FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present application generally relates to the field of parts and components for vehicle sunroofs, and in particular to a windshield screen for a vehicle sunroof and a vehicle.

BACKGROUND

[0002] At present, a sunroof is generally provided on the roof of a vehicle to improve the ventilation in the vehicle and adjust the lighting in the vehicle. The sunroof includes sunroof glass that can be opened or closed. A sealing strip cooperating with the sunroof glass is mounted on the roof. After the sunroof glass is closed, the sunroof glass is in sealing contact with the sealing strip to prevent water leakage.

[0003] In addition, a windshield screen assembly is provided at the sunroof to damp the wind noise after the sunroof glass is opened. Generally, the windshield screen assembly includes a windshield strip, a lower edge strip and a screen cloth connected between the windshield strip and the lower edge strip. The windshield strip can rise or fall relative to the lower edge strip along with the opening or closing of the sunroof glass, so as to achieve the unfolding or folding of the screen cloth.

[0004] However, in the prior art, when the sunroof glass is moved forward to close the sunroof, the screen cloth is often folded forward and sandwiched between the sunroof glass and the sealing strip, which damages the sealing contact between the sunroof glass and the sealing strip, and may even cause the sunroof to leak.

SUMMARY

[0005] In view of the above technical problems, a windshield screen for a vehicle sunroof is provided according to a first aspect of the present application, which includes: a screen cloth; a windshield strip, wherein an upper edge of the screen cloth is connected with the windshield strip, and the windshield strip is configured to be raised or lowered to unfold or fold the screen cloth; and a fold-guiding assembly, wherein the fold-guiding assembly includes a first guide member arranged on the windshield strip and a second guide member arranged on the screen cloth, wherein the first guide member is constructed as a unidirectional guide member for guiding rearward; wherein, when the windshield strip is lowered, the second guide member is moved rearward under guidance from the first guide member to push the screen cloth to fold rearward.

[0006] In an embodiment, the first guide member is provided with a bearing portion and a blocking portion, wherein the blocking portion is protruded forward relative to the bearing portion, and the bearing portion and the blocking portion form a guide step. When the windshield strip is raised, at least part of the second guide member is movably located in the guide step, and the bearing portion is located at a rear side of the second guide member; and when the windshield strip is lowered, the second guide member is rotated rearward under guidance from the bearing portion and the blocking portion.

[0007] In an embodiment, the blocking portion is formed by an edge of the windshield strip, and the bearing portion is configured as a first plate extending from the edge of the windshield strip to a front side of the screen cloth.

[0008] In an embodiment, an extension length of the bearing portion is between 3mm and 5mm, along a width direction of the screen cloth.

[0009] In an embodiment, the second guide member is configured as a second plate which is closer to the upper edge of the screen cloth and corresponds to the guide step.

[0010] In an embodiment, the second plate includes an upper portion and a main portion connected with the screen cloth, wherein the upper portion is separated from the screen cloth. When the windshield strip is raised, the upper portion is movably located in the guide step, and the bearing portion is located between the upper portion and the screen cloth; and when the windshield strip is lowered, the bearing portion and the blocking portion push the upper portion, so that the upper portion is separated from the bearing portion and is off the guide step, and the main portion is rotated rearward.

[0011] In an embodiment, a ratio of a dimension of the second plate to a dimension of the screen cloth is between 1 :5 and 1 :3, along the width direction of the screen cloth.

[0012] In an embodiment, the second plate is made of rubber. [0013] In an embodiment, one or more second guide members are provided; one second guide member is arranged in the middle of the screen cloth along a length direction of the screen cloth, or a plurality of second guide members are spaced apart along the length direction of the screen cloth; and the number and arrangement of the first guide member match with the number and arrangement of the second guide member.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the present application, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes: a roof, which is provided with a sunroof opening; a sunroof frame installed at the sunroof opening, wherein the sunroof frame includes a front area located at a front side, a rear area located at a rear side, and a mounting frame located between the front area and the rear area; and the windshield screen according to the above description, wherein the windshield screen further includes a lower edge strip connected with a lower edge of the screen cloth, wherein the lower edge strip is installed on the mounting frame; and when the windshield strip of the windshield screen is lowered, the screen cloth is folded rearward and packed into the rear area.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present application are as follows. The first guide member is arranged on the windshield strip, and the second guide member is arranged on the screen cloth. During closing of the sunroof, the first guide member guides the second guide member to rotate rearward, so that the screen cloth is folded rearward, preventing the screen cloth from being sandwiched between the sunroof glass and a sealing strip and ensuring sound sealing of the sunroof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The accompanying drawings described herein are used for providing a further understanding of the present application, and form a part of the present application. Exemplary embodiments of the present application and descriptions thereof are used for explaining the present application, and do not constitute any inappropriate limitation to the present application. In the drawings:

[0017] FIG. 1 schematically shows the structure of a windshield screen for a vehicle sunroof according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0018] FIG. 2 schematically shows a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0019] FIG. 3 schematically shows a folded and collapsed state of a screen cloth.

[0020] FIG. 4 schematically shows a windshield strip with a first guide member.

[0021] FIG. 5 schematically shows the screen cloth with a second guide member.

[0022] FIG. 6 shows an assembly state of the screen cloth and the windshield strip.

[0023] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 6, taken along line A- A.

[0024] FIG. 8 is a partly enlarged view of portion B in FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application are described clearly and completely in conjunction with the embodiments and the corresponding drawings of the present application hereinafter, so that objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present application are clearer. It is apparent that the described embodiments are only some rather than all embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments of the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without any creative work fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0026] In this application, the term "front" or "forward" refers to a direction towards a front windshield glass of a vehicle, as shown by the arrow C in FIG. 2 or 3; and the term "rear" or "rearward" refers to a direction towards a rear windshield glass of the vehicle (i.e., the direction "rear" or "rearward" is in contrast to the direction "front" or "forward"), as shown by the arrow D in FIG. 2 or 3.

[0027] FIG. 1 schematically shows the structure of a windshield screen 1 for a vehicle sunroof (hereinafter, referred to as windshield screen 1) according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 3 schematically shows a folded and collapsed state of a screen cloth. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the windshield screen 1 includes a screen cloth 100 and a windshield strip 200. An upper edge 101 of the screen cloth 100 is connected with the windshield strip 200. The windshield strip 200 is configured to be raised or lowered to unfold or fold the screen cloth 100. The windshield screen 1 further includes a fold-guiding assembly 300. As shown in FIG. 3, the fold-guiding assembly 300 includes a first guide member 310 arranged on the windshield strip 200 and a second guide member 320 arranged on the screen cloth 100. The first guide member 310 is configured as a unidirectional guide member for guiding rearward. When the windshield strip 200 is lowered, the second guide member 320 is moved rearward under guidance from the first guide member 310, to push the screen cloth 100 to fold rearward.

[0028] In the windshield screen 1 according to the present application, the fold-guiding assembly 300 is provided, so that while the sunroof glass 32 is moved forward towards a sealing strip 31 (as shown by the arrow C in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3) to close the sunroof, the windshield strip 200 is lowered, the first guide member 310 on the windshield strip 200 guides the second guide member 320 on the screen cloth 100 to move rearward, and the second guide member 320 presses the screen cloth 100 rearward, so that the screen cloth 100 is folded rearward (as shown by the arrow D in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3). In this way, the folding direction of the screen cloth 100 is opposite to the movement direction of the sunroof glass 32, thereby preventing the screen cloth 100 from being sandwiched between the sunroof glass 32 and the sealing strip 31 and ensuring sound sealing of the sunroof. In addition, in the case of existence of wind blowing forward, the fold-guiding assembly 300 can also prevent the screen cloth 100 from folding forward, which greatly improves a use experience in actual use.

[0029] Specific structures of the first guide member 310 and the second guide member 320 are described below.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 4, 6, 7 and 8, the first guide member 310 is provided with a bearing portion 312 and a blocking portion 311. The blocking portion 311 is protruded forward relative to the bearing portion 312 to form a guide step. When the windshield strip 200 is raised, at least part of the second guide member 320 is movably located in the guide step, and the bearing portion 312 is located at a rear side of the second guide member 320. When the windshield strip 200 is lowered, the second guide member 320 is rotated rearward under guidance from the bearing portion 312 and the blocking portion 311.

[0031] On the whole, the guide step defines a space with an opening facing forward, so that the second guide member 320 can conveniently cooperate with the guide step. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, when the windshield strip 200 is raised (that is, when the screen cloth 100 is expanded), at least part (for example, an upper portion 321 of the second guide member 320) of the second guide member 320 is in the guide step, that is, at least part of the second guide member 320 is located at a front side of the bearing portion 312 and an edge of the upper portion 321 abuts against the blocking portion 311. When the windshield strip 200 is lowered (i.e., when the screen cloth 100 is folded), the screen cloth 100 is relaxed, and the blocking portion 311 pushes the second guide member 320 downward, so that the second guide member 320 rotates along with the relaxation of the screen cloth 100. At the same time, the bearing portion 312 located at a rear side of the second guide member 320 guides the second guide member 320 to rotate rearward, so that under the coaction of the screen cloth 100, the blocking portion 311 and the bearing portion 312, the second guide member 320 as a whole rotates rearward (as shown by the arrow E in FIG. 8), and then pushes the screen cloth 100 to fold rearward. In this way, the folding direction of the screen cloth 100 is opposite to the movement direction of the sunroof glass 32, thereby preventing the screen cloth 100 from being sandwiched between the sunroof glass 32 and the sealing strip 31, and ensuring the sound sealing of the sunroof.

[0032] It should be understood that two ends of the windshield strip 200 are provided with two support rods 201, respectively. The support rods 201 are connected to a driving device (not shown in the drawings) on the vehicle. During opening or closing of the sunroof glass 32, the driving device moves synchronously to drive the support rods 201 and the windshield strip 200 to rise or fall. The above is already known to those skilled in the art and will not be described here.

[0033] An extension length of the bearing portion 312 is between 3mm and 5mm, along a width direction of the screen cloth 100. With this structure, the contact area between the bearing portion 312 and the upper portion 321 of the second guide member 320 is very small. When the windshield strip 200 is lowered, the second guide member 320 is easily separated from the bearing portion 312, so that the second guide member 320 as a whole rotates rearward, which greatly reduces or even eliminates a situation that the second guide member 320 is stuck in the guide step. As a result, the folding process of the screen cloth 100 is thereby very smooth.

[0034] In a specific embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4, 7 and 8, the blocking portion 311 is formed by an edge of the windshield strip 200, and the bearing portion 312 is configured as a first plate extending from the edge of the windshield strip 200 to a rear side of the screen cloth 100. This structure only requires very minor modifications to the windshield strip in the prior art, which greatly reduces the manufacturing difficulty of the windshield screen 1 in the present application.

[0035] A surface of the first plate may be formed as a guide slope inclined rearward. In this way, when the windshield strip 200 is lowered, the second guide member 320 is easily separated from the first plate (that is, the bearing portion 312), which also helps to avoid the situation that the second guide member 320 is stuck in the guide step, and makes the folding process of the screen cloth 100 smoother.

[0036] In another embodiment, the bearing portion 312 may be configured in other forms. For example, the bearing portion 312 is configured as a plurality of comb teeth spaced apart. When the windshield strip 200 is lowered, these comb teeth can also guide the second guide member 320 to entirely rotate rearward.

[0037] FIG. 5 schematically shows the screen cloth 100 with the second guide member 320. As shown in FIG. 5, the second guide member 320 is configured as a second plate, so as to push the screen cloth 100 to fold rearward. The second plate is closer to an upper edge 101 of the screen cloth 100 and corresponds to the guide step. In this way, when the windshield strip 200 is raised, at least part of the second plate is automatically located in the guide step without the user's adjustment, thus facilitating the user's use.

[0038] Still as shown in FIG. 8, the second plate includes an upper portion 321 and a main portion 322 connected with the screen cloth 100. The dimension of the upper portion 321 is smaller than the dimension of the main portion 322 (for example, the dimension of the main portion 322 accounts for more than 90% of the dimension of the second plate) along the width direction of the screen cloth 100. The upper portion 321 is separated from the screen cloth 100. In this way, when the windshield strip 200 is raised, the bearing portion 312 is located between the upper portion 321 and the screen cloth 100. In other words, in this case, the bearing portion 312 is located at a rear side of the upper portion 321 to support the upper portion 321, and the blocking portion 311 abuts against an upper edge of the upper portion 321. When the windshield strip 200 is lowered (as shown in FIG. 3), the blocking portion 311 pushes the upper portion 321 (or the second plate) downward, while the bearing portion 312 pushes the upper portion 321 forward, so that the main portion 322 rotates rearward with a lower edge of the bearing portion 312 as an axis. On the whole, when the windshield strip 200 is lowered, the main portion 322 can easily rotate rearward, thus pushing the screen cloth 100 to fold rearward.

[0039] A ratio of the dimension of the second plate to the dimension of the screen cloth 100 is between 1 :5 and 1 :3, along the width direction of the screen cloth 100. In this way, the dimension of the second plate is far smaller than the width of the folded screen cloth 100. During the folding of the screen cloth 100, the second plate does not hinder the folding of the screen cloth 100, making the folding process of the screen cloth 100 smoother. In a specific embodiment, the width of the screen cloth is 60mm; a dimension of the second plate along the width direction of the screen cloth 100 is 20mm, and a dimension of the second plate along the length direction of the screen cloth 100 is 10mm. On the whole, the area of the second plate is far smaller than the area of the screen cloth 100, which avoids affecting the overall appearance of the windshield screen 1.

[0040] In another embodiment, the second plate is made of rubber. In this way, the second plate has appropriate flexibility. When the screen cloth 100 is relaxed and bent, the second plate can deform along with the deformation of the screen cloth 100, which also helps the smooth folding of the screen cloth 100. In a specific embodiment, the second plate may be made of EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer), TPV (thermoplastic vulcanizate) or the like.

[0041] The second plate may be integrally formed with the screen cloth 100 to reduce steps for assembling the windshield screen 1. In another embodiment, the second plate and the screen cloth 100 may be formed separately, and then be assembled together. For example, after being formed separately, the second plate is sewn onto the screen cloth 100. In this way, when either the second plate or the screen cloth 100 needs maintenance, it can be replaced or maintained separately.

[0042] Still as shown in FIG. 5, only one second guide member 320 is provided, and the only second guide member 320 is arranged in the middle of the screen cloth 100 along the length direction of the screen cloth. Correspondingly, only one first guide member 310 is provided, and the only first guide member 310 is arranged in the middle of the windshield strip 200 along the length direction of the windshield strip. The inventor found that when the screen cloth 100 is folded, the second guide member 320 pushes the middle portion of the screen cloth 100 to fold rearward, and the rest of the screen cloth 100 also folds rearward driven by the middle portion thereof, so that the entire screen cloth 100 folds rearward.

[0043] In another embodiment, a plurality of second guide members 320 are provided, and these second guide members 320 are spaced apart along the length direction of the screen cloth 100. Correspondingly, a plurality of first guide members 310 are provided, and these first guide members 310 are spaced apart along the length direction of the windshield strip 200. In this way, the plurality of second guide members 320 act on the screen cloth 100 at the same time, which helps the screen cloth 100 to fold rearward more effectively. This is especially helpful when the screen cloth 100 is relatively longer or more flexible.

[0044] In addition, for the second guide member 320 in the form of the second plate, it can be configured as a plate that runs through the entire length of the screen cloth 100 along the upper edge of the screen cloth 100. In this way, there is no need to provide a plurality of second guide members 320 on the screen cloth 100, and the manufacturing of the windshield screen 1 is thereby greatly simplified. In addition, the overall appearance of the windshield screen 1 is also more aesthetically pleasing. It should be understood that in this case, one or more first guide members 310 can be correspondingly configured on the windshield strip 200 as required.

[0045] FIG. 2 schematically shows a vehicle 2 according to an embodiment of the present application. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the vehicle 2 includes a roof 400 provided with a sunroof opening 401, a sunroof frame 402 installed at the sunroof opening 401, and the windshield screen 1 as described above. The sunroof frame 402 includes a front area 403 located at a front side, a rear area 404 located at a rear side, and a mounting frame 405 located between the front area 403 and the rear area 404. The windshield screen 1 further includes a lower edge strip 406 connected with a lower edge 102 of the screen cloth 100, and the lower edge strip 406 is installed on the mounting frame 405. When the windshield strip 200 of the windshield screen 1 is lowered, the screen cloth 100 is folded rearward and packed into the rear area 404.

[0046] As schematically shown in FIG. 3, when the sunroof is closed, the sunroof glass 32 moves forward over the rear area 404 and abuts against the sealing strip 31 at the front area 403, while the screen cloth 100 is folded rearward and packed into the rear area 404, thereby preventing the screen cloth 100 from being sandwiched between the sunroof glass 32 and the sealing strip 31 and ensuring the sound sealing of the sunroof.

[0047] The above only describes the embodiments of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and changes can be made to the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions or improvements made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall fall within the scope of protection defined by the appended claims of the present application.