Sun shade apparatus

• US 7,857,035 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2007
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Atsushi, Takeuchi, Koichi, Tominaga, Shinji, Miyachi, Yutaka, Jokaku, Yoshitaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Purol; David
• Application Number:
  US11/882,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20080035284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 160/370.22, 160/265, 160/274, 160/290.1, 160/331, 296/97.8, 296/97.4, 296/152
• US Class Current: 160/370.22
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/2027 with a buckle-proof guided flexible actuating element acting on the draw bar for pushing or push-pulling, e.g. a Bowden cable
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/2069 of multiple blinds, e.g. more than one blind per window or per actuation system
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/2072 Blinds with inclined or vertical orientation of the winding axis
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/2075 specially adapted for fixed windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/2086 specially adapted for openable windows, e.g. side window

Abstract

A sun shade apparatus of the present invention has a curtain capable of shielding a window portion of a door. The curtain can be stretched between a shielding state and an open state on the window portion. The apparatus has a motor, a cable provided so as to be capable of being forced out or drawn in by the operation of the motor, and a connector connecting the cable and the curtain to each other. The curtain is stretched with the operation for forcing out or drawing in the cable. The connector has a connection release mechanism that releases the cable and the curtain from the state of being connected when a load equal to or higher than a predetermined value is applied against the operation for forcing out or drawing in the cable.

Claims

1. A sun shade apparatus comprising:

a motor;

a cable configured so as to be capable of being forced out or drawn in by operation of said motor, such that when said cable is forced out, said cable moves in a first direction, and when said cable is drawn in, said cable moves in a second direction;

a curtain capable of shielding a window portion by being stretched between a shielding state and an open state on the window portion by a forcing out or drawing in operation of said cable;

a connector having a cable side, a curtain side, and a male engaging portion disposed on the cable side or on the curtain side and having a projection and a female engaging portion disposed on the curtain side or on the cable side and having a recess formed by a plate spring, said connector configured to connect said cable and said curtain to each other by engaging said male engaging portion with said female engaging portion; and

a connection release mechanism disposed in said connector, said connection release mechanism configured to fit the projection and the recess to each other during normal operation to form a fitted state, and configured to release the projection and the recess from the fitted state by elastic deformation of said female engaging portion to enable release of said cable and said curtain from a state of being connected by said connector regardless of whether the cable moves in the first direction or the second direction when a load equal to or higher than a predetermined value is applied against the forcing out or drawing in operation of said cable,

wherein said female engaging portion has said recess disposed between at least two projections formed along the first direction or the second direction.

2. A sun shade apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said projection has a projecting shape with a slanting surface in the first direction or the second direction.