US2665904A - Automatic-manual window operator - Google Patents

Description

Jan: 12, 1954 I- N 2,665,904

AUTOMATIC-MANUAL WINDOW OPERATOR Filed Dec. 29, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l Ihwentor attorneys 1954 H. G. LEHMANN AUTOMATIC-MANUAL WINDOW OPERATOR 3 Sheets -Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 29, 1950 3110mm lie/"15am 6 leivma/m Gttornegs Jan. 12, 1954 LEHMANN 2,665,904

AUTOMATIC-MANUAL WINDOW OPERATOR Filed Dec. 29, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Bnventor Gttornegs Patented Jan. 12, 1954- STT AUTOMATIC-MANUAL WINDOW OPERATOR Application December 29, 1950, Serial No. 203,399

14 Claims.

This invention relates to manualand poweroperated windows, such as are found in automobiles and the like.

The invention is concerned with improvements in the power-operated window described and claimed in the copending application of Joseph H. Cone, Serial No. 195,624, filed November 14, 1950, entitled Power-Operated Window.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved manualand power-operated window mechanism wherein opening and closing of the window may be effected either manually or by power at the will of the operator, without resorting to presetting or change-over operations or the like to shift from one type of operation to the other.

Another object of the invention i to provide an improved manualand power-operated window mechanism for opening and closing the window either manually or by power, wherein the window is automatically locked in adjusted position and automatically released prior to its being opened or closed manually or by power.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved window mechanism according to the foregoing, wherein the manually operable member of the mechanism is stationary when the window is being actuated by power.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved manualand power-operated window mechanism for both opening and closing the window, which is so organized and arranged that manual actuation of the window may be effected without resorting to any disconnect operation between the power unit and the window whatsoever, thus simplifying the mechanism involved.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved window actuating mechanism as set forth in the immediately preceding paragraph, wherein the window is automatically locked in adjusted position at all times that it is not being operated.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved manualand power-operated mechanism according to all the foregoing, which is simple and compact in construction, economical to fabricate and reliable in operation at all times.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of window operating mechanism, wherein hand power may be utilized to supplement the power operator should the window be difiicult to shift initially, as when it become frozen to the uide strips, or frames, etc.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In th accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the improved manualand power-operated window mechanism of this invention, part of the manual operating mechanism not being shown.

Fig. 2 is a detail partly in elevation and partly in section, looking in the direction of the arrows 22 in Fig. 1, the parts of the mechanism being in the position they assume when the window is being power-operated.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view lik Fig. 2, but with the parts in the positions they assume when the window is being operated manually.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section, enlarged, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, the vertical section being taken on line t6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a circuit diagram of the electrical portion of the window mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a detail showing a modified form of locking means for use with themechanism of Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation, the section being taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Referring to Fig. l, a windowpane i6 is shown, mounted on a bottom frame member I l of channel or similar shape, the frame member being secured to the pane it in any suitable manner.

Where the windowpane It is to constitute one of the windows of an automobile, it may be carried in side channels or guides (not shown) as is well understood.

For actuating the windowpane iii the frame m mber H is provided with brackets l2 having slots is accommodating pins It carried by the ends of levers I5. At other ends, the levers l5 are connected by pivot pins it with uprights I? and !'ia, the levers crossing each other when the windowpane i8 is in fully lowered position as shown, and being pivctally connected together by a pivot pin l8. 1

The upright ii is fixedly mounted on a base i5 carried by a bracket 20, and the upright Ha is pivotally mounted on the base If In Fig. l, the raised position of the windowpane ii! is shown by a broken outline 2|, and

positions of the levers it are shown by broken outlines 22 and 23, corresponding to both the raised position of the windowpane l9 and also the half-raised or half-lowered position of the windowpane respectively.

For the purpose of operating the windowpane ID by power, an electric motor 24 is provided, carried by a bracket 25 which is secured to the upright ll. The motor 25 is connected through an impositive drive mechanism with one of the levers 15 to actuate the same for lowering and raising the window. This impositive drive mechanism, as shown in Figs. and 6, comprises a link 26 pivotally joined to one lever 55 by a pivot pin 21, the link being carried in a rigid tubular sheath or tube 23 secured to the upper casing part 29 of the motor 24. Within the casing part 29 are divergent shafts 30 carrying worm wheels 3| driven by a worm 32 mounted on the shaft 33 of the motor 24. The shafts 38 carry friction wheels or pulleys 34 which frictionally' engage a flexible driving element or strip 35 connected to the lower end of the driving link 25. The flexible strip 35 passes between the pulleys. 34 and is under continual pressure therefrom, and when in retracted position as shown in Fig. 6 extends within a tubular sheath 36 which may have a curved or circular shape as shown in Fig. 1.

Reference may be had to the copending application of Joseph H. Cone above referred to, for further details on the friction drive between the motor 24 and the windowpane It.

By the present invention, in combination with the powered friction drive described above there is provided a novel means to enable the window to be easily and conveniently manually actuated when so desired, together with means for automatically locking the window in any adiusted position- Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the frame structure which carries the windowpane Ill is shown as having spaced parallel walls 31 and 38 which rotatably carry a shaft 39 having at one end an segment 46 which is rigidly fastened to one of the levers L5, and said gear has a hub Ma provided with a round bore for receiving the circular portion 4! of the shaft 39.

Adjacent the gear 43 a bell crank $7 is mounted, having an arm t8 adapted to extend between the teeth of the gear 45 and lock the latter against turning. The bell crank E! has a second arm 49 connected with a plunger 56 of an electric solenoid 5! whereby the arm #8. may be shifted out of engagement with the teeth of the gear 43 as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be understood that whenever the bell crank is engaging the teeth of the gear 53 the gear segment 66 will be looked, as will the windowpane H3, and whenever the bell crank is out of engagement with the gear 43 the gear segment 46 and the windowpane it will be free for movement.

Energization of the solenoid 5| is automatically effected prior to energization of the motor 2 whereby automatic unlocking of the windowpane Hi will be had whenever the motor is energized to operate the windowpane.

In accomplishing this I employ a switch means and circuit as illustrated in Fig. 7. As shown,

iii)

the motor 24 has an armature 52 connected by a wire 53 with a battery 54, which for example may be the battery of the car on which the window mechanism is installed. A wire 55 leads from the armature 52 to a center tap 56 of a field coil 51. One end of the field coil 51 is connected by a wire 58 with a contact 59 of a switch 66,. and the other end is. connected by a wire 6| with an opposite switch contact 62. The solenoid 5! is connected by a wire 63 to the wire 53, and by a wire 64 to another set of opposite contacts 55 and 55 of the switch Ell.

The switch 6% may be of the telephone, lever type, having a blade 61 connected by a wire 68 with the battery 5 1'. When the blade 6'! is moved from: centralized position in one direction or the other it will first engage and energize one or the other or the contacts 65, 66 and will thereafter cause said one contact to engage and energize the corresponding one of the contacts 59, 62. Thus, for operation of the switch Ell in either one direction or the other the solenoid 5i will first be energized, and thereafter the motor 54 will be energized. Movement of the switch blade 67 in one direction will cause forward rotation of the motor 2 5,, and movement in the. other direction will cause reverse rotation, of the motor.

In accordance with this invention means are provided whereby the windowpane l0 may be raised or lowered manually, either in conjunction with the motor 24 or independently of the motor, by turning the handle 40, such means however enabling the handle 40. to remain stationary whenever the window is being power! operated.

Accordingly, referring to Fig. 2, I. provide a pinion 69 on the round portion 4| of the shaft 39, said. pinion being axially slidable on. said shaft portion and being engageable. with the gear segment 48. The pinion 59 has a hub 10 provided with. a V-slot. ll accommodating a pin 12 carried by'the shaft portion 4i. Engageable with the pinion 69 at all times is a gear 13 rotatably carried on a stud M, said gear having its turning retarded by friction means comprising a compression spring 15 and abutment washer 16. The purpose or" the gear [3 is to provide. a drag at all times on the pinion 69. Accordingly, whenever the handle wis turned, the pin 72 on the shaft 39 will ride along one or the other of the sloping portions of the V-slot H, thereby camming the pinion 69 to the left. The drag. produced on, the pinion 59 by the gear 13 is suflicient to insure such camming and axial movement of the pinion. In so moving, the pinion will displace the locking gear 44 from engagement with the gear segment 46, shifting the locking gear to the left and compressing the spring 45, all as shown in Fig. 4. In place of the gear 44 meshing with the gear segment 46, the pinion 69 will now mesh with the gear segment. This. will automatically unlock the gear segment and at the same time simultaneously provide for movement of the gear segment and of the windowpane when the handle 40 is turned. Accordingly the handle 45 may be operated to either raise or lower the window i0 whenever desired, since the window is always first automatically unlocked by disengagement of the gear 44 from the segment 46.

The friction existing between the driving strip and the friction pulleys 34 is such that slippage can occur whenever the handle 49 is turned. As soon as the handle is released, the spring will extend itself and return the gear 44 into engagement with the segment 46, again locking the window and disengaging the pinion 69 and handle 40.

Accordingly it will be seen that, by the present invention, I have provided a novel and improved window operating mechanism whereby the window may be raised by power by energizing the motor 24, or may be raised manually by turning the handle 40, such mechanism being so arranged that during power operation of the window the handle 40 will not turn, yet manual operation may be efiected by the mere act of turning the handle without first resetting or converting the mechanism for manual operation. In addition, I have provided means automatically locking the windowpane in any adjusted position whenever it is not being actuated either manually or by power. The mechanism I have provided is simple and economical in construction, relatively small and compact, and is reliable in operation at all times.

In addition to independent actuation of the windowpane l by either the power means or the manual means, it should be noted that both of these may be simultaneously employed if desired. Thus if a window should become stuck for some reason, as for example, if it is frozen to the frame because of sleet, ice, etc., both the handle 40 and the motor 24 may be employed to shift the window.

A modification of the invention is shown in Figs. 8 and 9. In this modification, automatic locking of the windowpane I0 is efiected by means directly engageable with the gear segment 46. As shown, a bracket 71 is mounted on the upright I! and carries the unlocking solenoid i and plunger 50. The plunger 50 is connected to a lever 78 mounted on the bracket 71, having an arm 19 engageable with the teeth of the gear segment 46. The lever 18 has a second arm. 80 engageable with a flange 8! carried by the pinion 69. Whenever the solenoid 5| is energized, as shown in Fig. 9, it will disengage the arm 19 from the gear segment 46, releasing the gear segment and the windowpane 10 for movement. De-energizing of the solenoid will result in the arm 19 again engaging the segment 46 to lock the window. If the window is to be operated manually, turning of the handle and shifting of the pinion 69 to the right as viewed in Fig. 9 will cause the flange 8| thereof to engage and move the lever arm 80, thereby disengaging the lever arm 19 from the gear segment 46 to unlock the latter prior to the pinion 69 meshing with said segment. Upon removal of force from the handle 40 the spring wil1 return the pinion 69 to the left, out of engagement with the gear segment 46.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. The combination of a windowpane; means for mounting the windowpane on a support for movement between open and closedpositions; power means connected with said mounting means and windowpane, for opening and closing the latter; a manually-operable member turnable with respect to said mounting means; and means including a clutch for opening and closing the windowpane in response to solely turning movement of said member, said clutch being normally disengaged when turning force is removed from the manually-operable member to enable the windowpane to be actuated by said power means without causing movement of said member.

2. The combination of a windowpane; means for mounting the windowpane on a support for movement between open and closed positions; means connected with said mounting means and windowpane and including a power unit, for actuating the windowpane, said means further including a friction drive which slips when overloaded, said drive enabling the windowpane to be moved while the power unit is at a standstill; a manually-operable member turnable with respect to said mounting means; and means for actuating the windowpane solely in response to turning movement of said member, said means being normally inoperative when turning force is removed from the manually-operable member and enabling the windowpane to be actuated by said power means without causing movement of said member.

3. The combination of a windowpane; means for mounting the windowpane on a support for movement between open and closed positions; means connected with said mounting means and windowpane and including a power unit, for

opening and closing the windowpane, said means further including a friction drive which slips when overloaded, said drive enabling the windowpane to be moved while the power unit is' at a standstill; a manually-operable member turnable with respect to said mounting means; and means for opening and closing the windowpane in response to solely turning movement of said member, said means including gears normally out of mesh when turning force is removed from the manually-operable member to enable the windowpane to be actuated by said power means without causing movement of said member, and including a cam mechanism between the member and one of said gears, operable to advance: the gear into mesh whenever the member is turned.

4. The combination on? a windowpane; means for mounting the windowpane on a support for movement between open and closed positions;

means including a power unit, connected with said mounting means and windowpane for actuating the latter, said means further including a,

friction drive which slips when overloaded, said drive enabling the windowpane to be moved while the power unit is at a standstill; a manually-operable member turnable with respect to said mounting means; and means for actuating the windowpane in response to turning of said member, said latter actuation being accompanied by slippage of said friction drive.

5. The combination of a windowpane; means for mounting the windowpane on a support for movement between open and closed positions; means including a power unit, connected with said mounting means and windowpane for actuating the latter, said means further including an impositive friction drive mechanism enabling the windowpane to be moved while the power unit is at a standstill when slippage occurs in said mechanism; a manually-operable member turnable with respect to said mounting means; and means for actuating the windowpane in response to turning of said member, said latter actuation being accompanied by slippage of said friction drive.

- 6. The combination of a windowpane; means for mounting the windowpane on a supportjor movement between open and closed positions; means including a power unit,connected with said mounting means and windowpane for actuating the latter, said means further including a slip; drive comprising a push-pull strip and a pair of juxtaposed power-driven friction wheels engaging opposite sides of said strip to enable the windowpane to be moved while the power unit is at. a standstill; a manually-operable member turnable with. respect to said mounting means; and means. for actuating the window'pane in response to turning of said member, said latter actuation being accompanied by slippage of said strip on said friction wheels.

7. The combination of a windowpane; means for mounting the windowpane on a support for movement between open and closed positions; means connected with said mounting means and windowpane and including a power unit, for opening and closing the windowpane; said meansfurther including a friction drive which slips when overloaded, said drive enabling the windowpane to be moved while the power unit is at a standstill; a manually-operable member turnable with respect to said mounting means; means for opening and closing the windowpane in response to solely turning movement of said memher, said means including gears normally out of mesh when turning force is removed from the manually operable member to enable the windowpanc to be actuated by said power means without causing movement of said member, and including a cam mechanism between the member and one of said gears, operable to advance the gear into mesh whenever the member is turned; means normally locking the windowpane against movement; and means rendering said locking means inoperative inresponse to advance of said one gear into mesh.

3, The combination of a windowpane; means for mounting-the windowpane on a support for movement between open and closed positions; means connected with said mounting means and windowpane and including a power unit, for opening and closing the windowpane, said means further including a friction drive which slips when overloaded, said drive enabling the windowpane to be moved while the power unit is at a standstill; a manually-operable member turnable with respect to said mounting means; means for opening and closing the windowpane in resonse to solely turning movement of said memher, said means including gears normally out of mesh when turning force is removed from the manually operable member to enable the windowpane to be actuated by said power means without causing movement of said member, and including a cam mechanism between the member and one of said gears, operable to advance the gear into mesh whenever the member is turned; means normally locking the windowpane against movement; means rendering aid locking means inoperative. in response to advance of said one gear into mesh; and means rendering said looking means inoperative when the power unit is operative.

9. The combination of a windowpane; means for mounting the windowpane on a support for movement between open and closed positions; means including a power unit, connected with said mounting means and windowpane for actuating the latter, said means further including a friction drive which slip when overloaded, said drive enabling the windowpane to be moved while the power unit is at a standstill; a manually-op arable member turnable with respect to said mounting means; means for actuating the wintuating the windowpanc, said means further in-- cluding a friction drive which slips when overloaded, said drive enabling the windowpane to, be moved while. the power unit is at a standstill; a

manually-operable member turnable with respect to said mounting means; means for actuating the windowpane in response to solely turning movement of said member, said means being normally inoperative when turning force is removed from the manually-operable member and enabling the Windowpane to be actuated by said power means without causing movement of said member; means normally locking the windowpane against. movement; and means rendering said locking means inoperative in response to initial turning movement of said member.

11. The combination of a windowpane; means for mounting the windowpane on a support for movement between open and closed positions; means connected with said mounting means and windowpane and including a power unit, for actuating the windowpane, said means further including a friction drive which slips when overloaded, said drive enabling the windowpane to be moved while the power unit is at a standstill; a manually-operable member turnable with respect to said mounting means; means for actuating the windowpane in response to solely turning movement of said member, said means being normally inoperative when turning force is removed from the manually-operable member and enabling the windowpane to be actuated by said power means without causing movement of said member; means normally locking the windowpane against movement; means rendering said locking means inoperative in response to initial turning movement of said member; and means rendering said locking means inoperative when the power unit is operative.

12. The combination of a windowpane; means for mounting the windowpane on a. support for movement between open and closed positions; power means connected with said mounting means and windowpane, for actuating the latter; a manually-operable member turnable with respect to said mounting means; means for actuating the windowpane in response to solely turning movement of said member, said means being normally inoperative when turning force is removed from the manually-operable member and enabling the windowpane to be actuated by said power means without causingmovenient of said member; means normally locking the windowpane against movement; and means rendering said locking means inoperative in response to initial turning movement of said member.

13. The combination of a windowpane; means for mounting the windowpane on a support for movement between open and closed positions; power means connected with said mountin means and windowpane, for actuating the latter:

a manually-operable member turnable with respect to said mounting means; means for actuating the windowpane in response to solely turning movement of said member, said means being normally inoperative when turning force is removed from the manually-operable member and eabling the windowpane to be actuated by said power means without causing movement of said member; means normally locking the windowpane against movement; means rendering said locking means inoperative in response to initial turning movement of said member; and means rendering said locking means inoperative when the power means is operative. p

14. The combination of a windowpane; means for moimting the windowpane on a support for movement between open and closed positions; power means connected with said mounting means and windowpane, for actuating the latter; a manually-operable member turnable with respect to said mounting means; means including gears arranged to mesh with each other when the member is turned, for actuating the windowpane in response to turning movement of said member, said gears being normally out of mesh when turning force is removed from the manuallyoperable member to enable the windowpane to be actuated by said power means without causing movement of said member; means including a locking gear meshing with one of said first-mentioned gears, normally locking the windowpane against movement; and means for shifting said locking gear out of mesh when the first-mentioned gears are brought into mesh, thereby rendering said locking means inoperative in response to initial turning movement of said member.

HERBERT G. LEHMANN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,070,167 Nitschke Aug. 17, 1913 2,359,490 Rappl Oct. 3, 1944 2,548,847 Rossman et a1 Apr. 10, 1951

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