Patent Application
20150352927
The invention relates to a guide rail for a window lifter and a door system for a vehicle door.
Door systems or door modules use an aggregate carrier, on which functional components, for instance a window lifter unit, a loudspeaker, a side airbag, a door lock arrangement or such are arranged or a base plate for a window lifter unit for providing a pre-assembled, pre-testable unit, which can be assembled in a simple manner on a vehicle door. The base plate or the aggregate carrier as components of a window lifter unit carry thereby at least one guide rail, along which a carrier connected to a window pane is guided.
Such door system or door modules are used in different modifications in different vehicles and vehicle types of a vehicle manufacturer, wherein each variant of a vehicle type requires a specific individual construction of the door system or window lifter, since the vehicle doors of the different variants and vehicle types are designed differently and differ in their constructive design and style. For instance, for different vehicle doors window panes with different kinematics, that means different radius of curvature, different retracting angles (which indicate, if a window pane is driven into a vehicle door almost vertical or diagonal) and different adjustment paths including rotations about single or multiple vehicle axis (X, Y and Z-axis) are used and require a specific adaptation of the guiderails or the guiding sections formed on an aggregate carrier. For this purpose, the guiderails or guiderails integrated in an aggregate carrier or a base plate (in the following named “carrier”) and formed as guide sections are bent in longitudinal direction and/or twisted about their longitudinal axis such that they are bent after assembling into a vehicle door for instance about the vehicle longitudinal axis (X-axis) and/or are twisted about the vehicle vertical axis (Z-axis).
The bent and/or twisted guide rails with a guide profile of a base and two profile legs protruding vertically from the base are in general roll-profiled, punched-printed or made in an injection moulding, wherein for producing a twisted guide rail for a retraction of the window pane corresponding to the twist in the injection molding an injection molding tool is required which contains a separated form, which is opened or closed for injecting plastic and removing the guide rail (so called “on-off tool”), and at least one slider moved vertically or in an angle to the opening and closing direction of the separated form for realizing the indentations required by the twists. The use of sliders however makes a tool complex and thus expensive and extends the production process due to the required movement of the slider before the opening or after the closing of the form.
Object of the present invention is to provide a guide profile for a twisted guide rail and/or a door system with a twisted or twistable carrier with guide sections, which allows for a simple and cost efficient production of a guide rail, a carrier or the carrier section of a carrier.
The solution according to the invention allows a simple and cost efficient production of a guide profile for a twisted guide rail and/or a door system with a twisted or twistable carrier or a carrier with guide sections, such that due to the guide profile according to the invention a simple on-off tool without slider can be used for producing the guide rail or the carrier of a door system.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention the twisted or bent guide profile of a guide rail comprises a base and two legs for guiding an adjusting part of the window lifter, which can be coupled to the window pane, along an adjusting direction predetermined by the guide rail, wherein the legs protrude from the ends of the base at obtuse draft angles such that the size of the draft angles is proportional to the bending or twisting of the guide rail predetermined by the kinematics of the retraction of the window pane over the adjusting travel path (hub) of the window pane.
This allows the demolding of a twisted guide rail without the use of a slider in the tool and thus a simple and cost efficient production of a guide profile for a twisted guide rail is guaranteed.
The profile angle with which the legs protrude from the ends of the base of the guide profile in respect to the base normal is preferably determined with the requirement
γ≧α+β
wherein α and β are the twisting angles of the guide rail in respect to both ends of the guide rail.
In a door system for a vehicle door with a carrier and at least two guide rails of a window lifter integrated into the carrier for lifting and lowering a window pane, wherein the guide rails have a guide profile for guiding an adjusting part of the window lifter, which can be coupled to the window pane, along an adjusting direction predetermined by the guide rails the carrier contains at least one guide rail that can be at least sectionally twisted or bent and the guide profile of the guide rail comprises a base and two legs, which protrude from the ends of the base at obtuse draft angles, wherein the size of the draft angles is proportional to the bending or twisting of the carrier predetermined by the kinematics of the retraction of the window pane or the guide rail or the guide rails over the travel path thereof.
When using a guide rail also in this manner the size of the draft angle is proportional to the bending or twisting of the carrier predetermined by the kinematics of the retraction of the window pane or the guide rail or guide rails via the travel path thereof.
In case of guide rails aligned parallel to each other and integrated into a carrier the legs protrude from the ends of the base of the guide profile at a profile angle in respect to the base normal which meets the requirement
γ≧α+β
wherein α and β are the twisting angles of the guide rail in respect to both ends of the guide rail.
In case of guide rails aligned to the window pane area and integrated into a base plate, the legs protrude from the ends of the base with a profile angle in respect to the base normal, which meets the requirement
γ≧α+β−δ/2
wherein α and β are the twisting angles of the guide rails in respect to both ends of the guide rail and δ is the angle between the bases of the two guide rails.
If additional recesses for receiving components of the window lifter—as for instance a rope drum—are moulded into the carrier when their alignment, that means their angle position in respect to the tool parting plane or the plane of the carrier, is to be considered in order to be able to use a simple, slider-free on-off tool since the retraction or demoulding direction of the tool deviating from the vertical can also effect the profile angles of the guide rails.
Accordingly, in a door system with a recess for receiving a component of the window lifter, in particular for receiving a rope drum, moulded into the carrier wherein the side walls of the recess are inclined with an inclination angle Ω to the normal of the tool parting plane of a tool, and guide rails arranged parallel to each other, the guide legs of the guide rails are inclined with a profile angle γ in respect to the base normal N, which meets the requirement
γ≧α+β±Ω
wherein α and β are the twisting angles of the guide rails in respect to both ends of the guide rails.
In a door system with a recess for receiving a component of the window lifter, in particular for receiving a rope drum, moulded into the carrier, wherein the side walls of the recess are inclined with an inclination angle Ω to the normal of the tool parting plane of a tool, and guide rails aligned to the pane area of a window pane the guide legs of the guide rails are inclined with a profile angle γ in respect to the base normal N, which meets the requirement
γ≧α+β−δ/2±Ω
wherein α and β are the twisting angles of the guide rails in respect to both ends of the guide rails and δ is the angle between the bases of both guide rails.
By considering the inclination angle Ω, when defining the criteria for determining the minimal profile angle γ at which the guide legs have to be inclined in respect to the base normal N in order to demould the carrier with a simple off-on tool, the demoulding can thus occur in a retraction direction deviating from the vertical to the tool parting plane.
By maintaining the requirement to use a simple on-off tool when producing a carrier with integrated guide rails with bends and/or twists the profile angles of the guide rails of the right and left guide rail in a double rail system can be different from each other, that means can be adapted with different degrees to the inclination of the recess for receiving a component of the window lifter.
In the same manner, the profile angles of the guide legs and/or the legs of the right and left guide rail can be different from each other in case of guide rails arranged parallel to each other as well as in case of guide rails aligned to the pane area of a window pane.
By forming different angles at the guide legs of the right and left guide rail different guide properties of the guide rails can simultaneously be considered, that means for instance an improvement of the guide properties of one of the two guide rails in vehicle longitudinal direction or in direction of the X-axis, in which the corresponding profile angle is minimal dimensioned and is in particular set to zero, that means is aligned parallel to the inclination of the side walls of the recess in respect to the normal of the tool parting plane.
A method for producing a twisted guide rail is characterized in that a separated form of a injection moulding tool corresponding to the guide profile of the guide rail is closed under pressure for injecting plastic and is opened for demoulding of the guide rail without that a slider is guided vertical or in an angle for opening or closing direction of the injection moulding tool (on-off tool).
A method for producing a carrier and two guide rails of the window lifter arranged on the carrier is characterized in that a separated form of a injection moulding tool corresponding to the carrier and the guide profile of the guide rails is closed under pressure for injecting plastic and is opened for demoulding of the carrier and the guide rails without that a slider is guided vertical or in an angle to the opening-closing direction of the injection moulding tool (on-off tool).
The invention is explained in the following by the means of multiple embodiments illustrated in the Figures of the Drawings in more detail.
a shows a schematic section of the carrier according to
b shows a schematic section of the carrier according to
c shows a schematic section of the carrier according to
a shows a schematic section of the carrier according to
b shows a schematic section of the carrier according to
c shows a schematic section of the carrier according to
A carrier 2 (base plate or aggregate carrier) for receiving functional components of the vehicle door 1 such as a window lifter, a door lock arrangement, a side airbag or such is arranged in the opening 17 of the door inner panel 12 and is made of metal or plastic.
The carrier 2 is connected via upper fastening points 18, 19 and via the lower guide pulleys 63, 64, which simultaneously represent fastening points, to the door inner panel 12 according to
The guide rails 4a, 4b for guiding the driver 5 are formed in one piece to the carrier 2 in the embodiment of the carrier 2 illustrated in
Depending on the vehicles of different vehicle manufacturers, on the vehicle type and the design of a vehicle door the window pane of a window lifter to be adjusted can be formed differently. For instance a window pane can comprise depending on the design of a vehicle door a specific curvature radius, which can be different in different vehicle doors and determines a moving path along which the window pane is driven in or out of the door body formed by the door outer panel 11 and door inner panel 12 for adjustment. Furthermore, the movement path of the window panes can be formed differently and can for instance be driven in or out of the door body almost vertical or diagonal, or for bypassing obstacles in the door body or for concise fit of a bent barrel-shaped window pane on the door insulation, can be pivoted about the vehicle longitudinal axis (X-axis), vehicle lateral axis (Y-axis) or vehicle vertical axis (Z-axis) or about planes formed by the three axes such that due to these specifications the guide rails determining the movement path of the window panes have to be bent or twisted in their longitudinal extension accordingly.
The same is valid for guide rails connected in one piece to the carrier, which have to comprise bends and/or twists for realizing predetermined movement paths when adjusting a window pane.
When producing guide rails or carriers for door systems of vehicle doors injection molding techniques are used due to their high accuracy and simple manufacturing at high quantities, in which metal or plastic is injected in liquid form under pressure into a mould separated by a tool parting plane in the closed position thereof and the work piece is removed from the opened mould in form of a guide rail or a carrier. Thereby, it is desired to use only one mould due to short cycle times and manufacturing of simple cost efficient tools, wherein said mould is closed for injecting the material and is opened for removing the work piece (so called “on-off tool”) without that one or more sliders are used, which are moved vertically or in an angle to the opening and closing direction of the tool or the mould in order to produce indentations, cavities or such in the tool, which occur in case of twists.
The demoulding of twisted guide rails or twisted guide sections on carriers with a profile angle of 90° is possible due to the indentations occurring thereby but only by using sliders in the tool. In order to avoid this necessary use of sliders in the tool guide rails are suggested the guide profile thereof is designed according to the invention such that the legs protrude in an obtuse angle from the base of the guide rail.
The degree of the inclination of the legs in respect to the base of the guide rail, that means the profile angle γ, depends essentially on whether it is a singular guide rail or when using two guide rails if those are arranged parallel to each other or aligned to the pane area of the window pane. The embodiments described in the following by the means of
For clarifying the twisting of the guide rails 4a, 4b arranged in a plane E sections of the carrier 2 according to
According to
The schematic illustration of
γ≧α+β
The above requirement is valid independent whether the guide leg 41 and the leg 42 are inclined at the same profile angle γ in respect to the vertical or normal N of the base 40 or at different profile angles γ, this means also at different inclinations of the guide leg 41 and the leg 42 the above requirement has to be met in order to be able to use a slider-free tool and to guarantee thereby a cost efficient manufacturing of guide rails with short cycle times. Considering the above definition of the minimal profile angle γ the leg 42 can however be inclined as desired, since it is not encompassed by the driver.
In
The degree of twisting along the length of the guide rail 4a, 4b is characterized by the twisting angles α and β between the tool parting plane T and an auxiliary line U, on the two ends of the guide rails 4a, 4b, wherein said auxiliary line U is mapped through the intersection E1 of the guide leg 41 with the base 40 of the left guide rail 4a and the intersection E2 of the guide leg 41 with the base 40 of the right guide rail 4b.
According to
γ≧α+β−δ/2
Also in case of guide rails 4a, 4b aligned to the pane area the above condition is valid independent of whether the guide leg 41 and the leg 42 are inclined at the same profile angle γ to the vertical or normal N of the base 40 or at different profile angles γ in respect to the normal or vertical N of the base 40.
In order to use the slider-free on-off tool also in such an arrangement with a retraction direction deviating from the vertical the profile angles γ of the guide leg 41 of the left and right guide rail 4a, 4b have to be adapted to the inclination angle Ω in order to realize a formation of the guide leg 41 and the leg 42 of the left and right guide rail 4a, 4b without using sliders when demoulding the carrier in direction of the dot-dashed illustrated plane SE of the parallel side walls 81, 82 of the recess 8. Due to the demoulding direction deviating from the vertical the profile angles γ have to be determined by considering the inclination angle Ω, wherein the minimal profile angle γ is to be considered when determining the inclination of the guide leg 41 while the opposing leg 42 not encompassed by the driver can be adapted as desired to all conditions by considering the demouldability, however, in practice said leg is usually inclined in the same angle γ in respect to the base 40.
The effect of the inclination angle Ω of the recess 8 in respect to the normal TN of the tool parting plane T is graphically illustrated in the
The minimal profile angle γ, about which the guide leg 41 has to deviate from the normal N of the base 40 in order to guarantee a demoulding in direction of the dash-dotted illustrated plane SE of the parallel side walls 81, 82 of the recess 8, is derived depending on the inclination of the guide rail 4a or 4b from the determination
γ≧α+β−δ/2±Ω,
that means the profile angle γ has to be inclined in case of the guide rails 4a, 4b aligned to the pane area of a window pane 9 in respect to the vertical or normal N of the base 40 in an angle which is the same or larger the sum of the twisting angles α, β minus half of the inclination angle δ between the tool parting plane T and the auxiliary line U according to the
In case of guide rails 4a, 4b arranged parallel to each other the criteria
γ≧α+β±Ω
is valid for the profile angle γ due to the omission of the inclination angle δ between the tool parting plane T and the auxiliary line U.
Thereby, the two above formulae provide a criteria, that means the leeway, when determining the profile angle γ at which the profile angle γ has to be inclined in respect to the vertical or normal N of the base 40 for guaranteeing a demoulding in direction of a direction deviating from the vertical and inclined about the inclination angle Ω in respect to the vertical.
Previously, it was started from the same profile angle γ for all guide legs 41 or legs 41 and 42 and thus from practice-relevant guide profiles. As an alternative overall variable guide profiles, that means profile angles γ deviating from each other, are possible in respect to the actual guide leg 41, along which the drivers slide, as well as in respect to the legs 41 and 42.
The larger/equal requirement when determining the profile angle γ can be used in a manner that different guide properties are assigned to the guide rails 4a, 4b. For instance, the profile angles γ determining the inclination of the guide leg 41 of the right guide rail 4b being important for guiding a driver can be set to zero, that means the guide leg 41 can be aligned parallel to the plane SE of the side walls 81, 82 of the recess 8 in order to guarantee an optimal guidance of the right guide rail 4b in vehicle longitudinal direction that means in direction of the X-axis of the vehicle, while the guide leg 41 of the left guide rail 4a is more inclined in respect to the normal to the base 40 in order to guarantee a safe demoulding.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2010 031 015.8 | Jul 2010 | DE | national |
This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/807,916, filed Dec. 31, 2012, which is a National Phase patent application of International Patent Application Number PCT/EP2011/060437, filed on Jun. 22, 2011, which claims priority of German Patent Application Number 10 2010 031 015.8, filed on Jul. 6, 2010. The entire contents of all of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13807916 | Jan 2013 | US |
| Child | 14754290 | US |
