Window lifter assembly for motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a window lifter assembly (1) for a motor vehicle, comprising an electromotive cable drive (2) having a housing (5) and a guide rail (3) to which the cable drive (2) is connected by means of a screw fastening, the guide rail (3) has at least one through-opening (9) for a screw element (10) with a screw head (10a), said through-opening being aligned with a screw opening (11, 12) of the cable drive (2) and / or of the housing (5) thereof, and wherein at least one contact web (21) for contact with the screw head (10a) laterally or circumferentially extends from the guide rail (3) in the region of the through-opening (9).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a window regulator assembly for a motor vehicle, in particular for a vehicle door, the window regulator assembly having an electric cable drive with a housing and a guide rail, the cable drive being connected to the guide rail in particular by means of a screw fastening. Background Art

[0002] The vehicle door of a motor vehicle typically has a door frame, often referred to as a door skeleton, an outer door panel forming the outer skin of the vehicle door, and a door inner lining connected to the door frame. A cavity is formed between the outer skin (outer door panel) and the door inner lining as an installation space for functional elements or components of the vehicle door.

[0003] Functional components of the vehicle door, such as a window regulator or a window regulator assembly, a pressure sensor for a side airbag, door control electronics, a speaker, a door lock, an operating unit or the like, are usually pre-mounted on a carrier plate of a door module, also referred to as a module carrier. Subsequently, the equipped carrier plate is fixed to the door skeleton to cover a panel of the door frame that also serves as an installation opening. The door module, in particular a carrier plate equipped with a window regulator (window regulator assembly), is also used to separate the wet space formed between the outer skin (outer door panel) and the door module of the vehicle door from the dry space formed between the door module and the door inner lining (inner door panel).

[0004] Such a window regulator for a vehicle door is implemented, for example, with a cable system for raising and lowering a (window) glass. Here, a single-track window regulator (single-track application) with only one guide rail or a double-track window regulator (double-track application) with two parallel guide rails can be used. Such a window regulator, also referred to as a cable window regulator, has at least one so-called track slider or (glass) follower, which is connected to the (window) glass and is guided along at least one guide rail by means of a driven cable system. The cable system of the window regulator typically has a cable traction member formed by at least one traction cable, which on the one hand is wound around a cable drum in a typically multi-turn manner, and the cable drum is wound up or unwound, and on the other hand, the cable traction member is guided to one or each (glass) follower or track slider in a multi-deflection manner and fixed there.

[0005] As a window lifter drive or a cable drive, an electric motor is typically provided, which has a coupled transmission mechanism, in particular a worm gear transmission mechanism as a 90° deflection transmission mechanism. The electric cable drive can be arranged on the wet space side (wet space motor) or on the dry space side (dry space motor). The installation of the electric cable drive is typically accomplished by screwing the housing assembly, which has a housing part for receiving the transmission mechanism and a housing part for receiving the cable drum coupled to the cable drive. The screwing of the housing parts can be accomplished via the through openings of the carrier plate by means of screw elements (screws). Such a housing assembly of the electric cable drive of a window lifter is known, for example, from DE 10 2016 212 041 B4.

[0006] A window lifter assembly is known from DE 20 2011 100 077 U1, in which the electric cable drive is connected on the one hand to the guide rail and on the other hand, for example, to the carrier plate. Here, the fastening of the guide rail to the cable drive housing and to the motor housing of the electric cable drive, as well as the fastening of the cable drive housing at another fastening location, for example at the carrier plate, is accomplished by means of screw elements of the same type. These screw elements are implemented in the form of a flat head geometry and a countersunk head geometry coupled to the flat head geometry on the shank side.

[0007] It has been proven that the screw connection between the guide rail of a window lifter or a window lifter assembly and the cable drive housing or the motor housing or the transmission housing of the electric cable drive can become loose. In the case of using a countersunk head geometry, the countersunk head is intended to prevent relative movement between the participating connecting members. Especially in the case of using a flat head geometry, due to the settling behavior (Setzungsverhalten), a relative movement of the cable drive relative to the guide rail caused by operation may occur, which is undesirable, for example, because noise is generated. This relative movement that cannot be excluded even when using a countersunk head geometry typically occurs when the screws used are only slightly loose. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The object of the present invention is to describe a particularly suitable window lifter assembly, especially for the doors of motor vehicles. In particular, a secure screw connection between the guide rail of the window lifter assembly and the electric cable drive should be given or provided.

[0009] The stated object is solved according to the invention by the features of claim 1. Advantageous designs and improvements are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0010] A window regulator assembly provided for a motor vehicle, especially for a motor vehicle door, has an electric cable drive and a guide rail, with the cable drive connected to the guide rail. The electric cable drive has a housing or a housing assembly, and the housing assembly has a motor housing or a transmission housing and a cable drive housing. The guide rail is preferably a correspondingly shaped metal part or metal sheet, while the housing (the cable drive housing or the transmission housing) is preferably made of plastic. The cable drive is connected to the guide rail by means of screw fasteners.

[0011] The guide rail has at least one through-opening for a screw element with a screw head, which is aligned with a screw opening of the cable drive or its housing. Preferably, two such through-openings are provided on the track side for two corresponding screw elements, and these through-openings are aligned with the corresponding screw openings of the cable drive or its housing.

[0012] In the region of the respective through-opening, at least one spring tab or abutment tab extends from the guide rail. Preferably, a pair of tabs is provided. The abutment tab or the pair of tabs is preferably used to abut against the screw head of the corresponding screw element laterally or circumferentially. This reliably prevents the loosening of the screw element. In particular, the relative movement of the cable drive with respect to the guide rail is prevented.

[0013] In an advantageous design, at least one abutment tab extends axially with respect to the screw rotation axis of the screw element. In other words, an elastic abutment surface is preferably formed from the guide rail by bending technology or stamping and bending technology. Here, at least one abutment tab is preferably spring-elastic. At least one abutment tab is formed from the guide rail in a suitable manner as a stamped and bent part or as a part formed by double stamping and bending technology.

[0014] At least one abutment tab is suitably configured as a formed part having an inverted or upside-down V-shape or U-shape. The formed part has a fixed edge formed at the guide rail and a free edge or spring edge formed at the fixed edge, and the free edge or spring edge abuts against the screw head of the screw element, and its free end extends or is guided towards the through-opening or the opening edge of the through-opening on the track side.

[0015] Particularly preferably, two abutment tabs for the screw heads of the screw elements are provided in the region of the through-opening of the guide rail, which are opposed to each other (diametrically opposite).

[0016] A particularly advantageous method for producing a rail-side abutment tab together with a through-opening for a screw element or for a fastening screw provides that first, at the specified connection point or screw installation point, an oval or rectangular hole, in particular with rounded (inner) corners, is introduced into the guide rail. Subsequently, in the region of the longitudinal side of the rail hole, a material region of the guide rail corresponding to the total length and width of the respective abutment tab is pressed or extruded from the rail plane of the guide rail in the region of the hole or the subsequent through-opening into a parallel plane. In a subsequent step, the abutment tab or each abutment tab is preferably formed from this pressed material region by bending (folding). Subsequently, in a subsequent step, a preferably circular through-opening for the screw element is produced, in particular by stamping.

[0017] As a result of this method, preferably at least one, in particular rectangular, recess is formed at the through-opening of the guide rail, which recess has parallel longitudinal sides and narrow sides, on which abutment tabs are formed. In the abutment tabs of the tab pair that are diametrically opposed to one another (with respect to the screw rotation axis), the spacing of the abutment tabs or the spacing of their free edges or spring edges from one another is preferably matched to the diameter of the screw head of the screw element in such a way that the abutment tab or its free edge abuts against the screw head with a spring force or spring elasticity. The frictional forces thus created reliably prevent loosening of a screw element that has been installed or tightened or screwed in a prescribed manner.

[0018] According to a suitable design of the housing of the cable drive, the housing has a first housing part and a second housing part. These housing parts are screwed together in a suitable manner by preferably two screw elements in the process of being fastened to the guide rail by screws. The first housing part is preferably a transmission housing part, in which a worm wheel is supported in a rotatable manner, the worm wheel is meshed with a worm, and the worm wheel is connected to the motor shaft of the electric motor in a relatively rotationally resistant manner. Other transmission mechanisms can also be provided to replace this worm gear transmission mechanism, for example, a cylindrical gear transmission mechanism or a bevel gear transmission mechanism, especially as a 90° deflection transmission mechanism. The second housing part is preferably a cable drive housing, in which the cable drum is arranged in a rotatable manner and coupled with the transmission mechanism. The screw opening into which the corresponding screw element is screwed is arranged in a suitable manner in the first housing part. The screw opening of the other (second) housing part is then implemented as a through opening in a suitable manner.

[0019] The cable drive housing may preferably also have at least one locating pin corresponding to the locating opening of the guide rail. In particular, the locating pin is provided with a scraper-type rib for pre-fastening and / or pre-positioning the cable drive at the guide rail in such a way that the locating pin penetrates through the corresponding locating opening of the guide rail, especially in the case of forming a form-locking connection.

[0020] The screw element can actually have an arbitrary geometry. The screw element is particularly advantageously a flat head screw with a round screw head, especially with a flattened spherical upper side. A directly cylindrical rod section is coupled to the screw head. In other words, only flat head screws without a countersunk head geometry are used in an appropriate way, and at the same time, due to the spring-elastic abutment tabs of the guide rail for the flat head of this screw element, relative movement between the electric cable drive of the window lifter assembly and the guide rail can be prevented.

[0021] The window lifter, or the window lifter having a window lifter assembly, can have a carrier plate, and the guide rail and especially the housing of the cable drive are additionally fastened, especially by screws, to the carrier plate. The carrier plate can be arranged in the vehicle door and separate the dry space from the wet space. The window lifter assembly can also be arranged in the wet space, for example. Description of the Drawings

[0022] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be explained in more detail with the aid of the drawings. In the figures:

[0023] Figure 1 In an exploded view, a window lifter assembly is shown, which has a guide rail and an electric cable drive that can be installed at the guide rail by means of screw elements.

[0024] Figure 2 In a perspective view, the cable drive installed at the guide rail is shown, and the abutment tabs for the screw elements in the region of the through-opening for the screw elements can be seen.

[0025] Figure 3 In a top view, the guide rail is shown in a sectional view. The guide rail has two through-openings for screw elements provided with abutment tabs.

[0026] Figure 4 Shown in an enlarged scale is Figure 3 section IV in the region of one of the through-openings. The through-opening has an abutment tab assigned to this through-opening.

[0027] Figure 5 In a schematic view, the surrounding area on the track side of the through-opening on the track side is shown. The through-opening has a screw element inserted into it and the screw head abuts on the abutment tab on the head side; and

[0028] Figures 6a to 6d Schematically shows the sequence of stamping and bending steps for manufacturing the rail-side abutment tabs and the through-openings on the rail side for the corresponding screw elements.

[0029] Corresponding parts and parameters are provided with the same reference numerals in all the figures. Detailed Description

[0030] Figure 1 and Figure 2 In an exploded view or in sections in a top view or a side view, a window lifter assembly 1 is shown, which has an electric cable drive 2 and a guide rail 3, and the cable drive 2 is connected to the guide rail by means of a screw fastening. The cable drive 2 has an electric motor 4 and a housing 5, and the housing is formed here by a transmission housing 5a and a cable drive housing 5b or has these housing parts 5a, 5b. The guide rail 3 is a (stamped and bent) metal part. The housing 5, namely here the cable drive housing 5b and the transmission housing 5a, is a plastic part. The electric motor 4 has a motor housing 5c which is implemented as a so-called pole can.

[0031] The window lifter assembly 1 is part or component of a window lifter (window lifter system) not shown in detail here. In the window lifter, the guide rail 3 predetermines the guiding track of a window glass (not shown here) of a motor vehicle, especially a door. The adjustment of the window glass is done here via a (not shown) flexible towing cable, which is wound or unwound by a cable drum 6 driven by an electric motor 4 and a transmission coupled thereto. The cable drum 6 is coupled to a transmission gear 7, which is rotatably arranged in the cable drive housing 5b. A (not visible) worm gear coupled to the transmission gear 7 is rotatably supported in the transmission housing 5a and meshes there in a not further detailed manner with a worm, which is connected to the motor shaft of the electric motor 4 against relative rotation or axially fixed.

[0032] The towing cable, which is wound several times and embedded in a cable groove 8 that circumferentially and threadedly or spirally surrounds the cable drum 6, is connected in a not further detailed manner to a track slider or follower that is guided in a movable manner on the guide rail 2, and the track slider or follower itself is connected to the window glass. Due to the controlled energization of the electric motor 4, the electric cable drive 2 moves the window glass coupled to this cable drive along an adjustment path predetermined by the guide rail 3 between an open position and a closed position.

[0033] The guide rail 3 has two through openings 9 in the embodiment, which are respectively used for the screw elements 10. The through openings 9 on the rail side are aligned with the screw openings 11, 12 of the cable drive housing 5b or the transmission housing 5a. The screw opening 12 of the transmission housing 5a is implemented as a screw boss here, and the screw element 10 is screwed into this screw opening with the external thread on its rod side.

[0034] The cable drive housing 5b has a locating pin 13, which corresponds to the locating opening 14 of the guide rail 2. The locating pin 13, which is preferably provided with scraping fins and formed on the cable drive housing 5b, penetrates through the locating opening 14 in the installed state of the cable drive 2 at the guide rail 3, especially when a form-fitting connection is established. This form-fitting connection is used to pre-fasten or pre-position the cable drive 2 at the guide rail 3. In the embodiment, additional or alternative, especially round or cylindrical locating bosses 13a are provided at the cable drive housing 5b and corresponding locating openings 14a are provided in the guide rail 2.

[0035] In the installed state of the cable drive 2 at the guide rail 3, the screw element 10 penetrates through the corresponding through opening 9 of the guide rail and the screw opening 11 of the cable drive housing 5b in order to be screwed into the screw opening or screw boss 12 of the transmission housing 5a. The cable drive 2 is thus fastened to the guide rail 3. At the same time, during the screwing process with the screw element 9, the housing parts 5a and 5b of the housing 5 of the cable drive (cable drive housing and transmission housing) are connected to each other. For this purpose, in the embodiment, additional connection positions are provided for an additional screw element 15 between the housing parts 5a and 5b. This additional screw element penetrates through the corresponding screw opening 16 of the cable drive housing 5b and is screwed into the screw opening or the corresponding screw boss 17 of the transmission housing 5a.

[0036] As can be seen more clearly Figure 2 The cable drive housing 5b has an additional screw opening 18, which is provided at the bent housing arm or housing cantilever 19. This provides an additional connection position, at or with which the cable drive 2 is additionally fastened to the carrier structure 20, especially to the door inner panel. The guide rail 3 is also fastened to the carrier structure 20 in a suitable manner, especially by screws.

[0037] The load-bearing structure 20 can also be, for example, a part of a door module, which, in addition to the window lifter assembly 1 and other components or parts of the vehicle door, also has other assemblies that are mounted or can be mounted at the load-bearing structure 20. The load-bearing structure 20 separates the so-called wet space formed between this load-bearing structure and the outer door skin from the dry space located between the load-bearing structure 20, in particular the inner door panel and the door trim panel. The window lifter assembly 1 can preferably also be arranged in the wet space.

[0038] As can be seen in Figure 2 and also in connection with Figures 3 to 5 it can be seen that, in the embodiment, two spring tabs or abutment tabs 21 are provided by the guide rail 3 in the region of the respective through-opening 9. This abutment tab 21, which is also referred to hereinafter as a tab pair (relative to the axis of rotation or screw axis D shown in Figure 2 or relative to the marked axial direction A and radial direction R of the corresponding screw element 9) are arranged opposite each other radially and extend axially respectively. The abutment tabs 21 are formed from the guide rail 3 or from the rail material or sheet material of the guide rail and are preferably manufactured in a stamping and bending process.

[0039] The respective abutment tab 21 forms an elastically yielding abutment surface for the screw head 10a of the screw element 10 or the screw element. The abutment tab 21 or the tab pair is used to abut the screw head 10a of the respective screw element 10 laterally or circumferentially. Thereby, loosening of the screw element 10 is reliably prevented. In particular, relative movement of the cable drive device 2 relative to the guide rail 3 is prevented.

[0040] As can be seen more clearly from Figure 5 the abutment tab 21 is a formed part or bent part having a (flipped or inverted) V-shape or U-shape. Figure 3 represents a rectangular (material) section of the guide rail 3 in the region of the through-opening 9. The abutment tab 21 has a fixed edge 21a formed at the guide rail 3 and a free edge or spring edge 21b formed at this fixed edge. The abutment tab 21 abuts the screw head 10a of the screw element 10 with this spring edge 21b. Here, the free end or the spring edge 21b of the abutment tab 21 is guided towards the track-side through-opening 9 or the opening edge of this through-opening.

[0041] In Figure 5The screw rod 10b of the screw element (screw) 10 can also be seen therein. The screw rod 10b of the screw element 10 has an external thread not shown in detail here. The screw element 10 is in the embodiment a flat head screw with a round screw head 10a, in particular with a flattened spherical upper side. The screw head 10a has an internal multi-flute as a tool receiving part 22 in the embodiment. Directly connected to the screw head 10 is a cylindrical rod section. In other words, the screw element 10 has a cylindrical shape in a suitable manner over the entire rod length of the screw rod 10a, without a countersunk head geometry that is also only sectionally provided.

[0042] In Figures 6a to 6c the method steps for manufacturing the abutment tabs 21 and the through-opening 9 on the track side for the respective screw element 10 or for the flat head screw are illustrated. They show in a top view (below) and a sectional view (above) the section or material area of the guide rail 3 in the area of the respective through-opening 9 along the drawn dash-dotted line or as the material area around the through-opening 9.

[0043] In Figure 6a an oval or rectangular track hole 23 with rounded (inner) corners is introduced at the prescribed connection position or screw installation position. The hole 23 is introduced into the guide rail 3 as a punched hole with the aid of a corresponding punching tool.

[0044] In Figure 6b during the manufacturing steps or method steps illustrated therein, in the area of the longitudinal side of the track hole 23, in particular with an extrusion tool or a punching tool, the material area of the guide rail corresponding to the total length and width of the respective abutment tab 21 is pressed or extruded from the track plane E1 of the guide rail in the area of the hole 23 into a parallel plane E2. The extrusion depth or spacing of the planes E1, E2 approximately or exactly corresponds to the sheet thickness or the respective sheet thicknesses of the guide rail 3 in the area of the hole 23 or the later through-opening 9.

[0045] In Figure 6c the result of the manufacturing steps or method steps illustrated therein is that the abutment tab 21 is especially formed into the desired V-shape or U-shape with the aid of a bending tool. For this purpose, the abutment tab 21 made of the extruded material area in the step according to Figure 6b is correspondingly reshaped. The respective fixed edge 21a and the spring edge or abutment edge 21b of the corresponding abutment tab 21 are manufactured here with bending techniques.

[0046] In Figure 6c the manufacturing steps or method steps illustrated therein, the round through-opening 9 for the screw element 10 is especially manufactured by punching. The inner diameter or clear width of the through-opening 9 is matched to the outer diameter of the screw rod 10b, preferably with only as small a clearance as possible.

[0047] As a result, it can be seen that at the through-opening 9 of the guide rail 3, rectangular recesses with parallel longitudinal sides and narrow sides are formed diametrically opposite to each other, and corresponding abutment tabs 21 are formed at the narrow sides. When the abutment tabs 21 are diametrically opposed, the distance between the abutment tabs or the distance between the free edges or spring edges 21b of the abutment tabs is matched to the diameter of the screw head 10a of the screw element 10 in such a way that the abutment tabs 21 or their free edges 21b abut against the screw head 10a with sufficient spring force to reliably prevent or inhibit loosening of the screw element 10.

[0048] Generally speaking, the present invention relates to a window regulator assembly 1 having an electric cable drive 2 with a housing 5, 5a, 5b and a guide rail 3 connected to the cable drive 2, the guide rail having a through-opening 9 for a screw element 10 with a screw head 10a that is aligned with the screw openings 11, 12 of the cable drive 2 and / or its housing 5, wherein at least one abutment tab 21 for abutting against the screw head 10a extends from the guide rail 3 in the region of the through-opening 9.

[0049] The present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments. On the contrary, other variants of the present invention can also be derived by those skilled in the art from the foregoing embodiments without departing from the subject matter of the present invention. In addition, all the individual features illustrated in connection with the embodiments can in particular also be combined with each other in other ways without departing from the subject matter of the present invention.

[0050] List of reference numerals

[0051] 1 Window regulator assembly

[0052] 2 Cable drive

[0053] 3 Guide rail

[0054] 4 Electric motor

[0055] 5 Housing

[0056] 5a Housing part / Transmission housing

[0057] 5b Housing part / Cable drive housing

[0058] 5c Motor housing

[0059] 6 Cable drum

[0060] 7 Transmission gear

[0061] 8 Cable groove

[0062] 9 Through-opening

[0063] 10 Screw element

[0064] 10a Screw head

[0065] 10b Screw rod

[0066] 11 Screw opening

[0067] 12 Screw opening / Screw boss

[0068] 13 Locating pin

[0069] 13a Locating boss

[0070] 14, 14a Locating opening

[0071] 15 Screw element

[0072] 16 Screw opening

[0073] 17 Screw boss

[0074] 18 Screw opening

[0075] 19 Housing arm / Housing cantilever

[0076] 20 Load-bearing structure

[0077] 21 Spring tab / Contact tab

[0078] 21a Fixed edge

[0079] 21b Free edge / Spring edge

[0080] 22 Tool receptacle

[0081] 23 Track hole / Punch hole

[0082] A Axial direction

[0083] D Axis of rotation / Screw axis

[0084] E1 Track plane

[0085] E2 Plane

[0086] R Radial direction

Claims

1. Window lifter assembly (1) for a motor vehicle, the window lifter assembly having an electric cable drive (2) with a housing (5) and a guide rail (3), the cable drive (2) being connected to the guide rail. - Among them, The guide rail (3) has at least one through-opening (9) for a screw element (10) with a screw head (10a), which is aligned with a screw opening (11, 12) of the cable drive (2) and / or its housing (5), and - wherein at least one abutment tab (21) extends from the guide rail (3) in the region of the through-opening (9) for abutting laterally or circumferentially against the screw head (10a).

2. The window lifter assembly (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The at least one abutment tab (21) extends axially with respect to the screw rotation axis (D) of the screw element (10).

3. The window lifter assembly (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The at least one abutment tab (21) is spring-elastic.

4. The window lifter assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The at least one abutment tab (21) is formed from the guide rail (3) as a stamped and bent part.

5. The window lifter assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The at least one abutment tab (21) is configured as a V-shaped or U-shaped formed part having a fixed edge (21a) formed at the guide rail (3) and a free edge or spring edge (21b) provided for abutting against the screw head (10a) of the screw element (10).

6. The window lifter assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, In the region of the through-opening (9) of the guide rail (3), two abutment tabs (21) extending opposite to each other for the screw heads (10a) of the screw elements (10) are provided.

7. The window lifter assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, At least one recess, in particular a rectangular recess, having parallel longitudinal sides and at least one narrow side, preferably opposite narrow sides, is radially connected to the through-opening (9) of the guide rail (3), and the abutment tab (21) is formed at the narrow side.

8. The window lifter assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The housing (5) of the cable drive (2) has a first housing part (5a), in particular a transmission housing, and a second housing part (5b), in particular a cable drive housing for receiving a cable drum (6), wherein a screw opening (12) for receiving the screw element (10) is provided in the first housing part (5a).

9. The window lifter assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The screw element (10), in particular a flat head screw, has a screw head (10a), in particular a round screw head (10a) with a flat spherical upper side, and a cylindrical rod section (10b) is directly connected to the screw head.

10. The window lifter assembly (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the window lifter assembly having a carrier plate (20), and the housing (5) of the cable drive (2) being fastened, in particular by screws, at least partially or locally, to the carrier plate.

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