Vehicle door automatic opening and closing system with adjustable bulb electric limiting stopper

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of passenger cars, in particular to intelligent control of the passenger cars, and particularly relates to an automatic car door opening and closing system with an adjustable bulb electric limiter. The electric limiting stopper for automatically opening and closing the vehicle door comprises a vehicle body part, a vehicle door part and a limiting arm, one end of the limiting arm is rotationally connected with the vehicle body part through a pin shaft, and the other end of the limiting arm is inserted into the vehicle door part in a penetrating mode and can move in a reciprocating mode; a driving part and a transmission part are arranged between the vehicle door piece and the limiting arm, the transmission part is rotationally connected with the vehicle door piece and the limiting arm through pin shafts or ball joints, and therefore the transmission part is driven by the driving part to drive the limiting arm to reciprocate in the vehicle door piece, and the purpose of automatically opening and closing the vehicle door is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of passenger vehicles, and more particularly to the intelligent control of passenger vehicles, specifically an automatic door opening and closing system with an adjustable ball joint electric limiter. Background Technology

[0002] like Figure 1 A door limit positioner (or simply limiter) is a component used to limit the movement of a car door in the connection structure between the door and the car body. Traditionally, it is mainly used to limit the maximum opening degree of the door. Typically, a limiter includes a body component, a door component, and a limit arm. The limit arm is rotatably connected to the body component via a pin. The other end of the limit arm is inserted into the door component, which is fixed to the door. An internal elastic component clamps the limit arm, thereby controlling the feel and position of the door opening and closing.

[0003] In recent years, limit switches with electric drive devices (referred to as electric limit switches) have emerged, such as... Figure 2 , Figure 3 Two patent documents, CN113565377A and CN116163607A, disclose two different structures of electric door limiters. These electric door limiters, through the control of the transmission component by the drive component, can realize the function of automatically opening and closing the door via the limiter. However, existing electric door limiters, such as those in the aforementioned two patent documents, have the following problems:

[0004] 1. Poor design adaptability of the transmission structure leads to increased production costs and product iteration speed that cannot keep up with demand. For example, the structure in CN116163607A requires the design and styling matching of the motion curve of the limit arm in order to achieve electric control. As a result, for different car models and even different door opening requirements, the limit arm must be developed separately and the subsequent manufacturing process must be designed.

[0005] 2. The complex design of the transmission mechanism results in a bulky structure for the entire electric limit arm, requiring a lot of space and having poor product reliability. For example, the structure in CN113565377A requires, firstly, a set of transmission gears to adjust the speed ratio between the motor and the transmission rod; secondly, a gearbox to fix the transmission gear set; and finally, the lead screw, which serves as the transmission shaft, is located at the bottom of the entire structure. During long-term use, the moving parts above the lead screw, such as the reciprocating opening and closing limit arm, will generate fine debris. This debris will eventually fall onto the lead screw, causing it to jam and produce noise during operation.

[0006] More critically than the aforementioned structural and design flaws is the fact that current electric door limiters do not support purely mechanical opening methods. This means that when the drive components fail (e.g., when the vehicle loses power and the drive components also lose power), the door cannot be opened by external force. Consequently, in the event of an accident, occupants inside or outside the vehicle cannot open the door for a quick escape. This poses a serious and potentially fatal safety hazard.

[0007] In summary, current electric limit switches have many shortcomings in practical use, therefore a new electric limit switch is needed to solve these problems. Utility Model Content

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the above-mentioned defects and propose an automatic door opening and closing system with an adjustable ball-head electric limiter that is simple, compact, has a long service life, and is reliable.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention is implemented as follows:

[0010] An automatic door opening and closing system with an adjustable ball joint electric limiter includes a body component, a door component, and a limit arm. One end of the limit arm is rotatably connected to the body component via a pin, and the other end of the limit arm is inserted into the door component and can reciprocate. A drive unit and a transmission unit are provided between the door component and the limit arm. The transmission unit is rotatably connected to the door component and the limit arm via a pin or a ball joint, respectively. Thus, the transmission unit drives the limit arm to reciprocate within the door component under the drive unit, thereby achieving the purpose of automatically opening and closing the door.

[0011] Furthermore, the transmission unit includes a lead screw and a sliding sleeve passing through the lead screw. One end of the lead screw is rotatably connected to the door component through a bearing and a bearing bracket. The other end of the lead screw is rotatably connected to the limiting arm through the sliding sleeve with a ball joint. When the lead screw rotates under the action of the drive unit, the sliding sleeve slides back and forth on the lead screw. In this way, on the one hand, the sliding sleeve lubricates the lead screw, and on the other hand, by changing the position of the sliding sleeve on the lead screw, the ball joint on the sliding sleeve drives the limiting arm to move synchronously with the rotation of the lead screw.

[0012] Furthermore, the drive unit includes a motor and a worm gear assembly, which is connected to the output shaft of the motor and the lead screw in the transmission unit, respectively. Thus, when the motor rotates, it drives the lead screw to rotate through the worm gear assembly, thereby realizing the output and transmission of power.

[0013] The electric limiter for automatic opening and closing of vehicle doors proposed in this invention has the following advantages:

[0014] 1. The drive unit and the transmission unit adopt a single-stage worm gear reduction drive structure, which has the advantages of stable operation, low noise and low cost. At the same time, compared with the planetary gear reducer proposed in the existing patent, it also has the advantages of smaller size and easier manufacturing and assembly.

[0015] 2. There is no clutch or damper between the drive unit and the transmission unit. The motor's movement is directly controlled by the control system to open and close the door. This also has the advantages of simplified structure, improved reliability and reduced production costs.

[0016] 3. The limiting arm connects to the vehicle body and door assembly. The lead screw is installed inside the door assembly. The limiting arm is driven by the lead screw to open and close the door. Because the limiting arm is designed with a curved shape similar to a traditional door limiter, it can reduce the internal space of the door and maintain the same opening size as a traditional door limiter.

[0017] Furthermore, in this invention, when the lead screw is connected to the limiting arm via a sliding sleeve with a ball joint, a hemispherical groove is provided at the end of the limiting arm, and an internal thread structure is provided at the top of the groove. The ball joint is placed in the hemispherical groove, and the ball joint and the sliding sleeve are connected by a connecting shaft. It also includes an open ferrule, which includes a top platform with internal threads and a base located below the top platform. The base has a hemispherical concave bottom surface and a cylindrical external thread surface. Thus, the open ferrule is embedded between the ball joint and the connecting shaft through its side opening, and its cylindrical external thread surface is threadedly connected to the hemispherical groove at the end of the limiting arm. By rotating the ferrule, the thread tightness between the ferrule and the hemispherical groove at the end of the limiting arm is adjusted, thereby controlling the tightness of the ball joint connection.

[0018] The ball joint connection structure proposed in this invention has the following advantages:

[0019] 1. Flexibility and multi-directional movement: The ball joint can rotate flexibly in multiple directions. This design allows mechanical parts to be adjusted in three dimensions. Based on this, the limiting arm and the pin are designed to be made of different materials. For example, the limiting arm is made of injection molding, while the pin is made of metal. This allows the limiting arm to slide slightly up and down along the pin. In this way, both ends of the limiting arm have a certain adjustment space and flexibility, so as to adapt to the tolerances caused by the assembly of parts and avoid jamming.

[0020] 2. Compactness and Adjustable Gap: The structure consists of a connecting shaft, a hemispherical groove at the end of the limiting arm, and a retaining sleeve. The design is relatively compact and occupies little space. The retaining sleeve can be adjusted to eliminate the gap after pressing into the ball head, thereby ensuring high-precision positioning and smooth operation of the connection. Furthermore, the feel of opening and closing the door can be adjusted by adjusting the tightness between the retaining sleeve and the ball head.

[0021] 3. Wear resistance and reliability: The connecting shaft is made of metal, the limiting arm is made of injection molding, and the ferrule is made of high-performance plastic. This combination has good wear resistance, which helps to improve the reliability of the product and extend its service life.

[0022] 4. Easy to install and disassemble: The sleeve has an opening on the side, which allows the side of the connecting shaft to be inserted. Then, it is screwed into the hemispherical groove of the limiting arm by the thread engagement with the connecting shaft. The design is simple and easy to install and disassemble, which reduces the overall cost and complexity of the product.

[0023] In summary, this ball joint connection method, with its advantages of flexibility, compactness, high precision, wear resistance, and ease of installation, can adapt to positional offsets in any direction between the door mounting hole and the body mounting hole, avoiding jamming and abnormal noises during opening and closing, improving product reliability, and reducing overall costs.

[0024] Furthermore, the motor is positioned perpendicular to the lead screw, and the worm in the worm gear assembly is mounted on the motor, while the worm wheel is positioned at the end of the lead screw. In this way, power is transmitted between the motor and the lead screw through the worm gear assembly. The lead angle between the worm and the worm wheel in the worm gear assembly is greater than the equivalent friction angle. Thus, the worm gear assembly does not have a self-locking characteristic and can achieve clockwise or counterclockwise meshing rotation.

[0025] Through the above design, the use of this worm gear assembly solves the problem that the electric limit switch cannot allow the door to open and close when the power is off. In this way, the door can be opened in an emergency, which is conducive to the emergency escape of the people inside the vehicle and ensures the safety of life and property.

[0026] Furthermore, in this invention, the lead screw is designed to be located above the limiting arm; thus, during daily use, impurities generated during the movement of components such as the limiting arm, or even impurities generated during the use of the car door, will not accumulate on the lead screw, thereby ensuring the operational reliability of the entire transmission unit of this invention.

[0027] To achieve automated control of the electric limit switch and automated opening and closing of the vehicle doors, this invention uses electrical signals to control the drive unit. Specifically, it includes a PCB circuit board containing a control circuit or a pre-programmed MCU chip. The control circuit is connected to the drive unit via electrical signals, thereby controlling the drive unit. The control signals from the control circuit cause the drive unit to drive the transmission unit, achieving automated opening and closing of the vehicle doors. The electrical signals are emitted through a PCB circuit board with printed control circuitry or a PCB circuit board with an MCU control chip. The PCB control board can be integrated with the vehicle's control bus to form a control system, or it can be separately mounted on the electric limit switch to form a modular assembly. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 Introduction to existing technologies Figure 1 .

[0029] Figure 2 Introduction to existing technologies Figure 2 .

[0030] Figure 3 Introduction to existing technologies Figure 3 .

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the electric limiter structure shown in the present invention. Figure 1 .

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the electric limiter structure shown in the present invention. Figure 2 .

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the electric limiter structure shown in the present invention. Figure 3 .

[0034] Figure 7 The electric limit switch shown in this invention is in use. Figure 1 .

[0035] Figure 8 The electric limit switch shown in this invention is in use. Figure 2 . Detailed Implementation

[0036] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0037] like One , Figure 7 An automatic door opening and closing system with an adjustable ball joint electric limiter includes a body component, a door component with a dustproof mat, and a limit arm. One end of the limit arm is rotatably connected to the body component via a pin, and the other end of the limit arm is inserted into the door component and can reciprocate. A drive unit and a transmission unit are provided between the door component and the limit arm. The transmission unit is rotatably connected to the door component and the limit arm via a pin or a ball joint, respectively. Thus, the transmission unit drives the limit arm to reciprocate within the door component under the drive unit, thereby achieving the purpose of automatically opening and closing the door.

[0038] In the aforementioned electric limit switch, the transmission unit includes a lead screw and a sliding sleeve passing through the lead screw. One end of the lead screw is rotatably connected to the door component via a pin, and the other end of the lead screw is rotatably connected to the limit arm via the sliding sleeve with a ball joint. When the lead screw rotates under the action of the drive unit, the sliding sleeve slides back and forth on the lead screw. In this way, after grease is injected between the sliding sleeve and the lead screw, the lead screw can be lubricated through the sliding sleeve. On the other hand, by changing the position of the sliding sleeve on the lead screw, the limit arm is driven to move synchronously with the rotation of the lead screw through the ball joint on the sliding sleeve.

[0039] In the aforementioned electric limit switch, the lead screw is located above the limit arm.

[0040] In the aforementioned electric limit switch, the drive unit includes a motor and a worm gear assembly. The worm gear assembly is connected to the output shaft of the motor and the lead screw in the transmission unit, respectively. Thus, when the motor rotates, it drives the lead screw to rotate through the worm gear assembly, thereby realizing the output and transmission of power.

[0041] In the aforementioned electric limiter, the ball joint and the sliding sleeve are connected by a connecting shaft; it also includes an open ferrule, which includes a top platform with internal threads and a base located below the top platform. The base has a hemispherical concave bottom surface and a cylindrical external thread surface. Thus, the open ferrule is embedded between the ball joint and the connecting shaft through its side opening, and is threadedly connected to the hemispherical groove at the end of the limit arm through its cylindrical external thread surface. By rotating the ferrule, the thread tightness between the ferrule and the hemispherical groove at the end of the limit arm can be adjusted, thereby controlling the tightness of the ball joint connection.

[0042] In the aforementioned electric limit switch, the motor is positioned perpendicular to the lead screw. The worm in the worm gear assembly is mounted on the motor, and the worm wheel is positioned at the end of the lead screw, for example, in the gap between the bearing and the bearing support. Thus, power is transmitted between the motor and the lead screw through the worm gear assembly. The lead angle between the worm and the worm wheel in the worm gear assembly is greater than the equivalent friction angle. Therefore, the worm gear assembly does not have a self-locking characteristic and can achieve clockwise or counterclockwise meshing rotation.

[0043] The aforementioned electric limiter, in actual use, also includes a housing that encloses most of the drive and transmission components and provides support for the lead screw and limit arm, thus creating a modular assembly. This assembly is typically housed within the interior space of the vehicle door. To achieve automated control of the electric limiter and automated door opening and closing, the drive unit is controlled by electrical signals. Specifically, it includes a PCB circuit board containing an MCU chip with a control circuit or pre-set control program. The control circuit is connected to the drive unit via electrical signals, thereby controlling the drive unit. The control signals from the control circuit cause the drive unit to move the transmission unit, achieving automatic door opening and closing. These electrical signals are emitted through a PCB circuit board equipped with an MCU control chip. This PCB control board can communicate with the vehicle's control bus, thus forming a control system for driving the electric limiter of this invention. This PCB circuit board is also mounted on the housing.

[0044] In this embodiment, the motor, lead screw, and limiting arm are arranged in the same plane when viewed from the Y-axis direction. This has the advantage that... Figure 8 , Figure 2 As shown, the width of most areas of the electric limiter proposed in this invention can be as small as 32mm, which is smaller and easier to arrange compared with the traditional electric limiter which generally requires a minimum width of 40mm.

[0045] Furthermore, as can be seen from this embodiment, the electric limit switch and its control system proposed in this invention, compared to... Figure 3 , ​ In addition to the existing technology shown, it also has the following advantages:

[0046] 1. The drive unit and the transmission unit operate using a single-stage worm gear reduction drive structure, which has the advantages of stable operation, low noise, and high transmission efficiency.

[0047] 2. The lead screw is located above the limit arm; thus, during daily use, impurities generated during the movement of components such as the limit arm, or even impurities generated during the use of the car door, will not accumulate on the lead screw.

[0048] 3. The ball joint connects the lead screw and the limiting arm, allowing for flexible rotation in multiple directions. This design enables the mechanical components to be adjusted in three dimensions. Furthermore, the limiting arm and the pin are designed to be made of different materials. For example, the limiting arm is made of injection molding, while the pin is made of metal. This allows the limiting arm to slide slightly up and down along the pin, thus providing both ends of the limiting arm with a certain amount of adjustment space and flexibility to accommodate tolerances caused by parts assembly and avoid jamming.

[0049] 4. Compactness and Adjustable Gap: The structure consists of a connecting shaft, a hemispherical groove at the end of the limiting arm, and a retaining sleeve. The design is relatively compact and occupies little space. The retaining sleeve can be adjusted and the gap after pressing into the ball head can be eliminated, thereby ensuring high-precision positioning and smooth operation of the connection. Furthermore, the feel of opening and closing the door can be adjusted by adjusting the tightness between the retaining sleeve and the ball head.

[0050] 5. Wear resistance and reliability: The connecting shaft is made of metal, the limiting arm is made of injection molding, and the ferrule is made of high-performance plastic. This combination has good wear resistance, which helps to improve the reliability of the product and extend its service life.

[0051] 6. The movement of the limit arm is directly driven by the lead screw and the motor. The lead screw and the limit arm are set independently. In this way, the shape or movement trajectory of the limit arm will not affect the movement of the lead screw. That is, in the electric limit device proposed in this invention, the movement between the drive unit and the transmission unit is not affected by the shape of the limit arm. Therefore, the electric limit device proposed in this invention can adapt to more different styles and models of limit arms, so that there is no need to carry out adaptation work again for different limit arms, thereby saving production and R&D costs and improving the product iteration speed.

[0052] The above are merely embodiments provided in this application and are not intended to limit this application. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. However, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An automatic door opening and closing system with an adjustable ball-head electric limiter, comprising a body component, a door component, and a limit arm, one end of the limit arm being rotatably connected to the body component via a pin, and the other end of the limit arm being inserted into the door component and capable of reciprocating; characterized in that: A drive unit and a transmission unit are provided between the door component and the limiting arm. The transmission unit is rotatably connected to the door component and the limiting arm through a pin or ball joint, respectively. In this way, the transmission unit drives the limiting arm to reciprocate within the door component under the drive unit, thereby achieving the purpose of automatically opening and closing the door.

2. The automatic door opening and closing system with an adjustable ball-head electric limiter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The transmission unit includes a lead screw and a sliding sleeve passing through the lead screw. One end of the lead screw is rotatably connected to the door component through a bearing and a bearing bracket. The other end of the lead screw is rotatably connected to the limiting arm through the sliding sleeve with a ball joint. When the lead screw rotates under the action of the drive unit, the sliding sleeve slides back and forth on the lead screw. In this way, the sliding sleeve lubricates the lead screw on the one hand, and on the other hand, by changing the position of the sliding sleeve on the lead screw, the ball joint on the sliding sleeve drives the limiting arm to move synchronously with the rotation of the lead screw.

3. The automatic door opening and closing system with an adjustable ball-head electric limiter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The drive unit includes a motor and a worm gear assembly. The worm gear assembly is connected to the output shaft of the motor and the lead screw in the transmission unit, respectively. Thus, when the motor rotates, it drives the lead screw to rotate through the worm gear assembly, thereby realizing the output and transmission of power.

4. The automatic door opening and closing system with an adjustable ball-head electric limiter according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the lead screw is connected to the limiting arm via a sliding sleeve with a ball joint, a hemispherical groove is provided at the end of the limiting arm, and an internal thread structure is provided at the top of the groove. The ball joint is placed in the hemispherical groove, and the ball joint and the sliding sleeve are connected by a connecting shaft. It also includes an open ferrule, which includes a top platform with internal threads and a base located below the top platform. The base has a hemispherical concave bottom surface and a cylindrical external thread surface. In this way, the open ferrule is embedded between the ball joint and the connecting shaft through its side opening, and is threadedly connected to the hemispherical groove at the end of the limiting arm through its cylindrical external thread surface. By rotating the ferrule, the thread tightness between the ferrule and the hemispherical groove at the end of the limiting arm can be adjusted, thereby realizing the control of the connection tightness of the ball joint.

5. The automatic door opening and closing system with an adjustable ball-head electric limiter according to claim 3, characterized in that: The motor is positioned perpendicular to the lead screw. The worm in the worm gear assembly is mounted on the motor, and the worm wheel is located at the end of the lead screw. In this way, power is transmitted between the motor and the lead screw through the worm gear assembly. The lead angle between the worm and the worm wheel in the worm gear assembly is greater than the equivalent friction angle. Therefore, the worm gear assembly does not have a self-locking characteristic and can achieve clockwise or counterclockwise meshing rotation.

6. The automatic door opening and closing system with an adjustable ball-head electric limiter according to claim 4, characterized in that: The lead screw is located above the limit arm.

7. The automatic door opening and closing system with an adjustable ball-head electric limiter according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a PCB circuit board containing an MCU chip with a control circuit or a pre-set control program. The control circuit is connected to the drive unit via an electrical signal, thereby controlling the drive unit through the control circuit. The control signal given by the control circuit causes the drive unit to drive the transmission unit to move, thereby realizing the automatic opening and closing of the car door.

Images