Electricity: motive power systems – Plural diverse motor controls – Motor-reversing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-15
2002-10-29
Ro, Bentsu (Department: 2837)
Electricity: motive power systems
Plural diverse motor controls
Motor-reversing
C318S468000, C200S061430, C324S457000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06472835
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an opening and closing motion control device which is constructed so as to perform an opening and closing motion of a closing member, such as a door window of a vehicle, by using a driving unit, for exempt, a motor for driving the door window. Particularly, it relates to an opening and closing motion control device which is capable of avoiding the closing member's pinching an object, which may be caused with respect to the closing motion of the member, with a simple and cheap arrangement and high accuracy, irrespective of conditions of the object.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, there is generally known an opening and closing motion control device which is constructed so as to perform the opening and closing motion of the closing member, for example, the door window for the vehicle, a roof window thereof, etc. by using the motor or the like.
As one example of the opening and closing motion control devices of this kind, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 62-68,118 discloses a power window driving device apparatus which can avoid the closing member's pinching of the object, which pinching may be caused in the closing motion of the closing member.
The power window driving device includes a sensing part of an electrostatic-capacity type of proximity switch positioned on an upper end of a window frame and a limit switch arranged in a position before the proximity switch's detection of the door window and also activated by the rising of the door window. In the rising operation of the door window, when the limit switch is inactivated, the power window driving device is constructed so as to stop the operation or lower the door window by a detection output of the proximity switch. While, in the rising operation of the door window, when the limit switch is activated, the power window driving device is constructed so as to stop the, function of the proximity switch.
According to the art disclosed in the above publication, when there is an object (e.g. a hand, fingers, etc.) in the vicinity of the window frame where the sensing part of the proximity switch is positioned, then the sensing part of the proximity switch detects the presence of the object thereby to stop or lower the door window automatically. In this way, the object can be prevented from being pinched by the door window.
However, the above-mentioned power window driving device have problems to be solved, as follows. That is, since the pinching of the object is detected by using the electrostatic-capacity type of proximity switch, there is a need to provide the above-mentioned limit switch specially, causing the manufacturing cost to be increased by the complicated circuits in the device. In addition, there is a possibility that the detection of pinching cannot be maintained with high accuracy.
We now describe the reason why it is necessary to provide the limit switch specially. First, it should be noted that the electrostatic-capacity type of proximity switch usually detects an airborne capacity corresponding to the surrounding atmosphere, such as the ground, the window frame, etc. even when no object exists in the surroundings. Therefore, providing that no limit switch is provided in the device, in even a case of closing the door window without pinching the object, the electrostatic-capacity type of proximity switch will regard the approaching door window as the object by mistake, so that the door window will be stopped or lowered. This is the reason why it is necessary to provide the limit switch specially.
On the other hand, the possibility that the detection of pinching cannot be maintained with high accuracy comes from the following situation. Note again, the electrostatic-capacity type of proximity switch detects whether the object is approaching, by detecting a change in electrostatic-capacity. Therefore, if the dressed passenger's hand or fingers are pinched between the window frame and the door window door, there is a case that the proximity switch cannot detect the pinching.
Under such a situation, the persons in this art have looked forward to the development of new technique by which it is possible to avoid pinching of the object irrespective of conditions thereof, with the simple and cheap constitution and high accuracy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a simple and cheap opening and closing motion control device which is capable of avoiding the pinching of the object, which pinching may be caused with the closing motion of a closing member, irrespective of conditions of the object, with high accuracy.
The above-mentioned object can be solved by providing an opening and closing motion control device which is constructed so as to perform an opening and closing motion of a closing member by using a driving unit for driving the closing member, the opening and closing motion control device comprising:
a flexible seal member arranged along a contact portion of a ground potential member, the contact portion being touched by the closing member when the closing member is closed up perfectly;
a linear electrostatic-capacity detecting unit embedded in the seal member, for always detecting an electrostatic capacity in the circumference of the electrostatic capacity detecting unit and also outputting the so-obtained electrostatic capacity;
a pinching judging unit electrically connected to the electrostatic-capacity detecting unit, for judging whether or not an object is pinched by the closing motion of the closing member, on the basis of the detection of pinching by the electrostatic capacity detecting unit; and
a drive control unit electrically connected to the pinching judging unit, allowing the driving unit to either stop the closing member or start the opening motion of the closing member when the pinching judging unit judges that the object is on the point of being pinched.
In operation of the above-constructed opening and closing motion control device, the linear electrostatic-capacity detecting unit embedded in the seal member always detects the electrostatic capacity in the circumference. Then, upon receipt of an output from the linear electrostatic-capacity detecting unit, the pinching judging unit judges whether or not the object is pinched by the closing motion of the closing member.
Regarding the principles of judgement in the pinching judging unit, when the object is pinched between the closing member and the ground potential member, then the object is firstly pressed on the seal member due to the closing motion of the closing member, so that the flexible seal member deforms its own profile corresponding to a pressure applied thereon. At this time, a distance between the liner electrostatic-capacity detecting unit and the ground potential member is shortened in comparison with that in the normal state where no pinching of the object is caused. As the result, the detection output of the electrostatic-capacity detecting unit changes from the detection output in the normal state. Upon detection of this sequential change in electrostatic capacity, the pinching judging unit judges that the object is pinched between the closing member and the ground potential member.
On the other hand, when the pinching of the object is judged by the pinching judging unit, the drive control unit makes the driving unit to either stop or open the closing member in order to prevent the object from being pinched.
Here, we compare the afore-mentioned prior art with the present invention.
Since it is judged by using the electrostatic-capacity proximity switch whether or not the object is approaching in the prior art, there is a possibility of regarding the approaching window glass as the object by mistake, which requires to provide the special limit switch in view of eliminating the erroneous detection. On the contrary, according to the invention, it is regarded as the pinching of the object when it is on the point of being pinched. Therefore, there is no need t
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Ro Bentsu
Yazaki -Corporation
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