Open roof construction for a vehicle and rollo assembly for use therein

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10173503-B2
Application number	US-201715640054-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2017
Priority date	Jul 8, 2015
Publication date	Jan 8, 2019
Grant date	Jan 8, 2019

Abstract

An open roof construction for a vehicle comprises a rollo assembly. The rollo assembly comprises a rollo screen and a winding shaft for the rollo screen which is rotatable around a stationary axis of rotation. The rollo screen firstly extends in a first direction, next around a reversal member and finally back in an opposite second direction and ends at a rollo screen edge which is attached to a stationary member. The rollo screen has two longitudinal edges which, when the rollo screen is wound off, are brought into engagement with holding members. The longitudinal edges of the rollo screen each comprise a hooking member insertable into a holding groove and hook behind a narrow entrance thereof. A reversal member is provided with a device acting on at least one of the hooking member and holding groove to enable the hooking member to enter and exit the holding groove.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An open roof construction for a vehicle having a roof opening in a stationary roof part comprising a rollo assembly positioned below said roof opening and configured to cover the roof opening, the rollo assembly comprising a rollo screen and a winding shaft, said rollo screen including a rollo screen edge which is attached to a stationary member of the open roof construction, wherein an opposite edge being formed by an operating beam which is movable parallel to the roof opening in first and second directions in correspondence with an amount of rollo screen being wound on or off said winding shaft, the rollo screen having two longitudinal edges which, when the rollo screen is wound off, are brought into engagement with holding members extending alongside the longitudinal edges of the roof opening, wherein the holding members each comprise a least a holding groove having a narrow entrance, the longitudinal edge areas of the rollo screen each cooperating with a locking member which is insertable into the holding groove and hooks behind the narrow entrance thereof thereby holding the respective longitudinal edge of the rollo screen in the holding groove, the operating beam being provided with a device acting on at least one of the locking member and holding groove to enable the locking member and the edge area of the rollo screen to enter and exit the holding groove.

2. An open roof construction for a vehicle, comprising a roof opening in a stationary roof part and a rollo assembly positioned below said roof opening intended for covering the roof opening, wherein the rollo assembly comprises a rollo screen and a winding shaft for the rollo screen which is rotatable around a stationary axis of rotation, and wherein the rollo screen, starting from the winding shaft, firstly extends in a first direction, next around a reversal member and finally back in a second opposite direction and ends at a rollo screen edge which is attached to a stationary member of the open roof construction, wherein the reversal member supports the screen and is movable parallel to said first and second directions in in correspondence with the amount of rollo screen being wound on or off said winding shaft, the rollo screen having two longitudinal edges which, when the rollo screen is wound off, are brought into engagement with holding members extending alongside the longitudinal edges of the roof opening, wherein the holding members each comprise at least a holding groove having an elongated entrance opening, the longitudinal edges of the rollo screen, together with a locking member clamping the rollo screen in the holding groove, being insertable into the holding groove through the elongated entrance opening with a device attached to the reversal member, wherein the locking member, the edge area of the rollo screen and the holding groove have at least one of a shape and dimension preventing the locking member and the edge area of the ran screen from leaving the holding groove through the elongated entrance opening.

3. The open roof construction according to claim 1 wherein the locking member, the edge area of the rollo screen and the holding groove have at least one of a shape and dimension preventing the locking member from unintentionally leaving the holding groove through the elongated entrance opening.

4. The open roof construction according to claim 1 , wherein entrance opening of the holding groove is more narrow than the holding groove, such that the locking member is locked within the holding groove when the locking member and the edge area of the rollo screen are inserted in the holding groove through the entrance opening.

5. The open roof construction according to claim 4 , wherein the operating beam is provided with displacing means acting on at least one of the locking member and holding groove to enable the locking member to enter and exit the holding groove together with the edge area of the rollo screen.

6. The open roof construction according to claim 5 , wherein at least one of the edge area of the rollo screen, the locking member and the holding groove is resiliently deformable to enable the locking member to enter and exit the holding groove.

7. The open roof construction according to claim 4 , wherein each longitudinal edge area extends into the holding groove through the entrance opening, around the locking member and then out of the holding groove again.

8. The open roof construction according to claim 1 , wherein a stop member is provided at or near the longitudinal edges of the rollo screen and is adapted to cooperate with the locking member to ensure the rollo screen remains locked in the holding groove.

9. The open roof construction according to claim 1 , wherein the locking member is stationary in longitudinal direction with respect to the holding groove, and wherein the operating beam is adapted to accommodate the locking member when it exits the holding groove in case the operating beam is moved to wind the rollo screen on the winding shaft.

10. The open roof construction according to claim 9 , wherein the locking member is accommodated in a zig-zag fashion in the operating beam.

11. The open roof construction according to claim 1 , wherein the elongated locking member is stationary in longitudinal direction with respect to the holding groove when within the holding groove, and wherein either the operating beam or the stationary roof part is provided with a winding pulley to accommodate the locking member when it exits the holding groove in case the operating beam is moved to wind the rollo screen on the winding shaft.

12. The open roof construction according to claim 1 , wherein the locking member is stationary in longitudinal direction with respect to the holding groove when within the holding groove, but is movably attached to the stationary roof part next to the respective holding groove so as to be movable between a position within the holding groove and a position next to the holding groove, the operating beam or a part moving with it being provided with displacing means acting on the locking member to move it between both positions when the operating beam is moved to wind or unwind the rollo screen.

13. The open roof construction according to claim 1 , wherein the operating beam is provided with a member to hold the respective longitudinal edge of the rollo screen when the edge area is pushed into the holding groove.

14. The open roof construction according to claim 13 , the locking member is of circular or trapezium-shaped cross section.

15. The open roof construction according to claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal edges of the rollo screen are each provided with a stop member to keep the respective longitudinal edge of the rob screen substantially stationary in lateral direction when the edge area is pushed into the holding groove.

16. The open roof construction according to claim 15 , the stop member is at least one of a strip, cable and/or edge reinforcement.

17. The open roof construction according to claim 14 , wherein the stop member is positioned substantially within the edge area of the rollo screen and includes two spaced strips such that in a closed position of the rollo screen they are positioned in the holding groove with the locking member between them.

18. The open roof construction according to claim 1 , wherein the locking member is an elongated element which may be constructed as a solid steel or a twisted steel cable or wire, or a rod made of rubber-like material or plastic, such as nylon or PMMA.

19. The open roof co

Assignees

• Inalfa Roof Sys Group Bv

Inventors

• Ten-Jet-Foei Suyanto Teri Wahiyu

Classifications

• B60J7/0015 Primary

  roller blind · CPC title

• B60J7/067

  sliding and winding up · CPC title

• B60J1/2036

  characterised by structural elements · CPC title

• E06B9/581

  Means to prevent or induce disengagement of shutter from side rails · CPC title

• B60J1/203

  Mechanism for actuation by hand, e.g. cranks or curtain cords · CPC title