POWER WINDOW WINDERS

The motor-driven window winders generally consist of a dual polarity direct-current (dc) motor with a
built-in circuit breaker for each power window with its worm and worm-wheel gear reduction and a ‘lift’
and ‘lower’ mechanism which can take the following forms:

a) Sector and pinion gear and lever.

b) Pulley wheel cable and reel.
c) Cable rack and pinion.

The individual power window winder can be operated by an up-down switch mounted in each door for
passengers to operate and by a master switch panel mounted at some convenient position to allow the
driver to operate each passenger door window. There is also a main switch which can be used to override
the passenger door window switches, thus preventing children opening and closing the windows but at the
same time still permitting the driver to operate his own door window switch. Each motor has a circuit
breaker incorporated to prevent overloading and damaging the motor and possibly the wiring circuit. The
up or down motion of the windows is achieved by switching the polarity of the motor, that is, changing
the direction of current flow through the armature windings of the motor.

1 Sector arm and pinion power window mechanism

The up and down movement of the window is controlled by a toothed sector arm which is permitted to
swivel on its pivot when power is provided by a dual polarity motor through a two-stage gear reduction.
It consists of a worm and worm-wheel and a sector and pinion which provides the first and second-stage
reduction respectively. To balance the off-set up-thrust on the window, a second arm is made to pivot half
way along the sector-arm in a diagonal position so that it contacts both the fixed and moving horizontal
slides. The load reaction on the fixed slide ensures that other end of tilt-arm exerts an equal up-thrust at
other end of the window slide-rail with that of supporting sector-arm. Figure 1.1 shows the arm and pinion
power window mechanism.

Figure 1.1: Sector arm and pinion power window mechanism

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2 Pulley-reel and cable power window mechanism (fig. 28.27)
The power is transferred from dual polarity motor to the window in two stages, first via worm and worm-
wheel reduction gear. The second by reel and pulley system which pulls the cable in either a clockwise or
anticlockwise direction when the motor is energized and is made to rotate. The cable is wound around the
reel several times to increase its grip on reel. The up and down movement of the window is controlled by
a Bowden multi-strand cable supported between an upper and lower pulley-wheel. The cable is attached
to the window via a slide-saddle which is restrained to a vertical movement by a guide-rail. The cable
converts the rotary motion of the input drive at the cable-reel to a vertical slide-saddle motion.
The direction the window moves, be it up or down, is determined by switching the polarity of the armature
brushes, that is, changing the direction of current flow through the armature winding.

Figure 1.2: Pulley-reel and cable power window mechanism

Dual-polarity motor (fig. 28.28)

This is a narrow or flat-shaped horseshoe ferrite permanent magnet two pole motor with an eight-slot
armature and an eight-segment commutator with two brushes and a built-in circuit breaker. The bi-
directional rotating armature is controlled by switching the polarity of the brushes, ie, reversing the
direction of current flow through the armature windings.

Circuit breaker (fig. 28.28)

A circuit breaker connected in series with the armature winding is incorporated into each dual polarity
motor. Should the window door switch or master switch be held on for a prolonged period in the fully up
or down position, or if something has become jammed between the window and door frame, then the
motor will be subjected to stall or lock condition’s causing a high rise in the current flow. Consequently,

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it would tend to overload the motor, thus endangering the continuity of the armature-winding, commutator
and brushes. The overloading of the motor is prevented by interposing a circuit breaker in series with the
armature winding so that if the motor should stall, the bi-metal contacts heat up and bend away from its
adjacent fixed contact, thereby interrupting the supply current to the motor. Once the circuit breaker has
cooled down the circuit will automatically reconnect and again switch on the motor. The inserted graph
in fig. 28.28 shows that if a small current flows through the bi-metal contacts, the contacts would remain
closed remain closed for a considerable time; conversely if a large current flow through the contact, the
bi-metal strip contacts distort and break the circuit early. For example, if a current of 30 A passes through
the contacts it wound take roughly 8-20 seconds for them to open.

Power window switch (fig. 28.28)

The power window switches are of the self-centring rocker type, which control a pair of two-way contacts
with a neutral position. When the switch is rocked to the down position, the upper set of contacts connects
the battery’s positive terminal feed to the motor while the lower contacts complete the current flow return
circuit to the battery's negative terminal via the earth-return. This makes the motor rotate in the clockwise
direction. Pressing the rocker in the opposite direction towards the up position changes the upper set of
contacts to the earth-return and the lower contacts become the feed. The current flow to and from the
motor is therefore reversed, that is, the motor polarity has been switched and the motor will rotate in the
opposite anticlockwise direction.

3 Power window wiring circuit (fig. 28.28)

Current is supplied to the individual window motors through the main fuse, power window relay and to
the four 1 5 amp window fuses. It then passes to the individual motors via the window master switch and
window door switches. When the ignition switch is turned to the ‘on’ position, voltage will be applied to
the power relay window. Its magnetic pull will then close the contacts. If now the master window switch
or a window door switch is pushed to either the window up or down position, from the positive battery
terminal current will be supplied to the individual window motor through the main fuse, power window
relay contacts, and individual motor fuse. It then passes to the motor via either the master switch or the
door window switch depending upon which of the two switches have been activated. Examples of
clockwise (down winding) and anticlockwise (up winding) circuitry is now described.

Left-hand front window winding down (fig. 28.28)

Current is supplied to the left-hand front window motor through the main fuse, window power relay, left
front window motor fuse, the window door switch upper contact and circuit breaker before flowing in and
out from the armature windings via the brushes to produce the magnetic torque. Current then passes to the
left front window door switch and the corresponding master switch lower bridged contacts, and finally it

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passes to the negative earth via the main switch. As a result, the motor armature is compelled to rotate
clockwise.
Left-hand rear window winding up (fig. 28.28)
Current is supplied to the left-hand rear window motor through the main fuse, power window relay, left
rear window, motor fuse, door switch and lower bridged contacts, before flowing in and out from the
armature windings via the brushes to energies the motor. Current then passes via the circuit breaker to the
left-rear window door switch and the corresponding master switch upper bridged contacts, and finally it
passes to negative earth via the main switch. Accordingly, the motor armature is compelled to rotate in an
anticlockwise direction