Endless belt power transmission systems or components – Guard or housing for belt or pulley
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-21
2001-05-08
Bucci, David A. (Department: 3682)
Endless belt power transmission systems or components
Guard or housing for belt or pulley
C474S165000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227993
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cable reversing system for an automatic window lift.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The European patent document 385,167 A1 describes a cable reversing system for bowden-cable actuated window lifts of motor vehicles. In such a bowden-cable driven window lift, a cable transmits force directly from a drive to a mechanism acting on the window pane. This cable drive entails several different cable reversals inside the vehicle door. The cable reversal is implemented either by molded parts that force the cable over slide paths into the desired direction, or by cable pulleys allowing nearly frictionless cable reversal when compared to the case of the molded parts. The known cable reversing part is connected to a cross-sectionally contoured rail, herein “section rail”, mounted inside the door box and can be hooked by a detent mechanism to the section rail, the shaft of the cable reversing system being integral with the cable reversing system. The reversing pulley can be mounted already before the pulley is mounted on a shaft and be secured using an expansion ring, though at the cost of some labor procedure.
In general significant cable forces are applied to the reversing pulleys of the bowden-cable window lifts and, depending on the configuration of the window-lift affixation points relative the bearings of the reversing pulleys, these forces may cause substantial leverage or bending torques.
The German patent document 36 15 578 C1 discloses apparatus to raise and lower a vehicle window pane and comprising four stationary reversing pulleys enclosed by a closed bowden cable passing through a displacement actuator and connecting to holding means affixed to the window pane. This known apparatus is mounted on a guide frame supporting all apparatus components and is fitted with guide posts connected by crossbeams and with guide channels to guide the holding means connected to the bowden cable. This design incurs the drawback that its guide frame is bulky, especially because of the distances, some significant, between its affixation points and the bearings of the reversing pulleys, in order to withstand cable forces or to allow for premature wear. As a result this known apparatus is comparatively heavy.
To date, it has been conventional practice to place the affixation points of a bowden-cable window lift in the guide rails or at retaining angles or base plates mounted to these rails, the retaining angles sometimes being fitted with reversing pulleys and in such designs being affixed to the ends of the guide rails (German patent document 36 38 059 C2).
It is further known to fit a borehole into the cable reversing part and the section rail and to rivet in place the cable reversing pulley (German patent document 41 31 098 C2). During its assembly to the vehicle, the reversing pulley is screwed into the vehicle sheetmetal. This design entails a comparatively large number of parts to mount the cable pulley or the cable reversing part.
The European patent document 0,744,522 A1 discloses a cable reversing part, used for window lifts, which can be hooked into a support beam, the reversing pulley being seated on a comparatively large plastic shank. This pulley is held in place on one side by the plastic of the cable reversing part and on the other side by the metal of the support beam. There is the possibility at high tensions in the cable that the mutually displaceable shank parts supporting the reversing pulley shall warp, entailing higher friction and perhaps wear.
SUMMARRY OF THE INVENTION
It is the objective of the present invention to improve apparatus of the initially cited kind to such an extent that the cable reversing apparatus shall consist of few parts and shall be assembled into the vehicle in more rapid and simpler manner while nevertheless assuring reliable transmission of the high forces involved.
This problem is solved by the invention by a cable reversing system.
The heart of the invention is to support the cable pulley in geometrically interlocking manner inside a basic component, namely the cable reversing part, the two components being combined only during installation in the vehicle. The cable reversing part assumes the form of a housing enclosing the cable pulley. During assembly the cable is preferably laid on the cable pulley and thereupon the entire component is affixed to the vehicle. This procedure substantially simplifies assembly. Advantageously, additional components are needed neither in stock nor in the assembly procedure consisting of the simple connection of the cable reversing part and cable pulley. The invention offers the further advantage that the cable can be pushed through the cable reversing part while forming a loop and the cable pulley thus shall be affixed only subsequently. Advantageously, this combination can also be implemented when being the last component in the window lift assembly. First, the reversing arcs together with the cable being affixed to the rails and thereafter there the cable reversing part is inserted. In the invention, the cable pulley comprises two bearing stubs which may enter matching clearances in the cable reversing part or which may be appropriately hooked up. These clearances may be elongated slots or standard (round) holes to seat and support the operational reversing pulley.
In one embodiment mode, the cable pulley can be merely hooked or snapped into the cable reversing part. This design substantially simplifies installation because eliminating the need for special tools or the use of screws or other fasteners.
In a preferred embodiment, the walls of the cable reversing part comprising the clearances are resilient and as a result the cable reversing pulley, together with its bearing stubs, can be inserted and then shall be reliably held in the clearances once the wall material elastically returns into its original state.
To simplify such insertion, insertion bevels may be provided at the clearances allowing to easily guide the bearing stubs into the clearances wherein they will be held captive. Such constrained guidance facilitates assembly again and eliminates mistakes.
An embodiment of the invention is elucidated in the following description and in relation to the attached drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3951195 (1976-04-01), Salzmann
patent: 4110935 (1978-09-01), Sessa
patent: 4402109 (1983-09-01), Ohman et al.
patent: 4838820 (1989-06-01), Boda et al.
patent: 4905938 (1990-03-01), Braccio et al.
patent: 4936370 (1990-06-01), Urecker et al.
patent: 4977795 (1990-12-01), McVey
patent: 5040430 (1991-08-01), Adam et al.
patent: 5235866 (1993-08-01), Truman et al.
patent: 3145277 (1983-01-01), None
patent: 36 15 578 (1986-05-01), None
patent: 36 38 059 (1987-05-01), None
patent: 41 31 098 (1993-03-01), None
patent: 4240030 (1994-06-01), None
patent: 3434850 (1994-09-01), None
patent: 0 385 167 (1990-02-01), None
patent: 0 744 522 (1996-05-01), None
patent: 1448795 (1976-08-01), None
patent: 2087973 (1982-06-01), None
patent: 84412 (1996-01-01), None
Bucci David A.
Charles Marcus
Kuster & Co. GmbH
Liniak Berenato Longacre & White
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