CN116065915A - Actuator assembly for a motor vehicle sliding closure panel cable operated drive system - Google Patents

Abstract

An actuator assembly for a motor vehicle sliding closure panel cable operated drive system is provided. The actuator assembly includes: a housing; a cable spool assembly operatively coupled to the motor vehicle sliding closure panel and supported in the housing for rotation about a cable spool axis; and a motor having a drive shaft configured to rotate about a drive shaft axis in response to energization of the motor. A motor drive shaft is operatively coupled to the cable drum assembly to rotate the cable drum assembly in response to rotation of the drive shaft to move the motor vehicle sliding closure panel between an open position and a closed position, wherein the drive shaft axis and the cable drum axis are coaxial.

Description

Actuator assembly for a motor vehicle sliding closure panel cable operated drive system

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to motor vehicle sliding closure panels, and more particularly, to power operated actuation systems for motor vehicle sliding closure panels.

Background

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure, which is not necessarily prior art.

In many motor vehicle closure panel assemblies, such as, for example, sliding door assemblies, the closure panel is configured for sliding or translational movement between an open position and a closed position via actuation of an actuator drive mechanism, also referred to as an actuator mechanism or actuator assembly, which is operatively coupled to a cable actuation mechanism. Generally, as shown in fig. 1, the actuator assembly 1 generally includes a motor 2, the motor 2 having an output shaft, such as a worm shaft 3, configured to be in meshing engagement with an output gear 4, wherein the output gear 4 is configured to drive a pulley 5 of a cable actuation mechanism. To obtain mechanical advantage, a planetary gear train 6 is typically incorporated in meshing engagement with the worm shaft 3 and the output gear 4. It is also known to incorporate a clutch assembly 7 between the worm shaft 3 and the output gear 4.

While actuator assemblies such as those discussed above with respect to actuator assembly 1 are generally useful for their intended purpose, these actuator assemblies are relatively large and occupy a significant amount of space, particularly if motor 2 and its output shaft 3 are axially offset relative to the rotational axis of clutch assembly 7 and pulley 5. This can be problematic from a design freedom and weight perspective, ultimately affecting fuel economy. This is particularly problematic in applications that do not have a significant amount of working space, such as sliding doors or other types of closure panels and sliding window applications.

In view of the foregoing, there is a need to provide an actuator assembly for a motor vehicle closure panel, such as a sliding door assembly, that is easy to assemble, efficient in operation, and at the same time compact, robust, durable, lightweight, and economical in manufacture, assembly, and use.

Disclosure of Invention

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not intended to comprehensively list all features, advantages, aspects, and objects associated with the inventive concepts described and illustrated in the detailed description provided herein.

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a cable operated actuator system for a motor vehicle closure panel assembly that solves at least some of the problems discussed above with respect to known cable operated drive systems.

It is another object of the present disclosure to provide an actuator assembly of a motor vehicle sliding closure panel cable operated actuator system that solves at least some of the problems discussed above with respect to known actuator assemblies.

In accordance with the above objects, an aspect of the present disclosure provides an actuator for a motor vehicle sliding closure panel that facilitates assembly of the closure panel, is efficient in operation, while being compact, strong, durable, lightweight, and economical in manufacture, assembly, and use.

According to another non-limiting aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a motor vehicle sliding closure panel having a cable operated actuator system constructed in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

Another non-limiting aspect of the present disclosure relates to an actuator assembly for a cable operated motor vehicle sliding closure panel constructed in accordance with one or more aspects of the present disclosure.

In accordance with the above aspects, an actuator assembly for a cable operated drive system for a sliding closure panel of a motor vehicle is provided. The actuator assembly includes: a housing; a cable spool assembly operatively coupled to the motor vehicle sliding closure panel and supported in the housing for rotation about a cable spool axis; and a motor having a drive shaft configured to rotate about a drive shaft axis in response to energization of the motor. The drive shaft is operatively coupled to the cable drum assembly such that the cable drum assembly rotates in response to rotation of the drive shaft, wherein the drive shaft axis and the cable drum axis are coaxial, thereby minimizing cross-vehicle width and packaging size of the actuator assembly, thereby increasing design freedom in incorporating the actuator assembly into a cable operated drive system of a motor vehicle.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the actuator assembly may include a gear train coupling the motor to the cable drum assembly, thereby increasing the torque applied to the cable drum assembly.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the motor may be provided as a brushless DC motor.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the gear train may be provided as a planetary gear train having an output shaft aligned in coaxial relationship with the drive shaft axis and the cable drum axis.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a cable spool assembly may be provided having a first cable spool and a second cable spool arranged to rotate relative to one another.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the cable spool assembly may include a drive shaft fixed for common rotation with an output shaft of the gear train, wherein the first and second cable spools are supported for rotation on the drive shaft.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the drive member may be fixed for common rotation with the drive shaft, wherein the drive member is operatively coupled to the first and second cable drums such that the first and second cable drums rotate in response to rotation of the drive shaft.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a first torsion spring may be disposed between the drive member and the first cable drum, and a second torsion spring may be disposed between the drive member and the second cable drum, wherein the first torsion spring and the second torsion spring transfer torque between the drive member and the first cable drum and the second cable drum.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the drive member may be provided with opposing faces having a plurality of drive features extending outwardly from each of the faces, and the first and second cable drums may be provided with a plurality of protrusions, wherein opposing ends of the first torsion spring may be configured for engagement with the drive features extending from the faces and the protrusions on the first cable drum, and opposing ends of the second torsion spring may be configured for engagement with the drive features extending from the faces and the protrusions on the second cable drum.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of constructing an actuator for a cable operated actuator system for a sliding closure panel of a motor vehicle is provided. The method comprises the following steps: providing a housing; supporting the cable reel assembly in the housing for rotation about the cable reel axis and operatively coupling the cable reel assembly to the motor vehicle sliding closure panel; and operatively coupling a drive shaft of the motor to the cable drum assembly to rotate the cable drum assembly in response to rotation of the drive shaft. Further, the drive shaft axis and the cable drum axis are aligned with each other in a coaxial relationship to minimize cross-vehicle width of the actuator assembly.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the method may further comprise: the motor is coupled to the cable drum assembly with a gear train, thereby increasing the input torque supplied from the motor to the cable drum assembly.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the method may further include providing the motor as a brushless dc motor.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the method may further include providing the gear train as a planetary gear train having an output shaft aligned in coaxial relationship with the drive shaft axis and the cable drum axis.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the method may further include providing a cable spool assembly having a first cable spool and a second cable spool arranged to rotate relative to each other.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the method may further comprise: the drive shaft is fixed for common rotation with the output shaft of the gear train and the first and second cable drums are supported on the drive shaft for rotation.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the method may further comprise: the drive member is fixed for common rotation with the drive shaft and is operatively coupled to the first and second cable drums such that the first and second cable drums rotate in response to rotation of the drive shaft.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the method may further comprise: a first torsion spring is disposed between the drive member and the first cable spool to couple the drive member to the first cable spool, and a second torsion spring is disposed between the drive member and the second cable spool to couple the drive member to the first cable spool.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the method may further comprise: a drive member is provided having opposed faces with a plurality of drive features extending outwardly from each of the faces, and first and second cable drums are provided having a plurality of protrusions. Further, an opposite end of the first torsion spring is configured for engagement with a drive feature extending from one of the faces and a projection on the first cable spool, and an opposite end of the second torsion spring is configured for engagement with a drive feature extending from the other of the faces and a projection on the second cable spool.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended to be merely illustrative of certain non-limiting embodiments that are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

Drawings

These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an actuator assembly for sliding a motor vehicle closure panel between an open position and a closed position according to the prior art;

FIG. 2 illustrates a motor vehicle having a sliding door assembly including a cable operated sliding door actuator system having an actuator assembly according to an aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the sliding door assembly is shown in a closed state;

FIG. 2A is a view similar to FIG. 2, with the sliding door assembly shown in an open state;

FIG. 2B is a partial perspective view of the interior portion of the motor vehicle and sliding door assembly of FIGS. 2 and 2A;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a portion of a cable assembly extending outwardly from a housing of the actuator assembly of the sliding door assembly of FIGS. 2 and 2A;

FIG. 3A is an exploded view of the actuator assembly of FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the motor, clutch and cable spool assembly of the actuator assembly of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a method of constructing an actuator assembly for a cable operated sliding door actuator system in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; and

fig. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of the motor, clutch and cable spool assembly of the actuator assembly of fig. 4.

Detailed Description

Example embodiments of a motor vehicle sliding closure panel and cable operated drive mechanism having a compact dual spool actuator therefor will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. To this end, example embodiments of a compact dual spool actuator and a cable operated drive mechanism having the same are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and fully convey the intended scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. Therefore, numerous specific details are set forth, such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, in order to provide a thorough understanding of particular embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the example embodiments may be embodied in many different forms without the use of specific details, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In some portions of the example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known techniques have not been described in detail.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprises," "comprising," "including," and "having" are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. Unless explicitly identified as an order of execution, the method steps, processes, and operations described herein should not be construed as necessarily requiring their execution in the particular order discussed or illustrated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

When an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "engaged to," "connected to" or "coupled to" another element or layer, it can be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements (e.g., "between … …" and "directly between … …", "adjacent" and "directly adjacent", etc.) should be interpreted in the same manner. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. No order or sequence is implied by the use of terms such as "first," "second," and other numerical terms herein unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.

Spatially relative terms, such as "inner," "outer," "lower," "upper," "top," "bottom," and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element or feature as illustrated. In addition to the orientations depicted in the drawings, the spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the example term "below" may encompass both an orientation of above and below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated through an angle or in other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

Referring to fig. 2-2B, which illustrate a portion of the motor vehicle 10 including a sliding closure panel assembly, by way of example and not limitation, the sliding closure panel assembly is illustrated as a sliding door 12, the sliding door 12 having a cable operated actuator system, also referred to as a sliding door actuator system and generally indicated at 14 (fig. 2B), which includes a compact dual spool actuator, hereinafter referred to as actuator assembly 15 (fig. 3 and 3A), constructed in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure. The sliding door actuator system 14 is mounted to the motor vehicle 10, such as by way of example and not limitation, to a rear side panel of the motor vehicle 10 via a mounting bracket 16, and the sliding door actuator system 14 is operatively connected to the sliding door 12 for selective (hereinafter intended to be actuated or moved intentionally) movement between a closed condition (fig. 2) and an open condition (fig. 2A). The sliding door actuator system 14 includes a motor 18, by way of example and not limitation, the motor 18 being, for example, a brushless direct current (BLDC) electric motor, hereinafter referred to as an electric motor 18, that is electrically connected to a source of electrical energy via an electrical connector 20. It is contemplated that motor 18 may use electrical energy provided by a source including a vehicle battery or by a generator commonly found in motor vehicles, as an example and not by way of limitation.

The actuator assembly 15 of the sliding door actuator system 14 includes a housing 21, the housing 21 being shown having opposite upper and lower halves 21a, 21b, the upper and lower halves 21a, 21b being configured to be secured to one another, the housing 21 being configured for receiving a cable drum assembly 22 (fig. 3A and 4) in the housing 21, wherein the cable drum assembly 22 includes a pair of cable drums, namely a first cable drum 22a and a second cable drum 22b, the first cable drum 22a having a helical groove 24a, a portion of the cable assembly including a first cable 26 wound about the helical groove 24a, the second cable drum 22b having a helical groove 24b, and another portion of the cable assembly including a second cable 28 wound about the helical groove 24 b. As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the disclosure herein, by way of example and not limitation, the first and second cables 26, 28 are wrapped around the respective first and second cable drums 22a, 22b in opposite directions in the respective helical grooves 24a, 24 b.

Referring to fig. 2B, the first cable 26 has an end secured to the first cable drum 22a, such as within a first receptacle (indicated at 30 in fig. 4) of the first cable drum 22a, and the first cable 26 extends from the first cable drum 22a in a generally tangential relationship through the first cable port P1 (fig. 3) and forwardly about the front pulley 32 in the direction of the first axis A1, after which the first cable 26 is redirected back toward the sliding door 12 and into a coupled relationship with the sliding door 12. The second cable 28 has an end secured to the first cable spool 22b, such as within the second receiving portion 34 of the second cable spool 22b, and the second cable 28 extends from the second cable spool 22b in a generally tangential relationship through the second cable port P2, rearward about the rear pulley 36 in the direction of the second longitudinal axis A2, after which the second cable 28 is redirected back toward the sliding door 12 and into a coupled relationship with the sliding door 12. The first and second cables 26, 28 each have respective ends 38, 40 fixedly secured to a central hinge, also referred to as a mounting member or sliding member 42, by way of example and not limitation, fixedly secured to the sliding door 12. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the disclosure herein, rotation of the cable spool assembly 22 in response to energization of the motor 18 winds one of the first and second cables 26, 28 and simultaneously unwinds the other of the first and second cables 26, 28. Thus, the first cable 26 is configured to be wound around the first cable drum 22a in response to the first cable drum 22a rotating in a first direction and unwound from the first cable drum 22a in response to the first cable drum 22a rotating in a second, opposite direction, and the second cable 28 is configured to be wound around the second cable drum 22b in response to the second cable drum 22b rotating in a second direction and unwound from the second cable drum 22b in response to the second cable drum 22b rotating in the first direction.

The sliding member 42 includes front and rear cable terminals 44, 46 for securing the respective first and second ends 38, 40 of the first and second cables 26, 28 to the sliding member 42. If desired, the front and rear cable terminals 44, 46 may include respective front and rear cable tensioners 48, 50; however, the front cable tensioner 48 and the rear cable tensioner 50 are optional due to further features of the cable drum assembly 22 discussed below.

Referring to fig. 2B, a position sensor, indicated generally at 52, may be mounted to the cable drum housing 21 for indicating the rotational position of the cable drum 22. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, the position sensor 52 is a very high resolution position sensor and may be provided to include a sensor that senses the orientation of a magnet (not shown) fixedly secured to the cable drum assembly 22 for rotation with the cable drum assembly 22.

Referring to fig. 3A and 4, in addition to the first and second cable reels 22a, 22b, the cable reel assembly 22 includes: a drive shaft 54, the drive shaft 54 configured to be operably coupled to the motor 18 for driven rotation about a cable spool axis 55, the first and second cable spools 22a, 22b rotating about the cable spool axis 55 in response to energization of the motor 18; a drive member 56, the drive member 56 being fixed for common rotation with the drive shaft 54; and a pair of coupling members, shown as a first torsion spring 58a and a second torsion spring 58b, disposed on opposite sides of the drive member 56 about the drive shaft 54, wherein the torsion springs 58a, 58b are configured to drivingly couple the drive member 56 with the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b, respectively. The drive shaft 54 is supported via bearings 57 adjacent opposite ends of the drive shaft 54, wherein the bearings 57 are supported within the housing 21 with appropriately sized bearing pockets or bearing seats. The first and second cable drums 22a, 22b are supported on the drive shaft 54 with a slight clearance fit to allow controlled relative rotation between the drive shaft 54 and the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b, which is desirable to allow tension adjustment during assembly and during use, thereby eliminating the need for the optional front and rear tensioners 48, 50. The drive member 56 is shown as annular and is generally disc-shaped or plate-shaped with opposed planar faces 60a, 60 b. By way of example and not limitation, a drive feature, shown as a drive cog, also referred to as ears 62, extends laterally outwardly from the faces 60a, 60b, the drive feature being shown as a pair of diametrically opposed ears 62 extending from each face 60a, 60 b. The drive member 56 may be formed as a unitary piece of material with the drive shaft 54 or as a piece of material separate from the drive shaft 54 and then secured to the drive shaft 54, such as via a welded joint, fastener member, adhesive, or otherwise.

By way of example and not limitation, the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b each have at least one driven member, shown as a plurality of driven cogs, also referred to as protrusions 64, extending laterally from end faces 66a, 66b of the first and second cable drums 22a, 22 b. The tab 64 is configured to interdigitate with the ear 62 of the drive member 56 such that relative rotation may occur between the drive member 56 and the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b until the ear 62 confronts or engages the tab 64, at which point the relative rotation ceases and co-rotation occurs.

Torsion springs 58a, 58b are arranged to extend around the drive shaft 54 between the drive member 56 and the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b, respectively. The torsion springs 58a, 58b each have a pair of opposite ends 68 disposed in abutment with the ears 62 and tabs 64, preferably creating at least a slight biasing force on the ears 62 and tabs 64. By way of example and not limitation, the end 68 is shown extending radially outwardly from the cylindrical coiled body 69 of the torsion springs 58a, 58 b.

By way of example and not limitation, motor 18 is shown coupled to drive shaft 54 through a gear train 70, such as a planetary gear train. The motor 18 has a motor shaft 72, also referred to as a drive shaft or output shaft, by way of example and not limitation, the motor shaft 72 being configured for rotation about a drive shaft axis 73 to drive a gear, such as a sun gear (not shown), and the gear train 70 has an output shaft 74 configured to be fixed to the drive shaft 54 for rotation about the drive shaft axis 73. As will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the disclosure herein, the gear train 70 provides torque multiplication and speed reduction to the drive shaft 54 at the output shaft 74, thereby optimizing the output performance of the motor 18 and thus allowing the size of the motor 18 to be minimized. The motor shaft 72 and gear train shaft 74 are coaxially aligned with the drive shaft 54 and the cable drum axis 55 such that the cable drum axis 55 and the drive axis 73 are coaxial, thus minimizing the cross-vehicle packaging size of the actuator assembly 15 while maintaining a high level of efficiency for the reduced size motor 18 due at least in part to the gear train 70 and torque multiplication provided by the gear train 70.

In use, when the motor 18 is energized on command to open or close the sliding door 12, the motor shaft 72 drives the gear train 70, resulting in torque multiplication and increased torque output via the output shaft 74 of the gear train 70. When the output shaft 74 is fixed to the drive shaft 54, the drive shaft 54 is caused to co-rotate with the output shaft 74, whereby the drive member 56 rotates to impart rotation to the first and second cable drums 22a, 22 b. When the drive member 56 rotates, the torsion springs 58a, 58b rotate the first spool 22a and the second spool 22 b. If sufficient torque is applied to the drive member 56 to cause sufficient radial expansion or radial compression of the torsion springs 58a, 58b, the ears 62 of the drive member 56 may engage the tabs 64 of the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b to cause a desired rotation of the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b in one of the opening or closing directions. Thus, those skilled in the art will appreciate that a lost motion drive connection is provided between the drive member 56 and the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b such that the torsion springs 58a, 58b can be provided with the required spring force to provide relative movement between the drive member 56 and the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b at a specified torque input from the motor 18.

Referring now to fig. 6, a cross-sectional view of the assembly shown in fig. 4 is illustrated showing the drive shaft 54 coupled 77 with the drive shaft 72 of the motor shaft and at least one of the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b, but in fig. 6 both the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b are configured to receive the drive shaft 54 within the central bore 99 of the first cable drum 22a and the central bore 101 of the second cable drum 22 b. Although the drive shaft 54 is shown as being disposed overlapping one of the cable drums 22a, 22b and surrounded by one of the cable drums 22a, 22b, for example, other types of shafts may be disposed with the cable drums 22a, 22b such that, for example, the drive shaft 74 may be received entirely or partially within a central bore of one of the cable drums 22a, 22b, or the drive shaft 72 may be received entirely or partially within a central bore of one of the cable drums 22a, 22 b.

According to another aspect, as illustrated in fig. 5, a method 1000 of constructing an actuator assembly 15 for an actuator system 14 of a motor vehicle sliding closure panel 12 is provided. The method includes step 1100, step 1100 is: providing a housing 21; supporting the cable spool assembly 22 in the housing 21 for rotation about the cable spool axis 55 and operatively coupling the cable spool assembly 22 to the motor vehicle sliding closure panel 12; and operatively coupling the drive shaft 72 of the motor 18 to the cable spool assembly 22 to rotate the cable spool assembly 22 in response to rotation of the drive shaft 72 and to align the drive shaft axis 73 and the cable spool axis 55 with each other in a coaxial relationship.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the method 1000 may further include step 1200, step 1200 being coupling the motor 18 to the cable drum assembly 22 with the gear train 70.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the method 1000 may further include a step 1300, the step 1300 being to set the motor 18 as a brushless dc motor.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the method 1000 may further include step 1400, step 1400 being to provide the gear train 70 as a planetary gear train.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the method 1000 may further include a step 1500, the step 1500 being providing a cable spool assembly 22 having a first cable spool 22a and a second cable spool 22b arranged to rotate relative to each other.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the method 1000 may further include a step 1600 of securing the drive shaft 54 for common rotation with the output shaft 74 of the gear train 70 and supporting the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b on the drive shaft 54 for rotation.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the method 1000 may further include a step 1700 of securing the drive member 56 for common rotation with the drive shaft 54 and operably coupling the drive member 56 to the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b such that the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b rotate in response to rotation of the drive shaft 54.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the method 1000 may further include a step 1800 of disposing the first torsion spring 58a between the drive member 56 and the first cable spool 22a to operably couple the drive member 56 to the first cable spool 22a, and disposing the second torsion spring 58b between the drive member 56 and the second cable spool 22b to operably couple the drive member 56 to the first cable spool 22a.

Referring back to fig. 3 and 3A, there is shown an actuator assembly 15 for a cable operated drive system 14 of a motor vehicle sliding closure panel 12, the actuator assembly 15 comprising: a housing 21; a cable drum assembly 22, the cable drum assembly 22 being operatively coupled to the motor vehicle sliding closure panel 12 and supported in the housing for rotation about a cable drum axis 55; and a motor 28, the motor 28 having a drive shaft 72 configured to rotate about a drive shaft axis 73 in response to energization of the motor 18, the drive shaft 72 being operatively coupled to the cable spool assembly 22 such that the cable spool assembly rotates in response to rotation of the drive shaft 72, the drive shaft axis 73 and the cable spool axis being coaxial. Thus, the motor 18 and the cable drum assembly 22 are provided in a stacked arrangement extending along the longitudinal axis LA of the actuator assembly 15. Thus, the drive shaft axis 73 and the cable drive axis 55 are arranged coaxially or concentric with each other when viewed from a top perspective of the actuator assembly 15.

A drive shaft 54 is operatively coupled to the motor 18, wherein the first and second cable drums are supported for rotation on the drive shaft. The drive shaft 54 is shown as being configured to extend within the first and second cable drums for providing a compact overlapping arrangement to reduce the longitudinal height of the actuator assembly 15. A drive member 56 is fixed for common rotation with the drive shaft, the drive member being operatively coupled to the first and second cable drums such that the first and second drums rotate in response to rotation of the drive shaft. The drive shaft 54 is operably coupled with the motor shaft, wherein at least one of the first and second cable drums is configured to receive the drive shaft within the central bores of the first and second cable drums. The drive shaft 54 provided extending from one side of the driven member is an example of a coupling that connects the motor 18 to the drive member 56. This configuration allows the drive members to be positioned on opposite sides of the first cable drum to allow the drive members to be positioned between the first cable drum and the second cable drum in a stacked configuration. A first torsion spring 58a is provided between the drive member and the first cable drum, and a second torsion spring 58 is provided between the drive member and the second cable drum. The torsion spring is configured to bias the cable spool to provide tension in the cable. The torsion spring may first be compressed in response to rotation of the drive member before the drive member causes rotation of the cable drum. Thus, the motor 18 and the first and second drums may be arranged in a stacked arrangement extending along the longitudinal axis LA of the actuator assembly 15. Referring to fig. 3A, the stacked arrangement of actuator assemblies 15 may include an arrangement of components disposed adjacent to one another that extend along the longitudinal axis in the following order: the first cable drum 22a may be disposed adjacent to the motor, the driven member may be positioned between the first cable drum 22a and the second cable drum to reduce the radial extent of the actuator 15, and the drive shaft 54 and springs 58a, 58b may be disposed in a nested configuration with the cable drums 22a, 22b to reduce the height of the actuator assembly along the longitudinal axis LA.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the method 1000 may further include step 1900, step 1900 being: providing a drive member 56 having opposed faces 60a, 60b, the faces 60a, 60b having a plurality of drive features 62 extending outwardly from each of the faces 60a, 60b, and providing a first cable spool 22a having a plurality of projections 64 and providing a second cable spool 22b having a plurality of projections 64; and configuring an opposite end 68 of the first torsion spring 58a for engagement with the drive feature 62 extending from the face 60a and the projection 64 on the first cable drum 22a, and configuring an opposite end 68 of the second torsion spring 58b for engagement with the drive feature 62 extending from the face 60b and the projection 64 on the second cable drum 22 a.

While the above description constitutes a number of embodiments of the present invention, it will be appreciated that the present invention is susceptible to further modifications and variations without departing from the fair meaning of the accompanying claims.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing description is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. The individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in selected embodiments, even if not specifically shown or described. The individual elements or features of a particular embodiment may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.

Embodiments of the present invention may be understood with reference to the following numbered paragraphs:

1. an actuator assembly 15 for a cable operated drive system 14 of a motor vehicle sliding closure panel 12, the actuator assembly 15 comprising:

a housing 21;

a cable drum assembly 22, said cable drum assembly 22 being operatively coupled to said motor vehicle sliding closure panel 12 and supported in said housing 21 for rotation about a cable drum axis 55; and

a motor 18, the motor 18 having a drive shaft 72 configured to rotate about a drive shaft axis 73 in response to energization of the motor 18, the drive shaft 72 being operatively coupled to the cable spool assembly 22 such that the cable spool assembly 22 rotates in response to rotation of the drive shaft 72, the drive shaft axis 73 and the cable spool axis 55 being coaxial.

2. The actuator assembly of paragraph 1, further comprising a gear train 70 coupling the motor 18 to the cable drum assembly 22.

3. The actuator assembly of paragraph 2, wherein the motor 18 is a brushless dc motor.

4. The actuator assembly of paragraph 2, wherein the gear train 70 is a planetary gear train having an output shaft 74 aligned in coaxial relationship with the drive shaft axis 73 and the cable spool axis 55.

5. The actuator assembly of paragraph 2, wherein the cable spool assembly 22 has a first cable spool 22a and a second cable spool 22b arranged to rotate relative to one another.

6. The actuator assembly of paragraph 5, further comprising a drive shaft 54, the drive shaft 54 being fixed for common rotation with an output shaft 74 of the gear train 70, the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b being supported for rotation on the drive shaft 54.

7. The actuator assembly of paragraph 6, further comprising a drive member 56, the drive member 56 being fixed for common rotation with the drive shaft 54, the drive member 56 being operatively coupled to the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b such that the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b rotate in response to rotation of the drive shaft 54.

8. The actuator assembly of paragraph 7, further comprising a first torsion spring 58a and a second torsion spring 58b, the first torsion spring 58a being disposed between the drive member 56 and the first cable spool 22a, the second torsion spring 58b being disposed between the drive member 56 and the second cable spool 22b.

9. The actuator assembly of paragraph 8, wherein the drive member 56 has opposite faces 60a, 60b, the faces 60a, 60b having a plurality of drive features 62 extending outwardly from each of the faces 60a, 60b, the first cable spool 22a having a plurality of projections 64 and the second cable spool 22b having a plurality of projections 64, the first torsion spring 58a having opposite ends 68 configured for engagement with the drive features 62 extending from the face 60a and the projections 64 on the first cable spool 22a, and the second torsion spring 58b having opposite ends 68 configured for engagement with the drive features 62 extending from the face 60b and the projections 64 on the second cable spool 22 a.

10. An actuator assembly 15 for a cable operated drive mechanism 14 for a motor vehicle sliding closure panel 12, substantially as described and illustrated.

11. The actuator assembly of paragraph 1, further comprising a drive shaft 54, the drive shaft 54 coupled with a drive shaft 72 of the motor shaft, wherein at least one of the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b is configured to receive the drive shaft 54 within a central bore of the first and second cable drums 22a, 22 b.

12. A method of constructing an actuator 15 for a cable operated actuator system 14 of a motor vehicle sliding closure panel 12, comprising:

providing a housing 21;

supporting a cable spool assembly 22 in the housing 21 for rotation about a cable spool axis 55 and operatively coupling the cable spool assembly 22 to the motor vehicle sliding closure panel 12; and

a drive shaft 72 of the motor 18 is operatively coupled to the cable drum assembly 22 to rotate the cable drum assembly 22 in response to rotation of the drive shaft 72 and to align a drive shaft axis 73 and the cable drum axis 55 with each other in a coaxial relationship.

13. The method of paragraph 12, further comprising coupling the motor 18 to the cable spool assembly 22 with a gear train 70.

14. The method of paragraph 12 or 13, further comprising providing the motor 18 as a brushless dc motor.

15. The method of paragraph 13, further comprising providing the gear train 70 as a planetary gear train.

16. The method of paragraph 13, further comprising providing the cable spool assembly 22 with a first cable spool 22a and a second cable spool 22b arranged to rotate relative to each other.

17. The method of paragraph 16, further comprising: the drive shaft 54 is fixed for common rotation with the output shaft 74 of the gear train 70 and the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b are supported on the drive shaft 54 for rotation.

18. The method of paragraph 17, further comprising: a drive member 56 is fixed for common rotation with the drive shaft 54 and the drive member 56 is operatively coupled to the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b such that the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b rotate in response to rotation of the drive shaft 54.

19. The method of paragraph 18, further comprising: a first torsion spring 58a is disposed between the drive member 56 and the first cable spool 22a to operably couple the drive member 56 to the first cable spool 22a, and a second torsion spring 58b is disposed between the drive member 56 and the second cable spool 22b to operably couple the drive member 56 to the first cable spool 22a.

20. The method of paragraph 19, further comprising: providing the drive member 56 with opposed faces 60a, 60b, the faces 60a, 60b having a plurality of drive features 62 extending outwardly from each of the faces 60a, 60b, and providing a first cable spool 22a with a plurality of projections 64 and providing a second cable spool 22b with a plurality of projections 64; and configuring an opposite end 68 of the first torsion spring 58a for engagement with the drive feature 62 extending from the face 60a and the tab 64 on the first cable spool 22a, and configuring an opposite end 68 of the second torsion spring 58b for engagement with the drive feature 62 extending from the face 60b and the tab 64 on the second cable spool 22a.

21. The method of paragraph 12, further comprising: the drive shaft 54 is coupled with a motor drive shaft 72 and at least one of the first and second cable drums 22a, 22b is configured to receive the drive shaft 54 through the central apertures of the first and second cable drums 22a, 22 b.

22. A method of constructing an actuator assembly 15 for a direct drive cable operated actuator system 14 for a motor vehicle sliding closure panel 12, substantially as described and illustrated.

Claims (12)

1. An actuator assembly (15) for a cable operated drive system (14) of a motor vehicle sliding closure panel (12), the actuator assembly (15) comprising:

a housing (21);

a cable drum assembly (22), the cable drum assembly (22) being operatively coupled to the motor vehicle sliding closure panel (12) and supported in the housing for rotation about a cable drum axis (55); and

a motor (28), the motor (28) having a drive shaft (72) configured to rotate about a drive shaft axis (73) in response to energization of the motor (18), the drive shaft (72) being operatively coupled to the cable spool assembly (22) such that the cable spool assembly rotates in response to rotation of the drive shaft (72), the drive shaft axis (73) and the cable spool axis being coaxial.

2. The actuator assembly of claim 1, further comprising a drive shaft (54), the drive shaft (54) being operably coupled to the motor, the first and second cable drums being supported on the drive shaft for rotation.

3. The actuator assembly of claim 2, further comprising a drive member (56), the drive member (56) fixed for common rotation with the drive shaft, the drive member operatively coupled to the first and second cable drums to rotate the first and second cable drums in response to rotation of the drive shaft.

4. The actuator of claim 2, further comprising a first torsion spring (58 a) and a second torsion spring (58), the first torsion spring (58 a) being disposed between the drive member and the first cable spool, the second torsion spring (58) being disposed between the drive member and the second cable spool.

5. The actuator of claim 1, further comprising a drive shaft (54), the drive shaft (54) coupled with the motor shaft, wherein at least one of the first and second cable drums is configured to receive the drive shaft within central bores of the first and second cable drums.

6. An actuator assembly (15) for a cable operated drive system (14) of a motor vehicle sliding closure panel (12), the actuator assembly (15) comprising:

a housing (21);

a cable drum assembly (22), the cable drum assembly (22) being operatively coupled to the motor vehicle sliding closure panel (12) and supported in the housing for rotation about a cable drum axis (55), the cable drum assembly having first and second cable drums each coaxially aligned about the cable drum axis; and

-a motor (28), the motor (28) having a drive shaft (72) extending coaxially with the cable drum axis;

a drive member (56), the drive member (56) being operatively connected with the first and second cable drums, the drive member being configured to rotate about an axis of rotation in response to energization of the motor (18);

wherein the motor, the first and second cable drums and the drive member are provided in a stacked arrangement extending along a longitudinal axis of the actuator assembly.

7. The actuator assembly of claim 6, wherein the stacked configuration comprises: the motor is provided positioned below the first cable drum and the drive member is provided positioned between the first cable drum and the second cable drum.

8. The actuator assembly of claim 7, wherein the first cable driver includes a central bore for receiving a coupling operably connecting the motor to the drive member.

9. The actuator assembly of claim 8, wherein the coupling comprises a drive shaft extending from the drive member.

10. The actuator of claim 6, further comprising a first spring coupling the drive member to the first cable spool and a second spring coupling the drive member to the second cable spool.

11. The actuator of claim 10, wherein the first cable drum is adapted to receive the first spring and the second cable drum is adapted to receive the second spring.

12. The actuator of claim 7, wherein the first and second springs are configured to compress in response to rotation in response to energization of the motor (18) before the first and second cable drums are driven by the motor.

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