DE20119558U1 - Darkening device for vehicles, in particular trucks or mobile homes with a curved windscreen - Google Patents

Description

TERMEER STEINMEISTER & PARTNER GBR PATENTANWÄLTE - EUROPEAN PATENT ATTORNEYS

Dr. Nicolaus ter Meer, Dipl.-Chem. Peter Urner, Dipl.-Phys. Gebhard Merkle, Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Mauerkircherstrasse 45 D-81679 MUNICH

Helmut Steinmeister, Dipl.-Ing. Manfred Wiebusch

Artur-Ladebeck-Strasse 51 D-33617 BIELEFELD

LMC PO5 / Ol G

St/zs

30.11.2001

LMC Caravan GmbH

Rudolf-Diesel-Str. 4
48336 Sassenberg

Blackout device for vehicles, especially trucks or mobile homes with curved windscreen

LMC Caravan GmbH · _&phgr;&Lgr; · _# · _# * J, .&iacgr;!» * ^MCPpf/OlG November 30, 2001

Blackout device for vehicles, especially trucks or mobile homes with curved windscreen

The invention relates to a darkening device for vehicles, in particular trucks or mobile homes with a curved windscreen, in the form of a pull-down roller blind.

In mobile homes, the windows are usually "darkened" at night with curtains, blinds or similar, i.e. they are primarily covered against people looking in from outside. This is relatively unproblematic with vertical or essentially vertical windows, as gravity holds curtains and blinds essentially parallel to the window surface without any other fastening measures being necessary. Covering the windows is more difficult in vehicles with a steeply inclined and/or curved windshield, as curtains or blinds hang vertically in the interior and do not cover the window surfaces very well, and also restrict freedom of movement in the interior.

The invention is based on the object of creating a darkening device of the type mentioned, which can be fixed in a position substantially parallel to the windshield even in the case of curved or steeply inclined windshields of recreational vehicles, trucks, etc.

This object is achieved according to the invention in a darkening device of the above type in that the roller blind has a flexible shaft mounted above the front window.

The flexible shaft may be housed within a tubular housing having a longitudinal slot for the passage of the roller blind and suitably mounted at the upper edge of the windshield.

The flexible shaft can also be mounted in several, at least three, bearings at the upper edge of the windshield, corresponding to the curve of the windshield. The roller blind thus essentially follows the curvature of the windshield. Alternatively, a multi-part shaft can be provided, which comprises several consecutive shaft sections that are bent in a

LMC Caravan GmbH i &iacgr; . . « «LMCPOS/OIG 11/30/2001

laid along the line following the curvature of the window.

Preferably, thin threads or rods, preferably made of transparent material, are stretched from the top to the bottom edge to support the blind in the position immediately in front of the windshield.

In the following, preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic partial view of an inventive

Black-out device inside a driver’s cab;

Fig. 2 is a schematic vertical section through the area

a windshield;
15

Fig. 3 shows a multi-part shaft, the sections of which are connected by joints

are connected;

Fig. 4 is a schematic representation of a preferred embodiment

embodiment of the invention in which the flexible shaft is in a

tubular housing.

Fig. 1 shows a roller blind 10 wound onto a flexible shaft 12. The shaft 12 follows the upper edge of a windshield 14 of a vehicle (not shown) in an arc shape. The shaft 12 is supported at its two outer ends in bearings 16, 18. Depending on the length and shape of the upper windshield contour, it may be necessary to arrange additional bearings 20, 22 in intermediate positions. This makes it necessary to divide the roller blind 10 into individual strips 24, 26, 28, each of which can be wound onto a section of the shaft 12 located between two bearings.

In order to hold the roller blind 10 or the individual strips 14, 16, 18 in the inclined position of the windscreen 14, threads or rods 30 made of transparent material can be stretched parallel to the windscreen from top to bottom. However, it is also possible to hold the individual roller blind strips 24, 26, 28

LMC Caravan GmbH · _%0 » _t j _t * ,J,.jl. * »t^KPJ&/Ol G November 30, 2001

in the area of the lower edge of the windshield. For this purpose, for example, a straight rod 32 can be attached to the lower edge of the roller blind sections 24, 26, 28, which is pressed into a spring clip 34 attached there.

In the case of a shaft which consists of several individual shaft sections 36, 38, 40, 42, these can be connected via joints 44, 46, 48 so that they can be rotated via a common drive 50. This drive 50 can comprise an electric motor, but can also be a hand crank drive.

Fig. 4 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention in which the flexible shaft designated 52 is located in a tubular housing 54 which is at least in the broadest sense tubular. The term "tubular" here does not mean that the housing must have a circular cross-section. The drawing shows, for example, a flattened area 56 on the outside which is advantageous so that the housing 54 can be attached to the inside surface of the driver's cab above the windshield. The housing has a longitudinal slot 58 below the area of this flattened area 56 from which the roll 60 wound onto the shaft 52 can emerge.

Claims (11)

1. Darkening device for vehicles, in particular trucks or mobile homes with a curved windscreen, in the form of a pull-down roller blind, characterized in that the roller blind has a flexible shaft ( 12 ) mounted above the windscreen. 2. Darkening device according to claim 1, characterized in that the shaft ( 12 ) consists of flexible material. 3. Blackout device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the flexible shaft ( 12 ) is arranged in a tubular housing which has a longitudinal slot as a passage for the roller blind. 4. Darkening device according to claim 1, characterized in that the shaft ( 12 ) consists of several rigid shaft sections ( 36 , 38 , 40 , 42 ). 5. Darkening device according to claim 4, characterized in that the shaft sections are connected by joints ( 44 , 46 , 48 ). 6. Blackout device according to claim 5, characterized in that the roller blind ( 10 ) is divided into several strips corresponding to the sections located between the bearing points. 7. Darkening device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that guides ( 30 ) for the roller blind ( 10 ) are provided on the inside of the windshield parallel to and at a short distance from the latter. 8. Darkening device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guides are rods or threads ( 30 ) made of transparent material. 9. Darkening device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the roller blind can be fixed with its lower edge in the region of the lower edge of the windshield. 10. Blackout device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the roller blind ( 10 ) or the roller blind strips ( 24 , 26 , 28 ) have lead strips at the lower edge. 11. Darkening device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the strips ( 24 , 26 , 28 ) are connected at the lower edge to rigid rods ( 32 ) which can be locked at the lower edge of the windshield.