Invention Grant
- Patent Title: System and methods for reducing air pressure in a cabin of a vehicle to assist in door closure
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Application No.: US16278490Application Date: 2019-02-18
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Publication No.: US11260722B2Publication Date: 2022-03-01
- Inventor: Paxton S. Williams , Scott Louis Frederick , Scott P. Robison
- Applicant: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
- Applicant Address: US TX Plano
- Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
- Current Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
- Current Assignee Address: US TX Plano
- Agency: Darrow Mustafa PC
- Agent Christopher G. Darrow
- Main IPC: B60H1/00
- IPC: B60H1/00 ; B60H1/24

Abstract:
System, methods, and other embodiments described herein relate to assisting in closing a door of a vehicle by leveraging a Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning (HVAC) system in the vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes detecting a position of at least one vehicle door, and when the position of the at least one vehicle door is an open position, determining whether to activate the HVAC system to reduce air pressure in a cabin of the vehicle. The method includes, in response to determining to activate the HVAC system, pumping air out of the cabin such that at least some of any increased air pressure caused by a vehicle door closure is removed from the cabin. The method includes, when the position of the at least one vehicle door has changed from the open position to a closed position, deactivating the HVAC system to stop pumping air out from the cabin.
Public/Granted literature
- US20200262268A1 SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR REDUCING AIR PRESSURE IN A CABIN OF A VEHICLE TO ASSIST IN DOOR CLOSURE Public/Granted day:2020-08-20
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