VEHICLE-DOOR CONTROL DEVICE AND OPENING/CLOSING SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE

• US 20160201377A1
• Filed: 08/27/2014
• Published: 07/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: HAYAKAWA, Shunsuke, NISHIKIBE, Takeshi, KOBAYASHI, Kohei, HITOMI, Yoshinori, KATSUDA, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 9,677,313 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/047 characterised by the opening or closing movement
• 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 15/42 Detection using safety edges
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/44 responsive to changes in electrical conductivity
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/632 for horizontally-sliding wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/659 Control circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/76 responsive to devices carried by persons or objects, e.g. magnets or reflectors E05F15/77 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/216 Clutches
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/462 Electromagnets
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/11 Manual wing operation
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors
• 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

A vehicle-door opening/closing control device includes a controller, which controls the operation of a drive device. The controller is configured to supply drive power based on a voltage of an in-vehicle power supply to an electromagnetic clutch. The controller is also configured such that, when stopping an opening/closing body at an intermediate position, the controller supplies the drive power based on the voltage of the in-vehicle power supply to the electromagnetic clutch to put the clutch in the engaged state, and then stops the supply of drive power to the electromagnetic clutch so that the clutch is in the disengaged state after a predetermined holding time has elapsed since the controller has stopped the opening/closing body at the intermediate position. The predetermined holding time differs between a case where the trapping of the foreign object is detected and a case where the opening/closing manipulation is detected.

Claims

1. :

A vehicle-door opening/closing body control device, comprising;

a drive device, which opens/closes an opening/closing body of a vehicle;

a trapping detector, which detects a trapping of a foreign object by the opening/closing body;

an opening/closing manipulation detector, which detects an opening/closing manipulation for opening/closing the opening/closing body by driving the drive device; and

a controller, which controls an operation of the drive device such that the opening/closing body is stopped at an intermediate position in an operation range of the opening/closing body when the trapping of the foreign object is detected or when the opening/closing manipulation is detected during an opening operation or closing operation of the opening/closing body, wherein

the drive device includes an electromagnetic clutch, which is configured to transmit a driving force to the opening/closing body and engages or disengages transmission of a driving force between the opening/closing body and a motor as a driving source of the drive device,

the controller is configured to supply a drive power based on a voltage of an in-vehicle power supply to the electromagnetic clutch,

to stop the opening/closing body at an intermediate position, the controller supplies the drive power based on the voltage of the in-vehicle power supply to the electromagnetic clutch to put the electromagnetic clutch in an engaged state and then stops the supply of the drive power to the electromagnetic clutch to put the electromagnetic clutch in a disengaged state after a predetermined holding time has elapsed since the controller has stopped the opening/closing body at the intermediate position, and

the predetermined holding time differs between a case where the trapping of the foreign object is detected and a case where the opening/closing manipulation is detected.

2. :

The vehicle-door opening/closing body control device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined holding time is longer in the case where the trapping of the foreign object is detected than in the case where the opening/closing manipulation is detected.

3. :

The vehicle-door opening/closing body control device according to claim 1, wherein the opening/closing manipulation detector includes a valid opening/closing manipulation detector and an invalid opening/closing manipulation detector, wherein when the opening/closing body is in a stopped state at the intermediate position due to the trapping of the foreign object, the valid opening/closing manipulation detector validates a detected opening/closing manipulation, and the invalid opening/closing manipulation detector invalidates the detected opening/closing manipulation.

4. :

The vehicle-door opening/closing body control device according to claim 3, wherein the valid opening/closing manipulation detector includes an integrated opening/closing manipulation detector that is movable integrally with the opening/closing body.

5. :

The vehicle-door opening/closing body control device according to claim 3, wherein the valid opening/closing manipulation detector includes a driver'"'"'s seat opening/closing manipulation detector provided in a driver'"'"'s seat region.

6. :

The vehicle-door opening/closing body control device according to claim 3, wherein the invalid opening/closing manipulation detector includes a portable device opening/closing manipulation detector provided in a portable device.

7. :

The vehicle-door opening/closing body control device according to claim 3, wherein the valid opening/closing manipulation detector consists of an integrated opening/closing manipulation detector provided integrally with the opening/closing body and a driver'"'"'s seat opening/closing manipulation detector provided in a driver'"'"'s seat region.

8. :

The vehicle-door opening/closing body control device according to claim 1, wherein the controller reduces the drive power to be supplied to the electromagnetic clutch when the voltage of the in-vehicle power supply is lower than or equal to a voltage determination threshold value.

9. :

The vehicle-door opening/closing body control device according to claim 8, wherein the voltage determination threshold value differs between the case where the trapping of the foreign object is detected and the case where the opening/closing manipulation is detected.

10. An opening/closing system for a vehicle, comprising a vehicle-door opening/closing body control device,

the vehicle-door opening/closing body control device comprising:

a drive device, which opens/closes an opening/closing body of a vehicle;

a trapping detector, which detects a trapping of a foreign object by the opening/closing body;

an opening/closing manipulation detector, which detects an opening/closing manipulation for opening/closing the opening/closing body by driving the drive device; and

a controller, which controls an operation of the drive device such that the opening/closing body is stopped at an intermediate position in an operation range of the opening/closing body when the trapping of the foreign object is detected or when the opening/closing manipulation is detected during an opening operation or closing operation of the opening/closing body, wherein

the drive device includes an electromagnetic clutch, which is configured to transmit a driving force to the opening/closing body and engages or disengages transmission of a driving force between the opening/closing body and a motor as a driving source of the drive device,

the controller is configured to supply a drive power based on a voltage of an in-vehicle power supply to the electromagnetic clutch,

to stop the opening/closing body at an intermediate position, the controller supplies the drive power based on the voltage of the in-vehicle power supply to the electromagnetic clutch to put the electromagnetic clutch in an engaged state and then stops the supply of the drive power to the electromagnetic clutch to put the electromagnetic clutch in a disengaged state after a predetermined holding time has elapsed since the controller has stopped the opening/closing body at the intermediate position, and

the predetermined holding time differs between a case where the trapping of the foreign object is detected and a case where the opening/closing manipulation is detected.