GB2195392A

GB2195392A - An extending device for motor vehicle window panes, lifting roofs or like openable structures

Info

Publication number: GB2195392A
Application number: GB8723365A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Willy Orszullok
Original assignee: SCHADE WILHELM KG
Current assignee: SCHADE WILHELM KG
Priority date: 1985-01-12
Filing date: 1987-10-05
Publication date: 1988-04-07
Also published as: SE8505943D0; DE3500874A1; GB2169652A; GB8723365D0; DE3500874C2; GB8530268D0; GB2195392B; SE8505943L; GB2169652B

Description

1 GB2195392A 1

SPECIFICATION

An extending device for window panes, lifting roofs or like openable structures The present invention relates to a move-out or extending device for panels or window panes, lifting roofs or the like openable structures, which are pivotably movable about an axis, more particularly in motor vehicles, with a push member articulated to the window pane and a drive unit connected to this push mem ber.

In one known type of extending device of this kind for the side windows of motor vehicles, the push member comprises a toggle joint and is operated by means of a hand wheel acting directly on the toggle joint. By turning the hand wheel in the clockwise or anti-clockwise direction the extending window 85 pane is opened and closed respectively.

In another known constructional form the drive connection between the hand wheel and the push member is by way of a Bowden cable system.

The known devices described above have the disadvantage that the extending movement of the window panes cannot be brought about from the driver's seat in all cases. If the win dow pane which is to be extended is at the front-seat passenger's side or at the back of the vehicle it is not possible for the extending device to be operated by the driver whilst travelling. This has a particularly disadvanta geous effect if during a journey it is desired e.g. because of disagreeable wind noise to correct the angle to which the window pane or the like openable structure had been moved out originally. In addition, the Bowden cable locking means are liable to develop faults and 105 require a lot of maintenance, since in the course of time Bowden cables become elon gated and as a result continual re-adjustment is needed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a constructionally simple and compact extending device which is operatable at any time from the driver's seat independently of the siting of the device, and affords the possi- bility of being subsequently fitted to any type of vehicle.

According to the present invention there is provided an extending device for window panes, lifting roofs or the like openable struc- lures, for use with motor vehicles, which structures are pivotably movable about an axis, said extending device including a push member having a pivotal connection to enable it to be connected to an openable structure and a drive unit connected to said push member, the push member consisting of a multipiece rigid push rod whose end remote from the point of pivotable connection to the openable structure is operatively connected to the output shaft of an electrically operated geared motor through worm wheel gearing, wherein the drive unit and the push rod are arranged in a housing which is provided with means to enable it to be fixed, as an independentd unit, to a vehicle body wall near the point of pivotal connection to the openable structure in the interior space of the vehicle, and wherein the push rod consists of a crank and rocker mechanism whereof the end of the crank nearest to the geared motor is fixed to a worm wheel of the worm gearing, said worm wheel meshing with a worm connected to the output shaft of the geared motor and being so driven thereby that in the closed position of the openable structure the rocker and the crank are above one another in a bottom dead centre position, and in the open position the crank and the rocker are in rectilinear alignment with one another.

The housing for the drive unit and push rod may consist of a one-piece unit made either from synthetic plastic material or as a zinc die-casting.

The present invention will now be described in greater detail by way of an example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a simplified longitudinal crosssection through an example of an extending device and the window pane, which is the subject of parent Application No. 85.30268 (Serial No. 2,169,652); Figure 2 shows a section taken on the line 11-11 of Figure 1; 100 Figure 3 shows a section similar to Figure 1 through a preferred embodiment of an extending device with the window pane closed; Figure 4 shows a section as in Figure 3 but with the window pane opened, and showing various intermediate positions. The extending device is designated as a whole in the drawings by the reference numeral 1. It serves to swing a window pane 2 of a motor vehicle and is equally suitable for moving-out other openable structures e.g. liftable roofs. The pivoting axis of the window pane 2 is situated on the window opening of the vehicle body and is not shown in the drawings.

The extending device 1 comprises a drive unit 3 for a push member 4 which connects by way of an angle element 5 with the window pane 2, but may also be pivotably connected directly to the window pane. The point of pivotable connection between the push member 4 and the angle element 5 is designated as 6 in Figure 1 in this example. It consists of a strap 7 which is secured on the end of the push member 4 and which has an elongated hole 8 into which engages a pivot pin 9 secured to the angle element 5. The complete drive unit 3 is arranged in a onepiece housing 10 which is either moulded from synthetic plastic material or is a zinc die- casting. The housing 10 is mounted in the 2 GB2195392A 2 interior space of the motor vehicle in the vi cinity of the extending window pane 2 on a vehicle body wall (not shown) e.g. a spar. The fixing points are indicated by the reference numerals 11 and 12. The sealing element on 70 which the window edge rests all round is indi cated by the reference numeral 13.

In the example of the extending device shown in Figure 1, (which is the subject of the parent Application), the push member 4 consists of a one-piece rigid push rod 14 whose end remote from the point of pivotable connection 6 to the window pane 2 is operatively connected by way of a toothed drive to 15 the output shaft 15 of an electrically operated 80 geared motor 16 of the drive unit 3. The push rod 14 has a continuously arcuate curvature and is provided on its inner arcuate portion at its end remote from the window pane 2 with 20 a toothed segment 17. Meshing in the toothed segment 17 is a pinion 18 which forms the drive pinion at the output end of the geared motor shaft 15. The push rod 14 is guided over approximately all of its length 25 in a bearing housing 19 which is curved to correspond to the arcuate form of the push rod and is formed integrally in the housing 10 of the drive unit 3. The toothed segment 17 in the region of its two ends comprises tooth- less indentations 20, 21, which prevent driv- 95 ing of the push rod 14 by the drive pinion 18 when the push rod is in the telescoped end position as shown in full lines in the Figure, and in an extended position as indicated by dot-dash lines for the window pane 2. In or- 100 der that the push rod 14 cannot be drawn out of its bearing 19 from the outer side of the window pane, the push rod 14 comprises at its outer end a limiting stop 22 which is in the 40 form of an abutment to make contact with the 105 drive pinion 18 in the extended open position of the window pane. Engagement of the drive pinion 18 with the toothed segment 17 is made possible by the fact that the bearing housing 19 is provided at its side facing to- 110 wards the drive pinion with a wall aperture 23.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2 a reduction gear 24 is positioned between the output shaft 15 of the geared motor 16 and the drive pinion 18. The reduction gear comprises a gearwheel 25 which is fixed on the geared motor output shaft 15 and which meshes with an associated wheel 26 fixed to a shaft 28 freely rotatable in a bearing block 27 formed integrally with the housing 10. In addition to the gearwheel 26 there is secured to the shaft 28 a further gearwheel 30. The other end of the shaft 28 is guided in a bear- ing block 29 also integral with the housing 10. The gearwheel 30 meshes- with a gearwheel 31 secured on a shaft 32 whose ends are mounted to be freely rotatable in the bearing block 29 and in an oppositely situated bearing block 33. There is also fixed on the shaft 32 a worm 34 driving a worm wheel 35 secured to a shaft 36. In addition to the worm wheel 35 which is secured to the shaft 36, the drive pinion 18 is secured to the shaft 36. The drive pinion 18 engages in the toothed segment 17.

The drive unit of the preferred embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4 differs from the drive unit of the example shown in Figures 1 and 2 (which is the subject of the parent Application) by a modified gear construction, which will not be described in detail here since such reduction gear mechanisms are commercially obtainable.

A significant difference in the construction of the preferred embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4 consists in the construction of the push member 4 which consists of a crank and rocker mechanism, the crank and rocker being designated by the reference numerals 37 and 38 respectively. The crank 37 and rocker 38 are pivotably connected to one another by a pivot pin 39. The free end of the crank 37 supports on a pivot pin 40 and which meshes with a worm 42 fixed on the output shaft of the geared motor 16. The worm 42 has the function of the drive pinion 18 in the first embodiment shown in Figure 1, whereas the worm wheel 41 is comparable with the toothed segment 17, since in both cases the driving movement is transmitted from the geared motor through the worm wheel 41 and toothed segment 17 directly to the push rod 4 and crank-rocker mechanism 4 respectively.

The extending device in the example shown in Figures 1 and 2 operates as follows: The motor 16 is energized via an electrical control system from the driver's seat. The drive pinion 18 at the output of the geared motor shaft 15 is rotated in anti-clockwise direction and through the engagement in the toothed segment 17 moves the push rod 14 from the closed position of the window pane 2 shown in full lines in Figure 1 along an arcuate path of travel represented by the line 43 into the open positin. Any desired intermediate position can be preselected through a suitable control circuit arrangement. During the extending movement of the push rod the pivot pin 9 shifts within the elongated hole 8 in the strap 7 in dependence on the arcuate movement. In the full open position the stop 22 prevents further extending of the push rod. The indentation 20 in the toothed segment 17 also pre- vents further entrainment of the push rod. Return travel from the open position into the closed position is carried out in the reverse sequence.

The extending movement in the case of the preferred embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4 is also effected by switching-on the motor from the driver's seat. Starting from the closed position in Figure 3, wherein the rocker 38 and the crank 37 lie one above the other at the bottom dead centre position, the worm 1 3 GB2195392A 3 wheel 41 is rotated by the worm 42 in clockwise direction (dot-dashed intermediate position in Figure 4). During this rotation, the rocker 38 is moved upwardly, and moves the window pane 2 outwards by means of the pivotable connection 44. Figure 4 shows vari ous angles to which the window pane can be extended. The maximum opening is limited by the length of crank and rocker, these taking up a rectilinear extended position in the fully 75 open window position, as full lines in Figure 4 show.

Although self-locking worm gear apparatus are used in the reduction gear systems de scribed above, in order to prevent unautho rized operation of the windows from the out side, the same object may also be achieved by the fitting of double-acting spring cou plings.

The drive control arrangements which have been described can be supplemented by the use of rotary-type variable potentiometers coupled with the drive output shaft, and/or slide potentiometers which are connected to the push member. The use of liquid-crystal symbol displays or photodiode displays is also possible.

Attention is drawn to our copending Application No. 85.30268 (Serial No. 2,169,652), previously referred to as the parent Applica- tion, from which this Application has been divided.

Claims

1. An extending device for window panes, lifting roofs or the like openable structures for use with motor vehicles, which are pivotably movable about an axis, said extending device including a push member having a pivotal con- nection to enable it to be connected to an openable structure and a drive unit connected to said push member, the push member consisting of a multi- piece rigid push rod whose end remote from the point of pivotal connec- tion to the openable structure is operatively connected to the output shaft of an electrically operated geared motor through worm wheel gearing, wherein the drive unit and the push rod are arranged in a housing which is pro- vided with means to enable it to be fixed, as an independent unit, to a vehicle body wall near the point of pivotal connection to the openable structure in the interior space of the vehicle, and wherein the push rod consists of a crank and rocker mechanism whereof the end of the crank nearest to the geared motor is fixed to a worm wheel of the worm gearing, said worm wheel meshing with a worm connected to the output shaft of the geared motor and being so driven thereby that in the closed position of the openable structure the rocker and the crank are above one another in a bottom dead centre position, and in the open position the crank and the rocker are in rectilinear alignment with one another.

2. An extending device according to claim 1, wherein the crank and rocker mechanism consists of two levers pivotally connected to one another by a pivot pin.

3. An extending device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the housing for the drive unit and the push rod consists of a one-piece unit made from either synthetic plastic material or zinc which is die cast.

4. A motor vehicle incorporating an extending device according to any one of the preceding claims.

5. An extending device for window panes, lifting roofs or the like openable structures constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

Published 1988 at The Patent Office, State House, 66/71 High Holborn, London WC 1 R 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from The Patent Office, Sales Branch, St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BF15 3RD. Printed by Burgess & Son (Abingdon) Ltd. Con. 1/87.