US2949290A

US2949290A - Window regulator operating apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2949290A
Application number: US761843A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Julius Hezler
Original assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Current assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Priority date: 1958-09-18
Filing date: 1958-09-18
Publication date: 1960-08-16
Anticipated expiration: 1977-08-16

Description

J. HEZLER, JR

wmoow REGULATOR OPERATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 18. 1958 Aug. 16, 1990 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 .IIIIIIIIL Aug. 16, 1960 J. HEZLER, JR

WINDOW REGULATOR OPERATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 18, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 4 JJZ J/Wfi cg r I J I f. n HQ Aug. 16, 1960 J. HEZLER, JR 2,949,290

' wmnow REGULATOR OPERATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 18. 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet :5

INVENTOR.

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Afr/Vi) United States WINDOW REGULATOR OPERATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. '18, 19-58, Ser. No. 761,843

Claims. (Cl. 268-126} This invention relates to window regulator operating apparatus, and more particularly to window regulator operating apparatus having a retractable operating crank arm.

One feature of the invention is that it provides improved window regulator operating apparatus; another feature of the invention is that it provides novel window regulator operating apparatus, including a crank arm which is normally in a retracted inoperative position and which may be extended obliquely outwardly to an operative position; still a further feature of the invention is that it provides a window regulator operator having a gripping knob for the crank arm which, when in locked position, is inaccessible for manual operation; and yet a further feature of the invention is that it provides window regulatoroperating apparatus which, when in locked position, is substantially flush with the body on which it is mounted.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and from the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of a station wagon having a tail gate with a movable window, the regulator operating apparatus for which incorporates the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the window regulator operating apparatus in a different position; Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the parts in still a different position;

Fig. 5 is a section taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a section taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 8 is a section taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a station wagon is designated in Fig. 1 generally as 10. The station wagon has a body 12 having a tail gate 14 hingedly mounted on its rear side. The tail gate carries a drop window 16. Fora more detailed disclosure of a stationwagon tail gate having a vertically movable window, reference is had to Patent No. 2,793,907 which issued on May 28, 1957 to W. Hess et a1. and which is entitled Vertically Swingable Station Wagon Tail-Gate with Retractable Window. It is sufiicient here to say that the tail gate is hinged on the body at its lower edge in conventional manner and that the window is movable from the closed position illustrated in Fig. 1 to an open position wherein it is housed substantially entirely within the tail gate. in moving between closed and open positions, the window moves along guides 18 and 20 which are mounted within the tail gate and the window is driven by a manually operable window regulator comprising interconnected gear sectors 22 and 24, each of which is pivotally mounted in the tail gate and each of which is connected to the window. The gear sectors are driven by a pinion 26.

While the invention is shown in connection with a tail atent O" 2,949,290 Patented Aug. 16, 1960 gate window, it will be understood that the invention is suitable for use with many other types of windows and other types of Window regulators, including windows mounted in other closure members and windows mounted on fixed parts of a vehicle body.

As shown the pinion 26 is fixedly mounted on the inner end of a window regulator drive spindle comprising a rotatable shaft 28 which, at its outer end, is splined to a hub 30. The outer end of the hub projects through an opening formed in the outer panel 14a of the tail gate 14. An escutcheon 32 is mounted on the panel 14a over the opening therein and at its hub the escutcheon is formed with a circular recessed portion 32a having an opening 32b at its apex. p

The hub 30 'is formed with an integral sliding bearing portion 36 arranged obliquely to the axis of the shaft 28 and an elongated crank arm 38 is slidably mounted in the bearing portion for movement obliquely outwardly from the hub between a retracted inoperative position as shown in Fig. 2 and an extended operative position as shown in Fig. 4. At its outer end the crank arm 33 mounts a rotatable gripping knob 40 which is received in the re-' cessed portion 32a of the escutcheon 32 when the crank arm is in its inoperative position so that the gripping knob is relatively inaccessible and lies substantially flush with the outer panel 14a of the tail gate 14. Stop means comprising a block 42 is mounted on the inner end of the crank arm 38 for engagement with the inner end of the bearing 36 to limit outward movement of the crank arm as shown in Fig. 4. I

Locking means mounted on the crank arm 38 have a portion engageable with the hub to lock the crank arm in inoperative position. This locking means comprises a conventional key cylinder 44 rotatably mounted on the outer end of the crank arm coaxially with the gripping knob 40. A spring-pressed pin 46 (Fig. 8) carried in a recess 48 in 'the key cylinder engages a circumferential slot 50 in the end portion of the crank arm to permit rotation of the key cylinder with reference to the crank arm but to prevent axial withdrawal of the cylinder. Since the key cylinder is of conventional construction which is well known in the art, its tumblers and other internal mechanisms are not shown here, it being sufficient to say that upon the insertion of a proper key 52, the key'cylinder may be turned through an arc of degrees. A locking pin 54 is mounted in an axially extending eccentrically located recess 56 in the back side of the 'key'cylinder, this pin being urged in a direction out of the recess by a coil spring 58. It will be seen in Figs. 2 and 7 that when the crank arm is in its retracted or inoperative position, the key cylinder is coaxial with the shaft 28 and a curved slot 60 is formed in the outer surface of the hub 30 for reception of the pin 54 to lockthe device by" preventing movement of the crank arm38' fromits inoperative position to its operative position. The base of the slot is tapered at the ends to permit the pin 54 to be cammed out of the slot when the key cylinder is rotated. An integral arm 62 formed on the hub 30 has at its lower end a transversely extending pin 64 which mounts a pair of helical springs 66. When the crank arm is in the inoperative position of Fig. 2, the free end of each spring 66 seats in a notch 68 formed in the crank arm 38 and abuts a shoulder at the outer end of each notch, whereby the springs 66 urge the crank arm towards operative position.

When the crank arm is in the inoperative position of Fig. 2 with the locking pin 54 in the slot 60, the crank cannot be withdrawn to its operative position. Even if it were possible to grasp the gripping knob 40 with a tool, as a 'pair of pliers, the crank would not be rotated about the axis of the shaft 28 to turn the shaft and raise or lower the window because the knob 40 is rotatable on the 3 crank. A proper key 52 may be inserted in the key cylinder 44 and turned through an arc of 90 degrees to swing the eccentrically mounted locking pin 54 out of the tapered end of'the curved slot 60, whereupon the springs 66 move the crank arm outwardly from the inoperative position of Fig. 2 to a partially operative position as shown in Fig. 3. With the parts in the position of Fig. 3, the gripping knob 40 has been moved out of the recess 32a in the escutcheon 32 so that the knob 40 can be gripped by the fingers of an, operator and the crank arm can be slid outwardly to its operative position illustrated in Fig. 4-. Engagement of the stop block 42 with the lower end of the bearing portion 36 limits the range of outward movement. With the parts in operative position, the crank arm may be rotated about the axis of the shaft 23 as illustrated in broken lines in Fig. 4 to turn the shaft 28 and raise or lower the window 16. When the crank arm 38 is pushed in from the operative position of Fig. 4 toward the inoperative position of Fig. 2, the spring-biased locking pin 54 cams over the outer surface of the hub 30 until it is aligned with the notch 60, whereupon the locking pin 54 will pop into the notch 69 when the crank arm is pushed in to lock the crank arm in its inoperative position.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is capable of many modifications. Chan es, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination in a vehicle having a hollow wall member, a window mounted on said Wall member, regulator means within said Wall member for moving said window between open and closed positions, said window when in open position being carried within said hollow wall member, a rotatable shaft connected to said regulator means, said shaft having a hub on the outer end thereof, a bearing portion on said hub arranged obliquely to the axis of said shaft, a crank arm slidably mounted in said bearing portion for movement obliquely outwardly from said hub between retracted inoperative position wherein the shaft is housed substantially entirely Within said hollow wall member and an extended operative position, a gripping knob rotatably mounted on the outer end of said crank arm, locking means on said crank arm having a portion engageable with said hub to lock the crank arm in inoperative position, and spring means on said hub engaging the crank arm for sliding the crank arm toward operative position when the locking means is released.

2. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 1,

wherein said crank arm is formed intermediate its ends with a notch defining a shoulder, and wherein said spring with a notch defining a shoulder, and wherein said spring means comprises a helical spring having one end releasably seating in said notch and bearing against said shoulder when the crank arm is in inoperative position, the end of said spring bearing against the end of said crank arm when the crank arm is in operative position.

4. Window regulator operating apparatus of the character described, including: a window regulator drive spindle having a hub on the outer end thereof, a bearing portion on said hub arranged obliquely to the axis of said spindle, a crank arm slidably mounted in said hearing portion for movement obliquely outwardly from said hub between inoperative and operative positions, a gripping knob rotatably mounted on the outer end of said crank arm, stop means comprising a projection-on said crank arm engageable with the bearing portion of the hub to limit outward sliding movement of the crank arm, locking means on said crank arm comprising a key-cylinder rotatably mounted on the crank arm coaxially with said gripping knob, the key cylinder also being substantially coaxial with said spindle when the crank arm is in inoperative position, and a spring-pressed pin carried by the key cylinder for engagement in, a slot in the hub, 21 support arm projecting from said hub generally parallel to the crank arm, said crank arm being formed intermediate its ends with a notch defining a shoulder, and a clock-type coil spring mounted on said support arm and having its free end releasably seated in said notch and engaging said shoulder when the crank arm is in inoperative position for urging the crank arm toward operative position when the locking means is released.

5. In combination in a vehicle, a window, regulator means connected to said window for moving said window between open and closed positions, a window regulator drive spindle connected at its inner end to said regulator maens and having a hub on the outer end thereof, a bearing portion on said hub arranged obliquely to the axis of said spindle, a crank arm slidably mounted in said bearing portion for movement obliquely outwardly from said hub between inoperative and operative. positions, said crank arm being formed intermediate its ends. with a notch defining a shoulder at one end thereof, means for locking said crank arm to said hub to retain the crank arm in inoperative position, and a clock-type coil spring mounted on said hub and having one end releasably seated in said notch and engaging said shoulder when the crank arm is in inoperative position for urging the crank arm toward operative. position when the locking means is released, said end of the spring abutting the end of the crank arm when the crank arm is in operative position to provide a yieldable holding means.

Draullette et a1. Oct. 26, 1897 Roethel Oct. 8, 1946