Patent Publication Number: US-2004046419-A1

Title: Powered sliding device for vehicle sliding door

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] 1. Field of the Invention  
       [0002] The present invention relates to a powered sliding device for a vehicle sliding door.  
       [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art  
       [0004] Conventionally, powered sliding devices for a vehicle sliding door, wherein the sliding door is slid in the door closing direction and in the door opening direction by rotating a wire drum connected to the sliding door through a wire cable by the power of a motor have been well known.  
       [0005] In the powered sliding devices, there is one which uses a solenoid as a part. The solenoid is used in an electromagnetic clutch for transmitting the rotation of the motor to the wire drum or an electromagnetic brake for applying braking to the wire drum. It cannot be said that the electromagnetic brake is an essential unit for the powered sliding device, but it is possible to comparatively easily improve the safety and the controllability of the sliding device by using the electromagnetic brake.  
       [0006] The electromagnetic clutch and electromagnetic brake cannot be operated when the wire of the solenoid is broken or the transistor for exciting the solenoid is damaged. In the case of the electromagnetic clutch, even if such a failure is caused, only the transmission of the rotation of the motor to the wire drum becomes impossible and no problem is caused in the manual door opening, and therefore, there is no trouble in the safety. However, when the electromagnetic brake is broken down, it becomes impossible to apply braking to the wire drum, and if the sliding door is slid by the motor power supposing that the electromagnetic brake can be used, the effect to the safety is produced.  
       [0007] Furthermore, a powered closing device wherein when the sliding door has moved in the door closing direction to a predetermined position, the latch to be engaged with the striker is rotated in the full-latch direction by the motor power, so that the sliding door is made in the full-latched state is also well known, and the powered closing device may be used together with the powered sliding device.  
       [0008] In the basic setting of the combination device, the sliding device takes charge of the movement from the door opening position of the sliding door to the half-latched position. Then, the closing device takes charge of the movement from the position a little before the half-latched position of the sliding door to the full-latched position. Thus, in the basic setting, between the position on this side and the half-latched position, the sliding device and the closing device are operated at the same time, and consequently, it is arranged that the sliding door moved by the sliding device can surely be passed to the closing device.  
       [0009] The first problem of the basic setting is that the sliding device and the closing device operate at the same time. When both devices operate at the same time, a large load is applied to the battery to cause sudden dropping of the voltage, and the operation of the sliding device and the closing device becomes unstable. Therefore, previously, the use of the strengthened electric system has become essential, and it has been inevitable for the device to be large-sized.  
       [0010] Furthermore, the second problem of the basic setting is that it is necessary to always move the sliding door to the half-latched position by the sliding device. In order to move the sliding door to the half-latched position, an unexpectedly strong force is necessary because of the effect of the reaction of the weather strip or the like. Therefore, the sliding device is also made large-sized.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a circuit by which the inspection of the electromagnetic brake of the powered sliding device can be performed before moving the sliding door.  
       [0012] Furthermore, it is another object of the present invention to provide a small-sized combination device including a powered sliding device and a powered closing device.  
       [0013] In the combination device of the present invention, the sliding device takes charge of the movement from the door opening position of the sliding door to the succeeding point a little before the half-latched position, and the closing device takes charge of the movement from the succeeding point of the sliding door to the full-latched position. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0014]FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle with a powered sliding device and a sliding door;  
     [0015]FIG. 2 is an expanded view of the sliding device and the sliding door;  
     [0016]FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a latch assembly;  
     [0017]FIG. 4 is a block diagram for performing the control operation of the present invention; and  
     [0018]FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a failure detecting circuit. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0019] One embodiment of the present invention will be described by using drawings. FIG. 1 shows the rough relation between a powered sliding device  10  according to the present invention and a vehicle sliding door  11  which slides in the door closing direction and in the door opening direction by the powered sliding device  10 . FIG. 2 shows the expanded relation between the two.  
     [0020] The sliding door  11  is slidably attached to a vehicle body  13 , and slides in the back and forth direction of the vehicle body  13  along a guide rail  72  provided to the vehicle body  13 . A base plate  12  of the powered sliding device  10  is fixed to the vehicle body  13 , and to the base plate  12 , a motor  14 , a reduction mechanism  15 , a wire drum  16 , and an electromagnetic brake  17  are provided. The electromagnetic brake  17  is operated by the electric control and applies braking to the wire drum  16 .  
     [0021] To the wire drum  16 , one end sides of two wire cables  18 ,  19  are connected. The other end side of the first wire cable  18  is connected to a bracket  21  of the sliding door  11  through a front pulley  20  pivoted to the vehicle body  13 . Similarly, the other end side of the second wire cable  19  is connected to the bracket  21  through a rear pulley  22  pivoted to the vehicle body  13 .  
     [0022] Between the reduction mechanism  15  and the wire drum  16 , a clutch mechanism  25  is provided, and the rotation of the motor  14  is transmitted to the wire drum  16  through the reduction mechanism  15  and the clutch mechanism  25 . The structure of the clutch mechanism  25  is free. For example, an electromagnetic clutch which can be switched to the connected state and the disconnected state between the motor  14  and the wire drum  16 , or a clutch which is switched to the connected state when the motor  14  rotates and which is switched to the disconnected state when the motor  14  stops, or a clutch which is switched to the connected state by the rotation of the motor  14  but which can keep the connected state even if the motor  14  is stopped, or the like can be used (refer to U.S. Pat. No. 6,359,762).  
     [0023] When the wire drum  16  rotates clockwise by the power of the motor  14 , the first wire cable  18  is wound up and at the same time, the second wire cable  19  is pulled out, and the sliding door  11  slides in the door closing direction, and by the counterclockwise rotation of the wire drum  16 , the second wire cable  19  is wound up and at the same time, the first wire cable  18  is pulled out, and the sliding door  11  slides in the door opening direction.  
     [0024] To the sliding door  11 , a latch assembly  23  for keeping the sliding door  11  at the door closing position is attached. To a latch body  36  of the latch assembly  23 , as shown in FIG. 3, a latch  26  to be engaged with a striker  24  fixed to the vehicle body  13 , and a ratchet  27  to be engaged with the latch  26  are pivoted. The latch  26  is urged in the counterclockwise direction by the elasticity of a latch spring  28 , and the ratchet  27  is urged in the clockwise direction by the elasticity of a ratchet spring (not shown). When the sliding door  11  moves in the door closing direction, the latch  26  comes into contact with the striker  24 , and rotates from the door opening position (unlatched-position) which is shown by the solid line through the half-latched position where the ratchet  27  is engaged with the half-latch step part  29  of the latch  26  to the full-latched position shown by the dotted line where the ratchet  27  is engaged with the full-latch step part  30  of the latch  26 . When the latch  26  becomes in the full-latched position and the ratchet  27  is engaged with the full-latch step part  30 , the sliding door  11  is completely closed.  
     [0025] The latch assembly  23  has a latch switch  31  for detecting the position of the latch  26 . The latch switch  31  is tuned on when the latch  26  is engaged with the striker  24  by the movement of the sliding door  11  in the door closing direction and rotates from the unlatched-position to a predetermined position (hereafter, referred to as the succeeding point). The timing of ON of the latch switch  31  is the moment when the latch  26  is initially engaged with the striker  24 , and the moment before the latch  26  becomes in the half-latched position.  
     [0026] The latch assembly  23  has a motor type powered closing device  32  which operates when the latch switch  31  is turned on, and the output of the powered closing device  32  is transferred to a driving lever  33 . To the driving lever  33 , a pressing part  34  is attached, and when the driving lever  33  rotates counterclockwise about a support shaft  35  by the power of the closing device  32 , the pressing part  34  moves to the right along a guide groove  37  in the latch body  36 . At the moment when the closing device  32  is actuated, the latch  26  is at the succeeding-point where the latch  26  is initially engaged with the striker  24 , and therefore, the pressing part  34  moved to the right comes into contact with a latch leg part  38  of the latch  26  and rotates the latch  26  to the full-latched position by the power of the closing device  32 , and completely closes the sliding door  11 .  
     [0027]FIG. 4 is a block diagram for performing the control operation according to the present invention. The block diagram has a controller  66 , a battery  68 , an operating switch  69 , and a failure detecting circuit  84  of the electromagnetic brake  17 .  
     [0028]FIG. 5 shows a power circuit of the electromagnetic brake  17 , and the power circuit has a solenoid  85  of the electromagnetic brake  17 , and a switch transistor  86 . When the controller  66  outputs the High signal from the output port A, the switch transistor  86  is turned on, and the electricity is sent from the battery  68  to the solenoid  85 , and the electromagnetic brake  17  is operated. The input port B of the controller  66  is connected to a line  87  reaching the collector of the switch transistor  86  from the ground side of the solenoid  85 , through the failure detecting circuit  84 . Originally, the failure detecting circuit  84  is a circuit for transmitting the voltage level of the line  87  to the input port B, and in this meaning, a mere line is also sufficient, but in the embodiment, it is made to be a circuit wherein the electromotive force at the time of ON of the switch transistor  86  or the outward noise signal is not transmitted to the input port B of the controller  66 .  
     OPERATIONS  
     [0029] When the operating switch  69  is operated to the door closing side, the door closing operation is performed by the controller  66 , and by the motor  14  of the powered sliding device  10 , the wire drum  16  is rotated in the door closing direction, and the sliding door  11  slides in the door closing direction, and when the sliding door  11  reaches the succeeding point before the half-latched position, the latch  26  of the sliding door  11  is initially brought into contact with the striker  24  and the latch switch  31  is turned on.  
     [0030] If the latch switch  31  is turned on, the door closing sliding of the sliding door  11  by the motor  14  of the powered sliding device  10  is stopped. Therefore, it is unnecessary for the powered sliding device  10  to make the sliding door  11  in the half-latched state, and therefore, it can be made small-sized and cheap when compared with that in the prior art.  
     [0031] By turning-on of the latch switch  31 , the electromagnetic brake  17  is operated, and braking is applied to the wire drum  16  to restrict the sliding movement of the sliding door  11 . Consequently, the sliding door  11  is not returned in the door opening direction by the effect of the reaction of the weather strip or the like and is kept at the succeeding point.  
     [0032] Furthermore, by turning-on of the latch switch  31 , the powered closing device  32  is started. Thus, the closing device  32  starts after the stop of the sliding device  10 , and therefore, the load of the battery is reduced when compared with the prior art.  
     [0033] By the start of the powered closing device  32 , the driving lever  33  rotates about the support shaft  35  and the pressing part  34  moves to the right along the guide groove  37 , and the pressing part  34  comes into contact with the leg part  38  of the latch  26  initially engaged with the striker  24  when about 0.5 second has passed since turning-on of the latch switch  31 . When the time necessary for the pressing part  34  to come into contact with the leg part  38  of the latch  26  has passed, the electromagnetic brake  17  is turned off, and the restriction of the sliding door  11  is canceled. Consequently, after that, by the pressing part  34  moved by the power of the powered closing device  32 , the latch  26  rotates to the full-latched position, and the sliding door  11  is completely closed.  
     [0034] The time necessary for the pressing part  34  to come into contact with the leg part  38  of the latch  26  depends on the battery voltage, and therefore, it is preferable to change the time of turning-on of the electromagnetic brake  17  according to the battery voltage.  
     [0035] The solenoid  85  of the electromagnetic brake  17  is operated when the switch transistor  86  is turned on by the High signal from the output port A of the controller  66 , and when the switch transistor  86  is turned off by the Low signal from the output port A, it stops. Then, if the switch transistor  86  is turned off, the voltage of the battery  68  is applied to the input port B of the controller  66  connected through the failure detecting circuit  84  to the line  87  reaching the switch transistor  86  from the ground side of the solenoid  85 , and therefore, the High signal is inputted (Furthermore, in the failure detecting circuit  84 , a logical inversion element is provided, and therefore, actually, the Low signal is inputted, but in the present specification, the description is given supposing that the logical inversion is out of the consideration). On the contrary, when the wire of the solenoid  85  is broken, the voltage of the battery  68  is not transmitted to the line  87 , and therefore, the Low signal is inputted to the input port B. Accordingly, when the output port A of the controller  66  is at the Low level, the following is clear.  
                                                          output port A   Input port B   Result           Low signal   High signal   Normal           Low signal   Low signal   Breaking of wire                   of solenoid 85                      
 
     [0036] When the controller  66  sends out the High signal from the output port A and turns on the switch transistor  86  to send the electricity to the solenoid  85 , the voltage level of the line  87  suddenly drops by the turning-on of the switch transistor  86 . Therefore, to the input port B of the controller  66 , the Low signal is inputted through the failure detecting circuit  84 . On the contrary, when the switch transistor  86  is broken, even if the controller  66  send out the High signal from the output port A, the voltage drop does not appear in the line  87 , and therefore, the High signal is inputted to the input port B. Accordingly, when the output port A of the controller  66  is at the High level, the following is clear.  
                                                          output port A   Input port B   Result           High signal   Low signal   Normal           High signal   High signal   Failure of                   transistor 86                      
 
     [0037] Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to separately detect each of the breaking of the solenoid  85  and the breaking of the switch transistor  86  by the existence of the command signal from the controller  66  for operating the solenoid  85 , and when such breaking is detected, it is arranged that the controller  66  does not perform the sliding control even if the operating switch  69  is operated.  
     [0038] Furthermore, the breaking detection of the solenoid  85  can always be monitored even when the powered sliding device  10  is waiting, but the breaking detection of the transistor  86  cannot be performed when the operation signal is not actually outputted to the solenoid  85 . Therefore, when the powered sliding device  10  is waiting, an operating signal as a necessary test is outputted, or after the operating switch  69  has been operated, an operating signal as a test is outputted, and it is arranged that if the normality is confirmed, the sliding control is performed, and when the failure of either the solenoid  85  or the transistor  86  is detected, the performing of the sliding control supposing that the electromagnetic brake  17  can be used is previously canceled.  
     ADVANTAGE  
     [0039] As mentioned above, in the present invention, it is possible to separately detect the normality and abnormality of each of the solenoid  85  and the switch transistor  86  by the combination of the signal level from the output port A and the voltage level inputted to the input port B.  
     [0040] Furthermore, according to the control method of the present invention, the power necessary for the powered sliding device  10  is decreased, and therefore, the down-sizing and the cost down of the device becomes possible, and furthermore, it becomes possible to avoid the simultaneous use of the powered sliding device  10  and the powered closing device  32 , and therefore the load of the electric system is also decreased.