FR2484168A1 - Control circuit for electric car windows - senses duration of pressure on operating lever to provide rapid full movement or slow adjustment of position of window - Google Patents

Abstract

The control circuit for an electronically operated car window provides control signals to the operating motor to raise or lower the window quickly or slowly. When the ignition key is turned on a monostable emits a pulse lasting several milliseconds which resets the control system and puts it into an 'alert' operating mode. The gate is in the state '1' biasing the base of a transistor which becomes conducting, earthing the base of a further transistor blocking the motor supply. The operating lever may be moved in either direction, for raising and lowering the window. When it is operated the duration of the operation is compared with a set inveral. If less than this, then the window is wound fully in the required direction at full speed. If the operation lasts longer, then the window is moved slowly whilst the lever is held.

Description

 The present invention relates to an electrical control device for an opening panel, in particular for a motor vehicle.

 An electrical control device for an opening panel is already known, of the type comprising a manual actuating member in a rest position and two working positions for controlling the closing and opening of the panel respectively, an electric DC motor for move the panel1 of the motor power supply means, a reversing device for connecting the motor to the power supply means according to either of two opposite polarities corresponding respectively to the two working positions of the actuating member manual, and an electronic circuit for controlling said reversing device as a function of the position of said manual actuating member, said electronic control circuit comprising timing means so as to distinguish between short actuations and prolonged actuations of the manual actuator which respectively have durations lower and greater than a period d e predetermined time, said electronic circuit controlling said supply means so as to ensure the complete closing or opening of the panel in response to a brief actuation of said member, and to energize the motor only while said member is in one of its working positions, in response to prolonged actuation of said manual actuator.

The invention aims to produce an electrical control device of this type for an opening panel which provides improved operating characteristics.

To this end, the subject of the invention is an electrical control device of the aforementioned type for an opening panel in which the supply means comprise a first supply circuit for driving the motor and the panel at a rapid speed in response to a short actuation of said member and a second supply circuit for driving the motor and the panel at a slow speed in response to prolonged actuation of said member.

Other features and advantages. of the invention will emerge from the description which follows of two embodiments illustrated by the appended drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is an electrical diagram of a first embodiment of an electric window regulator control device for a motor vehicle; and
Fig. 2 is an electrical diagram of a second embodiment of an electric window regulator control device. for motor vehicle.

 Referring to FIG. 1, the window regulator control device shown comprises a manual actuating member 1 comprising an operating button 2 intended for. order the closing of two movable contacts 3 and 4 against two fixed contacts 5 and 6 respectively. The manual actuating member 1 has a rest position shown in FIG. 1, in which the button 2 is in the central position and the movable contacts 3 and 4 are open, and two working positions.

When the button 2 is turned in the direction of the arrow M, it applies the movable contact 3 against the fixed contact 5 which, as will be explained later, causes the glass controlled by the device to rise. The other working position corresponds to the tilting of the operating button 2 in the direction of the arrow D, which applies the movable contact 4 against the fixed contact 6 and causes the window to open as will also be explained below. . A diode 7 has its cathode connected to the movable contact 3 and its anode connected to the movable contact 4. The contacts 5 and 6 are connected together to the positive terminal of the battery of the vehicle with which the window lifter device is associated, for example by the 'through the vehicle ignition key switch, so that the window regulator is energized when the ignition key is turned. The fixed contacts 5 and 6 are also connected to a first mono-stable 8 designed to reset the device when the vehicle is switched on by closing the ignition key. The time constant of this first monostable 8 is very low, of the order of a few milliseconds.

 The cathode of diode 7 is connected to the input of a second monostable 9 whose time constant is much greater than that of the first monostable 8, for example 0.3 seconds. An output of the monostable 9 attacks an input of a NAND gate 10 forming part of a first memory M1. The cathode of the diode 7 is also connected to another input of the door 10 via an inverter 11 and to the ground via a resistor R1. The memory M1 is supplemented by a second NAND gate 12, an input of which is connected to the output of gate 10, and by a third NAND gate 13, of which an input is connected to the output of gate 12, while the second input of the door 12 is connected to the output of the door 13. A second input of the latter is attacked by the output of the first monostable 8, and a third input of the door 13 is attacked by a limit switch circuit 14.

 A second memory M2 of the window regulator control device. comprises a first gate ND 15, the output of which is connected to the third input of gate 10 of the memory M1. The door 15 has a first input connected to the output of the door 13, a second input connected to the cathode of the diode 7, and a third input driven by an inverted output of the second monostable 9. The second memory M2 is supplemented by two other NAND doors 16 and 17. Door 16 has a first input connected to the anode of diode 7 by means of an inverter 18, a second input connected to an anti-jamming circuit 19 and a third input connected to the output of door 17. The output of door 16 is connected to an input of door 17, the other input of which is connected to the output of an inverting door 20 via an inverter 21. The two inputs of door 20 are connected respectively to the outputs of doors 13 and 15.

The output of the gate 16 drives the base of a transistor T1 via an amplifier circuit 22. The transistor T1 controls an inverter relay 23 protected by a diode 24 and controlling two movable reversing contacts 25 and 26 arranged in the supply circuit of the motor M for driving the window (not shown) in order to rotate the motor M in one direction or the other depending on the position of the reversing relay 23 and of its movable contacts 25 and 26 The power supply circuit C of the motor M comprises a power transistor
T whose base is connected to the junction of two
p resistors R2 and R3 arranged in series between the positive battery supply terminal and earth. In parallel with the resistor R2 is connected a transistor
T2 whose base is attacked by the collector of a transistor T3 via a resistor R4. The base of the transistor T3 is itself driven by the output of the gate 12 via an amplifier circuit 27. The supply circuit C is completed by a fourth transistor T4 connected in parallel with the resistor R3, of which the base is attacked by the output of door 20 by means of an amplifier circuit 28.

 The limit switch circuit 14 includes a comparator 29, one input of which receives the voltage across a resistor R5 representative of the current in the motor M and the other input of which receives a reference voltage supplied by a Shlo potentiometer The output of the comparator 29 drives a timing circuit comprising a resistor 30 and a capacitor 31 connected to ground. The output of the timing circuit attacks an input of the door 13 via an inverting shaping door 32.

 Finally, the anti-jamming circuit 19 comprises a comparator 33, one input of which reviews the voltage representative of the current in the motor M supplied by the resistor R5 and the other input of which receives from a potentiometer RA2 a second reference voltage whose value is lower than that returned by the potentiometer Rh1 The output of the comparator 33 attacks an input of a shaping reverser 34 whose other input is connected to a voltage source calibrated by means of an end switch stroke 35 which detects when the window has reached its highest point.

The operation of the window regulator control device of FIG. 1 is as follows:
When the vehicle network is switched on, when the ignition key is turned, as indicated previously, the monos table 8 emits a pulse of a few milliseconds which resets the system and places it in the standby position . In particular, in this state, the output of gate 20 is in state 1 and polarizes the base of transistor T4 which is thus turned on and connects the base of transistor Tp to ground. It is therefore blocked and prevents the supply of the motor M.

The operation of the window regulator in the direction of ascent and descent is controlled by actuating the operating button 2 in the direction of arrow M and arrow D respectively. This command can result in two forms of action depending on whether the time T for pressing this button 2 is greater or less than the time constant t for the monostable 9. If the duration for pressing T on button 2 is less at t, the output of the inverter 11, which had gone from 1 to 0 at the start of the press, returns from 0 to 1 at the end of the press. Furthermore, at this instant the door 10 also receives on its two other inputs of the logic levels 1 produced respectively by the monostable 9, whose exit slot is not completed, and from the output of the door 15 which is at the state 1. In this way, the output of door 10 goes from state 1 to state 0 and the outputs of doors 12 and 13 go from state 0 to state 1. As door 20 receives moreover a logic level I of gate 15, its output goes to state 0 and transistor T4 is blocked.

Simultaneously, the logic level 1 at the output of the gate 12 is applied via the amplifier circuit 27 to the base of the transistor T3 which becomes conductive and also makes the transistor T2 conductive. This then short-circuits the resistor R2 and the transistor T p is made fully conductive because the full supply voltage is applied to its base. The motor is therefore supplied at full voltage and its movement is rapid. As also the memory M1 is then locked in its new state, the conduction-of the transistors T2 and T3 continues after the end of the slot until the window reaches the end of the race, in the high or low position. instant, due to the resistance encountered, the current in the motor M increases and the comparator 29 emits a signal which is applied via the gate 32 to an input of the gate 13. The memory M then changes state so that the transistors T2 and T3 are blocked and that the transistor Tq becomes conductive, the device thus being put to rest During the movement - of the window, the timing circuit comprising the resistor 30 and the condenser 31 provides a slight delay in the action of the comparator 29 on the door 32 and allows, during movement, to pass temporary mechanical hard points without stopping the desired movement This delay therefore allows the elimination of the thermal circuit breaker usually mounted d in the engine.

 The direction of rotation of the motor M is controlled by the reversing relay 23 as a function of the direction of pressing the button 2. Thus if the button 2 is turned in the direction of the arrow X, it is a- say that of the rise, the diode 7 prevents the voltage present fixed contacts 5 and 6 from beech applied to the inverter 18, so that the transistor TR remains blocked and that the relay 23 is not supplied. In this rest position of the relay 23, the contacts 25 and 26 are placed so as to supply the motor M in the direction of raising the window. However, if a descending order is given by closing the button in the direction from arrow D, the voltage present at the fixed contacts 5 and 6 is applied to the inverter 18, the output of which switches the memory N2 which turns the transistor T1 on, which actuates the relay 23 which reverses the polarity of the current at the terminals of the motor M and causes the downward movement of the window.

On the other hand, if it is now assumed that the button 2 is kept pressed in one position or the other for a duration T greater than the time constant t of the monostable 9, the door 10 does not change state at the end of the slot produced by the monostable 9 since, at this instant, the output of the inverter 11 is still at zero. Consequently, j, the memory M1 remains in its initial state, that is to say that a logic state 0 is present at the output of the gate 12 and that the transistors T2 and T3 are blocked. On the other hand, the door 15, two of the inputs of which are connected respectively to the output of the door 13 and to the cathode of the diode 7 are then in state 1, switch because its third input to which is applied by the monos table 9 on reverse signal that the latter applies to gate 10 passes. from state 0 to state 1. The output of gate 15 then passes from state 1 to state 0, and the same goes for the output of gate 20 so that transistor T4 is blocked. The base of transistor T. is hole
p.

ve at this moment polarized at a lower voltage than the supply voltage due to the divider bridge constituted by the resistors R2 and R3, and this transistor T - p supplies the motor M more weakly than in the case of a short press on button 2 as described above. This therefore results in a slow movement of the glass which we will note that it starts with a slight delay compared to the closing of the corresponding contact 3 or 4 since, as this results from the above, the power transistor T is made conductive only at the end of the cre n ng produced by the monostable 9. Nevertheless, the time constant of the monos table 9 is sufficiently low so that this delay is not annoying for the user . The movement of the window thus continues at constant speed as long as one or the other of the contacts 3 and 4 remains closed.

As soon as button 2 is released, this contact opens and a logic level 0 is applied to an input to door 15, the output of which goes to state 1. The output of door 20 then in turn switches to state 1, which has the effect of making the transitor T4 conductive, which blocks the transistor Tp which interrupts the supply of the motor M, thus causing the window to stop in the chosen position.

 If during the movement of the window, whether at high speed or low speed, a jamming occurs, the voltage across the resistor R5 increases and, past a certain threshold, triggers the comparator 33 which produces at its output a signal which, after inversion, is applied by the door 34 to an entry of the door 16. If at the time of this jamming phenomenon the window is in the process of being erected, the three entries of the door 16 are in state 1 and its output is at state 0 so that the transistor T1 is not supplied and the relay 23 is at rest. In these conditions, the gate 34 causes the corresponding input of the gate 16 to pass through. state 0 and the output thereof goes to state l. The transistor T1 is then supplied and actuates the relay 23 which reverses the polarity at the terminals of the motor M, The window therefore begins to descend until '' it reaches its lowest point. The limit switch circuit 14 then detected the coming of the window at the end of the race and interrupted the al imitation of the motor as described above.

 The door 20 makes T4 conductive through 28 and also supplies the door 17 through the inverter 21, which causes the tilting of the memory M2 which cuts T1 thus causing the window to stop in the low position.

Conversely, when the window goes down, the anti-jamming circuit 19 is inoperative because at least one of the other inputs of door 16 is then in lBétat0.

 The limit switch 35 allows the complete closing of the window by opening when the window is just before the maximum high position from which the closing force will increase and cause the intensity to rise in the motor necessary to obtain a complete and watertight closure.

 The switch can therefore be opened between all positions above the level from which it is no longer possible to insert the smallest member between the glass and the seal, to avoid injuries (for example a child's finger, i.e. 4 to 5 mm).

We will now refer to IVF. 2 which illustrates an alternative embodiment of the control device shown in FIG. 1, in which only the supply circuit
C of the motor M differs from the circuit in Fig.l. Therefore, only the description of this part of the device will be repeated, the same references being kept to designate the corresponding components in the two figures.

Thus, the supply circuit C in Fig. 2 includes two additional resistors R6 and R7 arranged in series with the resistors R2 and R3, between the latter and the ground. A transistor T5 is mounted in parallel with the resistors R6 and R7 and a transistor T6 is mounted in parallel with the resistor R7.The amplifier circuit 27 of the transistor T32 is driven by the output of an NI gate 36 one of whose inputs is driven by the output of 'gate 12 by the through an inverter 37 and the other input is directly attacked by the output of door 16. Similarly, the outputs of doors 12 and 16 attack the two inputs of an NI gate 38 via two inverters 39a and 39b respectively. The output of the NI 3-8 gate attacks the base of the transistor T5 by means of an amplifier circuit 40. Finally, the two inputs of a gate
NI 41 are driven respectively by the outputs of gates 12 and 16, and the output of this gate NI 41 attacks the base of transistor T6 by means of an amplifier circuit 42.

The operation of this supply circuit is as follows:
During the rapid rise of the window, the output of door 12 is in state 1 and the outputs of doors 16 and 20 are in state 0. Consequently, only transistor T2 is then conductive and full voltage power is applied to the base of the transistor T p, which corresponds to the rapid rise of the glass.

 During the slow rise, the outputs of gates 12, 16 and 20 are in state 0 and only the transistor T6 is conductive. Consequently, the fraction of the supply voltage U which is then applied to the base of the transistor T p will be equal to U x R2 / (R2 + R3 + R,).

In the case where the window descends at a slow speed, the outputs of doors 12 and 20 are in state 0 and the output of door 16 is in state 1. Under these conditions, the outputs of doors 36, 38 and 41 are at state 0 and the transistors T2, T4, T5 and T6 are blocked. The voltage which is then applied to the base of the power transitor T is equal to U x R2 / (R2 + R3 + R6 R7). It can be seen that this voltage is lower than that which prevails in the case of the slow rise because the resistance
R7 is not short-circuited, thus compensating for the weight of the glass.

Finally, in the case of a rapid descent of the window, the outputs of doors 12 and 16 are in state 1 and the output of door 20 is always in state 0. Therefore the output of the door 38 is in state 1 and only the transistor T5 conducts. The voltage applied to the base of the power transitor T p is therefore equal to
UX R2 / tR2 + R3), a value which is lower than that of the rapidly rising voltage to compensate for the weight of the window as in the previous case. This value is nevertheless higher than that of the voltage applied to the base of the transitor Tp in the case of the slow rise so as to ensure a sufficiently rapid descent of the window.

 The supply circuit C which has just been described therefore makes it possible to adapt the speeds to the four operating cases which have just been envisaged and, thereby, to eliminate the compensating springs which normally compensate for the influence of the masses on the window control mechanism according to the direction of movement.

 Of course, it will be noted that the device according to the invention is not limited to the control of a window but can be applied on the contrary to any sliding panel of a motor vehicle, for example to the control of a sunroof.

Claims (8)

- CLAIMS -  1.- Electric control device for an opening panel, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a manual actuating member in a rest position and two working positions for respectively closing and opening the panel, an electric current motor continuous for moving the panel, means for powering the motor, a reversing device for connecting the motor to the means for supplying either of two opposite polarities corresponding respectively to the two working positions of the member of manual actuation, and an electronic circuit for controlling said reversing device according to the position of said manual actuation member, said electronic control circuit comprising timing means so as to distinguish between short actuations and prolonged actuations of the manual actuator which have durations less than and greater than a predetermined period of time, said electronic circuit controlling said supply means so as to ensure the complete closing or opening of the panel in response to a brief actuation of said member, and to energize the motor only while said member is in one of its working positions, in response to prolonged actuation of said manual actuation member, characterized in that the supply means (C) comprise a first supply circuit (T2, R3, Tp) to drive the motor (M) and the panel at a rapid speed in response to a short actuation of said member (1) and a second supply circuit (R2, R3, Tp) to drive the motor (M) and the panel to a slow speed in response to prolonged actuation of said member.  disappearance of said slot, and down-shifting in a second state in response to the disappearance of said slot in the presence of said prolonged actuation and returning from said second state to the initial state in response to the disappearance of said prolonged actuation.  2.- Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said electronic circuit comprises a first and a second memory (M1, M2), an initialization circuit (8) for bringing said memories to a predetermined initial state in response to the powering up of said device, and a monostable (9) using said timing means and producing a slot of a duration equal to said predetermined period of time, said memories (M1 / M2) switching to a first state in response to the disappearance of said brief actuation of said member (1) and remaining in said first state during the  3.- Device according to claim 2, characterized in that said supply means comprise a power transistor (Tp) for supplying said motor (M), at least a first and a second resistance Tir2, R3) connected in series between the power supply source of the device and the ground, the base of said power transistor (T) being connected p to the junction between said first and second resistors (R2, R3) r a first transistor (T2) connected in parallel with the first resistor (R2) and a second transistor (T4) connected between the base of the power transistor (Tp) and the ground, said memories (M1, M2) being adapted to block said first transistor (T2) and make said second conductive transistor (T4) in said initial state, to make said first transistor (T2) conductive and block said second transistor (T4) in said first state, and to block said first and second transistors (T21 T4) in said second state.  4.- Device according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises an end of travel detector circuit (14) connected to said memories (Mî1 M2) to bring them back from the first or second state to the initial state in response to the detection of the end of the panel stroke.  5.- Device according to claim 4, characterized in that said limit switch detection circuit (14) comprises a first comparator to which are applied a voltage representative of the current in the motor (M) and a first threshold voltage, a ' timing circuit (30, 31) and a shaping circuit (32) for applying a signal to said memories (M1, M2) when the voltage representative of the current in the motor is greater than the threshold voltage.  6.- Device according to any one of claims 4 and 5, characterized in that the reversing device (22, T1, 23, 24, 25, 26) comprises a reversing relay (23) controlled by said memories (M1, M2 ) and connecting the motor (M) in the direction of closing the panel when it is in the rest position, and an anti-jamming circuit (19) is connected to said memories to control the reversal of the direction of rotation of the motor (M) by the reversing device in response to a jamming effect of the panel.  7.- Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the anti-jamming circuit (19) comprises a second comparator (33) to which are applied said voltage representative of the current in the motor (M) and a second threshold voltage lower than said first threshold voltage, and a door (34) one input of which is connected to the output of the comparator (33) and the other input of which is connected to a device (35) for detecting the limit switch of the panel in position high.  8.- Device according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that it comprises third and fourth resistors (R6, R7) connected between the second resistance (R3) and the ground, a third transistor (T5) connected between the junction of the second and third resistors (R31 R6) and the ground, a fourth transistor connected between the junction of the third and fourth resistors (R6 R7) and the ground, and gates (36, 37, 38, 39a, 39b, 41) for controlling said first, third me and fourth transistors (T2, T52 T6), said memories controlling said transistors via said gates so as to make only the second transistor (T4) conductive in said initial state, at making only the first transistor (T2) conductive in said first state and when said reversing device is in the closed position of the panel, making only the fourth transistor (T6) conducting in said second state and when said reversing device is in the panel closed position, making only the third transistor (T5) conductive in said first state and when the reversing device is in the panel open position, and blocking the four transistors (T2, T4, T5, T6 ) in said second state and when the reversing device is in the panel open position.