JP2005207500A - Automatic opening/closing device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance the durability of an automatic opening/closing device for a vehicle by equipping a mechanical type clutch mechanism with torque limiting function. <P>SOLUTION: A drive unit is equipped with a block part 41 rotating being driven by an electric motor, a hub member 42 rotating interlocking with the opening/closing motions of a slide door, and the clutch mechanism 35 furnished with a link 43 mounted on a rotary disc 45 rotatably. The link 43 separates from the hub member 42 to shut off the power being transmitted when the block part 41 is stopping, and when the motor is operated to rotate the block part 41, is pushed by the block part 41 into rotation and put in frictional engagement with the hub member 42 to make power transmission. When an excessive load is applied to the motor, the link 43 is pushed by a limit wall 51 toward the neutral position and generates a slip relative to the hub member 42 to shut off the excessive load being transmitted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic opening / closing device for a vehicle that automatically opens and closes an opening / closing member provided in a vehicle, and in particular, a clutch that interrupts power transmission between an electric motor and an opening / closing member when the opening / closing member is manually operated. It relates to what has a mechanism.

  Vehicles such as automobiles are provided with opening and closing members such as doors, back doors, sunroofs and the like everywhere. In particular, many wagon cars and one-box cars are provided with a sliding door that opens and closes in the vehicle front-rear direction on the side of the vehicle so that passengers can easily get on and off the vehicle and load and unload luggage. It is done.

  Such sliding doors are often applied to relatively large openings because they require a small open space on the side of the vehicle required for opening and closing. For this reason, the sliding door itself tends to increase in size, and the weight of the sliding door increases, and it may be difficult for women and children to freely open and close the door. In particular, there were problems such as being unable to open easily on the slope due to the weight of the sliding door. Therefore, a vehicle equipped with an automatic opening and closing device for a vehicle that automatically opens and closes a sliding door has been developed so that women and children can easily open and close under a situation where family use such as one-box vehicles is increasing. Yes.

  As such an automatic opening and closing device, a cable connected to the slide door from the vehicle front side and the rear side is wound around a drum disposed inside the vehicle side panel, and the drum is rotated by a drive unit to drive the slide door. There is known one that opens and closes. In this case, the drive unit has an electric motor as a drive source and a speed reduction mechanism housed in a gear case, and the rotation of the electric motor is reduced to a predetermined rotational speed by the speed reduction mechanism and output from the output shaft. . The output shaft is provided so as to protrude from the gear case, and the aforementioned drum is fixed to the output shaft and is rotationally driven by a drive unit. Thus, when the electric motor is activated, one of the front and rear cables of the vehicle is wound around the drum, and the sliding door is opened and closed while being pulled by the cable, and the moving direction is determined by the rotation direction of the electric motor. It will be.

  On the other hand, even in a vehicle provided with such an automatic opening / closing device, the sliding door may be manually opened and closed. However, since the slide door is connected to the electric motor via a cable, a drum, a speed reduction mechanism, and the like, a large operating force is required for the operation compared to a slide door without an automatic opening / closing device. Therefore, an electromagnetic clutch that interrupts power transmission between the speed reduction mechanism and the output shaft is provided, and when the sliding door is manually opened and closed, the electromagnetic clutch is in a disconnected state. ing. As a result, when a manual opening / closing operation is performed, power transmission between the electric motor and the sliding door is interrupted by the electromagnetic clutch, and the operation force is as light as a normal sliding door without an automatic opening / closing device. Thus, the operational feeling is improved.

  As such an electromagnetic clutch, a disk having a drive disk fixed to the speed reduction mechanism side, a driven disk fixed to the output shaft, and an iron core having a clutch coil, and facing each other by a magnetic attractive force generated by the clutch coil A so-called friction type is often used in which power is transmitted by pressure bonding. In this case, the power transmission state and the cutoff state are switched by controlling the power supply to the clutch coil. Further, when an excessive load is applied to the electric motor, each disk is relatively slipped, and the power transmission is automatically cut off. In other words, the friction type electromagnetic clutch has a so-called torque limiter function that limits transmission of an excessive load, thereby preventing an excessive load from being directly transmitted to the electric motor, the speed reduction mechanism, or the vehicle body. It is like that.

  However, in order to reliably transmit desired power from the drive unit to the opening / closing member using such a frictional electromagnetic clutch, it is necessary to increase the outer diameter of each disk, the clutch coil, the iron core, and the like. Therefore, the automatic opening / closing device has become large and heavy, which has been an obstacle to reducing the size and weight of the automatic opening / closing device. In addition, the electromagnetic clutch is generally expensive, which increases the cost of the automatic opening / closing device.

Therefore, for example, in the automatic opening / closing devices described in Patent Documents 1 to 3, a mechanical clutch mechanism is provided in the drive unit instead of the electromagnetic clutch, thereby reducing the size and weight of the automatic opening / closing device and reducing its cost. I am doing so.
JP 2002-242959 A Japanese Patent No. 3195737 Japanese Patent No. 319538

  However, since the conventional mechanical clutch mechanism does not have a torque limit function for limiting the upper limit of the transmission power, when an excessive load is applied to the electric motor, the load is applied to the speed reduction mechanism, the electric motor, the vehicle body, or the like. It will be added directly. For example, in the automatic opening / closing device described in Patent Document 1, since the fastening force of the clutch mechanism increases in conjunction with the power transmitted between the electric motor and the opening / closing member, an excessive load is applied to the electric motor. In such a case, the fastening force increases accordingly, and power transmission is not limited. Further, in the automatic opening / closing devices shown in Patent Documents 2 and 3, since it is necessary to operate the electric motor or the opening / closing member in the reverse direction in order to switch the clutch mechanism in the power transmission state to the disconnected state, the electric motor is excessively large. The clutch mechanism is not disconnected when a load is applied.

  Therefore, when these mechanical clutch mechanisms are used, if an excessive load is applied to the electric motor, the load is directly transmitted to the electric motor or the speed reduction mechanism, thereby enduring the electric motor or the speed reduction mechanism. There was a risk that the performance would decline.

  An object of the present invention is to increase the durability of an automatic opening / closing device for a vehicle by providing a torque limit function to a mechanical clutch mechanism.

  An automatic opening and closing device for a vehicle according to the present invention is an automatic opening and closing device for a vehicle that automatically opens and closes an opening and closing member provided in the vehicle, and includes a drive-side rotating body driven by an electric motor, and an opening and closing movement of the opening and closing member. The driven-side rotating body interlocked with the driving-side rotating body is provided between the driving-side rotating body and the driven-side rotating body. When the driving-side rotating body rotates, the driven-side rotating body is pushed by the driving-side rotating body. Frictionally engaged with the body to transmit the power of the driving side rotating body to the driven side rotating body, and when the driving side rotating body is stopped, the friction engagement with the driven side rotating body is released and the driving side rotating body is released. A power interrupting member that makes the driven-side rotating body rotatable relative to the driving-side rotating body, and pressing the power interrupting member against the driven-side rotating body when a load applied to the electric motor exceeds a predetermined value. Limit the force And having a transmission power limiting mechanism for intermittently member slide relative to the driven side rotational member.

  In the automatic opening and closing device for a vehicle according to the present invention, the driving side rotating body is integrally formed with a reduction gear of a reduction mechanism that decelerates and outputs the rotation of the electric motor, and is provided with a block portion that supports an elastic body protruding in the circumferential direction. The driven rotary body is formed of a hub member fixed to an output shaft connected to the opening / closing member, and the power interrupting member is rotatably attached to a rotating plate supported relatively rotatably on the output shaft. The transmission power limiting mechanism includes a limiting wall provided in the block portion, and when the block portion rotates, the link body is pushed by the block portion via the elastic body. When the load applied to the electric motor exceeds a predetermined value while frictionally engaging with the member, the link body abuts against the restriction wall and the pressing force against the hub member is restricted. And wherein the Rukoto.

  The automatic opening and closing device for a vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that the limiting wall is inclined in a direction in which the link body is pushed toward a neutral position away from the driven-side rotating body.

  In the automatic opening and closing device for a vehicle according to the present invention, the drive side rotator comprises a first cam provided in a reduction gear of a reduction mechanism that decelerates and outputs the rotation of the electric motor, and the driven side rotator is the opening and closing member. A second cam that engages with the first cam and is supported by the output shaft so as to be relatively rotatable and axially movable with respect to the output shaft. The transmission power limiting mechanism comprises a stopper provided in one of the reduction gear or the friction plate and a stopper hole provided in the other, and the reduction gear is rotated. Sometimes, the friction plate is frictionally engaged with the output plate by being pushed by the cam action of the first and second cams, and the stopper is moved forward when a load greater than a predetermined value is applied to the electric motor. Engage the limiting wall of the stopper hole, characterized in that the pressing force of the friction plate relative to the output plate is restricted.

  The automatic opening and closing device for a vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that it includes biasing means for biasing the friction plate in a direction away from the output plate.

  According to the present invention, when an excessive load is applied to the electric motor, the power interrupting member slips relative to the driven side rotating body, so that the excessive load is directly applied to the vehicle automatic opening / closing device, the vehicle body, and the like. Can be prevented and the durability of the automatic opening / closing device for a vehicle can be enhanced.

  In addition, according to the present invention, when the electric motor is stopped, the opening / closing member is disconnected from the electric motor, so that it is possible to improve the operational feeling when the opening / closing member is manually opened / closed.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, power can be interrupted and overload can be restricted without using an electromagnetic clutch having a clutch coil, an iron core, etc., so that the automatic opening / closing device for a vehicle can be reduced in size and weight. And the cost can be reduced. Furthermore, by reducing the size and weight, the degree of freedom of installation when the vehicle automatic opening / closing device is mounted on a vehicle is improved.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, the upper limit of the power to be transmitted can be arbitrarily set by setting the transmission power limiting mechanism, so that the automatic opening / closing device can be easily applied to various types of opening / closing members having different specifications. Can do.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a vehicle provided with an automatic opening / closing device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing an enlarged main part of the vehicle shown in FIG.

  A slide door 12 as an opening / closing member is provided on a side portion of the vehicle 11 shown in FIG. The slide door 12 is guided by a guide rail 13 fixed to the vehicle 11 and can be opened and closed between a fully open position indicated by a solid line and a fully closed position indicated by a one-dot chain line in the figure, and is provided in the vehicle interior. When getting on and off the second seat 14 or the third seat 15 and loading / unloading of luggage, it is opened to the fully open position.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a roller assembly 16 is attached to the slide door 12, and the slide door 12 is movable in the vehicle front-rear direction by being guided by the guide rail 13. Further, a curved portion 13 a that curves toward the vehicle interior side is provided on the vehicle front side of the guide rail 13, and the slide door 12 is the same as the side surface of the vehicle 11 by guiding the roller assembly 16 to the curved portion 13 a. It is drawn into the inside of the vehicle 11 and closed so as to fit within the surface.

  The vehicle 11 is provided with a vehicle automatic opening / closing device 21 (hereinafter referred to as an automatic opening / closing device 21) for automatically opening and closing the slide door 12. The automatic opening / closing device 21 includes a drive unit 22 fixed to the vehicle 11 adjacent to a substantially central portion of the guide rail 13 in the vehicle front-rear direction and two cables 23 that connect the slide door 12 to the drive unit 22. These cables 23 are connected to the slide door 12 via the roller assembly 16 from the vehicle front side and the rear side, respectively. Further, reversing pulleys 24 and 25 are provided at the front and rear end portions of the guide rail 13, and the cable 23 is guided to the drive unit 22 via these reversing pulleys 24 and 25. The sliding door 12 is opened and closed by pulling one of the cables 23 by the drive unit 22.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing details of the drive unit shown in FIG. 2, and this drive unit 22 includes an electric motor 26 and a speed reducer 27 fixed to the electric motor 26. In this case, as the electric motor 26, a so-called brushed DC motor having a rotating shaft that can freely rotate in the forward and reverse directions is used, and its operation control is performed by a control device (not shown). The control device has a function as a so-called microcomputer having a CPU, a memory, and the like. From a power source such as a battery mounted on the vehicle 11 to the electric motor 26 in response to a command signal from a slide door opening / closing switch (not shown). A direct current in a predetermined direction is supplied.

  In the present embodiment, the electric motor 26 is a DC motor with a brush, but is not limited thereto, and may be another electric motor such as a brushless motor.

  On the other hand, the speed reducer 27 has a structure in which a speed reduction mechanism 31 is accommodated in a gear case 28 fixed to the electric motor 26. In the illustrated case, the speed reduction mechanism 31 is a worm 32 and a worm wheel as a speed reduction gear. The worm gear mechanism provided with 33 is used. In this case, the worm 32 is integrally formed on the outer periphery of the rotating shaft 26a of the electric motor 26, and rotates together with the rotating shaft 26a. Further, the output shaft 34 of the drive unit 22 is rotatably supported by the gear case 28 by two bearings, and the worm wheel 33 is rotatably supported by the output shaft 34. The worm wheel 33 is meshed with the worm 32, whereby the rotation of the rotating shaft 26 a is reduced to a predetermined rotational speed and transmitted to the worm wheel 33.

  The drive unit 22 is provided with a clutch mechanism 35 for intermittently transmitting power between the electric motor 26 and the slide door 12, and the rotation of the worm wheel 33 is transmitted to the output shaft 34 via the clutch mechanism 35. It is like that. Details of the clutch mechanism 35 will be described later.

  One end portion of the output shaft 34 protrudes from the gear case 28, and a drum 36 as an output member is fixed to the end portion. The drum 36 is made of resin in which two cable guide grooves 36 a are spirally formed on the outer peripheral surface, and each cable 23 guided by the drive unit 22 is mutually connected to the corresponding cable guide groove 36 a of the drum 36. It is wound several times in the opposite direction. That is, the output shaft 34 is connected to the slide door 12 via the drum 36 and the cable 23.

  Although not shown, a tensioner mechanism that holds the tension of the cable 23 in a predetermined range may be provided between the drum 36 and the slide door 12.

  With such a structure, when the electric motor 26 operates, the rotation is transmitted to the output shaft 34, that is, the drum 36 via the speed reduction mechanism 31 and the clutch mechanism 35, and one of the cables 23 is wound around the drum 36. The slide door 12 is opened and closed. The opening / closing direction of the slide door 12 is determined by the rotation direction of the electric motor 26, that is, the rotation direction of the drum 36.

  4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the clutch mechanism when the electric motor is stopped, and FIG. 5B shows the state of the clutch mechanism when the electric motor is operated in the opening direction. FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state of the clutch mechanism when an excessive load is applied to the electric motor operating in the opening direction. FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the clutch mechanism when the electric motor is operated in the closing direction, and FIG. 6B is an excessive load applied to the electric motor operating in the closing direction. It is sectional drawing which shows the state of a clutch mechanism at the time.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the clutch mechanism 35 includes a pair of block portions 41 serving as a driving side rotating body, a hub member 42 serving as a driven side rotating body, and a pair of link bodies 43 serving as a power interrupting member. 31 is accommodated inside the gear case 28 adjacent to the side opposite to the drum 36.

  The block portion 41 is formed integrally with the worm wheel 33 so as to protrude in the axial direction from the side surface of the worm wheel 33, and is disposed symmetrically with the output shaft 34 interposed therebetween. When the electric motor 26 is activated, the block 41 rotates together with the worm wheel 33. That is, the block part 41 is driven by the electric motor 26 to rotate. The block 41 is provided with fixing grooves 41a, and leaf spring members 44 as elastic bodies are fixed to the fixing grooves 41a, respectively.

  Each of the leaf spring members 44 has a base portion 44a that is fitted and supported in the fixing groove 41a, and a pair of foot portions 44b that are formed integrally with the base portion 44a and project in the circumferential direction. 44b is formed in a bellows shape and is elastically deformable in the circumferential direction.

  In the illustrated case, the elastic body is a leaf spring member 44. However, the elastic body is not limited to this, and power transmission from the block portion 41 to the link body 43 is possible, and elastic deformation is possible in the circumferential direction. For example, it may be formed of rubber or the like.

  The hub member 42 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom including a cylindrical portion 42a and a bottom wall portion 42b, and accommodates the block portion 41 and the leaf spring member 44 described above inside the cylindrical portion 42a. . A fixing hole 42c is provided in the axial center of the bottom wall portion 42b, and the hub member 42 is fixed to the output shaft 34 in the fixing hole 42c. As a result, the hub member 42 is connected to the slide door 12 via the output shaft 34, the drum 36, the cable 23, etc., and rotates forward and backward integrally with the output shaft 34 in conjunction with the opening / closing movement of the slide door 12. It has become.

  A rotating plate 45 is provided between the block portion 41 and the bottom wall portion 42b. The rotating plate 45 is supported on the output shaft 34 so as to be rotatable relative to the output shaft 34, and is thereby rotatable relative to the block portion 41 and the hub member 42. A pair of pin members 46 are fixed to the rotating plate 45. These pin members 46 have an axial direction parallel to the axial direction of the output shaft 34 and are disposed at symmetrical positions with the output shaft 34 interposed therebetween.

  Each of the link bodies 43 is formed in a substantially T shape having a main body portion 43a and a pressing portion 43b protruding from the main body portion 43a, and is supported by a pin member 46 in a through hole 43c provided in the main body portion 43a. Yes. That is, the link body 43 is attached to the rotating plate 45 so as to be rotatable about the pin member 46 between the block portion 41 and the hub member 42.

  In the case shown in the figure, the link body 43 is rotatably supported by a pin member 46 fixed to the rotary plate 45. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the link member 43 is provided with a link member 43 or the like. It is only necessary that the body 43 is pivotally attached to the rotating plate 45.

  The front ends of the foot portions 44b of the corresponding leaf spring members 44 are in contact with the holding portions 43b of the link body 43 from the circumferential direction, and when the electric motor 26, that is, the block portion 41 is stopped, the foot portions 44b. Is elastically deformed in a slightly shrinking direction. Accordingly, when the block portion 41 is stopped, the pressing portion 43b is urged by the leaf spring member 44 from the both sides in the circumferential direction with the same elastic force, so that the link body 43 has the pressing portion 43b intermediate between the block portions 41. Is held in the neutral position.

  The surface of the link member 43 on the side facing the cylindrical portion 42 a of the hub member 42 is a friction engagement surface 43 d that is curved in a predetermined shape, and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 42 a is also the friction engagement surface of the link body 43. It is a friction engagement surface 42d capable of friction engagement with the mating surface 43d. The friction engagement surface 43d of the link body 43 faces the friction engagement surface 42d of the hub member 42 with a slight gap when the link body 43 is in the neutral position, and the link body 43 faces the pin member 46. When it rotates in either direction as a center, it contacts with the friction engagement surface 42d of the hub member 42 so that it can be integrally operated.

  Further, the clutch mechanism 35 is provided with a transmission power limiting mechanism that limits transmission of an excessive load. In the illustrated case, the transmission power limiting mechanism is configured by limiting walls 51 provided at both ends in the circumferential direction of the block portion 41. In this case, the limiting wall 51 approaches the hub member 42 in the radial direction. Accordingly, it is formed to be inclined in a direction away from the corresponding link body 43. When the link body 43 is rotated by largely deforming the foot portion 44b of the leaf spring member 44, the main body portion 43a of the link body 43 comes into contact with the restriction wall 51 and the link body 43 is restricted toward the neutral position. The wall 51 is pushed.

  Next, the operation of the clutch mechanism 35 having such a structure will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the electric motor 26, that is, the block portion 41 is stopped, the link body 43 is held at the neutral position by the leaf spring member 44 and the friction engagement with the hub member 42 is performed. It has been released. That is, in this state, power transmission between the electric motor 26 and the slide door 12 is interrupted by the clutch mechanism 35, and even if the slide door 12 is manually opened and closed, the hub member 42 interlocked with the opening and closing movement is The link body 43 and the block portion 41 are rotatable relative to each other, that is, idle. Therefore, the operating force when manually operating the slide door 12 becomes light as in the case where the automatic opening / closing device 21 is not provided, and the operational feeling is improved.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the open side of a slide door opening / closing switch (not shown) is pushed and the electric motor 26 is operated in the opening direction, the block portion 41 is rotated clockwise in the drawing. Rotate. When the block portion 41 rotates, the holding portion 43b of the link body 43 is pushed by the block portion 41 via the leaf spring member 44 fixed to the block portion 41, and the link body 43 rotates counterclockwise in the figure around the pin member 46. Rotate. When the link body 43 rotates, the friction engagement surface 43d of the link body 43 is pressed against the friction engagement surface 42d of the hub member 42, and the link body 43 frictionally engages with the hub member 42. Further, when the block portion 41 further rotates, the foot portion 44b of the leaf spring member 44 protruding toward the rotation direction of the block portion 41 is elastically deformed, and the load from the hub member 42 and the elastic force of the leaf spring member 44 are balanced. Sometimes, the link body 43 starts rotating in the clockwise direction in the figure with the block portion 41 and the output shaft 34 as the center. As a result, the rotation of the block portion 41, that is, the power is transmitted to the hub member 42 via the link body 43, and the hub member 42 rotates about the output shaft 34 together with the block portion 41 and the link body 43 to open the slide door 12. Start moving in the direction.

  At this time, since the amount of elastic deformation of the foot portion 44b of the leaf spring member 44 increases according to the load applied to the electric motor 26, the elastic force of the foot portion 44b increases as the load of the electric motor 26 increases, and the link body 43 The frictional engagement force with respect to the hub member 42 increases. That is, when the load of the electric motor 26 is less than the predetermined value, the frictional engagement force between the link body 43 and the hub member 42 changes according to the load of the electric motor 26, and the link body 43 and the hub member 42 There is no relative slip between them.

  As described above, in the clutch mechanism 35, power transmission between the electric motor 26 and the slide door 12 is interrupted when the electric motor 26 is stopped, but the link body 43 is activated when the electric motor 26 starts operating. Are mechanically frictionally engaged with the hub member 42, and the two are automatically switched to a power transmission state in which they can rotate together.

  Next, when the operation of the electric motor 26 is stopped, for example, when the slide door 12 is moved to the fully open state, the rotation of the block portion 41 is also stopped accordingly, and the link body 43 is neutralized by the spring force of the leaf spring member 44. The clutch mechanism 35 is automatically switched to the power cut-off state.

  Further, when an excessive load is applied to the electric motor 26, the clutch mechanism 35 automatically limits the excessive load by a transmission power limiting mechanism.

  That is, when the sliding door 12 is operated in the closing direction by an external force such as manual operation while the electric motor 26 is operating in the opening direction, as shown in FIG. As a result, the hub member 42 rotates in the opposite direction, and an excessive load is applied to the electric motor 26. In this case, as the load of the electric motor 26 increases, the leg portion 44 b of the leaf spring member 44 is greatly elastically deformed and the link body 43 approaches the block portion 41. When the load applied to the electric motor 26 becomes a predetermined value or more, the main body 43a of the link body 43 comes into contact with the restriction wall 51. In this case, since the limiting wall 51 is formed so as to be inclined in a direction of pushing the link body 43 toward the neutral position away from the hub member 42, the link body 43 contacting the limiting wall 51 is neutralized by the limiting wall 51. The pressing force against the hub member 42 is limited. As a result, the frictional engagement force of the link body 43 with respect to the hub member 42 is reduced, and the link body 43 slips relative to the hub member 42. That is, when an excessive load is applied to the electric motor 26, the link body 43 comes into contact with the limiting wall 51 to limit the pressing force against the hub member 42. Transmission is automatically cut off.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, when the slide door 12 is automatically closed, the clutch mechanism 35 operates similarly to the case of the automatic opening operation. That is, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the closed side of a slide door opening / closing switch (not shown) is pushed and the electric motor 26 operates in the closing direction, the block portion 41 is rotated counterclockwise in the drawing. The link body 43 is pushed by the block portion 41 via the leaf spring member 44 and rotates clockwise in the figure. As the link body 43 rotates, the link body 43 and the hub member 42 are frictionally engaged, the clutch mechanism 35 enters a power transmission state, and the slide door 12 starts moving in the closing direction. At this time, the foot portion 44 b of the leaf spring member 44 is elastically deformed in the circumferential direction according to the load of the electric motor 26.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the load applied to the electric motor 26 increases, the leg portion 44b of the leaf spring member 44 is greatly elastically deformed accordingly, and the link body 43 approaches the block portion 41. When the load applied to the electric motor 26 exceeds a predetermined value, the main body 43a of the link body 43 comes into contact with the limiting wall 51. Then, the link body 43 that is in contact with the limiting wall 51 is pushed back toward the neutral position by the limiting wall 51, and the frictional engagement force with the hub member 42 is reduced to cause a slip relative to the hub member 42. That is, even when the electric motor 26 rotates in the closing direction, when an excessive load is applied, the link body 43 comes into contact with the limiting wall 51 to limit the pressing force against the hub member 42, thereby The hub member 42 slips and power transmission is automatically cut off.

  As described above, in the automatic opening / closing device 21, when an excessive load is applied to the electric motor 26, the link body 43 slips relative to the hub member 42, so that the excessive load is directly applied to the electric motor 26. In addition, it is possible to improve the durability of the automatic switching device 21 by preventing transmission to the speed reduction mechanism 31 and the like.

  Further, in the automatic opening / closing device 21, the clutch mechanism 35 is automatically disconnected when the electric motor 26 is stopped, and the slide door 12 is disconnected from the electric motor 26. The operational feeling when manually opening and closing can be improved.

  Further, in this automatic opening / closing device 21, power can be interrupted and overload can be restricted without using an electromagnetic clutch having a clutch coil, an iron core, etc., so that the automatic opening / closing device 21 can be reduced in size and weight. And the cost can be reduced. Further, since the clutch mechanism 35 does not require power such as electric power for switching between the power transmission state and the power cut-off state, it is possible to reduce the burden on the power source such as the battery of the vehicle 11 on which the automatic opening / closing device 21 is mounted. it can.

  Further, in the automatic opening / closing device 21, the clutch mechanism 35 is reduced in size and weight, so that the degree of freedom of installation when the automatic opening / closing device 21 is mounted on the vehicle 11 is improved. In particular, since the axial thickness of the clutch mechanism 35 can be reduced, when the automatic opening / closing device 21 is mounted on the side panel or roof panel of the vehicle 11, the thickness of these panels is reduced. The cabin can be enlarged.

  Furthermore, in this automatic opening / closing device 21, the upper limit of the transmission power limited by the transmission power limiting mechanism can be adjusted by adjusting the inclination angle, position, etc. of the limiting wall 51. That is, by adjusting the contact position between the limiting wall 51 and the link body 43, the load value to be limited can be arbitrarily set. Therefore, the drive unit 22 including the clutch mechanism 35 can be easily applied to various types of automatic opening / closing devices having different specifications.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the drive unit shown in FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 7, FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 7, and FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the CC line in. Further, FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing the arrangement of the cam portion, the stopper portion and the leaf spring shown in FIG. 7 to 9, members corresponding to the members described above are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  The drive unit 61 shown in FIG. 7 includes an electric motor 26 similar to the drive unit 22 shown in FIG. 3, and the rotation shaft 26 a of the electric motor 26 is rotated by a worm 62 and a worm wheel 63. 64, the output is decelerated to a predetermined rotational speed. An output shaft 34 of the drive unit 61 is rotatably supported on the gear case 28, and a drum 36 around which the cable 23 connected to the slide door 12 is wound is fixed to the distal end portion of the output shaft 34. .

  In this drive unit 61, the worm wheel 63 is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the output shaft 34 and movable in the axial direction. The rotation of the worm wheel 63 is transmitted to the output shaft 34 via a clutch mechanism 65 provided inside the gear case 28.

  The clutch mechanism 65 includes a first cam 66 as a driving side rotating body, an output plate 67 as a driven side rotating body, and a friction plate 68 as a power interrupting member. It is accommodated inside the gear case 28 adjacent to the side.

  As shown in FIG. 8A, the first cam 66 is formed in a trapezoidal shape having a pair of inclined surfaces 66a at both ends in the circumferential direction, and is directed from the side surface of the worm wheel 63 as a reduction gear toward the axial direction. The worm wheel 63 is integrally formed so as to protrude. When the electric motor 26 is operated, the first cam 66 is driven by the electric motor 26 and rotates together with the worm wheel 63.

  The output plate 67 is formed in a disk shape having a flat friction engagement surface 67a on one surface, and is fixed to the output shaft 34 at the axis. Accordingly, the output plate 67 is connected to the slide door 12 via the output shaft 34, the drum 36, the cable 23, and the like, and rotates forward and backward in conjunction with the opening / closing movement of the slide door 12.

  The friction plate 68 is formed in a disk shape having a flat friction engagement surface 68a opposite to the friction engagement surface 67a of the output plate 67, and is rotatable relative to the output shaft 34 at the axial center and in the axial direction. It is supported movably. As a result, the friction plate 68 is rotatable relative to the worm wheel 63 and the output plate 67 provided with the first cam 66.

  A second cam 69 is provided on the side surface of the friction plate 68 that faces the worm wheel 63. As shown in FIG. 8 (a), the second cam 69 has a circumferential cross section provided with a pair of inclined surfaces 69a at both ends in the circumferential direction, and is formed as a trapezoidal groove. The interval of 69a is formed wider than the interval of the inclined surface 66a in the first cam 66. The first cam 66 is disposed inside the second cam 69, and the inclined surface 66a of the first cam 66 and the inclined surface 69a of the second cam 69 can contact each other when the worm wheel 63 and the friction plate 68 rotate relative to each other. It has become. When the first cam 66 and the second cam 69 are brought into contact, that is, engaged, the friction plate 68 is pushed away from the worm wheel 63 by the cam action of the cams 66 and 69.

  A ring-shaped support rubber 71 is attached to the side surface of the worm wheel 63 on the drum 36 side, and the axial load to the drum 36 side applied to the worm wheel 63 when pushing the friction plate 68 is supported by this support rubber 71. It has come to be. A sliding ring 72 is disposed between the support rubber 71 and the gear case 28, and the support rubber 71 is supported by the gear case 28 via the sliding ring 72.

  The clutch mechanism 65 is provided with a transmission power limiting mechanism that limits transmission of an excessive load. In this case, the transmission power limiting mechanism is constituted by a stopper hole 74 provided in the worm wheel 63 and a stopper projection 75 provided in the friction plate 68.

  As shown in FIG. 8B, the stopper hole 74 is formed in a groove shape having a rectangular cross section extending in the circumferential direction, and a pair of limiting walls 74a that are parallel to the output shaft 34 at both ends in the circumferential direction. Is provided. On the other hand, the stopper protrusion 75 is formed integrally with the friction plate 68 and protrudes from the side surface of the friction plate 68 toward the inside of the stopper hole 74. Accordingly, when the friction plate 68 rotates relative to the worm wheel 63, the stopper projection 75 moves relative to the inside of the stopper hole 74, and when the friction plate 68 moves relative to the worm wheel 63 by a predetermined distance or more, the stopper projection 75 75 is in contact with the limiting wall 74a of the stopper hole 74 to restrict further relative movement of the friction plate 68.

  Further, a leaf spring 76 as an urging means is fixed to the gear case 28, and the friction plate 68 is always urged in a direction away from the output plate 67 by the leaf spring 76. As shown in FIG. 8 (c), the leaf spring 76 is formed in a mountain shape having a pair of feet 76 a fixed to the gear case 28 by rivets 77, and a sliding plate 78 fixed to the friction plate 68. The friction plate 68 is urged via the.

  The sliding plate 78 is formed of a resin material having a low coefficient of friction with respect to the metal plate spring 76, whereby the sliding friction between the friction plate 68 and the plate spring 76 is reduced, and the friction plate 68 is Can rotate smoothly.

  The first cam 66, the second cam 69, the stopper hole 74, the stopper projection 75, and the leaf spring 76 described above are provided in three sets, arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction, as shown in FIG. The positional relationship is as shown in FIG.

  In the illustrated case, three sets of the first cam 66, the second cam 69, the stopper hole 74, the stopper projection 75, and the leaf spring 76 are provided, but the number is not limited to this, and the number is arbitrarily set. can do.

  FIG. 10A is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the clutch mechanism when the electric motor is stopped, and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the clutch mechanism when the electric motor is operated in the opening direction. FIG. 10C is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the clutch mechanism when an excessive load is applied to the electric motor. FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view showing a state of the clutch mechanism when the electric motor is operated in the closing direction, and FIG. 11B is a view of the clutch mechanism when an excessive load is applied to the electric motor. It is sectional drawing which shows a state. 10 and 11, members corresponding to those described above are given the same reference numerals, and the circumferential length is shortened for convenience.

  Next, the operation of the clutch mechanism 65 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, as shown in FIG. 10 (a), when the electric motor 26, that is, the worm wheel 63 is stopped, the worm wheel 63 does not rotate relative to the friction plate 68, so that the inclined surface 66a of the first cam 66 and The cam action by the inclined surface 69a of the second cam 69 does not occur, and the friction plate 68 is urged by the leaf spring 76 to face the output plate 67 with a predetermined gap. As a result, the clutch mechanism 65 enters a power cut-off state in which the frictional engagement between the friction plate 68 and the output plate 67 is released, and the output plate 67 is rotatable relative to the worm wheel 63. That is, in this state, power transmission between the electric motor 26 and the slide door 12 is interrupted, and even if the slide door 12 is manually opened and closed, the output plate 67 interlocked with the opening and closing movement is used as the friction plate 68 and the worm wheel. When the sliding door 12 is manually operated, the operating force when the sliding door 12 is manually operated becomes light as in the case where the automatic opening / closing device 21 is not provided.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10B, when the open side of a slide door opening / closing switch (not shown) is pushed and the electric motor 26 is operated in the opening direction, the worm wheel 63 is moved rightward in the drawing. Rotate. When the worm wheel 63 rotates, the first cam 66 provided on the worm wheel 63 moves relative to the second cam 69 provided on the friction plate 68 in the circumferential direction, so that the inclined surface 66a of the first cam 66 is second. The friction plate 68 is engaged with the inclined surface 69 a of the cam 69, and the friction plate 68 is pressed toward the output plate 67 by the cam action, and is frictionally engaged with the output plate 67. As a result, a power transmission state is achieved in which both can rotate integrally, and the rotation of the worm wheel 63, that is, the power is transmitted to the output plate 67 via the friction plate 68, and the sliding door 12 starts moving in the opening direction. At this time, an axial load in a direction away from the friction plate 68 is applied to the worm wheel 63 by a cam action, and this axial load is supported by the elastic force of the support rubber 71 having a larger elastic coefficient than the plate spring 76. Further, since the elastic force of the support rubber 71 increases according to the load of the electric motor 26, the frictional engagement force between the friction plate 68 and the output plate 67 gradually increases until the load of the electric motor 26 reaches a predetermined value. .

  Thus, in this clutch mechanism 65, power transmission between the electric motor 26 and the slide door 12 is interrupted when the electric motor 26 is stopped, but when the electric motor 26 starts operating, the friction plate 68 is activated. Are mechanically frictionally engaged with the output plate 67, and the two are automatically switched to a power transmission state in which they can rotate together. In such a normal operation, the stopper projection 75 does not contact the limiting wall 74a of the stopper hole 74, and the transmission power limiting mechanism does not function.

  Next, when the operation of the electric motor 26, that is, the rotation of the worm wheel 63 stops, such as when the slide door 12 moves to the fully open state, the cam action by the first cam 66 and the second cam 69 decreases, and the friction plate 68 The clutch mechanism 65 is automatically switched to the power cut-off state by being returned to the position away from the output plate 67 by the spring force of the leaf spring 76.

  Further, when an excessive load is applied to the electric motor 26, the clutch mechanism 65 automatically limits the excessive load by a transmission power limiting mechanism. That is, when the slide door 12 is operated in the closing direction by an external force such as manual operation while the electric motor 26 is operating in the opening direction, as shown in FIG. Thus, the output plate 67 is rotated in the relatively reverse direction, and an excessive load is applied to the electric motor 26.

  In this case, as the load of the electric motor 26 increases, the cam action of the first cam 66 and the second cam 69 increases, and the worm wheel 63 is caused by the reaction of the cam action on the friction plate 68 in contact with the output plate 67. The support rubber 71 is greatly compressed and moved away from the friction plate 68. As a result, the worm wheel 63 further moves relative to the friction plate 68, and when the load applied to the electric motor 26 reaches a predetermined value, the worm wheel 63 moves relative to the position where the stopper projection 75 contacts the limiting wall 74a of the stopper hole 74. Moving. When the stopper projection 75 comes into contact with the limiting wall 74a of the stopper hole 74, the relative movement of the worm wheel 63 with respect to the friction plate 68 is restricted, and accordingly, the pressing force of the friction plate 68 against the output plate 67, that is, the output plate of the friction plate 68. Further increase in frictional engagement force for 67 is limited. Therefore, when the load of the electric motor 26 exceeds a predetermined value, a frictional engagement force sufficient to transmit the load does not occur between the friction plate 68 and the output plate 67, and the friction plate 68 does not move against the output plate 67. As a result, slippage occurs and power transmission between the electric motor 26 and the slide door 12 is automatically cut off. As described above, when an excessive load is applied to the electric motor 26, the clutch mechanism 65 automatically enters the power cut-off state, so that an excessive load is not directly transmitted to the electric motor 26 or the speed reduction mechanism 64. Thus, the durability of the automatic opening / closing device 21 can be improved.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, when the sliding door 12 is automatically closed, the clutch mechanism 65 operates similarly to the case of the automatic opening operation. That is, as shown in FIG. 11A, when the electric motor 26 is operated in the closing direction by closing the slide door opening / closing switch (not shown), the worm wheel 63 moves against the friction plate 68 accordingly. As a result, the inclined surface 66a of the first cam 66 is engaged with the inclined surface 69a of the second cam 69, and the friction plate 68 is pressed toward the output plate 67 by the cam action. As a result, the friction plate 68 frictionally engages with the output plate 67, the clutch mechanism 65 enters a power transmission state, and the slide door 12 starts to move in the closing direction.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 11B, when the load applied to the electric motor 26 increases, the support rubber 71 is greatly elastically deformed accordingly, and the worm wheel 63 is largely moved relative to the friction plate 68. When the load applied to the electric motor 26 reaches a predetermined value, the stopper projection 75 comes into contact with the limiting wall 74a of the stopper hole 74, and the relative movement of the worm wheel 63 with respect to the friction plate 68 is restricted. As a result, the pressing force of the friction plate 68 against the output plate 67 is limited, and when the load of the electric motor 26 exceeds a predetermined value, the friction plate 68 slips with respect to the output plate 67, and the electric motor 26 and the sliding door. Power transmission to and from 12 is automatically cut off.

  As described above, in the automatic opening / closing device 21, the friction plate 68 slides relative to the output plate 67 when an excessive load is applied to the electric motor 26. Therefore, the excessive load is directly applied to the automatic opening / closing device. 21 and the vehicle 11 can be prevented from being transmitted, and the durability of the automatic opening / closing device 21 can be improved.

  Also in the drive unit 61 used in the automatic opening / closing device 21, the upper limit of the transmission power limited by the transmission power limiting mechanism is adjusted by adjusting the relative position of the limiting wall 74a of the stopper projection 75 and the stopper hole 74. Can be adjusted. That is, since the load value to which transmission by the clutch mechanism 65 should be restricted can be arbitrarily set, the drive unit 61 provided with the clutch mechanism 65 can be easily applied to various types of automatic switching devices 21 having different specifications. can do.

  It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the opening / closing member is the sliding door 12 that opens and closes in a sliding manner. However, the opening / closing member is not limited to this, and may be other opening / closing members such as a laterally opening door and a back door for getting on and off. .

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the cable 23 connected to the slide door 12 is wound up with the drum 36 fixed to the output shaft 34, the slide door 12 is operated, but it is not restricted to this, for example, The opening / closing member is rotated by the rotation of the output shaft 34, such as fixing a pinion gear to the output shaft 34 and driving a rack connected to the opening / closing member by the pinion gear, or fixing an arm connected to the opening / closing member to the output shaft 34. Any structure that can be opened and closed may be used.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the first cam 66 is formed so as to protrude from the worm wheel 63, and the second cam 69 is formed in the friction plate 68 in a groove shape. May be formed in the worm wheel 63 in a groove shape, and the second cam 69 may be formed in a shape protruding from the friction plate 68.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the stopper protrusion 75 is formed on the friction plate 68 and the stopper hole 74 is formed on the worm wheel 63. However, the stopper protrusion 75 is formed on the worm wheel 63 and the stopper hole 74 is rubbed. You may make it form in the board 68. FIG.

  Furthermore, although the worm gear mechanism is used as the speed reduction mechanisms 31 and 64 in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and other types of speed reduction mechanisms such as a combination of spur gears having different numbers of teeth are used. It may be.

  Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the friction engagement surfaces are engaged with each other by the contact pressure of each friction surface. In order to adjust the friction engagement force between the friction engagement surfaces to a predetermined value. The shape of the engagement surface may be changed, or a known fading material may be attached to one or both surfaces of the friction engagement surface.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the vehicle provided with the automatic opening / closing apparatus for vehicles which is one embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing an enlarged main part of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1. It is sectional drawing which shows the detail of the drive unit shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the AA line shown in FIG. (A) is sectional drawing which shows the state of a clutch mechanism when an electric motor has stopped, (b) is sectional drawing which shows the state of a clutch mechanism when an electric motor act | operates to the open direction, c) is a sectional view showing the state of the clutch mechanism when an excessive load is applied to the electric motor operating in the opening direction. (A) is sectional drawing which shows the state of a clutch mechanism when an electric motor act | operates to a close direction, (b) is the state of a clutch mechanism when an excessive load is applied to the electric motor which act | operates to a close direction FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of the drive unit shown in FIG. (A) is sectional drawing which follows the AA line in FIG. 7, (b) is sectional drawing which follows the BB line in FIG. 7, (c) is sectional drawing which follows the CC line in FIG. FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows arrangement | positioning of the cam part shown in FIG. 7, a stopper part, and a leaf | plate spring. (A) is sectional drawing which shows the state of a clutch mechanism when an electric motor has stopped, (b) is sectional drawing which shows the state of a clutch mechanism when an electric motor act | operates to the open direction, c) is a sectional view showing a state of the clutch mechanism when an excessive load is applied to the electric motor. (A) is sectional drawing which shows the state of a clutch mechanism when an electric motor act | operates to the closing direction, (b) is sectional drawing which shows the state of a clutch mechanism when an excessive load is applied to the electric motor. is there.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Vehicle 12 Slide door 13 Guide rail 13a Bending part 14 Second seat 15 Third seat 16 Roller assembly 21 Automatic opening / closing device 22 for vehicle 22 Drive unit 23 Cable 24, 25 Reverse pulley 26 Electric motor 26a Rotating shaft 27 Reducer 28 Gear case 31 Deceleration mechanism 32 Worm 33 Worm wheel 34 Output shaft 35 Clutch mechanism 36 Drum 36a Cable guide groove 41 Block part 41a Fixing groove 42 Hub member 42a Cylindrical part 42b Bottom wall part 42c Fixing hole 42d Friction engagement surface 43 Link body 43a Main part 43b Holding part 43c Through hole 43d Friction engagement surface 44 Leaf spring member 44a Base 44b Foot 45 Rotating plate 46 Pin member 51 Limiting wall 61 Drive unit 62 Worm 63 Worm wheel 64 Deceleration mechanism 65 Clutch mechanism 66 First cam 66a Inclined surface 67 Output plate 67a Friction engagement surface 68 Friction plate 68a Friction engagement surface 69 Second cam 69a Inclined surface 71 Support rubber 72 Sliding ring 74 Stopper hole 74a Limit wall 75 Stopper projection 76 Plate spring 76a Feet 77 Rivet 78 Sliding plate

Claims (5)

An automatic opening and closing device for a vehicle that automatically opens and closes an opening and closing member provided in a vehicle,
A driving side rotating body driven by an electric motor;
A driven-side rotating body interlocking with an opening / closing movement of the opening / closing member;
Provided between the drive-side rotator and the driven-side rotator, and when the drive-side rotator rotates, the drive-side rotator is pressed against the drive-side rotator to frictionally engage the driven-side rotator. The power of the side rotating body is transmitted to the driven side rotating body, and when the driving side rotating body is stopped, the frictional engagement with the driven side rotating body is released and the driven side rotating body is rotated on the driving side. A power interrupting member that is rotatable relative to the body;
When the load applied to the electric motor exceeds a predetermined value, the pressing force of the power interrupting member against the driven rotating body is limited, and the power interrupting member slides relative to the driven rotating body. An automatic opening / closing device for a vehicle comprising a transmission power limiting mechanism.   2. The automatic opening / closing device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the driving side rotating body is formed integrally with a reduction gear of a reduction mechanism that decelerates and outputs the rotation of the electric motor, and supports a resilient body protruding in the circumferential direction. The driven rotary body comprises a hub member fixed to an output shaft connected to the opening / closing member, and the power interrupting member is rotatable on a rotary plate supported relative to the output shaft. The transmission power limiting mechanism is composed of a limiting wall provided in the block portion, and when the block portion rotates, the link body is pushed by the block portion via the elastic body. When the load applied to the electric motor exceeds a predetermined value while being frictionally engaged with the hub member, the link body comes into contact with the limit wall and presses against the hub member. Automatic opening and closing system for a vehicle, characterized in that the force is limited.   3. The automatic opening / closing device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the limiting wall is formed so as to be inclined in a direction in which the link body is pushed toward a neutral position away from the driven rotating body. .   2. The automatic opening / closing device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the driving side rotator comprises a first cam provided on a reduction gear of a reduction mechanism that decelerates and outputs the rotation of the electric motor, and the driven side rotator is the An output plate fixed to an output shaft connected to the opening / closing member, wherein the power interrupting member is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the output shaft and movable in the axial direction, and engages with the first cam. The transmission power limiting mechanism is composed of a stopper provided in one of the reduction gear or the friction plate and a stopper hole provided in the other, and the reduction gear The friction plate is frictionally engaged with the output plate by being pushed by the cam action of the first and second cams when rotating, and when a load greater than a predetermined value is applied to the electric motor, Stopper said friction plate pressing force vehicular automatic opening and closing device, wherein a limited relative to the output plate engages the limiting wall of the stopper hole.   5. The automatic opening / closing device for a vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising an urging means for urging the friction plate in a direction away from the output plate.

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