POWERED VEHICLE DOOR LATCH AND EXTERIOR HANDLE WITH SENSOR

• US 20150330117A1
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Van Wiemeersch, John Robert, Papanikolaou, Kosta, Kleve, Robert Bruce, Hrecznyj, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,834,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0027 Post collision measures, e.g. notifying emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/00 Arrangements or fittings on vehicles for protecting or preventing injuries to occupants or pedestrians in case of accidents or other traffic risks safety belts or body harnesses in vehicles B60R22/00; devices, apparatus or methods for life-saving in general A62B; safety devices for propulsion unit control specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles B60K28/00; seats constructed to protect the occupant from the effect of abnormal g-forces, e.g. crash or safety seats, B60N2/42; energy-absorbing arrangements for hand wheels for steering vehicles B62D1/11; energy-absorbing arrangements for vehicle steering columns B62D1/19; harnessing in aircraft B64D25/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/04 Preventing unwanted lock actuation, e.g. unlatching, at the moment of collision
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/64 Monitoring or sensing, e.g. by using switches or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/76 Detection of handle operation; Detection of a user approaching a handle; Electrical switching actions performed by door handles
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/77 comprising sensors detecting the presence of the hand of a user
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/78 as part of a hands-free locking or unlocking operation
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/10 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/14 Handles pivoted about an axis parallel to the wing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/0945 Operating means

Abstract

A vehicle door includes a powered latch configured to selectively retain the door in a closed position when the powered latch is latched, and permits the door to be opened when the powered latch is unlatched. The vehicle door further includes an exterior door handle having an outer side that faces away from the door structure, and an inner side that is spaced apart from an outer surface of the door to define a gap. A force sensor on the exterior door handle detects impact forces on the handle. The door also includes an unlatch switch that can be actuated by a user to request unlatching of the powered latch. A controller is configured to deny an unlatch request generated by actuation of the unlatch switch if the force sensor detects an impact on the exterior handle.

Claims

1. A vehicle door comprising:

a door structure having an outside;

a powered latch configured to selectively retain the door in a closed position when the powered latch is latched, and permit the door to open when the powered latch is unlatched;

an exterior door handle having an outer side;

a variable resistance bend sensor extending along the outer side of the exterior door handle such that an impact force applied to the outer side of the handle changes an electrical resistance of the bend sensor;

an unlatch switch disposed on the outside of the door structure; and

wherein;

actuation of the unlatch switch does not cause the powered latch to unlatch if a change in electrical resistance of the bend sensor sufficient to signal a side impact occurs within a predefined time interval of actuation of the unlatch switch.

2. The vehicle door of claim 1, wherein:

the bend sensor is configured such that bending of the sensor due to a side impact on the handle causes an increase in the electrical resistance of the bend sensor.

3. The vehicle door of claim 1, wherein:

the exterior door handle defines an internal cavity and an outer side wall having an inner side facing the internal cavity, and wherein the bend sensor includes an elongated sensor member disposed on the inner side of the outer side wall.

4. The vehicle door of claim 3, wherein:

the outer side wall of the exterior door handle is configured such that submerging the exterior door handle in water causes the elongated sensor member to bend sufficiently to enable detection of the bending of the elongated sensor member.

5. The vehicle door of claim 4, wherein:

the internal cavity is watertight.

6. The vehicle door of claim 1, wherein:

the unlatch switch includes a second conductor that is connected to a first conductor when the unlatch switch is not actuated, and wherein the second conductor is connected to a third conductor when the unlatch switch is actuated.

7. The vehicle door of claim 6, wherein:

the powered latch comprises a controller that determines if the unlatch switch has been actuated by detecting an edge transition upon connecting the second conductor to the third conductor.

8. The vehicle door of claim 7, wherein:

the controller does not unlatch the powered latch unless the second and third conductors of the unlatch switch are connected.

9. The vehicle door of claim 1, wherein:

the exterior door handle has an inner side, and includes an elongated movable member disposed on the inner side, and wherein the movable member engages the unlatch switch upon movement of the movable member.

10. A powered door latch comprising:

an electrically powered latch;

an exterior door handle including an unlatch switch and an elongated bend sensor having an electrical resistance that increases if the sensor bends;

a controller that unlatches the powered latch upon actuation of the unlatch switch unless an increase in resistance exceeding a predefined amount indicative of a side impact has occurred within a predefined time interval of switch actuation.

11. The powered door latch of claim 10, wherein:

the exterior door handle defines an outer side wall having an outer side and an inner side, and wherein the elongated bend sensor is disposed on the inner side of the outer side wall.

12. The powered door latch of claim 11, wherein:

the outer side wall of the exterior door handle flexes if the exterior door handle is submerged in water thereby causing the elongated sensor member to bend sufficiently to enable detection of the bending of the elongated sensor member.

13. The powered door latch of claim 11, wherein:

the unlatch switch includes a second conductor that is connected to a first conductor when the unlatch switch is not actuated, and wherein the second conductor is connected to a third conductor when the unlatch switch is actuated.

14. The powered door latch of claim 13, wherein:

the controller is configured to detect an edge transition and initiate a de-bounce process and simultaneously measure changes in resistance of the bend sensor.

15. The powered door latch of claim 10, wherein:

the controller is configured to periodically measure the electrical resistance of the bend sensor, and wherein the controller determines that an impact on the exterior door handle has occurred if the electrical resistance increases according to predefined criteria.

16. The powered door latch of claim 10, wherein:

the electrically powered latch includes a movable claw configured to engage a striker to retain a vehicle door in a closed position when the claw is in a closed position, a movable pawl configured to selectively retain the claw in the engaged position when the pawl is in an engaged position, and an electrically powered actuator that shifts the pawl from the engaged position to a disengaged position to thereby unlatch the powered latch and permit movement of the claw from the closed position to an open position.

17. The powered door latch of claim 16, wherein:

the electrically powered latch includes an emergency power supply capable of actuating the electrically powered actuator to unlatch the electrically powered latch.

18. A vehicle door comprising:

a door structure having an outside;

a powered latch configured to selectively retain the door in a closed position when the powered latch is latched, and permit the door to open when the powered latch is unlatched;

an exterior door handle connected to the door structure;

at least one capacitive sensor on the exterior door handle capable of detecting a user'"'"'s hand grasping the door handle;

an unlatch switch on the outside of the door structure; and

a controller configured to unlatch the powered latch if the unlatch switch is actuated at the same time as the capacitive sensor detects a user'"'"'s hand.

19. The vehicle door of claim 18, wherein:

actuation of the unlatch switch for a period of time can be detected by the controller;

the controller does not unlatch the powered latch unless the capacitive sensor detects a user'"'"'s hand during an entire period of time during which the controller detects actuation of the unlatch switch.

20. The vehicle door of claim 18, wherein:

the capacitive sensor comprises first and second elongated sensing members extending along inner and outer sides of the exterior door handle.