Drive apparatus for adjusting an interior assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12479336-B2
Application number	US-202218684118-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2022
Priority date	Aug 20, 2021
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

It is provided a drive apparatus for adjusting an interior assembly of a vehicle comprises an electromotive adjustment drive for producing an adjustment force, a self-locking adjustment kinematic mechanism for transmitting an adjustment force produced by the adjustment drive to the interior assembly, which adjustment kinematic mechanism can be driven by means of the adjustment drive, and a control device for controlling the adjustment drive. The control device is configured to activate an adjustment mode for adjustment of the interior assembly depending on at least one trigger criterion and, when the adjustment mode is activated, to actuate the adjustment drive with a support current of a magnitude such that the interior assembly can put into motion by means of a user force produced manually on the interior assembly by a user, overcoming the self-locking of the adjustment kinematic mechanism.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A drive apparatus for adjusting an interior assembly of a vehicle, comprising:
an electromotive adjustment drive for generating an adjustment force, a self-locking adjustment kinematic mechanism for transmitting an adjustment force generated by the adjustment drive to the interior assembly, which adjustment kinematic mechanism can be driven by means of the adjustment drive, and a control device for controlling the adjustment drive, wherein the control device is configured to activate an adjustment mode for adjustment of the interior assembly depending on at least one trigger criterion and, when the adjustment mode is activated, to actuate the adjustment drive with a support current of a magnitude such that the interior assembly can be put into motion by means of a user force generated manually on the interior assembly by a user and overcoming the self-locking of the adjustment kinematic mechanism, wherein the control device comprises a current regulation module for regulating a current of the adjustment drive, wherein the control device comprises an actuation module for determining a target value depending on a load acting on the interior assembly, wherein the current regulation module is configured to regulate the current of the adjustment drive on the basis of the target value supplied by the actuation module, and wherein the actuation module is configured to determine a target force, to be provided by the adjustment drive, on the basis of a load acting on the interior assembly and a target force value.

2 . The drive apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the support current is of such a magnitude that an adjustment force brought about by the support current does not move the interior assembly or moves it at a movement speed that is below a limit speed.

3 . The drive apparatus according to either claim 1 , wherein the support current is pulse-width modulated.

4 . The drive apparatus according claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to set the support current, in the adjustment mode, on the basis of a fixedly predetermined value.

5 . The drive apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to calibrate a value for the support current in a calibration routine outside of the adjustment mode, and, in the adjustment mode, to set the support current on the basis of the calibrated value.

6 . The drive apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to energize the adjustment drive alternately in different adjustment directions when the adjustment mode is activated.

7 . The drive apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to identify a user interaction on the interior assembly on the basis of a movement of the interior assembly when the adjustment mode is activated.

8 . The drive apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to actuate the adjustment drive in a servo operation for providing a supporting force in the case of a manual adjustment of the interior assembly by a user, wherein the control device is configured, when the adjustment mode is activated, to identify a user interaction on the interior assembly and to start the servo operation on the basis of the identified user interaction.

9 . The drive apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to actuate the adjustment drive in a nudging operation for moving the interior assembly after an impulse on the interior assembly brought about by a user, wherein the control device is configured to identify a user interaction on the interior assembly when the adjustment mode is activated, and to start the nudging operation on the basis of an identified user interaction.

10 . The drive apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to evaluate an occupancy state of the interior assembly, an opening state of a vehicle door or a travel state of the vehicle, as a trigger criterion.

11 . The drive apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to generate an indication signal as an indication of the adjustment mode for output to a user after activation of the adjustment mode.

12 . The drive apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control device comprises a load calculation module which is configured to determine a load acting on the interior assembly depending on a tilt angle of the vehicle measured about a vehicle longitudinal axis, a tilt angle of a pivot axis of the interior assembly measured about the vehicle longitudinal axis, a pitch angle of the vehicle measured about a vehicle transverse axis, a pitch angle of the pivot axis of the interior assembly measured about the vehicle transverse axis, and/or a position of the interior assembly.

13 . The drive apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the actuation module is configured to determine the target value on the basis of the target force to be provided by the adjustment drive.

14 . The drive apparatus according claim 1 , wherein the current regulation module is configured to set the current of the adjustment drive using pulse-width modulation.

15 . A method for controlling a drive apparatus for adjusting an interior assembly of a vehicle, comprising:
controlling, by means of a control device, an electromotive adjustment drive of the drive apparatus for producing an adjustment force, wherein a self-locking adjustment kinematic mechanism, driveable by the adjustment drive, is configured for transmitting an adjustment force, produced by the adjustment drive, to the interior assembly; activating, by means of the control device, an adjustment mode for adjusting the interior assembly depending on at least one trigger criterion; actuating, when the adjustment mode is activated and by means of the control device, the adjustment drive with a support current of a magnitude such that the interior assembly can be put into motion by a user force generated on the interior assembly manually by a user and overcoming the self-locking of the adjustment kinematic mechanism; regulating, by means of a current regulation module of the control device, a current of the adjustment drive; determining, by means of an actuation module of the control device, a target value depending on a load acting on the interior assembly, wherein the current regulation module regulates the current of the adjustment drive on the basis of the target value supplied by the actuation module; and determining, by means of the actuation module, a target force, to be provided by the adjustment drive, on the basis of a load acting on the interior assembly and a target force value.

16 . A computer program product, comprising commands which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method according to claim 15 .

Assignees

• Brose Fahrzeugteile Se & Co Kg Bamberg

Inventors

• Pohl Florian
• Herrmann Christian
• Horn Peter
• Keller Harald
• Kromer Alex
• MüLLER ALEXANDER
• Rosenthal Markus

Classifications

• B60N2210/22

  Optical; Photoelectric; Lidar [Light Detection and Ranging] · CPC title

• B60N2210/20

  Radar · CPC title

• B60N2210/12

  Capacitive; Electric field · CPC title

• B60N2/0276

  reaction to emergency situations, e.g. crash · CPC title

• B60N2/0025

  by using weight measurement · CPC title