APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DRUMS IN A SLIDING DOOR MECHANISM

Abstract

A cable drum assembly for a power drive assembly for a vehicle sliding door, the cable drum assembly comprising: a first drum configured for use as a front drum or a rear drum of the cable drum assembly, the first drum having a first plurality of locating holes; and a second drum configured for use as a front drum or a rear drum of the cable drum assembly, the second drum having a second plurality of locating holes, the first plurality of locating holes have a first pair of locating holes configured to align with a first pair of location holes of the second plurality of locating holes when the first drum is used as a rear drum of the drum assembly and the second drum is used as a front drum of the drum assembly and the second plurality of locating holes have a second pair of locating holes configured to align with a second pair of location holes of the first plurality of locating holes when the first drum is used as a front drum of the drum assembly and the second drum is used as a rear drum of the drum assembly.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle with a sliding door

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a right hand power drive unit having a drum assembly in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows exploded views of drum assemblies constructed in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a power drive unit housing and a locating tool in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 6-8 illustrate a drum assembly in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 9-12 illustrate an assembly sequence of a power drive unit housing and a drum assembly in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is an exploded view of a portion of a right hand power drive unit having a drum assembly in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is an exploded view of a portion of a left hand power drive unit having a drum assembly in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 15 illustrates the difference of the assembly of the drums in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cable drum assembly for a power drive assembly for a vehicle sliding door, the cable drum assembly comprising: a first drum configured for use as a front drum or a rear drum of the cable drum assembly, the first drum having a first plurality of locating holes; anda second drum configured for use as a front drum or a rear drum of the cable drum assembly, the second drum having a second plurality of locating holes, the first plurality of locating holes have a first pair of locating holes configured to align with a first pair of location holes of the second plurality of locating holes when the first drum is used as a rear drum of the drum assembly and the second drum is used as a front drum of the drum assembly and the second plurality of locating holes have a second pair of locating holes configured to align with a second pair of location holes of the first plurality of locating holes when the first drum is used as a front drum of the drum assembly and the second drum is used as a rear drum of the drum assembly.

2. The cable drum assembly as in claim 1, further comprising a drive lug inserted between the first drum and the second drum, the drive lug being configured for use with the drive assembly when either the first drum or the second drum is used as a front drum of the cable drum assembly and the second drum is used as either the rear drum of the cable drum assembly and the drive lug has at least one feature configured to be received within an area defined by complimentary features of the first drum and the second drum.

3. The cable drum assembly as in claim 2, further comprising a spring inserted between the first drum and the second drum, the spring being configured for use with the drive assembly when either the first drum or the second drum is used as a front drum of the cable drum assembly and the second drum is used as either the rear drum of the cable drum assembly.

4. The cable drum assembly as in claim 1, wherein the first drum and the second drum each have a cam feature configured on an exterior surface, the cam feature being used as either as a front cam feature or a rear cam feature of the cable drum assembly.

5. The cable drum assembly as in claim 1, wherein one of the first pair of location holes of the first plurality of locating holes and the second plurality of locating holes has an opening that is larger in size than the other one of the first pair of location holes of the first plurality of locating holes and the second plurality of locating holes and a distance between the first pair of the first and second plurality of locating holes is greater or less than a distance between the second pair of the first and second plurality of locating holes.

6. The cable drum assembly as in claim 5, wherein one of the second pair of location holes of the first plurality of locating holes and the second plurality of locating holes has an opening that is larger in size than the other one of the second pair of location holes of the first plurality of locating holes and the second plurality of locating holes.

7. The cable drum assembly as in claim 6, further comprising a drive lug inserted between the first drum and the second drum, wherein the drive lug is configured for use with the drive assembly when either the first drum or the second drum is used as a front drum of the cable drum assembly and the second drum is used as either the rear drum of the cable drum assembly, wherein the drive lug has at least one feature configured to be received within an area defined by complimentary features of the first drum and the second drum.

8. The cable drum assembly as in claim 7, further comprising a spring inserted between the first drum and the second drum, the spring being configured for use with the drive assembly when either the first drum or the second drum is used as a front drum of the cable drum assembly and the second drum is used as either the rear drum of the cable drum assembly.

9. The cable drum assembly as in claim 7, wherein the first drum and the second drum each have a cam feature configured on an exterior surface, the cam feature being used as either as a front cam feature or a rear cam feature of the cable drum assembly.

10. The cable drum assembly as in claim 1, wherein one of the second pair of location holes of the first plurality of locating holes and the second plurality of locating holes has an opening that is larger in size than the other one of the second pair of location holes of the first plurality of locating holes and the second plurality of locating holes.

11. The cable drum assembly as in claim 10, further comprising a drive lug inserted between the first drum and the second drum, the drive lug being configured for use with the drive assembly when either the first drum or the second drum is used as a front drum of the cable drum assembly and the second drum is used as either the rear drum of the cable drum assembly, wherein the drive lug has at least one feature configured to be received within a complimentary feature of the first drum and the second drum; and a spring inserted between the first drum and the second drum, the spring being configured for use with the drive assembly when either the first drum or the second drum is used as a front drum of the cable drum assembly and the second drum is used as either the rear drum of the cable drum assembly.

12. The cable drum assembly as in claim 1, wherein three holes comprise the first plurality of locating holes and four holes comprise the second plurality of locating holes and one of the first plurality of locating holes is larger than the other two first plurality of locating holes, the larger one of the first plurality of locating holes being used in both the first and second pair of the first plurality of locating holes.

13. The cable drum assembly as in claim 12, wherein the second plurality of locating holes comprises a pair of larger holes and a pair of smaller holes and each of the first and second pair of the second plurality of locating holes comprises one of the pair of larger holes and one of the pair of smaller holes and the drum assembly further comprises a drive lug inserted between the first drum and the second drum, the drive lug being configured for use with the drive assembly when either the first drum or the second drum is used as a front drum of the cable drum assembly and the second drum is used as either the rear drum of the cable drum assembly and the drive lug has at least one feature configured to be received within an area defined by complimentary features of the first drum and the second drum.

14. The cable drum assembly as in claim 13, wherein the first drum and the second drum each have a cam feature configured on an exterior surface, the cam feature being used as either as a front cam feature or a rear cam feature of the cable drum assembly.

15. The cable drum assembly as in claim 1, wherein three holes comprise the first plurality of locating holes and four holes comprise the second plurality of locating holes and one of the first plurality of locating holes is larger than the other two first plurality of locating holes, the larger one of the first plurality of locating holes being used in both the first and second pair of the first plurality of locating holes; and the second plurality of locating holes comprises a pair of larger holes and a pair of smaller holes and each of the first and second pair of the second plurality of locating holes comprises one of the pair of larger holes and one of the pair of smaller holes and a distance between the first pair of the second plurality of locating holes is greater than a distance between the second pair of the second plurality of locating holes.

16. A method for providing an error proof assembly of a cable drum assembly for a power drive assembly for a vehicle sliding door, the method comprising: inserting a pair of locating pins of a tool into a housing of a power drive assembly;inserting a first drum configured for use as a front drum or a rear drum of the cable drum assembly into the housing, the pair of locating pins being received within a first pair of locating holes of a first plurality of locating holes of the first drum;inserting a second drum configured for use a front drum or a rear drum of the cable drum assembly into the housing after the first drum has been inserted therein, the pair of locating pins being received within a first pair of locating holes of a second plurality of locating holes of the second drum and the power drive assembly is configured for use on only one side of the vehicle and the first plurality of locating holes and the second plurality of locating holes each comprise a second pair of locating holes configured to align with each other when the second drum is inserted into another housing first and the first drum is inserted thereafter, the second pair of locating holes of the first and second drum having being arranged at a distance greater or less than the a distance between the first pair of locating holes of the first and second drum.

17. The method as in claim 16, further comprising: inserting a drive lug between the first drum and the second drum, the drive lug being configured for use with the drive assembly when either the first drum or the second drum is used as a front drum of the cable drum assembly and the second drum is used as either the rear drum of the cable drum assembly, the drive lug having at least one feature configured to be received within an area defined by complimentary features of the first drum and the second drum; andinserting a spring between the first drum and the second drum, the spring being configured for use with the drive assembly when either the first drum or the second drum is used as a front drum of the cable drum assembly and the second drum is used as either the rear drum of the cable drum assembly.

18. The method as in claim 17, wherein one of the first pair of location holes of the first plurality of locating holes and the second plurality of locating holes has an opening that is larger in size than the other one of the first pair of location holes of the first plurality of locating holes and the second plurality of locating holes.

19. The method as in claim 16, wherein one of the second pair of location holes of the first plurality of locating holes and the second plurality of locating holes has an opening that is larger in size than the other one of the second pair of location holes of the first plurality of locating holes and the second plurality of locating holes.

20. A method for providing an error proof assembly of a cable drum assembly for a power drive assembly for a vehicle sliding door, the method comprising: inserting a pair of locating pins into a housing of a power drive assembly;inserting a gear into the housing, the pair of locating pins being received within a pair of locating holes of the gear;inserting a first drum configured for use as a front drum or a rear drum of the cable drum assembly into the housing, the pair of locating pins are also received within a first pair of locating holes of a first plurality of locating holes of the first drum;inserting a drive lug assembly into the gear and the first drum and at least one feature of the drive lug assembly is received within the first drum;inserting a second drum configured for use as a front drum or a rear drum of the cable drum assembly into the housing after the first drum has been inserted therein, the at least one feature of the drive lug assembly is received within an area defined by complimentary features of the second drum and the power drive assembly is configured for use on only one side of the vehicle and the first plurality of locating holes and the second plurality of locating holes each comprise a second pair of locating holes configured to align with each other when the second drum is inserted into another housing first and the first drum is inserted thereafter, the second pair of locating holes of the first and second drum having being arranged at a distance greater or less than the a distance between the first pair of locating holes of the first and second drum.