Patent Abstract:
An automation assembly is adapted to be connected to a door system of a motor vehicle. The automation assembly is modular and includes a frame that is fixedly secured to the motor vehicle. A motor is fixedly secured to the frame and adapted to receive power. The motor converts the power into a rotational output force. The motor includes a non-ferrous core. A set of pulleys and rollers are fixedly secured to the frame at predetermined positions to direct the path of a continuous belt. The continuous belt is fixedly secured to the door system such that the motor moves the continuous belt and the door system bidirectionally between an open position and a closed position. Sensors are used to determine the position of the door, the speed thereof and whether the door is being moved manually.

Full Description:
This application claims the benefit of the Provisional Application No. 60/199,965, filed Apr. 27, 2000. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates to a system for moving a component part of a motor vehicle. In particular, the invention relates to an actuator used to selectively provide access to an enclosure of a motor vehicle. 
   DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
   As motor vehicles characterized by their utility become a mainstream choice, consumers demand certain luxuries primarily associated with passenger cars, either due to their inherent design and/or size. One of the features desired by consumers is the automated movement of such items as sliding doors and lift gates. While features providing automated motion are available, the designs for mechanisms used to accommodate manual overrides are lacking in capability and functionality. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,144,769 discloses an automatic door operating system. This system requires a great deal of control, both by an electronic controller and an operator of the motor vehicle. To overcome forces due to manual operation, the manually operated seesaw switch used by the operator to electromechanically operate the door is in an open state, preventing current from passing through the motor. While this system may not generate a current, the iron core of the motor armature must move with respect thereto and this will create an inertial force and a magnetic loss that must be overcome. Further, there is no contemplation of overcoming the friction forces generated by the belt and transmission system that incorporates the use of the motor. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An automation assembly is adapted to be connected to a door system of a motor vehicle. The automation assembly includes a frame that is fixedly secured to the motor vehicle. A motor is fixedly secured to the frame and adapted to receive power. The motor converts the power into a rotational output force. The motor includes a non-ferrous core. A set of rollers are fixedly secured to the frame at predetermined positions. A continuous belt extends around the set of rollers and the motor. The belt is fixedly secured to the door system such that the motor moves the continuous belt and the door system bidirectionally between an open position and a closed position. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Advantages of the invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a side view of a motor vehicle with a sliding side door in its open position; 
       FIG. 2  is a top view of one embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a top view of a second embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a top view, partially cut away, of a third embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional side view of the frame and motor utilized by the third embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the frame in a track utilized by the third embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a top view of a fourth embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view of the fourth embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 9  is an exploded perspective view of the motor incorporated into the four embodiments of the invention; and 
       FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the frame incorporated into the fourth embodiment of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to the Figures, wherein like primed reference characters represent similar elements through the different embodiments of the invention, the invention  10  is generally a closure assembly for a motor vehicle  12 . Although the invention  10  will be described to be incorporated into and/or working in conjunction with a sliding door  14  of a minivan-styled motor vehicle  12 , it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention  10  is not limited to this style closure and motor vehicle. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a coreless motor is generally indicated at  18 . The coreless motor  18  is used in an assembly to automatically move the sliding door  14  with respect to a specific frame of reference, i.e., the door opening  20 . The coreless motor  18  includes a housing  22  within which an ironless disk  24  is housed. Motor brushes (not shown) are connected to an electrical current via electrical leads (not shown). The disk  24  is secured to a motor output shaft  26 . A pinion gear  28  is mounted to the motor output shaft  26  and rotates therewith. 
   The pinion gear  28  rotates the drive gear  30 . The ratio of the pinion gear  28  with respect to the drive gear  30  is between 1:6 and 1:8. This allows the disk to have a smaller diameter than would otherwise be possible if the drive gear  30  was closer in diameter to the pinion gear  24 . In the preferred embodiment, the disk  24  has a diameter of approximately 10 mm. A pulley  32  is secured to the drive gear  30  such that there is no lost motion therebetween. The pulley  32  drives a belt  34 , discussed subsequently. 
   The coreless motor  18  is a direct current (DC) electrodynamic machine having its armature coil-turn windings (not shown) within the magnetic air-gap without using a ferrous material for a flux linkage. The absence of the ferrous core for flux linkage requires the diameter of the disk to be larger than would otherwise be needed. The coreless motor  18  does, however, generate less current when it is manually rotated in a direction opposite that in which the current flowing through the brushes would dictate. Likewise, less current is generated in the coreless motor  18  if the coreless motor  18  is not being operated. Therefore, a smaller force is needed to move the sliding door  14  manually without the aid of the automatic opening features. For a brush-commutated motor, the armature is the rotor and the field is the stator. For a brushless motor, the field rotates and the armature is the stator. 
   An electronic controller  36  controls the coreless motor  18 . It does so by receiving inputs from a motor encoder sensor  38  that determines the position of the belt  34  and the sliding door  14  with respect to the motor vehicle  12 . 
   Tensioning devices  40  are used to take up slack when the sliding door is moved manually. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the tensioning devices  40  are pulleys  44  with spring loaded plungers  42 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , a compression spring  42 ′ extends between the two pulleys  44 ′. A potentiometric sensor  46 ′ is used to identify the amount of potential stored within the spring  42 ′. If the spring  42 ′ is unbalanced, the electronic controller  36 ′ operates the coreless motor  18 ′ to return the spring  42 ′ to balance. 
   The presence of a back-driving force may be sensed in the interfacing transmission, i.e., the pinion gear  28 ′, the drive gear  30 ′ and the pulley  32 ′. Once sensed, the information is in a manner similar to feedback wherein the information is transmitted back to the electronic controller  36 ′ allowing it to then operate the coreless motor  18 ′. In this manner, the coreless motor  18 ′ would be operated to keep up with the movement of the sliding door  14 ′ eliminating the need for the operator to manually overcome the losses due to the coreless motor  18 ′ and the interfacing transmission. Sensing such movement may be accomplished using the belt path shown in  FIG. 3 . This embodiment of the belt path includes a center spring  41  and the potentiometric sensor  46 ′. When the belt  34 ′ is being forced one direction or another, the center spring  41  is unbalanced. This unbalance is sensed by the potentiometric sensor  46 ′ and then transmitted to the electronic controller  36 ′ which, in turn, operates the coreless motor  18 ′ to attempt to return the center spring  41  to balance. Once the center spring  41  returns to steady state or balance, typically by the operator ceasing to move the sliding door  14 ′, the electronic controller  36 ′ stops the coreless motor  18 ′. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 4 through 6 , a third embodiment of the invention  10 ″ is shown. The invention is an automated assembly  10 ″ adapted to operate the sliding door  14 ″ of the motor vehicle. The automated assembly  10 ″ includes a frame  48 . The frame  48  is moveable with respect to a track  50  used by the sliding door  14 ″ to move between the open and closed positions. The frame  48  slides along the track  50  using rollers (not shown). 
   The coreless motor  18 ″ is fixedly secured to the frame  48 . The coreless motor  18 ″ moves the frame  48  by rotating its output shaft  26 ″ to move a pulley (not shown). The pulley forces the frame  48  to move along the belt  34 ″. The belt  34 ″ in this embodiment is not continuous. The belt  34 ″ extends along a curved path between a first end  52  and a second end, graphically represented at  54  in  FIG. 4 . In this embodiment, three guide pulleys  56  are shown directing the belt  34 ″ through its curved path. 
   Referring to  FIG. 5 , the coreless motor  18 ″ is secured to the frame and driving the pinion gear  28 ″. The pinion gear  28 ″ then drives an intermediate spur gear set  58 . The intermediate spur gear set  58  drives a spur gear  60  and a bevel gear  62 . 
   Referring to  FIG. 6 , the sliding door  14 ″ is shown with the lower hinge, i.e., the frame  48  attached thereto. A toothed drive pulley  64  drives the sliding door  14 ″ between its open and closed positions by rotating and forcing itself along the belt  34 ″. The bevel gear  62  rotates a second bevel gear  66  which, in turn, rotates a drive shaft  68  that drives the toothed drive pulley  64 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 7 through 10 , a fourth embodiment of the invention  10 ′″ is shown. The belt  34 ′″ is continuous in this embodiment as it was in the first two embodiments. The belt  34 ′″ rolls along pulleys  70  and rollers  72 . An attachment clip  74  secures the sliding door  14 ′″ to a single position with respect to the belt  34 ′″. Therefore, the sliding door  14 ′″ follows the belt  34 ′″ as the belt  34 ′″ moves between its extreme positions. 
   A frame  48 ′″ positions the pulleys  70  and rollers  72  and is secured to the coreless motor  18 ′″. The frame  48 ′″ and the coreless motor  18 ′″ are secured together via an intermediate bracket  76  and motor housing  78 . The intermediate bracket  76  includes an elongated opening  80  that allows the belt  34 ′″ to move around the coreless motor  18 ′″ and around the frame  48 ′″. 
     FIG. 10  illustrates the belt  34 ′″ and how it is secured to the frame  48 ′″. A load roller  82  aids in the movement of the sliding door  14 ′″. The belt  34 ′″ moves through a channel  84  in the frame  48 ′″ as the coreless motor  18 ′″ moves the belt  34 ′″ therearound. The positioning clip  74 ′″ includes an upper clip  86  and a lower clip  88 . The positioning clip  74 ′″ clamps on one portion of the belt  34 ′″. A guide roller  90  moves through the track  50 ′″ to help guide the sliding door  14 ′″ as it moves between the open and closed positions. 
   In all of the embodiments disclosed herein, the invention  10 ,  10 ′,  10 ″,  10 ′″ is designed to be modular. More specifically, the automation assembly  10 ,  10 ′,  10 ″,  10 ′″ is designed to be fit into a motor vehicle that was designed to have the option of whether the sliding door  14  is to be automatically driven or whether the sliding door  14  is to be strictly manually operated. Except for the belt in some of the embodiments, the entire assembly is designed to be secured to the motor vehicle as a single entity. This allows the assembly of the invention  10  to the motor vehicle  12  to be simple. 
   The invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations of the invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4