DEFLECTION DEVICE FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE WINDOW LIFT, WINDOW LIFT AND DOOR MODULE

Abstract

A deflection device is for a traction cord of a window lift of a motor vehicle. The deflection device has a cord pulley, which has a circumferential track for the traction cord and a central bearing opening, and a carrier for the cord pulley. A carrier-side journal is provided for rotatably mounting the cord pulley, wherein the cord pulley is ring-shaped and has an internal ring wall surrounding the central bearing opening and an external ring wall having the track. The ring-shaped cord pulley is joined to the journal with a snap-fit assembly.

Claims

1. A deflection device for a traction cable of a window lift of a motor vehicle, the deflection device comprising: a cable roller having a circumferential running channel for the traction cable and a central bearing opening formed therein, said cable roller being annular and having an inner ring wall surrounding said central bearing opening and an outer ring wall having said circumferential running channel; a carrier for said cable roller; and a carrier-side bearing journal for rotatable mounting of said cable roller, said cable roller being joined to said carrier-side bearing journal with a snap-fit connection.

2. The deflection device according to claim 1, wherein: said carrier-side bearing journal is a cylindrical or hollow-cylindrical molding on said carrier; and/or said carrier is a guide rail, and said carrier-side bearing journal is a bearing head provided for snap connection to said cable roller and is part of a bearing bolt which is joined or to be joined to said guide rail; and/or said carrier and/or said cable roller is formed from plastic; and/or a metal sleeve is disposed in said central bearing opening of said cable roller.

3. The deflection device according to claim 1, wherein: said central bearing opening of said cable roller has an inner diameter which amounts to at least two-thirds of an outer diameter of said cable roller; and/or a ratio between the inner diameter of said cable roller and said outer diameter of said outer ring wall of said cable roller is less than 1 and greater than 0.4.

4. The deflection device according to claim 1, wherein: said carrier-side bearing journal has a latching groove formed therein; and said cable roller has a plurality of latching tongues distributed over a circumferential side, which latch or clip into said latching groove of said bearing journal so as to create the snap connection; or said carrier-side bearing journal has a plurality of latching elements distributed over a circumferential side, behind which said cable roller engages to create the snap-fit connection.

5. The deflection device according to claim 4, wherein said latching tongues on a cable roller side protrude axially beyond said inner ring wall and/or said outer ring wall and are directed radially inwardly.

6. The deflection device according to claim 4, wherein said latching tongues on a cable roller side are molded onto said inner ring wall of said cable roller.

7. The deflection device according to claim 1, wherein: a bead-shaped annular chamber is formed between said inner ring wall and said outer ring wall of said cable roller; and/or said cable roller has a mounting channel formed coaxial to said circumferential running channel for introducing the traction cable into said circumferential running channel.

8. The deflection device according to claim 1, wherein: said mounting channel is formed from a plurality of partial contact grooves; and/or said mounting channel is molded onto said outer ring wall or between said outer ring wall and said inner ring wall on said cable roller; and/or in a circumferential direction of said cable roller, a local insertion point is provided via which said mounting channel opens into said circumferential running channel.

9. The deflection device according to claim 2, wherein: said carrier is made from steel or aluminum; and said metal sleeve is over-molded and is pressed into said central bearing opening of said cable roller.

10. The deflection device according to claim 3, wherein the ratio is less than 0.9 and greater than 0.5.

11. The deflection device according to claim 3, wherein the ratio is less than 0.8 and greater than 0.7.

12. The deflection device according to claim 4, wherein: said latching groove is a circumferential latching groove; and said plurality of latching elements engage in said inner ring wall of said cable roller to create the snap-fit connection.

13. A window lift for adjusting a window glass of a motor vehicle, the window lift comprising: a carrier; a traction cable for transmitting an adjustment force for adjusting the window glass; and at least one said deflector device according to claim 1 disposed on said carrier.

14. A door module for a vehicle door, the door module comprising: said window lift according to claim 13.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0027] FIG. 1 is a top, perspective view a cable window lift as a window lift assembly with a carrier (carrier component) and with supports guided along two guide rails for a motor vehicle window glass, and with a traction cable coupled to the supports and to an adjustment drive, which cable is guided in portions on carrier-fixed deflection elements in the form of rotatably mounted cable rollers and carrier-fixed deflection pieces;

[0028] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of detail II shown in FIG. 1 in larger scale, of a cable roller in ring form axially above a carrier-side bearing journal, in a mounting step before the snap connection is created by latching or clipping the annular cable roller to the carrier-side bearing journal;

[0029] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a part of FIG. 2 in larger scale with the cable roller joined to the bearing journal in the snap connection;

[0030] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the part of FIG. 2 taken along the line IV-IV shown in FIG. 3, with a view of a grease reservoir in a region of a slip face between the cable roller and the bearing journal;

[0031] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the annular cable roller of a running channel in an outer ring wall, and with axially protruding and radially inwardly directed latching tongues on an inner ring wall;

[0032] FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line VI-VI shown in FIG. 5 of the annular cable roller;

[0033] FIG. 7 is a schematic partial illustration, of a variant of the snap connection between the annular cable roller and a crown-like or crenellated carrier-side bearing journal;

[0034] FIG. 8 is an illustration according to FIG. 7, of a further variant of the snap connection between the annular cable roller with radially outwardly directed latching tongues and corresponding latching groove in the carrier-side bearing journal;

[0035] FIG. 9 is a perspective illustration of a variant of the annular cable roller with a mounting channel coaxial to the running channel, for automatic insertion or threading of the traction cable;

[0036] FIG. 10 is a perspective illustration of a variant of the carrier as guide rails with a bearing bolt as the bearing journal, and in the snap connection with the annular cable roller with traction cable guided therein; and

[0037] FIG. 11 is a sectional illustration of the variant according to FIG. 10 with the annular cable roller in snap connection with a bolt or bearing head as a bearing journal of the rail-side bearing bolt without traction cable.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0038] Corresponding parts carry the same reference signs in all figures.

[0039] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown in a top view a window lift assembly 1 with a carrier component, described below as a carrier 2, which is advantageously made of a plastic and is therefore a plastic component. Two (substantially) mutually parallel guide rails 3 are mounted on the carrier 2, on which rails supports (rail slides) 4 are mounted for sliding movement. A window glass 5, indicated in dotted lines, is held on the supports 4. The supports 4 are connected to a traction cable 6 as a flexible traction means, which has multiple deflections and is coupled to an electromotor adjustment drive 7.

[0040] In this exemplary embodiment, as a deflection device 11, a cable roller (deflection roller) 8 is provided on each upper rail end of the guide rails 3, and is mounted rotatably on carrier-side bearing journals 9. The bearing journals 9 are preferably molded from the material of the carrier 2. In other words, the respective bearing journal 9 is formed (molded) from the actual carrier material as a cylindrical or hollow-cylindrical molded body.

[0041] In the exemplary embodiment, in the region of the lower rail ends of the guide rails 3, semicircular rotationally fixed deflection elements 10 are provided which are preferably also molded from the material of the carrier 2. Via these rotationally fixed deflection elements 10, and via the rotatably mounted cable rollers 8, the traction cable 6 is deflected, over traction cable portions running along the guide rails 3, into traction cable portions running diagonally between the guide rails 3 and crossing one another. The adjustment drive 6 is arranged in one of these diagonal traction cable portions. Instead of the rotationally fixed deflection elements 10, also rotatably mounted cable rollers on the carrier side may be provided in the region of the lower rail ends of the guide rails 3.

[0042] FIGS. 2 to 4 show the deflection device 11 in a pre-mounting state in which the cable roller 8 is not yet joined to the bearing journal 9 (FIG. 2), and in joined state in which a snap connection has been created between the cable roller 8 and the bearing journal 9 (FIGS. 3 and 4). In the snap connection, the cable roller 8 is clipped or latched directly onto the bearing journal 9. The deflection device 11 consists almost solely of the cable roller 8, for deflecting a traction cable 6 of the window lift 1, and the carrier-side bearing journal 9, i.e. that formed from the carrier 2, as a pivot bearing for the cable roller 8.

[0043] The cable roller 8 has a running channel 12 for the traction cable 6 and a central bearing opening 13. The cable roller 8 has the form of a ring between an inner ring wall 14, surrounding the central bearing opening 13, and an outer ring wall 15. The circumferential running channel (cable or guide channel) 12 for the traction cable 6 is molded therein. An annular chamber 16 is formed between the inner ring wall 14 and the outer ring wall 15 of the cable roller 8. In this exemplary embodiment, this is configured as a bead (bead-like). In other words, in this embodiment, the cable roller 8 has a waisted cross-sectional form, as comparatively clearly evident from FIGS. 4 and 6. The annular chamber 16 may however also be omitted, i.e. be effectively filled with plastic material, in particular that of the cable roller.

[0044] The carrier-side bearing journal 9 forms the physical bearing axis (rotational axis) 17 of the cable roller 8, and is molded out of the carrier material as a hollow-cylindrical molding of the carrier 2. The bearing journal 9 has a number of radial ribs 9c connecting an inner wall 9a and an outer wall 9b coaxial thereto (FIG. 2).

[0045] As evident from FIGS. 2 to 6, the cable roller 8 has a number of—in this exemplary embodiment, six (6)—latching tongues 18 evenly distributed on the circumferential side. These latching tongues 18 on the cable roller side are molded onto the inner ring wall 14 of the cable roller 8. With respect to the bearing axis 17, the latching tongues 18 protrude axially beyond the inner ring wall 14 and here also the outer ring wall 15, and are directed radially inwardly. Wall portions (inner wall or cable roller portions) 19 are formed between the latching tongues 18. In joined state, after creation of the snap connection of the cable roller, these lie on the bearing journal 9 and, as a corresponding component of the inner ring wall 13, form a particularly low-friction plain bearing between the cable roller 8 and the bearing journal 9.

[0046] The latching tongues 18 on the cable roller side latch or clip into a corresponding (circumferential) latching groove 20 of the bearing journal 9 and create a snap connection S (FIG. 4). During creation of the snap connection S, the spring-elastic latching tongues 18 are deflected radially. When the latching tongues 18 of the cable roller 8, on the cable roller side, are clipped into the latching groove 20 of the bearing journal 9, they resume the normal position shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. In this way, an undesired abrasion of the latching tongues 18 and bearing journal 9, and hence running noise or disruptive noise, are avoided.

[0047] The cable roller 8 preferably consists of plastic, for example a polymer. Particularly suitable plastics are polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyoxymethylene (POM) and polyamide (PA).

[0048] As evident from the sectional illustration of the cable roller 8 in FIG. 6, the inner diameter di of the cable roller 8 in the region of the central bearing opening 13 amounts to at least two-thirds (⅔) of the outer diameter da of the cable roller 8. In this exemplary embodiment, the ratio between the inner diameter di and the outer diameter di of the cable roller 8 is between 0.7 and 0.75. The axial roller thickness D of the cable roller 8, including the axially protruding latching tongues 18, amounts to one-fifth (⅕) to one-quarter (¼) of the outer diameter di, and approximately one-third (⅓) of the inner diameter di of the cable roller 8.

[0049] FIG. 7 shows, in simplified and extract form, a sectional illustration of a variant of the deflection device 11. In this exemplary embodiment, the bearing journal 9 has a number of crown-like latching elements 18′ which are evenly distributed on the circumferential side. During creation of the snap connection S, the latching elements 18′ on the bearing journal side are deflected radially inward relative to the bearing axis 17 and the central bearing opening 13 of the cable roller 8, as illustrated in dotted lines. In the snap connection S, the latching elements 18′ on the bearing journal side engage over the cable roller 8. The latching elements 18′ on the bearing journal side clip behind a suitable face of the cable roller 8 in order to fix this axially.

[0050] In the variant of the deflection device 11 shown in FIG. 8, again in simplified and extract form and in a sectional illustration, radially outwardly directed latching elements 18″ are molded onto the cable roller 8 in the region of the central bearing opening 13, and hence on the inner ring wall 14 of the cable roller 8. In the snap connection, these engage in a preferably circumferential ring or latching groove 20′ of the bearing journal 9.

[0051] The cable roller 8 illustrated schematically in FIG. 9 has a mounting channel 21, coaxial to the running channel 12, for insertion of the traction cable 6 into the running channel 12. The mounting channel 21 in this exemplary embodiment is segmented, and for this formed from a number of—in this exemplary embodiment, five—partial contact grooves 22. The contact grooves 22 and hence the mounting channel 21 are/is formed on the cable roller 8 between the outer ring wall 14 and the inner ring wall 15, i.e. in the region of the annular chamber 16. The contact grooves 22 are arranged between the latching tongues 18 and hence adjacent to these. In other words, the contact grooves 22 and the latching tongues 18 are arranged alternately around the circumference of the cable roller 8. The contact grooves 22 form local receiving points for the traction cable 6 when this is first introduced into the mounting channel 21 during assembly.

[0052] The diameter of the mounting channel 21 is smaller than that of the running channel 12 of the cable roller 8. This simplifies the threading of the traction cable 6 onto the cable roller 8. A local insertion point 23, provided on the circumference of the cable roller 8 axially between the mounting channel 21 and the running channel 12, opens out of the mounting channel 21 into the running channel 12. This allows automatic insertion of the traction cable 6 into the running channel 12. For this, the cable roller 8 is driven in the rotation direction. During this insertion of the traction cable 6, because of the diameter increase, said cable is tightened (tensioned) along the local insertion point 23 and a cable slack is removed from the traction cable 6.

[0053] Again with reference to FIG. 4, an annular groove 24 is made in the bearing journal 8 coaxially to the latching groove 20, for receiving grease (grease reservoir) which, during the rotational movement of the cable roller 8, penetrates between its running or bearing surface 25a and the running or bearing surface 25 of the bearing journal 9. In this way, the plain bearing formed between the cable roller 8 and bearing journal 9 has particularly low friction.

[0054] FIGS. 10 and 11 show, in perspective and sectional illustrations, a variant of the carrier and bearing journal. The carrier here is a guide rail 3, and the bearing journal is formed (provided) by a bolt bearing head 26a of a bearing bolt 26 with a bolt shank 26b. The snap connection to the annular cable roller 8, in the running channel 12 of which the traction cable 6 is guided, is created at the bearing head 26a of the here bolt-like bearing journal 9. The bearing bolt suitably also serves as a joining element for fixing the guide rail 3 to a module, for example a door module, in particular if the carrier 2 and guide rail 3 are separate components. The material of the guide rail 3 is then suitably steel or aluminum.

[0055] To summarize, the invention concerns a deflection device 11 for a traction cable 6 of a window lift 1 of a motor vehicle, containing a cable roller 8 which has a circumferential running channel 12 for the traction cable 6 and a central bearing opening 13, and containing a carrier 2 for the cable roller 8, and a carrier-side bearing journal 9 for rotatable mounting of the cable roller 8, wherein the annular cable roller 8 is joined to the bearing journal 9 in a snap connection, in particular by means of integral latching or clip elements.

[0056] The claimed invention is not restricted to the exemplary embodiments described above. Rather, other variants of the invention may be derived therefrom by the person skilled in the art within the context of the disclosed claims, without leaving the subject of the claimed invention. In particular, furthermore, all individual features described in connection with the various exemplary embodiments in the context of the disclosed claims may also be combined in a different fashion without leaving the subject of the claimed invention.

[0057] Thus an e.g. over-molded metal sleeve may be inserted in the central bearing opening 13 of the cable roller 8. This allows the annular cable roller 8 to be configured with a particularly large inner diameter di of the central bearing opening 13. Such a large bearing diameter allows minimizing of the material of the annular cable roller 8, in particular if this is particularly thin-walled.

[0058] Also, the described solution may be used not only in the particular application case illustrated here, but also in similar designs in other motor vehicle applications, such as for example door and tailgate systems, in window lifts, in vehicle locks, in adjustable seat and interior systems, and in electric drives, controllers, sensors and their arrangement in the vehicle.

[0059] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: [0060] 1 Window lift assembly [0061] 2 Carrier/carrier component [0062] 3 Guide rail [0063] 4 Support/rail slide [0064] 5 Window glass [0065] 6 Traction cable [0066] 7 Adjustment drive [0067] 8 Cable/deflection roller [0068] 9 Bearing journal [0069] 9a Inner wall [0070] 9b Outer wall [0071] 9c Radial rib [0072] 10 Deflection element [0073] 11 Deflection device [0074] 12 Running channel [0075] 13 Bearing opening [0076] 14 Inner ring wall [0077] 15 Outer ring wall [0078] 16 Annular chamber [0079] 17 Bearing/rotational axis [0080] 18 Latching tongue [0081] 19 Wall portions [0082] 20 Latching groove [0083] 21 Mounting channel [0084] 22 Contact groove [0085] 23 Insertion point [0086] 24 Annular groove [0087] 25a,b Running/bearing face [0088] 26 Bearing bolt [0089] 26a Bearing/bolt head [0090] 26b Bearing shank [0091] da,i Outer or inner diameter [0092] D Roller thickness