Vehicle Window Lifter Housing Assembly for Dry-Side Service Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing window lifter housing assemblies in vehicle doors require screw connections that are inaccessible from the dry room side, making disassembly and repair of the cable drive components difficult.

Innovation Solution

A housing assembly design with two housing parts, one for the cable drum and one for the electric motor, featuring through-openings and screw domes aligned for screw elements, allowing access from the dry room side for loosening and tightening, and incorporating a secondary tool holder for enhanced accessibility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the housing parts are screwed together from the wet room side towards the dry room, then the screw connection is secure and waterproof, but the screw elements become inaccessible from the dry room side for disassembly and repair

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescrew connection securityVSAvoidaccessibility of screw elements
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The housing assembly is divided into a first housing part (wet room side) and a second housing part (dry room side) with through-openings that allow screw elements to be accessed from both sides. This segmentation enables the screw connection to be secured from the wet room side while remaining accessible from the dry room side for disassembly and repair.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The screw elements are designed to be accessible through the thickness/dimension of the housing assembly by providing through-openings in both housing parts. This dimensional approach allows the same screw connection to serve dual purposes: securing the assembly from the wet room side and enabling disassembly from the dry room side.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Device complexity

If the electric motor and gearbox are installed on the support plate, then the cable drive is compact and integrated, but disassembly requires complete removal of the door module

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveintegration of cable driveVSAvoiddisassembly requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The cable drive is segmented into a modular housing assembly with through-openings that allow access to screw elements from the dry room side. This segmentation enables the electric motor and gearbox to remain integrated on the support plate while allowing partial disassembly for repair without removing the entire door module.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The housing assembly is extracted as a separate modular unit from the door module, with through-openings that provide access to the screw elements. This extraction allows the cable drive components to be serviced independently without requiring complete removal of the door module from the vehicle.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Stability of the object's composition

If the screw elements are self-locking, then the housing assembly remains secure during operation, but the screw connection cannot be loosened without special tools or procedures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehousing assembly securityVSAvoidloosening of screw connection
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The housing assembly is segmented with through-openings in both the first and second housing parts, allowing screw elements to be accessed from the dry room side. This segmentation maintains self-locking security during operation while enabling loosening with standard tools from the accessible dry room side.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of making the screw elements non-self-locking to enable easy loosening, the invention inverts the approach by maintaining self-locking features for security while providing alternative access paths through the housing assembly. This allows the screw connection to remain secure during operation but be loosened from the dry room side when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP4423356B1Door module and housing assembly of a vehicle window lifter
Publication Date: 2025.07.02 BROSE FAHRZEUGTEILE GMBH & CO KG
  • EP4423356B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4423356B1 patent drawingFigure 2a
  • EP4423356B1 patent drawingFigure 2b

AI summary

The invention relates to a door module (1) for a vehicle door of a motor vehicle, having a support panel (2) with a window lifter cable drive (3) which is mounted or can be mounted on the support panel, said cable drive (3) being coupled to a cable drum (4) for a traction cable (6) which is connected or can be connected to a pane carrier (9); a first housing part (5a) which receives the cable drum (4) and comprises through-openings (18) for screw elements (19); and a second housing part (5b) which is paired with the cable drive (3) and has screw bosses (20) corresponding to the through-openings (18) for the screw elements (19), wherein the first housing part (5a) is arranged on a first panel face (N) and the second housing part (5b) is arranged on an opposite second panel face (T) of the support panel (2), and each screw element (19) has a screw head (19a) with a first tool receiving area (25) and a threaded shaft (19b) with a shaft tip (19c) and a second tool receiving area (26) on or in the shaft tip (19c) such that each screw element (19) can be actuated on the second panel face (T) in order to uninstall the second housing part (5b) which is screwed together with the first housing part (5a).