SUN-PROTECTION ROLLER BLIND, SLIDING ROOF SYSTEM WITH SUCH A SUN-PROTECTION ROLLER BLIND AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A SUN-PROTECTION ROLLER BLIND

Abstract

A sun-protection roller blind for a motor vehicle, with a flat roller blind body and two guide bands which extend along two edges of the roller blind body, in which the guide bands are made of plastic and the roller blind body is welded to the guide bands. A sliding roof system with two guide rails in which the guide bands of such a sun-protection roller blind are received. A method for producing such a sun-protection roller blind, in which the roller blind body is thermally welded to the guide bands by means of ultrasound or by means of a stamp.

Claims

1. A sun-protection roller blind for a motor vehicle, with a flat roller blind body and two guide bands which extend along two edges of the roller blind body, wherein the guide bands consist of plastic and the roller blind body is welded to the guide bands, wherein the weld seam extends over less than 50% of the width of the guide bands.

2. The sun-protection roller blind according to claim 1, wherein the guide bands consist of a polyester material.

3. The sun-protection roller blind according to claim 1, wherein the guide bands consist of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) or polycarbonate (PC).

4. The sun-protection roller blind according to claim 1, wherein the weld seam extends over 20 to 35% of the width of the guide bands.

5. The sun-protection roller blind according to claim 1, wherein the guide bands have a thickness in the range of from 250 m to 500 m.

6. The sun-protection roller blind according to claim 1, wherein the roller blind body consists of polyester.

7. A sliding roof system with two guide rails in which the guide bands of a sun-protection roller blind according to claim 1 are received.

8. The sliding roof system according to claim 7, wherein the guide rails have a C-shaped cross section.

9. The sliding roof system according to claim 8, wherein the roller blind body does not come into contact with an inside of the guide rails.

10. The sliding roof system according to claim 8, wherein the edges of the roller blind body lie against the inside of the guide rails.

11. The sliding roof system according to, claim 7, wherein insides of short sides of the guide rails are offset with respect to each other.

12. The sliding roof system according to claim 7, wherein the guide rails are made of metal and the sun-protection roller blind lies directly against the guide rails.

13. A method for producing a sun-protection roller blind according to claim 1, wherein the roller blind body is welded to the guide bands by means of ultrasound or by means of a stamp.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the welding temperature lies in the range of from 250 C. to 300 C.

15. The sliding roof system according to claim 12, wherein the guide rails are made of aluminium.

Description

[0023] The invention is described below with reference to various embodiments which are represented in the attached drawings. In the drawings,

[0024] FIG. 1 schematically shows a motor vehicle with a sliding roof system according to the invention arranged in the roof, which is equipped with a sun-protection roller blind according to the invention;

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a schematic section cross of a sun-protection roller blind according to a first embodiment;

[0026] FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of the sun-protection roller blind of FIG. 2;

[0027] FIG. 4 shows schematic view corresponding to that of FIG. 2 of a sun-protection roller blind according to a second embodiment;

[0028] FIG. 5 shows a schematic perspective view of the sun-protection roller blind of FIG. 4; and

[0029] FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of various steps in the production of a sun-protection roller blind according to the invention.

[0030] FIG. 1 schematically shows a vehicle roof 10 with a roof opening 12 in which a cover of a sliding roof system is movably arranged. Underneath the cover 14 there is arranged a sun-protection roller blind 16 which can be moved forwards and backwards in two guide rails 18, indicated schematically, which extend along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0031] The components of the sliding roof system by means of which the cover 14 can be moved are known per se and are therefore not shown here.

[0032] The sun-protection roller blind 16 largely covers the roof opening 12 when it is completely extended. In order to uncover the roof opening 12, the roller blind can be pushed backwards, wherein it then rolls up onto a reel 20, indicated schematically here.

[0033] The sun-protection roller blind 16 consists of a roller blind body 22 which has a rectangular shape, as well as two guide bands 24 which extend along two side edges of the roller blind body 22 that are parallel to each other. The two guide bands 24 are received in the guide rails 18 such that the sun-protection roller blind 16 can be moved in them.

[0034] The roller blind body 22 consists of a flexible material that can be rolled up onto the reel 20. It can be a woven fabric, a film, a knitted fabric or another material with which the desired shielding of the vehicle interior from solar radiation and also headwind can be achieved. Polyester can particularly preferably be used.

[0035] The two guide bands 24 are flat, narrow strips made of plastic. The width is in the range of from 6 mm to 10 mm, and the height is in the range of from 250 m to 500 m.

[0036] A polyester, in particular polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) or polycarbonate (PC), is used as material for the guide bands 24.

[0037] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the roller blind body 22 is joined to the guide bands 24 approximately in the centre on one side. The roller blind body 22 is welded to the guide bands 24 (see the weld seam 26).

[0038] The width of the weld seam here is in the range of from 25 to 30 percent of the width of the corresponding guide band 24.

[0039] In cross section the guide rails 18 have the shape of a very shallow C, wherein the roller blind body 22 leaves the internal cross section of the guide rails 18 in the area between the two short sides. Because the roller blind body 22 is joined to the guide bands 24 approximately in the centre here, the guide bands 24 are supported on the inside of the cross section of the guide rails 18 without the roller blind body 22 coming into contact with the inner surfaces of the guide rail 18.

[0040] It can be seen in FIG. 2 that the short side of the C-shaped cross section arranged towards the centre of the vehicle (thus the side lying on the right-hand side) is arranged at a lower level than the side lying on the outside of the vehicle. The guide band 24 is therefore inclined slightly in the guide rail 18, with the result that the weld seam is slightly raised. The roller blind body 22 therefore runs more easily over the inner side of the guide rail 18.

[0041] A second embodiment is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The same reference numbers are used for the components known from the preceding embodiment, and reference is made in this respect to the above explanations.

[0042] The difference between the first and the second embodiments is that in the second embodiment, the roller blind body 22 is welded to the side of the guide bands 24 facing away from the centre of the vehicle. The roller blind body 22 thus contacts the inside of the outward leg of guide rail 18. In the same way as in the first embodiment, here too the two inner surfaces of the short sides are at different levels with the result that the guide band 24 is inclined such that the friction between the roller blind body 22 and the side of the guide rail 18 lying inside is reduced.

[0043] FIG. 6 shows schematically the method for producing of the sun-protection roller blind 16. The guide bands 24 are arranged along two side edges of the roller blind body 22 and then welded to the side edges by means of a welding device 30.

[0044] The welding device 30 can either be an ultrasonic welding device or it can contain a hot-stamping stamp which introduces the heat required for the welding as contact heat.

[0045] A temperature range of from 250 to 300 C. has proved particularly suitable as suitable welding temperature.

[0046] The weld joint with the weld seam 26 between the roller blind body 22 and the guide bands 24 has proved very mechanically durable. At the same time, it does not hinder the rolling up of the sun-protection roller blind 16 onto a reel. A very compact reel also results at the side edges due to the comparatively small thickness of the guide bands 24.

[0047] In all of the embodiments the guide rails 18 are made of metal, in particular aluminium. The sun-protection roller blind 16 is in direct contact with the guide rails 18; this means that the guide rails 18 do not have a lining or an interposed sliding element inside at least in the area of contact with the sun-protection roller blind 16. In order to keep the costs low, no linings or interposed accompanying elements such as plastic rails whatsoever are provided inside in the guide rails 18. The installation space can thus also be reduced.