Shielding member

A shielding member comprises a generally rectangular and flexible sheet member including a first part and a second part, a first wire surrounding at least a portion of the first part, and a second wire surrounding at least a portion of the second part. The shielding member is foldable in two about a portion between the first wire and the second wire such that the first part with the first wire and the second part with the second wire overlap each other.

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-209833, filed Nov. 20, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a shielding member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the vehicle in which the luggage compartment is provided in the rear, in order to prevent the interior of the luggage compartment from being seen from the outside of the vehicle, a sheet-shaped shielding member which is referred to as a tonneau cover may be provided above the luggage compartment. The tonneau cover covers the upper part of the luggage compartment when a piece of luggage is placed in the luggage compartment. For example, if the tonneau cover is connected to the back door with a string, the rear of the tonneau cover can be raised and lowered in conjunction with the opening and closing of the back door, so that the user's accessibility when transferring a luggage into and from the luggage compartment, is improved. Therefore, it is easy to transfer a piece of luggage into and from the luggage compartment. However, when a tall piece of luggage is transferred into the luggage compartment, it is necessary to remove the tonneau cover to open the upper space of the luggage compartment. Further, when the piece of luggage is not placed in the luggage compartment, it is unnecessary to cover the luggage compartment with the tonneau cover, and therefore the tonneau cover may be removed. As described above, in the case of placing a tall piece of luggage in the luggage compartment, or in the case of not placing any luggage in the luggage compartment, or in the case of folding the seat forward to make a full flat surface together with the upper surface of the luggage compartment which allows, for example, an occupant to lie down, it is desirable to remove the tonneau cover. Therefore, the tonneau cover is preferably attachable and detachable above the luggage compartment. Typically, the tonneau cover which was removed from the luggage compartment is folded and stored so as not to become an obstacle.

The foldable shade for the automobile described in Patent Document 1: JP2003-211958A has a hinge structure in which a hinge pin passes through hinge pieces which are provided to two sheets respectively. The tonneau cover described in Patent Document 2: JP5456570B has a structure in which a cut line is formed in a part of a board and the board can be folded at the part where the cut line is formed. The tonneau cover described in Patent Document 3: JP6193560B and Patent Document 4: WO2018/186266A can be folded in three or more sections.

In the shade for the automobile described in Patent Document 1, the hinge structure composed of hinge pieces of two sheets and a hinge pin, protrudes in the thickness direction of the sheet. Thus, space for the hinge structure is required. In addition, the hinge structure exposed in the folded state impairs the design.

In the tonneau cover described in Patent Document 2, a cut line is formed in the board and the board is connected only by the connecting portion. Therefore, if the folding and unfolding operations are repeatedly performed in long-term use, the connecting portion may be damaged. That is, the durability of this tonneau cover is inferior.

The tonneau covers described in Patent Documents 3 and 4 can be folded so that it becomes small. However, the problem arises that the folding method is complicated and difficult to understand, and therefore, it is difficult to fold the tonneau cover. In addition, the appearance of the tonneau cover in the folded state may not look good.

As mentioned above, in each of the structures described in Patent Documents 1 to 4, it is not possible to satisfy all of the requirements that include ease of folding, durability and the design, that is, to achieve a good appearance.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a shielding member which can be easily folded and which can have both good durability and good design.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A shielding member comprises a generally rectangular and flexible sheet member including a first part and a second part, a first wire surrounding at least a portion of the first part, and a second wire surrounding at least a portion of the second part, wherein the shielding member is foldable in two about a portion between the first wire and the second wire such that the first part with the first wire and the second part with the second wire overlap each other.

The shielding member of the present invention can be easily folded and can have both good durability and good design.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Tonneau cover1which is an embodiment of a shielding member of the present invention is shown inFIGS. 1A, 1B. Tonneau cover1in the opened state shown inFIG. 1A, can cover the luggage compartment of a vehicle (not shown). Tonneau cover1can be removed from above the luggage compartment and folded in two as shown in theFIG. 1B. Thereby, tonneau cover1can be folded and stored in a state in which the luggage compartment is opened to the outside. Tonneau cover1has sheet member2made of synthetic resin, and first and second wires3and4made of metal. Sheet member2is a flexible thin sheet having a substantially rectangular outer shape. Sheet member2has first part2a, second part2band part2ctherebetween. First wire3and second wire4have substantially the same shape, which is a closed loop shape having a substantially rectangular outer shape. First wire3surrounds first part2aof sheet member2, and second wire4surrounds second part2b. Part2cbetween first wire3and second wire4of sheet member2connects first part2aand second part2b. Sheet member2is continuously provided over first part2aand second part2b. In the illustrated embodiment, first wire3surrounds the whole of first part2a, and second wire4surrounds the whole of second part2b. However, it is not necessary to limit the present invention to such a structure. First wire3may surround at least a portion of first part2a. That is, first wire3may not have a closed loop shape, but may have a shape in which a part thereof is divided and is not continuous. A portion of first part2amay not be surrounded by first wire3. Similarly, second wire4may surround at least a portion of second part2b. Second wire4may not have a closed loop shape, but may have a shape in which a part thereof is divided and is not continuous. A portion of second part2bmay not be surrounded by second wire4.

Such a structure is achieved by arranging sheet member2so as to cover first wire3and second wire4after arranging first wire3and second wire4side by side in a line-symmetrical positional relationship in a plan view, as schematically shown inFIG. 2. In other words, a portion surrounded by first wire3, a portion surrounded by second wire4, and a portion located between first wire3and second wire4are collectively covered by continuous sheet member2.

First wire3and second wire4are connected by hinge mechanisms5schematically shown inFIG. 2. In the present embodiment, two sheet members2are disposed so as to face each other with first and second wires3and4interposed therebetween. Therefore, sheet members2are visible from either side of tonneau cover1, and first and second wires3and4are invisible. Design property can be improved by sheet members2, and members such as first and second wires3and4do not impair the design property. Hinge mechanisms5are disposed only at both ends of the sides, that face each other, of first wire3and second wire4. Hinge mechanisms5are only provided in a very small portion in entire tonneau cover1. Therefore, hinge mechanisms5of the present embodiment hardly affect the design property of tonneau cover1.

When folding tonneau cover1, as shown inFIG. 1B, sheet member2is folded in two around part2cbetween first wire3and second wire4. First wire3and second wire4are not bent. Tonneau cover1is folded by bending parts2cbetween first and second wires3and4of sheet members2, which are not fixed to first and second wires3and4. Hard first and second wires3and4are not bent, and only flexible thin sheet members2are bent. Therefore, the position to be folded is easily and intuitively understood by the user, and tonneau cover1is folded smoothly and easily. Since thin sheet member2has low rigidity and is flexible, thin sheet member2is not likely to be damaged even after being repeatedly folded and expanded. Therefore, its durability is good. Hinge mechanism5may have any structure as long as it is connected to first and second wires3and4, respectively, and holds first and second wires3and4at an interval from each other, and as long as it does not inhibit bending part2cbetween first and second wires3and4.

A more detailed embodiment of tonneau cover which is an example of the abovementioned shielding member of the present invention, will be described below. As shown inFIG. 3, in tonneau cover1of the present embodiment, first and second wires3and4that are made of metal and flexible edging portions6,7that are made of a synthetic resin are disposed on two sheet members2which overlap with each other. Edging portions6,7cover parts of first and second wires3and4. Sheet member2is made of a so-called jersey fabric. Edging portions6,7are made of synthetic leather (e.g., soft leather C mat). Edging portions6,7are not provided at positions which are in contact with the sides, that face each other, of first wire3and second wire4, but, in other portions, edging portions6,7cover first and second wires3and4.

First and second wires3and4are weldable wires having a circular shape in a cross section, such as brass wire or hard steel wire or piano wire, mainly made of iron or brass. First and second wires3and4preferably have an elastic modulus between 0.98×105and 2.06×105(N/mm2) to prevent or reduce deflection due to its own weight. Elastic modulus of the wire of the present embodiment is 1.0×105(N/mm2). Since first and second wires3and4of the present invention do not need to be twisted and folded, there is no need to differentiate moment of inertia of area in the longitudinal and in the transverse directions. Therefore, first and second wires3and4are formed in a circular shape having the same strength and the same rigidity with respect to an external force from all directions. Thus, because first and second wires3and4have a circular cross-sectional shape, they are rotatably fitted in first and second recesses9aand9bwhich will be described later, so that first and second wires3and4can be used as a shaft of hinge mechanism5. It is understood that even if first and second wires3and4have a smaller moment of inertia of area and a smaller section modulus than conventional wires as described in Patent Documents 3, 4, first and second wires3and4can maintain strength and rigid feeling of the product. The diameter of the wire is preferably between 3.0 mm and 4.0 mm. Namely, if the diameter of the wire is smaller than 3.0 mm, the wire does not feel very rigid. If the diameter of the wire is larger than 4.0 mm, its mass is too large. The moment of inertia of area of the wire is between 3.98 mm4and 12.57 mm4, and its section modulus is between 2.65 mm3and 6.28 mm3. Specifically, the wire used in this embodiment has a diameter of 3.5 mm, a moment of inertia of area of 7.4 mm4, and a section modulus of 4.2 mm3. Loop-shaped first and second wires3and4are formed by joining both ends of the wire to each other, after extruding the wire by the force of a motor or hydraulic and then bending the extruded wire to a desired shape by a jig.

In first wire3and second wire4, crank-shaped portion3a,4awhich is two-step bent, is formed at the both ends of the sides which face each other and which are not in contact with edging portions6,7. In sheet member2, cutout portion2dhaving a shape substantially along crank-shaped portion3a,4a, is formed at a position facing crank-shaped portion3a,4a. Crank-shaped portion3a,4aand cutout portion2dare omitted inFIG. 2for simplicity. Outside of sheet member2(lower side inFIG. 3), synthetic resin lower cover8which is a part of hinge mechanism5, is disposed at the position facing crank-shaped portion3a,4aand cutout portion2d. Lower cover8is, for example, an injection molded article of PA66+GF (material in which glass fibers are contained in polyamide 66). Synthetic resin clamp9is attached so as to straddle lower cover8disposed on first part2aside and lower cover8disposed on second part2bside. As shown inFIGS. 4 and 5A, a part of first wire3which is exposed without being covered by edging portion6, is rotatably fitted into first recess9aof clamp9attached to lower cover8. Similarly, a part of second wire4which is exposed without being covered by edging portion7, is rotatably fitted into second recess9bof clamp9. Clamps9are located so as to straggle two lower covers8and maintain the interval from first wire3and the first part2ato second wire4and second part2b. Lower cover8and upper cover10that is made of synthetic resin (e.g., injection molded article of PA66+GF) which is a part of hinge mechanism5, overlap a part of first and second wires3,4with clamp9interposed therebetween.

Specifically, first and second wires3and4are placed on upper cover10in a state in which the position shown inFIG. 3is turned upside down. First and second wires3and4placed on upper cover10are fitted into first and second recesses9aand9bof clamps9. Then, lower cover8is overlapped on upper cover10with clamps9interposed therebetween. Upper cover10and lower cover8have substantially the same external shape and are fixed to each other by screws11. Upper cover10and lower cover8are fixed to each other while accommodating a part of first and second wires3and4and clamps9. Thus, hinge mechanisms5are formed. Then, although omitted inFIG. 3, another sheet member2overlaps sheet member2on which edging portions6,7and first and second wires3,4are placed, such that edging portions6,7and first and second wires3,4and hinge mechanisms5are sandwiched between two sheet members2.

Because of such a structure, a set of one lower cover8and first wire3and a set of the other lower cover8and second wire4are connected to each other by clamps9and are relatively rotatable to each other. By relative rotation, a set of first wire3and first part2aand a set of second wire4and second part2bare openable and closable between a state in which they are opened to each other and connected to each other so as to extend horizontally continuously (seeFIG. 1A) and a state in which a set of first wire3and first part2aand a set of second wire4and second part2boverlap each other and are closed (seeFIG. 1B). Even when the set of first wire3and first part2aand the set of second wire4and second part2bare opened to each other or closed to each other, the set of first wire3and first part2aand the set of second wire4and second part2bremain in a connected state by clamps9without being separated. As shown inFIGS. 4 and 5A, openings9cof first and second recesses9a,9bare at least partially narrower than the diameters of first and second wires3and4. As a result, first wire3and second wire4fitted in first and second recesses9a,9bof clamps9do not leave from first and second recesses9a,9b. Further, lower cover8is provided with restraint portion8afor preventing or reducing deformation of opening portions9cof first and second recesses9a,9b. Thereby, first wire3and second wire4are prevented from falling off from opening9cdue to elastic deformation to widen opening9cof first and second recesses9a,9b.

Handle portion12is attached to each of the outer end portions of first part2aand second part2bof sheet member2, i.e., each of the end portions that are opposite to the portion where first part2aand second part2bface each other. Specifically, upper portion12aand lower portion12b, which are injection molded articles of a synthetic resin, for example, polyacetal (POM), overlap each other with sheet member2and pin13sandwiched therebetween and are fixed to each other by screws11. Handle portion12constructed in this manner, is used as a portion where the user holds when attaching or removing tonneau cover1to/from the luggage compartment or when folding tonneau cover1. As a result, it is easy to manage tonneau cover1. Suspension strings14made of a resin fiber (e.g., eight strand plaited cord of 6 nylon (registered trademark) textured yarn) are attached to an outer end portions of first part2aand second part2bof sheet member2. Suspension string14is sewn to a part of tonneau cover1, and is also attached to a part of the interior of the vehicle in which tonneau cover1is installed. The length and mounting position of suspension strings14are set such that when the back door of the vehicle is closed, tonneau cover1is held horizontally, and when the back door is opened, tonneau cover1is open to a sufficient degree to ensure that the user can easily access the inside the luggage compartment. Suspension string14is preferably attached to the right end or the left end of tonneau cover1so as not to obstruct the rear view of the driver.

First and second wires3and4of the present embodiment have crank-shaped portions3a,4a. Most of first and second wires3and4are sandwiched between sheet members2. However, in both end portions of the sides of first wire3and second wire4which face each other, there is an exposed portion of first and second wires3and4without being covered by sheet member2, so as to fit into first and second recesses9a,9bof hinge mechanism5. In tonneau cover1of the comparative example shown inFIG. 6, in the vicinity of the portion of first and second wires3and4having no crank-shaped portion which is exposed without being covered by sheet member2, sheet member2may move in the direction indicated by the arrow such that crumple may occur. In contrast, in the present embodiment, crank-shaped portions3a,4aare provided at the position close to the portion of first and second wires3and4to be fitted into first and second recesses9a,9bof hinge mechanism5, as shown inFIG. 7. Upper and lower sheet members2are fixed (stitched) to each other by a part of the bent portion of crank-shaped portions3a,4a, so that stitched portion2eis held by crank-shaped portions3a,4a. If sheet member2is likely to move in the arrow direction inFIG. 6, stitched portion2eheld by crank-shaped portions3a,4aprevents the sheet member from moving in the arrow direction. As a result, the occurrence of crumple in sheet member2can be prevented or reduced. After stitched portion2eis formed and held by crank-shaped portions3a,4a, hinge mechanism5is attached.

In the comparative example shown inFIG. 6, it is difficult to provide an exposed portion of first and second wires3and4with a portion for locking sheet member2. However, in the embodiment shown inFIG. 7, since crank-shaped portions3a,4aincluding the bent portion are provided on first and second wires3and4, stitched portion2eof sheet member2can be easily held by crank-shaped portions3a,4a. Thereby, the movement of sheet member2can be prevented or reduced both in the arrow direction and in the direction orthogonal to the arrow.

Thus, tonneau cover1of the present invention can be easily folded in two. In addition, tonneau cover1has excellent durability and design properties. In particular, when crank-shaped portions3a,4aare provided on first and second wires3and4, the occurrence of crumple in sheet member2is prevented or reduced.