A novel electric strut is disclosed, including an electric strut casing in which a supporting pipe casing is sleeved. A supporting pipe is installed in the supporting pipe casing, a screw rod has a front end connected with the rear end of the supporting pipe, a front end of the supporting pipe is connected with a ball-and-socket joint, a special-shaped conduit is sleeved outside the screw rod and located in the electric strut casing, a spring is sleeved on surfaces of the supporting pipe and the special-shaped conduit, an adjustable damper is mounted at a tail portion of the screw rod, a motor is mounted in the electric strut casing at a rear end of the screw rod and connected with the screw rod, a rear end of the electric strut casing is sealed through an integrated motor joint integrally fixed to a tail portion of the motor.

A stopping apparatus includes a drum that rotates in a first rotation direction during opening of a back door and rotates in a second rotation direction during closing of the back door; a locking member that shifts between a locking position where the locking member prevents the rotation of the drum in the first rotation direction and an unlocking position where the locking member allows the rotation of the drum in the first rotation direction; and a shifting mechanism to shift a position of the locking member from the unlocking position to the locking position when a shifting operation is performed in a situation where the locking member is located at the unlocking position, and maintain the position of the locking member at the locking position when the shifting operation is performed in a situation where the locking member is located at the locking position.

A vehicle opening and closing body control device includes: a control unit configured to control an opening and closing body drive device that drives an opening and closing body of a vehicle, and to cause the opening and closing body to open and close based on an operation request; a detection unit configured to detect an obstacle present around the opening and closing body based on a detection result of an obstacle sensor; and a setting unit configured to set a target stop position that is a position where the opening and closing body is near the obstacle based on a distance from the opening and closing body to the obstacle before operation of the opening and closing body is started. The control unit causes the opening and closing body to stop at the target stop position when the target stop position is set.

An opening structure includes a lower door having an upper end configured to be rotated and opened with respect to a lower surface of a vehicle body, a garnish unit located on a surface of the lower door, at least a portion of a lower end of the garnish unit configured to be tilted from the lower door, a driving unit extending in a longitudinal direction and configured to apply driving force to the lower door and the garnish unit, a first driver configured to tilt the garnish unit, a second driver configured to integrally pop up the tilted garnish unit and the lower door and to apply opening force thereto, and a hinge arm connecting the first driver and the second driver to each other.

A system for automatically closing a trunk lid of a vehicle. The system comprises a trunk sensor system configured for detecting items in a luggage trunk, a trunk lid actuator for automatic closing of the trunk lid, and a control unit connected to the trunk sensor system and to the trunk lid actuator. The control unit is arranged for statistically determining, based on a set of observations of a trunk interior space by means of the trunk sensor system in connection with termination of a set of vehicle travels, one or more items or combination of items that are frequently remaining in the luggage trunk after completed travel, while preferably taking into account the one or more items stored in the luggage trunk during the travel, detecting opening of the trunk lid, detecting current items in the luggage trunk by means of the trunk sensor system, and controlling the trunk lid actuator for automatic closing of the trunk lid when the current items correspond to said one or more items or combination of items that are frequently remaining in the luggage trunk after a journey. The disclosure also relates to a corresponding computer-implemented method for automatically closing a trunk lid of a vehicle luggage trunk.

A flexible coupling and an actuator for shaft-driven structures are provided. The flexible coupling includes a first half coupling, a second half coupling and a flexible member connected between the first half coupling and the second half coupling. One end face of the flexible member is provided with at least two connection portions extending along the axial direction. The first half coupling includes a support portion configured to support the radially inner surface of each connection portion and first transmission portions configured to fill circumferential gaps between the connection portions. The second half coupling includes second transmission portions equal in number to the connection portions. The second transmission portions cover radially outer side surfaces of the connection portions in a one-to-one manner. The flexible coupling can prevent the flexible member from being disengaged from between the two half couplings during operation. The actuator includes the preceding flexible coupling.

A vehicle operation detection device includes a storage unit configured to store a trained model obtained by machine learning using training data in which an image captured in advance and a body part used for a gesture of a user are associated with each other, an entry determination unit configured to determine whether, based on a position of the body part in the image obtained by inputting a newly captured image into the trained model, the body part enters a recognition area set in an imaging area of a camera, and a gesture determination unit configured to calculate a displacement vector of the body part based on images captured at a time interval after it is determined that the body part enters the recognition area, and determine, in accordance with whether a direction of the displacement vector is a direction corresponding to the gesture, whether the gesture is made.

An opening and closing body control apparatus for a vehicle includes an assist control portion configured to detect an operation of an opening and closing body of the vehicle by an operator or a user and control voltage applied to a motor serving as a drive source which applies a drive force to the opening and closing body during the operation of the opening and closing body by the operator or the user. The assist control portion applies an assist voltage and an offset voltage alternately to the motor to operate an assist control for applying the drive force to the opening and closing body. The assist voltage for rotating the motor at a rotation speed which corresponds to an operation speed of the opening and closing body and the offset voltage being lower than the assist voltage.

A drive arrangement configured to pivot a tailgate pivotally coupled to a vehicle body, between an open position and a closed position and including a freewheel mechanism, a drive shaft, and a motor. The freewheel mechanism may be rotatably coupled to the vehicle body and defining an opening provided with an inner periphery that includes a first cam element and a second cam element. The drive shaft may be fixed to the vehicle body and extending into the opening. The drive shaft may define an outer periphery that includes a third cam element and a fourth cam element. A motor may be coupled to the freewheel mechanism and may be configured to rotate the freewheel mechanism so that the first cam element engages the third cam element to pivot the tailgate from the closed position towards the open position.

A hinge includes: a vehicle body-side hinge member that includes a vehicle body attachment portion for attachment to a vehicle body; a back door-side hinge member that includes a door attachment portion for attachment to a back door and a coupling portion extending from the door attachment portion toward the vehicle body-side hinge member, the coupling portion including a reinforcing rib on both edges in a width direction intersecting an extension direction of the coupling portion; and a rotational support member that couples an end portion, at a side of the vehicle body-side hinge member, of the coupling portion together with the vehicle body-side hinge member, and that supports the vehicle body-side hinge member and the back door-side hinge member so as to allow relative rotation of the vehicle body-side hinge member and the back door-side hinge member.