IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,584,334
Granted Patent B2
US 12,584,334 · App. 18/714,312 · Granted Mar 24, 2026

Motor vehicle door arrangement

Inventors: Tobias Klocke (Solingen, DE); Thorsten Bendel (Oberhausen, DE); Uwe Reddmann (Essen, DE)
Assignee: KIEKERT AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
E05B81/20E05B81/06E05B81/70
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,584,334
App. No.
18/714,312
Granted
Mar 24, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A motor vehicle door arrangement is equipped with at least one electromotive drive for positioning a door leaf in a predetermined gap position relative to a motor vehicle body. A state sensor which is connected to a control unit and detects the state of the door leaf is also provided. The control unit acts on the electromotive drive in accordance with signals of the state sensor, wherein the electromotive drive is preferably only acted on if the positioning of the door leaf, based on the state, requires this. According to the invention, for this purpose, the electromotive drive acts on a body component via a switch lever, equipped with its own switch sensor, in order to position the door leaf.

Claims (15)

1 . A motor vehicle door arrangement comprising:

an electromotive drive for positioning a door leaf in a predetermined gap position relative to a motor vehicle body,

a control unit,

a state sensor which is connected to the control unit and detects a state of the door leaf, wherein the control unit acts on the electromotive drive in accordance with signals received from the state sensor, and wherein the electromotive drive is only acted on when the positioning of the door leaf, based on the state of the door leaf, requires action by the electromotive drive to position the door leaf,

a switch lever having a switch sensor, wherein the switch lever directly acts on a latch holder connected to the motor vehicle body, and wherein the electromotive drive acts on the switch lever to position the door leaf such that the switch lever rotates when acted on by the electromotive drive; and

a motor vehicle door latch including a catch and a latch case, wherein the switch lever is arranged inside the latch case and is mounted on a same axis as the catch in the latch case.

2 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , further comprising a motor vehicle door latch, wherein the electromotive drive is arranged inside the motor vehicle door latch.

3 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the state sensor is used to detect a state preventing normal opening of the door leaf relative to the motor vehicle body.

4 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the state sensor is one or more of a temperature sensor, a displacement sensor on the door leaf, a door seal sensor on or in a door seal, a door closing sensor, or a door latch sensor for detecting a main latching position.

5 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , further comprising an additional sensor of the motor vehicle which is additionally evaluated by the control unit.

6 . The arrangement according to claim 5 , wherein the additional sensor is a rain sensor or an impact sensor.

7 . The arrangement according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit evaluates the state sensor and the additional sensor in a combinatorial manner to act on the electromotive drive.

8 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined gap position is an icebreaker position, and wherein the electromotive drive for positioning the door leaf is acted on at least up to the icebreaker position.

9 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , further comprising a transfer lever, wherein the electromotive drive operates via the transfer lever on the switch lever.

10 . The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit acts on the electromotive drive when the state of the door leaf, detected by the state sensor, indicates that the door leaf is frozen to or otherwise stuck relative to the motor vehicle body.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 22, 2025
From: BENDEL, THORSTEN; REDDMANN, UWE
To: KIEKERT AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Reel/Frame 071192/0061 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2021 006 215.9 · Dec 16, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250027346A1 · Jan 23, 2025
References Cited (30)
US 5921612A · Mizuki · 1999 [cited by applicant]
US 6241294B1 · Young · 2001 [cited by examiner]
US 9168884B2 · Horner · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 9382741B2 · Konchan · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 10557290B2 · Scholz · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10633893B2 · Harajli · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10934760B2 · Khan · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11274477B2 · Cumbo · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 12129688B2 · Reddmann · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 12129704B2 · Reddmann · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20190226247A1 · Johann · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190292817A1 · Tomaszewski · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20200131836A1 · Ottino · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200284068A1 · Cumbo · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20250003263A1 · Klocke · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 20250163733A1 · Klocke · 2025 [cited by examiner]
DE 3721962A · 1989 [cited by examiner]
DE 102011015669A1 · 2012 [cited by applicant]
DE 102016105760A1 · 2017 [cited by applicant]
DE 202016104563U1 · 2017 [cited by examiner]
DE 102019107645A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
DE 102018126968A1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
DE 102019135418A1 · 2021 [cited by examiner]
DE 102021107177A1 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
DE 102020109770A1 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
EP 1191172A2 · 2002 [cited by examiner]
EP 3696355A1 · 2020 [cited by examiner]
JP H03137386A · 1991 [cited by applicant]
WO 2009147866A1 · 2009 [cited by applicant]
International Search Report mailed Apr. 12, 2023, for priority International Application No. PCT/DE2022/100962. [cited by applicant]