Injection-molded plastic guide rail
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A guide rail arrangement (16) for moveable window shades (14) in motor vehicles comprising an outer part (41) in the form of an elongated injection-molded part made of an elastically deformable material, said outer part (41) having a first connecting portion (51,53), said outer part (41) defining an undercut guide groove (27) that extends over at least part of the length of the outer part (41) for guiding movement of said window shade between open and closed positions, and a support part (42) formed from a less deformable material than the outer part (41) disposed about a portion of said outer part (41) for resisting lateral widening of said guide groove (27) during movement of said window shade and said support part (42) having a second connecting portion (59,61) that is connectable to the first connecting portion (51,53) of the outer part (41).
1 Assignment
Litigations
1 Petition
Accused Products
Abstract
A window shade arrangement for motor vehicles that includes plastic injection molded guide rails designed such that they may be formed with injection tools that do not require moveable cores for forming guide grooves therein. In one embodiment, the guide rail includes an outer part (41) formed with a guide groove and a support part (42) made from less deformable material than the outer part for preventing widening of and deforming of the guide groove during usage. In another embodiment, the first and second molded parts are interconnectable to define the guide groove.
21 Citations
43 Claims
- 1. A guide rail arrangement (16) for moveable window shades (14) in motor vehicles comprising an outer part (41) in the form of an elongated injection-molded part made of an elastically deformable material, said outer part (41) having a first connecting portion (51,53), said outer part (41) defining an undercut guide groove (27) that extends over at least part of the length of the outer part (41) for guiding movement of said window shade between open and closed positions, and a support part (42) formed from a less deformable material than the outer part (41) disposed about a portion of said outer part (41) for resisting lateral widening of said guide groove (27) during movement of said window shade and said support part (42) having a second connecting portion (59,61) that is connectable to the first connecting portion (51,53) of the outer part (41).
-
22. A guide rail arrangement (16) for window shades (14) in motor vehicles comprising an first part (63) in the form of an elongated molded part, said first part (63) including a first connecting portion (68) and an elongated section formed with a groove that is essentially free of undercuts and extends continuously over at least a part of the length of the guide rail arrangement, a second part (64) in the form of an elongated molded part, said second part (64) having a second connecting portion (71) and an elongated section formed with a groove that is essentially free of undercuts and extends continuously over at least a part of the length of said guide rail arrangement (16);
- and said connecting parts (68, 71) of said first and second parts (63, 64) being interconnectable to position and retain the first and second parts (63, 64) relative to one another with said grooves of said first and second parts (63, 64) defining an undercut guide groove (27).
- View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
- 33. A window shade (14) for motor vehicles comprising a rotatably supported window shade shaft (19), a strip-shaped shade (15) having one edge fixed to said window shade shaft (19), a guide (23, 24) connected to an edge (22) of the window shade strip (15) distant from said window shade shaft (19), at least one guide rail (16) for receiving and guiding one end of said window shade guide (23, 24) for relative movement, said guide rail including an outer part (41) in the form of an injection molded elongated part made of an elastically deformable material, said outer part (41) having a first connecting portion (51, 53) and being formed with an undercut guide groove (27) that extends over at least a part of the length of the outer part (41), a support part (42) made from a less deformable material than said outer part (41) disposed about a portion of said guide rail (16) for resisting lateral widening of said guide groove (27) upon said relative movement of said window shade guide (23, 24), and said support part (42) having a second connecting portion (59, 61) that can be connected to the first connecting portion (51, 53) of the outer part (41) for securing the first and outer parts together.
- 37. A window shade (14) for motor vehicles comprising a rotatably supported window shade shaft (19), a strip-shaped shade (15) having one edge fixed to said window shade shaft (19), a guide (23, 24) connected to an edge (22) of the window shade strip (15) distant from said window shade shaft (19), at least one guide rail (16) for receiving and guiding one end of said window shade guide (23, 24) for relative movement, said guide rail (16) including a first part (63) in the form of an elongated molded part having a first connecting portion (68) and an elongated section formed with a groove that is essentially free of undercuts and extends continuously over at least a part of the length of said guide rail arrangement, a second part (64) in the form of an elongated molded part that includes a second connecting portion (71) and a elongated section formed with a groove that is essentially free of undercuts and extends continuously over at least a part of the length of the guide rail arrangement, and said connecting portions (68, 71) of said first and second parts (63, 64) being interconnectable to hold the longitudinal sections of the first and second parts (63, 64) together such that the grooves therein forming a guide groove (27) for said window shade guide (23, 24).
-
43. A window shade (14) for motor vehicles comprising a rotatably supported window shade shaft (19), a strip-shaped shade (15) having one edge fixed to said window shade shaft (19), a guide (23, 24) connected to an edge (22) of the window shade strip (15) distant from said window shade shaft (19), at least one guide rail (16) for receiving and guiding one end of said window shade guide (23, 24) for relative movement, said guide rail including an outer part (41) in the form of an injection molded elongated part made of an elastically deformable material, said outer part (41) being formed with an outwardly opening guide groove (27) that extends over at least a part of the length of the outer part (41), and a reinforcing support part (42) made from a less deformable material than said outer part (41) disposed about a portion of said guide rail (16) for resisting widening of said guide groove (27) upon said relative movement of said window shade guide (23, 24).
Specification