This invention relates generally to a power operated vehicle closure and more particularly to a drive unit that is installed in a motor vehicle to power open and close a vehicle closure such as a lift gate, deck lid, or the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,864 B2 granted to Lloyd Rogers, Jr. et al. Apr. 9, 2002 discloses a power operated lift gate that has at least one power unit for raising and lowering the lift gate. The power unit comprises a fixed linear guide channel and a follower that moves in the guide channel. The follower is universally connected to one end of a rod that has an opposite end universally connected to the lift gate. The follower is moved in the guide channel by a flexible drive member that is attached to the follower and that is driven in a loop by a bi-directional drive unit. The drive unit includes a bidirectional electric motor, an electromagnetic clutch and suitable gear sets that are not described in detail. The flexible drive member may be a chain, a drive cable or a slotted drive tape. The electromagnetic clutch is optional and normally deenergized so that the lift gate can be opened and closed manually without the necessity of back driving the electric motor.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,199 B2 granted to David A. Sedlak et al. discloses a power operated lift gate that has a power unit in which the follower is a rack bar that is driven directly by a bi-directional drive unit. The rack bar is universally connected to one end of a rod that has an opposite end universally connected to the lift gate. The drive unit includes a bi-directional electric motor that has a worm gear output that drives a first gear set. The first gear set in turn drives an electromagnetic clutch which drives a second gear set that drives the rack bar. The electromagnetic clutch is normally de-energized so that the lift gate can be opened and closed manually without the necessity of back driving the electric motor.
Published International Patent Application WO 01/83247 A2 of Atoma International Corp. discloses a power operated lift gate in which a slideable lift gate carriage 40 is selectively latched to a power guide carriage 50 for power operation. The power guide carriage 50 is moved by a flexible drive member 64 that travels in a loop. The flexible drive member 64 is driven by a bi-directional electric motor 58 which drives a transmission gear 60 via a gear box (unnumbered). The gear set in the gear box is not described in detail. The lift gate carriage 40 is normally unlatched from the power guide carriage 50 so that the lift gate can be opened and closed manually without back driving the electric motor.
As illustrated above, power operated lift gates are normally raised and lowered by an electric motor that operates some sort of mechanism via one or more gear sets. The gear sets reduce the speed of the electric motor which is usually in excess of 3000 rpm to about 30 rpm so that the lift gate is opened or closed at a speed of about 9-13 degrees per second. This requirement for considerable speed reduction of about 12 to 1 generates two needs or desirable characteristics for the drive unit. The primary desire or need is for a quiet and economical speed reduction on the order of 12 to 1. The secondary desire or need is to operate the lift gate manually and preferably without including an electromagnetic clutch or other device to disconnect the electric motor to eliminate back drive.
The invention provides a drive unit that has an electric motor while being very compact, economical and quiet. The drive unit uses a two stage speed reducer in which the first stage reduces the speed to about 1000 rpm or less so that the second stage can make use of spur gears which are very economical but noisy above about 1000 rpm. The first speed reducer may be belt driven which is economical and very quiet. Alternatively the first speed reducer may be a worm gear that has a high lead angle and high number of leads and that drives a helical gear. This speed reducer is not only quiet but also very compact. In either event, the speed reducer is such that the electric motor can be back driven through the speed reducer without any need for an electromagnetic clutch or other disconnect device to permit manual opening and closing of the lift gate.
The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring now to the drawings, vehicle 10 has a lift gate 12 that is attached to the aft end of the vehicle roof 14 by two hinge assemblies 16 so that lift gate 12 pivots about a substantially horizontal hinge axis 18 between a closed position shown in
Lift gate 12 is power operated between opened and closed positions by a drive unit indicated generally at 20. Drive unit 20 comprises a motor assembly 22, a track 24, a guide 26, a drive wheel or sprocket 28, an idler wheel or sprocket 30, a drive member 32 and a drive link 34 as best shown in
Motor assembly 22 is designed for quiet operation. More specifically in reference to
Having reduced the speed to cogged wheel 44 to the 1000 rpm level or lower, a second speed reduction stage using meshing spur gears is possible while retaining the desired quiet operation. Thus, cogged wheel 44 turns a concentric spur gear 46 that is preferably integrally connected to cogged wheel 44. Spur gear 46 meshes with and drives a large spur gear 48 for a second stage speed reduction to an operating speed of about 30 rpm as best shown in
Gear housing 38 is attached to the bottom of track 24 as best shown in
Gear housing 38 is attached to the bottom of track 24 so that about one-half of the opening at the bottom of channel 52 is aligned with about one-half of the sprocket 28 as best shown in
This attachment arrangement at the lower end of drive link 34 and the belt driven speed reduction stage results in a relatively small gear housing 38 and better overall packaging of the drive unit 20. The drive unit 20 is also back driveable when the lift gate is opened or closed manually because of the high overall efficiency of the gear train provided that electric motor 36 has a low back drive cogging torque.
Referring now to
Motor assembly 132 comprises an electric motor 136 attached to a gear housing 138 that has a cover that is partly cut-away in
Having reduced the speed of the helical gear 142 to the 1000 rpm level or lower, a second speed reduction stage using meshing spur gears is possible while retaining the desired quiet operation. Thus, the helical gear 142 turns a concentric spur gear (not shown) that is preferably integrally connected to helical gear 142 and that meshes with and drives a large spur gear 148 for a second stage speed reduction to an operating speed of about 30 rpm. Spur gear 148 is drivingly connected to drive sprocket 128 by a shaft 150.
Gear housing 138 is attached to the bottom of track 124 as best shown in
Gear housing 138 is attached to the bottom of track 124 so that diametrically opposite peripheral portions of the sprocket 128 are located outwardly of the track 124. An idler support 168 is attached to the top of track 124 to rotatably support idler sprocket 130 so that diametrically opposite peripheral portions of the idler sprocket 130 are located outwardly of track 124. The drive member 132 is a chain that is wrapped around drive sprocket 128 and idler sprocket 130 with its ends attached to upper and lower ends of guide 126 respectively. Alternatively drive member 132 can be an endless cogged belt and either may simply be connected to guide 126 midway between the ends of guide 126. In either event the attachment of the drive member 132 to the guide 126 is preferably directly in line with the attachment of the drive link 134 to the guide 126 such as shown for the first embodiment and in
This attachment arrangement at the lower end of drive link 134 and the worm gear driven speed reduction stage results in a relatively small gear housing 138 and better overall packaging of the drive unit 120. The drive unit 120 is also back driveable when the lift gate is opened or closed manually because of the high overall efficiency of the modified gear train provided that electric motor 136 has a low back drive cogging torque.
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention in light of the above teachings may be made. It is, therefore, to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20040172883 A1 | Sep 2004 | US |