Roller blind cassette and roller blind system

Abstract

A roller blind cassette for receiving a roller blind shaft and a roller blind which in the stowed state is wound onto the roller blind shaft and in a functional state is drawn in a longitudinal direction through an exit slot of the roller blind cassette. The cassette has a housing with a hollow section slotted along its length and extending in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction and forming the exit slot of the roller blind cassette. Two opposite edge regions extend on both sides of the slot of the hollow section and are connected to one another in the region of two opposite ends of the hollow section by a connecting bridge.

1 . A roller blind cassette for holding a roller blind shaft and a roller blind which when stowed is wound onto the roller blind shaft and which can be drawn in a longitudinal direction off the roller blind shaft in a function state through an exit slot of the roller blind cassette, the roller blind cassette having a housing which has a hollow section slotted along its full length and extending in a main extension direction transversely to the longitudinal direction and whose slot constitutes the exit slot of the roller blind cassette, wherein two edge regions of the housing on opposite sides of the slot at at least one end of the roller blind cassette are connected to one another by a connecting bridge, the connecting bridge being made in one piece with the hollow section and extending over the exit slot. 
     
     
         2 . The roller blind cassette according to  claim 1 , wherein the connecting bridge is formed by means of a cut made transversely to the main extension direction, by which cut the connecting bridge is separated from a folded edge region of the hollow section. 
     
     
         3 . The roller blind cassette according to  claim 1 , wherein at the one end of the roller blind cassette a pair of connecting bridges extend from both of the edge regions and over the exit slot, each connecting bridge being made in one piece with the hollow section, and remote ends of the connecting bridges being connected to one another. 
     
     
         4 . The roller blind cassette according to  claim 1 , wherein the hollow section is made of metal plate of constant thickness, said thickness being no more than 1.5 mm. 
     
     
         5 . A roller blind arrangement for use in a vehicle, said arrangement comprising:
 a roller blind cassette having a housing including a hollow section extending in a main extension direction, an exit slot extending along a full extent of said hollow section and a pair of edge regions disposed opposite one another on both sides of said exit slot and extending in the main extension direction, each said edge region being folded over on itself;   a roller blind shaft defining an axis substantially parallel to the main extension direction, said roller blind shaft being mounted within said cassette for rotation about the axis; and   a roller blind disposed within said cassette and wound onto said roller blind shaft in a stowed configuration and unwound from said roller blind shaft in a functional configuration in which said roller blind is at least partially extended, in a longitudinal direction transverse to the main extension direction, from said roller blind shaft through said exit slot;   wherein said edge regions located opposite one another at at least one end of said housing are interconnected to one another by a connecting bridge to minimize torsion of said housing, said connecting bridge being formed integrally with said housing and extending over said exit slot.   
     
     
         6 . The roller blind arrangement according to  claim 5 , wherein each said edge region of said housing is folded over on itself to define first and second edge walls disposed in closely adjacent and facing relation with one another. 
     
     
         7 . The roller blind arrangement according to  claim 6 , wherein said connecting bridge extends between said edge regions in a direction substantially parallel with the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         8 . The roller blind arrangement according to  claim 6 , wherein said hollow section of said housing comprises a tubular side wall which is elongated in the main extension direction, said first and second edge walls of each of said edge regions each forming a part of said side wall and said exit slot being defined in said side wall and extending in the main extension direction therealong. 
     
     
         9 . The roller blind arrangement according to  claim 6 , wherein said connecting bridge is a first connecting bridge and said arrangement includes a second connecting bridge substantially identical to said first connecting bridge, said one end of said housing is a first end and said housing includes a second end spaced from said first end, said edge regions located opposite one another at said second end of said housing being interconnected to one another by said second connecting bridge, said second connecting bridge being formed integrally with said housing and extending over said exit slot. 
     
     
         10 . The roller blind arrangement according to  claim 6 , wherein said connecting bridge is formed as one-piece with said housing. 
     
     
         11 . The roller blind arrangement according to  claim 10 , wherein said connecting bridge is formed by a cut disposed in said housing transversely to the main extension direction, said connecting bridge extending from one of said folded edge regions in a direction transverse to the main extension direction and being separated from said one folded edge region by said cut. 
     
     
         12 . The roller blind arrangement according to  claim 11 , wherein said connecting bridge is a first connecting bridge and said cut is a first cut, said arrangement further including a second connecting bridge formed by a second cut disposed in said housing transversely to the main extension direction, said second connecting bridge extending from the other of said folded edge regions in a direction transverse to the main extension direction and being separated from said other folded edge region by said second cut, said first and second connecting bridges being fastened to one another to minimize torsion of said housing. 
     
     
         13 . The roller blind arrangement according to  claim 6 , wherein said connecting bridge is a first connecting bridge and said arrangement further includes a second connecting bridge formed integrally with said housing and extending over said exit slot, said connecting bridges being fastened to one another to minimize torsion of said housing. 
     
     
         14 . The roller blind arrangement according to  claim 13 , wherein said first and second connecting bridges are disposed in overlapping and superimposed relation with one another.