Actuating device for movable parts for closing of apertures in vehicles and vehicle roof utilizing same

Claim 2

Actuating device for a movable part for the closure of apertures in vehicles, comprising: a reversible direct current drive motor for driving of the movable part; a polarity reversing actuating switch in a motor circuit for applying direct current to the motor circuit in a manner which, selectively, produces rotation of said motor in each of opposite rotational directions; a relay with a switch contact, connected in series with the polarity reversing actuating switch in the motor circuit; a position responsive stage connected to a control circuit of the relay for actuating the relay when said movable part is in a predetermined reference position for automatically deactivating the drive motor by opening the switch contact; wherein said relay is a direct current relay which, upon application of a first voltage level to its control circuit, closes the relay switch contact, and which, upon application of a second voltage level to its control circuit, opens the relay switch contact; and wherein an electronic relay actuating stage having a storage device is connected with the control circuit of the relay, which relay actuating stage, at least when said movable part is in the reference position, has a setting signal applied to its input side, said setting signal being caused by the closure of the polarity reversing actuating switch and being effective to cause the relay actuating stage to apply the first voltage level to the control circuit of the relay, said relay actuating stage being held as set by the setting signal, dependent upon the position of the movable part, at least until the movable part has left the reference position.

Claim 3

Actuating device according to claim 1, wherein the position responsive stage is operative for deenergizing said relay when the movable part enters the reference position, and wherein the relay switch contact is a normally open contact.

Claim 4

Actuating device according to claim 2, wherein the position responsive stage comprises a switch which assumes a fist switch position when the movable part is in the reference position, and assumes a second switch position when the movable part has been moved out of the reference position.

Claim 5

Actuating device according to claim 1, wherein the position responsive stage comprises a switch which assumes a first switch position when the movable part is in the reference position, and assumes a second switch position when the movable part has been moved out of the reference position.

Claim 6

Actuating device according to claim 4, wherein the position responsive switch is directly connected in series with a winding of the relay.

Claim 7

Actuating device according to claim 4, wherein the position responsive switch acts upon said relay via the electronic relay actuating stage.

Claim 8

Actuating device according to claim 1, wherein the relay actuating stage has at least one input that is connected with the polarity reversing actuating switch.

Claim 9

Actuating device according to claim 7, wherein the relay actuating stage has a locking loop which, after setting the relay actuating stage into a set mode, holds it in the set mode at least until the movable part has left the reference position.

Claim 10

Actuating device according to claim 7, wherein the relay actuating stage, together with the control circuit of the relay, is connected to the polarity reversing actuating switch in parallel to the motor circuit via a full wave rectifier.

Claim 11

Actuating device according to claim 1, wherein the relay actuating stage, together with the control circuit of the relay, is connected to the polarity reversing actuating switch in parallel to the motor circuit via a full wave rectifier.

Claim 12

Actuating device according to claim 10, wherein the position responsive stage includes a position responsive switch arranged to open when the movable part is in the reference position, and wherein the position responsive switch is connected with an input of the relay actuating stage via a diode, which diode is connected in a manner causing it to be blocked when the position responsive switch is open.

Claim 13

Actuating device according to claim 11, wherein the relay actuating stage is provided with a temperature drift compensating means for blocking the diode independent of temperature fluctuations, when the position responsive switch is open.

Claim 14

Actuating device according to claim 1, wherein the relay actuating stage has two circuit units which essentially mirror image each other, one unit of which responds to a closing of the polarity reversing actuating switch in one direction, and the other unit of which responds to a closing of the polarity reversing actuating switch in the opposite direction.

Claim 15

Actuating device according to claim 13, wherein the winding of the relay is connected in series, with opposite polarities, with an output side of a semiconductor switch of one circuit unit, and an output side of a semiconductor switch of the other circuit unit, and wherein a diode is connected anti-parallelly to the two output sides of the semiconductor switches.

Claim 16

Actuating device according to claim 13, wherein each of the two circuit units has a setting input which is directly connected with the polarity reversing actuating switch, and a resetting input connected to the position responsive stage.

Claim 17

Actuating device according to claim 15, wherein the winding of the relay is connected in series, with opposite polarities, with an output side of a semiconductor switch of one circuit unit, and an output side of a semiconductor switch of the other circuit unit, and wherein a diode is connected anti-parallelly to the two output sides of the semiconductor switches.

Claim 18

Actuating device according to claim 8, wherein the relay actuating stage has two circuit units which essentially mirror image each other, one unit of which responds to a closing of the polarity reversing actuating switch in one direction, and the other unit of which responds to a closing of the polarity reversing actuating switch in the opposite direction.

Claim 19

Actuating device according to claim 17, wherein each of the two circuit units has a setting input which is directly connected with the polarity reversing actuating switch, and a resetting input connected to the position responsive stage.

Claim 20

Actuating device according to claim 18, wherein the winding of the relay is connected in series, with opposite polarities, with an output side of a semiconductor switch of one circuit unit, and an output side of a semiconductor switch of the other circuit unit, and wherein a diode is connected anti-parallelly to the two output sides of the semiconductor switches.

Claim 21

Actuating device according to claim 1, wherein an output circuit for the relay actuating stage is connected in series with the relay actuating stage.

Claim 22

Actuating device according to claim 20, wherein the position responsive stage acts upon said relay via the electronic relay actuating stage; and wherein said position responsive stage has a changeover contact which connects the output circuit for the relay actuating stage in series with the winding of the relay when the movable part is in its reference position, and which closes a relay holding circuit including the polarity reversing actuating switch after the movable part has left the reference position.

Claim 23

Actuating device according to claim 1, wherein an output circuit of the relay actuating stage is connected in parallel to the relay actuating stage.

Claim 24

A vehicle roof of the type having an aperture in a fixed roof surface, a movable closure part for selectively closing and at least partially opening said aperture, and an actuating device for said closure part, said actuating device comprising: a reversible direct current drive motor for driving said movable closure part; a polarity reversing actuating switch in a motor circuit for applying direct current to the motor circuit in a manner which, selectively, produces rotation of said motor in each of opposite rotational directions; a relay with a switch contact, connected in series with the polarity reversing actuating switch in the motor circuit; a position responsive stage connected to a control circuit of the relay for actuating the relay when said movable closure part is in a predetermined reference position for automatically deactivating the drive motor by opening the switch contact; wherein said relay is a direct current relay which, upon application of a first voltage level to its control circuit, closes the relay switch contact, and which, upon application of a second voltage level to its control circuit, opens the relay switch contact; and wherein an electronic relay actuating stage having a storage device is connected with the control circuit of the relay, which relay actuating stage, at least when said movable closure part is in the reference position, has a setting signal applied to its input side, said setting signal being caused by the closure of the polarity reversing actuating switch and being effective to cause the relay actuating stage to apply the first voltage level to the control circuit of the relay, said relay actuating stage being held as set by the setting signal, dependent upon the position of the movable part, at least until the movable part has left the reference position.

Claim 25

A vehicle roof of the type having an aperture in a fixed roof surface, a movable closure part for selectively closing and at least partially opening said aperture, and an actuating device for said closure part, said actuating device comprising: a reversible direct current drive motor for driving said movable closure part; a polarity reversing actuating switch in a motor circuit for applying direct current to the motor circuit in a manner which, selectively, produces rotation of said motor in each of opposite rotational directions; a relay with a switch contact, connected in series with the polarity reversing actuating switch in the motor circuit; a position responsive stage connected to a control circuit of the relay for actuating the relay when said movable closure part is in a predetermined reference position for automatically deactivating the drive motor by opening the switch contact; wherein said relay is a direct current relay which, upon application of a first voltage level to its control circuit, closes the relay switch contact, and which, upon application of a second voltage level to its control circuit, opens the relay switch contact; and wherein an electronic relay actuating stage having a storage device is connected with the control circuit of the relay, which relay actuating stage, at least when said movable closure part is in the reference position, has a setting signal applied to its input side, said setting signal being caused by the closure of the polarity reversing actuating switch and being effective to cause the relay actuating stage to apply the first voltage level to the control circuit of the relay, said relay actuating stage being held as set by the setting signal, dependent upon the position of the movable part, at least until the movable part has left the reference position.