System to be fitted in a vehicle door

• US 6,931,791 B1
• Filed: 07/22/1999
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Original Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Inventors: Pleiss, Eberhard
• Primary Examiner(s): REDMAN, JERRY E
• Application Number:
  US10/049,223
• Time in Patent Office: 2,224 Days
• Field of Search: 493/48, 493/49, 493/52, 495/02, 296/146.5, 296/146.7
• US Class Current: 49/502
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0416 Assembly panels to be installed in doors as a module with components, e.g. lock or window lifter, attached thereto

Abstract

A system to be fitted into a vehicle door which includes a window lifter for lifting and lowering a window pane of the vehicle door and includes a drive unit and a mechanism for transferring drive force from the drive unit to the window pane, and a closing mechanism for closing and opening the vehicle door wherein the window lifter and the closing mechanism are provided for fixing on a supporting plate of the vehicle door. At least one part of the closing mechanism forms with a structural group of the window lifter a preassembled structural unit which is provided for fixing on the supporting plate of the vehicle door.

Claims

1. A system to be fitted into a vehicle door comprising:

a window lifter for lifting and lowering a window pane of said vehicle door including a drive unit, a transfer mechanism for transferring drive force from the drive unit to the window pane, and a guide rail of the transfer mechanism along which a follower of the window pane is guided, and

a closing mechanism for closing and opening the vehicle door,

wherein the window lifter and the closing mechanism are fixed on a supporting plate of the vehicle door,

wherein at least one supporting part of the closing mechanism contacts and is fixed relative to the guide rail, the guide rail consisting at least in part of plastics, and

wherein the guide rail of the window lifter is slidably displaceable on the supporting plate between a first position and an operating position.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein at least one supporting structural part of the window lifter serves at the same time to hold a functional element of the closing mechanism.

3. The system according to any of claims 1 or 2 wherein at least a part of the closing mechanism forms a prefabricated structural unit with the drive unit of the window lifter.

4. The system according to claim 3 wherein a base plate for holding the drive unit forms a prefabricated structural unit with the guide rail.

5. The system according to claim 4 wherein the base plate is in one piece with the guide rail.

6. The system according to claim 3, further comprising a socket for a door outside handle, the socket forming a prefabricated structural unit with the guide rail, wherein the window lifter is an outer window lifter.

7. The system according to claim 3 further comprising a socket for a door inside handle, the socket forming a prefabricated structural unit with the guide rail wherein the window lifter is an inner window lifter.

8. The system according to claim 3 wherein the window lifter is formed as a double-strand cable window lifter having a second guide rails running side by side with the guide rail and wherein a socket for a door lock and a socket for a door outside handle form a prefabricated structural unit with one of the guide rail and the second guide rail that is on a B-pillar side.

9. The system according to claim 3 wherein a socket for a door lock is connected to a socket for a door outside handle and the socket for the door outside handle is connected additionally to the guide rail.

10. The system according to claim 3 wherein a door lock and a door outside handle holder are fixed on the guide rail through a common support.

11. The system according to claim 3 wherein the guide rail is displaceable on the supporting plate along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

12. The system according to claim 2, wherein at least a part of the closing mechanism, forms a prefabricated structural unit with the drive unit of the window lifter,

wherein a base plate for holding the drive unit forms a prefabricated structural unit with the guide rail,

wherein the base plate is moulded in one piece on the guide rail, and

wherein the functional element of the closing mechanism is prefitted on an associated holding element.

13. The system according to claim 1 wherein a part of the closing mechanism which forms a structural unit with a structural group of the window lifter comprises at least one of the group of structural elements consisting of:

a socket for a door lock,

the door lock,

a socket for a door outside handle,

the door outside handle,

a socket for a door inside handle, and

the door inside handle.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein the part of the closing mechanism that forms a structural unit is the socket for the door lock and wherein the socket for the door lock forms a prefabricated structural unit with a base plate for the drive unit.

15. The system according to claim 1 wherein the supporting plate of the vehicle door is formed as one of a door inside panel and a large surface support plate for a door module which is fitted onto a corresponding cut-out section in the door inside panel.

16. The system according to claim 1 wherein the supporting plate defines a recess for assembly of the closing mechanism.

17. A system to be fitted into a vehicle door comprising:

a window lifter for lifting and lowering a window pane of said vehicle door including a drive unit, a transfer mechanism for transferring drive force from the drive unit to the window pane, and a guide rail of the transfer mechanism along which a follower of the window pane is guided, and

a closing mechanism for closing and opening the vehicle door, the closing mechanism having at least one supporting part and an exposed part, the exposed part located at least in part on an outside of said vehicle door, and the supporting part connected to and supporting the exposed part,

wherein the window lifter and the closing mechanism are fixed on a supporting plate of the vehicle door,

wherein the at least one supporting part of the closing mechanism is contacting and fixed relative to the guide rail, the guide rail consisting at least in part of plastics, and

wherein the guide rail of the window lifter is slidably displaceable on the supporting plate between a first and an operating position.

18. A vehicle door comprising:

a window pane;

a window lifter including a drive unit, a transfer mechanism for transferring drive force from the drive unit to the window pane, and a first and a second guide rail of the transfer mechanism along which a follower of the window pane is guided, and

a closing mechanism for closing and opening the vehicle door, the closing mechanism having at least one supporting part and an exposed part, the exposed part located at least in part on an outside of the vehicle door, and the supporting part connected to and supporting the exposed part,

wherein the window lifter and the closing mechanism are fixed on a supporting plate of the vehicle door,

wherein the at least one supporting part of the closing mechanism is contacting and fixed relative to the guide rail, the guide rail consisting at least in part of plastics, and

wherein the guide rail of the window lifter is slidably displaceable on the supporting plate between a first and an operating position.