Door-opening/closing apparatus
The clutch includes a drive disk, a follower disk and a brake disk. When current flows, the follower disk is connected with the drive disk to transmit a power from a driving unit to a door-opening/closing mechanism. When no current flows, the follower disk is separated from the drive disk to cut off the power transmission from the driving unit to the door-opening/closing mechanism. In a state that the drive disk and the follower disk are separated from each other, the brake disk is connected to the follower disk to brake the door-opening/closing mechanism in the opening direction of the door, and to allow the door-opening/closing mechanism to move in the closing direction of the door.
1. A door-opening/closing apparatus for a vehicle, the vehicle having a body, the body having an opening, the vehicle having a door for closing the opening of the body based on a power of a driving unit, comprising:
a door-opening/closing mechanism that drives the door in at least one of an opening and closing direction; and
a clutch having a first mechanism to flow an electric current and a second mechanism to any one of transmit and not transmit the power of the driving unit to the door-opening/closing mechanism based on whether the electric current is flowing in the first mechanism, wherein
when the electric current flows in the first mechanism, the second mechanism transmits the power of the driving unit to the door-opening/closing mechanism so that the door can be any one of opened and closed, and
when no electric current flows in the first mechanism, the second mechanism does not transmit the power of the driving unit to the door-opening/closing mechanism so that the door cannot be opened but can be closed.
2. The door-opening/closing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the clutch has a third mechanism to switch between a first state and a second state, wherein,
in the first state, the door-opening/closing mechanism is disabled to allow of the door, and
in the second state, the door-opening/closing mechanism allows opening and closing of the door.
3. The door-opening/closing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second mechanism includes:
a drive disk that is driven by the driving unit;
a follower disk that is linked with the door-opening/closing mechanism, wherein
when the electric current flows in the first mechanism, the follower disk is engaged with the drive disk to transmit the power of the driving unit to the door-opening/closing mechanism, and
when no electric current flows in the first mechanism, the follower disk is separated from the drive disk to cut off the transmission of the power; and
a brake disk that is engaged with the follower disk when no electric current flows in the first mechanism, wherein
the brake disk disables the door-opening/closing mechanism to allow opening of the door, and
the brake disk allows the door-opening/closing mechanism to allow closing of the door.
4. The door-opening/closing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the drive disk and the follower disk have angled teeth, operable to engage with each other, and
when the electric current flows in the first mechanism, the teeth of the drive disk and the follower disk are engaged with each other, and
when no electric current flows in the first mechanism, the teeth of the drive disk and the follower disk are separated from each other.
5. The door-opening/closing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the follower disk and the brake disk have saw teeth, wherein each of the saw teeth of the brake disk has a first surface that is perpendicular to a plane of the follower disk and a second surface that makes a slope with respect to the plane of the follower disk, and
when no electric current flows in the first mechanism, the follower disk cannot rotate in a descending direction of the slope of the second surface of the brake disk, the door-opening/closing mechanism is disabled to drive the door in the opening direction of the door, the follower disk is allowed to rotate in an ascending direction of the slope of the second surface of the saw teeth of the brake disk, and the door-opening/closing mechanism allows closing of the door.
6. The door-opening/closing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the brake disk includes an inner race and an outer race; and
a one-way clutch that is placed between the inner race and the outer race, the one-way clutch being configured to disable the power transmission in the opening direction of the door, and to allow the power transmission in the closing direction of the door.
7. The door-opening/closing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the brake disk is configured to be separable from the follower disk when the drive disk and the follower disk are separated from each other.
8. The door-opening/closing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the clutch includes:
a drive disk that is driven by the driving unit;
a follower disk that is linked with the door-opening/closing mechanism, wherein
when the electric current flows in the first mechanism, the follower disk is engaged with the drive disk to transmit the power of the driving unit to the door-opening/closing mechanism, and
when no electric current flows in the first mechanism, the follower disk is separated from the drive disk to cut off the transmission of the power; and
a brake disk that is engaged with the follower disk when no electric current flows in the first mechanism, wherein
the brake disk disables the door-opening/closing mechanism to allow opening of the door, and
the brake disk allows the door-opening/closing mechanism to allow closing of the door.
9. The door-opening/closing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the drive disk and the follower disk have angled teeth, operable to engage with each other,
when the electric current flows in the first mechanism, the teeth of the drive disk and the follower disk are engaged with each other, and
when no electric current flows in the first mechanism, the teeth of the drive disk and the follower disk are separated from each other.
10. The door-opening/closing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the follower disk and the brake disk have saw teeth, wherein each of the saw teeth of the brake disk has a first surface that is perpendicular to a plane of the follower disk and a second surface that makes a slope with respect to the plane of the follower disk, and
when no electric current flows in the first mechanism, the follower disk cannot rotate in a descending direction of the slope of the second surface of the saw teeth of the brake disk, the door-opening/closing mechanism is disabled to drive the door in the opening direction of the door, the follower disk is allowed to rotate in an ascending direction of the slope of the second surface of the saw teeth of the brake disk, and the door-opening/closing mechanism allows is of the door.
11. The door-opening/closing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the brake disk includes an inner race and an outer race; and
a one-way clutch that is placed between the inner race and the outer race, the one way clutch being configured to disable the power transmission in the opening direction of the door, and to allow the power transmission in the closing direction of the door.
12. The door-opening/closing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the brake disk is configured to be separable from the follower disk when the drive disk and the follower disk are separated from each other.
13. The door-opening/closing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the door is a back door that closes a tailgate formed on a rear portion of the body.