Motor vehicle window construction with pull-pull cable system

A multi-pane window construction in a motor vehicle, the window construction comprising, in combination:

• frame means mounted in a window opening of a motor vehicle body, comprising a circumferential frame member having substantially vertical right and left portions interconnected by substantially horizontal upper and lower portions, with a first cable directional block integral with the lower horizontal portion of the frame member;
• at least one fixed-position pane mounted in the frame means;
• a slider subassembly comprising a transparent pane and being slidably mounted in the frame means for sliding laterally between a full open position and a closed position in a laterally extending slider travel channel in the lower horizontal portion of the frame member;
• and
• a pull-pull cable drive subassembly for moving the slider subassembly laterally back and forth between its full open position and closed position, the pull-pull cable drive subassembly comprising:
• drive apparatus mounted to the motor vehicle body remote from the circumferential frame member, comprising a drive motor having an output member and a drive drum operatively engaging the output member for rotation upon actuation of the drive motor;
• and
• drive cable wrapped around the drive drum and having a first end attached to the slider subassembly at a first location and a second end attached to the slider subassembly at a second location remote from the first location, for pulling the slider subassembly substantially laterally in a first direction toward its full open position upon rotation of the drive drum in a first rotational direction and for pulling the slider subassembly substantially laterally in a second direction toward its closed position upon rotation of the drive drum in an opposite rotational direction, the slider subassembly and drive cable together forming a closed loop from the drive drum, with at least a first drive cable segment which extends from the drive drum to the slider subassembly at the first location being within a first cable channel and at least a second drive cable segment which extends from the drive drum to the slider subassembly at the second location being within a second cable channel, the first and second cable channels being formed at least in part by the lower portion of the circumferential frame member;
• wherein a section of the first drive cable segment extends in a first cable channel in the substantially horizontal lower portion of the frame member, and the first cable directional block forms a curved internal passageway guiding the drive cable from the first cable channel to a first entry point, an outer conduit of the first drive cable segment having a first end secured to the drive apparatus and a second end secured to the first cable directional block at the first entry point.

A retrofitting kit for retrofitting a manual-slide window construction installed in a motor vehicle to be power operated, the window construction comprising a circumferential frame and a transparent pane slidably mounted in the frame for sliding laterally back and forth between an open position and a closed position, the transparent pane having an inside surface facing a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle body and a peripheral edge including a horizontal lower edge portion slidingly received in a laterally extending slider travel channel in a lower horizontal portion of the frame, the retrofitting kit comprising:

• left and right cable fasteners for attachment to the transparent pane, each having a slotted flange for holding a drive cable end fitting;
• left and right conduit attachment brackets for attachment to the window construction remote from the transparent pane each forming a curved internal passageway;
• drive apparatus for mounting to the motor vehicle remote from the window construction, the drive apparatus comprising a drive motor having an output member and a drive drum operatively engaging the output member for rotation upon actuation of the drive motor;
• and
• drive cable in a conduit for operatively interconnecting the drive apparatus to the transparent pane for pull-pull powered opening and closing of the window construction by actuation of the drive motor for forward and reverse rotation of the drive drum, respectively, wherein (a) a first end of the conduit is attachable to the left conduit attachment bracket and a corresponding first drive cable end fitting being attachable to the left cable fastener, and (b) a second end of the conduit being attachable to the right conduit attachment bracket and a corresponding second drive cable end fitting being attachable to the right cable fastener.

A window construction installed in a window opening of a motor vehicle body, comprising:

• a circumferential frame and a transparent pane slidably mounted in the frame for sliding laterally back and forth between an open position and a closed position, the transparent pane having an inside surface facing a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle body and a peripheral edge including a horizontal lower edge portion slidingly received in a laterally extending slider travel channel in a lower horizontal portion of the frame;
• a left conduit attachment bracket mounted to the window construction to the left of, and remote from, the transparent pane and a right conduit attachment bracket mounted to the window construction to the right of, and remote from, the transparent pane each conduit forming a curved internal passageway;
• an elongate bracket adhesively bonded to an inside surface of the transparent pane substantially parallel the lower horizontal edge, having a left cable fastener at a left edge of the transparent pane and a right cable fastener at a right cable edge of the transparent pane;
• drive apparatus mounted to the motor vehicle remote from the circumferential frame, comprising a drive motor having an output member and a drive drum operatively engaging the output member for rotation upon actuation of the drive motor;
• and
• drive cable in a conduit operatively interconnecting the drive apparatus to the transparent pane for pull-pull powered opening and closing of the window construction by actuation of the drive motor for forward and reverse rotation of the drive drum, respectively, the first end of the conduit being attached to the left conduit attachment bracket and a second end of the conduit being attached to the right conduit attachment bracket, a first end of the drive cable being attached to the left cable fastener and a second end of the drive cable being attached to the right cable fastener, the drive cable and transparent pane together forming a closed loop from the drive drum.

A motor vehicle window construction in a motor vehicle, comprising, in combination:

• frame means for mounting mounted in a window recess in the a vehicle body comprising a circumferential frame member with a first cable directional block contacting a lower horizontal portion of the frame member;
• a slider subassembly comprising a transparent pane and being slidably mounted in the frame means for sliding laterally back and forth between a full open position and a closed position in a laterally extending slider travel channel in the lower horizontal portion of the frame member;
• and
• a pull-pull cable drive subassembly for moving the slider subassembly laterally back and forth between its full open and closed positions, the pull-pull cable drive subassembly comprising:
• drive apparatus mounted to the vehicle body remote from the circumferential frame member, comprising a drive motor having an output member and a drive drum operatively engaging the output member for rotation upon actuation of the drive motor;
• and
• drive cable attached to the slider subassembly and wrapped around the drive drum for pulling the slider subassembly substantially laterally in a first direction toward its full open position upon rotation of the drive drum in a first rotational direction, and for pulling the slider subassembly substantially laterally in a second direction toward its closed position upon rotation of the drive drum in an opposite rotational direction, the slider subassembly and drive cable together forming a closed loop from the drive drum, with a first drive cable segment extending laterally from the slider subassembly toward a left side of the frame member and a second drive cable segment extending laterally from the slider subassembly toward a right side of the frame member;
• wherein a section of the first drive cable segment extends in a first cable channel in the substantially horizontal lower portion of the frame member, and the first cable directional block forms a curved internal passageway guiding the drive cable from the first cable channel to a first entry point.