PULLEY CONNECTOR BRACKET FOR WINDOW REGULATOR SYSTEMS

A bracket (102) for mounting a pulley (42a) of a window regulator assembly (30) to a carrier 18a of a closure panel (14) of a vehicle (10), the bracket comprising: a body (106) having a first portion (108) and a second portion (110); a pulley aperture (100a) in the first portion, the pulley aperture having a pulley rotation axis (100b); a connection aperture (104a) in the second portion, the connection aperture having a connection axis, such that the connection axis and the pulley rotation axis are non-concentric; wherein a first fastener (100) is used connect the pulley to the pulley aperture and a second fastener (104) is used to connect the bracket to the carrier.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to window regulator systems.

BACKGROUND

Vehicle doors have windows that can be opened and closed. Within the door, there can be a window regulator assembly including a carrier panel, a motor, rails and window regulator lifter or carrier plate assembly which is driven along is respective rail by the motor with associated cabling. There can be several problems, however, with these window regulator assemblies. For example, in integrated rail door modules it is necessary to connect the pulley for the cable window regulator to the carrier part, which is typically made of plastic material. However, in operation of the pulley, there can be applied undue loads to the carrier, in particular at the attachment point of the pulley through the axis of rotation, which experiences both Z loading and pulley bending moment loads.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the present invention to provide a pulley attachment interface to obviate or mitigate at least some of the above-presented disadvantages.

A first aspect provided is a bracket for mounting a pulley of a window regulator assembly to carrier of a closure panel of a vehicle, the bracket comprising: a body having a first portion and a second portion; a pulley aperture in the first portion, the pulley aperture having a pulley rotation axis; a connection aperture in the second portion, the connection aperture having a connection axis, such that the connection axis and the pulley rotation axis are non-concentric; wherein a first fastener is used connect the pulley to the pulley aperture and a second fastener is used to connect the bracket to the carrier.

A second aspect provided is a window regulator system for a window of a vehicle, the system including: a carrier for mounting the system to a frame of the vehicle; a pulley for directing a cable of the system; and a bracket for mounting the pulley to the carrier, the bracket comprising: a body having a first portion and a second portion; a pulley aperture in the first portion, the pulley aperture having a pulley rotation axis; a connection aperture in the second portion, the connection aperture having a connection axis, such that the connection axis and the pulley rotation axis are nonconcentric; wherein a first fastener is used connect the pulley to the pulley aperture and a second fastener is used to connect the bracket to the carrier.

A third aspect provided is a method for assembling a window regulator assembly of a vehicle, the method including the steps of: mounting a pulley to a bracket by a first fastener on a pulley rotation axis; and connecting the bracket to the carrier using a second fastener on a connection axis; wherein the connection axis and the pulley rotation axis are non-concentric.

A further aspect provided is a bracket for mounting a pulley of a window regulator assembly to a carrier of a closure panel of a vehicle, the bracket including a body having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion extend along separate planes, wherein the second portion is adapted to be secured to the carrier such that the first portion is distanced further away from the carrier than the second portion, wherein the pulley is positioned between the first portion and the carrier when the second portion is secured to the carrier. In accordance with a related aspect, the body includes one or more embossments formed in the body for resisting deformation of the body by the pulley. In accordance with a further related aspect, the body includes a connecting portion extending between the first portion and the second portion.

A further aspect provided is a carrier having a pulley of a window regulator assembly of a closure panel of a vehicle, and a bracket for securing the pulley relative to the carrier, the bracket including a body having a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion extend along separate planes, wherein the second portion is adapted to be secured to the carrier such that the first portion is distanced further away from the carrier than the second portion, wherein the pulley is positioned between the first portion and the carrier when the second portion is secured to the carrier.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIGS.1, shown is a vehicle10that includes a vehicle body12and at least one vehicle door14(also referred to as a closure panel14). The vehicle door14includes a latch20that is positioned on a frame15of the vehicle door14, the latch20releasably engageable with a striker28on the vehicle body12(e.g. including the roof) to releasably hold the vehicle door14in a closed position. The frame15also supports a window13via a window regulator assembly30(seeFIGS.2and2A—for illustrative purposes only) mounted to the frame15, as further described below. An outside door handle17is provided for opening the latch20(i.e. for releasing the latch20from the striker28) to open the vehicle door14, as well as optionally to operate the window regulator system30. Further, the vehicle door14has an inside control16(e.g. door handle, window controls, etc.), with associated optional lock19, for operating the latch20and the window regulator assembly30, as desired. A door panel18is shown providing a cover (e.g. interior panel) over the window regulator assembly30(seeFIGS.4and5, by example) positioned between the frame15and the door panel18.

For vehicles10, the closure panel14can be referred to as a partition or door, typically hinged, but sometimes attached by other mechanisms such as tracks, in front of an opening which is used for entering and exiting the vehicle10interior by people and/or cargo. In terms of vehicles10, the closure panel14may be a driver/passenger door, a lift gate, or it may be some other kind of closure panel14, such as an upward swinging vehicle door (i.e. what is sometimes referred to as a gull-wing door) or a conventional type of door that is hinged at a front-facing or back-facing edge of the door, and so allows the door to swing (or slide) away from (or towards) the opening in the body12of the vehicle10. Also contemplated are sliding door embodiments of the closure panel14and canopy door embodiments of the closure panel14, such that sliding doors can be a type of door that open by sliding horizontally or vertically, whereby the door is either mounted on, or suspended from a track that provides for a larger opening. Canopy doors are a type of door that sits on top of the vehicle10and lifts up in some way, to provide access for vehicle passengers via the opening (e.g. car canopy, aircraft canopy, etc.). Canopy doors can be connected (e.g. hinged at a defined pivot axis and/or connected for travel along a track) to the body12of the vehicle at the front, side or back of the door, as the application permits. It is recognized that the body12can be represented as a body panel of the vehicle10, a frame of the vehicle10, and/or a combination frame and body panel assembly, as desired.

Referring toFIG.2A, the window regulator assembly30is mounted to the door frame15(via a carrier18amounted to the door frame15). Rail(s)36can be connected directly to the frame15(e.g. or as a further embodiment indirectly to the frame15via the carrier18a). Referring toFIGS.2and2A, the window regulator assembly30is for moving the vehicle window13up and down, i.e. in and out of an enclosure provided between the frame15and the door panel18. The window regulator assembly30can include a drive motor and drive mechanism (e.g. gearing)32connected to a set of drive cables34, one or more rails36for mounting on the frame15(or on an intervening carrier panel18aas desired), a regulator carriage38connected to the window13and mounted on the rail36for riding along a track40, and one or more pulleys42a,b(e.g. upper pulley and lower pulley) for effecting changes in direction of the drive cables34. In operation of the window regulator assembly30, the drive motor32causes movement of the drive cables34which in turn propels the regulator carriage38towards one end or the other end of the rail36, depending upon the rotational direction of the drive motor32(e.g. as controlled by the door controls16,17). It is recognized that the rails36can be mounted on the carrier panel18aby fasteners (not shown—providing an integrated rail module as the window regulator system30) that is itself mounted to the frame15by connectors15a. Alternatively, the rails36of the window regulator system30can be mounted directly to the frame15without the need for the intervening carrier panel18a, providing for a piece-wise assembly of the window regulator system30directly to the frame15. It is also recognized that some of the components (e.g.32,34,36,38,42a,b) of the window regulator assembly30can be mounted to the carrier panel18aand others of the components (e.g. remaining32,34,36,38) could be mounted directly to the frame15without the intervening carrier panel18a. In a preferred embodiment, the window regulator assembly30is mounted to the carrier panel18avia fasteners and provided as an integrated door module for fastening as an integrated unit to the frame15of the closure panel14.

Referring again toFIG.2A, shown is pulley42amounted to the carrier panel18aby a bracket102, such that the pulley42ais connected to the bracket102via fastener100and the bracket102is connected to the carrier by fastener104.

Referring toFIG.3, shown is a perspective view of the bracket102. The bracket102has a body106having a first portion108and a second portion110, such that the first portion108has a pulley aperture100aand the second portion110has a carrier aperture104a. First portion108and second portion110are provided on separate spaced apart planes P1, P2, for example, as shown inFIG.5which are interconnected by a perpendicularly extending flange111as a connecting portion and separated by a distance D. Plane P1of first portion108is shown as provided further away from the carrier panel18ato accommodate the width of the pulley42a, whereas plane P2of second portion110is provided adjacent to the carrier panel18aat a distance closer than the plane P1of the first portion108. As a result of providing a multi-planer body106, additional material such as plastic which would be required to be included with carrier panel18ato support the second portion110for a configuration whereby first portion108and second portion110are on the same plane (e.g. coplanar when body108is provided as a flat plate structure) can be dispensed with resulting in reduce material costs and reduction in weight of the carrier panel18a. For example, additional upstanding structure matching the width of the pulley42ato support a coplanar second portion108may be eliminated due to the multi-planer structure of the body106. Further, the height of the pin112bmay be reduced by the width of the pulley42afor example. The fastening point of fastener104may be brought close to the carrier18aplane there by reducing torque moments acting on an extending threaded aperture for receiving the fastener104arequired when the body106is plate like singular planar structure. Similarly, torque moments acting on the pin112amay be reduced to increase the strength of the connections. To resist against the separation of the pulley42aaway from the carrier18a, the body106, and for example first portion108may include strength features, such as embossment(s)115. Embossment(s)115add strength to the body106to resist against the pulley42amoving in a direction along its axis of rotation possibly to separate from upstanding fastener100due to high load states e.g. during a stall condition of the window regulator system. Further strength of the body can be improved by providing upstanding walls117shown extending from the second portion110for example. The pulley aperture100ais for receiving the fastener100(e.g. pulley fastener) and the carrier aperture104ais for receiving the fastener104(e.g. carrier fastener). It is recognized that the pulley aperture100aprovides a pulley rotation axis100b, while the carrier aperture104aprovides a connection axis104bfor the fastener104.

Referring toFIG.4, shown is the bracket102mounting the pulley42ato the carrier panel18aby the fasteners100,104. The bracket102can also utilize a pin and slot connection112between the carrier18aand the bracket body106, in order to inhibit rotation of the bracket102about the fastener104during operation of the window regulator assembly30. Shown by example inFIGS.3,4is a slot112ain the body106and a pin112bconnected to the carrier18a, however the opposite configuration can also be envisioned, as desired.

Referring toFIG.5, shown is a cross section A-A ofFIG.4, detailing the pulley42amounted on the bracket102via fastener100aand the bracket102itself mounted to the carrier18aby the fastener104a. Further, shown by example is that the body106of the bracket102has the first portion108offset from the second portion, in order to accommodate the width of the pulley42aitself. However, it is recognized that the portions108,110can be aligned with one another, such that the carrier18aitself is modified to accommodate for the width of the pulley42a.

Referring toFIGS.6and7, shown are top and bottom perspective views of the bracket102shown in isolation, such that only the pulley42ais shown without the fastener100and the fastener104is mounted in the aperture104a. Referring toFIG.8, shown is the bracket102used to mount the pulley42ato the carrier18a, as part of the window regulator system30.

In view of the above, it is recognized that the top pulley42aconnection (as compared to the lower pulley42b) can experience the highest loading during a stall condition, in operation of the window regular system. As such, it is advantageous that the pulley42ais supported for rotation about the connection axis104bthat does not align (i.e. is offset or otherwise unaligned) with the pulley rotation axis100bprovided the fastener100. In view of this novel configuration of connection with the carrier18a, using the bracket102described above, during operation of window regulator system30any pulley42aloading is not transmitted to the carrier18avia the fastener100, but rather via the fastener104supporting retention of the pulley bracket102in the Z direction (out of plane from the carrier18a), whereas the pulley42ais supported about its axis100bby the fastener100through the pulley42acenter for resisting in plane side to side loading (as applied by the drive cables34during operation thereof).

This fastener100can be made having a larger circumference (as compared to the fastener104) for engaging with the pulley42ato increasing load distribution, as compared to a much narrower diameter screw or bolt a prior art pulley could otherwise be supported by when the screw/fastener axis and the pulley axis are concentric. In other words, a diameter of the first fastener100can be greater than a diameter of the second fastener104. Accordingly, the pulley axis100band the carrier axis104bare non-concentric. A further advantage of using the bracket102is that the connection point of the bracket102to the carrier18acan be made common/standard via the fastener104and optional pin/slot connection112, since the loading forces on the fastener104never change (for differently configured pulleys42aand the size/power of the window/motor32since the loads are no longer support in plane by the pulley fastener100ain combination with the carrier18a.

In view of the above, the bracket102can be made of a metallic material, for example, and can act as a bracket interface between the pulley42aand the carrier18a, such that the bracket is connected to the carrier18avia fastener104. As such, the Z load and the pulley bending moment loads are distributed between the two fasteners100,104, rather than solely being concentrated at the prior art single fastener—carrier connection for the pulley. The bracket102also gives the possibility to use the same carry over fastener and the same torque used for traditional A1 rails, thereby providing for a carrier configuration of traditional front door rails and rear door integrated rails with the same fastener torque design.

Referring toFIG.9, shown is a method200of assembly of the bracket102. At step102, the pulley42aof the window regulator assembly30is mounted to the bracket102by the fastener100connected to the pulley aperture100ahaving the pulley rotation axis100b. At step204, the bracket102is connected to the carrier18ausing the fastener104inserted through aperture104ahaving the connection axis104b. In this manner, the axis100b,104bare non-concentric.

While the above description constitutes a plurality of embodiments, it will be appreciated that the present disclosure is susceptible to further modification and change without departing from the fair meaning of the accompanying claims.