Sunshade for a motor vehicle roof

• US 20030006630A1
• Filed: 05/03/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Webasto Vehicle Systems International GmbH
• Original Assignee: Webasto Vehicle Systems International GmbH
• Inventors: Schulz, Horst-Martin, Braun, Robert, Kralik, Martin, Schwarzenbart, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 6,899,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/214
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/0015 roller blind

Abstract

A sunshade for a motor vehicle roof (2) with a shade screen (5) which can be wound onto a winding rod (6) and which is located underneath the roof, the opposing side edges of the shade screen are movably guided in the direction of shade motion on guide rails (7) and are held in the transverse direction with pre-tensioning of the shade screen (5). To produce pretension in the transverse direction without tensioning elements or bars which are permanently attached to the shade screen and which would hinder rewinding, it is provided that the engagement elements, which are guided on the guide rails (7), can be coupled to the side edges of the length (5) of shade when it is unwound to keep the length (5) of shade pre-tensioned in the transverse direction, so that the sunshade (4) located under an arched vehicle roof (2) can follow the arch of the roof, but can be disengaged for the shade screen (5) as it is wound onto the winding rod so as to enable the shade screen to be wound more compactly.

Claims

1. Sunshade for a motor vehicle roof, comprising a shade screen which is windable onto a winding rod which is adapted for mounting underneath the roof, guide rails for movably guiding opposing side edges of the shade screen in a direction of shade movement, and engagement elements guided on the guide rails, said engagement elements being coupleable and disengageable with respect to the shade screen, the shade being pre-tensioned in a direction transverse to said direction of shade motion when coupled to the engagement elements.

2. Sunshade as claimed in claim 1, wherein a main engagement element of said engagement elements engages an area of a front pull-out edge of the shade screen at a respective side edge of the shade screen to guide the shade screen in the direction of shade movement.

3. Sunshade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engagement elements are located spaced apart on a carrier element that is tension resistant.

4. Sunshade as claimed in claim 3, wherein said carrier element is a cable.

5. Sunshade as claimed in claim 2, wherein the engagement elements fit into recesses on the respective side edge with play in the direction of motion of shade movement.

6. Sunshade as claimed in of claim 5, wherein the engagement elements are spherical.

7. Sunshade as claimed in claim 5, wherein the engagement elements have a flat engagement side.

8. Sunshade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engagement elements are provided on an endless drive chain which is guided over a drive wheel which is coupled to the winding shaft.

9. Sunshade as claimed in claim 1, wherein each guide rail for the engagement elements has a channel which is formed in a guide slot for a respective side edge of the shade screen.

10. Sunshade as claimed in claim 9, wherein each guide rail has a return channel for the engagement elements.

11. Sunshade as claimed in claim 8, wherein the drive wheel is coupled via a spring to the winding shaft, and wherein a closed flow of force is formed via the drive chain, the side edge of the shade screen, the winding shaft and the drive wheel.

12. Sunshade as claimed in claim 11, wherein the spring is a torsion-loaded helical spring which undergoes a change of pre-tensioning when the shade screen is unwound as a result of a varying winding diameter of the shade screen relative to a constant diameter of the drive wheel.

13. Sunshade as claimed in claim 1, wherein a drawbar is attached to a lead edge of the shade screen.

14. Sunshade as claimed in claim 13, wherein said drawbar is manually actuatable.

15. Sunshade as claimed in claim 8, wherein the drive chain runs crossing itself between the respective guide rail and the drive wheel.

16. Sunshade as claimed in claim 1, wherein each guide rail has an inlet section in which the engagement elements are caused to engage the side edge of the shade screen and tension the shade screen in the transverse direction.

17. Sunshade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engagement elements are provided on a drive chain which is guided over a drive wheel which is coupled to the winding shaft;

further comprising a pre-tensioned spring acting on said winding shaft, and a drive motor for driving a respective drive chain through each guide rail and coupling the drive chain to the shade screen for unwinding the shade screen from the winding shaft against the force of said spring.

18. Sunshade as claimed in claim 17, wherein each guide rail has a return channel, and wherein the drive chain has a free trailing end which is pushed into the return channel of the guide rail.

19. Sunshade as claimed in claim 17, wherein each guide rail has an outlet tube, and wherein the drive chain has a free trailing end which is pushed into the outlet tube.

20. Sunshade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engagement elements are provided on a drive chain which is guided over a drive wheel which is coupled to the winding shaft;

wherein the shade screen has teeth on side edges thereof, wherein a chain wheel for guiding the drive chain is attached on each end of the winding shaft so as to rotate therewith, wherein the chain wheel has teeth for engagement with the engagement elements of the drive chain, wherein the teeth of the chain wheel, in joint rotation of the chain wheel with the winding shaft, are positioned above the teeth on the side edge parts of the shade screen wound on the winding shaft at a spacing that enables the teeth of the shade screen to pass between the teeth of the chain wheel as the shade screen is unwound from the winding shaft, the engagement elements on the drive chain engaging in recesses in the teeth of the shade screen during unwinding thereof from the winding shaft and continuing to move with the shade screen.

21. Sunshade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the engagement elements are sections of a screw-shaped drive part which fit into recesses on the side edge of the shade screen and are moved by rotation of the drive part around a lengthwise axis thereof, said sections of a screw-shaped drive part entraining the shade screen which is guided between two guide parts.

22. Sunshade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide rails are adjustable in the transverse direction.

23. Sunshade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide rails are supported spring-elastically in the transverse direction.

24. Sunshade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide rails are curved in the direction of motion of the shade for matching a motor vehicle roof curvature.

25. Sunshade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sunshade is located under the Motor vehicle roof with a transparent roof section and a sunshade mounted under said roof for selectively screening said transparent roof section, said sunshade comprising a shade screen which is windable onto a winding rod which is mounted underneath the roof, guide rails for movably guiding opposing side edges of the shade screen in a direction of shade movement, and engagement elements guided on the guide rails, said engagement elements being coupleable and disengageable with respect to the shade screen, the shade being pre-tensioned in a direction transverse to said direction of shade motion when coupled to the engagement elements.