JPH06137025A - Drive device for cable type window regulator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the thickness of a drive device without damaging the function of the drive device for a cable type window regulator. CONSTITUTION:A drum 2 around and from which cables 14 and 15 are wound and unwound and a drive shaft 4 are arranged in parallel to each other and the two cables are intercoupled through first and second gears 10 and 31 with the possibility for torque to be transmitted. The second gear 31 is integrally formed on the outer peripheral surface of a spring case 29 to contain a spiral spring 22. An engaging protrusion 33 is protruded directly from the upper surface of the spring case 29, and a drum containing part 6 to contain a drum 2 is formed in a housing 1. A root part 24a of a cup member 24 to contain a brake spring 34 is extended downward, and an annular groove 35 to prevent the occurrence of interference with the root part 24a is formed in the upper surface of the spring case 29. Thus, the protrusion height of the cup member 24 to contain a brake spring 34 can be reduced, and further, the thickness of a housing 1 except the drum containing part 6 can be decreased to an extremely low value.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a drive device for a cable type window regulator. More specifically, it relates to a device on the drive side of a window regulator that opens and closes a window glass of an automobile, a building or the like via a cable.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A drive device for a general cable type window regulator is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 246977/1985, which uses a control cable arranged in a loop for raising and lowering a window glass. It has a drum for winding up and unwinding the inner cord, and a drive shaft for rotationally driving this drum. Further, the drive shaft and the drum are engaged with each other with a play in the rotational direction in order to facilitate the operation of the brake spring for preventing the window glass from being pry open, and the brake spring is provided on the outer periphery of the drive shaft. ing. Further, the drum receives a biasing force of a spiral spring for balancing the driving force when the window is raised and when the window is lowered. The drive shaft, the drum, the brake spring, and the spiral spring are usually arranged concentrically in a line.

However, in such a structure, there is a problem that the thickness of the driving device (the length in the axial direction) is large, and rain water transmitted through the cable may rust the spiral spring and the like. Therefore, the present applicant has proposed a drive device in which the drum is separated from the drive shaft and the spiral spring and arranged in parallel with them, so to speak, in parallel (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 4-60083, 60084 and 600).
No. 85).

[0004]

The driving device in which the drum is separated from the other parts and arranged in parallel is somewhat thinner than the driving device arranged in series. However, modern cars incorporate various mechanisms inside the door,
Further, since side reinforcement bars for doors are inserted, there is an increasing demand for thinner devices. Therefore, the thickness of the conventional driving device is not sufficient, and it is required to make it thinner. In order to meet such a demand, the present invention has a technical problem to make a drive device of a cable type window regulator thinner so that it can be easily incorporated into a door of an automobile.

[0005]

A drive device for a window regulator according to the present invention is (a) a housing and (b) rotatably supported in the housing, for winding up and sending out a cable for raising and lowering a window. A drum, and (c) a first gear that is rotatably supported in the housing concentrically with the drum and that is connected to the drum in a torque-transmittable manner;
(D) A second gear that meshes with the first gear is formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof, and is rotatably connected in the housing about a rotation center parallel to the rotation center of the drum so as to be adjacent to the first gear. With a bottomed cylindrical spring case,
(E) A spiral spring housed in the spring case so as to constantly bias the spring case in one direction, and (f) a drive shaft for rotationally driving the spring case. .

In the drive device constructed as described above, it is preferable that a portion of the housing for accommodating the drum projects more than other portions. Further, since the second gear is formed on the outer circumference of the spring case, it is preferable that the engaging protrusion be directly provided on the upper bottom portion of the spring case. Further, the base of the cup member for restraining the outer periphery of the brake spring is extended downward, and an annular groove surrounding the engaging projection is formed on the upper bottom of the spring case.
It is preferable to prevent interference with the extended root portion. Further, it is preferable that a boss forming a bearing of the drive shaft is provided in a protruding manner on the inner bottom surface of the housing, and the inner end of the spiral spring is locked to the outer circumference of the boss.

[0007]

In the device of the present invention (claim 1), since the second gear is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the spring case, the thickness of the spring case can be reduced by the tooth width of the second gear. Therefore, the thickness of the entire device can be reduced.
Furthermore, since the spring case and the first gear are adjacent to each other,
The biasing force of the spiral spring is smoothly transmitted to the first gear. Further, since the spring case and the first gear are adjacent to each other, when the drum is provided below the first gear, the lower surface of the drum can be displaced below the lower end surface of the spring case. Therefore, it is possible to further reduce the overall thickness of the housing by projecting a portion for housing the drum at the bottom of the housing (claim 2). Further, when the drum is provided on the upper side of the first gear, the entire thickness of the housing can be reduced and the bottom surface can be made flat by projecting the portion for accommodating the drum on the upper part of the housing.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the second gear is moved to the outer peripheral surface of the spring case to utilize the upper surface space of the upper bottom portion, and the engaging projection is directly formed there. Therefore, the spring case can be made thin and lightweight, and the points of action of the driving torque and the force of the spiral spring come close to each other in the axial direction to reduce the bearing reaction force and reduce the misalignment. In the device of claim 4,
Since the root portion of the cup member for restraining the outer periphery of the brake spring is extended downward, an annular groove surrounding the engaging projection is formed on the upper bottom portion of the spring case to prevent interference with the extended portion. The thickness of the housing can be further reduced without reducing the effective depth of the brake spring cup member, and the spring case can be stably and rotatably supported.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the device of the present invention,
2 is an exploded perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is III-II of FIG.
1 is a sectional view taken along line I, FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 1, and FIG.
FIG. 6 is a front view showing an example of a window regulator using this device, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the device of the present invention. The apparatus A shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is provided with a housing 1 composed of a box-shaped main body 1a having a gourd-shaped plan view and a lid 1b covering an upper opening of the main body 1a. The main body 1a is usually a synthetic resin molded product, and the lid 1b is a metal plate press-molded product. The inside of the main body 1a is divided into a first chamber 3 in which the drum 2 and the like are accommodated and a second chamber 5 in which the drive shaft 4 and the like are accommodated.

At the bottom of the first chamber 3 of the main body 1a, the drum 2
A cylindrical drum housing portion 6 having a bottom for accommodating is projected outward. Then, the pin 8 is placed at the center of the inner bottom of the drum housing section
Is erected. The upper end of the pin 8 is fitted with a flange portion 9 formed by bending the lid 1b inward. A conventionally known drum 2 is rotatably fitted on the outer periphery of the pin 8, and a first gear 10 is rotatably provided concentrically with the drum 2 on the upper surface side of the drum 2. Figure 1
Then, the first gear 10 is fitted on the outer periphery of the flange portion 9 of the lid 1b in order to reduce the space in the height direction, but may of course be fitted directly on the pin 8. Similarly, in order to reduce the height, a cylindrical concave portion 11 is formed on the bottom surface of the first gear 10, and the upper end of the drum 2 is fitted in the concave portion 11 in a nested manner.

On the contact surface between the drum 2 and the first gear 10,
Radial ratchet teeth 12 and 13 for removing the slack of a conventionally known cable are formed (FIGS. 2 and 3).
reference). And the first cable 14 for raising the window glass
The cable end fitting 16 of the second cable 15 is locked to the first locking hole 18 of the drum 2 and is lowered.
It is locked in the second locking hole 19 formed in the gear 10. The pair of ratchet tooth rows 12 and 13 are for removing the slack of the cable when assembling the window regulator, and after the lid 1b is firmly attached, the drum 2 and the first gear 10 rotate together. . Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the main body 1a of the housing 1 has a drum 2
First cable 14 and second cable 15 wound around
A guide 20 is provided for guiding the outside.

A boss 21 for rotatably receiving the shaft end of the drive shaft 4 is provided at the center of the inner bottom of the second chamber 5 of the main body 1a of the housing 1. And the second chamber 5 of the lid 1b
On the side, a cup member 24 for accommodating a brake spring having a cylindrical shape with a bottom is provided so as to project. This cup member 24 has a lid 1b
Although it can be formed integrally with the whole, in the present embodiment, the opening 27 formed in the flat portion 26 of the lid 1b is press-formed as a separate component having a flange 25 on the outer periphery of the root portion 24a in advance. It is fitted from the lower side to the inner circumference of the above, and the flange portion 25 is fixed to the peripheral edge of the opening by spot welding. At the center of the cup member 24, an inwardly bent bearing portion 28 is provided, and the bearing portion 28 and the boss 21 rotatably support the drive shaft 4.

On the outer periphery of the drive shaft 4, a bottomed cylindrical spring case 29 is rotatably fitted so that the opening faces downward. A second gear 31 that meshes with the first gear 10 is integrally formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer wall 30 of the spring case 29. A well-known spiral spring 22 is housed inside the spring case 29 as a balance spring for reducing the difference in operating force generated between the raising operation and the lowering operation of the window glass. As shown in FIG. 3, the outer end 22a of the spiral spring 22 is bent back outward and locked in a groove 29a formed in the inner peripheral surface of the outer wall 30 of the spring case 29, and the inner end The end portion 22b is bent inward and locked in the slit 21a formed in the boss 21.

At the center of the drive shaft 4 in the longitudinal direction, two engaging portions 32 having a fan shape are provided in a protruding manner.
The engaging portions 32 are provided on the upper surface of the spring case.
An engaging protrusion 33 is provided so as to engage with and having a play in the rotational direction. That is, the engaging portion 32 and the engaging protrusion 33 are
As shown in FIG. 4, they are meshed with each other through a gap G forming the play, and both ends 34 of a known cylindrical coil-shaped brake spring 34 are fitted in these gaps G.
a and 34b are engaged. The outer peripheral surface of the brake spring 34 is in sliding contact with the inner surface of the cup member 24. Therefore, when the window glass is pushed down from the outside, the brake spring 34 spreads outward and strongly contacts the inner surface of the cup member 24. It has a locking effect. However, when it is rotated by the drive shaft 4, the engaging portion 32 engages with the engaging protrusion 32 of the spring case 29 while releasing the lock by hooking the end portions 34a and 34b of the brake spring 34, so that it freely rotates. . That is, the play in the rotational direction between the engaging portion 32 and the engaging protrusion 33 is provided for the locking action and the unlocking action of the brake springs 34.

In this embodiment, as described above, the flange portion 2
Since the cup member 24 having the number 5 is fitted into the opening 25 of the flat portion 26 from below, the entire inner peripheral surface of the cup member 24 can be used for the locking action of the brake spring. Therefore, if the effective depth of the cup member 24 is the same, the protrusion height of the cup member 24 can be reduced by the thickness of the flange portion 25. Further, in this embodiment, since the flange portion 25 is projected on the inner surface side of the flat portion 2 of the lid 1b, an annular shape for avoiding interference with the flange portion 25 is provided on the outer periphery of the engagement protrusion 33 on the upper surface of the spring case 29. Groove 3
5 is formed. As a result, the outside of the annular groove 35, that is, the vicinity of the upper surface of the second gear 31 can be brought into sliding contact with the lid 1b, and a stable meshing between the first gear 10 and the second gear 31 can be ensured. A conventional method in which the upper surface of the engaging portion 32 is brought into sliding contact with the upper surface of the cup member 24 may be adopted, or both may be used together.

1 and 2, reference numeral 36 is a protrusion or arm for attaching the housing 1 to the inside of the door of an automobile, and 37 is a partition wall for partitioning the first chamber 3 and the second chamber 5. . The partition wall 37 has cables 14 and 1
Rainwater coming from the 5 will not be absorbed by the brake spring 34.
This is to prevent the second chamber 5 containing the spiral spring 22 from entering. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the guide 20 is extended in the second chamber 5 direction,
As shown in FIG. 5, if the second chamber 5 is made higher than the first chamber 3 and a hole for draining water is formed in the drum accommodating portion 6, more rainwater can reach the second chamber 5. You can avoid it.

In the drive device A constructed as described above, since the second gear 31 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the outer wall 30 of the spring case 29, the overall height of the spring case 29 is low. Therefore, the second chamber 5 side can be shallow.
Further, also on the first chamber 3 side, since only the drum housing portion 6 is projected from the bottom of the first chamber 3, there is an advantage that the thickness of the entire housing 1 excluding the protruding portion can be made extremely thin. The drive unit A thus thinned has the same function as that of the conventional drive unit. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, when the drive shaft 4 is rotated in the arrow C direction, the second gear 31 can be rotationally driven in the arrow C direction while releasing the lock action of the brake spring 34. As a result, the first gear 10 is rotated in the direction of arrow E, and the drum 2
The first cable 14 can be wound on the top and the second cable 15 can be sent out.

On the contrary, when the drive shaft 4 is rotationally driven in the direction of the broken arrow D, the second gear 31 and the first gear 10 rotate in the directions of the arrow D and the arrow F, respectively, and the second cable 15 is wound on the drum 2. Then, the first cable 14 can be sent out. The drive shaft 4 can be manually rotationally driven by a crank type handle. However, it may be driven by a motor. The drive device A configured as described above is used as a drive device of the window regulator B shown in FIG. 5, for example. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 41 denotes a guide rail, and a carrier plate 42 is provided on the guide rail 41.
Is slidably provided. The carrier plate 42 supports the window glass.

As described above, the drive unit A is mounted inside the door of the automobile so that the second chamber 5 side is slightly downward. The first ascending cable 14 extends downward through the curved guide 43 on the upper portion of the guide rail 41 and is locked to the carrier plate 42. Further, the second descending cable 15 extends upward through the curved guide 44 at the lower portion of the guide rail 41, and the carrier plate 42.
Locked in. Therefore, by rotating the drive shaft 4 of the drive device A in the direction of arrow C, the carrier plate 42
Can be raised along the guide rail 41, and conversely, by rotating the drive shaft 4 in the direction of arrow D, the carrier plate 42 can be lowered. In this case, when the carrier plate 42 is raised, the spiral spring 22 is in the unwinding direction, and the torque required for raising the window glass can be reduced. Further, when lowering the carrier plate 42, the spiral spring 22 is operated while being rolled up. 45 of FIG.
Reference numeral 46 denotes a flexible outer casing for guiding the cables 14 and 15.

Although the cup member 24 and the flat portion 26 are spot-welded in the above embodiment, they may be integrally formed by press molding. Also in that case, it is preferable to extend the root of the cup member 24 downward and form the annular groove 35 on the upper surface of the spring case 29 so as not to interfere with the root. As a result, it is possible to simultaneously secure the depth of the cup member 24 and reduce the thickness of the housing. Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the drum 2 may be hollow, and the second spiral spring which acts as a balance spring may be housed therein.

The drive unit A shown in FIG. 1 is provided with the drum 2 below the first gear 10, but the drive unit B shown in FIG.
As described above, the drum 2 may be arranged on the first gear. In that case, the upper surface of the lid 1b can be made substantially flush with the upper surface of the cup member 24 for accommodating the brake spring, and the bottom surface of the main body 1a of the housing 1 can be made flat. This has the advantage that it can be easily attached to a door panel or the like.

[0022]

In the drive unit of the present invention, the second gear is provided on the outer wall of the spring case, so that the substantial thickness of the housing is about 1/2 to 2/3 as compared with the conventional drive unit. can do. In the drive device according to the second aspect, since the portion for accommodating the drum is projected, the other portion can be made thinner. Further, in the drive device according to the third aspect, since the engaging projection is directly provided on the upper surface of the spring case, the thickness of the housing can be further reduced. In the drive unit according to claim 4, since the annular groove is formed on the upper surface of the spring case and the root of the cup member is projected downward, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the housing while ensuring the depth of the cup member. You can

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the device of the present invention.

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

3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG.

4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG.

5 is a front view showing an example of a window regulator using the device of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Housing 2 Drum 4 Drive Shaft 6 Drum Housing 10 First Gear 14 First Cable 15 Second Cable 22 Spiral Spring 24 Cup Member 29 Spring Case 31 Second Gear 32 Engagement Part 33 Engagement Protrusion 34 Brake Spring 35 Annular Groove

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. (a) a housing, (b) a drum rotatably supported in the housing, for winding up and sending out a cable for raising and lowering a window, and (c) the housing concentrically with the drum. A first gear that is rotatably supported therein and that is torque-transmissibly coupled to the drum; and (d) a second gear that meshes with the first gear is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the first gear, and in the housing, A bottomed cylindrical spring case provided rotatably around a rotation center parallel to the rotation center of the drum so as to be adjacent to the first gear, and (e) the spring case is always rotated in one direction in the spring case. A drive device for a cable type window regulator including a spiral spring housed so as to be biased, and (f) a drive shaft for rotationally driving the spring case. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the housing for accommodating the drum projects more than other portions. 3. The drive shaft includes an engaging portion that projects outward in the radial direction, and engages with an outer surface of an upper bottom portion of the spring case with a play for unlocking the brake spring with respect to the engaging portion. The device according to claim 1, wherein the mating engagement projections are directly projected. 4. A cup member for restraining an outer periphery of the brake spring, wherein a root portion of the cup member extends toward an upper bottom portion of the spring case, and further, the engaging portion is provided on the upper bottom portion of the spring case. The device according to claim 3, wherein an annular groove is formed so as to surround the fitting protrusion so as to avoid interference with the root portion of the cup member. 5. The device according to claim 1, wherein a boss forming a bearing of the drive shaft is provided in a protruding manner on the inner surface of the housing, and the inner end of the spiral spring is locked to the outer periphery of the boss.