Power window device with safety device

• US 5,832,664 A
• Filed: 07/25/1997
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Tajima, Keiichi, Takeda, Hitoshi, Nakayama, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): REDMAN, JERRY E
• Application Number:
  US08/898,004
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 49/26, 49/27, 49/28, 49/348, 49/349, 49/352, 318/434, 318/468, 318/469, 318/266, 318/286
• US Class Current: 49/26
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 11/483 by cables
• 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: E05Y 2900/55 Windows
• CPC Class Codes: F16P 3/12 with means, e.g. feelers, which in case of the presence of a body part of a person in or near the danger zone influence the control or operation of the machine F16P3/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/006 Switches operated by mechanical overload condition, e.g. transmitted force or torque becoming too high
• 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 safety control power window device which reliably detects nipping of a finger by a window and sash and which is little influenced by variations of motor characteristics of the motor used as a drive source of the power window device. The window position and a thrust pressure acting on the rotary shaft of the motor providing the force for opening and closing the window are detected. Reference pressures for detecting nipping are set according to the window position detected. By comparing the detected pressure and the reference pressures, nipping by the window is detected. Since nipping and the window position are not detected using the drive current of the motor, accurate safety control is realized, eliminating influences caused by variations of the characteristics of the motor.

Claims

1. A safety control power window device in combination with a window glass, said safety control power window device having a motor for supplying a force for raising and lowering the window glass, said motor comprising a rotary shaft that receives a thrust load when an object is nipped by the window glass, said safety control power window device comprising:

means for sensing the thrust load on said rotary shaft of said motor; and

nipping detecting means for detecting nipping by comparing the thrust load sensed by said means for sensing with a reference value,

wherein said thrust load sensing means comprises a pressure sensor sensing a thrust pressure on said rotary shaft of said motor.

2. The safety control power window device of claim 1, wherein said pressure sensor comprises a load cell.

3. The safety control power window device of claim 1, further comprises a pair of compressed coil springs supporting respective ends of said rotary shaft, and wherein said pressure sensor comprises a stroke sensor for sensing an amount of movement of said rotary shaft in a longitudinal direction thereof.

4. The safety control power window device of claim 3, wherein said stroke sensor comprises a potentiometer.

5. The safety control power window device of claim 1, wherein said nipping detecting means detects nipping only within a safety control region.

6. A safety control power window device in combination with a window glass, said safety control power window device having a motor for supplying a force for raising and lowering the window glass, said motor comprising a rotary shaft that receives a thrust load when an object is nipped by the window glass, said safety control power window device comprising:

thrust load sensing means for sensing the thrust load on said rotary shaft of said motor;

means for detecting nipping by comparing the thrust load sensed by said thrust load sensing means with a reference value;

means for sensing an opening/closing position of said window; and

means for setting said reference value in response to the opening/closing position of said window sensed by said means for sensing,

wherein said opening/closing position sensing means comprises a potentiometer.

7. A safety control power window device in combination with a window glass, said safety control power window device having a motor for supplying a force for raising and lowering the window glass, said motor comprising a rotary shaft that receives a thrust load when an object is nipped by the window glass, said safety control power window device comprising:

thrust load sensing means for sensing the thrust load on said rotary shaft of said motor;

means for detecting nipping by comparing the thrust load sensed by said thrust load sensing means with a reference value;

means for sensing an opening/closing position of said window; and

means for setting said reference value in response to the opening/closing position of said window sensed by said means for sensing,

wherein said means for setting said reference value increases said reference value in stages at a plurality of positions from a completely closed position of said window.

8. The safety control power window device of claim 7, wherein said reference value setting means comprises means for extracting values from a memory stored at locations in said memory corresponding to distances of said window from a completely closed position of said window.

9. The safety control power window device of claim 7, wherein said thrust load sensing means comprises means for sampling said thrust load pressure a number of times to collect a plurality of samples, and means for averaging the samples.

10. A safety control power device in combination with a window glass, said safety control power window device having a motor for supplying a force for raising and lowering the window glass, said motor comprising a rotary shaft that receives a thrust load when an object is nipped by the window glass, said safety control power window device comprising:

a load cell attached to the rotary shaft to sense the thrust load on the rotary shaft; and

nipping detecting means for detecting nipping by comparing the thrust load sensed by said load cell with a reference value.

11. A safety control power window device in combination with a window glass, said safety control power window device having a motor for supplying a force for raising and lowering the window glass, said motor comprising a rotary shaft that receives a thrust load when an object is nipped by the window glass, said safety control power window device comprising:

a stroke sensor sensing an amount of movement of the rotary shaft of the motor in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the rotary shaft; and

nipping detecting means for detecting nipping by comparing the amount of movement of the rotary shaft sensed by said stroke sensor with a reference value,

wherein said stroke sensor comprises a potentiometer.

12. A safety control power window device as recited in claim 11, further comprising compressed coil springs supporting opposite axial ends of the rotary shaft.