Back door opening and closing apparatus

• US 20050151495A1
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
• Original Assignee: Jidosha Denki Kogyo Co., Ltd. (Mitsuba Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyauchi, Kazutoshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,967,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 318/469
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/41 Detection by monitoring transmitted force or torque E05F15/48 takes precedence; Safety couplings with activation dependent upon torque or force, e.g. slip couplings
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/554 sensing motor load
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/58 Sensitivity setting or adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/40 Physical or chemical protection
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailboards, tailgates or sideboards opening upwards
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 1/04 Arrangements for preventing response to transient abnormal conditions, e.g. to lightning or to short duration over voltage or oscillations; Damping the influence of dc component by short circuits in ac networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/006 Calibration or setting of parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/0851 for motors actuating a movable member between two end positions, e.g. detecting an end position or obstruction by overload signal

Abstract

In operating to open or close a door (step S1), when an outside switch indicating whether a door knob portion is grabbed or not grabbed by the hand of an operator is brought into an ON state (grip state), or when a distance of moving the door is less than a predetermined angle after bringing the outside switch into an OFF state from the ON state (non-grip state) (step S6), a current threshold higher than a normal current threshold is set (step S3, step S7), a motor current and the current threshold is compared (step S4) and pinching of an obstacle of the door is detected (step S5).

Claims

1. A door opening and closing apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

means for moving a motor by a current in accordance with a moving speed of the door to thereby generate an operating torque to open or close the door;

means for detecting a griping of an operator'"'"'s hand at a door knob portion in the door;

means for detecting a moving amount of the door; and

means for detecting a pinching of an obstacle by comparing the current and a current threshold which is set in accordance with the gripping and the moving amount;

wherein in a case that a non-grip state where the door knob portion is not gripped is detected after a grip state where the door knob portion is gripped as well as that the moving amount of the door in said non-grip state is less than a predetermined value,

a detection of the pinching is executed based on a second current threshold which is higher than a first current threshold for the non-grip state.

2. A door opening and closing apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

means for moving a motor by a current in accordance with a moving speed of the door to thereby generate an operating torque to open or close the door;

means for detecting a gripping of an operator'"'"'s hand at a door knob portion in the door;

means for detecting a moving amount of the door; and

means for detecting a pinching of an obstacle by comparing the current and a current threshold which is set in accordance with the gripping and the moving amount;

wherein, in a case that a non-grip state where the door knob portion is not gripped is detected after the grip state where the door knob portion is gripped,

a detection of the pinching is executed by the second current threshold which is higher than the first current threshold for the non-grip state.

3. A door opening and closing apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

means for moving a motor by a current in accordance with a moving speed of the door to thereby generate an operating torque to open or close the door;

means for detecting a gripping of an operator'"'"'s hand at a door knob portion in the door;

means for detecting a moving amount of the door; and

means for detecting a pinching of an obstacle by comparing the current and a current threshold;

wherein in a case that a non-grip state where the door knob portion is not gripped is detected after a grip state where the door knob portion is gripped as well as that the moving amount of the door in said non-grip state is less than a predetermined value,

a detection of the pinching is not performed.

4. A door opening and closing apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

means for moving a motor by a current in accordance with a moving speed of the door to thereby generate an operating torque to open or close the door;

means for detecting a gripping of an operator'"'"'s hand at a door knob portion in the door;

means for detecting a moving amount of the door; and

means for detecting a pinching of an obstacle by comparing the current and a current threshold;

wherein in a case that a grip state where the door knob portion is gripped is detected,

a detection of the pinching is not executed when the grip state is detected.

5. A door opening and closing apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a motor operating to open or operating to close a door of a vehicle;

an operating switch provided at a knob portion of the door of the vehicle for generating an ON signal for operating to open the door of the vehicle when the operating switch is operated and generates an OFF signal when the operating switch is not operated;

a pulse detecting circuit for detecting a period of rotating the motor to convert into a pulse signal;

a motor current detector for detecting a current flowing in the motor; and

a computer connected to the operating switch and supplied with the pulse signal from the pulse detecting circuit for recognizing a position of operating and an angle of moving the door by counting the pulse signal, determining a value of the current supplied to the motor based on the recognized operating position, controlling the value of the current supplied to the motor, further, supplied with a detected value of the current from the motor current detector, comparing the value of the current detected by the motor current detector with a previously determined first threshold and controlling to cut the current supplied to the motor when the current value detected by the motor current detector exceeds the first threshold;

wherein the computer detects an ON signal and an OFF signal supplied from the operating switch and when the ON signal supplied from the operating switch is detected to change to the OFF signal, during a time period in which the angle of moving the door is moved to a previous determined angle, the computer compares a second threshold larger than the first threshold with the value of the current detected by the motor current detector and controls to cut the current supplied to the motor when the value of the current detected by the motor current detector exceeds the second threshold.

6. A door opening and closing apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a motor for operating to open or operating to close a door of a vehicle;

an operating switch provided at a knob portion of the door of the vehicle for generating an ON signal for operating to open the door of the vehicle when the operating switch is operated and generating an OFF signal when the operating switch is not operated;

a pulse detecting circuit for detecting a period of rotating the motor to convert into a pulse signal;

a motor current detector for detecting the current flowing in the motor; and

a computer connected to the operating switch and supplied with the pulse signal from the pulse detecting circuit for recognizing a position of operating and an angle of moving the door by counting the pulse signal, determining a value of the current supplied to the motor based on a recognized operating position, controlling the value of the current supplied to the motor, further, supplied with a detected value of the current from the motor current detector, comparing the value of the current detected by the motor current detector with a previously determined first threshold and controlling to cut the current supplied to the motor when the current value detected by the motor current detector exceeds the first threshold;

wherein the computer detects an ON signal and an OFF signal supplied from the operating switch and when the ON signal supplied from the operating switch is detected to change to the OFF signal, during a time period in which the angle of moving the door is moved to a previously determined angle, the computer prohibits the comparison between the first threshold value and the current value detected by the motor current detector.