Planetary gear transmission systems or components – Electric or magnetic drive or control
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-18
2003-10-07
Wright, Dirk (Department: 3681)
Planetary gear transmission systems or components
Electric or magnetic drive or control
C049S352000, C254S344000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06629905
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority of International application number PCT/DE00/03262, filed Sep. 14, 2000, which in turn claims priority of German application number 199 44 915.5, filed Sep. 14, 1999.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a drive for adjustment devices in motor vehicles, more particularly for a window lifter.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
From DE OS 22 10 243 an electric drive device is known for adjusting the window in motor vehicles wherein a set of revolving gear wheels having a sun wheel and an internally toothed hollow wheel as well as several planetary wheels are coupled to an electric motor. The planetary wheels are fitted in the axial direction with two ring gears with different pitch diameters wherein the ring gears with the greater pitch diameter mesh with the sun wheel and the fixed internally toothed hollow wheel. The ring gears with the smaller pitch diameter on the other hand only mesh with the internal teeth of an output element formed as a cable drum.
From DE 40 30 489 A1 a further planetary gearing is known wherein the output element formed as the hollow wheel is driven through planetary wheels which revolve on support wheels fixed on the housing and drive the hollow wheel. The hollow wheel is provided axially on each side with circular disc-shaped guide pieces, which are guided radially along their inner circumference through rolling bearings on bearing attachments of the support wheels and support the planetary wheels against moving axially outwards.
Designs of this kind occupy a relatively large amount of structural space as a result of the axially successive arrangement of the gear elements as well as the radial overhang of the planetary wheels with the larger pitch diameter or the guide pieces over the output element. Furthermore, as a result of the central bearing on the king pin, large tilting moments occur and it is necessary to provide an expensive bearing for the output element.
From DE 44 12 898A1 a drive is known which has a motor and a toothed gearing coupled to the motor and set in a multi-part housing. In order to transfer and reduce the torque produced by the motor, the gearing has a fixed hollow wheel and a rotatable output element formed as a hollow wheel with internal teeth, in which a gearing element engages. This output element is fixedly connected to the hollow shaft which acts as the output shaft. This hollow shaft is mounted in the housing on two sections through rolling bearings wherein the rolling bearings are arranged between the external radius of the hollow shaft and the housing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a drive for adjustment devices in motor vehicles that occupies little structural space, is simple to fit and enables a compact construction that can be achieved with few structural parts.
By forming a bearing device directly on at least one of the housing parts or housing halves of a divisible (multi-part) housing and supporting the output element on one such bearing area formed by the housing halves it is no longer necessary to support the output element on the motor output shaft so that this can be made shorter. Furthermore the parts required for the bearing on the shaft are omitted since the bearing for the output element, preferably a slide bearing, is produced through fitting together the housing parts. It is proposed to either coat the slide bearing regions or to provide suitable materials in order to produce an optimum sliding friction.
The bearing device is thereby preferably designed so that both axial and radial forces are absorbed and then diverted over the most direct route possible into the housing. For this the bearing device can be designed in a ring shape whereby the outer circumference of the ring-shaped bearing device corresponds to the inner circumference of the output element which is formed as a hollow wheel so that the hollow wheel need only be placed on the ring-shaped bearing device in order to produce a corresponding bearing for the output element. A bearing of this kind can be produced through a guide element projecting into the output element whereby the guide element can consist of a ring or ring sections protruding from the housing in the direction of the output element. It is likewise possible that individual guide elements, for example in the form of cylindrical pins or suitable shaped protrusions, arranged corresponding to the inner circumference of the hollow wheel of the output element, form the bearing.
As an alternative to the bearing, where guide elements project into the drive element, it is proposed that a groove be worked into the housing part or housing half in which a corresponding shaped area of the output element can engage, similar to a slide block in a slide guide.
In order to increase the degree of integration and reduce the assembly costs, it is proposed that the bearing device be formed on a part of the housing. The guide element or guide elements, already formed on the housing or the groove, are provided in the housing during its original shaping. As an alternative however, it is possible to produce the groove by subsequently fixing elements on the housing, in the same way that the guide element can be attached later, for example by adhesive, screws, welding or the like.
For technical production reasons, it is advantageous if the bearing of the output element on the housing part is formed as a slide bearing since this would save on component parts, materials and assembly costs. However, it is basically possible also to provide needle, ball or rolling bearings.
In order to achieve a compact drive which is simple to handle, it is proposed that the gearbox and motor be mounted inside the housing. Advantageously, a carrier module or door inside panel is formed as a part of the housing so that on the one hand the stability of the overall drive is increased since in this way the drive becomes an integral constituent part of the carrier module whereby expensive fixing devices can be omitted and on the other hand the production and assembly costs are reduced since overall fewer component parts are required.
A further possibility for the functional integration exists where a carrier module or door inside panel is a constituent part of the magnetic reflux, whereby a separate component part for the magnetic reflux of the motor is then unnecessary. A suitable design can be, for example where the carrier module or the door inside panel consists, at least in the region provided therefor, of a ferro-magnetic material or is coated with a material of this kind.
In a further development of the invention at least one of the housing parts has a fixed internal gear formed as a hollow wheel, whereby there is an increase in the variation for the width of the gears which can be used. Gear elements for transferring force to the output element can thereby mesh with both the internal gear of the output element and with at least one of the internal gears of the housing parts. In the case of two fixed internal gears, there is the advantage that the tilting moments which appear are taken up uniformly. The teeth of the fixed internal gears must in any case be aligned flush with each other when the force-transferring gear elements engage in the two sets of teeth. The output element in its design as an internally toothed hollow wheel is indeed also an element of the gearbox, but for reasons of clarity the output element is detailed separately.
As an alternative to an internal gear molded on the housing parts, the internal gear can also be formed by one or two separate ring gears which are made as hollow wheels whereby each ring gear is rotationally secured in the housing parts or fixed accordingly.
The gear elements, formed as gearwheels, thereby mesh with both the internal teeth of the output element and with the fixed internal teeth which are formed either in the housing parts alone or in conjunction with a separate ring gear. For this it is obviously necessary for the pitch diameter of the internal teeth of
Feder Roland
Hoffmann Mathias
Sesselmann Helmut
Stenzel Manfred
Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG Coburg
Christie Parker & Hale LLP
Wright Dirk
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