Patent Description:
Such rollo assembly is known from <CIT>. In this 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. <CIT> discloses in <FIG> a pressing part <NUM> leading to the same disadvantage.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rollo assembly which causes less wear to the side edges of the rollo screen and avoids increased X-package.

To obtain these and other objects the rollo assembly according to the invention comprises the features of the characterizing portion of claim <NUM>.

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.

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.

Hereinafter the invention will be elucidated with reference to the drawing in which:.

<FIG> shows an upper part of a vehicle, in this case a passenger car. The vehicle comprises a roof system generally indicated by reference number <NUM> and for example comprising a movable panel <NUM> for opening and closing a roof opening <NUM>). The roof system is attached to a stationary part <NUM>, 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.

<FIG> show a frame <NUM> of the roof system <NUM> which is used to mount the roof assembly to the fixed roof <NUM>. The frame <NUM> is also used to support all parts of the roof system. <FIG> show some of these parts, i.e., two guide rails <NUM> extending in longitudinal direction of the vehicle on opposite sides of a passage opening <NUM> in frame <NUM>. When roof system <NUM> mounted in the vehicle, passage opening <NUM> is positioned vertically in line and below roof opening <NUM>. Adjacent the rear side of passage opening <NUM>, the frame supports a rollo housing <NUM> forming part of a rollo assembly which can be used to cover closed panel <NUM> 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 <NUM> (and/or winding roller <NUM>, see <FIG>, <FIG>), a rollo screen <NUM> of which a rear end can be wound on or off said winding shaft <NUM>/winding roller <NUM> and of which an opposite forward end is provided with (or attached to) an operating beam <NUM>.

The manner in which the winding shaft <NUM>/winding roller <NUM> is driven may vary and is not important for the present invention. One option is that the winding shaft <NUM>/winding roller <NUM> is spring loaded for winding the rollo screen <NUM> when operating beam <NUM> is moved toward rollo housing <NUM>.

The rollo assembly further comprises in guide rails <NUM> opposite guide channels <NUM> for guiding opposite side edges of the rollo screen <NUM> in a longitudinal direction. These guide channels <NUM> (of which only one is shown) generally will be positioned at the inner edges of guide rails <NUM>. These guide rails <NUM> include further guide channels and/or guide grooves for slidably guiding parts of an operating mechanism for panel <NUM>. Such operating mechanism is not shown, but is well known in the art.

<FIG> show an end of rollo housing <NUM> and an end of the corresponding guide rail <NUM>. It should be understood that the same parts will be present on the other side of passage opening <NUM>, although in mirror image.

These figures show a part of rollo screen <NUM> fixed at free, forward end <NUM>' (see also <FIG>) to operating beam <NUM> and wound at opposite rear end <NUM>" onto winding shaft <NUM> (see also <FIG>). The opposite sides edges of rollo screen <NUM> are each provided with a guide strip <NUM> which is bendable around a transverse axis, but more or less stiff around a longitudinal axis, such that guide strip <NUM> can be hooked into guide channel <NUM> 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 <NUM> will be wound onto winding shaft <NUM> folded onto the remainder of rollo screen <NUM>, i.e., substantially as it is within guide channel <NUM>, or they can be unfolded so as to positioned in line with the remainder of rollo screen <NUM>. The latter method will be used if a minimal height of rollo housing is important (the side edges of rollo screen <NUM> will be wound more compact). Some additional space is needed for the unfolded guide strips <NUM> 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 <NUM> of rollo housing <NUM> is shown, which includes a support <NUM>' for the winding roller <NUM> and a support <NUM>'' 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 <CIT> (published as <CIT>). <FIG> further shows that end part <NUM> also comprises a guide part <NUM> forming an upper wall part of guide channel <NUM>, said portion being adjacent rollo housing <NUM> or winding shaft <NUM>. As is shown in <FIG> an upper wall part <NUM> of guide channel <NUM> ends short of the end of guide rail <NUM> and only a lower wall part <NUM> of guide channel <NUM> extends further towards rollo housing <NUM>. Thus, the length of guide part <NUM> is much shorter than the length of the complete guide channel <NUM>. A free end of guide part <NUM> facing away from the winding shaft <NUM> abuts upper wall part <NUM> of guide channel <NUM> formed by guide rail <NUM> (see <FIG>). As a result, the lower side of rollo screen <NUM> is guided along a continuous lower wall part <NUM> of guide channel <NUM>, so there is no transverse seam that could interfere and cause wear on the lower side of rollo screen <NUM>.

<FIG> also clearly shows a drive cable <NUM> for driving operating beam <NUM> to close and open rollo screen <NUM>. Drive cable <NUM> is provided on its upper side with a coupling part is the form of a coupling cam <NUM> which is able to engage into a coupling recess <NUM> in a respective end part <NUM> of operating beam <NUM>.

<FIG> clearly shows that an attachment portion <NUM>' at the free end of rollo screen <NUM> is wrapped around operating beam <NUM> and is provided with a rod <NUM> which can be clamped in a groove <NUM> of operating beam <NUM> (see e.g., in <FIG> and <FIG>).

<FIG> are a cross section/plan view showing the parts of the exploded view of <FIG> in mounted condition. It is clearly visible that drive cable <NUM> is slidably guided in a cable guide <NUM> in guide rail <NUM>. Coupling part <NUM> on drive cable <NUM> prevents rotation of drive cable <NUM> due to its walls engaging fitting walls of guide rail <NUM>. End part <NUM> of operating beam <NUM> extends above and beyond upper wall part <NUM> of guide channel <NUM> and is provided in a downwardly extending outer end wall <NUM> with a guide groove <NUM> in its side facing rollo screen <NUM>. This guide groove <NUM> extends around a horizontal guide rib <NUM> which is facing away from rollo screen <NUM> and is aligned with the adjacent portion of lower wall part <NUM> of guide channel <NUM>. This engagement of guide rib <NUM> in guide groove <NUM> fixes operating beam <NUM> vertically (Z-direction). The lower side of end part <NUM> of operating beam <NUM> is provided with a low friction liner <NUM> engaging guide rail <NUM>, especially vertical walls <NUM> and <NUM> defining guide channel <NUM>, so as to fix operating beam <NUM> in transverse direction (Y-direction). As a result, operating beam <NUM> is only able to slide along guide rails <NUM>, driven by drive cable <NUM> through coupling cam <NUM> engaging coupling recess <NUM>.

<FIG> further show a clamping projection <NUM> (also shown in <FIG>) engaging below lower wall part <NUM> of guide channel <NUM> in guide rail <NUM>. Together with guide part <NUM> the rollo housing end part <NUM> is clamped to guide rail <NUM>.

<FIG> and <FIG> show that guide rib <NUM> is not only present on guide rail <NUM>, but also on guide part <NUM> of rollo housing end part <NUM>. In <FIG> one can recognize that guide rib <NUM> on end part <NUM> is shorter than guide part <NUM>, while guide rib <NUM> on guide rail <NUM> is longer than upper wall part <NUM>. The reason will be explained later-on when a mounting operation of the rollo system is elucidated.

<FIG> show how rollo assembly and guide rail <NUM> are fitting within a depression in frame <NUM>. The rollo housing <NUM> and guide rails <NUM> are covered from below by a cover <NUM> fixed to frame <NUM>. End parts <NUM> of rollo housing <NUM> are fixed to cover <NUM> by fasteners <NUM>.

In <FIG> it is shown in detail how rollo housing end part <NUM> is fixed to guide rail <NUM> and how rollo screen <NUM> is guided into guide channel <NUM>. Clamping projection <NUM> is visible in both figures, and it can also be seen that the end of guide rail <NUM> abuts against a wall <NUM> of rollo housing end part <NUM>. <FIG> is a longitudinal section through guide channel <NUM>. One can recognize a portion of guide strip <NUM> and rollo screen <NUM> separated from each other. A pilot <NUM> of end part <NUM> of operating beam <NUM> engages between rollo screen <NUM> and guide strip <NUM> ensuring that guide strip <NUM> is positioned correctly in guide channel <NUM>. It further shows that rollo screen <NUM>, once guided into guide channel <NUM> is guided on a continuous lower wall part <NUM> of guide channel <NUM>. The upper wall part <NUM> of guide rail <NUM> and guide part <NUM> meet each other in a slightly upward seam <NUM> so that wear of guide strip <NUM> is minimized when passing the seam <NUM>.

<FIG> also shows upper and lower guide walls <NUM> and <NUM> which guide the side edge of rollo screen into guide channel <NUM> of guide rail <NUM>.

The section of <FIG> clearly shows how coupling cam <NUM> of drive cable <NUM> projects into coupling recess <NUM> of operating beam end part <NUM>. <FIG> illustrates again how rollo housing end part <NUM> is clamped to guide rail <NUM> by means of amongst others guide part <NUM> and clamping projection <NUM>.

<FIG> further illustrate how end part <NUM> of rollo housing <NUM> and guide rail <NUM> are positioned with respect to each other. It is shown that the cable guide <NUM> ends at a wall <NUM> of end part <NUM>, so that it becomes clear that drive cable <NUM> extends in forward direction and a drive motor (not shown) for both left and right drive cables <NUM> will be attached in the centre of a front beam <NUM> (<FIG>) of frame <NUM>. In <FIG> one can recognize upper and lower walls <NUM>, <NUM> of end part <NUM> which guide the side edge of rollo screen <NUM> into guide channel <NUM>.

<FIG> shows several cross-sections through guide rail <NUM> and operating beam <NUM> in its starting position with rollo screen <NUM> fully opened.

<FIG> is a cross-section through guide rail <NUM> just before upper wall part <NUM> of guide channel <NUM> ends.

In <FIG>, the front portion of guide part <NUM> is cut, but guide rib <NUM> is still part of guide rail <NUM>, not yet of guide part <NUM>.

In <FIG>, guide rib <NUM> is now part of guide part <NUM>. This cross-section also shows that a vertical flange <NUM> of guide part <NUM> is partly inserted between two vertical flanges <NUM> and <NUM> of guide rail. Flange <NUM> also carries lower wall part <NUM> of guide channel <NUM> and guide rib <NUM> (see <FIG>). Flange <NUM> is also engaged by coupling part <NUM> of drive cable <NUM>.

<FIG> shows engagement of coupling cam <NUM> of drive cable into coupling recess <NUM> of operating beam end part <NUM> and engagement of guide rib <NUM> in guide groove <NUM> at the position of coupling recess <NUM>.

<FIG> and <FIG> illustrate how end part <NUM> of rollo housing <NUM> is assembled with guide rail <NUM>.

In <FIG>, drive cable <NUM> is in its end position, whereas operating beam <NUM> is in its starting position adjacent rollo housing <NUM>. End part <NUM> of rollo housing <NUM> is positioned above guide rail <NUM> such that vertical flange <NUM> of guide part <NUM> is positioned just beyond guide rib <NUM> of guide rail <NUM>. In this position, coupling recess <NUM> is not vertically aligned with coupling cam <NUM> of drive cable <NUM>. This position is also shown in <FIG>. It is clearly visible that guide channel <NUM> is not assembled yet as lower wall part <NUM> on guide rail <NUM> is vertically separated from upper wall part formed by guide part <NUM>. Clamping projection <NUM> is position just beyond lower wall part <NUM> of guide rail <NUM> (<FIG>).

In <FIG>, operating beam <NUM> is moved slightly away from rollo housing <NUM> such that coupling recess <NUM> is now vertically aligned with coupling cam <NUM> of drive cable <NUM>.

In <FIG>, end part <NUM> of rollo housing <NUM> is moved vertically onto guide rail <NUM>, such that coupling cam <NUM> of drive cable <NUM> has become engaged into coupling recess <NUM> of end part <NUM> of rollo beam <NUM>. Vertical flange <NUM> of guide part <NUM> has been inserted between flanges <NUM> and <NUM> of guide rail <NUM> (not shown here), such that guide rib <NUM> on guide part <NUM> has become aligned with guide rib <NUM> on guide rail <NUM>. However, the guide ribs <NUM> are spaced from each other.

In <FIG>, end part <NUM> of rollo housing <NUM> is moved forwardly in longitudinal (X) direction, such that that the end of guide rail <NUM> abuts against wall <NUM> of rollo housing end part <NUM>. In this position, clamping projection <NUM> of guide part <NUM> has been slid below lower wall part <NUM> of guide channel <NUM> (cf. <FIG>) and free end of guide part <NUM> has abutted with upper wall part <NUM> of guide channel <NUM> in guide rail <NUM> to form seam <NUM>. Furthermore, guide ribs <NUM> of guide part <NUM> and guide rail <NUM> have become abutted, and to enable this guide part <NUM> is provided with a horizontal groove <NUM> (<FIG>) into which guide rib <NUM> of guide rail <NUM> can engage in order to meet guide rib <NUM> of guide part <NUM> which is slightly spaced from the front end of guide part <NUM>. This engagement of guide rib <NUM> of guide rail <NUM> with groove <NUM> of guide part <NUM> causes a vertical fixation at the front end of guide part <NUM> where clamping projection <NUM> prevents a vertical movement of end part <NUM> with respect to guide rail <NUM> at the rear end of guide part <NUM>. In the position of <FIG> the assembly is complete and the rollo assembly is ready for use.

Claim 1:
Rollo assembly intended for use in a roof system (<NUM>) for a vehicle, comprising a rotatable winding shaft (<NUM>, <NUM>) accommodated in a rollo housing (<NUM>), a rollo screen (<NUM>) of which a rear end (<NUM>") can be wound on or off said winding shaft to enable the rollo screen to move between an open and closed position and of which an opposite forward end (<NUM>') is provided with an operating beam (<NUM>) to move the rollo screen between the open and closed position, and opposite guide channels (<NUM>) for holding opposite side edges of the rollo screen (<NUM>) and guiding them in a longitudinal direction, wherein each end portion of the guide channels (<NUM>) adjacent to the rollo housing (<NUM>) includes a lower wall part (<NUM>) formed by a respective guide rail (<NUM>) and an upper wall part formed by a guide part (<NUM>) which belongs to or is fixed to the rollo housing (<NUM>), wherein the length of the guide parts (<NUM>) is shorter than the length of the guide channels (<NUM>), characterized in that a free end of the guide part facing away from the rollo housing (<NUM>) abuts an upper part of the guide channel formed by the guide rail (<NUM>).