Vehicle door cinching method

• US 20030192255A1
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Strattec Power Access LLC (Strattec Security Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lloyd Walker Jr. Rogers, Michael Antonio Ciavaglia, Theodore J. Lindsay
• Inventors: Lindsay, Theodore J., Rogers, Lloyd Walker Jr., Ciavaglia, Michael Antonio
• Granted Patent: US 6,851,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/360
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/20 for assisting final closing or for initiating opening
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 19/166 electromagnetic
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/646 allowing or involving a secondary movement of the wing, e.g. rotational or transversal
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/22 Locks
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/246 by motors, magnets, springs or weights
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/434 Electromotors; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors

Abstract

A vehicle door cinching apparatus for assisting the final closing motion of a sliding vehicle door includes an electromagnet, a ferrous metal plate, a cinch drive and a controller. The electromagnet mounts on either an outer periphery of a vehicle sliding door or an inner periphery of a vehicle sliding door frame that'"'"'s shaped to receive the sliding door as the door moves along a final inward cinching portion of a door path to a final closed position within the door frame. The plate is supported on the other of the outer periphery of the door and the inner periphery of the door frame in a position where the plate can magnetically engage the electromagnet when the door is disposed along the final cinching portion of the door path. Whichever of the plate and electromagnet is supported on the inner periphery of the door frame is also supported for lateral movement in a direction generally parallel to the cinching portion of the door path. According to the method, the cinch drive moves whichever of the electromagnet and plate is supported on the inner periphery of the door frame to drive the door along the final cinching portion of the door path and into the final closed position. The controller de-energizes the electromagnet and releases the door from the cinching apparatus once the door has reached its final closed position.

Claims

1. A vehicle door cinching apparatus for assisting the final closing motion of a sliding vehicle door, the apparatus comprising:

an electromagnet configured to mount on either an outer periphery of a vehicle sliding door or an inner periphery of a vehicle sliding door frame that'"'"'s shaped to receive the sliding door as the door moves along a final inward cinching portion of a door path to a final closed position within the door frame;

a ferrous metal plate configured to be supported on the other of the outer periphery of the door and the inner periphery of the door frame in a position where the plate is removably magnetically engageable with the electromagnet when the door is disposed along the final cinching portion of the door path, whichever of the plate and electromagnet is supported on the inner periphery of the door frame being supported for lateral movement in a direction generally parallel to the cinching portion of the door path;

a cinch drive operatively coupled to and configured to drive the lateral movement of whichever of the electromagnet and plate is supported on the inner periphery of the door frame thereby driving the door along the final cinching portion of the door path and into the final closed position when the electromagnet is magnetically connected to the plate; and

a controller coupled to the electromagnet and configured to de-energize the electromagnet and release an engaged door from the cinching apparatus once the door has reached its final closed position.

2. A vehicle door cinching apparatus as defined in claim 1 in which the electromagnet is configured to be supported on the inner periphery of a vehicle door frame and the plate is configured to be supported on the outer periphery of a vehicle door.

3. A vehicle door cinching apparatus as defined in claim 2 in which:

the apparatus includes a carriage supported for movement along a carriage path that includes motion generally parallel to the cinching portion of a door path;

the cinch drive is operatively coupled with and configured to drive the carriage reciprocally along the carriage path; and

the electromagnet is supported on the carriage for reciprocal motion toward and away from the carriage.

4. A vehicle door cinching apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which the electromagnet is spring biased toward the carriage.

5. A vehicle door cinching apparatus as defined in claim 3 in which:

the apparatus includes a housing including a cam slot;

the carriage is disposed at least partially within the housing and includes a cam follower that engages the cam slot; and

the cam follower is received in the cam slot and cooperates with the cam slot to define the reciprocal motion of the carriage along the carriage path.

6. A vehicle door cinching apparatus as defined in claim 5 in which:

the cam slot includes a first portion shaped to guide the carriage along a first portion of the carriage path toward the plate when a door that the plate is mounted on reaches the cinching portion of the door path during door closing; and

the cam slot includes a second portion shaped to guide the carriage along a second portion of the carriage path parallel to the cinch path.

7. A vehicle door cinching apparatus as defined in claim 6 in which the controller includes a first sensor and switch combination configured and positioned to de-energize the electromagnet when the carriage reaches its fully extended position at one end of the carriage path and to cause the drive to move the carriage from its fully extended position back to a stowed position at an opposite end of the carriage path.

8. A vehicle door cinching apparatus as defined in claim 7 in which the controller includes a second sensor and switch combination configured to shut off the drive when the carriage reaches its stowed position.

9. A vehicle door cinching apparatus as defined in claim 8 in which the controller includes a third sensor and switch combination configured to energize the electromagnet and cause the drive to move the carriage from its stowed position to its fully extended position when the door reaches the cinching portion of the door path.

10. A method for assisting the final closing motion of a sliding vehicle door including the steps of:

connecting a cinching apparatus to the door when the door reaches a final cinching portion of a door path;

causing the cinching apparatus to move the door to its fully closed position after connecting the cinching apparatus;

latching the door in its fully closed position once the cinching apparatus has moved the door to its fully closed position;

causing the cinching apparatus to release the door after latching the door in its fully closed position.

11. The method of claim 10 in which the step of connecting the cinching apparatus to the door includes energizing the electromagnet.

12. The method of claim 10 in which the step of connecting the cinching apparatus to the door includes causing the electromagnet to magnetically couple the door to the cinch drive.

13. The method of claim 10 in which the step of causing the cinching apparatus to move the door to its fully closed position includes energizing the cinch drive.

15. The method of claim 10 in which the step of latching the door in its fully closed position includes operating the cinch drive to pull the door to where a separate latch engages to hold the door in its fully closed position.

16. The method of claim 10 in which the step of causing the cinching apparatus to release the door includes de-energizing the electromagnet.

17. The method of claim 10 in which the step of causing the cinching apparatus to release the door includes energizing the cinch drive to move the electromagnet to a stowed “

cinch-ready”

position.