The invention concerns a drive unit, in particular for actuating drives in a motor vehicle.
A window lifter drive became known from WO 01/61133 whose housing includes a pole pot and a housing terminating the pole pot. In this case, the housing terminating the pole pot is a gear housing with an integrated electronic housing, wherein a separate component is arranged between the two parts of the housing as a brush holder that simultaneously serves as seal between the parts of the housing. The pole pot is composed of a deep-drawn, smoothed-down, cylindrical tube on whose open end a flange is formed in which holes to accommodate screws are left open. Formed in the flange of the gear housing are pocket threads into which the screws are screwed thereby solidly connecting the two parts of the housing with one another.
In the case of such types of housings, centering bore holes are normally also attached on a flange for the purpose of centering the two parts of the housing and centering pins, which are formed on the second flange, engage in the centering bore holes. In doing so, the centering bore holes and the corresponding centering pins are arranged completely independently of the receptacles and the counter receptacles of the connecting elements. Forming the centering pins and the centering bore hole is associated with an additional processing step, which is quite expensive especially if the pole pot is made of metal. In addition, the centering pins in this case have such a small diameter that they can be damaged easily thereby impairing the precise centering of the two parts of the housing.
The device in accordance with the invention has the advantage that holes formed on the first part of the housing can simultaneously be used to accommodate the connecting elements and to accommodate the centering pins of the second housing part. As a result, an additional procedural step to attach the centering bore holes is eliminated. In addition, with this arrangement the diameter of the centering pins is greater than that of the connecting elements, thereby creating a strong pole housing centering, which can accommodate high forces acting primarily radially on the drive unit over the entire range of temperature and service life. This guarantees a precise bearing of the motor components, which increases the service life of the drive and suppresses the development of noise.
Advantageous further developments of the device are possible. If the centering pins of the second part of the housing are embodied as connecting elements for example, additional separate components can potentially be dispensed with. In this connection, the centering pins can be embodied as rivets, for example, which are deformed plastically in the head area after insertion into the centering holes of the first part of the housing.
Another possibility consists of forming counter receptacles such as holes on the second housing part, on which a circumferential centering pin is formed radially.
If this centering pin is sleeve-like, it can accommodate a connecting element in the interior and is therefore extremely capable of bearing radial shearing forces.
It is beneficial if the centering pin is beveled at least on the external cylinder wall in order to facilitate insertion into the corresponding centering holes of the first housing part.
Since the centering holes accommodate the connecting elements together with the centering pins, it is necessary that the head of the connecting elements be selected to be large enough so that it has an adequate bearing surface on the first housing part.
If the centering holes in the flange of the first housing part are embodied as through openings, it is advantageous if the height of the centering pin is less than the thickness of the first housing part flange in order to guarantee an adequate pressure force of the head of the connecting element on the first housing flange.
The tolerances of the centering holes and the centering pins are advantageously selected in such a way that together they form a clearance fit. In this connection, the play of the clearance fit can be adapted to the bearing requirements of the housing of the drive unit.
If, for example, a continuous armature shaft is positioned in both housing parts, such a centering device in accordance with the invention thereby prevents shearing or lateral forces from acting on the shaft.
When using plastic housings, it is particularly beneficial to form counter receptacles as holes in the second housing flange. If screws, for example, are used as connecting elements, they can cut a thread in the wall of the counter receptacle when they are being installed.
Exemplary embodiments of a device in accordance with the invention are depicted in the drawings and explained in greater detail in the description below.
The drawings show:
The exemplary embodiment depicted in
The centering pin 48 also simultaneously assumes the function of a connecting element 40 in the exemplary embodiment according to
The invention is used preferably for adjusting movable parts in a motor vehicle such as window lifters, sunroofs, windshield wipers or seat adjusters, for example. The invention is not limited to specific gear designs such as the worm gear, but relates to any given embodiment of a gear. In a preferred embodiment, the first housing part is manufactured of metal and the second housing part 14 is manufactured of plastic, whereby the materials used do not limit the invention. In addition, the invention also includes individual features of the exemplary embodiments or any combination of the features of different exemplary embodiments.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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102 60 104 | Dec 2002 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/DE03/02371 | 7/15/2003 | WO | 00 | 6/14/2005 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2004/057733 | 7/8/2004 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20060083583 A1 | Apr 2006 | US |