Vehicle door handle emergency extension system and control method thereof

Abstract

A vehicle door handle emergency extension system and a control method thereof are provided. The present invention is configured to include: a first energy amplification actuator configured to release a door lock mechanism by outputting energy greater than received energy; a second energy amplification actuator configured to extend a door handle from a door by outputting energy greater than received energy; a controller equipped to drive the first energy amplification actuator and the second energy amplification actuator to facilitate opening of the door when the vehicle stops moving in a state in which the door handle does not normally extend; and an emergency power source equipped to supply power to the controller independently of a vehicle power supply device.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a technology of a door handle capable of opening and closing a door of a vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] A vehicle is equipped with a door allowing a user to enter and exit, and the door has a door handle to facilitate the user to open and close the door.

[0003] In addition, the door is equipped with a door lock mechanism that prevents the door from being unlocked even when the door handle is manipulated, thereby securing a locked state of the door not to be released.

[0004] Recently, electronic door handles have become more common in vehicles, considering factors such as safety and aesthetic design, rather than conventional mechanical door handles, and these electronic door handles are retracted into the door interior in the event of driving or power-off, and are extended outward for the convenience of the user when the vehicle stops moving or the power is turned on.

[0005] However, in the event of an emergency such as a vehicle accident, if the power of the electronic door handle is cut off and the handle is not extended even though the vehicle stops moving, this can prevent the door from being quickly opened, thereby causing a failure to take appropriate evacuation and rescue measures for passengers in time.

[0006] The above is merely to help understand the background of the present application, and does not mean that the present application falls within the scope of the related art known to those skilled in the art. SUMMARY

[0007] An object of the present application is to provide a door handle emergency extension system and a control method thereof, which, in addition to releasing a door lock mechanism in the event of a fire, collision, or the like, allows a door to be quickly and easily opened by extending a door handle retracted into the door, thereby allowing rapid evacuation and rescue of passengers.

[0008] To achieve the above object, a door handle emergency extension system of a vehicle according to the present application includes a first energy amplification actuator installed to release a door lock mechanism by outputting energy greater than received energy, a second energy amplification actuator installed to extend a door handle from a door by outputting energy greater than received energy, a controller equipped to drive the first energy amplification actuator and the second energy amplification actuator to facilitate opening of the door when the vehicle stops moving in a state in which the door handle does not normally extend, and an emergency power source equipped to supply power to the controller independently of a vehicle power supply device.

[0009] The first energy amplification actuator can include a first pyro device installed to generate explosive force to release the door lock mechanism based on an electrical signal provided by the controller.

[0010] The second energy amplification actuator can include a second explosive device installed to generate an explosion force to extend the door handle based on an electric signal provided by the controller.

[0011] The controller can include a stop confirmation sensor capable of confirming a stop state of the vehicle.

[0012] The stop confirmation sensor can include at least one of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor measuring presence or absence of movement of the vehicle.

[0013] The controller can be connected to a vehicle power source and configured to operate using power from the vehicle power source based on being capable of normally receiving power from the vehicle power source and operate using power from an emergency power source based on being incapable of normally receiving power from the vehicle power source.

[0014] The controller can be configured to, in response to receiving information about a collision accident of the vehicle in motion, determine whether the vehicle is in a stop state based on a signal from the stop confirmation sensor, and in response to the vehicle being in the stop state, drive the first energy amplification actuator and the second energy amplification actuator.

[0015] The controller can be configured to, in response to receiving information about an abnormality of the vehicle power source of the vehicle in motion, set an expected stop time of the vehicle based on a current speed of the vehicle, in response to a point in time after the expected stop time elapses, being incapable of using power of the vehicle power source, determine whether the vehicle has stopped moving based on a signal of the stop confirmation sensor, and in response to the vehicle having stopped moving, drive the first energy amplification actuator and the second energy amplification actuator.

[0016] The second explosive device can include a latch mechanism configured to hold the door handle in an extended state in response to the door handle being extended from the door.

[0017] Further, to achieve the above object, a method of controlling a vehicle door handle emergency extension system of a vehicle includes the steps of: monitoring whether a collision accident occurs while the vehicle is in motion; in response to the collision accident occurring, determining whether the vehicle is in a stop state; and in response to the vehicle being in the stop state, releasing a door lock mechanism and extending a door handle from a door by driving a first energy amplification actuator and a second energy amplification actuator.

[0018] The step of monitoring whether the collision accident occurs can include determining whether the collision accident occurs based on a signal of an impact sensor of an airbag system of the vehicle received through a vehicle-mounted network.

[0019] The step of determining whether the vehicle is in the stop state can include determining whether the vehicle is in the stop state based on a combination of at least one signal of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor installed in the controller.

[0020] Further, to achieve the above object, a method of controlling a door handle emergency extension system of a vehicle includes monitoring whether at least one abnormality occurs in a vehicle power source; setting an expected stop time of the vehicle based on a current speed of the vehicle in response to the abnormality occurring in the vehicle power source; determining whether usage power of the vehicle power source is unavailable at a time point after the expected stop time of the vehicle elapses; determining whether the vehicle is in a stopped state in response to the usage power of the vehicle power source being unavailable; and driving a first energy amplification actuator and a second energy amplification actuator in response to the vehicle being in the stopped state.

[0021] The expected stop time of the vehicle based on the current speed of the vehicle can be set to increase in proportion to a magnitude of the speed of the vehicle.

[0022] The method can further include resetting the expected stop time of the vehicle based on the current speed of the vehicle in response to power of the vehicle power source available at the time point after the expected stop time of the vehicle elapses.

[0023] The method can further include switching operating power of a controller to an emergency power source in response to the usage power of the vehicle power source being unavailable.

[0024] The present application is advantageous in allowing a door to be quickly and easily opened by releasing a door lock mechanism and extending a door handle retracted into the door in an emergency situation such as a fire or a collision, thereby allowing rapid evacuation and rescue of passengers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of a door handle emergency release system of a vehicle according to the present application;

[0026] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a principle of a first pyrotechnic device releasing a door lock mechanism;

[0027] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a second pyrotechnic device;

[0028] Figure 4 is a diagram showing a door handle of a vehicle in a state of being extended from a door compared to Figure 1

[0029] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing a first embodiment of a method of controlling a door handle emergency extension system of a vehicle according to the present application; and

[0030] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing a second embodiment of a method of controlling a door handle emergency extension system of a vehicle according to the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] ​Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in the present specification are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components throughout the drawings and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0032] As used in the following description, "module" and "unit" are used in consideration of ease of description, or are used interchangeably, but have no explicit meaning or role by themselves.

[0033] In addition, detailed descriptions of well-known technology related to the embodiments disclosed in the present specification can be omitted to avoid obscuring the subject matter of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification. In addition, the accompanying drawings are merely for the ease of understanding the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and do not limit the technical spirit disclosed herein, and it should be understood that the embodiments include all variations, equivalents, and alternatives within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0034] As used herein, terms including ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" can be used to describe various components without limiting the components. These terms are used only to distinguish one component from another component.

[0035] It will be understood that when a component is referred to as being "connected to" or "coupled to" another component, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other component, or intervening components can be present. In contrast, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected to" or "directly coupled to" another component, there are no intervening components present.

[0036] As used herein, the singular forms are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0037] It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" or "has," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, numbers, steps, operations, components, elements, or a combination thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, elements, or a combination thereof.

[0038] In addition, units or control units included in the names of a motor control unit (MCU), a hybrid control unit (HCU), etc. are only terms widely used to designate controllers that control specific functions of a vehicle, but do not mean general function units.

[0039] For example, each controller can include a communication device that communicates with another controller or a sensor to control a charging function, a memory that stores an operating system or logic instructions and input / output information, and one or more processors for determining, operating, and deciding on the charging function.

[0040] Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the vehicle door handle emergency extension system according to the embodiment of the present invention includes: a first energy amplification actuator 3 configured to release a door lock mechanism 1 by outputting energy greater than the received energy; a second energy amplification actuator 9 configured to extend a door handle 5 from a door 7 by outputting energy greater than the received energy; a controller 11 equipped to operate the first energy amplification actuator 3 and the second energy amplification actuator 9 to assist in opening the door 7 when the vehicle enters a state in which the door handle 5 cannot normally extend; and an emergency power supply 15 equipped to supply power to the controller 11 independently of a vehicle power supply 13.

[0041] That is, the present invention aims to facilitate the rapid evacuation and rescue of passengers by forcibly releasing the door lock mechanism 1 and extending the door handle 5 from the door 7 using the first energy amplification actuator 3 and the second energy amplification actuator 9, thereby allowing the door 7 to be easily opened when the controller 11 cannot normally extend the door handle 5 in the case where the vehicle stops moving and the door 7 cannot be easily opened.

[0042] In this embodiment, the first energy amplification actuator 3 consists of a first explosive device 17 that generates explosive force to release the door lock mechanism 1 when receiving an electrical signal from the controller 11.

[0043] In addition, the second energy amplification actuator 9 consists of a second explosive device 19 that generates explosive force to push the door handle 5 out of the door 7 when receiving an electrical signal from the controller 11.

[0044] Even in the case where the power supply from the vehicle power supply 13 is not cut off due to an accident or other reasons, the first explosive device 17 and the second explosive device 19 can generate sufficient mechanical displacement by the explosion of the internal explosive in response to a weak electrical signal provided by the controller 11, thereby allowing the door lock mechanism 1 to be released and the door handle 5 to be protruded.

[0045] The first explosive device 17 can be considered an example of the first energy amplification actuator 3 because it amplifies the energy from the weak electrical signal provided by the controller 11 and generates amplified energy sufficient for mechanical displacement for releasing the door lock mechanism 1, as described above.

[0046] In addition, the second explosive device 19 can be considered an example of the second energy amplification actuator 9 because it amplifies the energy from the weak electrical signal provided by the controller 11 and generates amplified energy sufficient for mechanical displacement for retracting the protrusion of the door handle 5 in the door 7, as described above.

[0047] The first explosive device 17 can be configured to forcibly rotate a door lock lever 18 of the door lock mechanism 1 by explosion to release the locked state of the door 7, as Figure 2As shown, the door lock ring 20 fixed to the vehicle body can be detached from the door lock mechanism 1 fixed to the door 7.

[0048] Meanwhile, the second explosion device 19 can be equipped with a latch mechanism 21 to maintain the extended state of the door handle 5 after the door handle 5 has been extended from the door 7, as shown. Figure 3

[0049] That is, in order to maintain the extended state of the door handle 5 after the second explosion device 19 uses explosive force to instantaneously extend the door handle 5 from the door 7, and in order to prevent the door handle 5 from retracting into the door 7 before use, the latch mechanism 21 is provided to continuously maintain the door handle 5 in its extended position from the door 7, the piston 23 of the second explosion device 19 continuously pushes the door handle 5 once it has been extended.

[0050] Meanwhile, the first energy amplification actuator 3 or the second energy amplification actuator 9 can also use other devices, such as devices equipped with a chamber that stores compressed gas internally, to generate the required mechanical displacement according to the electrical signal provided by the controller 11.

[0051] The controller 11 is provided with a stop confirmation sensor 25 capable of verifying the stop state of the vehicle.

[0052] Therefore, even in the case of severe damage to the vehicle due to a collision or other accident, the controller 11 can autonomously determine whether the vehicle has stopped after the collision accident via the stop confirmation sensor 25.

[0053] The stop confirmation sensor 25 can be composed of at least one of an acceleration sensor 27 and a gyroscope sensor 29 capable of measuring the presence of vehicle movement.

[0054] That is, the stop confirmation sensor 25 can be composed of one or both of the acceleration sensor 27 and the gyroscope sensor 29 to determine the stop state based on one or a combination of the acceleration of the vehicle being zero and the angular velocity of the vehicle in all directions being zero.

[0055] The controller 11 is connected to the vehicle power source 13 and can be configured to normally receive power using the power supplied from the vehicle power source 13 if possible, and to operate using power from the emergency power source 15 if not possible.

[0056] Here, the vehicle power source 13 refers to a comprehensive device that powers various devices required for the vehicle, and can be interpreted to include not only a high-voltage or low-voltage battery installed in an electric or hybrid vehicle, but also various power conversion devices.

[0057] ​To ensure sufficient reliability so that the connection between the controller 11 and the emergency power supply 15 is not disconnected even in the event of a collision, it is preferable that the emergency power supply 15 be physically integrated with or closely positioned to the controller 11, and a small battery can be used as the emergency power supply 15.

[0058] The controller 11 can be configured to automatically receive electric power from the emergency power supply 15 when the voltage of the electric power supplied from the vehicle power supply 13 to the controller 11 drops below a certain level.

[0059] The controller 11 can be configured to, upon receiving information that a collision occurs when the vehicle is moving, determine whether the vehicle is in a stopped state based on a signal from the stop confirmation sensor 25, and activate the first energy amplification actuator 3 and the second energy amplification actuator 9 when it is determined that the vehicle is in the stopped state.

[0060] The controller 11 can be configured to detect the occurrence of a collision of the vehicle based on a signal transmitted through the in-vehicle communication network, determine whether the vehicle is in a completely stopped state via the stop confirmation sensor 25 upon detection, and activate the first energy amplification actuator 3 and the second energy amplification actuator 9 only when the vehicle is in the completely stopped state, so as to prevent a situation in which the door 7 can be opened before the vehicle stops moving after the collision, putting the occupant at greater risk.

[0061] The controller 11 can be configured to, upon receiving information that an abnormality of the vehicle power supply 13 occurs when the vehicle is moving, set an expected stop time of the vehicle based on the current speed of the vehicle, determine whether the vehicle is in a stopped state based on a signal from the stop confirmation sensor 25 when the electric power of the vehicle power supply 13 cannot be used after the expected stop time has elapsed, and activate the first energy amplification actuator 3 and the second energy amplification actuator 9 when it is determined that the vehicle is in the stopped state.

[0062] That is, when the electric power from the vehicle power supply 13 is completely cut off after detecting an abnormality such as a leak, a disconnection, or a water immersion, the controller 11 sets an expected stop time of the vehicle in accordance with the current speed of the vehicle, upon the expected stop time elapsing, initially assumes that the vehicle has stopped, judges whether the vehicle has completely stopped through the stop confirmation sensor 25, and when it is secondarily judged that the vehicle has stopped, activates the first energy amplification actuator 3 and the second energy amplification actuator 9 to release the door lock mechanism 1 and extend the door handle 5.

[0063] In other words, when the electric power from the vehicle power supply 13 is still available after the expected stop time elapses from the detection of the abnormality of the vehicle power supply 13, the controller 11 can wait for the normal operation of the door lock mechanism 1 and the door handle 5, rather than activating the first energy amplification actuator 3 and the second energy amplification actuator 9.

[0064] Reference Signs List Figure 5The method of controlling the door handle emergency extension system according to the embodiment of the present application includes monitoring whether a collision occurs while the vehicle is moving at step S10, determining whether the vehicle is in a stopped state after the collision occurs at step S20, and activating the first energy amplification actuator 3 and the second energy amplification actuator 9 to release the door lock mechanism 1 and extend the door handle 5 from the door 7 at step S30 when it is determined that the vehicle is in the stopped state.

[0065] At the step S10 of monitoring whether a collision occurs in the vehicle, a signal from an impact sensor 33 equipped in an airbag system 31 of the vehicle can be received through a vehicle-mounted communication network to determine a collision of the vehicle.

[0066] The controller 11 can also receive information provided by the airbag system 31 that processes a signal from the impact sensor 33 for monitoring a location where a collision occurs in the vehicle through the vehicle-mounted network.

[0067] At the step S20 of determining whether the vehicle is in a stopped state, the stopped state determination can be made based on a combination of at least one of signals from an acceleration sensor 27 and a gyro sensor 29 integrated with the controller 11.

[0068] Referring to Figure 6 The method of controlling the door handle emergency extension system according to the embodiment of the present application includes monitoring whether a collision occurs while the vehicle is moving at step S110, setting an expected stop time of the vehicle based on a current vehicle speed when the vehicle power source 13 is abnormal at step S120, determining whether power of the vehicle power source 13 is unavailable when the expected stop time has elapsed at step S130, determining whether the vehicle is in a stopped state when it is determined that the power of the vehicle power source 13 is unavailable at step S140, and activating the first energy amplification actuator 3 and the second energy amplification actuator 9 when the vehicle is in the stopped state at step S150.

[0069] The expected stop time of the vehicle based on the current speed of the vehicle can be set to increase in proportion to the magnitude of the speed of the vehicle.

[0070] For example, the expected stop time can be set to 20 seconds for a current vehicle speed of 80 kph, and the expected stop time can be set to 25 seconds for a current vehicle speed of 100 kph.

[0071] When it is determined that the power of the vehicle power source 13 is available at a time when the expected stop time has elapsed, the expected stop time of the vehicle is reset based on the current speed of the vehicle, and the vehicle power source 13 is continuously monitored while waiting for the door lock mechanism 1 and the door handle 5 to work normally.

[0072] Conversely, when it is determined that power of the vehicle power supply 13 is not available, the operating power of the controller 11 is preferably switched to the emergency power supply 15.

[0073] While the application has been illustrated and described in connection with a particular embodiment, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the application, as set forth in the following claims.

[0074] Cross Reference to Related Applications

[0075] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2022-0083845, filed on July 7, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

Claims

1. A door handle emergency extension system for a vehicle, the door handle emergency extension system comprising: A first energy amplification actuator is configured to release the door lock mechanism of the vehicle. A second energy amplification actuator is configured to extend the door handle of the vehicle from the door of the vehicle, wherein the door handle is configured to facilitate opening the door when extended. A controller configured to actuate the first and second energy amplification actuators to facilitate opening the door when the vehicle is stationary and the door handle is not properly extended; and An emergency power supply device, configured to supply power to the controller independently of the vehicle's vehicle power supply device. The controller is connected to the vehicle power supply and is configured to: When power from the vehicle power supply is available, it operates using the first power source from the vehicle power supply; and When power from the vehicle's power supply is unavailable, operation is carried out using a second power source from the emergency power supply. Furthermore, the controller is configured as follows: In response to the detection of an anomaly in the vehicle's power supply, the expected stopping time of the vehicle is set based on the vehicle's current speed; In response to the unavailability of power from the vehicle's power supply at a point in time after the expected stopping time has elapsed, determine whether the vehicle has stopped moving; and In response to determining that the vehicle has stopped moving, the first energy amplification actuator and the second energy amplification actuator are activated.

2. The door handle emergency extension system according to claim 1, wherein, The first energy amplification actuator includes a first combustion device configured to generate an explosive force based on an electrical signal from the controller to release the door lock mechanism.

3. The door handle emergency extension system according to claim 2, wherein, The second energy amplification actuator includes a second combustion device configured to generate an explosive force based on the electrical signal from the controller to extend the door handle.

4. The door handle emergency extension system according to claim 1, wherein, The controller includes a stop confirmation sensor configured to detect whether the vehicle has stopped.

5. The door handle emergency extension system according to claim 4, wherein, The stop confirmation sensor includes at least one of an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

6. The door handle emergency extension system according to claim 4, wherein, The controller is configured to: In response to detecting a collision with the vehicle, it is determined whether the vehicle has stopped based on a signal from the stop confirmation sensor; as well as In response to determining that the vehicle has stopped, the first energy amplification actuator and the second energy amplification actuator are activated.

7. The door handle emergency extension system according to claim 3, wherein, The second ignition device includes a latching mechanism configured to hold the door handle in an extended position in response to the door handle extending from the door.

8. A method for controlling an emergency extension system for a door handle of a vehicle, the vehicle comprising: A first energy amplification actuator is configured to release the door lock mechanism of the vehicle. And a second energy amplification actuator, the second energy amplification actuator being configured to extend the door handle of the vehicle from the door of the vehicle, wherein the door handle is configured to facilitate opening the door when extended, the method comprising the steps of: Monitor whether the vehicle's power supply device has malfunctioned; In response to the detection that the vehicle's power supply has malfunctioned, the expected stopping time of the vehicle is set based on the vehicle's current speed; Determine whether power from the vehicle's power supply is available at a point in time after the vehicle's expected stopping time has elapsed; In response to determining that power from the vehicle's power supply is unavailable, it is determined whether the vehicle is in motion; and In response to determining that the vehicle is not in motion, the first energy amplification actuator and the second energy amplification actuator are driven.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The step of setting the expected stopping time of the vehicle includes increasing the expected stopping time of the vehicle in proportion to the speed of the vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of: In response to determining that power from the vehicle's power supply is available at a point in time after the vehicle's expected stopping time has elapsed, the vehicle's expected stopping time is reset based on the vehicle's current speed.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of: In response to determining that power is unavailable from the vehicle's power supply, the vehicle's controller is powered by power from the vehicle's emergency power supply.

Images