Movable or removable closures – With operator for movably mounted closure – Closure-mounted drive
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-25
2001-11-27
Redman, Jerry (Department: 3634)
Movable or removable closures
With operator for movably mounted closure
Closure-mounted drive
C049S362000, C049S139000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321488
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a power operated sliding door for a mini-van and, in particular, to a power assembly for the door in which a drive motor which drives a drive gear that opens and closes the door is located at a position remote from the drive gear and is coupled thereto by a clutch assembly.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The interiors of most van-type vehicles have a front row of seats for the van driver and a passenger and a large compartment in the rear of the vehicle for additional seating, for cargo storage or both. Often a sliding door is provided on one or both sides of the van to access the interior compartment.
Van side doors may be power operated to open and close the same. EP 0122556 discloses a power operated door that is moved between opened and closed positions by a motor mounted on the door that powers a drive gear engaged with a gear track or rack on the vehicle body. The gear is mounted near the lower edge of the door and the motor is mounted in close proximity to the drive gear. The motor is rotationally coupled to the drive gear by a relatively short, rigid drive shaft and a gear train.
Placing the drive motor and associated drive structures that cooperate with the motor to drive the door adjacent the drive gear greatly limits the amount of space available for the drive gear, the motor, and the cooperating drive structures. Because the space available for the motorized drive system is limited at areas adjacent the drive gear, it would be necessary in EP 0122556 to limit the size of the drive system components, including the motor and drive gear. This creates other problems. For example, a small drive gear limits the range of stacked tolerances that can be provided by the drive system between the drive gear and rack. This increases automobile manufacturing difficulties, and results in noisy gear meshing when the door is moving, and increases mechanical wear on the teeth of the drive gear. In addition, limiting the size of the motor limits the power that can be provided for moving the door and restricts the manufacturer to using relatively small motors with a relatively short service life compared to a larger motor.
Power operated doors must also be able to operate in manual mode. When the power operated sliding door of EP 0122556 is operated in manual mode, the drive gear is engaged with the rack on the vehicle and the shaft of the motor is engaged with the drive gear so that the motor shaft rotates when the door is moved manually. This back-driving of the motor during manual door opening and closing is undesirable because it causes unnecessary wear on the motor and makes moving the door more difficult for the user.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
There is a need in the automotive industry for a power operated van door that provides a mechanism for disengaging the drive motor from the drive gear so the door can be operated in manual mode without back-driving the motor. It is an object of the present invention to meet this need by providing a power sliding door assembly for a motor vehicle comprising a door structure constructed and arranged to be mounted on a motor vehicle for movement between closed and opened positions and a drive assembly mounted on the door structure. The drive assembly includes a rotatable gear engageable with a gear track provided on the vehicle. The rotatable gear is drivable in a one direction to effect movement of the door towards the opened position and drivable in an opposite direction to effect movement of the door structure towards the closed position. A drive shaft is coupled with the drive assembly and is constructed and arranged to rotatably drive the rotatable gear. A reversible motor is mounted on said door structure and is energizable to drive the drive shaft in a first direction to enable the drive shaft to drive the rotatable gear in the one direction, and energizable to drive the drive shaft in a second direction opposite the first direction to enable the drive shaft to drive the rotatable gear in the opposite direction. A clutch assembly is provided that is constructed and arranged to selectively couple the reversible motor with the drive shaft, so that the reversible motor is coupled to the drive shaft when energized to rotate the drive shaft in either of the first and second directions, and so that the reversible motor is de-coupled from the drive shaft to prevent back-driving of the motor when the door structure is manually moved between the opened and closed positions.
There is also a need to provide a power sliding door that has a reversible motor for driving a drive gear that is cooperable with a rack on the vehicle, which motor is mounted on the door at a location remote from the drive assembly to provide more room for the drive assembly. Accordingly, the present invention provides a door structure constructed and arranged to be mounted on a motor vehicle for movement between closed and opened positions and provides a drive assembly that is mounted on the door structure. The drive assembly includes a rotatable gear that is engagable with a gear track provided on the vehicle which gear is rotatable in one direction to effect movement of the door toward the opened position and drivable in an opposite direction to effect movement of the door structure toward the closed position. A flexible drive shaft is coupled with the drive assembly and is constructed and arranged to rotatably drive the rotatable gear. A reversible motor is mounted on the door structure at a position remote from the drive assembly and is coupled to the drive assembly by the flexible drive shaft. The motor is energizable to drive the drive shaft in a first direction to enable the drive shaft to drive the rotatable gear in the a first direction and is energizable to drive the drive shaft in the second direction that is opposite to the first direction to enable the drive shaft to drive the rotatable gear in the opposite direction.
The power sliding door also includes a gear reduction assembly coupled to the motor. The clutch assembly is disposed between the gear reduction assembly and the drive shaft. The clutch assembly is preferably an electromagnetic clutch
Preferably the drive assembly includes at least one roller that is engageable with a smooth surface of the gear track such that the engagement of the at least one roller with the smooth surface of the gear track maintains an engagement between the rotatable gear and teeth provided on the gear track.
Preferably an electronic control unit is mounted on the door structure. The electronic control unit is constructed and arranged to control the selective operation of the clutch assembly and to control the energizing of the motor. A power cinch latch is preferably connected with the electronic control unit and is operable to latch the door structure to a vehicle striker when the door structure is move to the closed position.
The sliding door assembly preferably includes a hold-open unit constructed and arranged to releasably latch the door structure in its fully opened position. The hold-open unit includes a switch that is constructed and arranged to send a signal to the electronic control unit to enable the electronic control unit to detect when the door structure is in the fully opened position. The hold-open unit also includes a locking pawl and a latching ratchet engageable with a vehicle striker.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and appended claims.
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Bigoszewski Maciek
Dean Thomas
Frommer Thomas P.
Podwysocki Tad
Sagi Venkateswar
Atoma International Corp.
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
Redman Jerry
LandOfFree
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