Opening and closing apparatus

• US 20070113481A1
• Filed: 11/21/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASMO Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ASMO Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Masaaki, Kato, Manabu
• Granted Patent: US 7,712,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/360
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/46 responsive to changes in electrical capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/40 Protection E05Y2400/50, E05Y2400/52 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailgates

Abstract

An opening and closing apparatus is provided with a foreign material detecting sensor, a position detecting apparatus and a control circuit apparatus. The foreign material detecting sensor has a sensor electrode, and is arranged in a front end of a door panel. The foreign material detecting sensor outputs an electrostatic capacity detection signal corresponding to a change of an electrostatic capacity between the sensor electrode and a foreign material coming close to the electrode. The position detecting apparatus outputs a position detection signal corresponding to a position of the door panel. The control circuit apparatus compares a change amount of the electrostatic capacity detected on the basis of the electrostatic capacity detection signal with a threshold value so as to judge, on the basis of a result of comparison, whether or not a foreign material exists between the door panel and a vehicle body. The control circuit apparatus changes the threshold value on the basis of the position detection signal, in the case of detecting, on the basis of the position detection signal, that the door panel is arranged at the first door position, during a closing motion of the door panel.

Claims

1. An opening and closing apparatus comprising:

a fixed body having conductivity;

an opening portion formed in said fixed body and having a peripheral edge;

a movable body moved between a full-close position closing said opening portion and a full-open position leaving open said opening portion;

a detecting sensor, said detecting sensor having a sensor electrode provided at at least one of an end portion positioned in a front side in a moving direction at a time of a closing motion of said movable body, and a peripheral edge of said opening portion facing said movable body in said moving direction in the movable body, and wherein the detecting sensor outputs an electrostatic capacity detection signal in correspondence to a change of an electrostatic capacity between said sensor electrode and a conductive foreign material moving close to the sensor electrode;

a judging portion, said judging portion having a threshold value for judging whether or not a foreign material exists between said movable body and the peripheral edge of said opening portion, comparing said threshold value with a detection value on the basis of said electrostatic capacity detection signal, and judging, on the basis of a result of comparison, whether or not a foreign material exists between said movable body and the peripheral edge of said opening portion;

a position detecting portion outputting a position detection signal corresponding to a position of said movable body;

a first change position previously set between said full-open position and said full-close position; and

a threshold value change portion changing said threshold value on the basis of said position detection signal in the case of detecting, on the basis of said position detection signal, that said movable body is arranged at the first change position during a closing motion of said movable body.

2. The opening and closing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said threshold value change portion changes a change rate of said threshold value on the basis of said position detection signal in the case of detecting, on the basis of said position detection signal, that said movable body is arranged at said first change position.

3. The opening and closing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, in the case of detecting, on the basis of said position detection signal, that said movable body is arranged at said first change position, said threshold value change portion changes the change rate of said threshold value a number of times until said movable body reaches said full-close position.

4. The opening and closing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a second change position previously set between said first change position and said full-close position,

wherein, in the case of detecting that said movable body is arranged at said first change position and in the case of detecting that said movable body is arranged at said second change position on the basis of said position detection signal, said threshold value change portion changes the change rate of said threshold value.

5. The opening and closing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, in the case of detecting, on the basis of said position detection signal, that said movable body is arranged at said first change position, said threshold value change portion continuously changes the change rate of said threshold value as said movable body comes close to said full-close position.

6. The opening and closing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said threshold value change portion changes the change rate of said threshold value in such a manner that the change rate of said threshold value becomes larger as said movable body comes close to said full-close position.

7. The opening and closing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the change rate of said threshold value changed by said threshold value change portion is set in such a manner as to correspond to an actual change of said electrostatic capacity previously detected by said sensor electrode in a state in which no foreign material exists between said movable body and the peripheral edge of said opening portion at a time of a closing motion of said movable body.

8. The opening and closing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in the case of detecting, on the basis of said position detection signal, that said movable body is arranged at said first change position, said threshold value change portion changes said threshold value in stages on the basis of said position detection signal.

9. The opening and closing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, in the case of detecting, on the basis of said position detection signal, that said movable body is changed to said first change position, said threshold value change portion changes said threshold value a number of times until said movable body reaches said full-close position.

10. The opening and closing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a second change position previously set between said first change position and said full-close position,

wherein, in the case of detecting that said movable body is arranged at said first change position and in the case of detecting that said movable body is arranged at said second change position on the basis of said position detection signal, said threshold value change portion changes said threshold value.

11. The opening and closing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sensor electrode is provided in an end portion positioned in a front side in a moving direction at a time of the closing motion of said movable body, in said movable body.

12. The opening and closing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fixed body is constituted by a body of a vehicle, said opening portion is formed in a side portion of said vehicle, and said movable body is constituted by a door panel slid along a fore-and-aft direction of said vehicle so as to open and close said opening portion.

13. The opening and closing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fixed body is constituted by a body of a vehicle, said vehicle has a rear portion, said opening portion is formed in the rear portion of said vehicle, and said movable body is constituted by a flip-up backdoor provided in the rear portion of said vehicle so as to open and close said opening portion.