Window shade with extraction slot cover

A window shade assembly for motor vehicles which has a pivotable cover provided on the slot through which the window shade is extendable and retractable. The cover is prestressed into an open position by an opening spring for enabling extraction of the window shade. The cover is closed by excess travel of a window shade actuating element that serves for moving a tension rod of the window shade to the extracted position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to window shades for motor vehicles, and more particularly to motor vehicle window shades that are automatically extendable and retractable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known to provide a motor vehicle window shade with a winding shaft rotatably supported underneath a rear window shelf of the vehicle, as disclosed in DE 102 37 231. The rear window shelf has a slot through which a strip-shaped window shade can be extracted. A tension rod of the window shade moves in guide rails that are arranged laterally along the motor vehicle window. The window shade is has a spring motor that biases the winding shaft in the wind-up direction for the window shade. Two elongated actuating thrust elements are guided in guide rails in a buckle-proof fashion.

A positive connection is provided between the thrust elements and the tension rod by means of two hooks. One hook is mounted on the tension rod, and the other hook is mounted on the thrust element. This makes it possible to transmit a thrust force, as well as a tensile force, onto the tension rod by means of the actuating thrust elements. After the strip-shaped window shade is completely retracted, the positive connection between the tension rod and the thrust element is separated under the guidance and control of a cam. It is mentioned in the aforementioned reference that an excess travel can be achieved in this fashion in order to actuate a cover for the slot of the window shade by means of the opposite end of the thrust elements.

A window shade for a rear window of a motor vehicle is described in DE 102 23 028, wherein the winding shaft is adjustably supported underneath the rear window shelf. The winding shaft is arranged within a housing that can be raised slightly above the level of the rear window shelf in order to extract the window shade. In this case, an extraction slot, through which the window shade is extracted, becomes visible.

A tension rod, the ends of which are guided in guide rails, also is fixed on the strip-shaped window shade in this case. The actuation of the tension rod is effected by means of two thrust elements similar to that described above, except that the thrust elements are inseparably connected to the tension rod. When the tension rod is completely retracted into the cassette, the cassette is lowered into the rear window shelf with the aid of the driving force generated by the thrust elements that act as tension means during the retraction.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a motor vehicle window shade in which actuation of the window shade and cover for the slot through which the window shade is extracted and retracted is relatively simple and more reliable operation.

In carrying out the invention, a window shade is provided which has a thrust element movable in a corresponding guide rail which is operatively coupled to the tension rod only in a thrust direction of movement. The connection between the thrust element and the tension rod is not designed for transmitting a tensile force since the window shade is retracted exclusively with the aid of a spring motor contained in the winding shaft or another separate driving device that cooperates with the winding shaft. During window shade retraction, the tension rod is only able to move in the direction of the winding shaft under the influence of the spring motor to the degree permitted by the retraction movement of the thrust elements. In this respect, the thrust elements only can be subjected to a thrust force. Due to these measures, an excess travel of the thrust element at the end of the retraction movement of the strip-shaped window shade can easily be accommodated and used for closing the cover.

The cover is closed with a cam that is provided on the thrust element and cooperates with an actuating arm of the cover, wherein said cam closes the cover against the force of an opening spring. Alternatively, the excess travel causes the other end of the actuating thrust element to cooperate with the cover in order to move the cover into the closed position. Both variations provide certain advantages:

In the first variation, the storage tube that accommodates the rear section of the thrust element can be installed arbitrarily. This requires a cam that protrudes out of the guide rail, which under some circumstances might be considered unsightly. The additional cam is eliminated in the other variation such that no additional modifications need to be made to the thrust element. However, the free end of the storage tube should extend back to the cover such that a corresponding actuation thereof can be achieved. In this case, it is particularly advantageous that the thrust element be protected from buckling during the actuation of the cover by a telescopic sleeve.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now more particularly toFIG. 1of the drawings, there is shown the rear section1of a motor vehicle, in this case a notchback sedan, having a rear window shade in accordance with the invention. The illustrated motor vehicle has a roof2, a trunk lid4and C-shaped columns5with an interior liner between the trunk lid and roof, with the left C-Column being shown in the drawing. A rear window7is located between the C-columns5, a rear edge6of the roof2and an upper side of the trunk. A rear window shelf11extends between a lower edge of the rear window7and the back of a rear bench seat8, which in this case is provided with head rests. A slot12defined by parallel edges13,14extends transversely through the rear window shelf11. The slot12is closed by a cover15which is positioned between the C-columns5.

The actuating mechanism for the window shade17is arranged underneath the slot12, which is closed by the cover15when the window shade is in a retracted condition, as shown inFIG. 1. The cover15is pivotable upwardly in order to uncover the slot12and to permit extraction of the window shade from the slot, as depicted inFIG. 2. Guide rails16are provided in the interior liner of the C-columns, beginning at the elevation of the slot15and following the lateral contour of the rear window opening up the vicinity of the roof (2).

The illustrated window shade assembly, as depicted inFIG. 3, comprises a strip-shaped window shade18affixed at one end to a winding shaft19. The other end of the window shade18opposite the winding shaft19is connected to a tension rod assembly21. The winding shaft is biased in a wind-up direction of the window shade18onto the winding shaft19by means of a spring motor20arranged within the winding shaft19.

The tension rod assembly21essentially includes two telescopically movable guide elements22. The telescopically movable guide elements22serve for compensating the varying distance between the two guide rails16that are embedded in the interior liner of the C-columns5of the window6within the motor vehicle.

The actuating mechanism for the window shade includes actuating elements23that are guided in a buckle-proof fashion in the guide rails16. The guide rails16continue underneath the rear window shelf11in guide tubes24,25, by means of which the guide elements23are coupled to a housing26of a gear motor27. The actuating elements23, which can be longitudinally displaced in the guide rails16, as well as the connecting tubes24,25, consist of elongated flexible elements such as the cores of Bowden cables as depicted inFIG. 4, each actuating element23comprises a compression-proof, cylindrical core element29, the outside of which is provided with a screw-like rib31which defines a helical gear rack. With the aid of the rib31, the actuating elements23mesh with a gearwheel32fixedly mounted on an output shaft33of the gear motor27. The two actuating elements23tangentially extend past the gearwheel32on opposite sides such that they are synchronously moved in opposite directions.

The two guide rails16, as illustrated inFIG. 4, each consists of a tube with a guide groove34that opens outwardly in the form of a guide slot35on one side. The guide rail forms a back36on the opposite side. Appropriate mounting flanges may be integrally formed onto the guide rail16.

A tapered neck section37of the guide element22protrudes through the guide slot35. The free end of the neck section37carries a cylindrical guide member38that fits into the cylindrical part of the guide groove34with slight play such that it cannot become jammed.

A cap39that can also be displaced in the cylindrical part of the guide groove34with slight play is fixed on the free end of the actuating element23. A limit stop pin41laterally protrudes from the cap39and extends outwardly through the guide slot35. Due to this arrangement, the pin41is only slightly, but distinctively spaced apart from the guide element22.

In accordance with an important aspect of the invention, the actuating elements23are separable from the guide element22of the window shade tension rod during retractable movement of the window shade into the slot and are operable for closing the cover15. The support for the cover15and its actuating means are depicted inFIGS. 5 and 6. WhileFIGS. 5 and 6show the left side of the motor vehicle, it will be understood that the right side is constructed in mirror image fashion. Consequently, it suffices to limit the description to the coupling of the cover15on the left side of the motor vehicle.

In the illustrated embodiment, the rear window shelf11carries a downwardly protruding hinged bracket42adjacent to the slot edge14on the respective ends of the slot, wherein said hinged bracket is connected in an articulated fashion to a second hinged bracket44by means of a hinge bolt43, which lies parallel to the longitudinal axis of the winding shaft19. The hinged bracket44is rigidly connected to the underside of the cover15.

Such hinge mountings on both ends of the cover15make it possible to pivot the cover about an axis parallel to the winding shaft19such that the cover can be moved from the slot closing position shown inFIG. 1to the position shown inFIG. 2, in which the slot is open.

The hinged bracket44extends beyond the hinge bolt43in the form of an arm45that has clearance along the underside of the rear section of the rear window shelf11. A pressure spring46that serves to prestress the cover15into the open position is arranged between the rear section of the rear window shelf11and the arm45. It will be appreciated that appropriate limit stops may be provided for limiting the open position of the cover. Another arm47of the hinged bracket44protrudes downwardly adjacent the guide slot35in such a way that the driving pin41is engagable with the arm47, as indicated inFIG. 5.

The above arrangement functions as follows:

The strip-shaped window shade18is retracted by driving the gear motor27in such a direction that the two actuating elements23are pulled back in the guide rails16with the aid of the gearwheel32. At the end of the retraction movement, the driving pin41comes in contact with the arm47of the hinged bracket44and pivots the arm47, and consequently the cover15, into the position shown inFIG. 5, in which it covers the slot12. During this process, the tension rod21may be drawn into contact with an appropriate limit stop, such as the outer circumference of the strip-shaped window shade18that this wound up on the winding shaft19. The strip-shaped window shade18is wound up on the winding shaft16with the aid of the spring motor20that constantly tends to turn the winding shaft16in the wind up direction.

The guide member38and the cap39that carries the driving pin41only cooperate in the thrust direction. Since no tensile forces are transmitted by the actuating element23, each actuating element23is able to separate from the tension rod21during the retraction when the latter comes in contact with a limit stop, wherein the excess travel of the actuating element is used for closing the cover15.

The strip-shaped window shade18is extracted from the position shown inFIG. 5by turning the gear motor27in such a way that it pushes the two actuating elements23forward in both guide rails16in a synchronous fashion. During the course of this forward movement, the driving pin41is moved in the direction of the cover15. The hinged bracket44is able to pivot about the hinge bolt43, enabling the spring46to move the cover15into the open position shown inFIG. 6. During the course of the forward movement, the cap39also comes in contact with the guide element38and thereby pushes the tension rod21away from the winding shaft19at the respective end. In the situation shown inFIG. 6, the cover15is open and the tension rod21is situated slightly above the upper side of the rear window shelf11.

It can be seen from the foregoing that the cover15is opened with the aid of the pressure spring46, while the closing movement is effected through movement of the actuating projection41that tangentially cooperates with the actuating arm47to move the hinged bracket44and cover15about the hinge bolt43. While the cover is actuated on both ends in the illustrated embodiment, it will be understood that it also is possible to actuate the cover from one end.

FIG. 7shows an alternative embodiment in which the end of each actuating element23that is situated distant from the tension rod arrangement21is used for closing the cover rather than the adjacent end. In contrast to the previously described embodiment, this arrangement does not include an actuating pin41. In addition, the storage tubes48,49which inFIG. 3serve to protect the respectively unused sections of the actuating elements23are installed in such a way inFIG. 7that their ends are situated in the vicinity of the hinged bracket44.

A cap58is telescopically placed over the respective free ends of the storage tubes48,49such that it can be freely displaced along the outside of the storage tubes48and49. The cap51serves for protecting the actuating element23from buckling when it emerges from the free end of the respective storage tubes48,49, as shown inFIG. 7.

This embodiment functions similar to the previously described embodiment. When retracting the strip-shaped window shade18, the actuating elements23are pulled back and pushed into the respective storage tubes48,49. The movement of the tension rod21along the guide rails16ceases as soon as the assembly comes in contact with a corresponding limit stop. However, the actuating elements23continue their movement and separate from the guide elements38. Their other ends emerge from the ends of the respective storage tubes48,49, as shown inFIG. 7, and push the cap58in the direction of the arm45such that the cover15which was previously held in the open position under the influence of the pressure spring46is closed.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that a window shade for motor vehicles is provided which has a pivoted cover adjacent extraction slot in order to cover the slot when the window shade is retracted. The cover is biased into an open position by an opening spring and is closed with the excess travel of the actuating element that effects movement of the tension rod.