The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 18, 1997
Filed:
Oct. 17, 1995
Edward J Bratkowski, Harrison Township, MI (US);
Lloyd G Racine, Shelby Township, MI (US);
Pam Storey, Utica, MI (US);
Webasto Sunroofs Inc., Rochester Hills, MI (US);
Abstract
A position encoding system is provided for controlling movement of a movable panel between predetermined positions. The panel is moved by a pair of cables coupled thereto. The system includes a housing assembly and a motor mounted with respect to the housing assembly. The motor has an output shaft rotatable in a forward direction and a reverse direction. Drive gear structure rotates in response to rotation of the output shaft. The drive gear structure cooperates with the pair of cables such that rotation of the drive gear structure moves the cables linearly and thus moves the panel. An encoder gear rotates continuously through multiple revolutions of the output shaft. The encoder gear includes a plurality of electrically conductive contacts on a surface thereof. An idler gear is coupled between the drive gear structure and the encoder gear so as to transfer motion of the drive gear structure to the encoder gear. A printed circuit board is mounted within the housing assembly and has a circuit thereon. The circuit includes stationary circuit board electrically conductive contacts thereon and has a microprocessor. The circuit board contacts are arranged in such a manner so as to be engaged by associated encoder gear conductive contacts upon rotation of the encoder gear. Certain of circuit board contacts are associated with particular positions of the movable panel and engagement of the encoder gear contacts with the circuit board contacts generates signals which are inputted to the microprocessor so that the microprocessor can control the motor and thus the movement of the panel.