Device for opening and closing a mobile element

• US 20040070316A1
• Filed: 11/17/2003
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Herrmann, Falk, Neubauer, Achim, Moench, Jochen, Bolz, Martin-Peter
• Granted Patent: US 7,362,040 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/330
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/42 Detection using safety edges
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/55 Windows
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2209/002 Materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 3/142 of the elongated strip type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 310/80 Piezoelectric polymers, e.g. PVDF

Abstract

A device for opening and closing an opening (11), in particular in a motor vehicle, by means of a motor-driven, movable part (10), with a control unit (26) and a pinch prevention sensor (14), which is disposed essentially along an edge (20) of the part (10) and/or of a frame profile (12) bordering the opening (11) and which, during the closing of the part (10), detects an obstacle (24) that is in the movement path of the part (10) and sends a signal to the control unit (26) in order to stop or reverse the movement of the part (10), wherein the pinch prevention sensor (14) has a highly elastic, electroactive polymer (EAP) material (30), in particular polyurethane, fluoroelastomer, polybutadiene, fluorosilicone, or silicone, disposed between electrodes (28, 34, 36), which produces a voltage change in the electrodes (28, 34, 36) in the event of a deformation.

Claims

1. A device for opening and closing an opening (11), in particular in a motor vehicle, by means of a motor-driven, movable part (10), with a control unit (26) and a pinch prevention sensor (14), which is disposed essentially along an edge (20) of the part (10) and/or of a frame profile (12) bordering the opening (11) and which, during the closing of the part (10), detects an obstacle (24) that is in the movement path of the part (10) and sends a signal to the control unit (26) in order to stop or reverse the movement of the part (10), characterized in that the pinch prevention sensor (14) has a highly elastic, electroactive polymer (EAP) material (30), in particular polyurethane, fluoroelastomer, polybutadiene, fluorosilicone, or silicone, disposed between electrodes (28, 34, 36), which produces a voltage change in the electrodes (28, 34, 36) in the event of a deformation.

2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the EAP material (30) is deformed, the effective length of its polymer chains changes.

3. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the EAP material (30) is formed into thin layers, in particular from 1 to 100 μ

m in thickness (38).

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that a voltage U according to the formula

U=t*(p/ε

r*ε

0)½

occurs in the electrodes (28, 34, 36), where t is the thickness (38) of the EAP layer (30), ε

_r is the specific inductive capacity, ε

₀ is the electric constant, and P is the pressure on the EAP layer (30) generated by the obstacle (24).

5. The device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a number of EAP layers (30) with electrodes (28, 34, 36) and/or insulation layers (32) disposed between them are stacked one on top of another.

6. The device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the pressure generated by the obstacle (24) acts predominantly perpendicular to the EAP layers (30).

7. The device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the pressure generated by the obstacle (24) acts predominantly parallel to the EAP layers (30).

8. The device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the at least one EAP layer (30) is formed into a tube (44) or a roll (42).

9. The device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the electrodes (28, 34, 36) are disposed on the ends or on the circumference surfaces of the tube (42) or the roll (44).

10. The device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one EAP layer (30) is disposed on top of a perforated band matrix (46) and expands through the openings (48) of the perforated band matrix (46) when a voltage is applied to the electrodes (28, 34, 36).

11. The device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one of the electrodes (28, 34, 36, 56) is three-dimensionally patterned, and in particular, is embodied so that it can move slightly in the direction (20′

) of the edge (20).

12. The device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pinch prevention sensor (14) is subdivided into a number of independent regions (18, 58) along the edge (20) or the frame profile (12).

13. The device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the regions (18, 58) of the pinch prevention sensor (14) overlap.

14. The device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each sensor region (18, 58) has at least one separate electrode (28, 34, 36, 56).

15. The device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the individual electrodes (28, 34, 36, 56) of the sensor regions (18, 58) are embodied in the form of an integrated layer with strip conductors (62) on the EAP layer (30).

16. The device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pinch prevention sensor (14) is disposed between a frame profile (12) enclosing the part (10), and a sealing profile (16) inserted into this frame profile (12).

17. The device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pinch prevention sensor (14) is fixed by means of a foil (64) that supports strip conductors (62) for controlling the electrodes (28, 34, 36, 56).

18. The device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pinch prevention sensor (14) is integrated into the sealing profile (16), in particular is embodied of one piece with the sealing profile (16) by means of coextrusion or multi-component injection molding.

19. The device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one EAP layer (30) is disposed on the sealing profile (16) in the form of a lacquer or is glued to the sealing profile (16).

20. The device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pinch prevention sensor (14) is embodied so that it extends in a semicircular form around at least one free end (60) of the frame profile (12) oriented toward the part (10).

21. The device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pinch prevention sensor (14) is subdivided into regions (18, 58) of different sensitivities along the edge (20) or the frame profile (12), each of which regions is associated with a threshold value of the voltage change that is adapted to the geometry of the edge (20), and triggers a stopping or reversing of the part (10) when the voltage change exceeds or falls below this threshold value.

22. The device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that different output voltages are applied to the electrodes (28, 34, 36, 58) associated with the individual EAP layers (30) or sensor regions (18, 58).

23. The device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pinch prevention sensor (14) has a d.c./d.c. converter (27) for the evaluation of the voltage change in the control unit (26).

24. A device for opening and closing an opening (11), in particular in a motor vehicle, by means of a motor-driven, movable part (10), with a control unit (26) and a pinch prevention sensor (14), which is disposed essentially along an edge (20) of the part (10) and/or of a frame profile (12) bordering the opening (11) and which, during the closing of the part (10), detects an obstacle (24) that is in the movement path of the part (10) and sends a signal to the control unit (26) in order to stop or reverse the movement of the part (10), characterized in that the pinch prevention sensor (14) has a highly elastic, electroactive polymer (EAP) material (30), in particular polyurethane, fluoroelastomer, polybutadiene, fluorosilicone, or silicone, disposed between electrodes (28, 34, 36), which produces a voltage change in the electrodes (28, 34, 36) in the event of a deformation.

25. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that when the EAP material (30) is deformed, the effective length of its polymer chains changes.

26. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that the EAP material (30) is formed into thin layers, in particular from 1 to 100 μ

m in thickness (38).

27. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that a voltage U according to the formula

U=t*(p/ε

r*ε

0)½

occurs in the electrodes (28, 34, 36), where t is the thickness (38) of the EAP layer (30), ε

_r is the specific inductive capacity, ε

₀ is the electric constant, and P is the pressure on the EAP layer (30) generated by the obstacle (24).

28. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that a number of EAP layers (30) with electrodes (28, 34, 36) and/or insulation layers (32) disposed between them are stacked one on top of another.

29. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that the pressure 1/generated by the obstacle (24) acts predominantly perpendicular to the EAP layers (30).

30. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that the pressure generated by the obstacle (24) acts predominantly parallel to the EAP layers (30).

31. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that the at least one EAP layer (30) is formed into a tube (44) or a roll (42).

32. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that the electrodes (28, 34, 36) are disposed on the ends or on the circumference surfaces of the tube (42) or the roll (44).

33. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that the at least one EAP layer (30) is disposed on top of a perforated band matrix (46) and expands through the openings (48) of the perforated band matrix (46) when a voltage is applied to the electrodes (28, 34, 36).

34. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that the at least one of the electrodes (28, 34, 36, 56) is three-dimensionally patterned, and in particular, is embodied so that it can move slightly in the direction (20′

) of the edge (20).

35. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that the pinch prevention sensor (14) is subdivided into a number of independent regions (18, 58) along the edge (20) or the frame profile (12).

36. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that the regions (18, 58) of the pinch prevention sensor (14) overlap.

37. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that each sensor region (18, 58) has at least one separate electrode (28, 34, 36, 56).

38. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that the individual electrodes (28, 34, 36, 56) of the sensor regions (18, 58) are embodied in the form of an integrated layer with strip conductors (62) on the EAP layer (30).

39. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that the pinch prevention sensor (14) is disposed between a frame profile (12) enclosing the part (10), and a sealing profile (16) inserted into this frame profile (12).

40. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that the pinch prevention sensor (14) is fixed by means of a foil (64) that supports strip conductors (62) for controlling the electrodes (28, 34, 36, 56).

41. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that the pinch prevention sensor (14) is integrated into the sealing profile (16), in particular is embodied of one piece with the sealing profile (16) by means of coextrusion or multi-component injection molding.

42. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that the at least one EAP layer (30) is disposed on the sealing profile (16) in the form of a lacquer or is glued to the sealing profile (16).

43. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that the pinch prevention sensor (14) is embodied so that it extends in a semicircular form around at least one free end (60) of the frame profile (12) oriented toward the part (10).

44. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that the pinch prevention sensor (14) is subdivided into regions (18, 58) of different sensitivities along the edge (20) or the frame profile (12), each of which regions is associated with a threshold value of the voltage change that is adapted to the geometry of the edge (20), and triggers a stopping or reversing of the part (10) when the voltage change exceeds or falls below this threshold value.

45. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that different output voltages are applied to the electrodes (28, 34, 36, 58) associated with the individual EAP layers (30) or sensor regions (18, 58).

46. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that the pinch prevention sensor (14) has a d.c./d.c. converter (27) for the evaluation of the voltage change in the control unit (26).