Door lever for controlling a door opening and closing apparatus

• US 8,505,241 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2006
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kusunoki, Kiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Strimbu, Gregory J.
• Application Number:
  US11/635,142
• Publication Number:
  US 20070130837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,441 Days
• Field of Search: 491/39, 491/40, 495/03, 493/60, 49/13, 49/14, 292/336.3, 296/146.4, 296/155
• US Class Current: 49/360
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/76 Detection of handle operation; Detection of a user approaching a handle; Electrical switching actions performed by door handles
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 85/16 a longitudinal grip part being pivoted at one end about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the grip part
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/632 for horizontally-sliding wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/646 allowing or involving a secondary movement of the wing, e.g. rotational or transversal
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/214 Disengaging means
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/244 by manual operation
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/676 Transmission of human force
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/68 Handles, cranks
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/854 Switches
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/856 Actuation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/86 by hand
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2600/46 in or on the wing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors

Abstract

An opening and closing control apparatus includes an automatic sliding door controller that controls a drive of an opening and closing driving mechanism. The automatic sliding door controller determines whether a request is a manual operating request or an automatic operating request on the basis of a signal from a press switch that is switched on by a press-on operation. In the case of the automatic operating request, the automatic sliding door controller is configured so that an automatic opening and closing determination process determines whether a request is an opening operating request or a closing operating request based on the detection of door state detection section, and an opening and closing process is then executed by operating the opening and closing driving mechanism based on the determination.

Claims

1. An opening and closing control apparatus for a door, comprising:

a driving unit operable to electronically move the door between an open position and a closed position in response to an operating request;

a door lever positioned on the door, said door lever movable in a first direction from a neutral position of the door lever to a first position wherein the door lever contacts an operation output unit, and said door lever movable in a second direction from the neutral position of the door lever to a second position wherein the door lever releases the door from a latch to allow manual movement of the door between the open position and the closed position without activating the driving unit;

the operation output unit positioned proximate the door lever and outputs an operating signal when the door lever is moved to the first position and contacts the operation output unit; and

a controller outputs the operating request for one of an electronic door movement operation to the open position and an electronic door movement operation to the closed position based on the operating signal.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the operation output unit is a switch.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a locking mechanism for the door switchable between a lock state and an unlock state; and

the controller configured to send an unlock request signal to move the locking mechanism from the lock state to the unlock state when the operating request is for the electronic door movement operation to the open position and the locking mechanism is in the lock state.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the controller is configured to determine whether a previously registered portable instrument exists in a communication area and to prohibit movement of the locking mechanism from the lock state to the unlock state when the previously registered portable instrument is not in said communication area.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a locking mechanism for the door, the locking mechanism switchable between a lock state and an unlock state; and

the controller configured to determine whether the electronic door movement operation to the closed position includes moving the locking mechanism to the lock state;

wherein when both the door is in said closed position and the controller determines that the electronic door movement operation to the closed position includes moving the locking mechanism to the lock state, the controller switches the locking mechanism to the locked state.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the controller is configured to determine if a previously registered portable instrument exists in a communication area and to prohibit movement of the locking mechanism to the lock state when the portable instrument is not in said communication area.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a speaker responsive to the controller for announcing movement of the door to the closed position and when the locking mechanism is in the lock state.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to determine that the operating signal is for the electronic door movement operation to the open position when the door is in said closed position.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to determine that the operating signal is for the electronic door movement operation to the closed position when the door is in said open position.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to determine that the operating signal is for the electronic door movement operation to the open position when the door is between the open position and the closed position.

11. The apparatus according claim 10 wherein the controller is configured to change the operating request from the operating request for the electronic door movement operation to the open position to the operating request for the electronic door movement operation to the closed position when the operating signal is output during the electronic door movement operation to the open position.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

receive an input pertaining to a position of the door when the operating signal is output; and

output the operating request based on the position of the door.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the door lever is movable to the first position in response to a first manual user operation of the door lever and movable to the second position in response to a second manual user operation of the door lever which is different from the first manual user operation of the door lever.

14. An opening and closing control apparatus for a door, comprising:

a driving unit operable to electronically move the door between an open position and a closed position in response to an operating request;

a door lever positioned on the door, said door lever movable in a first direction from a neutral position of the door lever to a first position wherein the door lever contacts an operation output unit, and said door lever movable in a second direction from the neutral position of the door lever to a second position wherein the door lever releases the door from a latch to allow manual movement of the door between the open position and the closed position without activating the driving unit;

the operation output unit positioned proximate the door lever and outputs an operating signal when the door lever is moved to the first position and contacts the operation output unit;

a position detection device operable to detect the open position of the door, the closed position of the door and an intermediate position of the door;

a controller configured to;

receive input from the position detection device, and

output an electronic operating request for one of an electronic door movement operation to the open position and an electronic door movement operation to the closed position based on the operating signal and the position of the door.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein

the controller is configured to determine that the operating signal is for the electronic door movement operation to the open position when the door is detected to be in the closed position.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein

the controller is configured to determine that the operating signal is for the electronic door movement operation to the closed position when the door is detected to be in the open position.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein

the controller is configured to determine that the operating signal is for the electronic door movement operation to the open position when the door is detected to be in the intermediate position.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein, the controller is configured to change the electronic operating request from the electronic operating request for the electronic door movement operation to the open position to the electronic operating request for the electronic door movement operation to the closed position when the operating signal is output during the electronic door movement operation to the open position.