Nippondenso Co., Ltd.

Asmo Co., Ltd.

Isaku Kawashima

Makoto Watanabe

Akinori Yamamoto

Kiyomitsu Oshikawa

Takenori Kuno

Yoshiaki Harakawa

Kazunori Nakayama

An antenna rod, which is extendible and retractable, is moved up and down by a cable with a rack, and the cable is moved with rotation of a pinion gear. The rotational force of a DC motor is transferred to the pinion gear by a route of a worm, a worm wheel, gears, a damper gear, and a damper. The damper is a coil of resilient metal wire, and both ends of the coiled wire, respectively, engage stopping members, which are provided at the center portions of the damper gear and the pinion gear. When the pinion gear is at a standstill, the rotational energy of the damper gear is accumulated in the damper. The motor is rotated under control of a control circuit in response to the operation of a switch. The drive current for the motor is shut off by a detecting signal from a lock detector during the course of accumulating the rotational energy by the damper. The lead angle of the teeth of the worm is large so that the rotational energy stored in the damper is transferred to the motor.

Apparatus for reducing stress on component elements during extension and

A motor serves to move a vehicle movable accessory. When the accessory is required to move, the motor is activated. Load on the motor is sensed. When the sensed load exceeds a reference level, the motor is deactivated. After the motor is deactivated, a device inhibits activation of the motor which induces movement of the accessory in a direction same as a direction of movement of the accessory during a period preceding the deactivation of the motor. The inhibition of activation of the motor is cancelled when the accessory is required to move in a direction different from a direction of movement of the accessory during a period preceding the deactivation of the motor.

Drive system for a vehicle accessory

Growing community of inventors

Kosai, Japan

Isaku Kawashima