Abstract:
A sunshade positioned under a motor vehicle roof and wound on a winding shaft in which the sunshade can be drawn by means of a draw bar guided on guides and can be positioned in different drawn positions. The draw bar is provided with a protective device that, in the event of a crash, mitigates the impact of a passenger against the draw bar. Additionally, an airbag is disclosed which is attached to the rear edge of the movable cover located in the roof opening of the motor vehicle roof so that in the event of a crash the impact of a passenger against the rear edge of the cover is reduced.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    This invention relates to a sunshade wound on a winding shaft which is located under a motor vehicle roof and which can be drawn by means of a draw bar guided on guides and be positioned in different drawn positions. Further, the invention relates to a motor vehicle roof having a roof opening containing a movable cover which can be lowered to under a rear roof section and in doing so can be moved to the rear in the motor vehicle interior in order to clear the roof opening.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    German Patent DE 197 50 715 C1 discloses a shade device with two shades which can be drawn by a drive means for a transparent motor vehicle roof. The rear shade is located under the middle cross member of the motor vehicle roof and is drawn to the rear by means of a draw bar. In a crash situation, it is a possibility that a passenger sitting in the back in the motor vehicle could strike his/her head against the draw bar, which has been fixed in the drawn position, and in doing so could be injured.  
           [0005]    Published German Patent Application DE 198 48 794 A1 discloses an airbag device where the airbag is located on the vehicle-mounted frame part of a sliding roof. In a motor vehicle having a cross member for the sliding roof, the airbag closes the sliding roof opening in case of a crash.  
           [0006]    European Patent EP 0 734 894 B1 discloses a roof structure for a motor vehicle having a movable transparent roof section which can be lowered and can be moved to behind a rearward, rigid transparent roof section. Since the movable roof section can be moved underneath the rigid roof section without a covering to the motor vehicle interior, the rear edge of the movable roof section can constitute a source of danger in a crash situation to a passenger seated in the back who may strike the rear edge with his/her head.  
           [0007]    German Patent 44 40 730 C1 has proposed improving the roof structure described in the above described publication by attaching a protective cover strip to the rear edge of the movable roof section which has a hinged strip area which is elastically pretensioned and which automatically raises itself when the roof section is lowered and covers the gap which forms between the movable and the rigid roof section.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The primary object of the invention is to provide a sunshade for a motor vehicle roof which, in the case of a crash, the danger of injury to the passengers by the sunshade or by the movable cover is reduced.  
           [0009]    This object is achieved by the present invention in which a sunshade draw bar is provided with a protection means that, in case of a crash, mitigates the impact of a passenger against the draw bar. The protection means of the invention provides a reduced risk of injury by a passenger striking the draw bar which is composed of a comparatively hard plastic or metal.  
           [0010]    Preferably, the protective means contains an overload safety feature which upon impact enables the draw bar to yield or give. Thus, a protective function is easily achieved. The overload safety feature can be for example scoring which is formed on the draw bar, on the guide of the draw bar or on a drive means for the draw bar, or can be a detachable clip connection between the draw bar and the drive means, as an example.  
           [0011]    According to one embodiment of the invention the overload safety feature of the draw bar is made deformable and flexible upon impact.  
           [0012]    The overload safety feature can be an impact damping means for the draw bar. In this embodiment, the draw bar can be covered with a comparatively soft, yielding material. The impact damping means can also contain an air cushion or other cushion material such as rubber or hard foam and, particularly, an airbag means which inflates in case of an accident and which lies protectively in front of the draw bar.  
           [0013]    Another embodiment has an airbag means along the length of the sunshade or at least in the area of the draw bar. For this embodiment, the length of shade can be made double-walled as a folded tubular length which is inflated when necessary.  
           [0014]    The disclosed protective means can be used to particular advantage in a sunshade, which is located in the middle area of the motor vehicle roof and can be drawn out to the rear, in situations where a passenger, in a crash, sitting on a rear bench seat could collide with the draw bar. However, the protective means is also suited for sunshades which can be drawn to the front. The sunshade of the invention can be both manually drawn and can be operated by a drive means for drawing and retracting the length of shade.  
           [0015]    These objects of the invention are achieved in the aforementioned motor vehicle roof in that the rear edge of the cover is provided a protective means which in case of a crash mitigates the impact of a passenger on the rear edge of the cover.  
           [0016]    Preferably, the rear roof section is a fixed, transparent roof part, or a movable, transparent cover, which is located in the roof opening and under which the transparent front cover can be moved.  
           [0017]    Preferably, the protective means contains an inflatable airbag means which covers the rear edge of the cover. The inflatable airbag can be contained in the cover frame on the rear edge of the cover or in a profile which is attached to the rear edge area of the cover. The profile can be opened when the airbag is inflated so that the airbag assumes a predetermined protective position on the rear edge of the cover.  
           [0018]    The object of the invention can also be achieved by an inflatable airbag means in which the airbag is positioned on the rear edge of the movable cover located in the roof opening of the motor vehicle roof. Further, the movable cover can be lowered to clear the roof opening and move under a rear roof section, and in doing so is moved to the rear in the motor vehicle interior such that, in case of a crash, the impact of a passenger against the rear edge of the cover is avoided.  
           [0019]    In addition, the object of the invention can be achieved by an airbag means in which the airbag is on the draw bar of a sunshade which is wound on a winding shaft and located under the motor vehicle roof. The sunshade can be drawn by means of the draw bar which is guided on guides and can be positioned in different drawn positions in order that, in case of a crash, the impact of a passenger against the draw bar is mitigated. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]    [0020]FIG. 1 shows a schematic lengthwise section of a motor vehicle roof with a front cover which can be lowered and moved to the rear and a sunshade means in the closed position;  
         [0021]    FIGS.  2  to  6  show, in the same lengthwise view as FIG. 1, the cover and the sunshade means in different positions;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 7 is a perspective overhead view of the sunshade with a draw bar;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 8 shows, in an enlarged lengthwise section, the rearward end of the front cover with an airbag means; and  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 9 shows, in an enlarged lengthwise section, the rearward end of the front cover with the airbag means activated;  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 10 shows, in an enlarged lengthwise section, a draw bar with an impact damping means;  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 11 shows, in an enlarged lengthwise section, the draw bar with an airbag means activated;  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 12 shows, in a lengthwise cross section, a motor vehicle roof with two sunshade means constructed as airbag means that are in the inflated protective position;  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 13 shows, in an enlarged lengthwise section, the rearward end of the rear sunshade with an airbag means; and  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 14 shows, in an enlarged lengthwise section, the rearward end of the rear sunshade means with the airbag means activated. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0030]    According to FIGS.  1  to  6 , the motor vehicle roof includes two covers  10 ,  12  located one behind the other in the closed position (FIG. 1) and which close a common roof opening, or two roof openings separated by a middle crosspiece (not shown), in the fixed skin  14  of the motor vehicle roof in their closed position. Underneath the front cover  10 , there is a front shade  15  which comprises a length  16  of shade which can be wound onto a winding shaft  18  that extends in the transverse direction of the roof and which is located in the area of the rearward end of the front cover  10 . On the free end of the shade length  16 , a draw bar  20  is attached. Similarly, underneath the rear cover  12  there is a rear shade  21  with a length  22  of shade, the winding shaft  24  being located adjacent and parallel to the winding shaft  18  of the front shade  15 . The free rearward end of the length  22  of shade is also provided with a draw bar  26 . The two covers  10  and  12  are made as transparent covers, preferably glass or plastic covers. The front shade  15  and the rear shade  21  are designed to at least partially cover the covers  10  and  12 , respectively, and the roof opening, or roof openings, if necessary to prevent excess incident solar radiation in the motor vehicle interior  28 .  
         [0031]    The front shade  15  and the rear shade  21  are preferably constructed as in German Patent document 199 10 830 C1 which corresponds to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/524,539 (the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference) as a shade with deflection rollers, the draw bar which is guided on lateral guides on both sides engaged by a cable which runs over the corresponding deflection rollers to the lateral edge area of the winding shaft, where it is wound and unwound. This construction of the shade has the advantage that the combination of the length of shade and cables is in equilibrium with and opposes a constant counter-force to displacement.  
         [0032]    In the closed position shown in FIG. 1, the front shade  15  can also be moved manually in order to undertake the desired regulation of the incident solar radiation through the front cover  10 .  
         [0033]    The front cover  10  can be raised by means of a corresponding drive raising mechanism for the rear edge  30  and can be moved to the rear to under the rear cover  12  (FIG. 3) by means of a drive mechanism. The drive for the front cover  10  conventionally comprises at least one, and preferably two, compressively stiff drive cables which are driven via a pinion by an electric motor and each engage a slider of the cover adjustment mechanism.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 2 shows a position in which the front cover  10  is swiveled by means of a drive into the raised position for the rear cover edge  30 . During this raising motion, the drive can automatically open the front shade  15  at least some distance, as is shown in FIG. 2, in order to enable air flow through the partially cleared roof opening in the swiveled cover  10 . The drive mechanism can be made, for example, as in European Patent 0 150 470 B1 (the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference) in which the free end of each drive cable can move the draw bar  20  of the front shade  15  to the rear by a driver means when the front cover  10  is being raised.  
         [0035]    Alternatively, the drive mechanism can be made as in European Patent document 0 185 993 B1 (the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference) in which the slider of the raising mechanism, which is engaged by the respective drive cable, is provided laterally with a rack which engages a gear arrangement mounted on the roof in the raising process and drives the roof to rotary motion, the gear arrangement in turn engaging the rack located laterally in the area of the draw bar  20  and in this way moves the draw bar  20  of the front shade  16  a limited distance to the rear into a partially open position as shown in FIG. 2.  
         [0036]    In both of these embodiments, the front shade  15  and the draw bar  20  are blocked against a closing motion as long as the front cover  10  is raised.  
         [0037]    The front cover  10  can be moved out of the position shown in FIG. 2 by lowering the rear edge  30  again into the closed position shown in FIG. 1, and, depending on the execution of the drive mechanism, the draw bar  20  can be automatically moved to the front in order to close the shade  15 . The cover  10  can be pushed from the closed position of FIG. 1 to the rear under the rear cover  12  until the position shown in FIG. 3 is reached by lowering rear edge  30  of the cover  10  by means of a drive. This opening motion can be achieved by a drive means, as is shown in European Patent document 0 185 993 B1(the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference), which also entrains the draw bar  20  and thus the length  16  of front shade  15  to the rear until the shade  15  has likewise been completely opened (FIG. 3).  
         [0038]    With the front cover  10  open, the previously described process can proceed in the reverse sequence of motion so that the front cover  10  entrains the draw bar  20  forward into the closed position via the drive means.  
         [0039]    The front shade  15  can be adjusted by the described embodiment of the drive for moving the front cover  10 , at least in part automatically, to the corresponding opening of the shade. This increases the ease of operation, as compared to a purely manually opened shade, without an additional drive for the shade  15  being necessary.  
         [0040]    The rear cover  12  is only provided with a raising function, and is not provided with a sliding function. The rear cover  12  is driven by a second drive means which preferably comprises an electric motor which drives a pinion and two compressively stiff drive cables and which engage a slider of the cover mechanism. FIG. 4 shows a position in which the front cover  10  and the rear cover  12  are closed, while the front shade  15  is opened and the rear shade  21  is being opened to the front by being retracted by means of the second drive for raising the rear cover  12 . In this sequence, there is a driver on the slider which moves the draw bar  26  of the rear shade  21 . Before the rear shade  21  is completely opened, the drive motion of the slider does not cause actuation of the raising mechanism of the rear cover  12 . When complete opening of the rear shade  21  is reached, the slider automatically disengages with respect to the draw bar  26 , which is locked in the open position by means of a locking block. The operation of one such locking block is known, for example in German Patent documents 39 30 756 A1 or 40 01 759 C1 (the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference). Thereafter, the slider engages the raising mechanism of the rear cover  12  which had previously been locked with the locking block and causes a raising motion of the rear cover  12 , its rear edge being raised (see FIG. 5). When the cover  12  is lowered out of this position back into its closed position, the slider disengages from the raising mechanism of the cover  12 , thereby locking of the cover  12  by means of the locking block. Then the slider again engages the draw bar  26 , by which it is unlocked and is entrained in a closed position.  
         [0041]    The draw bar  26  of the rear shade  21 , which is formed for example as a rod-shaped element with a solid or hollow cross section, contains at least one scored site  31  (see FIG. 7 indicated by the wavy line) which is located, as an example, in the middle of the draw bar  26 , and/or two scored sites  32  and  33  which are located, as an example, at the two edges of the draw bar  26  adjacent to the ends  34  and  35  of the draw bar  26  which are guided in the lengthwise guides  43  with sliders  44 . The scored sites are designed such that a passenger who is sitting on a rear bench seat and who, in case of a crash, hits his/her head against the draw bar  26  positioned in the drawn position of the shade as shown in FIG. 1, or in the retracted position as shown in FIG. 6, or in an intermediate position, can cause deformation or breaking of the draw bar  26  so that the draw bar  26  gives and does not provide stationary resistance which can cause serious injury to the rear passenger. There can also be scored sites in the drive means for the draw bar  26 , such as for example in a drive cable  45  (scored site  46 ), or on the attachment  47  of the drive cable  45  to the draw bar  26 .  
         [0042]    In an alternative embodiment, the draw bar  26  can be made flexible such that upon impact it deforms and thus reducing the risk of injury. To do this, the draw bar  26  can be made flexible over its entire length or in at least one certain section, such as for example in the middle section.  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 8 shows an embodiment in which the rear section  30  of the front cover  10  is elongated, and is provided with a plastic hollow section  40  containing an airbag  41 . The hollow section  40  contains a weakened area as the scored site  42  such that inflation of the airbag  41  causes the hollow section  40  to open at a defined location such that the airbag  41 , in the inflated state, lies protectively in front of the rear edge  30  of the cover  10  (see FIG. 9). To inflate the airbag  41 , the hollow section  40  contains a match cord (not shown) which generates propellant gas to inflate the airbag  41 . In a crash, the vehicle passenger is protected against injury by the rear edge  30  of the lowered and opened cover  10 .  
         [0044]    The hollow section  40 , with the airbag  41 , can be positioned entirely or partially underneath the rear edge  30  of the cover  10 , or can be positioned to surround the rear edge  30 , or constructed as part of a rear cover seal.  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 10 shows the draw bar  26  of the rear sunshade  21  which has an impact attenuation means in the form of a lengthwise element  48  which is clipped on a slot  49  of the open section of the draw bar  26  and is held with barbs  50 . The element  48  contains a chamber  51  which is filled with air or a damping material, for example, rubber or plastic foam. Alternatively, the element  48  is an airbag  52  with a hollow chamber  53  which can be filled by means of a compressed gas so that the airbag  52  deploys into a protective position when inflated (see FIG. 11).  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 12 illustrates a motor vehicle roof with a sun protection means in the form of two sunshades, the lengths of which are airbags, and which are shown in the filled protective position. Each sunshade  15 ,  21  contains an upper length of material  54  and a lower length of material  55  which lie one on top of the other and are anchored on the draw bar  20 ,  26  (FIG. 13). When the airbag is triggered, the expanding gases are fed, for example, via the draw bar  20 ,  26  (FIG. 14) to which a gas unit is connected.