EA000609B1 - A window regulator, in particularly for vehicle windows - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A window regulator, particularly for vehicle windows, of the type comprising: - a translation unit (18) which comprises a fixed track (20) extending in the direction of movement of the pane (16) and a slide (22) slidable along the track and supporting the pane, a drive unit (24) which comprises a fixed housing (26), a drum (28) rotatable in the housing, and means (30) for rotating the drum, and - a transmission comprising a pair of flexible sheaths (32, 34) each having a first end (36, 38) anchored to the housing (26) and a second end (40, 42) associated with the translation unit (18), and a cable (46, 48) slidable in both of the sheaths (32, 34), extending around the drum (28), and having two opposite ends associated with the translation unit, characterized in that: - the second ends of the sheaths (32, 34) are anchored to the slide (22), - the slide (22) has a pair of internal ducts (50, 52) for guiding the cable (46, 48), the ducts extending between inlet openings to which the second ends (40, 42) of the sheaths (32, 34) are anchored, respectively, and respective opposed outlets facing towards respective opposite ends of the track (20), and - the two opposite ends of the cable (46, 48) are anchored to the respective ends of the track (20) so that respective portions (46a, 48a) of the cable disposed between the respective outlets and the respective ends of the track extend parallel to the track. 2. A window regulator according to Claim 1, characterized in that (Figure 3) the two ducts (50, 52) cross over inside the slide (22) without intersecting, one (50) of the ducts extending along a curved path from an inlet opening which is situated in an upper corner region of the slide (22) on the side facing the drive unit (24) and which has an axis converging downwardly with the track (20), to an outlet situated in a lower end of the slide (22) and facing towards the lower end of the track (20), and the other duct (52) extending along a curved path from an inlet opening which is situated in a lower corner region of the slide (22) on the side facing the drive unit (24) and which has an axis converging upwardly with the track (20), to an outlet situated in an upper end of the slide (22) and facing towards the upper end of the track (20). 3. A window regulator according to Claim 1, characterized in that (Figure 4), one (50) of the ducts inside the slide (22) extends along a curved path with a deflection substantially through 90 degree from an upper inlet opening which is situated on a side of the slide (22) facing the drive unit (24) and which has an axis substantially perpendicular to the track (20), to an outlet situated in an upper end of the slide (22) and facing the upper end of the track (20), and the other duct (52) inside the slide (22) extends along a curved path with a deflection substantially through 90 degree from a lower inlet opening situated on the same aforementioned side of the slide (22) and having an axis substantially perpendicular to the track (20), to an outlet situated in a lower end of the slide (22) and facing towards the lower end of the track (20). 4. A window regulator according to Claim l, characterized in that (Figure 5), the two ducts (50, 52) cross over inside the slide (22) without intersecting, one (50) of the ducts extending along a curved path from an upper inlet opening which is situated on a side of the slide (22) facing the drive unit (24) and which has an axis substantially perpendicular to the track (20), to an outlet situated in an upper end of the slide (22) and facing towards the upper end of the track (20), and the other duct (52) extending along a curved path from a lower inlet opening which is situated on a side of the slide (22) facing the drive unit (24) and which has an axis substantially perpendicular to the track, to an outlet situated in an upper end of the slide (22) and facing the lower end of the track (20). 5. A window regulator according to Claim l, characterized in that (Figure 6) the two internal ducts (50, 52) of the slide (22) cross over inside the slide (22) without intersecting and in that one (50) of the ducts inside the slide extends along a curved path from an inlet opening which is situated on a side of the slide facing the drive unit (24) and which has an axis substantially perpendicular to the track (20), to an outlet situated in one end of the slide and facing a corresponding end of the track (20), and the other duct (52) extends along a straight path, parallel to the track, from an inlet opening situated in an opposite end of the slide (22) to the aforementioned end, to an outlet situated at the other end. 6. A window regulator according to Claim 5, characterized in that (Figure 6) the duct (50) which follows the curved path has an outlet situated at a lower end of the slide (22) and facing the lower end of the track (20) and the inlet opening of the straight duct (52) is in this lower end. 7. A window regulator according to Claim 1, characterized in that the two ducts inside the slide extend along straight paths parallel to one another and parallel to the track, one from an inlet opening situated in an upper end of the slide to an outlet facing the lower end of the track and the other from an inlet opening situated in a lower end of the slide to an outlet facing the upper end of the track. 8. A window regulator according to any one of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the slide is constituted by a pair of coupled half-shells in each of which there are recesses which jointly define the two ducts.

Description

The present invention relates to a window regulator, in particular, for automobile windows, comprising:

- the moving unit, equipped with a fixed guide, passing in the direction of the glass, and a carriage, sliding along the guide and supporting the glass,

- a drive unit equipped with a fixed housing, a drum rotating in the housing and means for rotating the drum, and

- transmission, equipped with a pair of flexible shells, each of which has a first end attached to the housing and a second end connected to the moving unit and a cable sliding in both shells, passing around the drum and having two opposite ends connected to the moving unit.

The closest known analogue is represented by a window regulator, in which the second ends of the flexible shells are attached to brackets attached to the respective upper and lower ends of the guide. Both cables that extend from these ends of the shells are oriented along guide pulleys or similar guide elements and extend within the movement of the carriage to which they are attached.

These known devices are quite expensive in production due to the presence of brackets, pulleys, etc., and the axles on which the pulleys rotate. In addition to the cost of manufacturing and assembling these parts, there are also costs for welding the brackets to the ends of the rail.

The objective of the invention is to create such a window regulator, which, having the functional advantages of the known devices of a similar category, is less expensive due to the absence of brackets and pulleys or similar guide elements.

According to the present invention, this problem is solved in the window regulator of the specified type due to the fact that:

- the second ends of the shells are attached to the carriage,

- the carriage has a pair of internal channels for guiding the cable, with the channels extending between the inlet openings to which the second ends of the shells are attached, respectively, and the corresponding opposite outlet openings facing the respective opposite ends of the guide, and

- two opposite ends of the cable are attached to the respective ends of the guide so that the corresponding parts of the cable, located between the corresponding outlets and the corresponding ends of the guide, are parallel to the guide.

The concept on which the invention is based, rejects the usual principle of operation of window lifters, according to which the two opposing branches of the cable slide relatively flexible shells; According to the invention, in addition to performing the known function of supporting glass, the carriage also performs the function of deflecting forces in two branches of the cable in the direction of the axis of movement of the glass, which is usually performed with pulleys or similar guide elements located at the ends of the guide along which the carriage slides.

This device is made possible by the flexibility of the shells, the ends of which, remote from the drive unit, follow the carriage as it moves up and down.

Due to the flexibility of the shells in this device, there are no strict limitations regarding the length of the guide and its distance from the drive unit, and thus the same window raiser is suitable for installation on different car models without modification.

Due to the elimination of brackets, pulleys, etc., the device according to the invention also has the advantage of lighter weight compared with the known window lifters of the same type.

The invention was developed for use in automobile doors, but it can be applied in other areas, both for vehicles in general and, for example, for doors and windows of buildings.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clearer when reading the following detailed description given with reference to the accompanying drawings, which represent a non-limiting example, in which:

in fig. 1 is a schematic vertical view of a car door showing a window lifter arrangement therein according to a first embodiment of the invention;

in fig. 2 is a part of the device shown in FIG. 1, which contains the guide and the corresponding carriage on an enlarged scale;

in fig. 3 is a view showing, among other things, the carriage shown in FIG. 2, with a partial section and part of the guide on an even larger scale; and in FIG. 4, 5 and 6 are views similar to those shown in FIG. 3, showing three other embodiments of the invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a car door comprises a sheet metal body 10, with an upper part having an opening and being a frame 1 2 of a window, and a lower compartment 1 4.

The window glass 16 is mounted in the housing 10 with a possibility of sliding between the raised position in which it is located in the frame 12 and the position in which it is, at least partially, lowered into the compartment 14.

The moving unit 18 is fixed in the compartment 1 4 to move the glass 1 6 up and down.

The moving unit 1 8 comprises a fixed guide 20 extending in the direction of movement of the glass 1 6, and a carriage 22 sliding along the guide 20 and supporting glass 16 in its lower middle zone.

The drive unit 24 is also fixed in the compartment 14 and in a known manner comprises a stationary case 26, a drum 28 rotating in the case 26, and means for rotating the drum 28, in the proposed embodiment, the gear motor 30.

The transfer unit 1 8 and the drive unit 24 are connected by a gear that contains a pair of flexible shells 32, 34.

The first end 36 and 38, respectively, of each flexible shell is attached to the housing 26; The second end 32 or 34, respectively, of each shell, ending with a corresponding end portion 40, 42, respectively, is connected to a moving assembly 1 8 and, according to the invention, is attached to the carriage 22, as shown in FIG. 2 and 3.

As shown in FIG. 2 and 3, the carriage 22, installed in a known manner for sliding along the guide 20, is a block, preferably of durable low-friction plastic, such as polyamide or polytetrafluoroethylene.

The block constituting the carriage 22 preferably consists of a pair of mating halves of the housing, in each of which recesses are made, together forming two channels, which will be mentioned below.

The finger 44, made as a unit with the unit or with one of its parts, acts as a support for the glass 1 6 shown in FIG. one .

The transmission contains, in addition to the flexible shells 32, 34, a cable sliding in both shells, passing in a known manner around the drum 28 shown in FIG. 1, and having two opposite ends connected with the displacing unit 1 8 as described above.

Two opposite branches of the cable, which depart from the drum, are designated by numbers 46 and 48, respectively.

According to the invention, the carriage 22 has a pair of internal channels for guiding two branches 46, 48 of the cable. These channels extend between the inlet openings, to which end leads 40, 42 of the shells 34, 32, respectively, are attached, and the corresponding opposite outlet openings facing the opposite ends of the guide 20.

The two opposite ends of the cable are attached to the respective ends of the guide 20 with the help of the corresponding terminal terminals 54, 56. The two opposite branches of the cable thus have corresponding parts 46a and 48a, respectively, which run parallel to the guide 20 from the outlet of the corresponding channel 50, 52.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3, two channels 50, 52 intersect inside the carriage 22 without mutual contact. One of these channels 50, passes through a curved line from the inlet, located in the upper corner of the carriage 22 on the side facing the drive unit. This inlet has an axis that converges downward from the guide 20. The channel 50 ends with an outlet located in the lower zone of the carriage 22 and facing the lower end of the guide 20.

The outer end 52 also extends along a curved line from the inlet, located in the lower corner of the carriage 22, on the side facing the drive unit 24 (FIG. 1). The axis of this inlet converges upwards with the guide 20. Channel 52 ends with an outlet located in the upper zone of the carriage 22 and facing the upper end of the guide 20.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the invention, according to which the channels located inside the carriage do not intersect.

For ease of understanding, parts that are identical to those shown in FIG. 3 are indicated in FIG. 4 in the same numbers.

One of the internal channels, namely, the channel 50 passes through a curved line with a deviation of essentially 90 ° from the upper inlet (corresponding to the end portion 40 of the upper shell 32) located on the side of the carriage 22 facing the drive unit 24 (FIG. 1), and having an axis essentially perpendicular to the guide 20. The channel 50 ends with an outlet opening located in the upper zone of the carriage 22, with the ability to deflect the cable end portion 46a upward, in the direction of the upper end of the guide 20.

The other inner channel 52 of the carriage 22 extends along a curved line with a deviation of substantially 90 ° from the lower inlet (corresponding to the end terminal 42 of the lower shell 34) located on the same above side of the carriage 22 and having an axis essentially perpendicular guide 20. The lower channel 52 ends with an outlet opening located in the lower zone of the carriage 22 and facing the lower end of the guide 20 to deflect the cable portion 48a downwards.

The third embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 5 is similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, in that the two carriage channels intersect without mutual contact.

For ease of understanding, FIG. 5, for parts identical to those shown in the preceding drawings, the same reference symbols are used.

FIG. 5, one internal channel 50 extends along a curved line from the upper inlet (corresponding to the end portion 40 of the sheath 32) located on the side of the carriage 32 facing the drive unit 24 (FIG. 1), and having an axis substantially perpendicular to the guide 20. Channel 50 ends, as in the case shown in FIG. 3, an outlet located in the lower zone of the carriage 22.

The other channel extends along a curved line from the lower opening (corresponding to the end portion 42 of the shell 34) located on the same side of the carriage 22 mentioned above and having an axis substantially perpendicular to the guide 20.

The channel 52 opens in the upper zone of the carriage 22, as in the embodiment shown in FIG.

3

FIG. 6, which illustrates a fourth embodiment of the invention, for ease of understanding, for parts identical to those shown in the preceding drawings, the same reference symbols are used.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the two channels 50, 52 also intersect inside the carriage 22 without mutual contact.

The channel 50 passes through a curved line from the inlet (corresponding to the end portion 40 of the upper shell 32) located on the side of the carriage facing the drive unit 24 (FIG. 1) and having an axis substantially perpendicular to the guide 20.

The channel 50 is open in the lower carriage zone, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. five.

However, the other channel 52 passes in a straight line, essentially parallel to the guide 20 from the lower inlet (corresponding to the end portion 42 of the lower shell) to the outlet located in the upper zone.

Naturally, the device shown in FIG. 5 may be different.

In addition, the carriage can have a pair of straight channels parallel to each other and a guide, while the inlet and outlet openings are located in the corresponding opposite zones.

This last option and the one shown in FIG. 6 may not be suitable for installation in a car door, since it may be difficult to install the transmission part corresponding to the upper shell 32 into the compartment 1 4 so that this part does not protrude above the lower edge of the window frame.

This option, however, can be used together with a similar window regulator for moving the glass with the help of two carriages connected to the two end edges of the glass.

This type of device can be used to move the windows of buses, railway cars and buildings.

Claims (8)

CLAIM 1. Window regulator, in particular, for car windows, containing: - moving unit (18), equipped with a fixed guide (20), passing in the direction of movement of the glass (16), and a carriage (22), sliding along the guide and supporting the glass, - a drive unit (24) equipped with a fixed housing (26), a drum (28) rotating in the housing, and means (30) for rotating the drum, and a gear equipped with a pair of flexible shells (32, 34), each of which has a first end (36, 38) attached to the body (26) and a second end (40, 42) connected to the displacing unit (18), and a cable (46, 48), sliding in both shells (32, 34), passing around the drum (28) and having two opposite ends connected to a moving unit, characterized in that - the second ends of the shells (32, 34) are attached to the carriage (22), - the carriage (22) has a pair of internal channels (50, 52) for guiding the cable (46, 48), with the channels passing between the inlets to which the second ends (40, 42) of the shells (32, 34) are attached, respectively, and the corresponding opposite outlet openings facing the respective opposite ends of the guide (20), and - two opposite ends of the cable (46, 48) are attached to the respective ends of the guide (20) so that the corresponding parts (46a, 48a) of the cable located between the corresponding outlets and the corresponding ends of the guide run parallel to the guide. 2. The window regulator according to claim 1, characterized in that (FIG. 3) two channels (50, 52) intersect inside the carriage (22) without mutual contact, one (50) of the channels passes along a curved line from the inlet located in the upper corner of the carriage (22) on the side facing the drive unit (24), and having an axis converging downward from the guide (20), to the outlet opening located in the lower zone of the carriage (22) and facing the lower end guide (20), and another channel (52) runs along a curved line from the inlet positioned in the lower corner of the carriage (22) on the side facing the drive unit (24), and having an axis converging upward from the guide (20) to the outlet opening located in the upper zone of the carriage (22) and facing the top end of guide (20). 3. Window lifter according to claim 1, characterized in that (FIG. 4) one (50) of the channels inside the carriage (22) runs along a curved line with a deviation of essentially 90 ° from the upper inlet, which is located on the side a carriage (22) facing the drive unit (24), and which has an axis substantially perpendicular to the guide (20), to an outlet opening located in the upper zone of the carriage (22) and facing the upper end of the guide (20), and another channel (52) inside the carriage (22) passes along a curved line with a deviation that is essentially 90 ° from the lower inlet located on the same carriage-side (22) mentioned above and having an axis substantially perpendicular to the guide (20) to an outlet located in the lower area of the carriage (22) and facing the lower end guide (20). 4. Window lifter according to claim 1, characterized in that (FIG. 5) the two channels (50, 52) intersect inside the carriage (22) without mutual contact, with one (50) of the channels extending along a curved line from the upper inlet, located on the side of the carriage (22), facing the drive unit (24), and having an axis essentially perpendicular to the guide (20), to the outlet opening located in the upper area of the carriage (22) and facing the upper end of the guide (20) and the other channel (52) passes along a curved line from the lower inlet, positioned on the side of the carriage (22), facing the drive unit (24), and having an axis substantially perpendicular to the guide, to an outlet opening located in the upper zone of the carriage (22) and facing the lower end of the guide (20). 5. Window lifter according to claim 1, characterized in that (FIG. 6) the two internal channels (50, 52) of the carriage (22) intersect inside the carriage (22) without mutual contact, one (50) of the channels inside the carriage running along a curved line from the inlet located on the side of the carriage facing the drive unit (24), and having an axis substantially perpendicular to the guide (20), to an outlet opening located in the area of the carriage and facing the corresponding end of the guide (20), and the other channel (52) runs in a straight line parallel to guide, from the inlet, located in the end zone of the carriage (22), opposite to the above zone, to the outlet, located in another zone. 6. Window regulator according to claim 5, characterized in that (FIG. 6) the channel (50) passing along a curved line has an outlet opening located in the lower zone of the carriage (22) and facing the lower end of the guide (20), and the inlet of the straight channel (52) is at this lower end. 7. Window lifter according to claim 1, characterized in that the two channels inside the carriage run along straight lines parallel to each other and parallel to the guide, with one of the channels extending from the inlet opening located in the upper area of the carriage to the outlet opening facing the lower end guide, and another channel passes from the inlet, located in the lower zone of the carriage, to the outlet, facing the upper end of the guide. 8. Window regulator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the carriage consists of a pair of mating halves of the housing, each of which has recesses that together form two channels.