IP Library Granted Patent US 12,276,142
Granted Patent B2
US 12,276,142 · App. 17/754,522 · Granted Apr 15, 2025

Door opening/closing detection apparatus and door opening/closing apparatus

Inventors: Soichi Miyata (Hiroshima, JP); Kazuhiro Fukui (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: U-Shin Ltd.
E05B81/76E05B85/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,276,142
App. No.
17/754,522
Granted
Apr 15, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present application improves operability. In the door opening/closing detection apparatus, the handle is axially supported rotatably on the base with the axis direction in vertical direction. When the handle's gripping portion is rotated from the neutral position to the push operation position rotated toward the outside of the vehicle, the first switch is activated by the handle's switch operation portion. Meanwhile, when the handle's gripping portion is rotated from the neutral position to the pull operation position rotated toward the interior of the vehicle, the handle's cam surface activates the second switch. This allows detection of operations on the handle while keeping the direction of push and pull operations on the gripping portion of the handle in line with the opening/closing direction of the door D. This allows the passenger to intuitively recognize the operation to the handle when opening and closing the door D, leading to improved operability.

Claims (36)

1. A door opening/closing detection apparatus comprising:

a base mounted on a vehicle door;

a handle with one end portion axially supported in a rotatable way on the base with the vertical direction as an axis direction, with other end portion having a gripping portion exposed to be operatable from the door to an interior side of the vehicle, and when operated, rotates the gripping portion from a neutral position to a pull operation position in which the door is rotated in a closing direction or from the neutral position to a push operation position in which the door is rotated in an opening direction;

a detection unit for detecting the push operation position and pull operation position of the handle,

wherein the detection unit is actuated by the handle in the push operation position and pull operation position;

wherein the detection unit has a pair of switches, and

wherein the handle comprises:

a handle main body with one end portion axially supported in a rotatable way by the base, and has the gripping portion at the other end; and

a sub-handle that is axially supported in a rotatable way on the base coaxially with the handle main body, rotates in conjunction with the handle main body when the handle main body rotates from the neutral position to one side in the direction of rotation, and is held in the neutral position when the handle main body rotates from the neutral position to the other side in the direction of rotation, being uninterlocked from the rotation of the handle main body,

wherein the handle main body has a main body side operation portion that activates one of the pair of switches when rotating from the neutral position to the other side in the direction of rotation; and

the sub-handle has a sub-side operation portion that activates the other of the pair of switches when the handle main body is rotated from the neutral position to one side in the direction of rotation.

2. The door opening/closing detection apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:

a first urging member that urges the handle main body against the sub-handle in one side in the direction of rotation; and

a second urging member that urges the sub-handle against the base toward the other side in the direction of rotation,

wherein,

in the neutral position, the sub-handle contacts the base to restrict rotation of the sub-handle to the other side in the direction of rotation, and the handle min body contacts the sub-handle to restrict rotation of the handle main body to one side in the direction of rotation.

3. The door opening/closing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit inhibits the drive of the door opening/closing drive unit when the handle is rotated to the push operation position while the door is positioned in the fully closed position.

4. A door opening/closing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit drives the door opening/closing drive unit to rotate the door in the closing direction when the handle is rotated to the pull operation position while the door is positioned in the fully open or open position.

5. The door opening/closing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit drives the door opening/closing drive unit to rotate the door in the open direction when the handle is rotated to the push operation position while the door is positioned in the open position.

6. The door opening/closing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection unit is a switch actuated by the handle in the push operation position and pull operation position.

7. The door opening/closing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein:

the detection unit has a pair of switches,

and the handle comprises:

a handle main body with one end portion axially supported in a rotatable way by the base, and has the gripping portion at the other end; and

a sub-handle that is axially supported in a rotatable way on the base coaxially with the handle main body, rotates in conjunction with the handle main body when the handle main body rotates from the neutral position to one side in the direction of rotation, and is held in the neutral position when the handle main body rotates from the neutral position to the other side in the direction of rotation, being uninterlocked from the rotation of the handle main body,

wherein,

the handle main body has a main body side operation portion that activates one of the pair of switches when rotating from the neutral position to the other side in the direction of rotation; and

the sub-handle has a sub-side operation portion that activates the other of the pair of switches when the handle main body is rotated from the neutral position to one side in the direction of rotation.

8. The door opening/closing apparatus according to claim 7 , comprising:

a first urging member that urges the handle main body against the sub-handle in one side in the direction of rotation; and

a second urging member that urges the sub-handle against the base toward the other side in the direction of rotation,

wherein,

in the neutral position, the sub-handle contacts the base to restrict rotation of the sub-handle to the other side in the direction of rotation, and the handle min body contacts the sub-handle to restrict rotation of the handle main body to one side in the direction of rotation.

9. The door opening/closing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein,

the handle is provided with a magnet, and the detection unit has a pair of magnetic sensors; and

the pull operation position of the handle is detected by detecting the proximity of the magnet by one of the magnetic sensors when the handle is rotated, and the push operation position of the handle is detected by detecting the proximity of the magnet by the other magnetic sensor when the handle is rotated.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 8, 2022
From: MIYATA, SOICHI; FUKUI, KAZUHIRO
To: U-SHIN LTD.
Reel/Frame 059539/0583 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2019-189366 · Oct 16, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220396981A1 · Dec 15, 2022
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