Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

William L Priest

Kevin W Wright

Mark Duane Nicholas

David E Compeau

Lloyd W Rogers

Howard Kuhlman

Mark Manuel

Gary D Bree

Mark D Nicholas

Joseph M Johnson

John R Rice

Ian Martin

Ronald James Wilde

David Joseph Chapman

Theodore J Lindsay

Michael Eugene Aubry

Robert W Baughman

Craig R Blanchard

Ronald J Wilde

Howard W Kuhlman

A cable drive unit for opening and closing a sliding door on a vehicle (not shown) has a cup-shaped front drum having a helical front cable groove and a rear cup-shaped drum having a helical rear cable groove. The front drum is rotated about a longitudinal axis in a first direction to open the sliding door. The rear drum is partially nested in the front drum and rotated about the longitudinal axis in an opposite direction to close the sliding door. The front drum and the rear drum are drivingly connected to each other via a tension spring that biases the front drum and the rear drum in opposite directions when in tension. The front and rear drums are rotated by a concentric clutch that is nested in the rear drum. The clutch includes a drive member that is drivingly connected to the front drum via a first lost motion connection and drivingly connected to the rear drum via a second lost motion connection. The first drum has an arcuate slot forming part of the first lost motion connection, the rear drum has an arcuate slot forming part of the second lost motion connection, and the drive member has a tab that projects through both arcuate slots to form part of the first lost motion connection and part of the second lost motion connection.

Cable drive assembly

A cable drive assembly for opening and closing a sliding vehicle door has first and second drums that are drivingly connected to each other via a tension spring that biases the drums in opposite directions. The drums include a catch that holds the first and second drums in a cocked condition where the spring is tensioned to provide slack in a closed loop cable to facilitate inserting a traveler attached to the cable into a track. The cocked drums are manually rotated in a drum housing in one direction to move the traveler and insert it into the track. After the traveler is inserted, the cocked drums are manually rotated in the opposite direction. This releases the catch so that the tensioned spring takes up the slack in the closed loop cable.

An automatic sliding door cable mechanism with a take up guide member ( ) mounted in a drum ( ) for taking up slack of a cable during installation of the cable. A second drum ( ) has an elliptical profile drum helix ( ) for increasing durability of the operating cable for the automatic door.

Take up guide tensioning system

Cable winding drum

A hard tonneau cover is pivotally attached to each side wall of a truck cargo box having a tail gate by a hinge assembly. Each hinge assembly includes a four bar linkage and a drive mechanism. The four bar linkage consists of a tonneau bracket that is secured to the tonneau cover, a mounting bracket, a hinge link that is pivotally attached to the tonneau bracket at one end by a first pivot and to the mounting bracket at an opposite end by a second pivot, and a control link that is pivotally attached to the tonneau bracket at one end by a third pivot and to the mounting bracket at an opposite end by a fourth pivot. The drive mechanism has a pivot arm that is pivotally attached to the mounting bracket by a fifth pivot, and a drive arm that is pivotally attached to the pivot arm by a sixth pivot and pivotally attached to the tonneau bracket by a seventh pivot so that the tonneau cover and bracket are moved between a closed position and an open position by rotation of the pivot arm. A gas spring that is attached to the mounting bracket and to the pivot arm biases the tonneau cover and tonneau bracket to the closed position. The tonneau cover is opened and closed by an electric motor and an electromagnetic clutch that are supported by the mounting bracket. The electromagnetic clutch has an input member that is driven by the electric motor and an output member that drives a pinion gear. The pinion gear in turn drives a sector gear that is attached to the pivot arm.

Hinge assembly for tonneau cover

A method for determining whether the cable sealing force for a vehicle door cinching assembly exceeds a maximum limit. The method includes the steps of: determining a maximum cinching time corresponding to a predetermined maximum tolerable sealing force for cinching a vehicle door type from a partially-latched position to a fully-latched position; determining the time necessary to cinch the particular vehicle door from a partially-latched position to a fully-latched position; comparing the determined time with the maximum cinching time that corresponds to the predetermined maximum force; and generating an output indicating if the determined time exceeds the maximum cinching time.

Method for determining sealing force from cinching time

A vehicle power liftgate cable drive has a cable drive housing. An electric motor with a motor housing and an output shaft is secured to the cable drive housing. A clutch pack with a first clutch driven by the output shaft and a second clutch driven by the first clutch, is mounted in the cable drive housing. One of the clutches in the clutch pack is a one way clutch and the other clutch is an electromagnetic clutch. A pinion gear is driven by the second clutch. An output gear is rotatably journaled on a fixed shaft and driven by the pinion gear. The cable drum is attached to the output gear. A coil spring has one end fixed to the fixed shaft and its other end attached to the cable drum. The fixed shaft is rotated to preload the coil spring in a direction that tends to wind a cable on the cable drum and then the fixed shaft is fastened to the cable drive housing. A cable is attached to the cable drum and to the liftgate. A solenoid plunger cooperates with the output gear to stop the liftgate in an intermediate position.

Power liftgate cable drive with position stop

A vehicle power liftgate cable drive has a cable drive housing. An electric motor with a motor housing and an output shaft is secured to the cable drive housing. A clutch pack with a first clutch driven by the output shaft and a second clutch driven by the first clutch, is mounted in the cable drive housing. One of the clutches in the clutch pack is a one way clutch and the other clutch is an electromechanical clutch. A pinion gear is driven by the second clutch. A driven gear is rotatably journaled on a fixed shaft and driven by the pinion gear. The cable drum is attached to the driven gear. A coil spring has one end fixed to the fixed shaft and its other end attached to the cable drum. The fixed shaft is rotated to preload the coil spring in a direction that tends to wind a cable on the cable drum and then the fixed shaft is fastened to the cable drive housing. A cable is attached to the cable drum and to the liftgate.

Power liftgate cable drive

A method and apparatus of selectively applying a holding force to a vehicle door hinge, comprises the steps of (i) determining when a vehicle door is open and, when the vehicle door is open, thereafter (ii) sensing door movement to determine if the door has remained substantially stationary in an open position for a predetermined time period, (iii) if the door has remained stationary in an open position for a predetermined time period, activating a braking mechanism to provide a holding force for the door, (iv) if the braking mechanism is activated, determining if the door has moved a predetermined distance since activating the braking mechanism, (v) if the door has moved a predetermined distance since activating the braking mechanism, deactivating the braking mechanism, (vi) sensing whether the door is closed, and (vii) if the door is closed, deactivating the braking mechanism.

Door hinge with infinitely adjustable detent

An electromechanical actuator for an automotive door latch has a selectively activated feature that prevents a rear door from being unlatched by the inside door handle. The feature is electrically activated by a switch or the like that is conveniently located near the driver and out-of -reach of the rear seat passengers.

Door latch actuator

A vehicle access door is operatively mounted for powered fore and aft sliding movement between open and closed positions. A power module disposed internally of the vehicle has motor driven cable reels mounted on a space frame having door pull cables wound thereon routed by forward and rear cable guide assemblies into operative connection with the access door. The rear cable guide assembly is an adjustable two part guide pulley assembly in which a first housing part is adjustably carried by the space frame and the second housing part is adjustably mounted on the first housing part so that the assembly can be subsequently fitted and attached to production vehicles having a wide build tolerance in the support structure for the module and the rear cable guide assembly. The adjustment provided by the rear cable guide assembly assures high quality fits with good sealing of the pull cable access opening and positions the pull cable in an external guide channel to eliminate frictional wear between these components.

Adjustable cable guide assembly for powered sliding vehicle door closer

A sliding door in a van is mounted on tracks for sliding movement between open and closed positions. At the closed position a weather strip is compressed and a door latch is latched. A cable is attached to the door and routed through the vehicle body via pulleys so that pulling the first cable end opens the door and pulling the second cable end closes the door. A motorized drive mechanism includes first and second reels mounted concentrically and having the cable ends wrapped respectively about the reels in opposite directions. A motor drives in one direction rotating the first reel to open the door and is reversible to rotate the second reel to close the door. Each of the reels has a large diameter portion for winding the cable to provide relatively high speed and low force door movement over the greatest portion of travel and a small diameter portion for winding the cable to provide relatively low speed and high force movement of the door during the lesser portion of travel of the door closest to the closed position. The reels have cable set grooves to receive the cable and a spiral ramp groove to connect the large and small diameter portions. A tension retaining spring acts between the two reels to always maintain the cable under tension.

Power sliding door closer

A sliding door in a van is mounted on tracks for sliding movement between open and closed positions. At the closed position a weather strip is compressed and a door latch is latched. A cable is attached to the door and routed through the vehicle body via pulleys so that pulling the first cable end opens the door and pulling the second cable end closes the door. A motorized drive mechanism includes first and second reels mounted concentrically and having the cable ends wrapped respectively about the reels in opposite directions. A motor drives in one direction rotating the first reel to open the door and is reversible to rotate the second reel to close the door. Each of the reels has a large diameter portion for winding the cable to provide relatively high speed and low force door movement over the greatest portion of travel and a small diameter portion for winding the cable to provide relatively low speed and high force movement of the door during the lesser portion of travel of the door closest to the closed position. The reels have cable seat grooves to receive the cable and a spiral ramp groove to connect the large and small diameter portions. A tension retaining spring acts between the two reels to always maintain the cable under tension.

Mechanism for pulling an opened compartment panel closed and engaging a latch with a striker includes a slide member mounted on the body for horizontal reciprocating movement and having a cam slot which receives a cam follower carried by the striker so that horizontal reciprocating movement of the slide member vertically reciprocates the striker. The cam slot includes an inclined cam surface effective to provide the vertical reciprocation of the striker. The cam slot also includes a horizontal dwell surface at the end of the inclined surface to define the retracted position of the striker in which the compartment panel is closed so that the load imposed on the compartment lid in the direction to pry open the compartment panel is prevented from urging the slide member in a direction which would permit the striker to extend. A second horizontal dwell surface at the other end of the inclined surface defines the extended position of the striker so that a slamming movement of the compartment panel toward the closed position latching the latch with the striker is prevented from urging movement of the slide member in a direction to permit retraction of the striker. Thus, the pull down mechanism is constructed so that a vertical load imposed on the striker when the compartment panel is slammed or when the compartment panel is pried open is not exerted on the motorized drive unit.

Growing community of inventors

Middletown, CT, United States of America

William L Priest