Vehicle with active door zone

• US 10,060,170 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2016
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Gomez Melchor, Jorge, Marini Parissi, Jesus, Saavedra, Oscar
• Primary Examiner(s): Trivedi, Atul
• Application Number:
  US15/237,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20180044963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 701 49
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0493 Appurtenances
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 5/00 Braking devices, e.g. checks; Stops; Buffers construction of pneumatic or liquid braking devices E05F3/00; braking devices, buffers or end stops on drawers for tables, cabinets or like furniture A47B88/473; combined with devices for holding wings open E05C17/00; devices for limiting opening of wings or for holding wings open by a movable member extending between frame and wing E05C17/04
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/21 Brakes
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/232 by automatically acting means
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/246 by auxiliary motors, magnets, springs or weights
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/20 of brakes, disengaging means, holders or stops
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/44 Sensors not directly associated with the wing movement
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors

Abstract

A vehicle includes: a frame, a rotatable door; an inhibitor comprising: an arm extending through a selective gate including: upper and lower springs respectively biasing upper and lower rollers against the arm; upper and lower stoppers configured to, upon activation, compress the upper and lower rollers against the arm, thus stopping rotation of the door; sensors, processor(s) configured to: activate and deactivate the stoppers based on sensed events.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a frame, a door;

an arm including a plurality of valleys and configured to slide through upper and lower rollers biased against the arm when the door rotates;

upper and lower stoppers configured to, upon activation, compress the upper and lower rollers against the arm, thus stopping rotation of the door; and

sensors, processor(s) configured to;

activate and deactivate the stoppers based on sensed events.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the door is configured to rotate and pivot about the frame;

wherein the arm, the upper and lower rollers, and the upper and lower stoppers are configured to rotate and pivot about the frame;

wherein the the upper and lower rollers, and the upper and lower stoppers are fixed to the door.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the upper stopper comprises:

(a) an upper linear motor or solenoid, (b) an upper vertical actuator, and (c) an upper brake.

4. The vehicle of claim 3, further comprising upper and lower springs respectively biasing the upper and lower rollers against the arm and configured such that the upper vertical actuator extends through a central axis of the upper spring when the upper stopper is active.

5. The vehicle of claim 3, configured such that upon activation of the upper stopper, the upper linear motor or solenoid extends the upper vertical actuator downward, which drives the upper brake against the upper roller.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, configured such that, upon activation of the upper stopper, the upper stopper drives the upper brake against the upper roller until the upper stopper is deactivated.

7. The vehicle of claim 3, wherein the lower stopper comprises:

(a) a lower linear motor or solenoid, (b) a lower vertical actuator, and (c) a lower brake.

8. A vehicle comprising:

a door;

an inhibitor comprising;

upper and lower stoppers configured to, upon activation, compress upper and lower rollers against an arm, thus limiting rotation of the door, the arm including a plurality of valleys and configured to slide through the upper and lower rollers when the door rotates; and

sensors, processor(s) configured to;

activate and deactivate the stoppers based on sensed events.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the processor(s) are configured to:

determine that a calculated trajectory of a detected object intersects the door;

activate the stoppers based on the determination.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the processor(s) are configured to:

determine the intersection of the trajectory of the detected object with the door based on a sweeping position of the door.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the sweeping position of the door is arced and includes a closed position of the door, a fully open position of the door and intermediate positions of the door.

12. The vehicle of claim 9, wherein the processor(s) are configured to:

determine that the door is active with reference to seatbelt sensor(s) or seat load sensor(s);

only calculate the trajectory of the detected object with reference to the door when the door is determined active.

13. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the door is a driver door and the inhibitor is a driver door inhibitor, the vehicle comprises a passenger door connected to a passenger door inhibitor, and the processor(s) are configured to:

determine that the passenger door is active with reference to passenger seatbelt sensor(s) or passenger seat load sensor(s);

determine that a calculated trajectory of a detected object intersects the passenger door, but only when the passenger door is active;

activate stoppers of the passenger door inhibitor based on the determination.

14. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the processor(s) are configured to:

measure load applied against the stoppers;

deactivate the stoppers when the measured load exceeds a predetermined value a predetermined number of times.

15. A method of stopping a rotatable door of a vehicle including sensors, the door and an inhibitor having:

upper and lower stoppers configured to, upon activation, compress upper and lower rollers against an arm including a plurality of valleys and configured to slide through the upper and lower rollers, thus stopping rotation of the door;

the method comprising, via processor(s) of the vehicle;

sensing, using the sensors, sensed events; and

activating and deactivating the stoppers based on the sensed events.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising:

determining that a calculated trajectory of a detected object intersects a sweeping position of the door;

activating the stoppers based on the determination.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the sweeping position of the door is arced and includes a closed position of the door, a fully open position of the door and intermediate positions of the door.

18. The method of claim 15, comprising:

determining that the door is active with reference to seatbelt sensor(s) or seat load sensor(s);

only calculating the trajectory of the detected object with reference to the door when the door is determined active.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the door is a driver door and the inhibitor is a driver door inhibitor, the vehicle includes a passenger door connected to a passenger door inhibitor, and the method comprises:

determining that the passenger door is active with reference to passenger seatbelt sensor(s) or passenger seat load sensor(s);

determining that a calculated trajectory of a detected object intersects the passenger door, but only when the passenger door is active;

activating stoppers of the passenger door inhibitor based on the determination.

20. The method of claim 15, comprising:

measuring load applied against the stoppers;

deactivating the stoppers when the measured load exceeds a predetermined value a predetermined plurality of times.