Abstract:
A vehicle window direct drive power actuator for pivoting a window outwardly of a vehicle body about an axis. The actuator comprises a reversible electric motor and a power transmitting gear train driven by the motor and including a rotational output gear. The rotational output gear includes stop circuit actuating member thereon for actuating a motor control circuit that controls energization of the reversible electric motor to thereby electrically control the open and closed positions of the window relative to the vehicle body. A window linkage assembly is mounted on the window in a manner to convert the rotational torque of the rotary output gear into an opening-and-closing force for the window. The linkage assembly converts the rotational torque of the rotary output gear in a one direction into a window opening force and a rotational torque in the opposite direction, caused by reversing the driving motor, into a window closing force.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a power actuator for an electrically operated vehicle window, more particularly, to a power actuator for a swingably or pivotably mounted window, such as a rear side or quarter window, of a vehicle, such as a van or the like. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is ofter desirable to provide a powered rear side or rear quarter window for ventilation purposes in vehicles, particularly vans and mini-vans. These rear side or quarter windows are generally swingably mounted and open outwardly of the vehicle body, and are typically remotely activated, as for example from the driver&#39;s seat. 
     Several types of vehicle power window actuators are known and used. Problems associated with these known types of window openers include their high cost, large and cumbersome size, weight, and indirect drive arrangement employing drive cables with a drive motor being located distant from the window. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,524 discloses a vehicle power window actuator for pivoting a glass view panel about an axis by means of complex back and forth linear movement of a wire cable. U.S. Pat. No. 4 918,865 discloses a power window opener for operation of a quarter window of an automobile comprising an actuation device, a remote electric motor, and pull cable transmitting power from the remote motor to the actuating device. 
     The Moy U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,728 discloses an improved compact, light weight direct drive vehicle window power actuator for a swingably mounted rear quarter power window for vehicles, such as for example only, vans and mini-vans, that overcomes the problems described in the preceding paragraph. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a compact, light weight direct drive vehicle window power actuator for a swingably mounted rear quarter power window of vehicles, such as for example only, vans and mini-vans, that includes an electrical stop mechanism for controlling actuator rotation and thus the open and closed positions of the window. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, a vehicle window direct drive power actuator for pivoting a window outwardly of a vehicle body comprises a reversible electric motor and a power transmitting gear train driven by the motor and including a rotational output gear. The rotational output gear includes stop circuit actuating means thereon for actuating a motor control circuit that controls energization of the reversible electric motor to thereby electrically control the open and closed positions of the window relative to the vehicle body. A window linkage assembly is mounted on the window in a manner to convert the rotational torque of the output gear into an opening-and-closing force for the window. The linkage assembly converts the rotational torque of the rotary output gear in a one direction into a window opening force and a rotational torque in the opposite direction, caused by reversing the driving motor, into a window closing force. 
     In one particular embodiment of the present invention, the stop circuit actuating means on the output gear comprises a cam-type stop member spaced proximate the periphery of the output gear to rotate therewith so as to engage one of first and second stationary normally closed limit switches of the motor control circuit spaced about the periphery of the output gear in a manner that one limit switch is actuated to cause the motor control circuit to stop the motor at a desired window “open” position and the other limit switch is actuated to stop the motor at the desired window “closed” position. 
     In another particular embodiment of the present invention, the stop circuit actuating means on the output gear comprises an electrically conductive wiper finger arranged to rotate with the output gear and to engage stationary arcuate electrically conductive contact traces of the motor control circuit. The lengths of the arcuate traces are varied in a manner that the wiper finger disengages therefrom at selected rotational positions of the output gear to cause the motor control circuit to stop the motor at desired window “open” and “closed” positions. 
     In another particular embodiment of the present invention, the motor control circuit comprises first and second circuit legs connected between a source of voltage and the motor. The circuit legs each include a diode with the diode in one leg being oppositely oriented relative to the diode in the other leg. Each circuit leg also includes means responsive to the motor control circuit actuating means for interrupting current flow in one leg in dependence on the position of the window at one of an open or closed position while the other leg remains uninterrupted to current flow. Switch means connected between the source and the circuit legs can be actuated to cause reverse current flow in the uninterrupted circuit leg in a manner to cause movement of the window to the other of the open or closed position. 
     The actuator of the present invention is a direct drive actuator. By direct drive actuator is meant that the driving device (motor) is located adjacent the window and transmits power to the window linkage assembly by means of gears and shafts like the aforementioned Moy U.S. Pat. No. 5,680,728 and, unlike the indirect drive actuators disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,186,524 and 4,918,865, no cables are present as power tranmitting members. 
     The actuator of the present invention is advantageous in that the electrical stop mechanism for controlling the actuator reduces the amount of shock loading or stress imposed on the gear train as well stalling of the reversible motor, thus improving durability of the gear train/motor and providing possible reduction in gear train size and cost. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a partially cut away side elevational view showing the window actuator mounted in the interior of the vehicle and attached to a vehicle window with the window in the closed position. 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged view taken along line  2 — 2  in FIG. 1 showing the window linkage mechanism with the window in the closed position. 
     FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 except the vehicle window is in the open position with the window linkage mechanism extended. 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded perpsective view of the actuator hosuing, motor, and gear train. 
     FIG. 5 is a top plan view partially in section of the motor and gear train disposed in one half of the housing. 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line  6 — 6  of FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an output gear having stop circuit actuating member thereon and first and second normally closed switches on the housing and actuated to a respective switch open position by the stop circuit actutating member in dependence on the rotational position of the output gear. 
     FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the motor control circuit including the switches of FIG.  7 . 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an output gear having stop circuit actuating wiper or finger thereon for selectively enagaging multiple traces on the housing in dependence on the rotational position of the output gear. 
     FIG. 10 is a schematic view of the motor control circuit including the wiper finger and traces of FIG.  9 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As shown in FIG. 1, a power window actuator  10  in accordance with one embodiment of the invention is mounted in the interior of a vehicle on a body side panel portion of the vehicle by attachment means such as bolts, screws, and other fasteners. More particularly, the actuator  10  is mounted on the side sheet metal, for example, on the side post or pillar  5 , adjacent the rear edge  4  of the rear side or quarter window. The quarter window  3  is mounted on the side body panel portion to swing laterally outward with respect to the body about an axis along the forward edge of the window. 
     The window actuator  10  comprises a housing  11 . For ease of manufacture and installation, housing  11 , as best illustrated in FIG. 4, has two halves  12 ,  20 . Disposed in the housing is a small DC electric motor  30  having motor journals  31  and an output shaft  32 . Resilient bushings  33  with a flange are mounted on the motor journals  31  and function to isolate the motor from the housing  11 , thereby reducing noise and vibration. The motor  30  is reversible and has circuit means associated therewith, including switch means  30   a  for selectively activating the motor alternately in one direction or the other at a switch location remote from the motor, such as proximate the driver&#39;s location. Output shaft  32  has a gear  34  at one end thereof which rotates with the rotation of output shaft  32 . Gear  34  has radialy extending extending teeth  36 . In a preferred embodiment of the invention, gear  34  is press fit on output shaft  32  with spring pin bushing  35 . 
     Drive belt  38  is mounted on gear  34  and gear  42 . Teeth  40  mesh with and engage radially extending teeth  36  of gear  34  and radially extending teeth  44  of gear  42 . Drive belt  38  has a plurality of teeth  40  on its inner surface. 
     Gear  42  is mounted on shaft  46  and rotates with shaft  46 . Worm  48  having teeth  50  is also mounted on shaft  46  and rotates therewith. Worm  48  is coaxial with gear  42  and is axially spaced therefrom on shaft  46 . The ends of shaft  46  are rotatably disposed in tubular bearings  52 ,  54 . Washers  56 ,  58  are disposed intermediate gear  42  and bearing  54 , and worm  48  and bearing  52 , respectively. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, resilent bushings  53  are disposed over tubular bearings  52 ,  54 . 
     As best illustrated in FIG. 5, the teeth  50  of worm  48  mesh with the teeth  62  of worm output gear  60 . Worm gear  60  is mounted on one end of output shaft  66  and rotates therewith. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, worm gear  60  has internal serrations and is press fit on output shaft  66 . As illustrated in FIG. 6, output shaft  66  is rotatably disposed in elongated hollow tubular bearing  22  which is part of housing half  20 . 
     Switching on of the motor  30  results in rotation of output shaft  32 . Rotation of output shaft  32  results in rotation of gear  34 . As gear  34  rotates, its teeth  36  engage teeth  40  of drive belt  38  and move drive belt  38 . Movement of drive belt  38  results in teeth  40  of belt  38  engaging teeth  44  of gear  42 , thereby rotating gear  42 . Rotation of gear  42  causes rotation of shaft  46  and of worm  48 . Upon rotation of worm  48 , its teeth  50  engage teeth  62  of output gear  60 , thereby rotating output gear  60 . Rotation of gear  60  results in rotation of rotary shaft  66 . 
     Rotation of rotary shaft  66  causes rotation of splined section  68 . Splined section  68  engages a corresponding splined section in the interior of hollow tubular member  79  of the window linkage assembly  70 , thereby actuating the window linkage assembly. The window linkage assembly  70  comprises a first link member  71  and a second link member  72 . The first link member  71  has a base end with a hollow tubular member  79  extending therefrom and an end provided with pin-joint hole  74 . The hollow tubular member has a splined portion in the interior thereof which engages splined portion  68  of shaft  66 . 
     In FIG. 3, the rotary shaft  66  is locked against longitudinal movement in hollow tubular member  79  by a transversely extending roll pin  73   a , which is positioned in a transveresly extending cavity  73  in member  79 . Roll pin  73   a  passes through a complimentary shaped transversely extending cutout portion  67  in rotary shaft  66 , which cutout portion  67  is aligned with cavity  73 . 
     The second link member  72  comprises a main plate  75  and a rib  76  projecting in a lateral direction. The rib  76  has a substantially L-shaped cross-section and functions as a reinforcing member. The second link member  72  has an end having a clevice-like form provided with a pin-joint hole  77 . By aligning this pin-joint hole  77  with the pin-joint hole  74  of the first link member  71  and then inserting a pin  78  through the holes  77 ,  74 , the first link member  71  and the second link member  72  are rotatably joined together. The second link member  72  is provided with joint means at the free end thereof for attachment to attaching means  80  fixed to window glass pane  3 . The attaching means  80  comprises a mounting bracket plate  82  attached to window glass pane  3 . The joint means may, as illustrated, be ball joint means comprising a ball joint  81  pivotally inserted into a socket of attaching means  80 . 
     In operation, rotation of rotary shaft  66  in one direction results in rotation of the first link member in the same direction. Thus, for example, clockwise rotation of rotary shaft  66  causes rotation of first link member  71  in a clockwise direction. The second link member  72  thereby is pushed to extend, as shown in FIG. 3, and open the window. Counterclockwise rotation of rotary shaft  66  results in counterclockwise rotation of the first link member  71 . The second link member  72  thereby is pulled to a folded position, as shown in FIG. 2, to close the window. 
     Referring to FIG. 7, the rotational output gear  60  includes stop circuit actuating means  92  thereon for actuating a motor control circuit  100  shown in FIG. 8 that controls energization of the reversible DC electric motor  30  to thereby electrically control the open and closed positions of the window relative to the vehicle body. In FIG. 7, the stop circuit actuating means  92  on the output gear  60  comprises an actuator cam-type stop member  92   a  spaced proximate the periphery of the output gear  60  to rotate with the output gear so as to engage one of first and second stationary normally closed limit switches  94 ,  96  spaced about the periphery of the output gear  60  in a manner that one limit switch is actuated to cause the motor control circuit to stop the motor at a desired window “open” position and the other limit switch is actuated to stop the motor at the desired window “closed” position. The switches  94 ,  96  include a respective housing  94   a ,  96   a  that is fixedly mounted at appropriate locations on the housing  11  by screws, staking, snap fit, or other fastening means so as to be located about the periphery of the output gear  60  to this end. 
     The switches  94 ,  96  also include movable switch blade or member  94   b ,  96   b  engaged by the cam-type stop member  92   a  as the output gear  60  rotates in one direction or the other. Engagement of the stop member  92   a  with the switch blade or member  94   b  or  96   b  will open the switch  94  or  96 , respectively, while the other switch  94  or  96  not engaged by the stop member  92   a  remains in the closed conductive condition. For example, in FIG. 7, the left-hand switch  94  is shown engaged by stop member  92   a  in a manner that the switch  94  is now in an open switch condition to interrupt current flow. Switch  96  on the right-hand side not engaged by stop member  92   a  remains in the normally closed switch condition. Other switch means such as proximity, reed, hall effect, pushbutton, simple contacts and other switches can be used in the practice of the invention, which is not limited to any particular switch means. 
     The motor control circuit  100  comprises first and second circuit legs L 1 , L 2  connected between a source of 12 volt DC voltage, such as battery B, and the motor  30 . Each leg L 1 , L 2  includes a respective diode D 1 , D 2  and respective switch  94 ,  96 . Current flow in one circuit leg L 1  or L 2  is interrupted by stop member  92   a  engaging the respective switch  94  or  96  to stop the motor  30  at a desired window position, with the other circuit leg L 2  or L 1  having normally closed switch  96  or  94  remaining electrically active to permit reverse current flow to the motor  30  via diode D 1  or D 2 , as the case may be, when the driver actuates a conventional reversible window position operating control switch  30   a  to reverse movement of the window. Switch  30   a  reverses polarity of legs L 1 , L 2  to reverse motor rotational direction when actuated by the driver and is connected between the voltage source B and the motor  30  as shown in FIG.  8 . 
     The stop circuit actuating means, for example stop member  92   a , on the rotary output gear  60  thus alternately engages one of the first and second stationary normally closed limit switches  94  or  96  of the motor control circuit in a manner that one of the limit switches  94  or  96  is actuated (switch opened) to cause the motor control circuit  100  to stop the motor  30  at a desired window “open” position and then the other limit switch is actuated (switch opened) to stop the motor at the desired window “closed” position with the remaining electrically active circuit leg L 1  or L 2  permiting reversal of current flow through the motor  30  when the driver actuates the reversible window position control switch  30   a  to reverse movement of the window from the “closed” to the “open” position, or vice versa. 
     Referring to FIG. 9, in another embodiment of the invention, the rotational output gear  60  includes different stop circuit actuating means thereon for actuating a motor control circuit  100 ′ shown in FIG. 10 that controls energization of the reversible DC electric motor  30  to thereby electrically control the open and closed positions of the window relative to the vehicle body. In FIG. 9, the stop circuit actuating means comprises a plurality of (e.g.  3 ) electrically conductive resilient wipers or fingers  101   a ,  101   b ,  101   c  of a common metal contact  101  to form an E-shaped contact configuration. The contact  101  is affixed on the output gear  60  so as to rotate with the output gear with each finger extending toward a respective stationary arcuate electrically conductive metal contact trace  102   a ,  102   b ,  102   c  to engage same. The contact traces are fixedly disposed on the actuator housing  11  by insert molding, staking, snap fit or other fastening means and are connected at their upturned ends extending into housing  11  to appropriate electrical lead connectors (not shown) therein to form the motor control circuit of FIG.  10 . The lengths of the arcuate contact traces  102   a ,  102   c  are varied in a manner that the wipers or fingers disengage therefrom at selected rotational positions of the output gear  60  to cause the motor control circuit of FIG. 10 to stop the motor  30  at at desired window “open” and “closed” positions. In FIG. 9, the wipers or fingers and the contact traces (shown straightened for convenience) in effect form first and second switches in circuit legs L 1 ′, L 2 ′, as illustrated, in a manner similar to circuit legs L 1 , L 2  described hereabove. 
     In particular, when the end of travel of the output gear  60  in one direction reaches an end position shown corresponding to a desired window “closed” or “open” position, the then active leg L 1 ′ or L 2 ′ of the circuit is deactivated, stopping current to the motor  30 . 
     The remaining leg L 1 ′ or L 2 ′ remains electrically active to permit reverse current flow to the motor  30  through its diode D 1 ′ or D 2 ′ when the driver actuates a conventional reversible window position control switch  30   a  to reverse movement of the window. Switch  30   a  reverses polarity of legs L 1 ′, L 2 ′ to reverse motor rotational direction when actuated by the driver and is connected between the voltage source B and the motor  30  as shown in FIG.  10 . 
     The stop circuit actuating means, for example contact  101 , on the rotary output gear  60  thus alternately opens circuit leg L 1 ′ or L 2 ′ of the motor control circuit in a manner that one of the legs L 1 ′ or L 2 ′ is deactivated to cause the motor control circuit  100 ′ to stop the motor  30  at a desired window “open” position and then the leg L 1 ′ or L 2 ′ is deactivated to stop the motor at the desired window “closed” position. The remaining electrically active circuit leg L 1 ′ or L 2 ′ permits reversal of current flow through the motor  30  when the driver actuates the reversible window position control switch  30   a  to reverse movement of the window from the “closed” to the “open” position, or vice versa. 
     In lieu of the simple motor control circuit shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the invention also contemplates use of control logic electronics to sense the position of switches  94 ,  96  and adjust the current provided to motor  30  accordingly to provide an electrical stop mechanism for controlling actuator rotation and thus the open and closed positions of the window. Such control logic electronics can embody a control logic unit, such as a microprocessor, already on a vehicle for controlling body elements, such as doors, relay logic, or other on-board vehicle microprocessor. Morever, the present invention contemplates use of linear power transmitting means, rather than rotational power transmitting means described (e.g. gear train having rotational output gear  60 ) to connect the motor  30  to the linkage assembly  70 . Thus, variations and modifications of the invention are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.