Operator Drives Closure Along Guide Patents (Class 49/360)
  • Patent number: 6405485
    Abstract: A door control device is adapted to smoothly shift the mode of operation to the door closer operation at the time the door is being moved by pushing in the door closing condition, without requiring a large size motor and without the need for increasing the strength of the drive medium. The door control device includes a closer for shifting a slide door from the half door condition to the fully closed condition, and a clutch mechanism which is interposed in a power transmission system between the slide door and a motor for driving the slide door. If the slide door is electrically driven, a clutch of the clutch mechanism is rendered operational to move the slide door and the closer operation is started after the sliding operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Eiji Itami, Ryoichi Fukumoto, Katsuhisa Yamada, Masao Ohhashi, Shintaro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6397523
    Abstract: A drive device for a vehicle slide door apparatus includes a first rotation disc assembly mounted on a shaft to be rotated together with the shaft and a second rotation disc assembly mounted on the shaft to be rotatable relative to the shaft. The second rotation disc assembly is coupled to the first rotation disc assembly in detachable manner, and the second rotation disc assembly is operatively associated with an electric driving source. An output gear is mounted on the shaft so as to be rotated together with the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryoichi Fukumoto, Katsuhisa Yamada, Masao Ohhashi, Shintaro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6390535
    Abstract: A cable drive assembly in a closed-loop cable closure system for opening and closing a sliding door on a vehicle includes helical front and rear cable grooves supported on the vehicle frame for rotation about a helix axis. A front cable extends from the front cable groove to the sliding door in a position to be wound into and unwound from the front cable groove in response to front cable groove rotation about the helix axis. A rear cable extends from the rear cable groove to the sliding door in a position to be wound into and unwound from the rear cable groove in response to rear cable groove rotation about the helix axis. A single cable drive spool is supported on the vehicle frame for rotation about the helix axis and includes both the front and the rear cable grooves. A motor rotates the spool in one direction about the helix axis to open the sliding door and in an opposite direction about the helix axis to close the sliding door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: David Joseph Chapman
  • Publication number: 20020056233
    Abstract: A vehicle slide door power supply apparatus includes a vehicle body-side primary coil (1) and a slide door-side secondary coil (2), which are brought into proximity to each other upon closing of a slide door to effect a mutual induction operation, thereby supplying electric power from a vehicle body to the slide door, a temperature sensor (3), provided in the vicinity of a proximity fitting surface of the primary coil (1) for the secondary coil (2), and a primary coil control device (4) which is connected to the temperature sensor (3), and can stop the excitation of the primary coil (1) in accordance with the temperature of the proximity fitting surface or the temperature of its vicinity, detected by the temperature sensor (3), so as to interrupt the supply of the electric power to the slide door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2001
    Publication date: May 16, 2002
    Applicant: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takashi Gohara
  • Publication number: 20020053169
    Abstract: An opening and closure device for a sliding door, comprising a first driving motor for moving first driving elements associated with the sliding door and second sliding and guiding means interposed between the sliding door and a fixed frame. Said device has a second auxiliary motor that is suitable to produce a first opening movement of the door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2001
    Publication date: May 9, 2002
    Applicant: DITEC S.p.A.
    Inventor: Angelo Menuzzo
  • Patent number: 6340073
    Abstract: An improved elevator door system for reducing vibration and noise in opening/closing a car door and a hatch door and allowing fast operation by releasing a landing door lock device before the car door moves. The elevator door system includes a hatch door; a car door; a motor for providing rotating force to open and close the hatch door and the car door; power transmitting means; a rack for possibly moving horizontally by the power transmitting means; a pinion engaged with the rack for rotating by horizontal movement of the rack; clutch connected to the pinion for transmitting or cutting off power toward the hatch door; and door lock engaged with the clutch, the door lock positioned in a lock release state in which the hatch door is movable when the clutch transmits power, while positioned in a lock state for fixing position of the hatch door when the clutch cuts off power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2002
    Assignee: LG Industrial Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gwang Nam Lee, Hak Gi Han, Woo Young Lim
  • Publication number: 20020005014
    Abstract: The additional segment of a wire harness 3 which is required for opening/closing a slide door 1 and constitutes a curved segment 20 is housed in a protector 9. The protector 9 has curved walls 28, 29, guide rail 30, slider 31 and first and second harness outlets 32, 33. When the slide door 1 is opened/closed, the wire harness 3 shuttles to and fro within the second wire harness outlet 33. The looseness of the wire harness when the slide door is opened/closed may be absorbed in such a manner that it is supported by an elastic member in a state where the wire harness has been curved within the protector without using the guide rail 30 and slider 31. The protecting member may be provided with a bending limiting portion, harness securing portion and flange or slanted sliding-contact portion which serve to slide the wire harness smoothly. In this configuration, it is possible to realize improvement of easiness of assembling, saving of the space and smooth operation of a power supply apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2001
    Publication date: January 17, 2002
    Inventors: Kenichi Doshita, Tohru Aoki, Hiroshi Watanabe, Ryoichi Fukumoto
  • Publication number: 20010049908
    Abstract: An automatic door reciprocating system (20) is disclosed. The automatic reciprocating system is adapted for use with a wheelchair lift (152) designed to be stowed in a lower compartment of a vehicle (24). The vehicle includes a floor and a sliding door (22) where the sliding door is slidable between open and closed positions. The wheelchair lift includes a platform that is movable between an upper position, where the platform is substantially coplanar with the floor, and a lower position. The automatic door reciprocating system includes a reciprocating assembly (26) for automatically reciprocating the sliding door between the opened and closed positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2001
    Publication date: December 13, 2001
    Applicant: Lift-U, Division of Hogan Mfg., Inc.
    Inventors: Alan R. Cohn, Curtis J. Simon
  • Patent number: 6328374
    Abstract: A slidable contoured side door of an automotive vehicle equipped with a guidance structure that permits full travel of the door without adversely affecting door stability. The guidance structure may include a carriage movable along a relatively short track at the door lower edge and a stabilizer arm having limited sliding motion relative to the door. The relative sliding motion enables the contoured door to be out of registry with the door opening when the door is in the fully open position. This enables the door opening to be unobstructed so that passengers or cargo can more easily pass through the door opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Rajesh K. Patel
  • Patent number: 6324789
    Abstract: A door support and drive mechanism for a door can be mounted either over or in a door opening in a transit vehicle or other structure. The mechanism includes a tube which has a longitudinal slot. The mechanism also has mounts attached to the tube for mounting the mechanism to the structure over the door opening, so that the tube is substantially horizontal and the slot is along a lower portion of the tube. The mechanism includes at least one door hanger which has an upper portion movably disposed within the tube and a depending portion passing through the slot, the depending portion being for attachment to the door. The mechanism has a drive nut attached to the door hanger. A drive screw is positioned in the tube, engaging a threaded inner portion of the drive nut. The drive screw is connectable to a rotary power device to be rotated thereby. Rotation of the drive screw causes longitudinal movement of the drive nut and the hanger to which the drive nut is attached, so that the door is moved longitudinally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2001
    Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Company
    Inventor: Erich P. Stephen
  • 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: 6321489
    Abstract: A power feeding unit for motor vehicle sliding door, wherein a feeding wire having a large number of circuits on the sliding door side can be connected to another feeding wire on the vehicle body side without breaking the power feeding even during the sliding door is opened or shut, is provided, which includes: a sliding door to be slidably assembled to a vehicle body by means of a supporting arm provided on the sliding door and slidably engaging a guide rail provided on the vehicle body; a slide rail provided on the vehicle body in almost parallel with the guide rail; a feeding wire arranged from the vehicle body to the sliding door for feeding electric power to an electric appliance provided on the sliding door; a winder provided on an end portion of the slide rail for winding the feeding wire; and a feeding wire fixing member fixed to the feeding wire to fix the feeding wire, the feeding wire fixing member sliding along the slide rail along with the supporting arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Satoru Murofushi, Masataka Nishijima
  • Publication number: 20010037605
    Abstract: A sliding panel system having panels sliding along at least one slide rail arrangement and movable partition system having a rail, and a rail for a carriage for a movable partition, and a method for use of a movable partition system having a rail, and a partition wall system having a drive mechanism, and a housing, in particular for drive systems of automatic and horizontally movable elements. The housing is used in particular to hold mechanical, electrical and electronic components, and has been simplified from the point of view of manufacturing and installation, and the torsional rigidity has been increased. The housing consists of a C-shaped transom profile which can be closed by means of a closing profile to realize a housing interior, and on which a support leg is realized in one piece, thereby forming a cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2000
    Publication date: November 8, 2001
    Inventor: Andreas Finke
  • Publication number: 20010033091
    Abstract: A vehicle has a power operated liftgate and at least one power unit comprising a fixed linear guide channel and a follower that moves in the guide channel. The follower is universally connected to a rod having at one end and the opposite end of the rod is universally connected to the vehicle lift gate. A flexible drive loop which is attached to the follower wraps part way around two pulleys at opposite ends of the guide channel. The flexible drive loop is driven by a bi-directional drive unit that includes a reversible electric motor, an electromagnetic clutch and a drive wheel that engages the flexible drive loop. The flexible drive loop may be a drive cable, a drive tape, or a drive chain or a combination of cable, tape and/or chain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2001
    Publication date: October 25, 2001
    Inventors: Lloyd Walker Rogers, David A. Sedlak, Michael Antonio Ciavaglia, Ronald James Wilde, Theodore J. Lindsay
  • Publication number: 20010027621
    Abstract: This invention relates to a retractable screen system for a closure assembly and improvements thereof which allows the secure sliding and subsequent retraction of the screen from a operative position to a retracted position. The invention is preferably embodied in a window assembly but finds application also in large pivoting windows and patio doors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2001
    Publication date: October 11, 2001
    Applicant: Preferred Engineering Products, Ltd.
    Inventors: John Robert Davies, Sean Davies, Sinnathamby Kupenthirarajan
  • Publication number: 20010022049
    Abstract: A power drive system is adapted for a sliding door mounted on at least one side of a vehicle for sliding movement forwardly and rearwardly of the vehicle. The system includes a reversible motor. A bracket is guided within a guide along a fixed path between the opened and closed positions of the door. An elongated drive member is slidably disposed within the guide and connected to the bracket at one end for driving the bracket along the fixed path. A translator mechanism operably engages with the drive member for powering movement of the door. The translator mechanism can include a rotatable hub, operably engageable with the drive member, a gear transmission for driving the hub, and a clutch mechanism for connecting the motor to the transmission. The translator mechanism preferably has sufficient power to pull the sliding door into a primary latch position with respect to the corresponding portions of a latch mechanism attached to the door and frame defining the door opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2001
    Publication date: September 20, 2001
    Inventors: Marian E. Clark, Harry Charles Buchanan, James A. Jackson
  • Patent number: 6276743
    Abstract: A power latching mechanism having a latch ratchet, a pawl member, a latch sector and a drive assembly. The latch ratchet is configured to selectively engage or disengage a member to secure the vehicle door to or release the vehicle door from the vehicle body. The latch ratchet is operable between a fully unlatched position and a fully latched position. The latch sector is pivotably coupled to the latch ratchet and is operable between a first extended position, a neutral position and a second extended position. The drive assembly is coupled to the latch sector and operable for selectively moving the latch sector from the neutral position to the first and second extended positions. Placement of the latch sector in the neutral position does not effect the operation the latch ratchet. Accordingly, the latch ratchet may be actuated manually to either latch or unlatch the vehicle door when the latch sector is in the returned position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Jaime N. Jyawook, Robert J. Faubert, Waine T. Brock, Richard C. Kapes, Richard A. Manning, Kenneth E. Spieles
  • Publication number: 20010011439
    Abstract: A device is structured to be integrated with a major components such as a movable unit and a stator contained in a rail member for easy removal from downward of the lintel, thus eliminating adjustment work on site. Since the door may be simply installed on the hanger, it can be easily installed and removed. Also, the stator and the hanger with rollers may be connected by clamping a projection strip formed on a bottom face of the stator from left and right sides thereof with the hanger with rollers installed on the door, or instead by engaging the hanger with rollers with an engagement portion provided on the stator from both side thereof. Consequently, connecting and releasing of the stator and the hanger is simplified and the ease of maintenance is improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2001
    Publication date: August 9, 2001
    Applicant: TOYOTA SHATAI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hideaki Maki
  • Patent number: 6270148
    Abstract: A vehicular slide door apparatus includes a slide door which opens and closes an opening formed in the lateral side of the vehicle body 2. A brake device is provided at the lateral side of the vehicle body to apply a braking force to the slide door. The brake device is under the control of an electronic control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kohei Noda, Tomoaki Imaizumi, Eiji Itami, Ryoichi Fukumoto, Katsuhisa Yamada, Masao Ohhashi, Shintaro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6270149
    Abstract: A vehicular slide door apparatus includes a slide door which opens and closes an opening formed in a lateral side of a vehicle body. A brake device is provided at the lateral side of the vehicle body to apply a braking force to the slide door to adjust or control the speed of movement of the sliding door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha Kariya
    Inventors: Ryoichi Fukumoto, Katsuhisa Yamada, Masao Ohhashi, Shintaro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6244652
    Abstract: A vehicular slide door apparatus includes a slide door that is movable along a lengthwise direction of the vehicle body for opening and closing an opening area formed in the lateral side of the vehicle body, a rail secured to the lateral side of the vehicle body to extend in the lengthwise direction of the vehicle body, and a driving device for moving the slide door. The rail possesses first and second side walls and a roller operatively connected to the slide door is slidably fitted in the rail. A guide pipe extends along the rail and is secured to a surface of one of the side walls of the rail to strengthen the rail. A cable passes through the guide pipe in a movable manner and includes one end connected to the driving device and an opposite end connected to the slide door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2001
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shingo Shoudou, Hiroshi Miyazaki, Kenji Kobashi, Ryoichi Fukumoto, Katsuhisa Yamada, Masao Ohhashi, Shintaro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6231113
    Abstract: A cable drive for a motor vehicle having a body and a door slidable outside the body has a rotatable shaft projecting through the body and having an outer end outside the vehicle adjacent the door and an inside end inside the vehicle. A drum outside the vehicle is mounted on the outside end and a cable wholly outside the vehicle is wound around the drum and connected to the door so that rotation of the drum and shaft in one direction slides the door into a closed position and opposite movement slides it into an open position. A motor unit wholly inside the vehicle is connected to the inside shaft end to rotate the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Kiekert AG
    Inventors: Stefan Armbruster, Kornelia Greulich
  • Patent number: 6226925
    Abstract: A temporarily holding device for temporarily holding an opening/closing body such as a sliding door for a vehicle in such a manner as to allow it to be moved from a halted state with a required operating force, comprising, in order not to fluctuate the moving resistance remarkably in any condition by providing the moving resistance of a required limit in the form of electrical control while the opening/closing body is being halted, an opening/closing body movably supported on a guiding mechanism, a motor-driven clutch for freely connecting and/or disconnecting the guide mechanism to and/or from an opening/closing body holding mechanism and a clutch driving element for regulating the transmission maintaining force of the motor-driven clutch, wherein the clutch driving element is designed to set the transmission maintaining force of the motor-driven clutch when the opening/closing body is halted with a required opening smaller than when it is in motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2001
    Assignee: OHI Seisakusho Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryoji Shimura, Kouichi Shigematsu
  • Patent number: 6199322
    Abstract: At the time of changing over an open/close body from a manual operation to an automatic operation, a reliable clutch connection is established in a power transmission system between a drive source and the open/close body thus enhancing the operability of the open/close body. An open/close body automatic drive equipment comprises a clutch mechanism which connects or interrupts a power transmission system between a motor for driving a slide door which constitutes the open/close body and the slide door, wherein a clutch of a clutch mechanism is interrupted in a manual manipulation, and in an automatic drive, a clutch is connected to operate the slide door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Eiji Itami, Ryoichi Fukumoto, Katsuhisa Yamada, Masao Ohhashi, Shintaro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6198242
    Abstract: The present powered sliding device comprises a wire drum, a motor for rotating the drum, and a clutch means provided between the drum and the motor. The clutch means has a coupled state for rotating the drum, an uncoupled state, and a brake state. The clutch means is displaced from the coupled state to the brake state when the wire drum is rotated at an over speed. The clutch means in the brake state transmits the over speed rotation of the wire drum to the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhito Yokomori, Tetsuro Mizuki, Hiroshi Ishigaki
  • Patent number: 6196590
    Abstract: A slide hatch for a bulk carrier vehicle for removing a hatch cover from an access port on the top of a carrier tank on the vehicle, the slide hatch including a slide carriage connected to the hatch cover and to an actuator which displaces the slide carriage and back cover with the slide carriage mounted on a track and connected to a cam mechanism for forcing the cover against the access port when the cover is displaced over the port for sealing the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2001
    Inventor: Sun Y. Kim
  • Patent number: 6178697
    Abstract: An apparatus for attaching a vehicle sliding door to a vehicle side wall includes a plate, an arm member and a roller assembly. The plate is attached to the vehicle side wall and has a guide slot and an insert and release hole formed therein. The insert and release hole has a diameter greater than the width of the guide slot and intersects the guide slot at a chord of the hole. The arm member includes a first end pivotally attached to the door and a second end. The roller assembly is attached to the second end of the arm member and includes a roller having a neck dimensioned to fit in and roll along the guide slot and two disc portions disposed above and below the neck of the roller. The disc portions have a diameter which is smaller than the diameter of the insert and release hole and is larger than the width of the guide slot. The roller is attached to the plate by inserting the roller into the insert and release hole and pushing the neck of the roller through the cord into the guide slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: The Braun Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald W. Goodrich, Paul D. Crawford
  • Patent number: 6178699
    Abstract: An open/close control system for a vehicle slide door includes in one embodiment, a drive source, e.g., a motor, a slide door opening/closing mechanism, a clutch for transmitting a drive force of the drive source to the opening/closing mechanism interruptively, movement signal generator for generating a signal dependent on the moving direction of the slide door, and slide door controller for controlling the drive force to be transmitted to the opening/closing mechanism by controlling the drive source and the clutch. The slide door controller stops the operation of the drive source and thereby stops the slide door, declutches the clutch to allow the slide door to be movable, detects a movement of the slide door caused by its weight by use of an output signal of the movement signal generator, and determines an inclination of the vehicle on the basis of the detection result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Ohi Seisakusho Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Kawanobe, Ryoji Shimura
  • Patent number: 6179742
    Abstract: A transmission assembly for a powered sliding door system for an automotive vehicle. The transmission assembly includes a rotatable input member, a stationary hub, and a planetary gearset disposed within the hub and operatively cooperating with the input member. The transmission assembly also includes an electromagnetic brake disposed within the hub and operatively cooperating with the planetary gearset to lock and unlock a gear of the planetary gearset. The transmission assembly further includes a rotatable output member operatively cooperating with the planetary gearset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald Helmut Haag, Brian Norman Orr, John Ion Moceanu, Lloyd Walker Rogers, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6164015
    Abstract: A device for automatically controlling the operation of a sliding door for a vehicle, the sliding door being mounted on a side of the vehicle body so as to automatically be operated by a driving source such as a motor and freedom and safety incompatible with each other being able to be controlled, the device comprising a door driving portion having a motor rotatable in forward and reverse directions, motor load detector for detecting the load of the motor, door position detector for detecting a door position within a range from a fully opened position to a fully closed position, door speed detection for detecting the travelling speed of the door, a storage device storing the load of the motor when the vehicle body is in a normal posture as a specific load of the motor associated with the position of the door by correlating the motor detector with the door position detector and motor controller for controlling electric power supplied to the motor while detecting a motor speed, by a deviation between a motor lo
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2000
    Assignee: Ohi Seisakusho Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Kawanobe, Kouichi Shigematsu
  • Patent number: 6158173
    Abstract: A method of mounting and dismounting a sliding door to and from a door track structure having a slot and mounted adjacent a vehicle roof. The door having an arm member having a roller assembly mounted adjacent an end of the arm member. The roller assembly having an upper and a lower disc portion and an intermediate necked portion. The track structure having an insert and release hole intersecting the slot at a cord of the hole and the slot having a width smaller than the diameter of the hole. The method of mounting the door to the track structure comprising the steps of inserting the roller assembly into the insert and release hole in the track structure and pressing the intermediate necked portion of the roller assembly through the intersection to cause the roller assembly to move from the hole into the slot to engage the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: The Braun Corporation
    Inventors: Ronald W. Goodrich, Paul D. Crawford
  • Patent number: 6155630
    Abstract: A slide door device for an automotive vehicle includes a slide door that is adapted to move between a closed position and an open position, a driving mechanism, and a cable connected between the slide door and the driving mechanism. Turning the driving mechanism on causes the cable to slide along a guide rail, thereby moving the slide door to uncover and cover the opening area in the vehicle body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ryoichi Fukumoto, Katsuhisa Yamada, Masao Ohhashi, Shintaro Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6152519
    Abstract: A drive arrangement roller for a motor vehicle sliding door includes a guide rail, a drive reel, a carriage, a pair of cables extending from the drive reel to the roller carriage and a return roller all of which are assembled in a module which is attached to the outside of a vehicle wall. A plug-in connection to a drive motor inside the vehicle wall is provided by a drive shaft for the drive reel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Jorg Blank, Peter Ronitz
  • Patent number: 6150732
    Abstract: An electromotive operating arrangement for a motor vehicle sliding door without manual exertion of force includes an electric motor for operating a sliding door, an actuating circuit for the electric motor, and at least one sensor for detecting changes in the position of the door handles caused by manual door movement commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2000
    Assignee: Volkswagen AG
    Inventors: Peter Ronitz, Wolfram Hinz
  • Patent number: 6142260
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus for closing hatch doors of an elevator, which is capable of minimizing a generation of noise during an opening and closing the hatch doors of the elevator. The apparatus for closing the hatch doors of the elevator, according to the present invention a frame which is attached to a wall of a landing in an elevator hoistway, for supporting a pair of door hangers to slidably move on the frame, a pair of hatch doors which respectively have the door hangers attached to each upper portion thereof, which are supported by a sill disposed on the landing, and which are slidable opened and closed along the sill and the frame, and a mechanism for closing the hatch doors of the elevator by using a self-weight thereof when the hatch doors are opened. The apparatus for closing the hatch doors of the elevator according to the present invention as constructed above is applied to various types of elevators and minimizes the noise generated during the opening and closing the hatch doors of the elevator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2000
    Assignee: LG Industrial Systems Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Young Sig Shin
  • Patent number: 6134838
    Abstract: A power door for a transit vehicle includes a door panel, a base and hanger unit, a door support, a drive member and a motor. The door support is attached to the door panel and includes at least one roller which engages a hanger portion of the base and hanger unit for motion along the base and hanger unit. The hanger portion includes a longitudinal cavity and a slot communicating with the cavity. The drive member is disposed within the cavity and a drive member connector passes through the slot to connect the drive member to the door support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Company
    Inventor: Redreddy Sukumar Reddy
  • Patent number: 6134836
    Abstract: A device for automatically controlling the open-close of a vehicular sliding door enabling to smoothly change the slide door open-close control system from a manual to an automatic with decreasing any shock generated in changing the mode. Having a drive source (54), such as motor and the like, a slide door (3) able to open and close by the manual or the slide door open-close mechanism, a clutch (56) for conveying intermittently drive force of the drive source to the slide door open-close mechanism, a door speed detector (78), and a slide door controller (7) for controlling the drive source and the clutch in order to adjust the drive force transferred to the slide door open-close mechanism. When the slide door is detected that it is moving at a speed higher than a manual recognition speed, the drive source and the slide door open-close mechanism are connected at a half-clutched condition and then they are connected at a full-clutched condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Ohi Seisakusho Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Kawanobe, Ryoji Shimura
  • Patent number: 6134837
    Abstract: A door-holding control system for a vehicle slide door includes a slide door moved for its opening and closing on and along a guide track of a vehicle body by a slide door Moving mechanism, a clutch mechanism for interruptively transmitting a mechanical power from a drive source to the slide door moving mechanism, movement detecting element for detecting a movement of the slide door, and a clutch control for controlling a power transmission maintenance force of the clutch mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2000
    Assignee: Ohi Seisakusho Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Kawanobe, Ryoji Shimura
  • 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: 6125583
    Abstract: A power sliding door for a motor vehicle comprises a door structure, a power drive assembly, a latch assembly, and a single motor for operating both the latch assembly and the power drive assembly. The door structure is mounted on a track associated with the motor vehicle, the door structure being movable along the track between opened and closed positions. The power drive assembly is connected with the door and capable of being driven to move the door along the track between the opened and closed positions. The latch assembly is mounted on the door and movable between latched and unlatched positions. The single motor is mounted on the door structure operatively connected with both the power drive assembly and the latch assembly. The motor drives the power drive assembly and thus enables the power drive assembly to move the door along the track between the opened and closed positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Atoma International Inc.
    Inventors: Shawn Murray, Thomas P. Frommer, Andrew R. Daniels
  • Patent number: 6125773
    Abstract: A cable system for raising and lowering a door of an industrial furnace utilizes a pair of vertically extending cables having lower ends connected to the door and upper ends connected to shaft-carried sheaves that are rotated concurrently to cause upper portions of the cables to be wound onto and off of the sheaves to raise and lower the furnace door to open and close a furnace opening defined in a vertical furnace face. The cables wind onto and off of sheave-defined tracks that are configured to cause lower portions of the cables to move the door a small distance horizontally during raising and lowering. This small distance horizontal movement capability may be utilized at the initiation of door raising to move the door away from the furnace face, and at the conclusion of door lowering to close the door against the furnace face to close the furnace opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Inventor: Gary L. Coble
  • Patent number: 6125586
    Abstract: An electrically operated actuator (10) for a slidable door of a motor vehicle comprising a planetary gear set (12) including a sun gear (22), a number of pinion gears (24) rotatably mounted on a planet carrier (26) and interengaging with the sun gear, and a ring gear (28) interengaging with the pinion gears, the sun gear, planet carrier and ring gear being rotatable about an axis (A); an electric motor (14) connected to the planet carrier to rotate the planet carrier about the axis; an electrically actuated brake (16) connected to the sun gear to brake rotation of the sun gear about the axis; a cable drum (18) rotatably driven by the ring gear; and a cable (20) wound around the cable drum and connectable to the slidable door. Allows a reduction in overall dimensions of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Hans-Joachim Buscher
  • Patent number: 6115966
    Abstract: A power window regulator which comprises first regulator main body (18) of a power window regulator (12) is disposed at a front end side of a door, and is provided with a loop-shaped first tape (44) that raises and lowers a carrier plate (58). Further, a second regulator main body (20) disposed at a rear end side of the door is provided with a second tape (68) capable of pushing and pulling a carrier plate (70) and that is connected to the first tape (44). In accordance with this structure, a large space is secured between a first guide rail (22) and a second guide rail (60), so that a viewing window for securing a downward view can be disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Asmo Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuma Shibata
  • 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: 6108976
    Abstract: A feeder arrangement supplying power from a battery to an on-door electric device disposed in a sliding door includes a flexible cable for supplying electric power to the on-door electric device and a spool unit for winding and unwinding the flexible cable. The feeder arrangement includes an actuator for driving the sliding door in synchronism with the spool unit, a driving tape linking the actuator and the sliding door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignee: Amso., Co, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukiyasu Kato, Kiyoshi Tamada, Hiroyuki Harada
  • Patent number: 6108977
    Abstract: A device for engaging and disengaging the driving mechanism of an automatic slide gate. The device uses a series of two levers to develop a substantial mechanical advantage in the operation of a dog clutch. An actuating lever is positioned so that it may be operated by the user's foot, eliminating the need for any auxilliary levers or tools.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Inventors: Wayne Payne, Phil Wilkins
  • Patent number: 6105905
    Abstract: A railway gate system comprising a railway station having an elevated platform area for passengers to stand and a recessed area with a track and a train movable therealong. A gate has a continuous upper restraining rail along its length. A plurality of cylindrical posts each have an upper end secured to the lower surface of the rail and a lower end. A horizontal recess and vertical apertures are located in the edge of the platform area adjacent to the track. The recess is adapted to receive the rail when lowered to an inoperative orientation and with the circular apertures adapted to slidably receive the posts. Motion imparting mechanisms include elongated pistons having upper ends secured to the lower surface of the rail, central extents extending through selected spaced circular apertures in the platform and lower ends. Hollow cylinders are located beneath the selected spaced circular apertures having open upper ends to receive the pistons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Inventor: Roy Spence
  • Patent number: 6092338
    Abstract: A barrier operator moves a movable barrier using a motive source having a movable member, a station, and first and second flexible members. The station includes a drive system operatively coupled to the movable member of the motive source. The drive system includes input and output members. The first and second flexible members each have first and second ends and a portion extending from the station. The first ends of each flexible members are operatively coupled to the movable barrier and the second ends of each of the flexible members are operatively coupled to the output drive system member of the station. Aspects include the first and second flexible members being cable or wire. Other aspects include the output drive system member of the station being a spool. The drive system further includes a gear box operatively coupled to the spool. Other aspects include the movable barrier being a gate or door.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: Hy-Security Gate, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott A. Crowner, Brian G. Denault, Gerald N. O'Berto
  • Patent number: 6089649
    Abstract: An opening and closing device comprises a powered sliding unit, a powered closing unit in the slide door, a first terminal connected to a battery on the body, a second terminal connected to the closing unit, a handle switch provided in the door for detecting actuation of an open handle, a controller provided in the body for operating the sliding unit, a wireless apparatus for transmitting a radio signal to the controller when the switch detects the actuation of the handle. The second terminal electrically contacts with the first terminal when the door is closed. The device has a wire apparatus composed of a first wire line for connecting the first terminal and the controller, and a second wire line for connecting the second terminal and the handle switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Mitsuo Kinzoku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Hamada, Mitsuhiro Watanabe, Hirofumi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6087794
    Abstract: An automatic open-and-close system for a vehicle slide door includes a slide door being moved for its opening/closing along a guide track provided on a vehicle body by a slide door moving mechanism, a clutch device for intermittently transmitting a power from a drive source to a slide door moving mechanism, a controller for intermittently controlling the clutch device, and a select circuit for forcibly operating the clutch device when a vehicle engine stops by applying a power source voltage to the clutch device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: Ohi Seisakusho Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Osamu Kawanobe