Automotive door power assist

• US 10,030,431 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2015
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Elie, Larry, Potter, Timothy J., Novak, Robert F., Jaranson, John Wayne, Wallace, Jeff A., Azzouz, Michael M., Heath, Gerald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rephann, Justin B
• Application Number:
  US14/812,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20170030137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/047 characterised by the opening or closing movement
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/614 operated by meshing gear wheels, one of which being mounted at the wing pivot axis; operated by a motor acting directly on the wing pivot axis
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/70 with automatic actuation
• 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: E05F 15/77 using wireless control
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 2015/763 using acoustical sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors

Abstract

A method of closing a vehicle door includes the steps of providing a door pivotally coupled to a vehicle body, transmitting a door closing signal to a controller, identifying a current position of the door using a position sensor, closing the door using a power assist device powered from a hinge axis of the door, monitoring the door position during closing, releasing a catch of a latch mechanism when a latch striker of the vehicle body is partially received in the latch mechanism, and latching the door to the vehicle body.

Claims

1. A method of closing a vehicle door, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a door closing signal from a door control device to a controller;

identifying an initial position of a door pivotally coupled to a vehicle body by a hinge assembly;

identifying a torque required to close the door from the initial position;

moving the door from the initial position to a second position if the torque required to close the door from the initial position exceeds a predetermined torque threshold, wherein the second position includes an associated door angle greater than a door angle associated with the initial position;

closing the door from the second position using a power assist device disposed on a pivot axis of the hinge assembly of the door, wherein a force required from the power assist device to close the door from the second position is less than a force required from the power assist device to close the door from the initial position;

monitoring a position of the door while closing; and

latching the door to the vehicle body.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of latching the door to a vehicle body further includes, releasing a catch of a latch mechanism when a latch striker of the vehicle body is partially received in a slot of the catch.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of latching the door to a vehicle body further includes, releasing a rotating catch of a latch mechanism when a latch striker of the vehicle body has moved the rotating catch to a midpoint of rotation of the catch mechanism.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of releasing a rotating catch of a latch mechanism further includes, allowing the rotating catch to rotate to a fully latched position about the latch striker.