Vehicle-door control device and opening/closing system for vehicle

• US 9,677,313 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2014
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishikibe, Takeshi, Kobayashi, Kohei, Hitomi, Yoshinori, Katsuda, Takeshi, Hayakawa, Shunsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): REPHANN, JUSTIN B
• Application Number:
  US14/914,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20160201377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/047 characterised by the opening or closing movement
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/40 Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions
• 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 15/42 Detection using safety edges
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/44 responsive to changes in electrical conductivity
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/632 for horizontally-sliding wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/659 Control circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/76 responsive to devices carried by persons or objects, e.g. magnets or reflectors E05F15/77 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/216 Clutches
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/462 Electromagnets
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/11 Manual wing operation
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/0851 for motors actuating a movable member between two end positions, e.g. detecting an end position or obstruction by overload signal

Abstract

A vehicle-door opening/closing control device includes a controller, which controls the operation of a drive device. The controller is configured to supply drive power based on a voltage of an in-vehicle power supply to an electromagnetic clutch. The controller is also configured such that, when stopping an opening/closing body at an intermediate position, the controller supplies the drive power based on the voltage of the in-vehicle power supply to the electromagnetic clutch to put the clutch in the engaged state, and then stops the supply of drive power to the electromagnetic clutch so that the clutch is in the disengaged state after a predetermined holding time has elapsed since the controller has stopped the opening/closing body at the intermediate position. The predetermined holding time differs between a case where the trapping of the foreign object is detected and a case where the opening/closing manipulation is detected.

Claims

1. A vehicle-door opening and closing body control device, comprising:

a drive device, which opens and closes an opening and closing body of a vehicle;

a trapping detector, which detects a trapping of a foreign object by the opening and closing body;

an opening and closing manipulation detector, which detects an opening and closing manipulation of the opening and closing body by the drive device; and

a controller, which controls an operation of the drive device such that the opening and closing body is stopped at an intermediate position in an operation range of the opening and closing body when the trapping of the foreign object is detected or when the opening and closing manipulation is detected during an opening operation or closing operation of the opening and closing body, wherein

the drive device includes an electromagnetic clutch, which is configured to transmit a driving force to the opening and closing body and engages or disengages transmission of the driving force between the opening and closing body and a motor as a driving source of the drive device,

the controller is configured to supply a drive power from an in-vehicle power supply to the electromagnetic clutch, based on a voltage of the in-vehicle power supply,

to stop the opening and closing body at an intermediate position, the controller supplies the drive power based on the voltage of the in-vehicle power supply to the electromagnetic clutch to put the electromagnetic clutch in an engaged state and then stops the supply of the drive power to the electromagnetic clutch to put the electromagnetic clutch in a disengaged state after a predetermined holding time has elapsed since the controller has stopped the opening and closing body at the intermediate position, and

the predetermined holding time differs between a case where the trapping of the foreign object is detected and a case where the opening and closing manipulation is detected.

2. The vehicle-door opening and closing body control device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined holding time is longer in the case where the trapping of the foreign object is detected than in the case where the opening and closing manipulation is detected.

3. The vehicle-door opening and closing body control device according to claim 1,

wherein the opening and closing manipulation detector includes a valid opening and closing manipulation detector and an invalid opening and closing manipulation detector,

wherein when the opening and closing body is in a stopped state at the intermediate position due to the trapping of the foreign object, the valid opening and closing manipulation detector validates a detected opening and closing manipulation, and the invalid opening and closing manipulation detector invalidates the detected opening and closing manipulation.

4. The vehicle-door opening and closing body control device according to claim 3, wherein the valid opening and closing manipulation detector includes an integrated opening and closing manipulation detector that is movable integrally with the opening and closing body.

5. The vehicle-door opening and closing body control device according to claim 3, wherein the valid opening and closing manipulation detector includes a driver'"'"'s seat opening and closing manipulation detector provided in a driver'"'"'s seat region.

6. The vehicle-door opening and closing body control device according to claim 3, wherein the invalid opening and closing manipulation detector includes a portable device opening and closing manipulation detector provided in a portable device.

7. The vehicle-door opening and closing body control device according to claim 3, wherein the valid opening and closing manipulation detector consists of an integrated opening and closing manipulation detector provided integrally with the opening and closing body and a driver'"'"'s seat opening and closing manipulation detector provided in a driver'"'"'s seat region.

8. The vehicle-door opening and closing body control device according to claim 1, wherein the controller reduces the drive power to be supplied to the electromagnetic clutch when the voltage of the in-vehicle power supply is lower than or equal to a voltage determination threshold value.

9. The vehicle-door opening and closing body control device according to claim 8, wherein the voltage determination threshold value differs between the case where the trapping of the foreign object is detected and the case where the opening and closing manipulation is detected.

10. An opening and closing system for a vehicle, comprising a vehicle-door opening and closing body control device, the vehicle-door opening and closing body control device comprising:

a drive device, which opens and closes an opening and closing body of a vehicle;

a trapping detector, which detects a trapping of a foreign object by the opening and closing body;

an opening and closing manipulation detector, which detects an opening and closing manipulation of the opening and closing body by the drive device; and

a controller, which controls an operation of the drive device such that the opening and closing body is stopped at an intermediate position in an operation range of the opening and closing body when the trapping of the foreign object is detected or when the opening and closing manipulation is detected during an opening operation or closing operation of the opening and closing body, wherein

the drive device includes an electromagnetic clutch, which is configured to transmit a driving force to the opening and closing body and engages or disengages transmission of the driving force between the opening and closing body and a motor as a driving source of the drive device,

the controller is configured to supply a drive power from an in-vehicle power supply to the electromagnetic clutch, based on a voltage of the in-vehicle power supply,

to stop the opening and closing body at an intermediate position, the controller supplies the drive power based on the voltage of the in-vehicle power supply to the electromagnetic clutch to put the electromagnetic clutch in an engaged state and then stops the supply of the drive power to the electromagnetic clutch to put the electromagnetic clutch in a disengaged state after a predetermined holding time has elapsed since the controller has stopped the opening and closing body at the intermediate position, and

the predetermined holding time differs between a case where the trapping of the foreign object is detected and a case where the opening and closing manipulation is detected.