JP2001301468A - Opening/closing drive for sunroof and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an opening/closing drive for a sunroof and the like capable of easily detecting a position of a slide panel with using a pull control cable as a power transmission means. SOLUTION: In this opening/closing drive for the sunroof and the like, power from a driving mechanism 19 is transmitted to the slide panel for opening/ closing an opening part of a roof through the pull control cable consisting of inner wires 13a-c for transmitting drawing force and outer tubes 15-18 for transmitting compressive force, and the slide panel is operated to be opened/ closed. A gear 31 is fixed to a pulley 14 for turning a direction of the inner wire 13b, and a switch LS for detecting movement of a flexible rack 32 meshing with the gear is provided to form a position detecting mechanism 21 for detecting a position of the inner wire 13.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an opening and closing drive device such as a sunroof. More specifically, the present invention relates to an opening / closing drive device that opens and closes an opening of a roof of a vehicle such as an automobile using a pull control cable.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional sunroof opening / closing drive device is, for example, as shown in FIG.
Guide rails 10 extending in the front-rear direction on both sides of
3, a slide panel 104 guided by the guide rails, a pair of left and right geared cables 105 connected to the slide panel, and each geared cable 1
A guide portion (not shown) provided integrally with the guide rail to slidably guide the guide 05, a guide pipe 106 connected to an end of the guide portion, and a guide pipe attached to the end of the guide pipe. And a drive mechanism 107 for reciprocatingly driving the geared cable 105.

The drive mechanism 107 includes a gear that meshes with the spiral teeth of the geared cable, and a motor that drives the gear to rotate. The geared cable 105 coming out of the drive mechanism 107 is guided by another guide pipe 108 and accommodated in a guide portion provided on a guide rail on the opposite side.

In such a geared cable type sunroof opening / closing drive device 100, a geared cable 105 is provided.
Since the force is transmitted in both directions, the position of the slide panel 104 that opens and closes the opening 102 is set, for example, by bringing the end of the geared cable 105 coming out of the drive mechanism 107 into contact with the actuator of the limit switch LS. Is detected.

On the other hand, the slide panel 104 is
It has also been practiced to detect that a foreign object has been caught when closing 2 by increasing the load on the motor and to perform an emergency stop (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-268080). In such an emergency stop device, the position of the slide panel is detected so as not to operate the emergency stop device due to an increase in load when the slide panel is closed, or to set a range in which the emergency stop device is operated. May be required.

[0006]

Recently, the present applicant has developed an open / close drive device such as a sunroof, which drives a slide panel with a pull control cable having an inner wire for transmitting only pulling force, instead of a geared cable. Is developing. In such a pull control cable type opening / closing drive device, since the inner wire cannot transmit the compressive force, a conventional panel position detecting device in which a limit switch is brought into contact with an end of the inner wire cannot be employed. Although it is conceivable to directly detect the slide panel or a member attached thereto with a limit switch, it is difficult to protect the slide panel from rainwater or outside air, which hinders the movement of the slide panel.

An object of the present invention is to provide an opening / closing drive device such as a sunroof which can employ a pull control cable as a power transmission means and can detect the position of a slide panel.

[0008]

According to the present invention, an opening / closing drive device such as a sunroof of the present invention comprises an inner wire for transmitting a pulling force from the driving means and an outer tube for transmitting a compressive force. An opening / closing drive device, such as a sunroof, that transmits to a slide panel that opens and closes an opening of a roof by a pull control cable and that opens and closes the slide panel, wherein position detection detects that the inner wire has moved to a specific position. It is characterized in that means are provided.

The position detecting means preferably includes a pulley which engages with the inner wire and rotates with the movement of the inner wire, and an angle detecting means for detecting a rotation angle of the pulley. 2). The angle detecting means can be composed of a gear that rotates with the rotation of the pulley, a rack that meshes with the gear, and a switch that detects the position of the rack. Further, it is preferable that the rack has flexibility and transmits a pushing / pulling force, and a guide member for guiding the movement of the rack is provided (claim 4).

Further, the angle detecting means may be constituted by a switch operating point provided on the pulley and a switch for detecting the switch operating point.
Further, the position detecting means is disposed in the vicinity of the open portion provided at the connection end or the middle of the outer tube, where the inner wire is exposed, the switch operating point provided on the inner wire running through the open portion, and the open portion. ,
A switch for detecting a switch operating point may be used.

[0011]

The opening / closing drive device of the present invention (claim 1) does not detect the position of the slide panel itself, but directly or indirectly detects the position of the inner wire driving the slide panel. To determine the position of the slide panel. Therefore, it is easy to arrange the detecting means inside the vehicle body to protect the detecting means from rainwater, outside air, and sunlight, and does not hinder the movement of the slide panel.
In addition, even when the slide panel performs a complicated operation such as performing a tilt operation as well as a back and forth slide operation, the inner wire only reciprocates in the routing route, so that the position can be easily detected. is there.

An opening / closing drive device comprising: a position pulling means which includes a pulley which engages with an inner wire and rotates as the inner wire moves, and an angle detecting means which detects a rotation angle of the pulley. In (2), it is not necessary to fix the element to be detected such as the switch operating point to the inner wire itself, so that the operation of the inner cable is smooth. Further, the pulley can also be used as a pulley for reversing the direction of the inner wire. In that case, there is no need to provide a separate pulley.

In the case where the angle detecting means comprises a gear rotating with the rotation of the pulley, a rack meshing with the gear, and a switch for detecting the position of the rack, the angle detecting means may be an inner gear. The reciprocating motion of the wire is converted into the reciprocating motion of the rack via pulleys and gears. Therefore, the position of the inner wire and thus the position of the slide panel can be detected only by detecting the position of the rack with the switch. Furthermore, since the position of the rack is detected, the installation position of the switch can be relatively freely selected. When an operating point is provided directly on a rotating pulley, the number of rotations needs to be counted. Correspond with one. Therefore, detection is easy.

In the opening / closing drive device wherein the rack is flexible and transmits a pushing / pulling force and the guide member guides the movement of the rack, the rack is flexible. , The position of the switch can be selected more freely. Therefore, it can be easily installed at a position other than the opening, such as the rear part of the roof, at a position that is easily protected from the outside. In addition, it is easy to increase the diameter of the gear to increase the amount of movement of the rack, thereby improving the position detection accuracy.

In the case where a switch operating point provided on the pulley and a switch for detecting the switch operating point are employed as the angle detecting means (claim 5), since the switch operating point is provided directly on the pulley, a gear is provided. And racks are not required. Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced.

An open portion provided at the connection end of the outer tube or in the middle thereof, at which the inner wire is exposed, a switch operating point provided at the inner wire traveling through the open portion, and a switch operating portion disposed near the open portion. In the case of a configuration including a switch for detecting a point (claim 6), since the movement of the inner wire is directly detected, the detection is reliable. Further, since the inner wire transmits the pulling force, even if an open portion is provided in the middle, no major trouble occurs in its operation.

[0017]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an open / close drive device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the opening / closing drive device of the present invention, FIG. 2a is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 1, FIG. 2b is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 2a, and FIG. FIG. 3B is a plan view showing another embodiment of the detecting mechanism, FIG. 3B is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 3A, FIG. 4 is a plan view showing still another embodiment of the position detecting mechanism according to the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the position detecting mechanism according to the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the opening / closing device of the present invention.

The opening / closing drive device 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes left and right guide rails 11 and 12, an inner wire (pull cable) 13 for transmitting a pulling force arranged in a loop along these guide rails, On the other hand (left side in FIG. 1)
A pulley 14 for reversing the inner wire, which is rotatably provided at the rear end (the lower side in FIG. 1) of the guide rail 11
Two outer tubes 15 and 16 passed between the front ends of the left and right guide rails 11 and 12, and two outer tubes 17 connected to the rear end of the other guide rail 12;
18, a drive mechanism 19 connected to the ends of the outer tubes, a bracket 20 for connecting a slide panel (not shown) to the inner wire, and a position detecting mechanism for detecting the position of the inner wire 13. 21.

The inner wire 13 is a flexible pull cable in which a plurality of metal wires are twisted, and can transmit a tensile force, but cannot transmit a compressive force because it buckles. Therefore, as will be described later, two reciprocating inner wires are used in combination. The outer tubes 15, 16, 17, and 18 withstand a compressive force, which is a reaction force of a tensile force applied to the inner wire 13, and are spiral tubes (armor layers) formed by spirally winding a metal wire having a square cross section.
And a flexible layer composed of a synthetic resin coating layer coated on the surface of the spiral tube and a synthetic resin liner (tube) housed inside the spiral tube.
There is also a rigid outer tube in which a liner is accommodated inside a metal tube. Left and right guide rails 1 in FIG.
The outer tubes 15 and 16 for connecting between the first and the second 12 may have rigidity, but the outer tubes 17 and 18 for connecting the right guide rail 12 and the driving mechanism 19 may be used.
Is preferably flexible.

The guide rails 11 and 12 guide the slide panel (see reference numeral 104 in FIG. 7) in the forward and backward directions.
3 is a member for supporting the reaction force against the tension of 3. Therefore, the guide rails 11 and 12 are provided with a groove 22 through which the inner wire 13 passes and a hollow through hole 23. Groove 2
Numeral 2 is for guiding the inner wire 13 and for letting out the bracket 20 connected to the inner wire 13, and the through hole 23 is simply for passing the inner wire 13. Through holes 23 in guide rails 11 and 12
, A rigid or flexible outer tube may be used.

The drive mechanism 19 is substantially the same as that used for a window regulator, for example.
It has a motor M with a speed reducer and a drum 24 fixed to its output shaft. The ends of the two inner wires 13a and 13b are wound around the drum 24 in opposite directions and locked. One inner wire (first inner wire) 13 a is guided by the outer tube 17, enters the groove 22 of the right guide rail 12, extends along the guide rail 12, and has the other end along the guide rail 12. Right side bracket 20 moving back and forth
It is locked to.

A third inner wire (third inner wire) 1 with one end locked to the bracket 20
3 c extends forward along the guide rail 12, is guided by the outer tube 15, enters the through hole 23 of the left guide rail 11, and further extends through the guide rail 1.
1 and extends downward. Then, the direction is reversed by the pulley 14 of the guide rail 12 on the left side, enters the groove 22 of the guide rail 12 and extends upward, and its end is locked by the bracket 20 on the left side. The second inner wire 13 b coming out of the drive mechanism 19 passes through the outer tube 18, extends forward through the through hole 23 of the right guide rail 12, passes through the outer tube 16, and connects to the left guide rail 11. It enters the groove 22 and its end is locked to the left bracket 20.

As described above, the three inner wires 13
When the drum 24 of the drive mechanism 19 rotates in one direction, for example, the first inner wire 13a is wound on the drum, and the second inner wire 13b is connected to the drum. Send out from. As a result, the loop of the inner wire circulates in the direction of arrow S1, and the left and right brackets 20 are connected to the guide rails 11,
Retreat along 12 Thereby, the slide panel is retracted and the opening is opened. When the drum 24 rotates in the opposite direction, the first inner wire 13a is sent out from the drum, and the second inner wire 13b is wound. Thereby, the loop circulates in the direction opposite to the arrow S1, and the left and right brackets 20 move forward. Thereby, the opening is closed by the slide panel.

The opening / closing drive device 10 constructed as described above
Is characterized in that a position detecting mechanism 21 for detecting the position of the inner wire 13 is provided. In this embodiment, the position detection mechanism 21 employs an angle detection mechanism 30 that detects the rotation angle of the pulley 14 for inversion. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the angle detecting mechanism 30 includes a gear 31 concentrically fixed to the pulley 14, a rack 32 meshing with the gear, a guide tube 33 for guiding the rack 32, and a rack. And a switch LS for detecting the position of the switch 32. As shown in FIG. 2B, the pulley 14 has a V-shaped guide groove 14a around its periphery so that the inner wire 13 is engaged without slipping. The pulley 14 is rotatably mounted on a pulley bracket 34 projecting from the rear end of the guide rail 11 by a shaft 35. The pulley bracket 34 can be formed of, for example, a metal plate. In that case, it is preferable to interpose a sliding plate 36 made of a synthetic resin sheet between the pulley 14 and the pulley bracket 34.

In this embodiment, the rack 32 is a flexible member that transmits a pushing / pulling force at least so that the actuator of the switch LS can be operated. In this embodiment, the actuator of the switch LS, for example, the lever 37 is operated at the end of the rack 32. Guide tube 33 is pulley 1
4 extends somewhat in the direction of extension of the guide rail 11, and further curves toward the center of the vehicle. The rack 32 reciprocates along the curved path. By curving in this manner, as shown in FIG. 1, the opening / closing drive device 10 falls within the range of the roof of the vehicle (see FIG. 6). The guide tube 33 may be formed of a rigid material, for example, a metal pipe having a rectangular cross section. However, it may have flexibility.

In the above angle detecting mechanism 30, when the inner wire 13 is pulled in one direction (for example, the direction of arrow S2), the pulley 14 with which the inner wire 13 is engaged moves in one direction (the direction of arrow W). Rotate. As a result, the gear 31 fixed to the pulley 14 rotates in the same direction, and the rack 32 meshing with the gear 31 extends toward the center (in the direction of arrow P) along the guide tube 33. At the end of the movement, the end of the rack 32 is
The S actuator is operated to the “ON” position.
As a result, the output (such as a contact signal) of the switch LS is sent to the control device and used for control such as stopping the motor M. When the inner wire 13 moves in the reverse direction, the pulley 14 rotates in the reverse direction and pulls the rack 32 back. As a result, the switch LS is turned “OFF”.

As described above, the position detecting mechanism 21 having the angle detecting mechanism 30 controls the rotational movement of the pulley 14
The angle of the pulley 14 can be indirectly detected by converting the position of the rack 32 into linear motion by converting the position of the pulley 14 into a linear motion. Further, depending on the rotation angle of the pulley 14, the pulley 1
It is possible to indirectly detect the position of the inner wire 13 engaged with the position 4. Therefore, even though the inner wire 13 that cannot transmit the force in the pushing direction is used, the position of the inner wire 13 and thus the position of the slide panel can be detected.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show another embodiment of the position detecting mechanism. The position detecting mechanism 21 employs an angle detecting mechanism 40 including a gear 41 concentrically fixed to the pulley 14, a short rack 42 meshing with the gear, and a switch LS for detecting the position of the rack 42. I have. A guide member for guiding the rack 42 is not shown. In this embodiment, the gear 41 has one tooth 41a, but a plurality of teeth 41a may be provided. Instead of a circular gear, a sector-shaped sector gear may be used. The gear 41 has a smaller diameter than the pulley 14 in order to reduce the stroke of the rack 42.

The operation of the angle detecting mechanism 40 is substantially the same as that of FIG. 2, and the rotation of the pulley 14 is converted into linear motion by the gear 41 and the rack 42, and the end of the rack 42 is detected by the switch LS. I do. In this case, since the rack 42 is short, even if the rack 42 is arranged in the extension direction of the guide rail 11, it does not protrude much from the roof of the vehicle. Also,
If necessary, the rack 42 may be disposed at right angles to the guide rail 11 as shown by imaginary lines, or may be disposed obliquely in some cases.

The position detecting mechanism shown in FIG. 4 includes an angle detecting mechanism 50 including a switch operating point 51 provided on the pulley 14 and a switch LS disposed near the pulley 14. The switch operating point 51 is formed by a protrusion protruding from the side surface of the pulley 14. When the pulley 14 rotates, the switch operating point 51 activates the actuator (the lever in this embodiment) of the switch LS, and “O”
N] and “OFF”.

The angle detecting mechanism 50 is not provided with a mechanism for converting a rotational movement of a gear or a rack into a linear movement. Therefore, when the diameter of the pulley 14 is large and the pulley does not make one rotation with respect to the stroke of the slide panel, the pulley 14 can be used as it is, but when the diameter of the pulley 14 is small, the control circuit counts the number of times the switch LS is detected, and The rotation number of the pulley 14 may be detected based on the count number, and the movement amount of the inner wire 13 and thus the movement amount of the slide panel may be detected. This has a complicated control circuit, but has a very simple mechanical configuration.

The opening / closing drive device 60 shown in FIG. 5 has a different routing path from that of FIG.
Does not detect the rotation angle of the pulley, and
Directly detect the amount of movement. That is, the opening / closing drive device 6
In the case of 0, the first inner wire 13a coming out of the drive mechanism 19 is connected to the right guide rail 12, extends forward along the guide rail 12, and the end is locked to the slide panel connecting bracket 20. Have been. The third inner wire 13 c, one end of which is locked to the bracket 20, extends to the front end of the guide rail 12, is turned by a reversing pulley 14 rotatably provided at the front end, and moves along the guide rail 12. Return to the end.

Further, the third inner wire 13c is guided to the rear end of the left guide rail 11 through the outer tubes 15 and 16, and reaches the front end along the guide rail 11. The direction is changed by a pulley 14 rotatably provided at the front end, extends to the rear along the guide rail 11, and is locked by the left bracket 20. The second inner wire 13 b having one end locked to the bracket 20 reaches the rear end along the guide rail 11 and returns to the drive mechanism 19 by the outer tube 18. In this embodiment, the transfer outer tubes 15, 1
6, a position detecting mechanism 61 is interposed.

The position detecting mechanism 61 includes a rail 63 to which the ends of the two outer tubes 15 and 16 are connected,
It comprises a switch operating point 64 fixed in the middle of the third inner wire 13c and a switch LS for detecting the position of the switch operating point 64. An open section 66 exposing the inner wire is provided between the two outer tubes 15 and 16. The rail 63 can withstand a compressive force applied to the outer tubes 15 and 16 as a reaction force of the tensile force generated in the inner wire 13 and can be formed of a metal pipe or the like that guides the switch operating point 64 slidably. As the switch operating point 64, a cylindrical member fixed to the inner wire 13c by caulking or the like can be employed.

The operation of the opening / closing drive device 60 thus configured is substantially the same as that of FIG.
When the motor rotates in one direction, the inner wire 13
The loops a, 13b, 13c circulate in one direction, and the left and right brackets 20, 20, for example, move forward, closing the opening with a slide panel. When the motor rotates in the opposite direction, the inner wire loop circulates in the opposite direction, opening the opening. In this embodiment, when the bracket 20 reaches the front end, that is, when the slide panel closes the opening, the switch operating point 64 activates the switch LS. Since the opening / closing drive device 60 does not need to be provided with a crossover outer tube in the front, it is preferable when there is not enough space in the front. Also, since the left and right wirings are almost targeted, there is an advantage that the left and right tuning can be easily achieved.

If there is a space in front of the vehicle,
The position detecting mechanism 61 of FIG. 5 can be interposed in the middle of the outer tube 15 or 16 of the opening / closing drive device 10 of FIG. Further, the position detecting mechanism 30 in FIG. 1 can be employed in the opening / closing device 60 in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6, instead of providing the open portion in the outer tube 15, a cavity (open portion) 67 for freely moving the switch operating point 64 in the groove 22 or the through hole 23 of the guide rail 11 is provided. May be provided, and the switch operating point 64 may be fixed to the inner wire 13 within the range.

5 and 6, since the position of the inner wire 13 can be directly detected, there is an advantage that even if the inner wire 13 slides around the pulley 14, there is no detection error.

As the switch LS, a limit switch provided with a mechanical actuator such as a lever or a button is usually used. However, a proximity switch for detecting a change in magnetism or electric capacity, or a light-type switch may be used. it can. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the inner wire is separated at each bracket 20 and divided into three wires. However, the inner wire may be formed of one or two inner wires.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the position of the inner wire 13 is detected by using the pulley 14 for reversing the inner wire 13. However, a separate idle pulley is provided, and the idle pulley is mounted on the idle pulley. The rotation angle of the idle pulley may be detected by winding a wire. In that case, the inner wire can be wound one or more turns to prevent the inner wire from slipping on the idle pulley.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of an opening / closing drive device of the present invention.

2A is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3A is a plan view showing another embodiment of the position detecting mechanism according to the present invention, and FIG. 3B is a III-II of FIG. 3A.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line I.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing still another embodiment of the position detecting mechanism according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the opening / closing drive device of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing still another embodiment of the position detecting mechanism according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a conventional opening / closing drive device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Opening-and-closing drive device 11, 12 Guide rail 13, 13a, 13b, 13c Inner wire 14 Pulley 15, 16 Outer tube 17, 18 Outer tube 19 Drive mechanism 20 Bracket 21 Position detection mechanism 22 Groove 23 Through hole M Motor 24 Drum 30 Angle Detection mechanism 31 Gear 32 Rack 33 Guide tube LS switch 34 Pulley bracket 35 Shaft 36 Sliding plate 37 Lever 40 Angle detection mechanism 41 Gear 41a Teeth 42 Rack 50 Angle detection mechanism 51 Switch operating point 60 Opening / closing drive 61 Position detection mechanism 63 Rail 64 Switch operating point 66 Open part 67 Cavity

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Nobuhiro Funabashi 1-12-28 Sakaecho, Takarazuka-shi, Hyogo Japan Cable Systems Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Makoto Nakao 1-12-28 Sakaemachi, Takarazuka-shi, Hyogo No. Japan Cable System Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 2E052 AA09 CA06 DA08 DB08 EA11 EB01 EC01 GA01 GA06 GA07 GA08 GB13 GC01 GC05 GD01

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A slide panel for transmitting power from a driving means to a slide panel for opening and closing an opening of a roof by a pull control cable comprising an inner wire for transmitting a pulling force and an outer tube for transmitting a compressive force. An opening / closing drive device such as a sunroof for opening / closing a door, wherein the opening / closing drive device such as a sunroof having position detecting means for detecting that the inner wire has moved to a specific position. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said position detecting means includes a pulley that engages with the inner wire and rotates with the movement of the inner wire, and an angle detecting means that detects a rotation angle of the pulley. Opening and closing drive. 3. The opening and closing device according to claim 1, wherein the angle detecting means includes a gear that rotates with the rotation of the pulley, a rack that meshes with the gear, and a switch that detects the position of the rack. Drive. 4. The open / close drive device according to claim 3, wherein the rack transmits a flexible push-pull force, and includes a guide member for guiding the movement of the rack. 5. The open / close drive device according to claim 2, wherein the angle detecting means includes a switch operating point provided on the pulley and a switch for detecting the switch operating point. 6. An open portion provided at or at a connection end of the outer tube, at which the inner wire is exposed, a switch operating point provided at the inner wire traveling through the open portion, 2. The opening / closing drive device according to claim 1, further comprising a switch disposed near the switch to detect a switch operating point.