Movable or removable closures – With operator for movably mounted closure – Operator drives closure along guide
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-02
2001-05-08
Redman, Jerry (Department: 3634)
Movable or removable closures
With operator for movably mounted closure
Operator drives closure along guide
C049S139000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226925
ABSTRACT:
This application is the national stage of PCT/JP96/03110, filed Oct. 24, 1996.
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a temporary holding device for an automatic driven open-close structure for temporary holding the open-close structure, such as entrance doors or vehicular slide doors, in its stopped condition, adapted to be able to move by a predetermined operation force.
BACKGROUND
Open-close structure, such as slide doors installed on moving body of the vehicle and the likes have respectively a check mechanism at a full-open position of the door in order to hold the full-open door condition in any situation of the vehicle stop posture.
The check mechanism employs in general a mechanical motion limiter, such as an elastic chain mechanism in such manner that the door doesn't start to move without an operation force higher than a predetermined level.
Also, according to the apparatus adapted to automatically drive the open-close structure by means of a motor and the like, this apparatus controls the clutch mechanism installed between a motor drive portion and the open-close structure to restrict a door motion along its close direction so as to prevent the clutch mechanism from being released at its door full-open position.
However, concerning a setting of the limit of the operational force in the mechanical check mechanism, it is necessary to firmly keep the door at its full-open condition in every situation of the door even though the door is apt to close, considering a posture of the vehicle and a weight of the door.
In case that this mechanical check mechanism is set under such limit of the operational force, under a situation in which the door is very difficult to close, a very large operational force is necessary to close the door. A very large operational force is used while the door is starting to close, even though the vehicle is parked on a level ground of normal condition. Such operational force becomes very large when the door is going to start moving from its stop condition and then movement resistence of the door suddenly decreases just after the door start moving, resulting in high speed of the moving door along its close direction. It is not good in point of the safety of the door and of the mechanism protection.
Furthermore, according to one of automatic open-close devices adapted to drive the door by an electric motor, the drive of the door by manual operation is detected and it is used as a chance of driving electrically the door. In such automatic open-close device, a wide change range of the operational force which is necessary to start driving the door is not preferable.
According to the automatic open-close device adapted to have a chance of electric driving start for starting a door motion, if the electric clutch is not released when the door fully opens, motion start of the door along its close direction becomes completely impossible. It is also not preferable.
This invention is invented to solve such problem of the above-mentioned conventional device of this kind and the purpose of this invention is to provide a temporary holding device for an automatic driven open-close structure adapted to prevent a moving resistance of the open-close sturcture from changing in a wide range under any situations by applying a moving resistance of a predetermined limit when the open-close sturcture stops, which is electrically controlled.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In order to attain the purpose of this invention, the temporary holding device for an automatic driven open-close structure comprises an open-close structure movably supported on a guide mechanism, an electric clutch for intermittently connecting the guide mechanism with an open-close holding mechanism, and a clutch drive means for adjusting a transfer keeping force of the electric clutch, wherein the clutch drive means sets a transfer keeping force of the electric clutch, when the open-close structure opens at a predetermined open degree and stops, at a level smaller than another transfer keeping force obtained when the open-close structure moves.
Also, a temporary holding device of an automatic driven open-close structure of this invention comprises an open-close structure movably supported on a guide mechanism, an electric clutch intermittently connecting the guide mechanism with an open-close holding mechanism, an open-close structure movement detection means for detecting a movement of the open-close structure, and a clutch drive means for adjusting a transfer keeping force of the electric clutch, wherein the clutch drive means gradually decreases a transfer keeping force of the electric clutch when the open-close structure opens at a predetermined open degree and stops, and gradually increases a transfer keeping force so as to stop a sliding movement of the open-close structure when the open-close structure movement detection means detects a sliding movement of the open-close structure, and adjusts a transfer keeping force of the electric clutch to another transfer keeping force of a level a little larger than that attained when the open-close structure stops by gradually increasing the the transfer keeping force.
Furthermore, a temporary holding device for an automatic driven open-close structure of this invention comprises an open-close structure movably supported on a guide mechanism, an electric clutch intermittently connecting the guide mechanism with an open-close holding mechanism, an open-close structure movement detection means for detecting a movement of the open-close structure, and a clutch drive means for adjusting a transfer keeping force of the electric clutch, wherein the clutch drive means gradually decreases a transfer keeping force of the electric clutch when the open-close structure opens at a predetermined open degree and stops, and gradually decreases, when the open-close structure movement detection means detects the sliding movement of the open-close structure, the transfer keeping force to its level attained when a sliding movement is again detected after the transfer keeping force is once increased, and adjusts a transfer keeping force of the electric clutch to its level similar to or a little larger than the transfer keeping force attained when the last or the most new sliding motion is detected by the open-close structure movement detection means, when the open-close structure movement detection means doesn't detect any sliding movement of the: open-close structure.
Still more, in the temporary holding device of the automatic driven open-close structure of this invention, the open-close holding mechanism consists of an open-close structure drive means for driving the open-close structure along its open-close direction.
Accordingly, this invention is able to keep a holding force of the open-close structure at a fixed degree in any situation, so it is possible to stabilize a start motion of the open-close structure safely. Also, because it is possible to set the holding force of the minimum requirement, it is possible to decrease a consuming electricity for the clutch and to miniatuarize the open-close motor. Further, because it is possible to use a holding force of the minimum requirement and set a changing width range of the holding force on a smll level, it is possible to carry out safely and stably an automatic open-close control with a chance of start of moving the open-close structure.
Furthermore, mechanical holding mechanism, such as levers and springs for holding the open-close structure is not necessary in this invention, so that it is possible to considerably reduce the number of parts and exceedingly decrease the cost of a control system for the open-close structure. Also, comparing to the conventional mechanical holding mechanism, few exclusive parts are used, so that the construction of installing the open-close structure is simplified and a space for supporting members of the structure is made narrow.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3592316 (1971-07-01), Daab
patent: 4376476 (1983-03-01), Hagiri
patent: 4377223 (1983-03-01), Sakakiyama et al.
patent: 4462491
Shigematsu Kouichi
Shimura Ryoji
Foley & Lardner
Ohi Seisakusho Co. Ltd.
Redman Jerry
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