Roof Opening Panel, Motor

The roof opening panel motor has a worm drive which drives a gear in the cast housing attached to the end of the motor. The gear has a small pinion gear attached to the outer part of its spindle. The pinion engages with two cables to form a rack and pinion drive. Rotation of the motor turns the pinion which in turn drives the cables in the required direction.

The two cables are attached either side of the pinion. One end of each cable is attached to the guide; the opposite end of each cable is held in position on the pinion by a metal insert in the frame. The cables run in channels, in the panel frame to the guides. As the panel is closed the cables are pushed through channels in the front of the frame. The displaced cable is guided into a further two channels in the frame, which protect the cable and prevent it from snagging. The cables manufactured from rigid spring steel can pull as well as push the panel along the guides.

The motor contains a micro-switch and Hall effect sensor. Signals received from these components enable the control module to calculate the exact position of the roof opening panel. The Hall effect sensor is also responsible for the operation of the anti-trap function.

If the anti-trap feature is activated while the roof opening panel is closing, the panel is reversed for 200mm or as far as possible. The Hall effect sensor, located in the motor, monitors the speed of the motor and if the speed decreases below a set threshold, indicating an obstruction, the power feed to the motor is reversed so the panel goes back. In an emergency the anti-trap function can be overridden by holding the switch in the closed position.