Window regulator and drive assembly
AssigneeMerit Plastics, Inc.
InventorDonald D. Bartholomew
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There is disclosed herein an automotive window regulator and drive mechanism which includes a rotatable flexible drive shaft to transmit rotational forces from the regulator arm to a worm gear supported on a lower edge of the window. The worm gear engages a rack secured to a portion of the vehicle so as to vary the position of the window. In one embodiment, both electric motor drive and manual crank drive means are provided either of which may be selectively engaged to drive the rotatable flexible shaft. The regulator end of the flexible drive shaft may be supported in meshing engagement with a portion of the regulator drive gear by means of a pinion pivot arm which arm includes indexing gears to enable the flexible cable to track the worm gear thereby reducing the flexing of the flexible drive shaft.
Claims18
An automobile window regulator and drive mechanism comprising:
- a generally vertically extending rack;
- guide means disposed in sliding relationship with respect to a portion of said rack and movable with respect thereto, said guide means being adapted to be secured to a lower portion of a window;
- a worm gear supported on said guide means in oblique meshing engagement with said rack;
- a flexible shaft having one end drivingly connected to said worm gear;
- and
- drive means operatively connected to another end of said flexible shaft for imparting rotational movement thereto, said drive means, flexible shaft, worm gear and rack cooperating to vary the position of said window.
An automobile window regulator and drive mechanism comprising:
- a generally vertically extending rack;
- guide means disposed in sliding relationship with respect to a portion of said rack and movable with respect thereto, said guide means being adapted to be secured to a lower portion of a window;
- a worm gear supported on said guide means in oblique meshing engagement with said rack;
- drive means operatively connected to said worm gear for imparting rotational movement thereto, said drive means, worm gear and rack cooperating to vary the position of said window.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.