The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 24, 2007
Filed:
Jul. 05, 2004
Stephan Schachtl, Munich, DE;
Ralf Reczko, Solingen, DE;
Matthias Martin, Dachau, DE;
Dietmar Bellenbaum, Vaihingen/Enz, DE;
Thomas Vögerl, Abstatt, DE;
Stephan Schachtl, Munich, DE;
Ralf Reczko, Solingen, DE;
Matthias Martin, Dachau, DE;
Dietmar Bellenbaum, Vaihingen/Enz, DE;
Thomas Vögerl, Abstatt, DE;
Valeo Sicherheitssysteme GmbH, Erdweg, DE;
Abstract
The invention relates to a drive unit for automatically actuating a tailgate of a motor vehicle. Connecting the drive unit () to the vehicle door () or to a transmission device () by means of an output shaft (), said transmission device executing a pivoting movement which corresponds to the pivoting movement of the vehicle door (), and the drive unit () comprising at least one first sensor device (), which can be connected to an electronic evaluation device () and serves to detect the respective angular position of the vehicle door (). In order to make use of the advantages of an incrementally operating position measurement system of the vehicle door (), in which, recalibration is necessary not only after the end positions of the vehicle door () are reached following a power cut. The invention proposes dividing the entire pivot angle (à) of the vehicle door () into at least three successive zones (pivot angle ranges) (à-à), it being possible to determine the individual pivot angle ranges (à-à) by means of a first sensor device (), which is suitable for detecting absolute values. The pivot angle of the vehicle door within the individual zones (à-à) is then detected with the aid of a second sensor device (), which comprises at least one incrementally operating measured value detector.