Guide and sunshade assembly provided therewith

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9994093-B2
Application number	US-201514826794-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2015
Priority date	Aug 18, 2014
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

A guide is presented intended for use in a sunshade assembly of the type comprising a flexible sunscreen having opposed longitudinal edges and two opposed longitudinal guides each comprising at least two spaced guide legs for defining there between a guide channel for receiving therein and guiding corresponding ones of the opposed longitudinal edges of the sunscreen. The guides and longitudinal edges are provided with cooperating guide locking members and edge locking members for preventing the longitudinal edges of the sunscreen from moving out of the guide channels. The guide locking members are defined on separate parts engaging the guides.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A guide intended for use in a sunshade assembly, comprising:
a flexible sunscreen having opposed longitudinal edges; and
two opposed longitudinal guides each comprising at least two spaced guide legs for defining there between a guide channel for receiving therein and guiding corresponding ones of the opposed longitudinal edges of the flexible sunscreen, wherein the guide legs are connected by a guide bottom, each guide leg extending from a side of the guide bottom;
wherein the guides and longitudinal edges are provided with cooperating guide locking members and edge locking members, respectively, for preventing the longitudinal edges of the flexible sunscreen from moving out of the guide channels,
wherein the guide locking members are defined on single separate inserts directly engaging the guides, wherein each insert comprises an insert bottom adjacent the guide bottom and two insert legs, each insert leg extending from a side of the insert bottom, the insert legs extending along their respective guide legs and the insert bottom extending along the guide bottom; and
wherein each separate insert in its entirety is spaced from the guide bottom forming a bottom spacing and at least partially is spaced from the guide legs forming respective guide leg spacings, wherein each insert leg is connected to its respective guide leg only at an end of the guide leg remote from the guide bottom, wherein the guide leg spacings and the bottom spacing are continuous and communicating with each other.

2. The guide according to claim 1 , wherein each separate insert is positioned primarily between the guide legs.

3. The guide according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the guide legs at its free end is provided with a protrusion for engagingly locking the separate insert in the guide.

4. The guide according to claim 3 , wherein both guide legs are provided with a protrusion.

5. The guide according to claim 1 , wherein the guide is provided attached to, or integrated into an open roof construction for a vehicle.

6. The guide according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the single separate inserts is made of plastic.

7. The guide according to claim 1 , wherein each separate insert is a unitary part.

8. A guide for use in a sunshade assembly, comprising:
a flexible sunscreen having opposed longitudinal edges;
two opposed longitudinal guides each comprising at least two spaced guide legs connected by a guide bottom, the spaced guide legs and guide bottom defining there between a guide channel for receiving therein and guiding corresponding ones of the opposed longitudinal edges of the flexible sunscreen;
guide locking members separate from and coupled to the longitudinal guides at ends of the guide legs remote from the guide bottom, wherein each guide locking member comprises an insert having an insert bottom and two insert legs, each insert leg extending from a side of the insert bottom, the insert legs extending along their respective guide legs and the insert bottom extending adjacent to and along the guide bottom; and
each guide locking member in its entirety spaced apart from its longitudinal guide at the guide bottom forming a bottom spacing and for at least a portion of each guide leg adjacent the guide bottom forming respective guide leg spacings, wherein the guide leg spacings and the bottom spacing are continuous and communicating with each other; and
edge locking members on the longitudinal edges, the guide locking members engaging the edge locking members and configured to prevent the longitudinal edges of the flexible sunscreen from moving out of the guide channels.

9. The guide according to claim 8 , wherein each guide locking member is connected to the guide legs only at ends of the guide legs remote from the guide bottom.

10. The guide according to claim 8 , wherein each guide locking member is a single part.

11. The guide according to claim 8 , wherein a space defined by a spaced apart section of each guide locking member and the guide is a continuous space.

12. A guide intended for use in a sunshade assembly, comprising:
a sunscreen having opposed longitudinal edges;
two opposed longitudinal guides each comprising at least two spaced guide legs connected by a guide bottom, the spaced guide legs and guide bottom defining there between a guide channel for receiving therein and guiding corresponding ones of the opposed longitudinal edges of the sunscreen; and
cooperating guide locking members on the longitudinal guides and edge locking members on the longitudinal edges for preventing the longitudinal edges of the sunscreen from moving out of the guide channels, each guide locking member comprising an insert having an insert bottom spaced apart from its longitudinal guide by a bottom spacing, and two insert legs, each insert leg extending from a side of the insert bottom and spaced apart from its longitudinal guide by a guide leg spacing, the insert legs extending along their respective guide legs and the insert bottom extending along the guide bottom, each insert comprising a single separate part directly engaging its respective guide, wherein each insert is positioned primarily between the guide legs, and wherein the guide leg spacings and the bottom spacing are continuous and communicating with each other.

13. The guide according to claim 12 , wherein each insert is spaced apart from the guide legs along at least a portion thereof.

14. The guide according to claim 13 , wherein each insert is connected to the guide legs only at ends of the guide legs remote from the guide bottom.

15. The guide according to claim 14 , wherein each insert is spaced apart from its longitudinal guide at the guide bottom.

16. The guide according to claim 15 , wherein a space defined by a spaced apart section of each guide locking member and the guide is a continuous space.

Assignees

• Inalfa Roof Sys Group Bv
• Inalfa Roof System Group B V

Inventors

• Rikkert Robert
• Van Doleweerd Theodorus
• Munsters Paulus Johannes Wilhelmus
• Clephas Petrus Martinus Josephus

Classifications

• B60J7/0015

  roller blind · CPC title

• B60J7/003 Primary

  one or more sliding rigid plate or lammellae · CPC title

• B60J1/2052 Primary

  Guides · CPC title

• E06B9/581

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