Control of a power tailgate system responsive to clutch slippage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12331579-B2
Application number	US-202217682625-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2022
Priority date	Feb 28, 2022
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A method for controlling a power tailgate in a vehicle power tailgate system includes steps of controlling operation of a motor to attempt to lower or raise a tailgate operably connected to the motor, determining that a clutch interposed between the motor and the tailgate (and operably connected to the motor and the tailgate) slipped by at least a predetermined slip amount during operation of the motor to attempt to lower or raise the tailgate and, responsive to the determination that the clutch slipped by at least the predetermined slip amount, generating an alert indicating a need for manual reset of the tailgate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a power tailgate in a vehicle power tailgate system, the method comprising steps of:
controlling operation of a motor to attempt to raise a tailgate operably connected to the motor from a fully open position to a fully closed position;
determining that the tailgate is currently in the fully closed position;
responsive to a determination that tailgate is currently in the fully closed position, discontinuing operation of the motor;
determining that a difference between a number of motor rotation edges expected to occur during operation of the motor to raise of the tailgate from the fully open position to the fully closed position, and a number of motor rotation edges that occurred during operation of the motor to attempt to raise the tailgate from a fully open position to a fully closed position, is greater than or equal to a predetermined tolerance value; and
responsive to the difference being greater than or equal to the predetermined tolerance value, generating an alert indicating a need for manual reset of the tailgate.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising a step of, simultaneously with or following generating the alert, automatically controlling operation of the power tailgate system to power down the motor.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising a step of, following generating the alert, and responsive to receipt of a user-generated command to power down the motor, automatically controlling operation of the power tailgate system to power down the motor.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising steps of:
automatically disengaging the motor from the tailgate to enable manual reset of the tailgate;
determining that the manual reset of the tailgate is complete; and
responsive to the manual reset of the tailgate being complete, automatically operably re-engaging the motor with the tailgate.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the power tailgate system includes a slippable clutch interposed between the motor and the tailgate, and an automatically actuatable second clutch in addition to the slippable clutch, the automatically actuatable second clutch including a first portion operably connected to the motor and a second portion rigidly attached to a portion of a slippable clutch operably connected to the tailgate, the automatically actuatable second clutch first portion being engageable with the automatically actuatable second clutch second portion to enable non-slippable transmission of torque between the motor and the slippable clutch, the automatically actuatable second clutch first portion being disengageable from the automatically actuatable second clutch second portion to prevent transmission of torque between the motor and the slippable clutch, and wherein the step of automatically disengaging the motor from the tailgate comprises a step of operating the automatically actuatable second clutch to disengage the automatically actuatable second clutch first portion from the automatically actuatable second clutch second portion.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the slippable clutch comprises an automatically actuatable clutch operably connected to the motor and the tailgate, the automatically actuatable clutch including a first portion operably connected to the motor and a second portion operably connected to the tailgate, the automatically actuatable clutch being structured to provide non-slippable torque transmission between the motor and the first portion, the automatically actuatable clutch also including a mechanism structured to be engageable to enable slippable torque transmission between the motor and the second portion and disengageable to prevent torque transmission between the motor and the second portion, and wherein the step of automatically disengaging the motor from the tailgate comprises a step of operating the automatically actuatable clutch to disengage the mechanism to prevent torque transmission between the motor and the second portion.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle power tailgate system includes a half-latch capability for holding the tailgate in a half-latched or partially closed position, and a full-latch capability for holding the tailgate in a fully-closed position, and wherein the method further comprises steps of:
controlling operation of the motor to attempt to raise the tailgate from a fully open position to the half-latched position;
during operation of the motor to attempt to raise the tailgate, determining that the tailgate is currently in the half-latched position;
determining that the tailgate has been in the half-latched position for at least a time equal to a predetermined time period;
determining that a difference between a number of motor rotation edges expected to occur during raising of the tailgate from the fully open position to the half-latched position, and a number of motor rotation edges that occurred during operation of the motor to attempt raise the tailgate from the fully open position to the half-latched position is greater than or equal to a predetermined tolerance value; and
responsive to the difference being greater than or equal to the predetermined tolerance value, determining that the clutch slipped by at least the predetermined slip amount.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising steps of:
determining that the tailgate has returned to the fully open position during operation of the motor to attempt to raise the tailgate from the fully open position to the fully closed position; and
responsive to the determination that the tailgate has returned to the fully open position, generating the alert indicating a need for manual reset of the tailgate.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising steps of:
determining that a backdrive condition is occurring in the motor responsive to application of an externally-applied force to the tailgate when the tailgate is in a fully open condition, the externally-applied force acting to promote raising of the tailgate; and
responsive to the occurrence of the backdrive condition, controlling operation of the motor to attempt to raise the tailgate.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tailgate is subjected to an externally-applied force during at least a portion of operation of the motor to attempt to raise the tailgate, wherein the externally-applied force acts in a direction that promotes raising of the tailgate, wherein a slippable clutch is interposed between the motor and the tailgate and is operably connected to the motor and the tailgate, wherein slippage of the slippable clutch by at least a predetermined slip amount is produced by the externally-applied force, and wherein generation of the alert is prompted by a determination that the clutch slipped by at least the predetermined slip amount.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein manual reset of the tailgate includes steps of:
disengaging the tailgate from the motor; and
manipulating the tailgate to a fully closed position of the tailgate so as to activate switches or sensors indicating that the tailgate is in the fully closed position.

12. A method for controlling a power tailgate in a vehicle power tailgate system, the method comprising steps of:
controlling operation of a motor to attempt to lower the tailgate from a fully closed position to a fully open position;
determining that the tailgate is in the fully open position;
discontinuing operation of the motor to attempt to lower the tailgate;
determining that a difference between a number of motor rotation edges expected to occur during operation of the motor to lower the tailgate from the fully closed position to the fully open position, and a number of motor rotation edges that occurred

Assignees

• Aisin Technical Ct America Inc
• Aisin World Corp Of America

Inventors

• Pulikonda Gowtham Harsha
• Noiri Yasuyuki
• Ozog Nicholas
• Heins Ryan

Classifications

• E05Y2800/404

  against component faults or failure · CPC title

• F16D7/00

  Slip couplings, e.g. slipping on overload, for absorbing shock (combined with yielding shaft couplings F16D3/14; fluid slip couplings F16D31/00 - F16D35/00) · CPC title

• E05Y2800/40

  Physical or chemical protection · CPC title

• E05Y2400/522

  Back-drive prevention · CPC title

• E05Y2400/354

  End positions · CPC title