Patent Application
20110314740
The present disclosure relates generally to a regulator assembly for a motor vehicle window. More particularly, it relates to regulator assembly including a mechanism for securing a lifting arm to a drive mechanism.
A window regulator assembly typically includes a pair of pivotally interconnected lifting arms which operate within a door panel of a vehicle in the manner of a scissors linkage. A toothed segment associated with one lifting arm and a pinion operatively connected to a drive mechanism (motor or handle) cooperate such that rotation of the pinion effects pivotal movement of the lifting arm to open or close the window.
A panel plate 15 is attached to the main arm 10 by means of a pivot pin 16 to which a clinch nut is secured, the pivot pin also being used to attach the panel plate 15 to a vehicle door panel with the main arm 10 sandwiched between the panel plate 15 and the door panel. The panel plate 15 is also provided with a pair of apertures to receive fasteners 17 including clinch nuts to provide a 3-point mounting for the panel plate 15.
At the lower end of the main arm 10 there is a toothed segment 18 which is welded to the arm 10. The segment 18 is arranged for engagement by the teeth of a driving pinion 23 carried by the panel plate 15. The driving pinion 23 is contained within a cover 19 and rotates upon rotation of a handle (not shown) connected directly, or indirectly by means of an adaptor plate 24, to the pinion shaft. The cover 19 also houses a spring-loaded clutch for the pinion 23 to prevent overloading thereof.
The toothed segment 32 and thus also the drive arm 26 are swivel mounted in the bearing 39 of the base plate 36 through a rivet bolt 41. A rotary bearing 29 for supporting the axle of the drive pinion 42 of the drive unit 33 which comprises the gearing 34, motor 35 and electronic control unit 43 is provided in the base plate 36 corresponding to the toothed pitch diameter of the toothed segment 32. The engagement of the segment teeth 28 on the teeth of the drive pinion 42 is ensured through a slot 37 worked into the base plate 36.
As depicted in each of the above U.S. patents, the regulator assembly is mechanically secured to the vehicle door by means of a cover plate. More particularly, a cover plate secures the drive mechanism to the door panel and overlaps the mating point of the main arm toothed segment and the drive pinion. This requires the physical dimensions of the cover plate to increase and creates an undesirable addition to vehicle weight.
Various details of the present disclosure are hereinafter summarized to provide a basic understanding. This summary is not an extensive overview of the disclosure, and is intended neither to identify certain elements of the disclosure, nor to delineate the scope thereof. Rather, the primary purpose of this summary is to present some concepts of the disclosure in a simplified form prior to the more detailed description that is presented hereinafter.
A window opening device for use in an automobile. The device comprises a motor having a drive gear with a drive region and a head region. The diameter of the head region is greater than the diameter of the drive region. A sector gear engages the drive region of the drive gear and is overlapped by the head region. A primary lever arm is provided and includes a drive end engaging the sector gear and a window end configured to engage a window. A pivot element is disposed between the drive end and the window end. A body plate is mounted to a door and secures the motor thereto. A first opening in the body plate accommodates the pivot element and a second opening allows the drive gear to pass through the body plate and engage the sector gear.
The following description and drawings set forth certain illustrative implementations of the disclosure in detail, which are indicative of several exemplary ways in which the various principles of the disclosure may be carried out. The illustrated examples, however, are not exhaustive of the many possible embodiments of the disclosure. Other objects, advantages and novel features of the disclosure will be set forth in the following detailed description of the disclosure when considered in conjunction with the drawings, in which:
One or more embodiments or implementations are hereinafter described in conjunction with the drawings, where like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout, and where the various features are not necessarily drawn to scale.
A vehicle window regulator often includes a pair of rotatable arms forming a scissors linkage. A first end of the scissors linkage engages a window and a second end a drive mechanism such as a motor that is attached to the door of the vehicle. The motor rotates a gear that engages a toothed portion on the arm supporting the window, such that the motor brings about the movement of the gear and the toothed component, giving rise to the movement of the arms and, as a result, the raising or lowering of the window.
With reference to
X-link type drive arms 116 include a main arm 117 having a window end 118 secured to a window engaging rail 119. Main arm 117 is pivotally connected at 120 (for example, via rivet or pin) to guide arm 122. Guide arm 122 includes a window end 124 secured to the window engaging channel 119 and a guide end 126 retained in a guide channel 128, which is secured to the door panel (not shown). The cooperative interaction of guide arm 122 and guide channel 128 advantageously provides a smooth operation of the apparatus.
Main drive arm 117 is tapered from a drive end 129 to window end 118. Drive end 129 includes a sector gear 130. The sector gear 130 includes a curvilinear tooth region 134 which engages drive teeth 112 of drive element 110. Drive element 110 further includes a head component 136 which overlaps sector gear 130 as best seen in
Body plate 106 also includes a plurality of passages 148 to accommodate bolts (not shown) for attaching the assembly 100 to the panel (not shown) of a vehicle door. Advantageously, the present invention allows for the reduction of mass in the body plate 106. Moreover, by eliminating the mass of material at drive opening 114 and employing head component 136 on drive element 110 to retain the sector gear 130, the overall weight of the regulator assembly 100 is significantly reduced. As such, overall vehicle weight can be reduced and fuel economy improved.
The above examples are merely illustrative of several possible embodiments of various aspects of the present disclosure, wherein equivalent alterations and/or modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon reading and understanding this specification and the annexed drawings. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described components (assemblies, devices, systems, and the like), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component which performs the specified function of the described component (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the illustrated implementations of the disclosure. In addition, although a particular feature of the disclosure may have been illustrated and/or described with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application. Also, to the extent that the terms “including”, “includes”, “having”, “has”, “with”, or variants thereof are used in the detailed description and/or in the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising”.
