Entrapment detecting device for an opening/closing member

• US 6,946,811 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Hirose, Kentaroh, Kikuta, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Fletcher, Marlon T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLON SANTANA, EDUARDO
• Application Number:
  US10/448,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20040008001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 318/445, 318/449, 318/450, 318/468, 318/469, 318/120, 318/366, 318/256, 318/264, 318/265, 318/282, 318/286, 49/26, 49/28, 491/41, 491/92
• US Class Current: 318/468
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/057 Driving or actuating arrangements B60J7/047 - B60J7/053 take precedencee.g. manually operated levers or knobs
• 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 2900/542 Roof panels
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/093 against increase beyond, or decrease below, a predetermined level of rotational speed centrifugal switches H01H35/10

Abstract

An entrapment detecting device for an opening/closing member includes a controller which memorizes a driving condition of a driving unit corresponding to load applied to the opening/closing member as a reference load data when a predetermined condition is satisfied during the movement of the opening/closing member for closing. The controller further calculates a driving data representing the driving condition during the movement of the opening/closing member for closing after memorizing the reference load data, and an abnormality detecting data generated by eliminating the load during the predetermined condition being satisfied from the driving data based upon the driving data and the reference load data, and the controller judges an entrapment based upon the abnormality detecting data.

Claims

1. An entrapment detecting device for an opening/closing member comprising:

a driving means for driving an opening/closing member so as to be moved for opening/closing an opening defined in a fixed member; and

a controlling means for detecting, on a basis of a driving condition of the driving means, an object entrapment between the fixed member and the opening/closing member while the opening/closing member is moving to close the opening;

the controlling means;

memorizing in advance, while a predetermined condition is satisfied, a reference load data corresponding to a load applied to the opening/closing member that is closing the opening;

calculating, after memorizing the reference load data and during another movement of the opening/closing member in a direction for closing the opening, a driving data representing the driving condition of the driving means;

calculating an abnormality detecting data by subtracting from the driving data the reference load data memorized in advance; and

judging, on the basis of the abnormality detecting data, whether an object has been entrapped between the opening/closing member and the fixed member.

2. An entrapment detecting device for an opening/closing member according to claim 1, wherein the controlling means recognizes an occurrence of the entrapment between the opening/closing member and the fixed member when a variation of the abnormality detecting data per predetermined passage of time exceeds a threshold value.

3. An entrapment detecting device for an opening/closing member according to claim 1, wherein the controlling means recognizes an occurrence of the entrapment between the opening/closing member and the fixed member when a variation of the abnormality detecting data from a reference value exceeds a threshold value.

4. An entrapment detecting device for an opening/closing member according to claim 1, wherein the controlling means recognizes an occurrence of the entrapment between the opening/closing member and the fixed member when the abnormality detecting data exceeds a predetermined value.

5. An entrapment detecting device for an opening/closing member according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is satisfied when the controlling means judges that there is no object entrapped between the opening/closing member and the fixed member.

6. An entrapment detecting device for an opening/closing member according to claim 5, wherein the controlling means recognizes an occurrence of the entrapment between the opening/closing member and the fixed member when a variation of the abnormality detecting data per predetermined passage of time exceeds a threshold value.

7. An entrapment detecting device for an opening/closing member according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is satisfied when the driving of the driving means is not stopped while the opening/closing member is moved for closing the opening.

8. An entrapment detecting device for an opening/closing member according to claim 7, wherein the controlling means recognizes an occurrence of the entrapment between the opening/closing member and the fixed member when a variation of the abnormality detecting data from a reference value exceeds a threshold value.

9. An entrapment detecting device for an opening/closing member according to claim 1, wherein the driving means is an electrically driven motor, the driving condition of the driving means is either a rotational speed of the electrically driven motor, a driving torque of the motor, or an electric current supplied to the motor.

10. An entrapment detecting device for an opening/closing member according to claim 9, wherein the controlling means recognizes an occurrence of the entrapment between the opening/closing member and the fixed member when the abnormality detecting data exceeds a predetermined value.

11. An entrapment detecting device for an opening/closing member according to claim 9, comprising:

a pulse generating means for generating a pulse every predetermined rotation of the motor,

wherein the controlling means memorizes the reference load data based upon a cycle of the pulse outputted from the pulse generating means.

12. The entrapment detecting device according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality detecting data is a value determined on a basis of a rotational speed of the driving means, and wherein an object entrapment between the opening/closing member and the fixed member is determined by use of a predetermined threshold value.

13. A method of detecting an entrapment for an opening/closing member moved for opening/closing an opening defined in a fixed member comprising:

judging whether the opening/closing member has moved to close the opening;

memorizing in advance, when a predetermined condition has been satisfied, a reference load data corresponding to a load applied to the opening/closing member that is closing the opening;

after memorizing the reference load data and during another movement of the opening/closing member in a direction for closing the opening, calculating a driving data representing a driving condition of the driving means;

calculating an abnormality detecting data by subtracting from the driving data the reference load data memorized in advance; and

judging, on a basis of the abnormality detecting data, whether the predetermined condition has been satisfied,

wherein, when the predetermined condition is judged to have been satisfied, the reference load data that has been memorized in advance is updated by the driving data.

14. A method of detecting an entrapment for an opening/closing member according to claim 13, further comprising:

judging whether or not a variation of the abnormality detecting data per predetermined time is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value,

wherein the predetermined condition is judged to be satisfied when the variation of the abnormality detecting data is not judged to be equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value.

15. A method of detecting an entrapment for an opening/closing member according to claim 14, further comprising:

increasing a counted value representing the counted number of entrapments by one when the variation of the abnormality detecting data is judged to be equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value;

judging whether or not the counted value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and

wherein the predetermined condition is judged to be satisfied when the counted value is not judged to be equal to or greater than the predetermined value.

16. The method of detecting an entrapment of an opening/closing member moved for opening/closing an opening defined in a fixed member according to claim 13, wherein the abnormality detecting data is determined on a basis of a rotational speed of the driving means, and wherein an object entrapment between the opening/closing member and the fixed member is determined by use of a predetermined threshold value.