JP5380748B2 - Pinch detection device and electric door system for vehicle using the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a pinch detection device for an electric door mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile and an electric door system for a vehicle using the same, and more particularly to a cord switch having both a contact sensor unit and a non-contact sensor unit. The present invention relates to a pinching detection device used and an electric door system for a vehicle using the same.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an electric door system for a vehicle mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, when an electric door such as a slide door is closed, a human body or an object (hereinafter referred to as a human body) is caught. A pinch detection device is provided for detecting contact with the door. When the pinch detection device detects that the electric door is in contact with the closing door, the pinch detection device stops the electric door closing operation. After that, by controlling the electric door to open, the electric door is prevented from being caught and safety is improved.

  Such pinch detection devices include an indirect detection method and a direct detection method. The indirect detection method monitors the operation information (rotation position, rotation speed, etc.) of the drive motor of the electric door and the current value of the motor operating in PWM (Pulse Width Modulation, pulse width modulation). This is a method of detecting pinching by a change that occurs in the current value. The direct detection method is a method in which a cord switch having a contact sensor unit is provided at the tip of the electric door, and pinching is detected by contact of a human body or the like with the contact sensor unit.

  The indirect detection method detects pinching based on the operation information of the drive motor of the electric door and the current value of the motor, so it is difficult to detect pinching with a low load and early.

  On the other hand, the direct detection method uses a cord switch having a contact-type sensor portion provided at the tip of an electric door that is electrically closed, and its shape is deformed when a human body or the like contacts and presses. This is a method for detecting pinching of a human body or the like by detecting the electrical resistance that changes in (see, for example, Patent Document 1). That is, since pinching is directly detected by contact with a human body or the like, pinching can be detected early. As a result, the pinching load is also reduced, and the method is more reliable than the indirect detection method.

  However, this direct detection method has the following problems. In the first place, a cord switch having a contact-type sensor unit detects pinching of a human body or the like by pressing of a contacted human body or the like, and depending on the pressed state, it may not respond even if a relatively large pressure is applied. It is a problem that there is.

  To solve this problem, pinching detection is provided with a cord switch that also has a non-contact type sensor unit that detects pinching by detecting a change in capacitance due to the approach of a human body or the like while holding the contact type sensor unit. An apparatus is known (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

  FIG. 10 shows a configuration diagram of a conventional example regarding a pinch detection device using a cord switch having both a contact sensor unit and a non-contact sensor unit.

  In FIG. 10, the pinching detection device 100 includes a cord switch 120, a detection circuit 130, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 140, and a door drive motor unit 150.

  The code switch 120 includes at least electrode lines 121 and 122 related to the contact sensor unit and a capacitance detection electrode line 123 related to the non-contact sensor unit. That is, the pinch detection device 100 changes its shape by pressing the code switch 120, and as a result, the electrical resistance changes due to a short circuit between the electrode wires 121 and 122, and the changed electrical Between the capacitance detection electrode line 123 and the electrode lines 121 and 122 that change when the human body or the like approaches the code switch 120 by the contact-type detection function that detects pinching of the human body or the like by detecting resistance. The non-contact detection function for detecting the pinching of the human body or the like is detected by detecting the electrostatic capacity.

  The detection circuit 130 is a measurement for detecting a change in capacitance formed between the capacitance detection electrode line 123 and the electrode lines 121 and 122 when a detection target such as a human body approaches the code switch 120. A circuit 132 is provided. The measurement circuit 132 is, for example, a method for measuring a change in the oscillation frequency when an object to be detected approaches using an oscillation circuit, or a method for measuring a change in charge amount using a charge amplifier as another example. There is also.

  Thus, when the pinch detection device 100 has a non-contact sensor unit, the code switch 120 can inevitably be directly connected to the ECU 140 because the measurement circuit 132 must detect a change in capacitance. First, the connection is made via the detection circuit 130.

  By the way, regarding the installation interval of the cord switch 120 and the detection circuit 130, the environment of electromagnetic noise in an automobile is generally poor, and if the cord switch 120 and the detection circuit 130 are installed in a remote place, a connection line 231 through which a weak measurement signal passes. As a result, electromagnetic noise is likely to ride and measurement accuracy is reduced. For this reason, in order to make the detection circuit 130 less susceptible to electromagnetic noise, it is desirable to place the detection circuit 130 in the immediate vicinity of the cord switch 120 as described in Patent Document 3. On the other hand, regarding the installation interval between the detection circuit 130 and the ECU 140, the detection circuit 130 is installed in a place distant from the viewpoint of installation space and aesthetics, but a weak measurement signal flowing through the connection line 231 is detected by the detection circuit 130. After being amplified and signal processed by the above, the transmission signal is transmitted to the ECU 140 as a transmission signal, so that the influence of electromagnetic noise is small, and there is no restriction on the installation interval as in the case of the code switch 120 and the detection circuit 130 described above.

  A transmission signal transmitted from the detection circuit 130 to the ECU 140 indicates a contact detection signal indicating that the contact sensor unit has detected a human body or the like being detected, and a non-contact sensor unit has detected a human body or the like being detected. These are non-contact detection signals, which are sent to a controller provided in the ECU 140 through a contact detection signal line 114 and a non-contact detection signal line 115.

  Further, the ECU 140 is connected to the detection circuit 130 through the power supply line 113 and the ground line 112 in order to give a power supply and a ground potential to the detection circuit 130.

  The controller provided in the ECU 140 controls the motor in the door drive motor unit 150 based on the contact detection signal transmitted by the contact detection signal line 114 or the non-contact detection signal transmitted by the non-contact detection signal line 115, and the human body. When pinching such as is detected, the operation of the motor is reversed and the pinching is released.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 97-21235 JP 2007-123202 A US Pat. No. 6,750,624

  In the pinching detection device using a cord switch having both a conventional contact sensor unit and a non-contact sensor unit, as shown in FIG. 10, a detection circuit 130 and an ECU 140 are connected to a contact detection signal line 114, a ground line 112, The power switch 113 and the non-contact detection signal line 115 are connected by a total of four connection lines. The cord switch having only the non-contact type sensor unit described in Patent Document 1 is connected to the ECU by two connection lines. Compared to the connection, two connection lines are added.

  As a result, the pinch detection device 100 using the cord switch 120 having both the conventional contact sensor unit and the non-contact sensor unit as shown in FIG. 10 has only the contact sensor unit as described in Patent Document 1. Compared with the pinch detection device using the cord switch, the connection between the detection circuit 130 and the ECU 140 has a problem that the manufacturing cost (raw material, manufacturing man-hour) increases by two connection lines. In addition, there is a problem that there is a high possibility that a problem such as disconnection occurs due to the large number of connection lines.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem, and to have a contact sensor unit and a non-contact sensor unit, and to be able to reduce the manufacturing cost, and a pinch detection device and a vehicle electric door system using the same Is to provide.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a contact sensor unit having at least two electrode lines and a non-contact type having at least one capacitance detection electrode line that forms a capacitance between the electrode lines. A cord switch having both a sensor type sensor unit, a detection circuit electrically connected to the contact type sensor unit and the non-contact type sensor unit, and a distance between the detection circuit, the electrode line and the capacitance detection the connecting line of the small number than the total number of electrode lines, and an electronic control unit which is the detection circuit electrically connected, Ri Tona, said sensing circuit, between the electrode line and the capacitive sensing electrode line A signal processing circuit for detecting a change in capacitance is provided, the signal processing circuit and the contact sensor unit are electrically connected in parallel, the number of the connection lines is two, and the two electrodes When the wire is short-circuited, Each time, when the amount of change in capacitance between the electrode line and the capacitive sensing electrode line exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the entrapment potential difference between the two connecting lines, characterized in that the same value A detection device is provided.

  In the present invention, one of the two connection lines is a ground line for supplying a ground potential to the detection circuit, and the other is a signal power supply combined line for supplying power to the detection circuit, An electronic control unit provides a pinching detection device characterized in that pinching is determined based on the voltage of the signal power source combination line.

  Further, according to the present invention, the detection circuit includes a short-circuit unit for short-circuiting the signal processing circuit, and the signal processing circuit includes a data portion that stores a threshold value, the capacitance detection electrode line, and the electrode line. A determination unit that compares the amount of change in capacitance with the threshold value, and the determination unit outputs a short-circuit command signal to the short-circuit means when the amount of change in capacitance is greater than the threshold value. And the said short circuit means provides the pinching detection apparatus characterized by short-circuiting the said signal processing circuit based on the said short circuit command signal.

  In addition, the present invention provides a pinching detection device characterized in that the voltage of the signal power supply combination line becomes substantially 0 (V) due to a short circuit of the two electrode lines and a short circuit of the signal processing circuit. .

  In addition, the present invention provides a pinch detection device, wherein the short-circuit means is a semiconductor element electrically connected to the signal processing circuit.

  Further, the present invention provides a pinching detection device, wherein the semiconductor element short-circuits the signal power supply combined line and the ground line based on the short-circuit command signal.

  Moreover, the present invention is an electric door system for a vehicle using the pinching detection device according to any one of the above, wherein the code switch is installed on an end surface of the electric sliding door provided in the vehicle in the closing operation direction, and the detection circuit Is provided adjacent to the code switch, or the detection circuit and the code switch are integrally formed.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the pinching detection apparatus which has both a contact-type sensor part and a non-contact-type sensor part, and can aim at reduction of manufacturing cost, and the electric door system for vehicles using this are obtained.

It is a figure which shows the pinching detection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the electrical connection structure of the pinching detection apparatus shown in FIG. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the structure of the electric circuit of the pinching detection apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the operation state of the pinching detection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the operation state of the pinching detection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the signal processing circuit in the detection circuit which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the operation state of the pinching detection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the operation state of the pinching detection apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure showing the electric door system for vehicles concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a block diagram of the door system which has the contact detection function and non-contact detection function of a prior art example.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Configuration of pinch detection device]
FIG. 1 shows a pinch detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. A pinch detection device 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a cord switch 2, a detection circuit 3, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 4 that is an electronic control unit.

  The code switch 2 includes electrode lines 21 and 22 and a capacitance detection electrode line 23.

  The electrode wires 21 and 22 are connected via a current adjusting resistor 24 at the end on the side where the cord switch 2 is not connected to the detection circuit 3. With this configuration, when the cord switch 2 is pressed, the electrode wire 21 and the electrode wire 22 come into contact with each other, and a short-circuit between the two electrode wires has a contact detection function for detecting a detected body such as a human body. In this way, a contact sensor unit having two electrode lines of the electrode line 21 and the electrode line 22 is configured.

  The capacitance detection electrode line 23 is provided inside the cord switch 2 in parallel with the electrode wires 21 and 22 along the longitudinal direction of the cord switch 2, and forms a capacitance between the capacitance detection electrode wire 23 and the electrode wires 21 and 22. . The capacitance changes when a conductive object to be detected, particularly a human body, approaches the code switch 2. By reading this change, it is possible to detect a human body even when it is not in contact.

  As described above, the capacitance detection electrode line 23 has a non-contact detection function capable of detecting a human body without actually contacting by forming a capacitance between the electrode lines 21 and 22. As described above, the non-contact sensor unit is configured by the capacitance detection electrode wire 23 that forms a capacitance between the electrode wires 21 and 22.

  The cord switch 2 is electrically connected to the detection circuit 3 through a total of three connection lines, that is, the electrode wires 21 and 22 constituting the contact type sensor unit and the capacitance detection electrode line 23 constituting the non-contact type sensor unit. .

  On the other hand, the detection circuit 3 is configured to be electrically connected to the ECU 4 through two connection lines of the signal power combined line 11 and the ground line 12. The signal power combined line 11 supplies power supplied to the ECU 4 to the detection circuit 3 with a connection configuration described in detail later, and supplies a voltage serving as a reference for determination of pinching. In the present embodiment, as will be described in detail later, a voltage serving as a reference for pinching determination can be defined as a signal for pinching detection. Therefore, since the signal for detecting the pinching and the power supply to the detection circuit 3 are performed, the name of the signal power source combination line is used.

  The ECU 4 determines whether the detected body such as the human body is caught based on the detected body such as the human body detected by the contact sensor unit or the non-contact sensor unit. As shown in FIG. 1, the ECU 4 is connected to a door drive motor unit 15 for opening and closing an electric slide door provided in, for example, a vehicle. When the ECU 4 detects that the object to be detected such as a human body is caught, the ECU 4 sends a command to the door drive motor unit 15 to cause the electric sliding door to close or stop to reverse, or to reverse the opening operation. The operation | movement which avoids pinching of a detection body can be performed.

(Electrical connection configuration)
FIG. 2 shows an electrical connection configuration of the pinch detection device according to the embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the electrical connection configuration of the pinch detection device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  The code switch 2 includes electrode lines 21 and 22 and a capacitance detection electrode line 23, and the electrode line 21 and the electrode line 22 are connected via a current adjusting resistor 24, and the capacitance detection electrode line 23 and the electrode line 21 are connected. , 22 as described with reference to FIG.

  Here, for convenience of explanation, a switch 25 is provided between the electrode line 21 and the electrode line 22 in order to indicate that the electrode line 21 and the electrode line 22 are brought into contact with each other by a contact of a body to be detected such as a human body. The explanation will proceed assuming that it exists. That is, the state in which the switch 25 is closed is described as a state in which the electrode wires 21 and 22 are short-circuited, and the actual cord switch 2 is not provided with the switch 25. Further, the capacitance formed between the electrode wires 21 and 22 and the capacitance detection electrode wire 23 will be described as a capacitance forming portion 26.

  In order to more clearly show the electrical connection configuration, the connection point between the electrode line 21 and the switch 25 is c1, the connection point between the electrode line 21 and the current adjustment resistor 24 is c2, and the current adjustment resistor 24 is A connection point between the electrode line 22 and the connection point between the switch 25 and the electrode line 22 is defined as a point c4.

  The detection circuit 3 includes a power supply unit 31, a signal processing circuit 32, and a transistor 33 that is a semiconductor element. The power supply unit 31 and the signal processing circuit 32 are electrically connected in series. The detection circuit 3 also includes detection circuit main lines 34 and 35, and the signal processing circuit 32 electrically connected in series with the power supply unit 31 at one end is connected at the other end not connected to the power supply unit 31. The detection circuit main line 35 is connected to the point b3. The transistor 33 is also connected to the detection circuit main line 35 at the point b5. The transistor 33, the power supply unit 31 and the signal processing circuit 32 that are electrically connected in series are electrically connected in parallel at points b2 and b4 in the drawing. The points b2 and b4 electrically connected in parallel are connected to the detection circuit main line 34 at the point b1.

  On the other hand, the signal processing circuit 32 is electrically connected to the transistor 33. The transistor 33 is a semiconductor element and performs an on / off operation according to a command from the signal processing circuit 32. When the transistor 33 is in the off state, no electric flow is generated from the point b4 to the point b5, but in the on state, the point b4 and the point b5 are conductive.

  The ECU 4 includes a controller 41, a power source 42, and an ECU resistor 43. In the present embodiment, the type of the power source 42 is not particularly limited, but a regulator with a small voltage drop is suitable. In order to supply power to the power source 42, the ECU 4 is provided with a battery 44.

  The power source 42 and the ECU resistor 43 are electrically connected in series. The controller 41 is connected in parallel with the ECU resistor 43 at point A in the other end of the ECU resistor 43 that is electrically connected in series with the power source 42 at one end. The controller 41 determines whether the detected body such as a human body is caught from the voltage at the point A by the action described later. When the pinching is determined, the controller 41 issues a pinching avoidance operation command to the door drive motor unit 15.

  That is, the controller 41 in the ECU 4 that determines pinching from the voltage at the point A constitutes pinching detection means.

  In FIG. 2, the cord switch 2 and the detection circuit 3 are connected by three connection lines of an electrode line 21, an electrode line 22, and a capacitance detection electrode line 23. In each of these three connection lines, the electrode line 21 is connected to the detection circuit main line 34, the electrode line 22 is connected to the detection circuit main line 35, and the capacitance detection electrode line 23 is electrically connected to the signal processing circuit 32. .

  On the other hand, the detection circuit 3 and the ECU 4 are connected by the two connection lines of the signal power source combined line 11 and the ground line 12.

  In the present embodiment, such an electrical connection configuration is possible because the contact sensor unit and the signal processing circuit 32 are electrically connected in parallel.

  FIG. 3 shows a conceptual diagram of an electric circuit of the pinch detection device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the pinching detection device 1 a according to the present embodiment has an ECU 4 as a starting point, electrode lines 21 and 22 constituting a contact sensor unit at points b1 and b5 of the detection circuit 3, and signals The processing circuit 32 is electrically connected in parallel.

  In the present embodiment, the electrical connection configuration allows two connection lines between the ECU 4 and the detection circuit 3 to be provided.

[Operation of pinching detection device]
Hereinafter, the operation of the pinch detection device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Normal operation)
FIG. 4 shows the normal operation of the pinch detection device 1 according to the present embodiment. In the pinching detection device 1 shown in FIG. 4, electric power is supplied from a battery 44 connected to the ECU 4. The electric power supplied from the battery 44 passes through the power source 42 and the ECU resistor 43, passes through the point A, and is supplied to the signal power source combined line 11. The power supplied to the signal power combined line 11 is supplied to the detection circuit main line 34 and supplied to the point b1.

  The power supplied to the point b1 is branched and supplied to the contact sensor unit electrically connected in parallel as described above and the signal processing circuit 32 provided in the detection circuit 3. That is, the power supplied to the point b1 is supplied to the electrode line 21 and the detection circuit 3.

  In a normal state, the electrode line 21 and the electrode line 22 are not short-circuited, that is, the switch 25 is not closed in FIG. 4, so that the current supplied to the electrode line 21 has a point c1. Pass and reach point c2. The current reaching the point c2 passes through the current adjusting resistor 24 and is supplied to the electrode line 22 at the point c3.

  In the detection circuit 3, the transistor 33 is in an off state in a normal state, that is, in a state where a detection target such as a human body is not detected. That is, no current flows from point b4 to point b5. Therefore, the current branched and supplied to the detection circuit 3 at the point b1 cannot flow to the point b4, passes through the point b2, and is supplied to the point b3 through the power supply unit 31 and the signal processing circuit 32. . Point b3 is a connection point with the detection circuit main line 35. Since the detection circuit main line 35 is connected to the electrode line 22, the current that has passed through the contact sensor unit and the current that has passed through the detection circuit 3 are merged and supplied to the ground line 12 at point b 3. .

  The voltage at point A in the ECU 4 during normal operation is as follows.

  For example, the power source 42 provided in the ECU 4 is a regulator with a small voltage drop, and the battery 44 that supplies power to the power source 42 is approximately 12V. R1 which is the ECU resistor 43 is set to 100Ω, and R2 which is the current adjusting resistor 24 is set to 200Ω.

In the detection circuit 3, when the voltage of the power supply unit 31 that supplies power to the signal processing circuit 32 is a 5V system and the current consumption is 30 mA, the resistance R _dt between the points b2 and b3 in the detection circuit 3 is as follows. Become.
R _dt = V / I = 5/30 × 10 ⁻³ = 167Ω (1)

Then, based on FIG. 3, since the points b1 and b5 are connected in parallel, the combined resistance _Rcom between the points b1 and b5 is as follows.
_{R com = 1 / ((1} / R dt) + (1 / R2)) = 1 / ((1/167) + (1/200)) ≒ 91Ω (2)

Further, referring to FIG. 3, since R1 and _{R com} are in series, the voltage _{V A} at point A in ECU4 the normal, as follows based on the voltage of the battery 44.
V _A = V × (R _com / (R1 + R _com )) = 12 × (91 / (91 + 100)) = 5.71≈6V.

  That is, in the present embodiment, approximately 6 V is supplied at point A during normal operation. Therefore, the controller 41 does not detect pinching while approximately 6 V is maintained at the point A.

  The above combinations of operating voltage, operating current, and resistance value are merely examples, and other combinations may be used as long as a significant voltage can be realized at point A during normal operation.

(Contact detection operation)
The operation when the pinching detection device according to the present embodiment detects pinching by contact detection will be described with reference to FIG.

  The case where pinching is detected by contact detection is a state in which the cord switch 2 is pressed and the electrode wire 21 and the electrode wire 22 are short-circuited. That is, the switch 25 provided in the cord switch 2 shown in FIG. 5 is closed.

  When the switch 25 is closed, there is no resistance between the point c1 and the point c4. Therefore, during the normal operation, the current supplied from the point c2 to the point c3 via the current adjusting resistor 24 is changed from the point c1 to the point c4. Will be supplied to the point.

Moreover, current that has branched from the point b1 in the normal operation within the detection circuit 3 also, since there is no resistance between c1 point -c4 points, without branching to the detection circuit 3 having a resistance R _dt, all Current is supplied to the point c1.

  Then, all of the current supplied through the power source 42 and the ECU resistor 43 passes through the point b1, flows from the point c1 to the point c4, passes through the point c3 to the point b3, and the point b5, and is supplied to the ground line 12. Will be.

  That is, when the contact detection detects a short circuit between the electrode wire 21 and the electrode wire 22 (the switch 25 is closed in FIG. 5), the circuit resistance of the pinching detection device 1 becomes approximately 0Ω. Then, from V = I × R, no voltage is generated unless there is a resistance, so the voltage at point A in the ECU 4 is approximately 0V.

  Thus, in the present embodiment, the point A is on the signal power source combined line 11, and the voltage at the point A becomes substantially 0V due to the short circuit of the electrode lines 21 and 22 by the contact detection. Then, when the voltage at the point A changes from approximately 6V to approximately 0V, the controller 41 in the ECU 4 determines that the pinch has occurred.

  Here, if the voltage at the point A is defined as the output of the detection circuit 3, the controller 41 in the ECU 4, which is an electronic control unit, is configured to determine pinching according to the output of the detection circuit 3. That is, in the present embodiment, the electronic control unit determines the pinching according to the output of the detection circuit.

  Further, when the electrode wire 21 and the electrode wire 22 are short-circuited by contact detection, the signal power supply combined line 11 and the ground wire 12 are short-circuited as described above. At this time, the voltage at point A on the signal power combined line 11 is approximately 0 V, which is equal to the voltage of the ground line 12. That is, in the present embodiment, the signal power combined line 11 and the ground line 12 which are two connection lines connecting the detection circuit 3 and the ECU 4 which is an electronic control unit are connected to the electrode line 21 and the electrode line 22 by contact detection. When the two are short-circuited, the potential difference between the signal power combined line 11 and the ground line 12 becomes the same value.

  After the pinch determination, as in the conventional example, the controller 41 gives a command to the door drive motor unit, for example, and the electric slide door is stopped and the predetermined operation is performed to open.

(Non-contact detection operation)
The non-contact detection operation of the pinch detection device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  When a human body (not shown), which is a detection target, approaches the code switch 2, the capacitance value formed between the capacitance detection electrode line 23 and the electrode lines 21 and 22 changes due to the proximity of the human body. In the present embodiment, when the amount of change exceeds a predetermined threshold, the signal processing circuit 32 in the detection circuit 3 turns on the transistor 33 in the detection circuit 3.

  FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of the signal processing circuit 32 that turns on the transistor 33 due to the proximity of the human body that is the detection target.

  The signal processing circuit 32 illustrated in FIG. 6 includes a data unit 321 and a determination unit 322. The data unit 321 and the determination unit 322 are connected within the signal processing circuit 32.

  One of the determination units 322 is connected to the capacitance detection electrode line 23 and the other is connected to the transistor 33. The capacitance detection electrode line 23 forms a capacitance between the electrode wires 21 and 22 to form a capacitance forming portion 26.

  The operation of the signal processing circuit 32 in the present embodiment is as follows.

A capacitance signal S201 is input to the determination unit 322 from the capacitance forming unit 26 formed on the capacitance detection electrode line 23 connected to the determination unit 322. Meanwhile, with the determination threshold _{S ts} connected data unit 321 to the determination unit 322 sandwiching outputs the pinching determination threshold _{S ts} to the determination unit 322.

The decision unit 322, the capacitance signal S201 input from the capacitance forming section 26, a comparison of the pinching determination threshold S _ts is outputted from the data unit 321 performs. As a result of the comparison, if S201 is equal to or less than _Sts , the determination unit 322 does not determine pinching. On the other hand, when S201 is larger than _Sts , the determination unit 322 determines pinching and issues a short-circuit command signal S301 for turning on the transistor 33 to the transistor 33.

  The operation of the pinch detection circuit 1 when the determination unit 322 issues a short-circuit command signal S301 toward the transistor 33 and the transistor 33 is turned on will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 7, when the transistor 33 is turned on, a current flows between the points b4 and b5. Because between b4 point and b5 points not resistance is present, the transistor 33 is turned on, no current flows to the point b2 -b3 point having a resistance R _dt, all the current supplied from the point b1 b4 points Then, it is supplied to the point b5 through the transistor 33.

  Further, since the current branched from the b1 point to the electrode wire 21 constituting the contact sensor unit during the normal operation also has no resistance between the b4 point and the b5 point, the cord switch 2 having the current adjusting resistor R2 Without branching, all currents are supplied from point b1 to point b4.

  Then, all of the current supplied through the power source 42 and the ECU resistor 43 passes through the point b1, flows from the point b4 to the point b5, and is supplied to the ground line 12.

  That is, in the present embodiment, the transistor 33 constitutes a short-circuit means for short-circuiting the signal processing circuit 32 according to a command issued from the signal processing circuit 32.

  Further, when the signal processing circuit 32 is short-circuited by the transistor 33 which is a short-circuit means, the circuit resistance of the pinching detection device 1 becomes almost 0Ω. Then, from V = I × R, no voltage is generated unless there is a resistance, so the voltage at point A in the ECU 4 is approximately 0V.

  Thus, in the present embodiment, the point A is on the signal power supply combined line 11, and the voltage at the point A becomes substantially 0V due to the short circuit of the signal processing circuit 32 by the non-contact detection. Then, when the voltage at the point A changes from approximately 6V to approximately 0V, the controller 41 in the ECU 4 determines that the pinch has occurred.

  Here, if the voltage at the point A is defined as the output of the detection circuit 3, the controller 41 in the ECU 4, which is an electronic control unit, is configured to determine pinching according to the output of the detection circuit 3. That is, in the present embodiment, the electronic control unit determines the pinching according to the output of the detection circuit.

  Further, when the signal processing circuit 32 is short-circuited by non-contact detection, the signal power supply combined line 11 and the ground line 12 are short-circuited as described above. At this time, the voltage at point A on the signal power combined line 11 is approximately 0 V, which is equal to the voltage of the ground line 12. That is, in the present embodiment, the signal power circuit combined line 11 and the ground line 12 which are two connection lines connecting the detection circuit 3 and the ECU 4 which is an electronic control unit are short-circuited by the non-contact detection. By doing so, the potential difference between the signal power supply combined line 11 and the ground line 12 becomes the same value.

  After the pinch determination, as in the conventional example, the controller 41 gives a command to the door drive motor unit, for example, and the electric slide door is stopped and the predetermined operation is performed to open.

  As another embodiment of the present invention, the transistor 33 may be another three-terminal semiconductor device as long as the signal processing circuit 32 can perform on / off switching.

(Disconnection detection operation)
It is important that an electronic device, particularly a safety-related device, can be diagnosed as to whether it is in a normal state or a failure state. In the pinch detection device according to the embodiment of the present invention, an effect of detecting disconnection of the cord switch 2 is also obtained.

  The disconnection detection operation in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 8, when the cord switch 2 is disconnected, the supply of current to the current adjusting resistor 24 R2 is cut off via the points c1 and c2. If it does so, the electric current supplied via the power supply 42 and ECU resistance 43 will not be branched by the b1 point, but all will be supplied from the b2 point to the b3 point.

Here, since there is a resistance R _dt = 167Ω between the points b2 and b3, the voltage at the point A in this case is as follows.
V _A = V × (R _dt / (R 1 + R _dt )) = 12 × (167 / (100 + 167)) = 7.51≈8V

  That is, the potential at point A changes from approximately 6V to approximately 8V. By monitoring this with the controller 41, it is possible to determine that the cord switch 2 is broken.

  In a disconnected state, the door is controlled so that it cannot be operated electrically, thereby improving safety.

[Embodiment as a vehicle door system]
As a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 shows a configuration of a vehicle electric door system in which the above-described pinching detection device 1 is incorporated in a vehicle. The vehicle electric door system 5 shown in FIG. 9 is configured by incorporating the pinching detection device 1 into a vehicle 51 including an opening 53 and a slide door 52.

  The opening 53 is provided on the side surface of the vehicle 51. A side surface of the vehicle 51 is provided with a door rail 54 adjacent to the opening 53 and formed in the front-rear direction (the left-right direction in the drawing) of the vehicle 51. The sliding door 52 is engaged with the door rail 54, guided by the door rail 54, moves the side surface of the vehicle 51 in the front-rear direction (the left-right direction in the drawing), and opens and closes the opening 53.

  A cable 55 is connected to the slide door 52 from the front-rear direction of the vehicle 51. The cable 55 is routed through pulleys 56, 56 disposed at both ends of the door rail 54 and connected to the door drive motor unit 15. The door drive motor unit 15 drives the cable 55 to cause the slide door 52 to open and close.

  A cord switch 2 having substantially the same length as the height of the slide door 52 (the vertical width in the figure) is attached to the left end surface of the slide door 52 in the figure. The code switch 2 includes electrode lines 21 and 22 and a capacitance detection electrode line 23 having substantially the same length as the code switch 2.

  A detection circuit 3 is attached to the lower end of the cord switch 2 adjacent to the cord switch 2 or integrally formed with the cord switch 2.

  The detection circuit 3 is connected to an ECU 4 installed inside the vehicle body by a signal power combined line 11 and a ground line 12. The ECU 4 is connected to the battery 44 for power supply, and includes a power supply 42 that supplies the power supplied from the battery 44 to the detection device 1, an ECU resistor 43, and a controller 41. The controller 41 is connected to the door drive motor unit 15.

(Operation of electric door system for vehicles)
The operation of the vehicle electric door system 5 according to the present embodiment is as follows.

  (1) When the door drive motor unit 15 drives the cable 55 and moves the slide door 52 in the forward direction along the side surface of the vehicle 51, that is, in the left direction in the figure, if no pinching is detected, The provided controller 41 does not issue any command to the door drive motor unit 15. Accordingly, the door drive motor unit 15 continues to drive the cable 55 and moves the slide door 52 in the forward direction of the vehicle 51.

  (2) In the process in which the slide door 52 moves in the forward direction of the vehicle 51, when a detected body such as a human body is present in the forward direction of the slide door 52 and the code switch 2 is pressed, the electrode wires 21, 22 A short circuit occurs. Alternatively, a change occurs in the capacitance formed between the capacitance detection electrode line 23 and the electrode lines 21 and 22.

  (3) When a short circuit occurs in the electrode lines 21 and 22, or when the amount of change in the capacitance formed between the capacitance detection electrode line 23 and the electrode lines 21 and 22 exceeds a predetermined threshold, the ECU 4 A drop occurs in the voltage at point A. More specifically, the voltage at point A is approximately 0V.

  (4) When the controller 41 in the ECU 4 detects a voltage drop at the point A, the controller 41 detects a human body or the like being caught. The controller 41 that has detected the pinching issues a command to the door drive motor unit 15 to stop the slide door 52 by stopping the motor, and further perform the reversing operation of the slide door 52 by reverse rotation of the motor to avoid pinching.

(Effect of electric door system for vehicles)
A test for detecting an object and a human body was performed using the vehicle electric door system 5 according to the present embodiment.

(1) Contact type detection During the closing operation of the electric sliding door, a wooden rod (diameter 5 mm) was advanced in front of the closing operation direction. In this case, the electric door stopped and turned over when the rod contacted the cord switch 2 and the predetermined pressure was reached, and the result was good.

(2) Non-contact detection While the electric sliding door is in the closing operation, the finger is moved forward in the closing operation direction. In this case, the electric door stopped and reversed immediately before the finger touched the cord switch 2, and the result was good.

  From the results of the above tests, the vehicle electric door system 5 according to the present embodiment operated satisfactorily, and the object and the human body were detected reliably and early, and the pinching of the human body and the like could be reliably avoided.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the cord switch 2 having substantially the same length as the height of the slide door 52 is attached, and the electrode wires 21 and 22 having substantially the same length as the cord switch 2 are attached to the cord switch 2. And a capacitance detection electrode line 23 is provided. For this reason, the pinching of the sliding door 52, which is a problem, is reliably detected by contact or non-contact on the left end surface of the sliding door 52 in the drawing, that is, the end surface where the opening 53 and the sliding door 52 are closed. It becomes possible.

  In the present embodiment, since the code switch 2 and the detection circuit 3 are adjacent to each other or integrally formed, the cord switch 2 and the detection circuit 3 are not easily affected by electromagnetic noise generated by the vehicle, and the pinch detection accuracy is improved. be able to.

  Further, in the present embodiment, since the detection circuit 3 and the ECU 4 are connected by only two connection lines of the signal power supply combined line 11 and the ground line 12, the detection circuit is not increased in diameter and the like. Even if the ECU 3 and the ECU 4 are installed away from each other, the cost can be kept low, and the reduction in work efficiency can be prevented.

  As mentioned above, although each embodiment of the present invention was described, each embodiment described above does not limit the invention concerning a claim. In addition, it should be noted that not all the combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential for the means for solving the problems of the invention.

  For example, in each embodiment of the present invention, description has been made using a cord switch including a contact sensor unit and a non-contact sensor unit. However, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this, and as long as the contact sensor unit and the signal processing circuit are electrically connected in parallel in the detection circuit, a plurality of contact sensor units and a plurality of sensor units The non-contact type sensor unit may be combined. Further, a connection line that is desired to contribute to detection of pinching may be included (having three or more connection lines) (corresponding to a dummy line).

  Furthermore, as long as the contact sensor unit and the signal processing circuit are electrically connected in parallel in the detection circuit, a conventional contact detection code switch ECU can be used as the ECU. Can be shared.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Pinching detection apparatus, 2 ... Code switch, 3 ... Detection circuit, 4 ... ECU, 5 ... Electric door system for vehicles, 11 ... Signal power line, 12 ... Ground wire, 15 ... Door drive motor unit, 21 and 22 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Electrode wire, 23 ... Capacitance detection electrode wire, 24 ... Current adjustment resistor, 25 ... Switch, 26 ... Electrostatic capacitance forming part, 31 ... Power supply part, 32 ... Signal processing circuit, 33 ... Transistor, 34, 35 ... Detection Circuit main line, 41 ... Controller, 42 ... Power supply, 43 ... ECU resistance, 44 ... Battery, 51 ... Vehicle, 52 ... Slide door, 53 ... Opening, 54 ... Door rail, 55 ... Cable, 56 ... Pulley, 321 ... Data part 322, determination unit, S201, capacitance sensor signal, S301, short-circuit command signal.

Claims (7)

A cord switch having a contact sensor unit having at least two electrode wires and a non-contact sensor unit having at least one capacitance detection electrode wire forming a capacitance between the electrode wires;
A detection circuit electrically connected to the contact sensor unit and the non-contact sensor unit;
An electronic control unit that is installed apart from the detection circuit, and is electrically connected to the detection circuit by a connection line that is less than the total number of the electrode lines and the capacitance detection electrode lines;
Tona is,
The detection circuit includes a signal processing circuit that detects a change in capacitance between the capacitance detection electrode line and the electrode line,
The signal processing circuit and the contact sensor unit are electrically connected in parallel,
There are two connection lines,
When the two electrode lines are short-circuited, and when the amount of change in capacitance between the capacitance detection electrode line and the electrode line exceeds a predetermined threshold, the potential difference between the two connection lines The pinch detection device is characterized by having the same value . Of the two connection lines, one is a ground line that provides a ground potential to the detection circuit, and the other is a signal power line that supplies power to the detection circuit,
The pinching detection device according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit determines pinching based on a voltage of the signal power source combined line. The detection circuit includes short-circuit means for short-circuiting the signal processing circuit,
The signal processing circuit includes a data unit that stores a threshold value, and a determination unit that compares the threshold value with the amount of change in capacitance between the capacitance detection electrode line and the electrode line,
The determination unit outputs a short-circuit command signal to the short-circuit means when the amount of change in capacitance is larger than the threshold value.
The pinching detection device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the short-circuit means short-circuits the signal processing circuit based on the short-circuit command signal. The pinching detection device according to claim 3 , wherein the voltage of the signal power supply combined line becomes substantially 0 (V) due to a short circuit of the two electrode lines and a short circuit of the signal processing circuit. The pinch detection device according to claim 3 or 4 , wherein the short-circuit means is a semiconductor element electrically connected to the signal processing circuit. 6. The pinch detection device according to claim 5 , wherein the semiconductor element short-circuits the signal power supply combined line and the ground line based on the short-circuit command signal. It is an electric door system for vehicles using the pinching detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the code switch is installed on an end surface of the electric sliding door provided in the vehicle in the closing operation direction, and the detection circuit is An electric door system for a vehicle, wherein the electric door system is installed adjacent to the code switch, or the detection circuit and the code switch are integrally formed.

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