EP4117005B1 - Case for electrical control device of improved window-raising system - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to an electrical control device for a motor vehicle, and in particular for controlling the opening and closing of a window regulator. An example is the electric window regulator type 6490.E3.

In most motor vehicles, electric window control devices, particularly windows located at the rear of the vehicle, comprise a main button body supported by a support housing intended to be mounted on a door panel. Such a housing is mounted to the door panel on a panel interface usually using snap-fit means. In particular, the housing generally comprises a male part provided with a surface which is inserted, from below, into an interface orifice of the door panel.

The window control devices are configured so that the button is movable between a rest position not allowing movement of the window and is positions allowing the raising and lowering of the window, for example a first position allowing its lowering and a second position allowing its lifting. Moving from the rest position to the first or second position generally involves pressing the button in the direction of the door panel interface. However, this effort can, in certain circumstances, lead to the male part of the control device housing becoming free from the interface orifice.

To avoid this problem, it is possible to enlarge the male part so as to increase the effort required to remove it from the interface opening. However, this solution itself has the disadvantage of increasing by reaction the effort necessary for snapping the male part into the opening of the interface.

There is therefore a need to provide a support housing configured so as to ensure that the latching means between the housing of the control device and the interface of the door panel can be subjected to an effort on the part of the user which does not does not cause separation between the control device and the door panel, while not increasing the effort required to snap the male part into the opening of the interface.

• le boîtier de support comprenant un corps principal,
• la pièce mâle faisant saillie à partir d'une paroi latérale de support du corps principal, les caractéristiques de la solution étant définies dans la revendication indépendante 1, de sorte à permettre la déformation de la paroi latérale de support lors de l'insertion de la pièce mâle dans l'orifice d'interface du panneau de porte.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a support housing for an electrical control button of a vehicle window regulator intended to be mounted on a door panel of the vehicle, comprising a male part provided with a surface inclined intended to be inserted by snapping into an interface hole of an interface of the door panel,

• the support housing comprising a main body,
• the male part projecting from a support side wall of the main body, the characteristics of the solution being defined in independent claim 1, so as to allow the deformation of the support side wall during insertion of the male part into the interface hole of the door panel.

Thanks to the fact that a free space is provided in the main body opposite the male part so as to allow the deformation of the support side wall, it is possible to increase the length of the inclined surface and thus increase the effort necessary to separate the housing and the door panel, without increasing the effort of snapping the male part into the interface of the door panel. Indeed, the deformation of the support side wall makes it easier to insert the male part into the interface orifice, so that the elongation of the inclined surface is not an obstacle to the latter.

The solution proposed by the invention is more advantageous than a solution consisting of simply making the male part hollow or more flexible, because it avoids creating an opening in the housing at the interface between the latter and the door panel , through which dust or liquids could infiltrate. This also helps prevent possible electrostatic discharges.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the male part is for example a tooth projecting from the support side wall, and is preferably integral with the support side wall of the housing. This embodiment allows effective snap-fastening while being simple in design and manufacture. This also makes it possible to simplify the design and manufacture of the housing.

Advantageously, the tooth has a length of between 1.2 mm and 1.7 mm and the inclined surface preferably forms an angle with the supporting side wall of between 25 and 40 degrees.

Preferably, the supporting side wall has a thickness of between 0.8 mm and 2 mm.

In order to facilitate the deformation of the support side wall during clipping, the support side wall comprises a window disposed under the male part.

In order to facilitate demoulding of the support housing when it is produced by injection molding, the contour of the window forms a free edge of the support side wall.

Advantageously, in order to facilitate the deformation of the support side wall during clipping, the window communicates for example with the free space.

Advantageously, the supporting side wall forms a bridge extending between the window and the free space.

According to the invention, the housing comprising a main body has a substantially parallelepiped shape, for example rectangular parallelepiped, delimited by two parallel side walls extending along a plane containing the direction of insertion of the male part into the orifice of interface, the support side wall carrying the male part is one of the side walls of the main body.

According to the invention, the housing being delimited by an upper wall carrying the control button extending along a plane substantially normal to the direction of insertion of the male part into the interface orifice, the free space is a slot made in the upper wall

Preferably, the slot has for example a thickness of between 1.2 mm and 2 mm. Note that its length will depend on the width of the housing and may influence the rigidity of the supporting side wall of the male part.

Advantageously, in order to facilitate the deformation of the support side wall during snap-fastening, the slot passes for example through the upper wall from side to side so as to communicate with the interior volume delimited by the support housing.

Advantageously, the slot is for example delimited by the support side wall of the male part and a rear side wall, substantially parallel to the support side wall. In this way, the mechanical strength of the main body is not affected or only slightly despite the presence of the slot.

In order to further maintain the mechanical strength of the main body, the main body being delimited by two longitudinal walls extending substantially perpendicular to the supporting side wall, the rear side wall is for example connected to each of the two longitudinal walls. Thus the side wall and the longitudinal walls form a closed structure ensuring the resistance of the body of the housing.

Preferably, the housing includes for example a docking base projecting from the main body to accommodate the control button.

The invention also relates to an electrical control device for a motor vehicle window regulator comprising a control button supported by a support housing intended to be mounted on a door panel, the housing was according to the invention.

Advantageously, the electrical control device, for example, further comprises a printed circuit for activating the window regulator actuation device, in which the printed activation circuit is housed in the main body of the housing. Thus the printed activation circuit is protected from mechanical stress, as well as infiltration of dust or liquids.

Brief description of the figures

• [Fig. 1] la figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'un dispositif de commande électrique d'un lève-vitre de véhicule automobile selon un mode de réalisation particulier de l'invention ;
• [Fig. 2] la figure 2 est une vue en perspective du boîtier de support du bouton de commande du dispositif de commande de la figure 1
• [Fig. 3] la figure 3 est une vue de dessous d'un détail de la figure 2.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given solely by way of example and made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• [ Fig. 1 ] there figure 1 is a perspective view of an electrical control device for a motor vehicle window regulator according to a particular embodiment of the invention;
• [ Fig. 2 ] there figure 2 is a perspective view of the support housing of the control button of the control device of the figure 1
• [ Fig. 3 ] there Figure 3 is a bottom view of a detail of the figure 2 .

detailed description

We represented on the figure 1 an electrical control device 10 for a motor vehicle window regulator according to a particular embodiment of the invention. The electric window regulator control device is in particular, in the figures as shown, a motor vehicle window regulator.

The control device 10 comprises a control button 12 of a vehicle window regulator (not shown in the figures) arranged in a docking base 14 of a support box 16 intended to be mounted on a door panel of the vehicle (not shown).

The control button 12 can be moved between two positions, by tilting around an axis of the button. Moving the control button 12 into one of the two positions allows, via an actuator forming an electrical contact with a printed circuit for controlling the window regulator (not shown in the figures) placed in the support box 16, the raising or lowering of the window regulator. raising the vehicle window. Since the control button 12 is also known from the prior art, it will not be described in more detail here.

The support housing 16 is preferably made of a plastic material, for example from polyoxymethylene (POM). This material has the advantage of allow good mechanical resistance and aging, while being sufficiently deformable for certain uses, as we will see later.

The support housing 16 is preferably made in one piece. Furthermore, it is for example produced by injection molding, a manufacturing technique adapted to POM.

The support housing 16 comprises a male part 18 provided with an inclined surface 20 intended to be inserted by snapping into an interface port of an interface (not shown) of the door panel.

The male part 18 is according to the invention carried by a main body 22 of the support housing 16. The reception base 14 of the control button 12 is also carried by this main body 22.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the main body 22 delimits a substantially parallelepiped volume.

More precisely, the main body 22 delimited by two parallel side walls 24, 25 extending along a plane containing the direction of insertion of the male part 18 in the interface orifice. The side walls 24, 25 are substantially flat.

The male part 18 projects from one of these side walls, called the support side wall 24. Taking into account the orientation of the figures, the support side wall 24 corresponds to a front side wall (wall to the left of the figures 1 and 2 ), opposite an opposite side wall 25 which is not visible.

The supporting side wall has, for example, a thickness of between 0.8 mm and 2 mm.

The main body 22 is also delimited by an upper wall 26 carrying the control button 12, extending along a plane substantially normal to the direction of insertion of the male part 18 into the interface orifice. Like the side walls 24, 25, the upper wall 26 is preferably substantially flat.

In the example shown in the figures, the upper wall is perpendicular to the side walls 24, 25.

Furthermore, the support housing 16 is also delimited by longitudinal walls 28 parallel to each other and perpendicular to both the upper wall 26 and the side walls 24, 25.

The main body 18 thus delimits a rectangular parallelepiped. However, the main body 18 is open on the side opposite the upper wall 26, that is to say it does not have a wall parallel to the upper wall 26 closing the housing.

The male part 18 is located approximately equidistant from each longitudinal wall 28. Furthermore, the male part 18 is located near the upper wall 26.

In order to facilitate the deformation of the side support wall 24 when snapping the male part 18 into the interface orifice of the door panel, the side support wall 24 comprises a window 29 made under the male part 18.

More particularly, the contour of the window 29 forms a free edge of the support side wall 24. This makes it possible in particular to facilitate the demolding of the support housing 16 when it is produced by injection molding.

In the example shown in the figures, the contour of the window 29 is substantially rectangular so as to give the supporting side wall 24 an inverted C-shaped contour.

Furthermore, the window 29 communicates with a free space 34 so that the lateral support surface 24 forms a bridge which extends from a longitudinal surface 28 to the longitudinal surface 28 opposite between the window 29 and the space 34, all in order to facilitate the deformation of the support side wall 24 when snapping the male part 18 into the interface hole of the door panel.

The reception base 14 projects from the upper wall 26. More precisely, the reception base 14 comprises, as can be seen in the figure 2 in particular, two reception side walls 30 which are substantially flat and parallel to each other and two longitudinal reception walls 31 which are substantially flat to each other, perpendicular to the reception side walls 30, so as to give the reception base a cross section substantially rectangular.

These side walls 30 and longitudinal reception walls 31 delimit a niche 32 making it possible to accommodate the control button 12, as can be seen in the figure 1 .

The niche 32 communicates with a connection opening (not visible in the figures) made in the upper wall 26 so as to connect the interior of the control button to a printed activation circuit (not shown) housed in the main body 22 Preferably, the connection opening follows the interior contour of the niche 32, but this is only optional.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the male part is a tooth 18 projecting from the support side wall 24. The inclined surface 20 of the tooth 18 is oriented so that the direction of insertion of the tooth 18 in the door panel interface opening is from the bottom to the top of the figure. Taking into account the direction of the figure, the inclined surface 20 is therefore inclined towards the bottom of the figure, starting from the supporting side wall 24.

More specifically, the tooth has a length between 1.2 mm and 1.7 mm and the inclined surface preferably forms an angle with the supporting side wall of between 25 and 40 degrees.

Preferably, the tooth 18 is made integrally with the support side wall 24. This makes it possible to simplify the design and manufacture of the support housing 16.

The cross section of tooth 18 is in the example shown in the figures trapezoidal, but it could also be triangular or rectangular for example. We could consider other shapes for the male part 18 as long as it allows it to snap into place in a corresponding interface opening in the door panel.

As can be seen in particular in the Figure 3 , a free space 34 is provided in the main body 22 facing the tooth 18, so as to allow the deformation of the supporting side wall 24 during insertion of the male part into the interface orifice of the panel door. For this, we will more particularly adjust the dimensions of the slot 34 as a function of the material in which the housing 16 is made, and in particular the main body 22, as well as the force necessary for the latching of the tooth 18 during its insertion into the corresponding interface opening of the door panel.

The free space here is a slot 34 made in the upper wall 26. More precisely, the slot 34 is delimited by the support side wall 24 and a rear side wall 36, substantially parallel to the support side wall 24. From this manner, the mechanical resistance of the main body is not affected or only slightly despite the presence of the slot 34.

In the example shown in the figures, the slot 34 passes through the upper wall 26 from side to side so as to communicate with the interior volume delimited by the support housing 16. This makes it possible to facilitate the deformation of the support side wall 24 when clicking into place.

The slot has, for example, a thickness of between 1.2 mm and 2 mm. Note that its length will depend on the width of the housing and may influence the rigidity of the supporting side wall of the male part.

In the example shown in the figures, the slot 34 has a rectangular cross section with rounded corners, but this shape can vary. For example, the section could be more oblong.

The rear side wall 36 is preferably connected to each of the two longitudinal walls 28 of the main body 22. Thus the support side wall 24 and the longitudinal walls of the body 28 form a closed structure ensuring the resistance of the main body 22.

We understand from the above description that thanks to the fact that a free space 34 is provided in the main body 22 facing the tooth 18 so as to allow the deformation of the support side wall, it is possible to increase the length of the inclined surface 20 and thus increase the force necessary to separate the housing 12 and the door panel, without increasing the snapping force of the tooth 18 in the interface of the door panel. Indeed, the deformation of the support side wall 24 makes it easier to insert the tooth 18 into the interface orifice, so that the elongation of the inclined surface is not an obstacle to the latter.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments presented and other embodiments will be clear to those skilled in the art. It is in particular possible to provide other shapes for the support box. The scope of protection is defined by the claims.

Claims (11)

1. Support casing (16) for an electrical control button (12) of a vehicle window regulator, intended to be mounted on a door panel of the vehicle, comprising a male piece (18) provided with an inclined surface (20) intended to be inserted by snap-fastening into an interface orifice of the door panel,

   the support casing (16) comprising a main body delimiting a volume of substantially parallelepipedal, for example rectangular parallelepipedal, shape, delimited by two parallel lateral walls (24, 25) extending in a plane containing the direction of insertion of the male piece (18) into the interface orifice, a lateral wall of the main body termed lateral support wall (24) bearing the male piece (18), the male piece (18) protruding from said lateral support wall (24) of the main body, the casing being delimited by an upper wall (26) bearing the control button (12) extending in a plane substantially normal to the direction of insertion of the male piece (18) into the interface orifice,

   characterized in that a free space (34) is provided in the main body (22) next to the male piece (18), the free space (34) is a slot made in the upper wall (26) so as to allow the deformation of said lateral support wall (24) during the insertion of the male piece (18) into the interface orifice of the door panel, and in that said lateral support wall (24) comprises a window (29) disposed beneath the male piece (28), and in that the contour of the window (29) forms a free edge of the lateral support wall (24).
2. Support casing (16) according to Claim 1, wherein the male piece (18) is a tooth protruding from the lateral support wall (24), the male piece (18) preferably being integral with the lateral support wall (24) of the casing.
3. Support casing (16) according to Claim 2, wherein the tooth has a length of between 1.2 mm and 1.7 mm and the inclined surface (20) preferably forms an angle with the lateral support wall (24) of between 25 and 40 degrees.
4. Support casing (16) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lateral support wall has a thickness of between 0.8 mm and 2 mm.
5. Support casing (16) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the window (29) communicates with the free space (34).
6. Support casing (16) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the slot has a thickness of between 1.2 mm and 2.
7. Support casing (16) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the slot (34) passes right through the upper wall (26) so as to communicate with the interior volume delimited by the support casing (16).
8. Support casing (16) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the slot is delimited by the lateral support wall (24) for the male piece and a rear lateral wall (16), which is substantially parallel to the lateral support wall (24).
9. Support casing (16) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, the main body (22) being delimited by two longitudinal walls (28) extending substantially perpendicular to the lateral support wall (24), the rear lateral wall (36) connects the two longitudinal walls (28), forming an extension of these two longitudinal walls (28).
10. Support casing (16) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the casing comprises a receiving socket (14) protruding from the main body so as to receive the control button (12).
11. Electrical control device (10) for a motor vehicle window regulator, comprising a control button (12) supported by a support casing (16) intended to be mounted on a door panel, the support casing (16) being according to any one of the preceding claims.

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