Unitary regulator mechanism for multiple window panels

• US 4,173,845 A
• Filed: 01/18/1974
• Issued: 11/13/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ITT Corporation (ITT, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation
• Inventors: Heesch, Max O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Downey, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US05/434,632
• Time in Patent Office: 2,125 Days
• Field of Search: 74/435, 74/25, 49/48, 49/142, 49/144, 49/349, 49/350, 49/351
• US Class Current: 49/350
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 11/382 for vehicle windows E05F11/40 - E05F11/52 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/55 Windows
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18056 Rotary to or from reciprocating or oscillating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19874 Mutilated

Abstract

Disclosed is a regulator mechanism for two window panels mounted in the door of an automotive vehicle. The panels are slidable independently of one another in a common plane between raised and lowered positions under the control of the regulator mechanism. Both window panels are operated by independently operable lever arms, both lever arms being mounted for rotation on a common pivot shaft. The lever arms are secured to respective sector gears, both sector gears also being mounted for rotation on the common pivot shaft. Each sector gear is driven independently of the other by a driving gear, the driving gears being angularly spaced from the pivot shaft to prevent operative interference between the operative end of each lever arm. The mechanism is mounted as a unitary assembly on a unitary mounting plate, the plate providing a support structure for the common pivot shaft and the respective pinion shafts. In this manner, the spacing between the respective operating gears is set once the mechanism is assembled as a unit and need not be adjusted on assembly of the unit into the vehicle.

Claims

1. A mechanism adapted for controlling the reciprocating movement of a first planarly slidable window panel and a second planarly slidable window panel with each panel independently slidable between fully raised, lowered and intermediate positions independently of one another within a common sliding plane, said mechanism comprising a first rotatable operating arm and means for changing rotational movement of said arm into reciprocal movement of said first panel, a second rotatable arm and means for changing the rotational movement of said second arm into a reciprocal movement of said second second panel, a common pivotal shaft for both said arms, a sector gear secured to each arm, for causing rotation of the respective rotatable arms on rotation of said sector gears, both said sector gears mounted for rotation independently of one another on said common pivotal shaft, and means for driving each sector gear independently of the other sector gear to reciprocate the windows independently of one another, each said driving means including a pinion gear in mesh with a respective one of said sector gears, and a unitary structural plate for mounting said pinion gears and said common pivotal shaft, and wherein said unitary structural plate is configured to secure said entire mechanism to a flat wall, said plate including a central socket area for said pivotal shaft, said wall and opposed sockets spaced from said shaft for said pinion gear mountings.

2. A regulator mechanism for operating a first and a second slidable automotive window panel independently of one another comprising, in combination, first and second window panels independently slidable in a common plane between fully open and fully closed positions, a unitary stationary supporting frame for said mechanism, a common pivot shaft mounted on said supporting frame, a first sector gear rotatably mounted on said common pivot shaft for oscillation through one path between angularly spaced extreme positions about said pivot shaft, a first lever secured to said first sector gear for oscillation therewith and operably connected to said first window panel, a second sector gear rotatably mounted on said pivot shaft for oscillation through a second path between angularly spaced extreme positions, a second lever secured to said second sector gear for oscillation therewith and operably connected to said second window panel, both said levers pivotally mounted for rotation with the respective sector gear independently of one another, a first driver gear mounted on said supporting frame to engage said first sector gear to oscillate said first sector gear and said first lever on rotation of said first driver gear, a second driver gear mounted on said supporting frame to engage the second sector gear for oscillation thereof responsive to rotation of said second driver gear, said driver gears spaced-apart angularly on opposed sides of said common pivot adjacent the extreme sector gear positions to maintain the operative ends of said levers out of interference with one another during movement of said levers and consequent movement of said window panels.

3. A regulator mechanism as claimed in claim 2 wherein said frame comprises a configured sheet metal member including a central raised mounting support for said pivot shaft, and a raised support area for both said driving gears to fix the relative positions of the engaging gears and means on the periphery of said frame for mounting said mechanism on a vehicle door as a unitary assembly.

4. A regulator mechanism adapted to operate first and second slidable automotive window panels, wherein said window panels comprise a first large window and a second smaller window both slidable individually in a common plane between fully raised and fully lowered positions, a rigid, stationary structural member for said mechanism, a common pivotal shaft mounted on said structural member, a first sector gear mounted on said common pivotal shaft for rotary movement through one path between angularly spaced extreme positions about said pivotal shaft, an extension of one predetermined length on said first sector movable responsive to rotary movement of said sector gear for raising and lowering said first window panel on said movement, a second sector gear mounted on said first pivotal shaft for rotary movement through a second path between angularly spaced extreme positions, an extension of another predetermined length on said second sector gear movable responsive to rotary movement of said second sector gear for raising and lowering said second window panel, a first driver gear mounted for rotation on said structural member and rotatable to mesh with teeth on said first sector gear to pivot said first sector gear and its extension lever on rotary motion of said first sector gear by said first driver gear, a second driver gear mounted for rotation on said structural member and rotatable to engage the second sector gear for rotary movement thereof responsive to rotation of said second driver gear, said driver gears spaced from said common pivotal shaft by separate pitch radius distances, each said pitch radius distance and the length of the respective extension determinative of the travel of the respective windows and sealing forces on the respective windows for the raised position, and wherein said pivotal shaft is affixed on said structural member and shafts for both said driver gears are affixed to said support member at opposed ends thereof.

5. In combination, a window panel divided substantially vertically into a small ventilation section and a large visibility section, and a window regulator mechanism for lowering and raising the window panel sections into and out of a window opening, the window regulator mechanism comprising an elongated mounting plate positioned beneath the larger of the two panel sections adjacent the division therebetween with its longitudinal axis extending generally in the same direction as the division line between the panel sections, a first and a second gear sector in superimposed relationship on a pivot shaft journalled in the mounting plate intermediate the ends of the latter, a first regulator arm fixed to the first gear sector and a second regulator arm fixed to the second gear sector, each regulator arm being swingable about the axis of the pivot shaft and being coupled to a respective one of the panel sections for lowering and raising the latter in response to rotation of the gear sector to which it is fixed, and independent first and second drive means located at opposite ends of the mounting plate and coupled to the first and second gear sectors, respectively for rotating the latter to independently lower and raise the window panel sections.

6. A vehicle body structure according to claim 5, in which:

the respective gear sectors are rotated in opposite directions about the pivot shaft axis to oppositely swing the regulator arms in respective window panel section lowering or raising directions in response to independent rotation of the first and second drive means in common directions of rotation.