WO1995027117A1

WO1995027117A1 - A vehicle door

Info

Publication number: WO1995027117A1
Application number: PCT/GB1995/000669
Authority: WO
Inventors: David Ernest Biddlecombe
Original assignee: Ford Motor Company Limited; Ford Werke A.G.; Ford France S.A.; Ford Motor Company
Priority date: 1994-03-30
Filing date: 1995-03-27
Publication date: 1995-10-12
Also published as: JPH09511037A

Abstract

A vehicle door is designed so that it contains no internal wiring, even though some of the door functions are electrically operated. In particular, a window operating motor (24) can be positioned so that its electrical connections to the vehicle power supply are accessible from the hinge shut face (20) of the door, without needing to enter into the interior cavity of the door.

Description

A VEHICLE DOOR This invention relates to a vehicle door where at least some components associated with door operation are electrically operated. Such components are typically a window winder mechanism and a door locking mechanism.

The assembly of electrical wiring within the door cavity is expensive and time-consuming. In order to cut down the outlay involved in wiring the door, it has been proposed in British Patent Specification 2 212 767 to incorporate in the door construction a door cavity cover which has the desired arrangement of electrical conductors pre-formed on the surface of the cover .

Various mechanisms are known for raising or lowering a window in its guides. One known mechanism employs rigid plates hinged in a form of lazy tongs to raise or lower the window. An alternative known mechanism uses a Bowden cable, the inner cable of which passes around a drum which is turned by the motor, and is connected to an anchoring point on the window . Turning of the drum by the motor causes the end of the cable to raise or lower the window. One known form of cable mechanism is described in British Patent Specification 2 230 558.

A conventional vehicle door electric window winding mechanism is located in the door cavity, and is actuated by means of a switch. The motor for winding the window, together with any associated gearbox, is mounted in the door in a position corresponding to the position of a winding handle for a door with manually wound windows. The motor receives electric power by means of a wiring loom which passes through the door cavity.

The weight of components in the door cavity puts stress on the door hinges which may lead to fatigue and/or

failure of one or more of the mounting components.

According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle door having electrically operated windows, in which no electrical connections are made within the internal door cavity.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a vehicle door having electrically operated windows, wherein the door includes a motor for raising and lowering the windows, the motor being mounted in the door and having electrical terminals for providing power to the motor, which terminals are accessible from the hinge shut face of the door.

The hinge shut face of the door is the face which mates with the A-pillar of the door when the door is closed.

The door hinges are associated with this face.

By mounting the motor adjacent to the hinge shut face of the door the centre of mass of the door may be brought closer to the hinges, thereby reducing stress on the hinges and other mounting elements.

In a preferred embodiment any gearbox associated with the motor is mounted adjacent to the motor so that the centre of gravity of the door is brought still closer to the hinges. However a remote gearbox may also be used, connected to the motor by a cable drive or other means.

The motor may be mounted in the door cavity through an access opening in the hinge shut face of the door. The part of the motor which is then exposed at the hinge shut face may carry electrical terminals through which power is fed to the motor. The terminals may receive an end of a flying lead which can bridge the gap between the hinge shut face of the door and the A-pillar when the door is

opened, but which can be housed between these faces when the door is closed.

Alternatively, the exposed face of the motor may carry terminals which will make electrical contact with a corresponding pair of terminals mounted on the A-pillar.

In this case, electrical connection to the window operating motor will only be made when the door isclosed.

One set of terminals may be spring-biassed, so that the springs are compressed to hold the terminals in contact, when the door is closed.

The invention is suitable for use with any conventional mechanism for raising and lowering a window in its guides.

For example, a lazy tongs mechanism, or a cable mechanism.

The invention may be used with either single lift or double lift cable mechanisms. Depending on the preferred location of any gearbox associated with the motor, it may be necessary to provide some other mechanical mechanism within the door cavity to transmit the motor drive to the window itself, and this can be for example a cable drive or can be achieved by changing the geometry of the window mechanism operating arms.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which;
Figure 1 is a schematic view of a vehicle door in accordance with the prior art;
Figure 2 shows part of a first embodiment of a door according to the invention;
Figure 3 is a view corresponding to Figure 2 but showing a second embodiment of door in accordance with the invention;

Figure 4 is a schematic representation of a vehicle door in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; and
Figure 5 is a schematic representation of a vehicle door in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

The vehicle door 10 shown in Figure 1 has a .window 12 surrounded by a window frame 14 and a lower portion 16 formed by an inner and an outer skin which define between them a door cavity. The door will be hung in a vehicle by means of hinges 18 at a hinge shut face 20.

Conventional doors have a number of electrically operated functions. Illustrated schematically in Figure 1 is a window glass 12 which may be wound up and down by means of an electrically powered window motor 24. A loudspeaker 26 forming part of the car's audio system may be mounted in the door and a door mounted rear view mirror 28 is also provided.

Each of these mechanisms 24,26 and 28 require electrical wiring to provide power and/or signal inputs to the mechanisms.

To avoid having to place any wires at all inside the door cavity, the invention proposes to mount the rear view mirror 28 on the vehicle A-pillar and to mount the audio system speaker 26 either on the A-pillar or on the instrument panel or in the driver's footwell.

The window motor 24 is moved to the hinge shut face 20 of the door and is provided with power as illustrated in either Figure 2 or Figure 3.

Figure 2 shows that the window motor 24 has been moved so

that one end of the motor casing is exposed at the hinge shut face 20 of the door. This end face of the motor is denoted by reference 30 and carries two projecting, spring-loaded electrically conductive terminals 32,34.

On the A-pillar 36 are two corresponding terminal plates 38,40 and when the door closes, the terminals 32,34 will press against the plates 38,40 respectively to make an electrical connection. Once in this condition, electrical power can be passed to the motor 24 to raise or lower the windows.

Because the motor has been moved from a relatively central position within the door cavity to the edge of the door cavity, it may be necessary to provide some other mechanical mechanism within the door cavity to transmit the motor drive to the window itself, and this can be for example a cable drive or can be achieved by changing the geometry of the window mechanism operating arms.

In place of the spring-loaded terminals 32 and 34 and the contact plates 38 and 40, the motor 24 can be connected to the wiring harness in the vehicle through a flying lead 42 (Figure 3) in order to allow operation of the window motor 24 when the door is open as well as when it is closed. The lead 24 ends in a plug 44 which can be easily connected to a corresponding socket on the housing of the motor 24, where this housing is exposed at the hinge shut face 20 of the door.

In both the embodiments shown in Figures 2 and 3, the motor 24 can be mounted in the door by inserting it axially through an opening in the hinge shut face of the door. This does not require any access to the interior of the door cavity.

The flying lead 42 shown in Figure 3 can be protected by a flexible rubber boot where it extends between the A-

pillar and the door itself.

The door shown in Figure 4 has a window glass 12 which is slideably mounted in a pair of guides (not shown) so that the window glass 12 is moveable between a lower position in which the window is open, an upper position in which the window is closed, and any intermediate position. The window glass 12 is moved up or down by a window lift 8, the movement of which is controlled by a 'cable 13. The cable 13 is wound by means of the motor 24 and a gearbox 15. The motor 24 and gearbox 15 directly substitute for a manual winding handle having a winding arc 11. The motor 24 is connected to the wiring harness of the vehicle by means of a wiring loom which is disposed within the door cavity. The a motor 24 is connected to the gearbox 15 by a Bowden cable 22.

The motor 24 is connected to the vehicle wiring harness by a flying lead 42 so that no electrical connections are made within the door cavity.

Location of the motor 24 adjacent to the hinge shut face 20 of the door moves the centre of mass of the door closer to the hinge shut face 20, and thereby reduces stress on the hinges 18 when the door is hung in a vehicle.

The door shown in Figure 5 is similar to the door of Figure 4, but the gearbox 15 is now located adjacent to the motor 24 at the hinge shut face 20 of the door instead of in the region of the handle winding arc 11. This further shifts the centre of mass of the door towards the hinges 18, and it avoids the need to use a connecting Bowden cable 22. The cable 13 is suitably repositioned within the door cavity for use with the new motor and gearbox arrangement.

Figures 2 and 3 also show a rear view mirror 28a mounted on the A-pillar 36, in place of on the door.

The measures described make it possible to eliminate all

internal wiring from the door, thus reducing door assembly time and cost and reducing complexity.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A vehicle door having electrically operated windows, in which no electrical connections are made within the internal door cavity.

2. A vehicle door having electrically operated windows, wherein the door includes a motor for raising and lowering the windows, the motor being mounted in the door and having electrical terminals for providing power to the motor, which terminals are accessible from the hinge shut face of the door.

3. A vehicle door as claimed in Claim 2, further including a gearbox which is mounted adjacent to the motor.

4. A vehicle door as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the motor is mounted in the door cavity through an access opening in the hinge shut face of the door.

5. A vehicle door as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the part of the motor which is exposed at the hinge shut face carries electrical terminals through which power is fed to the motor.

6. A vehicle door as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the terminals receive an end of a flying lead which bridges the gap between the hinge shut face of the door and the A-pillar when the door is opened, but which can be housed between these faces when the door is closed.

7. A vehicle door as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the exposed face of the motor carries terminals which will make electrical contact with a corresponding pair of terminals mounted on the A-pillar. <Desc/Clms Page number 9> 8. A vehicle door as claimed in Claim 7, wherein one set of terminals is spring-biassed, so that the springs are compressed to hold the terminals in contact, when the door is closed.