Opening control device in a vehicle door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9812997-B2
Application number	US-201414507155-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2014
Priority date	Oct 8, 2013
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

In an opening control device in a vehicle door, in order to stop the door at a desired position, a control unit stops power supply to a motor, and a short circuit is made in an electric circuit between a first terminal and a second terminal of the motor. In the electric circuit, there is formed a regenerative brake circuit in which regenerative braking can be applied to rotation of the motor. When the door is positioned within a fully-open-position-adjacent range that is adjacent to a fully-open position of the door, regenerative braking is applied to normal rotation of the motor for opening the door and is not applied to reverse rotation of the motor for closing the door.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An opening control device in a liftgate vehicle door that is pivotally mounted at a back of a vehicle body to open and close vertically, and that opens and closes electrically, the device comprising:
a motor connected to the door so that the door opens and closes;
a control unit electrically connected to the motor to rotate and stop the motor;
an electric circuit connected between a first terminal and a second terminal of the motor,
a control circuit connected to the electric circuit;
a temperature sensor connected to the control circuit to detect circumferential temperature;
a vehicle tilt sensor connected to the control circuit to detect an angle of the vehicle; and
a control switch that orders electric opening/closing of the door,
wherein the control unit stops power supply to the motor, making a short circuit in the electric circuit thereby producing in the electric circuit a regenerative brake circuit that enables regenerative braking to apply to rotation of the motor,
wherein, when the door is within a fully-open-position-adjacent open range that is adjacent to a fully-open position of the door, the control unit performs a fully-open-position-adjacent turning control by which the regenerative braking is applied to normal rotation of the motor for opening the motor and is not applied to reverse rotation of the motor for closing the door;
wherein, when the door is within a fully-open-position-adjacent open range that is adjacent to a fully-open position of the door, the control unit performs fully-open-position-adjacent turning control by which the regenerative braking is applied to normal rotation for opening the motor and is not applied to reverse rotation for closing the door,
wherein, when the door is within a fully-closed-position-adjacent open range that is adjacent to a fully-closed position of the door, the control unit performs fully-closed-position-adjacent turning control by which the regenerative braking is not applied to the normal rotation for opening the motor and is applied to the reverse rotation of the motor for closing the door,
wherein the control unit comprises a plurality of switches which are turned to enable the motor to rotate normally based on an opening order of the control switch and to enable the motor to rotate reversely based on a closing order of the control switch, the regenerative brake circuit includes a diode enabling an electric current to pass through only in one direction, and the electric current caused by a counter electromotive force generated by rotation of the motor flows,
wherein the plurality of switches are turned such that an electric current caused by a counter electromotive force generated by the normal rotation of the motor flows in a forward direction and an electric current caused by a counter electromotive force generated by the reverse rotation of the motor flows in a reverse direction along the diode when the door is within the fully-open-position-adjacent open range by stopping power supply to the motor, and such that an electric current caused by a counter electromotive force generated by the normal rotation of the motor flows in a reverse direction along the diode and an electric current caused by a counter electromotive force generated by the reverse rotation of the motor flows in the forward direction along the diode,
wherein, when the door is within an intermediate open range between the fully-closed-position-adjacent open range and the fully-open-position-adjacent open range, the control unit performs intermediate turning control by which the regenerative braking is not applied to the normal rotation or the reverse rotation of the motor,
wherein an on/off switch connected to the motor in series in the plurality of switches closes the regenerative brake circuit when the door is within the fully-open-position-adjacent open range or the fully-closed-position-adjacent open range, and the on/off switch opens the regenerative brake circuit when the door is within the intermediate open range; and
wherein the control circuit increases the fully-closed-position adjacent open range and the fully-open-position-adjacent open range based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor and the angle of the vehicle detected by the vehicle-tilt sensor.

2. The opening control device of claim 1 , further comprising vehicle-circumstance detecting means, wherein the control unit enlarges the fully-closed-position-adjacent open range in an opening direction.

3. The opening control device of claim 2 wherein the vehicle-circumstance detecting means is a temperature sensor.

4. The opening control device of claim 1 wherein the control unit can measure a door position based on a signal with opening/closing motion of the door and can optionally set an opening stop position within the fully-open-position-adjacent open range, the opening stop position being stored, the control unit performing the fully-open-position-adjacent turning control when the door opens with normal rotation of the motor and reaches the opening stop position.

5. The opening control device of claim 1 , further comprising door-opening forcing means by which the liftgate is opened, wherein the control unit enlarges the fully-open-position-adjacent range in a closing direction based on by detected value of the vehicle.

6. The opening control device of claim 1 wherein the door-opening forcing means comprises a gas stay connected between the liftgate and the vehicle body.

Assignees

• Mitsui Kinzoku Act Corp

Inventors

• Kojima Ayahito
• Watanabe Yasuyuki
• Yokomori Kazuhito

Classifications

• E05Y2201/424

  for the final opening movement · CPC title

• E05Y2400/302

  during electric motor braking · CPC title

• E05F15/70

  with automatic actuation · CPC title

• E05F15/40 Primary

  Safety devices, e.g. detection of obstructions or end positions · CPC title

• E05Y2900/546

  Tailboards, tailgates or sideboards opening upwards · CPC title