Abstract:
A door includes outer and inner panels which are combined to define therebetween a given space. A window pane is vertically movably installed in the given space, an actuating device is connected to the outer panel, an actuated device is connected to the inner panel; and a movement transmission mechanism is arranged for transmitting a movement of the actuating device to the actuated device. The movement transmission mechanism includes a U-shaped arm structure that straddles a front edge of the window pane leaving a space therebetween.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates in general to movement transmission mechanisms for use in automotive doors, and more particularly to the movement transmission mechanisms of a type that can be installed in the door in such a manner as to allow a window pane of the door to have a satisfied width, that is, a satisfied size in a fore-and-aft direction of the associated motor vehicle. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     In order to clarify the task of the present invention, a prior art movement transmission mechanism for an automotive door will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 6 of the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 6 is a partially sectioned plan view of a slide door  1  for a motor vehicle, to which the prior art movement transmission mechanism is practically applied. The slide door  1  comprises an outer panel  2  and an inner panel  3  between which a certain space is defined. A window pane  4  is vertically movably received in the space. An outside door handle  5  is connected to an outer surface of the outer panel  2 . A locking/unlocking mechanism  6  is connected to an inner surface of the inner panel  3 . An outside lever  7  is installed in the space beside a front edge of the window pane  4 , that extends straightly from the outside door handle  5  to a part of the locking/unlocking mechanism  6 . 
     When the outside door handle  5  is manipulated, the movement of the same is transmitted through the outside lever  7  and the locking/unlocking mechanism  6  to a release lever to cause a door latch to take an unlocked condition. With this, the slide door  1  becomes ready for opening. 
     However, due to provision of the outside lever  7  that extends straightly from the outside door handle  5  to the locking/unlocking mechanism  6 , the window pane  4  fails to have a satisfied width, that is, a satisfied dimension in the fore-and-aft direction of the associated motor vehicle. 
     Japanese Patent First Provisional Publication 10-317739 discloses a measure to provide such a window pane with a satisfied width. That is, in the measure, for transmitting the movement of an outside door handle to the locking/unlocking mechanism, a transmission link mechanism including a sub-link, a bell crank and an open rod is used, that is arranged to straddle a front edge of the window pane. 
     However, the transmission link mechanism disclosed by the publication has a number of parts installed therein, that inevitably increases the cost. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a movement transmission mechanism for an automotive door, that is free of the above-mentioned drawbacks. 
     According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an arrangement for use in a door. The door includes outer and inner panels which are combined to define therebetween a given space. The arrangement comprises a window pane vertically movably installed in the given space; an actuating device connected to the outer panel; an actuated device connected to the inner panel; and a movement transmission mechanism for transmitting a movement of the actuating device to the actuated device, the movement transmission mechanism including a U-shaped arm structure that straddles an edge of the window pane leaving a space therebetween. 
     According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an arrangement for use in an automotive slide door. The door includes outer and inner panels which are combined to define therebetween a given space. The arrangement comprises a window pane vertically movably installed in the given space; an outside door handle connected to the outer panel; a locking/unlocking mechanism connected to the inner panel, the locking/unlocking mechanism having an outside lever which induces an unlocked condition of an associated door latch when pivoted in a given direction; and a movement transmission mechanism for transmitting a movement of the outside door handle to the outside lever of the locking/unlocking mechanism to induce the unlocked condition of the door latch, the movement transmission mechanism comprising a U-shaped arm structure including a first side wall portion that faces an inside surface of the window pane and is integral with the outside lever, a second side wall portion that faces an outside surface of the window pane and a bridge portion that extends between the first and second side wall portions in front of a front edge of the window pane; and a connecting rod having one end pivotally connected to the outside door handle and the other end pivotally connected to the second side wall portion of the U-shaped arm structure. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned plan view of an automotive slide door, to which a movement transmission mechanism of the present invention is practically applied; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the slide door in association with a van-type motor vehicle; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a locking/unlocking mechanism that has the movement transmission mechanism of the present invention practically incorporated therewith; 
     FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing the locking/unlocking mechanism viewed from a different angle; 
     FIG. 5 is a front view of the locking/unlocking mechanism that has the movement transmission mechanism of the invention; and 
     FIG. 6 is a partially sectioned plan view of an automotive slide door, to which a known movement transmission mechanism is applied. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 to  5  of the drawings, there is shown a movement transmission mechanism of the present invention. 
     As is seen from FIG. 2, the movement transmission mechanism is applied to a slide door  20  of a van-type motor vehicle  10 . That is, the slide door  20  slides in a horizontal direction to close and open a door opening  12  formed in a side body of the vehicle  10 . 
     As will be described in detail hereinafter, the movement transmission mechanism of the invention is incorporated with a locking/unlocking mechanism  30  installed in a front part of the door  20 . A door latch “DL” is installed in a rear part of the door  20 , and a cable  351  extends between the door latch “DL” and the locking/unlocking mechanism  30 . A striker (not shown) is fixed to a rear end of the door opening  12 . The door latch “DL” comprises a latch plate that can engage with the striker and a locking plate that can lock the latch plate in the engaged position. That is, the latch plate can assume a full-open position to release the striker, a half-latch position to incompletely latch the striker and a full-latch position to fully latch the striker. The locking plate can assume a locking position to lock the latch plate in the full-latch position, and an unlocking position to release the latch plate. 
     As is seen from FIG. 1, the slide door  20  comprises an outer panel  21  and an inner panel  22  which define therebetween a certain space. Within the space, there is vertically movably received a window pane  15 . 
     An outside door handle  23  is mounted to an outer surface of the outer panel  21 . On an inner surface of the inner panel  22 , there is mounted the locking/unlocking mechanism  30 . As is seen from the drawing, the outside door handle  23  and the locking/unlocking mechanism  30  are arranged at a front part of the slide door  20 . As is mentioned hereinabove, the door latch “DL” is arranged at a rear part of the slide door  20 . 
     As is seen from FIGS. 1 and 5, an electric knob actuator  40  is incorporated with the locking/unlocking mechanism  30 . These actuators  40  and the locking/unlocking mechanism  30  has a common base plate  31 . 
     As is seen from FIG. 5, a knob lever  32  is pivotally connected to the base plate  31  through a pivot pin  311 . A turn-over spring  38  is incorporated with the knob lever  32 , so that due to snap action of the spring  38 , the knob lever  32  can pivot about the pivot pin  311  in clockwise and counterclockwise directions to assume a locking position and an illustrated unlocking position, respectively. 
     The knob lever  32  comprises first, second and third arms  321 ,  322  and  323  which extend radially outward from the pivoted portion thereof. The first arm  321  is pivotally connected to a drive arm  41  of the knob actuator  40  and a control knob (not shown), the second arm  322  is pivotally connected to a key cylinder (not shown) and the third arm  323  is pivotally connected to an outside lever  33 . 
     To the base plate  31 , there is pivotally connected a pivot shaft  312 . It is to be noted that the pivot shaft  312  is integral with a shaft  100  (see FIG. 1) to which an inside door handle (not shown) is connected. 
     The pivot shaft  312  has a major portion  313  to which the outside lever  33 , an inside lever  34  and a release lever  35  are pivotally connected. The knob lever  32 , the inside lever  34  and the release lever  35  are biased to rotate about the pivot shaft  312  in a counterclockwise direction in FIG. 5 by means of springs  36  and  37 . The release lever  35  is connected to the locking plate of the above-mentioned door latch through the cable  351 . 
     The outside lever  33  is formed through the cable  351 . The arm portion  331  is formed with a generally L-shaped slot that includes a first arcuate part  332  and a second arcuate part  333  which is concentric with the pivot shaft  312 . It is to be noted that when the outside lever  33  assumes the leftmost position as shown in FIG. 5, the first arcuate part  332  is concentric with the pivot pin  311 . The third arm  323  of the knob lever  32  is formed with an arcuate groove  324 . It is to be noted that when the third arm  323  assumes its lowermost position, the arcuate groove  324  is concentric with the pivot shaft  312 . A pin member  39  is slidably engaged with the L-shaped slot ( 332 ,  333 ), that has one end slidably engaged with the arcuate groove  324  of the third arm  323  of the knob member  32  and the other end slidably engaged with an arcuate slot  350  formed in the release lever  35 . It is to be noted that when the arcuate slot  350  of the release lever  35  assumes its leftmost position, the same is concentric with the pivot pin  311 . 
     The outside lever  33  is integrally formed with a generally U-shaped arm structure that includes first and second side wall portions  334  and  335  and a bridge portion  336  that extends between the side wall portions  334  and  335 . 
     As is seen from FIG. 1, upon assembly, the generally U-shaped arm structure ( 334 ,  335 ,  336 ) is arranged to straddle a front edge of the window pane  15  leaving a certain space therebetween. That is, the first side wall  334  faces an inside surface of the window pane  15  and the second side wall portion  335  faces an outside surface of the window pane  15 . The bridge portion  336  extends laterally in front of the front edge of the window pane  15 , as shown. 
     As is seen from FIG. 1, the bridge portion  336  is curved in a direction away from the front edge of the window pane  15 . 
     Designated by numeral  16  is a front vertically extending pane runner installed in the door  20  for running the window pane  15 . As shown, the bridge portion  336  of the U-shaped arm structure extends along a front wall part  221  of the inner panel  22  of the door  20 . 
     As is well shown in FIG. 4, the U-shaped arm structure is formed between the side wall  334  and the bridge portion  336  with a forwardly protruding pin  337 . This pin  337  is slidably received in a vertically extending slot  316  formed in a rectangular flange  315  that is integrally provided by the base plate  31 . That is, the pivoting movement of the outside lever  33  about the pivot shaft  312  is guided by a guide arrangement that comprises the slot  316  and the pin  337 . More specifically, undesired play of the outside lever  33  relative to the base plate  31  is suppressed by the guide arrangement. Denoted by numeral  200  is a child lever. That is, when the child lever  200  assumes an ON position, the inside door handle becomes inoperative. 
     The side wall portion  335  of the U-shaped arm structure is formed with a downwardly extending elongate part that is formed with an arcuate slot  338 . An end of a connecting rod  339  from the outside door handle  23  is slidably engaged with the arcuate slot  338 . Thus, when the outside door handle  23  is manipulated for the purpose of opening the door  20 , the outside lever  33  is pivoted upward from an illustrated lower position (in FIG. 4) to an upper position wherein the pin  337  abuts on an upper edge of the slot  316 . 
     In the following, operation of the movement transmission mechanism of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 
     For ease of understanding, the description will be commenced with respect to a closed condition of the slide door  20  and the locking/unlocking mechanism  30  assumes a condition as shown in FIG.  5 . That is in this condition, the knob lever  32  assumes its releasing position, and the door latch “DL” (see FIG. 2) assumes its locked condition. In this condition, the pin member  39  abuts on both a lower end of the first arcuate part  332  of the L-shaped slot and a lower end of the arcuate slot  350  of the release lever  35 . 
     When now the outside door handle  23  is manipulated, the connecting rod  339  transmits the movement of the handle  23  to the U-shaped arm structure ( 334 ,  335 ,  336 ) and thus to the outside lever  33 . With this, the outside lever  33  is pivoted about the pivot shaft  312  in a clockwise direction (FIG. 5) together with the release lever  35 , and thus the cable  351  is pulled by the release lever  35 . During this clockwise pivoting of the outside lever  33 , the pin member  39  slides in the arcuate groove  324  of the third arm  323  of the knob member  32  from its leftmost end to its rightmost end, thereby keeping the knob member  32  at the releasing position. Due to pulling of the cable  351  by the release lever  35 , the locking plate of the door latch “DL” releases the latch plate thereby causing the same to release the striker. With this, the slide door  20  becomes ready for opening by hand. 
     When, with the locking/unlocking mechanism  30  assuming the condition of FIG. 5, the inside door handle connected to the shaft  100  (see FIG. 1) is manipulated, that is, turned in a clockwise direction in FIG. 5, both the outside lever  33  and the release lever  35  are pivoted in the same direction like in the case of the above-mentioned outside door handle  23 . Thus, the door latch “DL” release the striker and thus the slide door  20  becomes ready for opening by hand. 
     When, with the locking/unlocking mechanism  30  assuming the condition of FIG. 5, a locking knob (not shown) is moved to a locking position, the knob lever  32  is pivoted about the pivot pin  311  in a clockwise direction (in FIG. 5) to take its uppermost position. With this, the pin member  39  slides upward in both the first arcuate part  332  of the L-shaped slot of the outside lever  33  and the arcuate slot  350  of the release lever  35 . 
     When now the outside door handle  23  is manipulated, only the outside lever  33  is pivoted about the pivot shaft  312  leaving the release lever  35  at the original position. Thus, the cable  351  is not pulled by the release lever  35 , and thus, the locked condition of the door latch “DL” is kept. That is, when the locking knob is in the locking position, the door latch “DL” is not unlocked even if the outside door handle  23  is manipulated. Similar to this, when the locking knob is in the locking position, the door latch “DL” is not unlocked even if the inside door handle is manipulated. 
     In the following, advantages of the present invention will be described. 
     First, as is easily understood from FIGS. 1 and 4, the bridge portion  336  of the U-shaped arm structure ( 334 ,  335 ,  336 ), that connects the outside lever  33  to the connecting rod  339  of the outside door handle  23 , is arranged at a front end of the locking/unlocking mechanism  30 . Thus, as is seen from FIG. 1, the U-shaped arm structure ( 334 ,  335 ,  336 ) provides the window pane  15  with a sufficiently large front space in the door  20 , and thus, the width of the window pane  15 , that is, the size in a fore-and-aft direction of the associated motor vehicle can be sufficiently increased. 
     Second, the U-shaped arm structure ( 334 ,  335 ,  336 ) is of a single metal member that can be easily produced by a metal stamping. 
     Third, the pin  337  provided by the U-shaped arm structure ( 334 ,  335 ,  336 ) is slidably received in the vertically extending slot  316  formed in the flange  315  of the base plate  31 . Thus, the pivoting movement of the U-shaped arm structure ( 334 ,  335 ,  336 ) about the pivot shaft  312  is stably carried out. That is, a marked force applied to the U-shaped arm structure when the outside door handle  23  is manipulated is appropriately supported by the flange  315  through the pin  337 . 
     The entire contents of Japanese Patent Application 11-172687 (filed Jun. 18, 1999) are incorporated herein by reference. 
     Although the invention has been described above with reference to the embodiment of the invention, the invention is not limited to such embodiment as described above. Various modifications and variations of such embodiment may be carried out by those skilled in the art, in light of the above descriptions.