Hinge-based door control system

A vehicle door control system for a vehicle having a vehicle body and a vehicle door, comprising:

• a body hinge member connected to the vehicle body;
• a door hinge member connected to the vehicle door, wherein the door hinge member is pivotally connected to the body hinge member for pivotal motion about a door pivot axis;
• a brake that includes
• a plate pack that includes a plurality of body brake plates connected to the body hinge member, and interleaved with a plurality of door brake plates connected to the door hinge member, wherein the plate pack is positionable in a braking state in which the body brake plates and the door brake plates are frictionally engaged with one another to provide a first resistance to relative rotation therebetween so as to hold the vehicle door in a selected position, and a release state in which the body brake plates and the door brake plates provide a second resistance to relative rotation therebetween that is less than the first resistance,
• a plate pack driver that is movable between a braking position in which the plate pack driver compresses the plate pack to bring the plate pack to the braking state and a release position in which the plate pack driver decompresses the plate pack to bring the plate pack to the release state, and
• a motor that is operatively connected to the plate pack driver to drive the plate pack driver to the braking and release positions, and
• a control system that is configured to selectably drive the motor to bring the plate pack driver to the braking and release positions,
• wherein the control system includes a user torque sensor positioned to output signals indicative of a torque applied by a vehicle user to move the vehicle door, and wherein the control system is configured to control operation of the motor to position the plate pack driver in one of the braking and release positions based on signals from the user torque sensor.

A vehicle door control system for a vehicle having a vehicle body and a vehicle door, comprising:

• a body hinge member connected to the vehicle body;
• a door hinge member connected to the vehicle door, wherein the door hinge member is pivotally connected to the body hinge member for pivotal motion about a door pivot axis;
• a brake that includes
• a plate pack that includes a plurality of body brake plates connected to the body hinge member, and interleaved with a plurality of door brake plates connected to the door hinge member, wherein the plate pack is positionable in a braking state in which the body brake plates and the door brake plates are frictionally engaged with one another to provide a first resistance to relative rotation therebetween so as to hold the vehicle door in a selected position, and a release state in which the body brake plates and the door brake plates provide a second resistance to relative rotation therebetween that is less than the first resistance,
• a plate pack driver that is movable between a braking position in which the plate pack driver compresses the plate pack to bring the plate pack to the braking state and a release position in which the plate pack driver decompresses the plate pack to bring the plate pack to the release state, and
• a motor that is operatively connected to the plate pack driver to drive the plate pack driver to the braking and release positions, and
• a control system that is configured to selectably drive the motor to bring the plate pack driver to the braking and release positions,
• wherein the control system includes a brake force sensor positioned to output signals indicative of a frictional brake torque between the body brake plates and the door brake plates, and wherein the control system is configured to control operation of the motor to position the plate pack driver in one of the braking and release positions based on the signals from the brake force sensor.