Patent Publication Number: US-4835907-A

Title: Automotive vehicle window drive mechanism

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The applicant is holder of Brazilian patent MU-5801246 relating to a &#34;Drive Device for Automotive Vehicle Windows&#34;, comprising of a support conveniently fastened to an automobile door, together with a drive lever for the glass. The motor is seated on the support if the device is automatic. The support has a drum on which an appropriate steel cable rolls up, there being also two other vertically aligned supports which, together with the first named support are formed in the shape of a triangle. Each one of the vertically aligned supports has a pulley or grooved pulley that serves as a support and guide for the steel cable, there also being provided, between the upper and lower aligned supports, a vertical guide, conveniently fastened to the door of the vehicle, and inside of which the drive &#34;car&#34; of the glass slides and holds the end of the steel cable. 
     The device referred to in the Brazilian patent, besides providing a safe and efficient operation, eliminated a series of parts commonly used in traditional mechanisms. This made the mounting much easier, besides reducing the final cost. 
     With a view toward further simplification of assembly of the device, and also reduction of its cost, the applicant created the present automotive vehicle window drive mechanism in which the two pulleys provided in the aligned upper and lower supports are eliminated, and also the fastening elements of the vertical guide are provided between them. 
     For this purpose, the mentioned upper and lower supports incorporate internal curved guides for the steel cable, which guides are encased in the supports themselves and perform advantageously the same function as the mentioned pulleys, that is, to guide the cable. Besides this, the guides have inserting elements that permit them to be easily fitted into the free ends of the vertical guide which, consequently, makes unnecessary any fastening element in the automobile door. 
     With this new construction a series of parts are eliminated and the work of mounting the assembly becomes considerably easier, making the product cheaper than those currently existing and already sold on the market, as a result or reduced production costs. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     For purposes of illustration, drawings of the model now follow by which the invention can be more easily visualized: 
     FIG. 1 is a front view of the drive mechanism of the windows, according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 1A is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken along line A--A in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 1B is a fragmentary sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken along line B--B in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing, on an enlarged scale, the upper support and the fitting of the verticl guide; and 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of the mentioned support. 
    
    
     The present automotive vehicle window drive mechanism includes a support 1 conveniently fastened to the door of the vehicle, coincidentally with a drive lever for the glass, in which a motor is located, in case the mechanism is automatic. This support has a drum 2 on which an appropriate, preferably capped, steel cable 3 is rolled up. The ends of the cable act obliquely, one upward and the other downward, in the direction of two other supports: the upper support 4 and the lower support 5 arranged and aligned vertically and conveniently secured to the door of the vehicle. The three supports are arranged in the figure of a triangle. 
     The upper support 4 and the lower support 5 have a grooved curve 6 molded in the body of the supports. In the middle of the curve, there is a slightly flexible interrupted section 6&#39; with an upper broader beveled portion limiting the formation of an inside tooth 6&#34; (see FIG. 1B). In the mentioned groove 6, held under pressure, is a conforming part 7 with a U-shaped profile made of a plastic material or other suitable material that permits the steel cable 3 to slide with a minimum of friction. Part 7 has, at its outside edge and coincidentally with the flexible section 6&#39; of the groove 6, an indentation 7&#39; that, when the part 7 is fitted in the mentioned groove, is held by the tooth 6&#34; of the flexible section 6&#39;, preventing accidental release of the part 7, as illustrated in FIG. 1B. 
     At the facing and widened ends 8 of the grooves 6, the free ends of a vertical guided rail 9 are fitted, in which the normal &#34;car&#34; 10 slides, moving the glass. The rail 9 has a substantially U-shaped cross-section and is arranged between one or two pairs of lugs 11 which are molded in the supports 4 and 5 themselves, and which assure proper fitting of the rail and supports. 
     In the upper support 4 and constituting an extension thereof, there is provided a hollow section 12, whose upper and lower walls 12&#39; internally have a region of reduced thickness that produces two internal steps of seats 13. Section 12 is longitudinally bisected in is vertical direction by a dividing wall 14 which has a lying-down, T-shaped cross-section. The upright portion of wall 14 does not reach the full height of the section 12 and that limits the shape of the two openings 15, to allow passage of the legs 16&#39; of a part 16. Part 16 has a cross-section which is generally &#34;U&#34; or &#34;V&#34; shaped, is made of suitable plastic material, and is fitted under pressure in the section 12. The legs of part 16 have free ends with outwardly facing flaps 16&#39; that engage the internal seats 13 of section 12. The part 16 in turn encircles and forces the housing for steel cable 3 against the upright section of the wall 14, forming a positioning element and maintaining the cable 3 in the support 4, as illustrated in FIG. 1A. 
     The ends of the cable 3, move from the support 1 in the direction of the supports 4 and 5, and enter into the grooves 6 provided in each one. Cable 3 is in contact with the part 7 of plastic material provided inside grooves 6. When leaving these grooves, the ends of cable 3 enter into the rail 9 and are conveniently held to the &#34;car&#34; 10 which drives the glass. As shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3, car 10 projects laterally outwardly from rail 9 and fits inside a holder 17 which forms a support for the glass 18 of the vertical window. Car 10 moves upwardly and downwardly along rail 9 in accordance with the position of the steel cable 3. Car 10 causes glass 18 to move upwardly or downwardly, because it is mounted within holder 17. 
     With the innovated arrangement, the supports 4 and 5 no longer require the pulleys previously used, since the proper curved grooves 6 mounted in them act as guides for the cable. Besides this, since guide rail 9 is held firmly to the supports 4 and 5, the usual fastening elements of the guide rail to the vehicle door are no longer necessary, thereby providing greater facility in mounting the drive device of the window, as well as reducing the cost, as a result of elimination of parts.