Movable or removable closures – With operator for movably mounted closure – Operating lever or link and closure swing about parallel axes
Reexamination Certificate
1997-09-16
2001-02-13
Stodola, Daniel P. (Department: 3634)
Movable or removable closures
With operator for movably mounted closure
Operating lever or link and closure swing about parallel axes
C049S340000, C192S035000, C296S056000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06185868
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is related to Japanese Patent Application Nos. Hei 8-277036 and 8-277588, incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an automatic closer of a pop-up door of a vehicle, and more particularly to an automatic closer for allowing the pop-up door of the vehicle to perform a closing operation by winding a connection wire.
2. Description of Related Art
Normally, the upper end of a pop-up rear door of a van is connected to the upper side of the rear opening of the body by a hinge. A gas damper is at the upper side of the rear opening of the body to allow an operator to press the rear door upward using a reduced amount of force. Thus, after the upward movement of the rear door is started, the rear door is pressed upward by the extension force of the damper. When the rear door is popped up at the maximum angle, the lower edge of the rear door is so high that a short person must stretch up to grasp the lower edge of the rear door to close it. In addition, great force is required to swing the rear door downward against the press-up force of the damper.
In order to solve the above-described problem, an apparatus for automatically closing the pop-up rear door by winding a wire connected to the rear door and to a wire-winding device by driving a motor is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei 5-52165. This kind of automatic closer has problems in that the wire is sandwiched between the rear door and the periphery of the rear opening of the vehicle body while the automatic closer is operating; that the driving motor for driving the wire-winding device must be large to apply sufficient tension to the wire; and that the rear door is closed at varying speeds.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above problems of the prior art, it is a first object of the present invention to provide an automatic closer of a pop-up door of a vehicle which prevents a connection wire from being sandwiched between a rear door and the side edge of a rear opening of a vehicle body while the automatic closer is operating by preventing the connection wire from becoming loose, and which allows manual closing of the rear door to be accomplished.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide an automatic closer of a pop-up door of a vehicle which eliminates the need for a large driving motor for driving a connection wire-winding device and which allows the door to be closed with a smallest possible speed variation.
In order to achieve the objects, a first aspect of the present invention provides an automatic closer of a pop-up door of a vehicle which includes a door to be urged in a door-opening direction; a connection wire, one end of which is connected to a portion of the door; a pulley for winding the connection wire thereon; a driving device driving the pulley; and a spring member urging the pulley in a wire-winding direction.
In this construction, when the door is pressed downward to pivot it rapidly in the closing direction while the door is being swung downward via the connection wire by driving the driving device to wind the connection wire on the pulley, the connection wire will be loosened. At this time, the pulley being urged by the spring member rotates at high speed in the winding direction, thus winding the connection wire thereon. Thus, the connection wire can be prevented from being loosened. When the door pivots downward rapidly by its own weight immediately before the door is completely closed, the construction prevents the connection wire from being loosened.
The above objects are achieved according to a second aspect of the present invention by providing an automatic closer of a pop-up door of a vehicle which includes a clutch between the pulley and the driving device which allows free rotation of the pulley when the driving device is not in operation and which restricts the rotation of the pulley relative to the driving device in a wire-feeding direction when the driving device is in operation.
In this construction, the number of rotations of the driving device is almost constant when it is in operation, and the pulley is subjected to a force in a connection wire-feeding direction in the greater part of the rear door-closing process when the automatic closer is performing the door-closing operation. Accordingly, the rotation of the pulley relative to the driving device is restricted by the clutch, thus rotating with the driving device and winding the connection wire thereon at a constant speed. In this manner, the door-closing operation is performed. When the door being closed is pressed downward by an operator's hand to swing the door rapidly downward, the spring member applies a force of connection wire-winding direction to the pulley. Therefore, the clutch does not operate and the pulley rotates freely and rapidly in the connection wire-winding direction, thus winding the connection wire thereon at high speed and preventing it from being loosened. When the driving device is not in operation, the pulley is capable of rotating freely, thus allowing the door to be opened and closed freely.
The above objects are achieved according to a third aspect of the present invention by providing an automatic closer of a pop-up door of a vehicle which includes a rotation detection device detecting that the pulley has started to rotate in a wire-winding direction. The driving device starts to operate when the rotation detection device detects that the pulley has started to rotate.
In this construction, when the opened door is pressed downward by an operator's hands to swing it in the closing direction, the pulley being urged by the spring member starts to rotate. Thus, the connection wire can be prevented from being loosened. The rotation detection device detects that the pulley has started to rotate, thus outputting a signal to a motor control circuit. Upon receipt of the signal, the driving motor starts, thus actuating the pulley. In this manner, the door is automatically closed. This construction eliminates the need for the provision of an instruction switch and allows an operator to close the door automatically.
The above objects are achieved according to a fourth aspect of the present invention by providing an automatic closer of a pop-up door of a vehicle which includes a door to be urged in a door-opening direction; a connection wire, one end of which is connected to a portion of the door; a wire-winding device for winding the connection wire thereon; and a guide member which guides the connection wire in a direction divergent from a linear locus of the connection wire when a tensile force is not applied to the connection wire in a wire-winding operation and which is elastically deformed along the linear locus of the connection wire when the tensile force is applied. It is preferable that the guide member extends in a direction away from the periphery of the rear opening of the vehicle body.
In this construction, when the door is closed, the connection wire is wound by the wire-winding device. At this time, a tensile force is applied to the connection wire and the guide member is elastically deformed, thus moving to the linear locus of the connection wire. When the door pivots downward rapidly by its own weight immediately before the door is completely closed, the wire-winding device is incapable of winding the connection wire in a short period of time because the wire-winding device winds it at a constant speed. Thus, the connection wire will be loose. At this time, the tensile force is not applied to the connection wire. As a result, the guide member is restored to its original shape, thus guiding the connection wire in the direction divergent from the linear locus. As a result, the connection wire is deflected and thus can be prevented from being loosened. Because the guide member is elastically restored to its original shape at high speed, the connection wire can be effectively prevented from becoming loosened, and can
Cohen Curtis A.
Pillsbury Madison & Sutro LLP
Stodola Daniel P.
Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
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