GB2158504A - Window lifter for motor vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

The window lifter has a lifting arm (3), which acts on a window pane of the motor vehicle and a drive part (2) which is mounted on a shaft (axis 19) of a bearing part (1). The drive part (2) has a plug part (12) which is plugged-in under a bracket (32) of the arm (3), while a hook (34) extends through a slot (16) in the drive part (2), and overlies the drive part. The shaft on which the drive part (2) and the lifting arm (3) are seated, is provided as means for preventing detachment thereof. The drive part (2) and the lifting arm (3) can be connected to each other simply and are prevented from being detached by the shaft (7). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Window lifter for motor vehicles The invention relates to a window lifter for motor vehicles in which an adjusting part, to which a lifting arm is attached, is mounted to move on a shaft of a bearing part attached to the vehicle.

In this known window lifter, the adjusting part and the lifting arm are connected to each other by rivets.

Consequently complicated devices and machines are required for the production of this window lifter, namely riveting apparatus, riveting machines, retaining apparatus and the like. The production of the window lifters is consequently complicated and expensive.

The object of the invention is to construct a window lifter of this type for motor vehicles so that whilst avoiding complicated and expensive assembly apparatus, the adjusting part and the lifting arm can be located on the bearing part and connected rigidly to each other.

The invention provides a window lifter in which the adjusting part and the lifting arm are attached by plug-in connections disposed substantially at right angles to the shaft on which they are seated to prevent detachment thereof.

In the window lifter according to the invention, the adjusting part and the lifting arm are constructed as plug-in parts, which can be connected securely to each other solely by plugging-in, without assembly apparatus. Consequently no welding, riveting or retaining devices are required. Moreover the adjusting part and the lifting arm are fitted on the shaft of the bearing part. Since the insertion direction lies at right angles to the axis of the bearing part, the adjusting part and the lifting arm are prevented in a simple manner from becoming detached by this shaft. The shaft of the bearing part thus serves not only as a swivel bearing for the adjusting part, but also as means for preventing the detachment of the plug-in connection between the adjusting part and lifting arm. The window lifter according to the invention can thus be assembled simply and mounted on the motor vehicle.

Further features of the invention will become apparent from the other Claims, description and drawings.

The invention is described in detail with reference to one embodiment illustrated in the drawings, in which: Figure lisa plan view of an adjusting part and a lifting arm of the window lifter according to the invention, Figure 2 is a section on line Il-Il of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a section on line Ill-Ill of Figure 1, in which case a bearing part of the window lifter according to the invention is indicated, Figure 4 is a section on line IV--IV of Figure 1.

The window lifter has a bearing part 1 constructed as a frame, which is shown only diagrammatically in Figure 3. It is attached to the vehicle door. An adjusting part 2 (Figure 1) and a lifting arm 3 are pivoted on the bearing part 1.A A guide member 4 is constructed in one piece with the lifting arm 3, which guide member 4 is able to slide in a guide (not shown), which is attached to the vehicle door. The free end of the lifting arm 3 supports a support member (not shown), which is attached to the lower edge of the window pane of the motor vehicle.

The bearing part 1 supports an electric motor (not shown), whereof the driving pinion (not shown) engages in external toothing 5 of the adjusting part 2. The external toothing 5 is provided on a crosspiece 6 of the adjusting part 2, which cross-piece is in the shape of part of a circle. When the electric motor is actuated, then the adjusting part 2 is rotated in the corresponding direction about the shaft 7 (Figure 3) of the bearing part 1 by way of the driving pinion. Since the adjusting part 2 is connected in a non-rotary manner to the lifting arm 3, the latter is entrained, due to which the window pane attached thereto is raised or lowered.

The adjusting part 2 is constructed as a stamped sheet metal part, which can be produced simply and cheaply. The cross-piece 6 bent in the shape of part of a circle passes into legs 8 and 9, which first of all project at right angles from the ends of the crosspiece and then converge in the direction of each other by way of a bend and join a plug-in part 10.

The cross-piece 6 with the legs 8 and 9 forms a frame part, due to which the weight of the adjusting part can be kept low. The plug-in part 10 has a sub stantiallytriangular shape and comprises an opening 11. It extends from a point 12 of the plug-in part and is limited on the sides by two legs 13 and 14 of equal width of the plug-in part 10. They are connected by a flat connecting member 15, to which the legs 8 and 9 are joined. Also provided in this connecting member 15, in the region adjoining the leg 9, is a further opening 16, which has an elongated construction and extends in the longitudinal direction of the lifting arm 3.

In the corner region between the cross-piece 6 and the leg 8, a guide part 17 engages over the cross-piece 6 (Figures 1 and 3), which guide part 17 is attached to the bearing part 1. The inner side 18 of the cross-piece 6 lying opposite the external toothing 5 lies on a circle around the axis of rotation 19, which is formed by the centre line of the shaft 7 of the bearing part 1 (Figures 1 and 3). When the adjusting part 2 is swung about the axis of rotation 19, the cross-piece 6 is guided by way of its inner side 18 on the guide part 17, so that the adjusting part can be swung reliably in th'e desired direction. A stop 20 is provided on the side of the cross-piece 6 facing the bearing part 1 for limiting the swinging movement (Figure 3), which stop can cooperate with a corresponding counter-stop on the bearing part 1.

The lifting arm 3 is constructed in one piece with the guide member 4. As shown in Figure 3, the lifting arm 3 is provided with an offset portion 21, which is located directly adjoining the adjusting member 2. The guide member 4 is also provided with a similarly constructed offset portion 22. For strengthening reasons, a corrugation 23 and 24 is respectively provided in both offset portions 21 and 22, which corrugations extend respectively beyond the offset portion. The lifting arm 3 is substantially longer than the guide member 4, which extends substantially parallel to the lifting arm and is separated from the latter by a recess 25.The lifting arm 3 and the guide member 4 adjoin a rectangular, plate-shaped mounting part 26, whereof the longitudinal edges 27 and 28 align with the outer sides 29 and 30 of the lifting arm 3 and of the guide member 4 remote from each other and extending parallel to each other. In the installed position (Figure 1), the mounting part 26 extends virtually to the end 31 of the connecting member 15 of the adjusting part 2 remote from the point 12.

Close to the recess 25, the mounting part 26 is provided with a U-shaped bracket 32 (Figures 1,3 and 4), which is pressed out of the plane of the mounting part 26 and at least on its side facing the plug-in part 10 of the adjusting part 2 is provided with an insertion opening 33, into which the point 12 of the plug-in part 10 can be pushed. The bracket 32 engages over the point 12 (Figures 1,3 and 4). The mounting part 26 is also provided with an L-shaped hook 34 bent out of the latter (Figures 1 and 2). It is as wide as the opening 16 in the connecting member 15 of the adjusting part 2. Finally, the mounting part 26 has a tab 35 bent out of the latter and extending at right angles thereto (Figures 1 and 3), which in the installation position projects through the opening 11 of the connecting member 15.

In order to connect the adjusting part 2 to the lifting arm 3, the adjusting part 2 is first of all placed on the lifting arm so that the hook 34 projects through the opening 16. It is so long that the point 12 still lies outside the bracket 32. Then the adjusting part 2 is moved in the longitudinal direction of the lifting arm 3 so far until the point 12 projects through the insertion opening 33 below the bracket 32 and the bracket engages over this. The hook 34 then bears against the end 36 of the opening 16 (Figure 2) and with its free end 37 engages over the connecting member 15.The free end of the hook 37 projects by the thickness of the connecting member 15 beyond the mounting part 26, so that in the installed position, the end of the hook is supported on the connecting member Also, the bracket 32 is constructed so that in the installed position it is supported on the point 12 of the adjusting part 2 (Figures 3 and 4). The bracket 32 and the hook 34 are staggered with respect to each other in the longitudinal direction of the lifting arm 3, so that the adjusting part 2 is securely connected to the lifting arm 3. The bracket 32 lies centrally between the two longitudinal edges 27 and 28 of the mounting part 26, whereas the hook 34 is located close to the longitudinal edge 28. The lug 35 of the mounting part 26 projects through the opening 11 beyond the connecting member 15 (Figure 3).

As a result of the aforedescribed construction, the adjusting part 2 and the lifting arm 3 together with the guide member 4 can be connected to each other simply by insertion. Therefore, these two parts can be preassembled without using complicated and expensive welding devices, riveting devices and the like. This preassembled unit consisting of the adjusting part 2, lifting arm 3 and guide member4 is then fitted on the shaft 7 of the bearing part 1. The shaft 7 is formed by a journal projecting at right angles from the bearing part 1 (Figure 3), on which a bush 38 is mounted to rotate. The adjusting part 2 and the lifting arm 3 are mounted on this bush 38.In order to provide additional means for preventing rotation between the adjusting part 2 and the lifting arm 3, the bush 38 has an angular contour and the adjusting part and the lifting arm are provided with a corresponding angular recess 39, as shown in Figure 1 by a dot dash line. The bush 38 has a flange 40, by which it bears against the underside of the mounting part 26. The bush 38 is also secured axially by a spring washer 41, which engages in an annular groove 42 of the shaft 7. The shaft 7 with the bush 38 serves for the mounting of the adjusting part 2 and ofthe lifting arm 3 and as means for preventing detachment, by which the adjusting part 2 and the lifting arm 3 are prevented from being detached from each other in the opposite direction to the insertion direction.

The journal 7 itself is cast on the bearing part 1 constructed as a die cast frame and is machined.

On the opposite side to the journal 7, the mounting part 1 is provided with a further spigot 42 projecting at right angles there from (Figures 1 and 3), which comprises a diametral slot 44, in which the inner end of a coil spring 45 is inserted. The outer end 46 of the coil spring 45 is suspended from the lug 35 of the mounting part 26 (Figure 1). The coil spring 45 serves for the equalization of forces and is tensioned when the window is lowered, so that it relieves the drive when the window is wound up.

The coil spring 45 is preferably under initial tension so that freedom from play of the plug-in connections between the adjusting part 2 and the lifting arm 3 is ensured. Furthermore, freedom from play on the bush 38 is also achieved by the pretensioned coil spring 45. This freedom from play ensures that the window can be raised and lowered steadily. Any elasticity in the window lifter mechanism is precluded by the coil spring 45.

Since the lifting arm 3 can be connected in a simple manner to the adjusting part 2 solely by insertion, it is advantageously possible to take different installation conditions into consideration in various types of vehicle by correspondingly constructed lifting arms. The adjusting part 2 and the bearing part 1 can be constructed in an identical manner for all types of vehicle, so that it is only necessary to provide different lifting arms. The tooling costs are thus considerably reduced.

Storage costs are also substantially reduced due to this.

Claims (20)

1. A window lifter for motor vehicles, having a bearing part to be attached to the motor vehicle, said bearing part being provided with a shaft on which an adjusting part is mounted to move, to which adjusting part at least one lifting arm is attached, which arm acts on a window pane of the motor vehicle, wherein the adjusting part and the lifting arm are connected to each other by plug-in connections disposed at right angles to the shaft, the adjusting part and the lifting arm being seated on said shaft and the shaft comprises means for preventing detachment of said plug-in connections.

2. A window lifter according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting part is provided with at least one plugin member, which can be inserted in a socket of the lifting arm.

3. A window lifter according to claim 2, wherein the plug in member is formed by one end of the adjusting part which is disposed at an acute angle to the remainder of said adjusting part.

4. A window lifter according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the socket is a U-shaped bracket part of the lifting arm, which bracket engages overthe plug-in member of the adjusting part.

5. A window lifter according to claim 1, wherein the lifting arm comprises at least one plug-in member, with which a socket of the adjusting part is associated.

6. A window lifter according to claim 5, wherein the plug-in member is an L-shaped hook bent out of the lifting arm.

7. A window lifter according to one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the plug-in-members of the adjusting part and of the lifting arm are staggered with respect to each other, relative to the longitudinal axis of the lifting arm.

8. A window lifter according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the adjusting part and the lifting arm are prevented from relative rotation.

9. A window lifter according to claim 8, wherein a bush, of which the periphery is not round and which is arranged to rotate on the shaft, is provided as means for preventing rotation.

10. A window lifter according to claim 9, wherein the adjusting part andiorthe lifting arm comprise a recess adapted to the contour of the bush.

11. A window lifter according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the bush engages over the adjusting part and the lifting arm with a flange.

12. A window lifter according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the bush is seated on the shaft and secured axially thereof.

13. A window lifter according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the window lifter comprises a weight-equalizing device for the window.

14. A window lifter according to claim 13, wherein said weight equalizing device comprises a coil spring.

15. A window lifter according to claim 13 or claim 14, wherein the weight-equalizing device is located on the bearing part and acts on the lifting arm.

16. A window lifter according to claim 15, wherein the weight equalizing device is located on a journal of the bearing part.

17. A window lifter according to claim 15 to claim 16, wherein the lifting arm is provided with a lug which is bent outwardly therefrom, on which the weight-equalizing device acts.

18. A window lifter according to claim 17, wherein the lug projects through a recess in the adjusting part.

19. A window lifter according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the adjusting part is a flat stamped sheet metal part.

20. A window lifter for motor vehicles, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.