ADJUSTMENT DEVICE FOR A MOVABLE BODY PART OF A MOTOR VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING THE MOVABLE BODY PART

• US 20100037523A1
• Filed: 08/01/2007
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Fox, Andrew, Oirsouw, Harrie
• Granted Patent: US 8,297,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/32
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/603 using rotary electromotors
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/70 with automatic actuation
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/302 during electric motor braking
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/334 by using pulse generators
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/44 Sensors not directly associated with the wing movement
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/452 for saving energy, e.g. sleep or wake-up
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/113 Power assistance
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailboards, tailgates or sideboards opening upwards

Abstract

An adjustment device and a corresponding method for a movable body part of a vehicle, has an actuator for adjusting the movable body part and has a control device for activating the actuator in an operating state. The control device switches from the operating state to an idle state if no adjustment of the movable body part occurs within a defined period of time. A manual adjustment of the movable body part switches the control device back to the operating state from the idle state.

Claims

1-35. -35. (canceled)

36. An adjustment device for a movable body part of a motor vehicle, comprising:

an actuator adjusting the movable body part; and

a control device activating the actuator during an operating state, the control device transitioning from the operating state to an idle state if no adjustment of the movable body part occurs within a defined period of time, wherein a manual adjustment of the movable body part switches the control device from the idle state back to the operating state.

37. The adjustment device as recited in claim 36, wherein the manual adjustment of the movable body part generates at least one of a voltage and a current pulse in the actuator, the at least one of the voltage and the current pulse being used as a wakeup signal for the control device.

38. The adjustment device as recited in claim 36, further comprising:

wakeup means operationally linked to the movable body part, for causing at least one of a voltage change and a current change, the at least one of the voltage change and the current change being used as a wakeup signal for the control device as a result of the manual adjustment of the movable body part.

39. The adjustment device as recited in claim 38 wherein the wakeup means includes at least one of a slide potentiometer and a Hall sensor integrated into the actuator.

40. The adjustment device as recited in claim 36, further comprising:

a position detector detecting an instantaneous position of the movable body part during the operating state of the control device.

41. The adjustment device as recited in claim 36, wherein an instantaneous position of the movable body part is detected without a detector.

42. The adjustment device as recited in claim 40, wherein the control device stores the detected instantaneous position in a memory before the transition from the operating state to the idle state and reads out the detected instantaneous position from the memory after being switched back to the operating state.

43. The adjustment device as recited in claim 42, wherein the control device reactivates the position detector to detect the position of the movable body part after the control device is switched back to the operating state.

44. The adjustment device as recited in claim 36, wherein the control device includes correction means for correcting the position of the adjustable body part when the position has changed during a wakeup phase from the idle state to the operating state.

45. The adjustment device as recited in claim 44, wherein the wakeup phase includes a time span from the manual adjustment of the movable body part until a readout of a stored position from a memory.

46. The adjustment device as recited in claim 36, wherein the control device performs a calibration procedure to calibrate a stored final position of the movable body part, the calibration procedure being performed at defined points in time.

47. The adjustment device as recited in claim 46, wherein a frequency of the calibration procedures is a function of a required precision of wakeup and adjustment procedures used in the adjustment device.

48. The adjustment device as recited in claim 36, further comprising:

electrical means for preventing a leakage current from causing an undesired wakeup of the control device.

49. The adjustment device as recited in claim 48, wherein the electrical means includes at least one switching means for decoupling a diagnostic branch of the actuator from an electrical ground potential during the idle state of the control device.

50. The adjustment device as recited in claim 48, wherein the electrical means includes at least one resistor network connected to the diagnostic branch of the actuator, the at least one resistor network dimensioned in such a way that a voltage drop caused by a leakage current does not exceed a defined limiting value for the wakeup of the control device.

51. The adjustment device as recited in claim 36, wherein the movable body part of the motor vehicle is one of a hatchback, a vehicle door, a convertible top, an engine hood and a fuel tank cap.

52. The adjustment device as recited in claim 36, wherein the actuator is an electric motor, which operates as a generator to generate the wakeup signal.

53. The adjustment device as recited in claim 40, wherein the position detector is one of a Hall sensor integrated into the actuator and a wakeup means operationally linked to the movable body part for causing at least one of a voltage change and a current change, the at least one of the voltage change and the current change being used as a wakeup signal for the control device as a result of the manual adjustment of the movable body part.

54. A motor vehicle including an adjustment device, the adjustment device comprising:

an actuator adjusting the movable body part; and

a control device activating the actuator during an operating state, the control device transitioning from the operating state to an idle state if no adjustment of the movable body part occurs within a defined period of time, wherein a manual adjustment of the movable body part switches the control device from the idle state back to the operating state.

55. A method for adjusting a movable body part of a motor vehicle using an actuator, comprising:

activating the actuator using a control device during an operating state;

switching the control device from the operating state to an idle state if no adjustment of the movable body part occurs within a defined period of time; and

switching the control device from the idle state back to the operating state in response to a manual adjustment of the movable body part.

56. The method as recited in claim 55, further comprising:

responsive to the manual adjustment of the movable body part, generating at least one of a voltage and a current pulse, in the actuator, the at least one of the voltage and the current pulse being used as a wakeup signal for the control device.

57. The method as recited in claim 56, wherein the at least one of the voltage and the current pulse is generated by a wakeup means for generating the wakeup signal in response to the manual adjustment of the movable body part.

58. The method as recited in claim 55, further comprising:

detecting an instantaneous position of the movable body part during the operating state of the control device using a position detector;

storing the detected instantaneous position in a memory of the control device before the transition of the control device from the operating state to the idle state; and

reading the stored detected instantaneous position out from the memory after the control device is switched back to the operating state.

59. The method as recited in claim 58, further comprising:

activating the position detector using the control device, to detect the position of the movable body part after the control device is switched back to the operating state.

60. The method as recited in claim 55, further comprising:

detecting an instantaneous position of the movable body part without using a detector.

61. The method as recited in claim 55, further comprising:

correcting the position of the adjustable body part, using correction means of the control device, when the position has changed during a wakeup phase of the control device from the idle state to the operating state.

62. The method as recited in claim 61, wherein the wakeup phase of the control device includes a time span from the manual adjustment of the movable body part until a readout of a stored position from a memory.

63. The method as recited in claim 55, further comprising:

performing a calibration procedure at defined points in time to calibrate a stored final position of the movable body part.

64. The method as recited in claim 63, wherein a frequency of the calibration procedures is a function of a required precision of wakeup and adjustment procedures used in the control device.

65. The method as recited in claim 55, further comprising:

preventing, using electrical means, a leakage current from causing an undesired wakeup of the control device.

66. The method as recited in claim 65, wherein the electrical means includes at least one switching means for decoupling a diagnostic branch of the actuator from an electrical ground potential in the idle state of the control device.

67. The method as recited in claim 65, wherein the electrical means includes at least one resistor network in a diagnostic branch of the actuator, the at least one resistor network dimensioned in such a way that a defined limiting value for the walkeup of the control device is not exceeded by a voltage drop caused by the leakage current.

68. The method as recited in claim 55, wherein the movable body part of the motor vehicle is one of a hatchback, a vehicle door, a convertible top, an engine hood and a fuel tank cap.

69. The method as recited in claim 55, wherein the actuator is an electric motor, which operates as a generator to generate the walkeup signal.

70. The method as recited in claim 55, wherein the position detector is one of a Hall sensor integrated into the actuator and a potentiometer operationally linked to the movable body part.