FUEL LID DRIVING APPARATUS

• US 20090079225A1
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: KATOU, Kenji
• Application Number:
  US12/206,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20090079225A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/97.220
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/48 by electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/00 Power-actuated vehicle locks
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 83/34 for fuel inlet covers essentially flush with the vehicle surface
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity

Abstract

A fuel lid open-close mechanism includes a fuel lid open sensor for detecting an opening of a fuel lid, and the fuel lid is automatically closed by a fuel lid controller when the opening of the fuel lid is detected. The close operation of the fuel lid is performed when a predetermined condition of fuel lid closure absence is fulfilled. The fuel lid is closed by driving shutter members from an open position to a close position.

Claims

1. A fuel lid driving apparatus in a vehicle comprising:

a fuel lid movable between a close position that closes a fuel hole and an open position that opens the fuel hole;

a fuel lid driver for driving the fuel lid between the close position and the open position;

a fuel hole condition detector for detecting an open condition and a close condition of the fuel hole;

a situation determiner for determining whether or not an absence of a fuel lid closure is due to absentmindedness when the open condition of the fuel hole is detected; and

a fuel lid controller for controlling the fuel lid driver to drive the fuel lid to the close position when the situation is determined to result from absentmindedness.

2. The fuel lid driving apparatus of claim 1, wherein

a wireless key system is disposed in the vehicle,

a radio wave transmitter for transmitting a key polling wave in a polling area that exists at a proximity of the fuel lid is provided in the vehicle,

a key detector for detecting a wireless key in the polling area based on response information is provided in the vehicle, and

the situation determiner performs a determination when both of a first condition that the fuel lid is open and a second condition that the wireless key is not detected in the polling area are respectively fulfilled as prerequisites.

3. The fuel lid driving apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

an information receiver for receiving authentication information from the wireless key in the polling area; and

an authentication unit for authenticating the wireless key based on the received authentication information, wherein

the situation determiner performs a determination when both of the first condition that the fuel lid is open and a third condition that the wireless key is detected and authenticated in the polling area to turn to be one of un-detected in the polling area and un-authenticated with the first condition being maintained are respectively fulfilled as prerequisites.

4. The fuel lid driving apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a nozzle detector for detecting a fuel nozzle being put in the fuel hole, wherein

the situation determiner performs a determination when both of the first condition that the fuel lid is open and a fourth condition that the fuel nozzle is not detected by the nozzle detector are respectively fulfilled as prerequisites.

5. The fuel lid driving apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

a residue detector for detecting a residue amount of fuel in the vehicle, and

a fueling end detector for detecting an end of fueling based on the residue amount of the fuel detected by the residue detector, wherein

the situation determiner performs a determination when both of a first condition that the fuel lid is open and a fifth condition that the end of fueling is detected are respectively fulfilled as prerequisites.

6. The fuel lid driving apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a trigger switch for manually generating a trigger signal with regard to an open and close drive of the fuel lid, wherein the trigger switch is disposed next to the fuel hole and to be operable from an outside of the vehicle, wherein

the fuel lid is driven to the close position by the situation determiner without regard to whether or not the absence of the fuel lid closure is due to absentmindedness.

7. The fuel lid driving apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an open situation determiner for determining whether or not opening of the fuel lid is permissible when the fuel lid is detected to be in the close condition; and

an open drive controller for permitting the fuel lid driver to drive the fuel lid from the close position to the open position when the opening of the fuel lid is determined to be permissible.

8. The fuel lid driving apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

a trigger switch for manually generating a trigger signal with regard to an open and close drive of the fuel lid, wherein the trigger switch is disposed next to the fuel hole and to be operable from an outside of the vehicle, wherein

the situation determiner drives the fuel lid to open the fuel hole when both of an open condition that the opening of the fuel lid is determined to be permissible with a detected condition of the fuel hole being in the close condition and a switch condition that the trigger switch is operated are respectively fulfilled as prerequisites.

9. The fuel lid driving apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

a wireless key system is disposed in the vehicle;

a radio wave transmitter for transmitting a key polling wave in a polling area that exists at a proximity of the fuel lid is provided in the vehicle;

a key detector for detecting a wireless key in the polling area based on response information is provided in the vehicle;

the situation determiner performs a determination when both of a first condition that the fuel lid is open and a second condition that the wireless key is not detected in the polling area are respectively fulfilled as prerequisites;

an information receiver for receiving authentication information from the wireless key in the polling area; and

an authentication unit for authenticating the wireless key based on the received authentication information, wherein

the open situation determiner determines that the opening of the fuel lid is permissible when both of two prerequisites that a detected fuel hole condition is closed and that the wireless key is detected and authenticated in the polling area are fulfilled.

10. The fuel lid driving apparatus of claim 7, wherein

a vehicle navigation system is provided in the vehicle, and

the open situation determiner determines that the opening of the fuel lid is permissible when a prerequisite that a current position of the vehicle detected by the vehicle navigation system is a gas supply facility is fulfilled.