Automatic opening and closing device

• US 6,339,305 B1
• Filed: 06/22/2000
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ASMO Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ASMO Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishihara, Hidenori, Tsuge, Noboru
• Primary Examiner(s): Nappi, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duda, Rina I.
• Application Number:
  US09/582,109
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 318/280, 318/282, 318/286, 318/445, 318/466, 318/468, 49/26, 49/27
• US Class Current: 318/445
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/44 responsive to changes in electrical conductivity
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/40 Mounting location; Visibility of the elements
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors

Abstract

An automatic opening-and-closing device can be obtained which can prevent a foreign object from being caught in by detecting the foreign object even if an opening/closing speed of a moving body changes or the foreign object is small. An automatic sliding door device 10 detects that there is an foreign object on a locus of sliding of a door panel 14, by detecting a pushing reaction force when a pressure sensitive sensor 60 pushes the foreign object at the time of forward sliding of the door panel 14 slides forward. Hence, even if the sliding speed of the door panel 14 changes, or even if the foreign object is small, the foreign object can be detected to thereby prevent the foreign object from being caught in the door. Moreover, with the automatic sliding door device 10, a code 80 is passed through inside of the door panel 14 and connected to a lower end portion of the pressure sensitive sensor 60 via a circular hole 110 formed at a lower end portion of the door panel 14. Hence, the detection range on the upper end side of the door panel 14 can be made wider, and management of the code 80 at the time of assembly becomes easy.

Claims

1. An automatic opening-and-closing device comprising:

a moving body which moves for opening/closing substantially horizontally by means of a driving force from a driving means;

a pressure sensitive sensor which is provided along a vertical direction of the moving body at a moving direction side end portion of the moving body, comprising a plurality of electrodes which are respectively elongated along the vertical direction and which are disposed with gaps therebetween, the pressure sensitive sensor detecting an external pressure due to the plurality of electrodes bending and contacting each other;

an elongated connection means, one end of which is electrically connected to ones of longitudinal direction end portions of the plurality of electrodes said connection means having a part which turns and then extends along the vertical direction;

support means having a holding portion for holding the pressure sensitive sensor along the longitudinal direction of the plurality of electrodes, and having a support portion which is mounted to and supported at a predetermined sensor mounting position, wherein the support portion has an accommodating portion which accommodates a portion of the connection means and guides the portion of the connection means to other longitudinal direction end sides of the plurality of electrodes; and

control means for controlling driving of the driving means, said control means being connected to the pressure sensitive sensor via the connection means and controlling driving of the driving means when the pressure sensitive sensor senses an external pressure.

2. An automatic opening-and-closing device according to claim 1, wherein the connection means is connected to a lower end portion of the pressure sensitive sensor.

3. An automatic opening-and-closing device according to claim 2, wherein the connection means passes through an interior portion of the moving body, and passes through a through hole formed at a lower end side of the moving direction side end portion of the moving body, and is connected to the lower end portion of the pressure sensitive sensor.

4. An automatic opening-and-closing device according to claim 3, wherein the moving body is provided with a window glass, and the lower end portion of the pressure sensitive sensor is located at a position lower than a lower end portion of the window glass.

5. An automatic opening-and-closing device according to claim 2, wherein the pressure sensitive sensor is provided with an outer cover portion which is hollow, the plurality of electrodes being accommodated at an interior portion of the outer cover portion, a length of the outer cover portion being along the vertical direction of the moving body, and the outer cover portion being elastically deformable due to an external force of a predetermined magnitude or greater.

6. An automatic opening-and-closing device according to claim 5, wherein the connection means is passed through an interior portion of the moving body, and passes through a through hole formed at a lower end side of the moving direction side end portion of the moving body, and is connected to at least two electrodes of the plurality of electrodes pulled out from a lower end portion of the outer cover portion.

7. An automatic opening-and-closing device according to claim 6, wherein the moving body is provided with a window glass, and the lower end portion of the pressure sensitive sensor is located at a position lower than a lower end portion of the window glass.

8. An automatic opening-and-closing device according to claim 5, wherein the connection means is disposed along the moving direction side end portion of the moving body, a lower end portion of the connection means is connected to at least two electrodes of a plurality of electrodes pulled out from a lower end portion of the outer cover portion, the moving direction side end portion of the moving body passes between an upper end portion and a lower end portion of the outer cover portion, and another end is connected to the control means via an interior portion of the moving body.

9. An automatic opening-and-closing device according to claim 8, wherein the connection means is embedded in advance in the accommodating portion, and the connection means is integral with the support means.

10. An automatic opening-and-closing device according to claim 8, wherein a cover is provided so as to correspond to longitudinal direction end portions of the plurality of electrodes, and covers a portion of the connection means exposed from the accommodating portion.

11. An automatic opening-and-closing device according to claim 8, wherein the moving body is provided with a window glass, and the connection means passes through the moving body at a position lower than the window glass.

12. An automatic opening-and-closing device according to claim 2, wherein the connection means is disposed along the moving direction side end portion of the moving body, and one end is connected to the pressure sensitive sensor and passes through the moving direction side end portion of the moving body between an upper end portion and a lower end portion of the pressure sensitive sensor, and another end is connected to the control means via the interior portion of the moving body.

13. An automatic opening-and-closing device according to claim 12, wherein the connection means is embedded in advance in the accommodating portion, and the connection means is integral with the support means.

14. An automatic opening-and-closing device according to claim 12, wherein a cover is provided so as to correspond to longitudinal direction end portions of the plurality of electrodes, and covers a portion of the connection means exposed from the accommodating portion.

15. An automatic opening-and-closing device according to claim 12, wherein the moving body is provided with a window glass, and the connection means is passed through the moving body at a position lower than the window glass.

16. An automatic opening-and-closing device comprising:

a moving body which moves for opening/closing substantially horizontally by means of a driving force from a driving means;

a pressure sensitive sensor provided along the vertical direction at a moving direction side end portion of the moving body, and sensing a pressure in a direction opposite to the moving direction;

control means for controlling driving of the driving means, in a state in which the pressure sensitive sensor senses an external pressure; and

connection means connected to a lower end portion of the pressure sensor and connecting the pressure sensitive sensor to the control means,

wherein the lower end portion of the pressure sensitive sensor is curved toward the moving direction side end portion of the moving body, and a curved portion passes through a through hole formed at a lower end side of the moving direction side end portion of the moving body and is disposed within the moving body and connected to the connection means within the moving body.

17. An automatic opening-and-closing device according to claim 16, wherein the moving body is provided with a window glass, and the lower end portion of the pressure sensitive sensor is located at a position lower than a lower end portion of the window glass.

18. An automatic opening-and-closing device according to claim 16, wherein the pressure sensitive sensor includes:

an outer cover portion which is hollow, a length of the outer cover portion being along the vertical direction of the moving body, and the outer cover portion being elastically deformable due to an external force of a predetermined magnitude or more; and

a plurality of elongated electrodes disposed along a longitudinal direction of the outer cover portion within the outer cover portion and so as to be spaced apart from each other along a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the outer cover portion, the plurality of elongated electrodes being connected in series and deforming as the outer cover portion elastically deforms.

19. An automatic opening-and-closing device according to claim 18, wherein the moving body is provided with a window glass, and a lower end portion of the outer cover portion is located at a position lower than a lower end portion of the window glass.