Patent Publication Number: US-2023158867-A1

Title: Pinch sensor assembly, vehicle door having same and manufacturing method thereof

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The disclosed subject matter relates to a pinch sensor assembly, vehicle door having same, method of using, and manufacture method thereof. More particularly, the disclosed subject matter relates to methods and apparatus for attaching a pinch sensor assembly to a vehicle door, a vehicle door including the pinch sensor assembly, and methods of manufacturing the vehicle door and the pinch sensor assembly. 
     Many types of vehicles, such as those that travel on land, through water, by air, etc. define doors for various purposes, such as to allow ingress and egress of vehicle occupants, loading or unloading of cargo, etc. Some such vehicles include a single door, while other may include multiple doors. Exterior doors can be configured to be opened and closed so that when they are opened, an occupant can enter and exit the vehicle (or cargo can be loaded/unloaded), while when they are closed, the occupant (or cargo) is confined within the vehicle. Interior doors can be used to define discrete spaces within the vehicles, such as in the case of doors that define restrooms, vehicle operator compartments, storage compartments, etc., of trains, boats, airplanes, etc. 
     Many exterior and interior doors involve at least two discrete operations. For example, the doors are movable between a fully open position and a close position (or a position adjacent the closed position). The doors can also be actuated from their closed position (or adjacent the closed position) to a latched condition that, to some extent, impedes opening of the door. The latched condition can reduce impede or prevent the door from unintentionally opening under various conditions, such as during vehicle movement. 
     SUMMARY 
     Some embodiments are directed to a pinch sensor assembly for a vehicle. The vehicle can include a door that includes door trim. The pinch sensor assembly can include a bracket located along a length of the door and molded into the door trim. The pinch sensor assembly can include an upper garnish located on the door. The upper garnish can include a snap fit connector. A sensor can be disposed on the bracket and the bracket can include a second snap fit connector configured to snap fit into the snap fit connector of the upper garnish. 
     Some embodiments are directed to a vehicle door. The vehicle door can include a door frame, a trim panel connected to the door frame, and an upper garnish connected to the door frame and including a connection portion. The vehicle door can include a bracket disposed along an edge of the trim panel and extending along a length of the door frame. The bracket can snap fit into the connection portion of the upper garnish. The vehicle door can include a sensor disposed on the bracket. 
     Some embodiments are directed to a method for manufacturing a pinch sensor assembly for a vehicle. The method can include: attaching an upper garnish to a vehicle door so as to cover at least a portion of the interior of the vehicle door; attaching a pinch sensor to a bracket; molding the bracket into a door trim; attaching the door trim to the vehicle door; snap fitting the bracket into the upper garnish when the vehicle door is at an end of a door assembly line; and extending the bracket along the vehicle door such that the bracket covers an entire length of the vehicle door in a vertical direction of the vehicle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosed subject matter of the present application will now be described in more detail with reference to exemplary embodiments of the apparatus and method, given by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG.  1    is a side view of a vehicle with a vehicle door in a closed position in accordance with principles of the disclosed subject matter and a schematic drawing of the electrical connection of a pinch sensor assembly in accordance with the disclosed subject matter. 
         FIG.  2    is a side view of an interior of the vehicle door of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  3    is a side view of an interior of the vehicle door of  FIGS.  1  and  2    including a trim panel and upper garnish attached. 
         FIG.  4    is a side view of an interior of a vehicle door according to an alternate embodiment of the disclosed subject matter. 
         FIG.  5    is a perspective view of a bracket and pinch sensor made in accordance with principles of the disclosed subject matter. 
         FIG.  6    is a perspective view of a pinch sensor assembly and a vehicle door in an unassembled state and made in accordance with principles of the disclosed subject matter. 
         FIG.  7    is a section view taken along line A-A of the vehicle door of  FIG.  3   . 
         FIG.  8    is a section view taken along line B-B of the vehicle door of  FIG.  3   . 
         FIG.  9    is a perspective view of another embodiment of a vehicle door made in accordance with principles of the disclosed subject matter. 
         FIG.  10    is a detailed perspective view of an upper portion of the vehicle door of  FIG.  9   . 
         FIG.  11    is another detailed perspective view of a lower portion of the vehicle door of  FIG.  9   . 
         FIG.  12    is an exploded view of the vehicle door of  FIG.  9   . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     A few inventive aspects of the disclosed embodiments are explained in detail below with reference to the various figures. Exemplary embodiments are described to illustrate the disclosed subject matter, not to limit its scope, which is defined by the claims. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize a number of equivalent variations of the various features provided in the description that follows. 
     Vehicles can include one or more doors. The doors can move from an open position to a closed position, or from a closed position to an open position, without an operator directly or physically moving the door. A vehicle door that can operate using an actuation device can be called a powered door. Operators can utilize a remote signal to actuate a vehicle’s powered door. Vehicles can include sensors that can determine whether the path between a door’s current position and subsequent position is obstructed. These sensors can be included as part of an assembly included in a vehicle door. Accordingly, it can be beneficial to provide a sensor assembly that facilitates simple connection to a vehicle door. 
     The embodiments are disclosed below in the context of a slide door of an automobile, and in particular a minivan. However, the embodiments are intended to be applicable to any vehicle door assembly, any type of automobile, truck, watercraft, airplanes, and further applicable to both exterior and interior doors. 
     Embodiments are also disclosed below in the context of a powered vehicle door that can be moved by a drive motor between a fully open position and a closed position or a position adjacent the close position, i.e., to provide powered movement longitudinally such as along an elongated track system. However, embodiments are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of vehicle door that can utilize an actuation device to actuate between open and closed positions. Further, the disclosed subject matter can also be directed to a door that is (or is not) motor operated for the longitudinal closing action and includes a sealing action motion in which the door is brought closer to the body of the vehicle and latched in a final closing movement. It is also in this final closing movement in which a pinch sensor can be used to detect whether a user’s body is located in between the door and the vehicle body even though the door is not being prevented from longitudinal movement at this time. Instead, in this embodiment, the user’s body is being pinched between the door and the vehicle body during a motion of the door that is substantially inward towards a center of the vehicle, for example. 
       FIG.  1    is a side view of a vehicle  80  with a vehicle door  10  (also referred to as a door or slide door) in a closed position in accordance with the disclosed subject matter. The vehicle  80  shown in  FIG.  1    can primarily be used on paved roadways, and can be referred to as a passenger vehicle, and in particular, a minivan. However, the vehicle door  10  can be used with any vehicle that is configured for travel along any one or combination of improved, unimproved, and unmarked roadways and paths constituted by gravel, dirt, sand, etc., as well as in water and air travel vehicles. For example, embodiments are intended to include or otherwise cover any other type of vehicle, including passenger car, truck, van, ATV, etc. In fact, embodiments are intended to include or otherwise cover configurations of the vehicle door  10  for use in any other type of vehicle, such as aircraft, boat, ship, train, spacecraft, etc. Some other embodiments can be used in non-vehicular applications, such as for amusement park rides, elevators, or any other situations where occupants are disposed with an enclosed space defined by a powered door for ingress and egress. 
     The vehicle  80  can be described as having a longitudinal direction L, a vertical direction V, and a transverse direction T. Height can be measured in the vertical direction V. 
     The vehicle  80  can include a body  82 , a pair of front wheels, a pair of rear wheels, a pair of front door assemblies, a pair of slide door assemblies, a back door assembly, a frame assembly, and a powertrain. The frame assembly and the powertrain are omitted from  FIGS.  1  and  2    for simplicity and clarity of the drawings. 
     Referring to  FIG.  1   , a left-side front wheel  84 L is shown, a left-side rear wheel  86 L is shown, a left-side front door assembly  88 L is shown, a door  10  of a slide door assembly is shown, and a back door assembly  92  is shown. A mirror image of the left-side front wheel  84 L, left-side rear wheel  86 L, left-side front door assembly  88 L, door  10  of a slide door assembly are included on the opposite of the vehicle and obstructed from view. 
     The vehicle  80  can include a pair of front seats and a pair of rear seats mounted in a passenger area of the vehicle  80 , or may only include the pair of front seats. The vehicle  80  may also include a pair of third row seats mounted in the passenger area of the vehicle  80  behind the pair of rear seats. Each pair of seats may alternatively be configured as a bench providing two, three, four, or any number of individual seating positions. The body  82  can define a pair of front door openings  94 L (the right-side front door opening is obstructed from view), and a pair of rear door openings  96 L (the right-side rear door opening is obstructed from view) through which a passenger may pass in order to enter or exit the vehicle  80 . The body  82  can also define a back door opening (the back door opening is obstructed from view) at a rear portion of the vehicle  80 . 
     The door assemblies each can include a door and a window panel assembly, and can be configured to selectively open and close access through the respective door openings by moving between a closed position and a fully opened position. In the closed position, the door assemblies can span the respective door openings to obstruct access to an interior of the vehicle  80  via the door openings. In the closed position, each door assembly can be latched to the body  82  of the vehicle  80 . The fully opened position can be any position where the door assemblies are moved away from the respective door openings to provide substantially unobstructed access to the interior of the vehicle  80  via the door openings. 
     In  FIG.  1   , the pair of front door assemblies and the back door assembly are hingedly attached to the body  82  of the vehicle  80 , and pivot between opened and closed positions. Contrarily, the pair of sliding door assemblies of the present embodiment are slideably attached to the body  82  of the vehicle  80 , and slide back and forth between opened and closed positions. However, each door assembly may also be configured to be hinged, slidable, or otherwise configured to be opened and closed so as to provide access through respective door openings. 
     Each door assembly of the vehicle  80  can be manually operated or motorized to move between opened and closed positions within respective door openings, which is discussed in more detail below. 
     Referring to  FIG.  1   , there is shown a schematic drawing of the circuit containing the power source  60 , sensor  34 , and vehicle door motor  62 . The power source  60  of the vehicle can be in electrical communication with the sensor  34  and a vehicle door motor  62  configured to actuate the door between the open and closed position. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  2  and  3   , there is shown an inner side view of the vehicle door  10 . The vehicle door  10  can include a door frame  12 , a trim panel  40  connected to the door frame  12 , a bracket  32  disposed along an edge  66  of the trim panel  40  and extending along a length of the door frame  12  (also referred to as a length of the door), and a sensor  34  disposed on the bracket  32 . The door frame  12  (can also be referred to as a door body) can include an inner door panel  14  and an outer door panel  16 , a window opening  18 , an upper portion  20 , and a lower portion  22 . In the exemplary embodiment, the vehicle door frame  12  can be a metal structure. The inner door panel  14  and the outer door panel  16  can together form the door frame  12 . The window opening  18  can be configured to receive a window assembly of the vehicle  80 . The window opening  18  can be located in the upper portion  20  of the door frame  12 . The door  10  can also include an attachment  24  connected to the door frame  12  and configured to attach to a minivan sliding door attachment. 
       FIG.  3    shows an inner side view of the vehicle door  10  including the pinch sensor assembly  30  with the trim panel  40  and the upper garnish  42  attached to the door frame  12 . The pinch sensor assembly  30  can include a bracket  32 , an upper garnish  42 , and a sensor  34 . The bracket  32  can be located along a length of the door  10  and molded into the door trim panel  40 . The upper garnish  42  can be located on the door  10  and include a connector such as a snap fit connector  44  (also referred to as a connection portion). The sensor  34  can be disposed on the bracket  32 . The bracket  32  can include a second connector, such as a snap fit connector  36 , configured to snap fit into the snap fit connector  44  of the upper garnish  42 . In an exemplary embodiment, the upper garnish  42  can be located on the inner door panel  14  and extend from approximately midway of the door frame  12  to the top of the door frame  12  and disposed adjacent to the window opening  18 . Alternatively, the upper garnish  42  can be disposed on both sides of the window opening  18  or can be disposed to wrap around the window opening  18  on the inner door panel  14 . 
     The pinch sensor assembly  30  can be connected to the door frame  12  via the trim panel  40  and connected (e.g., snap fit) into the upper garnish  42 . In the exemplary embodiment, the trim panel (also referred to as door trim)  40  can be plastic and can be configured to attach to the lower portion  22  of the door frame  12 . The upper garnish  42  can be configured to attach to the upper portion  20  of the door frame  12 . The snap fit connector  44  of the upper garnish  42  can be located within the upper garnish  42  or as a separate connector to join with the upper garnish  42 . In other embodiments, the pinch sensor assembly  30  can be attached directly or indirectly to the door frame  12 . The bracket  32  can include a second snap fit connector  36  configured to snap fit into the snap fit connector  44  of the upper garnish  42 . The trim panel  40  and the upper garnish  42  can at least partially cover the pinch sensor assembly  30  when the trim panel  40  and the upper garnish  42  are attached to the door frame  12 . 
     The pinch sensor assembly  30  can connect to the upper garnish  42  through a connection structure such as a snap fit mechanism. In an exemplary embodiment, the snap fit mechanism can be operated by snap fitting the snap fit connector  44  located on the upper garnish  42  to the second snap fit connector  36  located on the pinch sensor assembly  30 . The pinch sensor assembly  30  can also be molded to the trim panel  40  and/or connected to the door frame  12  with an intermediate connector  48 . The pinch sensor assembly  30  can include a wire harness connection component  38  (also referred to as a wire connector) in electrical communication with the sensor  34  and configured to connect to a mating wire harness connection component  26  located adjacent (e.g., within) the vehicle door  10 . The bracket  32  can include a second snap fit connector  36   configured to snap fit into the snap fit connector  44  of the upper garnish  42 . 
     The trim panel  40  and the upper garnish  42  can be separate and detachable from each other. Alternatively, the trim panel  40  and upper garnish  42  can be a unitary piece that attach to the door frame  12  together. 
       FIG.  4    illustrates a different embodiment of a vehicle door  110  that includes a trim panel  140  (also referred to as a unitary panel) that can include the trim panel and upper garnish formed as a continuous structure. In this embodiment the unitary panel  140  is configured to attach to the door frame  12 . The unitary panel  140  can at least partially cover or be molded with or otherwise connected to a pinch sensor assembly  30 . The unitary panel  140  can include a snap fit connector  144  located in the upper garnish  142  configured to snap fit to a second snap fit connector  36  of the bracket  32 . 
       FIG.  5    illustrates a pinch sensor (also referred to as sensor)  34  and a bracket  32 . The bracket  32  can include a second snap fit connector  36  or the second snap fit connector  36  can be a separate connector configured to snap fit the bracket  32  into the upper garnish  42 . The bracket  32  can include an intermediate connector  48  configured to attach the bracket  32  to the door  10  or door trim  40 . The wire harness connection component  38  can be disposed at an opposing end of the bracket  32  from the second snap fit connector  36 . 
     The inner pinch sensor  34  can be attached via the bracket  32  along an entire length of the door. Assembly of the bracket  32  to the door  12  can be achieved at an end of a manufacturing line for the door, at which time the bracket  32  can be snapped into the door trim/upper garnish. An electrical harness coupler can hang between the door trim and the door panel. During installation, a user can grab an electrical coupler such as wire harness connector  26  and connect it to an electric connector  38  of the inner pinch sensor  34  before installing the inner pinch sensor assembly into the garnish or door panel. The location of the connectors  26  and  38  can vary along the length of the sensor  34  and bracket  32  depending on the application and configuration of the door  10 . 
     The bracket  32  can be molded into the door trim  40  and can be the length of a height of the door  10 . The bracket  32  can extend from an upper portion  20  of the door frame  12  to a lower portion  22  of the door frame  12  when the bracket  32  is snap fit onto the door  10 . The bracket  32  can include the sensor  34  embedded within so as to form an integral bracket and sensor together. Alternatively, the sensor  34  can be detachable from the bracket  32  or fixed to an outside surface of the bracket  32 . The sensor  34  can also be referred to as a pinch sensor. The sensor  34  can be a capacitance sensor, a force sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, or any type of sensor for detecting when an object has come in to contact with the sensor  34  and/or bracket  32  or is otherwise in the path of the vehicle door  10  as it moves from an open position to a closed position (or from a partially open position to a sealed position). In an embodiment including a capacitance sensor, the sensor  34  can utilize the electrical property of capacitance and the change of capacitance based on a change in the electrical field around an active face of the sensor  34  to detect when an object has come in contact with the sensor  34 . The sensor  34  can be configured to output a signal when a predetermined change in capacitance is detected and/or measured by the sensor  34 . Alternatively, the sensor  34  can be configured to output a signal when a predetermined force is applied to the bracket  32 . The sensor  34  can be configured to output a signal to engage a vehicle door motor  62  configured to actuate the vehicle door  10 . The sensor  34  can be located along a length of the bracket  32 . The sensor  34  can be on an outer surface of the bracket  32  so that the sensor  34  faces the B pillar  70 . The sensor  34  can be disposed along the entire length of the bracket  32  such that the sensor  34  is also extended along the entire length of the vehicle door  10  in the vertical direction. 
     The second snap fit connector  36  can be a connector that attaches one end of the bracket  32  to the upper garnish  42  or door frame  12  itself. The second snap fit connector  36  can be a separate piece that enters through a hole or recess of the bracket  32  and then connect to the upper garnish  42  with locking protrusions of the second snap fit connector  36  mating with the snap fit connector  44  of the upper garnish  42 . Alternatively, the second snap fit connector  36  can be an integrated piece of the bracket  32  having protrusions that are configured to lock into the snap fit connector  44  of the upper garnish  42 . Other types of connectors can also be used to connect the bracket  32  to the upper garnish  42  or door frame  12 . 
     An intermediate connector  48  can be located on the bracket  32  and configured to attach the bracket  32  to the door frame  12 . The intermediate connector  48  can be a plastic clip having a protrusion that locks directly into the door frame  12  or garnish or door covering. 
       FIG.  6    illustrates a side view of a pinch sensor assembly  30  and a door  10 . The pinch sensor  34  can be formed into or attached along a bracket  32  located along a length of the door  10  and molded into or attached to the door trim  40 , with an upper garnish  42  located on the door  10  and including a snap fit connector  44  . The bracket  32  can include a second snap fit connector  36  configured to snap fit into the snap fit connector  44  of the upper garnish  42 . Although  FIG.  6    shows the bracket  32  disassembled from the garnish  42  and panel  40 , we note that when assembled the bracket would be on the opposite edge of the panel  40  and garnish  42  as shown in  FIG.  6   . In particular, the bracket  32  and sensor  34  can be molded, pinched into, or otherwise attached to the outer most edge of the panel  40  and/or garnish  42  ( at an edge located furthest from the door frame  12  in this figure). The bracket  32  and sensor  34  can also or alternatively be attached to the upper garnish  42  by connecting snap fit connector  36  of the bracket  32  to the snap fit connector  44  associated with the upper garnish  42 . 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG.  6   , the bracket  32  can extend along an entire length, L1, of the door  10  in a vertical direction V of the vehicle  80  when the bracket  32  is snap fit onto the door  10 . The entire length, L1, can refer to the distance from a top leading corner  52  of the door  10  along a leading edge  56  of the door  10  to the bottom leading corner  54  of the door  10 . The leading side  58  of the door can be the side of the door on which the leading edge  56 , top leading corner  52 , and bottom leading corner  54  are located. The leading side  58  of the door  10  can be the side that is adjacent to and closer to the B-pillar when the door  10  is attached to the vehicle  80 . 
     Alternatively, the bracket  32  can extend in a vertical direction V of the vehicle  80  along a length different than the entire length of the door  10 . For example, the bracket  32  can extend from the snap fit connector  44  of the upper garnish  42  to the wire harness connection component  38  disposed in a lower portion  22  of the door frame  12  in the vertical direction when the bracket  32  is snap fit onto the door  10 . In another alternate embodiment, the second snap fit connector  36  can constitute one end of the bracket  32  and the wire harness connection component  38  can constitute another end of the bracket  32 . In other embodiments, the bracket  32  can extend along a length of the door in the longitudinal direction L of the vehicle. Alternatively, the bracket  32  can extend along a length of the entire perimeter of the door  10 . The bracket  32  can be disposed on an outer periphery of the door  10  when the bracket  32  is snap fit onto the door. The bracket  32  can be disposed at an outer edge  68  of the trim panel  40 , an inner edge  64  of the trim panel  40 , or a location between the outer edge  68  and the inner edge  64  of the trim panel  40 . 
     The upper garnish  42  can be located on the door  10 . The upper garnish  42  can be attached to the door  10  at an upper portion of the door frame  12 . In the exemplary embodiment shown, the upper garnish  42  can be located on the leading side  58  of the door  10  on a side of the window opening  18 . The upper garnish  42  can extend from a top of the door  10  on a roof side to a middle portion of the door near the bottom of the window opening  18  in the vertical direction V of the vehicle  80 . In other embodiments, the upper garnish  42  can be located on both sides of the window opening  18  or can be located entirely surrounding the window opening  18  including above and below the window opening  18 . The upper garnish  42  can include connectors to fasten directly to the door frame  12  and/or to the trim panel  40 . The upper garnish  42  can be detachable from the door trim  40  and/or other portions of the door frame  12 . In other embodiments, the upper garnish  42  and the trim panel  40  can constitute one unitary piece. 
     The upper garnish  42  can include a snap fit connector  44 . The snap fit connector  44  can be configured to connect with the second snap fit connector  36  of the bracket  32 . The snap fit connector  44  can be configured such that the bracket  32  can snap fit into the upper garnish  42 . The bracket  32  can be secured against the door  10  through the snap fit connector  44  of the upper garnish  42 . The upper garnish  42  can be plastic, wood, metal, carbon fiber, vinyl, faux-carbon fiber, faux-wood, any combination of these materials, or any other material known in the art for upper garnish elements in vehicles. Alternatively, connector  44  and/or connector  36  can connect to a mating connector on the door frame  12 . 
     The pinch sensor assembly  30  can be attached to the door  10 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG.  6   , the bracket  32  can be molded into the door trim  40  and snap fit into the upper garnish  42  with the second snap fit connector  36 . In this embodiment, the pinch sensor assembly  30  can be connected to the door  10  through both the door trim  40  and the upper garnish  42 . In other embodiments, the pinch sensor assembly  30  can have other connection points to the door. For example, in another embodiment the pinch sensor assembly  30  can snap fit to an upper garnish that is unitary with the door trim. Alternatively, the pinch sensor assembly  30  can snap fit directly on to the door frame  12 . 
       FIG.  7    illustrates a section view from the interior of the vehicle  80  of the pinch sensor assembly  30  attached to the door trim  40 . The door trim  40  is connected to the frame  12  of door  10 . The bracket  32  with the sensor  34  can be molded (or otherwise separately attached) to the door trim  40 . Adjacent to the pinch sensor assembly  30  on the door  10  is the B pillar  70  of the frame assembly of the vehicle  80 . The B pillar  70  can include a weatherstrip  72  disposed on an edge of the B pillar  70  such that the weatherstrip  72  contacts the door  10  when the door  10  is in a closed position. In  FIG. ,  7   , the weather strip is show in dotted line to show its “standing configuration” when the door is not sealed. In use the weather strip would actually be deformed in this figure by the door  10  to form a tight seal thereto at a location adjacent the outer edge  68  of trim panel. 
       FIG.  8    illustrates a view from the interior of the vehicle  80  of the upper garnish  42 . The bracket  32  is snap fit into the upper garnish  42  with the second snap fit connector  36  connected through snap fit to the snap fit connector  44  of the upper garnish  42 . Adjacent to the upper garnish  42  and bracket  32  is the B pillar  70  with a garnish and the weatherstrip  72  connected so as to be disposed between the B pillar  70  and the door  10 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG.  8   , the snap fit connector  44  includes a receiving portion that is configured to receive and hold a protrusion portion of the second snap fit connector  36 . The protrusion portion of the second snap fit connector  36  can be pushed through the receiving portion of the snap fit connector  44  to snap fit and secure the bracket  32  to the upper garnish  42 . 
     Next, a method for manufacturing the pinch sensor assembly  30  for a vehicle  80  will be described. In accordance with operation of some of the disclosed embodiments, an upper garnish  42  is attached to a vehicle door  10  so as to cover at least a portion of the interior of the vehicle door  10 . A pinch sensor  34  is attached to or molded into a bracket  32  along an entire length of the bracket  32 . The bracket  32  is molded into or attached to the door trim  40 . The door trim  40  is attached to the vehicle door  10 . Afterwards, the bracket  32  can be snap fitted into the door upper garnish  42 . The bracket  32  can extend along a length of the vehicle door  10  such that the bracket  32  covers an entire length of the vehicle door  10  in a vertical direction of the vehicle  80 . The snap fitting of the bracket  32  into the upper garnish  42  can occur when the vehicle door  10  is at the end of a door assembly line. 
       FIGS.  9 - 11    illustrate a different embodiment of a vehicle door  210  including an outer door pinch sensor assembly  130  attached to a leading outward edge of the door  210  and an inner door pinch sensor assembly  30  attached at an edge  64  of the door trim panel  40  that can define an inner pinch point where the door  210  meets an inner surface of the B-pillar (or trim adjacent the B-pillar) of vehicle  210 . The pinch sensor assemblies  130  can each include a sensor  34 ,  134  and a bracket  32 ,  132 . In this embodiment, the trim panel  40  can include an upper garnish  42  that is divided into two portions running along a side of a window opening  18  of the door  210 . The two portions can include a lead window garnish  33  and bracket  32  that meet at an inner edge  46  of the trim panel  40 . The bracket  32  and sensor  34  are spaced away from the bracket  132  and sensor  134  in a transverse direction T towards the interior of the vehicle  80 . In addition, a portion of the door frame  12  can be visible between the sensor assembly  130  and sensor assembly  30  when the door  210  is in an opened state. An outer edge  68  of the garnish bracket  32  can define a first edge at which the door frame  12  is initially exposed between the sensor assembly  30  and sensor assembly  130  and bordered by a second edge defined by leftmost edge of bracket  132  in  FIG.  10   . 
     The bracket  132  can be attached via attachment structures  35  (e.g., bolts, screws, rivets, snap fit structures, welds, adhesives, etc.) to the door  210  and, as noted above, defines an opposed edge parallel to the edge defined by the outer edge  68  of the garnish bracket  32  such that a long strip of door frame  12  is exposed between the sensor assembly  130  and sensor assembly  30 . The bracket  132  can also hold a door weatherstrip  74  that, with the bracket  132  and sensor  134 , extend along an entire height (vertical dimension) of the door  210 . The door weatherstrip  74 , bracket  132 , and sensor  134  each have a longitudinal axis that is parallel with respect each other’s longitudinal axis, and extends in a vertical V direction, substantially perpendicular to the transverse T and longitudinal L directions of the vehicle  210 . The bracket  132  can be attached to inner door panel  14  of the door frame  12  (or where the inner door panel  14  meets the outer door panel  16  at the leading edge of door  210 ) via separate attachment structure(s) or via friction fit. 
     In the exploded / unassembled view of  FIG.  12   , the pinch sensor  34  is shown as having a wire harness connection component  38 , and pinch sensor  134  is shown with a second wire harness connection component  138 . The connection components  38 ,  138  can be configured to electrically connect to a mating wire harness connection component  26  either together simultaneously (e.g., the connection component  38   connects to connection component  138  (or vice versa), and then after being connected, both components  38 ,  138  connect to wire harness connection component  26 ), or sequentially (e.g., the connection component  38  (or  138 ) electrically connects to wire harness connection component  26 , and then the other connection component  138  (or  38 ) electrically connects to wire harness connection component  26 ) in any order. Once connected to the wire harness connection component  26 , the sensor(s)  34 ,  134  are in electrical and/or signal communication with a power source  60 , motor  62 , and/or a controller  402  via wire(s)  301 . The sensor(s)  34 ,  134  can be smart sensors (include a processor, controller and/or memory) to provide direct control to the motor  62  in order to cause the door to motor  62  to change operation upon the sensor(s)  34 ,  134  sensing an object in the doorway. Alternatively, the sensors  34 ,  134  can simply send a signal indicative of an object in the doorway to a separate controller  402  which in turn controls the motor  62  in accordance with a predefined protocol. 
     The wire(s)  301  can be connected at a location on the door frame  12  via connector  300  such that, during manufacture, and prior to connection of components  38 ,  138  and  26 , the wire(s)  301  and connection component  26  hang from connector  300 . Thus, the manufacturer can grasp the wire  301  and swing it away from the door frame  12  to connect components  38 ,  138  with connector  26 , while also installing the final trim portions  40  (e.g., lower garnish  40 L, upper garnish  42 , and bracket garnish  32  to which the sensor  34  can be attached, or, bracket  132  to which the sensor  134  is attached). The number and shape of garnish  40  components can be determined based on the geometry of the door  201 , placement of connector  300 , and other factors. The sensor  34 ,  134  configured as part of the door trim component(s) allows the sensors  34 ,  134  to be attached to the vehicle  201  at an end of the production line for the door assembly during manufacture. 
     Each of the sensors  34 ,  134  can be a capacitance sensor, a force sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, or any type of sensor for detecting when an object has come in to contact with the sensor(s)  34 ,  134  and/or bracket  32 ,  132  or is otherwise in the path of the vehicle door  210  as it moves from an open position to a closed position (or from a partially open position to a sealed position). In an embodiment including a capacitance sensor, the sensors  34 ,  134  can utilize the electrical property of capacitance and the change of capacitance based on a change in the electrical field around an active face of the sensor  34 ,  134  to detect when an object has come in contact with the sensor  34 ,  134 . The sensor  34 ,  134  can be configured to output a signal when a predetermined change in capacitance is detected and/or measured by the sensor  34 ,  134 . Alternatively, the sensor  34 ,  134  can be configured to output a signal when a predetermined force is applied to the bracket  32 ,  132 . The sensor  34 ,  134  can be configured to output a signal to directly (or indirectly via controller  402 ) to engage a vehicle door motor  62  configured to actuate the vehicle door  210 . 
     The sensor  34  can be located solely on the bracket  32 , and then assembled adjacent inner edges  46  and  64  of trim pieces  40 . Alternatively, bracket  32  can be integral with and form an inner edge  64  of the trim panel  40  and an inner edge  46  of the upper garnish  42  with the sensor  34  located at the inner edges  46 ,  64 . The bracket  32  and sensor  34  can be spaced away from the second bracket  132  and the second sensor  134  in a transverse direction T towards the interior of the vehicle  80 . The sensor  34  and second sensor  134  can each be configured to connect to the mating wire harness connection component  26  separately or can be joined to a common wire harness connection component configured to connected to the mating wire harness connection component  26 . The second bracket  132  can be disposed directly on the door frame  12  (and/or  14 ). The second bracket  132  can also be spaced apart from the bracket  32  in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Thus, the second bracket  132  can be located further toward a front of the vehicle on a leading side  58  of the door  210  than the bracket  32 . 
     In  FIG.  12   , the wire(s)  301  is shown as a single line having a connection component  26  to be connected to connection component  38  and connection component  138  (simultaneously or in sequence). However, wire(s)  301  can include two separate and distinct lines, each with a separate connection component  26  for connection to a respective one of the connection component  38  and  138 . Thus, connection components  26 ,  38 ,  138  would have greater ability to be placed at different locations and attached to the door frame  12  or electrically connected together at different times during the assembly of the door  201 . Similarly, there could be additional connectors  300  for hanging separate ones of the wires  301  on the door frame  12  at different locations, depending on assembly timing and geometry desired for the various door parts. Each of the trim pieces  40 , including the brackets  32 ,  132 , upper garnish  42 , lower garnish  40 L, can include snap fit connectors for connecting to each other and/or the frame  12 . 
     Alternative Embodiments 
     While certain embodiments of the invention are described above, it should be understood that the invention can be embodied and configured in many different ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 
     As disclosed above, embodiments are intended to be used with any type of vehicle. The power source for the vehicle  80  can be an internal combustion engine, an electric motor or a hybrid of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. The power source configured as an internal combustion engine or a hybrid power source can have the engine output axis oriented in the longitudinal direction L or in the traverse direction T of the vehicle. The engine can be mounted forward of the front axles, rearward of the rear axles, or intermediate the front and rear axles. A separate power source  60  can be provided to move the door to the sealed position as described above. Alternatively, power can be drawn from the main power source for the vehicle  80 . In addition, two or more power sources  60  can be used for closing the door: a first power source for longitudinal motion, and a second power source for sealing motion in a transverse direction. A linkage can also be used instead of the second power source to cause the sealing motion for the door  10 . 
     Electrical communication lines (not numbered) can connect a controller to the engine, power sources, the transmission and any sensors, including the pinch sensor, in any appropriate manner. Electrical communication can be either one-way communication or two-way communication and can be networked or not networked. The controller also can be referred to as an electronic control unit (ECU) or as a central processing unit. The sensors can be configured with hardware, with or without software, to perform the assigned task(s). The sensors can be configured as a smart sensor such that the sensors can process the raw data collected by the sensors prior to transmission to the ECU or the sensors can be configured as a simple sensor that passes the raw data directly to the ECU without any manipulation of the raw data. The sensors can be configured to send data to the ECU, with or without a prompt from the ECU, or to send data to any other controller (such as a door motor controller) for processing or acting thereupon. 
     In exemplary embodiments, the trim panel can be made from any material known in the art for interior vehicle panels. Examples of trim panel materials include, but are not limited to, plastic, wood, carbon fiber, metal, combinations of any of these materials, faux-carbon fiber, faux-wood, polymers, and reinforced padded materials. 
     In exemplary embodiments, the upper garnish can be made from any material known in the art for interior vehicle panels. Examples of trim panel materials include, but are not limited to, plastic, wood, carbon fiber, metal, combinations of any of these materials, faux-carbon fiber, faux-wood, polymers, and reinforced padded materials. 
     In exemplary embodiments, the bracket can be made from any material known to one of ordinary skill in the art for vehicle door pinch sensors. The bracket material can be, but is not limited to, plastic, rubber, composite, polymer, metal, or any combination of these materials. 
     In exemplary embodiments the bracket can be elastically deformable, rigid, or can retain its shape after force has been removed. Bracket height is not limited to the door height. The bracket can be longer, shorter, or extend around the entire outer periphery of the door. 
     The bracket can include portions that contain the sensor, or the sensor can extend the entire length of the bracket. The sensor can be disposed on an outer surface of the bracket, or the sensor can be located within the bracket. 
     In the disclosed embodiments, connection and/or attachment of any of the trim panel, upper garnish, unitary panel, bracket, bracket, and pinch sensor assembly can use any known form of connection to one of ordinary skill in the art. Examples include, but are not limited to, screws, fasteners, clips, molding, adhesives, bolts, pins, elastically deformable mating pieces, male and female connectors, locking protrusions, welding, and locking mechanisms. 
     As disclosed above, embodiments are intended to include the bracket snap fitting into the upper garnish. The snap fit connector and the second snap fit connector can be separate pieces from the bracket and the upper garnish or the snap fit connector can be an integral part of the upper garnish and the second snap fit connector can be an integral part of the bracket or any combination thereof. Snap fitting can refer to a connection mechanism wherein two pieces are joined together, or connected, by applying pressure as one piece enters another. As pressure is applied, the connection portions of the respective pieces will elastically deform until they are joined. Once joined successfully, the connection portions will return to their original shape and will be mated. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize other snap fit mechanisms that are possible. The upper garnish and bracket may be snap fit using a push pin piece to join the bracket into the upper garnish. Any connection mechanism that utilizes pushing together two structures together until they are locked together can be used as a snap fit mechanism for the exemplary embodiments. Additionally, any other connection known in the art can be used to connect the upper garnish and the bracket. 
     In exemplary embodiments the wire harness connection component can be located anywhere along bracket. 
     In exemplary embodiments the signal output by the pinch sensor can go to the vehicle ECU. Alternatively, the signal can go directly to an actuator controlling the powered vehicle door. 
     The door can also be referred to as a powered door, sliding door, minivan door, second door, middle door, powered vehicle door. 
     The bracket can extend along the entire length of any of the following: the door, the door frame, the door body, the upper portion and/or lower portion of the door frame. The bracket can extend along any of these listed structures in the vertical direction of the vehicle, the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the depth direction of the door and any combination of these directions. The depth direction of the door can be orthogonal to the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction when the door is attached to the vehicle and in a closed position. For example, the bracket can extend around the entire periphery of the door spanning both the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction. 
     In exemplary embodiments, the length of the door refers to portion of the door that extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle. Alternate embodiments contemplate lengths in other dimensions of the door such as, but not limited to, the width of the door (also referred to as the length of the door in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle), the depth or thickness direction of the door, and lengths spanning multiple directions such as around a perimeter or outer periphery of the door that spans both a vertical direction and a longitudinal direction that can otherwise be referred to as a circumferential length of the door. The length of the door can also refer to the length of the door frame and the length of both the door and the door frame can be measured as the same length. 
     In exemplary embodiments, the bracket can be disposed anywhere on the vehicle door known in the art for positioning a pinch sensor assembly. For example, in a depth direction of the door, the bracket can be located on a leading edge of an inner door panel of the door frame. In other embodiments, the bracket can be located on a leading edge of an outer panel of the door frame. Additionally, the bracket can be located at any point in the depth direction of the door and the vertical direction along the door frame of the door in between the inner door panel  14  and the outer door panel  16  such that the bracket  32  is configured to contact an object, as the door slidably moves between the open position and closed position, before the object obstructs an opening in the vehicle between the frame assembly and the door  10 . 
     Because the sensor  34  and bracket  32  can be pre-assembled with the door panel or trim  40 , the pinch sensor  34  can be installed at an end of the door assembly line (e.g., when door trim is attached to the door to finalize assembly of the door  10 ). Thus, it is not necessary to separately fit the sensor  34  directly onto a leading edge of the door frame  12 . Instead, the sensor  34  can be attached to the door with the final trim attachment steps or process. 
     Exemplary embodiments are also intended to cover different types of connectors and/or attachment points for the pinch sensor assembly. For example, the bracket  32  can be molded or attached directly on to the door frame instead of the door trim. In exemplary embodiments, the bracket  32  can be attached at multiple points on the door and is not limited to the door trim  40  and upper garnish  42 . 
     Exemplary embodiments are intended to cover all software or computer programs capable of enabling processors to implement the above pinch sensor assembly. Exemplary embodiments are further intended to cover such software, computer programs, systems and/or processes provided through any other currently known, related art, or later developed medium (such as transitory mediums, carrier waves, etc.), usable with the exemplary operations disclosed above.