Electricity: motive power systems – Motor-reversing – Automatic and/or with time-delay means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-19
2001-09-11
Ip, Paul (Department: 2837)
Electricity: motive power systems
Motor-reversing
Automatic and/or with time-delay means
C318S481000, C318S483000, C180S281000, C307S010100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06288506
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to a submergence detection power-window apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a submergence detection power-window apparatus which allows an electrical-power driven opening unit such as a window, a sunroof or the like to open by actuation of an opening switch employed in the electrical-power driven opening unit when the car submerges under water, causing a submergence detection signal to be output provided that a seat-belt loosened-state detection signal has been activated.
2. Description of the Related Art
As commonly known, a power-window apparatus employed in a car generally comprises a window operation unit provided in a door pocket on the driver-seat side or window operation units provided in door pockets on the driver-seat side and the assistant-driver-seat side respectively. As another alternative, the power-window apparatus comprises window operation units provided in door pockets on the driver-seat side, the assistant-driver-seat side and the rear-seat sides respectively.
Each window operation unit of the commonly known power-window apparatus includes window opening/closing manual switches, a driving motor for opening and closing the window and a driving control unit. The window opening/closing manual switches are a window opening switch and a window closing switch. The driving control unit drives the driving motor in a direction according to operations of the window opening switch and the window closing switch.
When a car having such a power-window apparatus submerges underwater, causing water to flow into the inside of the car, the water also enters the door pocket containing a window operation unit. With the window operation unit submerged in the water, the water also enters the window opening switch and the window closing switch. In this state, it is difficult to maintain electrical insulation between contact points in the window opening switch and the window closing switch. Thus, the contact points are connected through a relatively small resistance of the water in spite of the fact that the switch including the contact points is open. As a result, when the window opening switch is operated later, the driving control unit of the motor associated with the window opening switch does not function normally. In consequence, the window can not be opened even if the window opening switch is operated and, accordingly, the passengers are not capable of escaping from the car submerged under the water with ease.
In order to solve the problem described above, the applicant of a patent for the present invention has recently proposed a window operation unit that is employed in a power-window apparatus, installed in a door pocket on the driver-seat side and provided with a submergence detection control circuit connected to a submergence detector having a submergence detection sensor.
In the case of the proposed power-window apparatus described above, when a car having such a power-window apparatus submerges underwater, causing water to flow into the inside of the car and also to enter the door pocket on the driver-seat side, the submergence detection sensor detects the flowing water, causing the submergence detector to generate a submergence detection signal and supply the signal to the submergence detection control circuit. At that time, even if water starts flowing into the window opening switch of the window operation unit provided on the driver-seat side, within a predetermined period following the submergence state, the submergence detection control circuit causes the motor to be driven into rotation to open the window on the driver-seat side if the window opening switch employed in the window operation unit provided on the driver-seat side is manually operated. As a result, the window on the driver-seat side can be opened to allow the passengers including the driver to get out from the submerging car.
In the case of the proposed power-window apparatus described above, when water starts flowing to the inside of the car, entering the door pocket on the driver-seat side, the submergence detection sensor of the submergence detector employed in the window operation unit provided on the driver-seat side detects the flowing water, causing the submergence detector to generate a submergence detection signal and supply the signal to the submergence detection control circuit. At that time, the window on the driver-seat side can be opened by manually operating the window opening switch employed in the window operation unit provided on the driver-seat side. On the other hand, the passenger of the car normally fastens its seat belt while the car is running so that, even after the car submerges under water, the seat belt remains fastened as it is. Thus, if the window opening switch employed in the window operation unit provided on the driver-seat side is manually operated to open the window on the driver-seat side with the passenger keeps its seat belt fastened when a car with the proposed power-window apparatus described above submerges under water and the water starts flowing to the inside of the car, a large amount of water will flow to the inside of the car through the opened window. Thus, it becomes difficult to loosen the seat belt. As a result, it is too late for the passenger to escape from the submerged car.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is thus an object of the present invention addressing the technical problem described above to provide a submergence detection power-window apparatus which allows passengers to escape from the submerged car with ease by opening an electrical-power driven opening unit by an operation of an opening switch wherein the electrical-power driven opening unit can be opened by an operation of the opening switch only if a submergence detection signal has been generated to indicate submergence of the car and loosened states of the seat belts of the passengers are also detected as well.
In order to achieve the object described above, the submergence detection power-window apparatus provided by the present invention is equipped with: a motor for driving opening and closing operations of an electrical-power driven opening unit; a manual switch for opening and closing the electrical-power driven opening unit; a control unit for driving the motor in an operation of the manual switch for opening and closing the electrical-power driven opening unit; a submergence detector for detecting submergence of a car body and generating a submergence detection signal indicating detected submergence; and a fastened/loosened-seat-belt detector for detecting a fastened state and a loosened state of a seat belt and generating a loosened-seat-belt detection signal indicating a loosened state of the seat belt, wherein the control unit drives the motor in a direction to open the electric-power driven opening unit if an opening direction switch of the manual switch for opening and closing the electrical-power driven opening unit is operated upon reception of the submergence detection signal from the submergence detector and the loosened-seat-belt detection signal from the fastened/loosened-seat-belt detector.
According to the means described above, when a car submerges under water, causing the submergence detector to generate a submergence detection signal and supply the submergence detection signal to the control unit, and if the passenger loosens a seat belt to escape from the submerging car, causing the fastened/loosened-seat-belt detector to generate a loosened-seat-belt detection signal and supply the loosened-seat-belt detection signal to the control unit, the control unit drives the motor in a direction to open the electric-power driven opening unit in response to an operation carried out on the opening direction switch of the manual switch for opening and closing the electrical-power driven opening unit. As a result, the electric-power driven opening unit opens, allowing the passenger who has loosened the seat belt to escape from the submerging car throug
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Ip Paul
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