Adjusting device

Abstract

An adjusting device for a vehicle part which is movable relative to a body of a vehicle, includes a drive arrangement having a drive unit and a movement state sensor, an adjusting element which is displaceable relative to the drive arrangement via the drive unit and a control unit for controlling the drive unit. The control unit is designed to actuate the drive unit according to an actual movement state. The disclosure also relates to a motor vehicle having a body and a vehicle part movable relative to the body, which part is equipped with an adjusting device.

Claims

1. Adjusting device for a vehicle part which is movable relative to a body of a vehicle, in particular a vehicle door or a vehicle tailgate, comprising: a drive arrangement having a drive unit and at least one movement state sensor for detecting a movement state of the drive unit and for outputting corresponding movement state signals, an adjusting element, which is displaceable relative to the drive arrangement via the drive unit, and a control unit, associated with the drive arrangement, for activating and deactivating the drive unit, wherein the control unit has a signal input to which the at least one movement state sensor is connected for transmitting the movement state signals to the control unit, and in that the control unit is configured to actuate the drive unit according to the actual movement state if the movement state signals transmitted to the control unit by the movement state sensor indicate an actual movement state of the drive unit which deviates from a target movement state, wherein the control unit is further configured to distinguish a movement pattern of a manual actuation of the vehicle part which is movable relative to the body of the vehicle from a movement pattern of a gravity-induced actuation of the vehicle part which is movable relative to the body of the vehicle, wherein as a distinguishing criterion an acceleration is used, with which the vehicle part which is movable relative to the body of the vehicle is set in motion, and wherein the control unit is further configured to only actuate the drive unit according to the actual movement state if a movement pattern of the actual movement state fulfils at least one predetermined condition with regard to the acceleration, which indicates the manual actuation of the vehicle part which is movable relative to the body of the vehicle.

2. Adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is designed to actuate the drive unit to assist the movement producing the actual movement state if the movement state signals transmitted to the control unit by the movement state sensor indicate an actual movement state of the drive unit which deviates from a target movement state.

3. Adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein a brake device is associated with the drive unit.

4. Adjusting device according to claim 3, wherein the brake device is a permanently acting brake device.

5. Adjusting device according to claim 3, wherein the brake device comprises a first brake element which rotates with a driven shaft of the drive unit and a second brake element which is arranged in a rotationally fixed manner on the drive arrangement, which first and second brake elements are in mutual frictional engagement.

6. Adjusting device according to claim 3, wherein the brake device comprises a brake force interruption unit.

7. Adjusting device according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is designed to actuate the brake force interruption unit to interrupt the brake force upon activation of the drive unit.

8. Adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit has a signal input to which at least one obstacle detection sensor, which does not form part of the adjusting device, may be connected for transmitting obstacle detection signals to the control unit, and in that the control unit is designed to deactivate the drive unit if the obstacle detection signals indicate the presence of an obstacle in the movement path of the vehicle part.

9. Adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting element comprises a spindle.

10. Adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein a driven shaft of the drive unit extends orthogonally to the adjustment direction of the adjusting element.

11. Adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein a driven shaft of the drive unit supports a worm gear, the worm gear meshing with a gear wheel which radially inwardly has a spindle nut which is in threaded engagement with a thread of the adjusting element.

12. Adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the drive arrangement is provided with a connecting unit for connecting the drive arrangement to a superordinate assembly of the vehicle which does not form part of the adjusting device, whilst the adjusting element is provided with a further connecting unit for connecting the adjusting element to a further superordinate assembly of the vehicle which also does not form part of the adjusting device.

13. Motor vehicle having a body and a vehicle part movable relative to the body, which is equipped with an adjusting device according to claim 1.

14. Motor vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the vehicle part which is movable relative to the body of the vehicle is free of any check strap designed with preferred positions.

Description

(1) The invention is explained in more detail below on the basis of an embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a side view of an adjusting device according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a further side view of the adjusting device according to FIG. 1 from the direction indicated by the arrow II in FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 is a partially open side view of the adjusting device from FIGS. 1 and 2;

(5) FIG. 4 is a section through the view shown in FIG. 1.

(6) In FIG. 1, an adjusting device according to the invention is denoted generally by reference sign 10. It serves to move a vehicle part 52, for example a vehicle door or a vehicle tailgate (indicated by a dash-dot-dot line in FIG. 1) of a motor vehicle 50, for example a passenger vehicle, relative to the body 54 (indicated by a dash-dot line in FIG. 1) of the motor vehicle 50. The adjusting device 10 comprises a drive arrangement 12 having a drive unit 14, for example an electric motor, and a movement state sensor 16, for example a Hall sensor, for detecting the movement state of the drive unit 14. The drive unit 14 and the movement state sensor 16 are received in a common housing 18. A brake device 20 (see FIG. 3) is moreover arranged in the housing 18 and is able to brake a movement, in particular a rotation, of the drive unit 14.

(7) The adjusting device 10 furthermore comprises an adjusting element 22 which is formed as a spindle in the embodiment shown.

(8) The adjusting element 22 is articulated to the movable vehicle part 52 by means of a mount 26, whilst the drive arrangement 12 is connected to the body 54 of the vehicle 50 via a cardanic suspension 27. The degrees of freedom of movement provided by the cardanic suspension 27, namely its slewability about the axes C and D (see FIG. 2), the pivotability of the mount 26 about the axis B and the rotatability of the spindle 22 relative to the drive arrangement 12 about the axis A reliably prevent the adjusting device 10 from tilting.

(9) As can be seen in particular in FIGS. 3 and 4, a driven shaft 28 of the drive unit 14 supports a worm gear 30 which meshes with a gear wheel 32 which surrounds the spindle 22. Radially inwardly, the gear wheel 32 is connected to a spindle nut 34 which is in threaded engagement with a thread of the spindle 22. A rotational movement of the drive unit 14 is thus converted into a linear movement of the spindle 22 in the direction A of it is longitudinal extent.

(10) According to FIG. 3, the brake device 20 is also associated with the driven shaft 28 of the drive unit 14. In the embodiment shown, it is designed as a permanently acting friction brake. To this end, it comprises a brake element 42, which is connected to the driven shaft 28 for conjoint operation, i.e. it rotates with the driven shaft 28, and a brake element 44 which is connected in an operationally fixed manner to the housing 18, i.e. it is arranged in a rotationally fixed manner. The brake element 4 arranged in a rotationally fixed manner and the rotating brake element 42 are in mutual frictional engagement, wherein this frictional engagement is permanently maintained by a spring (not shown). The brake force generated by this permanent frictional engagement is preferably selected such that the movable vehicle part 52 is not able to start moving automatically whilst the vehicle 50 is on a surface of which the angle of inclination is, for example, a maximum of 15 to the horizontal depending on the design of the brake device 20. The movable vehicle part 52 can thus be held in any intermediate position along its adjustment path.

(11) To control the operation of the drive unit 14, a control unit 24 (shown merely schematically in FIG. 3) is furthermore associated with the drive arrangement 12. Output signals of the movement state sensor 16 can be supplied to the control unit 24 via a signal input 36. The output signals of an obstacle detection sensor 40 can furthermore be supplied to the control unit 24 via a signal input 38.

(12) If, on the basis of the signals of the movement state sensor 16, the control unit 24 establishes that the movable vehicle part 52 is being moved manually, it controls the drive unit 14 to assist the desired movement, i.e. in the manner of power steering. That proportion of the force required to move the movable vehicle part 52 which is taken over by the drive unit 14 here can be adjusted as required, although it is advantageously selected such that the vehicle part 52 can be actuated with a low force in the order of magnitude of 5 to 10 N, even if the vehicle 50 is on a slope or on its side.

(13) If the control unit 24 does not establish any request for a manual actuation of the movable vehicle part 52, but a command is issued to move the movable vehicle part 52 automatically, the control unit 24 takes into account the obstacle detection signals supplied thereto by the obstacle detection sensor 40 when executing this command. If the control unit 24 establishes that there is an obstacle in the movement path of the movable vehicle part 52, it deactivates the drive unit 14 so that the movable vehicle part 52 comes to a stop before the obstacle, without colliding therewith and being damaged thereby.

(14) It should be added that, for better signal resolution, it is conceivable to provide a second movement state sensor (not shown) on the driven side, i.e. for example on the worm gear 30 or on the spindle 22.