Window lift of a motor vehicle and method of mounting a cable drum

Abstract

A window lift for a motor vehicle contains a functional support for at least one guide rail, which slidably guides a rail slider for retaining a vehicle window, and a cable drive device. The cable drive device has an actuating drive and a cable drive housing, into which a cable drum, which can be coupled to the actuating drive and can be rotated about an axis of rotation, is or can be received, around which cable drum a pull cable is or can be wrapped. The cable drive housing has a bottom plate and a number of cylindrical wall elements for receiving the cable drum. The functional support has, at the periphery of a through-opening for the coupling of the cable drum to the actuating drive, a joining contour for establishing a form-locking connection to the cable drum housing when the cable drum is inserted therein.

Claims

1. A window lift for a motor vehicle having a vehicle window, the window lift comprising: at least one guide rail; a rail slider for holding the vehicle window; a functional carrier for supporting said at least one guide rail, said at least one guide rail slidably guides said rail slider holding the vehicle window; a cable drive device supported by said functional carrier, said cable drive device having an actuating drive, a cable drum, a traction cable and a cable drive housing, said cable drum disposed in said cable drive housing and being couplable to said actuating drive and being rotatable about an axis of rotation and around said cable drum said traction cable is wrapped; wherein said cable drive housing has a base plate and a plurality of wall elements, said wall elements each have a radially outer and a radially inner wall region and between said wall elements said cable drum is disposed; wherein said cable drive housing has at least one housing side joining groove formed therein which is accessible in a circumferential direction and which is formed on an inner side of said wall elements; wherein said cable drum has at least one radial joining element which passes into said at least one housing side joining groove by means of a rotational movement of said cable drive housing in relation to said cable drum; and wherein said functional carrier has, in its circumference a through opening formed therein and through said through opening a coupling of said cable drum to said actuating drive occurs, said functional carrier further has a joining contour which provides a form-fitting connection to said cable drum housing with said cable drum inserted in said cable drum housing.

2. The window lift according to claim 1, wherein said cable drum with said traction cable already wound thereon is inserted into said cable drive housing.

3. The window lift according to claim 1, wherein in a preassembled state in said cable drive housing, said cable drum is secured axially in said cable drive housing by a twist lock or a bayonetted lock.

4. The window lift according to claim 1, wherein: said cable drum has a central receiving opening formed therein and a drum-side joining contour for producing a joining connection to said actuating drive; and said at least one radial joining element is one of a plurality of radial joining elements integrally formed on an end face of said cable drum which is opposite said drum-side joining contour.

5. The window lift according to claim 1, wherein: said wall elements of said cable drive housing are stepped in an axial direction; and/or said cable drive housing has a bevel or a transition of a bevel disposed between one of said wall elements and said base plate of said cable drive housing; and/or a housing-side abutment collar is formed on an outer side of a respective one of said wall elements.

6. The window lift according to claim 1, wherein said joining contour of said functional carrier has a plurality of latching elements which, in the form-fitting connection with said cable drive housing, engage over said base plate thereof on a plate side facing away from said wall elements.

7. The window lift according to claim 1, wherein: said joining contour of said functional carrier has a plurality of coaxial wall portions, said plurality of coaxial wall portions includes a radially inner wall portion, a radially outer wall portion, and a radially central wall portion; said radially inner wall portion of said joining contour of said functional carrier has or forms a contact surface for said wall elements of said cable drive housing with said cable drum inserted therein; and/or said radially central wall portion of said joining contour of said functional carrier has or forms a further contact surface for said base plate of said cable drive housing with said cable drum inserted therein; and/or said radially outer wall portion of said joining contour of said functional carrier has or forms a conical contact surface for said base plate of said cable drive housing with said cable drum inserted therein.

8. The window lift according to claim 1, wherein said cable drive housing has at least one latching element for latching said cable drum to said cable drive housing.

9. The window lift according to claim 8, wherein said at least one latching element is provided on said base plate and/or on a receptacle of said cable drive housing.

10. The window lift according to claim 1, wherein said cable drive housing with said cable drum inserted therein is held non-rotatably in said joining contour of said functional carrier.

11. The window lift according to claim 1, wherein said cable drum rotates within said cable housing drive, where said at least one radial joining element is configured to rotate about and within said at least one housing side joining groove.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a window lift (window lift assembly, window lift system) with a plate-like functional carrier and with a cable drive device, and also with two guide rails with rail sliders which are guided thereon and are connected to the cable drive device and have a driver function for a (vehicle) window pane;

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of detail II shown in FIG. 1 on a larger scale with a cable drive housing which is joined to the functional carrier with the cable drum inserted, looking at a base plate of the cable drive housing, which is latched in a carrier-side joining contour, with or for a cable drum;

(3) FIG. 3 is an exploded, perspective view of the cable drive device with the cable drive housing and with the cable drum on the carrier side, which has the joining contour, of the (partially shown) functional carrier and with the cable drive (actuating drive) on the other carrier side;

(4) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a part of the functional carrier looking at the joining contour thereof in a region of a carrier-side through opening as a coupling point or coupling interface between the cable drum and the actuating drive (cable drive);

(5) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cable drive housing (cable drum housing) with wall elements integrally formed on a base plate;

(6) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the cable drum with radially oriented joining elements on a drum end face;

(7) FIG. 7 is a top, perspective view of the cable drive housing (cable drum housing) with the cable drum, which is received therein and has a traction cable wound thereon, of a receiving opening with a drum-side joining contour for the actuating drive;

(8) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a variant of the cable drive housing (cable drum housing) with latching elements for producing a joining connection of the cable drive housing to the cable drum; and

(9) FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the cable drum (without a traction cable) which is received in the cable drive housing (cable drum housing) according to FIG. 8 and is latched thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(10) Mutually corresponding parts and sizes are provided with the same reference signs throughout the figures.

(11) Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a window lift 1 of or for a motor vehicle, in the exemplary embodiment what is referred to as a two-strand cable window lift, with two parallel guide rails 2, on which rail sliders 3 with a driver function are slidably guided. The windowpane 4 is held, for example fixed by clamping, on the rail sliders 3. The rail sliders 3 are connected to a traction cable 5 which is guided via upper and lower deflection elements 6 or 7, preferably in the form of deflection pulleys, and is coupled to a cable drive device 8. A rotational movement of the preferably electromotive cable drive device 8 leads to the windowpane 4 moving into an open position orin the opposite directioninto a closed position.

(12) The cable drive device 8 has an actuating drive or cable drive 9 and a cable drum housing or cable drive housing 10 in which a cable drum, which is coupled to the actuating drive 9, is received so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation D (FIG. 3). The traction cable 5 which is connected to the rail sliders 3 is wrapped around the cable drum. The actuating drive 9 has, in a manner not illustrated specifically, an electric motor which is coupled to a gearing. The cable drive device 8 is mounted on a functional carrier 11 on which the guide rails 2 are mounted or can be integrated therein. In other words, the functional carrier 11, for example as part of a door module of a motor vehicle door, can be a molded part with rail contours already introduced therein as guide rails 2 for the rail sliders 3. The deflection elements 6, 7 can also already be formed in the functional carrier 11.

(13) The window lift 1 with the guide rails 2 and the rail sliders 3 guided thereon and with the cable drive device 8 including the traction cable 5, the cable drive housing 10 and the cable drum can also be referred to here and below as window lift assembly or window lift system.

(14) FIGS. 2 and 3 show parts of that region of the functional carrier 11 in which the cable drive device 8 is arranged and mounted on the carrier side. As can be seen in FIG. 2, carrier-side fastening points 12 are provided, in the exemplary embodiment three fastening points 12 which are arranged in a star-shaped manner and at which the actuating drive 9 is fastened, in particular fastened by screwing, to the functional carrier 11 by means of joining journals or screw journals 13.

(15) In addition, a motor housing 9a of an electric motor can be seen in FIG. 2, the electric motor being coupled to a gearing journal or rotary journal 14, shown in FIG. 3, of the actuating drive (cable drive) 9 of the cable drive device 8. The electric motor of the actuating drive 9 is coupled to a worm gearing as a 90 deflection gearing which is arranged in a gearing housing 9b of the actuating drive 9 and has or drives the rotary journal 14. In a manner not illustrated specifically, a motor shaft bears a commutator which is provided with a coil winding or motor winding and is brushed over by carbon brushes which are energized or can be energized. The rotor and a stator, which is formed from permanent magnets, are arranged in the pot-like motor housing 9a.

(16) In the preferred embodiment which is shown, a carrier-side joining contour 15 is provided on that side of the functional carrier 11 which faces away from (is opposite to) the cable drive or actuating drive 9, into which joining contour the cable drive housing or cable drum housing 10 with the cable drum 16 received therein is inserted and latched. For this purpose, latching elements 17 of the carrier-side joining contour 15 are provided, the end-side latching hooks 18 of which engage over the base plate 19 of the cable drive housing or cable drum housing 10, which is referred to below merely as cable drive housing. By this means, a form-fitting connection is produced. With respect to the axis of rotation D, shown in FIG. 3, of the cable drum 16 and the axial direction A which is coaxial thereto, an axial form fit of the cable drive housing 10 to the functional carrier 11 via the joining contour 15 thereof is produced here as a form-fitting joining connection.

(17) FIG. 3 shows, in longitudinal section, the cable drive housing 10 with the cable drum 16 which is received therein and is rotatable about the axis of rotation D and is coupled to the actuating drive 9 by an external toothing 20 via the gearing-side rotary journal 14. For this purpose, the cable drum 16 has a central receiving opening 21 with a drum-side joining contour in the form of an internal toothing 22 for producing a form-fitting joining connection to the external toothing 20 of the rotary journal 14 of the actuating drive 9.

(18) A gearing-side shaft journal 23 which reaches through the cable drum 16 is guided into a receptacle 24 which is integrally formed on the base plate 19 of the cable drive housing 10 or is formed in the base plate. The cable drive housing 10 has at least one joining groove 25 which is accessible in the circumferential direction U. The cable drum 16 has at least one joining element 26 which protrudes radially over the drum body or drum casing.

(19) In the joining state, shown in FIG. 3, of the cable drive housing 10 to the functional carrier 11, the cable drum 16 is freely rotatable within the cable drive housing 10 in both directions of rotation about the axis of rotation D, with the drum-side joining element 26 being able to pass the housing-side joining groove 25 in both directions of rotation virtually without any contact.

(20) The traction cable 5 is wrapped around the cable drum 16, as can be seen in FIG. 7. For this purpose, in the mounted state, the traction cable 5 is wound onto the cable drum 16 with a plurality of turns, forming an incoming cable portion, denoted by 27a in FIG. 1, and an outgoing cable portion, denoted by 27b in FIG. 1, the cable portions 27a, 27b being guided via the deflection elements 6, 7. For this purpose, the lateral surface side of the cylindrical cable drum 16 has a helical or spiral cable channel (cable groove) 28 in which the traction cable 5 lies.

(21) FIG. 4 shows the relevant detail of the functional carrier 11 in the region of the joining contour 15 thereof for producing the form-fitting connection to the cable drive housing or cable drum housing 10. The carrier-side joining contour 15 is arranged on the circumference of a carrier-side through opening 29 via which the actuating drive or cable drive 9 is coupled to the cable drum 16 received in the cable drive housing or cable drum housing 10. The carrier-side joining contour 15 has a number of cylindrical coaxial wall portions, namely a radially outer wall portion 15a, a radially central wall portion 15b and a radially inner wall portion 15c. The central wall portion 15b has a lower axial height than the inner and the outer wall portions 15c and 15a. In addition, the outer wall portion 15a protrudes over the inner wall portion 15b. Latching elements 17 as latching arms with the latching hooks 18 are integrated in the outer wall portion 15a. The latching elements protrude axially over the inner wall portion 15b, i.e. in the axial direction A which is coaxial with respect to the axis of rotation D. The central wall portion 15b and the inner wall portion 15c form supporting or contact surfaces 30b and 30c, respectively, for the cable drive housing 10.

(22) As can be seen comparatively clearly in FIG. 3, the outer wall portion 15a forms a conical contact surface 30a, which tapers in the axial direction A toward the carrier-side through opening 29, for the base plate 19 of the cable drive housing 10, the base plate preferably likewise being conical on the outer edge side. Two recesses or intermediate spaces 31 in the carrier-side joining contour 15 are provided in the circumferential direction U between the wall portions 15a to 15c which are in the form of lateral surfaces of a cylinder. The incoming and outgoing cable portions 27a, 27b of the traction cable 5 are led out of the carrier-side joining contour 15 via said recesses 31, in the exemplary embodiment at an angle of approximately 220 to 230 with respect to one another. In addition, in the exemplary embodiment, the carrier-side joining contour 15 has three axial grooves 32 in the radially inner wall portion 15c. One of the axial grooves 32 opens into one of the recesses 31.

(23) FIG. 5 perspectively shows the cable drive housing 10 with the preferably round base plate 19. On the latter, in the exemplary embodiment, there are integrally formed three axially extending wall elements 33 between which the cable drum 16 is received. The wall elements 33 are configured as axial portions which are in the manner of lateral surfaces of a cylinder and between which axial recesses or intermediate spaces 34 are formed. The wall elements 33 are step-shaped in the axial direction A. An annular or ring-segment-shaped contact collar 35 is formed between a radially outer (lower) and a radially inner (upper) wall region 33a and 33b, respectively, of the respective wall element 33. The step shape results in the formation of the respective housing-side joining groove 25 on the inner side of the corresponding wall element 33. The cable drive housing 10 has three such joining grooves 25 because of the three wall elements 33 here.

(24) The housing-side contact collar 35 corresponds to the central wall portion 15b of the carrier-side joining contour 15. The housing-side base plate 19 corresponds to the inner wall portion 15c of the carrier-side joining contour 15. In this way, the wall elements 33 and the base plate 19 of the cable drive housing 10, on the one hand, and the joining contour 15 of the functional carrier 11 have corresponding contact or supporting contours. In other words, the cable drive housing 10 can be supported with its wall-element-side contact collar 35 and with its base plate 19 on the plate edge side on the supporting or contact surfaces 30b, 30c. The supporting function forms an axial stop for the cable drive housing 10, in particular when the latter with the cable drum 16 which is arranged therein and has the traction cable 5 wound up thereon is inserted into the carrier-side joining contour 15, thereby producing the joining connection or form-fitting connection.

(25) If the cable drive housing 10 is inserted into the carrier-side joining contour 15, the housing-side wall elements 33 engage in the carrier-side axial grooves 32 of the wall portion 15c. In the carrier-side joining contour 15, the cable drive housing 10 is arranged nonrotatably on the axial grooves so the cable drum 16 can rotate about the axis of rotation D.

(26) FIGS. 6 and 7 show the cable drive housing 10 with the cable drum 16 received therein without and with a traction cable 5 wound up thereon. The drum-side receiving opening 21 with the internal toothing 22 can be seen. The three radially protruding, circular-ring-segment-like joining elements 26 of the cable drum 16 in the exemplary embodiment are provided on the end face of the cable drum that faces away from the receiving opening 21 and, in the mounted state, faces the housing-side base plate 19 and are integrally formed there on the cable drum 16. By means of a rotational movement of the cable drive housing 10 in relation to the cable drum 16or vice versathe drum-side joining elements 26 engage in the housing-side joining grooves 25. In the joining state, the cable drum 16 is axially secured in the cable drive housing 10.

(27) FIG. 7 shows the cable drive housing 10 with the cable drum 16 which is received therein and has a traction cable 5 wound up thereon. On the drum edge side in the region of the receiving opening 21 a nipple chamber 36 is provided in which a cable nipple 37 fastened to a cable end of the traction cable 5 sits. On that drum end face on which the cable drum 16 has the internal toothing 22, the housing-side receptacle 24 is received in a drum-side central recess or receiving contour 38 of the cable drum 16. By this means, the cable drum 16 is secured radially in the cable drive housing 10 by the carrier-side joining contour 15 and/or by the respective latching element 39, 40 or 41 described below.

(28) According to the variant of the cable drive housing 10 that is shown in FIG. 8, the cable drive housing has at least one such latching element or a number of such latching elements for producing a latching or joining connection of the cable drum 16 to the cable drive housing 10. In the exemplary embodiment, three radially outer latching elements 39 which are provided on the base plate 19, and are preferably formed from the latter, are shown. The radially outer latching elements 39 are provided in the housing-side intermediate spaces 34 between wall elements 33 which are adjacent in the circumferential direction U.

(29) It can be seen, in the exemplary embodiment, that likewise three radially inner latching elements 40 can also be provided, the latching elements likewise being provided on the base plate 19, preferably being formed from the latter, and being arranged in the housing-side intermediate spaces 34.

(30) An individual latching element 41 can also be provided on the sleeve-like receptacle 24 of the cable drive housing 10. The latching or joining element 41 there extends radially and, during the mounting of the cable drum 16, engages in a manner not illustrated specifically in a drum-side annular groove, in particular in the region of the recess or receiving contour 38 of the cable drum 16.

(31) The cable drive housing 10 can have merely one of the variants of the latching elements 39, 40, 41 or also two of the variants or also all three variants of the latching elements 39, 40 and/or 41.

(32) As can be seen in FIG. 9, the radially outer latching elements 39 are engaged behind by the radial joining elements 26 of the cable drum 16 during the insertion into the cable drive housing 10, with a latching connection being produced.

(33) During the installation, the cable drum 16 with the traction cable 5 already wound up thereon is inserted into the cable drive housing (cable drum housing) 10. In the process, the drum-side joining elements 26 pass into the recesses 34 between the housing-side wall elements 33 such that the cable drum 16 can subsequently be rotated relative to the cable drive housing 10 and, during the rotation movement, the drum-side joining elements 26 pass into the housing-side joining grooves 25. The resultantly produced connection of the cable drum 16 to the cable drive housing 10 is undertaken in the manner of a pure plug-in and twist lock or bayonet lock. The twist lock secures the cable drum 16 with the wound-up traction cable 5 in the cable drive housing 10, in particular for preparation purposes and during the mounting of the cable drum housing 10 at or on the functional carrier 11.

(34) The cable drive housing 10 is formed with the latching element 41 on the receptacle 24 or with the base-side latching elements 40 and/or 41 provided between the axial wall element 33, during the insertion the cable drum 16 is latched to the cable drive housing 10. In the case of the radially outer latching element 39, the latching takes place with the drum-side joining elements 26, as can be seen from FIG. 9. After the latching has taken place, the cable drum 10 is axially secured in the cable drive housing 10 and is nevertheless arranged rotatably therein.

(35) Subsequently, the cable drive housing or cable drum housing 10 with the cable drum 16 which is received therein and around which the traction cable 5 is wrapped is joined in a form-fitting manner to the functional carrier 11. During the joining or form-fitting connection, the insertion depth of the cable drive housing 10 into the carrier-side joining contour 11 is limited axially by the corresponding carrier-side wall portions 15. If the actuating drive or cable drive 9 is coupled to the cable drum 16 via the through opening 29, which is surrounded by the carrier-side joining contour 15, the cable drum 16 is secured axially in both axial directions A. In the form-fitting connection of the cable drive housing 10 to the carrier-side joining contour 15, the cable drum 16 is freely rotatable in the cable drive housing 10 by the drum-side joining elements 26 being able to slide through the housing-side joining grooves 25 in the circumferential direction U in both directions of rotation.

(36) In summary, the invention relates to a window lift 1 as a window lift assembly or as a window lift system with a functional carrier 11 and with a cable drive device 8 with a cable drive housing 10 in which a cable drum 16, which can be coupled to an actuating drive 9 and around which a traction cable 5 is wrapped, is received, wherein the cable drive housing 10 has a base plate 19 and wall elements 33 for receiving the cable drum 16, and wherein the functional carrier 11 has a joining contour 15 for producing a form-fitting connection with the cable drum housing 10.

(37) The claimed invention is not restricted to the above-described exemplary embodiment. On the contrary, other variants of the invention can also be derived therefrom by a person skilled in the art within the scope of the disclosed claims without departing from the subject matter of the claimed invention. In particular, furthermore all the individual features described in conjunction with the various exemplary embodiments can also be combined in a different way within the scope of the disclosed claims without departing from the subject matter of the claimed invention.

(38) In addition, the described solution can be used not only in the specifically illustrated application, but also in a similar way in other motor vehicle applications, for example in door and tailgate systems, in single-strand window lifts, in vehicle locks, in adjustable seat and interior systems, and in electric drives, controllers, sensors and the arrangement thereof in the vehicle.

(39) The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(40) 1 window lift/assembly/system 2 guide rail 3 rail slider 4 windowpane 5 traction cable/inner cable 6 upper deflection element 7 lower deflection element 8 cable drive device 9 actuating drive/cable drive 9a motor housing 9b gearing housing 10 cable drive housing/cable drum housing 11 functional carrier 12 fastening point 13 joining journal/screw journal 14 gearing journal/rotary journal 15 carrier-side joining contour 15a outer wall portion 15b central wall portion 15c inner wall portion 16 cable drum 17 latching element 18 latching hook 19 base plate 20 external toothing 21 receiving opening 22 internal toothing 23 shaft journal/gearing journal 24 receptacle 25 joining groove 26 joining element 27a incoming traction cable portion 27b outgoing traction cable portion 28 cable groove 29 through opening 30a conical contact surface 30b supporting surface/contact surface 30c supporting surface/contact surface 31 carrier-side recess/intermediate space 32 axial groove 33 wall element 33a outer (lower) wall region 33b inner (upper) wall region 34 housing-side recess/intermediate space 35 contact collar 36 nipple chamber 37 cable nipple 38 recess/receiving contour 39 latching element 40 latching element 41 latching element A axial direction D axis of rotation U circumferential direction