Electro-mechanical actuator including brushless DC motor for providing pinch protection
AssigneeStoneridge Control Devices, Inc.
InventorEric Beishline
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electro-mechanical actuator including a brushless DC motor for driving an output of the actuator; and a motor controller. The controller is configured to interrupt operation of the motor in response to at least one feedback signal representative of a motor parameter that varies with variation in a load on the output. The actuator output may be coupled to a window lift mechanism for moving a vehicle window between open and closed positions.
Claims18
An electro-mechanical actuator comprising:
- a brushless DC motor for driving an output of said actuator;
- and
- a controller configured to interrupt operation of said motor in response to at least one feedback signal, said feedback signal being representative of variation of at least one motor parameter with respect to variation of torque, said motor parameter comprising at least one of motor speed and motor current draw, and said motor parameter varying with variation in a load on said output.
A vehicle window lift system for moving a vehicle window between open and closed positions, said system comprising:
- a brushless DC motor for driving an output of an actuator, said output being coupled to a window lift mechanism for moving said window between said open and closed positions;
- and
- a controller configured to interrupt operation of said motor in response to at least one feedback signal, said feedback signal being representative of variation of at least one motor parameter with respect to variation of torque, said motor parameter comprising at least one of motor speed and motor current draw, and said motor parameter varying with variation in a load on said window.
A method of providing pinch protection in vehicle window lift system for moving a vehicle window between open and closed positions, said method comprising:
- providing a brushless DC motor for driving an output of an actuator, said output being coupled to a window lift mechanism for moving said window between said open and closed positions;
- sensing at least one motor parameter of said motor that varies with a variation in a load on said window, said motor parameter comprising at least one of motor speed and motor current draw;
- sensing torque of said motor;
- and
- disabling said motor when a variation in said motor parameter with respect to a variation in said torque reaches a predetermined level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.