Cable-actuated window lifter

Details Cable-actuated window lifter Cable-actuated window lifter

1999-09-03

2001-09-04

Redman, Jerry (Department: 3634)

Movable or removable closures

With operator for movably mounted closure

Drive within closure housing

C242S615200, C222S190000, C474S120000, C254S393000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06282839

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a cable window lifter.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Single or multi-strand cable window lifters are known, particularly for motor vehicles, which comprise a drive unit which has a manual or motorized drive and a drive drum, a guide rail or several guide rails for one or more drivers, which are connected to a window pane, and a cable wound round the drive drum, and several cable deflection pulleys. The cable deflection pulleys have a guide or bearing groove in which the cable is guided and deflected.
FIG. 1
shows, as an example, a single-strand cable window lifter for raising and lowering a window pane
7
which is set in a driver
6
. The driver
6
is connected to a cable
4
and is mounted displaceable on a guide rail
5
. The cable
4
is wound round a cable drum
3
of a drive unit
1
, which in the illustrated embodiment has an electric motor
2
as the drive element. Cable deflection pulleys
8
,
9
are mounted at the ends of the guide rail
5
and deflect the cable
4
, which is guided in the area of the guide rail
5
parallel to the guide rail
5
, towards the cable drum
3
where the cable
4
is wound one or more times round the cable drum
3
and is connected to same. Through rotation of the cable drum
3
in the one or other rotary direction the driver
6
is raised or lowered together with the window pane
7
on the guide rail
5
.
FIG. 2
shows in an enlarged individual representation, the cable deflection pulley
8
which is mounted at the upper end of the guide rail
5
according to FIG.
1
. The cable deflection pulley
8
has an axial bore
80
which is pushed onto an axle which is provided with the guide rail
5
or with a fastening element connected to the guide rail
5
. Several webs
81
connect the wall of the axial bore
80
to the wall of a guide or bearing groove
82
in which the cable
4
is guided and deflected.
The cable
4
is connected in frictional engagement to the cable drum
3
or to the ends of the cable drum through positive locking elements. In the ‘relaxed’ state of the cable window lifter, the cable has a cable slack which can lead to undefined motion states of the driver
6
, and thus, of the window pane
7
, as well as to considerable noise and accelerated material fatigue, and ultimately, to system failure. To remove the cable slack, the cable is tautened and is pushed in this tautened state, that is with a corresponding cable length or through the arrangement of spring elements, onto the cable deflection pulleys
8
,
9
according to FIG.
1
.
In order to facilitate the insertion of the cable
4
into the guide grooves of the cable deflection pulleys
8
,
9
according to
FIG. 1
, it is known to provide at least one of the cable deflection pulleys with a notch
83
according to
FIG. 2
into which the cable
4
is inserted and introduced into the guide groove
82
through further rotation of the cable guide pulley
8
.
Through the sharp angling of the cable
4
during insertion into the notch
83
, however, there is the danger of damage to the cable through it becoming spliced or bent. Because this cable area is then always moved in the deflection area of the cable deflection pulley there is also the risk of the initially damaged cable tearing in this area.
Furthermore there is the drawback that the cable is fitted in an unergonomic sequence of movements by rotating the wrist with a simultaneously high amount of force which leads to premature fatigue and damage to the wrist of the fitter.
Furthermore this method of fitting the cable is linked with a time-consuming assembly since first the notch
83
has to be brought into a favorable position for assembly and then the cable has to be inserted into the guide groove while applying a high amount of force.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a cable deflection pulley of the type already mentioned which guarantees smooth insertion of the cable into the guide groove of the cable deflection pulley without damaging the material, which allows an ergonomic sequence of movements with minimum effort and which reduces the assembly time.
The solution according to the invention avoids a right angled bending of the cable during insertion into the guide or bearing groove of a cable deflection pulley through a continuous drawing up of the cable from the untautened or slightly tautened state of the cable into the tautened state, as well as an ergonomic sequence of movements with minimum effort and short assembly time.
By arranging a transition area between the bearing groove and the area of the assembly groove adjoining the bearing groove, it is possible to guarantee a resistance-free transition of the cable from the assembly groove into the bearing groove.
As a result of the continuous incline of the side webs of the assembly groove in the transition area in the direction of the guide groove, as well as through a break in the web mounted between the assembly groove and the bearing groove, the change-over of the cable from the assembly groove to the bearing groove is made additionally easier.
Preferably the assembly groove has the contour of a triangle with convex sides (projection of a spherical triangle onto a plane) whose corners are advantageously rounded.
Through this shaping of the assembly groove, the cable which is inserted in the assembly groove entrains the cable deflection pulley when pulling on the cable by a short amount, until the cable passes onto a corner point of the triangle of the triangular shaped contour of the assembly groove, where the cable is slightly bent. As a result of increased friction, the cable is entrained to the small corner section and is inserted over the transition area into the bearing groove.
In a preferred embodiment, the assembly groove has substantially an equilateral triangular shaped contour with rounded corners wherein the base lies close to the axis of the cable deflection pulley and the opposite tip of the triangle opens into the transition area or into the bearing groove.
Through the arrangement of additional clamping areas for the cable in the assembly groove, the friction engagement of the cable with the cable deflection pulley is increased during assembly and thus the insertion of the cable into the bearing groove becomes easier.


REFERENCES:
patent: 1471726 (1923-10-01), Ginty
patent: 1749146 (1930-03-01), Maison
patent: 3762229 (1973-10-01), Johnson
patent: 4691475 (1987-09-01), Maekawa
patent: 5033233 (1991-07-01), Suzumura
patent: 5333411 (1994-08-01), Tschirschwitz et al.
patent: 5740630 (1998-04-01), Medebach
patent: 2518860 (1976-11-01), None
patent: 31 36 890 (1983-04-01), None
patent: 35 45 083 (1986-06-01), None
patent: 42 40 030 (1994-06-01), None
patent: 22831 (1918-02-01), None

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