Foreign material detector for sliding door and detecting method thereof
First Claim
1. A detector for detecting a foreign material caught between a an end portion of a movable body and a closed body, the detector in combination with an opening and closing mechanism and a movable body for movement in a closing movement direction with respect to such closed body, the movable body being for movement toward a closing direction at an angle with respect to the closing movement direction immediately before a closing movement direction end portion of the movable body reaches a closing movement end point located substantially at an orthogonal direction lateral side of such closed body with respect to the closing movement direction, and the movable body thus being for closing a gate located between the movable body and such closed body along the closing movement direction, the foreign material detector comprising:
- a pressure sensor, which is mounted on a movable body at a lateral side of the movable body along a substantially orthogonal direction with respect to the closing movement direction, for movement with the movable body, and for detection of a pressed reaction force effected by a foreign material when the pressure sensor presses against such foreign material;
said pressure sensor comprising an exterior periphery and an interior periphery, said exterior and interior peripheries for deforming in a predetermined direction in response to such reaction force and being located closer to said closing movement end point than said end portion of the movable body, wherein said exterior periphery is further away from said closing movement end point than said interior periphery.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a foreign material detector for a sliding door, a pressure sensor is disposed being offset toward a vehicle interior side and a substantial vehicle front side of a hem and being offset toward a substantial vehicle exterior side with respect to a position supported by a bracket as well, in order for the foreign material to be detected, even though a direction of a reaction force effected from a foreign material is tilted and intersected with respect to a moving direction of the sliding door.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A detector for detecting a foreign material caught between a an end portion of a movable body and a closed body, the detector in combination with an opening and closing mechanism and a movable body for movement in a closing movement direction with respect to such closed body, the movable body being for movement toward a closing direction at an angle with respect to the closing movement direction immediately before a closing movement direction end portion of the movable body reaches a closing movement end point located substantially at an orthogonal direction lateral side of such closed body with respect to the closing movement direction, and the movable body thus being for closing a gate located between the movable body and such closed body along the closing movement direction, the foreign material detector comprising:
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a pressure sensor, which is mounted on a movable body at a lateral side of the movable body along a substantially orthogonal direction with respect to the closing movement direction, for movement with the movable body, and for detection of a pressed reaction force effected by a foreign material when the pressure sensor presses against such foreign material;
said pressure sensor comprising an exterior periphery and an interior periphery, said exterior and interior peripheries for deforming in a predetermined direction in response to such reaction force and being located closer to said closing movement end point than said end portion of the movable body, wherein said exterior periphery is further away from said closing movement end point than said interior periphery. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A foreign material detector in combination with a sliding door device and a door panel for opening and closing in a vehicle longitudinal direction, the door panel for moving toward a closing direction that is at an angle with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction immediately before a closing movement direction side end portion of the door panel reaches a closing movement end point located at a lateral side of a vehicle side wall along a substantially orthogonal direction with respect to a closing movement direction, thereby closing a gate located in such vehicle side wall, comprising:
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a pressure sensor mounted on the door panel and moveable together with the door panel, said pressure sensor located at a position offset toward a closing movement side of an end portion of the door panel and toward a vehicle right and left direction lateral side, along a vertical direction of the door panel, and for detecting a foreign material located between the end portion of the door panel and such vehicle side wall;
said pressure sensor comprising an exterior periphery and an interior periphery, said exterior and interior peripheries for deforming in a predetermined direction in response to a pressed reaction force effected by a foreign material when the pressure sensor presses against such foreign material, and being located closer to said closing movement end point than said end portion of the door panel, wherein said exterior periphery is further away from said closing movement end point than said interior periphery. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for detecting a foreign material caught between an end portion of a sliding door panel and a vehicle body, wherein such door panel is for opening and closing in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and for movement toward a closing direction at an angle with respect to such vehicle longitudinal direction immediately before a closing movement direction side end portion of such door panel reaches a closing movement end point located at a lateral side of a vehicle side wall along a substantially orthogonal direction with respect to a closing movement direction, thereby closing a gate located in such vehicle side wall, the method comprising:
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detecting a foreign material that intersects the closing movement direction of such door panel and impedes closing of such door panel by a pressure sensor mounted on such door panel and movable together with such door panel, and extending from a closing movement direction side of an end portion of such door panel and mounted to an outside of such door panel, wherein said pressure sensor comprises an exterior periphery and an interior periphery, said exterior and interior peripheries for deforming in a predetermined direction in response to a pressed reaction force effected by a foreign material when the pressure sensor presses against such foreign material, and being located closer to said closing movement end point than said end portion of such door panel, wherein said exterior periphery is further away from said closing movement end point than said interior periphery. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A foreign material detector for attachment to a door of a vehicle and for detecting a foreign material caught between a door end portion and such door, wherein a door panel of such door is slidable with a closing movement in a longitudinal direction of such vehicle, the closing movement ending at a terminus on a side of such vehicle, such door panel comprising a side periphery and being movable in an oblique closing direction to the longitudinal direction before the side periphery reaches the terminus to close a gate located at the side of such vehicle, the foreign material detector comprising:
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a pressure sensor mounted on a portion of such door panel for movement with such door panel, such portion located closer to the terminus than the side periphery of such door panel and positioned farther away from a center of a transverse direction of such vehicle than the side periphery of such door panel, the pressure sensor for detecting a reaction force effected by a foreign material when the pressure sensor comes into contact with the foreign material located between the side periphery of such door panel and the side of such vehicle, the pressure sensor comprising an outer cover and an accommodating portion, the outer cover being elastically deformable by the reaction force, the accommodating portion having a greater rigidity than the outer cover, the accommodating portion for holding a portion of the outer cover positioned farthest with respect to either the terminus or the oblique closing direction of such door panel, the accommodating position comprising a groove and a flexible portion, the groove being opened toward the closing direction of such door panel, the flexible portion having a smaller rigidity than the groove opens toward an opening direction of such door panel and is located opposite to the groove, wherein the groove includes a first periphery closer to an exterior of such vehicle and a second periphery closer to an interior of such vehicle, and the first periphery is located closer to the terminus than the side periphery of such door panel and the first periphery is located closer to a fully-opened position of such door panel than the second periphery;
said pressure sensor comprising an exterior periphery and an interior periphery, said exterior and interior peripheries for deforming in a predetermined direction in response to a pressed reaction force effected by a foreign material when the pressure sensor presses against such foreign material, and being located closer to said terminus than such door end portion of such door panel, wherein said exterior periphery is further away from the terminus than said interior periphery. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification