Sliding window assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11013069-B2
Application number	US-201515515060-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2015
Priority date	Sep 29, 2014
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

A sliding window assembly, a cable drive system and methods of operating the same, are disclosed. The sliding window assembly includes a guide track and a sliding window movable relative to the guide track. A heating element is coupled to the sliding window for heating the sliding window. A drum of a drive assembly rotates and includes a conductive terminal connected to a power supply of the vehicle. A cable is coupled between the sliding window and heating element and the drum. The drum rotates to mechanically wind or unwind the cable for moving the sliding window. A conductive element is coupled to at least one of the drum and the cable and is electrically connected to the cable and is movable during movement of the sliding window. The conductive element contacts the conductive terminal to provide electrical current to the cable for energizing the heating element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sliding window assembly for a vehicle, said assembly comprising:
a guide track adapted to be coupled to the vehicle;
a sliding window movable relative to said guide track between an open position and a closed position;
a heating element coupled to said sliding window for heating said sliding window;
a drive assembly including a drum being configured to rotate and including a conductive terminal being connected to a power supply of the vehicle; and
a cable having a first end coupled to said sliding window and said heating element and a second end that is coupled to said drum and with said drum being configured to rotate in a first direction to mechanically wind said cable and rotate in a second direction to mechanically unwind said cable for moving said sliding window;
wherein a conductive element is coupled to at least one of said drum and said cable with said conductive element being electrically connected to said cable and being movable during movement of said sliding window; and
wherein said conductive element is configured to contact said conductive terminal throughout movement of said sliding window and to provide electrical current to said cable for energizing said heating element for heating said sliding window, wherein said conductive element is disposed on a surface of said drum that is free of mechanical interaction with said cable and wherein said conductive element has a circular configuration.

2. The sliding window assembly of claim 1 wherein said conductive element is configured to rotate in said first direction as said drum mechanically winds said cable and wherein said conductive element is configured to rotate in said second direction as said drum mechanically unwinds said cable.

3. The sliding window assembly of claim 1 wherein said conductive terminal is biased into contact with said conductive element.

4. The sliding window assembly of claim 1 wherein said conductive element is electrically connected to said second end of said cable.

5. The sliding window assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
said cable is further defined as a first cable; and
further comprising a second cable having a first end coupled to said sliding window and said heating element and a second end that is coupled to said drum and with said drum being configured to rotate in said first direction to mechanically unwind said second cable and rotate in said second direction to mechanically wind said second cable for moving said sliding window; and
said conductive terminal is further defined as a first conductive terminal; and said drive assembly comprises a second conductive terminal being connected to the power supply of the vehicle; and
said conductive element is further defined as a first conductive element; and
further comprising a second conductive element being coupled to said drum and electrically connected to said second cable and movable during movement of said sliding window and wherein said second conductive element is configured to contact said second conductive terminal throughout movement of said sliding window and to provide electrical current to said second cable to energize said heating element for heating said sliding window.

6. The sliding window assembly of claim 5 wherein said first and second conductive elements are disposed on a surface of said drum that is free of mechanical interaction with said cable.

7. The sliding window assembly of claim 5 wherein said first and second conductive elements are configured to rotate in said first direction as said drum mechanically winds said first cable and to rotate in said second direction as said drum mechanically winds said second cable.

8. The sliding window assembly of claim 5 wherein said first conductive element and said second conductive element each have a circular configuration.

9. The sliding window assembly of claim 8 wherein said first and second conductive elements are disposed concentrically such that one of said first and second conductive elements surrounds said other of said first and second conductive elements.

10. The sliding window assembly of claim 6 wherein said first conductive terminal is biased into contact with said first conductive element and wherein said second conductive terminal is biased into contact with said second conductive element.

11. The sliding window assembly of claim 6 wherein said first conductive element is electrically connected to said second end of said first cable and wherein said second conductive element is electrically connected to said second end of said second cable.

12. The sliding window assembly of claim 1 wherein said conductive element is coupled to said cable.

13. The sliding window assembly of claim 12 wherein said conductive element defines a hollow for receiving said cable and wherein said conductive element surrounds a portion of said cable.

14. The sliding window assembly of claim 12 wherein said conductive element is configured to move along a linear path in a first linear direction as said drum mechanically winds said cable and to move in said second linear direction opposite to said first linear direction as said drum mechanically unwinds said cable.

15. The sliding window assembly of claim 14 wherein said conductive terminal is disposed along at least a portion of said linear path.

16. The sliding window assembly of claim 12 wherein said conductive element is electrically connected between said first and second ends of said cable.

17. The sliding window assembly of claim 12 wherein:
said cable is further defined as a first cable; and
further comprising a second cable having a first end coupled to said sliding window and said heating element and a second end that is coupled to said drum and with said drum being configured to rotate in said first direction to mechanically unwind said second cable and rotate in said second direction to mechanically wind said second cable for moving said sliding window; and
said conductive terminal is further defined as a first conductive terminal; and said drive assembly comprises a second conductive terminal being connected to the power supply of the vehicle; and
said conductive element is further defined as a first conductive element; and
further comprising a second conductive element being coupled to said drum and electrically connected to said second cable and movable during movement of said sliding window and wherein said second conductive element is configured to contact said second conductive terminal throughout movement of said sliding window and to provide electrical current to said second cable to energize said heating element for heating said sliding window.

18. The sliding window assembly of claim 17 wherein said first conductive element defines a hollow for receiving said first cable and wherein said first conductive element surrounds a portion of first second cable and wherein said second conductive element defines a hollow for receiving said second cable and wherein said second conductive element surrounds a portion of said second cable.

19. The sliding window assembly of claim 17 wherein said first conductive element is configured to move along a first linear path in a first linear direction as said drum mechanically winds said first cable and to move in said second linear direction opposite to said first linear direction as said drum mechanically unwinds said first cable and wherein said second conductive element is configured to move along a second linear path in said first linear direction as said drum mechanically winds said seco

Assignees

• Agc Automotive Americas R&D Inc
• Agc Flat Glass Na Inc
• Grand Rapids Controls Company Llc
• Agc Automotive Americas Co

Inventors

• Lahnala David W
• Bennett Daniel
• Bach James W

Classifications

• E05F11/535

  for vehicle windows · CPC title

• H05B2203/005

  using multiple resistive elements or resistive zones isolated from each other · CPC title

• E05F15/643

  operated by flexible elongated pulling elements, e.g. belts, chains or cables (by flexible elongated push-pull mechanisms E05F15/635) · CPC title

• B60S1/026

  using electrical means · CPC title

• H05B2203/014

  Heaters using resistive wires or cables not provided for in H05B3/54 · CPC title