Control system for electric devices installed in automotive slide door

• US 6,046,510 A
• Filed: 03/20/1998
• Issued: 04/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ohi Seisakusho Co., Ltd. (Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Ohi Seisakusho Co., Ltd. (Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Monzen, Tomoaki, Kawanobe, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Paladini, Albert W.
• Application Number:
  US09/044,861
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 307/10.1, 49/139, 49/26, 49/28, 318/280, 318/282, 318/466, 318/469, 296/146.1, 296/146.4, 180/289
• US Class Current: 307/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/632 for horizontally-sliding wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/10 Electronic control
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/612 Batteries
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/656 by travelling contacts
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/66 Wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/00 Details, accessories and auxiliary operations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/50 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 9/02 electric

Abstract

A control system is provided for controlling electric devices installed in a slide door which moves relative to a door opening formed in a vehicle body. The control system comprises a first electric device for detecting a door-closed condition wherein the slide door is at its fully closed position relative to the door opening and a second electric device for positively suppressing operation of the electric devices until the time when the first electric device detects the door-closed condition. For achieving communication between the first and second electric devices, an electromagnetic induction phenomenon is practically used.

Claims

1. A control system for use in a motor vehicle which includes a vehicle body and a slide door, comprising:

a body-side control circuit installed in said vehicle body and including;

a door-side control circuit installed in said slide door;

two coil elements respectively mounted to said vehicle body and said slide door and respectively connected to said body-side and door-side control circuits, said two coil elements coming close to each other when said slide door comes to its closed position relative to a door opening formed in said vehicle body; and

means for providing a radio or wireless communication between the body-side and door-side control circuits by practically using an electromagnetic induction generated between the two coil elements.

2. A control system as claimed in claim 1, in which each of said body-side and door-side control circuits comprises:

a signal transmission circuit which applies the coil element with a control signal which is to be transmitted therefrom; and

a signal receiving circuit which, based on an electromotive force generated by the coil element, regenerates a control signal which is transmitted thereto; and

a switching circuit which selectively connects one of said signal transmission and receiving circuits to the coil element.

3. A control system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a control means which controls said switching circuit in such a manner that when the door-side control circuit assumes a signal transmission mode wherein said signal transmission circuit is connected with the corresponding coil element, said body-side control circuit assumes a signal receiving mode wherein said signal receiving circuit is connected with the corresponding coil element, and when the body-side control circuit assumes a signal transmission mode wherein the signal transmission circuit is connected with the corresponding coil element, said door-side control circuit assumes a signal receiving mode wherein said signal receiving circuit is connected with the corresponding coil element.

4. A control system as claimed in claim 3, in which said control means comprises transistors which are arranged to connect said signal transmission circuit to said coil element when the control circuit assumes said signal transmission mode and to connect said signal receiving circuit to said coil element when the control circuit assumes said signal receiving mode.

5. A control system as claimed in claim 4, in which the control signal is transmitted between said door-side and body-side control circuits through the coil elements in a serial transmission manner, said control signal being of a digital type.

6. In a motor vehicle including a vehicle body, a slide door, electric devices mounted in said slide door, an electric door closure unit for shifting the slide door from a half-latched position to a full-latched position when actuated, a first group of control switches mounted in said vehicle body, and a second group of control switches mounted in said slide door,

a control system for controlling the door-mounted electric devices in accordance with operation of said first and second group of switches, comprising:

a body-side control circuit installed in said vehicle body and electrically connected to said first group of control switches;

a door-side control circuit installed in said slide door and electrically connected to said second group of control switches, the door-mounted electric devices and said electric door closure unit; and

a connector arranged between the vehicle body and the slide door, which comprises a pin type connection section through which an electric power supply is achieved from the body-side control circuit to said door-side control circuit when the slide door comes to a half-latched position under closing movement thereof, and a coil element section through which radio connection is achieved between said body-side and door-side control circuits so that the door-mounted electric devices are controlled in accordance with operation of the first and second group of control switches,

wherein said door-side control circuit suppresses the operation of said coil element section of the connector until the electric door closure unit shifts the slide door from the half-latched position to the full-latched position.

7. A control system as claimed in claim 6, in which connector comprises:

a first connector part mounted to said vehicle body, said first-connector part including connecting pins to which the body-mounted electric power source is connected, and an coil element unit to which said body-side control circuit is connected; and

a second connector part mounted to said slide door, said second connector part including connecting pins to which an power input section of the door-side control circuit is connected, and an coil element unit to which said door-side control circuit is connected.

8. A control system as claimed in claim 7, in which the coil element unit of each of said first and second connector parts of the connector comprises:

a signal transmitting coil element connected to the corresponding control circuit for transmitting a control signal; and

a signal receiving coil element connected to the corresponding control circuit for receiving a control signal.

9. A control system as claimed in claim 7, in which the coil element unit of each of said first and second connector parts of the connector comprises a coil element which is connected to the corresponding control circuit to serve as both signal transmitting and receiving coil elements.