This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 with respect to Japanese Application No. 2002-344335 filed on Nov. 27, 2002, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
This invention generally relates to an opening and closing control system for an opening-closing member of a vehicle. More particularly, the present invention pertains to the opening and closing control system for the opening-closing member of the vehicle which performs an open-close operation for various types of the opening-closing members of the vehicle.
A known opening and closing control system for opening-closing member of the vehicle (opening-closing member) is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2-114071. The system includes a hinge arm for closing and opening the opening-closing member relative to the vehicle, a motor for activating the hinge arm, and a connecting device for connecting the hinge arm member and a cable which is rotated by the motor. The connecting device includes a mechanism for disconnecting from the hinge arm side when the cable applies a tensility to the connecting device. According to the know opening and closing control system, an load equal to or more than a predetermined amount cannot be applied to the opening-closing member even if a driver applies a load to the opening-closing member for interfering the opening-closing member's closing-operation while the motor rotates for closing the opening-closing member due to the mechanism of the connecting device disconnecting from the connecting device.
In this configuration, once the connecting device disconnects the motor side from the hinge arm side, they need to be connected again.
To prevent the opening-closing member from being applied a load equal to or more than the predetermined amount without using the connecting device, a clutch mechanism may be provided between an actuator and the opening and closing mechanism as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-277853 kouhou. In this configuration, an engaging force of the clutch mechanism is reversibly controlled, so that the actuator and the opening and closing mechanism are engaged releasing the torque transmission (sliding the clutch mechanism), not completely disengaging the actuator from the opening and closing mechanism (not completely engaging or disengaging) as described above. As a result, the reconnecting operation is not needed after the connecting device disconnects the motor from the hinge arm as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2-114071 kouhou. However, if the opening and closing mechanism is adapted to change the supporting force of the opening-closing member based on the opening and closing angle of the opening-closing member, the clutch mechanism can slide only in case that a load which is equal to or more than the supporting force is applied. In other word, the load required for sliding the clutch mechanism changes depending on the opening and closing angle of the opening-closing member. Thus, when a certain load is applied to the opening-closing member at which the supporting force of the opening-closing member is large, the clutch can be slid if the load is equal to or less than the supporting force. Furthermore, the opening-closing member etc. may be damaged due to the load applied to the opening-closing member.
An opening and closing control system for an opening-closing member of a vehicle comprises an opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the opening-closing member relative to the vehicle, an actuator for operating the opening and closing mechanism, an electromagnetic clutch for controlling a torque transmission by connecting and disconnecting the actuator and the opening and closing mechanism, an opening and closing angle detecting means for detecting an opening and a closing angle of the opening-closing member relative to the vehicle, and a control means for controlling an electric power supplied to the electromagnetic clutch based on a detected result from the opening and closing angle detecting means and controlling an electric power supplied to the actuator. In this configuration, a supporting force of the opening and closing mechanism required for supporting the opening-closing member of the vehicle is increased in accordance with the movement of the opening-closing member of the vehicle from an intermediate position to an opened position or a closed position, and the control means for decreasing the electric power supplied to the electromagnetic clutch in accordance with the movement of the opening-closing member of the vehicle from the intermediate position to the opened position or the closed position. In addition, the opening and closing mechanism includes a crank gear provided rotatably around a crank shaft for opening and closing the opening-closing member of the vehicle, a slider reciprocating along with a guide member, a crank arm pivotally connected to the crank gear on one end thereof with a crank pin and pivotally connected to the slider on the other end thereof with a slider pin, and an operating member for the opening-closing member for operatively connecting the slider and the opening-closing member of the vehicle, and a length of a perpendicular line, which vertically connects a center of the crank shaft and an arm line connecting a center of the crank pin and a center of the slider pin, or an extension of the arm line in longitudinal direction, when the opening-closing member of the vehicle is located at the intermediate position, is longer than the length of the perpendicular line when the opening-closing member of the vehicle is located at the opened position and the closed position, and the length of the perpendicular line or the extension of the arm line in longitudinal direction is gradually decreased in accordance with the movement of the opening-closing member of the vehicle from the intermediate position to the opened position or the closed position.
The foregoing and additional features and characteristics of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description considered with reference to the accompanying drawing figures in which like reference numerals designate like elements and wherein:
An embodiment of the present invention will be explained referring to attached drawings. An opening and closing control system 10 (a system 10) moves a rear door 2 (opening-closing member of the vehicle) of a vehicle body 1 (vehicle) between an opening position ((a) in
The door opening and closing device is shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The armature 22 is provided between the wheel gear 21 and the rotor 23. A front surface 22a (upper surface) of the armature 22 faces to the wheel gear 21, and a back surface 22b (lower surface) of the armature 22 faces to a front surface 23a of the rotor 23. Plural projections 21a are formed on the wheel gear 21, and plural hole portions 22c are formed on the front surface 22a of the armature 22. The projections 21a are inserted into the hole portions 22c, so that the armature 22 rotates integrally with the wheel gear 21.
The electromagnet coil member 24 is provided around the rotating shaft 25. The electromagnet coil member 24 includes a core 24b made of magnetic material and being and a coil 24c. A circular depressed portion 24a is formed on the core 24b, and the coil 24c is electrically connected to the ECU 12. The ECU 12 variably controls the feeding amount (voltage) to the coil 24c.
The operation of the clutch mechanism will be explained as follows. Once the ECU 12 supplies a power to the coil 24c, electromagnetic force which magnetizes the armature 22 toward the rotor 23 (upper direction in
A ring magnet 27 is fixed on the outer peripheral edge of the rotor 23. Plural pairs of magnetic poles are magnetized one after another on the magnet 27. As shown in
The crank mechanism 13 will be explained according to
The crank gear 30 is rotatably provided on the base 16 around a crank shaft 30a (crank shaft). An intermediate gear mechanism 27 meshes with the crank gear 30 and the output gear 26 of the clutch mechanism 14. In other word, a decelerating mechanism is formed between the output gear 26 and the crank gear 30.
One end of the crank arm 31 is rotatably connected to the crank gear 30 by a crank pin 31a (crank pin). The other side of the crank arm 31 is rotatably connected to the slider 32 by a slider pin 31b (slider pin). The length of the crank arm 31 can be set to fit based on, for example, a radius of the crank gear 30. For instance, when the length of the crank arm 31 is set to be long, an angle of the crank arm 31 relative to the slider 31 is decreased, and a rotation angle of the crank arm 31 is decreased, so that the drive is smoothly transmitted to the slider 31. On the other hand, when the length of the crank arm 31 is set to be short, the size of the door opening and closing device 11 becomes more compact. However, the rotating angle of the crank arm 31 is increased, so that that a transmitting efficiency of a drive to the slider 31 is decreased.
The slider 32 is for sliding the guide member 34 in longitudinal is direction of the vehicle (horizontal direction in
The roller member 32a and 32b of the slider 32 slides on the rail member 34b, so that the slider 32 is guided by the guide member 34.
As shown in
The operation of the aforementioned door opening and closing device 11 will be explained.
When the clutch mechanism 14 is engaged, and the crank mechanism 13 at the position (a) in
Each arrows in
The supporting force of the door opening and closing device 11 for supporting the door 2 (supporting force) will be explained in the aforementioned configuration. When the door 2 is opened or closed, and a force (abnormal load) is applied to the door 2 in opposite direction relative to the operation direction of the door 2 (the force may applied directly to the door 2 by the driver or applied by and engagement between the door 2 and object), a torque can be transmitted from the door 2 to the motor 15 through the crank mechanism 13 and the clutch mechanism 14. When the abnormal load becomes equal to or more than the predetermined amount, the armature 22 can rotates relative to the rotor 23 even if a frictional engaging force is generated between the back surface 22b of the armature of the clutch mechanism 14 and the front surface 23a of the rotor 23 (the clutch mechanism 14 can slide). As a result, the door 2 becomes operatably independent from the drive of the motor 15. In other word, when the abnormal load becomes equal to or less than the predetermined amount, the door opening and closing device 11 can support the door 2. In other words, the predetermined amount is the supporting force.
When the door 2 is in the condition (a), (b), and (c), and the same abnormal load is applied to each condition, the abnormal load is transmitted as follows. When the length of the perpendicular line d is short as shown in (a) and (c) in
A relationship between the opening and closing angle of the door 2 and the electric power supply (voltage) supplied by the ECU 12 supplies to the coil 24c of the clutch mechanism 14 will be explained based on the
A relationship between the opening and closing angle of the door 2 and the amount of supporting force of the door 2 (actual amount of supporting force) is explained in line (b) in
As the electric power is controlled in this way, following effects are obtained in the system 10 according to the current invention. For example, suppose the abnormal load F1 is applied to the door 2 which is operated at a position X1 near the opened position. When the engagement force of the clutch mechanism 14 is consistently constant because the ECU 12 supplies uncontrolled power, the clutch mechanism 14 cannot be slid due to the power F1 being smaller than the supporting force. As a result, the abnormal load is applied to the door 2 and the crank mechanism 13. On the other hand, when the ECU 12 controls the electric power which is shown in line (b) in
In this ways, the opening-closing member for vehicle is explained referring to the door 2 (back door) for opening and closing the rear portion of the vehicle body 1 in the embodiment, however, the current invention is not limited to be applied to the door 2 (back door). The opening closing member of the vehicle can also be applied to a slide door or a sunroof as long as they are they are automatically operated.
According to the current invention, if the opening and closing mechanism changes the supporting force of the opening and closing mechanism for vehicle based on the opening and closing angle of the opening closing member for vehicle, the necessary force for sliding the electromagnetic clutch (necessary force) can be constant by controlling the engaging force of the electromagnetic clutch even if the opening and closing angle changes. Specifically, the necessary force becomes constant on the position at which the supporting force of the opening and closing mechanism for the opening-closing member for vehicle becomes large by controlling the engaging force of the electromagnetic clutch to be small even if the opening and closing angle of the opening-closing member for vehicle changes.
Thus, the current invention can prevent the necessary force on the opening position and the closing position from being large. In other word, according to the prevent invention, the necessity forces at the opening position and the closing position can be controlled being approximately the same as the necessity force at the intermediate position.
The principles, preferred embodiment and mode of operation of the present invention have been described in the foregoing specification. However, the invention which is intended to be protected is not to be construed as limited to the particular embodiments disclosed. Further, the embodiments described herein are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Variations and changes may be made by others, and equivalents employed, without departing from the sprit of the present invention. Accordingly, it is expressly intended that all such variations, changes and equivalents which fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in claims, be embraced thereby.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2002-344335 | Nov 2002 | JP | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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6382706 | Yuge et al. | May 2002 | B2 |
6398288 | Yuge | Jun 2002 | B1 |
6834463 | Fukumoto et al. | Dec 2004 | B2 |
20020040551 | Zhou | Apr 2002 | A1 |
20040090083 | Greuel et al. | May 2004 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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102 45 136 | Jun 2003 | DE |
2-114071 | Apr 1990 | JP |
2001-277853 | Oct 2001 | JP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20040256881 A1 | Dec 2004 | US |