OPENING-AND-CLOSING MEMBER DRIVE CONTROL APPARATUS FOR VEHICLE

• US 20100242363A1
• Filed: 03/03/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: HIROTA, Koichi, Bessho, Nobuyasu, Tagaito, Takashi, Noda, Shinichiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,562,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/28
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• 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: E05F 15/603 using rotary electromotors
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/63 operated by swinging arms
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/36 Speed control, detection or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/554 sensing motor load
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/58 Sensitivity setting or adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailgates
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/093 against increase beyond, or decrease below, a predetermined level of rotational speed centrifugal switches H01H35/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/03 Miscellaneous
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1047 Closure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor

Abstract

An opening-and-closing member drive control apparatus for a vehicle for driving the opening-and-closing member so as to be opened or closed by means of a driving force of a motor after an idling period or an idling section of the motor includes a moving speed detecting member, calculating means for calculating a moving speed changing value, a determining means for determining a sandwiching of an object on the basis of a relationship between the calculated moving speed changing value and a threshold value, a temperature estimating means for estimating a temperature of the motor on the basis of a rotational speed of the motor, detected in the idling period or the idling section, and correcting means for correcting the threshold value so that a determination sensitivity of the sandwiching of the object becomes greater when the estimated temperature of the motor is low than when the estimated temperature of the motor is high.

Claims

1. An opening-and-closing member drive control apparatus for a vehicle for driving the opening-and-closing member so as to be opened or closed by means of a driving force of a motor after an idling period or an idling section of the motor, the opening-and-closing member drive control apparatus for the vehicle comprising:

a moving speed detecting member for detecting a moving speed of the opening-and-closing member;

a calculating means for calculating a moving speed changing value including one of a moving speed difference between either a moving speed of the opening-and-closing member in a predetermined section or a standard moving speed defined by a predetermined moving speed and a current moving speed detected subsequently, an integrated value of the moving speed difference, and a moving speed changing amount within a predetermined period;

a determining means for determining a sandwiching of an object on the basis of a relationship between the calculated moving speed changing value and a threshold value;

a temperature estimating means for estimating a temperature of the motor on the basis of a rotational speed of the motor, detected in the idling period or the idling section; and

a correcting means for correcting the threshold value so that a determination sensitivity of the sandwiching of the object becomes greater when the estimated temperature of the motor is low than when the estimated temperature of the motor is high.

2. The opening-and-closing member drive control apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 1 further comprising:

a closing side transmitting member driven by the motor so as to transmit the driving force of the motor in one direction to the opening-and-closing member, thereby executing a closing operation on the opening-and-closing member; and

an opening side transmitting member driven by the motor so as to transmit the driving force of the motor in the opposite direction to the opening-and-closing member, thereby executing an opening operation on the opening-and-closing member, wherein

the motor is arranged at a predetermined original rotational position so that the idling section is set until the motor starts to drive each of the closing side transmitting member and the opening side transmitting member, and wherein

the idling section where the motor rotates from the original rotational position until starting to drive the closing side transmitting member is set to be longer than the idling section where the motor rotates from the original rotational position until starting to drive the opening side transmitting member.

3. The opening-and-closing member drive control apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 1 wherein

the threshold value is calculated on the basis of a standard moving speed change corresponding to a sliding resistance at the time of the closing operation or the opening operation, and wherein the correcting means corrects the standard moving speed change on the basis of the estimated temperature of the motor.

4. The opening-and-closing member drive control apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 2 wherein

the threshold value is calculated on the basis of a standard moving speed change corresponding to a sliding resistance at the time of the closing operation or the opening operation, and wherein the correcting means corrects the standard moving speed change on the basis of the estimated temperature of the motor.

5. A door lock device for a vehicle comprising:

a latch mechanism selectively switched to a fully-latched state for holding a vehicle door in a fully-closed state, a half-latched state for holding the vehicle door in a half-closed state, or an unlatched state for not holding the vehicle door;

a closing side transmitting member linked to the latch mechanism;

a motor, a driving force of which is transmitted to the latch mechanism via the closing side transmitting member after an idling section, driving to switch the latch mechanism from the half-latched state to the fully-latched state;

a rotational speed detecting member for detecting a rotational speed of the motor;

a calculating means for calculating the rotational speed difference between the rotational speed of the motor detected in the idling section and a current rotational speed of the motor detected subsequently;

a determining means for determining a sandwiching of an object on the basis of a relationship between the calculated rotational speed difference and a threshold value;

a temperature estimating means for estimating a temperature of the motor on the basis of the rotational speed of the motor, detected in the idling section; and

a correcting means for correcting the threshold value so that a determination sensitivity of the sandwiching of the object becomes greater when the estimated temperature of the motor is low than when the estimated temperature of the motor is high.

6. The door lock device for the vehicle according to claim 5 further comprising:

an opening side transmitting member linked to the latch mechanism and transmitting the driving force of the motor in the opposite direction from a driving direction of the closing side transmitting member so as to switch the latch mechanism from the half-latched state or the fully-latched state to the unlatched state, wherein

the motor is arranged at a predetermined original rotational position so that the idling section is set until the motor starts to drive each of the closing side transmitting member and the opening side transmitting member, and wherein

the idling section where the motor rotates from the original rotational position until starting to drive the closing side transmitting member is set to be longer than the idling section where the motor rotates from the original rotational position until starting to drive the opening side transmitting member.

7. The door lock device for the vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the idling section includes at least one of a section set until the motor starts to drive the closing side transmitting member and a section set until the closing side transmitting member starts to drive the latch mechanism.

8. The door lock device for the vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the idling section includes at least one of a section set until the motor starts to drive the closing side transmitting member and a section set until the closing side transmitting member starts to drive the latch mechanism.