US3135545A - Vehicle door locking and window operating mechanism - Google Patents

Description

A. A. ABRAMS 3,135,545

VEHICLE DOOR LOCKING AND wmoow OPERATING MECHANISM June .2, 1964 Filed Dec. 21, 1961 IlIllllllIlllllllll-Ib-l'llll.

u m K United States Patent Ofi ice 3,135,545 Patented June 2, 1964 3,135,545 VEHICLE DOOR LOCKING AND WINDOW OPERATING MECHANISM Arnold Aaron Abrams, Solihull, England, assignor to Wilmot Breeden Limited, Birmingham, England, a

British company Filed Dec. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 160,986 Claims priority, application Great Britain Dec. 23, 1960 3 Claims. (Cl. 296-44) It is known to effect opening and closing of windows in a vehicle by means of an electrically-operated window regulator for each window and the present invention makes use of such an electrically-operated window regulator.

According to this invention, there is provided on a Vehicle a combination of an electrically-operated window regulator for at least one openable window, a key-operated door locking system for locking a door of the vehicle, and means arranged, on operating the key of the door locking system to lock the door, to energize also said window regulator so as to close the Window should it be open. Most conveniently the key-operated door locking system is an electrically operated system for locking a door or for simultaneously locking all the doors of the vehicle. With this arrangement, when the key is operated to lock the door or doors of the vehicle, any window which is not in a closed position is automatically closed.

Conveniently the lock has a key-operated member turnable in both directions from a key inserting and withdrawing position, turning the key in one direction completing a circuitfor locking the door or doors and in the other direction completing a circuit for unlocking the door or doors and wherein there is provided, for each electrically regulated window, a window-close relay having a self-holding circuit and arranged, when energized, to complete a circuit for operating the window regulator to close the window, circuit means arranged, on operat ing the key to lock the door or doors of the vehicle, to complete an energizing circuit for said window-close relay and a window-operated limit switch operating when the window is fully or almost fully closed to open the circuit through which the window close relay is energized. It will thus be seen that turning the key to lock the door or doors completes the circuit for the window-close relay for each window. The window-close relays will be held energized by the self-holding circuit even when the keyoperated circuit is opened on withdrawal of the key and this will remain operated for sufficient time for the windows to close. The window-close relays therefore causes the operation of the window regulators to close the windows and as each window reaches the closed posi tion the energizing circuit is broken by said windowoperated switch contact so releasing the relay. The key need only be operated momentarily; the self-holding circuits will ensure that all the windows close even if the key has been withdrawn or returned to the withdrawing position.

Preferably the key is arranged, on turning to lock the door or doors, to complete a circuit for a control relay which in turn completes the circuits for the window-close relays. By using a control relay in this manner in addition to the window-close relay, the key-operated contact can be grounded contact which applies a ground to a lead connected to one end of the control relay operating coil, the other end being connected to a source of supply potential with respect to ground. By arranging the keyoperated switch to eflect a ground connection, the construction of the switch is very considerably simplified comparedwith switches, such as have been used hereto fore, in which the rotatable switch contact has had to be electrically insulated from the body structure of the car.

It is the present custom to ground the positive terminal of a storage battery on a motor vehicle and thus the control relay circuit would normally be permanently connected to the negative terminal of the storage battery, the circuit being completed by the switch contact for putting a ground on one end of the relay circuit. The control relay may then have a contact which applies the battery negative to the window-close relay for operating the latter.

Conveniently a separate control relay can be provided for each window-close relay.

The aforementioned window-operated contact conveniently comprises a micro-switch which is normally closed but which is opened when the Window approaches the fully closed position. This micro-switch may conveniently be connected in series with the operating coil of the associated window-close relay so that the circuit for the latter is opened as the window approaches the fully closed position.

The electrically-operated window regulator may have,

in the known manner, a separate control switch adjacent each window to be regulated, the control switch having a manual control element with a central neutral position from which the control element may be moved in either direction to complete one or other of two circuits for energizing a window-close motor in one or other direction to open or close the window as required. In addition similar control switches may be provided on the dashboard so that the driver of the vehicle can operate the windows as required. Instead of providing the overriding switches on the dashboard, in some cases it may be convenient to provide them on the door adjacent the drivers seat in which case it would not be necessary to provide a separate switch for regulating the window on that door. The window regulating switches can be used to open or close the windows as required. The additional circuits described above will operate however to energize the Window regulators to close any open windows when the doors of the vehicle are locked.

' The following is a description of one embodiment of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying circuit diagram which illustrates a door-locking and windew-closing system for a motor vehicle having four doors each with an adjustable window.

In the diagram the rectangles 10, 11 illustrate respectively the parts of the circuit associated with the two front doors of the vehicle each of which has a key-operated lock whilst the rectangles 12, 13 illustrate the parts of the circuit associated with the two rear doors which are lockable electrically but do not have separate key-operated locking means. In each door there is an electric lock which is illustrated diagrammatically at 15. The locks 15 have a fused ground connection 16 and can be made to lock the door by applying battery voltage to an input lead 17 and can be made to unlock the door by applying a battery voltage to input lead 18. The locking means are solenoid operated and the fuses 16a in the connections 16 serve to protect the system in the event of a ground fault in one of the solenoids. The two front doors have key-operated devices 20 in which the key, when turned in one direction effects an electrical connection between a ground lead 21 and a lead 22 for effecting locking of the door and, when turned in the other direction, effects a connection between the ground lead 21 and a lead 23 for unlocking the door. In each door also there is a window-regulated motor 25 which will operate to wind the window up if a supply voltage with respect to ground is applied to an input lead 26 and a ground applied to a lead 27. The motor will wind the window down if the supply is applied to lead 26 and a ground to lead 28. In each door also there is a relay unit. The front doors have relay units 30 which contain four relays.

"33 its Of these, two relays 31, 32 have their operating coils connected in series with the aforementioned leads 22, 23 so that, if the ground is applied to one or other of these two leads by the key-operated device 20, the ground connection extends through the appropriate one of the relay operating coils to a common lead 33 leading via a fuse 34 to one terminal 35 of a battery 36, the other terminal 37 of which is grounded. The relay units also have two further relays 40, 41. One end of the operating coi of relay 4% is connected by a lead 42 to ground and the other end is connected via a lead 43 to the aforementioned lead 17 in the electrical lock of each of the two front doors so that, if battery voltage is applied to the lead 17 in either door each of the relays 49 is energized. The relays 45 have normally open contacts 44 which when closed complete a circuit between the grounded lead 42 and one end of the operating coil of relay 41. The other end of the operating coil of relay 41 is connected, via a micro-switch 45 which is normally closed but which is opened when the window is fully shut, to a connection 46 leading to the aforementioned battery supply lead 33. The relay 41 has two normally-open contacts 47, 48 of which contact 47 is a self-holding contact for maintaining the energizing circuit for the relay 41 after relay 40 has been released whilst contact 48 effects connection, when closed, between the ground lead 42 and the aforementioned lead 27 connected to the motor 25.

The two rear doors have relay units 50, 51 each containing two relays 52, 53 which correspond to the relays 4t), 41 in the front doors. One end of the operating coil of relay 52 is connected to a ground lead 54 whilst the other end is connected via a lead 55 to the aforementioned lead 17 in the lock 15 of the associated door and hence to the lead 17 in all the other locks. The relay 52 has a normally open contact 56 which, when closed, completes a circuit between the ground lead 54 and one end of the operating coil of relay 53. The other end of this relay 53 is connected via a micro-switch 57, which is open when the associated window is fully closed, to a lead 58 and thence via a fuse 59 to the battery terminal 35. The relay has two normally-open contacts 60, 61 of which contact 659 completes a self-holding circuit for maintaining the relay 53 energized after relay 52 has been released whilst contact 61 completes a circuit from the ground lead 54 to the input lead 27 of the window winding motor 25.

On each door is a manually-operable switch 70 which is normally open but which has two operative positions in which connection is effected between a grounded input lead 71 and one or other of two leads 72, 73. The lead 72 is connected to the aforementioned lead 27 so that when the ground connection is effected by switch 70 to lead 72 the motor 25 winds the window up. The lead 73 is connected to the aforementioned lead 28 of the motor 25 so that when the ground connection is effected by switch 70 to lead 73 the motor 25 winds the window down. In parallel with the switches 70 on the four doors are four further switches 75 mounted on the dashboard or at some other point easily accessible to the driver of the car enabling the driver to control the four windows. If these four switches 75 are mounted on the door adjacent the driving seat, there is no necessity to provide a separate switch 70 for that door. Each of these switches 75 enables a connection to be effected between a ground lead 76 and one or other of two leads 77, 78 which are connected to the window motor input leads 27, 28. The battery connections to the input leads 26 for each window motor includes a thermal overload circuit breaker 79 which typically is arranged to break the circuit if the motor 25 is stalled for more than about three seconds. Thus even if one of the switches 70 or 75 is held in position to complete the circuit for raising the window, the circuit breaker will operate after the window has been fully closed.

The operation of the above described system is as follows: For window regulation each window may be controlled either by the associated switch in the door 70 or by the driver-controlled switch 75. These switches apply a ground to one or other of the leads 27, 28 of the associated motor 25 according as the window is to be raised or lowered so that the motor circuit is then completed via the lead 26 through one of the fuses 34 or 59 to the battery terminal 35, the motor thus operating to move the window to be up or down as required. If a key is inserted into the key-operated device 20 on one or other the two front doors, an earth connection can be made to one or other of the leads 22, 23 according as to whether the door is to be locked or unlocked. These leads 22, 23 complete ground connections via the appropriate one of the relays 31, 32 and lead 33 to the battery terminal 35. The operation of the relay 31, for locking a door, closes a normally-open contact 80 which effects the connection between the battery supply lead 33 and the lock input lead 17 of the lock 15 on the associated door so as to lock that door. The contact 80 also effects connection to a lead 81 leading to the lock input connection 17 on each of the other doors so that operation of the key in either one of the front doors to complete the ground connection to lead 22 will lock all four doors. The closing of contact 80 also completes a connection between the battery input lead 33 and a lead 43 leading to one end of the winding of relay 40. Also, through the lead 81 power will be supplied to the corresponding relay 40 of the other front door and to the relays 52 in the two rear doors. These relays 40, 52 on operating, prepare circuits for the relays 41 in the front doors and relays 53 in the rear doors which circuits are each completed, if the associated window is open, through the micro-switch 45 or 57 so that the relays 41 or 53 operate if the associated window is open. Operation of the relays 41 or 53 completes self-holding contacts so that these relays remain operative even if the key is returned to its normal position to release relays 49, 52. The relays 41, 53 also complete the contacts 48, 61 for applying ground to the input leads 27 to the various window winding motors so that each of the windows is wound up. As soon as any window reaches its top limit the associated micro-switch contacts will open so releasing the appropriate relay 41 or 53.

It will thus be seen that on operating either of the locks 20 to lock a door, all the four doors are electrically locked and, if any of the four windows are open, the open window or windows will be raised to the closed position and the circuits will then be broken by the microswitches to leave the winding motors unenergized. If the key is turned to the unlock position to complete the circuit from the ground lead 21 via the lead 23 and relay 32 to the battery terminal 35, the relay 32 will operate and will close a contact 83 which will complete the circuit to the input 18 of the lock 15 to unlock that door and via a lead 84 will also complete the circuit from the battery terminal 35 through the closed contact 83 to the inputs 18 on each of the other door locks to unlock all the other doors.

In the circuit shown the switches 70, 75 carry the operating current for the associated motor 25. The switches might alternatively be arranged to apply a ground to the appropriate relays 41 or 53 to elfect closing of the window and to control the opening of the window by means of an additional relay for each door so that the switches 70, 75 need only pass the relay operating current and not the motor supply current.

If the key operated switches 20 could carry the full operating current, then the relays 31, 32 would be unnecessary, the key contacts then replacing the relay contacts 80, 83.

I claim:

1. A vehicle securing system comprising an electrically operated window regulator for at least one openable Window, a key operated door locking system for locking at least one door of the vehicle in which there is provided, for the said electrically regulated window, a window-close relay having self-holding means, whereby when the key of the door locking system is turned to the closed position momentarily the said window regulator remains energized to permit the complete closure of its associated window even if the key is turned back and withdrawn, and arranged when energized to complete a circuit for operating the window regulator to close the window, a control relay to complete the circuit of at least one of the window close relays, the control relay circuit being com-,a pleted by a momentary switch operated by said key applying ground to one end of said circuit when the key is turned to lock the door, the other end being connected to a source of potential relative to ground, and a window operated limit switch operating when the window is at least almost fully closed to open the circuit through which the window close relay is energized.

2. A vehicle securing system as defined in claim 1 wherein each regulated window includes a thermal overload circuit breaker arranged to break the circuit if the regulated window is overloaded.

3. A vehicle securing system as defined in claim 1 wherein the door locking system is electrical, the door has an electric lock, and the switch operated by the key 10 serves to energize electrically the lock to lock the door.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,105,830 Aiken Jan. 18, 1938 2,124,037 Lavigne July 19, 1938 2,834,420 Guess May 13, 1958

Claims (1)

1. A VEHICLE SECURING SYSTEM COMPRISING AN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED WINDOW REGULATOR FOR AT LEAST ONE OPENABLE WINDOW, A KEY OPERATED DOOR LOCKING SYSTEM FOR LOCKING AT LEAST ONE DOOR OF THE VEHICLE IN WHICH THERE IS PROVIDED, FOR THE SAID ELECTRICALLY REGULATED WINDOW, A WINDOW-CLOSE RELAY HAVING SELF-HOLDING MEANS, WHEREBY WHEN THE KEY OF THE DOOR LOCKING SYSTEM IS TURNED TO THE CLOSED POSITION MOMENTARILY THE SAID WINDOW REGULATOR REMAINS ENERGIZED TO PERMIT THE COMPLETE CLOSURE OF ITS ASSOCIATED WINDOW EVEN IF THE KEY IS TURNED BACK AND WITHDRAWN, AND ARRANGED WHEN ENERGIZED TO COMPLETE A CIRCUIT FOR OPERATING THE WINDOW REGULATOR TO CLOSE THE WINDOW, A CONTROL RELAY TO COMPLETE THE CIRCUIT OF AT LEAST ONE OF THE WINDOW CLOSE RELAYS, THE CONTROL RELAY CIRCUIT BEING COMPLETED BY A MOMENTARY SWITCH OPERATED BY SAID KEY APPLYING GROUND TO ONE END OF SAID CIRCUIT WHEN THE KEY IS TURNED TO LOCK THE DOOR, THE OTHER END BEING CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF POTENTIAL RELATIVE TO GROUND, AND A WINDOW OPERATED LIMIT SWITCH OPERATING WHEN THE WINDOW IS AT LEAST ALMOST FULLY CLOSED TO OPEN THE CIRCUIT THROUGH WHICH THE WINDOW CLOSE RELAY IS ENERGIZED.

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