Method for determining and specifying the necessary closing speed of a motor-operated vehicle door when reaching an initial closing stopper

Abstract

A method for determining and specifying the necessary closing speed of a motor-operated vehicle door when it touches an initial closing stop by a control unit (10) is described, in which the motor current of the door motor is determined and compared with a calculated maximum current, which is produced from the motor armature resistance measured at the start of the door movement, the minimum supply voltage of the control unit (10) and an adjustable factor. If the determined current is greater than the maximum current, the value of an adaptation table is changed and the control unit (10) specifies a higher closing speed for the next closing movement of the vehicle door and thus adapts to the actual and instantaneous conditions of the vehicle; and if the determined current is less than the maximum current, the control unit (10) specifies a lower closing speed for the next closing movement of the vehicle door.

Description

[0001] Modern vehicles typically feature actuator-driven doors that are pivotally or displaceably mounted on the vehicle body or superstructure. Doors can be, for example, hatches or flip-up doors, such as tailgates or tailgates. However, doors can also be pivotable side doors or sliding doors. Increasingly, these doors are actuator-driven, allowing them to move between open and closed positions.

[0002] To lock the doors to the vehicle body, vehicles typically have a closing mechanism. Modern closing mechanisms have a two-stage closing system consisting of an initial closing stop and a main closing stop. When the door engages with the initial closing stop, the door can no longer be easily moved away from the vehicle body, or further movement of the door is limited to the main closing stop. When the door is locked with the main closing stop, the door is permanently locked to the vehicle body.

[0003] To move a vehicle door to the initial closing stop or the main closing stop, especially in the case of a power door, it is preferable to use a corresponding actuator to move the door toward the initial closing stop and then toward the main closing stop. However, it has been shown that, specifically, the movement of the door toward the initial closing stop may depend on various factors, potentially leading to an undesirable immediate closing operation at the main closing stop.

[0004] In this regard, a predetermined speed for the vehicle door is generally desired, which produces noise characteristics favorable to the vehicle occupants during door closing. This speed can be determined, for example, empirically or defined at the factory. In current vehicles, doors typically close at a factory-set speed.

[0005] Normally, the speed is set to a high value to ensure that the door is moved by the actuator to engage with the initial closing stop. However, this may cause the door to be moved by the actuator to the initial closing stop at an unnecessarily high speed.

[0006] To seal and shield the vehicle interior from the external environment, rubber seals are used on the doors and tailgate. To compress these seals, closing aids (i.e., locks) are used, operated by two stoppers (an initial closing stop and a main closing stop). Upon contact with the initial closing stop, a separate electric motor can be used to compress the seal until the main closing stop is reached. The electric tailgate's actuation force is insufficient to compress the tailgate seals and therefore cannot reliably close the tailgate until it contacts the initial closing stop. This occurs solely through the tailgate's momentum, i.e., through sufficient kinetic energy. The tailgate thus acquires a fixed worst-case parameterization: the tailgate must always be able to overcome the maximum closing force, even if the latter only occurs during the initial closing operation at the car factory. Once the seals are in place (or immediately in the case of vehicles with relatively low tolerances), significantly lower kinetic energy is sufficient to reliably close the doors. Excess energy increases noise, gives a poor impression of quality, and results in significantly greater clamping forces when encountering obstacles.

[0007] It has also been shown that, for example, aging or time-related changes in door seals (degassing, softening, embrittlement of seals) can lead to changes in resistance that opposes door movement. These changes may ultimately cause the door to engage the initial closing stop at a higher speed than expected, rather than at the desired speed.

[0008] To this end, DE 10 2019 208 783 A1 discloses a method for determining an abnormal closing operation of a vehicle door driven by an actuator, wherein the door can be locked by a closing mechanism having an initial closing stop and a main closing stop, wherein the actual speed of the door at the initial closing stop is first determined, and then an abnormal closing operation is determined if the determined actual speed deviates from the desired speed at the initial closing stop by more than a predetermined speed threshold. The actual speed can be determined, for example, by the rotational speed of the actuator.

[0009] The object of this invention is to specify an alternative possibility for determining the necessary closing speed of a motor-operated vehicle door.

[0010] This objective is achieved by the method described in claim 1. Advantageous developments are specified in the dependent claims.

[0011] The invention will now be described in more detail with the aid of the accompanying drawings, based on exemplary embodiments, in which:

[0012] Figure 1 A 3D view of the vehicle is shown.

[0013] Figure 1A perspective view of vehicle 1, such as a motor vehicle, is shown. Vehicle 1 has a body 2, which is designed as a self-supporting superstructure of vehicle 1. Vehicle 1 also has a door 3, which is located in... Figure 1 The example shown is a tailgate. In another exemplary embodiment, the door 3 can be, for example, a side door, a sliding door, or a sliding roof. The door 3 is movably mounted on the vehicle body 2. Figure 1 In a specific example, the door 3 is pivotally mounted on the vehicle body 2. The pivot axis 4 extends at least generally along the lateral direction of the vehicle. However, in other exemplary embodiments, the door 3 may also be displaceably mounted on the vehicle body 2.

[0014] As from Figure 1 It can be seen that the door 3 is movable relative to the vehicle body 2 between at least one open position O and a closed position S. If, for example, the door 3 moves from the open position O to the closed position S, the door 3 closes, and in this process, the door enters an initial closing region V along its path of movement toward the closed position S, which has at least one or more initial closing positions VS. The initial closing positions VS are here, for example, located between the open position O and the closed position S. In the initial closing region V, the door 3 engages with an initial closing stop as described in DE 10 2019 208 783 A1.

[0015] If possible Figure 1 Further observation reveals that door 3 is assigned a corresponding opening 5, which is defined by body 2 and... Figure 1 In specific examples, it is designed as a rear opening or a trunk opening. In the open position O, door 3 releases at least a portion of the opening 5, thereby allowing, for example, items to be transported to be loaded into vehicle 1, particularly into the rear storage space 6 of the vehicle, or unloaded from storage space 6 via the released portion. In the closed position S, door 3 closes at least a portion. For example, even when door 3 is in the initial closed area V and thus engaged with the initial closing stop, door 3 will still close a portion of the opening 5. The difference between the initial closed area V and the initial closed position VS and the closed position S is particularly that, in the closed position S, door 3 is positioned closer to the vehicle body 2 than in the initial closed area V, and therefore the opening 5 is completely closed. In the closed position S, door 3 engages with the main closing stop, thereby completely locking door 3.

[0016] Such an external source Figure 1 As can be seen, vehicle 1 has a drive 7, which is in Figure 1The diagram schematically illustrates and includes an actuator 8 and at least one additional motor 9. The actuator 8 and the at least one additional motor 9 are, for example, designed as electric motors, wherein the additional motor 9 is different from the actuator 8 or is provided separately from the actuator 8. The actuator 8 and the additional motor 9 may be installed in the same area of ​​the vehicle, for example in the area where the door 3 is fastened to the body, or as... Figure 1 The actuator 8 is schematically shown in different positions. It is designed to bring the door 3 from the open position O into the initial closing area V and thus engage with the initial closing stop. At least one additional motor 9 is designed to move the door 3 from the initial closing area V into the closed position S and thus engage the door 3 with the main closing stop. This additional motor 9 thus acts as a so-called closing aid, by which the door 3 moves from the initial closing area V or from the initial closed position VS and thus from the initial closing stop into the closed position S or the main closing stop, and is thus closed.

[0017] Such an external source Figure 1 As can be seen, vehicle 1 further includes a control device 100 for controlling the closing operation of door 3. The control device 100 includes a control unit 10, which is connected to the actuator 8 and at least one additional motor 9 for signal transmission and operational connection in order to control its operation. The control unit 10 is specifically designed to activate the actuator 8 and at least one additional motor 9 in such a way that they move door 3 from the open position O toward the initial closing area V and from there to the closed position S under appropriate drive power. The control unit 10 is also designed to determine, in particular, the motor current, the motor armature resistance, and the supply voltage of the control unit 10.

[0018] Such an external source Figure 1 As can be seen, vehicle 1 also includes a sealing element 11, which is combined with Figure 1 The diagram schematically illustrates a sealing element 11, which can be designed, for example, as a rubber seal. The sealing element 11 is fastened to the vehicle body 2. The sealing element 11 is elastically deformable. By moving the door 3 from the open position O into the initial closed region V, the door 3 first contacts the sealing element 11, thus causing the sealing element 11 to be compressed to some extent. If the door 3 eventually moves from the initial closed region V to the closed position S, then the sealing element 11 is compressed even more. The deformation of the sealing element 11, especially the elastic deformation, constitutes a resistance opposite to the closing movement of the door 3, and this resistance must ultimately be overcome by the actuator 8 and at least one additional motor 9.

[0019] Similarly in Figure 1The image shows the environment 12 of vehicle 1. The environment 12 of vehicle 1 includes, for example, the ambient temperature of vehicle 1. The ambient temperature of vehicle 1 may, for example, correspond to the external temperature of vehicle 1. Similarly, in... Figure 1 The image shows another door 14 that can similarly move between the open and closed positions. Similarly, in... Figure 1 The diagram illustrates a window 13 that can similarly move between an open and closed position. Window 13 is, for example, a side window that can be opened and closed. If, for example, window 13 is opened, window 13 releases at least a portion 15 of the corresponding window opening 16, allowing air to flow from the interior 17 of vehicle 1 into the environment via the released portion 15, for example, during the closing of door 3. The air initially contained within interior 17 thus similarly hinders the closing movement or closing operation of door 3 as a resistance, which must ultimately be overcome by actuator 8 and at least one motor 9, wherein the resistance hindering the closing movement of door 3 ultimately depends on the size of the portion 15 and the position of the other door 14. For example, in the closed state of window 13 and the closed state of the other door 14, the resistance of the air contained within interior 17 hindering the closing operation of door 3 is greater than the resistance of at least partially open window 13 and / or at least partially open door 14 hindering the closing operation of door 3. In other words, the resistance that the actuator 8 and optionally the additional motor 9 must overcome during the closing of the door 3 depends not only on the sealing element 11 but also, for example, on the size of the partial area 15 and / or the size of the door opening 18.

[0020] According to the invention, the motor current of the door motors 8 and 9 is now determined by the control unit 10 and compared with a calculated maximum current, wherein the maximum current is generated by the motor armature resistance measured at the start of door movement, the minimum supply voltage of the control unit 10, and an adjustable factor. The adjustable factor can have a certain margin: it can be determined, for example, empirically.

[0021] If the determined and, in particular, measured current is greater than the maximum current, the value of the adaptation table is changed, and for the next closing movement of vehicle door 2, the control unit 10 specifies a higher closing speed, thus adapting to the actual and instantaneous conditions of vehicle 1. If the determined current is less than the maximum current, the control unit 10 specifies a lower closing speed for the next closing movement of vehicle door 2.

[0022] In this way, the necessary closing speed of a motor-operated vehicle door when it touches the initial closing stop can be determined and adjusted in an advantageous manner.

Claims

1. A method for determining and specifying the closing speed of a motor-operated vehicle door when it touches an initial closing stop by means of a control unit (10), wherein the motor current of the door motor is determined and compared with a calculated maximum current, wherein the maximum current is derived from the motor armature resistance measured at the start of door movement, the minimum supply voltage of the control unit (10), and an adjustable factor; If the determined motor current is greater than the calculated maximum current, the value of the adaptation table is changed and the control unit (10) specifies a higher closing speed for the next closing movement of the vehicle door and thus adapts it to the actual and instantaneous conditions at the vehicle. Furthermore, if the determined motor current is less than the calculated maximum current, the control unit (10) specifies a lower closing speed for the next closing movement of the vehicle door.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the motor current is determined by measurement.

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