Method and device for determining a reference position of a locking part moved by an electric motor

A device for determining a reference position of a locking part moved by an electric motor, comprising a motor movement detection device, a position counter and a control unit, that wherein the control unit is operable to:

• move the locking part in a direction of its closed state while simultaneously changing a counter state of a position counter until a first stop position of the locking part is reached,
• detect and buffer the counter state of the position counter describing the first stop position,
• move the locking part in a direction of its opened state,
• move the locking part in the direction of its closed state again until a second stop position is reached,
• detect a counter state of the position counter describing the second stop position,
• check whether the counter states describing the two stop positions match, and
• fix the first stop position as the reference position if a match between the counter states is recognized.

A system for determining a reference position of a locking part comprising

• an electric motor,
• a position counter,
• a control device coupled with the electric motor and the position counter, wherein the control device is configured to control the electric motor such that the locking part is moved in a direction of its closed state and to simultaneously change a counter state of the position counter until a first stop position of the locking part is reached,
• wherein the control device is further configured to detect and buffer the counter state of the position counter describing the first stop position and to move the locking part in a direction of its opened state and then in the direction of its closed state again until a second stop position is reached and to detect a counter state of the position counter describing the second stop position, and wherein the control device is further configured to check whether the counter states describing the two stop positions match, and then determines the first stop position as the reference position if a match between the counter states is recognized.