Power sliding door closer

• US 5,138,795 A
• Filed: 08/29/1991
• Issued: 08/18/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Strattec Power Access LLC (Strattec Security Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Compeau, David E., Rogers, Lloyd W. Jr., Priest, William L., Nicholas, Mark D., Manuel, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): KANNAN, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US07/751,484
• Time in Patent Office: 355 Days
• Field of Search: 49/138, 49/360, 49/280, 254/374, 242/117
• US Class Current: 49/138
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/062 for utility vehicles or public transport B60J5/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/20 for assisting final closing or for initiating opening
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/646 allowing or involving a secondary movement of the wing, e.g. rotational or transversal
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/22 Locks
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/434 Electromotors; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/654 Cables
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/664 Drums
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/21 of identical elements, e.g. of identical compression springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors

Abstract

A sliding door in a van is mounted on tracks for sliding movement between open and closed positions. At the closed position a weather strip is compressed and a door latch is latched. A cable is attached to the door and routed through the vehicle body via pulleys so that pulling the first cable end opens the door and pulling the second cable end closes the door. A motorized drive mechanism includes first and second reels mounted concentrically and having the cable ends wrapped respectively about the reels in opposite directions. A motor drives in one direction rotating the first reel to open the door and is reversible to rotate the second reel to close the door. Each of the reels has a large diameter portion for winding the cable to provide relatively high speed and low force door movement over the greatest portion of travel and a small diameter portion for winding the cable to provide relatively low speed and high force movement of the door during the lesser portion of travel of the door closest to the closed position. The reels have cable set grooves to receive the cable and a spiral ramp groove to connect the large and small diameter portions. A tension retaining spring acts between the two reels to always maintain the cable under tension.

Claims

1. Apparatus for opening a closure slidably mounted on a vehicle body and having a latch and weather strip for latching and sealing the closure in the closed position comprising:

cable means attached to the closure and having an end;

a reel having the end of the cable means connected thereto so that rotation of the reel to wind the cable thereon slides the closure toward the open position;

rotary drive means adapted to rotate the reel to wind the cable means thereon to open the closure;

said reel having a small diameter portion for winding the cable to provide relatively low speed and high force movement of the closure during the initial movement of the door away from the latch and the weather strip, and a larger diameter portion for winding the cable to provide a relatively high speed and low force movement of the closure to the fully open position.