Device for automatically closing a power roof of a vehicle

• US 4,933,610 A
• Filed: 06/24/1988
• Issued: 06/12/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edward V. Abretske
• Original Assignee: Delta Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Memmola, Serafino
• Primary Examiner(s): SALATA, ANTHONY J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wysocki, A. Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US07/211,368
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 318/282, 318/286, 318/283, 318/467-469, 318/474, 318/567-569, 318/563, 340/541, 340/545, 340/426, 340/63, 340/542, 307/10.1-10.7
• US Class Current: 318/282
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/0573 power driven arrangements, e.g. electrical

Abstract

A motor vehicle has a power roof which can either rotate between a first open position and a closed position or translate between a second open position and the closed position. An electric motor for opening and closing the roof operates from a battery of the vehicle and is connected to the battery by a circuit which can be closed by either of two switches. When the roof is closed, activation of one switch causes the roof to open by rotation while activation of the other switch causes the the roof to open by translation. When the the roof is in an open position, activation of the switch other than that which caused the roof to assume such position effects closing of the roof. The vehicle is equipped with a security system which also operates from the battery and, upon activation, sends a signal to the circuit connecting the motor to the battery. In response to this signal, the circuit issues a short first pulse, a second pulse which is at least as long as the first pulse, a short third pulse, and a fourth and final pulse which is at least as long as the third pulse. The first and fourth pulses activate one of the switches while the second and third pulses activate the other switch. This causes the roof to close completely regardless of the position of the roof at the time the security system is activated.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising a power roof having a closed position, a first open position in which said roof is translated from said closed position and a second open position in which said roof is rotated from said closed position;

an electric motor for moving said roof between said positions;

a source of electricity for said motor;

means for securing said vehicle against theft, said securing means having an operative condition and an inoperative condition; and

means for connecting said motor to said source, said connecting means including circuit means coupled to said motor and said source, first switch means for closing said circuit means and second switch means for closing said circuit means, said motor being designed to translate said roof towards said first open position when said first switch means is closed while said roof is in said closed position, and said motor further being designed to rotate said roof towards said closed position when said first switch means is closed while said roof is in said second open position, said motor also being designed to rotate said roof towards said second open position when said second switch means is closed while said roof is in said closed position, and said motor additionally being designed to translate said roof towards said closed position when said second switch means is closed while said roof is in said first open position, said circuit means being operable to actuate said switch means in response to a change from the inoperative to the operative condition of said securing means such that said motor locks said roof in said closed position.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a first manually operable button and a second manually operable button;

and wherein said first switch means includes a switch responsive to said first button and said second switch means includes a switch responsive to said second button.

3. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said circuit means comprises an electronic circuit.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said circuit means is designed to emit four pulses in response to a change from the inoperative to the operative condition of said securing means, said pulses actuating said switch means such that said motor locks said roof in said closed position.

5. The vehicle of claim 4, wherein said circuit means comprises a control circuit designed to generate said pulses, said control circuit being arranged to actuate each of said switch means with two of said pulses.

6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein said control unit is designed to generate said pulses in a predetermined sequence and said circuit means is designed such that the first and third pulses in said sequence are of no longer duration than the second and fourth pulses.

7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein said control unit is arranged to actuate one of said switch means with said first and fourth pulses and the other of said switch means with said second and third pulses.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein said roof has terminal first and second open positions and said circuit means further comprises a checking circuit designed to interrupt said second and fourth pulses when said roof assumes said closed position or either of said terminal positions.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein said control circuit and said checking circuit are electronic.

10. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein said roof has terminal first and second open positions and said circuit means is designed such that the maximum possible duration of said second and fourth pulses at least equals the time required for said roof to travel between said closed position and either of said terminal positions.

11. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said circuit means comprises a first relay for closing one of said switch means, a second relay for closing the other of said switch means and a control circuit for activating said relays.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein said control circuit is designed to successively activate said first and second relays for respective first and second intervals in response to a change from the inoperative to the operative condition of said securing means, and to thereafter successively reactivate said second and first relays for respective third and fourth intervals.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein said circuit means comprises means for delaying activation of said second relay beyond the end of said first interval and for delaying reactivation of said first relay beyond the end of said third interval.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein said circuit means is designed such that said first and third intervals are no longer than said second and fourth intervals.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein said roof has terminal first and second open positions and said circuit means is designed such that the maximum possible duration of said second and fourth intervals at least equals the time required for said roof to travel between said closed position and either of said terminal positions.

16. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein said roof has terminal first and second open positions and said motor is designed to draw current in excess of a predetermined value during travel of said roof between said closed position and either of said terminal positions, said motor drawing current of at most said predetermined value when said roof assumes said closed position or either of said terminal positions, and said circuit means further including a checking circuit arranged to monitor the current drawn by said motor and to regulate said control circuit in dependence upon the current such that activation of said second relay for said second interval and reactivation of said first relay for said fourth interval are terminated when the current drawn by said motor drops to said predetermined value.

17. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein said control circuit comprises first, second, third and fourth control modules, said first module having a first input connected to said securing means and a pair of first outputs including one which is connected to said first relay, said second module having a second input connected to the other of said first outputs and a pair of second outputs including one which is connected to said second relay, said third module having a third input connected to the other of said second outputs and a pair of third outputs including one which is connected to said second relay, and said fourth module having a fourth input connected to the other of said third outputs and a fourth output connected to said first relay.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein said circuit means further comprises a checking circuit arranged to monitor the current drawn by said motor, said second and fourth modules each having an additional input connected to said checking circuit.

19. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein said roof has terminal first and second open positions and said motor is designed to draw current in excess of a predetermined value during travel of said roof between said closed position and either of said terminal positions, said motor drawing current of at most said predetermined value when said roof assumes said closed position or either of said terminal positions, and said checking circuit being designed to generate an operating signal while the current drawn by said motor exceeds said predetermined value and to interrupt said operating signal when the current drops to said predetermined value, said securing means transmitting an activating signal to said first input in response to a change from the inoperative to the operative condition of said securing means, and said one first output emitting a first pulse in response to said activating signal, said other first output transmitting a first output signal to said second input in response to said activating signal, and said one second output emitting a second pulse of at least the same duration as said first pulse in response to said first output signal, said other second output transmitting a second output signal to said third input in response to said first output signal, and said one third output emitting a third pulse of no longer duration than said second pulse in response to said second output signal, said other third output transmitting a third output signal to said fourth input in response to said second output signal, and said fourth output emitting a fourth pulse of at least the same duration as said first and third pulses in response to said third output signal, said circuit means being designed such that the maximum possible duration of said second and fourth pulses at least equals the time required for said roof to travel between said closed position and either of said terminal positions, and said circuit means further being designed to terminate said second and fourth pulses in response to interruption of said operating signal.

20. The vehicle of claim 19, wherein said circuit means comprises means for spacing said pulses.

21. The vehicle of claim 1, comprising at least one door;

and wherein said securing means comprises means for locking said door.

22. The vehicle of claim 1, comprising an ignition mechanism;

and wherein said securing means comprises means for locking said mechanism.

23. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said securing means comprises an alarm system.

24. A vehicle, comprising a power roof having a closed position and an open position;

an electric motor for moving said roof between said positions;

a source of electricity for said motor;

means for securing said vehicle against theft, said securing means having an operative condition and an inoperative condition; and

means for connecting said motor to said source, said connecting means including circuit means coupled to said motor and said source, and switch means for closing said circuit means, said motor being designed to move said roof when said switch means is closed, and said circuit means being operable to actuate said switch means in response to a change from the inoperative to the operative condition of said securing means such that said motor locks said roof in said closed position.