US2323519A - Vacuum operated window regulator - Google Patents

Description

July 6, 1943. I R E 2,323,519

VACUUM OPERATED WINDOW REGULATOR Filed Jan. 24, 1941 Q INVENTOR. J g /?0 r h. 0mm

BY ag gwxw Patented July 6, 1943 VACUUM OPERATED WINDOW REGULATOR Roy H. Dean, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Ternstedt Manufacturing Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application January 24, 1941, Serial No. 375,710

7 Claims. (Cl. 268-125) This invention relates to vacuum operated window regulators. Vacuum powered window regulators are old in the art. On of the drawbacks of this system of raising and lowering the windows is that, when the engine stops, the vacuum fails and the windows cannot be operated.

It has already been proposed to provide vacuum storage tanks to furnish a vacuum even when the engine has ceased to operate butthese are effective only for a few hours as there are always leaks which tend to equalize the pressures and then the storage tank becomes ineffective. Then, the only way that windows can be raised and lowered is to start the engine or provide an alternati e operating handle and suitable gear connections. The latter is undesirable as it involves mechanical complications and expense in providing the necessary mechanism and, furthermore, a handle has to be provided on each door. Body designers and engineers have desired to eliminate some of the control handles on an automobile door as they are quite a problem in getting in the way of the steering mechanism and also the knees of an occupant of the seat. One advantage of the power operated window regulator is that the window regulator handle can, ordinarily, be eliminated.

It is the object of the present invention to provide vacuum power for automatically operating the window regulators and to have this power always available even when the motor has stopped, thus making the windows operable with out starting the engine and without providing optional hand operators.

In the drawing:

The figure is largely a diagrammat c view showing the apparatus applied to a front door equipped with the Fisher No Draft venti ating system.

I designates the door which is shown fragmentarily. 2 is the front swinging panel and window opening. 3 is the division pillar in which is guided the vertically sliding glass 4 which is raised and lowered by a lifting arm 5 fulcrumed at 6. Almost any form of window regulator can be used. Here is shown a common form of lift ing arm which has a sliding connection in the channel I at the bottom of the window. The power arm of the bell crank is pivoted to the end of the piston rod 8 which has a connection at its other end to the piston 9 which is guided in cylindcr ID. This cylinder is pivoted at H to the front door pillar so that it may accommodate itself to the arc of swing of the power arm of the regulator. A flexible tube l2 connects with the right hand end of the cylinder and a flexible tube l3 with the left hand end of the cylinder to put these two ends of the cylinder alternately in communication with the source of vacuum or the atmosphere. This is controlled by a valve M in valve casing I5. This happens to be shown as a sliding valve but any suitable form of valve to accomplish this purpose may be used.

As shown in the drawing: Tube I2 is in communication with the atmosphere which enters through port I6 in the valve casing and tube I3 is also in communication with the atmosphere through the passageways I! through the center of the valve which lead from below the valve to above. When the valve stem I8 is pulled up, th piston valve closes the communication of passageways H with tube 13 and the vacuum tube I9 is placed in communication with tube l3 by means of the annular groove 20. It is also placed in communication with tube 21 which leads to the diaphragm motor 22. The application of the vacuum to motor 22 causes the two plates 23 of a transom rod type of clutch to release the piston rod 8. At the same time, the vacuum is applied to the right hand side of the piston 9 through tube l3 and the atmosphere to the left hand side. This will cause the piston 9 to travel from the left to the right hand end of the cylinder i0, thereby lifting window 4.

If the valve stem i8 is pushed down from the neutral position shown in the drawing, then first the tube 2| is brought into communication with the vacuum through passageway 24 registering with the annular groove 20 and then tube I2 is brought into communication with the vacuum by the inlet of tube l2 registering with the annular groove 20. The tube i3 now is in communication with the atmosphere by being open to the space in the top of the valve chamber which is in communication with the atmosphere through the passageway II to the chamber in the bottom of the valve casing. Hence, now, the vacuum is applied to the left of the piston and the atmosphere to the right. If the piston is in a position towards the right hand end of the cylinder, it will travel to the left of the cylinder and pull the window down.

The conduit l9 leads to engine manifold 25. Another conduit 26 leads to the diaphragm motor 21. When the vacuum in the manifold fails, the diaphragm 28 is pushed to the right by spring 29 closing switch 30 in the motor control circuit 3|. The switch is shown closed in the drawing. If

valve stem i8 is pushed either down or pulled up,

it will contact terminal 32 or 33, thus closing the circuit to ground through the winding 34 of the I solenoid, closing a motor switch 35 and startin the electric motor M which operates Vacuum pump P. Hence, when there is not suflicient vacuum in the manifold, an operation of the valve immediately starts the motor and the pump, creating a vacuum to furnish the vacuum to raise or lower the window. When the engine motor is running, the vacuum in the left hand chamber of the diaphragm motor 2'! will always keep the diaphragm 28 to the left and the switch stays open so that the motor M is cut out, even though the valve I8 is operated. A check valve 40 keeps the line to the manifold closed when pump P is working.

, The vacuum operated switch 30 is adjustable.

What I claim is:

1. In a vacuum operated window regulator operated from internal combustion engines, the combination of means for raising and lowering the window, a control therefor which controls both the engine vacuum and the hereinafter-mentioned independent vacuum producer, a vacuum operated motor having a connection with the engine manifold for causing the atmospheric pressure to operate said motor when the control is actuated and means connecting with said vacuum motor for producing a vacuum wholly independent of the engine suction when the vacuum in the manifold be'comes ineffective to operate the motor and only when the control is actuated to operate the window regulator.

2. In a vacuum operated window regulator operated from internal combustion engines, the combination of means for raising and lowering the window, a control therefor which controls both the engine vacuum and the hereinaftermentioned independent vacuum producer, a vacuum operated motor having a connection with the engine manifold for causing the atmospheric pressure to operate the motor when the, control is actuated and electrically powered means conmeans for raising and lowering the window, a vacuum operated motor having a connection with the engine manifold for causing atmospheric pressure to operate the mechanism, means including an electric motor and pump connecting with said motor for producing a vacuum wholly independent of the engine suction when the vacuum in the manifold becomes ineflective to operate. the motor, an electric circuit and vacuum-controlled switch for so controlling the electric motor and a valve for controlling the application of the vacuum, produced in either way, to the motor to raise or lower the window.

5. In a vacuum operated window regulator operated by engine suction. the combination of means for raising and lowering the window, a vacuum operated motor having a connection with the engine manifold for causing atmospheric pressure to operate the mechanism, supplementary means connecting with said motor for producing a vacuum wholly independent of the engine suction when the vacuum in the manifold becomes ineffective to operate the motor, a valve for controlling the application of the vacuum to the motor to raise or lower the window and means for automatically causing the operation of the supplementary means when the vacuum in the manifold becomes ineffective, comprising an elecnecting with said motor for producing a vacuum wholly'independent of the engine suction when the vacuum in the manifold becomes ineffective to operate the motor and only when the control is actuated to operate the window regulator.

3. In a vacuum operated window re ator operated by engine suction, the combination of means for raising and lowering the window, a control therefor which controls both the engine vacuum and the hereinafter-mentioned independent vacuum producer, a vacuum operated motor having a connection with the engine manifold for causing atmospheric pressure to operate the motor, means connecting with said motor for producing a vacuum wholly independent of the engine suction when the vacuum in the manifold becomes ineffective to operate: the motor and only when the control is actuated to operate the window regulator, and means automatically setting said last mentioned means in operation when the depression in the manifold falls below a given point.

4. In a vacuum operated window regulator operated by engine suction, the combination of tric circuit controlling the operation of said supplementary means and including two switches, one of which is closed when the vacuum from the engine fails and the other is closed when the said valve is operated.

6. In a vacuum operated window regulator operated by engine suction. the combination of a lifting mechanism, a vacuum motor for raising and lowering the window by means of said lifting mechanism, conduits between the vacuum motor and the source of vacuum from the engine, a valve for controlling said conduits to apply the vacuum to either one side or the other of the motor and a pump and electric motor for making connection with the vacuum motor when the vacuum in the engine fails and only when the control is actuated to operate the window regulator.

'7. In a vacuum operated window regulator operated by engine suction, the combination of a' lifting mechanism, a vacuum motor for raising and lowering the window by means of said lifting mechanism, conduits between the motor and the source of vacuum from the engine, a valve for controlling said conduits to apply the vacuum to either one side or the other of the motor, a pimp and electric motor for making connection with the vacuum motor when the vacuum in the ergine'

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