Apparatus for driving to open and close vehicular closing structure

• US 7,017,973 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2004
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sera, Osamu, Ochi, Kazunari, Omori, Toshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Engle, Patricia L.
• Application Number:
  US10/848,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20040232723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 296/146.1, 296/146.4, 296/146.8, 296/146.11, 493/39, 493/40, 493/41
• US Class Current: 296/146.1
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1091 with a gas spring E05F1/1292 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/00 Power-operated mechanisms for wings motor-operated accessories in locks for completing closing or initiating opening of a wing E05B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/619 using flexible or rigid rack-and-pinion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/70 with automatic actuation
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/72 responsive to emergency conditions, e.g. fire
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/216 Clutches
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/24 using lost motion
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/246 by motors, magnets, springs or weights
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/41 for closing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/422 for opening
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/434 Electromotors; Details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/462 Electromagnets
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/354 End positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/506 of counterbalance
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/51 of position, of back drive
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/818 with visual display
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailgates

Abstract

An apparatus is provided in which a motor 11 with reduction gears, a clutch 12 and a gas stay are provided between a vehicle body 2 and a tailgate 1 so that a fully opened position of the tailgate can be held by virtue of a thrust of the gas stay only, and in this apparatus, when a closure of the tailgate from its own weight is detected after the motor with reduction gears is disconnected, the motor with reduction gears is connected to the tailgate to drive to forcibly close it after the tailgate is driven to be opened to the fully opened position thereof. By this construction, when the holding force of the opened position is short, since the tailgate is closed after it is opened to the fully opened position once, cargo loading and unloading work can be completed while the tailgate is so closed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for driving to open and close a vehicular closing structure, comprising:

between a vehicle body and a closing structure that is capable to swing up vertically with respect to the vehicle body;

an opening and closing driving force generating unit,

a clutch unit for making and breaking transmission of a driving force to the closing structure, and

an opening direction biasing unit,

a control unit for monitoring a position of said closing structure and a direction of movement of said closing structure, and for controlling operation of the clutch unit and the opening and closing driving force generating unit, wherein;

when driving force is being transmitted from said opening and closing driving force generating unit to said closing structure to move said closing structure in an opening direction, and said closing structure is determined by said control unit to have reached a predetermined position before a fully opened position, the control unit is operable to disconnect the opening and closing driving force generating unit from the closing structure so that the closing structure moves into the fully opened position, and is thereafter held in the fully opened position, by virtue of only a biasing force of the opening direction biasing unit; and

;

wherein said control unit is operable, after the disconnection of the opening and closing driving force generating unit from the closing structure, to detect closing of the closing structure from a weight thereof and to thereafter connect the opening and closing driving force generating unit to the closing structure so as to drive to open the closing structure a predetermined amount, and thereafter driving to close the closing structure.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said control unit is operable to repeat a control procedure in which, after again disconnecting the opening and closing driving force generating unit from the closing structure, in the event that an amount of closure of the closing structure from the weight thereof reaches a predetermined value, the opening and closing driving force generating unit is connected to the closing structure so as to drive the closing structure open a second predetermined amount that is smaller than the predetermined value, and then to disconnect the opening and closing driving force generating unit from the closing structure.

3. An apparatus for driving to open and close a vehicular closing structure, comprising:

between a vehicle body and a closing structure that is capable to swing up vertically with respect to the vehicle body;

an opening and closing driving force generating unit,

a clutch unit for making and breaking transmission of a driving force to the closing structure, and

an opening direction biasing unit,

a control unit for monitoring a position of said closing structure and a direction of movement of said closing structure, and for controlling operation of the clutch unit and the opening and closing driving force generating unit, wherein;

when driving force is being transmitted from said opening and closing driving force generating unit to said closing structure to move said closing structure in an opening direction, and said closing structure is determined by said control unit to have reached a predetermined position before a fully opened position, the control unit is operable to disconnect the opening and closing driving force generating unit from the closing structure so that the closing structure moves into the fully opened position, and is thereafter held in the fully opened position, by virtue of only a biasing force of the opening direction biasing unit; and

,

wherein said control unit is operable, after the disconnection of the opening and closing driving force generating unit from the closing structure, to detect closing of the closing structure from a weight thereof and to thereafter connect the opening and closing driving force generating unit to the closing structure so as to drive to open the closing structure to the predetermined position just before the fully opened position of the closing structure is reached, thereafter again disconnecting the opening and closing driving force generating unit from the closing structure and, then, when closing of the closing structure from the weight thereof is detected again, connecting the opening and closing driving force generating unit to the closing structure so as to first drive the closing structure open a predetermined amount, and then to drive the closing structure to close the closing structure.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

said control unit is operable to repeat a control procedure in which, after again disconnecting the opening and closing driving force generating unit from the closing structure, in the event that an amount of closure of the closing structure from the weight thereof reaches a second predetermined value, the opening and closing driving force generating unit is connected to the closing structure so as to drive the closing structure open a predetermined amount that is smaller than the predetermined value, and then to disconnect the opening and closing driving force generating unit from the closing structure.

5. An apparatus for driving to open and close a vehicular closing structure, comprising:

between a vehicle body and a closing structure that is capable to swing up vertically with respect to the vehicle body;

an opening and closing driving force generating unit,

a clutch unit for making and breaking transmission of a driving force to the closing structure, and

an opening direction biasing unit,

a control unit for monitoring a position of said closing structure and a direction of movement of said closing structure, and for controlling operation of the clutch unit and the opening and closing driving force generating unit, wherein;

when driving force is being transmitted from said opening and closing driving force generating unit to said closing structure to move said closing structure in an opening direction, and said closing structure is determined by said control unit to have reached a predetermined position before a fully opened position, the control unit is operable to disconnect the opening and closing driving force generating unit from the closing structure so that the closing structure moves into the fully opened position, and is thereafter held in the fully opened position, by virtue of only a biasing force of the opening direction biasing unit; and

,

wherein said control unit is operable, after the disconnection of the opening and closing driving force generating unit from the closing structure, to detect closing of the closing structure from a weight thereof and to thereafter connect the opening and closing driving force generating unit to the closing structure so as to drive to open the closing structure by an amount in which the closing structure closed from the weight thereof, again disconnecting the opening and closing driving force generating unit from the closing structure and, then, when closing of the closing structure from the weight thereof is detected again, connecting the opening and closing driving force generating unit to the closing structure so as to first drive the closing structure open a predetermined amount, and then to drive the closing structure to close the closing structure.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

said control unit is operable to repeat a control procedure in which, after again disconnecting the opening and closing driving force generating unit from the closing structure, in the event that an amount of closure of the closing structure from the weight thereof reaches a predetermined value, the opening and closing driving force generating unit is connected to the closing structure so as to drive the closing structure open a second predetermined amount that is smaller than the predetermined value, and then to disconnect the opening and closing driving force generating unit from the closing structure.