Power tailgate anti-theft system

• US 7,357,435 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America Incorporated (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Robertson, Timothy H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Kiran B.
• Application Number:
  US11/432,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20070262603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 296/57.1, 296/146.4, 296/37.6, 296/50, 296/100.06, 493/79, 493/94, 224/403
• US Class Current: 296/57.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1001 Alarm systems associated with another car fitting or mechanism, e.g. door lock or knob, pedals features related to the general power supply B60R25/1018
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1004 Alarm systems characterised by the type of sensor, e.g. current sensing means using door lock sensors B60R25/1001
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 33/0273 Movable tailboards for vehicles comprising non-movable sideboards, e.g. pick-up trucks B62D33/037 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed herein an automotive vehicle anti-theft system for guarding against unauthorized opening of a door of the vehicle is provided, including means for selectively biasing the door of the vehicle toward a closed position, a sensor for detecting operation of the door, and a control module operably connected to the biasing means and the sensor. The control module is configured to cause the biasing means to exert a biasing force for urging the door of the vehicle toward the closed position upon receiving a signal from the sensor indicating an attempt to move the door away from the closed position toward the open position while the anti-theft system is activated.

Claims

1. An automotive vehicle comprising:

a closure member moveable between a closed position and an open position;

a sensor to detect operation of the closure member;

a closure member actuator to selectively apply a closing force to the closure member;

a control module in operable communication with the sensor to control operation of the closure member actuator, the control module configured to send a control signal to cause the actuator to commence applying a closing force to the closure member for urging the closure member away from the open position toward the closed position when the sensor detects operation of the closure member.

2. The automotive vehicle of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a position sensor operably connected to the control module to detect the position of the closure member relative to the closed position.

3. The automotive vehicle of claim 2 wherein the control module is configured to cause the closure member actuator to cease applying the closing force to the closure member when the controller determines that the closure member position relative to the closed position exceeds a predetermined value.

4. The automotive vehicle of claim 1, wherein the sensor is adapted to detect operation of an actuator, which when operated, causes the closure member to be released from the closed position.

5. The automotive vehicle of claim 1, wherein the sensor is adapted to detect movement of the closure member away from the closed position and wherein the controller is further adapted to cause the closure member actuator to stop applying the closing force to the closure member when the distance between the closure member and the closed position exceeds a predetermined limit.

6. The automotive vehicle of claim 1, wherein the sensor is adapted to detect operation of a locking mechanism, which when activated, precludes movement of the closure member away from the open position.

7. The automotive vehicle of claim 1, wherein the sensor is adapted to detect operation of a latching mechanism for retaining the closure member in the closed position.

8. The automotive vehicle of claim 1 wherein the sensor is operable to detect actuation of a handle mounted to the closure member that releases the closure member from the closed position.

9. The automotive vehicle of claim 1 wherein the closure member is a tailgate.

10. A vehicle comprising:

a closure member moveable between a closed position and an open position;

a powered actuator adapted to selectively applying a biasing force on the closure member to urge the closure member to the closed position;

a sensor adapted to detect unauthorized operation of the closure member;

a controller adapted to control the powered actuator, the controller responsive to the sensor to cause the power actuator to urge the closure member to the closed position when the sensor detects unauthorized operation of the closure member.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the powered actuator comprises an electrically powered rotational motor having a take-up spool and a cable attached to the spool and the closure member whereon rotation of the spool causes movement of the closure member.

12. The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the sensor comprises a position sensor to detect the position of the closure member relative to the closed position.

13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the controller is further adapted to cause the powered actuator to stop urging the closure member to the closed position when the position sensor detects that the position of the closure member relative to the closed position extends beyond a predetermined limit.

14. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the controller is further adapted to cause the powered actuator to stop urging the closure member to the closed position when the position sensor detects that closure member is moving in opposition to the biasing force.

15. A vehicle comprising:

a closure member moveable between a closed position and an open position relative to the vehicle;

a lock adapted to secure the closure member in the closed position, the lock being cycled between a locked and unlocked position;

a sensor adapted to generate an output indicating an unauthorized manual operation of the closure member when the lock is cycled to the locked position; and

a powered actuator configured to apply a closing force to the closure member in response to a user control;

wherein the powered actuator is further adapted to apply a closing force to the closure member in response to the sensor output indicating the unauthorized manual operation of the closure member.

16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the sensor comprises a position sensor adapted to detect the position of the closure member relative to the closed position.

17. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the sensor comprises a position sensor to detect the position of the closure member relative to the closed position.

18. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the controller is further adapted to cause the powered actuator to stop urging the closure member to the closed position when the position sensor detects that the position of the closure member relative to the closed position extends beyond a predetermined limit.

19. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein the controller is further adapted to cause the powered actuator to stop urging the closure member to the closed position when the position sensor detects that closure member is moving in opposition to the biasing force.

20. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the closure member is one of a door, tailgate and liftgate.