Vehicle panel closure with electro permanent magnet
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorOscar Tache
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system in a vehicle includes a panel configured cover a portion of the vehicle through which a port extends and one or more electro permanent magnets arranged on the portion of the vehicle. The system also includes a controller to magnetize the one or more electro permanent magnets based on applying a current of a first polarity to the one or more electro permanent magnets such that the one or more electro permanent magnets on the portion of the vehicle couple to the panel, the panel being metal, or to one or more permanent magnets on a surface of the panel to lock the panel when the panel is in the closed position.
Claims18
A system in a vehicle comprising:
- a panel configured to cover a portion of the vehicle through which a port extends;
- one or more electro permanent magnets arranged on the portion of the vehicle;
- one or more permanent magnets arranged on a surface of the panel that faces the portion, each of the one or more permanent magnets being aligned with one of the one or more electro permanent magnets when the panel is in a closed position;
- and
- a controller configured to magnetize the one or more electro permanent magnets based on applying a first current of a first polarity to the one or more electro permanent magnets such that the one or more electro permanent magnets on the portion of the vehicle couple to the one or more permanent magnets on the surface of the panel to lock the panel when the panel is in the closed position;
- and
- wherein the controller is configured to demagnetize the one or more electro permanent magnets based on applying a second current of a second polarity to the one or more electro permanent magnets, and wherein the panel is detached from the vehicle while the one or more electro permanent magnets are demagnetized.
A method of assembling a system in a vehicle, the method comprising:
- arranging a panel to cover a portion of the vehicle through which a port extends;
- arranging one or more electro permanent magnets on the portion of the vehicle;
- arranging one or more permanent magnets on a surface of the panel that faces the portion such that each of the one or more permanent magnets is aligned with one of the one or more electro permanent magnets when the panel is in a closed position;
- and
- configuring a controller to magnetize the one or more electro permanent magnets based on applying a current of a first polarity to the one or more electro permanent magnets such that the one or more electro permanent magnets on the portion of the vehicle couple to the one or more permanent magnets on the surface of the panel to lock the panel when the panel is in the closed position;
- and
- configuring the controller to demagnetize the one or more electro permanent magnets based on applying a second current of a second polarity to the one or more electro permanent magnets, and wherein the panel is detached from the vehicle while the one or more electro permanent magnets are demagnetized.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.