Method for controlling a tailgate of a vehicle with a separate gate cylinder
By using limit switch group detection and on-board system control, the problem of low intelligence level of automobile tailgate has been solved, realizing automated detection of tailgate status and action protection, thus improving operational safety and system reliability.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NINGBO POWERNICE INTELLIGENT TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2023-10-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-28
AI Technical Summary
The existing control system for car tailgates has a low level of intelligence, making it easy for improper manual operation to damage the power system.
Limit switch arrays are used to detect the status of the vehicle's tailgate and control its actions through the onboard system to prevent damage from exceeding limits. Combined with voice prompts and timed shutdown functions, automated control is achieved.
It effectively prevents tailgate over-limit damage, improves operational safety, avoids the risk of prolonged system power-on, and achieves continuous and automated control of tailgate movement.
Smart Images

Figure CN117246216B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of freight loading and unloading equipment, and more specifically, to a method for controlling the tailgate of a vehicle using a separate door closing cylinder. Background Technology
[0002] With the development of my country's logistics industry, the demand for vehicle tailgates is constantly increasing. As a lifting and unloading device installed at the rear of trucks or various vehicles, the tailgate can greatly improve the efficiency and convenience of loading and unloading, and is widely used in various industries.
[0003] Most car tailgates are fixed to the rear beam of the car body by a bracket with five hydraulic cylinders. The tailgate is raised and lifted by at least two power devices, such as lifting push rods and tilting push rods. The process requires switching power systems, making the control complex. Furthermore, the status of the tailgate during use is determined and controlled manually, resulting in a low level of intelligence. If a novice driver tries to control it, it is easy to cause the power system to output power indefinitely, which will accelerate the damage to the tailgate. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for controlling a car tailgate with a separate door closing cylinder. By setting up a set of limit switches, the method realizes the state detection and action limitation of the car tailgate, effectively protecting the car tailgate from damage caused by excessive movement. It aims to solve the problem that the state of the car tailgate during use is determined and controlled manually in the prior art, resulting in a low level of intelligence.
[0005] This invention is implemented as follows: a method for controlling the tailgate of a car with a separate door-closing cylinder, specifically including the following steps:
[0006] S11: Manually send an action command to the vehicle system. The vehicle system receives and recognizes the current command and sends it to the tailgate of the vehicle to execute the action.
[0007] S12: If no action is performed, the vehicle system signal will directly feed back the completion status determination.
[0008] S13: If an action is performed, the tailgate will trigger the limit switch group to send an action signal to the vehicle system after the action is performed.
[0009] S14: The vehicle system recognizes the feedback signal and determines whether an action has been performed. If an action has been performed and completed, the action command is manually sent to the vehicle system again.
[0010] S15: If no action is completed, the vehicle system will directly report the completion status and provide relevant voice prompts.
[0011] Furthermore, in S11, the manual sending of action commands is accomplished by a controller, which includes buttons for power on, power off, raise, lower, flip up, and flip down.
[0012] Furthermore, the vehicle tailgate includes a main beam, with follower arms connected to both sides of the main beam. A lifting beam is hinged to the middle of the follower arm, and the end of the lifting beam is connected to the tailgate surface. A lifting push rod is hinged to the lower part of the follower arm, and the end of the lifting push rod is connected to the lifting beam. A fixed beam is hinged to the outer sidewall of the main beam on the follower arm, and a lifting arm is connected to the end of the fixed beam. The lifting arm is hinged to the tailgate surface. A door closing push rod is connected to the middle of the fixed beam, and the end of the door closing push rod is hinged to the tailgate surface.
[0013] Furthermore, a buffer wheel is provided on one side of the lifting arm, which buffers the car tailgate when it lands.
[0014] Furthermore, a connecting plate is provided on one side of the tailgate surface. When the tailgate is flush with the floor of the vehicle body, the connecting plate fills the gap between the tailgate and the floor of the vehicle body.
[0015] Furthermore, in S13, the limit switch group includes a door closing limit switch A and a door opening limit switch B disposed in the door closing push rod. When the door closing push rod is at its longest, the door closing limit switch A is triggered to provide feedback signal A1; otherwise, it provides feedback signal A0. When the door closing push rod is at its shortest, the door opening limit switch B is triggered to provide feedback signal B1; otherwise, it provides feedback signal B0.
[0016] Furthermore, the limit switch group also includes an upper limit limit switch L and a lower limit limit switch S disposed inside the lifting push rod. When the lifting push rod is at its longest position, the upper limit limit switch L is triggered to provide feedback L1, otherwise it provides feedback L0. When the lifting push rod is at its shortest position, the lower limit limit switch S is triggered to provide feedback S1, otherwise it provides feedback S0.
[0017] Furthermore, the limit switch group also includes a lifting limit switch G, which is fixed on the main beam of the vehicle to ensure that when the tailgate is lifted to the same height as the floor of the vehicle body, the lifting beam can trigger the lifting limit switch G and provide feedback G1, while in other states, it provides feedback G0.
[0018] Furthermore, the vehicle system detects that multiple buttons on the controller are triggered simultaneously but do not activate, and plays a voice prompt. If a button remains activated even after being released, the activation of the malfunctioning button can be stopped by pressing any other button.
[0019] Furthermore, when the tailgate surface performs the downward and head-down actions, the lifting push rod will partially shorten when the tailgate surface contacts the ground, and the motor current in the lifting push rod will increase significantly. The vehicle system is equipped with a feedback signal D1 when the current exceeds a set value during the shortening operation of the lifting push rod, and a feedback signal D0 when the current does not reach the set value.
[0020] Compared with the prior art, the automobile tailgate control method with a separate door closing cylinder provided by the present invention has the following beneficial effects:
[0021] 1. The system uses a set of limit switches to detect the status and limit the movement of the tailgate, effectively protecting it from damage caused by over-limit movements. The door closing limit switch A and door opening limit switch B inside the door closing push rod trigger a feedback signal A1 when the door closing push rod is at its longest, and trigger a feedback signal B1 when the door opening push rod is at its shortest, thus monitoring the opening and closing of the tailgate. The upper limit switch L and lower limit switch S inside the lifting push rod trigger a feedback signal L1 when the lifting push rod is at its longest, and trigger a feedback signal S1 when the lifting push rod is at its shortest. Furthermore, when the tailgate is moving downwards or tilting down, the lifting push rod partially shortens when it contacts the ground, causing a significant increase in motor current. The vehicle system provides a feedback signal D1 when the current exceeds a set value during the shortening of the lifting push rod. These signals allow for rapid determination of the tailgate's current status, enabling timely implementation of a driving restriction to protect the internal transmission components from load damage.
[0022] 2. The tailgate lifting and raising processes are seamlessly integrated, allowing for continuous operation without switching. Both lifting and raising are performed by extending the lifting push rod. Simply controlling the extension of the lifting push rod is sufficient to complete the lifting and raising action continuously. When operating a button on the controller, if the tailgate is not in a state where the corresponding button action can be executed, the vehicle system will not act and will provide a voice prompt. If multiple buttons are triggered simultaneously, no action will be taken, and a voice prompt will also be provided. This not only prevents confusion but also allows for stopping the action by pressing any other button if a button remains triggered after being released. Furthermore, the vehicle system has a timed shutdown function. After a specified period of inactivity, the system will automatically shut down and disconnect the power supply to avoid the risk of short circuits due to prolonged power supply. Attached Figure Description
[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the control flow of the automobile tailgate control method with a separate door closing cylinder proposed in this invention.
[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vehicle tailgate in the vehicle tailgate control method with a separate door closing cylinder proposed in this invention.
[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of state a in the automobile tailgate control method with a separate door closing cylinder proposed in this invention.
[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of state b in the automobile tailgate control method with a separate door closing cylinder proposed in this invention.
[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of state c in the automobile tailgate control method with a separate door closing cylinder proposed in this invention.
[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of state d in the automobile tailgate control method with a separate door closing cylinder proposed in this invention.
[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of the limit switches for the door closing push rod in the automobile tailgate control method with a separate door closing cylinder proposed in this invention.
[0030] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the distribution of the travel switches of the lifting push rod in the separate door closing cylinder tailgate control method for automobiles proposed in this invention.
[0031] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the lifting limit switch in the separate door closing cylinder vehicle tailgate control method proposed in this invention.
[0032] In the diagram: 01-Main beam, 02-Following boom, 03-Lifting beam, 04-Lifting push rod, 05-Fixed beam, 06-Door closing push rod, 07-Buffer wheel, 08-Lifting arm, 09-Connecting plate, 10-Tail plate surface, 101-Car floor, 102-Automobile main beam;
[0033] A - Door closing limit switch; B - Door opening limit switch; L - Upper limit limit switch; S - Lower limit limit switch; G - Lifting limit switch. Detailed Implementation
[0034] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.
[0035] The implementation of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.
[0036] In the accompanying drawings of this embodiment, the same or similar reference numerals correspond to the same or similar components. In the description of this invention, it should be understood that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, they are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the terms used to describe positional relationships in the drawings are only for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting this invention. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms can be understood according to the specific circumstances.
[0037] Reference Figure 1-9 As shown, the method for controlling the tailgate of a car with a separate door-closing cylinder specifically includes the following steps:
[0038] S11: Manually send an action command to the vehicle system. The vehicle system receives and recognizes the current command and sends it to the tailgate of the vehicle to execute the action.
[0039] S12: If no action is performed, the vehicle system signal will directly feed back the completion status determination.
[0040] S13: If an action is performed, the tailgate will trigger the limit switch group to send an action signal to the vehicle system after the action is performed.
[0041] S14: The vehicle system recognizes the feedback signal and determines whether an action has been performed. If an action has been performed and completed, the action command is manually sent to the vehicle system again.
[0042] S15: If no action is completed, the vehicle system will directly report the completion status and provide relevant voice prompts.
[0043] In this embodiment, the vehicle tailgate includes a main beam 01, with follower arms 02 connected to both sides of the main beam 01. A lifting beam 03 is hinged to the middle of the follower arm 02, and the end of the lifting beam 03 is connected to the tailgate surface 10. A lifting push rod 04 is hinged to the lower part of the follower arm 02, and the end of the lifting push rod 04 is connected to the lifting beam 03. A fixed beam 05 is hinged to the outer sidewall of the main beam 01 on the follower arm 02, and the end of the fixed beam 05 is connected to a lifting arm 08. The lifting arm 08 is connected to the tailgate surface 10. The tailgate panels 10 are hinged together. A door closing push rod 06 is connected to the middle of the fixed beam 05. The end of the door closing push rod 06 is hinged to the tailgate panel 10. A buffer wheel 07 is provided on one side of the lifting arm 08. The buffer wheel 07 enables the tailgate panel 10 to abut against the ground for cushioning when it lands. A connecting plate 09 is provided on one side of the tailgate panel 10. When the tailgate panel 10 is flush with the floor 101 of the vehicle body, the connecting plate 09 fills the gap between the tailgate panel 10 and the floor 101 of the vehicle body.
[0044] In S11 of this embodiment, the manual sending of action commands is accomplished by the controller, which includes buttons for power on, power off, rise, fall, flip up, and flip down.
[0045] In S13 of this embodiment, the limit switch group includes a closing limit switch A and an opening limit switch B disposed within the closing push rod 06. When the closing push rod 06 is at its longest, the closing limit switch A is triggered to provide feedback signal A1; otherwise, it provides feedback signal A0. When the closing push rod is at its shortest, the opening limit switch B is triggered to provide feedback signal B1; otherwise, it provides feedback signal B0. The limit switch group also includes an upper limit limit switch L and a lower limit limit switch S disposed within the lifting push rod 04. When the lifting push rod 04 is at its longest, the upper limit limit switch L is triggered to provide feedback signal L1; otherwise, it provides feedback signal L0. When the lifting push rod 04 is at its shortest, the lower limit limit switch S is triggered to provide feedback signal L1. S1, otherwise feedback S0; the limit switch group also includes a lifting limit switch G, which is fixed on the main beam 102 of the vehicle to ensure that when the tailgate panel 10 is lifted to the same height as the floor 101 of the vehicle body, the lifting beam 03 can just trigger the lifting limit switch G and give feedback G1. In other states, feedback G0 is given. When the tailgate panel 10 performs the downward and head-down actions, when the tailgate panel 10 contacts the ground, the lifting push rod 04 will be partially shortened, and the motor current in the lifting push rod 04 will increase significantly. The vehicle system is set to give feedback signal D1 when the current exceeds the set value when the lifting push rod 04 is shortened, and feedback signal D0 when the current does not reach the set value.
[0046] Specifically, refer to Figure 3-6 The tailgate panel 10 operation process is divided into four specific states: "a", "b", "c", and "d" and "ab" for opening and closing the door (including all the following states below ba); "bc" for raising and lowering the door; and "cd" for lowering and raising the door.
[0047] Because the height of the cargo box floor varies from the ground to the ground in different vehicle models, the length of the lifting push rod 04 will differ when the tailgate is in positions b and d on different vehicle models. This can be divided into the following four situations:
[0048] ① In state b, the lifting push rod 04 is not at its longest and in state d, it is not at its shortest.
[0049] ② In state b, the lifting push rod 04 is at its longest length, while in state d it is not at its shortest length;
[0050] ③ In state b, the lifting push rod 04 is not at its longest length, and in state d, it is at its shortest length;
[0051] ④ In state b, the lifting push rod 04 is at its longest length, and in state d, it is at its shortest length.
[0052] The corresponding tailgate status judgment table is as follows:
[0053] Table 1. Judgment Table for Lifting Push Rod Not Reaching Limit and Tailboard Status
[0054]
[0055] During operation, when the lifting push rod 04 reaches its upper limit but not its lower limit, the "lower limit travel switch S" will always provide feedback S0:
[0056] Table 2. Lifting Push Rod Upper Limit Tailplate State Judgment Table
[0057]
[0058] When the lifting push rod reaches the lower limit but not the upper limit during operation, the "upper limit limit switch L" will always provide feedback at L0.
[0059] Table 3. Lifting Push Rod Lower Limit Tailplate State Judgment Table
[0060]
[0061] Table 4. Lifting Push Rod Upper and Lower Limit Tailplate State Judgment Table
[0062]
[0063] The following conclusions can be drawn from Table 1-4:
[0064] (1) The states “a”, “ab” and “b” can be distinguished by the feedback signals of A, B and G;
[0065] (2) D0 and D1 can be used to distinguish between “b, bc, c” and “d”;
[0066] (3) L and S mainly activate the limit position protection function and do not participate in system judgment and control.
[0067] As can be seen from the above, the determination process of this technical solution is as follows: Figure 1 As shown:
[0068] First, the system is powered on when the car's tailgate is in operation. If the controller is not activated, the vehicle system will directly issue a message indicating the most recent button press triggered within a set time, followed by a voice prompt to automatically power off.
[0069] The controller is triggered only by the flip-up button; otherwise, no action is performed, and the status of the car tailgate is directly output. The vehicle system detects the feedback signal of the limit switch component. If it is A0B0G1 or A0B1G1, the door closing push rod is extended and feedback is sent to the flip-up button. If it is not A0B0G1 or A0B1G1, no action is performed, and a voice prompt is given to output the status of the car tailgate.
[0070] The controller is triggered only by the flip-down button; otherwise, no action is performed, and the status of the car tailgate is directly output. The vehicle system detects the feedback signal of the limit switch component as A1B0G1 or A0B0G1. If it is, the door closing lever is shortened, and feedback is sent to only the flip-down button. If it is not A1B0G1 or A0B0G1, no action is performed, and a voice prompt is given, outputting the status of the car tailgate.
[0071] The controller is triggered only by the descent button; otherwise, no action is performed, and the status of the car tailgate is directly output. The vehicle system detects the feedback signal of the limit switch assembly as A0B1G1S0 or A0B1G0S0. If so, the lifting push rod is shortened. After the action is performed, the limit switch assembly is checked for feedback signal D1. If so, the action is stopped and a voice prompt is given. If no feedback signal D1 is given, the action continues to be triggered only by the descent button.
[0072] The controller is triggered only by the lift button; otherwise, no action is performed, and the status of the car tailgate is directly output. The vehicle system detects the feedback signal of the limit switch component. If the signal is A0B1G0L0, the lifting push rod extension action is performed, and feedback is sent to the operation triggered only by the lift button. If the feedback signal is not A0B1G0L0, no action is performed, and a voice prompt is given.
[0073] The vehicle system will not act when multiple buttons on the controller are triggered simultaneously, and will play a voice prompt. If a button fails to function and remains triggered after being released, the action of the failed button can be stopped by pressing any other button.
[0074] This technical solution integrates the raising and lifting processes of the tailgate panel 10, allowing for continuous operation without switching. Both raising and lifting are performed by the extension of the lifting push rod 04. Simply controlling the extension of the lifting push rod 04 is sufficient to complete the raising and lifting action continuously. When operating a button on the controller, if the tailgate is not in a state where the corresponding button action can be executed, the vehicle system will not operate and will provide a voice prompt. If multiple buttons are triggered simultaneously, no action will be taken, and a voice prompt will also be provided. This not only prevents the system from being idle but also allows for stopping the action by pressing any other button if a button malfunctions and remains triggered after being released. Furthermore, the vehicle system has a timed shutdown function. After a specified period of inactivity, the system will automatically shut down and disconnect the power supply, preventing the risk of short circuits due to prolonged power supply.
[0075] In this embodiment, the entire operation process can be controlled by a computer. By setting up sensors to provide signal feedback, the steps can be carried out sequentially. These are all conventional knowledge in current automation control, and will not be elaborated on in this embodiment.
[0076] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A method for controlling the tailgate of a car with a separate door-closing cylinder, characterized in that, Specifically, the following steps are included: S11: Manually send an action command to the vehicle system. The vehicle system receives and recognizes the current command and sends it to the tailgate of the vehicle to execute the action. S12: If no action is performed, the vehicle system signal will directly feed back the completion status determination. S13: If an action is performed, the tailgate will trigger the limit switch group to send an action signal to the vehicle system after the action is performed. The vehicle tailgate includes a main beam, with follower arms connected to both sides of the main beam. A lifting beam is hinged to the middle of the follower arm, and the end of the lifting beam is connected to the tailgate surface. A lifting push rod is hinged to the lower part of the follower arm, and the end of the lifting push rod is connected to the lifting beam. A fixed beam is hinged to the outer sidewall of the main beam on the follower arm, and a lifting arm is connected to the end of the fixed beam. The lifting arm is hinged to the tailgate surface. A door closing push rod is connected to the middle of the fixed beam, and the end of the door closing push rod is hinged to the tailgate surface. The limit switch group includes a door closing limit switch A and a door opening limit switch B installed inside the door closing push rod. When the door closing push rod is at its longest, the door closing limit switch A is triggered to provide feedback signal A1; otherwise, it provides feedback signal A0. When the door closing push rod is at its shortest, the door opening limit switch B is triggered to provide feedback signal B1; otherwise, it provides feedback signal B0. The limit switch group also includes an upper limit limit switch L and a lower limit limit switch S installed inside the lifting push rod. When the lifting push rod is at its longest, the upper limit limit switch L is triggered to provide feedback signal L1; otherwise, it provides feedback signal L0. When the lifting push rod is at its shortest, the lower limit limit switch S is triggered to provide feedback signal S1; otherwise, it provides feedback signal S0. The limit switch group also includes a lifting limit switch G, which is fixed to the main beam of the vehicle to ensure that when the rear panel is lifted to the same height as the floor of the vehicle, the lifting beam can trigger the lifting limit switch G and provide feedback signal G1; otherwise, it provides feedback signal G0. S14: The vehicle system recognizes the feedback signal and determines whether an action has been performed. If an action has been performed and completed, the action command is manually sent to the vehicle system again. S15: If no action is completed, the vehicle system will directly report the completion status and provide relevant voice prompts; The vehicle system detects that multiple buttons on the controller are triggered simultaneously but does not operate and plays a voice prompt. If a button fails and remains triggered after being released, the action of the failed button can be stopped by pressing any other button. When the tailgate surface performs the downward and head-down actions, the lifting push rod will partially shorten when the tailgate surface contacts the ground, and the motor current in the lifting push rod will increase significantly. The vehicle system is equipped with a feedback signal D1 when the current exceeds a set value during the shortening operation of the lifting push rod, and a feedback signal D0 when the current does not reach the set value.
2. The automobile tailgate control method with a separate door closing cylinder as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In S11, the manual sending of action commands is accomplished by the controller, which includes buttons for power on, power off, raise, lower, flip up, and flip down.
3. The method for controlling the tailgate of a car with a separate door closing cylinder as described in claim 2, characterized in that, One side of the lifting arm is equipped with a buffer wheel, which cushions the impact with the ground when the car's tailgate lands.
4. The automobile tailgate control method with a separate door closing cylinder as described in claim 3, characterized in that, A connecting plate is provided on one side of the tailgate panel. When the tailgate is flush with the floor of the vehicle body, the connecting plate fills the gap between the tailgate and the floor of the vehicle body.
Citation Information
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