# US 9,004,552 B2 · Intuitive control system for power assisted vehicle doors > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,004,552 B2 - Document ID: US9004552B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/413,046 - Filed: 2012-03-06 - Published: 2012-07-12 - Granted: 2015-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2010-02-25 - Assignees: Trimark Corporation - Applicants: Tom F. Sonnek; Brandon L. Hemann; Robert W. Donaldson - Inventors: Tom F. Sonnek; Brandon L. Hemann; Robert W. Donaldson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9004552B2 ## CPC - E05B 83/01: {Locks for military or armoured vehicles} - E05B 83/36: Locks for passenger or like doors - E05B 85/24: Bolts rotating about an axis - E05F 15/70: with automatic actuation - F41H 5/226: {Doors on armoured vehicles or structures (F41H5/263 takes precedence)} - E05B 81/00: Power-actuated vehicle locks - E05F 15/00: Power-operated mechanisms for wings (motor-operated accessories in locks for completing closing or initiating opening of a wing E05B17/00) - E05Y 2400/3015: Power assistance - E05Y 2400/44: Sensors not directly associated with the wing movement - E05Y 2400/445: Switches - E05Y 2900/504: for armoured vehicles - E05Y 2900/531: Doors - Y10T 292/102: Lever - Y10T 292/1021: Motor - Y10T 292/1022: Rigid - Y10T 292/57: Operators with knobs or handles - E05B: LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS - E05F: DEVICES FOR MOVING WINGS INTO OPEN OR CLOSED POSITION; CHECKS FOR WINGS; WING FITTINGS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, CONCERNED WITH THE FUNCTIONING OF THE WING - F41H: ARMOUR; ARMOURED TURRETS; ARMOURED OR ARMED VEHICLES; MEANS OF ATTACK OR DEFENCE, e.g. CAMOUFLAGE, IN GENERAL - E05Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A heavy vehicle door or ramp is opened and closed using an intuitive control system. The door includes a latch assembly, a lock assembly, and a power unit to assist in opening and closing the door. The door includes an interior joy stick handle and an exterior lever handle. From outside the vehicle, the door is opened and closed by pivoting the lever handle downwardly and upwardly, respectively. From the interior of the vehicle, the joy stick handle is pulled inwardly to close the door and pushed outwardly to open the door. Pivoting the joystick handle forwardly engages the blast locks, while pivoting the joystick handle rearwardly unlatches the latch assembly and disengages the blast locks. The power assist unit is actuated by pivotal movement of the outside door handle and lateral pivotal movement of the interior joystick handle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An intuitively operated, power-assisted door mounted in a door frame of a vehicle, comprising: a latch assembly moveable between latched and unlatched positions; a lock assembly moveable between locked and unlocked position; a power unit with opposite ends connected to the door and the door frame to pivot the door between open and closed positions; a first handle mounted on an interior side of the door, and being pivotal about a first axis to operate latch and unlatch functions of the latch assembly; and lock and unlock functions of the lock assembly, and being pivotal about a second axis to operate the open and close functions of the power unit; and the first and second axes being perpendicular to one another. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The door of claim 1 wherein the handle comprises a joystick. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The door of claim 1 wherein the handle and the door move in a first direction for opening the door and move in a second direction for closing the door. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The door of claim 3 wherein the handle moves in a third direction to latch and lock the door and moves in a fourth direction to unlatch and unlock the door. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The door of claim 3 wherein the handle moves in third and fourth directions to actuate the latch and lock assemblies. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The door of claim 5 wherein movement of the handle in the third and fourth directions actuates the power unit to assist in opening and closing the door. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The door of claim 1 further comprising a second handle on an exterior side of the door, coupled to the power unit, and pivotal so as to actuate the power unit for opening and closing the door. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The vehicle door of claim 7 wherein the second handle is coupled to the latch assembly and pivotal movement of the second handle actuates the latch assembly from the latched to unlatched positions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The vehicle door of claim 7 wherein the power unit is actuated in opposite directions by pivoting the second handle in opposite directions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The vehicle door of claim 7 wherein the second handle is biased to a neutral position. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The door of claim 1 wherein the first handle is biased to a neutral position. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The door of claim 1 further comprising a shaft connected to the lock assembly and having an outer end extending outside the door, and another handle from a second similarly equipped vehicle door being mountable on the outer end of the shaft and pivotal to unlock the door for opening without actuation of the power unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The door of claim 1 wherein the handle pivots forwardly, relative to a front end of the vehicle, to lock and latch the door. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The door of claim 1 wherein the handle pivots rearwardly, relative to a rear end of the vehicle, to unlock and unlatch the door. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The door of claim 1 wherein the handle pivots laterally inwardly, relative to the vehicle door, to close the door. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The door of claim 1 wherein the handle pivots laterally outwardly, relative to the vehicle door, to open the door. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The door of claim 1 wherein the handle pivots forwardly relative to a front end of the vehicle to lock and latch the door, pivots rearwardly relative to a rear end of the vehicle to unlock and unlatch the door, pivots laterally inwardly re to the vehicle door to close the door, and pivots laterally outwardly relative to the vehicle door to open the door.