Anti-pinch power window system

• US 7,021,001 B1
• Filed: 08/17/2005
• Issued: 04/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paul T. Schooler
• Original Assignee: Paul T. Schooler
• Inventors: Schooler, Paul T.
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMPSON, HUGH B
• Application Number:
  US11/161,811
• Time in Patent Office: 230 Days
• Field of Search: 49/26, 49/27, 49/28, 493/49, 493/62, 493/50, 318/469, 318/282, 318/283, 318/280, 318/468, 74/892.3, 74/891.4, 74/893.9, 744/25, 744/247
• US Class Current: 49/28
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/41 Detection by monitoring transmitted force or torque E05F15/48 takes precedence; Safety couplings with activation dependent upon torque or force, e.g. slip couplings
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/55 by using load sensors sensors for electronic control of hinges, wings, windows as such E05Y2400/44
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/55 Windows
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18576 including screw and nut
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18792 including worm

Abstract

An anti-pinch power window system is comprised of a hub, a motor, a threaded rod, a base, a spring, a frame, a bracket, a threaded drive nut, a reversing switch and an electronic circuit. The motor rotates the hub. The rod is slidably attached to the hub. The base is attached to the rod. The spring surrounds the rod and is positioned such that it is compressed by movement of the base toward the hub. The bracket is attached to the frame and holds the drive nut. The rod is threaded into the drive nut. The reversing switch senses downward movement of the base and in response to such downward movement signals the electronic circuit to reverse the polarity of the motor input voltage, thereby reversing the direction of the travel of the frame. A closing window within the frame will reverse direction when it encounters an obstruction.

Claims

1. An anti-pinch power window system comprising:

a threaded rod;

a hub adapted to hold the threaded rod, said hub being further adapted to allow the threaded rod to slide along its longitudinal axis within said hub, said threaded rod being attached to the hub;

a base having a top side and a bottom side attached to the threaded rod;

a spring positioned between the bottom side of the base and the hub such that the spring is compressible by movement of the base toward the hub;

a bracket attachable to a frame for retaining a drive nut;

a threaded drive nut screwed onto the threaded rod, said drive nut being positioned within the bracket such that rotation of the drive nut is limited, for moving a window in response to rotation of the threaded rod; and

a switch positioned between the bottom side of the base and the hub such that movement of the base toward the hub will change the state of the switch.

2. The anti-pinch power window system of claim 1, further comprising:

a motor engaged with the hub such that said motor is capable of rotating the hub, the rotational direction of said motor being selectable by the polarity of an input voltage powering the motor;

a frame attached to the bracket, wherein the frame is a window frame or a sunroof frame; and

wherein said switch cooperates with an electronic circuit to change the polarity of the voltage powering the motor in response to a change of state of the switch.

3. The anti-pinch power window system of claim 2, wherein the electronic circuit is comprised of a flip-flop switch which changes state in response to the change of state of the switch positioned between the base and the hub, said flip-flop switch being wired to reverse the polarity of the input voltage to the motor in response to a change of state of the flip-flop switch.

4. The anti-pinch power window system of claim 1, further comprising a base stop roller in contact with the top side of the base for preventing movement of the base away from the hub.

5. The anti-pinch power window system of claim 1, further comprising a positionally adjustable spring seat in contact with the spring, for adjusting the force exerted by the spring upon the threaded rod.

6. An anti-pinch power window system comprising:

a threaded rod;

a hub adapted to hold the threaded rod, said hub being further adapted to allow the threaded rod to slide along its longitudinal axis within said hub, said threaded rod being attached to the hub;

an electrically reversible motor engaged with the hub such that said motor is capable of rotating the hub, the rotational direction of said motor being selectable by the polarity of an input voltage powering the motor;

a base having a top side and a bottom side attached to the threaded rod;

a spring positioned between the bottom side of the base and the hub such that the spring is compressible by movement of the base toward the hub;

a frame;

a bracket attached to the frame for retaining a drive nut;

a threaded drive nut screwed onto the threaded rod, said drive nut being positioned within the bracket such that rotation of the drive nut is limited, for moving a window within the frame in response to rotation of the threaded rod; and

a switch positioned between the bottom side of the base and the hub such that movement of the base toward the hub will change the state of the switch, said switch cooperating with an electronic circuit to reverse the polarity of the voltage powering the motor such that changing the state of the switch once reverses the rotational direction of the threaded rod.

7. The anti-pinch power window system of claim 6, further comprising a base stop roller in contact with the top side of the base for preventing movement of the base away from the hub.

8. The anti-pinch power window system of claim 6, wherein the frame is a window frame.

9. The anti-pinch power window system of claim 6, wherein the frame is a sunroof frame.

10. The anti-pinch power window system of claim 6, further comprising a positionally adjustable spring seat in contact with the spring, for adjusting the force exerted by the spring upon the threaded rod.

11. The anti-pinch power window system of claim 6, wherein the electronic circuit is comprised of a flip-flop switch which changes state in response to a change of state of the switch positioned between the base and the hub, said flip-flop switch being wired to reverse the polarity of the input voltage to the motor in response to a change of state of the flip-flop switch.

12. An anti-pinch power window system comprising:

a threaded rod having an upper section and a lower section;

a rotatable hub adapted to securely hold the threaded rod, said hub being further adapted to allow the threaded rod to slide along its longitudinal axis within said hub, said threaded rod being attached to the hub;

an electrically reversible motor adapted to rotate said rotatable hub in two directions around the longitudinal axis of the hub, said motor being engaged with the hub such that said motor is capable of rotating the hub, the rotational direction of said motor being selectable by the polarity of an input voltage powering the motor;

a base having a top side and a bottom side securely attached to the lower section of the threaded rod;

a spring surrounding the threaded rod, said spring being positioned between the bottom side of the base and the hub such that the spring is compressible by movement of the base toward the hub;

a frame;

a bracket attached to the frame for retaining a drive nut;

a threaded drive nut screwed onto the threaded rod, said drive nut being adapted and positioned within the bracket such that rotation of the drive nut is limited, for moving a window within the frame in response to rotation of the threaded rod; and

a reversing switch having a mechanical activator, said mechanical activator being positioned between the bottom side of the base and the hub such that movement of the base toward the hub will change the state of the reversing switch, said reversing switch cooperating with an electronic circuit to reverse the polarity of the voltage powering the motor such that changing the state of the reversing switch once reverses the rotational direction of the threaded rod.

13. The anti-pinch power window system of claim 12, further comprising a base stop roller in contact with the top side of the base for preventing movement of the base away from the hub.

14. The anti-pinch power window system of claim 12, wherein the frame is a window frame.

15. The anti-pinch power window system of claim 12, wherein the frame is a sunroof frame.

16. The anti-pinch power window system of claim 12, further comprising a positionally adjustable spring seat in contact with the spring, for adjusting the force exerted by the spring upon the threaded rod.

17. The anti-pinch power window system of claim 12, wherein the electronic circuit is comprised of a flip-flop switch which changes state in response to a change of state of the switch positioned between the base and the hub, said flip-flop switch being wired to reverse the polarity of the input voltage to the motor in response to a change of state of the flip-flop switch.