A vehicle door includes an electrically-powered latch and a user input feature that can be actuated by a user to cause the electrically-powered latch to unlatch. An electrical energy storage device is operably connected to the electrically-powered latch, and a piezoelectric device is mounted to the door. The piezoelectric device can be manually actuated by a user to charge the electrical energy storage device, and electrical energy from the electrical energy storage device can be utilized to actuate the electrically-powered latch to thereby unlatch the latch. The user input feature may comprise a switch or sensor located adjacent a door handle/latch release on an inside and/or an outside of the vehicle door. The electrical energy storage device may comprise an emergency battery, capacitor, or other electrical device.
PIEZO BASED ENERGY HARVESTING FOR E-LATCH SYSTEMS
2016-11-10
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | E05B LOCKS , Schlösser / B60J WINDOWS, WINDSCREENS, NON-FIXED ROOFS, DOORS, OR SIMILAR DEVICES FOR VEHICLES , Fenster, Windschutzscheiben und bewegbare Dächer, Türen oder Ähnliches für Fahrzeuge / H02N Elektrische Maschinen, soweit nicht anderweitig vorgesehen , ELECTRIC MACHINES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR |
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