Apparatus and method for providing a drive device for a vehicle door
First Claim
1. A drive assembly for a vehicle door, comprising:
- a motor having a driving member;
a housing having a shaft rotatably received therein;
an input member being rotatably received upon the shaft, the input member being operatively associated with the driving member, wherein rotation of the driving member causes rotation of the input member;
an armature mounted on the input member;
a rotor fixedly secured to the shaft, the rotor being cylindrical in shape and has a plurality of teeth positioned along the periphery of the rotor, the teeth being positioned in an equidistant manner;
a coil mounted to the housing, the coil providing magnetic flux lines through the rotor to attract the armature when the coil is energized thereby coupling the input member to the rotor, wherein the magnetic flux lines travel through a portion of the rotor and the armature but not through the plurality of teeth of the rotor; and
an inductance sensor assembly mounted to the housing in a facing spaced relationship with respect to the plurality of teeth of the rotor, wherein rotational speed and direction of the rotor is detected by the inductance sensor assembly as the plurality of teeth of the rotor pass by the inductance sensor assembly.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A drive assembly for a vehicle door, comprising: a motor having a driving member; a housing having a shaft rotatably received therein; an input member being rotatably received upon the shaft, the input member being operatively associated with the driving member, wherein rotation of the driving member causes rotation of the input member; an armature mounted on the input member; a rotor fixedly secured to the shaft, the rotor being cylindrical in shape and has a plurality of teeth positioned along the periphery of the rotor, the teeth being positioned in an equidistant manner; a coil mounted to the housing, the coil providing magnetic flux lines through the rotor to attract the armature when the coil is energized; and an inductance sensor assembly mounted to the housing in a facing spaced relationship with respect to the plurality of teeth of the rotor, wherein rotational speed and direction of the rotor is detected by the inductance sensor assembly.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A drive assembly for a vehicle door, comprising:
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a motor having a driving member;
a housing having a shaft rotatably received therein;
an input member being rotatably received upon the shaft, the input member being operatively associated with the driving member, wherein rotation of the driving member causes rotation of the input member;
an armature mounted on the input member;
a rotor fixedly secured to the shaft, the rotor being cylindrical in shape and has a plurality of teeth positioned along the periphery of the rotor, the teeth being positioned in an equidistant manner;
a coil mounted to the housing, the coil providing magnetic flux lines through the rotor to attract the armature when the coil is energized thereby coupling the input member to the rotor, wherein the magnetic flux lines travel through a portion of the rotor and the armature but not through the plurality of teeth of the rotor; and
an inductance sensor assembly mounted to the housing in a facing spaced relationship with respect to the plurality of teeth of the rotor, wherein rotational speed and direction of the rotor is detected by the inductance sensor assembly as the plurality of teeth of the rotor pass by the inductance sensor assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A drive assembly for a vehicle door, comprising:
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a motor having a driving member;
a housing having a shaft rotatably received therein;
an input member being rotatably received upon the shaft, the input member being operatively associated with the driving member, wherein rotation of the driving member causes rotation of the input member;
an armature mounted on the input member;
a rotor fixedly secured to the shaft, the rotor being cylindrical in shape and has a plurality of teeth positioned along the periphery of the rotor, the teeth being positioned in an equidistant manner;
a coil mounted to the housing, the coil providing magnetic flux lines through the rotor to attract the armature when the coil is energized thereby coupling the input member to the rotor; and
a hall effect device mounted to the housing in a facing spaced relationship with respect to the plurality of teeth of the rotor, wherein the hall effect device comprises a magnet and an integrated circuit, wherein rotational speed and direction of the rotor is detected by the hall effect device as the plurality of teeth of the rotor pass by the hall effect device.
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12. A modular drive assembly for a sliding door, comprising:
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a guide track having a hinge assembly slidably received therein;
a pair of pulleys disposed on either end of said guide track, said pair of guide pulleys being disposed adjacent to a path of travel of said hinge assembly within said guide track, said path of travel being defined by a closed door limit and an open door limit; and
a pair of cables each having an end that is secured to said hinge assembly and the other end is secured to a cable drum of a motor drive unit mounted to said guide track, said motor drive unit being configured to rotate said cable drum, wherein said cable drum is also capable of freely rotating within said motor drive unit when said motor drive unit is not rotating said cable drum, wherein rotation of said cable drum causes said hinge assembly to move in said guide track as one of said cables wraps onto said cable drum while the other one of said cables wraps off of said cable drum, wherein said hinge assembly passes a portion of one of said pair of pulleys when said hinge assembly is at said closed door limit and said hinge assembly passes a portion of the other one of said pair of pulleys when said hinge assembly is at said open door limit, wherein the motor drive unit comprises;
a motor having a driving member;
a housing having a shaft rotatably received therein, the motor being mounted to the housing;
an input member being rotatably received upon the shaft, the input member being operatively associated with the driving member, wherein rotation of the driving member causes rotation of the input member;
an armature mounted on the input member;
a rotor fixedly secured to the shaft, the rotor being cylindrical in shape and has a plurality of teeth positioned along the periphery of the rotor, the teeth being positioned in an equidistant manner;
a coil mounted to the housing, the coil providing magnetic flux lines through the rotor to attract the armature when the coil is energized thereby coupling the input member to the rotor;
an inductance sensor assembly mounted to the housing in a facing spaced relationship with respect to the plurality of teeth of the rotor, wherein rotational speed and direction of the rotor is detected by the inductance sensor assembly as the plurality of teeth of the rotor pass by the inductance sensor assembly, and the cable drum is fixedly secured to the shaft, wherein rotation of the cable drum by a force other than the motor will cause rotation of the rotor when the coil is not energized and rotational speed and direction of the rotor is detected by the inductance sensor assembly as the plurality of teeth of the rotor pass by the inductance sensor assembly. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification