Power sliding mini-van door

• US 6,125,583 A
• Filed: 08/12/1998
• Issued: 10/03/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Atoma International Corp.
• Original Assignee: Atoma International, Inc.
• Inventors: Daniels, Andrew R., Frommer, Thomas P., Murray, Shawn
• Primary Examiner(s): Stodola, Daniel P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cohen, Curtis A.
• Application Number:
  US09/132,906
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 49/360, 49/280, 49/291
• US Class Current: 49/291
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 79/20 using flexible connections, e.g. Bowden cables
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/20 for assisting final closing or for initiating opening
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/21 with means preventing or detecting pinching of objects or body parts
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/638 allowing or involving a secondary movement of the wing, e.g. rotational or transversal
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/22 Locks
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/434 Electromotors; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors

Abstract

A power sliding door for a motor vehicle comprises a door structure, a power drive assembly, a latch assembly, and a single motor for operating both the latch assembly and the power drive assembly. The door structure is mounted on a track associated with the motor vehicle, the door structure being movable along the track between opened and closed positions. The power drive assembly is connected with the door and capable of being driven to move the door along the track between the opened and closed positions. The latch assembly is mounted on the door and movable between latched and unlatched positions. The single motor is mounted on the door structure operatively connected with both the power drive assembly and the latch assembly. The motor drives the power drive assembly and thus enables the power drive assembly to move the door along the track between the opened and closed positions. The motor assists movement of the latch assembly to the latched position after the power drive assembly moves the door to the closed position.

Claims

1. A power sliding door for a motor vehicle comprising:

a door structure mounted on a track for association with said motor vehicle, said door structure being movable along said track between opened and closed positions;

a power drive assembly connected with said door and capable of being driven to move the door along said track between said opened and closed positions;

said power drive assembly including a clutch assembly for coupling said power drive assembly to said track;

a latch assembly mounted on said door and movable between latched and unlatched positions;

a single motor mounted on said door structure and operatively connected with both said power drive assembly for driving said power drive assembly to enable said power drive assembly to move said door along said track between said opened and closed positions and said latch assembly to assist movement of said latch assembly to said latched position after said power drive assembly moves said door to said closed position;

a controller operably connected to an actuator which disengages said clutch assembly and thereby decouple said power drive assembly from said track after said power drive assembly has moved said door to an initial latching position of said latch assembly;

wherein said clutch assembly of said power drive assembly comprises a power drive gear train, and wherein said power drive gear train is disengagable to decouple said power drive assembly from said track, wherein said motor reverses direction after said power drive assembly has moved said door to said initial latching position to facilitate disengagement of said power drive gear train.

2. The power sliding door of claim 1, wherein said motor is selectively engageable with said power drive assembly and said latch assembly, further comprising a latch assembly clutch mechanism and a power drive clutch mechanism, said controller providing control signals to said power drive clutch mechanism to selectively engage, said motor with said power drive assembly and to said latch assembly clutch mechanism to disengage said motor from said latch assembly when said motor drives said power drive assembly.

3. The power sliding door of claim 1, wherein said motor is selectively engageable with said power drive assembly and said latch assembly, further comprising a latch assembly clutch mechanism and a power drive clutch mechanism, said controller providing control signals to said latch assembly clutch mechanism to selectively engage said motor with said latch assembly and to said power drive clutch mechanism to disengage said motor from said power drive assembly when said motor assists movement of said latch assembly to said latched position.

4. The power sliding door of claim 1, further comprising a clutch assembly, said clutch assembly being engaged to couple said motor with said latch assembly and being disengaged to decouple said motor from said latch assembly, said controller controlling the engagement and. disengagement of said clutch assembly.

5. The power sliding door of claim 1, further comprising a flexible drive shaft connecting said motor with said power drive assembly.

6. The power sliding door of claim 5, wherein said motor comprises a rigid motor shaft, said rigid motor shaft being capable of rotatably driving said flexible drive shaft.

7. The power sliding door of claim 5, wherein said power drive assembly includes a clutch coupled to said flexible drive shaft for engaging said flexible drive shaft to said power drive assembly or disengaging said flexible drive shaft from said power drive assembly.

8. The power sliding door of claim 1, further comprising:

a latch assembly gear train coupled to said motor;

a clutch coupled to said latch assembly gear train; and

a cable pulley coupled to said clutch, said cable pulley including a cable having an end coupled to said latch assembly;

said clutch being capable of engaging said latch assembly gear train to said cable pulley or disengaging said latch assembly gear train from said cable pulley.

9. The power sliding door of claim 8, wherein said motor comprises a rigid motor shaft forming a worm gear having teeth which are meshed with teeth of said latch assembly gear train.

10. The power sliding door of claim 8, wherein said power drive assembly further comprising a flexible drive shaft connecting said motor with said power drive assembly and a clutch coupled to said flexible drive shaft for engaging said flexible drive shaft to said power drive assembly or disengaging said flexible drive shaft from said power drive assembly.

11. The power sliding door of claim 10, wherein said controller provides control signals to said clutch coupled to said latch assembly gear train and said clutch coupled to said flexible drive shaft to enable said clutch coupled to said latch assembly gear train to engage said latch assembly gear train to said cable pulley while said power drive assembly is disengaged from said flexible drive shaft by said clutch coupled to said flexible drive shaft.

12. The power sliding door of claim 11, wherein said controller controls said clutch coupled to said latch assembly gear train and said clutch coupled to said flexible draft shaft to enable said clutch coupled to said flexible drive shaft to engage said flexible drive shaft with said power drive assembly while said latch assembly gear train is disengaged from said cable pulley by said clutch coupled to said latch assembly gear train.

13. The power sliding door of claim 10, wherein said controller provides control signals to said clutch coupled to said latch assembly gear train and said clutch coupled to said flexible drive shaft to enable said clutch coupled to said flexible drive shaft to engage said flexible drive shaft with power drive assembly while said latch assembly gear train is disengaged from said cable pulley by said clutch coupled to said latch assembly gear train.

14. The power sliding door of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one sensor for measuring speed and direction of rotation of said motor when said motor drives said power assembly; and

a detector for determining when said speed of said motor is less than a predetermined threshold;

said motor reversing the direction of rotation of said motor when said detector determines that said speed of said motor is less than said predetermined threshold.

15. The power sliding door of claim 14, further comprising a tape switch mounted on said door for detecting an obstacle to movement of said door;

wherein said motor reverses said direction of rotation of said motor when said tape switch detects said obstacle.

16. The power sliding door of claim 14, wherein said at least one sensor includes a Hall effect sensor.

17. The power sliding door of claim 1, wherein said controller provides a control signal having an effective voltage level to said motor;

wherein said signal slowly increases to said effective voltage level when initiating the opening or closing of said door.

18. The power sliding door of claim 1, further comprising a cable driving pulley and a cable associated therewith, and a clutch assembly coupling said cable driving pulley with said motor, said cable driving pulley being drivable by said motor when said clutch assembly is engaged, said cable being connected with said latch assembly and being movable to facilitate movement of said latch assembly from said initial latching position to said latched position, and wherein said clutch assembly is engaged after said power drive assembly has moved said door to said initial latching position to enable said cable driving pulley to move said cable for facilitating movement of said latch assembly from said initial latching position to said latched position.