Patent Application
20120186756
The invention relates to a sunshade device for a vehicle, more particularly to a sunshade device mountable on a rear window of a vehicle and operable automatically to stretch and retract a sunshade cloth.
When the power element 17 drives the driving rods 16 to move upward, the driving rods 16 push the slides 15 upward, which in turn move the cross bar 13 toward the top edge of the rear window, expanding the sunshade cloth 18. During the upward movement, as the distance between the track rails 12 decreases, the end piece units 14 are retracted into the cross bar 13. When the power element 17 drives the driving rods 16 to move downward, the driving rods 16 pull the slides 15 downward, and the winding shaft 11 rewinds the sunshade cloth 18 and causes the cross bar 13 to move downward. Because the distance between the lower parts of the track rails 12 is enlarged, the end piece units 14 project outward from the cross bar 13 when the cross bar 13 moves downward.
Since the distance between the track rails 12 changes during the expanding and retracting operations of the sunshade cloth 18, the connecting structure between the end piece units 14 and the slides 15 has to be carefully and rather precisely designed and implemented so as to ensure smooth movement of the cross bar 13 and hence the smooth expanding and collapsing operations of the sunshade cloth 18. Moreover, the convenience of assembly and disassembly among the cross bar 13, the end piece units 14 and the slides 15 of this conventional sunshade device 1 still has room for improvement.
A main object of the present invention is to provide a sunshade device for a rear window of a vehicle that can be easily assembled and disassembled.
Accordingly, a sunshade device for a rear window of a vehicle of the present invention comprises: a winding shaft, two track rails, a cross bar substantially parallel to the winding shaft, a sunshade cloth having top and bottom ends respectively connected to the cross bar and the winding shaft, two end piece units connected respectively to two opposite ends of the cross bar, and two sliding units connected respectively to the end piece units and mounted slidably and respectively on the track rails. Each of the end piece units includes an end piece inserted telescopically into one of the opposite ends of the cross bar, and a headed pivot projecting from the end piece and disposed outwardly of the cross bar. The headed pivot has a pivot pin, a head plate connected to the pivot pin, and a groove formed between the head plate and the end piece. Each of the sliding units includes a slide disposed slidably inside one of the track rails, and a pivot plate connected to the slide, disposed outwardly of the track rail, and disposed detachably around the pivot pin and between the head plate and the end piece. The pivot plate defines a wide through hole for passage of the head plate, a narrow through hole connected to one side of the wide through hole to receive the pivot pin, and a spring plate formed in the wide through hole and having a free end to abut against the head plate when the pivot pin is received in the narrow through hole.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
Referring to
The sunshade device includes a rotatable winding shaft 2 mounted horizontally below the rear window shelf, a pair of track rails 3 respectively mounted on inner sides of the respective C columns and extending from a top end of the rear window shelf to a top edge of the rear window (not shown in the Figure), a cross bar 4 parallel to and disposed substantially above the winding shaft 2 and movable upward and downward between a rear end of the rear window shelf and the top end of the rear window, a sunshade cloth 5 that has top and bottom ends respectively connected to the cross bar 4 and the winding shaft 2, a pair of end piece units 6 connected respectively and telescopically to two opposite ends of the cross bar 4, and a pair of sliding units 7 connected respectively to the end piece units 6 and mounted respectively on the track rails 3 to slide along a length direction of the track rails 3. In this embodiment, the cross bar 4 has a hollow structure and a generally square cross section. The sunshade cloth 5 has a top end fixed to a slot 41 formed in a front bottom side of the cross bar 4.
As shown in
Each end piece 61 further includes an extension plate 612 projecting from an outer end of the insert part 611. The outer end of the insert part 611 has an end face 614 transverse to the cross bar 4. The extension plate 612 has a first part 6121 that projects transversely and forwardly from a front side of the outer end of the insert part 611 and that is flush with the end face 614, and a second part 6122 that is angled from the first part 6121 and that is parallel to and offset from the insert part 611. The pivot pin 63 projects from the second part 6122.
Each end piece 61 further includes upper and lower two ribs 613, each of which projects from the end face 614 and the first part 6121 and has an end fixed to one side of the second part 6122 opposite to the pivot pin 63. In this embodiment, each end piece 61 has a generally square cross section. Each rib 613 has a plate shape. Each head plate 62 is circular. Each pivot pin 63 is cylindrical and is coaxial with the head plate 62. The groove 64 is annular.
Each sliding unit 7 includes a slide 71 disposed slidably inside one of the track rails 3, and a pivot plate 72 connected to the slide 71 and disposed outwardly of the respective track rail 3. The pivot plate 72 has an end portion that is distal from the corresponding one of the track rails 3 and that is disposed around the pivot pin 63 between the extension plate 612 and the head plate 62 of the corresponding end piece unit 6. The pivot plate 72 defines a wide through hole 721 for passage of the head plate 62, a narrow through hole 722 connected to one side of the wide through hole 721 to receive the pivot pin 63, and a spring plate 73 formed in the wide through hole 721 and having a free end to abut against the head plate 62 when the pivot pin 63 is received in the narrow through hole 722.
Each slide 71 includes a slide rod 711 having a cylindrical shape and disposed within one of the track rails 3, and a connection plate 712 extending transversely from an outer periphery of the slide rod 711 and connected to the pivot plate 72.
The spring plate 73 further has a flat part 731 fixed to an edge confining the wide through hole 721, and a bending part 732 bending from the flat part 731 and having the free end extending outwardly of the wide through hole 721 to abut against a peripheral face of the head plate 62.
Moreover, each of the sliding units 7 further includes a driving rod 74 (see
In use, when the two driving rods 74 are moved upward, the driving rods 74 push upward the respective two slides 71 and hence the two end piece units 6, retracting the two end piece units 6 into the cross bar 4 and moving the cross bar 4 toward the top edge of the rear window. As a result, the sunshade cloth 5 is expanded. Conversely, when the slides 71 are moved downward, the end piece units 6 project from the cross bar 4, and in the meantime, the winding shaft 2 rewinds the sunshade cloth 5, and the cross bar 4 moves downward toward the rear window shelf.
During assembly, the head plates 62 are pressed into the respective wide through holes 721 so that the bending parts 732 of the spring plates 73 are depressed and the pivot pins 63 are guided by the respective bending parts 732 to slide into the respective narrow through holes 722. After the free end of the bending part 732 of each spring plate 73 springs back, it abuts against the peripheral face of the head plate 62. Accordingly, each pivot plate 72 is positioned between one of the head plates 62 and one of the extension plates 612. Assembly of the end piece units 6 and the respective sliding units 7 are therefore quick and easy. For disassembly, the pivot pin 63 and the head plate 62 can be removed from the narrow through hole 722 and then from the wide through hole 721 by moving the bending part 732 of the spring plate 73 away from the head plate 62. Therefore, the end piece units 6 and the sliding units 7 can be separated easily from each other. In addition, because the connection between the end piece units 6 and the sliding units 7 is disposed externally of the track rails 3, the operation for assembly or disassembly can be conducted outside the track rails 3.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.
