CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This claims priority from German Patent Application No. 10 2015 208 627.5, filed on May 8, 2015, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into this application.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a protective device for a vehicle interior, comprising a flexible two-dimensional structure which is held on a winding shaft and is mounted to be movable between a rest position, wound-up on the winding shaft, and at least one pulled-out protective position, and which is provided with a respective guiding member on each of opposite sides in an end face region that is in front in the pull-out direction, said members being connectable to a drive system which comprises a drive motor and drive transmission means connected to the guiding members in order to cause synchronous displacement of both guiding members.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Such a protective device in the form of a covering for a loading compartment of a passenger automotive vehicle is disclosed in DE 199 44 948 C1. Such a loading compartment covering has a cover tarpaulin as a flexible two-dimensional structure which is held on a rotatable winding shaft to be wound up and wound off. The winding shaft is mounted in a cartridge housing which, in the installed condition, is oriented in the transverse direction of the vehicle within the loading compartment and positioned behind a rear seat bench of the vehicle interior. The cover tarpaulin has a dimensionally stable pull-out profile on the end face region that is in front in the pull-out direction, which profile is provided with a respective guiding pin on each of opposite sides thereof, the pins projecting laterally outwards beyond the cover tarpaulin. On opposite side walls of the loading compartment a respective guiding rail is provided and a cam is slidingly guided therein for translational movement. The cams are intended to receive the guiding pins of the pull-out profile and thereby to transfer the cover tarpaulin from a rest position to a protective position and return it back again. The two cams are connected to a drive motor via drive transmission means in the form of push-pull cords, wherein the motor is disposed centrally and drives both the drive transmission means synchronously.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide a protective device of the above mentioned type, which allows simple installation within an automotive vehicle and has a fail-safe design.

The object is achieved in that the drive transmission means include a revolving pull drive mechanism on one side, which drive mechanism is connected to one guiding member and is driven by the drive motor, and in that the opposite guiding member is displaceable by a push-pull cord capable of translational movement, which cord is coupled to the revolving pull drive mechanism and guided to the guiding member. The protective device according to the invention is utile for shading of side window and rear window panes and of glass roof areas, and also, for instance, as protective covering to be pulled out horizontally and, for instance, as protective partitioning to be pulled out vertically for a loading compartment of a passenger automotive vehicle, which is open towards a passenger compartment within a vehicle interior. The pull drive mechanism provided is preferably a cable drive or a belt drive. A belt drive comprises non-positively (force-fit) or positively (form-fit) acting belts, like V-belts or toothed belts. The revolving pull drive mechanism is characterized in that the corresponding pulling means, that is, in particular the cable or the belt, are closed and revolve over two mutually spaced deflection pulleys, whereby two pulling means branches moving in opposite directions are obtained. Therein, a cable or a belt can also have an open design and with its opposite ends be fixed to one or to both of the deflection pulleys. However, for that purpose, the cable or belt has to be laid between the deflecting pulleys such that the two branches moving in opposite directions are obtained. Owing to the solution according to the invention, the pull drive mechanism can be disposed together with the drive motor laterally within the vehicle interior and, in particular be supplied as a pre-assembled unit together with corresponding guiding rails of the protective device to be installed in the vehicle. The push-pull cord can be laid out within the automotive vehicle during assembly in the vehicle in a simple manner and be led to the opposite side of the protective device.

In an embodiment of the invention, the push-pull cord is connected to the guiding member on one end region and to a branch of the revolving pull drive mechanism on an opposite end region. By corresponding deflection of the push-pull cord, there is synchronous parallel displacement of the two guiding members of the face end region of the flexible two-dimensional structure, in spite of counter-acting movement of the two branches of the pull drive mechanism, and namely, depending on the direction of rotation of the closed, revolving pull drive mechanism, in the direction towards the rest position or in the direction towards the protective position of the two-dimensional structure.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the push-pull cord can be designed as a flexible push-pull profile which is guided in a guiding track fixed in location and provided with at least one curvature. The guiding track preferably is designed as a guiding channel, guiding groove, guiding hose, or guiding tube. In the ready-for-use installed condition, the guiding track is disposed within the vehicle interior and fixed in location. The push-pull cord slides within the guiding track. Within the guiding track, the push-pull cord can be displaced in both directions by translational movement.

In a further embodiment of the invention, one guiding member of the end face region of the flexible two-dimensional structure is connected to a first branch of the revolving pull drive mechanism, and the opposite guiding member of the end face region of the flexible two-dimensional structure is connected to a second branch, moving in a direction opposite to that of the first branch, via the push-pull cord. Owing to the deflection using the push-pull cord, synchronous and parallel displacement of both guiding members of the two-dimensional structure is ensured.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the claims and from the description below of a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention which is illustrated with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows schematically in a perspective view an embodiment of a protective device according to the invention in the form of a loading compartment covering for a passenger vehicle, and

FIG. 2 shows schematically in a plan view the protective device according to FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A passenger vehicle 1 according to FIG. 1 is designed as a station wagon or estate passenger vehicle with the loading compartment 2 thereof disposed within a vehicle interior behind a passenger compartment. The loading compartment 2 is delimited towards the front by a backrest arrangement of a rear seat bench in a manner not illustrated in more detail. Towards the rear, the loading compartment 2 is delimited by a back door (not illustrated) of the passenger vehicle 1.

For approximately horizontal covering of the loading compartment 2 on a level with a vehicle railing, a protective device in the form of a loading compartment covering is provided, which includes a flexible two-dimensional structure 3. The flexible two-dimensional structure 3 is designed as a cover tarpaulin and is held on a winding shaft 5 (illustrated merely by a dot-and-dash line) to be wound up and wound off. The winding shaft 5 is rotatably mounted in a cartridge housing 4 which is fixed in retainers on the vehicle side (not illustrated in more detail) in the transverse direction of the vehicle within the loading compartment immediately behind the backrest arrangement. The flexible two-dimensional structure 3 is movable between a rest position, wound-up on the winding shaft 5 and stowed in the cartridge housing 4, and a protective position pulled-out backwards towards the rear of the vehicle. For that purpose, the flexible two-dimensional structure 3 has a dimensionally stable pull-out profile 6 on the end face region that is in front in the pull-out direction, which profile is connectable to a respective guiding member 7, 8 on the opposite end faces 7â€², 8â€² thereof, wherein the guiding members 7, 8 are designed as cams for the opposite end faces 7â€², 8â€² of the pull-out profile 6. The guiding members 7, 8 are displaceable in translational motion within guiding rails F fixed to the vehicle. The guiding rails F extend, in the exemplary embodiment as illustrated, along vehicle body pillars on the rear side of the passenger vehicle starting from the level of the vehicle railing obliquely upwards and towards the front in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The guiding rails F are fixed to the vehicle and connected to a corresponding body frame structure of the passenger vehicle, and preferably integral to corresponding body pillar panelings of the vehicle interior. The pull-out profile 6 is movable along said guiding rails F between the horizontal protective condition, as illustrated in FIG. 1, and an obliquely upwards and forwards displaced protective condition in order to allow convenient access to the bottom of the loading compartment 2 upon opening the back door. Upon reclosing the back door, the pull-out profile 6 moves back again to its lower position according to FIG. 1.

For moving the pull-out profile 6 between said two different positions within the guiding rails F a drive system is provided, comprising a drive motor 9 in the form of an electric motor and drive transmission means, which are embodied by a closed revolving pull drive mechanism 10, on the one hand side, and a push-pull cord capable of translational movement, on the other hand side. The push-pull cord 11 is guided in a guiding track 17 to be slidable in translational motion, which track is designed as a guiding tube. The guiding track 17 is installed fixed to the vehicle. The pull drive mechanism 10 is implemented by a closed revolving cable line. The cable line includes a first deflection pulley 12 and a second deflection pulley 13 which are spaced from each other. The closed revolving cable line includes a first cable branch 14 and an opposite second cable branch 15. The pull drive mechanism 10 including the drive motor 9 are fixed in the vicinity of the left hand side guiding rail F to the vehicle body frame structure along the left rear-side body pillar, as seen in the normal direction of travel of the passenger vehicle 1. The drive motor 9 acts on the deflection pulley 12 and, thus, drives the pull drive mechanism 10 in both directions of rotation. A first guiding member 8 is connected to the first cable branch 14, whereas a guiding element 16 is fixed to the second cable branch 15. Owing to the movements in opposite directions of the two cable branches 14, 15 the elements 8 and 16, fixedly connected to the cable branches 14, 15, that is, the guiding member 8 and the guiding element 16, necessarily also move in mutually opposed directions. The guiding element 16 is connected to an end region of the push-pull cord 11, with the opposite end region thereof connected to the guiding member 7, which member is slidingly guided for translational movement in the opposite guiding rail F. The push-pull cord 11 is led via the guiding track 17 from the one side of the loading compartment 2 to the opposite side of the loading compartment 2, whereby the push-pull cord 11 is deflected twice by 90Â° and as a result by 180Â°, between one end region and the other end region thereof.

Once the opposite end faces 7â€², 8â€² are fixed in the corresponding guiding members 7, 8 in the opposite guiding rails F, activation of the drive motor 9 necessarily causes rotational movement of the closed, revolving pull drive mechanism 10, whereby the guiding member 8 and the guiding element 16 are moved in opposite directions according to the directions of the arrows in FIG. 2. The movement of the guiding element 16 is transmitted via the push-pull cord 11 to the opposite side of the two-dimensional structure 3, where the end region of the push-pull cord 11 is connected to the guiding member 7 which guides the end face 7â€² of the pull-out profile 6. With reference to the arrows related to the push-pull cord 11 in FIG. 2, it is apparent that the opposite end faces 7â€², 8â€² of the pull-out profile 6 are moved in the same direction upon activation of the drive motor 9. As a result, displacement of the pull-out profile 6 is largely in parallel to a rotational axis of the winding shaft 5 so that the two-dimensional structure 3 is pulled out of or drawn into the cartridge housing 4 at least largely in parallel.

Consequently, the pull drive mechanism 10 constitutes the active drive component for displacement of the two-dimensional structure 3, whereas the push-pull cord 11 and, thus, the opposite side of the pull-out profile 6 are passively entrained.

The drive system according to FIG. 2 can, as an alternative to the embodiment according to 1, also be provided in order to transfer the two-dimensional structure 3 from its rest position, completely wound-up on the winding shaft 5, to its completely pulled-out protective position. For that purpose, the pull drive mechanism 10 and the push-pull cord 11 of correspondingly straight running guiding rails are dimensioned and extended over the entire pull-out length of the two-dimensional structure 3. The guiding rails, which may be designed analogous to the guiding rails F, but be embodied in a straight design, are omitted in FIG. 2 for reasons of clear arrangement. For the rest, said embodiment is correspondent to the embodiment as described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.