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:
May. 11, 2010
Filed:
Nov. 21, 2006
Manabu Kato, Hamamatsu, JP;
Masaaki Shimizu, Toyohashi, JP;
Manabu Kato, Hamamatsu, JP;
Masaaki Shimizu, Toyohashi, JP;
ASMO Co., Ltd., Shizuoka-Ken, JP;
Abstract
An opening and closing apparatus is provided with a foreign material detecting sensor, a position detecting apparatus and a control circuit apparatus. The foreign material detecting sensor has a sensor electrode, and is arranged in a front end of a door panel. The foreign material detecting sensor outputs an electrostatic capacity detection signal corresponding to a change of an electrostatic capacity between the sensor electrode and a foreign material coming close to the electrode. The position detecting apparatus outputs a position detection signal corresponding to a position of the door panel. The control circuit apparatus compares a change amount of the electrostatic capacity detected on the basis of the electrostatic capacity detection signal with a threshold value so as to judge, on the basis of a result of comparison, whether or not a foreign material exists between the door panel and a vehicle body. The control circuit apparatus changes the threshold value on the basis of the position detection signal, in the case of detecting, on the basis of the position detection signal, that the door panel is arranged at the first door position, during a closing motion of the door panel.