Automatic closer of pop-up door of vehicle

• US 6,185,868 B1
• Filed: 09/16/1997
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Kato, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Stodola, Daniel P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cohen, Curtis A.
• Application Number:
  US08/931,307
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 491/39, 493/60, 493/39, 493/40, 493/24, 493/49, 192/35, 192/42, 296/146.4, 296/146.8, 296/56
• US Class Current: 49/339
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1091 with a gas spring E05F1/1292 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/627 operated by flexible elongated pulling elements, e.g. belts, chains or cables using flexible elongated push-pull mechanisms E05F15/619
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/214 Disengaging means
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/216 Clutches
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/234 direction dependent
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/41 for closing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/416 for counterbalancing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/422 for opening
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/434 Electromotors; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/482 Ribbon springs
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/654 Cables
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/664 Drums
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/672 Tensioners, tension sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/337 Encoder wheels
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/13 by motors, magnets, springs, weights
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/458 in or on a transmission member
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/00 Details, accessories and auxiliary operations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/114 Overriding existing wing movement
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailgates

Abstract

A connection wire is connected to a part of a rear door popped up in a door-opening direction by an urging force. A pulley rotates responsive to a driving motor inside a wire-winding device to wind the connection wire thereon. In this manner, the rear door is automatically closed. The pulley is urged in a connection wire-winding direction by a power spring. A clutch is between the pulley and the driving motor. When the rear door is pressed by an operator'"'"'s hands in a door-closing direction while the rear door is being closed, the pulley is rotated by the power spring, thus winding the connection wire thereon and preventing the connection wire from becoming loose. At this time, the connection between the pulley and the driving motor is cut off by the clutch. Thus, the pulley is rotated by the power spring freely and rapidly. In this manner, the rear door can be closed manually even while it is being closed automatically. Further, the connection wire can be prevented from becoming loose and from being sandwiched between the body of the vehicle and the periphery of a rear opening thereof.

Claims

1. An automatic closer comprising:

a door, adapted to be attached to a vehicle, to be urged in a door-opening direction;

a connection wire, one end of which is adapted to be connected to a portion of the door for urging in a door-opening direction on the vehicle;

a pulley for winding the connection wire thereon;

a motor for driving the pulley;

a spring member engaging the pulley to force it to rotate in a wire-winding direction; and

a clutch, between the pulley and the motor, for allowing free rotation of the pulley when the motor is not energized, and for restricting the rotation of the pulley in a wire-feeding direction relative to the motor rotation when the motor is energized;

wherein the clutch comprises

a rotatable input shaft connected to the motor;

an outer ring connected to the pulley; and

a plurality of rollers between the input shaft and the outer ring, sandwiched between an outer peripheral surface of the input shaft and an inner peripheral surface of the outer ring only when the input shaft is rotated by the energized motor, thus restricting rotation of the outer ring in a wire-feeding direction relative to the motor rotation.

2. The automatic closer according to claim 1, wherein the spring member includes a power spring disposed along an end surface of the pulley, one end of the power spring being fixed to an end surface of the pulley and the other end thereof being fixed to a member supporting the pulley.

3. The automatic closer according to claim 1, further comprising:

rotation detection means for detecting that the pulley has started to rotate in the wire-winding direction;

wherein the motor is for operating responsive to a detection by the rotation detection means that the pulley has started to rotate.

4. The automatic closer according to claim 3, wherein said rotation detection means comprises:

a light emitting device;

a light detecting device positioned to be illuminated by light from said light emitting device; and

a plurality of protrusions disposed around a circumference of the pulley to alternately interrupt light from the light emitting device to the light detecting device.

5. The automatic closer according to claim 1, further comprising:

a guide member for guiding the connection wire in a direction divergent from a linear locus of the wire in the absence of a tensile force applied to the wire in a wire-winding operation and which is moved along the linear locus of the connection wire when a tensile force is applied thereto, the linear locus being a line, extending from a guide pulley to the guide member, on which the connection wire would lie in the absence of guiding by the guide member.

6. The automatic closer according to claim 5, wherein the guide member includes a coil spring through which the connection wire is inserted.

7. The automatic closer according to claim 5, wherein the guide member is elastically deformed along the linear locus of the connection wire when a tensile force is applied thereto.

8. The automatic closer according to claim 5, wherein:

the guide member has a first end adapted to be pivotally fixed relative to one of the vehicle and the door;

the connection wire passes through a volume defined by the guide member; and

the connection wire presses against the guide member responsive to a tensile force applied to the connection wire to move the guide member.

9. The automatic closer according to claim 8, wherein:

the first end of the guide member is adapted to be pivotably fixed relative to the door; and

the guide member is adapted to be fixed to the door and disposed between the end of the connection wire fixed to the door and a guide roller.

10. The automatic closer according to claim 8, wherein:

the first end of the guide member is adapted to be pivotably fixed relative to the vehicle; and

the guide member is fixed to a roller mountable on the body of the vehicle and disposed between the wire winding means and a guide roller.

11. The automatic closer according to claim 1, wherein the door is connecteble to an upper periphery of an opening of the vehicle by a hinge and wherein the door is capable of being pivoted to an open position.

12. The automatic closer according to claim 11, further comprising:

a damper adapted to be disposed between the door and the vehicle body so that the damper can form an angle with the vehicle body to form a triangle having a top angle at a hinge-connected portion of the door, thus popping up the door in a door-opening direction by an extension force thereof;

a guide member, adapted to be disposed on a periphery of an opening of the vehicle, for guiding the connection wire from the periphery of the opening to the door so that the connection wire can form an angle with the vehicle body, greater than an angle formed by the damper with the vehicle body, to form a triangle having a top angle at the hinge-connected portion of the door to suppress fluctuation in a wire-pulling force of the wire-winding means.

13. The automatic closer according to claim 12, wherein the guide member includes a guide roller.

14. The automatic closer according to claim 12, wherein a ratio of a length between the hinge-connected position and the guide member to a length between the hinge-connected position and the connection wire-connected position is set to 1:

1-4;

3.

15. The automatic closer according to claim 12, wherein the damper is for exerting an urging force for driving the door in the door-opening direction throughout a full range of motion of the door.

16. The automatic closer according to claim 12, wherein the damper is for exerting a substantially vertical upward force on the door when the door is in a closed position.