Door operating controls

Claim 2

A vehicle door operating apparatus comprising an electrical power source, an electric motor, an electrical threshold sensor connected in the circuit of said motor for sensing the occurrence of an abnormal magnitude of an electrical quantity corresponding to a loading of the motor in excess of a normal moving door loading and for producing an output signal in accordance therewith, an open and closed door control means, operable to cause the motor to drive the vehicle door in an opening mode towards an open position and, alternatively, in a closing mode towards a closed position, for, responsive to said output signal from said threshold sensor, changing the mode of operation of the apparatus, door position sensors located at points along the path of the door movement near to each end thereof, and a logic unit connected to the output of said threshold sensor and to said door position sensors.

Claim 3

An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said change of mode comprises a reversal of the direction of motion of said door, said reversal taking place over a predetermined span of a given parameter.

Claim 4

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the logic unit includes a first gate to inhibit the connection of th threshhold sensor output except when the door position sensors supply outputs on the door being between said points.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which the control means has two control paths, a ''''door close'''' path and a ''''door open'''' path each selectively energised to operate a switching unit appropriately to supply power to the motor.

Claim 6

Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 in which the logic unit includes a first timer to provide an output during a first interval timed from the selective energisation of the ''''door close'''' path, the first gate being responsive to the timer output to inhibit the connection of the threshhold sensor during the first interval.

Claim 7

Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 in which the logic unit includes a third gate to inhibit the selective energisation of the ''''door close '''' path in response to the passage of the threshhold output through the first gate.

Claim 8

Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 including between the first gate and the third gate, a second timer to provide an output during a second interval timed from the output of the threshhold output from the first gate, the third gate being responsive to the timer output to inhibit the ''''door close'''' path during the second interval, and including a fourth gate in the ''''door open'''' path and enabled by the timer output to selectively energise the ''''door open'''' path for the second interval.

Claim 9

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the logic unit includes a gate to inhibit the connection of the threshhold sensor output except when the door is moved in the closing mode.

Claim 10

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a gate to which the connections from the position sensors are inputs, the gate having an output connected to inhibit the passage of the threshhold sensor through the logic unit when the door is not between said points.

Claim 11

An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said given parameter is time.

Claim 12

An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said given parameter is distance.

Claim 13

An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 further comprising means responsive to the achievement of said predetermined span for causing the door to continue in the original direction of motion.

Claim 14

A vehicle door operating apparatus comprising an electrical power source, an electric motor, an electrical threshold sensor connected in the circuit of the said motor for sensing the occurrence of an abnormal magnitude of an electrical quantity corresponding to a loading of the motor in excess of a normal door closing loading and for producing an output signal in accordance therewith, door control means operable to cause the motor to drive the vehicle door in a closing mode towards a closed position from an open position and, responsive to said output signal from the threshold sensor, to interrupt the said closing mode, door position signalling means for producing an output signal when the door is in a position near to the said open position thereof, and logic means connected to the threshold sensor and the door position signalling means for inhibiting the said interruption of the closing mode when the door is in a said near position responsive to said output signal from said position signalling means.

Claim 15

A vehicle door operating apparatus comprising an electrical power source, an electric motor, an electrical threshold sensor connected in the circuit of the said motor for sensing the occurrence of an abnormal magnitude of an electrical quantity corresponding to a loading of the motor in excess of a normal door closing loading and for producing an output signal in accordance therewith, door control means operable to cause the motor to drive the vehicle door in a closing mode towards a closed position from an open position and, responsive to said output signal from the threshold sensor, to interrupt the said closing mode, door position signalling means for producing an output signal when the door is in a position near to the said open position thereof, and logic means connected to the threshold sensor and the door position signalling means for inhibiting the said interruption of the closing mode when the door is in a said near position responsive to said output signal from said position signalling means.

Claim 16

A vehicle door operating apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein said door control means includes means for causing said motor to drive said vehicle door in an opening mode towards said open position and for interrupting said opening mode responsive to a said output signal from said threshold sensor, said logic means including means for actuating said door control means to cause said motor to drive said vehicle door in said opening mode when said closing mode is interrupted and timing means for inhibiting the interruption of said opening mode when said door control means is actuated by said actuating means of said logic means.

Claim 17

A vehicle door operating apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein said door control means causes said motor to drive said vehicle door in a resumed closing mode after a predetermined time after said door control means is actuated by said actuating means and said logic means inhibits the interruption of said resumed door closing mode for a predetermined period.

Claim 18

A vehicle door operating apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said logic means includes a first timer which both inhibits interruption of said closing mode when the door is in a said near position and inhibits interruption of said resumed door closing mode and a second timer which inhibits interruption of said door opening mode when said door control means is actuated by said actuating means.