Motorized drive system for a convertible roof of an automotive vehicle
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for an automotive vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
- a retractable convertible roof;
a drive mechanism including a first electric motor operable to move a portion of said convertible roof between a first position and a second position, said drive mechanism further being operable to substantially maintain said portion of said convertible roof in a predetermined stopped position when said convertible roof is at least partially raised, an armature of said first electric motor always being drivably coupled with said convertible roof when installed in said vehicle;
a first sector gear being rotatably driven by said first motor;
a member extending from and moving concurrent with said first sector gear;
a second sector gear being journalled upon said member; and
a second electric motor having an output gear enmeshing with said second sector gear.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A motorized convertible roof system includes at least a portion of a retractable convertible roof operably driven by an electric motor. The motor is operable to maintain the moved portion of the convertible roof in a predetermined position thereby deterring drifting of the convertible roof. In one aspect of the present invention, back EMF deters motor and convertible roof movement. In another aspect of the present invention, an electric motor can be electrically bypassed for manual movement of a convertible roof without necessitating physical disengagement or decoupling of the motor, gears or linkage mechanism.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. An apparatus for an automotive vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
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a retractable convertible roof; a drive mechanism including a first electric motor operable to move a portion of said convertible roof between a first position and a second position, said drive mechanism further being operable to substantially maintain said portion of said convertible roof in a predetermined stopped position when said convertible roof is at least partially raised, an armature of said first electric motor always being drivably coupled with said convertible roof when installed in said vehicle; a first sector gear being rotatably driven by said first motor; a member extending from and moving concurrent with said first sector gear; a second sector gear being journalled upon said member; and a second electric motor having an output gear enmeshing with said second sector gear. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for an automotive vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
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a) a retractable convertible roof; b) an electric motor being operable to move a portion of said convertible roof between a first position and a second position, said motor further being operable to discourage drifting of said portion of said convertible roof once said motor has been deenergized and said portion of said convertible roof has been stopped in a predetermined position, an armature of said motor always being drivably coupled to said convertible roof when installed in said vehicle, said electric motor including; an armature housing; a fixed stator disposed in said armature housing; an armature shaft longitudinally and coaxially disposed in said armature housing; said armature being attached to said armature shaft and being substantially surrounded by said stator, said armature and armature shaft being rotatable in a first direction and reversible for rotating in a second direction; a pinion gear being mounted on an end of said armature shaft opposite from said armature; a set of planetary gears being operably driven by said pinion gear; a ring gear enmeshing with said set of planetary gears; c) a magnetic field generated between said armature and said stator discouraging movement of said convertible roof when said roof is in said predetermined stopped position; d) a vehicle occupant accessible and operable up/down switch; e) a relay being controlled by said up/down switch; f) input and output electrical circuits being connected to said motor and being selectively electrically short circuited to each other by said relay when said up/down switch is not operated by said occupant; and g) a bypass switch being actuable to electrically disconnect said motor from said electrical circuits thereby allowing free movement of said armature in relation to said stator such that said portion of said convertible roof can be manually moved while still being mechanically engaged with said motor. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An apparatus for an automotive vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) a first electric motor being of a fractional horsepower and direct current variety, said first motor including; an armature housing; a permanent magnet fixed stator disposed in said armature housing; an armature shaft being longitudinally and coaxially disposed in said armature housing; an armature being affixed to said armature shaft and being substantially circumferentially surrounded by said stator, said armature and said armature shaft being rotatable in a first direction and electrically reversible for rotating in a second direction; an armature output gear also being mounted on said armature shaft, said armature output gear having a thickness less than a diameter; a set of planetary gears being operably driven by said armature output gear acting as a sun gear; a ring gear enmeshing with said set of planetary gears; an output pinion gear rotating in response to said set of planetary gears; (b) a sector gear directly enmeshing with said output pinion gear; (c) a convertible roof being movably coupled to said sector gears; (d) a rear roof rail of said convertible roof being coupled to said sector gear; (e) a second electric motor moving in concert with said sector gear; and (f) a rear roof bow of said convertible roof being movably coupled to said second motor. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An apparatus for an automotive vehicle comprising:
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first and second electric motors each having an armature; an electrical circuit being connected to said electric motors; an up/down switch device; a bypass switch device selectively electrically disconnecting said motors from a portion of said electrical circuit when in a bypass mode whereby said armatures can be back driven without a magnetic force discouraging rotation of said armatures; a retractable convertible roof; said first electric motor being operable to move a portion of said convertible roof between a first position and a second position, said motors further being operable to discourage drifting of portions of said convertible roof once said motors have been deenergized and said portions of said convertible roof have been stopped in predetermined positions and when said bypass switch is in a second mode other than said bypass mode such that back electromotive force generated in said motors act to discourage said drifting; a set of position sensing devices being electrically connected to said electrical circuit, said set of position sensing devices sensing said positions of said roof; and a microprocessor and a relay being electrically connected to said electrical circuit and serving to control said electric motors in response to said set of position sensing, said up/down switch and said bypass switch devices. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of controlling a convertible roof, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) supplying electric current to a first electric motor in a first direction thereby energizing said first motor; (b) rotating an armature of said first electric motor in a first direction as a function of step (a); (c) moving a portion of said convertible roof in a first direction as a function of step (b); (d) generating back electromotive force within said first motor during movement of said portion of said convertible roof after deenergizing said first motor; and (e) mechanically moving an entire second electric motor concurrently with step (c) while said second electric motor is selectively deenergized. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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38. A method of controlling a convertible roof, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) supplying electric current to first and second electric motors in a first direction; (b) rotating armatures of said electric motors in first directions as a function of step (a); (c) moving a forwardmost portion of said convertible roof toward a fully raised position as a function of step (b); (d) magnetically discouraging rearward drifting of said forwardmost portion of said convertible roof after reaching said fully raised position; and (e) energizing a third electric motor and moving a rearmost roof section mechanically independent from movement of said first and second electric motors. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
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41. A method of controlling a convertible roof, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) Short circuiting a circuit path of an electric motor drivingly coupled to said convertible roof; (b) accessing a trunk of an automotive vehicle and activating a bypass switch disposed in said trunk; (c) opening said circuit path of said motor; (d) moving said portion of said convertible roof in response to manually applied force while maintaining full mechanical driving engagement of said electric motor with said convertible roof; and (e) freely rotating an armature of said motor during step (d) without a magnetic field being created within said motor.
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42. An apparatus for operating a convertible top for an automotive vehicle comprising:
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(a) first and second electric motors being mounted to a body of said automotive vehicle; (b) first and second extension brackets moving in response to energization of said first and second electric motors; (c) a third electric motor moving in concert with one of said extension brackets; (d) first and second roof rails being affixed to said first and second extension brackets, respectively, for selectively raising and lowering said convertible roof in response to energization of said first and second electric motors; and (e) a rearmost roof bow being selectively movable in relation to said first and second roof rails upon energization of said third electric motor. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44)
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Specification