Anti-pinch logic for door opening actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10458171-B2
Application number	US-201615269281-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 19, 2016
Priority date	Sep 19, 2016
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A vehicle door system includes a vehicle door and electrically-powered linear and rotary actuators. The vehicle door system also includes a pinch sensor. Upon receiving an open door command, a controller actuates the linear actuator and then actuates the rotary actuator to open the door. The controller also actuates the linear actuator to prevent closing of the door if the pinch-sensor detects an object in a door opening. The controller actuates the rotary actuator to close the door upon receiving a close door command.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle door system, comprising:
a vehicle structure including adjacent front and rear door openings;
a front door having an edge comprising a front edge portion and a rear edge portion, wherein the front edge portion is rotatably mounted to the vehicle structure to close off the front door opening when the front door is in a closed position, the front door including a rear edge portion that is opposite the front edge portion;
a front anti-pinch sensor that is configured to detect a hand positioned adjacent the front door opening alone, adjacent the edge of the front door alone, or adjacent the front door opening and the edge of the front door taken together;
a front electrically-powered door actuator that moves the front door, wherein the electrically-powered door actuator can be actuated to partially open the front door by shifting the front door from a closed position to a partially open position to form a gap between the rear edge portion of the front door and the vehicle structure such that a user can grasp the rear edge portion and pull the front door to a fully open position, and wherein the front electrically-powered door actuator can be actuated to shift the front door from the fully open position towards the closed position;
a rear door rotatably mounted to the vehicle structure to close off the rear door opening when the rear door is closed;
a rear anti-pinch sensor;
a rear electrically-powered door actuator that can be actuated to move the rear door to an open position;
a controller configured to: 1) cause the front electrically-powered door actuator to generate a force tending to prevent the front door from closing if the anti-pinch sensor detects a hand; and 2) actuate the electrically-powered door actuator to shift the door from the fully open position towards the closed position; and wherein the controller is configured to cause the rear electrically-powered door actuator to generate a force tending to prevent closing of the rear door if the front anti-pinch sensor detects a hand.

2. The vehicle door system of claim 1 , including:
an electrically-powered front latch mechanism configured to permit the front door to open when the front electrically-powered latch mechanism is unlatched, wherein the electrically-powered front latch mechanism is configured to retain the front door in a closed position when the electrically-powered front latch mechanism is latched; and
the controller is configured to actuate the electrically-powered front latch mechanism prior to actuating the front electrically-powered door actuator to open the front door.

3. The vehicle door system of claim 2 , wherein:
the controller is configured to deactivate the front electrically-powered door actuator if the front door encounters an object that impedes opening of the front door.

4. The vehicle door system of claim 3 , wherein:
the controller stops supplying electrical current to the front electrically-powered door actuator if an electric current to the front electrically-powered door actuator exceeds a predefined maximum allowable electric current.

5. The vehicle door system of claim 4 , wherein:
the controller is configured to actuate the front electrically-powered door actuator to shift the front door towards the closed position if a close door request is received.

6. The vehicle door system of claim 5 , including:
a door position sensor; and wherein:
the controller is configured to utilize position data from the door position sensor to determine if the front door has encountered an object while closing and to deactivate the front electrically-powered door actuator if an object is detected.

7. The vehicle door system of claim 1 , wherein:
the front anti-pinch sensor is positioned on the front door adjacent the rear edge portion of the front door.

8. A vehicle comprising:
a body having a door opening;
a movable door that is pivotably connected to the body for rotation about a vertical axis to selectively close the door opening;
an electrically-powered actuator that moves the door in open and closed directions about the vertical axis;
an anti-pinch sensor configured to detect a hand adjacent the door opening;
a controller that causes the electrically-powered actuator to generate a force that tends to prevent closing of the door when the anti-pinch sensor detects a hand, wherein the controller actuates the electrically-powered actuator and causes the electrically-powered actuator to close the door upon receiving a close door command;
wherein the door includes a close door sensor that can be actuated by a user to generate a close door command to the controller; and
the close door sensor comprises a switch on an exterior surface of the door that is configured to be manually actuated.

9. A vehicle comprising:
a body having a door opening;
a movable door that is pivotably connected to the body for rotation about a vertical axis to selectively close the door opening;
an electrically-powered actuator that moves the door in open and closed directions about the vertical axis;
an anti-pinch sensor configured to detect a hand adjacent the door opening;
a controller that causes the electrically-powered actuator to generate a force that tends to prevent closing of the door when the anti-pinch sensor detects a hand;
wherein the door includes an electrically-powered latch that retains the door in a closed position when the electrically-powered latch is in a latched configuration, and wherein the electrically-powered latch permits opening of the door when the electrically-powered latch is in an unlatched configuration;
and wherein the controller, upon receiving an open door command, unlatches the electrically-powered latch and then actuates the electrically-powered actuator to open the door.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein:
the electrically-powered latch defines locked and unlocked states, and wherein the electrically-powered latch does not unlatch unless the electrically-powered latch is in an unlocked state.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein:
the door includes an open door sensor on an exterior surface thereof that can be actuated by a user to generate an open door command.

12. A vehicle comprising:
a body having a door opening;
a movable door that is pivotably connected to the body for rotation about a vertical axis to selectively close the door opening;
an electrically-powered actuator that moves the door in open and closed directions about the vertical axis;
an anti-pinch sensor configured to detect a hand adjacent the door opening;
a controller that causes the electrically-powered actuator to generate a force that tends to prevent closing of the door when the anti-pinch sensor detects a hand; and
the electrically-powered actuator includes an electrically-powered linear actuator having a plunger that shifts from a retracted position to an extended position to push the door to a partially open first check position, and an electrically-powered rotary actuator that moves the door from the first check position to a fully open position, and wherein the electrically-powered rotary actuator moves the door from the fully open position to a closed position.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein:
the controller is configured to actuate the electrically-powered linear actuator to maintain the plunger in the extended position if the anti-pinch sensor detects a hand.

14. A vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body having a door opening;
a door rotatably mounted to the vehicle body for rotation about a vertical axis between open and closed positions to selectively close off the door opening;

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Khan Muhammad Omer
• Papanikolaou Kosta
• Puscas Livianu Dorin
• Radjewski Christopher Matthew
• Linden H Paul Tsvi
• Bernwanger Jr George Anthony

Classifications

• E05F15/611

  for swinging wings · CPC title

• E05Y2201/422

  for opening · CPC title

• E05Y2900/531

  Doors · CPC title

• E05Y2400/40

  Control units therefor · CPC title

• B60J5/0473 Primary

  the door having a hinge axis in the direction of the vehicle longitudinal axis · CPC title