Assembly for adjusting an adjustment element relative to a stationary portion of a vehicle

• US 10,017,976 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2017
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Bamberg (Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG, Bamberg (Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Herrmann, Christian, Uebel, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Camby, Richard M
• Application Number:
  US15/436,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20170335615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/60 using electrical actuators
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/619 using flexible or rigid rack-and-pinion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/622 using screw-and-nut mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/216 Clutches
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/10 Electronic control
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/50 Fault detection
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/502 of components
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/404 against component faults or failure
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/43 against wear

Abstract

An assembly for adjusting an adjustment element relative to a stationary portion of a vehicle, in particular of a vehicle door relative to a vehicle body comprises a drive motor for electromotively adjusting the adjustment element and an electrically actuatable locking device for locking the adjustment element with the stationary portion of the vehicle in a closed position, wherein the locking device has a locked condition in which the locking device is locked relative to the stationary portion for blocking the adjustment element in the closed position, and an unlocked condition in which the locking device is unlocked for adjusting the adjustment element relative to the stationary portion. A control device serves for controlling the drive motor and the locking device. It is provided that the control device is formed to actuate the drive motor for executing a diagnostic routine, while the locking device is in the locked condition.

Claims

1. An assembly for adjusting an adjustment element relative to a stationary portion of a vehicle, in particular a vehicle door relative to a vehicle body, comprising

a drive motor for electromotively adjusting the adjustment element,

an electrically actuatable locking device for locking the adjustment element with the stationary portion of the vehicle in a closed position, wherein the locking device has a locked condition in which the locking device is locked relative to the stationary portion for blocking the adjustment element in the closed position, and an unlocked condition in which the locking device is unlocked for adjusting the adjustment element relative to the stationary portion, and

a control device for controlling the drive motor and the locking device,

wherein the control device is formed to actuate the drive motor for executing a diagnostic routine, while the locking device is in the locked condition.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising an electrically actuatable coupling device which in a coupling, first condition couples the drive motor with a transmission element, in order to exert an adjustment force for adjusting the adjustment element on the transmission element, and in a decoupling, second condition decouples the drive motor from the transmission element.

3. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein for executing a first diagnostic routine the drive motor is driven, while the coupling device is in the decoupling, second condition.

4. The assembly according to claim 3, wherein the drive motor is actuated with a predetermined motor voltage and the resulting rotational speed of the drive motor is measured.

5. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein for executing a second diagnostic routine the drive motor is driven, while the coupling device is in the coupling, first condition.

6. The assembly according to claim 5, wherein the drive motor is driven and the motor current is measured, in order to detect a system slack in a system including the drive motor, the coupling device and the transmission element with reference to a rise of the motor current.

7. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the coupling device has a slipping, third condition in which a first coupling element operatively connected with the drive motor and a second coupling element operatively connected with the transmission element slippingly cooperate.

8. The assembly according to claim 7, wherein for executing a third diagnostic routine the drive motor is driven, while the coupling device is in the slipping, third condition.

9. The assembly according to claim 8, wherein the drive motor is driven and the motor current is measured, in order to determine a braking force provided by the coupling device in the slipping, third condition with reference to the motor current.

10. A method for adjusting an adjustment element relative to a stationary portion of a vehicle in which

a drive motor electromotively adjusts the adjustment element,

an electrically actuatable locking device in a locked condition locks the adjustment element with the stationary portion in a closed position, and in an unlocked condition releases the adjustment element for adjusting the adjustment element relative to the stationary portion, and

a control device controls the drive motor and the locking device,

wherein the control device actuates the drive motor for executing a diagnostic routine, while the locking device is in the locked condition.