Movable or removable closures – Panel with closure feature – With means to accommodate window accessory; e.g.,...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-01
2001-02-13
Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3634)
Movable or removable closures
Panel with closure feature
With means to accommodate window accessory; e.g.,...
C049S348000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06185873
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a mounting structure and regulator for power window apparatuses incorporated in doors of vehicles.
As shown in
FIG. 16
, a door of a prior art vehicle incorporates a power window apparatus
51
. A left door having a door body
52
and a door trim
53
is illustrated in FIG.
16
. The door body
52
includes an outer panel
54
, which forms the outer surface of a vehicle body, and an inner panel
55
, which is separated from the outer panel
54
by a predetermined distance. A slit
71
through which a window glass moves in and out extends between the upper portion of the panels
54
,
55
. The inner door trim
53
is fixed to the inner panel
55
and forms part of a passenger compartment. A power window apparatus
51
is arranged between the outer panel
54
and the inner panel
55
.
A typical power window apparatus
51
has an X-arm type regulator
56
and a motor
57
for driving the regulator. The regulator
56
includes a base
58
, a sector gear
59
pivotally supported by the base
58
, and a movable arm
60
connected to the sector gear
59
.
The power window apparatus
51
will now be described in detail with reference to
FIGS. 17 and 18
. A motor
57
, which has a main body
61
and an output portion
62
, is fixed to the base
58
. The output portion
62
has a resin housing
63
and a cover
72
for covering the housing
63
. The housing
63
has three mounting bores
63
a
. A metal column
64
is fixed in each mounting bore
63
a
. A through bore
58
a
(
FIG. 18
) extends through the base
58
in correspondence with each mounting bore
63
a
. A bolt
65
is inserted through the bore
58
a
and screwed into the column
64
to fasten the motor
57
to the base
58
.
The main body
61
includes a rotary shaft (not shown), on which a worm (not shown) is provided at the distal end. The worm is meshed with a worm wheel
66
, which is rotatably supported in the housing
63
of the output portion
62
. The worm wheel
66
is connected to an output shaft
69
by means of a rubber cushion
67
and a steel plate
68
. A gear
70
, which meshes with the sector gear
59
, is fixed to the output shaft
69
.
The base
58
has a bearing bore
58
b
formed at a position corresponding to the output shaft
69
. The bearing bore
58
b
rotatably supports the distal end of the output shaft
69
when the motor
57
is fixed to the base
58
.
As shown in
FIG. 16
, the power window apparatus
51
is inserted through an opening
55
a
, which is formed in the inner panel
55
, and arranged in the space between the outer panel
54
and the inner panel
55
. The base
58
is then secured to the inner panel
55
. The movable arm
60
of the power window apparatus
51
is fixed to the lower end of the window glass. The lower end of the window glass is inserted through the slit
71
, which extends between the outer panel
54
and the inner panel
55
, to be fixed to the movable arm
60
. The sector gear
59
of the regulator
56
is pivoted when the motor
57
is driven. The pivoting of the sector gear
59
moves the movable arm
60
vertically. The vertical movement of the movable arm opens and closes the window.
However, foreign materials, such as rainwater, sometimes enter the slit
71
between the outer panel
54
and the inner panel
55
. In such cases, the power window apparatus
51
is exposed to the rainwater. Accordingly, the motor
57
must be waterproof to be protected from the rainwater. Thus, a Butyl rubber piece is adhered to the portion where the housing
63
and the cover
72
are connected to each other or a waterproof electric circuit (e.g., wires and connectors) is employed to make the motor
57
waterproof. Furthermore, the housing
63
of the main body
61
usually has a ventilation hole to prevent the pressure in the housing
63
from becoming negative. Therefore, a breather pipe is employed to prevent water from entering the ventilation hole. Accordingly, making the motor
57
waterproof increases the production costs of the motor
57
and the power window apparatus
51
.
The mounting of a regulator
87
and a drive motor
88
to an inner panel
85
also has a shortcoming. A structure for mounting the regulator
87
and the drive motor
88
, which are employed in a right door, will now be described with a reference to FIG.
19
.
The proximal end of a spiral spring
95
is fixed to a rotary shaft
91
, which is provided on a base
89
. The distal end of the spiral spring
95
is hooked to a hooking portion
89
g
to apply an elastic force to an arm
90
in the counterclockwise direction, as viewed in the drawing.
When the motor
88
is secured to the base
89
, an output gear
99
meshes with a sector gear
94
. An output portion
100
of the motor
88
is decelerated by a worm and a worm gear. Therefore, the motor
88
is not rotated even if the normal elastic force of the spiral spring
95
acts on the output gear
99
. However, removal of the motor
88
disengages the output gear
99
from the sector gear
94
and pivots the arm
90
with force. Thus, the removal must be performed with care. In addition, the removal is burdensome since the removal takes place in the space between the inner panel
85
and a door trim
83
, which is out of sight. This decreases efficiency during installation of the regulator
87
and the drive motor
88
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a first objective of the present invention to provide a mounting structure and a mounting method of a power window apparatus that decreases production costs related to the waterproof treatment of the motor.
It is second objective of the present invention to provide a window regulator that facilitates installation.
To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a mounting structure for a power window apparatus including an outer panel, an inner panel having a through bore, wherein the inner panel is separated from the outer panel by a predetermined distance, a regulator having a movable arm arranged in a space formed between the outer panel and the inner panel, a window glass fixed to the movable arm, a motor for driving the movable arm to open and close the window glass, wherein the motor is connected to the regulator, and wherein at least a portion of the motor is arranged in the inner panel, and a seal member for closing the through bore, wherein the seal member is arranged between the motor and the inner panel.
A vehicle door according to the present invention includes an outer panel defining the outer surface of a body, an inner panel separated from the outer panel by a predetermined distance, and a power window apparatus having a motor, wherein the inner panel has an accommodating recess defined at its inner side to accommodate the motor.
A method for mounting a power window apparatus according to the present invention includes the steps of securing an inner panel, which has a through bore and a mounting bore, to an outer panel, fixing a weld bolt by welding the weld bolt to the regulator at a position corresponding to the mounting bore, arranging the regulator in a space formed between the outer panel and the inner panel, and connecting the motor to the weld bolt to fix the motor and the regulator to the inner panel.
A window regulator according to the present invention includes a base attached to the inner panel, a drive motor attached to the base by means of the inner panel, the drive motor having a drive shaft, an arm having a sector gear, which is meshed with the drive shaft of the drive motor, wherein the arm is supported relatively pivotal to the base, an urging member for urging the arm in a single direction relative to the base, wherein the urging member is arranged at the connecting portion between the base and the arm, and an engaging member for restricting pivoting of the arm relative to the base by engaging the base and the arm, wherein part of the drive motor releases the engagement between the base and the arm, which is caused by the engaging member, when the drive motor is attached to the base.
Asmo Co. Ltd.
Cohen Curtis A.
Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP
Stodola Daniel P.
LandOfFree
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