Window Regulator

Abstract

To provide a window regulator having a simple configuration, capable of being installed without being restricted by a work hole.SOLUTION: A window regulator 21 installed in an inner panel of a vehicle door comprises: a carrier plate 41 that supports a window glass W of a vehicle door 1; a guide rail 42 that supports the carrier plate 41 in a freely ascending / descending manner; a drum housing 63 in which a rail fitting part 72 for fitting a bottom end part of the guide rail 42 is formed; and a cover plate 32 that blocks a first work hole 17a of an inner panel 11. The drum housing 63 and the cover plate 32 are integrally molded.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a window regulator. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is a bottom rail type window regulator in which a drive unit is disposed at the bottom end of a guide rail (see Patent Document 1). This window regulator includes a carrier plate connected to the window glass of a vehicle, a guide rail that guides the rising and lowering of the carrier plate, a wire that pulls the carrier plate, a rotating drum that reels out or winds the wire by rotation, and a drum housing (casing) to which the bottom end of the guide rail is attached and which houses the rotating drum. In this type of window regulator, the drum housing with the guide rail attached is attached to the door panel, thereby mounting the window regulator to the door panel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-124515 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the case of a conventional window regulator, if the door panel has a service hole at the position of the drum housing, the window regulator cannot be attached to the door panel. Therefore, the window regulator must be attached so that the position of the drum housing does not overlap with the position of the service hole, which creates a problem of restrictions on the placement of the window regulator relative to the door panel.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENTS An object of the present invention is to provide a window regulator which has a simple structure and can be attached without being restricted by working holes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a window regulator that is attached to a door panel of a vehicle door, comprising: a carrier plate that supports the window glass of the vehicle door, a guide rail that supports the carrier plate so that it can be raised and lowered freely, a housing having a rail fitting portion that fits into an end of the guide rail, and a cover plate that closes an access hole in the door panel, wherein the housing and the cover plate are molded as a single unit. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The window regulator according to the present invention has a simple structure and can be attached without being restricted by an access hole. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic front view showing a window regulator according to an embodiment of the present invention and a vehicle door to which the window regulator is attached. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing a vehicle door. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2A is a front view showing the window regulator when the window glass is fully closed, and FIG. 2B is a front view showing the window regulator when the window glass is fully open. [Figure 4] 1A is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of the guide rail, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of the rail fitting portion and its surroundings. [Diagram 5] 1A is a perspective view, FIG. 1B is a front view, and FIG. 1C is a plan view showing an integrally molded drum housing and cover plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a window regulator according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. This window regulator is attached to a vehicle door and is a lifting device for raising and lowering the window glass of the vehicle door. In particular, this window regulator is formed by integrally molding a drum housing and a cover plate, enabling the window regulator to be attached without being restricted by the working holes. Hereinafter, the raising and lowering direction of the window glass will be simply referred to as the raising and lowering direction. Also, as shown in the following figures, left and right, front and rear, and up and down will be defined and described. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the raising and lowering direction coincides with the up and down direction of the window regulator, and the vehicle width direction of the vehicle coincides with the front and rear direction of the window regulator. Also, the direction orthogonal to the raising and lowering direction and the vehicle width direction is the left and right direction of the window regulator.

[0010] (Configuration of Vehicle Door) Here, prior to the description of the window regulator 21, the vehicle door 1 to which the window regulator 21 is attached will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle door 1 is composed of an inner panel 11 on the vehicle interior side, which is a door panel, and an outer panel (not shown) on the vehicle exterior side. A door internal space is formed between the inner panel 11 and the outer panel.

[0011] Also, a window opening 16 that is opened and closed by the window glass W is formed at the upper portions of the inner panel 11 and the outer panel. On the other hand, three working holes 17a, 17b, and 17c for introducing various functional components into the door internal space are formed at the lower portion of the inner panel 11. Hereinafter, the working hole 17a for introducing the window regulator 21 into the door internal space will be referred to as the "first working hole".

[0012] (Configuration of Window Regulator) As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the window regulator 21 is attached to the inner panel 11 of the vehicle door 1, and comprises a window regulator main body 31 and a cover plate 32 that supports the window regulator main body 31 and covers and closes the first working hole 17a.

[0013] 3, the window regulator body 31 includes a carrier plate 41 that supports the window glass W, a guide rail 42 that is provided along the lifting direction and supports the carrier plate 41 so that it can be lifted and lowered, an ascending wire 43 and a descending wire 44 that pull the carrier plate 41, a drive unit 45 that is disposed at the lower end of the guide rail 42 and drives the ascending wire 43 and the descending wire 44, and a pulley 46 that is fixed to the upper end of the guide rail 42 and changes the direction of the ascending wire 43. In other words, the window regulator body 31 is a wire-driven window regulator that lifts and lowers the carrier plate 41 using the wires 43 and 44, and is also a lower-end rail-type window regulator in which the drive unit 45 is disposed at the lower end of the guide rail 42. The ascending wire 43 and the descending wire 44 are examples of wires.

[0014] The guide rail 42 is a long metal member extending in the lifting / lowering direction and curved to protrude toward the outside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction. As shown in Fig. 4(a), the guide rail 42 has a flat plate portion 51 extending in the lifting / lowering direction, a right side plate portion 52 and a left side plate portion 53 standing forward from the left and right ends in the short side direction (direction perpendicular to the lifting / lowering direction) of the flat plate portion 51, and a right flange portion 54 protruding to the right from the front end of the right side plate portion 52.

[0015] 3, one end of the ascending wire 43 is connected to a rotating drum 62 (described later) of the driving unit 45, is paid out upward from the driving unit 45 and reaches the pulley 46, is redirected downward by the pulley 46, and then the other end is attached to the carrier plate 41. On the other hand, one end of the descending wire 44 is connected to the rotating drum 62 of the driving unit 45, is paid out upward from the driving unit 45, and the other end is attached to the carrier plate 41.

[0016] The carrier plate 41 is a plate-like member made of a resin such as polyacetal, and is slidably supported on the right side plate portion 52 of the guide rail 42. The carrier plate 41 is also formed with fastening holes 41a for attaching the window glass W. The fastening holes 41a are for fastening with bolts a glass holder (not shown) fixed to the window glass W, and by fastening the glass holder to the fastening holes 41a with bolts, the window glass W is attached to the carrier plate 41 via the glass holder.

[0017] The drive unit 45 includes a drive motor 61, a cylindrical rotating drum 62 that is driven to rotate by the drive motor 61 and rotates to wind and unwind (drive) the ascending side wire 43 and the descending side wire 44, a reducer (not shown) that transmits the rotation of the drive motor 61 to the rotating drum 62, a drum housing 63 into which the lower end of the guide rail 42 is fitted and which rotatably houses the rotating drum 62, and a motor housing 64 that holds the drive motor 61. The motor housing 64 incorporates the reducer and is fixed to the drum housing 63. The motor housing 64 connects the output shaft of the reducer to the rotating drum 62 and covers an opening of a drum housing portion 71 (described later) of the drum housing 63. The drum housing 63 is an example of a housing.

[0018] When the drive motor 61 is driven in the forward direction, the rotating drum 62 rotates in the forward direction, and accordingly, the descending side wire 44 is unwound while the ascending side wire 43 is wound. As a result, the carrier plate 41 is pulled by the ascending side wire 43 and moves upward in the ascending / descending direction. As a result, the window glass W attached to the carrier plate 41 rises. On the other hand, when the drive motor 61 is driven in the reverse direction, the rotating drum 62 rotates in the reverse direction, and accordingly, the ascending side wire 43 is unwound while the descending side wire 44 is wound. As a result, the carrier plate 41 is pulled by the descending side wire 44 and moves downward in the ascending / descending direction. As a result, the window glass W attached to the carrier plate 41 falls. As a result, the carrier plate 41 and the window glass W are raised and lowered along the guide rail 42.

[0019] 5, the drum housing 63 is made of a resin such as polyacetal, and is molded integrally with the cover plate 32. The drum housing 63 is also formed with a drum accommodating section 71 having an accommodating hole 71a for rotatably accommodating the rotating drum 62, a rail fitting section 72 disposed above the drum accommodating section 71 and fitting the lower end of the guide rail 42, and a first fixing section 73, a second fixing section 74, and a third fixing section 75 for fixing the motor housing 64 with screws. The first fixing section 73 is formed on the rail fitting section 72, and the second fixing section 74 and the third fixing section 75 are disposed at the lower right and lower left of the drum accommodating section 71, respectively, and are connected to the drum accommodating section 71 via a rib-shaped connecting section 76.

[0020] The rail fitting portion 72 has an open upper side and a fitting hole 72a into which the lower end of the guide rail 42 is inserted from above. As shown in FIG. 4(b), the fitting hole 72a has a shape complementary to the cross section of the guide rail 42. When the lower end of the guide rail 42 is inserted into the fitting hole 72a, the inner wall of the fitting hole 72a facing the front and back surfaces (front and rear surfaces) of the flat plate portion 51 contacts the front and rear surfaces of the flat plate portion 51 to clamp the flat plate portion 51, and the inner wall of the fitting hole 72a facing the front and rear surfaces (left and right surfaces) of the left side plate portion 53 contacts the front and rear surfaces of the left side plate portion 53 to clamp the left side plate portion 53. As a result, the lower end of the guide rail 42 is fitted into the fitting hole 72a and fixed. As a result, the lower end of the guide rail 42 is fixed to the drum housing 63.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 5, the cover plate 32 is made of a resin such as polyacetal, and integrally includes a flat plate body 81, a rising portion 82 rising rearward from the peripheral end of the plate body 81, and a protruding portion 83 protruding outward (the opposite side of the plate body 81) from the tip of the rising portion 82. The plate body 81 has the same shape as the first working hole 17a, and a convex portion consisting of the plate body 81 and the rising portion 82 is configured to fit into the first working hole 17a. Meanwhile, eight clips 84 for fastening to the inner panel 11 are attached to the protruding portion 83. The cover plate 32 is attached to the inner panel 11 by fastening the protruding portion 83 to the inner panel 11 with the eight clips 84 while fitting the plate body 81 and the rising portion 82 into the first working hole 17a.

[0022] Although not shown, a sealing material is applied between the overhanging portion 83 and the inner panel 11. This sealing material improves the watertightness between the overhanging portion 83 and the inner panel 11, and prevents water from entering the inside of the vehicle door through a gap between the cover plate 32 and the inner panel 11. Regarding this sealing material, in the present window regulator 21, it can be said that the cover plate 32 integrally molded with the drum housing 63 has the sealing material.

[0023] As described above, the cover plate 32 and the drum housing 63 are integrally molded. Specifically, the cover plate 32 and the drum housing 63 are formed by integral molding of a resin such as polyacetal. The drum housing 63 is molded on the front surface of the plate body 81, and is thereby fixed to the plate body 81.

[0024] (Installation of the window regulator 21) Next, the operation of attaching the window regulator 21 to the vehicle door 1 will be described. In the operation of attaching the window regulator 21, first, the window regulator body 31 is introduced into the door internal space through the first working hole 17a. Then, while fitting the plate body 81 and the rising portion 82 of the cover plate 32 into the first working hole 17a, the overhanging portion 83 of the cover plate 32 is fastened to the inner panel 11 by the eight clips 84. After the overhanging portion 83 is fastened to the inner panel 11, the upper end portion of the window regulator body 31 is fixed to the inner panel 11. This completes the operation of attaching the window regulator 21.

[0025] (Actions and Effects of the Embodiments) As described above, according to the configuration of the above embodiment, the drum housing 63 and the cover plate 32 are integrally molded, so that the window regulator 21 can be attached to the inner panel 11 with a simple configuration and without being restricted by the working hole 17a of the inner panel 11.

[0026] In addition, because the drum housing 63 and the cover plate 32 are molded as a single unit, there is no need to use special fastening members (bolts, nuts, etc.) to fix the drum housing 63 to the cover plate 32, and no installation work is required for the drum housing 63 to the cover plate 32, thereby reducing the manufacturing costs of the window regulator 21.

[0027] In addition, since the drum housing 63 and the cover plate 32 are integrally molded, the fastening point of the drum housing 63 to the inner panel 11 can be separated from the rail fitting portion 72. That is, since the drum housing 63 and the cover plate 32 are integrally molded, the drum housing 63 is fastened to the inner panel 11 via the cover plate 32, and the fastening point of the cover plate 32 to the inner panel 11 becomes the fastening point of the drum housing 63 to the inner panel 11. Therefore, the fastening point of the drum housing 63 to the inner panel 11 can be separated from the rail fitting portion 72, and thus, when a moment is generated with the guide rail 42 or the rail fitting portion 72 as a fulcrum, the stress applied to the fastening point can be reduced. This makes it possible to suppress damage or breakage of the drum housing 63 or the inner panel 11 when a moment is generated with the guide rail 42 or the rail fitting portion 72 as a fulcrum due to flapping of the window glass W, etc. In addition, since the number of fastening points can be increased compared to fastening the drum housing 63 directly to the inner panel 11, the stress applied to each fastening point can be dispersed and the load applied to each fastening point can be reduced.

[0028] Furthermore, instead of directly forming the guide rail 42 integrally with the cover plate 32, the drum housing 63 into which the lower end of the guide rail 42 is fitted is formed integrally with the cover plate 32, so that the guide rail 42 can be appropriately replaced with one having a different curvature or length. This allows the guide rail 42 to be appropriately replaced with one having a different curvature or length to accommodate vehicle doors 1 having different curvatures or sizes. In other words, common parts, except for the guide rail 42, can be used for vehicle doors 1 having different curvatures and sizes, and the manufacturing cost of the window regulator 21 can be reduced.

[0029] Furthermore, since the drum accommodating portion 71 and the rail fitting portion 72 are formed in the drum housing 63, the positional accuracy of the positional relationship (relative position) between the drum accommodating portion 71 and the rail fitting portion 72 can be improved.

[0030] (Other embodiments) Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-mentioned embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. It should be noted that not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the means for solving the problems of the invention. The present invention can be modified appropriately without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0031] For example, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the drum housing 63 in which the drum accommodating portion 71 is formed, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the present invention may be applied to a housing that has the rail fitting portion 72 but does not have the drum accommodating portion 71.

[0032] In addition, in the above embodiment, the drive motor 61 is disposed in front of the inner panel 11 (on the outside of the vehicle compartment), but the drive motor 61 may be disposed in the rear of the inner panel 11 (on the inside of the vehicle compartment).

[0033] In addition, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a housing disposed at the lower end of the guide rail 42, but the present invention may also be applied to a housing disposed at the upper end of the guide rail 42. In other words, the present invention may be applied to a housing in which a rail fitting portion 72 into which the upper end of the guide rail 42 is fitted is formed.

[0034] In addition, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a single-rail type window regulator 21 having a single guide rail 42, but the present invention may also be applied to a double-rail type window regulator 21 having multiple guide rails 42, etc.

[0035] In addition, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a bottom rail type window regulator 21, but the present invention may also be applied to other window regulators such as a delta type, banjo type, or self-propelled type having a different arrangement of the drive unit 45.

[0036] In the above embodiment, the window regulator 21 is attached to the left front door (i.e., the left front side door), but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the present invention may be applied to a window regulator 21 attached to a right side door, or to a window regulator 21 attached to a rear side door. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1: vehicle door, 11: inner panel, 17a: working hole, 21: window regulator, 32: cover plate, 41: carrier plate, 42: guide rail, 43: ascending wire, 44: descending wire, 62: rotating drum, 63: drum housing, 71: drum storage section, 72: rail fitting section, W: window glass

Claims

1. A window regulator that is attached to a door panel of a vehicle door, a carrier plate for supporting a window glass of the vehicle door; A guide rail that supports the carrier plate so that the carrier plate can be raised and lowered; a housing having a rail fitting portion into which an end of the guide rail is fitted; a cover plate for closing the working hole of the door panel; A window regulator, wherein the housing and the cover plate are integrally formed.

2. A wire for pulling the carrier plate; and a rotating drum that drives the wire by rotation.

2. The window regulator according to claim 1, wherein the housing further includes a drum accommodating portion for accommodating the rotating drum.

3. 3. The window regulator according to claim 1, wherein the housing and the cover plate are made of resin.

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