GB2472900A

GB2472900A - A motor vehicle with a windshield, roof panel and blind

Info

Publication number: GB2472900A
Application number: GB201013114A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dino Demma
Original assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
Current assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
Priority date: 2009-08-20
Filing date: 2010-08-04
Publication date: 2011-02-23
Anticipated expiration: 2030-08-04
Also published as: CN101992673A; DE102009038184A1; GB2472900B; GB201013114D0

Abstract

A motor vehicle comprises a windshield 2, a roof 4 a roof panel 3 arranged therein, a roof liner element 5 which is movable under the roof panel 3, and a roller blind 6, for covering the windshield 2 at least in part, with the blind 6 being fastened to the movable roof liner element 5 or being guided in a displaceable manner between it and the roof panel 3. A camera 10 and monitor 11 are provided for displaying an image from behind the vehicle.

Description

A MOTOR VEHICLE WITH A WINDSHIELD, ROOF PANEL ND BLIND

Description

The present invention relates to a motor vehicle, comprising a windshield, a roof, a roof panel arranged therein, and a roof liner element which is movable under the roof panel, in accordance with the preamble of claim 1.

Motor vehicles with a front window or windshield, a vehicle roof and a transparent roof panel or glass roof arranged therein are known.

In order to shade the roof panel in part or in full, roof liner elements are also known which are movably arranged beneath the roof panel and can be moved in front of the same.

Irrespective of this, blinds for covering the windshield and optionally a roof panel connected with the same are known for example from DE 20 2006 Oil 455 tjl, DE 103 60 629 Al, DE 102 45 246 Al or the two own, not prior published German patent applications DE 10 2008 017 198.0 and DE 10 2008 017 197.2.

It is the object of the present invention to improve a generic motor vehicle with a windshield, a roof, a roof panel arranged therein and a roof liner element which is movable beneath the roof panel.

This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

It is proposed in accordance with one aspect of the present invention to fasten a blind, especially a roller for winding up the blind, to the movable roof liner element. In this way, it is displaced together with the movable roof liner element and is thus always available at all times irrespective of the position of the roof liner element.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a blind is proposed, especially a roller for winding up the blind, which is displaceably guided between the movable roof liner element and the roof panel and can be positioned manually and/or motively, especially in a remote-controlled or automatic manner, relative to the roof panel or the movable roof liner element. For this purpose, the blind, especially a blind roller, can be guided in an interlocking manner on the movable roof liner element, the roof and/or the roof panel. Preferably, the blind, and especially its front end in the direction of withdrawal, is fixed on one side to the movable roof liner element, so that a displacement of the blind, especially a blind roller, relative to the fixing region of the movable roof liner element will cause the winding or sliding in of the blind.

When the blind is displaced in a preferred embodiment automatically together with the movable roof liner element, it is also available at all times independent of the position of the roof liner element. A cumulative covering of the roof panel by the roof liner element and blind can be varied in addition by a manual or remote-controlled displacement of the blind for example in relation to the movable roof liner element.

A motor vehicle in accordance with the invention comprises a roof which, as a part of the vehicle body, is non-transparent, e.g. lacquered and/or lined on the inside with a roof liner element.

It further comprises a windshield and a roof panel arranged in its roof, especially a glass roof. Windshield and roof panel can each be transparent or at least be partly tinted and especially 1 3 be made of glass. The roof panel can be joined with the windshield into a continuous, especially integral, panoramic windshield, or it can be arranged as a separate roof panel which is separated from the windshield by a part of the roof.

The roof liner element is movable under the roof panel, especially guided in an interlocking manner on the roof and/or the roof panel, and is displaceable there in a manual and/or motive manner, especially in a remote-controlled and/or automatic way.

The blind can be pulled out to cover the windshield at least partly for glare protection and is preferably arranged for this purpose in a flexible and/or integral way. It can extend especially continuously at least substantially over the entire width of a window pane to be covered. In a preferred embodiment, it can be locked in one or several extended positions, especially also in a position in which the blind covers the windshield substantially completely in order to shade the parked vehicle and thus to reduce heating of the interior space.

The blind may comprise a front transversal or tensioning member for pulling out the blind and can be guided by the same and/or on its side edges in a guide device which can comprise one or several guide rails for especially interlocking guidance of the blind or the tensioning member, e.g. for sliding guidance or guiding rolling bodies such as guide wheels and the like.

In order to reduce sagging of the blind into the passenger space, one or several support beams are provided in a preferred embodiment for supporting the blind extended at least partly against the roof panel, the roof and/or the windshield, with the support beam or beams being movably guided relative to the blind on the roof panel, the roof or the windshield, preferably independent of the position of the movable roof liner element. I L 4

Preferably, the support beams can be displaceable for this purpose in a manual or motive way, especially automatically, in a guide device in which the blind is guided, or a guide device which is separate therefrom.

The length of a support beam, which especially consists of several parts, can be variable in the transversal direction of the vehicle, especially in order to enable the displacement in the region of different guide rail distances, e.g. along a trapezoid windshield for example. This can be realized for example by elastic deformation of the support beam and/or by displacing parts of a multi-part support beam, preferably against elastic pretensioning which tries to move the same back to reference length.

A support beam can preferably be coupled with the blind, especially a tensioning member, or any other support beam, via a drag mechanism. The drag mechanism can comprise hooks, magnets and/or couplings for example. In this way, the coupled support beam or beams are pulled out together with the blind. They can be uncoupled in predetermined positions by means of bumpers, couplings, magnets, cable winches or the like, in which they support the further withdrawn blind until they are entrained again by the blind during the retraction of the same.

The blind, especially a roller for winding up the blind, is fastened in a preferred embodiment to one side of the movable roof liner element which faces the windshield. The extension for covering the windshield as glare protection or shading is thus minimized.

When the blind is arranged on a side of the movable roof liner element which faces away from the interior of the passenger space it can advantageously be hidden from the interior of the passenger space. 1 5

In a preferred embodiment, the movable roof liner element and the blind each or cumulatively have a predetermined opacity, especially an opacity of at least 25%, preferably an opacity of at least 50%, more preferably an opacity of 100%.

Opacity can be defined for example as the quotient of the luminous intensity, as measured in candela [cdl for example, the luminance, as measured in [cd/m2] for example, the luminous flux, as measured in lumen for example, the light quantity, as measured in lux for example, behind the blind divided by the respective quantity before the blind.

For example, the movable roof liner element can have a substantially 100% opacity, e.g. as a movable part of a roof liner of the vehicle, in order to cover the roof panel completely, if necessary. The blind on the other hand can have an opacity of only 25% for example in order to shade either only the roof panel and/or the windshield. Similarly, the roof liner element and the blind can each have an opacity of at least 50%, so that they completely shade the roof panel in regions where they overlap.

The roof liner element can be arranged in several parts, with a first part preferably having a lower opacity and being substantially transparent for example, and a second part which is movable relative to said first part preferably having a higher opacity and being shaded for example or completely opaque. As a result, the opacity of the roof liner element can be varied by optional displacement of the second part relative to the first part.

The blind can be displaceable in a manual and/or motive manner, especially in a remote-controlled and/or automatic way. This shall especially mean the positioning of the entire blind as explained above, especially the roller of the blind, in relation to the roof liner element or vehicle roof, and also the extension or retraction of the blind, i.e. the extension and/or retraction of a tensioning member in a guide device or relative to a roller of the blind by means of a traction rope, pulling cable, gearwheel or the like.

The respective control of a motively displaced blind can especially prevent that the blind will inadvertently cover the entire windshield during travel and obscure the driver's view. A pull-out stop can be provided for this purpose, e.g. in the form of a respective control of the drive of the blind, either in addition or alternatively, especially in manually adjustable blinds, or in the form of a bolt which can be switched electrically, mechanically, pneumatically, hydraulically or otherwise, which pull-out stop prevents any excessive extension of the blind, especially a complete one, when the vehicle is not in a state where it can be shaded, e.g. when its ignition has been switched on.

A drive can also displace the blind automatically, e.g. when closing a vehicle lock to a shading position in which it covers the roof panel and the windshield as far as possible, or when opening the vehicle in a respectively converse manner to an anti-glare position in which only a part of the windshield, only the roof plane, only a part of the roof panel or none of the two panes is covered. In a preferred embodiment, a respective drive control unit is coupled with a sensor, especially a photosensor, solar sensor or temperature sensor, and predetermines a position of the roller blind on the basis of its signals, e.g. a further extending coverage during stronger solar radiation or higher inside temperature of the vehicle.

Especially when the blind extends substantially over the entire width of at least one pane to be covered, preferably in a continuous way, this can lead to problems with an internal rearview mirror on the roof liner of the vehicle which is positioned in the path of extension of the blind. In addition to a blind that is slit at least in part, a visualization system with a camera and a monitor for displaying a picture taken by the camera from a rear space behind the motor vehicle is possible as a remedy. The camera is preferably arranged in the rear region of the vehicle, preferably at the highest point of the rear end, and the monitor on or in the instrument panel of the vehicle. The camera is swivelable in a preferred embodiment and advantageously also be used as a rear park distance control unit. In particular, a swiveling of the camera can be activated by engaging a reverse gear. In a preferred embodiment, the camera is activated by the driver via a switch on the steering wheel for example. It can switch itself off again after a predetermined period of time.

Preferably, it records the complete 1800 area behind the vehicle, thus reducing dead-angle zones. The monitor can be used for displaying further information, especially a navigation system.

Further advantageous developments of the present invention are obtained from the dependent claims and the following description of preferred embodiments, wherein the drawings shown the following in partly schematic views: Fig. 1 shows the front upper inside region of a motor vehicle according to a development of the present invention in a lateral sectional view with inserted roller blind and a part of the roof liner; Fig. 2 shows the motor vehicle of Fig. 1 with a partly extended part of the roof liner part and inserted roller blind; Fig. 3 shows the motor vehicle of Fig. 1 with completely extended roof liner part and inserted roller blind; Fig. 4 shows the motor vehicle of Fig. 1 with completely extended roof liner part and partly extended roller blind; Fig. 5 shows the motor vehicle of Fig. 1 with completely extended roof liner part and completely extended roller blind; Fig. 6 shows the front upper inside region of a motor vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention in a lateral sectional view with inserted roller blind and roof liner part, and Figs. 7 to 10 show the motor vehicle of Fig. 6 in positions corresponding to Figs. 2 to 5.

Fig. 1 shows the front upper inside region of motor vehicle 1 in a sectional view from the side according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprising a windshield 2, a roofing 4.1 which is connected to form a vehicle roof 4 with a rigidly connected roof liner 4.2, and a separate roof panel 3 which is separated from the windshield 2 by means of a section of the roof 4.

An opaque movable roof liner element 5 is movably guided beneath the roof panel 3 in guide rails. It can be moved manually or motively either entirely or in part in front of the roof panel 3, as is illustrated by the sequence of drawings Fig. 1 O Fig. 2 O Fig. 3.

A roller 6.1 with integrated return spring of a continuous roller blind 6 is fastened to the movable roof liner element 5 on the transversal side (on the right in Fig. 1) facing the windshield on its upper side facing away from the passenger space (at the top in Fig. 1), with a tension member 6.2 protruding out of the movable roof liner element 5 at the end of the blind 6 which is at the front in the direction of extension and thus being accessible from the passenger space.

When the movable roof liner element 5 is moved relative to the roof panel 3 (cf. Fig. 1 to 3), the blind 6 which is attached to the same, especially the integrated roller 6.1 of the blind, is also moved. If it is extended for protection against glare (see Fig. 4) or for shading, i.e. for covering the windshield 2 completely (see Fig. 5), only a minimum path is advantageously required at all times.

When the blind 6 is motively adjustable by remote control, the driver can position the blind by means of remote control on the steering wheel or steering column while driving without having to remove the hands from the steering wheel which would be the case in a manually adjustable variant.

The tension member 6.2 is guided in lateral guide rails independent of the position of the movable roof liner element 5 and can be locked there in different extension positions. A support beam 6.3 (see Figs. 4 and 5) which is movable in relation to the blind 6 is guided in the same guide rails. Said support beam 6.3 is detachably coupled with the pairs of permanent magnets to the tension members 6.2 and is entrained by the blind 6 during the extension of the same until it meets buffer stops which prevent further motion. When the tension member 6.2 and, with it, the blind 6 is pulled out further, this drag mechanism is released and the support member remains in its end position (see Figs. 4 and 5) where it supports the blind against the windshield. When the blind 6 is retracted again, the tension member 6.2 entrains the support beam 6.3 again by closing the pairs of magnets. In a further development which is not shown it is also possible to provide several support beams which are preferably provided in pairs, are detachably coupled with one another and, entrained by the tension member, can be uncoupled in different positions and support the blind there.

The support beam 6.3 can be in two parts depending on the shape of the roof or windshield and can expand or shorten transversally to the direction of movement of the blind. A single-part crossbeam is also possible, especially one that is elastic. The support beam can also be guided in separate rails. It can also be adjusted separately and manually or inotively independent of the tension member 6.2. Support beams can consist for example of plastic, fiber composite and/or metal. The overall shape can be cylindrical, rectangular or oval.

In order to prevent inadvertent drawing of the blind 6 while driving, a bolt or stop is provided in the guide rail which can be switched electrically, mechanically, pneumatically or hydraulically and which limits the path of movement of the blind when the ignition is switched on. Similarly, a mechanism in the tension member 6.2 in conjunction with the guide rails can ensure this function.

Similarly, a drive of blind 6 can be controlled in a respective manner. A drive can also be controlled in such a way that the blind 6 will move automatically up to the instrument panel (see Fig. 5) in order to thus protect the entire window surface 2 from solar radiation when the vehicle is closed by means of a central locking system. When the vehicle is opened, the control unit can move the blind 6 to a middle position, so that the driver can decide whether he or she wish to drive open or closed.

The control of the drive can also determine the position of the blind 6 on the basis of a photosensor, solar sensor or temperature sensor. It will only activate the blind when the sun shines directly into the interior space or heats up the same too strongly.

The drive of the blind can displace the blind 6, and especially its tension member 6.2, in an electric manner by means of at least one drive motor with the help of a traction rope, pulling cable, gearwheel or the like by means of at least one guide rail which extends horizontally along the roof 4 and parallel along an A-pillar. A movable carriage in the guide rail can be used here as a connection between the drive and the blind.

The blind can be secured advantageously in this case too against inadvertent drawing while driving as in the manually adjustable embodiment via mechanical, electromechanical, pneumatic or hydraulic bolts or stops in the guide rail for example when the ignition is switched on. Similarly, the position of the tension member 6.2 can be determined by means of a switch, inductive sensor, hell sensor, optical sensor or the like in such a way that the path of travel can be limited or stopped via the control unit of the drive.

Since the blind 6 continues from the right to the left side without interruption, an interior rearview mirror would form an obstruction in this embodiment. For this reason, it is replaced by means of a video camera 10 attached to the highest point in the rear of the vehicle and a screen 11 installed in or on the instrument panel. When the camera is arranged to be swivelable in its horizontal or vertical position, it can also be used as a rear-view camera during reverse parking. The complete rearward area behind the vehicle can advantageously be recorded by the camera 10 while driving. The dead-angle zone is thus reduced.

Camera 10 can display the rear images in a preferred embodiment via a provided navigation display 11. The camera 10 can preferably be activated by means of a button on the steering wheel and/or switch itself on or off after a specific period of time. The camera position for reversing travel can be activated for example by engaging the reverse gear.

Figs. 6 to 10 show the front upper interior area of a motor vehicle 1 corresponding to Figs. 1 to 5 according to a further embodiment of the invention. Corresponding features are provided with identical reference numerals, so that only differences will be discussed below and reference is made in all other respects to the explanations made above.

In the motor vehicle according to Figs. 6 to 10, the roof panel 3 is connected with the windshield 2 in an integral manner to form a continuous panoramic windshield.

The movable roof liner element 5 is tinted and is thus opaque to 50% for example. Blind 6 is also opaque to 50%.

The roller 6.1 of the blind is mounted in a displaceable manner on the roof liner element 5 between the roof liner element 5 and the roof panel 6 and is adjustable by a drive relative to the roof liner element 5.

The drive is controlled in such a way that the roller 6.1 of the blind is moved in a basic mode automatically together with the roof liner element 5, so that the same functionality is obtained as described above with reference to Figs. 1 to 5.

The roller 6.1 of the blind can also be displaced additionally relative to the roof liner element 5, e.g. in a remote-controlled manner via a switch on the steering wheel of the vehicle. Based on the position shown in Fig. 8 for example, the roller 6.1 of the blind can be displaced away from the windshield 2 for example (to the left in Fig. 8) . The blind 6 is pulled out as a result of the tension member 6.3 protruding from the roof liner element 5 and tied up by the same. In the region in which and roof liner element 5 and the blind 6 pulled out between the roof liner element 5 and the roof panel 6 overlap one another, both jointly form a substantially 100% opacity or complete shading.

Blind 6 continues without interruption from the right to the left side of the vehicle. It is thus used as glare protection of the front passengers while driving (Fig. 9), as shading for the same in relation to the transparent roof panel 3, or as a shading unit of the interior space of the vehicle during standstill of the vehicle.

List of reference numerals 1 Motor vehicle 2 Nindshield 3 Glass roof (roof panel) 4 Roof 4.1 Roof of the car body 4.2 Roof liner Movable roof liner element 6 Blind 6.1 Roller 6.2 Tension member 6.3 Support beam Camera 11 Screen