Opening/closing controlling apparatus

• US 7,588,116 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kamiya, Masachika
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOODEN JR, BARRY J
• Application Number:
  US10/591,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20070199760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,670 Days
• Field of Search: 180/271, 180/274, 180/281, 180/282, 180/286, 49/31, 701/45
• US Class Current: 180/274
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0027 Post collision measures, e.g. notifying emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/013 including means for detecting collisions, impending collisions or roll-over

Abstract

An opening/closing controlling apparatus of the present invention has an automatic opening/closing mechanism for automatically opening and closing an opening/closing object such as a door; a collision detecting sensor for detecting a collision of a vehicle; a time measuring device for measuring a time from a time when the collision detecting sensor detects a collision of the vehicle; and an opening/closing controller for prohibiting automatic opening/closing of the opening/closing object from the time of the collision of the vehicle and for permitting the automatic opening/closing by the automatic opening/closing mechanism after passage of a predetermined time since the collision. The present invention successfully achieves high reliability in the event of a vehicle accident.

Claims

1. An opening/closing controlling apparatus for performing an automatic opening/closing control of an opening/closing object mounted on a vehicle, comprising:

automatic opening/closing means for automatically opening/closing the opening/closing object;

collision detecting means for detecting a collision of the vehicle;

time measuring means for measuring a time from a time when the collision detecting means detects the collision of the vehicle; and

opening/closing controlling means for prohibiting automatic opening/closing of the opening/closing object from the time of the collision of the vehicle and for permitting the automatic opening/closing by the automatic opening/closing means after a passage of a predetermined first time since the collision and then for making the automatic opening/closing means perform an opening operation of the opening/closing object after passage of a second time since the collision wherein the second time is set longer than the first time.

2. The opening/closing controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the time measuring means comprises first time measuring means for measuring the first time from the time when the collision detecting means detects the collision of the vehicle, and second time measuring means for measuring the second time from the time when the collision detecting means detects the collision of the vehicle, the second time measuring means being provided separately from the first time measuring means, and

wherein the opening/closing controlling means prohibits the automatic opening/closing operation of the opening/closing object from the time when the collision detecting means detects the collision of the vehicle, thereafter the opening/closing controlling means permits the automatic opening/closing operation of the opening/closing object after passage of the first time, and then the opening/closing controlling means makes the automatic opening/closing means perform the opening operation of the opening/closing object after passage of the second time set longer than the first time.

3. The opening/closing controlling apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising locking maintaining means for maintaining a locking state of the opening/closing object from the time when the collision detecting means detects the collision of the vehicle, to passage of a third time set shorter than the first time.

4. The opening/closing controlling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the opening/closing object is a door for entrance and exit mounted on a side of the vehicle.

5. The opening/closing controlling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the opening/closing object is an autowindow mounted on a side of the vehicle.

6. The opening/closing controlling apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the automatic opening/closing means comprises a motor for opening/closing the opening/closing object and wherein the opening/closing controlling means stops supply of power to the motor, thereby prohibiting the automatic opening/closing of the opening/closing object.

7. The opening/closing controlling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the time measuring means for measuring the predetermined time comprises at least two time measuring circuits.

8. The opening/closing controlling apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the time measuring means comprises first time measuring means and second time measuring means each for measuring a first time from the time when the collision detecting means detects the collision of the vehicle, and

wherein the opening/closing controlling means prohibits the automatic opening/closing operation of the opening/closing object from the time when the collision detecting means detects the collision of the vehicle and thereafter the opening/closing controlling means permits the automatic opening/closing operation of the opening/closing object after passage of the first time is measured by both the first time measuring means and the second time measuring means.

9. The opening/closing controlling apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the opening/closing object is a door for entrance and exit mounted on a side of the vehicle.

10. The opening/closing controlling apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the opening/closing object is an autowindow mounted on a side of the vehicle.

11. The opening/closing controlling apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the automatic opening/closing means comprises a motor for opening/closing the opening/closing object and wherein the opening/closing controlling means stops supply of power to the motor, thereby prohibiting the automatic opening/closing of the opening/closing object.