Vehicle

Abstract

This vehicle comprises: a back door that is provided on a rear surface of a vehicle body, forms a part of the rear surface in a fully closed state, and is capable of an automatic opening / closing operation; and an opening / closing switch that instructs the automatic opening / closing operation of the back door. The opening / closing switch is disposed on at least one of both end parts in a vehicle width direction of the rear surface.

Description

Vehicle

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle including an openable and closable back door, a drive unit that drives the back door to open and close, and an operation switch that operates the back door, where the operation switch is disposed on the outer surface of the body.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-069922

[0004] By the way, when automatically opening and closing the back door, the user may move to check for obstacles and safety around the vehicle before and after operating the operator, which may result in poor convenience.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to improve the convenience when performing the automatic opening and closing operation of the back door.

[0006] A vehicle according to an aspect of the present invention includes an automatically openable and closable back door provided on the rear surface of the vehicle body and forming a part of the rear surface in the fully closed state, and an open / close switch that instructs the automatic opening and closing operation of the back door, where the open / close switch is disposed at at least one of both end portions in the vehicle width direction of the rear surface.

[0007] According to the vehicle according to an aspect of the present invention, the convenience when performing the automatic opening and closing operation of the back door can be improved.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the configuration of the vehicle. FIG. 3 is a rear view showing the configuration of the vehicle with the back door fully opened. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a predetermined area of the vehicle.

[0009] Hereinafter, the vehicle 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In each figure, FR and RR indicate the front and rear in the vehicle longitudinal direction, respectively, UP and DN indicate the upper and lower in the vehicle vertical direction, respectively, and LH and RH indicate the left and right in the vehicle width direction, respectively. In the following description, the rear in the vehicle longitudinal direction is simply referred to as the rear. Also, for components having the same functions as those already described, the same reference numerals are given and the description is omitted.

[0010] As illustrated in Figure 1-3, the vehicle 1 includes a back door 11 and an open / close switch 21 that performs automatic opening and closing operations of the back door 11. The back door 11 can perform automatic opening and closing operations (automatic opening operation, automatic closing operation) by an actuator, and is also called a power back door or auto back door.

[0011] An opening is formed in the rear surface 3 of the vehicle body 2. The back door 11 is provided on the rear surface 3 of the vehicle body 2 and covers the opening when fully closed. Therefore, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the back door 11 forms a part of the rear surface 3 of the vehicle body 2 when fully closed.

[0012] When the back door 11 is open (i.e., not fully closed), the user can perform an automatic closing operation of the back door 11 by operating the open / close switch 21. When the back door 11 is closed (including not fully open), the user can perform an automatic opening operation of the back door 11 by operating the open / close switch 21. The open / close switch 21 is an operator, for example, a push button, and when the push button is pressed, the push button moves in the thickness direction, and is configured to be able to press a switch located on the back side of the push button.

[0013] As illustrated in Figure 1, the vehicle 1 is equipped with an antenna module 41 that can communicate wirelessly with an electronic key 31, and a controller 61 that can communicate with the antenna module 41. The antenna module 41 has one antenna 41A. As illustrated in Figure 2-4, the antenna 41A is installed near the bumper on the rear surface 3. When the controller 61 determines that predetermined conditions have been met in the wireless communication between the antenna module 41 and the electronic key 31, it can perform an automatic opening and closing operation of the back door 11.

[0014] The controller 61 is composed of a computer having a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory. The memory is connected to the hardware processor via a bus. By having the hardware processor execute programs stored in the memory, the controller 61 realizes various functions. As illustrated in Figure 1, the controller 61 is equipped with an interface 71 for communicating with the antenna module 41 and for receiving signals from the open / close switch 21 and the lock switch 51 (described later) provided on the back door 11.

[0015] In the first embodiment, the opening / closing switch 21 is located at at least one of the vehicle widthwise ends 3L, 3R of the rear surface 3. In the following description, the vehicle widthwise ends 3L, 3R of the rear surface 3 include both ends of the rear surface 3 in the vehicle width direction (i.e., both ends of the rear surface of the body constituting the vehicle body 2), and both ends of the back door 11 in the vehicle width direction, which constitutes a part of the rear surface 3. As illustrated in Figure 2, the opening / closing switch 21 may be located at both ends 3L, 3R of the rear surface 3 in the vehicle width direction. By operating the opening / closing switch 21, the user can perform the automatic opening and closing operation of the back door 11 at the rear of the vehicle 1. That is, the user can perform the automatic opening and closing operation at a position where they can visually confirm the presence or absence of obstacles and safety at the rear of the vehicle 1. Therefore, the user does not need to move or perform any other actions to perform the above-mentioned checks before or after operating the opening / closing switch 21. Accordingly, the above configuration can improve the convenience when performing the automatic opening and closing operation.

[0016] As illustrated in Figure 2, in a second embodiment, the opening / closing switch 21 may be located at both ends 3L and 3R in the vehicle width direction of the rear surface 3, and at the central part 11C in the vehicle width direction of the back door 11. As described above, the ends 3L and 3R in the vehicle width direction of the rear surface 3 include the ends of the back door 11 in the vehicle width direction.

[0017] As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, in the first and second embodiments, all opening and closing switches 21 provided on the vehicle body 2 are located on the rear surface 3. In other words, the opening and closing switches 21 are not provided on the sides of the vehicle body 2, but are provided on the rear surface 3 of the vehicle body 2 and the back door 11 which constitutes part of the rear surface 3. Therefore, when the user performs the automatic opening and closing operation of the back door 11, they do so from a position where they can visually check for obstacles behind the vehicle 1 and ensure safety, thus improving convenience.

[0018] As illustrated in Figure 4, the communication area of ​​the antenna 41A around the rear surface 3 can be set as a predetermined area A. The antenna 41A can communicate wirelessly with the electronic key 31. The antenna module 41 can detect whether the electronic key 31 is located within the predetermined area A or not. That is, the antenna module 41 can determine whether the electronic key 31 is within the predetermined area A by communicating wirelessly with the electronic key 31 via the antenna 41A. As illustrated in Figure 4, the rear surface 3, the back door 11, and the surrounding area are located within the predetermined area A. Therefore, when a user with the electronic key 31 operates the opening / closing switches 21 at both ends 3L, 3R in the vehicle width direction of the rear surface 3 or at the center 11C of the back door 11 in the vehicle width direction, the electronic key 31 is located within the predetermined area A. For example, when the back door 11 is fully closed and the user operates the opening / closing switches 21 at both ends 3L, 3R in the vehicle width direction, the antenna module 41 determines whether the electronic key 31 is within the predetermined area A. In other words, the antenna module 41 can determine whether the user's electronic key 31, which operates one of the opening / closing switches 21 at either end 3L or 3R in the vehicle width direction, is within a predetermined area A using a single antenna 41A. In Figure 4, the dashed line drawn at the rear of the vehicle body 2, next to the user, shows the trajectory when the back door 11 is fully open.

[0019] The controller 61 can perform automatic opening and closing operations of the back door 11 based on information from the antenna module 41. Specifically, the controller 61 performs automatic opening and closing operations of the back door 11 when it determines that predetermined conditions have been met in the wireless communication between the antenna module 41 and the electronic key 31. The predetermined conditions are, for example, when the antenna module 41 determines that the electronic key 31 is within a predetermined area A, and when one of the opening / closing switches 21 at either end 3L or 3R in the vehicle width direction is operated. Therefore, when the antenna module 41 does not determine that the electronic key 31 is within a predetermined area A, the controller 61 will not perform automatic opening and closing operations of the back door 11 even if one of the opening / closing switches 21 is operated.

[0020] In a third embodiment, the vehicle 1 may be equipped with a lock switch 51 that performs an automatic closing operation of the back door 11 and locks the back door 11 when it is fully closed. In this case, the lock switch 51 may be located adjacent to, for example, the opening / closing switch 21. The lock switch 51 may be located adjacent to some of the opening / closing switches 21 in the first and second embodiments, or it may be located adjacent to all of the opening / closing switches 21 in the above embodiments. When a user operates the lock switch 51, the antenna module 41 may determine whether the electronic key 31 is within a predetermined area A and whether to lock the back door 11.

[0021] The lock switch 51 is an operator, and may be configured as, for example, a push button, and may have a configuration similar to or similar to the open / close switch 21 described above. Alternatively, the lock switch 51 may not be a separate switch independent of the open / close switch 21, but rather a single switch common to both. That is, the open / close switch 21 may be configured to have the above-described function as the lock switch 51. For example, the switch may be configured to function as the open / close switch 21 when operated once, and as the lock switch 51 when operated twice in succession. The function of the lock switch 51 may also be to perform an automatic closing operation of the back door 11, and to lock all the doors of the vehicle 1 when the back door 11 is fully closed.

[0022] As illustrated in Figure 3, in a fourth embodiment, the opening / closing switch 21 and the lock switch 51 may be further arranged at at least one of the vehicle width-direction ends 11L and 11R at the lower part of the interior side 3I of the back door 11. The interior side 3I of the back door 11 is the part that forms the interior side of the back door 11 and constitutes part of the interior when fully closed. The opening / closing switch 21 and the lock switch 51 may be arranged at both the vehicle width-direction ends 11L and 11R of the interior side 3I of the back door 11, respectively.

[0023] As a variation of the fourth embodiment, the opening / closing switch 21 may be further arranged on at least one of the vehicle width-direction ends 11L, 11R of the interior side 3I of the back door 11, and the opening / closing switch 21 and the lock switch 51 may be arranged on at least one of the vehicle width-direction ends 3L, 3R of the rear surface 3.

[0024] (1) The vehicle 1 according to this embodiment includes a back door 11 that is provided on the rear surface 3 of the vehicle body 2 and forms a part of the rear surface 3 when fully closed, and which is capable of automatic opening and closing, and an opening / closing switch 21 that instructs the automatic opening and closing operation of the back door 11, the opening / closing switch 21 being located at least one of the vehicle width direction ends 3L, 3R of the rear surface 3. With this configuration, the user can perform the automatic opening and closing operation of the back door 11 at the rear of the vehicle 1. That is, the user can perform the automatic opening and closing operation at a position where they can visually confirm the presence or absence of obstacles and safety at the rear of the vehicle 1. Therefore, the user does not need to move or perform any other actions to make the above confirmation before or after operating the opening / closing switch 21, improving the convenience when performing the automatic opening and closing operation. Furthermore, in the case of a vehicle 1 equipped with a sliding door, since the user performs the automatic opening and closing operation of the back door 11 at the rear of the vehicle 1, they can visually confirm the opening and closing operation of the sliding door, and interference between the user's body and the sliding door can be avoided. Therefore, in a vehicle 1 equipped with a sliding door, there is no need to perform control that restricts the opening of the sliding door while the automatic opening and closing operation of the back door 11 is being performed.

[0025] (2) In this embodiment, the opening and closing switches 21 are located at both ends 3L and 3R in the vehicle width direction of the rear surface 3 and at the central part 11C in the vehicle width direction of the back door 11. This allows the user to perform the automatic opening and closing operation at the rear of the vehicle 1, and also allows the user to easily perform the automatic opening and closing operation of the back door 11 by operating the central part of the back door 11, where the opening and closing switches 21 are generally located, thereby improving convenience.

[0026] (3) Furthermore, in this embodiment, all of the opening and closing switches 21 are located on the rear surface 3. That is, the opening and closing switches 21 are not provided on the sides of the vehicle body 2, but are provided on the rear surface 3 of the vehicle body 2 and the back door 11 which constitutes part of the rear surface 3. As a result, when the user performs the automatic opening and closing operation of the back door 11, they do so in a position where they can visually check for obstacles behind the vehicle 1 and ensure safety, thus improving convenience.

[0027] (4) In this embodiment, the vehicle is equipped with an antenna module 41 that can communicate wirelessly with the electronic key 31. The antenna module 41 is equipped with one antenna 41A on the rear surface 3, and the antenna module 41 can determine whether the electronic key 31 is within a predetermined area A during wireless communication with the electronic key 31. That is, one antenna 41A can recognize whether the electronic key 31 is located within a predetermined area A, which is near both ends 3L and 3R in the vehicle width direction of the rear surface 3. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide multiple antennas 41A to perform electronic key searches in the left and right areas of the vehicle 1, and component costs can be reduced.

[0028] (5) Furthermore, in this embodiment, a lock switch 51 is provided that performs an automatic closing operation of the back door 11 and locks the back door 11 when it is fully closed, and the lock switch 51 is located adjacent to the opening / closing switch 21. As a result, the user can easily open and close the back door 11 and also lock it, improving convenience.

[0029] (6) In this embodiment, the opening / closing switch 21 and the lock switch 51 are located at least one of the vehicle width ends 11L and 11R on the interior side 3I of the back door 11. This allows the user to open and close the back door 11 from a position where they can visually check for obstacles behind the vehicle 1 and ensure safety, and also to easily lock it without moving from that position, thus improving convenience.

[0030] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative examples provided to facilitate understanding of the invention. The technical scope of the invention is not limited to the specific technical matters disclosed in the embodiments above, but also includes various modifications, changes, and alternative technologies that can be easily derived therefrom.

[0031] 2. Vehicle body 3. Rear 3I. Interior side 3L, 3R. Both ends of the rear in the vehicle width direction 11. Back door 11C. Center of the back door in the vehicle width direction 11L, 11R. Both ends of the back door on the interior side in the vehicle width direction 21. Open / close switch 31. Electronic key 41. Antenna module 41A. Antenna 51. Lock switch A. Designated area

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: a back door provided on the rear of the vehicle body, which forms a part of the rear when fully closed, and which is capable of automatic opening and closing; and an opening / closing switch that instructs the automatic opening and closing operation of the back door, wherein the opening / closing switch is located at least one of the ends of the rear in the vehicle width direction.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the opening and closing switches are located at both ends in the vehicle width direction of the rear surface and at the center of the back door in the vehicle width direction.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein all of the on / off switches are located on the rear surface.

4. A vehicle according to claim 2 or claim 3 dependent on claim 2, comprising an antenna module capable of wireless communication with an electronic key, wherein the antenna module comprises one antenna provided on the rear surface, and the antenna module is capable of determining whether the electronic key is within a predetermined area during wireless communication with the electronic key.

5. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a lock switch that performs an automatic closing operation of the back door and locks the back door when the back door is fully closed, wherein the lock switch is located adjacent to the opening / closing switch.

6. The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the opening / closing switch and the lock switch are located at at least one of the vehicle width direction ends on the interior side of the back door.

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