The present invention relates to an actuator device for an electric window winder, and in particular to such a device of the type in which a DC electric motor drives an element constituted by a pre-compressed screw, in a known way by means of a recirculating ball worm screw unit, to actuate the displacement of the window. BACKGROUND ART As is known, currently for drive and control of such actuator devices conveniently fitted on vehicles, in particular motor vehicles, use is currently made in practice of a wiring system with wires dedicated to the electrical supply of the motor, which lead from a common central control unit for various actuator devices, which include relay units, limiter circuits etc. This wiring system involves various disadvantages, including: the complexity and difficulty of positioning bundles of wires, the large number of electrical connections, the difficulty of identification in the case of failure, and the complexity of testing the operation of the installation during and/or after assembly on the vehicle. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

The object of the present invention is that of providing an actuator device for an electric window winder, particularly for a motor vehicle, which is very simple to produce and assemble, which has a good guarantee of

functionality, and which is suitable for a drive and control system which overcomes the above-indicated disadvantages, in particular a system of the type described in Italian Patent application entitled "A Drive and Control System for a Plurality of Electrical Devices of a Vehicle", filed on the same date.

According to the present invention, there is provided an actuator device for an electric window winder, comprising an electric motor and a window displacement actuator element, displaceable with respect to a frame of the device under the action of the said motor, characterised by the fact that it includes a specific electronic drive and control unit for the said electric motor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention a particular embodiment thereof will now be described, purely by way of non-limitative example, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a partially sectioned side view of an electric window winder actuator device formed according to the principles of the present invention; and

Figure 2 is a partially sectioned front view of the actuator device of Figure 1.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference to Figure 1, the reference numeral 101

generally indicates an actuator device for an electric window winder, which comprises, in a substantially known way, a main frame 102 in the form of a shaped container, conveniently made of aluminium, having a cylindrical portion 107 which forms a main cylindrical cavity 103 in which is housed a DC electric motor 104; upwardly from one end 105 of the cylindrical portion 107 this frame 102 extends a ring-shape portion 106 to which are fixed, on opposite sides, two respective deep drawn caps 108 and 109, which have respective outer end portions 110 and 111 with coaxial through-holes traversed by a pre-compressed screw 112 which is connected, in a known manner not illustrated, to a device for holding a window glass of a vehicle window, and which is coupled in a known way not illustrated, within the deep drawn cap 109, to a worm screw unit conveniently of the recirculating ball type, which is rotatably driven by the motor 104 through a transmission unit, conveniently a belt transmission unit, coupled to the shaft of the motor 104 itself.

The motor 104 is fixed within this cavity 103 by two resilient terminal packings 114 and 115 and by an external end plug 116 of circular form conveniently made of plastics material, which axially presses against the packing 115 and which is fixed to the extreme edge of the cavity 103 by cooperating coupling portions.

According to the present invention, beneath the ^' cylindrical portion 107 of the frame 102 extends an integral portion 120 with two parallel side walls 121, a base wall 122 and an end wall 123 which form, with a sector 124 of the wall 107, a second cavity 125 underlying the cavity 103 and the longitudinal axis of which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cavity 103 itself.

Within this cavity 125 is housed an electronic unit 27 for drive and control of the electric motor 104 according to the system described in the said Italian Patent application entitled "Drive and Control System for a Plurality of Electrical Devices on a Vehicle", the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. In particular, this unit 27 has a printed circuit 128 which is disposed with its lateral edges located in respective grooves 129 of the side walls 121 (Figure 2) parallel and close to the bottom wall 122 of the portion 120, and to this printed circuit-128 are connected:

- three electrical contact elements 130, 131, 132 (Figure 1) conveniently of the blade type, which are housed in an insulating plug connector 133 fixed to the portion 120 and shaped in such a way as to form a substantially sealed closure for the end opening of the cavity 125 opposite the end wall 123; this connector 133 is adapted to couple with a corresponding connector block

133' (illustrated in broken outline) connected to the end of an electrical cable 135 having three electrical conductors, of which the first is a power level positive electrical supply line, the second is for transmission of information signals, and the third is an earth connection line. This electrical cable 135 conveniently leads from a main central control unit comprising a microprocessor and leads to the device 101 conveniently disposed in a vehicle door; - a pair of integrated circuits 23 for distribution of the electrical power supply to the motor 104 by means of associated electrical wires 136 passing through a slot 137 in the sector 124, and a second integrated circuit 25 for dealing with information signals relating to the operation of the motor 104. These integrated circuits 23 and 25 can conveniently include specific logic circuits or a microprocessor, solid state switches etc, and can include current and voltage overload protection circuits, diagnostic and control circuits etc, also in combination with other discrete circuit components 139, connected to the printed circuit 128. In particular, the integrated circuit 25 is disposed parallel to and above the printed circuit 128, whilst the integrated circuits 23 (Figure 2) are disposed perpendicularly of the printed circuit 128 in parallel positions spaced from one another and contacting against the inner surface of the side walls 121 of the portion 120 to encourage the dissipation of heat of the

power elements of the integrated circuits 23 themselves, and are held in these positions by means of a leaf spring

141 which engages with its ends between the upper portions of these integrated circuits 23. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The advantages obtained with the actuator device of the present invention are evident from what has been described in that, thanks to the electronic unit 27, which allows processing of information signals relating to the operation of the device 101 itself and control of the distribution of the electrical power supply for operation of the motor 104, the assembly and reliability of the drive and control unit are considerably simplified by the significant reduction of the number of connection wires and associated connections; moreover, this electronic unit 27 makes it possible to have a malfunction diagnostic action both for a greater safety in operation of the vehicle, in that possible anomalies can be indicated in good time to the driver, and also for a reduction in the repair times in that it can give the repair engineer an indication of the type of anomaly. Moreover, all this translates obviously into a simplification of testing both in the assembly line and at the end of the line. The use of a specific electronic unit 27. for this device 101 further makes it possible to vary the type of operation of the device itself, with a simple modification of the specific electronic unit, and the programme resident in

the central unit. The housing of this electronic unit 27 is further achieved in an economic manner, with a simple modification of the conventional frame, by means of the integral portion 120, which does not substantially change the most critical dimensions of the device 101, which therefore can still be housed in the usual position in the door. The same frame 102 could however also be provided for devices 101 whether or not they have the electronic unit 27. This integral portion 120 further also achieves the necessary dissipation of heat for the power elements in the unit 27 which are housed in positions of thermal contact. The connector unit 133 further constitutes a closure and protection element for the electronic unit 27.

Finally, it is clear that the embodiment of the present invention described and illustrated can have modifications and variations introduced thereto without departing from the ambit of the inventive idea contained in it. For example, the configuration of this integral portion 120, and the manner in which the integrated circuits 23 and 25 are housed can be varied.