WINDOW REGULATOR ASSEMBLY, AND DRIVER FOR A WINDOWPANE

Abstract

A window regulator assembly for an adjustable windowpane of a motor vehicle has a driver with two driver limbs which are connected via a connecting limb and between which a receiving gap for the windowpane is formed. A first driver limb is being configured for guiding the driver along an adjusting path. It being possible for the second driver limb to be moved elastically with respect to the first driver limb, and the second driver limb has a latching element which protrudes into the receiving gap, engages into a pane-side latching opening during insertion of the windowpane into the receiving gap of the driver, and can be moved out of the pane-side latching opening for dismantling of the windowpane. The driver has a locking element for limiting a pivoting path of the second driver limb during its movement with respect to the first driver limb.

Claims

1. A window regulator assembly for an adjustable windowpane of a motor vehicle, the window regulator assembly comprising: a guide rail; a driver having a connecting limb and two driver limbs connected via said connecting limb and between said two driver limbs a receiving gap for receiving the adjustable windowpane is formed, said two driver limbs including a first driver limb and a second driver limb being movable elastically with respect to said first driver limb, said first driver limb configured for guiding said driver along an adjusting path and/or for holding on said guide rail, said second driver limb having a latching element protruding into said receiving gap and engaging into a pane-side latching opening of the adjustable windowpane during insertion of the adjustable windowpane into said receiving gap of said driver, and said latching element being moved out of the pane-side latching opening for dismantling of the adjustable windowpane; and said driver having a locking element for limiting a pivoting path of said second driver limb during its movement with respect to said first driver limb.

2. The window regulator assembly according to claim 1, wherein said locking element is disposed behind said latching element in a gap longitudinal direction which is directed with respect to a gap bottom of said receiving gap.

3. The window regulator assembly according to claim 2, wherein said locking element is disposed outside said receiving gap in the gap longitudinal direction in a region of said connecting limb for said two driver limbs, and/or is molded onto said two driver limbs, and/or said locking element is configured as locking or contact contours which are elevated transversely with respect to the gap longitudinal direction.

4. The window regulator assembly according to claim 1, wherein said locking element is formed with a first contact contour, disposed on said first driver limb or in a region of said connecting limb for said two driver limbs or in a connecting portion of said connecting limb, and a second contact contour which is also moved in a case of a movement of said second driver limb with respect to said first driver limb and bears against said first contact contour after passing through the pivoting path.

5. The window regulator assembly according to claim 2, wherein said locking element is formed from hooks which are opposed and/or overlap one another and/or engage into one another.

6. The window regulator assembly according to claim 5, wherein: said hooks include: a first hook which is connected to said second driver limb; and a second hook which is connected to said first driver limb or to said connecting limb or to a connecting portion of said connecting limb, between said two driver limbs.

7. The window regulator assembly according to claim 6 wherein said first hook is disposed at a spacing from said second hook, said spacing decreases with an increasing movement of said second driver limb and said latching element along the pivoting path.

8. The window regulator assembly according to claim 6, wherein: said first hook faces said second driver limb, and said second hook faces said first driver limb; and/or said first and second hooks are disposed at a spacing in such a way with respect to one another that said second hook bears against said first hook after passing through said spacing as a consequence of a movement of said second driver limb, having said latching element, with respect to said first driver limb.

9. The window regulator assembly according to claim 1, wherein said connecting limb between said two driver limbs is of drawn-in or tapered configuration with respect to at least said second driver limb in a connecting portion as a functional region which adjoins a gap bottom of said receiving gap and has said locking element.

10. The window regulator assembly according to claim 1, wherein: said latching element has an entry bevel which is inclined with respect to a gap bottom of said receiving gap; and/or said latching element has a locking edge which is level with respect to a gap opening of said receiving gap and with which, in its connection to the adjustable windowpane, said latching element engages through the pane-side latching opening of the adjustable windowpane; and/or said first driver limb has a rail wrap-around means for said guide rail.

11. The window regulator assembly according to claim 3, wherein said locking element is disposed outside said receiving gap in the gap longitudinal direction in a connecting section of said connecting limb for said two driver limbs.

12. The window regulator assembly according to claim 6, wherein: said first hook is molded onto said second driver limb; and said second hook is molded onto said first driver limb or onto said connecting limb or onto said connecting portion between said two driver limbs.

13. The window regulator assembly according to claim 8, wherein said spacing corresponds to a pane thickness of the adjustable windowpane.

14. A driver for a window regulator or a window regulator assembly, the driver comprising: a first driver limb; a second driver limb being moved elastically with respect to said first driver limb, a receiving gap being formed between said first driver limb and said second driver limb for receiving a window pane; a latching element disposed on said second driver limb and protruding into said receiving gap for engaging into a latching opening of the windowpane; and a locking function locking a deflection or movement of said second driver limb having said latching element beyond a permissible amount and/or when a predefined or predefinable pivoting path is reached and/or after a predefined or predefinable spacing between limb-side contours of a locking element is passed through.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0027] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a vehicle window regulator with an adjusting drive (actuating motor) and with a window regulator assembly with a (pane) driver which is coupled to a windowpane;

[0028] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the driver with a receiving gap (pane gap) which is formed between driver limbs for the windowpane, with a view of a movable (second) driver limb;

[0029] FIG. 3 is an end side view of the driver with a view of a gap opening for introducing the windowpane into the receiving gap, and with a latching element which protrudes into the receiving gap on one of the driver limbs and with a rail wrap-around means on the other driver limb;

[0030] FIG. 4 is a side view of the driver with a view of a locking element, configured as hooks which engage over one another, in a drawn-in (tapered) functional region (functional portion) of a connecting limb or portion between the driver limbs;

[0031] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of detail V shown in FIG. 4 with a view of the locking element; and

[0032] FIGS. 6A and 6B are side views according to FIG. 4 of the driver with one variant of the locking element and with a windowpane which is seated in the receiving gap between the driver limbs in a latched state and in a dismantled state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] Parts and variables which correspond to one another are provided with the same designations in all figures.

[0034] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a simplified and diagrammatic illustration of an electric or electric motor window regulator assembly 2 as actuating apparatus for a (vehicle) windowpane 4 of a motor vehicle. The window regulator assembly 2 is assigned an adjusting drive 6 which acts on the windowpane 4 by means of an actuating mechanism 8 with a driver 10 of the window regulator assembly 2. In the exemplary embodiment, which is shown, the actuating mechanism 8 has a pull cable 12 and a guide rail 14 of the window regulator assembly, on which guide rail 14 the driver 10 is guided such that it can be moved in a sliding manner along an adjusting path V. A plurality of (for example, two) pull cables 12 and/or, for example, two guide rails with in each case one driver which is guided thereon can also be provided.

[0035] The adjusting drive 6 of the window regulator 2 drives a cable drum 18 of the actuating mechanism 8 via a worm or spur gear mechanism 16. The pull cable 12 of the control cable is arranged on the cable drum 18 in such a way that winding up and unwinding of the pull cable 12 takes place in the case of rotations of the cable drum 18 which are brought about by way of the gear mechanism 16. The pull cable 12 of the control cable which is configured, for example, as a Bowden cable is guided over deflection elements or deflection rollers 20, and is coupled to the driver 10 which for its part is guided along on the guide rail 14 and in the process also moves the windowpane 4.

[0036] In the case of an actuation of the actuating motor 6, the windowpane 4 is moved along the adjusting path V into its set or desired (pane) position. Here, the windowpane 4 can be moved reversibly between a closed position S which represents the highest possible position and an open position O which represents the lowest possible position. The windowpane 4 is indicated in FIG. 1 in each case using dashed lines in these positions S and O. In contrast, the windowpane 4 is shown in a half-open intermediate position by way of solid lines.

[0037] Specifications with regard to the spatial directions are also indicated in the following text in a coordinate system of the motor vehicle (vehicle coordinate system) with regard to the exemplary installation situation in a side door of the motor vehicle. Here, the abscissa axis (X-axis) is oriented along the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the ordinate axis (Y-axis) is oriented along the vehicle transverse direction, and the applicate axis (Z-axis) is oriented along the vehicle height. Here, the axial direction A is oriented parallel to the abscissa axis (X), the radial direction R being oriented substantially parallel to the ordinate axis (Y).

[0038] FIGS. 2 to 4 show the driver 10 in different views. The orientation of the illustrated driver 10 corresponds to the directions X, Y, Z of the depicted vehicle coordinate system. The driver 10 is of approximately U-shaped or V-shaped configuration and has a first driver limb 10a and a second driver limb 10b. A receiving or pane gap 21 with a gap opening 22 and with a gap bottom 23 is formed between the driver limbs 10a and 10b. The driver limbs 10a and 10b are connected to one another via a connecting limb 10c. The connecting limb 10c has a connecting or functional portion 10d which is drawn in or tapered in the X-direction or gap transverse direction Rx of the receiving gap 21. The connecting or functional portion 10d extends as far as the gap bottom 23 of the receiving gap 21.

[0039] The first driver limb 10a has an approximately L-shaped rail wrap-around means 24 in cross section (FIG. 3). The driver 10 is seated by way of the rail wrap-around means 24 on the approximately cup-shaped guide rail 14 and is seated there on a correspondingly shaped rail portion. In the exemplary embodiment, a sliding piece 25 made from a low-friction material, for example of polyoxymethylene (POM), is inserted into the rail wrap-around means 24. In the mounted state of the window regulator assembly 2, the first driver limb 10a is guided along the guide rail 14 and is held on the latter. The first driver limb 10a is therefore also called a fixed driver limb of the driver 10 in the following text. The first, fixed driver limb 10a has an entry bevel 26 (FIG. 4) in the region of the gap opening 22 of the receiving gap 21.

[0040] The second driver limb 10b can be moved elastically or can be deformed in a resiliently flexible manner with respect to the first, fixed driver limb 10a, and is therefore movable, in particular in the Y-direction. A latching element 27 is molded onto the second driver limb 10b (also called movable or bending limb in the following text), which latching element 27 protrudes into the receiving gap 21 (in the Y-direction). The latching element 27 is configured as a triangular latching hook, and has an entry bevel 28 which is inclined with respect to the gap bottom 23 of the receiving gap 21, and a normal (perpendicular) locking edge 29 with respect to the XZ-plane of the second (movable) driver limb 10b which is level with respect to the gap opening 22 of the receiving gap 2. The second (movable) driver limb (bending limb) 10b likewise has an entry bevel 30 in the region of the gap opening 22 of the receiving gap 21.

[0041] Via or by means of the limb-side entry bevels 26, 30 of the driver 10, the windowpane 4 can be inserted simply and without errors into its receiving gap 21. The windowpane 4 is inserted, with its pane lower edge at the front, via the gap opening 22 into the receiving gap 21 and between the two drivers 10a and 10b and is latched in the receiving gap 21. Here, the windowpane 4 slides with its pane lower edge along on the inclined entry bevel 28 of the latching element or hook 27. Here, the second, movable driver limb 10b of the driver 10 is bent open elastically in the Y-direction, and the latching element 27 snaps, grips or latches, in particular in a positively locking manner, into a latching opening 31 (denoted in FIGS. 6A and 6B) of the windowpane 4. In the snap-action or latching connection of the windowpane 4 to the driver 10, the latching element 27 or its locking edge 29 reaches as completely as possible through the pane-side latching opening 31.

[0042] The driver 10 has a locking function which is provided (realized), in particular, by way of locking or contact contours. This locking function prevents a deflection of the driver limb 10b which has the latching element 27 as a consequence of a compressive force F (FIGS. 6A, 6B) in the Y-direction on the latching element 27, in particular in the case of dismantling of the windowpane 4, beyond a permissible amount. As a result, a deflection of the second driver limb 10b beyond the amount is blocked or locked, and a fracture of the second driver limb 10b is prevented reliably.

[0043] To this end, the driver 10 has a locking element 32, 33 for limiting a pivoting path W (illustrated in FIG. 4) of the second driver limb 10b during its movement with respect to the first driver limb 10a. The locking element 32, 33 is arranged behind the latching element or hook 27 in the gap longitudinal direction Rz which is directed with respect to the gap bottom 23 of the receiving gap 21. In the exemplary embodiment, the locking element 32, 33 is arranged in the gap longitudinal direction Rz outside the receiving gap 21 in the region of the connecting limb 10c of the two driver limbs 10a, 10b, and is preferably arranged there in the connecting portion 10d of the connecting limb 10d. The locking element 32, 33 is configured as locking or contact contours which are elevated transversely with respect to the gap longitudinal direction Rz, that is to say in the gap transverse direction Rx or in the X-direction.

[0044] In the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5, two hooks 32 and 33 which are opposed and/or overlap one another and/or engage into one another are provided as locking element to this end. In other words, the locking element is formed from a first hook 32 as contact contour which is connected rigidly to the first driver limb 10a and is provided in the region of the connecting portion 10d, and a second hook 33 as second contact contour which is also driven in the case of a movement of the (movable or resiliently flexible) second driver limb 10b with respect to the first driver limb 10a. After passing through the pivoting path W, the second hook 33 comes into contact with the first hook 32. The locking element serves for dismantling limitation in the case of dismantling of the windowpane 4 from the driver 10 but can also serve as bending or movement limitation in the case of the insertion and latching of the windowpane 4 into or to the driver 10.

[0045] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the hooks 32, 33 have a holding limb 32a, 33a and a locking limb 32b, 33b which runs at an angle, for example approximately at a right angle, with respect thereto. The hook 32, 33 engages with its locking limb 32b, 33b over the locking limb 33b, 32b of the respective other hook 33, 32. The first hook 32 is arranged at a hook or contour spacing a from the second hook 33, which hook or contour spacing a decreases with an increasing movement of the second driver limb 10b and the latching element 27 along the pivoting path W. Here, the hook 33 which is assigned to the second driver limb 10b, in particular is molded onto the latter, or its locking limb 33b moves, as a consequence of a movement of the second driver limb 10b which has the latching element 27 with respect to the first driver limb 10a, along the pivoting path W toward the hook 32 which, as it were, is stationary, in particular is molded onto the first driver limb 10a, or its locking limb 32b, and comes into contact with the latter after passing through the spacing a.

[0046] FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate how, as a consequence of a compressive force F on the latching element 27 of the second, movable driver limb 10b, the spacing a becomes increasingly smaller with an increasing movement of the latching element 27 in the Y-direction. In the case of this exemplary embodiment, contours 32′, 33′ which run obliquely and, in particular, parallel to one another are provided as locking element, the spacing a of which likewise corresponds (as in the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5) approximately to the pane thickness of the windowpane 4.

[0047] A (dismantling) tool 34 which acts with a compressive force F on the latching element 27 of the second driver limb 10b is illustrated, which tool 34 is guided against the latching element 27 in a way which is not shown in greater detail via an opening in a body or vehicle door part. In FIG. 6B, the tool 34 reaches through the pane-side latching opening 31, and the windowpane 4 is already pulled a little out of the receiving gap 21 of the driver 10. In this position, the latching element 27 already bears against the vehicle pane 4, with the result that the tool 34 can be removed.

[0048] Here, as can be seen, the spacing a between the contours 32′ and 33′ of the locking element has been passed through completely, and the contours 32′ and 33′ bear against one another. Here, the limb spacing c between the driver limbs 10a and 10b in the region of the gap opening 22 of the driver 10 is increased by the pane thickness d of the windowpane 4, with the result that the vehicle pane 4 can be removed or dismantled completely from or out of the driver 10.

[0049] As can be seen from a comparison of FIGS. 6A and 6B, after this predefined spacing a is passed through as a consequence of a pivoting movement of the second driver limb 10b in the Y-direction along the pivoting path W between the limb-side contours 32, 33, a further deflection of the second driver limb 10b which has the latching element 27 is blocked in the Y-direction.

[0050] In summary, the invention relates to a window regulator assembly 2 for an adjustable windowpane 4 of a motor vehicle, having a driver 10 with a first driver limb 10a, and with a second driver limb 10b which can be moved in a (resiliently) flexible manner with respect to the former, and with a latching element 27 which protrudes into a receiving gap 21 between the driver limbs 10a, 10b and engages into a pane-side latching opening 31 during the insertion of the windowpane 4 into the receiving gap 21 of the driver 10, the driver 10 having a locking function which locks or blocks a deflection or movement of the second driver limb 10b beyond a permissible amount and/or if a predefined or predefinable pivoting path W is reached and/or after passing through a predefined or predefinable spacing a between limb-side contours 32, 33 or 32b, 33b.

[0051] To this end, the driver 10 preferably has a contact contour 32, on which the second driver limb 10b is supported as a consequence of a compressive force F which acts on the latching element 27 via the windowpane 4 in its closing direction or closed position S, in particular for dismantling purposes of the windowpane 4 which is latched or snapped into the driver 10. To this end, a locking contour 33 is further preferably provided on the second driver limb 10b, which locking contour 33 is spaced apart from the contact contour 32, in particular in the Y-direction. A reliable bending limitation of the (movable or resiliently flexible) second driver limb 10b, preferably to approximately the pane thickness of the windowpane 4, is achieved by means of the locking element 32, 33 or 32′, 33′ which is formed, in particular, from the contours.

[0052] The invention is not restricted to the above-described exemplary embodiments. Rather, other variants of the invention can also be derived herefrom by a person skilled in the art, without departing from the subject matter of the invention. In particular, furthermore, all individual features which are described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiment can also be combined with one another in a different way, without departing from the subject matter of the invention. For instance, the locking element can also be configured as a hinge, as an expansion element, as a hard stop, or as a combination of the mentioned and/or described geometries.

[0053] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: [0054] 2 Window regulator assembly [0055] 4 Windowpane [0056] 6 Adjusting drive [0057] 8 Actuating mechanism [0058] 10 Driver [0059] 10a First (fixed) driver limb [0060] 10b Second (movable) driver limb [0061] 10c Connecting limb [0062] 10d Connecting/functional portion [0063] 12 Pull cable [0064] 14 Guide rail [0065] 16 Worm/spur gear mechanism [0066] 18 Cable drum [0067] 20 Deflection element/roller [0068] 21 Receiving gap [0069] 22 Gap opening [0070] 23 Gap bottom [0071] 24 Rail wrap-around means [0072] 25 Sliding piece [0073] 26 Entry bevel [0074] 27 Latching element/hook [0075] 28 Entry bevel [0076] 29 Locking edge [0077] 30 Entry bevel [0078] 31 (Pane-shaped) latching opening [0079] 32 Locking element/first hook [0080] 32a Holding limb [0081] 33b Locking limb [0082] 33 Locking element/second hook [0083] 33a Holding limb [0084] 33b Locking limb [0085] 34 Dismantling means/tool [0086] a Contour/hook spacing [0087] c Limb spacing [0088] d Pane thickness [0089] F (Tensile) force [0090] S Closed position [0091] O Open position [0092] Rx Gap transverse direction [0093] Rz Gap longitudinal direction [0094] V Adjusting path [0095] W Pivoting path [0096] X,Y,Z Direction (in the vehicle coordinate system)