GB2389389A

GB2389389A - Vehicle door operated by compressed gas

Info

Publication number: GB2389389A
Application number: GB0212951A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Simon Blair Dobson; Enrico Fin
Original assignee: ArvinMeritor Light Vehicle Systems France SA; Meritor Light Vehicle Systems France
Current assignee: Inteva Products France SAS
Priority date: 2002-06-06
Filing date: 2002-06-06
Publication date: 2003-12-10
Anticipated expiration: 2022-06-06
Also published as: GB2389389B; GB0212951D0

Abstract

A vehicle has a door 10, which may be a sliding door, connected to a flexible piston rod 18 of a piston 22. The piston 22 is mounted in a cylinder 24 which is supplied with compressed gas or compressed air in order to drive an actuator operable to move the door. The actuator may open and/or close the door 10 by means of an electronic control unit (ECU) 42, 44. Also disclosed is a vehicle and a compressor including an engine system having an engine intake, engine exhaust and a pressure tapping on the engine to provide compressed gas.

Description

A vehicle The present invention relates to a vehicle and in particular to

a power operated (sliding) door system therefor.

Known vehicle sliding doors can be complex, and have a high failure rate. Typically, such vehicle sliding doors are operated by a large electric motor, this being one reason f or a cumbersome nature and high cost of the vehicle sliding door.

1 () Typically the forces that must be overcome by a vehicle sliding door are, a) The inertial mass ofthe sliding door ( 30kg or more), b) The sliding friction between door and door frame of vehicle ( 5kg or more), and c) The gradient-induced force when the vehicle is parked on a hill (up to 15kg or fool e) In known vehicle sliding doors the power transmission method is similar to the method 9() predominantly used in operating electric windows (ie a drum-and-cable window regulator). but significantly larger.

An aim of the present invention is to provide an improved vehicle sliding door system.

2- -according to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a vehicle having a partition Rich as a door connected to a flexible piston rod of a piston, the piston being mounted in a cylinder, and the cylinder being arranged to be supplied with compressed gas to Pros ide a compressed gas driven door actuator operable to move the door.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a vehicle including a floor. a compressed gas actuator, an ECU which controls the actuator, and an operator ctuable opening or closing input, actuation of which causes the ECU to operate the cnator to open or close the door. I s According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a vehicle including an canine system having an engine intake and engine exhaust, and a pressure tapping on Mine system to provide compressed gas.

i (i According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a compressor comprising v ell1cle with an engine system having an engine intake and ar exhaust' and a pressure tapping on the engine system to provide compressed gas.

I he invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the 1- accompanying drawings, in which; emigre I is a simple schematic view of a pneumatic sliding door system in accordance \ with an aspect of the invention, fit) i; Cure 2 is a simple schematic view of a sliding door actuator assembly in accordance Al. an aspect of the invention, and leisure 3 is a simple schematic view showing a pneumatic circuit in accordance with an spect of tle invention which forms part of the pneumatic sliding door system of Figure ? 1. Referring to Figure 1, a vehicle 6 (shown schematically) includes a pneumatic sliding door system 8.

() Else pneumatic sliding door system 8 comprises a sliding door 10 and a sliding door actuator assembly 12.

Llle sliding door 10 has a latch 14 and is connected to a cursor 16.

<\ door also includes an outside door handle 1 SA and an inside door handle 1 5B. These door handles act as operator actuable door opening inputs. They are connected to swatches (not shown) and operation of either the inside door handle or the outside door handle with the door in a closed position signals unlatching of the latch and also power opening of the door. Operator actuable door closing inputs, such as switches and the I Ike can be manually operated to signal power closing of the door.

1 () l he sliding door actuator assembly 12, which is shown in more detail in Figure 2, includes a piston rod 18 which is mounted on two pulleys 20. The piston rod 18 bears a piston 22 inside a cylinder 24. Seals 26 in the form of gland seals prevent loss of gas From the cylinder 24.

I The piston rod 18 is flexible. The piston 22 has self-damping features at the end of a stroke. the pneumatic sliding door system 8 also includes a pneumatic circuit 28, which aItllough shown in Figure I is shown more clearly in Figure 3. The pneumatic circuit 2() 'S Includes a pneumatic ratchet brake 30 in communication with a brake valve 32, wllcll itself is connected to a receiver 34 for receiving and storing compressed gas.

\1Ovement of brake valve 32 (under the control of the ECU) to a position whereby reccer 34 is in pneumatic communication with ratchet brake 30 causes the ratchet l:,rake to slow or stop its associated pulley.

?> \ man solenoid operated shuttle valve 36 is positioned between the sliding door actuator assembly 12 and the receiver 34. Shuttle valve 36 an be operated (under the control of the ECU) such that the right hand portion of cylinder 24 is pressurised and the left hand portion is vented to atmosphere causing piston 22 to move left.

\lcrnatvely the left hand side of cylinder 24 can be pressurised and the right hand side À À4 con lilcicr 24 can be vented to atmosphere thus causing the piston 22 to move right.

N Further valve 3X is arranged between receiver 34 and engine 4(). Operation of further cable.8 (under the control of the ECU) allows arepressurisation of the receiver 34.

lcrrng to Figure 1, the pneumatic sliding door system 8 also comprises an engine 40 (mentioned above), an engine electronic control unit (ECU) 42, and a door ECU 44.

Flee engine 40 is connected by line a to the engine ECU 42. The engine ECU 42 is connected by line b to the door ECU 44. Communication lines d arid e allow :nmuncation between respectively further valve 38 and the door ECU 44 and the receiver 34 and the door ECU 42. Communication lines f and g allow communication 1 () between' respectively, the main shuttle valve 36 and the door ECU 44 and the brake OIVe 32 door ECU 44. The communication line h allows communication between the latch 14 and the door ECIJ 44.

Deterring again to Figure 1, the pneumatic sliding door system 8 also includes an object ;elsor 4fj The sensor 46 is in communication via communication line i with the door 1-.('1 44.

in lose, the pneumatic sliding door system 8 is installed in vehicle 6. It will be appreciated that the arrangement of the sliding door actuator assembly 12 (ie one 3 comprising a flexible piston rod) significantly reduces the space envelope required to louse the actuator assembly.

1 one embodiment of the invention, the cylinder 24 and the cursor 16 are load bearing, and act as a guide rail for the door 10.

he door ECI J 44 is used to connect the inside and outside handles of the latch 14, with Alec main shuttle valve 36, which provides the necessary pressure and vent ports for the c! Antler 24. The door ECU 44 is interfaced with the latch 14 to ensure correct logic of leraton. Also the shuttle valve 36 is designed to allow manual (unassisted) operation :() of the door 10 in the absence of electrical power or air pressure.

I-he receiver 34 is used to hold compressed air for the operation of the cylinder 24. The receiver 34 can have a pressure of, say, 10 bar. The receiver 34 is charged with compressed gas such as air from a suitable source (not shown). The suitable source can lie a pressure tapping in communication with a cylinder (or more) of the vehicle engine T() in this case. the door ECU 44 interfaces with the engine 42 to inhibit the fuel injection x stem to the or each cylinder (not shown) of the engine during the times when the echoer is being replenished. In this ways contamination of the pneumatic system with I () hydrocarbon and/or exhaust emissions is avoided. Alternatively, a separate compressor e Quld be supplied. The door ECU 44 is designed to ensure that the receiver pressure is maintained at an optimum level.

The door ECU 44 requires an input from a sensor system such as the object sensor 46 15 a Ime i. This enables detection and avoidance of trapping of human body parts. It is cconlmended that this object sensor 46 is a noncontact sensor (eg an infra red sensor) since the mass of the door 10 and its speed, imply that a contact sensor type system r,uld impose significant loads on a trapped lady part before the door could be r eversed. Upon reception of a trapped signal, the ECU could apply a pneumatic brake () to the shaft of one of the pulleys as described above. It is necessary to connect the pneumatic ratchet brake 30 to the shaft of one of the pulleys 20 as shown in Figures I u.3,. and m more detail in Figure 2. It is recommended that this should be the pulley lartlest from the opening as the braking action is the most effectively transmitted to the Piston rod 18 at this point. It is desirable to connect the brake 30 to the pulley 20 by a ne-way ratchet or spray clutch to ensure that even when the brake is applied, the door 1 (l can still be opened manually, even though the door ECU 44 would cause the main shuttle valve 36 to reverse and apply opening effort to the door 10.

i.' Fist tile invention is described hereinbefore with specific reference to a sliding door, (4 t we be appreciated that the invention can be applied to any power operated partition.

lrtllernore the compressed gas actuator is not limited to a flexible piston rod type.

\dditonally, the applicant is first to realise that an engine system can be used to Provide compressed gas, i.e. the vehicle/engine combination acts as a compressor.

Such a compressor is not limited to powering actuators for opening and closing artitons such as doors.

Claims

Claims

A vehicle having a door, wherein the door is connected to a flexible piston rod À41 ct piston, said piston being mounted in a cylinder, said cylinder being arranged to be À> Plied with compressed gas to provide a compressed gas driven door actuator <,perable to move the door.

vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the door is a sliding door.

1(-) vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein the piston acts to open diet close the door.

it vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein the door and piston are c <nuccted by a cursor.

1 S ii vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein the piston rod is trailed ilt1 Lw<' ltilleys.; i, vehicle according to claim 4, or claim 5 when dependent on claim 4, wherein Alec cylinder and/or cursor are designed to be load bearing, so as to be able to bear the l<>acl ol: lor example, the door.

A vehicle according to claim 4, or claim 5 when dependent on claim 4, or c 1; (I. wherein, the cylinder and/or cursor are used as guide tor the door.

8 A vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein the vehicle includes an c lccl:ronic control unit (ECU) which controls the actuator and an operator actuable door Greg input, actuation of which causes the F, CIJ to operate the actuator to open the 1 ()(11'.

; A vehicle according to claim 8, wherein actuation of the operator actuable door lc Fig input causes a latch of the door to be unlatched.

1) A vehicle according to claim 8 or 9, wherein ECU includes an operator Cable door closing input, actuation of which causes the ECU to operate the actuator close the door.

- 11 A vehicle according to any of claims 8 to 10, Nvherein the ECU controls the ctrator via a shuttle valve.

12 A vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the shuttle valve is designed to allow 1) manual (unassisted) operation of the door in the absence of electrical power or compressed gas.

I ' A vehicle according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the shuttle valve is arranged to chit the cylinder to atmosphere.

14 A vehicle according to any of claims 8 to 13, wherein the ECU controls a compressed gas driven brake operable to slow or stop one of the pulleys.

1 > A vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the brake is arranged to brake the ail Able Loon detection of an object in the path of door.

> A v chicle according to claim 14 or 157 wherein the bralce is operable to brake fine of the pulleys via a one way clutch mechanism, the clutch mechanism allowing sulsequent reversal of door. I 11 A vehicle according to any preceding claim, wherein vehicle includes an ngne system having an engine intake and an exhaust, and a pressure tapping on the engine system to provide compressed gas for the actuator.

vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the engine system includes a fuel input system controlled by the ECU, and the pressure tapping includes a valve having <sped and closed position controlled by the ECU, in which the engine system is controlled differently by the ECU depending on the position of the valve.

- i') A vehicle according to claim 18, wherein with the valve open, the ECU e ontrols the engine system such that substantially no fuel or fuel exhaust products go lrgh valve.

I () 9() A vehicle according to claim 19, wherein pressure tapping is associated with a single cylinder of a multiple cylinder engine and the ECU limits fuel flow to said single c vlinder when the valve is open.

À' I A vehicle including a door, a compressed gas actuator, an ECU which controls 1 flee actuator. and an operator actuable opening or closing input, actuation of which c ruses the ECU to operate the actuator to open or close the door.

a, it. A vehicle according to claim 21, wherein the ECU controls a compressed gas Lien brake operable to slow or stop the door.

() 2 1 A vehicle including an engine system having an engine intake and engine Lust. and a pressure tapping on the engine system to provide compressed gas.

A vehicle as defined in any preceding claim in which compressed gas is stored 95 ' receiver.

". A compressor comprising a vehicle with an engine system having an engine ntalce and an exhaust. and a pressure tapping on the engine system to provide u,mpressed gas.

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