WINDOW LIFT SYSTEM AND MOTOR VEHICLE DOOR
20220090430 · 2022-03-24
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
International classification
Abstract
A window lift system including a first guide rail including a first stop, a second guide rail which has a second stop in an upper end region, a first slider guided on the first guide rail, second slider guided on the second guide rail, cable drum, and a drive cable driven by means of the cable drum and coupled to the sliders and extending through a Bowden cable sheath between the upper end region of the second guide rail and a lower end region of the first guide rail. The sliders are movable by the drive cable along the guide rails into a stop position in which the second slider lies against the second stop and the first slider is spaced apart from the first stop by a predefined distance, ranging between 0.4 percent and 1.2 percent of the length of the Bowden cable sheath.
Claims
1. A window regulator system for use in a motor vehicle, the window regulator system comprising: a first guide rail provided with a first upper end region including a first stop; a second guide rail provided with a second upper end region and including a second stop; a first slider configured to be guided on the first guide rail; a second slider configured to be guided on the second guide rail; a cable drum; and a drive cable configured to be driven by means of the cable drum, coupled to the first and second sliders, and guided between the second upper end region of the second guide rail and a lower end region of the first guide rail in a Bowden cable sheath, wherein the drive cable is configured to move the first and second sliders along the guide rails into a stop position, in which the second slider lies against the second stop and the first slider is spaced apart from the first stop by a predetermined distance, and wherein the predetermined distance ranges between 0.4 percent and 1.2 percent of a length of the Bowden cable sheath.
2. The window regulator system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance is greater than 3 mm and less than or equal to 8 mm.
3. The window regulator system of claim 2, wherein the predetermined distance is greater than 3 mm and less than or equal to 6 mm.
4. The window regulator system of claim 1, wherein the first stop is formed as a single piece with the first guide rail and/or the second stop is formed as a single piece with the second guide rail.
5. The window regulator system of claim 1, further comprising: an upper first cable deflector disposed in the upper end region of the first guide rail: and a lower second cable deflector disposed a lower end region of the second guide rail, wherein a first cable section of the drive cable is coupled to the first slider and the upper first cable deflector is configured to guide the first cable section to the cable drum and the lower second cable deflector is configured to guide the drive cable from the cable drum.
6. The window regulator system of claim 5, further comprising: an upper second cable deflector disposed in the upper end region of the second guide rail; and a lower first cable deflector arranged in a lower end region of the first guide rail, wherein a second cable section is coupled to the second slider and the upper second cable deflector is configured to guide the second cable section to the second slider and the lower first cable deflector guides the second cable section to the first slider.
7. The window regulator system of claim 5, wherein one or more of the upper first cable deflector and the lower second cable deflector are deflecting pulleys.
8. A motor vehicle door comprising: a frame defining a window opening delimited with respect to a longitudinal-direction of the motor vehicle door by a first strut and a second strut spaced apart from the first strut; a window regulator system including, a first guide rail provided with a first upper end region including a first stop, a second guide rail provided with a second upper end region and including a second stop, wherein the first guide rail is disposed closer to the first strut than the second strut and the second guide rail is disposed closer to the second strut than the first strut, a first slider configured to be guided on the first guide rail, a second slider configured to be guided on the second guide rail, a cable drum, and a drive cable configured to be driven by means of the cable drum, coupled to the first and second sliders, and guided between the second upper end region of the second guide rail and a lower end region of the first guide rail in a Bowden cable sheath; wherein the drive cable is configured to move the first and second sliders along the guide rails into a stop position, in which the second slider lies against the second stop and the first slider is spaced apart from the first stop by a predetermined distance, and wherein the predetermined distance ranges between 0.4 percent and 1.2 percent of a length of the Bowden cable sheath; and a window pane coupled to the first slider and the second slider and including a rear edge and a front edge obliquely extending with respect to the rear edge, wherein the second strut is configured to guide the rear edge as the first and second sliders move the window pane to a closed position, in which the window pane covers the window opening and the sliders are in the stop position.
9. The motor vehicle door of claim 8, wherein the rear edge of the window pane is guided by a guide structure disposed along the second strut.
10. The motor vehicle door of claim 9, wherein the guide structure extends in a direction parallel to the second guide rail.
11. A window regulator for use in a motor vehicle, the window regulator comprising: a first guide rail including a first stop; a second guide rail spaced apart from the first guide rail and including a second stop; a cable drum; a cable assembly including a Bowden cable sheath and a cable extending through the Bowden cable sheath, and the cable drum is configured to wind the cable; a first slider; and a second slider, wherein winding the cable about the cable drum translates the first slider and the second slider along the first guide rail and the second guide rail towards the first stop and the second stop, respectively, to carry a window pane towards a closed position, in which the first slider is spaced apart from the first stop by a predetermined distance, based on a length of the Bowden cable sheath, and the second slider lies against the second stop.
12. The window regulator of claim 11, wherein the predetermined distance ranges between 0.4 percent and 1.2 percent of the length of the Bowden cable sheath.
13. The window regulator of claim 12, wherein the predetermined distance is greater than 3 mm and less than or equal to 6 mm.
14. The window regulator of claim 11, wherein the length of the Bowden cable sheath is greater than 600 mm.
15. The window regulator of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first stop or the second stop is integrally formed with the first guide rail or the second guide rail, respectively.
16. A vehicle door comprising: a frame including a first strut, forming a front edge of a window opening, and a second strut forming a rear edge of the window opening; a first guide rail including a first stop; a second guide rail spaced apart from the first guide rail and including a second stop, wherein the first guide rail is disposed closer to the first strut than the second strut and the second guide rail is disposed closer to the second strut than the first strut; a cable drum; a cable assembly including a Bowden cable sheath and a cable extending through the Bowden cable sheath, and the cable drum is configured to wind the cable; a first slider; a second slider; and a window pane carried by the first slider and the second slider wherein winding the cable about the cable drum translates the first slider and the second slider along the first guide rail and the second guide rail towards the first stop and the second stop, respectively, to move the window pane towards a closed position, in which the first slider is spaced apart from the first stop by a predetermined distance, based on a length of the Bowden cable sheath, and the second slider lies against the second stop.
17. The vehicle door of claim 16, wherein the window pane includes a rear edge and the second strut is configured to guide the rear edge.
18. The vehicle door of claim 16, wherein the first stop is formed integrally with an upper end portion of the first guide rail.
19. The vehicle door of claim 16, wherein the length of the Bowden cable sheath is greater than or equal to 700 mm.
20. The vehicle door of claim 19, wherein the predetermined distance ranges between 0.4 percent and 1.2 percent of the length of the Bowden cable sheath.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The present invention will be explained in more detail be-low with reference to the exemplary embodiments specified in the schematic figures of the drawings, in which:
[0021]
[0022]
[0023]
[0024]
[0025] The accompanying drawings are intended to convey further understanding of the embodiments of the invention. They illustrate embodiments and, in conjunction with the description, serve for the explanation of principles and concepts of the invention. Other embodiments and many of the stated advantages will become apparent with regard to the drawings. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily shown in a manner true to scale with respect to one another.
[0026] In the figures of the drawing, identical, functionally identical and identically acting elements, features and components are denoted in each case by the same reference signs unless stated otherwise.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments can take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the embodiments. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures can be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however, could be desired for particular applications or implementations.
[0028] Window regulator systems are therefore often constructed such that a pulling force for moving the window pane into the closed position is applied via a cable, which is driven directly by a cable drive, to a rear slider which is guided on a guide rail arranged in the region of the rear strut. A front slider, which is guided on a guide rail arranged in the region of the front strut, is coupled to the rear slider by means of the cable in order to apply a pulling force. Such a system is described for example in the German utility model DE 20 2008 016 221 U1.
[0029] EP 1 778 942 B1 describes applying the pulling force from the cable drive to the slider arranged on the front strut.
[0030] In order to ensure a defined position of the sliders in the closed position of the window pane, stops may be pro-vided on the guide rails. DE 10 2009 033 466 A1 describes a window regulator system with a slider which has an adjustable section in order to achieve a parallel alignment of sliders along guide rails. For the calibration of the system, the sliders are brought into contact with the stops in succession.
[0031] Since window regulator systems in motor vehicle doors are often exposed to high temperature fluctuations and, furthermore, high forces act on the cable drive during the movement of the window pane, cable sagging or similar phenomena can occur over the course of time, which impair the positionability of the sliders or drivers on the respective guide rail. This can have the result that the sliders can no longer be moved as far as the stops, and thus the window pane is no longer reliably brought into the closed position.
[0032]
[0033] As is illustrated schematically in
[0034] The optional guide structure 130 is illustrated merely symbolically in
[0035] The window regulator system 1 is used to move the window pane 120 along the door vertical direction H100 and will be discussed in more detail below.
[0036] The window pane 120 has an area sufficient to completely cover the window opening 105 of the frame 110. As an example, the window pane 120 may have a front edge 121 facing toward the first strut 111, a rear edge 122 facing toward the second strut 112, a top edge 123 which connects the front edge 121 and the rear edge 122 and which faces toward the connecting strut 113, and a bottom edge 124 which is situated opposite the top edge 123 in relation to the door vertical direction H100 and which likewise ex-tends between the front edge 121 and the rear edge 122, as illustrated by way of example in
[0037] In
[0038] The rear edge 122 of the window pane 120 is guided along the second strut 112. As an example, the rear edge 122 of the window pane 120 may be guided in the guide structure 130, for example by virtue of the rear edge 122 being guided in the slot formed between the lips. Optionally, the rear edge 122 is guided in the guide structure 130 along an entire adjustment travel by which the window pane 120 is moved during the movement between the open and the closed position.
[0039] As illustrated schematically in
[0040] As can be seen in
[0041] As is illustrated symbolically in
[0042] As is furthermore illustrated symbolically in
[0043] The first slider 4 is guided on the first guide rail 2 along the rail longitudinal direction L1. As is shown by way of example in
[0044] The second slider 5 is guided on the second guide rail 3 along the rail longitudinal direction L1. As is shown by way of example in
[0045] As is generally illustrated in
[0046] As is furthermore schematically illustrated in
[0047] The cable drum 6 is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation. The cable drum 6 may for example be mounted rotatably on a foundation or base plate 60, as illustrated by way of example and schematically in
[0048] The drive cable 7 is coupled to both the first slider 4 and to the second slider 5. This is illustrated in detail in
[0049] One possible cable guidance configuration of the drive cable 7 is illustrated by way of example in
[0050] The second cable section 72 of the drive cable 7 is guided to the first slider 4 via an upper second cable deflector 35A arranged in the upper end region 31 of the second guide rail 3 and via a lower first cable deflector 25B arranged in a second, lower end region 22 of the first guide rail 2, and is coupled to the first slider 4. The second, lower end region 22 of the first guide rail 2 is situated opposite the first, upper end region 21 of the first guide rail 2 in relation to the rail longitudinal direction L1.
[0051] As can be seen in
[0052] As a result of rotation of the cable drum 6, one of the cable sections 71, 72 is shortened and the respective other cable section 72, 71 is lengthened. For the movement of the sliders 4, 5 in the direction of the stop, a pulling force is exerted on the first slider 4 by the first cable section 71. As a result of the coupling of the second cable section 72 to the first slider 4, this pulling force is, owing to the cable guidance via the cable deflectors 25B, 35A, transmitted to the second slider 5 as a pulling force acting in the direction of the second stop 30. As a result, a pulling force is exerted on both sliders 4, 5 and the window pane 120 is moved along the guide rails 2, 3. In general, the drive cable is thus guided such that a pulling force acting in the direction of the first stop 20 can be applied directly to the first slider 4 by means of the cable drum 6 via the first cable section 71, and the pulling force is, at least partially, transmitted via the second cable section 72 to the second slider 5 as a pulling force acting in the direction of the second stop 30.
[0053] As is illustrated symbolically in
[0054] Bowden cable sheath 8. For example, in
[0055] In
[0056] In the stop position A, the sliders 4, 5 are arranged in the upper end region 21, 31 of the respective guide rail 2, 3 in relation to the rail longitudinal direction L1. As can be seen in
[0057] In the lower end position C, the sliders 4, 5 are arranged in the lower end region 22, 32 of the respective guide rail 2, 3 in relation to the rail longitudinal direction L1, as illustrated by way of example in
[0058] In the intermediate position B, the sliders 4, 5 are arranged between the lower end region 22, 32 and the upper end region 21, 31 of the respective guide rail 2, 3 in relation to the rail longitudinal direction L 1, as illustrated by way of example in
[0059] As already discussed, the first slider 4 is arranged in the stop position A at a predetermined distance d4 from the first stop 20, as illustrated in
[0060] As an example, the predetermined distance d4 may be greater than 3 mm and less than or equal to 8 mm and preferably less than or equal to 6 mm. In the event of a change in length of the Bowden cable sheath 8, the first slider 4 is, in the stop position A, situated closer to the first stop 4 than was intended in the original design state. This leads to tilting of the window pane 120, because the sliders 4, 5 are no longer, in relation to the door vertical direction H100, arranged at the level intended according to the design. In the distance window mentioned above, it is possible on the one hand for a large range of changes in length of the Bowden cable sheath 8 to be compensated to for long Bowden cable sheaths 8, wherein the resulting pane tilt is limited to a tolerable value.
[0061] Although the present invention has been described completely above on the basis of preferred exemplary embodiments, it is not restricted thereto but may be modified in a variety of ways.
[0062] With regard to directional indications and axes, in particular directional indications and axes that relate to the course of physical structures, a course of one axis, one direction or one structure “along” another axis, direction or structure is to be understood here to mean that these, in particular the tangents resulting at a respective point of the structures, run in each case at an angle of less than 45 degrees, preferably less than 30 degrees, and particularly preferably parallel, with respect to one another.
[0063] With regard to directional indications and axes, in particular directional indications and axes that relate to the course of physical structures, a course of one axis, one direction or one structure “transversely” with respect to another axis, direction or structure is to be under-stood here to mean that these, in particular the tangents resulting at a respective point of the structures, run in each case at an angle of greater than or equal to 45 degrees, preferably greater than or equal to 60 degrees, and may be perpendicular, with respect to one another.
[0064] Here, components of “single-piece”, “single-part” or “integral” form or formed “as a single piece” are generally to be understood to mean that these components are present as a single part forming a material unit and in particular are produced as such, wherein one component cannot be detached from the other without breaking the material cohesion.
[0065] While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms encompassed by the claims. The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. As previously described, the features of various embodiments can be combined to form further embodiments of the invention that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments could have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that one or more features or characteristics can be compromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which depend on the specific application and implementation. These attributes can include, but are not limited to cost, strength, durability, life cycle cost, marketability, appearance, packaging, size, serviceability, weight, manufacturability, ease of assembly, etc. As such, to the extent any embodiments are described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more characteristics, these embodiments are not outside the scope of the disclosure and can be desirable for particular applications.
PARTS LIST
[0066] The following is a list of reference numbers shown in the Figures. However, it should be understood that the use of these terms is for illustrative purposes only with respect to one embodiment. And, use of reference numbers correlating a certain term that is both illustrated in the
[0067] Figures and present in the claims is not intended to limit the claims to only cover the illustrated embodiment. [0068] 1 Window regulator system [0069] 2 First guide rail [0070] 3 Second guide rail [0071] 4 First slider [0072] 5 Second slider [0073] 6 Cable drum [0074] 7 Drive cable [0075] 8 Bowden cable sheath [0076] 20 First stop [0077] 21 Upper end region of the first guide rail [0078] 22 Lower end region of the first guide rail [0079] 23 Profile section [0080] 25A Upper first cable deflector [0081] 25B Lower first cable deflector [0082] 30 Second stop [0083] 31 Upper end region of the second guide rail [0084] 32 Lower end region of the second guide rail [0085] 33 Profile section [0086] 35A Upper second cable deflector [0087] 35B Lower second cable deflector [0088] 41 Guide section of the first slider [0089] 42 Coupling section of the first slider [0090] 43 Pulling section of the first slider [0091] 51 Guide section of the second slider [0092] 52 Coupling section of the second slider [0093] 53 Pulling section of the second slider [0094] 71 First cable section of the drive cable [0095] 72 Second cable section of the drive cable [0096] 81 First end sleeve [0097] 82 Second end sleeve [0098] 100 (Motor vehicle) door [0099] 105 Window opening [0100] 110 Frame [0101] 111 First strut [0102] 112 Second strut [0103] 113 Connecting strut [0104] 120 Window pane [0105] 121 Front edge of the window pane [0106] 122 Rear edge of the window pane [0107] 123 Top edge [0108] 124 Bottom edge [0109] 130 Guide structure [0110] A Stop position [0111] B Intermediate position [0112] C Lower end position [0113] d4 Distance [0114] L1 Rail longitudinal direction [0115] L100 Door longitudinal direction [0116] H100 Door vertical direction