Patent Publication Number: US-2023144477-A1

Title: Rollo assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The discussion below is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     Aspects of the invention relate to a rollo assembly intended for use in a roof assembly for a vehicle. 
     Such rollo assembly is known from practice. In a prior art rollo system the rollo housing is provided with a lead-in or guide part for the side edge of the rollo screen connecting to the guide channel of the guide rail. This guide part comprises an upper wall part and a lower wall part connecting to the upper and lower wall parts of the guide rail. This results in a transition between the guide part of the rollo housing and the guide channel which may cause wear to the side edges of the rollo screen. In order to avoid the transition during operation of the rollo, the starting position of the operating beam (fully open position of the rollo screen) should be beyond the lead-in, which means additional required space in longitudinal (X) direction. 
     SUMMARY 
     A rollo assembly intended for use in a roof system for a vehicle, comprises a rotatable winding shaft accommodated in a rollo housing. A rollo screen has a rear end which can be wound on or off the winding shaft to enable the rollo screen to move between an open and closed position. An opposite forward end of the rollo screen is provided with an operating beam to move the rollo screen between the open and closed position. Opposite guide channels hold opposite side edges of the rollo screen and guide them in a longitudinal direction. Each end portion of the guide channels adjacent to the rollo housing includes a lower wall part formed by a respective guide rail and an upper wall part formed by a guide part which belongs to or is fixed to the rollo housing. By maintaining the lower wall part of the guide channel of the guide rails up to the rollo housing and providing the guide parts of the rollo housing with only the upper wall part, there is no transition in the lower wall part which could cause wear to the rollo screen. The transition in the upper wall parts causes much less wear as the weight of the rollo screen rests mainly on the lower wall parts. Thus, the operating beam can have its starting position at the guide parts. 
     Preferably, the length of the guide parts is much shorter than the length of the guide channels and a free end of each guide part facing away from the winding shaft abuts an upper wall part of the guide channel formed by the guide rail. 
     The guide parts will preferably be just long enough to support the operating beam in its starting position adjacent the rollo housing and will then each abut the upper wall part of the guide channel in the guide rail to complete the guide channel. 
     To obtain this, opposite end parts of the operating beam extend above an upper side of the guide parts in the open position of the rollo screen and rest on them. 
     If the opposite end parts of the operating beam are each provided with a low friction liner or slide shoe, which cooperates with an external portion of the guide rail and of the guide part, the operating beam is guided with a low sliding resistance. 
     The guide rails and the guide parts may be provided with aligned and abutting guide ribs, which are preferably substantially horizontal and are positioned on a wall of the guide rails and guide parts facing away from the rollo screen. The opposite end parts of the operating beam may then be provided with a groove in a wall of the end parts of the operating beam facing the rollo screen, said guide ribs engaging the corresponding guide grooves. 
     In this way, the end parts of the operating beam are locked in vertical direction by the guide ribs which are provided on both the guide parts and the guide rails. The operating beam will be preassembled with the rollo housing by sliding the end parts of the operating beam onto the guide parts. When the rollo housing with the guide parts are assembled with the guide rails, the end parts can be moved by a sliding movement from the guide parts onto the guide rails. 
     The length of the guide rib on the guide parts may be smaller than the length of the guide parts, whereas the guide rib of the guide rails may be longer than the upper wall part of the guide channel in the guide rails and a protruding portion of the guide rib may then be clamped within a groove of the guide part. In this way, the guide part is locked in vertical direction with respect to the guide rail at the front of the guide part. If the guide part or rollo housing comprises a clamping projection engaging the guide rail from below, the guide part will be fixed in vertical direction with respect to the guide rail at the end near the rollo housing as well. The locks can be accomplished simultaneously by sliding the guide parts with respect to the guide rails once it is in place in vertical direction. 
     The operating beam is preferably driven by drive cables coupled to the opposite end parts of the operating beam and guided by cable guides in the guide rails, and wherein the opposite end parts of the operating beam engage a coupling part on the drive cables from above. 
     In this way, the operating beam is coupled to the drive cables simultaneously with positioning the guide parts onto the guide rails. 
     The guide parts may include a downwardly extending flange engaging between upwardly extending flanges of the guide rails, which further locks the guide parts with respect to the guide rails. 
     The invention also includes a roof assembly for a vehicle comprising the rollo assembly as described above. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Hereinafter aspects of the invention will be elucidated with reference to the drawing in which: 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of un upper part of a vehicle comprising a roof system. 
         FIG.  2   a    is an enlarged perspective view of a frame from the roof system of  FIG.  1    together with the rollo system. 
         FIG.  2   b    is an exploded view version of  FIG.  2   a   , with the rollo system and guide rails shown separately. 
         FIGS.  3   a  and  3   b    are enlarged exploded views from two different directions, showing the parts at one end of the rollo and guide rail. 
         FIG.  3   c    on an even larger scale the end parts of the rollo housing and operating beam and a portion of the rollo screen. 
         FIG.  4   a    is an enlarged section view along the line IVa-Iva in  FIG.  2   a    without the frame. 
         FIG.  4   b    is an enlarged plan view of detail IVb in  FIG.  2   a    without the frame. 
         FIG.  5    is an enlarged perspective view of detail V in  FIG.  2   a   , partly cut away. 
         FIG.  6    shows the same detail V, but from a different direction. 
         FIG.  7    shows the rollo system including the guide rail of Fi. 5 from a slightly different angle and without the frame. 
         FIG.  8    is a perspective sectional view along the line VIII in  FIG.  4   a   . 
         FIG.  9    is a perspective sectional view along the line IX in  FIG.  4   a     
         FIG.  10    is an enlarged perspective view similar to that of  FIG.  5   , but with only the end part of the rollo housing and the guide rail. 
         FIG.  11    is a perspective sectional view along the line XI in  FIG.  4   a   . 
         FIG.  12    is a perspective sectional view along the line XII in  FIG.  4   b   . 
         FIGS.  13   a  -  13   d    are perspective sectional views along the lines XIIIa - XIIId in  FIG.  4   b   . 
         FIG.  14   d    is a perspective sectional view along the line XIV in  FIG.  4   a   , while  FIGS.  14   a  -  14   c    is the same view as  FIG.  14   d    but showing different mounting stages preceding the mounted state of  FIG.  14   d   . 
         FIG.  15    shows the position of the rollo housing with respect to the guide rail according to  FIG.  14   a   , but in a sectional view along the line XV in  FIG.  4   b   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG.  1    shows an upper part of a vehicle, in this case a passenger car. The vehicle comprises a roof system generally indicated by reference number  1  and for example comprising a movable panel  2  for opening and closing a roof opening  3 . The roof system is attached to a stationary part  4 , in particular a fixed roof of the vehicle. The roof system may also comprise more than one panel, for example a movable and a fixed panel. However, also one fixed panel is conceivable. The one or more panels will generally be fully or partly transparent. 
       FIGS.  2   a  and  2   b    show a frame  5  of the roof system  1  which is used to mount the roof assembly to the fixed roof  4 . The frame  5  is also used to support all parts of the roof system.  FIGS.  2   a  and  2   b    show some of these parts, i.e., two guide rails  6  extending in longitudinal direction of the vehicle on opposite sides of a passage opening  7  in frame  5 . When roof system  1  mounted in the vehicle, passage opening  7  is positioned vertically in line and below roof opening  3 . Adjacent the rear side of passage opening  7 , the frame supports a rollo housing  8  forming part of a rollo assembly which can be used to cover closed panel  2  from below in order to keep sun rays out of the vehicle interior. As its main components the rollo assembly comprises a rotatable winding shaft  9  (and/or winding roller  42 , see  FIGS.  5 ,  7   ), a rollo screen  10  of which a rear end can be wound on or off said winding shaft  9 /winding roller  42  and of which an opposite forward end is provided with (or attached to) an operating beam  11 . 
     The manner in which the winding shaft  9 /winding roller  42  is driven may vary and is not important for the present invention. One option is that the winding shaft  9 /winding roller  42  is spring loaded for winding the rollo screen  10  when operating beam  11  is moved toward rollo housing  8 . 
     The rollo assembly further comprises in guide rails  6  opposite guide channels  12  for guiding opposite side edges of the rollo screen  10  in a longitudinal direction. These guide channels  12  (of which only one is shown) generally will be positioned at the inner edges of guide rails  6 . These guide rails  6  include further guide channels and/or guide grooves for slidably guiding parts of an operating mechanism for panel  2 . Such operating mechanism is not shown, but is well known in the art. 
       FIGS.  3   a ,  b  and  c    show an end of rollo housing  8  and an end of the corresponding guide rail  6 . It should be understood that the same parts will be present on the other side of passage opening  7 , although in mirror image. 
     These figures show a part of rollo screen  10  fixed at free end 10′ to operating beam  11  and wound at opposite end 10″ onto winding shaft  9  (not shown here). The opposite sides edges of rollo screen  10  are each provided with a guide strip  13  which is bendable around a transverse axis, but more or less stiff around a longitudinal axis, such that guide strip  13  can be hooked into guide channel  12  so as to hold side edges of rollo screen in transverse direction and prevents it from sagging. Depending on the available space, these guide strips  13  will be wound onto winding shaft  9  folded onto the remainder of rollo screen  10 , i.e., substantially as it is within guide channel  12 , or they can be unfolded so as to positioned in line with the remainder of rollo screen  10 . The latter method will be used if a minimal height of rollo housing is important (the side edges of rollo screen  10  will be wound more compact). Some additional space is needed for the unfolded guide strips  13  in lateral direction and also a folding and unfolding area will be needed in longitudinal direction. If the first-mentioned method is used, this is not needed, only the diameter of the rollo housing will be larger. 
     An end part  14  of rollo housing  8  is shown, which includes a support  14 ′ for the winding roller  42  and a support  14 ″ for a winding spring (not shown). The construction of the winding mechanism does not play a role here, but may e.g., be like in European published patent application number 4019305 A1, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference thereto in its entirety.  FIG.  3    further shows that end part  14  also comprises a guide part  15  forming an upper wall part of guide channel  12 , said portion being adjacent rollo housing  8  or winding shaft  9 . As is shown in  FIG.  3    an upper wall part  16  of guide channel  12  ends short of the end of guide rail  6  and only a lower wall part  17  of guide channel  12  extends further towards rollo housing  8 . Thus, the length of guide part  15  is much shorter than the length of the complete guide channel  12 . A free end of guide part  15  facing away from the winding shaft  9  abuts upper wall part  16  of guide channel  12  formed by guide rail  6  (see  FIG.  4   b   ). As a result, the lower side of rollo screen  10  is guided along a continuous lower wall part  17  of guide channel  12 , so there is no transverse seam that could interfere and cause wear on the lower side of rollo screen  10 . 
       FIG.  3    also clearly shows a drive cable  18  for driving operating beam  11  to close and open rollo screen  10 . Drive cable  18  is provided on its upper side with a coupling part in the form of a coupling cam  19  which is able to engage into a coupling recess  20  in a respective end part  21  of operating beam  11 . 
       FIG.  3   b    clearly shows that an attachment portion  10 ′ at the free end of rollo screen  10  is wrapped around operating beam  11  and is provided with a rod  22  which can be clamped in a groove  23  of operating beam  11  (see e.g., in  FIGS.  5  and  7   ). 
       FIGS.  4   a  and  4   b    are a cross section/plan view showing the parts of the exploded view of  FIG.  3    in mounted condition. It is clearly visible that drive cable  18  is slidably guided in a cable guide  24  in guide rail  6 . Coupling part  19  on drive cable  18  prevents rotation of drive cable  18  due to its walls engaging fitting walls of guide rail  6 . End part  21  of operating beam  11  extends above and beyond upper wall part  16  of guide channel  12  and is provided in a downwardly extending outer end wall  25  with a guide groove  26  in its side facing rollo screen  10 . This guide groove  26  extends around a horizontal guide rib  27  which is facing away from rollo screen  10  and is aligned with the adjacent portion of lower wall part  17  of guide channel  12 . This engagement of guide rib  27  in guide groove  26  fixes operating beam  11  vertically (Z-direction). The lower side of end part  21  of operating beam  11  is provided with a low friction liner  28  engaging guide rail  6 , especially vertical walls  29   and  30  defining guide channel  12 , so as to fix operating beam  11  in transverse direction (Y-direction). As a result, operating beam  11  is only able to slide along guide rails  6 , driven by drive cable  18  through coupling cam  19  engaging coupling recess  20 . 
       FIG.  4   a    further show a clamping projection  31  (also shown in  FIGS.  3   a  and  3   c   ) engaging below lower wall part  17  of guide channel  12  in guide rail  6 . Together with guide part  15  the rollo housing end part  14  is clamped to guide rail  6 . 
       FIGS.  3   a  and  4   b    show that guide rib  27  is not only present on guide rail  6 , but also on guide part  15  of rollo housing end part  14 . In  FIG.  4   b    one can recognize that guide rib  27  on end part  21  is shorter than guide part  15 , while guide rib  27  on guide rail  6  is longer than upper wall part  16 . The reason will be explained later-on when a mounting operation of the rollo system is elucidated. 
       FIGS.  5  and  6    show how rollo assembly and guide rail  6  are fitting within a depression in frame  5 . The rollo housing  8  and guide rails  6  are covered from below by a cover  32  fixed to frame  5 . End parts  14  of rollo housing  8  are fixed to cover  32  by fasteners  33 . 
     In  FIGS.  7  and  8    it is shown in detail how rollo housing end part  14  is fixed to guide rail  6  and how rollo screen  10  is guided into guide channel  12 . Clamping projection  31  is visible in both figures, and it can also be seen that the end of guide rail  6  abuts against a wall  34  of rollo housing end part  14 .  FIG.  8    is a longitudinal section through guide channel  12 . One can recognize a portion of guide strip  13  and rollo screen  10  separated from each other. A pilot  35  of end part  21  of operating beam  11  engages between rollo screen  10  and guide strip  13  ensuring that guide strip  13  is positioned correctly in guide channel  12 . It further shows that rollo screen  10 , once guided into guide channel  12  is guided on a continuous lower wall part  17  of guide channel  12 . The upper wall part  16  of guide rail  6  and guide part  15  meet each other in a slightly upward seam  41  so that wear of guide strip  13  is minimized when passing the seam  41 . 
       FIG.  8    also shows upper and lower guide walls  43  and  44  which guide the side edge of rollo screen into guide channel  12  of guide rail  6 . 
     The section of  FIG.  9    clearly shows how coupling cam  19  of drive cable  18  projects into coupling recess  20  of operating beam end part  21 .  FIG.  10    illustrates again how rollo housing end part  14  is clamped to guide rail  6  by means of amongst others guide part  15  and clamping projection  31 . 
       FIGS.  11  and  12    further illustrate how end part  14  of rollo housing  8  and guide rail  6  are positioned with respect to each other. It is shown that the cable guide  24  ends at a wall  34  of end part  14 , so that it becomes clear that drive cable  18  extends in forward direction and a drive motor (not shown) for both left and right drive cables  18  will be attached in the centre of a front beam  36  ( FIGS.  2   a ,  2   b   ) of frame  5 . In  FIG.  12    one can recognize upper and lower walls  29 ,  30  of end part  14  which guide the side edge of rollo screen  10  into guide channel  12 . 
       FIG.  13    shows several cross-sections through guide rail  6  and operating beam  11  in its starting position with rollo screen  10  fully opened. 
       FIG.  13   a    is a cross-section through guide rail  6  just before upper wall part  16  of guide channel  12  ends. 
     In  FIG.  13   b   , the front portion of guide part  15  is cut, but guide rib  27  is still part of guide rail  6 , not yet of guide part  15 . 
     In  FIG.  13   c   , guide rib  27  is now part of guide part  15 . This cross-section also shows that a vertical flange  37  of guide part  15  is partly inserted between two vertical flanges  38  and  39  of guide rail. Flange  38  also carries lower wall part  17  of guide channel  12  and guide rib  27  (see  FIG.  13   a   , b). Flange  39  is also engaged by coupling part  19  of drive cable  18 . 
       FIG.  13   d    shows engagement of coupling cam  19  of drive cable into coupling recess  20  of operating beam end part  21  and engagement of guide rib  27  in guide groove  26  at the position of coupling recess  20 . 
       FIGS.  14  and  15    illustrate how end part  14  of rollo housing  8  is assembled with guide rail  6 . 
     In  FIG.  14   a   , drive cable  18  is in its end position, whereas operating beam  11  is in its starting position adjacent rollo housing  8 . End part  14  of rollo housing  8  is positioned above guide rail  6  such that vertical flange  37  of guide part  15  is positioned just beyond guide rib  27  of guide rail  6 . In this position, coupling recess  20  is not vertically aligned with coupling cam  19  of drive cable  18 . This position is also shown in  FIG.  15   . It is clearly visible that guide channel  12  is not assembled yet as lower wall part  17  on guide rail  6  is vertically separated from upper wall part formed by guide part  15 . Clamping projection  31  is position just beyond lower wall part  17  of guide rail  6  ( FIG.  15   ). 
     In  FIG.  14   b   , operating beam  11  is moved slightly away from rollo housing  8  such that coupling recess  20  is now vertically aligned with coupling cam  19  of drive cable  18 . 
     In  FIG.  14   c   , end part  14  of rollo housing  8  is moved vertically onto guide rail  6 , such that coupling cam  19  of drive cable  18  has become engaged into coupling recess  20  of end part  21  of rollo beam  11 . Vertical flange  37  of guide part  15  has been inserted between flanges  38  and  39  of guide rail  6  (not shown here), such that guide rib  27  on guide part  15  has become aligned with guide rib  27  on guide rail  6 . However, the guide ribs  27  are spaced from each other. 
     In  FIG.  14   d   , end part  14  of rollo housing  8  is moved forwardly in longitudinal (X) direction, such that that the end of guide rail  6  abuts against wall  34  of rollo housing end part  14 . In this position, clamping projection  31  of guide part  15  has been slid below lower wall part  17  of guide channel  12  (cf.  FIG.  8   ) and free end of guide part  15  has abutted with upper wall part  16  of guide channel  12  in guide rail  6  to form seam  41 . Furthermore, guide ribs  27  of guide part  15  and guide rail  6  have become abutted, and to enable this guide part  15  is provided with a horizontal groove  40  ( FIG.  14   b   ) into which guide rib  27  of guide rail  6  can engage in order to meet guide rib  27  of guide part  15  which is slightly spaced from the front end of guide part  15 . This engagement of guide rib  27  of guide rail  6  with groove  40  of guide part  15  causes a vertical fixation at the front end of guide part  15  where clamping projection  31  prevents a vertical movement of end part  14  with respect to guide rail  6  at the rear end of guide part  15 . In the position of  FIG.  14   d    the assembly is complete and the rollo assembly is ready for use. 
     The invention is not limited to the embodiments described before which may be varied widely within the scope of the invention as defined by the appending claims.