JP2005307604A - Electric door opening/closing device for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a clutch which is small and reduces power consumption without altering a conventional clutch control system (on/off switching of power distribution to an electromagnetic coil). <P>SOLUTION: An electric door opening/closing device for opening/closing a vehicle door by an electric motor is provided with a power connecting/disconnecting device comprising a mechanical two-directional clutches (12, 14, 16, 18, 20) using an engagement element (16), and a control means (22, 24, 26, 28) switching the mechanical two-directional clutch between the engagement and the idle rotation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an open / close device for an electric door such as an electric slide door and an electric back door of an automobile, and more specifically, a clutch having a function of transmitting / cutting power from a drive side to a driven side by mechanical contact. The part is improved.

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an open / close device for an electric sliding door of an automobile has a structure in which the rotation of a drive motor is decelerated by a worm gear and further transmitted via a clutch (see, for example, JP-A-9-144426). Since the reduction ratio of the worm gear is generally large, in order to enable manual door opening and closing operations when the drive motor is stopped, a clutch is interposed between the output shaft after the worm gear reduction and manual operation from the output shaft side. Input, that is, manual door opening / closing operation is enabled. In general, electromagnetic clutches are often used as these clutches, but size reduction and reduction in power consumption are desired.
JP-A-9-144426 (paragraph 0010, FIG. 4)

  When an attempt is made to reduce the size of the electromagnetic clutch in the conventional example, the torque transmission capability of the clutch decreases due to a decrease in the effective radius of the clutch friction surface and a decrease in the armature attraction force due to a reduction in the space of the electromagnetic coil. In order to compensate for the decrease in transmission capability, measures such as increasing the energization current to the electromagnetic coil are required. As a result, an increase in power consumption is unavoidable, and it is difficult to reduce the size of the electromagnetic clutch without increasing the power consumption. It has become.

  The present invention provides an electric door opening and closing device for an automobile that is small in size and can reduce power consumption without changing a conventional clutch control system (switching on / off of energization to an electromagnetic coil). With the goal.

  The present invention is configured to control switching of engagement / idling of a mechanical two-way clutch by an electromagnetic clutch adjacent thereto. That is, an electric door opening and closing device for an automobile according to the present invention is an electric door opening and closing device in which an automobile door is opened and closed by an electric motor. The mechanical two-way clutch (12, 14, 16, 18, 20) and a power interrupting device comprising control means (22, 24, 26, 28) for switching between engagement and idling of the mechanical two-way clutch. ). Since the main power is transmitted by a mechanical two-way clutch, it is possible to demonstrate a high torque transmission capability. In addition, since the mechanical two-way clutch is switched by an electromagnetic clutch, the conventional power supply is turned on / off. The clutch control method can be applied as it is without changing it. As is well known, a sprag can be used in place of the roller 16 as the engagement element of the mechanical two-way clutch.

  The mechanical two-way clutch can be built inside the control means.

The mechanical two-way clutch may include the following elements (claim 3).
(A) An outer ring 14 and an inner member (shaft 12) arranged coaxially,
(B) a wedge space formed by a cylindrical surface formed on one of opposing surfaces of the outer ring 14 and the inner member (shaft 12) and a plurality of cam surfaces formed on the other;
(C) a cage 18 interposed between the outer ring 14 and the inner member (shaft 12);
(D) a roller 16 accommodated in a pocket of the cage 18 and located in the wedge space;
(E) It is incorporated between the cage 18 and the outer ring 14 or between the cage 18 and the inner member (shaft 12), and holds the roller 16 in a neutral position via the cage 18. An elastic member (centering spring 20).

  The control means includes an armature 22 that is axially movable relative to the retainer 18 and is not relatively rotatable, a friction member (rotor 24) fixed to the outer ring 14 or the inner member (shaft 12), and An electromagnetic friction clutch having an electromagnet 38 for attracting the armature 22 can be used.

  The electromagnetic friction clutch includes a rotor 24 as a friction member fixed to the outer ring 14 or the inner member (shaft 12), and an armature 22 that can move in the axial direction with respect to the cage 18 and cannot rotate relative to the cage 18. Is disposed through an appropriate clearance, and an electromagnetic coil 38 for pressing the armature 22 against the rotor 24 by magnetic force is provided, and energization to the electromagnetic coil 38 is turned on / off, whereby a mechanical two-way clutch is It can be engaged or idling.

The operation of the above configuration will be described as follows, taking as an example the case where a cam surface is formed on the inner member (shaft 12) and the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 14 is cylindrical.
1) When the electromagnetic coil 38 is not energized, the roller 16 is held in a neutral position with respect to the cam surface by the action of the centering spring 20, so that the clutch is idling.
2) When the electromagnetic coil 38 is energized, the armature 22 that is in a relatively non-rotatable relationship with the cage 18 due to the magnetic force generated by the magnetic coil 38 is For example, it is pressed against the rotor 24).
3) A frictional resistance is generated between the armature 22 and the outer ring 14, and the cage 18, which is in a non-rotatable relationship with the armature 22, rotates against the force of the centering spring 20 and has an inner surface having a cam surface. The phase with respect to the member (axis 12) is shifted.
4) The roller 16 accommodated in the pocket of the cage 18 is guided by a narrow gap in the wedge space formed between the cam surface of the inner member (shaft 12) and the cylindrical surface of the outer ring 14, The clutch is engaged.
5) When the energization of the electromagnetic coil 38 is cut off, the frictional resistance between the armature 22 and the outer ring 14 disappears, and the cage 18 returns to the original position by the action of the centering spring 20 to return the roller 16 to the neutral position. . As a result, the clutch returns to the idle state again.

  The electromagnetic clutch 38 is used only for switching the mechanical two-way clutch, and it is sufficient to generate a friction torque that can overcome the force of the centering spring 20. Therefore, the required torque transmission capability may be very small as compared with the conventional electromagnetic friction clutch, and it is possible to achieve both downsizing and power saving of the clutch.

  For example, the power interrupting device can be housed in a worm wheel 10 constituting a front-stage speed reducer with external input (Claim 5). Alternatively, the power interrupting device can be housed in a wire take-up drum 4 that is an output part of a door opening / closing device (Claim 6).

  The electric door opening and closing device for automobiles according to the present invention can be applied to, for example, a slide door provided on the side of an automobile (Claim 7) and a back door provided on the back of the automobile (Claim 8).

  According to the present invention, since the main power is transmitted by the mechanical clutch, the torque transmission capability is high, and as a result, the size can be reduced. It can be applied without changing on / off of energization, which is conventional clutch control, and control is easy. Since the electromagnetic clutch is only intended to control the mechanical clutch, a large torque transmission capability is not required, and a small and inexpensive configuration can be achieved. Similarly, since a large torque transmission capability is not required, power consumption can be reduced.

  In the conventional power transmission by the electromagnetic clutch, it is difficult to reduce the size of the clutch without increasing the power consumption. The clutch can be reduced in size without increasing the power consumption. Therefore, the clutch can be housed in the worm wheel or the wire take-up drum, and the entire door opening / closing device can be reduced in size.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  First, the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be described. 2 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. In the first embodiment, a clutch unit comprising a mechanical two-way clutch using a roller as an engagement element and an electromagnetic clutch for switching the clutch unit is arranged inside a worm wheel 10 that constitutes a worm gear that corresponds to a front-stage reduction portion. It is an example stored in. In this embodiment, the outer ring 14 is an input side member and the shaft 12 is an output side member, and power is selectively transmitted or cut between the outer ring 14 and the shaft 12. .

  The worm wheel 10 is accommodated in a housing 2 that constitutes a stationary system. The housing has a casting portion and a steel plate portion, and the whole is indicated by reference numeral 2 collectively. The worm wheel 10 is fitted to the outer periphery of the rotor 24, and forms a worm gear by engaging with the worm 6 that is rotationally driven by an external drive motor (not shown).

  The shaft 12 is rotatably supported with respect to the housing 2 via a sliding bearing. The shaft 12 has a wire take-up drum 4 attached to the upper end in FIG. The wire take-up drum 4 is wound with a wire (not shown) for opening and closing the electric slide door and the electric back door. As can be seen from FIG. 4, a plurality of cam surfaces 13 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 12. The inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 14 located on the outer peripheral side of the cam surface 13 is cylindrical. A roller 16 is disposed in a space formed between the cam surface 13 of the shaft 12 and the cylindrical inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 14. The space formed by the cam surface 13 of the shaft 12 and the cylindrical inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 14 is such that the roller 16 can freely rotate in the neutral position, and the roller 18 can move in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction. It has a wedge-shaped cross-sectional shape that bites into the cam surface.

  The roller 16 is accommodated in a pocket of a cage 18 interposed between the shaft 12 and the outer ring 16. The cage 20 is elastically supported by the centering spring 20 in the circumferential direction. As can be seen from FIG. 4, the centering spring 20 has an annular portion 20 a and a pair of engaging portions 20 b extending substantially in the radial direction. The annular portion 20a is mounted in a circumferential groove formed at the end of the shaft 12, and the engaging portion 20b protrudes from a hole penetrating the shaft 12 in the radial direction and engages with the notch 17 of the retainer 18. . The centering spring 20 plays a role of holding the roller 16 in the neutral position via the holder 18 by always holding the angular position or phase of the holder 18 with respect to the shaft 12 constant.

  When the roller 16 is in the neutral position, the roller 16 does not contact the cam surface 13 of the shaft 12 and the cylindrical inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 14 simultaneously, and the shaft 12 and the outer ring 14 can be rotated relative to each other. When the cage 18 rotates against the force of the centering spring 20, the roller 16 also moves accordingly, and the roller 16 is formed between the cam surface 13 of the shaft 12 and the cylindrical inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 14. The shaft 12 and the outer ring 14 are integrated into the narrow space of the wedge space.

  The retainer 18 has an inward flange 19 at one end (the upper end in FIG. 1), and the flange 19 faces the shoulder 11 of the shaft 12 in the axial direction. An armature 22 is located on the opposite side of the shaft 12 from the shoulder 11 with the flange 19 of the cage 18 interposed therebetween. The armature 22 and the cage 18 are concavo-convexly fitted so that they can move relative to each other in the axial direction and cannot rotate relative to each other. In the illustrated embodiment, a pin formed in the axial direction at the end of the cage 18 enters a hole formed in the axial direction in the armature 22. A return spring 26 in the form of, for example, a compression coil spring or a disc spring is interposed between the armature 22 and the rotor 24. The return spring 26 pushes the armature 22 in a direction away from the rotor 24, but the movement of the armature 22 is restricted by a retaining ring 30 attached to the shaft 12.

  The outer ring 14 is fitted with the rotor 24. The rotor 24 is made of a magnetic material. In the lower part of FIG. 1, the rotor 24 is supported so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to the shaft 12 via a rolling bearing, while being relatively rotatable with respect to the housing 2 via a sliding bearing. It is supported by. The rotor 24 has a recess for receiving the electromagnetic coil 28, and a slit 23 is provided through the recess in the axial direction from the recess toward the armature 22 side. The electromagnetic coil 28 is fixed to the housing 2 which is a stationary system. There is a gap between the rotor 24 and the electromagnetic coil 28, and both can rotate relative to each other.

  When the electromagnetic coil 28 is energized, the armature 22 is attracted to the rotor 24 and a frictional resistance is generated between them. Here, when the shaft 12 and the outer ring 14 are rotated relative to each other, the roller 16 moves into a narrow gap in the wedge space against the force of the centering spring 20, and the shaft 12 and the outer ring 14 are connected.

  The operation of the first embodiment will be described as follows, taking as an example the case where the sliding door is opened and closed by an electric motor. The power of the electric motor is greatly decelerated from the worm 6 to the worm wheel 10 and transmitted. Inside the worm wheel 10, a rotor 24 and an outer ring 14 are fitted so as not to rotate, so that power is transmitted to the outer ring 14. When the electric motor is operated, energization of the electromagnetic clutch is turned on, and the mechanical two-way clutch (12, 14, 16, 18, 20) is engaged. When the clutch is engaged, the power transmitted to the outer ring 14 is transmitted to the shaft 12, the wire take-up drum 4 that is non-rotatably fitted to the shaft 12 rotates, and the slide door opens and closes via the wire. Driven.

  The operation of the first embodiment will be described as follows, taking as an example the case of manually opening and closing the sliding door. When the slide door is manually opened and closed, the wire take-up drum 4 rotates through the wire connected to the slide door. The power at this time is transmitted from the drum 4 to the shaft 12, but when the manual opening and closing, that is, when the electric motor is stopped, the electromagnetic clutch (22, 24, 26, 28) is de-energized and the mechanical two-way clutch (12, 14, 16, 18, and 20) are in the idling state, and no power is transmitted from the shaft 12 to the outer ring 14. Therefore, the power for manual opening / closing is not transmitted to the speed reduction unit and the electric motor, and the power is shut off at the front stage of the speed reduction unit, so that the sliding door can be opened and closed with a light force.

  5 and 6 show a second embodiment in which the clutch unit is housed in the wire take-up drum 4. 5 and 6, substantially the same parts or portions as those in the first embodiment already described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. And This second embodiment is a shaft input type, in which the shaft 12 is an input side member and the outer ring 14 is an output side member. Therefore, the shaft 12 is coupled to the worm wheel 10 by a serration, a spline, a key or the like so that torque can be transmitted. Further, the outer ring 14 and the rotor 24, and the rotor 24 and the wire winding drum 4 are fitted to each other so that the three members rotate together. In this case, power from the electric motor is transmitted in the following order. Worm 6 → worm wheel 10 → shaft 12 → roller 16 → outer ring 14 → rotor 24 → wire winding drum 4 → wire (not shown) → sliding door (not shown).

  7 and 8 show an embodiment in which the clutch unit is housed in the wire take-up drum 4 as in FIG. 5, but the input / output relationship of the clutch is reversed. 7 and 8, substantially the same parts or portions as those in the first embodiment already described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. And This third embodiment is an outer ring input type, in which the outer ring 14 is an input side member and the shaft 12 is an output side member. Therefore, the worm wheel 10 is coupled to the rotor 24 so as to be able to transmit torque, and the rotor 24 is fitted to the outer ring 14. The shaft 12 is coupled to the wire take-up drum 4 so that torque can be transmitted. In this case, power from the electric motor is transmitted in the following order. Worm 6 → worm wheel 10 → rotor 24 → outer ring 14 → roller 16 → shaft 12 → wire winding drum 4 → wire (not shown) → sliding door (not shown).

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows embodiment of invention. It is an enlarged view of the principal part of FIG. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 1. It is sectional drawing of the centering spring part of FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows another embodiment. It is an enlarged view of the principal part of FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows another embodiment. It is an enlarged view of the principal part of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 Housing 4 Wire winding drum 6 Worm 10 Worm wheel 11 Shoulder part 12 Shaft 13 Cam surface 14 Outer ring 16 Roller 18 Cage 19 Flange 20 Centering spring 20a Ring part 20b Engagement part 22 Armature 23 Slit 24 Rotor 26 Return spring 28 Electromagnetic coil 30 retaining ring

Claims (8)

  In an electric door opening and closing device configured to open and close a door of an automobile by an electric motor, a power intermittent operation comprising a mechanical two-way clutch using an engagement element and a control means for switching engagement and idling of the mechanical two-way clutch. An automotive electric door opening and closing device comprising the device.   2. The electric door opening and closing device for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical two-way clutch is built inside the control means. 2. The electric door opening and closing device for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical two-way clutch includes the following elements.
(A) outer ring and inner member arranged coaxially,
(B) a wedge space formed by a cylindrical surface formed on one of the opposing surfaces of the outer ring and the inner member and a plurality of cam surfaces formed on the other;
(C) a cage interposed between the outer ring and the inner member;
(D) a roller housed in a pocket of the cage and located in the wedge space;
(E) An elastic member that is incorporated between the cage and the outer ring or between the cage and the inner member, and holds the roller in a neutral position via the cage.   The control means includes an armature that is axially movable with respect to the cage and is not relatively rotatable, a friction member fixed to the outer ring or the inner member, and an electromagnet for attracting the armature. The electric door opening and closing device for automobiles according to claim 3, wherein the electric door opening and closing device is constituted by a friction clutch.   2. The electric door opening and closing device for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the power interrupting device is housed in a worm wheel constituting a front-stage speed reducer with external input.   2. The electric door opening and closing device for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the power interrupting device is housed in a wire winding drum which is an output portion of the door opening and closing device.   The electric door opening and closing device for an automobile according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the electric door is a slide door provided on a side surface of the automobile.   The electric door opening and closing device for an automobile according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the electric door is a back door provided on a back surface of the automobile.

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