Coupling structure of touch sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11420504-B2
Application number	US-202016737568-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2020
Priority date	Jan 10, 2019
Publication date	Aug 23, 2022
Grant date	Aug 23, 2022

Abstract

A part of a touch sensor, which couples to a curve of a flange, includes a raising member. The curve of the flange is on a belt line of a sliding door. The raising member rises outwardly toward an exterior of the automobile from an inner-cabin side wall of the touch sensor. A space is formed between the raising member and an outer-cabin side wall for the flange to be inserted into the space. The raising member includes a plurality of blocks. The plurality of blocks exist along an upper and lower direction of the automobile body.

First claim

We claim:

1. A coupling structure including a touch sensor, the coupling structure comprising:
a sliding door which moves between at least two positions to open and close an opening of an automobile body;
a flange on a front edge of the sliding door, the flange extending in an upper-lower direction of the automobile body and having a curve on a belt line, and the curve having a convex shape toward an interior of the automobile; and
the touch sensor, the touch sensor being configured to operably couple to the flange, and the touch sensor including:
an installation base member having a substantially U-shaped cross section including an inner-cabin side wall, an outer-cabin side wall, and a connecting wall, the connecting wall connecting the side walls, the installation base member having a plurality of anchoring parts formed on an inner side thereof, and the anchoring parts extending toward the inner side;
a hollow part unified with the connecting wall, the hollow part being configured to make elastic contact with an object disposed between the sliding door and the opening of the automobile body or a rear end of a front door; and
a sensor fixed in the hollow part, the sensor being configured to output a corresponding electric signal when the object makes contact with the hollow part,

wherein a part of the touch sensor which is configured to operably couple to the curve of the flange comprises:
a raising member which rises outwardly toward an exterior of the automobile from the inner-cabin side wall, the raising member including a plurality of blocks, and the plurality of blocks being provided along the upper-lower direction of the automobile body; and
a space between the raising member and the outer-cabin side wall into which the flange is insertable, and

wherein the plurality of the blocks which form the raising member are continuous and integral with each other.

2. The coupling structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein grooves are provided on outer-cabin side surfaces of the plurality of blocks.

3. The coupling structure as claimed in claim 2 , wherein supporting pillars are provided between each pair of two adjacent blocks among the plurality of blocks, and
wherein the grooves are provided on outer-cabin side surfaces of the pillars.

4. The coupling structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an upper end of the raising member has a first oblique surface, a lower end of the raising member has a second oblique surface, and the first and second oblique surfaces face toward a lower part and the exterior of the automobile and an upper part and the exterior of the automobile, respectively, in relation to a surface perpendicular to the inner-cabin side wall.

5. A coupling structure including a touch sensor, the coupling structure comprising:
a sliding door which moves between at least two positions to open and close an opening of an automobile body;
a flange on a front edge of the sliding door, the flange extending in an upper-lower direction of the automobile body and having a curve on a belt line, and the curve having a convex shape toward an interior of the automobile; and
the touch sensor, the touch sensor being configured to operably couple to the flange, and the touch sensor including:
an installation base member having a substantially U-shaped cross section including an inner-cabin side wall, an outer-cabin side wall, and a connecting wall, the connecting wall connecting the side walls, the installation base member having a plurality of anchoring parts formed on an inner side thereof, and the anchoring parts extending toward the inner side;
a hollow part unified with the connecting wall, the hollow part being configured to make elastic contact with an object disposed between the sliding door and the opening of the automobile body or a rear end of a front door; and
a sensor fixed in the hollow part, the sensor being configured to output a corresponding electric signal when the object makes contact with the hollow part,

wherein a part of the touch sensor which is configured to operably couple to the curve of the flange comprises:
a raising member which rises outwardly toward an exterior of the automobile from the inner-cabin side wall, the raising member including a plurality of blocks, and the plurality of blocks being provided along the upper-lower direction of the automobile body; and
a space between the raising member and the outer-cabin side wall into which the flange is insertable, and

wherein the plurality of the blocks which form the raising member are formed at regular intervals.

6. A coupling structure including a touch sensor, the coupling structure comprising:
a sliding door which moves between at least two positions to open and close an opening of an automobile body;
a flange on a front edge of the sliding door, the flange extending in an upper-lower direction of the automobile body and having a curve on a belt line, and the curve having a convex shape toward an interior of the automobile; and
the touch sensor, the touch sensor being configured to operably couple to the flange, and the touch sensor including:
an installation base member having a substantially U-shaped cross section including an inner-cabin side wall, an outer-cabin side wall, and a connecting wall, the connecting wall connecting the side walls, the installation base member having a plurality of anchoring parts formed on an inner side thereof, and the anchoring parts extending toward the inner side;
a hollow part unified with the connecting wall, the hollow part being configured to make elastic contact with an object disposed between the sliding door and the opening of the automobile body or a rear end of a front door; and
a sensor fixed in the hollow part, the sensor being configured to output a corresponding electric signal when the object makes contact with the hollow part,

wherein a part of the touch sensor which is configured to operably couple to the curve of the flange comprises:
a raising member which rises outwardly toward an exterior of the automobile from the inner-cabin side wall, the raising member including a plurality of blocks, and the plurality of blocks being provided along the upper-lower direction of the automobile body; and
a space between the raising member and the outer-cabin side wall into which the flange is insertable, and

wherein each of the blocks has a hollow square shape with one surface thereof being open, the open surface being arranged on an opening of the installation base member.

Assignees

• Nishikawa Rubber Co Ltd

Inventors

• Matsumoto Michihiko
• Niwa Masaki
• Koeda Hironori

Classifications

• B60J5/06 Primary

  slidable; foldable · CPC title

• B29C45/14

  incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. injection moulding around inserts or for coating articles {(B29C45/1671 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• E05Y2900/531

  Doors · CPC title

• E05F15/42

  Detection using safety edges · CPC title

• E05F15/43

  responsive to disruption of energy beams, e.g. light or sound · CPC title