GUIDE RAIL ARRANGEMENT

Abstract

A guide rail arrangement for an extensible cover. The guide rail arrangement has a main extension direction (D) and comprises a guide rail and a guide member. The guide rail extends in the main extension direction and is adapted to guide the cover during pull-out thereof. The guide member is displaceable in relation to the guide rail, e.g. by sliding or rotation. The guide member is configured to form an extension of the guide rail in the main extension direction, when in an operational position in relation to the guide rail. The present disclosure further relates to a kit comprising the guide rail arrangement and a belt, to a vehicle and to a method of pulling out the extensible cover.

Claims

1. A guide rail arrangement for an extensible cover, such as a load cover, said rail arrangement having a main extension direction (D), said rail arrangement comprising: a guide rail, adapted to guide said cover during pull-out thereof, said guide rail extending in said main extension direction (D), a guide member, being displaceable in relation to said guide rail and being configured to form an extension of said guide rail in said main extension direction (D), when in an operational position in relation to said guide rail.

2. The guide rail arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said guide member is displaceable in relation to said guide rail to said operational position from an idle position, in which said guide member is located at said guide rail in an at least partly overlapping position.

3. The guide rail arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said guide rail comprises a track intended to receive a protruding member of said cover, said guide member comprising a corresponding track, such that said guide rail and said guide member are configured to, in said operational position, form a combined track, preferably forming a continuous combined track.

4. The guide rail arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said guide member is slidably displaceable along said guide rail to said operational position, preferably such that said guide member is slid between said idle position and said operational position.

5. The guide rail arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said guide member is rotatably displaceable in relation to said guide rail to said operational position, preferably such that said guide member is rotated between said idle position and said operational position.

6. The guide rail arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said guide member comprises a belt catch member, adapted to catch and retain a belt, such as a safety belt.

7. The guide rail arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said guide member has an extension, as seen in said main extension direction (D), in the range of from 2 cm to 30 cm.

8. The guide rail arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said guide member is biased to said idle position.

9. The guide rail arrangement according to claim 1 further comprising an additional guide rail, also extending in said main extension direction (D), such that said additional guide rail is aligned with said guide rail with an interspace therebetween, said guide member in said operational position being located between said additional guide rail and said guide rail, such that said guide member at least partly fills or covers said interspace to form an extension of said guide rail and said additional guide rail in said main extension direction (D).

10. The guide rail arrangement according to claim 9, wherein said guide member in said operational position fits into said interspace.

11. The guide rail arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said guide rail arrangement further comprises a displacement means adapted to displace said guide member to said operational position.

12. The guide rail arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a side trim panel, said guide rail being comprised in said side trim panel or forming a part of said side trim panel or said side trim panel comprising a slot adapted to receive and hold said guide rail, said side trim panel comprising an indentation, said indentation being located next to said guide rail, such that said guide member in said operational position at least partly covers said indentation.

13. A kit comprising the guide rail arrangement according to claim 12 and a belt, such as a safety belt, wherein said indentation is configured such that when said belt is placed in said indentation, said guide member in said operational position at least partly covers said belt.

14. A method of pulling out an extensible cover of a vehicle, such as a load cover, said vehicle comprising the kit according to claim 13 and said cover, said cover comprising a protruding member configured to be moved in said guide rail arrangement while said cover is pulled out, said method comprising: a) placing said belt in said indentation, b) displacing said guide member to said operational position, and c) pulling out said cover, such that said protruding member moves in said guide rail and in said guide member, respectively.

15. The method according to claim 14, in case said guide member comprises said belt catch member, adapted to catch and retain said belt, wherein step a) comprises: catching said belt by means of said belt catch member in order to move said belt into said indentation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The present invention will hereinafter be further explained by means of non-limiting examples with reference to the appended drawings wherein:

[0045] FIG. 1 illustrates a guide rail arrangement according to a first embodiment of the invention with a guide member in an idle position.

[0046] FIG. 2 illustrates the guide rail arrangement of FIG. 1 with the guide member in an operational position.

[0047] FIG. 3 illustrates the guide rail arrangement of FIG. 1 with pulled-out load cover.

[0048] FIG. 4 illustrates a guide rail arrangement according to a second embodiment of the invention with a guide member in an idle position.

[0049] FIG. 5 illustrates the guide rail arrangement of FIG. 4 with the guide member in an operational position.

[0050] FIG. 6 is a detailed view of FIG. 5 showing the guide member.

[0051] FIG. 7 illustrates a guide rail arrangement according to a third embodiment of the invention with a guide member in an idle position.

[0052] FIG. 8 illustrates the guide rail arrangement of FIG. 7 with the guide member in an operational position.

[0053] FIG. 9 illustrates a guide rail arrangement according to a fourth embodiment of the invention with a guide member in an idle position.

[0054] FIG. 10 illustrates the guide rail arrangement of FIG. 9 with the guide member in an operational position.

[0055] FIG. 11 illustrates a side trim panel with a belt retaining member.

[0056] It should be noted that the appended drawings are schematic and that individual components are not necessarily drawn to scale and that the dimensions of some features of the present invention may have been exaggerated for the sake of clarity.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0057] The invention will, in the following, be exemplified by embodiments. It should however be realized that the embodiments are included in order to explain principles of the invention and not to limit the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims. A feature from one embodiment may be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment.

[0058] FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a guide rail arrangement 1 for an extensible load cover 3 in a vehicle 5 according to a first embodiment. The guide rail arrangement 1 has a main extension direction D, which typically coincides with a longitudinal direction of the vehicle 5. The vehicle luggage compartment 7 comprises a lower side trim panel 9 and an upper side trim panel 11. Although FIGS. 1-3 only show one lateral side of the vehicle luggage compartment 7, the skilled person understands that there is typically a similar guide rail arrangement at the other lateral side of the vehicle luggage compartment 7.

[0059] The guide rail arrangement 1 is comprised in the upper side trim panel 11. The guide rail arrangement 1 comprises a guide rail 15, an additional guide rail 17 and a guide member 19. The guide rail 15 and the additional guide rail 17 extend in the main extension direction D and are adapted to guide the load cover 3 during pull-out thereof in a track 21 located in the guide rail 15 and in a track 23 located in the additional guide rail 17. The tracks 21, 23 are aligned with each other and extend in the main extension direction D. The guide member 19 is displaceable in relation to the guide rail 15, which is further described below. The guide member 19 is shaped to be able to form an extension of the guide rail 15 in the main extension direction D, when in an operational position in relation to the guide rail 15. Therefore, also the guide member 19 comprises a corresponding track 25.

[0060] A belt 27, illustrated as a rear safety belt, is located in the vehicle luggage compartment 7, quite close to a lateral side of the vehicle luggage compartment 7. If pulling the load cover 3 out straight rearwards, the pull-out path of the load cover 3 would conflict with the belt 27, such that the belt 27 would be in the way, a problem which is solved by the invention disclosed herein.

[0061] According to the invention, the upper side trim panel 11 comprises an indentation 29 configured to receive the belt 27. The indentation 29 is thus deep enough to be able to contain the belt 27. The indentation 29 is located at a position corresponding to an interspace 31 between the guide rail 15 and the additional guide rail 17. Due to the interspace 31 between the guide rail 15 and the additional guide rail 17, it is possible to move the belt 27 into the indentation 29 such that the belt 27 can assume a lateral position not interfering with the pull-out path of the load cover 3.

[0062] As mentioned above, the guide member 19 is displaceable in relation to the guide rail 15. Thereby, the guide member 19 may be slidably displaced between an idle position, in which there is access to the indentation 29, see FIG. 1, and an operational position, in which the guide member 19 forms an extension of the guide rail 15 by covering the indentation 29, see FIG. 3. FIG. 3 illustrates a pulled-out load cover 3 with the guide member 19 in the operational position. The guide member 19 is preferably biased to its idle position, e.g. by means of a spring, not illustrated.

[0063] In the idle position, the guide member 19, is located at the guide rail 15 in an overlapping position, see FIG. 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the guide member 19 is shaped such that it can easily slide on top of the guide rail 15, by means of a rear side of the guide member 19 sliding along a front side of the guide rail 15, as is indicated by the bent arrow of FIG. 1. The guide member 19 slides along the guide rail 15 until it reaches the interspace 31 and then moves laterally into the interspace 31, i.e. in a direction being perpendicular to the main extension direction D.

[0064] As an alternative, not illustrated, the guide member 19 may instead assume its idle position in an overlapping position with the additional guide rail 17 and thus slide along the additional guide rail 17 to the operational position.

[0065] When the guide member 19 reaches the operational position after having been slid along the guide rail 15, see FIG. 2, it fits into the interspace 31 between the guide rail 15 and the additional guide rail 17. A front side of the guide member 19, i.e. the side facing the vehicle luggage compartment 7, is shaped such that the guide member 19 forms an extension of the guide rail 15. As mentioned above, the guide member 19 comprises the track 25 corresponding to the tracks 21, 23 of the guide rails 15, 17. Preferably, and as is illustrated, the guide member 19 fills or covers the interspace 31, such that a continuous combined track is obtained of the tracks 21, 23, 25 when the guide member 19 is in the operational position. Preferably, and as is illustrated, the combined track is continuous all the way from a not-in-use position of the load cover 3, see FIG. 1, to the pulled-out position of the load cover 3, see FIG. 2.

[0066] The load cover 3 comprises a protruding member 33, which fits in the tracks 21, 23, 25. Hence, when the load cover 3 is pulled out, the protruding member 33 slides in the combined track formed by the tracks 21, 23, 25, which ascertains that the load cover 3 follows the desired pull-out path in a safe way without risking leaving the tracks 21, 23, 25. The belt 27 is held out of the way of the pull-out path of the load cover 3, since the belt 27 is positioned in the indentation 29 and covered by the guide member 19. The guide member 19 ascertains that the belt 27 is retained in the indentation 29. Hence, the protruding member 33 of the load cover 3 can easily pass the belt 27. Yet, the belt 27 is attached to the vehicle 5 in a safe way by belt attachments 35, 37.

[0067] FIG. 3 shows the load cover 3 in the pulled-out position. The track 23 of the additional guide rail 17 comprises a shaped end portion 39 forming an attachment for the protruding member 33 of the load cover 3 in the pulled-out position of the load cover 3, which can also be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0068] By utilizing a guide rail arrangement 1 according to the invention, the load cover 3 can thus be pulled out while keeping the belt 27 safely attached to the vehicle 5 at the belt attachments 35, 37.

[0069] The guide member 19 may be moved from the idle position to the operational position by means of a displacement means, not illustrated, e.g. an electrical means, a mechanical means and/or an electromechanical means, such as an electrical motor or a pretensioned spring being released. The displacement means may also be used to move the guide member 19 back to the idle position when the load cover 3 is rolled up and the belt 27 is to be utilized. The guide member 19 is then slid back along the guide rail 15 or along the additional guide rail 17 to reach the idle position. As an alternative, or a complement, the guide member 19 may be moved by hand between the idle position and the operational position.

[0070] The guide member 19 has an extension, as seen in the main extension direction D, in the range of from 2 cm to 30 cm, preferably 3 cm to 20 cm, more preferably 4 cm to 15 cm. The guide member 19 is thereby at least as wide as the belt 27 the guide member 19 is to cover. The height of the guide member 19 may preferably be the same or substantially the same as for the guide rail 15.

[0071] FIGS. 4-5 illustrate a guide rail arrangement 1 for an extensible load cover 3 according to a second embodiment of the invention. Most details and components are similar as for the first embodiment described above in conjunction with FIGS. 1-3 and will not be described again.

[0072] The guide rail arrangement 1 comprises a guide rail 15, an additional guide rail 17 and a guide member 19. However, the guide member 19 of the second embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment by being displaceable by rotation from the idle position, see FIG. 4, to the operational position, see FIG. 5, and back again to the idle position, as is indicated by the curved arrow of FIG. 4.

[0073] During the rotation, the guide member 19 pushes a belt 27 into an indentation 29 adapted to receive the belt 27. In the operational position, the guide member 19 covers the belt 27, such that the guide member 19 in the operational position forms an extension of the guide rail 15 and the additional guide rail 17 in a corresponding way as for the first embodiment, cf. FIGS. 2 and 5.

[0074] In order to facilitate the pushing of the belt 27 into the indentation 29, the rear side of the guide member 19 may as an option, indicated in FIGS. 4 and 5 and better seen in the detailed view of FIG. 6, comprise a belt catch member 41, e.g. a protrusion 41, as is illustrated, or a high-friction zone, which prevents the belt 27 from sliding against the rear side of the guide member 19, once the belt 27 has been caught by the belt catch member 41. Hence, it is ascertained that the belt 27 follows the rotational movement of the guide member 19.

[0075] FIG. 6 also shows the axis 43, around which the guide member 19 rotates. The axis 43 may be comprised in the guide member 19 or form a separate component attached to the guide member 19.

[0076] FIGS. 7-8 illustrate a guide rail arrangement 1 for an extensible load cover according to a third embodiment of the invention. Many details and components are similar as for the first embodiment described above in conjunction with FIGS. 1-3 and will not be described again. However, this embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments by the guide member 19 being much longer in the main extension direction D than for the first and second embodiments. In the third embodiment, the guide member 19 is typically longer than 15 cm, 20 cm or 30 cm in the main extension direction D. As an option, illustrated in FIGS. 7-8, the guide member 19 is as long as the guide rail 15.

[0077] The guide member 19 is displaceable in relation to the guide rail 15 by sliding. In the idle position, see FIG. 7, the guide member 19 is located on top of the guide rail 15, which corresponds to laterally side by side when mounted in the vehicle. In order to reach the operational position, the guide member 19 is slid along the guide rail 15, such that in the operational position, the guide member 19 covers the indentation 29 and the belt 27 and also a part of the guide rail 15, see FIG. 8. The guide member 19 may also be slid further rearwards in the vehicle, such that the guide member 19 covers a part of the optional additional guide rail 17.

[0078] As an alternative or a complement, the guide member 19 may be located on top of the optional additional guide rail 17 in the idle position and be slid forwards in the vehicle to reach the operational position, in which the guide member 19 covers the indentation 29 and the belt 27.

[0079] As another alternative embodiment, the guide member and the additional guide rail may be formed as an integral component 19, which is displaceable as a whole to reach the operational position, see the fourth embodiment in FIGS. 9-10. The integral component may in that case be regarded as a long guide member 19. When in the idle position, see FIG. 9, the above-mentioned interspace 31 is formed between the guide rail 15 and the integral component 19. In the operational position, the integral component 19 at least partly covers the interspace 31 and the belt 27, e.g. by having been slid over the interspace 31, see FIG. 10. The integral component 19 may e.g. slide in a slot in the side trim panel.

[0080] If the belt 27 is positioned in an unfavourable position when the load cover 3 is to be pulled out, e.g. interspaced from the side trim panel 11 of the vehicle, it may be advantageous to use a belt retaining member 45 like the one illustrated in FIG. 11 to retain the belt 27 in a suitable position, while the guide member 19 is displaced to the operational position. In particular, this may be advantageous for embodiments in which the guide member is slid during the displacement to the operational position, such as for the first, third and fourth embodiments described herein or if the belt is too far away from the rotating guide member 19 of the second embodiment.

[0081] The belt retaining member 45 may be rotatably attached to the side trim panel 11 and operate in a similar way as the belt catch member 41 described herein. As an alternative or a complement, the belt retaining member may be releasably attached and re-attachable to the side trim panel 11, e.g. by means of a snap-in function.

[0082] Further modifications of the invention within the scope of the appended claims are feasible. As such, the present invention should not be considered as limited by the embodiments and figures described herein. Rather, the full scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims, with reference to the description and drawings.

[0083] Although FIGS. 1-11 show only one lateral side of the vehicle luggage compartment, the skilled person understands that there is typically a similar guide rail arrangement at the other lateral side of the vehicle luggage compartment.

[0084] Further, although the illustrated embodiments disclose load covers of a luggage compartment in a vehicle, the skilled person understands that the cover may be adapted to cover any case of space. Thereby the cover may be opaque or at least partly transparent. The cover may comprise a fabric and/or a net.