Varying radius helical cable spool for powered vehicle door systems
First Claim
1. An improved cable spool for a cable-actuated device, said device having drive means for selectively rotating said cable spool about an axis in either of two directions and a cable with one end interconnected with a movable member, said cable spool including:
- cable attachment means for securing the opposite end of the cable to said cable spool; and
a groove formed along a generally helical path on a circumferential portion of said cable spool for windingly receiving the cable therein as said cable spool is selectively rotated in one direction and for unwindingly paying out the cable therefrom as said cable spool is selectively rotated in an opposite direction, the radial depth of said helical groove varying along at least a portion of said helical path in order to cause the cable to be wound onto, and paid out from, said varying-depth portion of said helical groove at a varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool, thereby causing the movable member to move at a correspondingly varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved cable spool arrangement is disclosed for use in powered vehicle door operating systems, or in other cable-actuated devices, having one or more actuating cables. In one form of the invention, a groove, or other open channel-like opening, is formed along a generally helical path on the cable spool, and preferably has a varying groove depth along at least a portion of the helical path in order to take up or pay out at least a portion of a cable at a correspondingly varying rate with respect to cable spool rotation and thus cause movement of a door or other movable member at a correspondingly varying rate with respect to cable spool rotation. A second, constant depth portion of the helical groove can also be optionally provided for generally constant take-up or pay-out of a cable onto or from the constant-depth portion of the helical groove.
65 Citations
80 Claims
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1. An improved cable spool for a cable-actuated device, said device having drive means for selectively rotating said cable spool about an axis in either of two directions and a cable with one end interconnected with a movable member, said cable spool including:
- cable attachment means for securing the opposite end of the cable to said cable spool; and
a groove formed along a generally helical path on a circumferential portion of said cable spool for windingly receiving the cable therein as said cable spool is selectively rotated in one direction and for unwindingly paying out the cable therefrom as said cable spool is selectively rotated in an opposite direction, the radial depth of said helical groove varying along at least a portion of said helical path in order to cause the cable to be wound onto, and paid out from, said varying-depth portion of said helical groove at a varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool, thereby causing the movable member to move at a correspondingly varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
- cable attachment means for securing the opposite end of the cable to said cable spool; and
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8. An improved cable spool for a cable-actuated device, said device having drive means for selectively rotating said cable spool about an axis in either of two directions and at least a pair of cables, each of the cables having one end interconnected with a movable member, said cable spool including;
- cable attachment means for securing the opposite ends of the cables to said cable spool; and
a groove formed along a generally helical path on a circumferential portion of said cable spool for windingly receiving at least one of the cables therein as said cable spool is selectively rotated in one direction and for unwindingly paying out at least one of the cables therefrom as said cable spool is selectively rotated in an opposite direction, the radial depth of said helical groove varying along at least a portion of said helical path in order to cause at least one of the cables to be wound into, and paid out from, said varying-depth portion of said helical groove at a varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool, thereby causing at least a portion of the movable member to move at a correspondingly varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
- cable attachment means for securing the opposite ends of the cables to said cable spool; and
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30. In a cable-actuated door operator system having a cable spool, drive means for selectively rotating said cable spool about an axis in either of two directions, and a cable with one end interconnected with a movable door, the improvement comprising:
- cable attachment means for securing the opposite end of the cable to said cable spool; and
a groove formed along a generally helical path on a circumferential portion of said cable spool for windingly receiving the cable therein as said cable spool is selectively rotated in one direction and for unwindingly paying out the cable therefrom as said cable spool is selectively rotated in an opposite direction, the radial depth of said helical groove varying along at least a portion of said helical path in order to cause the cable to be wound onto, and paid out from, said varying-depth portion of said helical groove at a varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool, thereby causing the movable door to move at a correspondingly varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
- cable attachment means for securing the opposite end of the cable to said cable spool; and
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37. In a cable-actuated door operator system having a cable spool, drive means for selectively rotating said cable spool about an axis in either of two directions, and at least a pair of cables, each of the cables having one end interconnected with a movable door, the improvement comprising cable attachment means for securing the opposite ends of the cable to said cable spool;
- and a groove formed along a generally helical path on a circumferential portion of said cable spool for windingly receiving at least one of the cables therein as said cable spool is selectively rotated in one direction and for unwindingly paying out at least one of the cables therefrom as said cable spool is selectively rotated in an opposite direction, the radial depth of said helical groove varying along at least a portion of said helical path in order to cause at least one of the cables to be wound into, and paid out from, said varying-depth portion of said helical groove at a varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool, thereby causing at least a portion of the movable door to move at a correspondingly varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool.
- View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
- 59. A door operator system for a door that is slidingly supported relative to a door opening in a panel of a vehicle body, said door being supported adjacent a forward end on at least one forward guide member and being supported adjacent a rear end on a rear guide member, said guide members guiding said door through an initial closing movement and a final opening movement generally parallel to said panel, said guide members guiding said door through at least a portion of its initial opening movement generally away from the plane of said door opening, and said guide members guiding said door through at least a portion of its final closing movement generally toward the plane of said door opening, said door operator comprising a first cable having one end coupled to the rear end of said door and a second cable having one end coupled to the forward end of said door for driving said door along said guide members to thereby move said door through said initial and final opening and closing movements, each of said cables being supported substantially entirely within the interior of the vehicle body when the door is fully closed, said door operator system further including a rotatable cable spool and drive means for selectively rotating said cable spool about an axis in either of two directions, said cable spool including cable attachment means for securing the opposite ends of said cables to said cable spool, and a groove formed along a generally helical path on a circumferential portion of said cable spool for windingly receiving at least one of said cables therein as said cable spool is selectively rotated in one direction and for unwindingly paying out at least one of said cables therefrom as said cable spool is selectively rotated in an opposite direction, the radial depth of said helical groove varying along at least a portion of said helical path in order to cause at least one of said cables to be wound onto, and paid out from, said varying-depth portion of said helical groove at a varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool, thereby causing at least a portion of said door to move at a correspondingly varying rate with respect to the rotation of said cable spool.
Specification