JP2001199243A - Rear gate automatic opening/closing controller for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rear gate automatic opening/closing controller for a vehicle allowing automatic opening/closing operation in addition to manual operation and always controlling a change in an opening/closing rotation speed to a constant one. SOLUTION: This rear gate automatic opening/closing controller for a vehicle is provided with a gas spring energizing the rear gate in the opening direction, a motor 41 opening/closing the rear gate, a clutch 42 connecting/disconnecting the motor 41 and the rear gate mutually, an encoder 43 detecting the rear gate opening/closing position, an operation switch 63 operating the opening/ closing operation of the rear gate, and a controlling means 60 for controlling the motor 41 and the clutch 42 on the basis of the operation signal from the operation switch 63. In this controller, an opening/closing speed of the rear gate is controlled on the basis of the detection signal from the encoder 43.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicular rear gate opening / closing driving device, and more particularly to an automatic opening / closing control device for a rear gate which pivots up and down with its upper end pivotally supported by a vehicle body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a rear gate provided at a rear portion of a vehicle body is disposed as a lid which pivots up and down to open and close an opening portion 101 at a rear portion of a vehicle body 100 as shown in FIG. The upper end of the rear gate 102 is pivotally supported at the upper opening edge of the vehicle body 100 by a hinge arm 103.

[0003] On both sides of the rear gate 102, between the respective side portions of the rear gate 102 and the side opening edges 104a formed in the respective rear pillars 104, a pressure is applied in a protruding direction by the pressure of gas sealed therein. A gas spring 105 having a piston rod 105a is provided, and when the rear gate 102 is opened and closed, the gas spring 105 expands in accordance with the opening and closing angle of the rear gate 102, thereby providing an urging force at the time of opening and closing, that is, an auxiliary force. Thus, the operation force required to open and close the rear gate 102 is reduced.

Further, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-280242 and as shown in FIG. 11, a hinge arm 113 for supporting the upper end of a vertically rotating rear gate 112 to a vehicle body 110 is provided. The arm 113 is formed with a curved portion 114 bulging forward from the pivot point P pivotally supported by the vehicle body 110 and extending below the pivot point P. The rear gate 112 is connected to the rear gate attaching portion 115 connected to the curved portion 114. Is fixed, and a boss 117 provided at the rear end of the rod 116 is pivotally supported at a position slightly below the pivot point P of the curved portion 114. The front end of the rod 116 is slidably fitted in the holding hole 118, and the coil spring 119 is elastically inserted between the rear spacer 120 and the boss 117.

When the rear gate 112 is turned upward to open, the hinge arm 113 turns integrally with the rear gate 112 about the pivot point P, and the bending portion 114 is pressed by the coil spring 119 so that the hinge 114 is pressed. A rotational force is applied to the arm 113 to reduce the operation force.

[0006]

According to the rear gate structure shown in FIG. 10, the gas spring 105 is erected between the rear gate 102 and the side opening edge 104a, so that an auxiliary force can be provided when the rear gate 102 is opened and closed. Is provided to reduce the operating force of the rear gate 102.

On the other hand, according to the rear gate structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-280242, when the rear gate 112 is rotated upward to open, the curved portion 114 of the hinge arm 113 is pressed by the coil spring 119. . As a result, a rotational force is applied to the hinge arm 113, and the operating force is reduced.

[0008] However, the opening and closing operation of the rear gate is performed, for example, by opening the outer handle provided outside the rear gate from outside the vehicle by pulling up the rear gate and closing it by pushing down the rear gate by hand. , Its opening and closing operations are troublesome,
In particular, it is difficult to open and close the rear gate while carrying luggage, and there is a concern that the operability of opening and closing the rear gate during rainfall or the like may be affected.

There are also cases where it is desired to perform the opening and closing operation of the rear gate not only manually but also fully automatically at a location remote from the rear gate, such as in a vehicle cabin, in other words, by remote control. It is difficult to confirm safety, and it is desirable to provide a means for confirming safety.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to enable automatic opening and closing in addition to manual operation, and to constantly control a change in the opening and closing rotation speed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicular rear gate automatic opening / closing control device which can perform the following.

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic opening / closing control apparatus for a rear gate of a vehicle, the upper end of which is rotatable vertically in a rear portion of a vehicle body. A gas spring that urges the rear gate in the opening direction, and opens and closes the rear gate in a vehicle rear gate automatic opening and closing control device that automatically opens and closes the rear gate that opens and closes the opening formed in the rear of the vehicle body by being rotated An actuator to be engaged, a clutch to connect or disconnect between the actuator and the rear gate,
An encoder for detecting the open / close rotation position of the rear gate, operating means for operating the opening / closing operation of the rear gate, and control means for controlling an actuator and a clutch based on an operation signal from the operating means to automatically open / close the rear gate,
The control means controls the opening / closing rotation speed of the rear gate based on the detection signal of the encoder.

According to this, the control means controls the clutch and the actuator based on the operation of the operating means to automatically open and close the rear gate. At this time, the control means obtains the opening / closing rotation speed of the rear gate based on the detection signal of the encoder, and performs feedback control of the actuator so that the opening / closing rotation speed of the rear gate becomes a preset reference speed.

Therefore, even when the urging force of the gas spring changes according to the temperature or the like, it is possible to control the change in the opening / closing rotation speed of the rear gate to be always constant.
Further, the connection between the actuator and the rear gate is cut off by the clutch, thereby enabling the rear gate to be manually opened and closed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the automatic opening / closing control apparatus for a rear gate for a vehicle according to the first aspect, the control means controls the rotation of the rear gate in the opening direction by the weight of the rear gate and the urging force of the gas spring. In the self-closing zone in which the rear gate rotates in the closing direction due to its own weight due to the balance with the rear gate, the rear gate rotates in the opening direction in the self-closing zone. The invention is characterized in that the actuator is controlled to suppress rotation in the opening direction and the rear gate is rotated in the opening direction at a preset speed.

In the self-closing zone, the load on the gas spring for rotating the rear gate in the opening direction is reduced, and in the self-opening zone, the rear gate is rotated in the opening direction at a speed higher than a predetermined speed by the urging force of the gas spring. And the change in the rotation speed of the rear gate is always controlled to be constant.

The third aspect of the present invention is the first or second aspect.
In the automatic opening / closing control device for a rear gate of a vehicle, the control means includes a self-opening zone in which the rear gate rotates in the opening direction due to a balance between the weight of the rear gate and the biasing force of the gas spring in the rotation control of the rear gate in the closing direction. In the self-closing zone in which the rear gate rotates in the closing direction against the biasing force of the gas spring and the rear gate rotates in the closing direction due to its own weight, the actuator is controlled to suppress the rotation of the rear gate in the closing direction. And rotating the rear gate in the closing direction at a preset speed.

In the self-opening zone, the rear gate is moved in the closing direction at a preset speed against the urging force of the gas spring, and in the self-closing zone, the rear gate is moved in the closing direction at a speed higher than the preset speed. And the speed change in the closing direction of the rear gate is controlled to be constant.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle rear gate automatic opening / closing control device according to the first to third aspects, the control means controls the rotation of the rear gate in the opening direction or the closing direction by detecting an encoder detection signal. Alternatively, a fully closed state or a fully opened state of the rear gate is determined based on a load of the actuator.

According to this, the fully closed state or the fully open state at the time of opening / closing the rear gate is determined based on the detection signal of the encoder or the load of the actuator, so that these determinations can be easily performed with a simple configuration. Can be.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle rear gate automatic opening / closing control device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, an alarming means for outputting an alarm in accordance with the opening / closing operation of the rear gate is provided.

According to this, an alarm is issued in accordance with the opening / closing operation of the rear gate, so that the operator or a person located around the vehicle can be alerted. And the closing operation, it is possible to easily determine the rotation direction of the rear gate without looking, and to notify a nearby third party. Therefore, usability and safety when the rear gate is automatically opened and closed can be improved.

The invention described in claim 6 is the first or second invention.
In the vehicle rear gate automatic opening / closing control device, the control means determines whether or not to automatically perform the opening / closing operation based on the opening / closing rotation speed of the rear gate when the opening / closing operation of the rear gate is manually performed. It is characterized by doing.

According to this, it is determined whether or not the opening / closing operation is automatically performed based on the manual opening / closing rotation speed of the rear gate. When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the opening / closing operation is automatically performed. Will be Therefore, the automatic opening / closing operation of the rear gate can be performed by an operation other than the operation means. Therefore, usability when the rear gate is automatically opened and closed can be improved.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle rear gate automatic opening / closing control apparatus according to any of the first to sixth aspects, further comprising a handle switch for detecting an operation of an outer handle for manually opening and closing the rear gate. The unit stops the automatic opening / closing operation of the rear gate based on the detection signal of the steering wheel switch, and releases the connection of the clutch.

According to this, the automatic opening / closing operation of the rear gate is stopped by operating the outer handle, and the connection of the clutch is released. Therefore, the automatic opening / closing operation of the rear gate can be stopped quickly and easily by a person other than the person operating the operation means. Further, since the connection of the clutch is released, the rear gate can be freely opened and closed by a subsequent manual operation.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle rear gate automatic opening / closing control apparatus according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, a latch switch for detecting a fully closed state of the rear gate is provided, and the control means detects the latch switch. The open / close position of the rear gate by the encoder is initialized based on the signal.

According to this, the automatic opening / closing control of the rear gate can be reset by manually closing the rear gate. Therefore, for example, when the automatic opening / closing operation of the rear gate is stopped at an intermediate position, it is possible to initialize the opening / closing position of the rear gate based on the detection signal of the encoder by manually closing the rear gate, and then automatically Control can be performed.

[0028]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a vehicle rear gate automatic opening / closing control apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of a rear portion of a vehicle body for explaining an outline of the present embodiment. A rear opening edge of a left and right rear pillar 11 and a roof 12 is provided at a rear portion of a vehicle body 10. An opening 13 having a portion 13a and an upper opening edge 13b is formed, and a rear gate 20 is provided at the rear end of the roof 12 to open and close the opening 13 rotatably in a vertical direction via a hinge arm 23. Is driven to rotate up and down by the opening and closing device 30.

Hinge arm 2 for opening and closing rear gate 20
3 and the opening / closing drive device 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. The arrow F indicates the direction ahead of the vehicle body, the arrow IN indicates the inside of the vehicle body, and the arrow OUT indicates the outside direction of the vehicle body.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a main part viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1 showing an outline of the mounting state of the hinge arm 23 and the drive unit 31 which are main parts of the opening / closing drive device 30, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a main part showing an outline of the drive unit 31 as viewed from the direction B. FIG. Note that FIG.
In FIG. 3, the vehicle body 10 and the rear gate 20 are indicated by two-dot chain lines.

The hinge arm 23 is rotatably supported at its base end 23 a by a shaft 22 on a hinge base 21 attached to the vicinity of the rear end of the roof 12, and moves downward from the base end 23 a with the rear gate 20 closed. A curved portion 24 that extends rearward from the lower end in an arcuate shape about the axis 22 as a center and penetrates rearward from a hinge arm insertion hole 23A that opens to the rear rail 14, and has a rear end protruding outside. And a rear gate mounting portion 25 formed at the tip of the curved portion 24, and a connecting rod coupling portion 26 and a gas spring coupling portion 27 are formed at the front end of the curved portion 24.

The opening / closing device 30 includes a drive unit 31 and a gas spring device 5 for assisting the operation of the drive unit 31.
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the drive unit 31 has a substantially rectangular shape in which the substantially central portion of the inner edge gently protrudes, and a long groove 32a extending in the front and rear direction at the central portion. A plate-like mounting base 3 having a substrate portion 32A that is open and having a rear flange 32b and a side flange 32c for stiffening bent upward along a rear edge and an outer edge of the substrate portion 32A.
2 is provided.

A power unit module 40 is provided on the upper surface of the board portion 32A of the mounting base 32, as shown in FIG.

The power unit module 40 includes a motor 41, a clutch 42, an encoder 43, and a gear box that converts the output from the actuator, ie, the motor 41, into a reciprocating motion in the front-rear direction. The slider 45 arranged on the lower surface of the substrate portion 33A is reciprocated in the front-rear direction along the long groove 32a.

The slider 45 has a substantially rectangular shape and a U-shaped cross section in which both sides are bent upward, and the base end of the connecting rod 46 is provided with a bolt and a nut 4 at the center of the side of the slider 45.
7, the connecting rod 46 extends rearward and the tip is swingably connected to the connecting rod connecting portion 26 of the hinge arm 23 via a ball joint 48.

Accordingly, the slider 45 is moved rearward along the lower surface of the substrate 33A by the motor 41 of the power unit module 40 or the like, so that the connecting rod 4
6, the connecting rod connecting portion 26 of the hinge arm 23 is pushed rearward, the hinge arm 23 rotates about the shaft 22, and the curved portion 24 projects from the hinge arm insertion hole 23A and is supported by the rear gate mounting portion 25. Rear gate 2
0 swings in a direction to open the opening 13. On the other hand, by moving the slider 45 forward along the lower surface of the substrate part 33A, the hinge arm 23 is connected via the connecting rod 46.
Is pivoted forward via the shaft 22 to swing the rear gate 20 in a direction to close the opening 13.

The mounting base 32 on which the power unit module 40, the slider 45, and the like are disposed has a rear portion, an inner central portion, and a base portion 32A held substantially horizontally.
The front portion is attached to each of a rear rail 14, a brace 15, and a side rail 16, which are roof members constituting the vehicle body 10.

The connecting portion with the rear rail 14 for connecting and supporting the mounting base 32 will be described with reference to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 which shows a cross section taken along line II of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the rear rail 14 includes a rear rail outer 14A and a rear rail inner 14B having a substantially L-shaped cross section and extending in the vehicle width direction along the upper opening edge of the opening 13 and facing each other. A hollow cross-sectional shape to be formed, comprising a rear rail outer 14A and a rear rail inner 14B.
A reinforcement 14C along the upper surface of the rear rail inner 14B is interposed therebetween, and both ends are joined to the rear ends of the left and right side rails 16 and the rear end of the roof panel 17 is joined to the upper surface of the rear rail outer 14A. Have been.

A plate-shaped rear mounting bracket 34 is mounted by welding or the like so that the front end extends forward from the lower surface of the rear rail inner 14B.
The rear part of the board part 32A of the mounting base 32 is mounted on the upper surface of the front end of the mounting base 32, and the front end of the rear mounting bracket 34 and the rear part of the mounting base 32 are detachably connected by bolts 14a and nuts 14b.

The center of the inner side of the mounting base 32 is connected to the brace 15 via the inner first mounting bracket 35 and the inner second mounting bracket 36. As shown in FIG. 6, a cross section taken along line II-II of FIG. 2, the brace 15 has a substantially L-shaped or C-shaped side rail outer 16A, a side rail inner 16B, and an upper surface of the side rail inner 16B. Left and right side rails 16 formed in a hollow cross-sectional shape extending in the front-rear direction by the reinforcement 16C along
It is a belt-like reinforcing member that is laid between (only one is shown) and stretched on the lower surface of the roof panel 17.

The first mounting bracket 35 is shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG.
The mounting surfaces 35b and 35c are bent inward and outward from the upper end of a, and have a substantially T-shaped cross section. The mounting surfaces 35b and 35b are connected to the brace 15 by welding to the lower surface of the brace 15. You.

On the other hand, the second mounting bracket 36 is
6a and a plate having a substantially L-shaped cross section having a mounting surface 36b. The mounting surface 36b is welded to the substrate 32A of the mounting base 32, and the bonding surface 36a is overlapped with the bonding surface 35a of the first mounting bracket 35. The inner center of the mounting base 32 is detachably connected to the brace 15 by being connected with the bolt 15a and the nut 15b.

The front part of the mounting base 32 is
The outer mounting bracket 37 has a rear edge coupled to a front edge of the substrate portion 32A of the mounting base 32, an outer edge extending along the side rail 16, and an inner end of the rear edge and a front end of the outer edge. A base portion 37a having a substantially triangular plate shape having an inner edge connecting the base portion 37a, a reinforcing flange 37b bent upward along the inner edge of the base portion 37a, and a downward bent portion formed along the outside of the base portion 37a. Mounting flange 37c.

The connecting portion between the front portion of the mounting base 32 and the side rail 16 is formed by connecting the mounting flange 37c of the outer mounting bracket 37 to the side of the side rail 16 as shown in FIG. The rear portion of the mounting base 32 is detachably connected to the side rail 16 by being connected to the rail inner 16B with the bolt 16a and the nut 16b, and the mounting base 32 and
At least a part of the power module unit 40 and the like provided on the mounting base 32 is accommodated and held by the rear rails 14 and the side rails 16 in a concave portion formed at a corner on the lower surface of the roof.

The gas spring device 50 is disposed between the mounting base 32 of the drive unit 31 and the side rail 16 at substantially the same height as the connecting rod 46, substantially parallel to the connecting rod 46, and extends in the front-rear direction. A gas spring 51 is provided between the rail 16 and the hinge arm 23.

The gas spring 51 is swingably supported via a ball joint 54 on a bracket 53 having a base end attached to the strong side rail 16, and the distal end of the piston rod 51 a is hinged via a ball joint 55. The arm 23 is swingably connected to a gas spring connecting portion 27.

Accordingly, when the slider 45 is moved rearward by the motor 41 or the like to open the rear gate 20, and the connecting rod connecting portion 26 of the hinge arm 23 is pushed rearward via the connecting rod 46, the hinge arm 23 becomes The tip of the piston rod 51a of the gas spring 51 supported via the ball joint 55 on the gas spring coupling portion 27 of the hinge arm 23 rotates in a circle with the rear gate 20 around the shaft 22. Follow the hinge arm 23 while drawing
Is the piston rod 51a depending on the pressure of the enclosed gas.
Are urged in the protruding direction.

When the rear gate 20 is in the fully closed state, the gas spring 51 presses the hinge arm 13 due to the downward force applied by the weight of the rear gate 20 supported by the shaft 22 to push the rear gate 20. Is set in advance so as to be larger than the force in the direction of pushing up.

When the rear gate 20 is opened and closed, when the rear gate 20 is closed from the dead point where the weight of the rear gate 20 and the urging force for urging the rear gate 20 to open by the gas spring 51 are balanced.
The weight of the rear gate 20 is larger than the urging force of the gas spring 51, and a self-closing zone in which the rear gate 20 is closed by its own weight without requiring an operation force is formed. On the other hand, when the rear gate 20 is open from the dead point, the biasing force of the gas spring 51 is larger than the weight of the rear gate 20, and a self-opening zone is formed in which the rear gate 20 is opened without requiring an operation force.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram conceptually showing a control system for controlling the operation of the vehicular rear gate opening / closing drive device having the above configuration. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing control according to the rear gate opening / closing position. It is a conceptual diagram for explaining.

Reference numeral 60 in the figure denotes an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as an ECU) for performing automatic opening / closing control of the rear gate 20.
The motor 41, the clutch 42, and the encoder 43 of the power unit module 40 are provided in the vehicle body.

The motor 41 is driven by the supply of power, and rotates forward and reverse through a gear box via a gear box.
In the reciprocating direction to open and close the rear gate 20. The clutch 42 is driven by the motor 4
It has a function of connecting between the slider 1 and the slider 45 and releasing the connection when the current is not supplied. The encoder 43 is provided in the power unit module 40 and includes a slider 45
Is detected and output to the ECU 60.

The ECU 60 includes an alarm buzzer 44,
A latch switch 61, a handle switch 62, an operation switch 63, and an auto closure 65 are connected. The operation switch 63 is provided with an open switch, a close switch, and a pause switch (not shown).
Output to 0. The handle switch 62 is connected to the rear gate 2
0 is provided on an outer handle (not shown) for manually opening and closing the 0, and detects an operation state of the outer handle.

The automatic closure 65 holds or opens the striker provided at the lower end of the rear gate 20 by rotating the latch by an electric actuator.

The latch switch 61 detects whether or not a striker is present in the guide groove of the auto closure 65. When the striker is detected by the latch switch 61, the latch is rotated, and the latch is rotated. Is engaged with the striker.

The alarm buzzer (alarm means) 44 is for giving an alarm by a sound that is emitted intermittently and continuously when the rear gate 20 is automatically opened and closed, and is set so that the interval between the intervals is different between when it is opened and when it is closed. I have.

Therefore, it is possible to recognize the opening or closing operation of the rear gate 20 without looking at the time of automatic opening and closing, and to inform the surrounding people of the opening and closing operation of the rear gate 20. Further, a hazard lamp or the like can be blinked simultaneously with the alarm buzzer 44.

The signals from the operation switch 63, the encoder 43, the handle switch 62, and the latch switch 61
The clutch 42, the motor 41, and the auto-closure 65 are controlled by the output from the ECU 60 and output from the ECU 60, and the automatic opening and closing operation of the rear gate 20 is performed.

The automatic opening / closing operation will be described below. First, when the open switch of the operation switch 63 is operated when the rear gate 20 is in the fully closed state, the latch of the auto closure 65 is rotated in the opening direction and the hold of the striker is released.

When the hold of the striker is released, the rear gate 20 is pushed out by the reaction force of the weather strip or the like, rotates in the opening direction about the hinge arm 23, the striker is released from the guide groove, and the latch switch is released. The release of the hold of the striker is detected by 61.

The ECU 60 receives the hold release signal from the latch switch 61, and energizes the clutch 42.
The motor 41 and the slider 45 are connected by the clutch 42, and the motor 41 is driven to rotate in the opening direction.

By rotating the motor 41 in the opening direction,
The slider 45 is moved through the gear box in the opening direction of the rear gate 20, that is, in the rearward direction, and rotates the rear gate 20 in the opening direction via the connecting rod 46 and the hinge arm 23. The ECU 60 detects the open / close position of the rear gate 20 based on an input from the encoder 43 and controls the driving force of the motor 41 according to the position of the rear gate 20.

For example, as shown in FIG.
In the self-closing zone in which 0 rotates in the closing direction due to its own weight, the driving force of the motor 41 is controlled so as to assist the gas spring 51 to rotate in the opening direction.
In the self-opening zone in which the gate 20 rotates in the opening direction by the urging force, control is performed to restrict the movement of the rear gate 20 in the opening direction.

Thus, in the self-closing zone, the rear gate 2
The urging force of the gas spring 51 for rotating the valve 0 in the opening direction is reduced, and the rear gate 20 is prevented from rotating in the opening direction at a speed higher than a preset speed in the self-opening zone. In particular, the gas spring 51 tends to increase its urging force and increase the opening speed of the rear gate 20 as the outside air temperature rises, but this can always be controlled to be constant.

When the full opening of the rear gate 20 is detected by the detection signal of the encoder 43, the opening operation is terminated, and when the output of the encoder 43 does not change according to the driving of the motor 41, the opening direction of the rear gate 20 is changed. It is determined that the rotation to is hindered by an obstacle or the like, and the opening operation is stopped.

Further, when the outer handle is operated during the opening operation and the input signal from the handle switch 62 is received, the opening operation is stopped. The stop of the opening operation is performed by stopping the rotation of the motor 41, and the rear gate 20 is continuously opened by the input from the operation switch 63 or the handle switch 62, or closed by the input from the operation switch 63, and furthermore, the rear gate 20 is brought into a operable state. You.

The above control is all initialized by closing the rear gate 20 by manual or automatic operation to bring it into the fully closed state. The ECU 60 controls the latch switch 6
The open / close position of the rear gate currently recognized by the encoder 43 is initialized to the fully closed position based on the detection signal of (1).

Accordingly, for example, when the rear gate 20 stops during the opening / closing operation and the current rotational position of the rear gate 20 cannot be detected by the encoder 43, the rear gate 20 is manually closed to the fully closed state. Thus, the open / close position of the rear gate 20 can be initialized.

On the other hand, when the closing switch of the operation switch 63 is operated while the rear gate 20 is fully open,
The ECU 60 supplies power to the clutch 42 and
And the slider 45 are connected, and the motor 41 is driven in the closing direction.

When the motor 41 is driven in the closing direction, the slider 45 moves the rear gate 20 in the closing direction, ie, forward, via the gear box, and turns the rear gate 20 in the closing direction via the connecting rod 46 and the hinge arm 23. Move. E
The CU 60 detects the open / close position of the rear gate 20 based on the detection signal of the encoder 43, and controls the driving force of the motor 41 according to the rotational position of the rear gate 20.

For example, in the self-open zone, the gas spring 5
The rear gate 20 is turned in the closing direction against the urging force of 1, and in the self-closing zone, control is performed to restrict the turning of the rear gate 20 in the closing direction. Thus, it is possible to prevent the rear gate 20 from rotating in the closing direction at a speed higher than a preset speed.

When the entrance of the striker into the guide groove is detected by the rotation of the rear gate 20 in the closing direction, the power supply to the clutch 42 is cut off, the connection of the clutch 42 is released, and the latch by the auto closure 65 is performed. Is rotated, the striker is engaged in the engagement groove of the latch, and the rear gate 20 is fully closed.

Thus, a series of opening and closing operations by the operation switch 63 is completed. The suspension of the closing operation by the operation of the obstacle or the like or the outer handle and the initialization of the control are the same as the above-described control from the fully closed state to the fully opened state, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the automatic opening / closing operation by means other than the operation switch 63 will be described.

For example, when the rear gate 20 is in the fully closed state, the engagement between the latch and the striker is released by operating the outer handle, and the rear gate 20 is manually moved in the opening direction.

The ECU 60 calculates the rotational speed of the rear gate 20 in the opening direction from the detection signal of the encoder 43, determines whether or not the rotational speed is within a preset speed range, and determines whether or not the rotational speed is within a predetermined speed range. Rotates the motor 41 in the opening direction at a rotation speed corresponding to the rotation speed, connects the clutch 42, and automatically rotates the rear gate 20 in the opening direction. If it is not within the speed range, the automatic opening operation is not performed.

When the rear gate 20 is manually rotated in the closing direction when the rear gate 20 is fully open,
The CU 60 calculates the rotation speed of the rear gate 20 in the closing direction from the detection signal of the encoder 43, determines whether or not the rotation speed is within a preset speed range. The motor 41 is rotated in the closing direction at a rotational speed corresponding to
Is automatically rotated in the closing direction. If not within the speed range, the automatic closing operation is not performed.

As a result, the rear gate 20 can be opened and closed without using the operation switch 63, so that it is possible to easily carry in / out the luggage to / from the vehicle and to greatly improve the usability.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment,
The failure of the rear gate 20 to be fully opened and fully closed or the opening and closing movement is determined based on the detection signal of the encoder 43, but may be determined by using the current of the motor 41 instead.

That is, a current detection circuit for detecting the current of the motor 41 may be provided to determine whether the rear gate 20 is fully opened and fully closed, or a failure in the opening / closing operation, by increasing or decreasing the motor current according to the motor load.

[0083]

According to the vehicle rear gate automatic opening / closing control device of the present invention described above, the clutch and the actuator are controlled based on the operation of the operating means, and the rear gate is automatically opened / closed. At this time, the opening / closing rotation speed of the rear gate is obtained based on the detection signal of the encoder, and the actuator is feedback-controlled so that the opening / closing rotation speed of the rear gate becomes a preset reference speed.

Therefore, the rotation speed of the rear gate can be controlled to an appropriate value. In particular, the gas spring tends to increase the urging force and increase the opening speed of the rear gate in accordance with an increase in the outside air temperature, but this can always be controlled to be constant.

Further, a clutch is interposed between the actuator and the rear gate, and by closing the clutch, the rear gate can be manually opened / closed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rear portion of a vehicle body for explaining an outline of a vehicle rear gate opening / closing drive device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a main part showing an outline of a mounting state of a drive unit of the opening and closing mechanism.

FIG. 3 is a main part side view showing an outline of a mounting state of a drive unit.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of the drive unit.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line II of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram conceptually showing a control system of the opening / closing drive device.

FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram illustrating control according to the open / close position of a rear gate.

FIG. 10 is a rear side view of a vehicle body showing an outline of a conventional rear gate structure.

FIG. 11 is a rear side view of a vehicle body showing an outline of a conventional rear gate structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Body body 12 Roof 13 Opening 20 Rear gate 22 Shaft 23 Hinge arm 23a Base end 25 Rear gate attaching part 26 Connecting rod connecting part 27 Gas spring connecting part 27 30 Opening / closing drive 31 Drive unit 50 Gas spring device 32 Mounting base 40 Power unit module Reference Signs List 41 motor 42 clutch 43 encoder 44 alarm buzzer (alarm device) 45 slider 46 connecting rod 50 gas spring device 51 gas spring 60 electronic control device 61 latch switch 62 handle switch 63 operation switch 65 auto closure

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Shinji Suzuki 1-7-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. F-term (reference) 2E052 AA09 BA02 CA06 DA01 DA06 DA08 DB01 DB06 DB08 EA01 EB01 EC01 GA08 GA10 GB06 GB12 GB13 GB15 GC02 GC06 GD06 GD09 HA01 KA06 KA13 KA15 KA16 KA27

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An automatic opening / closing of a vehicle rear gate for automatically opening and closing a rear gate for opening and closing an opening formed in a rear portion of the vehicle body by an upper end portion rotatably supported in a vertical direction at a rear portion of a body of the vehicle. In the control device, a gas spring that urges the rear gate in an opening direction, an actuator that opens and closes the rear gate, a clutch that connects or disconnects the actuator and the rear gate, and an opening and closing rotation position of the rear gate And an operating means for operating the opening and closing operation of the rear gate, and control means for controlling the actuator and the clutch based on an operation signal from the operating means to automatically open and close the rear gate, The control means controls the opening / closing rotation speed of the rear gate based on the detection signal of the encoder. Automatic opening and closing control apparatus for a vehicle rear gate, characterized by control. 2. The control means according to claim 1, wherein, in the rotation control of the rear gate in the opening direction, the rear gate is rotated by its own weight in the closing direction by a balance between the weight of the rear gate and the biasing force of the gas spring. In the self-open zone in which the rear gate rotates in the opening direction by the biasing force of the gas spring, the rotation of the rear gate in the opening direction is suppressed in the zone. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an actuator is controlled to rotate the rear gate in an opening direction at a preset speed. 3. The self-opening zone in which the rear gate rotates in the opening direction due to the balance between the weight of the rear gate and the biasing force of the gas spring in the rotation control of the rear gate in the closing direction. The rear gate is rotated in the closing direction against the urging force of the gas spring, and the self-closing zone in which the rear gate is rotated in the closing direction by its own weight suppresses the rotation of the rear gate in the closing direction. 3. The automatic opening / closing control device for a vehicle rear gate according to claim 1, wherein an actuator is controlled to rotate the rear gate in a closing direction at a preset speed. 4. The control means determines a fully closed state or a fully open state of the rear gate based on a detection signal of the encoder or a load of the actuator in the rotation control of the rear gate in an opening direction or a closing direction. The automatic opening / closing control device for a vehicle rear gate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an alarm unit for outputting an alarm in accordance with the opening / closing operation of the rear gate.
An automatic opening / closing control device for a vehicle rear gate according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 6. The control means determines whether or not to perform an opening / closing operation automatically based on the rotation speed of the rear gate at the time of a manual operation in which the rotation operation of the rear gate is manually performed. An automatic opening / closing control device for a rear gate for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein 7. A handle switch for detecting an operation of an outer handle for manually opening and closing the rear gate, wherein the control unit stops an automatic opening / closing operation of the rear gate based on a detection signal of the handle switch. 7. The automatic rear gate opening / closing control device according to claim 1, wherein the clutch is disengaged. 8. A latch switch for detecting a fully closed state of the rear gate, wherein the control means initializes an open / close position of the rear gate by the encoder based on a detection signal of the latch switch. An automatic opening / closing control device for a vehicle rear gate according to any one of claims 1 to 7.