Movable or removable closures – With operator for movably mounted closure – Operator drives closure along guide
Patent
1994-10-07
1996-09-24
Kannan, Philip C.
Movable or removable closures
With operator for movably mounted closure
Operator drives closure along guide
49210, 49213, 296155, E05F 1134
Patent
active
055578888
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to an open-and-close control device for a horizontally slidable vehicle door, more particularly to a lateral door wherein the opening of the door begins with a simultaneous outward transverse translation of at least a part of the door and then continues by sliding along the lateral wall of the vehicle body. This double movement at the beginning of opening, but also at the end of closing, renders the problem of the automatic opening and closing of such doors somewhat difficult to resolve,
A known device of this type comprises a telescopic pneumatic jack fitted horizontally against the inner wall of the vehicle body above the rear window and of which the end of the mobile rod is articulated to a slide slidably mounted in a guide. This slide is connected by a connecting rod to the end of a vertical elbow arm pivotally mounted in the sliding door and coupled to the handle controlling opening of the lock. Hence, withdrawal of the jack's rod causes the slide to withdraw, which via the connecting rod firstly produces pivoting of the arm to free the lock, then a rearward traction on the same arm producing opening of the door.
However, in this pneumatic device, an entire part of the circuit, notably the compressor, the compressed air supply, the supply lines and the jack remain permanently under pressure, which may be particularly dangerous for passengers in case of an explosion following a traffic accident, or if one of the parts should rupture due to premature wear due to the constraints and stresses present in a vehicle. Moreover, the locking and unlocking device for the sliding door with an elbow-lever is particularly complex, which reduces its long term reliability. Additionally, this device cannot provide a sufficient forward thrust at adequate speed to close the door and lock it when the vehicle is on an incline, the maximum acceptable pressure being still too small. Finally, and above all, this device is particularly expensive to produce.
Another device of this type described in DE 1 930 485 comprises a horizontal endless screw held mobile in rotation against the vehicle body above the door, this screw being on the one hand engaged in the threaded orifice of a first mobile slide which is mobile in translation along the screw and on the other hand may be turned by a rotary electric motor. This first slide is connected to a second slide mobile in translation along a slot fixed also to the vehicle body parallel to and under the endless screw. This second slide is connected to the upper front angle of the door by a connection supporting the weight of the door and consequently comprising on the one hand a pendular pare mounted on a horizontal hinge of the slide and, on the other hand, a plate bolted to the door and assembled to the pendular part by two threaded rods for adjusting the height.
However, this device is unnecessarily complex, hence expensive to produce, because the weight of the sliding door is generally already supported by another guide rail for the door situated either half-way up or at the bottom. Moreover, connection with the door can only be rigid because it is working under shear stress equally during opening and during closing of the door, which implies jerky movements as soon as there are any momentaneous difficulties in sliding of the door or of the slide.
The aim of the present invention is a device for controlling the opening and closing of a sliding vehicle door which is efficient, i.e. is apt to impose the movement to the door in all circumstances and even after multiple uses, but which is also smooth and rapid in operation. Moreover, the conception of this device must be sufficiently simple for it to be made in a rigid manner, at an affordable cost and so that it can be fitted without difficulty to existing vehicles.
These aims are achieved thanks to a device comprising a horizontal endless screw which is rotatably movably held within a rail fixed to the vehicle body above (or below) the door, which screw, on the one hand, engages a threaded aperture in a
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Planche Bernard
Roch Jean
Ruchat Rene
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