GB2083132A - An opening and closing mechanism for windows - Google Patents

Abstract

An opening and closing mechanism for a window, particularly a vehicle side window, comprises an elongate guide track 17 and a slider 20 engageable with the track for movement longtudinally thereof, the slider being connected to the movable part of the window incorporating the window pane. An endless perforated tape 32 encircles guide members 28, 29 located at opposite ends of the track 17 so that a stretch of the tape extends longitudinally of the track. An operating mechanism 33, for manual or powered operation, incorporates a rotatable sprocket meshing with a portion of the perforated tape 32 so that rotation of the sprocket effects travel of the tape around the guide members. The slider 20 is connected to a part of the stretch of the tape which extends longitudinally of the track, so that travel of the tape around the guide members, upon rotation of the sprocket, effects movement of the slider up or down the track, thereby closing or opening the window. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An opening and closing mechanism for windows The invention relates to an opening and closing mechanism for windows, particularly the side windows of motor vehicles, of the kind in which the movable part of the window comprising the window pane is movable, by operation of the mechanism, upwardly or downwardly relatively to a fixed structure to effect closing or opening of the window.

Hitherto, mechanisms for operating such windows have involved fairly complex transmissions incorporating large gear sectors and pivoted links, for translating rotation of an input shaft into the necessary upward and downward movement of the window pane. Such transmissions tend to be heavy and expensive to manufacture and it is usually necessary for a specific mechanism to be designed for use with a particular car, due to the necessity for incorporating the components within a particular shape of car body panel. Also, due to the stresses involved, it is normally necessary for the components of the transmission to be formed from metal and theytend to be subject to failure due to rust, leading to jamming and consequent breakage or deformation of the components.The present invention sets out to provide an operating mechanism which may overcome the disadvantages of the existing mechanisms.

According to the invention an opening and closing mechanism for a window of the kind referred to comprises an elongate guide track, a slider engageabie with said track for movement longitudinally thereof, which slider is adapted for connection to the movable part of the window, an endless perforated tape encircling guide members so located that a stretch of the tape extends longitudinally of said track, actuating means including a rotatable sprocket meshing with a portion of said tape whereby rotation of the sprocket effects travel of the tape around the guide members, and means coupling the sliderto a part of said stretch of the tape extending longitudinally of the track, whereby travel of the tape around said guide members, upon rotation of the sprocket, effects movement of the slider along the track.

Two guide members may be mounted at opposite ends respectively of said track, and the guide members may conveniently be mounted on the track itself. The guide members may each comprise a fixed arcuate surface over which the perforated tape is slidable.

The actuating means may comprise an input shaft coupled to the aforesaid sprocket through reduction gearing. For example, the input shaft may carry a sun gear-wheel in mesh with a number of planet gear-wheels which are, in turn, in mesh with a ring gear rotatable or integral with said sprocket.

The invention includes within its scope a mechanism of the kind referred to above when mounted in a motor vehicle for effecting opening and closing of a window of the vehicle.

The following is a detailed description of an embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a vertical section through a door panel of a motor vehicle fitted with a window opening and closing mechanism according to the invention, Figure 2 is a side view of the mechanism alone, and Figure 3 is a vertical section through the actuating means of the mechanism.

The vehicle door 10 comprises an exterior panel 11 and an interior panel 12 between which is provided a cavity for accommodating the window operating mechanism, as well as the conventional door latching mechanisms.

At the upper edge of the door is provided a slot 13 through which projects the movable window comprising a glass window pane 14 the lower horizontal edge of which is embraced by a C-sectioned metal strip 15. The side edges of the window are slidable in elongate guides 16 which extend downwardly between the door panels 11 and 12 adjacent the forward and rearward ends thereof. In conventional fashion the window pane 14 is formed with a slight curvature and, accordingly, the guides 16 are similarly curved.

When the window is closed the window pane is in the uppermost position indicated at 14 in Figure 1, so that the major part of the pane projects upwardly out of the slot 13 in the top of the door. As the window is opened the pane moves downwardly along the guides 16 to the position indicated at 14' in Figure 1 where the pane is retracted substantially wholly into the door. The operating mechanism for raising and lowering the window pane will now be described.

The operating mechanism comprises a channelsectioned elongate guide track 17 which, as viewed in Figure 1, is formed with a similar curvature to the aforementioned guides 16. The side flanges 18 extend towards the outer panel 11 of the door. The web 19 of the track is formed with a number of equally spaced elongate apertures 20 to reduce the weight of the track. The latter is mounted on the inner panel 12 of the door by means of upper and lower mounting brackets 26 and 27, respectively. As best seen in Figure 2, the track 17 is disposed at an angle to the vertical.

A slider 20, which may be formed from metal or plastics material, is slidable longitudinally of the track 17. The slider 20 is provided with formations 21 embracing the flanges 18 of the track and a flat plate portion 22 which is secured to a bracket 23 (see Figure 1) secured to the lower marginal portion of the window pane 14. Plate portion 22 of the slider is secured to the bracket 23 by means of screws 24 passing through slots 25 in the plate portion of the slider and threadedly engaging the bracket 23.

An upper guide member 28 is secured to the upper end of the track 17 and a lower guide member 29 is secured to the lower end. the upper guide member 28, which may be formed from plastics material, is formed with an upwardly facing convex surface 30 and the lower guide member 29 is formed with a downwardly facing convex surface 31.

An endless flat perforated tape 32 extends around the upper and lower guide members 28 and 29 and around an operating mechanism 33 (to be described later) spaced to one side of the track 17, that is to say rearwardly thereof with respect to the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle on which the door is fitted.

The guide members 28 and 29 are so positioned that the stretch of tape 34 extending between them extends longitudinally overthe track 17 midway between the flanges 18 thereof.

As best seen in Figure 1, the tape 32, which may be formed from any suitable flexible material such as metal, fabric or plastics, is formed with a single central row of equally spaced perforations 35. A portion of the stretch 34 of the tape passes across one of the formations 21 on the slider 20 which is formed with two spaced posts 36 which pass through two adjacent perforations 35 in the tape.

Thus, as the tape 32 moves around the guide members 28 and 29 and operating mechanism 33 the slider 20 is moved upwardly or downwardly along the track 17.

From Figure 3 it will be seen that the operating mechanism 33 comprises a casing including a larger cylindrical portion 37 and a smaller cylindrical portion 38. Rotatably mounted centrally of the casing is a sun gear-wheel 39 which is coaxial with an input shaft 40 and coupled thereto by a spring clutch mechanism 41. The sun wheel 39 is in mesh with three equally spaced surrounding planet gearwheels 42 rotating about axes fixed with respect to the casing. The planet gear-wheels 42 are in mesh with the internal teeth of an encircling ring gear 43 disposed within the larger casing part 37, the ring gear 43 also constituting a sprocket having external teeth 44. The tape 32 passes through apertures (not shown) in the larger casing part 37 and a portion thereof is wrapped around the periphery of the sprocket 43, the teeth 44 of the sprocket engaging the apertures 35 of the tape 32.

The input shaft 40 may have a crank handle mounted thereon, in conventional manner, for manual operation of the mechanism, or it may be coupled to an electric motor mounted on the panel 12 of the door if the window is to be electrically operated.

Rotation of the input shaft 40, either manually or by an electric motor, effects rotation of the sprocket 43 causing travel of the tape 32 around the sprocket and guide members 28 and 29. The slider 20 moves with the tape longitudinally over the track 17 thereby effecting raising or lowering of the window 14 secured to the slider 20.

Since the tape 32 is in the form of an endless loop it will be appreciated that the force necessary for raising or lowering of the window is applied by means of tension in the tape. It is not, therefore, necessary for the tape to be closely guided as would be the case if the tape were required to act as a strut in either direction of movement of the window.

Since the operative connection between the operating mechanism 33 and the window is provided by the endless tape 32, the mechanism 33 may be located in any convenient position in the door by employing a tape of appropriate length. Where the window is to be manually operable, therefore, the operating handle may readily be located in the most convenient position on the vehicle door. This has not always been the case with known mechanisms employing mechanical operating linkages where, in some cases, the design and dimensions of the linkages have necessitated location of the operating handle in a position where its operation by a person seated in the vehicle is difficult.

It will be appreciated that the perforated tape referred to above could be replaced by any other form of endless element capable of being driven by a sprocket wheel, such as an endless chain.

Claims (8)

1. An opening and closing mechanism for a window of the kind in which the movable part of the window comprising the window pane is movable, by operation of the mechanism, upwardly or downwardly relatively to a fixed structure, wherein the mechanism comprises an elongate guide track, a slider engageable with said track for movement longitudinally thereof, which slider is adapted for connection to the moveable part of the window, an endless perforated tape encircling guide members so located that a stretch of the tape extends longitudinally of said track, actuating means including a rotatable sprocket meshing with a portion of said tape whereby rotation of the sprocket effects travel of the tape around the guide members, and means coupling the slider to a part of said stretch of the tape extending longitudinally of the track, whereby travel of the tape around said guide members, upon rotation of the sprocket, effects movement of the slider along the track.

2. A mechanism according to claim 1, wherein two guide members are mounted at opposite ends respectively of said track.

3. A mechanism according to claim 2, wherein said guide members are mounted on the track.

4. A mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein each guide member comprises a fixed arcuate surface over which the perforated tape is slidable.

5. A mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the actuating means comprise an input shaft coupled to the aforesaid sprocket through reduction gearing.

6. A mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the input shaft carries a sun gear-wheel in mesh with a number of planet gear-wheels which are, in turn, in mesh with a ring gear rotatable or integral with said sprocket.

7. An opening and closing mechanism for a window substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. A mechanism according to any of the priced; ing claims when mounted in a motor vehicle for effecting opening and closing of a window of the vehicle.