Power sliding door of a Toyota Spade

Press release

For immediate release: 24 September 2012

Source: Aisin Seki Co., Ltd, Japan

(Aichi, Japan, 24 September, 2012) – Aisin Seki Co., Ltd,
Japan has developed the first power sliding door system that houses
all the major components in the door side. The new approach allows
the doors to be compatible with a wider range of vehicles than
previous power sliding door systems and leaves more space inside
the vehicle.

One in four passenger cars are now minivans and the convenient
power sliding door mechanism comprises one of the attractive
attributes of these vehicles. The new power sliding door system
from Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd uses a system inspired by the rope drills
of fire fighters. The power supply unit has a low-profile circular
‘snail type’ design, where the cable moving the door is
taken up in a whorl that resembles a snail. The system is compact,
neat and allows a smooth sliding motion.

Vehicles with the Aisin system built into their sliding doors
continue to increase year on year. Toyota Motors plans to spread
the use of the system to all models, and Nissan Motors, Suzuki
Motors, Daihatsu Motor Company, and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. have also
adopted the technology. The sliding door system with indoor built
in drive unit represents pioneering technology in the field. Aisin
Seki Co., Ltd holds 70% of the market share in sliding doors.

Background

Today one in every four passenger cars is a minivan. Their
sustained popularity is attributed to their ability to accommodate
large family groups as well as other attractive features, in
particular the power sliding door. Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd released a
sliding power door technology in the 1990s but in that previous
system the drive unit was built into the vehicle side rather than
the passenger door, which impinged on the space inside the vehicle
and led to restrictions in the passenger vehicles that it could be
fitted onto. In the late 1990s the company began development of the
industry’s first power sliding door with the drive unit built
into the door itself.

Technology

1. Achieving the system’s power and volume requirements

The drive unit needed to be compact, low in profile and
lightweight. In addition a higher output power was needed in the
drive unit due to the increased weight due to incorporating major
components in the door.

Through trial and error modifications to the position of the
elements in the motor, the magnetic flux circuit and the frictional
values of the materials, Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd developed the
smallest high-power output drive unit the industry had ever seen.
The design resulted in over 30 patents.

The rope system for driving the sliding door mechanism was inspired
by observations of fire fighters during drills where they ascend
walls with a rope that wraps around the body. It has a low-profile,
circular design, with the cable taken up as a whorl in a shape that
resembles a snail – the ‘snail type’ power supply
unit.

2. Compatibility with different vehicle models

During prototype production substantial further modifications were
made so that the drive unit would versatile enough to be used in a
range of vehicles. This included vehicles with limited space inside
the door under the window where the unit was originally designed to
be installed.

3. Eliminating pulsation

Theoretical analyses were undertaken to understand what measures
could prevent the ‘pulsation’ that occurs as the doors
slide open and closed. Electrical engineering research as well as
new control logic led to a new trapping detector that operated via
a touch sensor to prevent pulsation.

4. Power back door system

The components for the powered sliding door system and the power
back door system were standardised as much as possible. This proved
significantly economical as the same ultra-compact drive unit could
then be used in both with only minor modifications.

Results

Production of powered back door systems using the same components
was launched for the Toyota Alphard in Japan 2002 and the Toyota
Sienna in North America 2003. The power sliding door system has now
also been built into the front door on the passenger seat side of
the Toyota Porte, highlighting the versatility of the system.

The development of the industry’s first sliding door system
with an indoor built-in drive unit heralded a shift in the
company’s position from focusing on individual components to
a systems manufacturer.

About Aisin Seki Co. Ltd

Aisin Seki produces and sells automobile parts as well as living,
energy and welfare related products. The company is committed to
its corporate principles that focus on putting ‘quality
first’. Aisin Seki has 2 offices and 11 plants across Japan
with over 90,000 employees and subsidiaries that include 69
companies in Japan and 101 overseas. As of 31 March 2012, the
company’s capital was 45 billion JPY. For more information,
visit http://www.aisin.com/

About Aisin Seki Co. Ltd Automotive Parts and Systems
Business

As the automotive industry constantly evolves with increasing
emphasis on functionality and performance, Aisin Seki continues to
respond with fast innovations exploiting its world class resources
and expertise in automobile technology. In line with its corporate
principle of placing ‘quality first’, the company
prioritises environmental commitments throughout its development of
advanced systems and modules. For more information visit
http://www.aisin.com/profile/business/

Press inquiries

Aisin Seki Co. Ltd Public Relations

koho@rpr.aisin.co.jp

2-1, Asahi-machi, Kariya, Aichi, 448-8650 JAPAN