Many vehicles include power doors to facilitate their opening and closing by a user. Power doors incorporate electric servos or motors that are configured to transition the door from its open state to its closed state, and vice versa. In some cases, the power doors also allow for a manual operation in which the electric servos or motors are disabled.
In general, the power doors allow a simple user action, such as the pressing of a button on a key fob, or lifting of a door handle, to initiate the power door opening or closing process. When a user's hands are otherwise occupied, these power doors greatly facilitate the user's access into the vehicle. Often, for example, the power doors are integrated in the vehicle's tailgate or liftgate to assist in opening when a user is carrying shopping bags or luggage to the vehicle.
Although the power doors can be very useful to the user, in some cases, the automatic operation of power doors can be undesirable. When the vehicle is parked in a relatively tight space, or under a low overhang, for example, the power doors could open directly into objects surrounding the vehicle causing damage. This problem can be even more apparent when the vehicle incorporates a passive entry system. In that case, the key fob is never activated. Instead, the user simply approaches the vehicle and uses a handle to open the door or liftgate. If the door or liftgate always employs its power door operation, the door may open automatically, even when the user wishes to open the door manually.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds