JP7376841B2 - Door lock device and door - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a door lock device that is mounted on an automobile and controls the locking state between a door and a vehicle body.

Conventional automobile doors are provided with an inside handle that releases the locked state between the door and the vehicle body and enables the door to be opened. Furthermore, in order to ensure the safety of occupants, automobile doors are provided with door lock knobs that make it impossible to release the locked state between the door and the body using the inside handle.

In order to improve the design of the inside of the door and to make effective use of the door space inside the car, we have removed the conventional inside handle that was attached to the inside of the door and created a new handle to release the lock between the door and the car body. There is known an automobile door in which a release means is remotely operated by an input means disposed inside the door, which is combined with an interlock mechanism that operates in response to an output from a vehicle condition detection means. (For example, Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 3951884

In the automobile door described in Patent Document 1, since the input means does not display whether or not the interlock mechanism is activated, the occupant knows whether or not the locked state between the door and the body cannot be released. It is not possible. Therefore, there is a risk that the occupant may operate the input means even though the interlock mechanism is activated, or the occupant may mistakenly assume that the interlock mechanism is activated and use the input means when it is not desirable to open the door. There was a risk that the machine could be manipulated.

In view of the above background, the present invention is configured such that a release means for releasing the locked state between a door without an inside handle and the vehicle body is operated by an input means disposed inside the door, and the door is connected to the vehicle body. An object of the present invention is to provide a door lock device that allows an occupant to easily identify that the door lock device is being held in a locked state.

In order to solve the above problems, a door lock device (2) for a vehicle is provided, which is provided on a door (2) of the vehicle and works in cooperation with a striker (10) provided on the body side of the vehicle. a latch mechanism (14) for selectively latching the door in the closed position; a locking mechanism (17) for locking the latch mechanism in a state where the door is held in the closed position; and a lock mechanism (17) provided on the inside of the door. , a display/input device (28) comprising an optical display (34) and a touch sensor (32); a latch actuator (16) for selectively unlatching the latch mechanism; and a vehicle for detecting the state of the vehicle. a state sensor (40, 80, 90), a lock actuator (18) for selectively locking the locking mechanism, and a control unit (42) for controlling the operation of the lock actuator based on the output of the vehicle state sensor. The control unit further includes: when the lock actuator is in a locked state, the optical display section displays a dark display with low discrimination, and ignores input from the touch sensor; When the lock actuator is in an unlocked state, the optical display section displays a highly distinguishable bright display, and the latch mechanism is activated by activating the latch actuator based on the input from the touch sensor. A door lock device is provided that is configured to unlatch.

According to this configuration, when the lock mechanism is locked, the optical display section displays a dark display, and when the lock mechanism is unlocked, the optical display section displays a bright display, so that the occupant can see that the lock mechanism is locked. You can easily identify whether it is locked or not. In addition, the occupant must provide input to the touch sensor in order to unlatch the latch mechanism that latches the door in the closed position. When the door is locked in the closed position by the locking mechanism, for example, when the door is locked by the driver or when the vehicle is moving, the touch sensor input is ignored, so the occupant cannot keep the door in the closed position. The latching mechanism cannot be unlatched. Therefore, the safety of the occupants is ensured. Furthermore, since the touch sensor is difficult to be identified by the occupant because the optical display section performs a dark display with low identifiability, there is less risk that the occupant will try to touch the touch sensor, further increasing the safety of the occupant.

Moreover, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a door lock device (2) for a vehicle is provided, which is provided on a door (4) of the vehicle and cooperates with a striker (10) provided on the body side of the vehicle. , a latch mechanism (14) for selectively latching the door in a closed position; and a display/input device (34) provided on the inside of the door, including an optical display (34) and a touch sensor (32). 28), a latch actuator that selectively unlatches the latch mechanism, a vehicle status sensor (40, 80, 90) that detects the running status of the vehicle, and a latch actuator that selectively unlatches the latch mechanism, a vehicle status sensor (40, 80, 90) that detects the running status of the vehicle, and a latch actuator that is configured to detect the running status of the vehicle based on signals from the touch sensor and the vehicle status sensor. a control unit (42) that controls the latch actuator and the optical display, and the control unit controls the optical display when it is determined that the vehicle is running based on a signal from the vehicle condition sensor. When the optical display section makes a dark display with low identifiability, ignores the input from the touch sensor, and determines that the vehicle is stopped based on the signal from the vehicle state sensor, the optical display section provides a door lock device, characterized in that the door lock device is configured to unlatch the latch mechanism by displaying a highly distinguishable bright display and activating the latch actuator based on input from the touch sensor. be done.

According to this configuration, when the vehicle is moving, input from the touch sensor is ignored, so the occupant cannot unlatch the latch mechanism that latches the door in the closed position, so the door is locked to the vehicle body. is maintained in the same state. At this time, the optical display section displays a dark display with low identifiability, so that the occupant can identify whether or not the locking mechanism is locked. Therefore, the risk that the occupant will try to touch the touch sensor is reduced, and the safety of the occupant is further improved.

Further, in the above configuration, the latch mechanism includes a lock mechanism that locks the door in a state in which the door is held in a closed position, and a lock actuator (18) that selectively locks the lock mechanism, and the control unit Preferably, the lock mechanism is unlocked when it is determined that the vehicle is stopped, and the lock mechanism is locked when it is determined that the vehicle is running.

According to this configuration, when the vehicle is running, the locking mechanism is locked and the optical display section performs a dark display. On the other hand, when the vehicle is stopped, the lock mechanism is unlocked and the optical display section provides a bright display. Therefore, the occupant can easily identify whether the locking mechanism is locked or not. Furthermore, since the door is locked in the closed position when the vehicle is running, safety for the occupants is further enhanced.

In the above configuration, the vehicle state sensor is a sensor that acquires at least one of vehicle speed, gear position of a transmission, and parking brake operating state, and the control device is configured such that at least If the vehicle speed is acquired (40), the vehicle speed is below a predetermined speed, or if the vehicle sensor acquires the gear position (80), the gear position is the parking position. The lock actuator may be unlocked either when the vehicle sensor acquires the operating state of the parking brake (90) or when the parking brake is operating.

When the vehicle speed is below a predetermined speed, the gear position is in the parking position, or the parking brake is in the parking position, the vehicle speed is small or the rotation of the wheels of the vehicle is restricted. According to this configuration, the timing at which the latch mechanism can be unlatched and the door can be opened/closed can be limited to when the vehicle speed is low or when the rotation of the vehicle wheels is restricted, thereby ensuring the safety of the occupants. Sexuality is further enhanced.

Further, in the above configuration, it is preferable that the display/input device is a touch panel.

According to this configuration, the touch sensor and the optical display unit are integrated, and the display/input device becomes compact.

Further, in the above configuration, a grip portion (24, 26) for an occupant to grip is provided on the inner side surface of the door, and the grip portion has an inner surface toward the inside of the vehicle and an outer surface toward the outside of the vehicle. It is preferable that the touch panel is provided on the inner surface of the grip part.

When an occupant pushes the grip to open the door, the occupant's palm often comes into contact with the inner surface of the grip toward the inside of the vehicle. According to this configuration, the occupant can easily touch the touch sensor simultaneously with the action of pushing the door.

Further, in the above configuration, it is preferable that the touch panel exhibits the same appearance in terms of design as the inner surface of the grip portion when performing the dark display.

According to this configuration, the aesthetic appearance of the grip portion is enhanced.

Further, in the above configuration, it is preferable that the grip portion and the touch panel are covered by a common transparent cover member (30).

Further, in the above configuration, the vehicle includes a seat (36) that is displaceable between a predetermined boarding and alighting position and a predetermined driving position different from the boarding and alighting position, and a seat (36) that is displaceable between the boarding and alighting position and the driving position. a seat actuator (38) for displacing the touch sensor; the seat actuator is controlled by the control unit; The seat may be placed in the boarding/exiting position by activating the seat actuator based on the input.

According to this configuration, when the door is opened by the occupant, the seat moves to a position where the occupant can easily get on and off the vehicle, making it easier for the occupant to get on and off the vehicle.

According to the above configuration, the release means for releasing the locked state between the door without the inside handle and the vehicle body is configured to be operated by the input means disposed inside the door, and the door is locked to the vehicle body. It is possible to provide a door lock device that allows an occupant to easily identify that the door lock device is being held in the locked state.

A side view of the inside of the door according to the present invention A schematic diagram of a latch device and a lock device of a door lock device according to the present invention Enlarged views of the assist grip portion when the optical display section of the door lock device according to the first embodiment is (A) displaying a dark display and (B) displaying a bright display. Control block diagram of the door lock device according to the first embodiment Flowchart of the control unit of the door lock device according to the first embodiment Enlarged views of the pull handle portion when the optical display section of the door lock device according to the second embodiment is (A) displaying a dark display and (B) displaying a bright display. Flowchart of door lock device according to third embodiment Modified example of control block diagram of door lock device Modified example of control block diagram of door lock device

Three embodiments of the door lock device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9.

<<First embodiment>>
The door lock device 2 according to the present invention is applied to vehicles such as automobiles. The vehicle is provided with an opening through which a passenger gets in and out of the vehicle, and a door 4 rotatably connected to the vehicle body via a hinge at the opening. As shown in FIG. 1, the door 4 according to the first embodiment includes an outer panel 5 constituting its outer surface, an inner panel 6 arranged on the inner side of the outer panel 5, and an inner panel 6 arranged on the inner side of the inner panel 6, and a door lining 8 constituting the interior side of the vehicle.

A striker 10 is provided at a center pillar (not shown) at an opening in the vehicle body. A latch mechanism 14 having a latch 12 that engages with the striker 10 is provided at the rear end of the door 4 at a position facing the striker 10. The latch 12 is formed to be rotatable relative to the door 4, and the latch 12 is pivoted between the latch position shown in FIG. 2 (solid line in FIG. 2) and the open position shown in FIG. 2 (double-dot chain line in FIG. 2). Displaced by. When the door 4 is in the closed position relative to the vehicle body and the latch 12 is in the latched position, the latch 12 engages the striker 10 and the door 4 is held (latched) in the closed position. When the latch 12 is in the open position, the latch 12 does not engage the striker 10 and the door 4 is not locked to the vehicle body. The latch 12 is biased from the open position toward the latched position by a biasing means 13 (for example, a torsion coil spring).

The door lock device 2 is equipped with a latch actuator 16 that displaces the latch 12. The latch actuator 16 has a tip that comes into contact with one end of the latch 12, and when the tip is pushed out by driving the latch actuator 16, the latch 12 moves from the latched position to the open position. The latch actuator 16 is configured using, for example, a linear motor.

Furthermore, the door lock device 2 is provided with a lock mechanism 17 and a lock actuator 18 that hold the latch 12 in the latched position. The lock mechanism 17 includes a concave portion 17a provided in the latch 12 and a convex portion provided at the tip end of the lock actuator 18 and capable of fitting into the concave portion. Lock actuator 18 is configured to extend. When the lock actuator 18 is driven, the protrusion fits into the recess and the latch 12 is extended to move to the latched position. When the lock actuator 18 is driven, the convex portion is held in a state where the concave portion is fitted, and the latch 12 is held (locked) at the latched position. The lock actuator 18 is configured using a linear motor.

The act of locking a conventional door lock knob corresponds to actuating the lock actuator 18. Opening the conventional inside handle corresponds to actuating the latch actuator 16. When the lock actuator 18 is driven, the latch 12 is locked in the latched position and the engagement between the door 4 and the vehicle body cannot be released, so the lock mechanism 17 functions as a conventional interlock mechanism.

As shown in FIG. 1, on the inside of the door lining 8, there is a door trim 20 equipped with a member that allows the occupant inside the vehicle to operate the door 4 and allows the occupant to spend a comfortable time inside the vehicle. is formed. The door trim 20 is provided with an armrest 22 provided on the side of a seated occupant on which the occupant's arms are placed. The armrest 22 is formed by a surface of the door trim 20 facing toward the inside of the vehicle bulging inward in a stepped manner, and the armrest 22 is provided so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. An elastic material is provided on the outer periphery of the armrest 22 to provide elasticity to the armrest 22. The elastic material has optimal elasticity so that the occupant feels comfortable when resting his or her arm on it.

A pull handle 24 is provided at the front end of the armrest 22, extending from the armrest 22 and having a recessed portion opening upward. The pull handle 24 is made of resin having enough rigidity to open and close the door 4 by gripping the recessed portion, and functions as a gripping portion for the occupant to open and close the door 4 by gripping the recessed portion. Specifically, the door 4 is opened when the occupant grasps the recess and pushes the door 4 toward the outside of the vehicle, and the door 4 is closed when the occupant grasps the recess and pulls toward the inside of the vehicle. Although not shown, an operation panel or the like for operating the power window of the door 4 is provided on the upper surface of the pull handle 24.

An assist grip 26 is provided on the inside of the door lining 8 and extends in an arch shape toward the inside of the car. The assist grip 26 has one end connected to the front side of the armrest 22, the other end connected to the upper end of the base part (inside side surface part of the vehicle) of the door trim 20, and has a thickness that can be grasped by the occupant. It extends in a forward-leaning manner. The assist grip 26 also functions as a gripping portion for the occupant to open and close the door 4 by gripping the recessed portion. The assist grip 26 is made of a relatively hard material (for example, resin, wood, etc.) that can be grasped by an occupant to push and pull the door 4 to the outside of the vehicle.

The assist grip 26 is provided with a touch panel 28 for the occupant to input through actions such as contact. The touch panel 28 is embedded and fixed in the assist grip 26 so that its screen is continuous with the surface of the assist grip 26. The touch panel 28 and the assist grip 26 are covered by a common transparent cover member 30. The screen of the touch panel 28 is provided on the surface of the grip section facing into the vehicle. The touch panel 28 includes a touch sensor 32 that detects an occupant's touch with the screen, and an optical display section 34 having a backlight and a transparent liquid crystal display. The touch panel 28 functions as a display/input device that displays a screen and receives input from the occupant. The optical display section 34 performs bright display with the backlight turned on and dark display with the backlight turned off. As shown in FIG. 3A, when the optical display section 34 is displaying a bright display, the screen of the touch panel 28 is easily recognized by the occupants in the vehicle, and the touch panel 28 is more visible than the surface of the grip section. Being in a state of high identifiability. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3(B), when the optical display section 34 is displaying a dark display, the screen of the touch panel 28 becomes transparent, so that the passenger can see through the grip section. . Therefore, when the optical display section 34 is displaying a dark display, the screen of the touch panel 28 is less visible than when the optical display section 34 is displaying a bright display, and the touch panel 28 is in a state with low identifiability. It is in.

In this embodiment, when the backlight is turned off, the screen of the touch panel 28 becomes transparent, so the designed surface of the assist grip 26 can be seen through. Therefore, even when the backlight is turned off, the appearance of the touch panel 28 and the assist grip 26 around it is continuous, resulting in a good design. In this embodiment, the touch panel 28 is a so-called in-cell TFT liquid crystal display. In the touch panel 28, a part (or all) of a mechanism for detecting contact with the screen using a capacitance method is built into a TFT (thin film transistor) of a liquid crystal display. The touch panel 28 is supplied with power from a battery, a power generator, etc. inside the vehicle.

The interior of the vehicle is equipped with a driver's seat, a passenger seat, and a rear seat for passengers to sit. Each seat 36 is connected to a rail provided on the floor of the vehicle body via a slider, and is movable back and forth and left and right with respect to the floor of the vehicle body. A seat actuator 38 is provided on the rail to displace the seat 3 along the rail. As shown in FIG. 4, the seat actuator 38 acts on the seat 36, and upon receiving a predetermined input signal, moves the corresponding seat 36 to a position where the passenger can easily get on and off (for example, a position where the seat 36 is lowered as much as possible). ), and when a predetermined input signal different from the above-mentioned predetermined input signal is received, the corresponding seat 36 is moved to a driving position where the occupant can feel comfortable in the vehicle (for example, the seat 36 is raised higher than the boarding/exiting position, position (where the patient can comfortably bend his/her knees).

A vehicle speed sensor 40 is provided at the center and lower part of the vehicle body. The vehicle speed sensor 40 functions as a vehicle condition sensor that detects the condition of the vehicle. Vehicle speed sensor 40 detects vehicle speed. However, the vehicle speed described in this specification is the speed of the vehicle, and represents only the absolute value of the vehicle speed.

Furthermore, the door 4 is provided with manual locking means 41. The manual locking means 41 includes a door lock button 41a configured to be movable between a locked position where the door 4 is locked and an unlocked position where the door 4 is unlocked. The manual locking means 41 is configured to transmit a signal according to the position of the door lock button 41a and to displace the door lock button 41a according to the received signal.

As shown in FIG. 1, a control unit 42 is provided at a suitable location between the door lining 8 and the inner panel 6. The control unit 42 is connected so as to be able to receive signals from the vehicle speed sensor 40, the manual locking means 41, and the touch sensor 32 of the touch panel 28, as shown in FIG. Furthermore, the control unit 42 is connected so as to be able to control the latch actuator 16 and the lock actuator 18, the seat actuator 38, and the optical display section (backlight and liquid crystal display) 34 of the touch panel 28. With this configuration, the control unit 42 drives the lock actuator 18 and the latch actuator 16 based on the signals from the touch sensor 32 and the vehicle speed sensor 40 based on a predetermined flow, and displays the display on the optical display section 34. can be controlled. The control unit 42 includes a predetermined memory (not shown) that stores the driving states of the lock actuator 18 and the latch actuator 16.

Next, the processing performed by the control unit 42 will be described with reference to the flow diagram of FIG. When the vehicle is started and the engine is driven, the control unit 42 receives a signal from the vehicle speed sensor 40, calculates the vehicle speed, and determines whether the calculated vehicle speed is below a predetermined critical speed (for example, 10 kilometers per hour). It is determined whether or not (ST1).

If it is determined that the vehicle speed is below the critical speed, the control unit 42 receives a signal from the manual locking means 41 and determines whether the door lock knob of the manual locking means 41 is in the unlocked position ( ST2). When it is determined that the door lock knob of the manual locking means 41 is in the unlocked position, when the lock actuator 18 is stopped, the stopped state is maintained, and when the lock actuator 18 is driven, the control unit 42 stops the lock actuator 18 (ST3). After the process of ST3 is performed, the lock mechanism 17 is in an unlocked state, and the latch 12 is unlocked to the latched position. The control unit 42 writes the driving state of the lock actuator 18 into the memory (ST4).

If it is determined in ST1 that the vehicle speed is higher than the critical speed, or if it is determined in ST2 that the button of the manual locking means 41 is in the locked position, the control unit 42 causes the lock actuator 18 to drive. When the lock actuator 18 is stopped, the driving state is maintained, and when the lock actuator 18 is stopped, it is driven (ST5). After the process of ST5 is performed, the lock mechanism 17 is in a locked state, and the latch 12 is locked in the latched position. The control unit 42 writes the driving state of the lock actuator 18 into the memory (ST6). When the door lock button 41a is in the unlocked position, the control unit 42 moves the door lock button 41a of the manual locking means 41 to the locked position (ST7).

After the processing in ST3 or ST4, the control unit 42 reads from the memory whether the lock actuator 18 is being driven (ST8). When the control unit 42 determines that the lock actuator 18 is being driven, the optical display section 34 is controlled to display a dark display (ST9), and when the seat 36 is not in the driving position, the seat actuator 38 is is driven to move the seat 36 to the driving position (ST10).

On the other hand, when the control unit 42 determines that the lock actuator 18 is not driven, the control unit 42 controls the optical display section 34 to display a bright image (ST11). Furthermore, the control unit 42 detects a signal from the touch sensor 32 and determines whether or not a touch on the touch panel 28 by the occupant is detected (ST12). When a touch on the touch panel 28 is detected, the control unit 42 causes the latch mechanism 14 to operate the latch actuator 14 so that the latch 12 is in an unlatched state in the open position, and when the latch actuator 16 is not driven. 16 is driven (ST13). Further, when the seat 36 is not at the getting-on/off position, the seat actuator 38 is driven to move the seat 36 to the getting-on/off position (ST14).

Next, the operation of the door lock device 2 will be explained. When the vehicle engine starts, power is supplied to the door 4 opening/closing device. The control unit 42 constantly receives signals from the vehicle speed sensor 40 and calculates the vehicle speed.

When the vehicle reaches a speed faster than the critical speed, the backlight of the touch panel 28 is turned off and the screen of the touch panel 28 becomes difficult to be recognized by the occupant. At the same time, the occupant is prohibited from opening and closing the door 4, and the seat 36 is moved to a position where the occupant can comfortably spend time in the vehicle. When the vehicle reaches a speed below the critical speed and stops, the backlight is turned on and the screen on the touch panel 28 is easily identified by the occupant. At the same time, the seat 36 moves to a position where the occupant can easily get on and off the vehicle.

When the vehicle stops and the occupant grasps the assist grip 26 and pushes out the assist grip 26, the occupant contacts the screen of the touch panel 28. When the occupant's contact with the touch panel 28 is detected, the locked state between the door 4 and the vehicle body is released, allowing the occupant to get in and out of the vehicle. When the occupant gets in the vehicle and closes the door 4 by grasping the assist grip 26, the occupant contacts the surface of the assist grip 26 facing outside the vehicle and does not touch the touch panel 28. Therefore, after the latch 12 comes into contact with the striker 10, it is once displaced to the open position, and when the door 4 is completely closed, the latch 12 is displaced to the latch position where it engages with the striker 10 according to the biasing force, and the door 4 is It is fixed to the vehicle body.

Next, the effects of the door lock device 2 will be explained. In the door lock device 2, when the vehicle speed is higher than the critical speed, the touch panel 28 has low discrimination. Since the identifiability of the touch panel 28 is lower when the vehicle is running than when the vehicle is stopped, there is less risk that the occupant will try to unlock the door 4 while the vehicle is running. . Further, since a touch panel 28 for releasing the door 4 from the vehicle body is provided on the assist grip 26, the occupant only has to grasp the assist grip 26 to open and close the door 4. , it becomes easy to release the door 4 from the vehicle body.

Furthermore, since the touch panel 28 is provided on the surface of the assist grip 26 facing toward the inside of the vehicle, the occupant can easily touch the touch panel 28 when opening the door 4, and can easily release the engagement between the door 4 and the vehicle body. can. On the other hand, when the occupant closes the door 4, the latch 12 is not held in the open position because it is difficult for the occupant to come into contact with the surface of the assist grip 26 facing toward the inside of the vehicle, making it easier for the occupant to close the door 4. Become.

When the vehicle is traveling at a speed equal to or higher than the critical speed, the control unit 42 does not perform any processing even if it receives a signal corresponding to a touch from the touch panel 28 . The door 4 is no longer opened or closed when the vehicle is running at a speed higher than the critical speed, increasing the safety of the occupants.

When the door 4 is unlocked, the seat actuator 38 moves the seat 36 to a position where the passenger can easily get on and off the vehicle. This makes it easy for passengers to get on and off the vehicle.

<<Second embodiment>>
The door lock device 2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention differs from the first embodiment only in the installation location of the touch panel 28. In the first embodiment, the touch panel 28 was provided on the assist grip 26, but in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the touch panel 28 is provided on the inner side surface of the pull handle 24.

As shown in FIG. 7(A), when the latch mechanism 14 is unlocked from the state where the door 4 is held in the closed position and the door 4 can be opened/closed by the occupant, the touch panel 28 is activated as in the first embodiment. It lights up, and the touch panel 28 becomes in a state where its discrimination ability is high. On the other hand, when the latch mechanism 14 is locked to hold the door 4 in the closed position (for example, when the vehicle is traveling at a speed faster than a predetermined speed), as shown in FIG. 7(B), Similarly to the first embodiment, the touch panel 28 is turned off and the discrimination ability becomes low. When the touch panel 28 is lit, when an occupant touches the screen of the touch panel 28 while grasping the recess provided in the pull handle 24 and pushing out the door in order to open the door 4, the latch actuator 16 is driven. The latch 12 is in the open position.

Also in the second embodiment, the discrimination ability of the touch panel 28 is lower when the vehicle is running than when the vehicle is stopped, so the occupant may not want to lock the door 4 while the vehicle is running. There is little risk of trying to release it. Further, since the touch panel 28 is provided on the inside surface of the pull handle 24, when the occupant grasps the pull handle 24 and pushes out the door 4, the touch panel 28 is easily touched. Therefore, the operation of releasing the door 4 from the vehicle body and opening the door 4 becomes easy.

<<Third Embodiment>>
The door lock device 2 according to the third embodiment of the present invention differs only in the control flow performed by the control unit 42. Processing performed by the control unit 42 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The control unit 42 always receives signals from the vehicle speed sensor 40 while the vehicle is starting and driving. The control unit 42 calculates the vehicle speed based on the received signal and determines whether the vehicle speed is greater than a critical speed (ST1). If it is determined that the vehicle speed is below the critical speed, it is determined whether the door lock button 41a of the manual locking means 41 is in the unlocked position (ST2). If it is determined in ST1 that the vehicle speed is higher than the critical speed, or if it is determined in ST2 that the door lock button 41a of the manual locking means 41 is in the locked position, the control unit 42 causes the lock actuator 18 to If the lock actuator 18 is stopped, the lock actuator 18 is driven, and if the lock actuator 18 is driven, the drive is maintained (ST5). Actuation of lock actuator 18 locks the lock mechanism and locks latch 12 in the latched position. At the same time, the optical display unit 34 is controlled to display a dark display (ST9), and when the seat 36 is not in the operating position, the seat actuator 38 is driven to place the seat 36 in the operating position (ST10), and the door lock button 41a is activated. When the door lock button 41a is in the unlocked position, the door lock button 41a is moved to the locked position (ST7). On the other hand, if it is determined in ST1 that the vehicle speed is below the critical speed, and if it is determined in ST2 that the door lock button 41a is in the unlocked position, the control unit 42 controls whether the lock actuator 18 is being driven or not. When the lock actuator 18 is stopped, the stopped state is maintained (ST3), and the optical display section 34 is controlled to display a bright display (ST6). Furthermore, when the vehicle speed is below the critical speed and the touch panel 28 detects the occupant's contact (ST12), the latch actuator 16 is driven when the latch actuator 16 is stopped; When not, the driven state is maintained (ST13). Therefore, after the process of ST10, the latch 12 is in the open position. At the same time, when the seat 36 is not at the getting-on/off position, the seat actuator 38 is driven to move the seat 36 to the getting-on/off position (ST14).

This concludes the description of the specific embodiment. In the present invention, the input means is configured using the touch panel 28, but it is not limited to the touch panel 28. For example, a button may be used as the touch sensor 32, and an optical display unit may be used. As the light emitting diode 34, a light emitting diode may be used to turn the button on and off.

Further, even when the touch panel 28 is used, it is not limited to one using an in-cell TFT liquid crystal display, and any type of touch panel 28 may be used. For example, the touch panel 28 may use organic electroluminescence. Furthermore, the touch sensor 32 is not limited to a capacitive type. For example, a resistive film method or a surface acoustic wave method may be used. Furthermore, the touch panel 28 does not necessarily have to be transparent, and if the screen display of the touch panel 28 is black when the light is turned off, the appearance of the liquid crystal touch panel 28 and the surrounding assist grip 26 can be changed by making the assist grip 26 black. The structure has a continuous form and has a good design.

The installation location of the control unit 42 is not limited, and it may be installed in the vehicle body, for example, in the lower part of the vehicle body. The connection between the control unit 42 and the vehicle speed sensor 40, the connection between the control unit 42 and the vehicle speed sensor 40, and the connection between the touch panel 28 and the vehicle speed sensor 40 are not limited to wired electrical wiring. These connections may be in any form that allows signal exchange, and may be, for example, wireless connections, connections using optical fibers, or the like.

Although the vehicle state sensor in the first embodiment and the second embodiment is the vehicle speed sensor 40, the vehicle state sensor is not limited to the vehicle speed sensor 40. As shown in FIG. 8, the vehicle condition sensor includes a range sensor 80 that detects the range of the shift lever indicating the condition of the transmission, and based on the signal from the range sensor 80, the control unit 42 determines whether the shift lever is in the parking It may be configured to determine whether or not it is in the position. At that time, if it is determined that the shift lever is in the parking position, the drive of the lock actuator 18 is stopped, and the range sensor 80 detects that the shift lever is in a position other than the parking position (for example, reverse position, neutral position, drive position). position, etc.), the control unit 42 drives the lock actuator 18.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the vehicle condition sensor includes a parking brake sensor 90 that detects the condition of the parking brake, and the control unit 42 operates based on a signal related to the condition of the parking brake transmitted from the parking brake sensor 90. It may be configured to determine whether the parking brake is in the parking position. At that time, if it is determined that the parking brake is in the parking position, driving of the lock actuator 18 is stopped, and if it is determined that the parking brake is not in the parking position, the lock actuator 18 is driven. Further, the vehicle condition sensor may include a plurality of the vehicle speed sensor 40, the range sensor 80, and the parking brake sensor 90. Further, the vehicle condition sensor may include a sensor that detects the traffic of vehicles and people outside the door 4. By including the above-mentioned sensor, safety when the occupant opens the door 4 is further improved.

Further, in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the control unit 42 drives the seat actuator 38 to move the seat 36 to the driving position when the vehicle speed becomes higher than the critical speed. The timing at which the unit 42 moves the seat 36 to the driving position is not limited thereto. For example, the processing of the control unit 42 may be configured such that when the vehicle speed becomes greater than zero, the control unit 42 drives the seat actuator 38 and moves the seat 36 to the operating position.

Further, although the touch sensor 32 is configured to detect a contact by an occupant, it may be configured to detect a pressing force and to unlatch the latch mechanism 14 when the pressing force is equal to or greater than a predetermined pressing force. By detecting the pressing force, unlatching due to unintentional contact by the occupant or unlatching due to the touch of a child's hand can be avoided, further increasing the safety of the occupant.

2: Door lock device 4: Door 10: Striker 14: Latch mechanism 16: Latch actuator 17: Lock mechanism 18: Lock actuator 24: Pull handle 26: Assist grip 28: Touch panel (display/input device)
30: Cover member 32: Touch sensor 34: Optical display section 36: Seat 38: Seat actuator 40: Vehicle speed sensor (vehicle condition sensor)
42: Control unit 80: Range sensor (vehicle condition sensor)
90: Parking brake sensor (vehicle condition sensor)

Claims (11)

A door lock device,
A touch panel provided on the inside of a vehicle door and capable of switching between a dark display with low identifiability and a bright display with high identifiability;
a control unit that causes the door to transition between a locked state where it cannot be opened and closed and an unlocked state where it can be opened and closed based on input obtained by the touch panel;
The control unit causes the touch panel to display the dark display when the door is in the locked state , and causes the touch panel to display the bright display when the door is in the unlocked state ,
A grip portion for an occupant to grip is provided on a side surface of the door on the inside of the vehicle;
The touch panel is provided on an inner side of the grip portion facing toward the inside of the vehicle ,
In the door lock device, the touch panel exhibits an appearance identical in design to the inner surface of the grip portion when performing the dark display. The inner surface extends toward the front or upper front of the vehicle,
The door lock device according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel extends along the direction in which the inner surface extends. The grip part is configured by a pull handle extending from the armrest and having a recessed part opening upward,
3. The door lock device according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel overlaps the recess in the vehicle width direction. The grip portion is configured by an assist grip connected to the inside of the vehicle at both ends of the door trim and protruding toward the inside of the vehicle in an arch shape,
The vehicle-inward side surface of the door trim and the center portion of the assist grip are spaced apart in the vehicle width direction,
The door lock device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the touch panel is arranged so as to overlap the central portion. Further comprising a vehicle condition sensor that acquires at least one of the vehicle speed, the gear position of the transmission, and the operating state of the parking brake,
The control unit determines whether the vehicle speed is a predetermined speed or less when the vehicle state sensor has acquired the vehicle speed, or whether the vehicle speed is below a predetermined speed when the vehicle state sensor has acquired the gear position. When either the gear position is in the parking position or, if the vehicle condition sensor has acquired the operational state of the parking brake, the parking brake is activated, The door lock device according to claim 1, which permits transition of the door to the unlocked state based on the input acquired by the touch panel. The door lock device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit sets the door to the locked state when determining that the vehicle speed is higher than a predetermined threshold value. The touch panel is configured to be able to detect pressing force,
The control unit determines that the input has been made to the touch panel when the pressing force detected by the touch panel is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold, and based on the presence or absence of the input detected by the touch panel, The door lock device according to claim 1, wherein the door lock device is configured to transition between the locked state and the unlocked state. The vehicle includes a seat that is displaceable between a predetermined boarding and alighting position and a predetermined driving position different from the boarding and alighting position, and a seat actuator that displaces the seat between the boarding and alighting position and the driving position,
the seat actuator is controlled by the control unit,
The control unit operates the seat actuator based on the input acquired by the touch panel when the touch panel is displaying the highly distinguishable bright display, thereby moving the seat to the getting-on/off position. The door lock device according to claim 5. The door lock device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the grip portion and the touch panel are covered by a common transparent cover member. A door provided with the door lock device according to claim 1 or claim 2,
An outer panel forming an outer surface, an inner panel disposed on the inside of the vehicle of the outer panel, and a door trim disposed on the inside of the vehicle of the inner panel,
The door trim is provided with an armrest and an assist grip that is connected to the front side of the armrest at one end side and projects in an arch shape toward the inside of the vehicle,
The assist grip constitutes the gripping part,
The door, wherein the touch panel is provided on the assist grip. A door provided with the door lock device according to claim 1 or claim 2,
An outer panel forming an outer surface, an inner panel disposed on the inside of the vehicle of the outer panel, and a door trim disposed on the inside of the vehicle of the inner panel,
The door trim is provided with an armrest and a pull handle that extends from the armrest and has a recess that opens upward,
the pull handle constitutes the gripping portion;
The door, wherein the touch panel is provided on the pull handle.

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