Piezo based energy harvesting for E-latch systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10422166-B2
Application number	US-201615206957-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2016
Priority date	Nov 21, 2013
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

A vehicle door includes an electrically-powered latch and a user input feature that can be actuated by a user to cause the electrically-powered latch to unlatch. An electrical energy storage device is operably connected to the electrically-powered latch, and a piezoelectric device is mounted to the door. The piezoelectric device can be manually actuated by a user to charge the electrical energy storage device, and electrical energy from the electrical energy storage device can be utilized to actuate the electrically-powered latch to thereby unlatch the latch. The user input feature may comprise a switch or sensor located adjacent a door handle/latch release on an inside and/or an outside of the vehicle door. The electrical energy storage device may comprise an emergency battery, capacitor, or other electrical device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle door, comprising:
a door structure having an outer surface;
a handle fixed to the door structure and defining a space between an inner side of the handle and the outer surface;
an electrically-powered latch defining latched and unlatched states;
a user input feature comprising a switch actuated by a user and causing the electrically-powered latch assembly to change from the latched state to the unlatched state in order to unlatch the door such that the door can be unlatched without movement of the handle relative to the door structure, wherein the switch includes a movable switch member;
an electrical energy storage device that is operably connected to the electrically-powered latch;
a piezoelectric device on the inner side of the handle and operably connected to the electrical energy storage device such that the piezoelectric device is configured to be manually actuated by a hand of a user inserted into the space between the inner side of the handle and the outer surface of the door structure to charge the electrical energy storage device, wherein the piezoelectric device includes a bendable piezoelectric element that generates electrical energy upon bending, whereby the bendable piezoelectric element contacts the movable switch member and actuates the switch upon bending of the bendable piezoelectric element; and wherein:
electrical energy from the electrical energy storage device is utilized to actuate the electrically-powered latch to thereby unlatch the electronically-powered latch without movement of the handle relative to the door structure.

2. The vehicle door of claim 1 , wherein:
the sensor comprises a switch that is mounted to the vehicle door.

3. The vehicle door of claim 2 , wherein:
the switch is mounted on the exterior side of the door.

4. A vehicle door, comprising:
a door structure;
a handle fixed to the door structure;
an electrically-powered latch defining latched and unlatched states;
a user input feature comprising a sensor actuated by a user and causing the electrically-powered latch assembly to change from the latched state to the unlatched state in order to unlatch the door such that the door can be unlatched without movement of the handle relative to the door structure;
an electrical energy storage device that is operably connected to the electrically-powered latch;
a piezoelectric device operably connected to the electrical energy storage device such that the piezoelectric device is manually actuated by a user to charge the electrical energy storage device;
wherein electrical energy from the electrical energy storage device is utilized to actuate the electrically-powered latch to thereby unlatch the electronically-powered latch without movement of the handle relative to the door structure; and including:
an interior latch release including an interior piezoelectric device that can be manually actuated by a user from inside the vehicle to generate electrical power to actuate the electrically-powered latch to unlatch the door, and an interior sensor that can be actuated from inside the vehicle to unlatch the electrically-powered latch.

5. A vehicle door, comprising:
a door structure;
a base mounted to an interior side of the vehicle door;
a handle fixed to the door structure;
an electrically-powered latch defining latched and unlatched states;
a user input feature comprising a switch actuated by a user and causing the electrically-powered latch assembly to change from the latched state to the unlatched state in order to unlatch the door such that the door can be unlatched without movement of the handle relative to the door structure, wherein the switch includes a movable switch member;
an electrical energy storage device that is operably connected to the electrically-powered latch, wherein the piezoelectric device includes a bendable element that generates electrical energy upon bending, and wherein the bendable element comprises a piezoelectric beam having a first end that is fixed to the base;
a piezoelectric device operably connected to the electrical energy storage device such that the piezoelectric device is manually actuated by a user to charge the electrical energy storage device;
wherein electrical energy from the electrical energy storage device is utilized to actuate the electrically-powered latch to thereby unlatch the electronically-powered latch without movement of the handle relative to the door structure;
an actuating member movably mounted to the interior side of the vehicle door and movably engaging the base; wherein the sensor comprises a switch mounted on the interior side of the door; and wherein:
the piezoelectric device is configured to be manually actuated by movement of the actuating member, and wherein upon movement of the actuating member, the actuating member engages and bends the bendable element and also engages and moves the movable switch member.

6. A vehicle door, comprising:
a door structure having an exterior surface;
an exterior door handle having an inside surface that faces the exterior surface of the door structure;
a controller;
an electrically-powered latch including a movable catch member and a pawl that selectively engages the catch member in a closed position, and an electrically powered actuator that, upon receiving a signal from the controller, shifts the pawl between an engaged position wherein the electrically-powered latch remains in the latched position, and a released position wherein the electrically powered latch is in an unlatched configuration,
a piezoelectric device positioned on the inside surface of the exterior door handle, the piezoelectric device having a base and a piezoelectric element, a first portion fixed to the base and a second portion that moves relative to the first portion end when a force is applied to the piezoelectric element, wherein the piezoelectric element comprises a bendable piezoelectric element including an end that moves relative to the base;
a sensor positioned on the inside surface of the exterior door handle and operably connected to the controller, the controller generating an unlatch signal that unlatches an electrically-powered latch without movement of the exterior door handle upon actuation of the sensor, wherein the sensor includes a movable switch member; and wherein:
the piezoelectric device is configured to generate electrical power that is utilized to power the electrically-powered latch, and the bendable piezoelectric element engages and moves the movable switch member upon bending of the bendable piezoelectric element.

7. An electrically-powered latch system for vehicle doors, the electrically-powered latch system comprising:
a controller;
an electrically-powered latch including a movable catch member and a pawl that selectively engages the catch member in a closed position, and an electrically powered actuator that, upon receiving a signal from the controller, shifts the pawl between an engaged position wherein the electrically-powered latch remains in the latched position, and a released position wherein the electrically powered latch is in an unlatched configuration,
a piezoelectric device having a base and a piezoelectric element, a first portion fixed to the base and a second portion that moves relative to the first portion end when a force is applied to the piezoelectric element;
a sensor operably connected to the controller, the controller generating an unlatch signal that unlatches an electrically-powered latch without movement of a door handle upon actuation of the sensor;
wherein the piezoelectric device is configured to generate electrical power that is utilized to power the electrically-powered latch; and wherein:
the vehicle door includes a movable actuating member th

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Papanikolaou Kosta
• Patel Rajesh K

Classifications

• E05B81/86

  using capacitors · CPC title

• E05B81/84

  using manually operated generator means · CPC title

• B60J5/00 Primary

  Doors (B60J10/00 takes precedence; window aspects B60J1/00 {; side board or tailgate structures for open load compartments B62D33/023}) · CPC title

• E05B77/28

  for anti-theft purposes, e.g. double-locking or super-locking · CPC title

• E05B81/56

  Control of actuators · CPC title