EP2094515A1

EP2094515A1 - Blocking device guided on a single central structural member, and corresponding door and vehicle

Info

Publication number: EP2094515A1
Application number: EP07858181A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Pascal Fourel; Markus Neufeld
Original assignee: Wagon SAS
Current assignee: Advanced Comfort Systems France SAS ACS France
Priority date: 2006-12-29
Filing date: 2007-12-27
Publication date: 2009-09-02
Also published as: FR2910846B1; FR2910846A1; WO2008083924A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a blocking device (10) for the door (101) of a vehicle, of the type including a door panel (11) including at least two windows (12, 13) separated by a structural member (19) connected to said door panel (11), comprising a curtain (14) driven by a drawing rod (18) and capable of displacement in a plane essentially flush with the plane of said windows between a folded position and at least one expanded position in which said curtain ensures an at least partial blocking of the surface covered by said windows. According to the invention, the displacement of the curtain (4) is controlled by a single rail (110) formed in said structural member (19) in which a shoe (21) connected to the drawing rod (18) is capable of displacement, said shoe comprising an asymmetric guiding section (29) and a member (211) deformable in torsion and enabling the inclination of said drawing rod relative to the direction of the displacement path and/or allowing the application of a return torque on said drawing rod in order to maintain it in a predetermined position. The displacement path of the shoe in the rail (110) including a curve for inclining said drawing rod (18) relative to the main axis (191) of said structural member (19).

Description

Concealment device guided on a single element of central structure, door and vehicle corresponding. 1. Field of the invention

The field of the invention is that of blackout blinds for a motor vehicle door. More specifically, the invention relates to retractable blinds intended to equip a door with at least two substantially adjacent panes. By the term "window" is meant here more generally any element of which at least a portion is substantially transparent or translucent. 2. Techniques of the prior art and their disadvantages

The current trend, in terms of motor vehicle, is to offer more and more glass surfaces, glass or a similar material allowing the sun's rays to pass. Thus, in particular, vehicles are proposed whose side windows, sliding or fixed, and / or rear quarter windows, have a substantial surface, partly won on the total outer surface of the uprights.

It is easy to understand that it is then necessary to provide means of occultation, to protect the passenger compartment and its occupants from heat or sunlight. Removable blackout curtain blinds, such as roll-up curtain blinds deployable and collapsible, depending on whether or not it is desired to obscure the light, are conventionally used for concealing the glass surfaces of a glass pane. side door.

More generally, roller blinds can be implemented in relation to any glazed surface, for example a quarter window, and to hide a space, for example in the form of a luggage cover.

These roller blinds generally comprise a curtain mounted on a roller tube, itself rotatable through two bearings. These bearings can be directly attached to the structure of the vehicle or mounted in a housing, or cassette, receiving the retractor and the blackout curtain when is folded. This housing is then secured to an element of the vehicle, either directly on a structural element, or to an element of the interior lining, and for example to the door panel of a door.

A pull bar is generally associated with the other end of the blackout curtain, to allow its deployment. Fastening means or holding the pull bar can hold the curtain in its extended position, in which it hides the glass part. Returning means act on the retractor tube, tending to bring the curtain back into the folded position.

The deployment of the curtain, as well as its withdrawal, can be manual or motorized.

According to a first known technique, the draw bar can be guided by two rails in which slide each of its ends. Such rails are generally integrated into the vehicle and are mounted and / or concealed in the interior lining of the vehicle, and for example in the trim of the door panel of a door.

Such a technique of guiding the draw bar at both ends has the disadvantage of requiring the implementation of two sets of drive and guide associated with parallel rails. Thus, for a vertical deployment of a blind according to this technique, guided along the amounts of the door frame which are generally non-parallel, it is necessary to increase the width of the upholstery amounts to hide the rails, resulting in a reduction of the glass surface of the door.

A consequence of this disadvantage is that if the amounts of the amounts are inclined substantially more than a few degrees relative to each other, it is necessary to provide a blind curtain to hide the sliding side window and another curtain to hide the quarter window. , which can make this technique complex and expensive

More recently, a second technique has been proposed, described for example in patent document EP 1 149 718, for which the deployment of the curtain is implemented by sliding drive of two rigid rods. motorized, integral with the draw bar, and floating mounted, supported along one or two adjacent windows or on the amount separating two adjacent panes.

A first disadvantage of this technique is that for current door windows, which are commonly curved or curved, at least in the width direction (transverse curve) and sometimes also in the longitudinal direction, the floating guide of the curtain can do not allow it to be properly held in the extended position along the surface of the window. Indeed, a gap between the curtain and the window can appear, which is likely to let the light in the cabin and is not satisfactory in terms of aesthetics.

A second disadvantage of this technique lies in the fact that it generally requires a security preventing the roll of the blind from being deployed in front of a sliding window if the window is not completely raised, in order to avoid damaging the curtain which without the the obstacle presented by the surface of the window, curved, unfolds in a rectilinear manner in the vertical direction.

A third disadvantage of this technique is that it requires the implementation of solutions that can be complex, to hide the sight of the guide rods from the inside or outside of the vehicle, in order to to give a suitable aspect, and in particular smooth, to the curtain. According to a variant of this second technique, sharing the aforementioned drawbacks, the displacement of the draw bar is implemented by means of a pantograph secured to one of these ends of the draw bar and unfoldable in a plane substantially parallel to that of the window.

It should be noted that the problem of the aesthetic rendering of such a blind is all the more critical that the window is curved and / or curved, and that a smooth appearance of the curtain is sought in the deployed position, in particular because of the thickness of the pantograph.

3. Objectives of the invention

The invention therefore particularly aims to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art mentioned above. More specifically, the invention aims to provide a technique of concealment of two adjacent door windows, and in particular a sliding side window and a fixed quarter window, by a single curtain.

It should be noted that, by misuse of language, the term "rear quarter glass" means a side rear window integral with the body, on the one hand, and a non-sliding door window, on the other hand. this patent application.

Another object of the invention is to provide an occulting blind technique for obtaining a glazed surface of a door, also called clear bay, which is important to let the light when the curtain is folded.

Another object of the invention is also to provide a technique that is simple to implement, easy to mount on the door panel of a vehicle door, light and inexpensive. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a technique that allows the curtain to adopt the profile of one or more glass (s). 4. General principles of the invention

These objectives, as well as others which will appear later, are achieved by means of a vehicle door concealment device, of the type having a door panel carrying at least two windows separated by a structural element. integral with said door panel, comprising a curtain driven by a draw bar and movable in a plane substantially flush with the plane of said panes between a folded position and at least one extended position, for which said curtain allows at least partial concealment of said covered by said windows.

According to the invention, the displacement of said curtain is controlled by means of a single rail, formed in said structural element, and in which circulates a pad integral with said drawbar, said pad comprising an asymmetrical guide section and a torsionally deformable element permitting the inclination of said draft bar with respect to the direction of said circulation path and / or allowing a return torque to be exerted on said draw bar so as to maintain said bar in a predetermined position, and the circulation path of said pad in said rail having a curve to allow said draw bar to tilt relative to the main axis of said structural element. Thus, the invention proposes, in a new and inventive way, a simplified control and guidance technique for the deployment or folding of an occultation curtain requiring the implementation of a limited number of elements, to jointly cover two windows adjacent door.

Furthermore, the draw bar may be progressively inclined during its displacement, so as to be oriented substantially in the direction of the edge of the lower frame or the upper frame of the door panel bay, which are generally non-parallel, in position folded, respectively deployed.

On the other hand, by providing an asymmetrical guide section, it limits the pivoting movements and / or tilting and / or flapping of the pad, in particular by providing a suitable inner shape rail. In a complementary embodiment, it can also be provided that the guide section is extended by a protrusion for the drive and self-balancing of the pull bar.

In addition, it is possible to act on the orientation and / or to exert a constraint on the articulation of the drawbar to compensate for the off-center distribution of the forces exerted by the curtain, kept stretched in particular by means of return provided on a roller tube, on the bar.

According to a preferred aspect, said pad is secured to said drawing bar substantially in the central portion of said bar. Thus, the draw bar overlaps the structural element to cover the surface of the two panes, the position of the connection of the draw bar to the structural element can be adapted to conform to the respective width of the panes so that the curtain can cover a large glass area. It should be noted that the term "substantially" means that the connection between the guide bar and the pad is, but not exclusively, in the central portion of the bar, or, more precisely, at a distance of at least one fifth of the total length of the draw bar from its ends.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, said pad comprises a securing section to said drawing bar, and the outer surface of the rail and the surface facing said section coincide to limit the beat of said pad relative to the plane of said windows.

Thus, it stiffens the floating connection between the draw bar and the control rail, due to functional guiding games and / or mounting.

According to a particular embodiment, such an occultation device comprises a roller tube mounted on said door panel.

The technique according to the invention can thus be implemented in particular with roller blinds.

Advantageously, said draw bar comprises means for supporting said draw bar on at least one of said panes. Thus, by resting on at least one of the panes, one limits on the one hand the possible movements of the draw bar, which can hinder a deployment and / or a flush folding of the curtain along the panes and secondly, the shoe is unloaded from a portion of the forces exerted by the draw bar.

According to a preferred aspect, said support means comprise at least one support element belonging to the group comprising: wheel; elastic pad; - foam.

Preferably, said curtain unfolds and / or folds through a slot integral with said door panel.

Thus, only a portion of the deployed area of the curtain can be made visible from the inside or outside of the vehicle.

According to an advantageous aspect, said draw bar penetrates into said slot in said folded position. Thus, the draw bar may have a flush appearance with the base of the window, in the folded position, contributing to the aesthetic appearance and bay clear of the door.

Preferably, such a device comprises motorized drive means of said pad and / or said draw bar. Note however that according to another possible embodiment, the drive means of the pad and / or the pull bar can be manual.

According to a particular embodiment, said motorized drive means comprise a thrust and pull cable integral with a geared motor.

Of course, other embodiments can be envisaged without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the motorized drive means may implement: one or more rack (s); - a multi-strand cable;

- a cable protection sheath; a tensioner (s) of cable;

The invention also relates to a vehicle door, of the type having a door panel carrying at least two windows separated by a structural element integral with said door panel, comprising one of the occulting devices as described above.

Preferably, the drawbar of such a door has a curvature substantially corresponding to that of the upper part of the frame of its door panel so as to marry said upper portion of said frame in the deployed position.

Thus, the curtain can be deployed over the entire height of the windows. The invention also relates to a vehicle comprising one of the doors and / or one of the devices described above. 5. List of figures Other features and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of a preferred embodiment, given as a simple illustrative and nonlimiting example, and the appended drawings, among which: FIG. 1 illustrates in a front view, an embodiment of a door provided with a blackout blind according to the invention; - Figure 2A shows in detail the guide means of the guide bar of the blind of Figure 1 in the rail of the door; - Figure 2B is a horizontal sectional representation of the guiding means of Figure 2A.

DESCRIPTION OF A PARTICULAR EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION As already indicated, the general principle of the invention is therefore based on the implementation of a single guide for the draw bar of a concealment device of which the curtain can be deployed facing two adjacent panes of a vehicle side door, uniting an asymmetric pad section, a torsionally deformable member and a curved rail track, to limit the beats of the drawbar and facilitate tilting and / or returning to a predetermined position of the draw bar. FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a door concealment device 101 according to the invention, of the occultation shade type. In this figure, the blind 10, mounted on the door panel 11 of the door 101, is shown in a partial occlusion position of a sliding side window 12 and a quarter window 13 of the door, the trim door has not been represented for the sake of clarity.

The sliding window 12 is mounted on the door panel 11 and slides through a slot 15 between a retracted position, inside the panel, in which it releases the bay with which it is associated, and a position deployed in which she closes this bay. The lips of sealing strips, secured to the panel 11 along the contour of the slot 15, lick the inner and outer faces of the window 12 so as to maintain the seal of the door during sliding of the window.

The curtain, also called canvas, 14 of the device 10, also called blind for this embodiment, unfolds by unwinding from a roller tube 16 mounted in a housing 17 fixed to the panel 11.

In order to subtract the blind from the view in the folded position, a cover 112 is affixed to the panel 11. This cover 112 comprises a reservation which, when the cover is secured, for example by clipping, on the panel, defines a passage slot 114 defining the visible part of the curtain. The pulling bar of the blind 18 is guided, substantially from one-third of its length, in a rail 110 on a structural element 19 separating the sliding window 12 and the quarter-window 13, which makes it possible to deploy the curtain 14 vertically. in a plane substantially flush with the plane of the windows 12 and 13. The curve of the draw bar 18 is adapted so that in fully deployed position of the curtain, the draw bar conforms to the shape of the crossbar, also called edge, upper (e) the door frame. In addition, the draw bar 18 enters the slot 114 in the folded position, for aesthetic purposes.

The draw bar further comprises at each of its ends an element, or more precisely a wheel, support 111 of the guide bar on respectively the sliding window and the quarter window, to facilitate its movement along the windows.

It should be noted that in variations of this embodiment, it may be envisaged to guide the draw bar from other positions substantially in its central portion. With reference to FIG. 2A, the guide means of the pull bar in the rail 110 are detailed.

The pull bar 18 is integral with a shoe 21 of length much greater than its thickness to allow satisfactory guidance of the bar 18 in the rail 110. The rail 110 is formed in the structural element 19 and profiled as a "U" slide to accommodate the shoe 21 in the circulation path 1101. The rail 110 is also curved in its upper part so as to rotate gradually the drawbar relative to the vertical direction when the curtain is deployed and the drawbar adopts a tilt allowing it to match the shape of the upper rail in the fully deployed position.

It is noted that the guide of the pad in the circulation path 1101 is implemented in this embodiment so that the pad 21 can tilt relative to the main guide direction of the circulation path 1101, and thus cooperate with the latter to compensate for the forces exerted on the bar 18 because the guide axis of the bar is not centered relative thereto, or, on the contrary, to be able to straighten relative to the rail of way to release the bar, then taking a position of "self-balance". As illustrated in Figure 2B in section, the pad 21 has a general section "X", reminding the shape of a dovetail, comprising an asymmetrical guiding section 29, and a securing section to the draw bar 210. In this embodiment, the pad also comprises at its center a torsionally deformable element 211 allowing the draw bar 18 to be oriented by rotation about a horizontal axis. This element 211 also allows to exert a return torque on the pull bar to participate in 1 "self-balancing" of the bar.

The pad 21 is in contact with the inside of the rail 110 along at least a portion of the surface of the lobes 22 and 23 of the guide section 29. In order to avoid the tilting, also called flapping, of the pad 21 and therefore of the draw bar around the vertical direction, the outer surface of the rail 110 and the inner surface 24 of the section 210, opposite, have rounded shapes complementary and coincidental.

The lobe 22 comprises an outgrowth, also called protrusion, 25 of substantially cylindrical shape and integral with one end of a drive cable push and pull (also known as "push-pull cable") 27 of the shoe 21 and the draw bar 18. This protrusion 25 is intended to slide with a large clearance, in the complementary groove 26 formed in the rail 110. It should be noted that the complementary groove 26, which allows in particular a guiding of the cable 27, may, for example, be shaped by means of a trimming technique. As already indicated above, the pad being able to incline relative to the axis of the rail, the protrusion 25 thus allows in this embodiment to press the groove 26 of the rail so as to retain the bar and s oppose the tension forces exerted on it. The drive in translation of the cable 27 is provided by a geared motor type motor (not shown), integral with a toothed wheel 28. It should be noted that the cable 27 is crimped with an olive so as to allow its movement in one direction or another.

A remote electrical control, such as, for example in this embodiment, a control button 113 by pressure (see Figure 1) allows to actuate the motor acting on the blind to deploy or fold. This control is integrated into the door and placed, in this embodiment, near the control buttons of the window lifter.

7. Other optional features and advantages Other variants of this embodiment can be envisaged among which

the support means of the ends of the guide bar allowing it to slide on the adjacent window or windows of the door comprise at least one support element chosen from the non-exhaustive list comprising the wheels, the elastic pads and the elements foam; the door is provided with a second blind extending horizontally to cover the part of the quarter window not hidden by the awning according to the invention; the roller shutter tube is mounted without housing directly on the door panel.

The embodiment and its variants described herein are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. As a result, many modifications can be made without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the claims.

Claims

A vehicle door concealment device (10) of the type having a door panel (11) carrying at least two separate panes (12; 13) by a structurally integral member (19) of said door panel (10). door (11), comprising a curtain (14) driven by a draw bar (18) and movable in a plane substantially flush with the plane of said panes between a folded position and at least one extended position, for which said curtain allows concealment at least partially of said surface covered by said panes, characterized in that the movement of said curtain (14) is controlled by means of a single rail (110), formed in said structural element (19), and in which circulates a shoe (21) secured to said draw bar (18), said shoe comprising an asymmetrical guide section (29) and a torsionally deformable element (211) allowing the inclination of said draw bar with respect to the direction said c a circulation path and / or for exerting a return torque on said draw bar so as to maintain said bar in a predetermined position, and in that the circulation path of said shoe in said rail (110) has a curve for allow said draw bar (18) to tilt relative to the main axis (191) of said structural member (19).

2. Device for concealment according to claim 1, characterized in that said pad (21) is secured to said drawbar (18) substantially in the central portion of said bar.

3. Device for concealment according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that said pad (21) comprises a securing section (210) to said draw bar (18) and in that the outer surface of the rail (110) and the surface facing said section (210) coincide to limit the beat of said pad relative to the plane of said panes.

4. Device for concealment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises a winding tube (16) mounted on said door panel (11).

5. A concealment device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said draw bar (18) comprises support means of said draw bar on at least one of said panes.

6. Device for concealment according to claim 5, characterized in that said support means comprise at least one support member (111) belonging to the group comprising:

- roulette;

- elastic pad; foam.

7. Device for concealment according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said curtain (14) is deployed and / or folds through a slot (114) integral with said door panel (11) .

8. Blanking device according to claim 7, characterized in that said draw bar (18) enters said slot (114) in said folded position.

9. Device for concealment according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises motorized drive means of said pad (21) and / or said draw bar (18).

10. Device for concealment according to claim 9, characterized in that said motorized drive means comprise a push and pull cable (27) integral with a geared motor.

11. Vehicle door (101), of the type having a door panel (11) carrying at least two separate panes (12; 13) by a structurally integral member (19) of said door panel (11), characterized in that it comprises a concealment device comprising a curtain (14) driven by a draw bar (18) and movable in a plane substantially flush with the plane of said panes between a folded position and at least one extended position, for which said curtain allows at least partial occultation of said surface covered by said panes, the movement of said curtain (14) being controlled by means of a single rail (110), formed in said structural element (19), and wherein circulates a shoe (21) secured to said draw bar (18), said shoe comprising an asymmetrical guide section (29) and a torsionally deformable element (211) allowing the inclination of said draw bar with respect to the direction said circulation path and / or for exerting a return torque on said pull bar so as to maintain said bar in a predetermined position, and the circulation path of said shoe in said rail (110) having a curve to allow tilting said draw bar (18) relative to the main axis (191) of said structural member (19).

12. Vehicle door according to claim 11, characterized in that said draw bar (18) has a curvature substantially corresponding to that of the upper part of the frame of said door panel so as to fit said upper portion of said frame in the deployed position. .

13. Motor vehicle characterized in that it comprises a door (101) of the type having a door panel (11) carrying at least two separate panes (12; 13) by a solid structural element (19) of said door panel (11), comprising a concealment device comprising a curtain (14) driven by a draw bar (18) and movable in a plane substantially flush with the plane of said panes between a folded position and at least one deployed position, for which said curtain allows at least partial obscuration of said surface covered by said panes, movement of said curtain (14) being controlled via a single rail (110), formed in said structural member (19), and in which circulates a shoe (21) integral with said draw bar (18), said shoe comprising an asymmetric guide section (29) and a torsionally deformable element (211) allowing the inclination of said draw bar by r contributing to the direction of said circulation path and / or allowing a return torque to be exerted on said draw bar so as to maintain said bar in a predetermined position, and the circulation path of said runner in said rail (110) presenting a curvature for allowing said drawbar (18) to tilt relative to the main axis (191) of said structural member (19).