Intier Automotive Closures Inc.

Jan Majewski

Andrew R Daniels

Mirko Pribisic

Thomas P Frommer

Leslie Joseph Marentette

Carl W Gifford

An anti-pinch assembly is used for a closure panel movable between open and closed positions on a motor vehicle. A controller operably connected to the closure panel controls operation thereof. A position sensor connected to the controller indicates the position of the closure panel between the open and closed positions. A capacitive sensor mounted on the vehicle and connected to the controller provides an output signal to the controller indicative of the presence of a foreign object in the path of the closure panel. The controller varies the function of the capacitive sensor through a plurality of threshold levels as a function of the position of the closure panel as indicated by the position indicator. In a critical zone of travel with the closure panel nearing the closed position, the capacitive sensor can be utilized in either a contact mode or a non-contact mode or a combination of both.

Multizone capacitive anti-pinch system

An electromagnetic clutch assembly () has a housing () and shaft () rotatably supported by the housing. At least one of the shaft extends out of the housing. A clutch plate () is mounted on the shaft () for rotation therewith. An armature plate () is mounted in the housing (). A gear () is rotatable and slidably mounted on the shaft (). A spring assembly () extends between the clutch plate () and the gear () to bias the gear () out of engagement with the clutch plate (). A coil assembly () is mounted on the shaft () for sliding movement therealong. The coil assembly () engages the gear (). Energizing the coil assembly moves the coil assembly () into engagement with the armature plate () and responsively effects movement of the gear () into engagement with the clutch plate (), coupling the gear () and the clutch plate (). De-energizing the coil assembly () responsively enables the spring assembly () to effects movement of the gear () out of engagement with the clutch plate (), de-coupling () and the clutch plate ().

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Toronto, Canada

Jan Majewski