Patent ID: 8322761

Claim:
An apparatus for controlling an opening/closing body for automatically opening/closing the opening/closing body, the apparatus comprising: a latch for drawing in and releasing a striker; a pawl engageable with the latch; a latch closing operation mechanism operatively connected to the latch and a latch releasing operation mechanism operatively connected to the pawl; a displacement body operatively connected to said latch closing operation mechanism and said latch releasing operation mechanism, said displacement body being movable by a motor operatively connected to said displacement body so that said displacement body is displaced between movable regions including a latch closing region for operating said latch closing operation mechanism to move said latch to draw-in said striker, a latch releasing region for operating said latch releasing operation mechanism to move said pawl out of engagement with said latch so that said striker is releasable, and a neutral region located between said latch closing region and said latch releasing region; a first detecting section configured to output a first detection signal in response to passage of the displacement body through a first boundary portion of the neutral region on the side of the closing region; a second detecting section configured to output a second detection signal in response to passage of the displacement body through a second boundary portion of the neutral region on the side of the releasing region; and a control unit for configured to control a moving speed of the opening/closing body and effecting braking control for reducing the moving speed of the opening/closing body if neither the first detection signal nor the second detection signal are detected within a predetermined period after starting of a neutral returning movement which is effected after the latch closing movement of the opening/closing body for returning said displacement body from said latch closing region to said neutral region.