Roller blind web for a roller blind assembly in a vehicle, and process for manufacturing a roller blind web

Abstract

A roller blind web for a roller blind arrangement of a vehicle. The roller blind web can be wound up or unwound along a pull-out direction and may have a roller blind material, and a functional element which is connected to the roller blind material. The functional element can produced by means of additive manufacturing and is constructed from a multiplicity of layers. A method is also provided.

Claims

1. A roller blind web for a roller blind arrangement of a vehicle, wherein the roller blind web can be wound up or unwound along a pull-out direction and has: a roller blind material, and a functional element which is connected to the roller blind material, wherein the functional element is produced by means of additive manufacturing and is constructed from a multiplicity of layers.

2. The roller blind web according to claim 1, wherein the functional element is produced by means of printing of the layers.

3. The roller blind web according to claim 1, wherein the functional element is connected to the roller blind material in a materially bonded manner by means of the adaptive manufacturing.

4. The roller blind web according to claim 1, wherein the functional element is configured in the form of a welt.

5. The roller blind web according to claim 1, wherein the functional element is configured in the form of a lateral guide element which is arranged in an edge region of the roller blind material.

6. The roller blind web according to claim 1, wherein the functional element is formed from plastics layers.

7. The roller blind web according to claim 6, wherein the functional element is produced from a thermoplastic elastomer.

8. The roller blind web according to claim 1, wherein an extent of the functional element perpendicular to a stacking direction of the layers varies.

9. The roller blind web according to claim 1, having a plurality of functional elements which are each connected to the roller blind material, are each produced by means of additive manufacturing and are each constructed from a multiplicity of layers.

10. A method for producing a roller blind web for a roller blind arrangement of a vehicle, comprising: providing a roller blind material, additively applying a multiplicity of layers to the roller blind material, and as a result forming a functional element which is connected to the roller blind material.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the application comprises printing the layers.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein, in the step of applying the multiplicity of layers, the functional element is connected to the roller blind material in a materially bonded manner.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the application is performed under a pressure which is greater than atmospheric pressure.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the layers are applied by means of a nozzle at a small spacing from the roller blind material.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein the layers are applied in such a way that an extent of the functional element perpendicular to a stacking direction of the layers varies.

16. The method according claim 9, wherein, in the application step, a plurality of functional elements are formed, which each have a plurality of layers and are connected to the roller blind material.

17. The method according to claim 9, wherein two roller blind materials are provided and arranged alongside one another, and, in the application step, the layers are applied in such a way that they extend across the two roller blind materials in the form of a web, such that on the two roller blind materials, at least in a respective portion of the web, a functional element is formed which has layers and which is connected to the respective roller blind material.

Description

[0030] In the drawings:

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a schematic, perspective view of a vehicle,

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a schematic, perspective illustration of a manufacturing installation during the manufacturing of a roller blind web according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention,

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a schematic, perspective illustration of a finished roller blind web according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention,

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of a manufacturing operation of two roller blind webs according to one exemplary embodiment invention,

[0035] FIG. 5 shows a schematic flow diagram of a method for producing a roller blind web, and

[0036] FIG. 6 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a welt of a roller blind web according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a vehicle 20, which has a vehicle roof 21 that is provided with a roof opening 22.

[0038] The vehicle roof 21 is fixedly coupled to the rest of a roof body. The roof opening 22 is selectively closable or at least partially openable by means of a displaceable sliding roof cover. As an alternative, the roof opening 22 is permanently closed by means of a transparent roof element, for instance a panoramic roof. In this case, a non-movable transparent roof element is provided. The roof opening 22 is bounded by a roof opening frame 23 which is formed on the vehicle roof 21. The roof opening frame 23 has guide rails 24 arranged on both sides. Arranged below the displaceable sliding roof cover is a shading apparatus 25. The shading apparatus 25 has a roller blind web 1. In a pull-out direction 26, the roller blind web 1 can be displaced toward the front and in the opposite direction toward the rear, such that the roller blind web 1 is wound up and unwound. The pull-out direction 26 runs substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle 20. The shading apparatus 25 is used to allow sunlight and ambient light into the vehicle 20 via the roof opening 22 or to prevent it from passing into the vehicle 20.

[0039] The roller blind web 1 is guided laterally in the guide rails 24 and extends between said guide rails at least during the winding-up and unwinding operations. The roller blind web 1 can be wound up completely at a rear end with respect to the pull-out direction 26. For this purpose, a winding apparatus 29 is for example provided, which has a winding shaft 30 (also known as a roller blind shaft). The two last-mentioned elements are indicated merely in dashed form. The roller blind web 1 is rolled up on the winding shaft 30 to form a roller blind winding. In order to actuate the roller blind web 1, a pulling bow 27 with a welt is provided at a front end 28 of the roller blind web 1, said pulling bow being provided for manually actuating the roller blind web 1. As an alternative, the roller blind web 1 or the pulling bow 27 can also be actuated automatically, for example via an electrical device.

[0040] It should be mentioned that the vehicle 20 described above and the shading apparatus 25 described are to be understood as exemplary and therefore can also be designed in some other way. The focus of the present disclosure lies substantially on the roller blind web 1 and the production thereof, which will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 and 6 and to the schematic flow diagram of a production method according to FIG. 5. It should also be mentioned that the roller blind web 1 is also suitable for shading other windows in the vehicle.

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a roller blind web 1 which has a flexible, textile roller blind material 2. Furthermore, an exemplary manufacturing installation 3 is illustrated, which has a movable gantry 4 with an extruder 5 as printhead which is mounted movably or displaceably thereon. The extruder is movable in the X, Y and Z directions. As an alternative, provision can also be made of a movable machine bed which is moved relative to the positionally fixed extruder. The manufacturing installation 3 is configured to apply viscous plastics material in a layer-like manner to the roller blind material 2 by means of the extruder 5, in order to provide the roller blind material 2 with functional elements. The extruder 5 is supplied with plastics material by means of a hose or pipe connection 6. As an alternative, a storage container sits directly at or on the extruder 5, such that the material can be processed or used directly, without a hose connection.

[0042] The manufacturing installation 3 makes it possible for a functional element of the roller blind web 1 to be additively manufactured, during which a plurality of layers of a material are applied to the roller blind material 2 and thus a functional element with a plurality of layers is produced. An exemplary functional element 7 is shown in FIG. 3, said functional element being a welt 8 for a pulling bow. Said welt is connected directly and fixedly to the roller blind material 2 by way of the manufacturing method.

[0043] In a first step S1 of the production method, the roller blind material 2 is provided. The roller blind material 2 is laid ready in the form of a blank, which may already have its final dimensions. The roller blind material 2 may alternatively also be cut to its final shape at a later point in time.

[0044] In a next step S2, the functional element 7, in the example the welt 8, is printed directly onto the roller blind material 2 by additive application of a plurality of layers. In this case, viscous plastics material, for instance thermoplastic elastomer, is applied layer by layer by means of the extruder 5 of the manufacturing installation 3 and thereby cures. In this case, the liquid material is applied directly onto the roller blind material 2 under elevated pressure and with as small a spacing A as possible from said roller blind material. This method is also known as 3D printing. As a result, a particularly stable, in particular materially bonded and form-fitting connection to the roller blind material 2 is made possible. A further fastening of the welt 8 to the roller blind material 2 is not necessary.

[0045] In further steps, it is optionally also possible for subsequent machining operations to be carried out on the roller blind web 1 itself or the functional element 7.

[0046] By means of the additive method described and the layer-like construction generated thereby, the advantages and functions mentioned in the introduction are achieved. The functional element 7 can in particular be produced in a rapid and fully automated manner. It is thus possible for a simple and cost-effective production operation to be realized. Furthermore, the functional element 7 can be produced with different properties such as different colors, shapes and geometries.

[0047] FIG. 6 shows an exemplary welt 8. In the cross section shown, the welt 8 has a plurality of layers 9 (indicated in exemplary fashion). The extent 10 perpendicular to a stacking direction 11 is also varied.

[0048] By means of the described method, it is also possible for a plurality of functional elements to be produced, which are either contiguous or are applied to the roller blind material 2 separately from one another. For example, lateral guide elements can be manufactured in edge regions 12 of the roller blind web 1 in order to guide the roller blind web 1 in guide rails 24 (see FIG. 2).

[0049] FIG. 4 shows a further exemplary embodiment for manufacturing functional elements for two roller blind webs 1. For the production of functional elements 7 such as welts 8, two roller blind materials 2 are arranged alongside one another. In other words, said roller blind materials are laid “edge-to-edge” alongside one another. Subsequently, layers are additively applied in the form of a web 13 in a manufacturing operation. The web 13, which has a multiplicity of layers, extends across the two roller blind materials 2. In other words, the web 13 runs in a closed manner over the two roller blind materials 2. It is therefore not necessary for the extruder 5 to discontinue its action when printing the two elements. As a result, on the two roller blind materials 2, at least in a respective portion of the web 13, a functional element 7/8 is formed which has layers and which is fixedly connected to the respective roller blind material 2.

[0050] Overhangs 14, which are produced for example in the regions 15 indicated in dashed form during this manufacturing variant, can subsequently be removed. In these regions 15, it is optionally possible for protective elements such as films to be applied to the roller blind material 2 in order to prevent the material from adhering during application of the layers in that region.

[0051] As an alternative, the material track or web is also guided beyond the lateral edge of the roller blind materials 2, such that it is also possible to produce rectangular roller blind portions with a functional element extending over the entire length. The deflection and the overhangs 14 then lie outside of the roller blind materials 2 or the roller blind webs and can optionally rest on protective elements. The overhangs 14 are again removed.

REFERENCE DESIGNATIONS

[0052] 1 Roller blind web [0053] 2 Roller blind material [0054] 3 Manufacturing installation [0055] 4 Gantry [0056] 5 Extruder [0057] 6 Hose connection [0058] 7 Functional element [0059] 8 Welt [0060] 9 Layer [0061] 10 Extent [0062] 11 Stacking direction [0063] 12 Edge region [0064] 13 Web [0065] 14 Overhang [0066] 15 Region [0067] 20 Vehicle [0068] 21 Vehicle roof [0069] 22 Roof opening [0070] 23 Roof opening system [0071] 24 Guide rail [0072] 25 Shading apparatus [0073] 26 Pull-out direction [0074] 27 Pulling bow [0075] 28 Front end [0076] 29 Winding apparatus [0077] 30 Winding shaft [0078] A Spacing [0079] S1-S Steps [0080] X Direction [0081] Y Direction [0082] Z Direction