Vehicle door controlling apparatus

• US 20040262945A1
• Filed: 04/22/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Shintaro, Itami, Eiji, Imaizumi, Tomoaki
• Granted Patent: US 6,955,389 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/155
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/0811 the bolts pivoting about an axis perpendicular to the wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/24 preventing use of an inner door handle, sill button, lock knob or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/46 Locking several wings simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/40 for sliding doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/646 allowing or involving a secondary movement of the wing, e.g. rotational or transversal
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/70 with automatic actuation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor

Abstract

To provide a vehicle door controlling apparatus, which in the configuration of connecting doors, when one door operates electrically, the door connecting mechanism does not interfere with the door that is operating. A vehicle door controlling apparatus comprises a connection locking mechanism provided between a swinging door and a sliding door for locking the two doors by connecting both of them to each other. The swinging door is capable of opening or closing the front side of an opening formed in a vehicle and the second door is capable of opening or closing the rear side of the opening. The vehicle door controlling apparatus further comprises an operating switch which requests the opening of the sliding door, a rotary switch which detects a lock state between the doors, and a latch switch and a pole switch which detect a lock state at the rear side of the sliding door. When the controller detects a request for opening the sliding door using the operating switch is detected, a release actuator is operated to release the lock state, an electric current is applied to a sliding motor, and electrical operation of the sliding door starts.

Claims

1. A vehicle door controlling apparatus, comprising:

a connection locking means provided between a first door and a second door for locking the first door and the second door by connecting both of them to each other;

a door-locking means for restraining opening and closing of the second door on the vehicle body to be locked;

a release means for unlocking the connection locking means or the door locking means; and

a controlling means for controlling the connection locking means and the release means,

the vehicle door controlling apparatus further comprising;

an operating means which requests the opening of the second door; and

a first lock state detecting means for detecting the state of the connection member;

wherein

when a request for opening the second door using the operating means is detected, the controlling means operates the release means, releases the lock which has been locked by the connection member and releases the lock of the door-locking means, and electrically drives the second door based on a signal from the first lock state detecting means.

2. The vehicle door controlling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second lock state detecting means for detecting restraint of the first door on the vehicle body;

wherein

the second lock state detecting means includes a first switch in which, when the second door moves from a whole closed state in an opened direction by a predetermined distance, engagement with one of the doors caused by the connection member is released and the switching state of the first switch is changed, and when switching of the first switch is detected, the controlling means operates the release means, releases a lock state of the connection member and starts electrical driving of the second door.

3. The vehicle door controlling apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a second switch whose state is switched to the opened direction rather than the first switch,

wherein, when switching of the second switch is detected, the controlling means stops the operation of the release means. 4. The vehicle door controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first door is a swinging door which is opened or closed in the widthwise direction of the vehicle and the second door is a sliding door which is opened or closed in the forward and backward directions of the vehicle.