EP0018914B1 - Window lifting mechanism - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to window regulators comprising two crossed arms, of equal length, arranged symmetrically with respect to an approximately vertical axis, each provided at one end with a member guided in a rectilinear slide secured to the bottom of the window, and having at their crossing point a common articulation carried by a slide guided in a slide whose axis coincides with the axis of symmetry of the two arms.

In patent FR-1 264086, which describes such a window lifter, the two arms are at their end opposite the bottom of the window articulated around fixed axes and the common axis of articulation passes through oblong openings made in the arms respective. Given the lift stroke which must be obtained, this known arrangement results in a relatively large overall height, as well as difficulties for the establishment of the mechanisms in the box of certain vehicle doors.

Other window regulators with crossed arms, such as that described in US-A-4,098,134, comprise one arm in one piece but the other in two parts formed by two half-arms situated on either side other of the first, the joint common to the two arms being arranged so as to ensure the solidarity of the two half-arms. In addition, this common articulation is free and the lower end of one of the arms is guided in a fixed slide, while the lower end of the other arm is articulated on a fixed axis and the drive device is connected to this articulated end.

The amplitude of the angular deflections of the arms is thus relatively large, which makes it possible to reduce the overall height, while the necessary resistance and reliability are effectively ensured thanks to the fixed point formed by the axis of articulation of the arm.

However, the non-symmetry of the assembly makes it difficult to adapt it to certain vehicle doors and limits its possibilities of use.

To overcome these drawbacks, the invention proposes to make a window lifter of the type mentioned above in which one of the arms is in one piece, while the other comprises two half-arms situated on the side and other of the first arm, the joint common to the two arms being arranged so as to ensure the joining of the two half-arms, in a manner known per se, and which is characterized in that the end of each arm which is opposite to the bottom window slide also carries a roller guided in a fixed slide whose axis is perpendicular to the vertical axis of the slide and defines a central line, on either side of which the two arms can undergo deflections.

Although this arrangement no longer has any fixed point and the forces are all transferred to movable members and to the slides, it can however be seen that the window lifter resists repeated use.

It is then possible to equip any door with the proposed window lifter, the arrangement of which also makes it possible to provide the greatest thickness in the middle of the door panel, where the possible curve is maximum.

The adaptation of the arms to the possible curve of the glass can be obtained by the flexibility of the arms and / or by the possibility given to the arms to undergo displacements, of limited amplitude, in translation perpendicular to the axis of the slide.

The drive of the slide in an up-and-down movement in its slide can be obtained by known means, for example by a screw and nut mechanism whose nut is constituted by the slide itself, in which case the rotation of the swiveling screw in the slide is advantageously carried out by means of an electric motor. It is also possible to produce the slide guide guide in the form of a split tube containing a cable forming a rack, connected to the slide and to extend this tube along an appropriate route by passing it through an actuating mechanism comprising a pinion. in engagement with the cable and advantageously driven by means of a crank.

The two fixed central slides provided for guiding the end of the arms which is opposite the bottom of the glass can be integral with the slide guide guide and thus constitute a single piece, made for example of light alloy by stamping, or by plastic material by molding. Another solution consists in making the two central slides in a single piece, the central part of which constitutes a flat surface, the edges of which will shrink on either side of the axis of symmetry by joining the adjacent ends, of divergent shape. , slides, so as to form mouths which, when mounting the window regulator, facilitate the introduction of the corresponding guide rollers.

• la fig. 1 est une vue en coupe verticale d'une porte de véhicule équipée d'un lève-glace selon l'invention;
• la fig. 2 est une vue schématique en élévation
• du lève-glace comportant deux bras croisés symétriques;
• la fig. 3 est une vue en perspective éclatée de la partie centrale du lève-glace montrant les bras dans leur position de point mort;
• les figs 4 à 6 représentent des variantes du dispositif de transmission reliant le moteur à la vis du lève-glace;
• les figs 7 et 8 représentent deux variantes utilisant des ressorts de compensation;
• la fig. 9 est une vue de profil, analogue à la fig. 1, d'un autre mode d'exécution d'un lève-glace à bras croisés;
• la fig. 10 est une vue en élévation correspondante;
• la fig. 11 est une vue en coupe suivant la ligne 11-11 de la fig. 10;
• la fig. 12 représente en coupe une variante de glissière centrale;
• la fig. 13 est analogue à la fig. 2 et représente une variante de lève-glace.

The invention will be explained in a purely indicative manner during the description which follows, with reference to the appended drawing, in which:

• fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a vehicle door equipped with a window lifter according to the invention;
• fig. 2 is a schematic elevation view
• the window lifter with two symmetrical crossed arms;
• fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the central part of the window regulator showing the arms in their neutral position;
• Figs 4 to 6 show variants of the transmission device connecting the motor to the window regulator screw;
• Figs 7 and 8 show two variants using compensating springs;
• fig. 9 is a side view, similar to the fig. 1, of another embodiment of a window regulator with crossed arms;
• fig. 10 is a corresponding elevation view;
• fig. 11 is a sectional view along line 11-11 of FIG. 10;
• fig. 12 shows in section a variant of the central slide;
• fig. 13 is similar to FIG. 2 and represents a variant of window lifter.

The door 1 of a motor vehicle shown in FIG. ia, in a conventional manner, a generally curved shape defined in the lower half of the door by a curved external panel 3, which is assembled with an internal panel 4 by forming a box 6 provided with means, not shown, for guiding the edges side 7, 8 of the glass 9 in the direction of the arrow 11 (fig. 2).

The horizontal lower edge 14 of the glass 9 is embedded and retained in a U-shaped profile 16 on which are fixed two horizontal slides 17, 18, spaced and arranged in the extension of one another. These slides have a U-shaped profile, the opening of which faces the internal panel 4. The flanks 19 of each slide 17, 18 have a concave curvature so as to retain and guide, in the respective slides, two curved rollers 23 mounted rotatable at one end 24 of two corresponding arms 26, 27, of equal length, connected to each other, a short distance from their other end 28, by a joint 29 carried by a slide 30 guided in a vertical slide 31 and capable of being driven in translation by means of a rotary screw 32 engaged with a thread 33 formed in the slide 30, which has the function of a nut.

The slide 31 forms a U-shaped profile open towards the external panel 3, the bottom 34 of which is fixed, for example by bolting, to the internal panel 4. The lower end of the slide 31 comprises a transverse web 36, in which is fitted a cup 37 forming an axial radial bearing for the end pin 38 of the screw 32, which further comprises an upper pin 39 on which is fixed a pulley which, by a toothed belt 41, transmits the torque to the screw 32 created by an invertible electric motor 42 suspended from a U-shaped fitting 43 fixed by bolts 44 on the internal panel 4, and the upper wing of which serves as a radial bearing for the corresponding pin 39 of the screw 32.

The sides 46 of the U-shaped slide 31 form ribs 47 engaged in sliding contact with corresponding grooves 48 of the slide 30, so that the forces applied by the arms 26, 27 are transmitted to the slide 31 and not to the screw 32 .

At each of the ends 28 the crossed arms 26, 27 carry a roller 51 which has the same convex shape as the rollers 23 disposed at the end 24 of the arms and which is engaged in rolling contact with the sides 52 with concave curvature of one two central slides 54 perpendicular to the screw 32, the U-profile of which is open towards the external panel 3, and which are fixed by means of bolts 56 on the internal panel 4, on either side of the vertical slide 31 with which they can form a single piece. The axis XX common to the slides 54 constitutes a horizontal central line that the arms 26, 27 can cross, despite their crossed mounting, during their angular deflections under the effect of the movement of the nut 30, thanks to the fact that one of the arms, 26, consists of two half-arms 26a, 26b, located on either side of the other arm 27, which is in one piece, and made integral with one of the another by virtue of the special arrangement of the joint 29 connecting the arms at their crossing point (fig. 3).

This articulation 29 comprises, on the nut 30, a pin 57 engaged with sliding contact inside a sleeve 58 which passes through holes 59, 61, 62 made respectively in the half-arm 26a, the arms 27 and the half-arm 26b, and the peripheral surface of which comprises a cylindrical part 63 engaged in contact with the hole 61, of circular shape, of the arm 27 to allow relative rotation, and on either side of this cylindrical part, prismatic parts 64 engaged with the square outline of the holes 59, 62 to ensure by keying a blocking in relative rotation of the half-arms 26a, 26b.

The arms 26, 27 are symmetrical with respect to the axis YY of the screw 32 and they therefore make with the central line XX equal angles and in opposite directions.

In the example which has just been described, the arms 26, 27 form thin blades which make them flexible, which allows them to adapt to the curve of the ice 9. It is also possible to use, optionally simultaneous, relatively rigid arms, which can undergo small displacements in translation as suggested by the arrow 65, along the pin 57, integrally with the sleeve 58.

In FIGS. 4 to 6, the transmission between the motor 42 and the screw 32 is carried out by means of pinions 67, 68 respectively in mutual engagement, of an endless screw 69 and of a conjugate tangent wheel, and of an elastic coupling. 71 directly connecting the upper pin 39 to the output shaft of the motor 42, instead of the toothed belt transmission described above.

In the variant of FIG. 7 a spiral compensation spring 72 is mounted between the nut 30 and one of the arms, so as to store energy during the downstroke to then restore it during the upstroke. The ends of this spring 72 could also be hung on the respective arms. In the example of fig. 8, two spiral compensation springs 73 are provided, mounted around the axes of the respective rollers 51 and each connected to an auxiliary roller 74 retained in the slide 54.

In FIGS. 9 and 10, the vertical slide 131 for guiding the slide 130 is part of a split tube 75 which contains and guides a control cable 80 forming a rack, one end of which is fixed to the slide 130. This cable comprises, in known manner, a flexible core 81 formed of metal wires, around which a wire 82 is helically wound giving the effect of a rack. The split tube extends beyond the zone 131 forming a slide, following a path comprising a curvilinear part 83 followed by a rectilinear part 84 extending obliquely upward in a vertical plane and which passes through an actuating mechanism 86 the housing 87 of which contains a pinion 88 meshing with the rack cable 80 and which can be driven by means of a crank 89 fixed to an axis 91 itself secured, inside the housing 87, with a fork 92 which 'surrounds a brake spring 90 whose respective ends are engaged with a branch of the fork and with a lug 93 of a guide plate 94 in a central slot from which the pinion 88 is retained.

The journal 57 of the joint 29, which is carried by the slide 130, projects through the slot 85 of the tube 75. The journal-slide assembly is, for example, made of a plastic material overmolded on the cable 80.

The two central slides 154 provided for guiding the end of the arms 26, 27, which is opposite the bottom of the glass, are formed in a single piece 96, the central part 97 of which constitutes a flat surface whose edges are going to narrow on either side of the YY axis by connecting to the adjacent ends 98, of divergent shape, of the slides 154, so as to constitute mouths by means of which it is possible to introduce into the slides 154, from the zone central 97 well cleared, the rollers 51 already mounted on the end of the arms 26, 27.

Like the slide piece 96, the housing 87 of the actuating mechanism and the guide sheath 131, 83, 84 are fixed to the internal panel 4 of the vehicle door (fig. 1).

In fig. 10, the dashed line of the part 84 of the split tube and of the actuation mechanism illustrates the possibility of adapting the manually operated window lift of FIGS. 9 to 11 to different door geometries.

In the variant shown in FIG. 12, the slide piece 96 essentially comprises a flat blade 101 in which each of the central slides 254 is produced by a double puncture formed in the blade, obtained by cutting and forming which give rise to two folded-down parts 102 of transverse profile. convex for guiding the corresponding roller 151, the transverse profile of which is concave.

In fig. 13 is shown a variant of the window lifter of FIG. 2, controlled from the electric motor 42 by a screw and nut mechanism, in which the arms 26, 27 and the central slides 154 have the same arrangement as in FIG. 10. In addition, the motor 42 is disposed near the lower end of the vertical slide 31, immediately above a casing 106 containing and protecting the pinions 107, 108 and the toothed belt 109 which provide the drive. , from the bottom, of the screw 32. In this variant is further provided an end stop 111, made of elastomer, by which the stop in the extreme low position of the nut 30 is smooth.

In the solution of FIGS. 9 and 10, the guide tube 75 could only be split at 85 in the zone 131, where the slide 130 is guided, produced in the form of a rigid profile, one of the ends of this profile then being connected to a flexible tubular sheath, itself connected to the actuating mechanism 86, possibly by means of a second rigid profile identical to the first.

Likewise, the rack-forming part of the flexible cable 80 could be provided exclusively in the area where this cable cooperates with the pinion 88, and be produced otherwise than in the form of a core 81 surrounded by a helical wire 82, for example in the form of a profiled rack rod by rolling, or else a strip provided with regularly spaced transverse slots.

Claims (15)

1. A window raiser comprising two crossed arms (26, 27) of equal length, disposed symmetrically relative to a roughly vertical axis, each provided at one end with an element (23) guided in a rectilinear slideway (17, 18) rigid with the window base and having at their crossing point a common articulation (29) carried by a slide (30) guided in a slideway (31) whose axis coincides with the axis of symmetry of the two arms, one of the arms (27) being in a single piece while the other (26) comprises two semi-arms (26a, 26b) located on each side of the first arm, and the articulation(29)common tothe two arms beingsoar- ranged as to interconnect thetwo semi-arms,characterised in that the end (28) of each arm (26, 27) which is opposed to the window base slideway (17, 18) carries a roller (51) which is also guided in a fixed slideway (54, 154) the axis of which is perpendicular to the axis (Y-Y) of the slideway (31, 131) and defines a central line (X-X) on each side of which the two arms are capable of moving.

2. A window raiser according to claim 1, characterised in that the arms (26, 27) are flexible.

3. A window raiser according to one of the claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the arms (26, 27) have a certain freedom of movement in translation in a direction perpendicular to the slideway (31, 131) guiding the slide.

4. A window raiser according to claim 1, characterised in that the articulation (29) common to the two arms (26, 27) has a cylindrical journal (57) that a sleeve (58) surrounds in sliding contact therewith, said sleeve (58) having a cylindrical bearing portion (63) engaged in a circular opening of the arm (27) in a single piece and, on each side of this bearing portion, two elements (64) connected to rotate with the respective semi-arms (26a, 26b).

5. A window raiser according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the two fixed slideways (154) perpendicular to the axis of symmetry (Y-Y) are formed in a single element whose central part constitutes a planar surface (97) whose edges, on each side of the axis (Y-Y), are connected to the adjacent ends (98) of divergent shape, of the slideways so as to constitute mouth portions facilitating the introduction of the corresponding guide rollers (51).

6. A window raiser according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the two fixed central slideways (254) are part of a single element in the shape of a flat strip (101) in which each of the slideways (254) is obtained by a cutting and a forming of the strip which produces two formed- over portions (102) having a convex cross-sectional shape for guiding the corresponding roller (151) whose cross-sectional shape is concave.

7. A window raiser according to one of the claims 1 to 6, characterised in that a spiral-shaped compensating spring (72) is provided around the articulation (29) of the two arms (26, 27).

8. A window raiser according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterised in that it comprises an end-of-travel flexible abutment (111) disposed at the lower end of the slideway (31, 131) for guiding the slide (30, 130).

9. A window raiser according to one of the claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the slide (30) constitutes a nut engaged with a screw (32) rotatively mounted inside the corresponding slideway (31) and driven by an electric motor in the known manner.

10. A window raiser according to claim 9, characterised in that the fixed central slideways (54) are unitary with the slideway (31) for guiding the nut forming a slide (30).

11. A window raiser according to one of the claims 9 and 10, characterised in that non- rotatable guide means (47, 48) are provided in the nut forming a slide (30) and in the corresponding slideway (31).

12. A window raiser according to one of the claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the slideway (131) for guiding the slide (130) has the shape of a tube (75) in which there is contained and guided a control cable (80) having one of its ends connected to the slide and forming in at least a part of its length a rack, this tube being developed along a contour which possibly has one or more curvilinear parts (83) and extending through an actuating mechanism (86) which includes a pinion (88) engaged with the part of the cable (80) forming a rack for driving the cable in one direction or the other, in the known manner, the articulation journal (87) common to the two arms (36, 27) projecting through the slot (85) provided at least in the part of the tube which constitutes the slideway (131) for guiding the slide (130).

13. A window raiser according to claim 12, characterised in that a braking spring (90) is incorporated in the actuating mechanism (86).

14. A window raiser according to one of the claims 12 and 14, characterised in that the split part of the tube (75) which constitutes the slideway (131) for guiding the slide (130) is a rigid section member having one of its ends connected to a flexible tubular sheath itself connected to the actuating mechanism.

15. A window raiser according to claim 14, characterised in that the respective ends of the flexible tubular sheath are connected to the rigid section member for guiding the slide and to another rigid section member also in the shape of a split tube which extends through the actuating mechanism.

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