a stop  22 . This stop  22  provides a tactile identifier for reaching the extraction position when manually operating the tension rod  14 . 
         [0051]    Manually extracting the tension rod  14  from the second inlet  21  is illustrated in  FIGS. 14 and 15 . In  FIG. 14  the tension rod  14  has been moved from a lower end of the profile grove at  19  in a direction towards the upper end of the profile groove  20  until the tension rod penetrates the stop  22 . Following the pull of the winding shaft motor the winding shaft motor pulls the tension rod  14  out of the second inlet  21  and thus supports extracting the tension rod  14  from the profile groove  11 . 
         [0052]    The third embodiment, however illustrates an additional advantageous embodiment. Like in the remaining embodiments a slide  16  is supported in the profile groove wherein the slide  16  forms a lifting lug  17  and provides a receiver for the tension rod  14 . Starting from a starting position at the upper profile groove end  23  the slide moves towards the lower profile groove end  19 , wherein the slide keeps the tension rod  14  in the tension rod receiver. At the lower profile groove end  19  the tension or cover position of the roller blind is reached. Returning the roller blind into an intermediary position making the cargo space partially accessible is performed by moving the slide  16  in a direction towards the upper profile groove end  23 . 
         [0053]    The slide  16 , however, is supported by a spring element  24  and is movable against the spring force of the spring element  24  about a defined distance in a direction towards an intermediary position or in a direction towards an upper profile groove end. When this is done as illustrated in  FIG. 17  the tension rod  14  can be extracted through the first inlet  15  from the profile groove  11 . The first inlet  15  is thus arranged subsequent to the lower profile groove end  19  in a direction towards the upper profile groove end  23 . The extraction movement of the tension rod  14  through the first inlet  15  is illustrated in  FIG. 18 . This provides that the tension rod  14  can also be extracted from the profile groove  11  in case the positioning drive has failed. 
       REFERENCE NUMERALS AND DESIGNATIONS 
       [0000]    
       
         
           
               10  support device 
               11  profile groove 
               12  side fairing 
               13  first seat 
               14  tension rod 
               15  inlet/first inlet 
               16  slide 
               17  lifting lug 
               18  lifting surface 
               19  lower profile groove end 
               20  cargo 
               21  second inlet 
               22  stop 
               23  upper profile groove end 
               24  spring element 
             AB extraction movement 
             EB insertion movement 
             E pull in direction 
             A pull out direction