Patent Publication Number: US-2023151673-A1

Title: Motor vehicle

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This patent application claims priority from Italian patent application no. 102021000028820 filed on Nov. 12, 2021, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     TECHNICAL SECTOR 
     The invention relates to a motor vehicle, for example a sports car, and more specifically to a door thereof and to a relative door opening device. 
     PRIOR ART 
     As everybody knows, car doors are manually opened from the outside through a door handle, which usually also includes a manual control, for example a button or a lever, to unlock a lock of the door. 
     Generally speaking, known motor vehicles need to be improved, in particular by increasing door opening comfort, when the door has to be opened from the outside of the motor vehicle, though without jeopardizing the safety of the motor vehicle in case of theft and of the people or objects surrounding the motor vehicle. 
     The object of the invention is to fulfil the need discussed above, preferably in a simple and effective fashion. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Said object is reached by a motor vehicle as defined in claim  1 . 
     The dependent claims define particular embodiments of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described, in order to allow the latter to be better understood, by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a motor vehicle according to the invention; 
         FIG.  2    shows, on a larger scale, a detail of the motor vehicle of  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  2   a    is a further perspective view of an area of the motor vehicle comprising a door portion, in particular shown in an open presenter configuration; 
         FIGS.  3  and  4    are further perspective views of the door, in a closed and open configuration respectively, specifically completely open. 
     
    
    
     EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     In  FIG.  1   , reference number  1  is used to indicate, as a whole, a motor vehicle. 
     The motor vehicle  1  comprises a body  2  and a plurality of side doors, in particular a front side door  3  and a rear side door  4 . 
     Each one of the doors  3 ,  4  is hinged to the body  2  so that it can rotate around an axis towards a side of the vehicle, in particular the same side where the doors  3 ,  4  are located, i.e. the side where a user U is shown in  FIG.  1   . In other words, the axis is substantially vertical, meaning that the inclination of the axis relative to a vertical direction could range, for example, from 0° to 30°. 
     In  FIG.  1   , the doors  3 ,  4  are shown in a closed configuration. Each one of the doors  3 ,  4  can rotate between the closed configuration and an open configuration, for example a completely open configuration, like in  FIG.  4   . 
     Hereinafter, for brevity reasons, reference will be made to only one of the doors  3 ,  4 , specifically the door  4 , assuming that the information disclosed below could be applied, alternatively or in addition, to the door  3 . 
     The motor vehicle  1  comprises an opening device  5 , schematically shown in  FIG.  1   , to open the door  4 . 
     The opening device  5  is motorized and is controllable to move the door  4  from the closed configuration towards the open configuration. 
     Furthermore, the opening device  5  also is conveniently controllable to close the door  4 , namely to move the latter from the open configuration towards the closed configuration. 
     In other words, the opening device  5  moves the door  4  in an autonomous manner, namely without any intervention of the user U. 
     Besides the opening device  5 , the motor vehicle  1  can also comprise a lock device  6  controllable to lock the door  4  in the closed configuration and to further unlock the door  4  locked in the closed configuration. For example, the lock device  6  could be controlled by the user U by means of a remote control not shown herein. 
     In order to operate the opening device  5 , the motor vehicle  1  comprises a command receiving device  7 , which is configured to receive an opening request command for the door  4  from the outside of the motor vehicle  1 . 
     Specifically, the device  7  comprise a member that be touched from the outside of the motor vehicle  1 , for example a lever, which is well visible in  FIG.  2   . Alternatively, the touchable member could be a button or even a touch-sensitive surface, for example of the capacitive or inductive type or the like, or a heat-sensitive surface. The touchable member is preferably coupled to the body  2 . Furthermore, the touchable member conveniently is separate from the door  4 . 
     Hence, in this case, the opening request command comes from the user U, who touches the device  7 , as shown in  FIG.  2   . 
     This is not limiting; as a matter of fact  7 , the device could comprise an electromagnetic signal receiver. Therefore, the opening request command could be an electromagnetic signal, for example emitted by an electronic device, for example a remote control, a mobile phone and the like, according to a corresponding command of the user U. 
     The motor vehicle  1  further comprises a control unit ECU coupled to the devices  5 ,  7 . 
     The control unit ECU is configured to control the opening device  5  in response to the opening request command received by the device  7 , so that the door  4  rotates from the closed configuration towards the open configuration. 
     The control unit ECU can also be configured to control the opening device  5  so that the door  4  rotates in the opposite direction, namely from the open configuration towards the closed configuration, for example based on a closing request command coming from a suitable device non shown herein and coupled to the control unit ECU. 
     More precisely, the control unit ECU control the opening device  5  so that the door  4  reaches an intermediate configuration between the open—in particular, completely open—configuration and the closed configuration. 
     This intermediate configuration is shown, in particular, in  FIG.  2   a   . The intermediate configuration is a presenter configuration or, better said, an open presenter configuration, meaning that the door  4  is slightly open by an angle that is sufficient to expose to the user U the end  4   a  opposite the hinged one. 
     More precisely, from the closed configuration to the intermediate configuration, the door  4  rotates by an angle ranging from 2° to 20°, preferably of 5°. 
     In other words, as shown in  FIG.  2   a   , the door  4  open in the intermediate configuration allows the user U to introduce a hand between the body  2  and the door  4 , so that the user U can manually push or grab the door  4 , more precisely the end  4   a.  By so doing, the user U can move the door  4  towards the open configuration. 
     In this way, the door  4  does not need any handle or graspable element, which allows the user U to move the door  4 . 
     On the contrary, the door  4  externally lacks handles, graspable elements or graspable portions designed to allow or make it easier for the user to grasp the door  4  and/or rotate the door  4  from the closed configuration towards the open configuration. 
     For example, the door  4  has an outer surface  4   b,  which has no protuberances or recesses of any kind, which allow the user U the grasp the door, specifically from the outside of the motor vehicle  1 . The user U can only lay or press a palm of the hand against the surface  4   b.  On the other hand, the user U cannot grab the door  4  and cannot introduce the fingers in a recess thereof. 
     The surface  4   b  looks like a continuous surface without corners. Furthermore, the surface  4   b  is continuous and flush with the body  2  or outer body of the motor vehicle  1 . 
     The device  5  comprises a motor  10 , for example an electric or hydraulic motor, controllable by the control unit ECU. In fact, the motor  10  is coupled to the control unit ECU. In other words, the motor  10  is a servo-motor. 
     The motor  10  could be a rotary motor or a linear motor. 
     In particular, the motor  10  comprises at least one casing or a portion carried by the body  2  in a fixed position relative to the body  2 . 
     Furthermore, the device  5  comprises a pushing assembly  11  operable by the motor  10  to exert a thrust upon the door  4 . 
     The pushing assembly  11  is conveniently carried by the body  2 . 
     The pushing assembly  11  can be manufactured in many ways and can contain one or more transmissions, kinematic mechanisms, gears, articulated mechanisms designed to exert the thrust upon the door  4 . 
     For example, the pushing assembly  11  could include a crank train mechanism configured to convert a rotary motion of the motor  10  into a translation motion exerting the thrust. 
     Furthermore, for example, the pushing assembly  11  could include one or more speed reduction devices, such as gears or a transmission with a flexible drive member, in particular including one or more pulleys and, for example, a belt wound around the pulleys. 
     The thrust exerted by the assembly  11  is transversal, more precisely orthogonal to the door  4 . Furthermore, the assembly  11  exerts the thrust from the inside of the motor vehicle  1 . 
     The thrust can be exerted both towards the outside and towards the inside of the motor vehicle  1 , based on whether the device  5  is used to open or close the door  4 , respectively. In order to avoid misunderstandings, the terms “open” and “close” mean moving the door  4  towards the open and closed configuration, respectively. 
     The assembly  11  comprises at least one pushing portion  12 , which is movable, through translation, along a straight axis or direction A, specifically parallel to the forward moving direction of the motor vehicle  1  or parallel to the direction of extension of the door  4  in the closed configuration. 
     The pushing portion  12  is carried by the body  2  in a movable manner, through translation, along the axis A. In other words, the portion is constrained relative to the body  2  with at least one degree of freedom of translation relative to the body  2 . Still in other words, the pushing portion  12  translates, namely relative to the body  2  along the axis A. 
     In particular, the axis A is fixed relative to the body  2 . 
     Furthermore, the assembly  11  preferably comprises a transmission, for example a crank train mechanism in case the motor  10  is a rotary motor or a straight rod in case the motor is a linear motor, configured to transmit an output of the motor  10 , for example a torque or an output speed thereof, to the pushing portion  12 , so that the latter translates in response to the output of the motor  10 . 
     By translating, the pushing portion  12  exerts the transversal thrust upon the door  4 . 
     More in detail, the pushing portion  12  exerts the thrust by means of an arm  14 , which is coupled to the door  4  and to the pushing portion  12 . 
     More precisely, the arm  14  is fixed to the door  4 . 
     In particular, the assembly  11  comprises a structure  15  to which the arm  14  is hinged. More in particular, the structure  15  is fixed relative to the body  2 . 
     The pushing portion  12  is preferably carried by the structure  15 . 
     The arm  14  comprises an end  14   a  fixed to the door  4  and an end  14   b  hinged to the structure  15  around a hinge axis B transversal, more precisely orthogonal to the direction A. 
     The coupling of the pushing portion  12  to the arm  14  is such that the translation of the pushing portion  12  along the direction A causes the rotation of the arm  14  around the axis B. 
     Namely, the arm  14  rotates in response to the translation of the pushing portion  12 . 
     For example, the pushing portion  12  can be fixed to the arm  14 . 
     The pushing portion  12  is coupled to the arm  14  in an intermediate position between the ends  14   a,    14   b.    
     Therefore, by translating along the direction A, the pushing portion  12  pushes the arm  14  at the intermediate position. By so doing, the arm  14  rotates around the axis B, thus pushing the door  4 . 
     The arm  14  preferably has a curved or hook-like shape. In other words, the shape of the arm  14  is such that the thrust of the pushing portion  12  along the axis A in the area of the intermediate portion corresponds to a transversal thrust exerted upon the door  4  in the area of the end  14   a.    
     The operation of the motor vehicle  1  is described by  FIGS.  3  and  4   . 
     In  FIG.  3   , the door  4  is in the closed configuration. When the user U or a suitable electronic device issues the opening request command, the device  7  receives the opening request command. 
     At this point, the control unit ECU identifies the receipt of the opening request command and controls the opening device  5 . 
     The opening device  5  is controlled so as to move the door  4  to the intermediate presenter configuration. Then, the user U can move the door  4  until it reaches the open configuration, which is shown in  FIG.  4   . 
     The opening device  5  does not prevent the opening configuration from being reached, as shown in  FIG.  4   . Indeed, the pushing portion  12  can keep translating from a position corresponding to the intermediate presenter configuration towards a position corresponding to the open configuration and vice versa. 
     The control unit ECU can even control the opening device  5  so as to move the door  4  to the open—more precisely, completely open—configuration by means of the motor  10 , without interventions of the user U. 
     Hence, the opening device  5  controlled by the control unit ECU can accompany the movement of the door  4  pushed by the user U, specifically through the motor  10 . 
     The closing of the door  4  can take place by means of the opening device  5  in a reverse manner compared to the opening of the door  4 . 
     Namely, the control unit ECU can control the opening device  5  so as to close the door  4 . 
     The closing of the door  4 , in a reverse manner relative to the opening of the door  4 , could also be considered in an independent manner relative to the opening of the door  4 . In other words, the control unit ECU could control the opening device  5  so as to close the door  4  in an independent manner relative to the control of the opening device  5  to open the door  4 . 
     During the closing, the motor  10  can be controlled so as to adjust the closing speed of the door  4 . For example, the control unit ECU can control the motor  10  so that the closing speed of the door  4  is limited by a maximum value, which can be predetermined or selected by the user U. For example, the order of magnitude of the maximum value is 0.8 rad/s. 
     In particular, the control unit ECU can control a gradual closing of the door  4  by means of the opening device  5 , without intervention of the user U, especially from the intermediate presenter configuration towards the closed configuration. 
     Hence, the closing could take place in two distinct and independent times: a first movement from the opening configuration to the intermediate presenter configuration and a second movement from the intermediate presenter configuration to the closed configuration. 
     Owing to the above, the advantages of the motor vehicle  1  according to the invention are evident. 
     The opening and, if necessary, the closing of the door  4  take place in an extremely simple and safe fashion, as well as in a semi-automatic manner. 
     The lack of handles or apprehensible portions on the surface  4   b  is advantageous both in aesthetic terms and in technical terms. In particular, the aerodynamic of the motor vehicle  1  benefits from this lack. Furthermore, theft-related safety is increased as well. In addition, the shape of the door  4  is necessarily simplified. 
     Finally, the motor vehicle  1  according to the invention can be subjected to changes and variants, which, though, do not go beyond the scope of protection set forth in the appended claims.