JP2021017122A - Vehicle cover device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicle cover device capable of saving weight.SOLUTION: A case 10 includes a body part 11 having a housing space SP1 inside the case housing a winding shaft 35 for extractably winding a main cover 30, and a connection part 12 having a connection groove 13 recessed from a slit 14 along a longer direction D1 of the winding shaft 35 in a case outer surface 10a. A sub-cover 40 includes a cover general part 41 passing through the slit 14, and an end part 42 which is thicker than a width W1 of the slit 14 and housed in the connection groove 13. In a cross-sectional plane of the case 10, the connection groove 13 in which the base end 42 is housed includes a general inner surface 16 having an inner diameter R1 larger than the width W1 of the slit 14, and a recessed inner surface 17 recessed from the general inner surface 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle cover device including a sub cover having a base end connected to the outer surface of the case.

A tonneau cover device with a sub cover is disclosed in Patent Document 1 as a cover device for automobiles. This tonneau cover device is attached to a metal storage case containing a winding means for the main cover, a sub cover having a thick edge fixed to the outer surface of the storage case, and an end of the storage case in the longitudinal direction of the case. It is equipped with a tonneau cap. The sub-cover is used to cover the gap between the rear seat having a reclining function and the storage case. The thick edge of the sub cover is thickened by folding back so that the wire rod is sandwiched between them. The storage case is an extruded product and has a recessed groove on the outer surface that is recessed from a slit along the longitudinal direction of the winding means. The thick edge of the sub-cover is held in the recessed groove of the storage case.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-166948

If the tonneau cover device can be made lighter, the weight of the automobile can be reduced, which leads to the improvement of the fuel efficiency of the automobile and the cost reduction of the automobile.

The present invention discloses a vehicle cover device capable of reducing the weight.

The vehicle cover device of the present invention includes a main cover and
A take-up shaft that winds up the main cover so that it can be pulled out,
A case including a main body having a storage space inside the case containing the winding shaft, and a connecting portion having a connecting groove recessed from a slit along the longitudinal direction of the winding shaft on the outer surface of the case.
A cover general portion passing through the slit and a sub-cover including a base end thicker than the width of the slit and included in the connection groove are provided.
In the cross section of the case, the connecting groove containing the base end has an embodiment including a general inner surface having an inner diameter larger than the width of the slit and a concave inner surface recessed from the general inner surface.

Further, the vehicle cover device of the present invention includes a main cover and
A take-up shaft that winds up the main cover so that it can be pulled out,
A case including a main body having a storage space inside the case containing the winding shaft, and a connecting portion having a connecting groove recessed from a slit along the longitudinal direction of the winding shaft on the outer surface of the case.
A general cover portion passing through the slit, and a sub-cover including a base end thicker than the width of the slit and contained in the connection groove.
A cap member, which is screwed to the end of the case in the longitudinal direction, is provided.
The connecting portion has an open end of the connecting groove at the end portion.
The screw has an embodiment in which the screw enters the connection groove from the opening end and is screwed into the connection portion.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle cover device capable of reducing the weight.

The perspective view which shows typically the example of the automobile which has a cover device. The figure which shows typically the example of the vertical section of the cover device. An exploded perspective view schematically showing an example of attaching a sub cover to a case. An exploded perspective view schematically showing an example in which a cap member is attached to the end of a case with screws. The end view which shows typically the example of the connection structure of a case and a sub cover. The end view which shows the example of the connection part of a case schematically. The end view which shows the example of the base end of the sub cover schematically. 8A and 8B are end views schematically showing another example of the connection structure. 9A-9C are end views schematically showing another example of the connection structure.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. Of course, the following embodiments merely exemplify the present invention, and not all of the features shown in the embodiments are essential for the means for solving the invention.

(1) Outline of the technique included in the present invention:
First, an outline of the technique included in the present invention will be described with reference to the examples shown in FIGS. 1 to 9. It should be noted that the figures of the present application are diagrams schematically showing examples, and the enlargement ratios in each direction shown in these figures may be different, and the figures may not be consistent. Of course, each element of the present technology is not limited to the specific example indicated by the reference numeral.
Further, in the present application, the numerical range "Min to Max" means a minimum value of Min or more and a maximum value of Max or less.

[Aspect 1]
A vehicle cover device (for example, a tonneau cover device 1) according to one aspect of the present technology includes a main cover 30, a take-up shaft 35 for pulling out the main cover 30, a case 10, and a sub cover 40. The case 10 has a main body 11 having a storage space SP1 containing the take-up shaft 35 inside the case, and a connecting groove 13 recessed from a slit 14 along the longitudinal direction D1 of the take-up shaft 35 on the outer surface of the case. The connecting portion 12 included in the 10a is included. The sub-cover 40 includes a cover general portion 41 passing through the slit 14 and a base end 42 having a base end 42 thicker than the width W1 of the slit 14 and being inserted in the connection groove 13. There is. In the cross section of the case 10, the connection groove 13 containing the base end 42 has a general inner surface 16 having an inner diameter R1 larger than the width W1 of the slit 14, and a concave inner surface 17 recessed from the general inner surface 16. And, including.

In the first aspect, since the connecting groove 13 includes the concave inner surface 17 recessed from the general inner surface 16 in addition to the general inner surface 16, the case 10 becomes lighter by the amount of the concave inner surface 17. In particular, when the case 10 is made of metal, the metal has a relatively large specific gravity, so that the effect of reducing the weight of the case 10 is great. On the other hand, since the connection groove 13 includes the general inner surface 16, the decrease in the strength of the case connection portion 12 is suppressed. Therefore, this aspect can provide a vehicle cover device capable of effectively reducing the weight.

Here, the general cover portion may have a portion passing through the slit, and the portion protruding from the case may have a portion thicker than the width of the slit.
The general inner surface means a curved surface facing the internal space of the connecting groove. The inner diameter R1 of the general inner surface may be larger than the slit width W1 and may vary depending on the site.
The concave inner surface means an inner surface recessed from the general inner surface to the side opposite to the internal space. When the concave inner surface is a curved surface, the concave inner surface includes a portion having an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter R1 of the general inner surface.
The above-mentioned additional notes also apply in the following aspects.

[Aspect 2]
Further, the vehicle cover device (1) according to another aspect of the present technology includes a main cover 30, a take-up shaft 35 for pulling out the main cover 30, a case 10, a sub cover 40, and a cap member ( For example, an inner cap 50) is provided. The case 10 has a main body 11 having a storage space SP1 containing the take-up shaft 35 inside the case, and a connecting groove 13 recessed from a slit 14 along the longitudinal direction D1 of the take-up shaft 35 on the outer surface of the case. A connecting portion 12 included in 10a is provided. The sub-cover 40 includes a cover general portion 41 passing through the slit 14 and a base end 42 having a base end 42 thicker than the width W1 of the slit 14 and being inserted in the connection groove 13. There is. The cap member (50) is attached to the end portion 10b of the case 10 in the longitudinal direction D1 with a screw SC1. The connection portion 12 has an open end 15 of the connection groove 13 at the end portion 10b. The screw SC1 enters the connection groove 13 from the opening end 15 and is screwed into the connection portion 12.

In the second aspect, the connection groove 13 for connecting the sub cover 40 to the case 10 and the screw SC1 for attaching the cap member (50) to the end portion 10b of the case 10 in the longitudinal direction D1 are coaxially arranged. Has been done. As a result, the case 10 can be made smaller and the case 10 can be made lighter than when the screw SC1 is located at a position different from the connection groove 13. Therefore, this aspect can provide a vehicle cover device capable of effectively reducing the weight. In particular, when the case is made of metal, the specific gravity of the metal is relatively large, so that the effect of reducing the weight of the case is great.

[Aspect 3]
As illustrated in FIG. 6, in the cross section of the case 10, the total θ of the angles of the general inner surface 16 is 72 ° or more (360 °) among the angles of 360 ° about the central axis AX2 of the general inner surface 16. 20% or more of °) may be used. This aspect can improve the fastening strength of the screw entering the connecting groove from the open end.

[Aspect 4]
As illustrated in FIG. 6, the first thickness T1 of the portion where the general inner surface 16 exists in the case 10 is the case outer surface 10a excluding the storage space SP1 and the connection groove 13 in the main body 11. It may be thicker than the second thickness T2 between and. In this embodiment, the strength of the connecting portion 12 of the case 10 can be improved as compared with the general portion of the second thickness T2 of the case 10, so that the base end of the sub cover can be prevented from coming out of the slit. .. When a screw for attaching a cap member is screwed into the connection portion, the fastening strength of the screw can be improved.

[Aspect 5]
As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, in the cross section of the case 10, the connection groove 13 containing the base end 42 has a convex inner surface 18 having a radius of curvature r1 connected from the slit 14 to the general inner surface 16. It may be included. When the width of the slit 14 is W1 and the thickness of the base end 42 of the sub cover 40 is Tb, r1 ≦ 2 (Tb−W1) may be used. This means that the thickness Tb of the base end 42 of the sub cover 40 is {W1 + (r1 / 2)} or more. Since the thickness Tb of the base end 42 of the sub cover 40 has a thickness obtained by adding the radius of curvature r1 of the convex inner surface 18 to the width W1 of the slit 14, this embodiment suppresses the base end of the sub cover from coming out of the slit. can do.

Here, the convex inner surface having a radius of curvature r1 means a curved surface that is convex toward the internal space of the connecting groove. The radius of curvature r1 of the convex inner surface may vary depending on the site.

(2) Specific example of cover device:
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a main part of an automobile 80 having a tonneau cover device 1 with a sub-cover (an example of a cover device). When explaining the positional relationship between the left and right sides of the automobile 80, the direction in which the occupant sitting on the rear seat 90 looks forward is used as a reference. FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a vertical cross section of a main part including the outer cap 60A on the left side of the tonneau cover device 1. The vertical cross section of the main part of the tonneau cover device 1 including the outer cap 60B on the right side is similar to the vertical cross section shown in FIG. 2, and is not shown. The outer cap 60 is a general term for the outer caps 60A and 60B.

The automobile 80 shown in FIG. 1 is provided with a rear seat 90 having a reclining function divided into left and right, and has a luggage compartment 81 behind the rear seat 90 in which luggage can be taken in and out from a back door (tailgate) or the like.

An inner cap 50 (an example of a cap member) is attached to both ends 10b of the case 10 of the tonneau cover device 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with screws SC1, and the outer cap 60 is further moved to the longitudinal direction D1 of the take-up shaft 35. It is slidably fitted on the outside. A coil spring 61 is mounted between the outer cap 60 and the inner cap 50. After the spring 61 is compressed, each outer cap 60 is fitted into a recess provided in the front portion of the side wall portion of the luggage compartment 81. As a result, the tonneau cover device 1 is supported on the side wall portion, and the case 10 is held in the front portion of the luggage compartment 81 with the longitudinal direction D1 facing the vehicle width direction (left-right direction). There is a gap 82 between the case 10 and the rear seat 90 that changes according to the reclining position of the rear seat 90.

When the main cover main body 31 is pulled out rearward from the outlet 11a of the case 10, the main cover 30 covers the lower part of the luggage compartment 81 and hides the luggage in the lower part of the luggage compartment 81 from the outside. The vicinity of the tip 43 of the sub cover 40 connected to the outer surface 10a of the case is connected to the rear seat 90. As a result, the sub cover 40 covers the gap 82 in front of the case 10 to improve the appearance inside the vehicle. For example, by engaging each surface fastener 44 near the tip 43 of the sub cover 40 with a predetermined position of the rear seat 90, the vicinity of the tip 43 of the sub cover 40 is held by the rear seat 90. When there is an opening near the tip 43 of the sub cover 40, the leg portion of the headrest 91 once removed from the rear seat 90 is passed through the opening and attached to the rear seat 90, so that the vicinity of the tip 43 of the sub cover 40 is held by the rear seat 90. Will be done.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating how the sub cover 40 is attached to the case 10. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating how the inner cap 50B on the right side is attached to the end portion 10b of the case 10 with the screw SC1. The appearance of the left inner cap 50A (see FIG. 2) attached to the end portion 10b of the case 10 with the screw SC1 is similar to the appearance shown in FIG. 4, and is not shown. The inner cap 50 is a general term for the inner caps 50A and 50B. FIG. 5 schematically illustrates the end face of the connection structure ST1 between the case 10 and the sub cover 40. FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the end face of the connecting portion 12 of the case 10. FIG. 7 schematically illustrates the end face of the base end 42 of the sub cover 40. Here, the case 10 is a linear member having a constant cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the longitudinal direction D1, and the core member 46 at the base end 42 is a linear member having a constant cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the longitudinal direction D1. A cover material 40a having a constant thickness surrounds the core member 46. Therefore, the shape of the end view shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 is the same as the shape of the cross section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction D1.
Hereinafter, the tonneau cover device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7.

The tonneau cover device 1 includes a case 10, a main cover 30, a take-up shaft 35, a sub cover 40, inner caps 50A and 50B, and described outer caps 60A and 60B.

The case 10 includes a main body portion 11 having a storage space SP1 inside the case, and a connecting portion 12 having a connection groove 13 separated from the storage space SP1 on the outer surface 10a of the case. The take-up shaft 35 is contained in the storage space SP1. The main body 11 surrounds the storage space SP1 except for the outlet 11a. The connection portion 12 is a portion for connecting the base end 42 of the sub cover 40 to the outer surface 10a of the case, and is also a portion for separating the connection groove 13 from the storage space SP1. The connection groove 13 is recessed from the slit 14 along the longitudinal direction D1 of the take-up shaft 35 on the outer surface 10a of the case. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the connecting portion 12 has open ends 15 of the connecting groove 13 at both end portions 10b of the case 10. The base end 42 of the sub cover 40 and the pin member 47 (optional) can be inserted into the connection groove 13 from the opening end 15. Further, the screw SC1 for attaching the inner cap 50 to both end portions 10b of the case 10 can be screwed into the connection groove 13 from the opening end 15 on the assumption that the screw SC1 is passed through the screw insertion hole 51 of the inner cap 50.
Although details will be described later, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the connection groove 13 includes a general inner surface 16 having an inner diameter R1, a concave inner surface 17, and a convex inner surface 18 having a radius of curvature r1.

For the case 10, a metal molded product such as aluminum, a synthetic resin molded product such as a thermoplastic resin, or the like can be used. The case 10 is preferably an extrusion-molded product from the viewpoint of making the cross-sectional shape constant, but may be an injection-molded product of synthetic resin, a processed metal plate product, or the like.

The main cover main body 31, which is the main body of the main cover 30 shown in FIG. 1 and the like, is formed of a flexible sheet-like material that can be wound on the outer peripheral surface of the winding shaft 35. A flexible material is used for the main cover main body 31, a soft material having a light-shielding property is preferable, and a translucent material or the like may be used. For the main cover main body 31, elastic material such as jersey material, molded sheet of resin material such as vinyl chloride resin, leather of resin material such as vinyl chloride resin, woven fabric, various mesh materials, and the like can be used. One end of the main cover main body 31 is fastened to the outer peripheral surface of the take-up shaft 35, and a reinforcement member 32 harder than the main cover main body 31 is attached to the other end of the main cover main body 31. As the reinforcement member 32, a plate-shaped member, a rod-shaped member, a tubular member, or the like can be used, and a molded product such as an injection-molded product of a synthetic resin can be used. The user pulls out the main cover main body 31 rearward from the case 10 or causes the take-up shaft 35 to wind the main cover main body 31 with the operation portion 33 of the reinforcement member 32 touched. Can be done. When the reinforcement member 32 is held at the rear portion of the side wall portion of the luggage compartment 81, the state in which the main cover 30 covers the lower portion of the luggage compartment 81 is maintained, and the reinforcement member 32 is released from the rear portion of the side wall portion of the luggage compartment 81. Then, the main cover main body 31 is wound around the winding shaft 35.

The take-up shaft 35 includes a tubular shaft body 36, a left end member 37 (see FIG. 2), and a right end member 38 (see FIG. 4). The shaft body 36 is a long cylindrical member with both ends open, and is rotatably arranged about a rotation shaft AX1 along the longitudinal direction D1 in the storage space SP1. For the shaft body 36, a metal molded product such as aluminum (for example, an extruded product), a synthetic resin molded product such as a thermoplastic resin, or the like can be used. As shown in FIG. 2, an end member 37 having a shaft portion 37a having a circular cross section is internally fitted to the left end of the shaft body 36 so as not to rotate relatively. The shaft portion 37a is inserted into the through hole 52 of the inner cap 50A, and is rotatably supported by the inner cap 50A about the rotation shaft AX1. As shown in FIG. 4, the right end of the shaft body 36 contains an end member 38 having a star-shaped portion 38a having a star-shaped cross section having six protrusions. The star-shaped portion 38a is inserted into the star-shaped through hole 53 of the inner cap 50B so as not to rotate with respect to the inner cap 50B. The shaft body 36 is rotatably supported with respect to the end member 38 about the rotation shaft AX1. In order to apply a winding force to the shaft body 36, one end of a spring such as a coil spring is fixed to the shaft body 36, and the other end of the spring is fixed to the end member 38. The take-up shaft 35 can take up the main cover main body 31 by the above-mentioned take-up force.

The sub-cover 40 shown in FIG. 7 and the like includes a flexible cover material 40a and a core member 46 that is harder than the cover material 40a. As the cover material 40a, a flexible sheet-like material is used, a soft material having a light-shielding property is preferable, and a translucent material or the like may be used. As the cover material 40a, an elastic material such as a jersey material, a molded sheet of a resin material such as vinyl chloride resin, leather of a resin material such as vinyl chloride resin, a woven fabric, various mesh materials, and the like can be used. The core member 46 shown in FIG. 7 is a cylindrical member having a diameter R2, but a cylindrical member or the like may be used for the core member 46. For the core member 46, a metal wire such as a wire, an extruded product of a synthetic resin such as a thermoplastic resin, or the like can be used. The cover material 40a has a bag-shaped portion 40b in which a longitudinal internal space is formed by sewing the folded and overlapped portions at the base end 42. FIGS. 5 and 7 show a sewn portion 40c which is a portion sewn on the cover material 40a. Of course, instead of the sewn portion 40c, it is also possible to form the bag-shaped portion 40b by welding or adhering the folded and overlapped portions of the cover material 40a. A linear core member 46 is inserted into the internal space of the bag-shaped portion 40b.
The core member 46 may have a non-circular cross section, but in this case, the cost of the mold for molding the core member is incurred. Since the core member 46 of this specific example has a circular cross section, it can be a general-purpose product, and if it is a general-purpose product, no mold cost for the core member is incurred.

As shown in FIG. 7, the thickness Tb of the base end 42 is the diameter R2 of the core member 46 plus twice the thickness T3 of the cover material 40a (R2 + 2 × T3). Explaining with reference to FIG. 6, the thickness Tb of the base end is thicker than the width W1 of the slit 14 and thinner than the inner diameter R1 of the general inner surface 16.
W1 <Tb <R1
The width W1 of the slit 14 is the width of the narrowest portion of the slit 14 in the cross section of the case 10.
The thickness of the portion of the bag-shaped portion 40b where the cover materials 40a are in contact with each other is twice the thickness T3 of the cover material 40a and thinner than the width W1 of the slit 14.
2 x T3 <W1
Here, the base end 42 is a thick portion of the sub cover 40 connected to the case 10 that is in the connection groove 13. The cover general portion 41 is a portion of the cover material 40a having a thickness of T3 that does not overlap, and a portion of the bag-shaped portion 40b having a thickness of 2 × T3 in which the cover materials 40a are in contact with each other. The cover general portion 41 of the sub cover 40 connected to the case 10 passes through the slit 14.

The sub-cover 40 shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 has a notch 45 for matching the reclining function divided into left and right in the rear seat 90. Here, in the sub cover 40, the portion on the left side of the notch 45 is referred to as the sub cover 40A, and the portion on the right side of the notch 45 is referred to as the sub cover 40B. The sub covers 40A and 40B shown in FIG. 3 are connected at the base end 42, but the sub covers 40A and 40B may be separated. Since it is preferable that the sub-cover 40 can be easily attached to and detached from the rear seat 90, each of the sub-covers 40A and 40B has a hook-and-loop fastener 44 that can be attached to and detached from the rear seat 90 on the back surface near the tip 43. For example, the user can hold the vicinity of the tip 43 of each of the sub-covers 40A and 40B on the rear seat 90 by engaging the surface fastener 44 with a predetermined portion of the rear seat 90. Further, by peeling the fasteners 44 on each surface from the rear seat 90, the vicinity of the tips 43 of the sub covers 40A and 40B can be released from the rear seat 90.

The inner cap 50 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 has a screw insertion hole 51 for passing a screw SC1 screwed into the connection groove 13 of the case 10. The screw insertion hole 51 is located at a position where the inner cap 50 passes through the central axis AX2 of the general inner surface 16 of the connection groove 13 when the inner cap 50 is attached to the end portion 10b of the case 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the inner cap 50A on the left side has a through hole 52 having a circular cross section for rotatably receiving the shaft portion 37a of the end member 37 about the rotation shaft AX1 so that the shaft portion 37a can be rotated. To support. As shown in FIG. 4, the inner cap 50B on the right side has a star-shaped through hole 53 having a star-shaped cross section having six protrusions matching the shape of the star-shaped portion 38a of the end member 38. Supports 38a non-rotatably. As shown in FIG. 2, the inner cap 50 is attached to the end portion 10b of the case 10 in the longitudinal direction D1 with a screw SC1. The screw SC1 may be harder than the case 10. For example, when the case 10 is made of aluminum or synthetic resin, a screw made of a hard metal such as steel (for example, rimmed steel) can be used for the screw SC1.

The operator may assemble the tonneau cover device 1 as follows, for example.
First, as shown in FIG. 3, the base end 42 of the sub cover 40 is slid from the opening end 15 of the case 10 in the longitudinal direction D1 to be inserted into the connection groove 13. In consideration of the length of the case 10 and the length of the base end 42 in the longitudinal direction D1, a linear pin member 47 is inserted from at least one of the opening ends 15 with the base end 42 in the connecting groove 13 in the longitudinal direction D1. It may be inserted into the connection groove 13 by sliding to. The pin member 47 shown in FIG. 3 is a cylindrical member, but a cylindrical member or the like may be used for the pin member 47. For the pin member 47, a molded product of a synthetic resin such as a thermoplastic resin, a metal wire such as a wire, or the like can be used. Further, the take-up shaft 35 around which the main cover main body 31 is wound is inserted from the end 10b into the storage space SP1 of the case 10 with the reinforcement member 32 pulled out from the outlet 11a (see FIG. 4).

After that, for the inner cap 50A on the left side, the shaft portion 37a of the end member 37 is inserted into the through hole 52 (see FIG. 2), and for the inner cap 50B on the right side, the star-shaped portion 38a of the end member 38 is inserted into the star-shaped through hole 53. Insert (see FIG. 4) and attach the inner caps 50 to both ends 10b of the case 10. Explaining with reference to FIG. 4, the inner cap 50 is aligned with the end 10b of the case 10, and the hard screw SC1 is passed through the screw insertion hole 51 of the inner cap 50 along the central axis AX2 to open the opening end 15 of the case 10. It may be screwed into the connection groove 13. Then, a female screw is formed in the connecting portion 12 of the case 10 by the male screw of the screw SC1, and the screw SC1 is screwed into the connecting portion 12 in a state where the screw SC1 is inserted into the connecting groove 13 from the opening end 15. As a result, the inner cap 50 is held at the end 10b of the case 10.

After that, the outer cap 60A having the spring 61 inserted between the inner cap 50A and the outer cap 60A was fitted to the left end portion 10b of the case 10, and the outer cap 60B having the spring 61 inserted between the inner cap 50B and the case 10 was fitted. It may be externally fitted to the right end portion 10b of. As a result, the assembly of the tonneau cover device 1 with the sub cover is completed.

Next, the details of the connection portion 12 of the case 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7.
In the cross section of the case 10, the connecting groove 13 of the connecting portion 12 has a general inner surface 16 having an inner diameter R1 larger than the width W1 of the slit 14, a concave inner surface 17 recessed from the general inner surface 16, and a concave inner surface 17, as shown in FIG. , Includes a convex inner surface 18 with a radius of curvature r1 that connects the slit 14 to the general inner surface 16.

The general inner surface 16 is a curved surface on the circumference of a virtual circle C1 having a diameter R1 centered on the central axis AX2 along the longitudinal direction D1 of the winding shaft 35 in the connecting groove 13. Therefore, when the screw SC1 passed through the screw insertion hole 51 of the inner cap 50 is screwed into the connection groove 13 from the opening end 15, a female screw is formed on the general inner surface 16 and the screw SC1 is screwed into the general inner surface 16.

Here, in the case 10, the first thickness of the portion where the general inner surface 16 exists is T1. The surface of the case 10 opposite to the general inner surface 16 may be the outer surface 10a of the case or the inner surface 11b of the storage space SP1. Further, in the main body 11 of the case 10, the second thickness between the storage space SP1 and the outer surface 10a of the case excluding the connection groove 13 is T2. The first thickness T1 is preferably thicker than the second thickness T2, and more preferably 1.05 times or more the second thickness T2. When the first thickness T1 is made thicker than the second thickness T2, the strength of the connecting portion 12 of the case 10 is improved as compared with the general portion of the second thickness T2 of the case 10. As a result, even if a strong force is applied to the base end 42 in the outward direction from the slit 14, the slit 14 is difficult to expand, and the base end 42 of the sub cover 40 is prevented from coming out of the slit 14. That is, the effect of preventing the sub cover from coming off due to the so-called opening of the slit 14 can be obtained. Further, when the opening of the slit 14 occurs, the outlet 11a of the main cover main body 31 may be narrowed, but when T1> T2, the effect of preventing the outlet 11a due to the opening of the slit 14 from being narrowed is effective. Can also be obtained. When the screw SC1 for attaching the inner cap 50 is screwed into the connecting portion 12, the fastening strength of the screw SC1 is improved. Further, the first thickness T1 is preferably 1.5 times or less the second thickness T2 in terms of suppressing the weight increase of the case 10.

The concave inner surface 17 is a curved surface recessed outward of the virtual circle C1 in the connecting groove 13. Therefore, the concave inner surface 17 includes a portion having an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter R1 of the general inner surface 16. The concave inner surface 17 shown in FIG. 6 is a surface of the connecting portion 12 opposite to the case outer surface 10a. Here, in the cross section of the case 10, the angle occupied by the concave inner surface 17 among the angles of 360 ° about the central axis AX2 is defined as α1. The angle α1 is preferably 170 ° or less, more preferably 150 ° or less, still more preferably 120 ° or less, from the viewpoint of sufficiently obtaining the fastening strength of the screw SC1 inserted into the connection groove 13 from the opening end 15. The general inner surface 16 shown in FIG. 6 is divided into a portion having an angle θ1 and a portion having an angle θ2 by the concave inner surface 17. From the viewpoint of sufficiently obtaining the fastening strength of the screw SC1 inserted into the connection groove 13 from the opening end 15, the total angle θ = θ1 + θ2 of the general inner surface 16 is preferably 72 ° or more, which is 20% of 360 °, and is 360 °. 108 ° or more, which is 30% of the above, is more preferable, and 180 ° or more is further preferable. Further, from the viewpoint of the fastening strength of the screw SC1, it is preferable that the general inner surface 16 centered on the central axis AX2 is set so as to exist at least every 120 ° about the central axis AX2.

Since the connecting groove 13 includes the concave inner surface 17 in addition to the general inner surface 16, the case 10 becomes lighter by the amount of the concave inner surface 17. In particular, when the case 10 is made of metal, the metal has a relatively large specific gravity, so that the effect of reducing the weight of the case 10 is great. On the other hand, since the connection groove 13 includes the general inner surface 16, the strength of the connection portion 12 of the case 10 is substantially maintained. Therefore, in this specific example, the tonneau cover device with a sub cover can be effectively reduced in weight.
Further, the concave inner surface 17 arranged in the connecting portion 12 thicker than the second thickness T2 of the general portion in the case 10 functions as a lightening portion for suppressing sink marks of the connecting portion 12 during molding of the case 10. As a result, the dimensional accuracy of the case 10 is improved, and the appearance of the case 10 is improved when the side of the connecting portion 12 opposite to the concave inner surface 17 is the case outer surface 10a. Further, when the dimensional accuracy of the case 10 is improved, the workability of inserting the base end 42 of the sub cover 40 into the connection groove 13 from the opening end 15 is also improved.

The convex inner surface 18 is a curved surface that connects the slit 14 to the general inner surface 16 in the connecting groove 13, and is a curved surface that is convex toward the internal space of the connecting groove 13. The radius of curvature r1 of the convex inner surface 18 is preferably 0.7 mm or more from the viewpoint of suppressing damage to the cover material 40a when the base end 42 of the sub cover 40 is inserted into the connection groove 13 from the opening end 15 of the case 10. More preferably 1.0 mm or more.

Further, the radius of curvature r1 of the convex inner surface 18 is preferably 2 (Tb-W1) or less in that the base end 42 of the sub cover 40 is prevented from coming out of the slit 14. Here, Tb is the thickness of the base end 42, and W1 is the width of the slit.
The fact that r1 ≦ 2 (Tb−W1) means that Tb ≧ W1 + (r1 / 2). Even if the thickness Tb of the base end 42 is equal to or greater than the width W1 of the slit 14, if Tb <W1 + (r1 / 2), the base end 42 is convex when a strong force in the outward direction from the slit 14 is applied. There is a possibility that the base end 42 will come out of the slit 14 due to the gentle inclination of the lower portion of the inner surface 18. When the thickness Tb of the base end 42 is {W1 + (r1 / 2)} or more, the base end 42 has a steep inclination of the convex inner surface 18 even if a strong force is applied to the base end 42 in the outward direction from the slit 14. By being blocked, it stays in the connecting groove 13.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the screw SC1 passing through the screw insertion hole 51 of the inner cap 50 is inserted into the connection groove 13 described above from the opening end 15. That is, the connection groove 13 for connecting the sub cover 40 to the case 10 and the screw SC1 for attaching the inner cap 50 to the end portion 10b of the case 10 are coaxially arranged. If the screwing portion of the inner cap mounting screw is positioned at a position different from the connection groove in the cross section of the case, the cross-sectional area of the case increases, the case becomes heavy, and the cost of the tonneau cover device with a sub cover increases. In this specific example, the case 10 can be smaller and the case 10 can be lighter than the case where the screw SC1 is located at a position different from the connection groove 13. At the same time, the inner cap 50 and the outer cap 60 also become slightly lighter as they become smaller. Therefore, in this specific example, the tonneau cover device with a sub cover can be effectively reduced in weight. In particular, when the case 10 is made of metal, the metal has a relatively large specific gravity, so that the effect of reducing the weight of the case 10 is great. Further, the man-hours and costs for managing the metal (for example, aluminum) case 10 can be reduced.

As described above, in this specific example, the tonneau cover device with a sub cover can be effectively reduced in weight, the cost of the tonneau cover device can be reduced, and the appearance of the connection portion can be improved. Further, it is possible to facilitate the work of inserting the base end of the sub cover into the connection groove from the opening end and to prevent the base end of the sub cover from coming out of the slit.

(3) Modification example:
Various modifications of the present invention can be considered.
For example, the cover material of the sub cover is not limited to a flexible sheet-like material, and may be a deformable structure in which a plurality of synthetic resin plates are connected by hinges. Of course, the general cover portion made of the cover material may include a thin portion passing through the slit and a thick portion protruding from the case and thicker than the width of the slit.
The base end of the sub cover is not limited to the combination of the bag-shaped portion 40b and the core member 46, and may be a thick portion having a thickness Tb of the same material as the cover material.

8A, 8B, 9A-9C exemplify various connection structures ST1 of the case 10 and the sub-cover 40. The shape of the end view shown in FIGS. 8A, 8B, 9A to 9C is the same as the shape of the cross section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction D1.
For example, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the number of concave inner surfaces 17 is not limited to one, and may be two or more. The connection groove 13 shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B includes a general inner surface 16 having an inner diameter R1 divided into three parts and a concave inner surface 17 at two places in the cross section of the case 10. The three general inner surfaces 16 shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B are set so as to exist at least every 120 ° about the central axis AX2. If the total θ of the angles of the three general inner surfaces 16 is a preferable range, the preferable range of the angles occupied by the concave inner surface 17 at one location is the same as the preferable range of the angle α1 shown in FIG.

When lowering the position of the sub cover 40 as shown in FIG. 8B, a gap CL1 in which a part of the storage space SP1 has entered may be arranged on the connection groove 13. The distance between the gaps CL1 (the length of the double-headed arrow shown in FIG. 8B) is preferably equal to or larger than the thickness of the general portion of the case 10 in terms of facilitating the molding of the case 10.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the slit 14 connected to the connection groove 13 may be on the upper surface of the case 10. Since the slit 14 shown in FIG. 9A does not face the rear seat 90 to which the connection destination is connected, the base end 42 is further suppressed from coming out of the slit 14 when the sub cover 40 is used.
As shown in FIG. 9B, the slit 14 connected to the connection groove 13 may be on the lower surface of the case 10. Since the lower surface of the case 10 cannot be seen by the occupant sitting on the rear seat 90, the appearance of the case 10 is improved.

When the inner cap mounting screw SC1 is inserted into the connecting groove 13 from the opening end 15 and screwed into the connecting portion 12, the connecting groove 13 may not have the concave inner surface 17 as shown in FIG. 9C. Further, as shown in FIG. 9C, the core member 46 may have a non-circular cross section. The core member 46 shown in FIG. 9C has a triangular cross section, but the core member may have a polygonal cross section such as a quadrangle cross section or a hexagon cross section. Since the core member 46 included in the base end 42 has a non-circular cross section, it is further suppressed that the base end 42 comes out of the slit 14.
Although not shown, if the connecting groove includes a general inner surface and a concave inner surface, the cover device may be installed even if the screwed portion of the inner cap mounting screw is in a different position from the connecting groove in the cross section of the case. The effect of effectively reducing the weight can be obtained.

(4) Conclusion:
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technique such as a vehicle cover device capable of reducing the weight in various aspects. Of course, the above-mentioned basic actions and effects can be obtained even with a technique consisting of only the constituent requirements according to the independent claims.
In addition, the configurations disclosed in the above-mentioned examples are mutually replaced or the combinations are changed, the known techniques and the configurations disclosed in the above-mentioned examples are mutually replaced or the combinations are changed. It is also possible to implement the above-mentioned configuration. The present invention also includes these configurations and the like.

1 ... Tonneau cover device (example of cover device),
10 ... case, 10a ... case outer surface, 10b ... end,
11 ... Main body, 11a ... Exit, 11b ... Inner surface,
12 ... Connection part, 13 ... Connection groove, 14 ... Slit, 15 ... Open end,
16 ... general inner surface, 17 ... concave inner surface, 18 ... convex inner surface,
30 ... Main cover, 35 ... Winding shaft, 36 ... Shaft body, 37, 38 ... End member,
40, 40A, 40B ... Sub cover, 40a ... Cover material, 40b ... Bag-shaped part,
41 ... Cover general part, 42 ... Base end, 46 ... Core member, 47 ... Pin member,
50, 50A, 50B ... Inner cap (example of cap member), 51 ... Screw insertion hole,
52 ... through hole, 53 ... star-shaped through hole,
60, 60A, 60B ... outer cap, 61 ... spring,
80 ... automobile, 81 ... luggage compartment, 82 ... gap, 90 ... rear seat,
AX1 ... rotation axis, AX2 ... central axis, C1 ... virtual circle, D1 ... longitudinal direction,
SC1 ... Screw,
SP1 ... Storage space,
ST1 ... Connection structure,
R1 ... General inner surface inner diameter, R2 ... Core member diameter, r1 ... Convex inner surface radius,
T1 ... 1st thickness, T2 ... 2nd thickness, T3 ... Cover material thickness,
Tb ... Base end thickness, W1 ... Slit width,
α1 ... Angle of concave inner surface, θ1, θ2 ... Angle of general inner surface.

Claims (6)

With the main cover
A take-up shaft that winds up the main cover so that it can be pulled out,
A case including a main body having a storage space inside the case containing the winding shaft, and a connecting portion having a connecting groove recessed from a slit along the longitudinal direction of the winding shaft on the outer surface of the case.
A cover general portion passing through the slit and a sub-cover including a base end thicker than the width of the slit and included in the connection groove are provided.
In the cross section of the case, the connecting groove containing the base end includes a general inner surface having an inner diameter larger than the width of the slit and a concave inner surface recessed from the general inner surface. .. Further provided with a cap member screwed to the end of the case in the longitudinal direction.
The connecting portion has an open end of the connecting groove at the end portion.
The vehicle cover device according to claim 1, wherein the screw enters the connection groove from the opening end and is screwed into the connection portion. The vehicle cover device according to claim 2, wherein in the cross section of the case, the total angle of the general inner surface is 72 ° or more among the angles of 360 ° about the central axis of the general inner surface. Claim 1 that the first thickness of the portion where the general inner surface exists in the case is thicker than the second thickness between the storage space and the outer surface of the case excluding the connection groove in the main body portion. The vehicle cover device according to any one of claims 3. In the cross section of the case, the connecting groove containing the base end includes a convex inner surface having a radius of curvature r1 that connects the slit to the general inner surface.
The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when the width of the slit is W1 and the thickness of the base end of the sub cover is Tb, r1 ≦ 2 (Tb−W1). Vehicle cover device. With the main cover
A take-up shaft that winds up the main cover so that it can be pulled out,
A case including a main body having a storage space inside the case containing the winding shaft, and a connecting portion having a connecting groove recessed from a slit along the longitudinal direction of the winding shaft on the outer surface of the case.
A general cover portion passing through the slit, and a sub-cover including a base end thicker than the width of the slit and contained in the connection groove.
A cap member, which is screwed to the end of the case in the longitudinal direction, is provided.
The connecting portion has an open end of the connecting groove at the end portion.
A vehicle cover device in which the screw enters the connection groove from the opening end and is screwed into the connection portion.

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