EP0054449A1 - Window lifting mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A window-raiser comprising at least one inclined arm (26, 27) which is pivotally mounted at an intermediate point of its length on a pivot pin (29) carried by a slide (30) which is longitudinally guided in a U- or C-section member forming a substantially vertical slideway (31) and carries a rack (38) engaged with a driving pinion through a lateral opening in the U- or C-section member, the two ends of the arm being guided in the guideways (17, 18, 24) perpendicular to the axis of the slideway (31) which are respectively connected to the window base and fixed, the fixed guideway (54) defining a central line to each side of which line the arm is movable, characterized in that the inner wall of the vertical slideway section-member (31) has a pierced or cut-away aperture in the region of which the material is deformed inwardly of said slideway so as to form the inner wall (41) of a cavity (39), which is laterally open on each side of said wall, and define an opening (40) through which a pinion which is part of a driving module assembled with the slideway is mounted inside the section-member in the cavity (39) and put into engagement with the rack (38).

Description

The present invention relates to window winders for motor vehicles.

Most of the usual window regulators have a construction which, to a large extent, is adapted to the particularities of the vehicle door which is to be fitted. In the same vehicle, depending on whether the door is at the front or rear, or whether it is on the right or on the left, different basic components for the window regulators must, most often, be provided . Likewise, in general, the basic structure of a window regulator must be established according to the mode of drive, manual or by electric motor. Such specialization in the construction of window regulators obviously leads to manufacturing complications and increased costs.

This drawback has been partially overcome in the window regulators with symmetrical crossed arms, such as that described in European patent application 18 914, in the name of the applicant, which comprises a hinge nut carried by a slide guided in a slide. essentially vertical, the axis of which coincides with the axis of symmetry. Due to the symmetry of the arms, the window lifter can, without particular difficulty, be mounted either on a right door or on a left door. It appears however from the description and the drawings of the cited application that the slider and the slide of the known window lifter are clearly different, depending on whether the drive is carried out manually, in which case the slide is a tubular sheath for guiding 'a flexible control cable, or by means of an electric motor, the slider then constituting a nut engaged with a screw rotated by the motor.

The use in a window regulator with an electric motor of a rack and pinion control mechanism is also known. In this respect the state of the art can be illustrated by French patent application 2 310 461 (KEIPER), in which is described a cursor which carries the glass and slides along a profilé.en omega whose bottom is crossed by a finger connecting the cursor proper a. a rack guided itself outside the profile and driven by the output pinion of a gear motor.

However, such a mechanism cannot be used with manual drive, whether it is direct or comprises transmission members.

The object of the invention is to provide a window regulator which is almost completely trivialized, that is to say the basic components of which can be used as such for equipping any vehicle door.

More specifically, the invention relates to a window lifter comprising at least one inclined arm pivotally mounted at an intermediate point of its length, on a hinge pin carried by a slide which is guided longitudinally in a U-shaped profile. or at C forming a substantially vertical slide and which carries a rack, the two ends of the arm being guided in. slides perpendicular to the axis of the slide, which are respectively fixed to the bottom of the glass and fixed, the fixed slide defining a central line on either side of which the arm can move, characterized in that the bottom of the profile delimits an internal housing, open laterally, and an opening through which can be mounted inside the profile, in the housing, a pinion engaged with the rack of the slide, which is guided entirely inside the profile.

This arrangement defines a basic mechanism for the window regulator with which a drive mechanism can be assembled, quite simply, meeting any particular conditions, particularly with regard to the configuration of the vehicle door, the position of the seats and the mode of control, manual or by engine, of the window. In all cases, the rack pinion is introduced from the rear through the mounting opening in the bottom of the profile of the slide, whether this pinion is part of the drive mechanism itself or whatever. initially independent, in which case it is secured to the output element of this mechanism. The housing of the drive mechanism, or an assembly plate which supports all or part of this mechanism, can be pressed onto the rear face of the profile bottom and be fixed for example by crimping or bolting.

The drive mechanism can be a direct manual control module comprising an actuating crank and an output gear wheel integral with the rack pinion.

Another possible module is constituted by a gear motor, the assembly plate of which can be fixed by bolting, both on the bottom of the C-profile and on the median surface, generally planar in shape, of a mount in which the one or two fixed slides are formed perpendicular to the axis of symmetry.

In the case of a manual control comprising an actuating crank whose position on the internal door panel can be chosen at will, an advantageous solution proposed by the invention consists in providing between the actuating crank and the pinion of rack and pinion belt transmission, comprising a toothed drive pulley, integral with the crank, and a receiving toothed pulley secured with the rack pinion and in which is preferably incorporated an irreversibility brake. This arrangement allows, thanks to the position of the pinion centered on the axis of symmetry, to mount the transmission on one side or the other of this axis and to place the crank, by means of the choice of an appropriate length of belt. , at any distance from the axis of symmetry.

The slide is advantageously a molded plastic part, which, over at least part of its length, has a U-shaped profile ensuring guidance in the slide, the rack being formed in the internal face of one of the branches of the profile .

It is advantageous that the opening for the rack pinion is delimited by a puncture or cutout in the bottom of the slide, at the right of which the material is deformed inwards, so as to form a wall comprising, for the mounting of one end forming a pinion of the pinion, a hole in which is fixed a plastic bearing with a low coefficient of friction.

• - la fig. 1 est une vue schématique en élévation de la structure de base d'un lève-glace à bras croisés symétriques, selon l'invention;
• - les fig. 2 et 3 sont des vues en coupe suivant les lignes 2-2 et 3-3 respectivement, de la figure 1;
• - la fig. 4 est une vue en élévation du lève-glace comportant un entraînement à commande manuelle par l'intermédiaire d'une courroie crantée;
• - les fig. 5 et 6 sont des vues en coupe suivant les lignes 5-5 et 6-6 respectivement, de la figure 4;
• - la fig. 7 est une vue en élévation du lève-glace comportant un entraînement direct à commande manuelle;
• - la Fig. 8 est une vue en coupe suivant la ligne 8-8 de la Fig. 7 ;
• -la Fig. 9 est une vue en élévation du lève-glace muni d'un entraînement par moteur-réducteur ;
• -laFig. 10 est une vue en coupe suivant la ligne 10-10 de la Fig. 9 ;
• - la Fig. 11 est une vue en coupe d'une variante correspondant à la Fig.5.

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

• - fig. 1 is a schematic elevational view of the basic structure of a window regulator with symmetrical crossed arms, according to the invention;
• - figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views along lines 2-2 and 3-3 respectively, of Figure 1;
• - fig. 4 is an elevational view of the window regulator comprising a drive with manual control by means of a toothed belt;
• - figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views along lines 5-5 and 6-6 respectively, of Figure 4;
• - fig. 7 is an elevational view of the window regulator comprising a direct drive with manual control;
• - Fig. 8 is a sectional view along line 8-8 of FIG. 7;
• -Fig. 9 is an elevational view of the window regulator provided with a motor-reducer drive;
• -theFig. 10 is a sectional view along line 10-10 of FIG. 9;
• - Fig. 11 is a sectional view of a variant corresponding to FIG. 5.

The window regulator according to the invention is intended to equip a door 1 of a motor vehicle (fig. 2) which, in a conventional manner, has a generally curved shape defined 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 lateral edges of the glass 9, the horizontal lower edge 14 of which is embedded and retained for example in two horizontal slides 17, 18, spaced apart and arranged in the extension l one of the other. Each slide has a U-shaped profile, the opening of which faces the internal panel 4 and the sides of which guide a domed roller 23 rotatably mounted at one of the ends 24 of a corresponding arm 26 or 27. The two arms 26, 27, of equal length, are connected to each other, a short distance from their other end 28, by a hinge 29 carried by a slide 30 guided in a rectilinear slide 31, in principle vertical.

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 of one of two central slides 54 perpendicular to the axis YY of the slide 31, whose U-shaped profile is open towards the external panel 3, and which are part of a mount 50 whose middle part 55, of generally flat shape, is fixed by bolting at 56 on the internal panel 4. Des stiffness ribs 55a are however formed in the flat surface 55. 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 slide 30, thanks to the fact that one of the arms, 26, consists of two half-arms 26a, 26b, situated on either side of the other arm, 27, which is in one piece, and made integral with each other by virtue of the special arrangement of the joint 29 connecting the arms at their crossing point (fig. 3).

This articulation 29 includes a pin 57 which is integral with the slide-30 and is engaged in sliding contact inside a sleeve 58 passing through holes 59, 61, 62 made respectively in the half-arm 26a, the arm 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 relative rotation locking of the half-arms 26a, 26b.

The arms 26, 27, which are symmetrical with respect to the axis YY of the slide 31 and therefore make with the central line XX equal angles and in opposite directions, constitute thin blades which make them flexible, which allows them to adapting to the curve of the glass 9. These arms can also undergo translational movements along the pin 57, integrally with the sleeve 58.

The slide 31 forms a C-shaped section open towards the external panel 3, the bottom 34 of which is fixed, for example by welding, to the flat central part 55 of the frame 50.

The slide 30, which preferably constitutes a molded part. plastic material, present from its upper end and over most of its length, a U-shaped profile, the two branches of which are guided in sliding contact with the bottom 34, the sides 35 and the edges 36 of the C-shaped section 31. In the internal face of one of the branches 37 of the U-shaped profile and in its extension 37a which extends to the lower end of the slide, a toothing 38 constitutes a rack intended to come into engagement with a drive pinion . The toothing 38 'is preferably molded with the slide but it can also be formed by an insert, for example made of metal.

For the mounting of this pinion which, deliberately, is not shown in Figures 1 to 3, the object of which is exclusively a basic structure of the window regulator, a housing 39 is provided in the slide 31. This housing which is located partly in line with a notch 55b of the frame 50, is constituted by a cavity delimited by a part cut at 40 in the bottom 34 of the profile 31 and deformed towards the inside of the latter so as to define a central flat wall 41 between two side openings. The wall 41 is parallel to the bottom 34 but is offset enough to be on the opposite side of the rack 38, that is to say in the vicinity of the bottom of the internal cavity of the slide, as shown in Figure 2. It is in addition pierced with a square hole 47 in which is embedded a bearing 48 made of plastic with a low coefficient of friction, for the reception of the end forming a pinion of the rack pinion.

For the assembly of a complementary drive mechanism, there are provided in the bottom 34 of the profile 31 two holes 32, with flange 32a, and in the flat central surface 55 of the frame 50 two holes 33 arranged symmetrically with respect to the YY axis.

To limit the downward stroke of the slide 30, projections 31a forming a stop are formed at the lower end of the section 31.

The window regulator according to the invention can be considered to be of modular construction, in the sense that the basic structure, which has been described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, can be combined with different mechanical assemblies, or modules, for meet specific conditions of use.

Thus in the window regulator of Figures 4 to 6 is incorporated a module essentially comprising a rack pinion 70 and a receiving toothed pulley 71, secured to this pinion and connected by a toothed belt 72 to a toothed driving pulley 73 mounted on the internal panel 4 and the shaft 74 of which receives an actuating crank 76.

In an internal cavity 77 of the receiving pulley 71 is engaged a cup 78 comprising a peripheral flange 79 fixed, for example by welding, on one of the faces of a support plate 81 which, at its two ends, is provided with 'a hole 82 through which the rim 32a of the respective holes 32 of the profile bottom 34 is sexti, thus ensuring the securing of the profile with the plate 81. The latter further comprises an opening in which is embedded a bearing 83 made of material plastic with a low coefficient of friction, which receives a cylindrical bearing 84 of the pinion 70, the end journal 86 of which is itself engaged in the bearing 48 of the wall 41. The hub 87 of the toothed pulley is fixed by fitting, or by splines , on an extension 88, of smaller diameter, of the bearing surface 84, the axial retention towards the internal panel 4 being ensured by a mating of the end 89 of the pinion opposite the pin 86.

In the example shown, an irreversibility brake 91 is disposed inside the bowl 78. This brake is of conventional construction and essentially comprises a spring 92 inserted by force and under tension in the bowl 78 to ensure the immobilization of the pulley, which can however rotate freely when a torque is applied to it, by the effect of a loosening of the spring due to the action of a fork 93, inside the spring, which is secured to the hub 87 and is engaging the ends of the spring 92.

The driving pulley 73 is fixed to the panel 4 by means of a stirrup 94 with uneven branches, between which the shaft 74 journals (fig. 6). The mounting point of the stirrup 94 can be chosen at will both in height and in distance relative to the axis YY of the slide 31, this distance being determined by the length of the toothed belt 72. The mounting is provided on the left of the YY axis in Figure 4, but it could obviously be made on the right, as shown in line. interrupted in 72 '.

The irreversibility brake 91 could, of course, be incorporated into the driving pulley 73 instead of being incorporated into the receiving pulley 71.

The module adopted in Figures 7 and 8 is a direct control mechanism comprising in a housing 96 a pinion 97, whose shaft 98 receives an actuating crank 76, and which is engaged with a toothed wheel 99 with which makes body the rack pinion 70, the pin 86 of which is engaged, as in FIG. 5, in the bearing 48. The housing 96 has two end wings 101 which are crimped at 32a on the bottom of the slide 34, in the same way as the support plate 81 of FIG. 5. An irreversibility brake 91 is mounted in the housing 96, between a shoulder 98a of the shaft 98 and the pinion 97.

The housing 96 could be mounted in a position offset by 180 ° with respect to the position shown, provided that corresponding anchor points are provided in the profile bottom 34.

In FIGS. 9 and 10, the module incorporated into the basic structure consists of a gear motor 105 whose output element is the rack pinion 70. This pinion is engaged in the housing 39, as in the previous examples, and the assembly plate 106 of the gear motor 105 is fixed by bolting, or by equivalent means, on the one hand to the points 33 of the planar middle part 55 of the frame 50, on the other hand through the lower bore 32 of the profile bottom 34. The assembly plate 106, as is the case of the support plate 81 (fig. 5) and of the housing 96 (fig. 8), is applied against the flat bottom 34 of the profile 31.

In the mounting variant of the receiving toothed pulley 71 shown in FIG. 11, the support plate 81 is replaced by a casing 108, generally of omega shape, the wings 109 of which are also crimped at 32a on the profile bottom 34 , and in an opening 111 from which the end 90, opposite the pin 86, of the pinion 70 revolves. The plane end face of the pulley 71 has sliding contact with the adjacent wall of the casing 108.

In the various examples which have been shown, the stroke of the slide 30 forming a rack is approximately 140 mm, which is small compared with that, which should be of the order of 400 mm, of the rack described in the application FR 2,310,461 cited above.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the window regulator with crossed arms shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, but also extends to a window regulator with a single arm pivotally mounted on an axis carried by a slide such as that shown in Figure 8. In this case the lower edge 14 of the glass is recessed and retained in a central horizontal slide 117, U-shaped, whose sides provide guidance of the roller 23 rotatably mounted at the end of the arm 126. The roller 51, carried by the opposite end of the arm 126, moves, like those of the arms 26, 27, in a slide 54 of a fixed half-frame 50 , on the one hand on the internal panel 4, and on the other hand on the profile 31.

The arm 126 pivots directly on the pin 57 of the slide 30, under the action of a pinion control mechanism 70 mounted in the housing 39 of the bottom 34 of the profile. It thus moves in the same way as the arm 26 or 27, on either side of the line formed by the fixed slide 54.

Claims (15)

1. Window-lift comprising at least one inclined arm pivotally mounted at an intermediate point of its length on a hinge pin carried by a slider which is guided longitudinally in a U or C profile forming a substantially vertical slide and which carries a rack, the two ends of the arm being guided in the slides perpendicular to the axis of the slide, which are respectively fixed to the bottom of the glass and fixed, the fixed slide defining a central line on either side of which the arm can move, characterized in that the bottom (34) of the profile (31) delimits an internal housing (39) open laterally and an opening (40) through which can be mounted inside the profile, in the housing, a pinion engaged with the rack (38) which is fixed or formed on the slide (30), which is guided entirely inside the profile (31). 2. Window lifter according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening for the rack pinion is delimited by a puncture or cutout (40) in the profile bottom (34), in line with the material is deformed inwardly so as to form a wall (41) at the bottom of the housing (39) having a hole (47) for mounting a pinion end of the pinion. 3. Window lifter according to one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that, over at least part of its length, the slider (30) has a U-shaped profile ensuring guidance in the slide (31), the rack (38) being formed in the internal face of one (37) of the branches of the profile. 4. Window lifter according to claim 3, characterized in that the rack (38) continues on an extension (37a) of the branch (37) of the profile in U. 5. Window lifter according to claim 4, characterized in that a bearing (48) is inserted in the hole in the wall (41) of the bottom of the housing (39). 6. Window lift according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the fixed central slide (s) (54), perpendicular to the axis of the slide, are formed in a frame (50) having a surface ( 55) of generally planar shape, on which the profile (31) forming a slide is fixed by its bottom (34). 7. A window regulator according to claim 6, characterized in that means are provided in the bottom of the slide (34) and / or in the frame (50) with fixed slide (54) for mounting a mechanism d drive of the rack pinion (70). 8. Window lifter according to claim 7, characterized in that in the profile bottom (34) and / or in the frame (50) are provided holes (32) for fixing, preferably by crimping, a support plate (81), or a housing (96), of a drive mechanism. 9. Window lift according to claim 7, characterized in that in the profile bottom (34) and in the frame (50) are provided holes (32, 33) for fixing by bolting, or equivalent means, a built-in rack and pinion motor (105) (70). 10.Window according to one of claims 7 and 8, characterized in that the drive mechanism comprises a receiving toothed pulley (71) integral with the rack pinion (70) and connected by a toothed belt (72) to a toothed drive pulley (73) secured to a crank (76) for manual actuation. 11. A window regulator according to claim 10, characterized in that in the receiving toothed pulley (71) is incorporated an irreversibility brake (91). 12. Window lift according to one of claims 7 and 8, characterized in that the mechanism of. dragging, with direct manual control, comprises an input shaft (98) which is provided with an irreversibility brake (91) and is integral with an actuating crank (76), and an output toothed wheel ( 99) secured to the rack pinion (70). 13. Window lift according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that it comprises two crossed arms (26, 27) of equal length which are flexible and arranged symmetrically, and whose crossing joint is carried by the slide. 14. Window lifter according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the arms (26, 27) have a certain freedom of movement in translation perpendicular to the slide (31) for guiding the slide (30). 15. A window regulator according to one of claims 1 to 14, wherein one of the arms (27) is in one piece, while the other (26) comprises two half-arms (26a, 26b) located on either side of the first arm, characterized in that the articulation (29) common to the two arms (26, 27) comprises a cylindrical pin (57) which is integral with the slide (30), which surrounds sliding contact a sleeve (58) comprising a cylindrical bearing surface (63) engaged in a circular opening of the arm (27) in a single piece and, on either side of this bearing surface, two elements (64) secured in rotation with the respective half-arms _' (26a, 26b).

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