Band-type window regulator for vehicles

DETAILED DESCRIPTION An object of the present invention is to provide an improved vehicle window regulator for moving a vehicle window between open and closed positions.
In carrying out the above object and other objects, the vehicle window regulator includes a band that is trained over upper and lower idler rollers whose axes of rotation extend horizontally parallel to the window and to each other.
A manually driven drive roller mounted vertically intermediate the idler rollers is movable about an axis perpendicular to a plane through the idler roller axes so as to be driven by hand crank from within the vehicle on which the regulator is used.
The band was a cross section of a greater lateral extent than its thickness.
An inboard reach of the band is trained over the drive roller and has a half twist so that the total lateral extent of the band engages the idler and drive rollers without stressing the band.
A window connector secured to an outboard reach of the band provides vertical window movement as the drive roller is manually rotated.
A preferred embodiment of the regulator includes a vertically extending housing having upper and lower ends that respectively mount the idler rollers and also having an intermediate portion that mounts the drive roller.
Spaced side walls of the housing have the idler rollers mounted therebetween with the inboard reach of the band also located therebetween extending between the idler rollers.
An outer guide portion of the housing connects the side walls to define a U shape that opens in an inboard direction.
The guide portion has an outer curved guide surface along which the window connector is slidably supported.
Oppositely opening curved grooves in the housing side walls preferably receive slide portions on the window connector to maintain the slidable support thereof along the guide surface.
Opposite ends of the band are preferably located along the outboard reach thereof and are secured to the window connector.
A tension adjuster secures one of the band ends to the window connector and includes a threaded connection whose threading adjustment controls the band tension by controlling its effective length