JP2554786B2 - Closure member drive - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for opening and closing sliding closures for vehicles such as doors or windows, and more particularly to an improved closure of the closures. Provide a hook.

[0002]

It is known to provide motor vehicles with a closing member, such as a side door slidably mounted on a truck, for sliding movement back and forth between an open position and a closed position. . When the door reaches the closed position, the weather strip (gap closing member) is compressed to provide a weather-tight seal, and the door is latched to keep the door closed. To achieve such door locking and weatherstrip compression, the vehicle user quickly slides the door to the closed position.

It is also known to provide a motor drive mechanism to drive such a sliding door. In particular, it is also known to use motorized pulleys for winding and rewinding cables attached to the doors, one of which pulls the door forward and the other of which pulls the door rearward. One example is U.S. Pat. No. 4,
No. 862,640.

[0004]

Such a powered door closing mechanism requires and is desirable to control the closing speed of the door. Vehicle users want the doors to move quickly to get in and out of the vehicle, yet do not slam the door. It is necessary to control the closing force of the door so that it closes with sufficient force to lock the door to the door latch and compress the weatherstrip.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An apparatus for opening and closing a closure member slidably mounted on a vehicle body according to the present invention is attached to the closure member and includes a first end and a second end. A cable means having an end, and a first reel having the first end of the cable means coupled to rotate to wind the cable means to slide the closure member onto the closure plate. And a second end to which the second end of the cable means is coupled to rotate to wind the cable means to slide the closure member to the open position.
Rotating means for engaging and rotating the first reel and the reel for driving the cable, when the voltage in the first direction is applied to the rotating drive means. And a rotation drive means adapted to rotate the second reel when the voltage in the opposite direction is applied to the rotation drive means and to wind up the cable means,
Spring means that act to bias the rotation of the first and second reels so that the cable means remains taut while the cable means is unwound from the reel.

In the example of a sliding door in a van type vehicle, the sliding door is typically mounted on a truck for sliding movement between an open position and a closed position. When the door reaches the closed position, the weatherstrip is compressed and the door latch is latched. A cable is attached to the door by means of a pulley such that pulling on the first end of the cable causes the door to slide to the open position and pulling on the second end pulls the door to the closed position. Guided in the vehicle. A motor drive mechanism for pulling a cable according to the present invention includes a first reel and a second reel having ends of the cable concentrically mounted and respectively wound on reels in opposite directions. The motor moves in one direction to rotate the first reel in the cable winding direction to open the door and in the opposite direction to rotate the second reel in the cable winding direction to close the door. . Each of these reels preferably has a large diameter portion for winding the cable to provide relatively fast and low force door movement over the majority of the movement, as well as a small diameter cable winding. A portion to provide relatively slow and high force movement over the operating portion of the door that is closest to the closed position of the door. In this way, the door closes and opens at high speed during most of its operation, and then operates with high force to efficiently compress the weatherstrip and effectively latch the door. The large-diameter portion and the small-diameter portion of these reels have a cable groove for receiving a cable and an inclined groove for connecting the large-diameter portion and the small-diameter portion, and the position of the exit of the cable from the reel is the reel. You can move from one part to another during the rotation of. The tension hold spring operates to keep the cable under tension between the two reels at all times.

The present invention provides a closure drive such that a spring includes a cable end mounted on a cable take-up reel while acting to maintain tension on the cable between reels.

The present invention also provides a device for winding a cable onto a reel, the reel having a large diameter for winding the cable to provide high speed and low force door movement over most of the door operation. A portion and a small diameter portion for providing relatively slow and high force movement of the door over the operating portion closest to the closed position of the door for efficient latching and sealing of the door.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a van type vehicle body 10 in which a door 12 is mounted so as to be slidable back and forth.
The arm 14 extends into the vehicle at the bottom of the door 12, which arm is hidden under the floor 18 by a lower truck 16
It carries rollers inside. As best shown in FIG. 2, an upper arm 22 extends from the door 12 into the vehicle, the roller 24 rotating in an upper track 30 mounted on the side of a van-shaped vehicle body 24. , 26, 28 are carried. FIG. 1 shows an open state of the door 12. The sliding movement of the door 12 in the forward direction is made possible by the movement of rollers mounted on doors provided in the lower track 16 and the upper track 30. As shown in FIG. 2 for the upper truck 30, each of these trucks 16, 30 has a door 12
Is curved inward at the front end so that it slides inward when it reaches the fully closed position to close the door opening. The weather strip 34 is carried on the door 12 and is pressed against the van type vehicle body 10 when the door reaches the closed position.
The door latch 36 is carried by the door 12,
The door 12 is hooked on the striker 37 mounted on the van type vehicle body 10 to lock the door 12 in the closed position. Door latch 3
6 and striker 37 are shown in more detail in FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 4, the door latch 36 includes a housing 38 having a throat portion 40 which receives the striker 37 when the door 12 reaches the closed position. The fork bolt 42 is mounted on the housing 38 by a pivot 44.

As shown in FIG. 5, the throat member 4
When the striker 37 enters into the position 0, the fork-shaped bolt 42 is rotated clockwise to the second hooking position shown in FIG. 5, and in FIG. 5, the pulling member 48 mounted on the housing 38 by the pivot 50 is attached.
Has a detent tooth 52 that engages a hook 54 on the fork bolt 42.

FIG. 6 shows the position of the door latch 36 with the door 12 in the fully closed position, in which the striker 37 further rotates the fork-shaped bolt 42 in the clockwise direction to stop the initial latching. In this state, the retaining tooth-shaped member 52 is engaged with the first hook 55 of the fork-shaped bolt 52.

The door latch 36 is a fork-shaped bolt 4.
The electric switch 56 having the follow-up member 58 for detecting the position of 2 and the follow-up member 6 for detecting the position of the retaining member 48.
And an electrical switch 60 having two.

2 and 3, the motor drive mechanism is shown generally at 70. The cable 72 has an end 75 that is connected to the upper arm 22, extends through the curved front end 32 of the upper track 30, and via a grommet 73, the van-type vehicle body shown in FIG. It is screwed into a guide sleeve 74 mounted on the side wall of 10. The guide sleeve 74 carries a pulley 76 mounted on a shaft 78 and a pulley 80 mounted on a shaft 82 which directs the cable 72 rearwardly to a first reel 84, which The reel of No. 1 can be rotated clockwise to pull the door 12 forward toward the closed position.

The cable 88 has an end 90 connected to the upper arm 22 and is in the upper track 30 and the shaft 95.
The cable 8 extending around the pulley 94 attached to the
8 is directed to a second reel 96 which is rotated counterclockwise to wind the cable 88 and pull the door 12 rearward to open the door.

The reels 84 and 96 are mounted on the vehicle by a mounting bracket 98 which is bolted to the van type vehicle body 10, and a spindle 100 is caulked to the bracket 98. The drive gear 102 is seated on the spindle 100. The first reel 84 is rotatably supported on the drive gear 102. The second reel 96 is placed on the first reel 84 and rotatably seated on the spindle 100 and the first reel 84. Housing 106
Is suspended from below bracket 98 and supports an electric motor 108, which drives a pinion gear 110 seated on a fixed spindle 112 crimped to bracket 98. The electromagnetic clutch assembly 114 is seated on the spindle 112 and has an input gear (not shown) that meshes with the pinion gear 110 and an output gear 116 that meshes with the teeth 120 of the inner gear carried on the drive gear 102. The output gear 116 carries a perforated disc 122 which underlies a fixed sensor 124 for connection to an electrical circuit.

A moving drive connection is provided between the drive gear 102 and the first reel 84. As shown in FIG. 2, the splay motion coupling includes a drive projection 126 carried by the drive gear 102 and a complementary drive projection 128 carried by the first reel 84 as shown in FIG. including. Motion coupling is also provided between the drive gear 102 and the second reel 96. Drive projection 132
Can mate with a complementary drive projection 134 carried on the upper surface of drive gear 102 as shown in FIG. 2 and carried on second reel 96 as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the tension maintaining spring 140 is a coil spring and is seated in the annular openings in the reels 84 and 96. The upper spring end 142 is fixed on the second reel 96, and the lower spring end 144 is fixed on the first reel 84. The tension maintaining spring 140 biases the second reel 96 in the clockwise direction, and causes the first reel 84 to move.
To keep the cables 92 and 88 constantly taut.

As best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first reel 84 has a large diameter portion 150 having a spiral cable groove 156 and a spiral cable groove 160.
And a small diameter portion 158 having. The beveled groove 162 joins the spiral cable groove 156 with the spiral groove 160. The end of the cable 72 is fixed on the large diameter portion 150 of the first reel 84.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the second reel 96 has a structure similar to that of the first reel 84 and has a large diameter portion 17 having a spiral cable groove 172.
0 and a small diameter portion 1 with a spiral cable groove 176
74 and. The inclined groove 180 is a large diameter cable groove 172.
And the small-diameter cable groove 176. As shown in FIG. 2, the end of the cable 88 is fixed to the small diameter portion 174 of the second reel 96. A cover 186 is mounted over the reel 84, as best shown in FIG.
It is held by a nut 188. Cable 88 exits cover 186 through grommet 190 supported by outlet 192.

In the figure, the door 12 is shown in the open position. The cable 88 is fully wound on the second reel 96. The cable 72 is fully unwound from the first reel 84. The tension maintaining spring 140 urges the second reel 96 in the counterclockwise direction and the first reel 84 in the clockwise direction between the reels 84 and 96 to urge the cable 7 to move.
2,88 are kept taut together.

When the vehicle user wants to close the door, the electric motor 108 is energized by applying a voltage to the pinion gear 110,
The drive projection 126 is driven via the electromagnetic clutch assembly 114 and the output gear 116. When the drive gear 102 rotates clockwise, its drive projection 126 engages with the complementary drive projection 128 of the first reel 84 and the first reel 84 rotates clockwise to wind up the cable 72. The door 12 is then pulled forward into the closed position. The cable 72 is gradually wound up on the spiral cable groove 156 of the large diameter portion of the first reel 84. When the door approaches the closed position, the cable 72 traverses the inclined groove 162, and when the first reel 84 further rotates, the cable 72 causes the small diameter portion 158 of the first reel 84.
It is wound into the spiral cable groove 160.

Therefore, assuming that the electric motor 108 rotates at a constant speed, the large diameter portion 1 of the first reel 84 is
Winding the cable 72 over 50 causes the door 12 to move at a relatively high speed over long distances, and then when the door approaches the closed position, the cable 72 is wound over the small diameter portion 158 to allow the door 12 to move. It moves at a relatively low speed but with great force. This relatively large force effectively compresses the weatherstrip 34 carried on the door 12, causing the door latch 36 to engage the striker 37, as shown in FIGS.

When the door 12 moves forward, the cable 86 opposes the urging force of the tension maintaining spring 140 and the second reel 96.
Understand that it is derived from. Tension maintenance spring 14
Zero acts so that the spring acts between the two reels 84, 96 such that when the cable 88 is unwound from the second reel 96, it always maintains a predetermined level of tension in the cable 88.

FIG. 7 is a graph plotting the moving distance of the door 12 and the force applied to the door 12 by the drive mechanism. Therefore, 90% of the distance when the door is in the closed position
It can be seen that the door 12 moves from the open position to the closed position at a relatively low force but at a high speed until the distance is reached. Then, as the cable 72 begins to be wound on the small diameter section 158, the final movement occurs at high force and low speed to achieve the secondary and initial latching functions.

When it is decided to open the door 12,
The door latch 36 is disengaged and the electric motor 108
The drive gear 102 rotates counterclockwise when a voltage is applied to the drive gear 132, and the drive protrusion 132 engages with the complementary drive protrusion 134 of the second reel 96 to rotate the second reel 96 clockwise. , Wind up the cable 88. The end of the cable 88 is fixed to the small diameter portion of the second reel 96 so that the initial operation of the door 12 occurs at high force and low speed. As winding continues, the cable 88 will
Across 80 and is subsequently wound onto the large diameter portion 170 of the second reel 96 so that the door movement proceeds at high speed and relatively low force.

Thus, the present invention provides a large diameter portion for wrapping the cable to provide high speed and low force door movement over most of the door movement, and movement closest to the closed position. Such that the cable is wound on a reel having a smaller diameter portion for winding the cable to lock and seal the door by providing relatively slow and high force movement of the door over the portion, A new and improved closure device for a sliding door in a van type vehicle can be provided.

Although the above embodiments have been described with respect to a door that slides back and forth, the present invention can also be used to slide a window back and forth or up and down and also to slide a door up and down.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the interior of a vehicle showing the general arrangement of sliding doors and the device of the present invention.

2 is an exploded view of the device of FIG. 1. FIG.

3 is a cross-sectional view of the motor drive mechanism of FIG. 1 having a break and a cross-section.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a door latch in a non-latched position.

5 is a plan view showing a state in which the latch of the door of FIG. 4 is in a secondary latching position.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a latch of the door in an initial latched state.

FIG. 7 is a graph in which the relationship between the movement distance of the door and the force is plotted. 10 body, 12 doors, 14 lower arm,
16 lower track, 22 upper arm, 24, 2
6, 28 roller, 30 upper track, 37
Striker, 72, 88 cable, 74 guide sleeve, 76, 80, 94 pulley, 102
Drive gear, 106 housing, 108 electric motor, 110 pinion gear, 114 electromagnetic clutch assembly, 84 first reel, 96 second reel

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–———————————————————————————————————————————— 57 of 97 | (72) Inventor Lloyd Walker Rogers, Michigan, United States 48087, Utica, Wolf 53601 (72) Inventor Mark Duein Nicholas, Michigan, United States 48043, Munt Clemens, Weedman 35114 (56) Bibliography Sho 63-54779 (JP, U) US Patent 4862640 (US, A)

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A device for opening and closing a closing member (12) slidably mounted on a vehicle body, the device being fixed to the closing member and having a first end and a second end. A cable means (72, 88) and a first reel (84) to which the first end of the cable means is connected, the first reel rotating and the cable means thereon. and the said closure member to be wound is made to slide toward the closed position the first reel (84), the said second end of said cable means (72 and 88) are connected A second reel (96) adapted to be rotated such that the cable means (72, 88) is wound thereon to cause the closure member to slide toward the open position. and (96), said first reel (84 Said cable hand by rotating the
The step (72, 88) is wound up to the closing member (12).
Close and rotate the second reel (96)
The cable means (72, 88) is wound to close the
Rotational drive means (102, 10) for opening the stopper member (12)
8, 114, 116), and the first reel
(84) and the second reel (96) are in the open position.
Over a greater part of the movement between the
Provide relatively fast and low force movement of the closure member (12)
Winding up the cable means (72, 88) so that
Larger diameter parts (150, 170) and closest to the closed position
The closing member over a lesser movement of the closing member.
Front to provide relatively slow and high force movement of the stop member
A small diameter portion (158, 1) for winding the cable means.
74) with which the closure member closes at high speed.
And then close it with high force to effectively hang the closing member.
A device characterized in that it can be stopped and sealed . 2. The first reel (84) and the second reel (84).
Each of the cable means (96) at each end of the cable means.
And urge it to rotate in the direction of rotation.
The cable means (72, 88) is connected to the reel (84,
96) The state that the cable means is tightened again after being released from
Having spring means (140) adapted to maintain
The device according to claim 1, characterized in that: 3. The rotation drive means is a single reversible motor.
Motor (108), the motor moving from
By the mechanism (126, 128, 132, 134)
Both the first reel (84) and the second reel (96)
Is connected to the motor to supply voltage to each direction
One of the reels (84, 96)
Drive engagement with one side and at the same time drive with the other reel
The disengagement is adapted to be released.
The device according to. 4. The first and second reels (84, 9)
6) is mounted concentrically on the spindle (100)
The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 5. A large diameter portion (150, 170) and a small diameter portion (158, 174) of the reel (84, 96).
Has a cable groove (156, 160, 172, 176) for receiving the cable means (72, 88), and an inclined groove (162, 1) connecting the large diameter portion and the small diameter portion.
Has 80), the outlet of the cable means from the reel (84 and 96) have been made to transition from one portion to another portion during rotation of the reel, to claim 1
4. The device according to any one of 4 .