Method and device for controlling the closing movement of a chassis component for vehicles

A device for controlling a closing movement of a manually closable body component for vehicles, comprising

• a braking device for braking a closing movement of said body component,
• a driving device for driving the closing movement of said body component and
• a clutch for selectively engaging or disengaging said braking device,
• wherein said braking device is coupled or can be coupled to the body component by means of said clutch in such a manner that:
• during the closing movement, departing from an opened position, the body component passes through a first movement range in which said driving device is off and said clutch is open for disengaging said body component from said braking device and said driving device so that the body component is moved towards a closed position without restrictions and any action by said braking device, and,
• following the first movement range, the body component passes through a second movement range in which said driving device remains switched off while said clutch is suitably actuated such that the closing movement of the body component is braked by an action of the braking device such that a residual kinetic energy of the body component does not exceed a predetermined limit value after passing through the second movement range and arriving at a predetermined opening angle, which is larger than zero degrees, but that the residual kinetic energy is not sufficient to close the body component automatically or to transfer the body component to a pre catch or main catch of a lock of said body component, and said driving device is switched on and said clutch is closed for engaging a drive force of said driving device in a third movement range following the second movement range in such a manner that said driving device drives the closing movement of said body component in said third movement range to the pre catch or main catch of said lock.