METHOD FOR OPERATING A DOOR MODULE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A method for operating a door module of a motor vehicle, having a door which is driven by means of a motorized door adjuster, and having a windowpane which is driven by means of a motorized window lift. A first request for adjusting the windowpane is detected, and the window pane is adjusted depending on the first request. A second request for adjusting the door is detected, and the door is adjusted depending on the second request. The adjustment of the windowpane is ended at least temporarily while the door is adjusted. A door module of a motor vehicle is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for operating a door module of a motor vehicle having a door that is driven via a motorized door adjuster and having a windowpane that is driven via a motorized window lift, the method comprising: detecting a first request for adjusting the windowpane; adjusting the windowpane based on the first request; detecting a second request for adjusting the door; adjusting the door based on the second request; and ending the adjustment of the windowpane, at least temporarily, while the door is adjusted.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment of the windowpane is ended as long as the door is adjusted.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment of the windowpane is ended only when the door is moved against an end stop.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the adjustment of the windowpane is ended only when the first request and/or second request corresponds to a closing movement.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment of the windowpane is resumed when the adjustment of the door has ended.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a setting of a pinch protection of the motorized window lift is not changed.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a user input is used as the first request and/or the second request.

8. A door module of a motor vehicle comprising: a door that is adapted to be driven via a motorized door adjuster; and a windowpane that is adpated to be driven via a motorized window lift; and a control unit that is operated in accordance with the method according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0035] FIG. 1 shows schematically as a partial view a motor vehicle with a door module; and

[0036] FIG. 2 shows a method for operating the door module.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In FIG. 1, a motor vehicle 2 in the form of a cabriolet is shown schematically in a partial side view. Motor vehicle 2 has a body 4 with an A-pillar 6, which is made of a metal. In addition, motor vehicle 2 has a roof 8, which is designed as foldable and is made of a material. A seal 10 which is connected to roof 8 is located in an edge region of roof 8. Seal 10 is made of a plastic and is a flexibly designed molding. Motor vehicle 2 further has a door module 12 with a door 14, which is also made of sheet metal and is a part of body 4. Door 14 is fastened by means of two fittings 16 in the form of hinges to a further component of body 4, namely a door frame 17, so that door 14 can be pivoted with respect to the further parts of body 4, in particular with respect to door frame 17. Door frame 17 is stationary with respect to A-pillar 6.

[0038] Door module 12 further comprises a carrier 18, which is made of a plastic in a plastic injection molding process, and which is fastened to the inside of door 14. A motorized door adjuster 20 is attached to carrier 18. This has an electric motor, that can be designed as brushless, which drives a worm gear. The worm gear itself is operatively connected to other components of motorized door adjuster 20, which is supported against door frame 17. Thus, it is made possible, upon activation of motorized door adjuster 20, to pivot door 14 and therefore also carrier 18 with respect to door frame 17. In other words, the position of door 14 with respect to door frame 17 is adjusted by motorized door adjuster 20.

[0039] In addition, door module 12 comprises a windowpane 22, which is driven by a motorized window lift 24. Motorized window lift 24 is connected to carrier 18, which has guides for windowpane 22, so that upon activation of motorized window lift 24, windowpane 22 is moved along a linear adjustment path with respect to carrier 18. Motorized window lift 24 comprises an electric motor, which is designed as brushless and by means of which a worm gear is driven, which in turn is operatively connected to a carriage, which is connected to windowpane 22. The carriage and the worm gear are operatively connected to each other, for example, by means of a cable pulley or the like. When closed, windowpane 22 bears against seal 10. Door module 12 thus has no frame for window pane 22, which is why it can be moved substantially freely.

[0040] Motorized window lift 24 further includes pinch protection 26, which is used to monitor whether an object, such as an article or a user's hand, is pinched by windowpane 22 during its movement, in particular between windowpane 22 and roof 8 or seal 10. In a refinement, it is also monitored whether during a movement of windowpane 22 into the open position, pinching of a possible object takes place between the windowpane and door 14.

[0041] Door module 12 further comprises a control unit 28, which is connected by signals to a bus system 30 of motor vehicle 2. Bus system 30 transmits information and commands to control unit 28, which are evaluated and processed there. A radio receiver 32 is coupled by signals to bus system 30 and signals can be supplied by it to the bus system and consequently can be transmitted to control unit 28. In this case, radio signals 34, which are created by a radio transmitter 36, are received by radio receiver 32. Radio transmitter 36 is a key of motor vehicle 2, and radio signals 34 are encrypted and encoded so that only radio signals 34 are further processed by radio receiver 32 and supplied to bus system 30 when radio transmitter 36 is registered and has, for example, a specific serial number or a specific key.

[0042] In addition, control unit 28 is electrically connected to an electrical system 38 of the motor vehicle, by means of which a DC electrical voltage of 12 volts or 42 volts is provided. Control unit 28, by means of which motorized window lift 24 and motorized door adjuster 20 are energized, is energized by means of electrical system 38. Thus, the electric motor of motorized door adjuster 20 or the electric motor of motorized window lift 24 is regulated by means of control unit 28.

[0043] FIG. 2 shows a method 40 for operating door module 12 of motor vehicle 2, which is carried out by means of control unit 22. In a first step 42, a first request 44 for adjusting windowpane 22 is detected. First request 44 is made by radio transmitter 36 and transmitted by radio signals 34 to radio receiver 32. By means of radio receiver 32, first request 44 was supplied to bus system 30 and received by control unit 28 and thus detected. First request 44 corresponds to a request to adjust windowpane 22. Here, windowpane 22 is to be moved from a partially open position to the completely closed position. Thus, first request 44 corresponds to a closing movement.

[0044] In a subsequent second step 46, windowpane 22 is adjusted. For this purpose, motorized window lift 24 is energized by control unit 28 and windowpane 22 is moved upward in the vertical direction. Further, pinch protection 26 is activated due to the closing movement of windowpane 22. In a subsequent third step 48, a second request 50 is detected by control unit 28. Second request 50 corresponds to a closing movement, so that door 14 is to be moved such that it is flush with other components of body 4 and thus should be moved from an open or partially open position to the completely closed position. Second request 50 is made by means of a handle of door module 12, which handle is attached to door 14 and which has been manually activated by a user. Thus, a user input is used in each case as first request 44 and as second request 50.

[0045] In a subsequent fourth step 52, the adjustment of windowpane 22 is ended and thus the energization of motorized window lift 24 by control unit 28 is ended. Following this, the energization of motorized door adjuster 20 is started and door 14 and consequently also door module 12 are pivoted with respect to door frame 17 until door 14 is in the closed position. For this purpose, a closing mechanism of motorized door adjuster 20 is called upon and used. As a result, door 14 is engaged with other components of body 4, such as door frame 17, in particular by means of a lock. Subsequently, door 14 is in the position desired by second request 50, and the energization of motorized door adjuster 20 by control unit 28 is ended. In other words, the adjustment of windowpane 22 is ended as long as door 14 is being adjusted.

[0046] In a further alternative, the energization of motorized door adjuster 20 is started in the fourth step 52, while motorized window lift 24 is operated. In other words, both motorized door adjuster 20 and motorized window lift 24 are operated simultaneously. When door 14 approaches the end stop formed by door frame 17, the energization of motorized window lift 24 is ended. In particular, the energization is ended when door 14 is less than 5 cm, 4 cm, or 1 cm away from the closed position. Alternatively, the energization of motorized window lift 24 is ended, and thus the adjustment of windowpane 22 is ended when the closing mechanism of motorized door adjuster 20 is activated and door 14 is consequently moved into the completely closed position. In this case, in addition, a lock of door module 12 is engaged with a counterpart, which is fastened to door frame 17. In other words, the adjustment of windowpane 22 is ended when door 14 is moved against the end stop provided by means of door frame 17.

[0047] In a subsequent fifth step 54, which is carried out when fourth step 52 and thus the adjustment of door 14 are ended, the adjustment of windowpane 22 is resumed and thus windowpane 22 is moved into the position specified/desired by first request 44, in particular the completely closed position, so that it bears against seal 10 after completion of fifth step 54.

[0048] During the implementation of method 40, a setting of pinch protection 26 is not changed. The setting of pinch protection 26, like its parameters, is independent of first request 44 and second request 50, so that in each case the same occurring measured variables, such as electrical currents, lead to a triggering of pinch protection 26, regardless of whether door 14 is adjusted at the same time and/or regardless of the direction in which door 14 and/or windowpane 22 are adjusted.

[0049] In summary, the movement of windowpane 22 is adapted to the movement of door 14. In this case, information about the movement of door 14 is present due to motorized door adjuster 20 and is used, for example, as the input signal for the adjustment of windowpane 22 and thus motorized window lift 24. Consequently, it is possible to stop the movement of windowpane 22 when door 14 is just before the completely closed position. Due to the stopping of windowpane 22, pinch protection 26 is not erroneously triggered when a jolt passes through door 14 and side window 22 when this comes into the completely closed position, for example, into the lock. Thus, it is not necessary to design pinch protection 26 more robustly. In other words, it is not necessary to design pinch protection 26 more robustly when door 14 is slammed shut. As soon as door 14 is completely closed, the movement of windowpane 22 is resumed.

[0050] Thus, the movement of windowpane 22 is stopped, if an adjustment of door 14 takes place by means of motorized door adjuster 20, so that electrical system 38 and/or any lines to control unit 28 are not loaded simultaneously with two consumers, which have a relatively high energy consumption. Therefore, an electrical voltage drop is avoided. For example, the drives of motorized door adjuster 20 and motorized window lift 24 are driven by means of only the single control unit 28, which is a so-called Door Control Unit (DCU). Thus, control unit 28 is supplied only via a single line. Consequently, the load on other components and the electronics is reduced, wherein, in addition, a reverse polarity protection is realized in the production. As a result, an electrical current occurring during operation is comparatively low, and a thermal load is thus reduced. For this reason, relatively inexpensive components can be used for door module 12. Thus, the load on lines to control unit 28 is reduced, which is why a higher supply voltage/power is available. In addition, manufacturing costs for the electronics are reduced due to elimination of a reverse polarity protection for connection of motorized window lift 24 and motorized door adjuster 20.

[0051] For example, windowpane 22 is lowered, if it is in the completely closed position, therefore, completely closed, when door 14 is closed. Thus, an increase of an internal pressure in motor vehicle 2 is prevented and closing of door 14 is facilitated. As a result, it is possible to use an electric motor with lower power for motorized door adjuster 20.

[0052] For example, side window 22 is closed only when door 14 is in the completely closed position. In this way, it is ensured that the closing of windowpane 22 functions without any problems, whereby catching or the like on seal 10 is prevented. In particular, if motor vehicle 2 has a plurality of door modules 12 and the closing of all components, therefore, all doors 14 and all windows 22, is requested, all doors 14 are first pivoted into the closed position and the respective locks activated, and thus door 14 is closed. For example, in each case the respective door closing aid (closing mechanism) for realizing this position is at least temporarily activated. Only after this are side windows 22 moved into the completely closed position. Thus, catching or snagging of windowpane 22 during the closing movement of door 14 on seal 10 or the like is prevented.

[0053] For example, a speed at which windowpane 22 is moved is adjusted when door 14 is adjusted. In this case, for example, the speed at which windowpane 22 is moved is slowed down, accelerated, or completely paused. Alternatively, the movement of door 14 is adjusted when windowpane 22 is moved, in particular is adjusted. In this case, the adjustment of door 14 is accelerated, slowed, or paused, for example. In summary, there is a prioritization of the movements, therefore the movement of windowpane 22 or door 14. In this case, the load on electrical system 38 and in particular on the lines and control unit 28 is reduced, wherein in addition a reverse polarity protection is available.

[0054] The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment described above. Rather, other variants of the invention can also be derived herefrom by the skilled artisan, without going beyond the subject of the invention. Particularly, further all individual features described in relation to the exemplary embodiment can also be combined with one another in a different manner, without going beyond the subject matter of the invention.

[0055] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claim.