DE4028584A1 - Safety cut=off for servo driven vehicle sliding roof panel - has sensor beam positioned on edge of frame for detecting obstructions - Google Patents

Abstract

The sliding window, or roof panel, of a vehicle is fitted with a safety device in which a sensing beam is positioned along the edge of the frame (6) to monitor obstructions when the panel is nearly closed. The drive motor is switched off when an obstruction is detected in the gap. The inhibit point of the safety cutoff is when the window opening is too small for small obstructions eg. fingers of a child. The sensing beam is activated when the window drive motor is switched on and can be pulsed rather than run continuously. The beam can be IR or ultrasonic. ADVANTAGE - Failsafe, does not require grooving of window edge to locate beam.

Description

The invention relates to an avoidance device of accidents when closing a motor vehicle that can be moved by someone else Table with the features of the preamble of claim 1. A generic device is known (DT 26 10 558 A1).

It can be used for sliding doors, window regulators, sunroofs etc. be used. As with other known systems (e.g. DE 32 06 243 A1), the pinched foreign body by Sensie the load of the drive by means of a safety switch Detect direction - with electric drives e.g. B. by Er detection of an excessive increase in motor current -, can with the generic device injuries to body parts len, e.g. B. children's fingers, cannot be completely excluded, because the clamping force is detected before the case of pinching of the drive acts on them at least briefly. Just with such small parts of the body there is considerable area Chenpressungen on, because of the unrelated in automotive engineering The drives must avoid tolerances and environmental influences such movable panels with considerable closing forces be be driven.

A shutdown device presents the generic type  direction sure that the closing position of the moving board also is reached when the load of the drive z. B. by a when moving the moving panel into its locking position Lung-deforming seal is increased by making it safe safety switch device (load detection) is deactivated, if the moving board is already immediately before it closes position stands.

To avoid accidents on self-closing, two-part doors of passenger lifts (manufacturer: Haus hahn) it is known, parallel to the division gap of the two To guide the door halves of the light beam of a light barrier its interruption by a foreign body the closing movement the door halves is reversed. So that the light beam doesn't through the end faces of the closing door halves themselves is interrupted, corresponding recesses are featured see through which the light beam even when the door is closed and can run smoothly on adjacent end faces.

There is also a device for avoiding the squeezing of body parts (DE 37 31 428 A1), the safety switching device of which responds to the change in the luminous flux through a deformable light guide; the light guide is arranged on that edge of an opening which can be closed by a movable panel and to which the panel moves when it is closed. In order not to stress the light guide even when the opening is normally closed, the drive of the movable panel can be switched off by a separate limit switch before it can press the light guide against the edge itself. Also in this device it can be seen before speaking to the safety switching device that a mechanical loading of the foreign body by the closing force cannot be avoided.

The invention has for its object a generic device to be trained in such a way that with the same functional reliability of reaching the closed position of the movable panel each Pinching a foreign body in the space between the closing movable panel and that edge of the Opening to which she is moving, and thus every injury parts of the body can be excluded.

This object is achieved with the characteristic features of the patent claims 1 solved according to the invention.

Contrary to the assumption that a non-contact barrier in the above-mentioned applications in the opening gap of thin-walled panels, in particular motor vehicle fen windows or sunroofs whose dimensions are not allow recesses as in the aforementioned elevator doors see, can not be used because it is also the blackboard itself or would be influenced by this and then de would prevent them from entering the closed position the invention a device with which the advantages of such Barriers with a high level of functional reliability with regard to access chens the closed position of the movable panel. With these measures it will, for. B. in a motor vehicle Sunroof possible, the barrier or its components in the Level of the moving board itself, so that none stylistically and undesirable from a security point of view jumps must protrude into the vehicle interior.

The characteristic features of the sub-claims reveal partial developments of the device according to the invention. There are various ways in which the shutdown device can work feasible; it can e.g. B. an electrical connection between the sensor device and the safety switching device interrupt, or one of the facilities mentioned by their Disconnect the electrical supply voltage.  

Preferably, the electrically powered barrier itself is we at least on the receiver side right through the switch-off device switched off before they detect the moving board can, so that they no longer influence their drive can.

It is understood that all conceivable types are contactless acting barriers for the device according to the invention can be detected, with the restriction that they also do not metallic foreign bodies, in particular body parts from driving inmates, must capture securely. Preferably here used for light barriers with visible or invisible rem (infrared) light work. Also with ultrasonic barriers are sufficiently precise receiver-side directional characteristics addressed here. This polar pattern that prevent must also be broken or reflected on a foreign body Beams still reach the receiver - which makes them respond the barrier would be prevented - z. B. in the form of a geometric filter (in the direction of the normal beam path aligned tube or the like) can be realized. Yourself the light or sound beam of the barrier is understandable in this way strongly bundled that the panel itself can only be grasped then could if the remaining opening gap is too narrow for that Penetration of a foreign body has become.

The switch-off device, which is also used to prevent unintentional manipulation exclude options, solely through the movable panel itself or operated by a part moving synchronously with it may, if the latter in a position in the immediate vicinity of their Comes into the closed position, in which no foreign objects are in the space in between can penetrate more through a mechanical switches are formed or also on touch capacitive, inductive, magnetic or work on an optical basis. It then has a contour of the moveable  chalkboard (e.g. front or rear edge or a specially provided cams or moving magnets) in a precise defined position and a corresponding detection generate signal.

It is not absolutely necessary that the on the movable Panel appealing part of the shutdown device in immedia rer neighborhood to the detection area of the barrier is as long as it is only through the moving board or with a this jointly moving part surely immediately in front of them Closed position and before the barrier responds to the board is operated.

This position detection can, for example, in itself known manner from an analog displacement sensor or the like be made, the then the "almost closed" position tion of the moving board corresponding to path-proportional Si gnal is used as the switching threshold of the shutdown device. However, it can be advantageous to use the specified spatial relationship hung between the barrier and the shutdown device to make it invariable that the latter be structurally connected to one Barrier component (emitter or receiver or on both sides) together is quantified. This makes the arrangement independent of the Accuracy of any adjustment work is necessarily correct set.

Further details and advantages are shown in the drawing Embodiment and which are discussed below the description.

Show it

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a vehicle roof with a panel moveable be in the form of an open sunroof gezeichne th and the spatial arrangement of components of the barrier and the switch-off device,

Fig. 2 is a greatly simplified electrical circuit diagram of the device.

A vehicle roof 1 has, according to Fig. 1, an opening 2, wel che by a movable panel 3 in the form of a partially opened sliding roof drawn closed is. The table 3 is driven by a drive 4 with an electric motor M in a manner not shown in a substantially linear manner along guides 5 . When the panel 3 is closed , it moves towards a front closing edge 6 of the opening 2 ; if the drive 4 is switched on inadvertently in the closing direction, foreign bodies such as body parts of vehicle occupants could become jammed between the front edge (in the closing direction forwards) of the panel 3 and the closing edge 6 . To detect such foreign bodies, a non-contact light barrier with an emitter 7 and a receiver 8 is arranged in the critical area in the immediate vicinity of the closing edge 6 . It is understood that on the side of the receiver 7 , a simple reflector can be attached in a known manner and emitter and receiver can be accommodated in the same housing un (reflex light barrier). It is essential that the light beam sweeps over the entire remaining gap between the front edge of the closing panel 3 and the closing edge 6 , and that the receiver 8 generates a detection signal upon interruption of the switched-on light beam, on the basis of which the drive 4 is switched off. In the immediate vicinity of the emitter 7 , a shutdown device 9 is also attached, which can be actuated only by the movable panel 3 itself. Both components 7 and 9 (or 7, 8 and 9 in a reflex light barrier) can, as indicated, be accommodated in a common housing.

The circuit diagram of FIG. 2 shows a polarity switch 10, by means of which the motor M of the drive 4 for the reversible NEN Publ or closing of the opening 2 by means of the panel 3 (opening and table are not shown here) is turned on who can the. For safety reasons, the pole reversing switch 10 must be operated manually as long as the panel 3 is to be moved by the drive. In one of the electrical connection lines of the motor M an NC contact 11 of a safety switching device 12 is looped in, the z. B. can be a relay. It goes without saying that further switching means can be provided for the end shutdown of the motor in the closed position, which prevent its overloading if the pole reversing switch 10 is accidentally held for too long.

The switch-off device 9 , which, as mentioned, can also be arranged remotely from the light barrier, had the emitter 7 of the light barrier switched on electrically when the panel 3 was opened more than just by a gap and brought into the position shown, ie as soon as there was a possibility that a foreign body could penetrate between the closing edge 6 and the front edge of the panel 3 .

The safety switching device 12 is controlled indirectly by the receiver 8 of the light barrier; its input is connected to the output of an AND gate 13 , at whose one - inverting - input the output signal of the receiver 8 is present and at its other input a switch-on signal from the light barrier or the emitter 7 - from the switch-off device 9 - is present. The emitter 7 and the receiver 8 are shown here symbolically as an infrared transmitter or receiver diode. It is advantageous to clock or pulse the light beam of the light barrier and to tune the receiver accordingly. This prevents the receiver 8 from responding to randomly incident constant external light (e.g. sunlight) of the same wavelength as far as possible.

It is assumed that the output level of the receiver 8 is "HIGH" when the light barrier is switched on and the light is not interrupted.

This means that the output level of the AND gate 13 is generally "LOW" (= light barrier switched off or light barrier switched on and light beam not interrupted).

The output level of the AND gate thus changes to "HIGH" when the light beam is interrupted by a foreign body, because then when the switch-on signal is applied to the input, the output level of the receiver 8 becomes "LOW".

This level change or the "HIGH" level at the output of the AND gate 13 represents the "detection signal" for the exemplary embodiment described here. Upon its occurrence, the safety switching device 12 is activated immediately, which by means of its break contact 11 the circuit of the Motors M interrupts and stops it.

If the emitter 7 is switched off by the switch-off device 9 , the switch-on signal is now missing from the AND gate 13 , so that its output level cannot change to "HIGH". This prevents the switching off of the emitter 7 and the associated loss of the light beam, which the receiver 8 regards as "light beam interruption" by a foreign body, leading to the motor M being switched off. In the absence of a switch signal at the input of the AND gate 13 , a receiver-side shutdown of the light barrier can also be seen.

Of course, an existing, but not shown te power supply of the receiver 8 itself can be switched by the switch-off device 9 , so that after the switch-off th not even at all to an absence of the light beam, be it through a foreign body in the beam path or by switching off of the emitter, can react. At this connection would be arranged parallel to that of the emitter 7 to the shutdown device 9 .

It goes without saying that, if necessary, instead of stopping the motor M mentioned above, an at least brief reversal of the direction of movement of the panel 3 can be effected. Suitable switching technology measures are state of the art, not the subject of the present invention and are therefore not shown in detail.

A jamming of a foreign body between the panel 3 and the closing edge 6 of the opening 2 is reliably excluded with the arrangement shown and with equivalent variants, specifically because of the contactless detection of the foreign body by the light barrier without any mechanical action on it. This improvement promotes the use of the arrangement in the framework of an all-round or convenience lock, which, when locking the vehicle from the outside in addition to the central door locking system, also brings the sunroof and electrically driven window into the closed position. It is understood that the device according to the invention described above in connection with a motor vehicle sunroof also for other panels movable by external force, for. B. windows, sliding doors and the like can be used.

If the opening 2 is now closed with the panel 3 or the latter is moved into its closed position by actuation of the pole reversing switch 10 , the device 9 in turn takes effect. It responds to the movable panel 3 or to a part moving synchronously with it (e.g. also a guide carriage, cable, gear segment etc.) when its leading edge has reached the closing edge 6 of the opening and before the light beam passes through the leading edge is interrupted. In this position of the board, no foreign matter can penetrate the remaining space. The switch-on signal of the light barrier falls away at the input of the AND gate 13 , so that the panel 3 can be moved completely into its closed position without activating the safety switching device 12 .

Deviating from the illustrated electrical connection of the emitter 7 of the light barrier, in order to minimize the consumption of electrical energy, it can also be provided that the emitter 7 and possibly the receiver 8 are only switched on when the motor M is switched on. When playing as the shutdown may 9 connector Plus be connected through the polarity switch 10 to the onboard network instead of their direct th. Here, in turn, the activation of the light barrier can be restricted to the operation of the motor M in the closing direction, because only then is the function of the light barrier required to prevent foreign objects from being caught.

Claims (9)

1. A device for avoiding accidents when closing a panel movable by external power, in particular a motor vehicle sunroof or window, which closes an all-round opening in its closed position, containing

• a drive of the panel, which can be switched on at least by moving the switch to move the panel in the closing direction
• a sensor device which detects the presence of a foreign body in the space between the movable panel and that edge of the opening (closing edge) to which the panel moves when it closes, and then generates a detection signal,
• a safety switching device which, controlled by the detection signal generated, at least stops the drive of the panel in order to prevent the foreign body from being pinched,
• - a switch-off device which is operated solely by the movable panel itself or a part moving in synchronism with it,
  when the panel comes into a position in the immediate vicinity of its closed position, in which no foreign objects can enter the space in between,
  and which, when actuated, in turn prevents the drive from being influenced by the safety switching device when the panel enters the closed position, characterized by
• - Execution of the sensor device ( 7 , 8 ) as the said space in the opening ( 2 ) in the immediate vicinity of the closing edge ( 6 ) with a beam sweeping, a foreign object therein without force acting on the same sensing, non-contact barrier.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized by electrical switch-off of the sensor device ( 7 , 8 ) by the switch-off device ( 9 ) actuated by the movable panel ( 3 ). 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by arranging the switch-off device ( 9 ) in the immediate spatial neighborhood of the sensor device ( 7 , 8 ). 4. Apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by electrical activation of the sensor device ( 7 , 8 ) exclusively Lich simultaneously with the activation of the drive ( 10 ) of the movable panel ( 3 ) by switch actuation. 5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by design of the sensor device ( 7 , 8 ) as a light barrier with an emitter ( 7 ) and a receiver ( 8 ). 6. The device according to claim 5, characterized by

• - clocking of the light beam emitted by the emitter ( 7 ),
• - Tuning the receiver ( 8 ) to the clocked light beam, which prevents the receiver ( 8 ) from responding to the incidence of extraneous light.

7. The device according to claim 5 or 6, characterized by using infrared light to generate the light beam of the sensor device ( 7 , 8 ). 8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, marked by Design of the sensor device as a sound barrier with a - Ultrasound emitter and an ultrasound receiver, where receive On the other hand, a directional characteristic is provided, which consists of finally the reception of directly from the ultrasound emitter radiated sound waves. 9. The device according to claim 8, marked by Realization of the directional characteristic by the receiver Arrangement of a geometric directional filter.