Reversing apparatus for powered vehicle door systems

In an automatic powered door closing system driven by an electric motor, an electronic system for sensing a predetermined increased resistance to closing of a door, said electronic system comprising:

• first means for monitoring substantially instantaneous electric current provided to said electric motor, said first means including means for generating a first signal value changing in proportion with changes in said instantaneous electric current;
• second means for generating a second signal value corresponding to an average of said first signal value over a shifting span of recent time less than about one second long;
• and
• output means for producing an output signal indicating that an obstruction has been encountered by the door when the difference between said first signal value and said second signal value exceeds a predetermined limit.

A door operator system for a door that is slidingly supported relative to a door opening in a panel of a vehicle body, said door being supported adjacent a forward end on at least one forward guide member and being supported adjacent a rear end on a rear guide member, said guide members guiding said door through an initial closing movement and a final opening movement generally parallel to said panel, said guide members guiding said door through at least a portion of its initial opening movement generally away from the plane of said door opening, and said guide members guiding said door through at least a portion of its final closing movement generally toward the plane of said door opening, said door operator comprising a first cable having one end coupled to the rear end of said door and a second cable having one end coupled to the forward end of said door for driving said door along said guide members to thereby move said door through said initial and final opening and closing movements, each of said cables being supported substantially entirely within the interior of the vehicle body when the door is fully closed, said door operator system further including a rotatable cable spool and drive means including an electric motor for selectively rotating said cable spool about an axis in either of two directions in order to actuate said first and second cables, said door operator system further including an electronic reversing apparatus for sensing a predetermined increased resistance to closing of said door indicating the presence of an obstruction encountered by said closing door, said electronic reversing apparatus including:

• first means for monitoring substantially instantaneous electric current provided to said electric motor, said first means including means for generating a first signal value changing in proportion with changes in said instantaneous electric current prior to said door encountering said obstruction;
• second means for generating a second signal value corresponding to an average of said first signal value over a shifting span of recent time less than about one second long;
• and output means for producing an output signal indicating that said obstruction has been encountered by said door when the difference between said first signal value and said second signal value exceeds a predetermined limit.