Vehicle Closure Actuation Safety During Lifting
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for automatically activating motor vehicle closure elements, such as tailgates, during maintenance or repair on a lifting platform can lead to operational safety issues due to unintended motor-driven opening, potentially causing collisions with workshop structures.
Innovation Solution
Deactivating the actuation of closure elements due to operator control events when the vehicle is lifted, using sensor arrangements to detect special conditions like lifting height or wheel suspension, thereby preventing motor-driven activation during maintenance or repair.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If operator-control-event monitoring is activated for automatic closure element opening, then operator comfort is improved, but operational safety deteriorates due to risk of unintended opening during vehicle lifting
Solution Approach 1:
The control arrangement checks for the special condition (vehicle being lifted) in advance before executing the closure element opening action. By detecting the lifting state through sensor arrangements before the operator control event triggers opening, the system prevents unintended opening during maintenance work while preserving automatic opening functionality during normal operation
Solution Approach 2:
A special condition sensor arrangement acts as an intermediary between the operator control event sensor arrangement and the closure element drive arrangement. This intermediate checking mechanism evaluates whether the vehicle is in a lifted state and blocks the opening command only when necessary, allowing normal automatic opening to function while preventing dangerous opening during lifting operations
2Reliability
If sensor arrangements are added to detect lifting conditions, then operational safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor arrangements are configured to serve multiple functions: they detect both the operator control events (for automatic opening) and the special lifting conditions. By making the sensor system multi-functional rather than adding completely separate sensing systems, the patent increases safety while minimizing the increase in device complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Significantly reduces the risk of unintended closure element opening, ensuring operational safety while still allowing remote motor-driven adjustment of closure elements.
Implementation Method 1
The sensor arrangement has two capacitive sensors which extend over the entire width of the motor vehicle. An operator control event, here an operator-side foot movement, can be easily detected electronically.
Implementation Method 2
the special condition is the reaching of a predetermined lifting height of the motor vehicle
Implementation Method 3
the special condition is the free suspension of the wheels of the motor vehicle as a result of lifting of the motor vehicle
Implementation Method 4
closure element arrangement with a drive arrangement for the motor-driven adjustment of the closure element
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for actuating a closure element arrangement of a motor vehicle, wherein the closure element arrangement comprises a control arrangement and an operator-control-event sensor arrangement with at least one operator-control-event sensor element which is configured, in particular, as a proximity sensor, wherein within the scope of operator-control-event monitoring by means of the control arrangement the sensor measured values of the operator-control-event sensor arrangement are monitored to determine whether a predetermined operator control event is occurring, and the closure element arrangement is actuated as a function of the result of the operator-control-event monitoring. It is proposed that externally activated lifting of the motor vehicle is detected by means of the control arrangement, and the actuability of the closure element arrangement which is due to an operator control event is deactivated when a special condition due to the lifting of the motor vehicle occurs.