Power-window jamming preventing apparatus

• US 7,009,352 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2004
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Susumu, Nakazawa, Yuichi, Mochizuki, Yasuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): DUDA, RINA I
• Application Number:
  US10/933,526
• Publication Number:
  US 20050083004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 318280-283, 318/466, 318/468, 318/469, 318/432, 318/434, 49/26, 49/28
• US Class Current: 318/466
• 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: E05F 15/695 Control circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/55 Windows
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/006 Calibration or setting of parameters
• 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

Abstract

A current sensing circuit includes; a shunt resistor, on which a motor current is flown; a reference resistor which has a resistance value that is n times the shunt resistor; and a current following circuit. The current following circuit includes: a following current control circuit, which controls the following current and generates a first reference voltage; and a capacitor which generates a second reference voltage indicating an average value of the first reference voltage. A first comparator compares a third reference voltage higher than the first reference voltage with the second reference voltage, and outputs the current limitation control signal. A motor current sensing range expanding circuit expands a motor current sensing range by increasing a ratio of the current sensing circuit having the shunt resistor and the reference resistor.

Claims

1. A power-window jamming preventing apparatus, comprising;

a current sensing circuit, which senses a motor current flowing through a motor for driving a window glass;

a current limiting circuit, which increases and decreases the motor current based on a current limitation control signal outputted from the current sensing circuit when an amount of increase of the motor current exceeds a predetermined vale; and

a jamming determining circuit, which determines a jamming of a foreign matter in the window glass based on increase of the motor current to reverse a rotation of the motor,

wherein the current sensing circuit includes;

a shunt resistor, on which the motor current is flown;

a reference resistor, which has a resistance value that is n times the shunt resistor; and

a current following circuit, which increases and decreases a following current flowing through the reference resistor so that voltages respectively applied to the shunt resistor and the reference resistor become always equal to each other;

wherein the current following circuit includes;

a following current control circuit, which controls the following current so as to be one n-th of the motor current, and generates a first reference voltage having a pulsating component of the motor current; and

a capacitor, which generates a second reference voltage indicating an average value of the first reference voltage by charging and discharging; and

wherein the current sensing circuit includes a first comparator which compares a third reference voltage higher than the first reference voltage with the second reference voltage, and outputs the current limitation control signal based on a comparison result thereof,

the apparatus further comprising, a motor current sensing range expanding circuit, which expands a motor current sensing range by increasing a ratio of the current sensing circuit having the shunt resistor and the reference resistor when the first reference voltage becomes equal to or lower than a comparing voltage indicating a voltage input range of an active element of the following current control circuit and the state of the first reference voltage and the comparing voltage continues for a constant period of time.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the motor current sensing range expanding circuit includes:

a resistor, which is connected to the shunt resistor;

a semiconductor switch, which is connected to the resistor; and

a second comparator, which compares the first reference voltage with the comparing voltage;

wherein the semiconductor switch is turned on in accordance with an output of the second comparator when the first reference voltage becomes equal to or lower than the comparing voltage for a constant period of time; and

wherein when the semiconductor switch is turned on, the second resistor is added to the following current control circuit so that the ratio of the current detecting circuit is increased by adding of the resistor for expanding a jamming detectable range.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein the motor current sensing range expanding circuit includes a digital filter, which is provided between the second comparator and the semiconductor switch, and removes an instantaneous change of the output of the second comparator.