GB2334933A - A blind for a vehicle mounted on or within the vehicle's sun visors - Google Patents

Abstract

The blind which can be secured to the vehicle's sun visors 3, 4 with compressive clips 6, 7 comprises parallel rails 8, 9 that have an opaque sheet 10 there between. The weight of the lower rail 9 acts to retain the blind in an expanded state or alternatively struts may be provided to hold the rails apart or the lower rail may have a sucker to secure it to the vehicle dashboard. The sheet may be stored on a roll held within one of the rails or it may be expanded between the rails either elastically or in a concertinaed fashion. The rails may be hinged to allow easy storage of the blind when it is not in use or alternatively, as shown in Figure 2, the blind may be housed within the sun visors. A thermal sensor may be provided to release the lower rail and expand the sheet automatically.

Description

CURTAIN BLIND The present invention relates to a curtain blind and more particularly to a curtain blind suitable for deployment adjacent to the windscreen of a motor vehicle in order to provide effective shade within such a vehicle.

It is an inherent problem within motor vehicles that the "green house" effect as a result of glass windows means that high temperatures can be encountered. In addition to being uncomfortable, such conditions may lead to detrimental effects to vehicle components, both with regard to functionality and appearance, ie. trim covers may fade, operational components may be thermally cycled beyond expected or desired ranges and a driver may be unable to touch hot components, eg. the steering wheel.

Previously and particularly within the continent of Europe it has been known to provide cardboard cut-out type arrangements which the driver can deploy adjacent to the large window surfaces such as the windscreen and rear window of a motor vehicle. Such cardboard cut-out elements thereby reduce the incident sunlight and so cabin heating within a motor vehicle. It will be appreciated that such sun screens whether made from cardboard or plastics material must be stored within the vehicle when it is driven and so can create inconvenient accommodation problems and secondly are generally untidy from an aesthetic perspective.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a curtain blind for a motor vehicle which is more efficient and convenient for the user of the motor vehicle.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a curtain blind for a window particularly in a motor vehicle, the curtain blind comprising mounting means to locate the blind relative to a window and two substantially parallel rail elements with a substantially optical opaque medium therebetween, said rail elements being relatively displaceable to expand said opaque medium therebetween to create the curtain blind substantially adjacent said window.

Preferably the mounting means is either integral with the existing sun visor within a motor vehicle or is connected to such sun visor with a clip mechanism.

Several curtain blinds can be combined to provide a contiguous barrier assembly adjacent said window.

Preferably the opaque medium is optically and/or thermally reflective to sunlight.

Preferably the opaque medium expands as a coiled roll from at least one of the parallel rail elements or is deployed by elastic expansion of the medium between the rail elements or as a concertina expansion, both laterally or vertically between said rail elements.

The mounting means is typically located on a first rail and securing means to hold said opaque medium in its expanded state incorporated into the other or both rail elements or a strut arrangement is provided to hold said opaque medium in its expanded state or at least one of said rail elements is so weighted that expansion retention is achieved by simple gravitational action.

A release of the opaque medium may be achieved through control of a thermally activated sensor secured to said curtain and blind. Said curtain blind being deployed by such thermal sensor releasing an association between said rail elements when an appropriate temperature elevation is identified.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with regard to the drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a first embodiment; and Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of a second embodiment.

Referring to Figure 1 in which a front sealing edge 1, and a front windscreen 2 along with typical motor vehicle sun visors 3, 4 are illustrated.

As will be understood, the sun visors 3, 4 are provided within a motor vehicle to facilitate driving into the sun to avoid glare. In the present invention the sun visors 3, 4 are utilised in their operational position to provide mounting anchors for a curtain blind 5.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 the curtain blind is secured to the sun visors 3, 4 using simple compressive clips 6, 7. Sufficient mounting strength must be provided by the clips 6, 7 in order to hold the blind 5 thus the minimum number of clips 6, 7 is normally two but more clips may be used if necessary.

The curtain blind 5 comprises generally two substantially parallel rail elements 8, 9 with a substantially opaque medium or sheet 10 therebetween. The opaque medium 10 provides the appropriate shading for the interior of the motor vehicle.

In use, the deployed opaque medium 10 is substantially held adjacent the window 2. When not in use the rail elements 8, 9 are brought into juxtaposed location and the clips 6, 7 released from anchorage to the visors 3, 4. The rail elements 8, 9 may be hinged to allow easy storage of the curtain blind when not in use.

In the embodiment depicted in Figure 2 respective curtain blinds 21, 22 are located integrally within respective sun visors 23, 24 conventionally mounted near the window edge 25 of a motor vehicle. In this second embodiment the bottom edge of each respective sun visor 23, 24 constitutes one rail element 25 whilst a second rail element 26 is displaceable therefrom. In order to accommodate the central region below a reversing mirror 27 each respective curtain blind integral with its respective sun visor 23, 24 may have a flat extension 28 which provides an opaque barrier in this area. However, it will be appreciated as an alternative that only one such curtain blind in a respective sun visor 23, 24 could be provided which spans across the whole of this gap beneath the reversing mirror 27.

As with the embodiment of the present invention depicted in Figure 1, the opaque medium 21, 22 extends between the edge 25 of respective sun visors 23, 24 and the rail element 26. In order to provide the appropriate optical barrier in order to shade the interior of the motor vehicle behind the window 29.

It will be appreciated that the opaque medium 10 or 21, 22 used in either embodiment of the present invention described above will generally be substantially opaque to transmission of sunlight but it may be preferable to allow such medium 10, 21, 22 to allow thermal transmission, particularly from the interior of the vehicle.

It will be understood to a person skilled in the art that a mechanism must be provided in order to retain the curtain blind 5 or 21, 22 in its expanded state. This may be achieved by simple weighting of the lower rail 9, 26 in order to achieve a gravitational effect to retain such expansion.

However, means for securing this lower rail 9, 26 in the expanded condition may be also provided. Such means of curtain blind expansion retention could include provision of struts to hold the medium 10, apart or a ratcheted roller arrangement could be provided or a simple adhesive/sucker arrangement could be provided for the lower rail 9, 26 to secure it to the top of the dashboard.

The medium 10, 21, 22 can expand from a simple coiled roll held within one or both of the rail elements or be expanded elastically or could be concertinaed. Furthermore, the medium 10, could be a fabric or plastics sheet material.

It will be appreciated occasionally that due to unforeseen circumstances the curtain blind may not be deployed on days when it is necessary thus, particularly with the integral version depicted in Figure 2, it may be possible to provide a thermal sensor which upon determination of temperature elevation may release the lower rail 9, 26 in order to expand the opaque medium 10, 21, 22 and so deploy the curtain blind.

Although depicted in Figures 1 and 2 as a single sheet, the opaque medium 10, 21, 22 in either embodiment may be provided by simple alignment or even partially overlapping strips of material in a louver or venetian blind type configuration. Such use of strips rather than a single sheet of material may allow greater convection circulation within the cabin of a motor vehicle and so facilitate greater temperature control.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that in addition to use with regard to the windscreen of a motor vehicle, the present curtain blind could be used with regard to other transparent panels enclosing a relatively stagnant volume of air but subjected to direct sunlight.

Claims (1)

1. CLAIMS 1. A curtain blind for a window in a motor vehicle, the curtain blind comprising mounting means to locate the blind curtain relative to a window and two substantially parallel rail elements with a substantially opaque medium therebetween, said rail elements being relatively displaceable to present an expanded surface of said opaque medium therebetween and so create the curtain blind substantially adjacent said window.

   2. A curtain blind as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the mounting means is integral within a sun visor of a motor vehicle.

   3. A curtain blind as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the mounting means comprise a compressive clip.

   4. A curtain blind as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the opaque medium is optically and/or thermally reflective of sunlight.

   5. A curtain blind as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the opaque medium is presented as an expanded surface between said rail elements by deployment from a coiled roll incorporated in at least one of said rail elements or by elastic expansion of said opaque medium or as a concertina expansion either laterally or vertically.

   6. A curtain blind as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said mounting means is incorporated into only one rail element and securing means to hold said opaque medium in its expanded surface state is either incorporated into the other rail element or strut means is provided between said two rail elements to hold said opaque medium in said expanded surface state or said expanded surface state is maintained simply through gravitational action upon the rail element in the lowest position.

   8. A curtain blind as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a thermally activated release mechanism is provided whereby said opaque medium is deployed into an expanded surface state when a predetermined temperature elevation is determined by said thermally activated mechanism.

   9. A curtain blind assembly comprising several curtain blinds as claimed in any preceding claim, said curtain blinds being located to provide a contiguous curtain blind assembly whereby respective opaque mediums in their expanded surface state present a contiguous barrier adjacent said window.

   10. A curtain blind as described above with regard to Figure 1. 11. A curtain blind as described above with regard to Figure 2.