Powered bi-directional tailgate with single drive motor

Abstract

A dual-axis power liftgate and methods of using the same are provided. The dual-axis power liftgate may include a door portion including a first hinge and a second hinge. The door portion may be configured to rotate about the first hinge, and a portion of the door portion may be configured to rotate about the second hinge. The dual-door portion may include a first hinge gear, a second hinge gear, a drive motor, and a drive gear. The drive motor may be configured to rotate the drive gear. The dual-axis power liftgate may include a clutch motor and a clutch.The clutch motor may be configured to cause the clutch to engage the first hinge gear with the drive gear, disengage the first hinge gear with the drive gear, engage the second hinge gear with the drive gear, and disengage the second hinge gear with the drive gear.

Description

BACKGROUNDTechnical field

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to powered liftgate structures of a vehicle, and more particularly to bi-directional powered liftgate systems having a single drive motor and methods of use. background

[0002] Pickup trucks generally have a tailgate that can be opened and closed along a single axis. This allows access to the bed. Some pickup trucks have a system that allows the tailgate to be opened along a single axis using a motor.

[0003] Some pickup trucks have a tailgate configured to open along multiple axes. However, powered tailgates are configured to open along a single axis.

[0004] For these reasons at least, there is a need for a system for power opening a tailgate along multiple axes using a single motor. SUMMARY

[0005] According to one object of the present disclosure, a dual-axis power liftgate is provided. The dual-axis power liftgate may include a door portion including a first hinge and a second hinge. The door portion may be configured to rotate about the first hinge, and a portion of the door portion may be configured to rotate about the second hinge. The dual-door portion may include a first hinge gear. The first hinge gear may be configured such that rotation of the first hinge gear causes the door portion to rotate about the first hinge. The dual-axis power liftgate may include a second hinge gear. The second hinge gear may be configured such that rotation of the second hinge gear causes the portion of the door portion to rotate about the second hinge.The dual-axis power liftgate may include a drive motor and a drive gear. The drive motor may be configured to rotate the drive gear. The dual-axis power liftgate may include a clutch motor and a clutch. The clutch motor may be configured to cause the clutch to engage the first hinge gear with the drive gear, disengage the first hinge gear from the drive gear, engage the second hinge gear with the drive gear, and disengage the second hinge gear from the drive gear.

[0006] According to an exemplary embodiment, the drive motor may be configured to rotate the first hinge gear when the first hinge gear is engaged with the drive gear.

[0007] According to an exemplary embodiment, the drive motor may be configured to rotate the second hinge gear when the second hinge gear is engaged with the drive gear.

[0008] According to an exemplary embodiment, the dual-axis power liftgate may further include one or more slotted rails. The drive motor may be coupled to the one or more slotted rails. The drive motor may be configured to move along one or more slots in the one or more slotted rails. The clutch motor may be configured to cause the clutch to move the drive motor along the one or more slots within the one or more slotted rails.

[0009] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first hinge may comprise a pivoting cup hinge.

[0010] According to an exemplary embodiment, the dual-axis power liftgate may further include a spindle drive coupled to the second hinge gear. The second hinge gear may be configured to rotate the spindle drive when the second hinge gear is rotated.

[0011] According to an exemplary embodiment, the dual-axis power liftgate may further include a first latch that, when engaged, may be configured to prevent the flap portion from rotating about the first hinge.

[0012] According to an exemplary embodiment, the dual-axis power liftgate may further include a second latch that, when engaged, may be configured to prevent the portion of the hatch portion from rotating about the second hinge.

[0013] According to an exemplary embodiment, the dual-axis motorized liftgate may further include a computing device configured to control one or more of: the drive motor; and the clutch motor.

[0014] According to one object of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a dual-axis power liftgate is provided. The method may include determining, using a computing device, whether a standard open switch or a side open switch has been pressed.The method may further include, when the default open switch has been pressed, determining using the computing device whether a door portion of a dual-axis power liftgate is fully locked, determining whether a vehicle on which the dual-axis power liftgate is mounted is stopped, and, when the door portion is fully locked and the vehicle is stopped, rotating a clutch of the dual-axis power liftgate using a clutch motor to cause a first hinge gear to engage a drive gear, and rotating a drive motor to cause the drive gear to rotate the first hinge gear, thereby causing the door portion to rotate about a first hinge.The method may further include, when the side opening switch has been pressed, determining using the computing device whether the flap portion of a dual-axis power liftgate is fully locked, determining whether a vehicle on which the dual-axis power liftgate is mounted is stopped, and, when the flap portion is fully locked and the vehicle is stopped, rotating the clutch of the dual-axis power liftgate using the clutch motor to cause a second hinge gear to engage the drive gear, and rotating the drive motor to cause the drive gear to rotate the second hinge gear, thereby causing the portion of the flap portion to rotate about a second hinge.

[0015] According to an exemplary embodiment, the method may further include releasing a first latch prior to rotating the drive motor to cause the drive gear to rotate the first hinge gear. The first latch may be configured such that, when engaged, it prevents the flap portion from rotating about the first hinge.

[0016] According to an exemplary embodiment, the method may further include releasing a second latch prior to rotating the drive motor to cause the drive gear to rotate the second hinge gear. The second latch may be configured such that, when engaged, it prevents the portion of the flap section from rotating about the second hinge.

[0017] According to an exemplary embodiment, determining whether a door portion of a dual-axis power liftgate is fully locked when the standard open switch has been pressed may further include determining whether a first latch and a second latch are engaged with each other.

[0018] According to an exemplary embodiment, determining whether a door portion of a dual-axis power liftgate is fully locked when the side open switch has been pressed may further include determining whether the first latch and the second latch are engaged.

[0019] According to an exemplary embodiment, the drive motor may be coupled to one or more slotted rails.

[0020] According to an exemplary embodiment, the drive motor may be configured to move along one or more slots within the one or more slotted rails.

[0021] According to an exemplary embodiment, the clutch motor may be configured to cause the clutch to move the drive motor along the one or more slots within the one or more slotted rails.

[0022] According to an exemplary embodiment, rotating the clutch when the standard opening switch has been pressed may include moving the drive motor along the one or more slots within the one or more slotted rails.

[0023] According to an exemplary embodiment, rotating the clutch when the side opening switch has been pressed may include moving the drive motor along the one or more slots within the one or more slotted rails.

[0024] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first hinge may comprise a pivoting cup hinge.

[0025] According to an exemplary embodiment, the two-axis motor-operated tailgate may further include a spindle drive coupled to the second hinge gear.

[0026] According to an exemplary embodiment, rotating the drive motor when the side opening switch has been pressed may include rotating the spindle drive when the second hinge gear is rotated.

[0027] According to one object of the present disclosure, a dual-axis power liftgate system is provided. The dual-axis power liftgate system may include a vehicle and a dual-axis power liftgate coupled to the vehicle. The dual-axis power liftgate may include a door portion including a first hinge and a second hinge. The door portion may be configured to rotate about the first hinge, and a portion of the door portion may be configured to rotate about the second hinge. The dual-door portion may include a first hinge gear. The first hinge gear may be configured such that rotation of the first hinge gear causes the door portion to rotate about the first hinge. The dual-axis power liftgate may include a second hinge gear.The second hinge gear may be configured such that rotation of the second hinge gear causes the portion of the hatch portion to rotate about the second hinge. The dual-axis power liftgate may include a drive motor and a drive gear. The drive motor may be configured to rotate the drive gear. The dual-axis power liftgate may include a clutch motor and a clutch. The clutch motor may be configured to cause the clutch to engage the first hinge gear with the drive gear, disengage the first hinge gear from the drive gear, engage the second hinge gear with the drive gear, and disengage the second hinge gear from the drive gear.

[0028] According to an exemplary embodiment, the drive motor may be configured to rotate the first hinge gear when the first hinge gear is engaged with the drive gear.

[0029] According to an exemplary embodiment, the drive motor may be configured to rotate the second hinge gear when the second hinge gear is engaged with the drive gear.

[0030] According to an exemplary embodiment, the dual-axis motorized tailgate may further include one or more slotted rails.

[0031] According to an exemplary embodiment, the drive motor may be coupled to the one or more slotted rails.

[0032] According to an exemplary embodiment, the drive motor may be configured to move along one or more slots in the one or more slotted rails.

[0033] According to an exemplary embodiment, the clutch motor may be configured to cause the clutch to move the drive motor along the one or more slots within the one or more slotted rails. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the Detailed Description, illustrate various non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the subject matter and, together with the Detailed Description, serve to explain the principles of the subject matter discussed below. Unless expressly indicated, it is to be understood that the drawings referred to in this Brief Description of the Drawings are not to scale, and like reference characters designate like parts throughout the various figures unless otherwise indicated. Fig. 1 illustrates a front view of a dual-axis powered liftgate according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2A-2B illustrate a perspective view of a two-axis powered tailgate mounted on a vehicle and movable along a first axis ( Fig. 2A) is open and along a second axis ( Fig. 2B) is open. Fig. Figure 3 illustrates a schematic view of a coupling hinge interaction along section AA of the dual-axis powered tailgate of Fig. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. Figure 4 illustrates a schematic view of a motor coupling interaction along the section BB of the two-axis powered tailgate of Fig. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. Figure 5 illustrates a schematic view of a coupling hinge interaction along section AA of the dual-axis powered tailgate of Fig. 1 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 6 illustrates a flowchart of a method of operating a dual-axis powered liftgate to cause the door of the dual-axis powered liftgate to rotate about a first hinge, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 7 illustrates a flowchart of a method of operating a dual-axis powered liftgate to cause a portion of the door of the dual-axis powered liftgate to rotate about a second hinge, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 8 illustrates example elements of a computing device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 illustrates an exemplary architecture of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The following detailed description is merely exemplary and not limiting. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding background section or in the following detailed description.

[0036] Reference will now be made in detail to various exemplary embodiments of the subject matter, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While various embodiments are discussed herein, it is to be understood that they are not intended to be limited to these embodiments. On the contrary, the illustrated embodiments are intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that may be included within the spirit and scope of the various embodiments as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in this detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present subject matter. However, embodiments may be practiced without these specific details.In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the described embodiments.

[0037] Some portions of the following detailed descriptions are presented in terms of procedures, logic blocks, processing, and other symbolic representations of operations on data within an electrical device. These descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing field to most effectively convey the essence of their work to others skilled in the art. In the present application, a procedure, logic block, process, or the like is understood to be one or more self-consistent procedures or instructions that lead to a desired result. The procedures are those that require physical manipulation of physical quantities.Typically, although not necessarily, these quantities may take the form of electrical or magnetic signals that can be stored, transmitted, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated within an electronic system, device, and / or component.

[0038] It should be noted, however, that these and similar terms are to be assigned to the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient names for these quantities.Unless expressly stated otherwise, as will be apparent from the following discussions, it is to be understood that throughout the description of the embodiments, discussions using terms such as "determine," "communicate," "sense," "compare," "monitor," "calibrate," "estimate," "initiate," "provide," "receive," "control," "transmit," "isolate," "generate," "align," "synchronize," "identify," "maintain," "display," "switch," or the like, refer to the actions and processes of an electronic element, such as: a processor, a sensor processing unit (SPU), a processor of a sensor processing unit, an application processor of an electronic device / system, or the like, or a combination thereof.The element processes and transforms data represented as physical (electronic and / or magnetic) quantities in memories or registers into other data similarly represented as physical quantities in memories or registers or other such components for storing, transmitting, processing or displaying information.

[0039] It is understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicular" or other similar term, as used herein, generally encompasses motor vehicles, such as passenger cars including sport utility vehicles (SUVs), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and the like, as well as hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., fuels derived from resources other than petroleum). As stated herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that has two or more power sources, for example, both gasoline-powered and electric-powered vehicles. In aspects, a vehicle may include an internal combustion engine system as disclosed herein.

[0040] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. These terms are intended only to distinguish one component from another, and the terms do not limit the nature, order, or order of the component parts. It is further understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence or addition of stated features, integers, steps, acts, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, acts, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements. Throughout the description, unless expressly described otherwise, the word "comprise" and variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" are to be understood as including the specified elements but not excluding other elements. Furthermore, the terms "unit," "-er," and "-or" as described in the description refer to units for performing at least one function and operation and may be implemented by hardware components or software components and combinations thereof.

[0041] Although the exemplary embodiment is described as using a plurality of units to perform the exemplary process, it is understood that the exemplary processes may also be performed by one or more modules. Furthermore, it is understood that the term "controller" refers to a hardware device including a memory and a processor and specifically programmed to perform the processes described herein. The memory is configured to store the modules, and the processor is specifically configured to execute the modules to perform one or more processes described further below.

[0042] Furthermore, the control logic of the present disclosure may be embodied as non-transitory computer-readable media on a computer-readable medium containing executable program instructions executed by a processor, controller, or the like. Examples of computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, ROM, RAM, compact disc (CD-ROMs), magnetic tapes, floppy disks, flash drives, smart cards, and optical data storage devices. The computer-readable medium may also be distributed in network-coupled computer systems such that the computer-readable medium is stored and executed in a distributed manner, e.g., by a telematics server or a controller area network (CAN).

[0043] Unless expressly stated or suggested by context, the term "approximately," as used herein, is understood to mean within a range of normal tolerance in the art, for example, within 2 standard deviations of the mean. "Approximately" may be understood to mean within 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05%, or 0.01% of the stated value. Unless the context otherwise requires, all numerical values ​​stated herein are modified by the term "approximately."

[0044] The embodiments described herein may be discussed in the general context of processor-executable instructions residing on any form of non-transitory processor-readable medium, such as program modules executed by one or more computers or other devices. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The functionality of the program modules may be arbitrarily combined or distributed in various embodiments.

[0045] In the figures, a single block may be described as performing a function or functions; in practice, the function or functions performed by that block may be implemented in a single component or across multiple components and / or may be performed using hardware, using software, or using a combination of hardware and software. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, logic, circuits, and steps have been described generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the particular application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.Those skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in various ways for each particular application; however, such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present disclosure. Likewise, the exemplary vibration sensing system and / or electronic device described herein may include components other than those shown, including well-known components.

[0046] Various techniques described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof, unless expressly described as being implemented in a specific manner. Any features described as modules or components may also be implemented together in an integrated logic device or separately as discrete but interoperable logic devices. When implemented in software, the techniques may be realized, at least in part, by a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, perform one or more of the methods described herein. The non-transitory processor-readable data storage medium may form part of a computer program product, which may include packaging materials.

[0047] The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium may include random access memory (RAM), such as synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), read-only memory (ROM), non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), FLASH memory, other known storage media, and the like. The techniques may additionally or alternatively be implemented at least in part by a processor-readable communication medium that carries or communicates code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed, read, and / or executed by a computer or other processor.

[0048] Various embodiments described herein may be executed by one or more processors, such as one or more motion processing units (MPUs), sensor processing units (SPUs), host processor(s) or core(s) thereof, digital signal processors (DSPs), general-purpose microprocessors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific instruction set processors (ASIPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), a programmable logic controller (PLC), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, configured to perform the functions described herein, or other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuits.The term "processor," as used herein, may refer to any of the aforementioned structures or any other structure suitable for implementing the techniques described herein. As used in this specification, the term "processor" may refer to substantially any computational processing unit or device, including, but not limited to, single-core processors; single-core processors with software multi-threaded execution capability; multi-core processors; multi-core processors with software multi-threaded execution capability; multi-core processors with hardware multi-threaded technology; parallel platforms; and parallel platforms with distributed shared memory. In addition, processors may utilize nanoscale architectures, such as molecular and quantum dot-based transistors, switches, and gates, to optimize space utilization or improve the performance of user equipment.A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computational processing units.

[0049] Furthermore, in some aspects, the functionality described herein may be provided in dedicated software modules or hardware modules configured as described herein. Likewise, the techniques may be implemented entirely in one or more circuits or logic elements. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of an SPU / MPU and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with an SPU core, an MPU core, or any other such configuration.One or more components of an SPU or electronic device described herein may be embodied in the form of one or more of a "chip," a "package," or an integrated circuit (IC).

[0050] With reference now to Fig. 1-2B are a front view ( Fig. 1) a dual-axis powered tailgate 100 and a perspective view of the dual-axis powered tailgate 100 mounted on a vehicle 102, opened along a first axis (2A) and opened along a second axis (2B), according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0051] According to an exemplary embodiment, the dual-axis powered tailgate 100 may include a drive motor 104, a clutch 106, and a spindle drive 108. According to an exemplary embodiment, the dual-axis powered tailgate 100 may include a first hinge 110 and a second hinge 112, wherein the two hinges 110, 112 are arranged on separate axes and driven by a single drive motor 104. The dual-axis powered tailgate 100 is configured to improve customer comfort by utilizing a pickup truck tailgate.

[0052] Fig. 3-5 illustrate a schematic view (3) of a coupling hinge interaction along section AA of the dual-axis powered tailgate 100 as shown in Fig. 1, a schematic view ( Fig. 4) a motor coupling interaction along the section BB of the two-axis powered tailgate 100, as in Fig. 1, and a schematic view (5) of a coupling hinge interaction along the section AA of the two-axis powered tailgate 100, as shown in Fig. 1, according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0053] According to an exemplary embodiment, the clutch 106 may comprise an electromagnetic clutch. However, it should be noted that other suitable types of clutches 106 may be incorporated while maintaining the spirit and functionality of the present disclosure. According to an exemplary embodiment, the clutch 106 may be configured to engage and urge a gear 114, 116 to engage one or more internal teeth 120 of a drive gear 118. According to an exemplary embodiment, the dual-axis powered liftgate 100 may include a clutch motor 122 configured to drive the clutch 106.

[0054] According to an exemplary embodiment, the clutch motor 120 may be configured to engage and / or disengage the clutch 106 to connect the drive motor 104 to a desired hinge. According to an exemplary embodiment, the clutch 106 may be configured to cause a first hinge gear 114 to engage the drive gear 118 to cause the dual-axis powered liftgate 100 to rotate about the first hinge 110 (along the first axis). According to an exemplary embodiment, the clutch 106 may be configured to cause a second hinge gear 116 to engage the drive gear 118 to cause the dual-axis powered liftgate 100 to rotate about the second hinge 112 (along the second axis).

[0055] According to an exemplary embodiment, when the first hinge gear 114 is engaged with the drive gear 118, the drive motor 104 may be configured to cause the drive gear 118 to rotate, thereby causing the first hinge gear 114 to rotate, which in turn causes a first hinge gear housing 124 to rotate about the first hinge 110, thereby causing some or all of the tailgate flap 126 of the dual-axis powered tailgate 100 to rotate about the first hinge 110 (e.g., causing the tailgate flap 126 to perform an upward and / or downward movement). According to an exemplary embodiment, the first hinge 110 may be a pivoting cup hinge. However, it should be noted that other suitable hinge types may be incorporated while maintaining the spirit and functionality of the present disclosure.

[0056] According to an exemplary embodiment, the drive motor 104 may be configured such that, when the second hinge gear 116 is engaged with the drive gear 118, the drive motor 104 causes the drive gear 118 to rotate, thereby causing the second hinge gear 116 to rotate, which in turn causes a screw drive 108 to rotate, thereby causing a portion 130 of the tailgate door 126 to rotate about the second hinge 112 (e.g., causing the portion 130 of the tailgate door 126 to perform a lateral opening and / or closing movement). According to an exemplary embodiment, the screw drive 108 may be coupled to a projection 132 that is coupled to the portion 130 of the tailgate door 106.The projection 132 may be configured such that pushing the projection 132 with the spindle drive 128 causes the portion 130 of the tailgate flap 126 to open, and / or pulling the projection 132 with the spindle drive 108 causes the portion 130 of the tailgate flap 126 to close.

[0057] According to an exemplary embodiment, as in Fig. 3, the clutch motor 122 may be configured to cause the clutch 106 to push the first hinge gear 114 to engage and mesh with the teeth 120 of the drive gear 118 and pull the first hinge gear 114 to disengage the drive gear 118, and push the second hinge gear 116 to engage and mesh with the teeth 120 of the drive gear 118 and pull the second hinge gear 116 to disengage the drive gear 118.

[0058] According to an exemplary embodiment, the drive motor 104 may be mounted on a movable support configured to allow the drive motor 104 to move along the movable support. According to an exemplary embodiment, the drive motor 104 may be mounted as shown in Fig. 5, may be mounted on one or more slotted rails 134, each slotted rail having an open slot 136. The drive motor 104 may be configured to move along the open slots 136 of the slotted rails 134, moving the drive gear 118 as the drive motor 104 moves along the slotted rails. According to an exemplary embodiment, the clutch motor 122 may be configured to cause the clutch 106 to move the drive motor 104 along the slotted rails 134. According to an exemplary embodiment, the clutch 106 may be configured to push and / or pull a pin 138 coupled to the drive motor 104, thereby causing the drive motor 104 to move, thereby causing the drive gear 118 to engage and / or disengage the first hinge gear 114 and / or the second hinge gear 116.

[0059] According to an exemplary embodiment, the dual-axis powered liftgate 100 may include one or more computing devices 140. The one or more computing devices 140 may be configured to control the drive motor 104 and / or the clutch motor 122 and / or cause the drive motor 104 and / or the clutch motor 122 to perform one or more of the functions described herein. The computing device 140 may be coupled to, be a component of, and / or be in wired and / or wireless communication with one or more of the drive motor 104 and the clutch motor 122.

[0060] According to an exemplary embodiment, the dual-axis powered liftgate 100 may include one or more latches configured to secure a position of the door 126 and / or a portion 130 of the door 126. The one or more latches may include a first latch 142 and a second latch 144.

[0061] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first latch 142 may be configured such that, when engaged, it prevents the door 126 from rotating about the first hinge 110. The dual-axis powered liftgate 100 may be configured to release the first latch 142 before the door 126 is rotated about the first hinge 110.

[0062] According to an exemplary embodiment, the second latch 144 may be configured such that, when engaged, it prevents the portion 130 of the door 126 from rotating about the second hinge 112. The dual-axis power liftgate 100 may be configured to release the second latch 144 before the portion 130 of the door 126 is rotated about the second hinge 112.

[0063] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first hinge 110 is configured to cause a portion or all of the tailgate flap 126 to rotate, causing an upward / downward movement, and the second hinge 112 is configured to cause a portion 130 of the tailgate flap 126 to rotate, causing a lateral opening / closing movement. However, it should be noted that one or more of the first hinge 110 and / or the second hinge 112 may be configured to cause the tailgate flap 126 and / or a portion thereof to rotate in any suitable direction while maintaining the spirit and functionality of the present disclosure.It should also be noted that while the figures show a tailgate having a first hinge 110 and a second hinge 112, the present disclosure may be used in forming a powered tailgate capable of rotating along more than two axes.

[0064] With reference now to Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method 600 of operating a dual-axis powered liftgate to cause the door of the dual-axis powered liftgate to rotate about a first hinge, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0065] At step 605, a standard opening switch or other suitable switching device may be activated (e.g., pressed). According to an exemplary embodiment, this switch may be configured to indicate to the dual-axis power liftgate that a request has been made to rotate the lid of the dual-axis power liftgate about the first hinge.

[0066] At step 610, it is determined whether the dual-axis power liftgate door is fully locked. According to an exemplary embodiment, the dual-axis power liftgate door may be fully locked if each of the dual-axis power liftgate latches (e.g., the first latch and the second latch) is secured. According to an exemplary embodiment, the method returns to await the completion of step 605 if the dual-axis power liftgate door is not fully secured.

[0067] According to an exemplary embodiment, if the lid of the dual-axis powered liftgate is fully locked, it is determined at step 615 whether the vehicle to which the dual-axis powered liftgate is attached is fully stopped. Whether the vehicle is stopped may be determined via one or more suitable sensors, such as speed sensors, position sensors, and / or other suitable sensors. According to an exemplary embodiment, the method returns to await the completion of step 605 if the vehicle to which the dual-axis powered liftgate is attached is not fully stopped.According to an exemplary embodiment, at step 620, when the door of the dual-axis powered tailgate is fully locked and the vehicle to which the dual-axis powered tailgate is attached is fully stopped, the clutch motor rotates the clutch to engage the drive motor with the first hinge gear.

[0068] While step 610 is illustratively positioned before step 615, it should be noted that steps 610 and 615 may be performed concurrently or in reverse order while maintaining the spirit and functionality of the present disclosure.

[0069] According to an exemplary embodiment, once the clutch motor rotates to engage the drive motor with the first hinge gear, the first latch is released at step 625 and the drive motor rotates at step 630. The rotation of the drive motor causes the door of the dual-axis powered liftgate to rotate about the first hinge at step 635.

[0070] With reference now to Fig. 7, a flowchart of a method 700 of operating a dual-axis powered liftgate to cause a portion of the door of the dual-axis powered liftgate to rotate about a second hinge is illustrated, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0071] At step 705, a side-opening switch or other suitable switching device may be activated (e.g., pressed). According to an exemplary embodiment, this switch may be configured to indicate to the dual-axis power liftgate that a request has been made to rotate the flap portion of the dual-axis power liftgate about the second hinge.

[0072] At step 710, it is determined whether the dual-axis power liftgate door is fully locked. According to an exemplary embodiment, the dual-axis power liftgate door may be fully locked if each of the dual-axis power liftgate latches (e.g., the first latch and the second latch) is secured. According to an exemplary embodiment, the method returns to await the completion of step 705 if the dual-axis power liftgate door is not fully secured.

[0073] According to an exemplary embodiment, if the lid of the dual-axis powered liftgate is fully locked, it is determined at step 715 whether the vehicle to which the dual-axis powered liftgate is attached is fully stopped. Whether the vehicle is stopped may be determined via one or more suitable sensors, such as speed sensors, position sensors, and / or other suitable sensors. According to an exemplary embodiment, the method returns to await the completion of step 605 if the vehicle to which the dual-axis powered liftgate is attached is not fully stopped.According to an exemplary embodiment, when the door of the dual-axis powered tailgate is fully locked and the vehicle to which the dual-axis powered tailgate is attached is fully stopped, then at step 720 the clutch motor rotates the clutch to engage the drive motor with the second hinge gear.

[0074] While step 710 is illustratively positioned before step 715, it should be noted that steps 710 and 715 may be performed concurrently or in reverse order while maintaining the spirit and functionality of the present disclosure.

[0075] According to an exemplary embodiment, once the clutch motor rotates to engage the drive motor with the second hinge gear, the second latch is released at step 725, and the drive motor rotates at step 730. The rotation of the drive motor causes the flap portion of the dual-axis powered tailgate to rotate about the second hinge at step 735.

[0076] With reference now to Fig. 8, an illustration of an example architecture for a computing device 800 is provided. According to an example embodiment, one or more functions of the present disclosure may be implemented by a computing device, such as the computing device 800 or a computing device similar to the computing device 800. The computing device 800 may be a quantum computer, a classical computer, and / or include one or more components configured to perform one or more quantum and / or classical computing functions.

[0077] The hardware architecture of Fig. 8 illustrates an exemplary implementation of a representative computing device configured to perform one or more methods for controlling a dual-axis powered tailgate (e.g., dual-axis powered tailgate 100) as described herein. As such, computing device 800 may be Fig. 8 may be configured to implement at least part of the method or methods described herein (e.g., method 600 of Fig. 6 and the method 700 of Fig. 7).

[0078] Some or all components of computing device 800 may be implemented as hardware, software, and / or a combination of hardware and software. The hardware may include, but is not limited to, one or more electronic circuits. The electronic circuits may include, but are not limited to, passive components (e.g., resistors and capacitors) and / or active components (e.g., amplifiers and / or microprocessors). The passive and / or active components may be adapted and / or programmed to perform one or more of the methodologies, procedures, or functions described herein.

[0079] As in Fig. 8, the computing device 800 may include a user interface 802 (e.g., a graphical user interface), a central processing unit ("CPU") 806, a system bus 810, a memory 812 connected to and accessible from other portions of the computing device 800 via the system bus 810, and hardware devices 814 connected to the system bus 810. The user interface may include input devices and output devices that may be configured to enable user-software interactions to control operations of the computing device 800. The input devices may include, but are not limited to, a physical and / or touch keyboard 840. The input devices may be connected to the computing device 800 via a wired or wireless connection (e.g., a Bluetooth® connection).The output devices may include, but are not limited to, a speaker 842, a display 844, and / or light-emitting diodes 846.

[0080] At least some of the hardware entities 814 may be configured to perform actions that include accessing and using the memory 812, which may be random access memory (RAM), a floppy disk drive, and / or compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), as well as any other suitable type of memory. The hardware entities 814 may include a disk drive unit 816 that includes a computer-readable storage medium 818 on which one or more sets of instructions 820 (e.g., programming instructions such as, but not limited to, software code) configured to implement one or more of the methodologies, methods, or functions described herein may be stored. The instructions 820 may also reside entirely or at least partially within the memory 812 and / or within the CPU 806 during their execution by the computing device 800.

[0081] The memory 812 and the CPU 806 may also be machine-readable media. The term "machine-readable media," as used herein, refers to a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database and / or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions 820. The term "machine-readable media," as used herein, also refers to any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying a set of instructions 820 for execution by the computing device 800, and that causes the computing device 800 to perform one or more of the methodologies of the present disclosure.

[0082] With reference now to Fig. 9, an exemplary vehicle system architecture 900 is provided for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0083] The two-axis powered tailgate 100 and vehicle 102 may be configured to be integrated into or with a vehicle having the same or similar system architecture as that described in Fig. 9. Therefore, the following discussion of the vehicle system architecture 900 is sufficient to understand one or more components of a vehicle into or with which the dual-axis powered liftgate 100 may be integrated.

[0084] As in Fig.9, the vehicle system architecture 900 may include an engine, motor, or propulsion device (e.g., a powerplant) 902 and various sensors 904-918 for measuring various parameters of the vehicle system architecture 900. In gas-powered or hybrid vehicles with a fuel-powered engine, the sensors 904-918 may include, for example, an engine temperature sensor 904, a battery voltage sensor 906, an engine revolutions per minute (RPM) sensor 908, and / or a throttle position sensor 910. If the vehicle is an electric or hybrid vehicle, the vehicle may include an electric motor and, accordingly, may include sensors such as a battery monitoring system 912 (for measuring battery current, voltage, and / or temperature), motor current 914 and voltage sensors 916, and motor position sensors such as resolvers and encoders 918.

[0085] Operating parameter sensors common to both vehicle types may include, for example: a position sensor 934, such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and / or an inertial measurement unit; a speed sensor 936; and / or an odometer sensor 938. The vehicle system architecture 900 may also include a clock 942 that the system uses to determine the vehicle time and / or date during operation. The clock 942 may be encoded into the in-vehicle computing device 920, it may be a separate device, or multiple clocks may be available.

[0086] The vehicle system architecture 900 may also include various sensors designed to collect information about the environment in which the vehicle is traveling. These sensors may include, for example: a location sensor 944 (e.g., a Global Positioning System (GPS) device); object detection sensors, such as one or more cameras 946; a LiDAR sensor system 948; and / or a RADAR and / or sonar system 950. The sensors may also include environmental sensors 952, such as, for example, a humidity sensor, a precipitation sensor, a light sensor, and / or an ambient temperature sensor.The object detection sensors may be configured to enable the vehicle system architecture 900 to detect objects located within a given distance range of the vehicle in any direction, while the environmental sensors 952 may be configured to collect data about the environmental conditions within the vehicle's travel range. According to an exemplary embodiment, the vehicle system architecture 900 may include one or more lights 954 (e.g., headlights, floodlights, hazard lights, etc.).

[0087] During operation, information from the sensors may be communicated to an in-vehicle computing device 920 (e.g., computing device 140 and computing device 800). The in-vehicle computing device 920 may be configured to analyze the data collected by the sensors and / or data received from data providers and may be configured to optionally control the operation of the vehicle system architecture 900 based on the results of the analysis. For example, the in-vehicle computing device 920 may be configured to control: braking via a brake controller 922; steering via a steering controller 924; speed and acceleration via a throttle controller 926 (in a gas-powered vehicle) or an engine speed controller 928 (such as an amperage controller in an electric vehicle); a differential gear controller 930 (in vehicles with transmissions); and / or other controls.The brake controller 922 may include a pedal force sensor, a pedal force sensor, and / or a simulator temperature sensor, as described herein.

[0088] Geographical location information may be communicated from location sensor 944 to in-vehicle computing device 920, which may then access a map of the environment corresponding to the location information to determine known fixed features of the environment, such as roads, buildings, stop signs, and / or stop / go signals. Captured images from cameras 946 and / or object detection information acquired by sensors, such as LiDAR 948, may be transmitted from these sensors to in-vehicle computing device 920. The object detection information and / or captured images may be processed by in-vehicle computing device 920 to detect objects in the vicinity of the vehicle. Any known or future technique for producing object detection based on sensor data and / or captured images may be used in the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0089] What has been described above includes examples of the present disclosure. It is obviously not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the subject matter, but it is understood that many other combinations and permutations of the present disclosure are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to encompass all such changes, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

[0090] In particular, and with respect to the various functions performed by the components, devices, systems, and the like described above, the terms (including a reference to a "means") used to describe such components, unless otherwise indicated, are intended to correspond to any component that performs the specified function of the described component (e.g., a functional equivalent), even if it is not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure that performs the function in the exemplary aspects of the claimed subject matter illustrated herein.

[0091] The aforementioned systems and components have been described in terms of interaction between multiple components. It should be understood that such systems and components may include these components or specified subcomponents, some of the specified components or subcomponents, and / or additional components, as well as various permutations and combinations of the foregoing. Subcomponents may also be implemented as components that are communicatively coupled to other components rather than being contained within higher-level components (hierarchically). Furthermore, it should be noted that one or more components may be combined into a single component that provides overall functionality or may be divided into several separate subcomponents. Any of the components described herein may also interact with one or more other components not specifically described herein.

[0092] Furthermore, while a particular feature of the present invention may be disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such a feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other implementations as may be desired and advantageous for a given or particular application. To the extent the terms "includes," "including," "has," "contains," variations thereof, and other similar terms are used in either the detailed description or the claims, these terms are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising," as an open-ended transitional term, without excluding additional or different elements.

[0093] Thus, the embodiments and examples set forth herein have been presented to best explain various selected embodiments of the present invention and their specific application, and thereby enable those skilled in the art to make and use embodiments of the invention. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the foregoing description and examples have been presented for purposes of illustration and example only. The description, as set forth, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments of the invention to the precise form disclosed.

Claims

[1] Two-axle motor-operated tailgate, comprising: a flap portion comprising a first hinge and a second hinge, where: the flap section is configured to rotate about the first hinge, and a portion of the flap portion is configured to rotate about the second hinge; a first hinge gear, wherein the first hinge gear is configured such that rotation of the first hinge gear causes the flap portion to rotate about the first hinge; a second hinge gear, wherein the second hinge gear is configured such that rotation of the second hinge gear causes the portion of the flap portion to rotate about the second hinge; a drive motor and a drive gear, wherein the drive motor is configured to rotate about the drive gear; and a clutch motor and a clutch, where: the clutch motor is configured to cause the clutch to: engages the first hinge gear with the drive gear; disengages the first hinge gear from the drive gear; engages the second hinge gear with the drive gear; and disengages the second hinge gear from the drive gear. [2] The dual-axis power liftgate of claim 1, wherein the drive motor is configured to rotate the first hinge gear when the first hinge gear is engaged with the drive gear. [3] The dual-axis power liftgate of claim 1, wherein the drive motor is configured to rotate the second hinge gear when the second hinge gear is engaged with the drive gear. [4] A dual-axis power liftgate according to claim 1, further comprising one or more slotted rails, wherein: the drive motor is coupled to the one or more slotted rails, the drive motor is configured to move along one or more slots within the one or more slotted rails, and the clutch motor is configured to cause the clutch to move the drive motor along the one or more slots within the one or more slotted rails. [5] A dual-axis power liftgate as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first hinge comprises a pivoting cup hinge. [6] The dual-axis power liftgate of claim 1, further comprising a spindle drive coupled to the second hinge gear, the second hinge gear configured to rotate the spindle drive when the second hinge gear is rotated. [7] A two-axis motor-operated tailgate according to claim 1, further comprising: a first latch configured to, when engaged, prevent the flap portion from rotating about the first hinge; and a second latch configured to, when engaged, prevent the portion of the flap section from rotating about the second hinge. [8] The dual-axis power liftgate of claim 1, further comprising a computing device configured to control one or more of: the drive motor; and the clutch motor. [9] A method for controlling a two-axis motor-operated tailgate, comprising: Determining, using a computing device, whether a standard open switch or a side open switch has been pressed; if the standard opening switch has been pressed: using the computing device: Determining whether a vehicle on which the dual-axis power liftgate is mounted is fully locked; Determining whether a vehicle on which the dual-axle motorized tailgate is mounted is stopped; and when the flap part is fully locked and the vehicle is stopped: Rotating a clutch of the dual-axis power liftgate using a clutch motor to cause a first hinge gear to engage a drive gear; and Rotating a drive motor to cause the drive gear to rotate the first hinge gear, causing the flap portion to rotate about a first hinge; and when the side opening switch has been pressed: using the computing device: Determining whether the flap portion of a dual-axis power liftgate is fully locked; Determining whether a vehicle on which the dual-axle motorized tailgate is mounted is stopped; and when the gate section is fully locked and the vehicle is stopped: Rotating the clutch of the dual-axis power tailgate using the clutch motor to cause a second hinge gear to engage the drive gear; and Rotating the drive motor to cause the drive gear to rotate the second hinge gear, thereby causing the portion of the flap section to rotate about a second hinge. [10] The method of claim 9, further comprising, prior to rotating the drive motor to cause the drive gear to rotate the first hinge gear, releasing a first latch, the first latch being configured such that, when engaged, it prevents the flap portion from rotating about the first hinge. [11] The method of claim 9, further comprising, prior to rotating the drive motor to cause the drive gear to rotate the second hinge gear, releasing a second latch, the second latch being configured to, when engaged, prevent the portion of the flap portion from rotating about the second hinge. [12] The method of claim 9, wherein: determining whether a flap portion of a dual-axis power liftgate is fully locked when the standard opening switch has been pressed, comprising determining whether a first latch and a second latch are engaged, and determining whether a flap portion of a dual-axis power liftgate is fully locked when the side open switch has been pressed includes determining whether the first latch and the second latch are engaged. [13] The method of claim 9, wherein: the drive motor is coupled to one or more slotted rails, the drive motor is configured to move along one or more slots within the one or more slotted rails, the clutch motor is configured to cause the clutch to move the drive motor along the one or more slots within the one or more slotted rails. [14] The method of claim 13, wherein: Rotating the clutch when the standard opening switch has been pressed, moving the drive motor along one or comprising a plurality of slots within the one or more slotted rails, and rotating the clutch when the side opening switch has been pressed comprises moving the drive motor along the one or more slots within the one or more slotted rails. [15] The method of claim 9, wherein the first hinge comprises a pivoting cup hinge. [16] The method of claim 9, wherein: the two-axis motor-operated tailgate further comprises a spindle drive coupled to the second hinge gear, and when the side opening switch has been pressed, the rotation of the drive motor includes the rotation of the spindle drive when the second hinge gear is rotated. [17] Two-axle motor-operated tailgate system, comprising: a vehicle; and a two-axle motor-operated tailgate coupled to the vehicle, the two-axle motor-operated tailgate comprising: a flap portion comprising a first hinge and a second hinge, where: the flap section is configured to rotate about the first hinge, and a portion of the flap portion is configured to rotate about the second hinge; a first hinge gear, wherein the first hinge gear is configured such that rotation of the first hinge gear causes the flap portion to rotate about the first hinge; a second hinge gear, wherein the second hinge gear is configured such that rotation of the second hinge gear causes the portion of the flap portion to rotate about the second hinge; a drive motor and a drive gear, wherein the drive motor is configured to rotate about the drive gear; and a clutch motor and a clutch, where: the clutch motor is configured to cause the clutch to: engages the first hinge gear with the drive gear; disengages the first hinge gear from the drive gear; engages the second hinge gear with the drive gear; and disengages the second hinge gear from the drive gear. [18] The dual-axis power liftgate system of claim 17, wherein the drive motor is configured to rotate the first hinge gear when the first hinge gear is engaged with the drive gear. [19] The dual-axis power liftgate system of claim 17, wherein the drive motor is configured to rotate the second hinge gear when the second hinge gear is engaged with the drive gear. [20] A dual-axis motorized tailgate system according to claim 17, wherein the dual-axis motorized tailgate further comprises one or more slotted rails, wherein: the drive motor is coupled to the one or more slotted rails, the drive motor is configured to move along one or more slots within the one or more slotted rails, and the clutch motor is configured to cause the clutch to move the drive motor along the one or more slots within the one or more slotted rails.

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