MXPA00001173A - Power sliding mini-van door - Google Patents

Abstract

A power sliding door (10) for a motor vehicle comprises a door structure, a power drive assembly, a latch assembly (22), and a single motor (108) for operating both the latch assembly (22) and the power drive assembly (14). The door structure is mounted on a track (204) associated with the motor vehicle, the door structure being movable along the track (204) between opened and closed positions. The power drive assembly (14) is connected with the door (10) and capable of being driven to move the door (10) along the track (204) between the opened and closed positions. The latch assembly (22) is mounted on the door (10) and movable between latched and unlatched positions. The single motor (108) is mounted on the door structure operatively connected with both the power drive assembly (14) and the latch assembly (22). The motor (108) drives the power drive assembly (14) and thus enables the power drive assembly (14) to move the door along the track between the opened and closed positions. The motor (108) assists movement of the latch assembly (22) to the latched position after the power drive assembly (14) moves the door (10) to the closed position.

Description

SLIDING DOOR, MOTORIZED MINI-TRUCK Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a mini-van motorized sliding door, and in particular, to a motor which can be used to drive both a motorized assembly and a door lock securing assembly.

BACKGROUND OF RELATED ART Conventional systems for automatically opening and closing a sliding door in a vehicle include a motorized mounting for moving the door and an engaging assembly for securing the door so that the door can be moved in a fully closed position. A first motor drives the motorized assembly and a second motor drives the hooking assembly. The use of these multiple engines leads to a number of difficulties. For example, the use of multiple motors increases the cost of the system and also requires the addition of corresponding circuitry, additional to the system, with which additional costs are added. In addition, the increase in the components as a result of the use of REF: 32575 multiple motors results in an undesirable increase in the weight of the door. When the vehicle door is being opened or closed, an obstacle will often be encountered which will withstand or hinder the movement of the door. This obstacle can be, for example, a user of the vehicle. In this way, it is desirable for a system, which automatically opens or closes the door, that is capable of reversing the direction with obstacle detection. Unfortunately, these detection systems may fail, sometimes without providing prior notification of their defective status to vehicle users. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have at least two systems for detecting obstacles to door movement in the event that one of the systems fails. In conventional systems, changes in motor speed are a direct function of the effective voltage of an input signal. When the opening or closing of the door is initiated, the rapid change of the input signal causes an inrush current. This inrush current is known to demagnetize the motor magnetos, which reduces the power and is detrimental to the life of any motor. In this way, it would be desirable to reduce or eliminate the inrush current.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to use an individual motor to drive both the motorized assembly and an attaching assembly of a vehicle door. This will decrease the number of parts required and therefore, will simplify and decrease the manufacturing cost, while reducing the weight of the door. This objective is achieved by providing a motorized sliding door for a motor vehicle comprising a door structure, a motorized assembly, a hitch assembly, and an individual motor for operating both the hitch assembly and the motorized assembly. The structure of the door is mounted on a guide associated with the motor vehicle, the structure of the door which is movable along the guide between the open and closed positions. The motorized assembly is connected to the door and is capable of being operated to move the door along the guide between the open and closed positions. The hitch assembly is mounted on the door and is movable between the engaged and disengaged positions. The individual motor is mounted on the door structure operatively and selectively connects with both the motorized assembly and the hitch assembly. The motor drives the motorized assembly and in this way makes it possible for the motorized assembly to move the door along the guide between the open and closed portions. The motor helps the movement of the engaging mount to the engaged position after the motorized assembly moves the door to position. It is another object of the present invention to provide two systems for detecting an obstacle for the movement of the door. One of the two systems includes at least one Hall effect sensor to measure the engine speed. If the detected speed is less than a predetermined threshold, then it is assumed that an obstacle is in the way of the door and therefore, the direction of the motor is reversed. The second system of the present invention includes a tape switch mounted on the edge of the door. The tape switch has two electrical strips which will come into contact if the tape switch contacts an obstacle and will provide a signal to reverse the motor direction. These two systems operate independently of each other. Therefore, if one of the systems fails, the other will still make it possible for the engine to reverse the direction in the detection of an obstacle. In this way, the safety of all vehicle users is maintained. It is another object of the invention to include a controller for providing a signal to the motor, which slowly increases the effective voltage, and therefore, the motor speed, when opening or closing the door is initiated. This will reduce or eliminate the inrush current caused by a fast start sequence. In this way, the life and performance of the engine is increased. These and other objects, qualities and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon consideration of the detailed description and appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is an elevation, exterior, partial view of a mini-truck incorporating the motorized sliding door of the present invention; FIGURE 2 is an elevational, inward, partial view of a sliding, motorized mini-van door on the passenger side, with the panel removed, and in accordance with the principles of the present invention; FIGURE 3 is a plan view, inwards of a drive control plate incorporated in the motorized sliding door of the present invention, with the actuator in a neutral position; FIGURE 4 is a plan view, inward of the drive control plate shown in FIGURE 3, with the actuator retracted and a decoupling wire of the lower assembly with tension; FIGURE 5 is a plan view, inward of the drive control plate shown in FIGURE 3, with the actuator extended, and a coupling cable of the lower mount with tension; FIGURE 6 is a perspective, inward view of a control assembly of the motor drive incorporated in the motorized sliding door of the present invention; FIGURE 7 is a front view of the control assembly of the motor drive shown in FIGURE 6; FIGURE 8 is a side view of the control assembly of the motor drive shown in FIGURE 6; FIGS. 9-13 are graphical representations of the voltage waveforms of the control assembly of the motor drive, for determining the speed of the motor drive and for detecting the presence of an obstacle in the travel path of the gate; FIGURE 14 is a schematic representation of the motor and Hall effect sensors used in the motorized sliding door obstacle detection arrangement of the present invention; FIGURE 15 is a sectional view taken through line 15-15 in FIGURE 2 of a tape sensor used to detect obstacles in the motorized sliding door of the present invention; FIGURE 16 is a sectional view of the belt sensor of FIGURE 15 and illustrating two points of constriction for obstacle detection; FIGURE 17 is a perspective view of the lower drive assembly of the motorized sliding door of the present invention; FIGURE 18 is a partial plan view of the lower drive assembly of FIGURE 17 and positioned at the rear end of the guide rail; FIGURE 19 is a sectional view of the vehicle guide assembly to which the door of the present invention is mounted; FIGURE 20 is a partial plan view of the lower drive assembly with the clutch assembly engaged; FIGURE 21 is a top plan view similar to that in FIGURE 20, but with the clutch assembly disengaged; FIGURE 22 is a plan view of the door guide rail system in a mounted relation with a floor of a conventional mini-truck and a door threshold, and the lower drive assembly at the forward end of the door rail; guide; FIGURE 23 is a perspective, rear, side, inward view of the door engager assembly with portions of the door cut away for clarity of the illustration; FIGURE 24 is a perspective, front view of the engaging assembly with the cover plate omitted for clarity of illustration; * FIGURE 25 is a plan view of the engaging assembly, with the cover plate omitted, and in the fully open position; FIGURE 26 is a plan view of the engaging assembly similar to FIGURE 25, but shown in the secondary engagement position; FIGURE 27 is a plan view of the engaging assembly similar to FIGURE 25, but showing the transmission securing cable in an assurance mode; FIGURE 28 is a plan view of the engaging assembly similar to FIGURE 25, but shown in the primary latching position; FIGURE 29 is a perspective view of a coupler for coupling the ratchet wheel and the securing arm of the engaging assembly.

Detailed Description of the Drawings With reference now more particularly to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows an elevation, exterior, partial view of a mini-van which incorporates a motorized sliding door, generally indicated in 10, according to with the present invention. The door 10 is shown mounted on the vehicle guide 204. FIGURE 2 is an elevational, inward, partial view of the motorized sliding door of the mini-van, passenger side 10, which includes the principles of the present invention. The door of the mini-truck 10 comprises in general a lower drive assembly 14 operable with a guide assembly for the movement of the door between the open and closed positions, a drive assembly for the control board 16 for driving the the door, a motor and gear assembly 18 for automated opening and closing of the door, a microprocessor 20 for system logic and drive control, and an engaging assembly controlled by an electromechanically driven cable, generally indicated in FIG. The drive assembly of the control board 16 is mounted below the advantage of the door 23 in a hollow section of the structure of the door 24. The microprocessor 20 is an integrated circuit or computer chip programmed to control the logic and the sequence of operation. The microprocessor 20 receives feedback information from various electrical components and processes the information through its logic equipment (software) that provides the output signals that operate the system. As shown in FIGURE 2, the drive assembly of the control board 16 includes an electrically operated linear actuator 36, rigidly mounted to the structure of the door 24, forwardly of a mounting plate 30 (relative to the longitudinal direction vehicle) . The linear actuator 36 has an electrically driven motor 35 which is electrically connected, as in 37, to receive the output signal of the microprocessor 20 which is mounted within a motor mounting housing 107 (see FIGURE 5). In FIGURE 3, the linear actuator 36 is shown in a neutral or central position, as will be described in greater detail below. A cylindrical, movable extension bar 52 connects to and is driven for movement by the electric motor 35. The extension bar 52 is movable along its longitudinal axis between the extended and retracted positions. The extension bar 52 is protected by a flexible, accordion-shaped liner 55 which covers the interconnection area between the electric motor 35 and the extension bar 52, thereby protecting the linear actuator 36 from dirt and debris. The distal end of the extension bar 52 has an opening located in the center 56 that extends vertically therethrough. The drive assembly of the control board 16 also comprises an articulated connection assembly, shown at 50, for operatively connecting the actuator 36 with the lower drive assembly 14 and the engaging assembly 22. The articulated connection assembly 50 includes a plate actuating in the form of the generally flat triangular sector 32, which is pivotally joined by a pivot pin 58 to the mounting plate 30. An arcuate outer edge 61 defines the size and general shape of the drive plate 32 In the pivotal corner, upper is a longitudinal protrusion 60 that extends upwards. An oval, small shock absorber 62 is attached to the outer end of the longitudinal protrusion 60 and extends laterally outwardly thereof. A projection 64 extends downwardly from the lower corner of the drive plate 32. The projection 64 extends through the aforementioned opening 56 in the bar 52 of the linear actuator 36. The projection 64 coactuates with the linear actuator 36 for pivoting the drive plate 32 in the desired direction. In the upper, opposite corner of the drive plate 32 is a mating end bracket of the cable 66. A mating cable of the lower mount 48 has a ball end 49 constructed and ordered to engage the support 66.

The mounting of the control plate 16 is also mounted on one end of an assembly of the door release bar 40. More particularly, the assembly of the bar 40 comprises a bar member 190 and a rod holder 42 which It also works as a lever for the bar. More particularly, the rod holder 42 is fixed to the rod member 190, and has a bolt 43 which is received in a slot 45 in the mounting plate 30. When the rod holder 42 moves to the left in the figures, the end of the hook bar 190 is carried with it, when the pin 43 is directed into the slot 45. The opposite end of the hook bar 190 extends to the hook assembly 22, as will be described in greater detail below . A spring of the bar 38 is connected between the mounting plate 30 and the rod holder 42, biasing the rod holder 42 and the hook bar 190 to the right or a standby position in FIGURES 3-5. Attached to the drive plate 32, directly on the projection 64, is a cylindrical guide pin 74 which extends inward towards the structure of the door 24. The guide pin 74 passes through a longitudinal slot 76, in the front end of an elongated communicating connection 26. The opposite and rear end of the communicating connection 26 is pivotally connected to an L-shaped pivot connection 28 by a connecting bolt 84. A connecting spring 34 is attached between the mounting plate 30 in an opening 78 and the underside of the communicating connection 26 in an opening 80 in a central portion thereof. Tension is applied lightly to the spring 34, whereby the communicating connection 26 is biased downward in a standby condition. The L-shaped pivot connection 28 is pivotally mounted in a corner between a short leg portion 82 and a pin 92 thereof to the mounting plate 30 by a pivot pin 86. The ball end 87 of a cable The decoupling member 88 is received and held in place by a support 90, which extends laterally from the upper edge of the pin 92 of the L-shaped pivot connection 28. With the pin 92 of the pivot connection 28 which maintaining the standby condition in FIGURE 3, a slight amount of clearance is provided for the decoupling wire 88. The distal end of the spigot 92 of the pivot connection 28 is pivotally attached to a lost motion, slotted connection member 29 by an articulating bolt 94.

The lost motion connection member 29 joins the L-shaped connection 28 with a second articulated connecting arm 95 placed in a parallel and adjacent relationship with the driving plate 32 (ie, behind the plate 32 in FIGURES 3). -5), and is mounted for pivotal movement, common around the pivot pin 58. The articulated connecting arm 95 is operably connected to the manual door handles both inside and outside (not shown) and has a pin laterally extending 96 received within a longitudinal slot 98 in the connecting member 29. The articulated arm 95 further includes an elongated extension 99 similar to the extension 60 of the first drive plate 32 and similarly has a shock absorber (not shown) which is adapted to couple the bar / fastener 42 of the bar assembly 40. The cable sheaths 100 and 102 are fixedly attached to the support 104, which is fixed to the mounting plate 30. The coupling wire 48 passes through an opening 101 in the holder 104 and the decoupling wire 88 that passes through the opening 108 in the holder. When the inner or outer handle is manually moved to disengage the door, the articulated connecting arm 95 is rotated on an axis in a direction of disengagement (in the counterclockwise direction in the figures) so that the extension 99 moves. the rod holder 42 to the left against the spring bias 38. As a result, the hook bar 190 moves to the left to disengage a door engager assembly 22. Moreover, such pivotal movement of the articulated arm 95 causes the bolt 96 to be directed upwardly into the slot 98 until the connecting member 29 it moves upwards to cause the L-shaped connection 28 to be rotated about an axis in a decoupling direction (clockwise in the figures) around the pivot pin 86. In this way, the support 90 is raised to the tension decoupling cable 88, which in turn uncouples the clutch assembly 184 of the lower assembly 14, as will be described in connection with FIGURE 21. In this way, the door 10 can be opened manually without resistance of the engine 108, as will also be described. During this manual mode of operation, the aforesaid pivotal movement of the L-shaped connection 28 has no effect on the drive plate 32 or the actuator 36, when the connection 26 simply slides relative to them (e.g. in FIGURE 3), with the actuator and the drive plate 32 remaining in the neutral position, to automatically uncouple the clutch 184 of the lower mount 14 without disengaging the engaging assembly 22 (for example during the securing mode for the engaging assembly 22, as will be described), the microprocessor 20 sends an electrical signal to the linear actuator 36 for refolding, as shown in FIGURE 4. The drive plate 32 is rotated on an axis from the neutral position clockwise or in a direction of decoupling and relieves any tension of the coupling cable 48. The guide pin 74 of the drive plate 32 pulls the communicating connection 26, which in turn pulls the short leg 82 of the L-shaped pivot connection 28 and swivels the L-shaped pivot connection 28 clockwise around the pivot pin 86. The pin 92 of the pivot connection 28 is turned on an upward axis so that the support 90 applies tension to the decoupling wire 88. In this operating mode, the bar Hitch 190 is not activated. In addition, communication of lost motion between the connection 29 and the drive plate 32 by means of the pin 96 and the slot 98 prevents the inner or outer handles of the door (which are functionally connected by means of pin 96) from being moved. in the direction of opening the door. To effect the automatic opening of the door 10, the microprocessor 20 sends an electrical signal to the linear actuator 36 to extend the bar 52, as shown in FIGURE 5. The movement of the projection 64 to the right causes the drive plate 32 turn on an axis counterclockwise in a direction of coupling. The connecting spring 34 prevents a significant amount of pivotal movement of the L-shaped pivot connection 28 to prevent tensioning of the decoupling cable 88. By extending the bar 52, the actuator 36 rotates the drive plate on an axis. 32 whereby the cable support 66 is moved upwards, applying tension to the coupling cable 48. The elongated portion 60 rotates on an axis with the driving plate 32 and moves the shock absorber 62 in engagement with the fastener of the bar 42. This pulls the hook bar 190, thereby disengaging the hook assembly 22.

The motor and gear assembly 18 comprises an electric motor 108 of normal configuration, a gear train 110 mounted within a housing 107 fixed to the structure of the door 24, a rope pulley 114, a motor shaft, flexible 116 that extends from a distal end of a rigid motor shaft 118, and an electromechanical clutch 112 for coupling the rope pulley 114 with the gear train 110. The rope pulley 114 controls a rope 154 to secure the engaging assembly 22, and the motor, flexible shaft 116 is used to drive the motorized assembly 14. The electric motor 108, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, is mounted on the upper part of the housing 107. A motor shaft 118 extends from the motor 108 and it has helicoidal cords similar to a screw 122 on the surface thereof which form a structure of the worm gear type meshing with the teeth 124 of a first gear 126 of the gear train 110. The first gear Aje 126 is axially coextensive with and connects for rotation with the second gear 138 by any conventional means. The second gear 138 is a solid structure similar to a disk, smaller in diameter than the first gear 128, and also has teeth 140 extending circumferentially along its outer edge. A mounting shaft 142 passes axially through the first gear 126 and the second gear 138 and connects them for rotation with others. The mounting shaft 142 is rotatably mounted to the gear housing 107. The third gear 144 is preferably a solid disk having a larger diameter than both the first gear 126 and the second gear 138., and has teeth 146 extending circumferentially along its outer edge. The teeth 146 of the gear 144 mesh with the teeth 140 of the second gear 138. The third gear 144 is mounted axially for rotation on a shaft 148, which in turn is mounted at a first end to the housing of the gear 107. A portion intermediate of the shaft 148 is fixed to the gear 144 so that it rotates therewith. The second end of the shaft 148 is received within the input end of the electromagnetic clutch 112. The output end of the electromagnetic clutch 112 is connected to the shaft 149 of a cable pulley 114. During the securing operation for the engager 22, the microprocessor 20 sends a signal for coupling electromechanical clutch 112, so that gear 144 becomes rotatably coupled to cable pulley 114 to drive cable pulley 114 clockwise or one way hooking. The type of electromechanical clutch 112, contemplated herein, is manufactured by Reel Precision Mfg. from Saint Paul, MN, part # ED30CCW8MM-12, and is described in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,263,995 and 5,183,437, whereupon it is incorporated by reference. The distal end 128 of the motor shaft 118 has an axial opening having a square cross section adapted to receive one end of the flexible drive shaft 116, which also has a square cross section. The motor shaft 118 is connected to the flexible motor shaft 116 so that the motor shaft 118 operably rotates the flexible motor shaft 116. The flexible motor shaft 116 extends down through an opening 130 in the bottom of the gear housing 107 and continues down to the lower drive assembly 14. This arrangement according to the present invention allows the same motor 108 to be used for multiple tasks. More specifically, the motor 108 is used to both drive the lock locking pulley 114 by means of the guide train 110 and also to drive the lower drive assembly 14 by means of the flexible drive shaft 116. Both the gear train 110 and the flexible drive shaft 116 operate when the motor 108 is rotating, either in the forward direction or the reverse direction. A clutch 184 in the lower drive assembly 14 (described later in greater detail) can be decoupled to decouple the operative connection between the drive shaft 116 and the gears in the lower drive assembly 14 which moves the door 10 along the the guide 204. This is done, for example, when the motor 108 is being used to secure the hook 22 by means of a rope pulley 114 in the primary latching or fully closed position. On the other hand, the gear train 110 can be uncoupled from the rope pulley 114 by the decoupling of the electromechanical clutch 112 when the motor 108 is operating to drive the lower mount 14. As shown in FIGURE 6, the securing cable 154 has a ball end 152 thereof positioned within a slot 156 in the cable pulley 114 and leads out of the housing 107 through the slot 160. After the electromechanical clutch 112 is magnetically coupled, the motor 108 drives the gear train 110 so that the rope pulley 114 rotates clockwise in a latching direction, and the securing rope 154 is pulled to secure the engaging assembly 22 in the primary latching position. Mounted within the engine 108 are two Hall effect sensors 162, shown schematically in FIGURE 14. The Hall effect sensors 162 monitor the rpm of the engine 108 and are positioned to provide a quadrature displacement to measure the engine speed and direction 108. when the lower mount is operated 14. The two Hall effect sensors 162 provide on / off voltage output signals (high / low) in response to motor displacement, which are then evaluated and processed by the microprocessor 20. When using a 1/4 offset (90 ° offset) between the two Hall effect sensors 162, two output signals (one from each sensor) make it possible for the motor speed to be monitored with twice the resolution compared to an individual sensor. With reference to FIGS. 9-13, the frequency of the on / off signals of the sensors 162 establishes a reference time used to determine the motor speed. If only one sensor was used, it would be necessary for 1/2 t to elapse to determine whether the high or low signal remained high or low for a period of time greater than the reference period of 1/2 t. Because a quadrature system according to the invention is used, it is only necessary to wait 1/4 t (for example, between two high signals from the two sensors) to determine if the motor moves more slowly than the threshold speed . When it is detected that the motor 108 moves more slowly than the threshold speed during closing of the door (i.e. while the motor 108 effects the driving movement of the lower mount 14 by means of a flexible drive cable 116), it is assumed by the microprocessor 20 that an obstruction is in the path of the door and thus reverses the direction of the motor 108 to reverse the direction of movement of the door. This is the primary mode for obstacle detection. As can be appreciated by those skilled in the art, changes in the motor speed are a direct function of the effective voltage (Ve__). As can be seen from FIGURE 11, where the effective V is 1 / 2V, the voltage signal is high for 50% of the time, and decreases for 50% of the time. When the time increases for the high signal portion of the cycle, the effective voltage increases. According to the present invention, when initiating the opening or closing of the door 10, it is preferable to make the microprocessor 20 slowly increase the effective voltage, and therefore the speed of the motor 108 (for example, a Vefectivo = 3 / 4V as shown in FIGURE 12 and then to Vefective = 7 / 8V as shown in FIGURE 13) in order to reduce or eliminate the inrush current caused by a fast start sequence. The inrush current is known to demagnetize the motor magnets, which reduces the power and is detrimental to the life of any motor. FIGURE 15 and 16 is a cross section taken through line 15-15 in FIGURE 2 of an enlarged tape switch 164 positioned along the leading edge 166 of the door 10. The tape switch 164 operates as a secondary and backup mode of obstacle detection in case of failure of the first detection mode. The tape switch 164 is preferably of a conventional type, which consists of two strips of metal tape 168 which are mounted in a spaced apart relationship within a resilient, tubular rubber housing 170. The strips 168 of the tape switch 164 are electrically connected to the microprocessor 20. If the two strips of tapes 168 come into contact with each other during the movement of the door towards the closed position within the structure of the vehicle, such as when an obstacle is encountered, the microprocessor 20 detects that a The object is interfering with the travel of the door and sends a signal to the motor 108 to stop the door 10 from further movement in the forward direction and causes the motor 108 to reverse the direction and move the door back to the open position. It can be seen from FIGURE 16 that with the tape switch 164 attached to the leading edge of the door 166, two spaced narrowing points 172 and 174. can be easily detected. More specifically, as the door 10 approaches the position closed, any obstacle located at two separate narrowing points can be detected, including a first narrowing point between the leading edge 166 of the door 10 and a rear edge or corner 172 of the column B-shaped of the vehicle 180 and a second narrowing point between the leading edge 166 of the door 10 and a trailing edge 178 of a passenger's front door 176. The ability to detect an obstacle at two separate narrowing points or at any Position during movement of the door to its closed position is made possible by the fact that the tape switch is mounted on the leading edge of the door 10 preferably on one of the stationary edges 172 and 178. The ability to mount the switch of tapes on the door 10 is made possible by the fact that the door 10 itself is electrified. further, because the tape switch is mounted on the door itself, preferably that one or more of the opposite edges 172 or 178 forming the nip points, the tape switch is not limited to the detection of obstacles at such points of travel. narrowing. Preferably, the tape switch will detect any obstacle encountered at any point in the path of the movement door to its closed position. Shown in FIGURE 17, is the lower drive assembly 14 which mounts the door 10 on a guide rail 204 (see FIGURE 18) attached to the vehicle body. The drive assembly 14 comprises a mounting structure 182, a clutch assembly 184, a gear drive assembly 186, and a slide assembly of the guide rail 188. The mounting structure 182 has a mounting bracket in the form of L 192 mounted on the structure of the door 24 with any physical joining component, conventional. The support 192 has a bottom leg 194 that extends outward perpendicularly from the structure of the door 24. The mounting structure 182 further includes an arm portion 198 connected to the support 192. The arm portion 198 supports the clutch assembly 184, the gear drive assembly 186 and the slide assembly of the guide rail 188. As illustrated in FIGS. 18, 19 and 20, the slide assembly of the guide rail 188 is pivotally attached to the end of the structure of the arm 198 by a pivot pin 200 and has a generally flat U-shaped support 202 of the guide assembly 188 that extends below the guide 204. The rolls 206 are joined by the vertical bolts 208 in the ends of the legs of the support 202. Between the legs of the support 202 is a generally rectangular-shaped extension 210 which allows a large roller 212 to be joined by a horizontally extending pin 214. The large roller 212 is axially extends from bolt 214 and rotates orthogonally to rollers 206. Slide assembly of guide rail 188 provides a means that flexibly but securely holds lower drive assembly 14 to guide 204 during operation. The rollers 206 are directed along the interior surface 218 of a vertically extending wall 216 of the guide rail 204, while the large roller 212 runs along a surface 205 of the vehicle body immediately below the guide 204. Since the guide assembly 188 is pivotally attached to the structure of the arm 198, the rollers 206 and 212 are able to follow a curvature of the guide 204 whereby a constant engagement with the surface 216 of the guide 204 is maintained. and the surface 205 of the vehicle body. In this way, the guide 204 can be contoured to any desired shape while the differential pinion 220 is held in a meshed engagement with the teeth 248. The gear drive assembly 186 comprises a gear train, including the differential pinion 220, a inlet worm gear 222, and a plurality of intermediate gears 226, 232, and 240 for coupling the worm gear 222 with the differential pinion 220. Worm gear 222 receives its drive input by means of a gear screw auger 222 of the motor shaft, flexible 116 connected to the motor 108. The worm gear 222 is provided with teeth of the screw gear 122 which mesh with the teeth 224 of the first drive gear 226.

The first drive gear 226 is a disk structure with teeth 224 extending circumferentially along its outer edge. The first, gear 226 rotates about shaft 228, which is fixed at one end to a cover plate of drive assembly 230 that is mounted to arm structure 198. Connection member 234 is commonly mounted on shaft 228 and connects the first drive gear 226 and the second drive gear 232 to rotate with each other. The second drive gear 232 is commonly mounted and rotates about the shaft 228, and has a diameter of about half the first drive gear 226. The teeth 236 of the second drive gear 232 mesh with the teeth 238 of the third drive gear. drive 240. The third drive gear 240 is placed in the same plane as the second drive gear 232 and the differential pinion 220. The third drive gear 240 is supported and rotates about the axis 242, which is fixed to the clutch assembly installation plate 244, as will be described in greater detail later. It can be appreciated that the construction and gear arrangement of the gear drive assembly 186, particularly the use of the worm gear 222 driven by the flexible drive shaft 116, converts a low-speed, high-speed torque input to provide a high-torque, low-speed output for operating the door 10. The clutch assembly 184, the operation of which is described in conjunction with FIGS. 20 and 21, incorporates the gears 220 and 240 of the drive assembly 186, the which are simply decoupled or coupled as part of the clutch operation. In FIGURES 20 and 21, various components, such as gears 222 and 232, have been omitted for the sake of clarity of the illustration. The clutch assembly 184 also includes the aforementioned mounting plate 244, a pivot connection 250 having a cable connecting opening 252 at one end and a connecting pin 254 at the other. The pivot connection 250 is rotated about an axis about the centrally disposed pivot pin 256, which is connected at opposite ends between the drive mounting plate 230 and the structure of the arm 198. An L-shaped connection 258 is pivotally connects to the pivot connection 250 by the connecting bolt 254 at the corner 260 of the legs of the L-shaped connection 258. A shorter leg 262 of the L-shaped connection 258 has a cable connection opening 264. The spigot 266 of the L-shaped fitting 258 is pivotally joined to the clutch mounting plate 244 by a pivot pin 268. The clutch mounting plate 244 is pivotally supported or the shaft 228 which also serves as the axis of rotation for the first and second gears 226 and 232, respectively. The clutch assembly 184 further includes a stop member 269 fixed to the pivot connection 250 by a pin 256. The stop member 269 has an irregular shape that includes a straight edge 271 which is placed in a splice relationship with a straight, adjacent edge 273 formed in the shorter leg 262 of the L-shaped connection 258 when the clutch assembly is in the engaged position as shown in FIGURE 20. The straight edge 273 of the L-shaped connection 258 has a curved or arched edge 275 around the corner 260 so as to create a condition "over the center" with the stop member 269 as will be described. As shown in FIGURE 20, the coupling cable 48 is attached to the connection opening 252 of the pivot connection 250, and the decoupling cable 88 is attached to the connection opening 264 of the connection 258. In a condition coupled, the connecting gears 226, 232 and 240 form a drive connection between the worm gear and the differential pinion 220. When the decoupling wire 88 is pulled back when the linear actuator 36 is retracted from the mounting of the control board 16 (see FIGURE 4), the leg 262 of the L-shaped connection 258 is pulled. As a result, the connection bolt 254 also pulls, causing the connection 250 to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction, or a direction of decoupling, around the bolt 256 in the view shown. During this movement of the connections 250 and 258, the curved edge 275 of the connection 258 travels around the straight edge 271 of the stop member 269. The force of the engagement between the edges 275 and 271 increases when the curved edge 275 is further forced. in a coupling with the surface 271, until the position "over the center" Y is eventually reached. The continuous traction of the cable 88 causes the coupling between the edges to go beyond the position "over the center", and then the force Coupling between edges 275 and 271 gradually decrease This "over center" coupling makes it possible for the clutch assembly to remain virtually closed in the decoupling position (as shown in FIGURE 21) even after the tension is reduced in the cable 88. In the movement of the connections 250 and 258 in the manner mentioned above, the clutch mounting plate 244 is rotated on an axis (in the direction clockwise or a sense of decoupling in the figures) about the axis 228 as a result of the movement of the L-shaped connection 258 in the pivot pin 268. The pivotal movement of the mounting plate 244 in this manner causes the gear 240 to be moved out of engagement with the differential pinion 220. As a result, the clutch assembly 184 is decoupled, and the engine 108 is no longer able to drive the lower mount 14 to effect the movement of the door. The purpose of the decoupling clutch assembly 184 is to disconnect the motor 108 from the frame and the pinion connection 220, 221 when the door 10 is operated in a manual mode. As a result, the door 10 can be manually moved along the guide 204 without the load of the motor 108 and without unnecessary wear, inflicted on the motor 108 and the complete drive system. FIGURE 22 illustrates the general curvature at the front portion of the guide 204. The guide 204 is mounted to the body of the vehicle 268 at the bottom of a threshold of the door 270, under the floor of the vehicle 274. The teeth of the guide 248 they are the most outward portion of the guide. The guide 204 extends from the rear of the threshold of the door 270 linearly forwardly curving inward near the front end 272. This shape is a common travel path for the sliding doors found in the mini-vans. Shown in FIGURE 23 is a perspective view of the engaging assembly 22 comprising a latch housing 292 mounted to the vehicle door structure 24 by a plurality of rivets 279. The housing 292 defines the mouth 293 which receives a hammer coupling of the door mounted to a structure for opening the door in a conventional manner. In FIGURES 24 and 25, a portion of the latch housing 292 has been omitted to better reveal the interior components of the latch assembly 22. The latch assembly 22 includes a nail latch biased by a spring (spring not shown) or a latch member. locking arm 306, and a hammer retaining member biased by a spring (spring not shown) or a ratchet wheel 286. The ratchet wheel 286 is mounted for rotation about a pivot pin 288, in general at 290 (see FIGURE 25 and is biased by a spring in the clockwise direction or an open condition (as seen in the figures) in a conventional manner, pivot pin 288 joins at opposite ends of the The housing 292 has a cut-out that forms the opening 293 for receiving a door hammer 296 (see FIGURES 25-28). The ratchet wheel 286 has a slot 294 as shown in FIG. s conventional with hookers. As is also conventional, the door hammer 296 fits into the slot 294 and engages a portion of the front surface 297 of the ratchet wheel 286, which causes the ratchet wheel 286 to rotate clockwise or a direction of engagement against the bias direction of the spring, whereby the door striker 294 is trapped within the mouth 293. The finger retainer 306 is pivotally mounted in a central portion to the housing 292 by a pin 310. The retainer of nail 306 is biased by a spring in a conventional manner (spring not shown in the Figures) for rotation to engage ratchet wheel 286. Hitch bar 190 is connected to ratchet wheel 186 in a well-known manner - to rotate the finger retainer 306 for releasing the ratchet wheel 286. The ratchet wheel 286 has a flat edge 308 as shown, which is sized to accept a latch end 309 of the latch arm 306. The flat edge 308 acts As a splice for the finger retainer 306 in order to close and maintain the ratchet wheel 286 in a primary closing position as shown in FIGURE 28, the ratchet wheel 286 also has a second flat edge 312 of the same size. and forms as the flat edge 308. This second flat edge 312 also accepts the latching end 309 of the finger retainer 306. This is the initial latching position for the ratchet wheel 286. During the closing operation of the door, the lower assembly 14 moves the door 10 until the ratchet wheel 286 engages the door hammer 296 and is rotated counterclockwise in the initial latching position as shown in FIG. 26. The movement of the ratchet wheel 286 in the primary position is performed by an assurance process, as will be described. The aforementioned securing cable 154, described in conjunction with FIGURE 6, enters the housing of the engaging assembly 292 through a cable guide 316 (see FIGURE 24). The cable guide 316 is attached to the latch housing 292 or any adjacent portion of the door 10 in any conventional manner. The cable guide 316 is of a two-part construction that includes a first portion 318 having an arcuate notch 324 extending therethrough. The notch 324 provides a change of approximately 90 ° in the direction for the securing cable 154. A second portion 320 of the cable guide has substantially the same peripheral configuration as the first part, but has an arched projection 322 received in the notch 324 The projection 322 has a height which extends only partially in the notch 324, to completely cover the notch, leaving enough space for the cable 154. The cable guide 316 is preferably made of a hardened plastic, Teflon, or resin material, and works advantageously to properly orient the securing cable 154 and align it with a cable securing arm 326. This construction is more cost effective than conventional pulley assemblies, which could also be used for perform the same function.

The securing arm 326 is an elongated member that rotates about an axis about a common axis of rotation with the ratchet wheel 286. One end of the arm 326 has an opening 328 which makes it possible for the arm 325 to be mounted for movement pivotal around the pivot pin 288. The ratchet wheel 286 and the cable securing arm 326 are connected together by a coupler member 304, shown in FIGURE 29. The coupler 304 makes it possible for the ratchet wheel 286 and the arm 326 are secured to the common pivots, thereby allowing the engaging assembly 22 to be of a smaller configuration than conventional arrangements in which a securing arm is connected to the periphery of the ratchet wheel. The coupler 304 is a cylinder with an opening 336 extending centrally therethrough. To be connected with the coupler 304, as shown in FIGURE 24, the hook-shaped ratchet wheel in general 286 has an opening 298 through the central portion thereof. The opening 298 is generally circular with two rectangular portions 300 extending radially outward in opposite relation to each other. The portions 300 are dimensioned and shaped to accept the extension elements, from the bottom 302 of the coupler 304. The central portion of the cylindrical coupler 304, generally indicated at 340, acts as a spacer between the ratchet wheel 286 and the securing arm. 326. Extending upwards from the upper edge 342 of the coupler 304 is an upper, extension element 330 sized to receive the opening 328 in the cable securing arm 326. The opening 336 fits over an ee 288, thereby it provides a pivotal point of operation for the ratchet wheel 286 and the rope securing arm 326 which allows them to rotationally coact within the confines of a relatively smaller engaging assembly. The opposite end of the securing arm 326 is folded back on itself forming side walls through which the securing cable 154 extends. A U-shaped notch 332 is provided in each of the walls and in an axial alignment with each other. The notch is formed in the trailing edge of the side walls and accepts and holds a ball end 334 of the securing cable 154. FIGURE 25 shows the engaging assembly 22 in a fully open position with the opening of the ratchet wheel 294 ready to receive the striker 296. The securing arm 326 extends outwardly and the finger retainer 306 is biased against the cam surface 345 of the ratchet wheel 286. A first contact switch 344 has a bolt member biased outwardly. 343 of the same engaged and depressed by the surface of the cam 345 of the ratchet wheel 286. When depressed, the switch 344 sends a signal to the microprocessor 20 which indicates that the engaging assembly 22 is open. Also, in FIGURE 25, the securing cable 154 is in a relatively relaxed condition. FIGURE 26 shows the engaging assembly 22 in the initial position. The engaging assembly 22 moves in this condition as a result of the lower mounting 14 which moves the door 10 towards the closed position. The hammer 296, as shown in FIGURE 26, has inserted the mouth 293 into the housing 292 and has engaged the surface 297 of the ratchet wheel 286, thereby causing the ratchet wheel 286 to be rotated on a shaft about of the pivot pin 288 until the closing arm 306 is able to move inwardly (counterclockwise) under the force of the spring against a surface 307 of the ratchet wheel 286 after the latching end 309 passes. the flat edge 312 of the ratchet wheel. When the ratchet wheel 286 is rotated in the initial position, a hollow position 347 of the cam surface 345 of the ratchet wheel 286 releases the bolt member 343 from the first contact switch 344. The switch 344 sends a signal to the microprocessor 20, which indicates that the initial position has been reached. The microprocessor 20 then responsively sends the appropriate signals to stop the lower mounting 14 of the movement of the door 10 further away by the momentary stop motor 108 and the uncoupling of the clutch assembly 184 of the lower assembly 14. The microprocessor 20 responsively activates the clutch Assurance 112 that is coupled to initiate the assurance process. With reference to FIGURE 6, after the microprocessor 20 causes the securing clutch 112 in the motor and the gear assembly 18 to engage the rope pulley 114, the motor 108 is activated so that the screw gear auger 118 begins to rotate, causing securing cable 154 to be pulled or tensioned. With reference to FIGURE 27, when the securing cable 154 is tensioned, the securing arm 326 is caused to rotate counterclockwise or in a securing direction and, through the coupler 304, the balance wheel Ratchet 286 is also rotated counterclockwise. When the ratchet wheel 286 is rotated, the striker 296 is handled relatively more in the engaging assembly 22, thereby pulling the periphery of the door 10 in the sealing engagement with the peripheral, flexible sealing strip of the door around the the structure of the door which seals the passenger compartment of the external environment. In FIGURE 28, the latching latch is complete. The securing arm 326 has rotated the ratchet wheel 286 to the primary position. The flat edge 308 on the ratchet wheel 296 is engaged by the latching end 309 of the finger retainer 306, thereby closing and holding the latching assembly 22, and therefore the door 10, in the fully closed position. A second contact switch 346 has a bolt member 351 which is actuated upon being depressed by a protruding portion 349 of the cam surface 345 of the ratchet wheel 286, thereby sending a signal to the microprocessor 20 which indicates that the engaging mount 22 is in the primary position. The microprocessor 20 then sends a signal responsively to the motor 108 to stop the additional securing, and disengages the securing clutch 112 so that the pulley 114 then releases the tension of the securing cable 154. In order to release the engaging assembly 22, the microprocessor 20 sends a signal to the drive assembly of control board 16, causing linear actuator 36 to extend. The hook bar 190 is pulled, causing the finger catch 306 to rotate against the spring bias of the lock arm in a clockwise direction or a release direction away from the flat edges 308 and 312 of the ratchet wheel 286. As a result, the spring of the ratchet wheel (not shown) causes the ratchet wheel 286 to rotate clockwise or a release direction to the fully open position as shown. Because the securing clutch 112 connected to the securing pulley 114 disengages at this point, the ratchet wheel pushes the arm 326 and the cable 154 attached thereto in the standby position as shown in FIGURE 25.

LOGICAL SYSTEM With the door 10 fully closed and at rest, the lower drive assembly 14 is decoupled, the hook assembly 22 is in the primary position, and the motor and gear assembly 18 are closed with the lock clutch 112 decoupled. Door 10 can now be opened by activating an electronic switch either manually or remotely. Upon receiving a signal to open the door 10, the microprocessor 20 releases the engaging assembly 22 and engages the lower drive assembly 14. More specifically, the microprocessor 20 sends a signal to the linear actuator 36 of the drive assembly of the control board 16 , which extends the bar of the actuator 52. The shock absorber 62 makes contact with the rod holder 42, thereby moving the rod holder and the hook bar 190 connected thereto to the left in the figures. This opens the engaging assembly 22, and causes the coupling cable 48 to be tensioned to ensure that the clutch assembly 184 of the lower drive assembly 14 engages the drive gears to be driven by the engine 108. The engine 108 begins to rotate the motor shaft, flexible 116, slowly increasing the speed by increasing the effective voltage to avoid the inrush current in the motor. The drive shaft 116 drives the gears of the lower drive assembly 14. When the pinion gear 220 of the lower drive assembly 14 rotates, it drives the gate 10 along the guide system 216, pulling the door open. When the door 10 reaches the end of the guide system 216, it collides with a travel switch 350 (see FIGURE 22), whereby the microprocessor 20 responsively stops the motor 108 to stop the travel of the door 10. The lower drive 14 remains engaged, now holding door 10 in the fully open position. In a manual mode of the door opening operation, the inner or outer handle of the door (not shown) engages and moves, thereby causing the plate 95 of the mounting of the control board 16 to be rotated in an axis in the counterclockwise direction or a direction of disengagement. This action applies tension to the decoupling cable 88 to uncouple the clutch assembly 184 from the lower mount 14 and moves the latch bar 190 to open the latching assembly of the door 22. The door is then manually moved to the open position. When the door reaches the fully open position, a contact travel switch 352 is coupled, sending a signal to the microprocessor 20. The microprocessor 20 then sends a signal to the actuator 36, causing the extension bar 52 to extend and engage the cable 48 for coupling the clutch of the lower mount 184 to keep the door 10 in the fully open position. To close the door 10, the microprocessor 20 extends the extension bar 52 of the drive assembly of the control board 16, pulling the coupling wire 48, engaging the lower drive assembly 14. The microprocessor 20 then slowly starts the motor 108, which pulls the door 10 closed until the initial position of the engaging assembly 22 is reached as detected by the engaging switch 344. The microprocessor 20 now momentarily stops, and then instantaneously inverts the motor 108 to prevent immobilization by friction between the clutch gears of the lower mount 14, before such gears are decoupled. Substantially at the same time, the microprocessor 20 sends a signal to the linear actuator 36 for decoupling the clutch gears from the lower drive assembly 14. With the lower drive assembly 14 decoupled, the microprocessor 20 sends a signal to the securing clutch 112 for coupling the cable pulley 114 and energize the motor 108 to continue the rotation in the reverse direction mentioned above to cause the gears in the assembly 18 to rotate the pulley 114 in a direction that will pull the securing cable 154. As a result, the arm 326 and the ratchet wheel 286 of the engaging assembly 22 will secure the hook in the primary engagement position. Once the engaging assembly 22 is in the primary position, the latching switch 346 sends a signal to the microprocessor 22, which releases the tension in the rope pulley 114 and disconnects the motor 108. To close the door 10 in the mode manually, the inner or outer handle of the door is raised so that the decoupling wire 88 is tensioned to release the clutch assembly 184 of the lower arm assembly 14. ' The door 10 can then be manually moved to the closed position. The impulse imparted to the door in normal operation is sufficient to cause the latch ratchet 286 to collide with the door hammer and rotate the ratchet wheel in the primary position. Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications can be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as described by the appended claims.

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known by the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is the conventional one for the manufacture of the objects to which it relates.

Having described the invention as above, property is claimed as contained in the following:

Claims (20)

1. A motorized sliding door for a motor vehicle, comprising: a door structure mounted on a guide associated with a motor vehicle, the door structure that is movable along the guide between the open and closed positions; a motorized assembly, connected to the door and capable of being operated to move the door along the guide between the open and closed positions; a hook assembly mounted on the door and movable between the hooked and unhooked positions; and characterized by an individual motor mounted on the door structure and operatively connected with both the motorized assembly to drive the motorized assembly to enable the motorized assembly to move the door along the guide between the open and closed positions and the engaging assembly to assist the movement of the engaging assembly to the engaged position after the motorized assembly moves the door to the closed position.

2. The sliding door, motorized according to claim 1, characterized in that the motor can be selectively coupled with the motorized assembly and the engaging assembly, further comprising a controller and a clutch mechanism of the engaging assembly and a motorized clutch mechanism, the controller provides control signals to the motorized clutch mechanism to selectively couple the motor with the motorized assembly and to the clutch mechanism of the hitch assembly to decouple the motor from the hitch assembly when the motor drives the motorized assembly.

3. The sliding door, motorized according to claim 1, characterized in that the motor can be selectively coupled with the motorized assembly and the engaging assembly, further comprising a controller and a clutch mechanism of the engaging assembly and a motorized clutch mechanism, the controlling provides control signals to the clutch mechanism of the engaging assembly for selectively coupling the motor with the engaging assembly to the motorized clutch mechanism for decoupling the motor from the motorized assembly when the / motor assists the movement of the engaging assembly to the engaged position.

4. The sliding door, motorized according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises a clutch assembly and a controller, the coupling assembly that engages to splice the motor with the hitch assembly and that is uncoupled to unbolt the motor from the hitch assembly, the controller that controls the coupling and uncoupling of the clutch assembly.

5. The sliding door, motorized according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises a flexible motor shaft that connects the motor with the motorized assembly.

6. The sliding door, motorized according to claim 5, characterized in that the motor comprises a motor shaft, rigid, rigid motor shaft that is able to rotationally drive the motor shaft, flexible.

7. The sliding door, motorized according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises: a gear train of the coupling assembly coupled to the engine; a clutch coupled to the gear train of the engaging assembly; and a cable pulley coupled to the clutch, the cable pulley including a cable having one end coupled to the engaging assembly; the clutch that is capable of coupling the gear train from the hitch assembly to the rope pulley or disengaging the gear train from the hitch assembly of the rope pulley.

8. The sliding door, motorized according to claim 7, characterized in that the motor comprises a rigid motor shaft forming a worm gear having teeth that mesh with the teeth of the gear train of the engaging assembly.

9. The sliding door, motorized according to claim 5, characterized in that the motorized assembly includes a clutch coupled to the motor shaft, flexible for coupling the motor shaft, flexible to the motorized assembly or uncoupling the flexible motor shaft from the motorized assembly.

10. The sliding door, motorized according to claim 7, characterized in that the motorized assembly also comprises a flexible motor shaft that connects the motor with the motorized assembly and a clutch coupled to the motor shaft, flexible to couple the motor shaft, flexible to the assembly Motorized or uncoupled motor shaft, flexible motorized assembly.

11. The sliding door, motorized according to claim 10, characterized in that it also comprises a controller which provides control signals to the clutch coupled to the gear train of the coupling assembly and the clutch coupled to the motor shaft, flexible to enable the clutch coupled to the gear train of the coupling assembly attach the gear train of the engaging assembly to the cable pulley while the motorized assembly is disengaged from the motor shaft, flexible by the clutch coupled to the motor shaft, flexible.

12. The sliding door, motorized according to claim 10, characterized in that it further comprises a controller that provides control signals to the clutch coupled to the gear train of the engaging assembly and the clutch coupled to the motor shaft, flexible to enable the clutch coupled to the motor shaft, flexible couple motor shaft, flexible with motorized assembly while the gear train of the engaging assembly is decoupled from the cable pulley by the clutch coupled to the clutch train of the engaging assembly.

13. The sliding door, motorized according to claim 11, characterized in that the controller controls the clutch coupled to the gear train of the coupling assembly and the clutch coupled to the motor shaft, flexible to enable the clutch coupled to the motor shaft, flexible coupling the motor shaft, flexible with motorized assembly while the gear train of the engaging assembly is disengaged from the cable pulley by the clutch coupled to the gear train of the engaging assembly.

14. The sliding door, motorized according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises: at least one sensor for measuring the speed and direction of rotation of the engine when the motor drives the motorized assembly; and a detector for determining when the motor speed is less than a predetermined threshold; the motor that reverses the rotation direction of the motor when the detector determines that the motor speed is less than the predetermined threshold.

15. The sliding door, motorized according to claim 14, characterized in that it also comprises a tape switch mounted on the door to detect an obstacle for the movement of the door; where the motor reverses the direction of motor rotation when the tape switch detects the obstacle.

16. The sliding door, motorized according to claim 14, characterized in that at least one sensor includes a Hall effect sensor.

17. The sliding door, motorized according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises; a controller for providing a control signal having an effective voltage level for the motor; where the signal slowly increases to the level of the effective voltage when the opening or closing of the door is initiated.

18. The sliding door, motorized according to claim 1, characterized in that the motorized assembly includes a clutch assembly for coupling the motorized assembly to the guide and further comprises: a control that is operable to disengage the clutch assembly and thereby uncouples the motorized mounting of the guide after the motorized assembly has moved the door to an initial engagement position of the engaging assembly.

19. The sliding door, motorized according to claim 18, characterized in that the clutch assembly of the motorized assembly comprises a motorized gear train and wherein the motorized gear train is uncoupled to decouple the motorized assembly from the guide, wherein the motor reverses the direction after the motorized assembly has moved the door to the initial latching position to facilitate decoupling of the motorized gear train.

20. The sliding door, motorized according to claim 19, characterized in that it also comprises a pulley for driving the cable and a cable associated therewith, and a clutch assembly that couples the pulley for driving the cable with the motor, the pulley for drive of the cable that is derivable by the motor when the clutch assembly engages, the cable that connects to the hook-in assembly and that is movable to facilitate the movement of the hook-in assembly from the initial engagement position to the engaged position, and in where the clutch assembly engages after the motorized assembly has moved the door to the initial engagement position to enable the cable drive pulley to move the cable to facilitate movement of the engaging assembly from the initial engagement position to the hooked position. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A motorized sliding door (10) for a motor vehicle comprises a door structure, a motorized assembly, a hook-in assembly (22), and an individual motor (108) for the operation of both the hook-in assembly (22) and the motorized assembly (14). The structure of the door is mounted on a guide (204) associated with the motor vehicle, the structure of the door that is movable along the guide (204) between the open and closed positions. The motorized assembly (14) is connected to the door (10) and is capable of being driven to move the door (10) along the guide (204) between the open and closed positions. The engaging assembly (22) is mounted to the door (10) and is movable between the engaged and disengaged positions. The individual motor (108) is mounted on a door structure operatively connected with both the motorized assembly (14) and the engaging assembly (22). The motor (108) drives the motorized assembly (14) and thus makes it possible for the motorized assembly (14) to move the door along the guide between the open and closed positions. The motor (108) assists the movement of the engaging assembly (22) to the engaged position after the motorized assembly (14) moves the door (10) to the closed position.