EP0653538B1

EP0653538B1 - Cable type window winder with simplified kinematic chain and electrical or manual drive

Info

Publication number: EP0653538B1
Application number: EP94500179A
Authority: EP
Inventors: José Emilio Espana Corral; Antonio Romero Magarino; José Antonio Casado Merino
Original assignee: Grupo Antolin Ingenieria SA; Irausa Ingenieria SA
Current assignee: Grupo Antolin Ingenieria SA
Priority date: 1993-11-12
Filing date: 1994-11-11
Publication date: 1999-10-27
Anticipated expiration: 2014-11-11
Also published as: DE69421361D1; EP0653538A3; ES2089950A2; ES2140518T3; ES2089950R; EP0653538A2; ES2089950B1; DE69421361T2

Description

This invention relates to a cable type vehicle window winder with kinematic chain and electrical or manual drive.

A window winding device is known, through reference DE-A-3740579, which has a rail and a cable that makes a drive slide move, which in turn moves the window pane in the vehicle door, with end parts on which the cable is guided to the drive unit for the said cable, and with these end parts having some particular characteristics. In this technique, the guide, drive and tensioning items of the cable follow the traditional method of operation.

The basic aim of the invention is to simplify the techniques used up to now in mechanisms used for moving the glass pane, in opening and closing operations, in automobile vehicle doors, using a new functional concept.

Such an aim is achieved by a cable type vehicle window winder as defined in the appended claim 1.

With this invention, the complexity of the Bowden cable system is eliminated, with the absence of all the traditional elements for guiding, driving and tensing the cable, as well as the supports and the parts which are welded or riveted together, which in practice will mean a great ease of construction, able to be carried out in a very simple fashion. The assembly operations are also made easier.

For a better understanding of the invention, the corresponding sheets of explanatory drawings are attached, in which the following are shown:

Figures 1 to 4 show a general arrangement of the different practical solutions for the invention.
Figure 5 represents another version of the invention, relating to a double rail window winder.
Figures 6, 7 and 8 represent the incorporation of a coil (volute) spring, arranged parallel to the drum and coaxial with it, to compensate for the weight of the glass.
Figures 9 to 12 show the fastening of the drive element to the glass.
Figures 13 to 16 make it possible to appreciate the different shapes of rails which can be used.
Figure 17 is an illustration of the end of the rail.
Figure 18 shows the arrangement of the assembly of the end supports on the rail.
Figure 19 is a representation of one version of the self-tensioning drum.

Looking now at Figures 1 to 4, we can observe how the window winder device is essentially provided with a guide-rail (1), on which a drive element (2) moves, with this drive element being connected to two ends of the cable (6). The ends of the said cable (6) that leave the drive element (2) are inserted into a drum (5) trough a set of end supports (3,4), with the cable winding and tensing operations being carried out on this drum.

The drum (5) is supported by a motorized speed reducer or reducer (9), Fig. 1, in the case of the electrical drive, with the assembly being secured to the vehicle door by three points (7,8,10).

In the case illustrated in Fig. 2, the drive (11) is distant from the rail (1) and is connected to the drum (5) by means of a transmission line (14). The drive is secured to the door and the rail is secured by means of the fixing points (7, 8).

Other types of drive systems, for example manual ones, are shown in Figs. 3 and 4, with the drive elements themselves (12, 13) and their transmission lines (15, 16) to the drum (5).

In the cases of double rail window winders, as shown in Fig. 5, the peripheries of the tensioning drums (5) for both rails (1, 1') are provided with their corresponding ring gears (18, 19), connected to each other by means of the gear-tooth belt (17), with the synchronization thus obtained being perfect, as is the balancing of the position of the drive slide, which is carried out in a very simple manner at the time of arranging them in the door. In this particular case, any of the methods described above would be valid as a drive system, for instance, by adapting the motorized speed reducer (9) described, to one of the drums.

Parallel to the drum, and coaxial with it, it is feasible to assemble a support on which a coil spring can be received, as illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. The coil spring (43), represented in three different adaptations, is used to compensate for the weight of the glass pane in the door, and at the same time to reduce the drive torque if the drive is manual, or, if the drive is electrical, to reduce the motor power.

The drive element (2) is a support part made of thermoplastic or metalloplastic material which includes a system for fixing the glass (21). This system can be by clip-fitting directly into a drill hole in the glass itself, as illustrated in Fig. 9, by inserting a lug into the drill hole in the glass pane and fixing with a butterfly (wing) nut, Fig. 10, by nipping or gripping by means of bolts and flexible lips, Fig. 11, or by direct fastening onto the bottom edge of the glass pane by means of two bolts, Fig. 12.

These proposed solutions are offered simply for guidance, since any form of securing the glass pane to the support, within the range of habitual techniques, can be used.

As regards the guide-rail (1), it will be made up of a profile with a cross section and a moment of inertia suitable for its use, as illustrated by the rails (1, 1', 1'', 1''') shown in Figs. 13 to 16. The dimension figure (22) for each one of them, which is the internal width, will be sufficiently wide to allow the drive element (2) to pass without being hampered in any way by the fixing for the motorized speed reducer or by the drum support.

In any case, it must be kept in mind that this element acts as a support for the constituent parts mentioned above and, therefore, must be appropriately resistant to be able to stand up to the corresponding stresses in the slam tests, without becoming deformed.

The end guide-supports (3, 4), arranged also at the ends of the rail (1), are injection-moulded parts made of thermoplastic material, which on being inserted, fulfil the function of supporting the rail (1) on the door structure, while at the same time guiding the cable (6) and allowing it to slide, so as to direct it from the sliding direction of the drive element (2) to that of winding onto the drum (5).

Fig. 18, by way of example, represents in all its view a support (3) which brings together the characteristics described. This support (3') is inserted into the end of the rail (1) (Fig. 17) and is fastened to it by means of the bolt (7) with the square head and neck (24), from where it follows that assembly is easy, consisting of inserting the bolt (7) into the square hole (P), Fig. 17, at the end of the rail (1) and then sliding the support (3), in an axial direction on the rail, onto the window or cut-out (G), Fig. 17, until the tongue (L) of the support (3) becomes mounted on and fixed over the square head of the bolt (7), and being thus ready for assembly in the door.

The support (3) also has a guide (23) for the cable (6) so that the cable can slide in the guide when moving from the drum (5) to the support (2) or viceversa.

Obviously, the supports in question can be channel wheels or pulley-wheels, as long as they perform the same operational function.

The self-tensioning drum (5) of the invention is the most important part of the unit and is described in the Fig.s 19.

According to the construction shown in the two Figs. 19, the drum (20) is of very simple construction and is advisable whenever cables with a small amount of stretching are used.

In accordance with Figs. 19, we can observe that the drum (20) is made up of two parts (25,26) which are coaxial with each other and duly fitted one over the other by means of the tongues (27) of the casing (25) and the edge (28) of the casing (26), so that both parts (25,26) can turn, one over the other, but in one single direction, due to the fact that the casing (26) has a circular toothed rack and the casing (25) has its tongues (30). These tongues (30) engage in the toothed rack and immobilize one casing in relation to the other in one direction and release it in the opposite direction.

The casing (25) is the initially driving part to which turning is provided by means of the motorized speed reducer fitted at its outlet on the corresponding hub of the square, toothed or other cross section, or else by means of the toothed ring gear (35) at the outer edge of the reducer, when the drive is manual, as illustrated.

Tensing of the cable takes place by inserting the lug on the upper branch of the said cable into the gap (31) in the casing (26), once that it has been housed in the upper support and making the system turn in an anticlockwise direction until all the cable has been gathered in and it takes the drive element (2) to the upper stop of its travel path.

Having reached this point, the stop (32) from the assembly unit is moved over the outer circular toothed rack (29) of the casing (26), with which it becomes fixed to the casing (26) in its clockwise rotation. Here, the lug on the lower branch of the said cable is inserted into gap (33), after passing it through the lower support, and the system is made to turn in a clockwise direction, with which the casing (25) will rotate over the casing (26) until the cable becomes tensed, by applying the turning torque which is considered suitable. This should be performed with a turn of less than one rotation, at which moment the stop (32) is released and the kinematic chain becomes closed and ready for use without having to recur to intermediate conductors, guides, etc., as happens in Bowden systems.

Whenever loosening or slackening occurs, the tension adjustment will be rectified on one of the travel path ends being reached and coming up against the stop, and whenever this slackening is equal to or greater than the pitch of internal toothed rack (40) linked with the toothing of the planetary ring gear (41).

All the component parts of the two units (20) and (20') corresponding to the tensing drum are manufactured in thermoplastic material with a vitreous load and obtained by injection moulding, with the exception of the shafts (41) of the unit (20'), which are made of steel and are inserted into the corresponding positions in the part (36).

Claims

Cable type vehicle window winder with simplified kinematic chain and electrical or manual drive, comprising

a guide element (1) made up of a profile with a cross section suitable for its use as regards its dimensions and moment of inertia, the ends of the guide element resting on two rail support elements (3,4), made of plastic material, which are inserted into the guide element (1) by displacement,

a sliding drive element (2) for a window glass pane (21), and

a tensioning drum (5),

characterized in that:

the guide element (1) is constructed or shaped by die-casting or rollig a metallic strip of stainless or pretreated material, with ends perforated in a symmetrical manner in order to allow each end to receive a screw-threaded bolt (7,8) for fixing said guide element (1) to a vehicle door and to receive said rail support element (3,4), and with intermediate holes suitable for receiving a motorized speed reducer (9) and said tensioning drum (5),

each rail support element (3,4) is inserted into the guide element (1) and clip-fitted over the square head of said screw-threaded bolt (7,8) which has been previously inserted into the guide, said bolt becoming thus firmly fixed in place, so as to prevent said bolt from being moved axially or turning when a corresponding nut used for securing the guide element (1) to the vehicle door is attached to the screw-threaded bolt (7,8) and tightened,

the rail support elements (3,4) have integrated into them slide tracks (23) for two multicore steel cables (6) or suitable spaces to receive channel wheels or pulley-wheels on which said cables (6) will move, these rail support elements being obtaied by injection moulding of thermoplastic material, as well as the channel wheels or pulley-wheels if they are used,

the sliding drive element (2) is moved along the guide element (1) by the alternating pull of said two multicore steel cables (6), said cables being inserted with their first ends into the drive element (2) by connection onto two pressed lugs and inserted in the same way and wound onto the tensioning drum (5) by their other ends, thus forming a closed kinematic chain once said cables (6) run on the slide tracks (23) or channel wheels or pulley-wheels in the rail support elements (3,4) and have been tensed, without the assistance of any other guiding, driving or tensioning elements,

the tensioning drum (5) is reached by the two cables (6) coming from the sliding drive element (2) after having passed through the rail support elements (3,4), closing the kinematic chain by insertion, winding and tensing onto the said tensioning drum, which is made up of two coaxial parts (25,26) clip-fitted to each other and which fix their final relative position by the locking of an internal circular toothed rack in one (26) of said coaxial parts and internal engaging tongues (30) in the other part (25), the tensioning drum (5) being submitted to rotation and tension operations by the drive system chosen, whether it be electrical or manual,

the cable type vehicle window winder being such that the tensioning of the cables (6) is carried out by initially joining and winding one of said cables (6) onto said one part (26) of the tensioning drum which has a helicoidal thread with convenient pitch until a certain position, with this part (26) being subsequently immobilized by locking by means of an assembly tool (32) an external toothed rack (29) cut on its external side perimeter, joining the second cable (6) to the second coaxial part (25) of the tensioning drum, and turning this second part (25) in a direction opposite to the winding direction of said one part (26) by less than one full rotation, submitting said cables to a pre-set tension, the winder being ready for use after release of said external toothed rack (29) of the one part (26) by means of the assembly tool (32).
Cable type vehicle window winder with simplified kinematic chain and electrical or manual drive, in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the guide element (1) acts as a support for a motorized speed reduder (9) with the tensioning drum (5) attached.
Cable type vehicle window winder with simplified kinematic chain and electrical or manual drive, in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that guide element (1) acts as a support for the tensioning drum (5), which is operated by a worm-gear reducer (11) with a flexible shafting (14) from a motor arranged at a distance.
Cable type vehicle window winder with simplified kinematic chain and electrical or manual drive, in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the guide element (1) acts as a support for the tensioning drum (5), which is operated by a gear-tooth belt (15,16) from a manual drive system.
Cable type vehicle window winder with simplified kinematic chain and electrical or manual drive, in accordance with claims 1, 3 and 4, characterized in that a ring gear allowing a gear tooth belt drive is integrated into one of the portions of the said tensioning drum, with both parts being obtained by injection moulding of thermoplastic material.
Cable type vehicle window winder with simplified kinematic chain and electrical or manual drive, in accordance with claims 1, 3, 4 and 5, characterized in that a spring-type torque compensator (43) can be incorporated, coaxial to the drum, to counterbalance the weight of the glass pane, in order to reduce the motor output or the manual drive torque.
Double rail cable type vehicle window winder with simplified kinematic chain and electrical or manual drive, comprising two cable type vehicle window winders according to anyone of the preceding claims connected in parallel manner by means of a gear-tooth belt (17) cooperating with two ring gears (18,19) respectively provided on the tensioning drums (5) of the two winders, said ring gears (18,19) having an identical number of teeth.