IP Library Granted Patent US 10,190,356
Granted Patent B2
US 10,190,356 · App. 15/305,358 · Granted Jan 29, 2019

Power door opening and closing device

Inventor: Yasuyuki Watanabe (Yokohama, JP)
Assignee: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
E05F15/73B60J5/101E05F1/1091E05F15/63E05Y2201/72E05Y2400/36E05Y2800/113E05Y2900/546
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,190,356
App. No.
15/305,358
Granted
Jan 29, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A power door opening device that shortens time from start of manual operation to assistance starting. The device comprises an actuator that assists a motion for opening and closing a door supported by a vehicle body; a door-end sensor that detects the motion of the door; and a control that carries out opening/closing control of the actuator on the basis that the door-end sensor detects the motion of the end of the door.

Claims (8)

1. A power door opening and closing device comprising:

an actuator comprising a motor for assisting an operating force to open and close a door supported by a vehicle body, and a control for driving the motor of the actuator to open and close the door,

wherein a built-in sensor comprising a magnetic ring, rotating according to opening and closing motions of the door, is disposed in the actuator, and an angular velocity sensor is disposed at a distal end of the door for detecting a motion of the distal end of the door; and

wherein when the motor of the actuator is at rest and the control determines that the door is in an intermediate position between a fully-closed position and a fully-open position, when the angular velocity sensor detects the motion of the distal end of the door in an opening direction or a closing direction, or when the built-in sensor in the actuator detects the rotation of the magnetic ring before the angular velocity sensor detects the motion of the door, the control determines that the door is being manually operated, and the control drives the motor of the actuator to open and/or close the door based on the determination of the manual operation of the door.

2. The power door opening and closing device according to claim 1 , wherein the door is a liftgate that opens and closes vertically, and the liftgate is urged at least in the opening direction by a force of a gas spring, the gas spring is constructed so that the force applied to the liftgate changes with a circumferential temperature detected by a temperature sensor disposed at the gas spring or adjacent to the gas spring, and the control drives the motor of the actuator at a duty ratio determined according to the circumferential temperature.

3. The power door opening and closing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control drives the motor of the actuator at a duty ratio determined according to an angle of the door.

4. The power door opening and closing device according to claim 2 , wherein the gas spring is disposed at each side of a rear end of the vehicle body to reduce an opening force of the liftgate.

5. The power door opening and closing device according to claim 1 , wherein when the built-in sensor generates continuously pulsed signals having a length shorter than a predetermined length in a predetermined number or more, the control determines, according to the detection by the built-in sensor, that the door is being manually operated.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 26, 2026
From: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
To: HI-LEX ACT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 074954/0366 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 20, 2016
From: WATANABE, YASUYUKI
To: MITSUI KINZOKU ACT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 040071/0203 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2014-116423 · Jun 5, 2014 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170081900A1 · Mar 23, 2017