Control device for opening/closing member

• US 7,812,554 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2007
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omron Automotive Electronics Company Limited (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Takahashi, Tomohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro; Bentsu
• Application Number:
  US11/868,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20080110092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 318255-257, 318264-266, 318/268, 318/272, 318/280, 318/282, 318/286, 318466-470, 318/434, 318/456
• US Class Current: 318/282
• 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 15/692 enabling manual drive, e.g. in case of power failure
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/695 Control circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/55 by using load sensors sensors for electronic control of hinges, wings, windows as such E05Y2400/44
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/55 Windows

Abstract

A control device for an opening/closing member includes a speed detecting unit, a variation calculating unit, a judgment unit, a control unit, and a state detecting unit. The speed detecting unit detects a rotation speed of a motor for opening/closing the opening/closing member. The variation calculating unit calculates the variation in the rotation speed based on a present value and a past value of the rotation speed. The judgment unit compares the variation to a predetermined threshold value and judges whether or not a foreign object is trapped in the opening/closing member based on the comparison. The control unit controls the motor to open or stop the opening/closing member when the judgment unit judges that there is a foreign object trapped. The state detecting unit detects a state of the opening/closing member or a state of the surroundings of the opening/closing member.

Claims

1. A control device for opening/closing member comprising:

a speed detecting unit for detecting a rotation speed of a motor for opening/closing the opening/closing member;

a variation calculating unit for calculating variation in the rotation speed based on a present value and a past value of the rotation speed detected by the speed detecting unit;

a judgment unit for comparing the variation calculated by the variation calculating unit and a predetermined threshold value and judging whether or not a foreign object is entrapped in the opening/closing member based on the comparison result;

a control unit for controlling the motor to open or stop the opening/closing member when judged that the foreign object is entrapped by the judgment unit; and

a state detecting unit for detecting a state of the opening/closing member or state of surrounding of the opening/closing member;

wherein

the variation calculating unit selects an earlier past value or a past value close to the present as the past value of the rotation speed according to the state detected by the state detecting unit, and calculates the variation in the rotation speed using the selected past value and the present value.

2. A control device for opening/closing member according to claim 1, wherein

the state detecting unit is a position detecting unit for detecting a position of the opening/closing member;

and

the variation calculating unit selects an earlier past value as the past value of the rotation speed when the position detecting unit detects that the opening/closing body has moved a predetermined distance in a direction that a movement speed decreases, and calculates the variation in the rotation speed using the past value and the present value.

3. A control device for opening/closing member according to claim 2, wherein

the variation calculating unit calculates the variation in the rotation speed based on the present value of the rotation speed and a past value at a time point of a first period T1 before the present value until the position detecting unit detects that the opening/closing member has moved the predetermined distance in the direction that the movement speed decreases, and calculates the variation in the rotation speed based on the present value of the rotation speed and a past value at a time point of a second period T2 (T2>

T1) before the present value after a time point at which the position detecting unit has detected that the opening/closing member has moved the predetermined distance in the direction that the movement speed decreases.

4. A control device for opening/closing member according to claim 2, wherein

the opening/closing member is connected to a freely turning arm that moves in conjunction with the motor, and is movable in an up and down direction by turning of the arm;

the opening/closing member moves from a fully opened position to a fully closed position as the arm turns upward from a horizontal state; and

the variation calculating unit calculates the variation in the rotation speed using the past value at the time point of the second period before when the arm turns by a constant amount from the horizontal state and the opening/closing member moves by the predetermined distance and approaches the fully closed position.

5. A control device for opening/closing member according to claim 1, wherein

the state detecting unit is a weight detecting unit for detecting a weight of a passenger;

and

the variation calculating unit selects an earlier past value as the past value of the rotation speed when the weight of the passenger detected by the weight detecting unit is smaller than a predetermined value, and calculates the variation in the rotation speed using the past value and the present value.

6. A control device for opening/closing member according to claim 1, wherein

the state detecting unit is a temperature detecting unit for detecting a surrounding temperature of a vehicle body;

and

the variation calculating unit selects an earlier past value or a past value closer to the present as the past value of the rotation speed when the surrounding temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit is a high temperature of higher than or equal to a predetermined value, and calculates the variation in the rotation speed using the past value and the present value.

7. A control device for opening/closing member according to claim 1, wherein

the state detecting unit is a temperature detecting unit for detecting a surrounding temperature of a vehicle body;

and

the variation calculating unit selects an earlier past value or a past value closer to the present as the past value of the rotation speed when the surrounding temperature detected by the temperature detecting unit is lower than a predetermined value, and calculates the variation in the rotation speed using the past value and the present value.

8. A control device for opening/closing member according to claim 1, wherein

the state detecting unit is a traveling road surface condition detecting unit for detecting a state of the traveling road surface;

and

the variation calculating unit selects an earlier past value or a past value closer to the present as the past value of the rotation speed according to the state of the traveling road surface detected by the traveling road surface condition detecting unit, and calculates the variation in the rotation speed using the past value and the present value.

9. A control device for opening/closing member according to claim 1, wherein

the state detecting unit is an aged change detecting unit for detecting aged change;

and

the variation calculating unit selects an earlier past value or a past value closer to the present as the past value of the rotation speed according to the aged change detected by the aged change detecting unit, and calculates the variation in the rotation speed using the past value and the present value.