Movable or removable closures – With operator for movably mounted closure – Drive within closure housing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-19
2001-07-03
Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3634)
Movable or removable closures
With operator for movably mounted closure
Drive within closure housing
C049S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253491
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a process for mounting cables on a drum of an automobile vehicle window raiser and a device for carrying out said process.
A vehicle window raiser usually comprising two cables each provided with an end lock or “pellet” for insertion in a corresponding opening on the periphery of the drum constituting its socket so as to permit the closure of a loop formed by the two cables when assembling the window raiser.
As is known, when mounting on a window raiser assembly line the cables and their drum in the corresponding window raiser, it is necessary to avoid, when the slider fixed to the lower cable is in its lower abutment or stop position and a pull is exerted in this lower abutment position of the slider, pulling directly on the pellet of the cable. Indeed, a pull exerted directly on the pellet could break the drum, which is composed of plastics material.
It is therefore necessary to distribute the pulling force on the drum by winding the cable extending from the pellet on the drum on the minimal part of the circumference of the drum, in practice about ⅓ of a turn, with the slider in its lower abutment position.
Further, the device employed for this assembly comprises, in addition to the drum disposed with its axis of rotation vertical, a plate for supporting the latter, and a cover partly covering the drum. Means for fixing the base of the cover to the plate are provided, for example collars. Normally this cover surrounds substantially one half of the circumference of the drum.
Now, in order to satisfy the condition of a minimal winding of the cable, usually the aforementioned lower cable of the window raiser, it is in practice necessary to effect a relatively long and complicated sequence of operations on the manual assembly line. Indeed, when the lower cable has been hooked or attached to the drum and wound several turns around the latter with the slider in the lower abutment position on the guide rail of the window raiser, the opening constituting the socket for the end pellet of the upper cable is angularly positioned at this moment within the cover and is therefore inaccessible to the operator.
The closure of the loop is then impossible. Consequently, in order to pursue the assembly, the operator is obliged to effect the following sequence of operations:
1) disengagement of the lower cable from the slider and the rail (this lower cable of the window raiser being on the assembling device in fact placed at the upper end of the drum),
2) hooking of the lower cable on a guide support usually constituted by a carriage termed “saddle”,
3) creation of an additional rotational travel of the drum to disengage the hooking opening from the upper cable, which in the employed assembling device is in fact hooked at the base of the drum,
4) positioning of the end pellet of the upper cable on the drum,
5) a rearward return for replacing the lower cable,
6) displacement of the slider to the lower abutment position.
In other words, at the beginning of the foregoing sequence, the lower cable is wound on the drum a few turns, and the drum is brought to a position in which the end pellet of the upper cable can be hooked; but one is then no longer in the position corresponding to the lower abutment and this requires a rearward return movement.
It should be mentioned that the hooking of the first cable must be effected at the top of the drum. In practice, this first cable is the lower cable of the window raiser, but it could also be the upper cable.
In any case, the sequence of the assembling operations described hereinbefore corresponds to three hookings of the cable, a winding travel and two extra assembling travels. Such a process is therefore relatively long and demanding of the operator.
An object of the invention is to provide a process for mounting cables on the drum of a window raiser in accordance with a notably simplified sequence which therefore facilitates the work of the operator and reduces the time required for this assembly, and the corresponding device for carrying out said process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, the process for mounting cables on a drum of a vehicle window raiser comprises several basic steps. First, the end pellet of a first cable is inserted in its opening and the cable is wound on the drum and adjusted in such a manner that the opening for the pellet of the second cable is accessible to an operator and that a slider fixed to the first cable is in the end-of-travel abutment position. The second cable is then manually inserted around the drum on substantially one turn until it is possible to place its end pellet in the corresponding opening. Lastly, the loop is closed.
This sequence corresponds to two cable hookings and one winding travel. The process according to the invention therefore eliminates an intermediate step in the prior sequence of mounting operations which is therefore simplified.
The device for carrying out the inventive process includes a drum for winding two cables, a cover for maintaining the drum and partly surrounding the latter by leaving a part of its circumference accessible, and a plate for fixing the cover and supporting the drum.
According to the invention, the cover is so shaped as to include at its base adjoining the plate a tunnel defining with the plate a peripheral passage permitting the manual insertion of a pellet for hooking a cable and the insertion of the latter on substantially one turn around the drum until its end pellet can be disposed in the corresponding opening.
This tunnel therefore extends substantially over one half of a circumference around the drum corresponding to the angular extent of the cover. Its width and height are so dimensioned as to permit the insertion between the wall of the tunnel and the drum of the pellet for hooking the cable.
Owing to the stiffness and resilience of the cable, its pellet may be inserted by exerting a thrust on the cable around the drum while it is guided by the wall of the tunnel up to the associated hooking opening in which the operator manually inserts the pellet and hooks the cable.
It will be understood that the length of the two cables must be so adjusted that, in the lower abutment position of the slider of the window raiser, the opening for the hooking of the pellet of the upper cable is accessible to the operator to permit the hooking of the pellet in the corresponding opening.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description which illustrates an embodiment of the invention by way of a non-limitative example. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be described as follows.
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patent: 4970911 (1990-11-01), Ujihara et al.
patent: 4995568 (1991-02-01), Yamagishi et al.
patent: 6094868 (2000-08-01), Otaka et al.
patent: 164693A2 (1985-06-01), None
patent: 2199889A (1987-12-01), None
Carlson & Gaskey & Olds
Cohen Curtis A.
Meritor Light Vehicle System-France
Stodola Daniel P.
LandOfFree
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