Patents Assigned to Hi-Lex Corporation
  • Publication number: 20070000178
    Abstract: A window regulator for raising and lowering a window glass in a motor vehicle. The regulator includes at least one rail defining at least one track, at least one glass carrier for receiving the window glass and mounted for movement along the at least one track, at least one cable where the at least one cable is attached to the at least one glass carrier generally parallel to the at least one track, and a drive unit for operably engaging the at least one cable to move the at least one glass carrier along the at least one track. The cable attachment includes at least one aperture of the glass carrier for receiving an end of the at least one cable and at least one elongated aperture of the glass carrier for receiving a length of the at least one cable generally parallel to the at least one track. The glass carrier additionally includes a cushioned support member for supporting the lower edge of the window glass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Publication date: January 4, 2007
    Applicant: Hi-Lex Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Wild, Shigeki Arimoto
  • Publication number: 20060059781
    Abstract: A motor vehicle door window glass regulator of the type including a carrier for mounting the window glass and mounted for reciprocal movement to move the window glass between raised and lowered positions, an electric motor carried by the carrier, and a cable device driven by the motor and operative in response to actuation of the motor to move the carrier reciprocally and thereby move the window glass between its raised and lowered positions. The electrical energy for the motor is delivered to the motor via the cable device. Specifically, the cable device includes first and second cables wound in opposite directions around the drum and each connected at its drum end to a brush carried by the drum with each brush electrically coacting with a slip ring carried by the carrier and electrically connected to the respective terminals of the motor. Power for the motor thus extends along the cables to the brushes, through the brushes to the slip rings, and through the slip rings to the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2004
    Publication date: March 23, 2006
    Applicant: HI-LEX Corporation
    Inventors: Louis Berklich, Jose Garcia
  • Publication number: 20060059782
    Abstract: A motor vehicle door window glass regulator of the type including a carrier for mounting the window glass and mounted for reciprocal movement on the door to move the window glass between raised and lowered positions, an electrical motor carried by the carrier, an electrical cord connecting the motor to a source of electric power, and a drive mechanism operative in response to actuation of the motor to move the carrier reciprocally and thereby move the window glass between raised and lowered positions. The cord is mounted on an elongated articulated cord support extending linearly from the carrier to a fixed point on the door. The articulated cord support comprises a series of links receiving the cord and interconnected by live hinge portions and each link has a truncated pyramidal cross-sectional configuration. The minimum radius of the cord support and thereby of the cord is defined by the coming together of bevel end faces of adjacent links.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2004
    Publication date: March 23, 2006
    Applicant: HI-LEX Corporation
    Inventor: Jose Garcia
  • Publication number: 20060032140
    Abstract: A sliding window assembly for use with a motor vehicle such for example as the rear window of the cab of a pickup type truck. A guide structure mounts a sliding pane for longitudinal sliding movement generally parallel to the plane of the pane between an open position and a closed position, and a lateral thrust mechanism is provided which is operative in response to arrival of the pane in its closed position to thereafter move the pane laterally relative to the plane of the pane into a position wherein the exposed face of the pane is flush with a surrounding vehicle surface such for example as the surface defined by fixed panes in the rear window of a pickup truck.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2004
    Publication date: February 16, 2006
    Applicant: Hi-Lex Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Arimoto, Louis Berklich, Beau Cook
  • Patent number: 6598345
    Abstract: A window regulator mechanism for a motor vehicle door providing ready adjustability to accommodate manufacturing tolerances in the door glass guide channels receiving the side edges of the window glass or, in the case of a sashless door, to accommodate manufacturing tolerances in the seal carried by the vehicle body. Adjustability is provided by a cam member which is rotatly mounted on carrier plate of a carrier assembly and which coacts with a follower surface on a glass clip mounted on an upper edge of the carrier plate. The follower surface is provided as a cutout in a lower edge of a stabilizer portion of the glass clip whereby the stabilizer portion serves not only to preclude cocking of the glass clip relative to the carrier plate but also to provide the cam follower surface for coaction with the cam member carried by the carrier plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2003
    Assignee: Hi-Lex Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Arimoto, Brian D. Williams
  • Patent number: 6561055
    Abstract: An actuator for a vent window of a motor vehicle wherein the drive mechanism interconnecting the output shaft of the motor and the pivot arm controlling the vent window comprises a first worm driven by the motor output shaft, a first worm wheel driven by the first worm, a second worm driven by the first worm wheel, and a second worm wheel driven by the second worm in driving the pivot arm. The first worm wheel is formed of a plastic material and the actuator further includes a coil spring mounted on the housing proximate the second worm wheel and operative to assist the second worm wheel in generating a sealing force sufficient to positively seal the vent window against a window seal of the motor vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Assignee: Hi-Lex Corporation
    Inventor: Michael F. Turk
  • Patent number: 6553719
    Abstract: A motorized sliding door mechanism for a motor vehicle having a body structure having a door opening and door. The mechanism includes a motor and drum assembly mounted on the door and a cable system including cable runs anchored to spaced points on the body structure. One cable run is wrapped in one direction around the drum and extends to an anchor point proximate the rear edge of the door opening of the body structure and a second run is wrapped around the drum in an opposite direction and extends to a point at the rear end of a rear guide track for the door which is mounted to the body structure. The cable runs extend from the drum to the anchor points via a pivotal hinge and a guide block at the rear of the door for guiding the sliding movement of the door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2003
    Assignee: Hi-Lex Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce Stone, Michael Turk, Jeffrey Kolar, Jose Garcia, Dennis Reid
  • Patent number: 6516567
    Abstract: A power actuator for lifting a pivotal lift gate closing an access opening in a motor vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Hi-Lex Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce Stone, Michael Turk, Jeffrey Kolar, Jose Garcia, Dennis Reid
  • Patent number: 6324788
    Abstract: A powered window regulator for use with a horizontally sliding window assembly may be disconnected from a sliding pane to permit manual operation of the window. The regulator has a tubular guide rail mounted adjacent and parallel to the lower edge of the window assembly by pivot brackets which engage the respective ends of the guide rail such that the guide rail is rotatable about the pivot brackets. A carrier block slides within the guide rail, and a portion of the block extends out through a longitudinal slot extending along the length of the guide rail to engage a pane attachment affixed to the sliding pane. The carrier block is moved reciprocally along the guide rail by a motor-driven cable to slide the sliding pane between open and closed positions. Rotation of the guide rail about the pivot brackets through approximately ninety degrees moves the carrier block between an upright position wherein it engages the pane attachment and a depressed position wherein it is disengaged from the pane attachment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Assignee: Hi-Lex Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin Koneval, Jeffrey W. Kolar
  • Patent number: 6125585
    Abstract: A window regulator for use with a horizontally sliding window assembly has a channel-like guide rail, an elongated carrier plate slidingly movable along the guide rail, and a cable drive mechanism for moving the carrier plate along the guide rail. Pane engagement pairs are disposed at opposite ends of the carrier plate, each comprising a male feature and a mating female feature. One of the features of each pair is secured to the carrier plate and the mating feature is secured to the sliding pane adjacent an outboard edge thereof. The male/female engagement between the features allows the sliding pane and the carrier plate to move relative to one another along an axis generally perpendicular to the sliding pane, while the two-point engagement between the pane and the carrier plate serves to stabilize the pane and allow it to slide smoothly even if the guide tracks for the sliding pane and the guide rail are less than perfectly flat and parallel to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Hi-Lex Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin Koneval, Jeffrey W. Kolar, Charles Hazel
  • Patent number: 6119401
    Abstract: A window regulator for moving a pair of slidable window panes toward and away from one another utilizes three flexible, inextensible members such as cables to achieve a pull open/pull closed mode of operation of the slidable panes. First and second of the flexible members are attached to respective first and second pane carriers and to a drive drum, and the third flexible member connects the first and second pane carriers. The first and third flexible members are routed around pulleys located at outboard ends of a guide rail along which the pane carriers travel such that rotation of the drive drum in one direction pulls the panes toward an open position, and rotation of the drum in the opposite direction pulls the panes toward a closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Hi-Lex Corporation
    Inventors: Jih-Cheng Lin, Osamu Hamaguchi
  • Patent number: 6112462
    Abstract: A window regulator for driving two sliding window panes, such as of a truck rear window, in opposing directions has a housing containing two linear actuator, one driving each of the sliding panes. The first actuator has opposite ends engaged with a drive drum and a midpoint engaged with the first sliding pane, and the second linear actuator has opposite ends engaged with the drive drum and a midpoint engaged with the second sliding panes. The drive drum has two parallel, spiral grooves, one receiving each of the linear actuators. The first and second linear actuators pass around pulleys and guide blocks attached to the housing and follow separate paths within the housing such that rotation of the drive drum in one direction pulls on respective first ends of the first and second linear actuators to draw the sliding panes toward one another, and rotation of the drum in the opposite direction pulls on respective second ends of the linear actuators to draw the panes away from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Hi-Lex Corporation
    Inventor: Jeffrey W. Kolar
  • Patent number: 6093892
    Abstract: An improved automatic length-adjusting end fitting for a cable assembly consisting of a conduit and a wire slidably positioned therein reacts to increases in the length of the wire and/or decreases in the length of the conduit by automatically lengthening the conduit to thereby take up a portion of the slack in the wire and return the cable assembly to its desired condition. The fitting includes a hollow housing and a cylindrical core disposed therein for sliding and rotating movement with respect to the housing. The conduit is connected to the end of the core and the wire extends completely through the core and housing. The outer surface of the core has three recesses, each of which forms a series of stair-step notches. Three axially aligned ridges are disposed on the interior surface of the housing engage respective notches, depending on how far the core is inserted into the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: Hi-Lex Corporation
    Inventor: Shigeki Arimoto
  • Patent number: 6018913
    Abstract: A sliding window assembly having a guide track and sliding pane geometry which ensures that the sliding pane maintains a vertical, untilted orientation when it is slid along the guide track to a closed position. The sliding pane is retained along its lower edge in the guide track for sliding horizontal sliding movement between open and closed positions. The pane has a projection extending downwardly from its lower edge adjacent its trailing edge when the pane is sliding toward the closed position, and the upper surface of the guide track along which the pane slides is generally horizontal except for an inclined section which slopes upwardly toward the closed position of the pane. The inclined section is located along the length of guide track so that it is immediately beneath the projection of the pane when it is in the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: Hi-Lex Corporation
    Inventor: Jih-Cheng Lin
  • Patent number: 5827149
    Abstract: An electrically powered park lock actuator for use with an automotive vehicle transmission. The actuator is mechanically independent from a shift actuator which shifts the transmission between gear ranges, and comprises two high-speed, reversible DC electric motor acting via a speed reduction gear train to move a locking pawl into and out of engagement with a gear on the transmission output shaft. The shafts of the two motors are connected to a common worm which forms the fist stage of the gear train, and either one of the motors is individually capable of actuating the locking pawl. In the preferred embodiment, the park lock actuator is controlled by an electronic transmission control system so that the lock actuator may be controlled in coordination with a power-operated transmission gear shift actuator for integrated operation of the transmission. A back-up battery is supplied to provide sufficient power to unlock the transmission in the event of a failure of the vehicle main electrical power system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1998
    Assignee: Hi-Lex Corporation
    Inventor: Edward E. Sponable
  • Patent number: 5809695
    Abstract: A window regulator for raising and lowering a window glass in a motor vehicle. The regulator includes left and right guide rails, left and right window glass carriers slidably mounted on the rails and mounted on the lower edge of the glass, pulleys mounted on the rails, a motor and drum assembly mounted within the door, and cable assemblies suitably trained around the pulleys, secured to the carriers, and wrapped around the drum so that energization of the motor has the effect of raising and lowering the glass. Each window glass carrier includes a slide mounted on the rail and a clamp secured to the lower edge of the window glass. The slide and clamp are coupled together in response to lateral movement of the slide relative to the clamp to snapingly couple the slide and clamp together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1998
    Assignee: Hi-Lex Corporation
    Inventor: Thomas J. Strickland
  • Patent number: 5806139
    Abstract: A grommet assembly for sealingly mounting elongated elements in an aperture in a panel such as the dash panel of a motor vehicle. The grommet assembly includes inner and outer grommet members which are relatively telescopically arranged. The outer grommet member has a rearwardly opening cup shaped configuration, is formed of a resilient material, and includes a tapered forward portion sized to fit in the panel aperture. The inner grommet member has a forwardly opening cup shaped configuration, is formed of a rigid material, and includes an annular wall telescopically received within the annular wall of the outer grommet member and engaging a front wall of the outer grommet member at a location forwardly of the annular groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 15, 1998
    Assignee: Hi-Lex Corporation
    Inventors: Warren J. Anderson, Brian J. Wild
  • Patent number: 5784833
    Abstract: A motor-driven window regulator for use with a horizontally sliding window installed in the rear window opening of a pickup truck cab. The sliding window is moved between a closed position wherein it fills a gap between two fixed, outboard mounted windows and an open position wherein it slides to overlap one of the fixed leaving the gap open. The sliding window is actuated by a pair of linear actuation cables, each of which is attached to the sliding window at a first end and to a motor-driven cable drive drum at a second end. The linear actuation cables extend away from the sliding window in opposite directions parallel with the direction of sliding movement and wrap around the cable drive drum in opposite directions so that rotation of the cable drive drum in one direction places a first cable in tension to pull the sliding window toward the open position and rotation of the cable drive drum in the opposite direction tensions the second cable to pull the sliding window toward the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Hi-Lex Corporation
    Inventors: Edward Sponable, Raymond Zeller
  • Patent number: 5782038
    Abstract: A window regulator for raising a lowering a window pane in a motor vehicle. The regulator includes a scissors linkage including crossed lever arms connected at a pivot axis. The lever arms are attached at their upper ends to spaced points on the lower edge of the window pane and a cable is connected to the linkage at the pivot axis of the crossed arms. The cable is wrapped around a drum driven by a motor and is further trained over an upper pulley positioned above the pivot axis of the linkage and a lower pulley positioned below the pivot axis of the linkage. The regulator further includes a lower cross rail defining a rear pivot pivotally mounting the lower end of one of the lever arms, an intermediate pivot pivotally mounting the lower pulley, and a forward slot slidably mounting the lower end of the other lever arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1998
    Assignee: Hi-Lex Corporation
    Inventors: Edward E. Sponable, Jeffrey Kolar
  • Patent number: 5598743
    Abstract: An end fitting for a cable assembly including a conduit and a core wire slidably positioned within the conduit. The fitting includes a housing, an elongated guide member, and a locking clip. The housing includes a rear wall having an aperture, a forward wall having an rear wall aperture axially aligned with the aperture, a lock window positioned between the rear and forward walls, and a forward window spaced forwardly from the lock window. The guide member is secured at its rear end to the core wire and is slidably received at its forward end in the housing apertures. The guide member includes a plurality of axially spaced serrations and a head portion at its forward end which is radially compressible to allow the guide member to be passed through the apertures in the walls whereafter the head member expands to preclude withdrawal of the guide member from the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1997
    Assignee: Hi-Lex Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsuro Yasuda