Vehicle door control device

Abstract

To provide a vehicular door control device capable of securing safety around a door upon downward movement thereof and reducing a load acting on a driving device in a compatible manner.SOLUTION: A door control device 60 executes a door control process when a back door 30 moves in the closing direction from a stopped state in a state in which a closing operation command signal for commanding the closing operation of the back door 30 is not input. In the door control process, a brake mode for applying a braking force to the back door 30 by the regenerative braking action of a motor 43 is executed when the door opening degree is less than a specified opening degree, and a closing operation mode for closing the back door 30 so that the movement speed of the back door 30 becomes constant is executed when the door opening degree is equal to or greater than the specified opening degree.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle door control device.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an auto-slide door device that opens and closes a door opening of a vehicle body by a driving device having a motor as a driving source. In the device described in Patent Document 1, the operation of the motor of the driving device is controlled in order to suppress the opening and closing speed of the slide door when the slide door slides down due to its own weight. In the same device, the state of the motor is alternately switched between a regenerative braking state and a free state in which the regenerative braking does not act, thereby controlling the opening and closing speed of the slide door. By such control, the surrounding safety during the opening and closing drive of the slide door is ensured.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in a vehicle door such as a back door that rotates about a rotation axis extending along the upper edge of the door opening, the posture of the door in the open state is maintained by the door being urged in the opening direction by a driving device. When such a door is in the open state, an external force due to the weight of the door or manual operation by a passenger acts on the door, so that the door may move in the closing direction about the rotation axis, that is, the door may fall. In this case, in a door whose moving speed is controlled by the regenerative brake of the motor, there is a possibility that the load acting on the driving device increases. Therefore, it is desired to achieve both ensuring the surrounding safety when the door falls and reducing the load acting on the driving device.

[0005] Furthermore, these issues are not limited to the back door; they also occur in other doors that open and close door openings on the front and sides of the vehicle, as long as the door rotates around a pivot axis that extends along the upper edge of the door opening. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This document describes various embodiments of a vehicle door control device for solving the above-mentioned problems. [Aspect 1] A vehicle door control device for which a door opens and closes a door opening by rotating about a rotation axis extending along the upper edge of the door opening of a vehicle body, and a drive device having a motor that drives the door to open and close, and which controls the drive of the motor, wherein when the door opening between the door opening in the fully open state and the door opening in the fully closed state is defined as the determination opening, a door control process is executed when the door moves from a stopped state in the closing direction while no closing operation command signal for commanding the closing operation of the door is input, and in the door control process, if the door opening is less than the determination opening, a brake mode is executed in which a braking force is applied to the door by the regenerative braking action of the motor, and if the door opening is equal to or greater than the determination opening, a closing operation mode is executed in which the door is closed so that the movement speed of the door becomes constant.

[0007] According to the above configuration, if the door opening is less than the determined opening, a braking force is applied to the door as it moves in the closing direction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the door from continuing to move in the closing direction around its axis of rotation, i.e., from continuing to fall, when no closing operation command signal is input to the door control device. Thus, the safety of the surroundings in the event of a door falling can be ensured.

[0008] Furthermore, if the door opening is greater than or equal to a predetermined opening, the door will close in a manner that maintains a constant speed. This prevents the door from accelerating rapidly in the closing direction, as it will attempt to move in the closing direction at a constant speed even when its own weight or external forces act on it during the closing process. Therefore, compared to the case where braking force is applied to the door by the regenerative braking action of the motor, this method reduces the load on the drive system while ensuring the safety of the surroundings when the door falls.

[0009] Based on the above, by switching the motor's drive mode using the determined opening degree as a threshold, it is possible to achieve both ensuring the safety of the surroundings when the door falls and reducing the load acting on the drive device. [Aspect 2] A vehicle door control device according to [Aspect 1], wherein a determination speed is set as a determination value for the closing speed of the door when the door control process is executed, the drive device is configured to bias the door in the opening direction when the power supply to the motor is stopped, and in the door control process, if the door opening is greater than or equal to the determination opening and the closing speed of the door is greater than or equal to the determination speed, the closing operation mode is executed, and if the door opening is greater than or equal to the determination opening and the closing speed of the door is less than the determination speed, a stop mode is executed in which the power supply to the motor is stopped.

[0010] According to the above configuration, if the door opening is greater than or equal to the determination opening, and the door closing speed is greater than or equal to the determination speed, it is deemed highly necessary to suppress the acceleration of the falling door, and the door closes so that the door's movement speed remains constant. Therefore, compared to the case where braking force is applied to the door by the regenerative braking action of the motor, it is possible to reduce the load acting on the drive unit while ensuring the safety of the surroundings when the door falls.

[0011] Furthermore, if the door opening is greater than or equal to the judgment opening, and the door closing speed is less than the judgment speed, the force attempting to make the door fall is considered small, and power to the motor is stopped. While power to the motor is stopped, the door is biased in the opening direction by the drive unit. Therefore, if the force attempting to make the door fall is less than the biasing force of the drive unit, the door's position is maintained. On the other hand, if the force attempting to make the door fall is greater than the biasing force of the drive unit, the door moves in the closing direction against that biasing force. Thus, the load acting on the drive unit can be reduced compared to when braking force is applied to the door by the regenerative braking action of the motor.

[0012] Based on the above, if the door opening angle is greater than or equal to the detection angle, the detection speed can be used as a threshold to ensure the safety of the surrounding area when the door falls and to reduce the load acting on the drive mechanism.

[0013] [Aspect 3] A vehicle door control device according to [Aspect 1] or [Aspect 2], wherein the determination speed is set to be a first determination speed, a second determination speed greater than the first determination speed is set as the determination value, and in the door control process, if the door opening is less than the determination opening and the door closing speed is greater than or equal to the second determination speed, the brake mode is executed, and if the door opening is less than the determination opening and the door closing speed is less than the second determination speed, the stop mode is executed.

[0014] According to the above configuration, if the door opening is less than the judgment opening and the door closing speed is greater than or equal to the second judgment speed, it is determined that there is a high need to decelerate the door, and a braking force is applied to the door as it moves in the closing direction. Therefore, the door can be prevented from continuing to fall. Thus, the safety of the surroundings can be ensured when the door falls.

[0015] Furthermore, if the door opening is less than the judgment opening and the door closing speed is less than the second judgment speed, the need to decelerate the door is not considered very high, and power is stopped from being supplied to the motor. Therefore, the load acting on the drive system can be reduced compared to when braking force is applied to the door by the regenerative braking action of the motor.

[0016] Based on the above, if the door opening is less than the judgment opening, the second judgment speed is used as a threshold to ensure the safety of the surroundings when the door falls and to reduce the load acting on the drive mechanism.

[0017] [Aspect 4] The vehicle door control device according to [Aspect 2] or [Aspect 3], wherein, after the brake mode, the closing operation mode, and the stop mode have been executed, if the door moves in the closing direction from a stopped state while a closing operation command signal for commanding the closing operation of the door has not been input, and the closing speed of the door is equal to or greater than the determination speed, the brake mode is executed.

[0018] According to the above configuration, after one of the brake mode, closing mode, or stopping mode is executed, braking force is applied to the door as it falls again from a stopped state. Therefore, even if a door that has stopped falls again due to its own weight or external force, the safety of the surrounding area at the time of the door's fall can be ensured.

[0019] [Aspect 5] The vehicle is provided with a notification unit that notifies people around the door that the door control process is being executed, and the notification unit is activated when the door control process is being executed, the vehicle door control device according to any one of [Aspect 1] to [Aspect 4].

[0020] According to the above configuration, people around the door are notified that door control processing is being performed. Therefore, people around the door can be alerted that the door may move in the closing direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve both ensuring the safety of the surroundings when the door drops and reducing the load acting on the driving device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle provided with a vehicle door control device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configurations of the door control device and the driving device in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a table showing the driving mode of the motor when the back door in FIG. 1 drops. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a table showing the driving mode of the motor when the back door in FIG. 1 drops again. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the door control process executed by the door control device in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the stop determination process executed by the door control device in FIG. 1.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Hereinafter, referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, an embodiment in which the vehicle door control device is embodied as a door control device for a vehicle back door will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 20 having a door opening 21 at the rear, a back door 30 that opens and closes the door opening 21, and a driving device 40 that drives the back door 30 to open and close. The vehicle 10 also includes a notification unit 50 that notifies warnings to the passengers and people around the vehicle 10, and a door control device 60 that controls the driving device 40 and the notification unit 50.

[0024] (Back Door 30) The back door 30 is rotatably mounted about a pivot axis that extends along the upper edge of the door opening 21. More specifically, the back door 30 is rotatably mounted via a hinge (not shown) having a pivot axis that extends in the vehicle width direction.

[0025] As shown by the solid and dashed lines in Figure 1, the back door 30 is displaced between a fully closed position, where the door opening 21 is completely closed, and a fully open position, where the door opening 21 is completely open. (Drive unit 40) The drive unit 40 is provided, for example, one on each side of the back door 30 in the vehicle width direction.

[0026] The drive unit 40 includes an inner cylinder 41, an outer cylinder 42 that houses one end of the inner cylinder 41, and a motor 43 provided inside the inner cylinder 41 or the outer cylinder 42. One end of the inner cylinder 41 is rotatably supported, for example, with respect to the vehicle body 20. One end of the outer cylinder 42 is rotatably supported, for example, with respect to the back door 30.

[0027] A spindle screw (not shown) is provided inside the inner cylinder 41 and the outer cylinder 42. When this spindle screw rotates with the motor 43 as the driving source, the inner cylinder 41 and the outer cylinder 42 move relative to each other in the axial direction. As a result, the drive device 40 extends and retracts, which drives the back door 30 to open and close. When the drive device 40 extends, it applies a force to the back door 30 to open it, and when it retracts, it applies a force to the back door 30 to close it.

[0028] The drive unit 40 constantly biases the back door 30 in the opening direction by a spring (not shown) positioned between the inner cylinder 41 and the outer cylinder 42. Therefore, the drive unit 40 is configured to bias the back door 30 in the opening direction even when the power supply to the motor 43 is stopped.

[0029] The drive unit 40 has one or more pulse sensors 44 (see Figure 2) that output a pulse signal Sp synchronized with the rotation of the motor 43 to the door control device 60. (Hochi Department 50) The notification unit 50 is installed, for example, around the back door 30 or the door opening 21 in the vehicle body 20. The notification unit 50 is configured to notify warnings using, for example, sound, light, images, and vibration.

[0030] (Operation switch 70) The operation switch 70 outputs an open operation command signal to the door control device 60 to command the opening of the back door 30, and a close operation command signal to command the closing of the back door 30. Examples of the operation switch 70 include switches provided on the back door 30 or inside the vehicle, and switches provided on portable devices such as electronic keys or smartphones.

[0031] (Door control device 60) The door control device 60 opens the back door 30 by controlling the drive of the motor 43 based on an open operation command signal input from the operation switch 70. The door control device 60 also closes the back door 30 by controlling the drive of the motor 43 based on a close operation command signal input from the operation switch 70.

[0032] The door control device 60 detects the opening and closing speed and door opening degree of the back door 30 based on the pulse signal Sp output from the pulse sensor 44, for example. As shown in Figure 2, the door control device 60 includes a motor control unit 61 that generates a motor control signal and a drive circuit 62 that supplies power to the motor 43 based on the motor control signal.

[0033] The drive circuit 62 uses a well-known PWM inverter, which consists of multiple switching elements 63a, 63b, 63c, and 63d connected in an H-bridge configuration, that turn on and off based on a motor control signal. For example, FETs (Field Effect Transistors) are used for the switching elements 63a, 63b, 63c, and 63d.

[0034] The drive circuit 62 is configured by connecting in parallel a first switching arm 64 having switching elements 63a and 63b connected in series, and a second switching arm 65 having switching elements 63c and 63d connected in series. In the drive circuit 62, the power supply voltage Vb of the onboard power supply 80 is applied to the switching elements 63a and 63c in each switching arm 64 and 65, and the switching elements 63b and 63d in each switching arm 64 and 65 are grounded. The connection point 64x of the switching elements 63a and 63b in the first switching arm 64, and the connection point 65x of the switching elements 63c and 63d in the second switching arm 65 are connection points to the connection terminals of the motor 43.

[0035] When the motor control unit 61 rotates the motor 43 in a first direction, it turns on the switching elements 63a and 63d and turns off the switching elements 63b and 63c based on the output of the motor control signal. When the motor control unit 61 rotates the motor 43 in a second direction opposite to the first direction, it turns on the switching elements 63b and 63c and turns off the switching elements 63a and 63d based on the output of the motor control signal. The motor control unit 61 changes the driving force generated by the motor 43 by controlling the duty cycle of each switching element 63a, 63b, 63c, and 63d through the output of the motor control signal.

[0036] (Door control processing) Incidentally, when the back door 30 is in the open position, external forces such as the weight of the back door 30 or manual operation by the occupant can cause the back door 30 to move from a stationary position towards closing, that is, the back door 30 may fall (hereinafter simply referred to as "falling"). The back door 30 is more likely to fall if one of the two drive units 40 on either side in the vehicle width direction malfunctions or deforms, reducing the force with which the drive unit 40 supports the back door 30.

[0037] Therefore, when the door control device 60 detects that the back door 30 is falling, it executes a door control process that switches the drive mode of the motor 43 according to the manner in which the back door 30 is falling. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the door control process selectively executes a brake mode, a closing operation mode, and a stop mode depending on the closing speed of the back door 30 and the door opening degree of the back door 30 during the fall. Hereafter, the closing speed of the back door 30 during the fall will be expressed as "door fall speed V", and the door opening degree of the back door 30 will simply be expressed as "door opening degree θ".

[0038] The door control process is executed when the back door 30 moves in the closing direction from a stopped state, i.e., when the back door 30 falls, while the door control device 60 has not received a closing operation command signal to command the closing operation of the back door 30.

[0039] Furthermore, if the back door 30 falls while it is in the opening position, the direction of movement of the back door 30 switches from the opening direction to the closing direction. As a result, the back door 30 moves in the closing direction from a state where it had stopped. Therefore, the door control device 60 executes the door control process even if the back door 30 falls while it is in the opening position.

[0040] The door control device 60 detects the door drop velocity V and door opening angle θ based on the pulse signal Sp output from the pulse sensor 44. The door control device 60 also determines whether or not the back door 30 is falling based on the door drop velocity V and door opening angle θ.

[0041] In brake mode, the motor control unit 61 turns on switching elements 63a and 63c and off switching elements 63b and 63d, thereby putting the drive circuit 62 into a regenerative braking state. In the regenerative braking state, the phase terminals of the motor 43 are short-circuited, so when the motor 43 rotates due to an external force, a back electromotive force is generated in the motor 43. This back electromotive force hinders the rotation of the motor 43, thereby applying a braking force to the back door 30. Alternatively, in brake mode, the motor control unit 61 may also turn on switching elements 63b and 63d and off switching elements 63a and 63c to put the drive circuit 62 into a regenerative braking state.

[0042] In closed operation mode, the back door 30 is closed by PWM control of the motor 43 so that the movement speed of the back door 30 remains constant. Preferably, the movement speed of the back door 30 in closed operation mode is about the same as the movement speed of the back door 30 during normal closing operation. Normal closing operation refers to the closing operation of the back door 30 based on a closing operation command signal input from the operation switch 70.

[0043] In stop mode, the motor control unit 61 turns off all switching elements 63a, 63b, 63c, and 63d, thereby stopping the power supply to the motor 43. As shown in Figure 3, in the door control process, a determination value for the door opening angle θ at the time the door control process is executed is set as the determination angle θth. The determination angle θth is the door opening angle θ between the door opening angle θ in the fully open state and the door opening angle θ in the fully closed state. If the door opening angle θ in the fully closed state is set to 0°, the determination angle θth is set to, for example, 10°.

[0044] Furthermore, in the door control process, a first determination speed V1th and a second determination speed V2th, which is greater than the first determination speed V1th, are set as determination values ​​for the door fall speed V when the door control process is executed. The first determination speed V1th and the second determination speed V2th are, for example, the speed at the end of the back door 30 opposite to the axis of rotation. The first determination speed V1th is, for example, less than the movement speed of the back door 30 during normal closing operation. The second determination speed V2th is, for example, greater than the movement speed of the back door 30 during normal closing operation. The first determination speed V1th is set to, for example, 25 mm / s, and the second determination speed V2th is set to, for example, 700 mm / s.

[0045] In the door control process, if the door opening angle θ is less than the determination angle θth, and the door drop speed V is greater than or equal to the second determination speed V2th, the brake mode is executed. In the door control process, if the door opening angle θ is less than the determination angle θth and the door falling velocity V is less than the second determination velocity V2th, the stop mode is executed. In the door control process, even if the door opening angle θ is less than the determination angle θth and the door falling velocity V is less than the first determination velocity V1th, the stop mode is executed.

[0046] In the door control process, the closing operation mode is executed if the door opening angle θ is greater than or equal to the determination angle θth, and the door falling speed V is greater than or equal to the first determination speed V1th. In the door control process, the closing operation mode is also executed even if the door opening angle θ is greater than or equal to the determination angle θth, and the door falling speed V is greater than or equal to the second determination speed V2th.

[0047] In the door control process, if the door opening angle θ is greater than or equal to the determination angle θth, and the door falling speed V is less than the first determination speed V1th, the stop mode is executed. In the door control process, each mode is selectively executed according to the door drop speed V and door opening angle θ at any given time. In other words, the door control process may, for example, transition from the closing operation mode to the stop mode or brake mode, or from the brake mode to the stop mode.

[0048] The door control device 60 also executes door control processing if it detects that the back door 30 has fallen again from a stopped state (hereinafter simply referred to as "re-falling") after the back door 30 has fallen, while no closing operation command signal has been input.

[0049] In the door control process during re-fall, regardless of the value of the door opening angle θ, if the door fall speed V is equal to or greater than the first judgment speed V1th, the brake mode is executed, and if the door fall speed V is less than the first judgment speed V1th, the stop mode is executed. In the door control process during re-fall, even if the door fall speed V is equal to or greater than the second judgment speed V2th, the brake mode is executed.

[0050] When door control processing is being performed, the door control device 60 activates the notification unit 50 to notify people around the back door 30, such as occupants, that door control processing is being performed.

[0051] Next, the procedure for the door control process performed by the door control device 60 will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in Figures 5 and 6. The door control device 60 repeatedly executes door control processing in a predetermined control cycle when it detects that the back door 30 has fallen. The door control device 60 terminates door control processing when it detects, for example, that a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of door control processing, that the back door 30 is in a fully closed state, or that the operation switch 70 has been operated. The emergency flag and stop flag, which will be described later, are flags that are turned off at the start of door control processing. However, the emergency flag and stop flag are not turned off while door control processing is being repeatedly executed in a predetermined control cycle.

[0052] The door control device 60 calculates the door opening angle θ based on the output of the pulse sensor 44 (step S101). Next, the door control device 60 calculates the door drop velocity V based on the output of the pulse sensor 44 (step S102).

[0053] Next, the door control device 60 performs a stop determination process to determine whether or not the back door 30 has stopped (step S103). As shown in Figure 6, in the stop determination process, the door control device 60 determines whether the back door 30 has stopped after falling, based on the door opening angle θ and door falling velocity V calculated in steps S101 and S102 (step S201).

[0054] If it is determined that the back door 30 has stopped after falling (step S201: YES), the door control device 60 determines whether the emergency flag is on or off (step S202). Here, the emergency flag is a flag used to determine whether the door fall velocity V when the back door 30 falls again is equal to or greater than the first determination velocity V1th. If it is determined that the back door 30 has not stopped after falling (step S201: NO), that is, if the back door 30 is still falling, the door control device 60 terminates the stop determination process.

[0055] If the emergency flag is not on (step S202: NO), the door control device 60 determines whether the motor 43 is in stop mode (step S203). If the emergency flag is on (step S202: YES), the door control device 60 terminates the stop determination process.

[0056] If the motor 43 is in stop mode (step S203: YES), the door control device 60 turns on the stop flag (step S204) and then terminates the stop determination process. Here, the stop flag is a flag used to determine whether or not the back door 30 has stopped after falling. If the motor 43 is not in stop mode (step S203: NO), the door control device 60 switches the motor 43's drive mode to stop mode (step S205). Then, the door control device 60 turns on the stop flag (step S204) and terminates the stop determination process.

[0057] As shown in Figure 5, the door control device 60 then determines whether the stop flag is on or off (step S104). If the stop flag is not on (step S104: NO), the door control device 60 determines whether the door opening angle θ is greater than or equal to the determined opening angle θth (step S105).

[0058] If the door opening angle θ is greater than or equal to the determination opening angle θth (step S105: YES), the door control device 60 determines whether the door falling speed V is greater than or equal to the first determination speed V1th (step S106).

[0059] If the door fall speed V is greater than or equal to the first determination speed V1th (step S106: YES), the door control device 60 executes the closing operation mode (step S107) and then terminates the series of control processes. If the door fall speed V is not greater than or equal to the first determination speed V1th, that is, if the door fall speed V is less than the first determination speed V1th (step S106: NO), the door control device 60 executes the stopping mode (step S109) and then terminates the series of control processes.

[0060] On the other hand, if the door opening angle θ is not equal to or greater than the determination angle θth, that is, if the door opening angle θ is less than the determination angle θth (step S105: NO), the door control device 60 determines whether or not the door falling speed V is equal to or greater than the second determination speed V2th (step S108).

[0061] If the door drop speed V is not equal to or greater than the second determination speed V2th, that is, if the door drop speed V is less than the second determination speed V2th (step S108: NO), the door control device 60 executes the stop mode (step S109) and then terminates the series of control processes. If the door drop speed V is equal to or greater than the second determination speed V2th (step S108: YES), the door control device 60 executes the brake mode (step S110) and then terminates the series of control processes.

[0062] On the other hand, in step S104, if the stop flag is on (step S104: YES), the door control device 60 determines whether or not the emergency flag is on (step S111).

[0063] If the emergency flag is not on (step S111: NO), the door control device 60 determines whether the door fall speed V is greater than or equal to the first determination speed V1th (step S112). If the emergency flag is on (step S111: YES), the door control device 60 executes the brake mode (step S110) and then terminates the series of control processes.

[0064] If the door drop speed V is greater than or equal to the first determination speed V1th (step S112: YES), the door control device 60 turns on the emergency flag (step S113). Then, after executing the brake mode (step S110), the door control device 60 terminates the series of control processes. If the door drop speed V is not greater than or equal to the first determination speed V1th, that is, if the door drop speed V is less than the first determination speed V1th (step S112: NO), the door control device 60 terminates the series of control processes.

[0065] (Door control processing during the re-fall of the back door 30) Next, we will explain the procedure for door control processing when the back door 30 falls again. In the following sections, we may omit explanations of the door control processing procedure that overlap with what has already been explained.

[0066] First, we will explain the procedure for door control processing when the back door 30 stops just before it falls again. As shown in Figure 6, the back door 30 immediately before falling again is in a stopped state after falling, so the door control device 60 determines in the stop determination process (step S103) that the back door 30 has stopped after falling (step S201: YES).

[0067] Next, the door control device 60 determines whether the emergency flag is on or off (step S202). Since the emergency flag is not on immediately before the back door 30 falls again, the door control device 60 determines whether the motor 43 is in stop mode or off (step S203).

[0068] Next, if the drive mode of the motor 43 is in stop mode (step S203: YES), the door control device 60 turns on the stop flag (step S204) and then terminates the stop determination process. On the other hand, if the drive mode of the motor 43 is not in stop mode (step S203: NO), the door control device 60 switches the drive mode of the motor 43 to stop mode (step S205). Then, the door control device 60 turns on the stop flag (step S204) and terminates the stop determination process.

[0069] As shown in Figure 5, the door control device 60 then determines whether the stop flag is on (step S104: YES), and then determines whether the emergency flag is on (step S111). Since the emergency flag is not on immediately before the back door 30 falls again (step S111: NO), the door control device 60 determines whether the door fall speed V is greater than or equal to the first determination speed V1th (step S112).

[0070] Immediately before the back door 30 falls again, the back door 30 is in a stopped state, so the door fall velocity V becomes less than the first determination velocity V1th (step S112: NO). Therefore, the door control device 60 terminates the series of door control processes. In this case, the door control device 60 continues to execute the stopped mode.

[0071] Next, we will explain the procedure for door control processing when the back door 30 falls again. When the back door 30 falls again, the stop flag is already on, so the door control device 60 determines that the stop flag is on (step S104: YES), and then determines whether the emergency flag is on or not (step S111).

[0072] If the emergency flag is not on (step S112: NO), the door control device 60 determines whether the door fall speed V is greater than or equal to the first determination speed V1th (step S112). If the door drop speed V is greater than or equal to the first judgment speed V1th (step S112: YES), the door control device 60 turns on the emergency flag (step S113). Then, after executing the brake mode (step S110), the door control device 60 terminates the series of control processes. If the door drop speed V is less than the first judgment speed V1th (step S112: NO), the door control device 60 terminates the series of control processes. In this case, the door control device 60 continues to execute the stop mode.

[0073] If the brake mode is executed even once when the back door 30 falls again, the stop flag and emergency flag will always be on in subsequent door control processes as long as the back door 30 continues to fall again. Therefore, the door control device 60 will continue to execute the brake mode as long as the back door 30 continues to fall again.

[0074] The operation and effects of this embodiment will now be described. (1) The door control device 60 executes the closing operation mode if the door opening angle θ is greater than or equal to the determination opening angle θth and the door falling speed V is greater than or equal to the first determination speed V1th. The door control device 60 executes the stopping mode if the door opening angle θ is greater than or equal to the determination opening angle θth and the door falling speed V is less than the first determination speed V1th.

[0075] With this configuration, if the door opening angle θ is greater than or equal to the determination angle θth, and the door falling speed V is greater than or equal to the first determination speed V1th, it is deemed highly necessary to suppress the acceleration of the falling back door 30, and the back door 30 closes to maintain a constant speed. As a result, even if the back door 30 is subjected to its own weight or external forces while closing, the back door 30 will attempt to move in the closing direction at a constant speed, thus suppressing rapid acceleration of the back door 30 in the closing direction. Therefore, compared to the case where braking force is applied to the back door 30 by the regenerative braking action of the motor 43, the load on the drive unit 40 can be reduced while ensuring the safety of the surroundings when the back door 30 falls.

[0076] Furthermore, if the door opening angle θ is greater than or equal to the determination angle θth, and the door falling speed V is less than the first determination speed V1th, the force causing the back door 30 to fall is considered small, and power is supplied to the motor 43. When power is supplied to the motor 43, the back door 30 is biased in the opening direction by the drive unit 40. Therefore, if the force causing the back door 30 to fall is smaller than the biasing force of the drive unit 40, the posture of the back door 30 is maintained. On the other hand, if the force causing the back door 30 to fall is greater than the biasing force of the drive unit 40, the back door 30 moves in the closing direction against the biasing force. Thus, the load acting on the drive unit 40 can be reduced compared to the case where braking force is applied to the back door 30 by the regenerative braking action of the motor 43.

[0077] Based on the above, when the door opening angle θ is greater than or equal to the determination angle θth, the first determination speed V1th is used as a threshold to ensure the safety of the surroundings when the back door 30 falls and to reduce the load acting on the drive unit 40.

[0078] (2) The door control device 60 executes the brake mode if the door opening angle θ is less than the determination opening angle θth and the door falling speed V is greater than or equal to the second determination speed V2th. The door control device 60 executes the stop mode if the door opening angle θ is less than the determination opening angle θth and the door falling speed V is less than the second determination speed V2th.

[0079] With this configuration, if the door opening angle θ is less than the judgment opening angle θth, and the door falling speed V is greater than or equal to the second judgment speed V2th, it is deemed that there is a high need to decelerate the back door 30, and a braking force is applied to the back door 30 as it moves in the closing direction. Therefore, the back door 30 can be prevented from continuing to fall. Thus, the safety of the surroundings when the back door 30 falls can be ensured.

[0080] Furthermore, if the door opening angle θ is less than the judgment opening angle θth and the door falling speed V is less than the second judgment speed V2th, the need to decelerate the back door 30 is not considered very high, and power is stopped from being supplied to the motor 43. Therefore, the load acting on the drive unit 40 can be reduced compared to the case where braking force is applied to the back door 30 by the regenerative braking action of the motor 43.

[0081] Based on the above, when the door opening angle θ is less than the determination angle θth, the second determination speed V2th is used as the threshold to ensure the safety of the surroundings when the back door 30 falls and to reduce the load acting on the drive unit 40.

[0082] (3) If the back door 30 falls again, the door control device 60 will execute the brake mode if the door fall speed V is equal to or greater than the first determination speed V1th. With this configuration, braking force is applied to the back door 30 when it falls again. Therefore, even if the back door 30, which has stopped once, falls again due to its own weight or external force, the safety of the surrounding area at the time of the back door 30's fall can be ensured.

[0083] (4) The door control device 60 activates the notification unit 50 when door control processing is being performed. With this configuration, people around the back door 30 are notified that door control processing is being performed. Therefore, people around the back door 30 can be alerted that the back door 30 may move in the closing direction.

[0084] This embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically. The door control device 60 does not need to notify the notification unit 50 that door control processing has been performed.

[0085] The door control device 60 may perform the same door control processing as when the back door 30 fell when the back door 30 fell again. The door control device 60 may execute a stop mode if, after executing a brake mode when the back door 30 falls again, the door fall speed V becomes less than the first determination speed V1th.

[0086] The door control device 60 does not need to perform door control processing when the back door 30 falls again. The door control device 60 may execute a brake mode regardless of the value of the door drop speed V if the door opening angle θ is less than the determination angle θth. In this case, the door control device 60 may drive the motor 43 in the same driving manner as in the above embodiment if the door opening angle θ is greater than or equal to the determination angle θth.

[0087] The door control device 60 may execute the closing operation mode regardless of the value of the door fall speed V if the door opening angle θ is greater than or equal to the determination opening angle θth. In this case, if the door opening angle θ is less than the determination opening angle θth, the door control device 60 may drive the motor 43 in the same driving manner as in the above embodiment.

[0088] The door control device 60 may execute a brake mode when the door opening angle θ is less than the determination angle θth and the door falling speed V is greater than or equal to the first determination speed V1th. In addition, the door control device 60 may execute a stop mode when the door opening angle θ is less than the determination angle θth and the door falling speed V is less than the first determination speed V1th.

[0089] The door control device 60 may execute a closing operation mode when the door opening angle θ is greater than or equal to the determination opening angle θth and the door falling speed V is greater than or equal to the second determination speed V2th. In addition, the door control device 60 may execute a stopping mode when the door opening angle θ is greater than or equal to the determination opening angle θth and the door falling speed V is less than the second determination speed V2th.

[0090] The values ​​of the judgment opening θth, the first judgment speed V1th, and the second judgment speed V2th can be appropriately changed according to the shape and specifications of the vehicle. The vehicle 10 may include a drive unit 40 that supports one end of the back door 30 in the vehicle width direction, and a gas spring that supports the other end of the back door 30 in the vehicle width direction. The gas spring is composed of, for example, a cylinder, a piston rod, and high-pressure gas sealed between the cylinder and the piston rod. In such a vehicle 10, the back door 30 is more likely to fall if the gas spring falls off, so the effect of the door control device 60 becomes more pronounced.

[0091] The drive unit 40 includes a motor 43, a first arm and a second arm to which power from the motor 43 is transmitted, and an electromagnetic clutch that switches the power transmission status from the motor 43 to the first arm, and the first arm and the second arm may form a link mechanism. In this case, it is preferable that a gas spring is provided between the vehicle body 20 and the back door 30 to bias the back door 30 in the opening direction.

[0092] The door control device 60 can be applied to doors other than the back door, as long as the door rotates around a rotation axis that extends along the upper edge of the door opening of the vehicle body. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0093] θ... Door opening angle θth…Judgment opening degree V...door drop speed V1th…1st judgment speed V2th…Second judgment speed 10... Vehicles 20... Vehicle body 21... Door opening 30... Back door 40…Drive system 41...Inner cylinder 42…Outer cylinder 43…motor 44...Pulse sensor 50… Hochi Department 60... Door control device 61…Motor control unit 62…Drive circuit 63a, 63b, 63c, 63d… Switching elements 64…First switching arm 64x, 65x… connection points 65...Second switching arm 70... Operation switch 80...Vehicle power supply

Claims

1. A vehicle door control device for which a door opens and closes a door opening by rotating about a rotation axis extending along the upper edge of the door opening of the vehicle body, and a drive device having a motor that drives the door to open and close, is applied to a vehicle and controls the drive of the motor, When the door opening between the door opening in the fully open state and the door opening in the fully closed state is defined as the determination opening, If a closing operation command signal for commanding the closing operation of the door is not input, and the door moves in the closing direction from a stopped state, the door control process is executed. In the aforementioned door control process, If the door opening angle is less than the determination angle, a brake mode is executed in which braking force is applied to the door by the regenerative braking action of the motor. If the door opening is greater than or equal to the determination opening, a closing operation mode is executed to close the door so that the door's movement speed becomes constant. Vehicle door control device.

2. A determination speed is set as the determination value for the closing speed of the door when the aforementioned door control process is executed. The drive device is configured to bias the door in the opening direction when power supply to the motor is stopped. In the aforementioned door control process, If the door opening is greater than or equal to the determination opening, and the door closing speed is greater than or equal to the determination speed, the closing operation mode is executed. If the door opening is greater than or equal to the determination opening, and the door closing speed is less than the determination speed, a stop mode is executed to stop the power supply to the motor. The vehicle door control device according to claim 1.

3. When the aforementioned determination speed is defined as the first determination speed, a second determination speed greater than the first determination speed is set as the determination value. In the aforementioned door control process, If the door opening is less than the determination opening and the door closing speed is equal to or greater than the second determination speed, the brake mode is executed. If the door opening is less than the determination opening and the door closing speed is less than the second determination speed, the stop mode is executed. The vehicle door control device according to claim 2.

4. In the aforementioned door control process, If, after any of the brake mode, the closing operation mode, or the stop mode has been executed, the door moves from a stopped state to a closing direction while no closing operation command signal for commanding the closing operation of the door has been input, and the closing speed of the door is equal to or greater than the determination speed, then the brake mode shall be executed. A vehicle door control device according to claim 2 or claim 3.

5. The vehicle is equipped with a notification unit that notifies people around the door that the door control process is being executed. If the aforementioned door control process is being executed, the notification unit is activated. The vehicle door control device according to claim 1.

6. A vehicle door control device for which a door opens and closes a door opening by rotating about a rotation axis extending along the upper edge of the door opening of the vehicle body, and a drive device having a motor that drives the door to open and close, is applied to a vehicle and controls the drive of the motor, When the door opening between the door opening in the fully open state and the door opening in the fully closed state is defined as the determination opening, If a closing operation command signal for commanding the closing operation of the door is not input, and the door moves in the closing direction from a stopped state, the door control process is executed. A determination speed is set as the determination value for the closing speed of the door when the aforementioned door control process is executed. The drive device is configured to bias the door in the opening direction when power supply to the motor is stopped. In the aforementioned door control process, If the door opening is greater than or equal to the determination opening, a closing operation mode is executed to close the door so that the door's movement speed becomes constant. If the door opening is less than the determination opening and the door closing speed is equal to or greater than the determination speed, a brake mode is executed in which braking force is applied to the door by the regenerative braking action of the motor. If the door opening is less than the determination opening and the door closing speed is less than the determination speed, the stop mode is executed. Vehicle door control device.

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