Pinch prevention structure of slide door

• US 8,028,375 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2008
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Kusu, Hirotaka, Nakaura, Masaki, Sato, Yuzo JP, Tanaka, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller; William L.
• Application Number:
  US12/131,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20090000059A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 16/82, 16/49, 16D/IG.17, 16D/IG.21, 296/146.9, 296/155, 49 26- 28, 318/445, 318/466
• US Class Current: 16/82
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/48 by transmission of mechanical forces, e.g. rigid or movable members
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/646 allowing or involving a secondary movement of the wing, e.g. rotational or transversal
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/483 for detection during opening
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/11 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/45 in or on the fixed frame
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 7/36 Finger guards or other measures preventing harmful access between the door and the door frame safety devices for doors in railway cars B61D19/026; for lift doors B66B13/26; detection of obstructions E05F15/40

Abstract

A slide door is provided to be movable between a closed position to cover a side opening formed at a vehicle-body side face and an open position. The slide door is configured to move outward and subsequently slide rearward along a rear vehicle-body outer face when the slide door moves from the closed position to the open position. There is provided a detection sensor to detect a foreign matter in coming into a gap from a vehicle-compartment inside. A drive of the slide door is stopped in case the detection sensor detects the foreign matter in coming into the gap when the slide door moves toward the open position. Thereby, any foreign matter can be prevented from being pinched in the gap formed between the slide door and the rear edge portion of the side opening.

Claims

1. A pinch prevention structure of a slide door, comprising:

the slide door provided to be movable between a closed position in which the slide door covers a side opening formed at a vehicle-body side face and an open position in which the slide door opens the side opening, the slide door being configured to move outward and subsequently slide rearward along a rear vehicle-body outer face when the slide door moves from the closed position to the open position, a gap being formed between the slide door and the vehicle-body side face such that the gap is formed between an inner side face of the slide door in the open position and a rear edge portion of the side opening formed at the vehicle-body side face when the slide door is moved from the closed position to the open position;

a drive device operative to drive the slide door so as to move between the closed position and the open position;

a drive control device operative to control the drive device; and

a detection sensor operative to detect a state in which a foreign matter moves toward said gap formed between the slide door and the vehicle-body side face from a vehicle-compartment inside, but not pinched in the gap,

wherein the drive control device is configured so that a drive of the slide door by the drive device is stopped in case the detection sensor detects said state of the foreign matter when the drive device drives the slide door in the closed position toward the open position.

2. The pinch prevention structure of a slide door of claim 1, wherein the rear edge portion of the side opening includes a rear-edge front face portion that faces forward and a rear-edge side face portion that extends forward from an inside end of the rear-edge front face portion, the rear-edge front face portion and the rear-edge side face portion forming an open edge portion that is recessed toward the vehicle inside, at the open edge portion is provided a cover member that is operative to extend in a vehicle width direction so as to cover part of said gap formed when the slide door is moved from the closed position toward the open position, and said detection sensor is configured to detect said state of the foreign matter when the foreign matter contacts the cover member in an operative position from the front.

3. The pinch prevention structure of a slide door of claim 2, wherein said cover member is comprised of a plate member that extends substantially vertically and configured to operate so as to cover the part of the gap in connection with the slide door moving from the closed position to the open position.

4. The pinch prevention structure of a slide door of claim 3, wherein said cover member is provided so as to rotate around a vertically-extending axis between the operative position in which the cover member extends in the vehicle width direction and a store position in which the cover member extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction, a biasing means for biasing the cover member toward the operative position is provided, and said detection sensor is configured to detect said state of the foreign matter in response to rearward movement of an outside end portion of the cover member in the operative position which receives an outer force from the front that is greater than a biasing force of the biasing means.

5. The pinch prevention structure of a slide door of claim 2, wherein said cover member, which is comprised of a plate member that extends substantially vertically, is supported by a vehicle body at an inside end portion thereof that is held rotatably around a vertically-extending axis so that the cover member moves between the operative position and a store position in which the cover member extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction along the rear-edge side face portion of the open edge portion, a biasing means for biasing the cover member toward the operative position is provided, and the cover member is configured such that the cover member is rotated toward the operative position by the biasing means when the slide door is moved toward the open position from the closed position, while the cover member is pushed by the slide door so as to come to the store position when the slide door is moved toward the closed position from the open position.

6. The pinch prevention structure of a slide door of claim 5, wherein said cover member is configured such that an outside end portion thereof in the operative position has a contour that corresponds to a contour of the inner side face of the slide door.

7. The pinch prevention structure of a slide door of claim 2, wherein an armrest is formed at the inner side face of the slide door so that the armrest projects toward the vehicle-compartment inside, and said cover member is configured to cover the gap at least at a level of an upper face of the armrest.

8. The pinch prevention structure of a slide door of claim 2, wherein an armrest is formed at the inner side face of the slide door so that the armrest projects toward the vehicle-compartment inside, and an outside end portion of the cover member in the operative position has a notch with a contour that corresponds to a contour of the armrest.

9. The pinch prevention structure of a slide door of claim 1, wherein there is provided a cover member that is operative to extend in a vehicle width direction so as to cover at least part of said gap formed when the slide door is moved from the closed position toward the open position, and said detection sensor is configured to detect said state of the foreign matter when said cover member in an operative position is pushed rearward.

10. The pinch prevention structure of a slide door of claim 9, wherein said cover member is comprised of a plate member that extends substantially vertically and configured to operate so as to cover at least part of the gap in connection with the slide door moving from the closed position to the open position.

11. A pinch prevention structure of a slide door, comprising:

the slide door provided to be movable between a closed position in which the slide door covers a side opening formed at a vehicle-body side face and an open position in which the slide door opens the side opening, the slide door being configured to move outward and subsequently slide rearward along a rear vehicle-body outer face when the slide door moves from the closed position to the open position;

a drive device operative to drive the slide door so as to move between the closed position and the open position;

a drive control device operative to control the drive device; and

a detection sensor operative to detect a state in which a foreign matter moves toward a gap from a vehicle-compartment inside, wherein said gap is formed between an inner side face of the slide door in the open position and a rear edge portion of the side opening when the slide door is moved from the closed position to the open position, and

wherein the drive control device is configured so that a drive of the slide door by the drive device is stopped in case the detection sensor detects said state of the foreign matter when the drive device drives the slide door in the closed position toward the open position,

the rear edge portion of the side opening includes a rear-edge front face portion that faces forward and a rear-edge side face portion that extends forward from an inside end of the rear-edge front face portion, the rear-edge front face portion and the rear-edge side face portion forming an open edge portion that is recessed toward the vehicle inside, at the open edge portion is provided a cover member that is operative to extend in a vehicle width direction so as to cover part of said gap formed when the slide door is moved from the closed position toward the open position, and said detection sensor is configured to detect said state of the foreign matter when the foreign matter contacts the cover member in an operative position from the front.

12. The pinch prevention structure of a slide door of claim 11, wherein said cover member is comprised of a plate member that extends substantially vertically and configured to operate so as to cover the part of the gap in connection with the slide door moving from the closed position to the open position.

13. The pinch prevention structure of a slide door of claim 12, wherein said cover member is provided so as to rotate around a vertically-extending axis between the operative position in which the cover member extends in the vehicle width direction and a store position in which the cover member extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction, a biasing means for biasing the cover member toward the operative position is provided, and said detection sensor is configured to detect said state of the foreign matter in response to rearward movement of an outside end portion of the cover member in the operative position which receives an outer force from the front that is greater than a biasing force of the biasing means.

14. The pinch prevention structure of a slide door of claim 11, wherein said cover member, which is comprised of a plate member that extends substantially vertically, is supported by a vehicle body at an inside end portion thereof that is held rotatably around a vertically-extending axis so that the cover member moves between the operative position and a store position in which the cover member extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction along the rear-edge side face portion of the open edge portion, a biasing means for biasing the cover member toward the operative position is provided, and the cover member is configured such that the cover member is rotated toward the operative position by the biasing means when the slide door is moved toward the open position from the closed position, while the cover member is pushed by the slide door so as to come to the store position when the slide door is moved toward the closed position from the open position.

15. The pinch prevention structure of a slide door of claim 14, wherein said cover member is configured such that an outside end portion thereof in the operative position has a contour that corresponds to a contour of the inner side face of the slide door.

16. The pinch prevention structure of a slide door of claim 11, wherein an armrest is formed at the inner side face of the slide door so that the armrest projects toward the vehicle-compartment inside, and said cover member is configured to cover the gap at least at a level of an upper face of the armrest.

17. The pinch prevention structure of a slide door of claim 11, wherein an armrest is formed at the inner side face of the slide door so that the armrest projects toward the vehicle-compartment inside, and an outside end portion of the cover member in the operative position has a notch with a contour that corresponds to a contour of the armrest.