Apparatus and method for controlling moving member

An apparatus for controlling a moving member movable between an opening position in which an opening of a frame is opened and a closing position in which said opening of said frame is closed, the apparatus comprising:

• a drive motor for actuating said moving member when applied with a drive voltage from a power supply;
• a switch which is operated to actuate said moving member;
• control means which controls supply of said drive voltage to said drive motor in accordance with an operation of said switch;
• foreign-matter catching detection means for detecting that a foreign matter is caught between said moving member and an edge portion of said opening of said frame while said moving member is moving toward said closing position, whereby said control means rotates said drive motor reversely to reverse a moving direction of said moving member when catching of said foreign matter has been detected;
• voltage detection means for detecting a value of said drive voltage;
• abnormality determining means for determining that said drive voltage is abnormal when a state in which said detected value of said drive voltage is lower than a predetermined reference value continue for a predetermined time or longer, whereby said control means stops supplying said drive voltage to said drive motor to inhibit said drive motor from being operated when an abnormality of said drive voltage is determined;
• state detection means for detecting an operational state of said drive motor;
• and
• changeover means for switching said reference value between a first value and a second value lower than said first value in accordance with said operational state of said drive motor in such away as to set said reference value to said first value when said drive motor is stopped and to set said reference value to said second value when said drive motor is operated.

An apparatus for controlling a moving member movable between an opening position in which an opening of a frame is opened and a closing position in which said opening of said frame is closed, comprising:

• a drive motor for actuating said moving member when applied with a drive voltage from a power supply;
• a switch which is operated to actuate said moving member;
• control means which controls supply of said drive voltage to said drive motor in accordance with an operation of said switch;
• foreign-matter catching detection means for detecting that a foreign matter is caught between said moving member and an edge portion of said opening of said frame while said moving member is moving toward said closing position, whereby said control means rotates said drive motor reversely to reverse a moving direction of said moving member when catching of said foreign matter has been detected;
• voltage detection means for detecting a value of said drive voltage;
• state detection means for detecting an operational state of said drive motor;
• inhibition means for inhibiting said drive motor from being operated when said detected value of said drive voltage becomes lower than a first reference value at a time said drive motor is stopped;
• and
• stopping means for stopping said drive motor when a state in which said detected value of said drive voltage is lower than a second reference value smaller than said first reference value continues for a predetermined time or longer at a time said drive motor is operated, whereby said foreign-matter catching detection means performs a process of detecting catching of said foreign matter when said detected value of said drive voltage becomes greater than said second reference value.

A method of controlling a moving member movable between an opening position in which an opening of a frame is opened and a closing position in which said opening of said frame is closed, comprising the steps of:

• causing said drive motor to actuate said moving member by applying a drive voltage to said drive motor;
• rotating said drive motor reversely to reverse a moving direction of said moving member when movement of said moving member is obstructed by a caught foreign matter while said moving member is moving toward said closing position;
• determining that said drive voltage is abnormal when a state in which said drive voltage is lower than a predetermined reference voltage continues for a predetermined time or longer;
• stopping supplying said drive voltage to said drive motor to inhibit said drive motor from being operated when an abnormality of said drive voltage has been determined;
• and
• setting said reference voltage to a selected one of a first value and a second value lower than said first value and setting said reference voltage to said second value at least while said moving member is moving toward said closing position.

A method of controlling a moving member movable between an opening position in which an opening of a frame is opened and a closing position in which said opening of said frame is closed, comprising the steps of:

• causing said drive motor to actuate said moving member by applying a drive voltage to said drive motor;
• detecting that a foreign matter is caught between said moving member and an edge portion of said opening of said frame while said moving member is moving toward said closing position, whereby rotating said drive motor reversely to reverse a moving direction of said moving member when catching of said foreign matter has been detected;
• detecting a value of said drive voltage;
• detecting an operational state of said drive motor;
• inhibiting said drive motor from being operated when said detected value of said drive voltage becomes lower than a first reference value at a time said drive motor is stopped;
• and
• stopping said drive motor when a state in which said detected value of said drive voltage is lower than a second reference value smaller than said first reference value continues for a predetermined time or longer at a time said drive motor is operated, whereby performing a process of detecting catching of said foreign matter when said detected value of said drive voltage becomes greater than said second reference value.