ANTI-PINCH CONTROL SYSTEM FOR POWERED VEHICLE DOORS

• US 20180058128A1
• Filed: 08/24/2016
• Published: 03/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Khan, Muhammad Omer, Papanikolaou, Kosta, Radjewski, Christopher Matthew, Linden, H. Paul Tsvi, Bernwanger, JR., George Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 10,329,823 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/047 characterised by the opening or closing movement
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/42 Detection using safety edges
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/43 responsive to disruption of energy beams, e.g. light or sound
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/44 responsive to changes in electrical conductivity
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/46 responsive to changes in electrical capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/60 using electrical actuators
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/611 for swinging wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 5/00 Braking devices, e.g. checks; Stops; Buffers construction of pneumatic or liquid braking devices E05F3/00; braking devices, buffers or end stops on drawers for tables, cabinets or like furniture A47B88/473; combined with devices for holding wings open E05C17/00; devices for limiting opening of wings or for holding wings open by a movable member extending between frame and wing E05C17/04
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/22 Locks
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/232 by automatically acting means
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/40 Motors; Magnets; Springs; Weights; Accessories therefore
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/426 for the initial opening movement
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/20 of brakes, disengaging means, holders or stops
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/44 Sensors therefore E05Y2400/322, E05Y2400/33, E05Y2400/55, E05Y2400/56, E05Y2400/852 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/54 Obstruction or resistance detection
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/41 against finger injury
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors

Abstract

A vehicle includes a body and front and rear doors having front and rear powered latches, front and rear anti-pinch sensors, and front and rear electrically-powered door openers. The vehicle further includes a controller that is configured to receive an unlatch signal from unlatch sensors/switches and generate a signal to unlatch the front and rear powered latches and actuate the front and rear door openers after the front and rear powered latches are unlatched. The controller may also be configured to actuate the rear door opener to retain the rear door in an open position when the front pinch sensor detects a hand to thereby prevent pinching.

Claims

1. A vehicle door system, comprising:

a vehicle structure having a door opening;

a door rotatably mounted to the vehicle structure to close off the door opening when the door is in a closed position;

an anti-pinch sensor that is configured to detect a user'"'"'s hand if a user'"'"'s hand is positioned adjacent the door opening and/or adjacent an edge of the door;

an electrically-powered latch mechanism configured to permit the door to open when the electrically-powered latch mechanism is unlatched, wherein the electrically-powered latch mechanism is configured to retain the door in a closed position when the electrically-powered latch mechanism is latched;

an electrically-powered door actuator that can be actuated to shift the door from a closed position to a partially open position,

a controller configured to actuate the electrically-powered door actuator to prevent the door from closing if the anti-pinch sensor detects a user'"'"'s hand.

2. The vehicle door system of claim 1, wherein:

the partially open position comprises a first partially open position;

the electrically-powered door actuator can be actuated to shift the door to a second partially open position in which the door is further open than when the door is in the first partially open position.

3. The vehicle door system of claim 2, wherein:

the electrically-powered door actuator includes a plunger that shifts from a retracted position to first and second extended positions to push the door from a closed position to the first and second partially open positions, respectively;

the controller is configured to cause the plunger to stop at the first extended position only if predefined operation conditions are present.

4. The vehicle door system of claim 3, wherein:

the controller is configured to retract the plunger to the retracted position when the door is open only if the anti-pinch sensor does not detect a user'"'"'s hand.

5. The vehicle door system of claim 4, wherein:

the controller is configured to reset the electrically-powered latch mechanism to enable the electrically-powered latch mechanism to latch when the controller detects that the plunger of the electrically-powered door actuator has shifted to the second extended position.

6. The vehicle door system of claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle structure includes front and rear door openings;

the door comprises a front door that closes off the front door opening when the front door is closed;

the anti-pinch sensor comprises a front anti-pinch sensor;

the electrically-powered door actuator comprises a front electrically-powered door actuator; and

including;

a rear door rotatably mounted to the vehicle structure to close off the rear door when the rear door is closed;

a rear anti-pinch sensor;

an electrically-powered rear latch mechanism that retains the rear door in a closed position when the electrically-powered rear latch mechanism is latched;

a rear electrically-powered door actuator including a plunger that shifts from a retracted position to an extended position to push the rear door to an open position; and

wherein;

the controller is configured to actuate the rear electrically-powered door actuator to cause the plunger of the rear electrically-powered door actuator to remain in the extended position if the front anti-pinch sensor detects a user'"'"'s hand.

7. The vehicle door system of claim 6, wherein:

the front and rear electrically-powered latch mechanisms comprise powered cinching latches that can be actuated to shift the front and rear doors to fully closed positions; and

the controller is configured to prevent cinching of the front electrically-powered latch mechanism if the front anti-pinch sensor detects a user'"'"'s hand.

8. The vehicle door system of claim 7, wherein:

the controller is configured to determine if the front anti-pinch sensor detects a user'"'"'s hand while the front door is closed, and, if so, the controller causes the front electrically-powered latch mechanism to unlatch.

9. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein:

the front door includes a first unlatch sensor on an outer side of the front door;

the rear door includes a second unlatch sensor on an outer side of the rear door;

the controller is configured to unlatch the front electrically-powered latch mechanism if the first unlatch sensor is actuated by a user; and

the controller is configured to unlatch the rear electrically-powered latch mechanism if the second unlatch sensor is actuated by a user.

10. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein:

the front door opening includes a rear edge, and the front anti-pinch sensor is located adjacent the rear edge such that a user'"'"'s hand can actuate the front anti-pinch sensor when the front door is closed and the rear door is open.

11. A vehicle comprising:

a body and front and rear doors having front and rear;

a) powered latches;

b) unlatch switches;

c) pinch sensors; and

d) electrically-powered door openers;

a controller configured to;

receive unlatch signals and unlatch the respective front and rear powered latches and actuate the front and rear door openers; and

;

actuate the rear door opener to retain the rear door in an open position when the front pinch sensor detects a hand.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein:

the front and rear electrically-powered door openers include plungers that shift from retracted positions to extended positions to push the doors open.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein:

the body includes front and rear strikers;

the front and rear powered latches each include a rotating claw that is configured to engage a striker on the body, and an electrically-powered actuator that shifts a pawl between a latched position in which the pawl prevents rotation of the rotating claw, and an unlatched position in which the rotating claw can rotate and disengage from a striker, and wherein;

the controller resets the front and rear powered latches to permit latching when the controller determines that the front and rear doors, respectively, are in a fully open position.

14. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein:

the front and rear powered latches comprise electrically-powered cinching latches that are configured to shift the front and rear doors to fully closed positions;

the controller is configured to prevent cinching of the front and rear powered latches when the front and rear pinch sensors, respectively, detect a user'"'"'s hand.

15. A vehicle door system, comprising:

a vehicle structure having adjacent front and rear door openings;

front and rear doors rotatably mounted to the vehicle structure to close off the front and rear door openings, respectively, when the doors 15 are in closed positions;

front and rear anti-pinch sensors that are configured to detect user'"'"'s hands adjacent the front and rear door openings, respectively;

front and rear electrically-powered latch mechanisms that are configured to permit the front and rear doors, respectively to open when the electrically-powered latch mechanisms are unlatched, and retain the front and rear doors in closed positions when the electrically-powered latch mechanisms are latched;

front and rear electrically-powered door actuators that can be actuated to shift the front and rear doors, respectively, from closed positions to open positions;

a controller configured to actuate at least one of the front and rear electrically-powered door actuators to prevent the at least one of the front and rear doors from closing if at least one of the front and rear anti-pinch sensors detects a user'"'"'s hand.

16. The vehicle door system of claim 15, wherein:

the controller is configured to actuate the rear electrically-powered door actuator to retain the rear door in an open position if the front anti-pinch sensor detects a hand.

17. The vehicle door system of claim 15, wherein:

the open positions comprise first partially open positions;

the front and rear electrically-powered door actuators can be actuated to shift the front and rear doors, respectively, to second partially open positions in which the front and rear doors are further open than in the first partially open positions.

18. The vehicle door system of claim 17, wherein:

the front and rear electrically-powered door actuators each include a plunger that shifts from a retracted position to first and second extended positions to push the front and rear doors from closed positions to first and second partially open positions, respectively;

the controller is configured to cause the plungers to stop at the first extended position only if predefined operation conditions are present.

19. The vehicle door system of claim 18, wherein:

the controller is configured to retract the plungers of the front and rear electrically-powered door actuators to retracted positions when the front and rear doors, respectively are open only if the front and rear anti-pinch sensors, respectively, do not detect a user'"'"'s hand.

20. The vehicle door system of claim 19, wherein:

the controller is configured to reset the front and rear electrically-powered latch mechanisms to enable the front and rear electrically-powered latch mechanisms to latch when the controller detects that the plunger has shifted to the second extended position.