Rear window roller blind system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9434239-B2
Application number	US-201214363526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2012
Priority date	Dec 9, 2011
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

A roller blind system for a rear window of a motor vehicle, having a roller blind, a roller blind shaft rotatable about a main axis and a sheet-like structure which, in a stowed state, is wound on the roller blind shaft and which, in a functional state, is partially unwound from the roller blind shaft, and having an shelf for arranging in the rear region of the motor vehicle. The shelf has front and rear shelf portions separated from one another by a passage slot through which the sheet-like structure is moved during a movement from the stowed state into the functional state. The two shelf portions are connected to one another via a trough body and the roller blind shaft is arranged within the trough body and is rotatably mounted by bearing blocks which are fastened to, or are an integral part of, the trough body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A roller blind system for covering a rear window of a motor vehicle comprising:
a roller blind, comprising a roller blind shaft which can be rotated about a main axis and a flexible surface structure which is wound on the roller blind shaft in a storage state and which is at least partially unwound from the roller blind shaft in an operating state; and
a planar shelf which is intended to be arranged in a rear region of the motor vehicle and comprising a front shelf and a rear shelf each forming a part of the shelf, the front shelf and the rear shelf being separate and spaced from each other by a through-slot through which the surface structure is moved during transfer from the storage state into the operating state;
wherein the front and rear shelves are connected to each other by a vessel member;
wherein the roller blind shaft is arranged inside the vessel member and is rotatably supported by bearing blocks which are also secured to the vessel member or are an integral component of the vessel member;
wherein a vessel inner space which is defined by the vessel member has a variable cross-sectional surface area with respect to an extent direction of the main axis; and
wherein the vessel member has a plurality of cross section expansions in which the cross-sectional surface area of the vessel inner space is at least 30% greater than in adjacent regions of the vessel inner space.

2. The roller blind system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an electric motor for transferring the surface structure into the storage state or into the operating state is arranged at least partially outside the vessel member.

3. The roller blind system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, on the vessel member, first and second securing devices for securing to the front and rear shelves are provided, the first or the second securing devices being spaced apart from the main axis in a plane of a main extent of the shelf with respect to an orthogonal direction relative to the main axis by a different extent.

4. The roller blind system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the vessel member is constructed as a plastics member or as a multi-layered member comprising a plurality of layers, the layers comprising plastics material or the vessel member having been shaped by a thermal forming process starting from a planar blank.

5. A vehicle having a roller blind system, wherein the roller blind system is constructed in accordance with claim 1 .

6. The vehicle as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the vessel member is connected to a bodywork of the vehicle, with the shelves being bypassed.

7. A production method for producing the roller blind system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the vessel member of the roller blind system is produced as a plastics component starting from a planar blank by a thermal forming process.

8. The production method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein before or after the thermal forming process, securing holes are formed in the blank or the vessel member.

9. A roller blind system for covering a rear window of a motor vehicle, the roller blind system comprising:
a roller blind comprising a roller blind shaft rotatable about a main axis and a flexible surface structure wound on the roller blind shaft for movement between a storage state and an operating state, the flexible surface structure being at least partially unwound from the roller blind shaft in the operating state;
a planar shelf arranged in a rear region of the motor vehicle, the planar shelf comprising a plurality of separate and non-integral parts, the plurality of separate and non-integral parts including a front shelf and a rear shelf, each of the front shelf and the rear shelf form part of the planar shelf, the front shelf being separate from the rear shelf, and the front shelf and the rear shelf being spaced from each other by a through-slot through which the surface structure is moved during transfer from the storage state into the operating state; and
a vessel member connecting the front shelf to the rear shelf, the vessel member being connected to, but separate from and non-integral with, the front shelf and the rear shelf;
the roller blind shaft being arranged inside the vessel member and rotatably supported by bearing blocks secured to or integral with the vessel member for allowing the roller blind shaft to rotate about the main axis;
wherein the vessel member includes a vessel inner space, the vessel inner space having the roller blind shaft therein, the vessel inner space having a variable cross-sectional surface area with respect to an extent direction parallel to the main axis such that first wall sections of the vessel inner space at a first plane perpendicular to the extent direction are closer to the roller blind shaft than second wall sections of the vessel inner space at a second plane perpendicular to the extent direction; and
wherein the vessel member has a plurality of cross section expansions in which the cross-sectional surface area of the vessel inner space is at least 30% greater than in adjacent regions of the vessel inner space.

10. The roller blind system as claimed in claim 9 , further including an electric motor at least partially outside the vessel member for transferring the surface structure into the storage state or into the operating state.

11. The roller blind system as claimed in claim 9 , wherein, on the vessel member, first and second securing devices for securing to the front and rear shelves are provided, the first and the second securing devices being spaced apart from the main axis in a plane of a main extent of the shelf with respect to an orthogonal direction relative to the main axis by a different extent.

Assignees

• Buehl Olaf
• Weinbrenner Harry
• Bos Gmbh

Inventors

• Buehl Olaf
• Weinbrenner Harry

Classifications

• B29C51/266

  Auxiliary operations after the thermoforming operation (B29C51/42, B29C51/44, B29C51/46 take precedence) · CPC title

• B29C51/264

  Auxiliary operations prior to the thermoforming operation, e.g. cutting (B29C51/42, B29C51/46 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60J1/208

  for rear windows · CPC title

• B60J1/2063

  Mounting arrangements for roller blind or its storage box, e.g. integration into beltline or window frame · CPC title

• B60J1/2038 Primary

  Storage boxes · CPC title