Patent ID: 8590593

Claim:
A roller shade apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: a shade sheet placed selectively in wound-up and extended states, the wound-up state being established to uncover a light transmitting member adapted to be mounted to the vehicle when the shade sheet is moved in an opening direction, the extended state being established to shield the light transmitting member when the shade sheet is moved in a closing direction that is in opposition to the opening direction; a pair of guide rails extending in the opening and closing directions of the shade sheet and adapted to be arranged on the vehicle so that guide portions of the guide rails are positioned to face each other, the guide portions being arranged to guide side end portions of the shade sheet, the side end portions being provided at both side ends of the shade sheet in a width direction that is perpendicular to the opening and closing directions of the shade sheet; and a pair of plate-shaped guide belts extending along the opening and closing directions, slidably supported by the pair of guide portions in the opening and closing directions, and connected to the respective side end portions of the shade sheet, wherein each of the guide belts is curved in the width direction, the guide belt including one surface formed into a curved shape having a convex surface, and a central portion of the convex surface in cross section in the width direction is connected to each of the side end portions, and wherein each of the guide portions includes a pair of lock portions locking side portions of the guide belt, respectively, in a condition where the convex surface of the guide belt faces a surface of the shade sheet, and the guide portion has a convex portion facing an opposite surface of the guide belt relative to the convex surface, the convex portion projecting toward the guide belt and along the curved shape of the guide belt to have a clearance relative to the guide belt, and the clearance between the guide belt and the convex portion is greater than a plate thickness of the guide belt.