Patent Application
20120193935
The invention relates to a sunshading apparatus for a vehicle, more particularly to a sunshading apparatus mountable on a rear window of the vehicle.
As shown in
Since the rear window 33 has a shape tapering in a bottom-to-top direction, the distance between the two track rails 12 decreases in the bottom-to-top direction, and the cross bar 13 must be extendable and retractable to vary the total length thereof. Accordingly, the cross bar 13 usually has a main bar 131 connected to a top edge of the sunshade cloth 14, and two end pieces 132 inserted telescopically and respectively into two opposite ends of the main bar 131. The end pieces 132 are respectively connected to top ends of the slide units 15.
As shown in
An object of the present invention is to provide a sunshading apparatus with a covering unit to cover a passage opening formed in a rear window shelf of a vehicle.
Accordingly, a sunshading apparatus of the present invention is adapted to be mounted on a rear part of a vehicle that has a rear window shelf below a rear window, and two C-columns on two sides of the rear window. The sunshading apparatus comprises: a winding shaft disposed horizontally below a passage opening formed in the rear window shelf; two track rails mounted respectively on the C-columns; a cross bar parallel to and disposed above the winding shaft and moveable upward and downward between the passage opening and a top edge of the rear window; two end pieces inserted telescopically and respectively into two opposite ends of the cross bar; two slide units disposed slidably and respectively on the track rails and connected respectively to the end pieces; a sunshade cloth having top and bottom ends connected respectively to the cross bar and the winding shaft and passing through the passage opening; and two cover units closing openably two opposite end portions of the passage opening to cover the end pieces, respectively. Each of the cover units has two cover plates disposed pivotally at two transversely opposed sides of the passage opening and movable toward each other to a closing position that covers one of the end pieces, or away from each other to an opening position that permits passage of one of the end pieces.
Preferably, each of the cover plates includes a covering plate portion adjacent to the passage opening, and an actuated part extending downward from the covering plate portion. The covering plate portion moves to the closing position when a respective one of the end piece moves into the passage opening and actuates the actuated part. Each of the cover units further includes a biasing unit to bias the covering plate portions of the cover plates to move to the opening position.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
Before the present invention is described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying preferred embodiments, it should be noted herein that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.
Referring to
The sunshading apparatus includes a winding shaft 5 disposed horizontally below the rear window shelf 21, a pair of casings 4, each of which is mounted below one of two opposite end portions of the passage opening 211, a pair of track rails 6, each of which is mounted on an inner side of one of the C-columns 22, and extends from the passage opening 211 to the top edge of the rear window 23, a cross bar 7 disposed substantially above and parallel to the winding shaft 5 and movable between the passage opening 211 and the top edge of the rear window 23, a pair of slide units 10, each of which is connected to one end of the cross bar 7 and is mounted slidably and respectively on one of the track rails 6, a sunshade cloth 8 that has top and bottom ends respectively connected to the cross bar 7 and the winding shaft 5 and that extends through the passage opening 211, and a pair of cover units 9 closing openably two opposite end portions of the passage opening 211, respectively. Since the sunshading apparatus has left and right symmetric structures, only the left half of the sunshading apparatus, the left one of the C-columns 22, the left parts of the rear window shelf 21 and the rear window 23 are shown in the drawings.
The two casings 4 are disposed beneath the cover units 9, respectively. Each casing 4 has a substantially U-shaped cross section and is formed with a casing opening 41 aligned with the passage opening 211. The cross bar 7 has a bar body 71 connected to a top edge of the sunshade cloth 8, and two end pieces 72 inserted telescopically and respectively into two opposite ends of the bar body 71. Each of the end pieces 72 is further connected to a top portion of one of the slide units 10.
The cross bar 7 is moveable upward and downward between the passage opening 211 and the top edge of the rear window 23. As shown in
Referring once again to
Each of the cover units 9 has two cover plates 91 closing openably and disposed pivotally at two transversely opposed sides of the passage opening 211, and two biasing springs 92 respectively biasing the cover plates 91 to move to an opening position. The biasing springs 92 are stressed when the cover plates 91 are closed.
Each of the cover plates 91 has a V-shaped cross section, and includes a covering plate portion 93 biased by a respective one of the biasing springs 92 to close the passage opening 211, and an actuated part 94 extending downward from one side of the covering plate portion 93 to be pressed downward by one of the end pieces 72 that is moving downward. Moreover, each of the biasing springs 92 has two ends respectively connected to one side of the corresponding casing 4 and an inner side of the corresponding covering plate portion 93. In this embodiment, each of the biasing springs 92 is a torsion spring.
As shown in
On the other hand, as shown in
Referring to
Each cover plate 91 has a substantially T-shaped cross section, and includes a covering plate portion 93, and an actuated part 96 that extends downward from an intermediate part of the covering plate portion 93 and that has a lower end formed with a gear wheel 97. The rack 95 is disposed between the cover plates 91 to be pressed by one of the end pieces 72, and has two opposite toothed faces 951 respectively intermeshed with the gear wheels 97 of the actuated parts 96.
When the sunshade cloth 8 is folded and the cross bar 7 is moved into the passage opening 211, each end piece 72 of the cross bar 7 enters the corresponding casing 4 and presses the corresponding rack 95 downward, moving the actuated parts 96 and causing the covering plate portions 93 to close the passage opening 211 and to cover the corresponding end piece 72. At this state, the biasing springs 92 are compressed. When the sunshade cloth 8 starts to expand, the cross bar 7 moves upward. Once the end pieces 72 of the cross bar 7 start to move upward, the biasing springs 92 return to their normal expanding position, biasing the racks 95 to move upward. The racks 95 in turn move the actuated parts 96, and open the covering plate portions 93 to permit upward movement of the end pieces 72.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments 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.
