JP2007008307A - Get-on/-off step device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a get-on/-off step device for a vehicle structured so that the extended step board stops in a position allowing a passenger to get on and off easily and having a high rigidity without causing the step board to sink even in case the passenger get on the top surface of the step board. <P>SOLUTION: The get-on/-off step device S for vehicle is equipped with a movable step 50 for assisting a passenger getting on and off, a extending and retracting part 30 to move the movable step 50 between the retracted position and the extended position, a drive part 20 to drive the extending and retracting part 30, and a supporting member 10 installed under the vehicle floor and supporting the extending and retracting part 30 and the drive part 20. The extending and retracting part 30 is furnished with a horizontally moving mechanism to rotate an arm member 46 round a second vertical shaft 43, and holding members 13 and 14 to fasten the arm member 46 when the movable step 50 has moved to the extended position are installed on the side with the supporting member 10 or the vehicle, and in the extended position, the load applied downward onto the movable step 50 is supported by the holding members 13 and 14. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle step-in / step-out device, and more particularly, to a vehicle step-in / step-out device having a movable step structure for assisting a passenger to get in / out a vehicle.

Generally, in a vehicle such as a one-box car, the floor of the passenger compartment is set relatively high. For this reason, a vehicle entry / exit step device has been proposed in which a movable step is developed from the vehicle floor to the vehicle outer side at the vehicle entrance / exit to assist getting on / off (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Patent Document 1 discloses a retractable auxiliary step configured to reciprocate on the same horizontal plane between a treadboard storage position and a treadboard extension position corresponding to the vehicle step lower direction and the lower front part, respectively. ing. This retractable auxiliary step assists the passenger in getting on and off when it is unfolded, that is, when it is disposed at the tread plate overhanging position.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-240631 (page 2-4, FIG. 1 to FIG. 2)

However, in the configuration of the retractable auxiliary step described in Patent Document 1, there is one rotation shaft and one link for transmitting power. The auxiliary step is fixed only at one end.
Therefore, there is a problem that the rigidity of the auxiliary step is low, and when the occupant gets on the upper surface of the auxiliary step during deployment, the link is bent and the auxiliary step sinks.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to stop the developed step plate at a position where it can easily get on and off, and the step plate sinks even when the occupant gets on the upper surface of the step plate. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular boarding / alighting step device that has high rigidity and that does not slip.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a movable step for assisting getting on and off, and a deployment storage unit that moves the movable step between a storage position stored below the vehicle floor and a deployment position deployed outside the vehicle; A vehicle entrance / exit step device comprising: a drive unit that drives the deployment storage unit; and a support member that is attached to a vehicle floor and supports the deployment storage unit and the drive unit. Has one end portion rotatably connected to the movable step via a first vertical axis, and the other end portion of the arm member is connected via a second vertical axis to the second step. A horizontal movement mechanism that rotates the arm member around a vertical axis is provided, and a holding member that locks the arm member when the movable step moves to the deployed position is provided on the support member or the vehicle side. Arranged and said exhibition In the position, the load to the lower direction according to the moving step is solved by becoming supported by the holding member.

As described above, since the holding member for bearing the load applied to the step when the movable step is deployed is provided on the support member or the vehicle side of the vehicle entry / exit step device of the present invention, the holding member is The load applied to the movable step can be borne, and the load applied to the holding member is supported by the vehicle body or the support member to which the holding member is attached.
Thus, by bearing the load applied to the movable step, the strength of the movable step can be increased and the movable step can be prevented from sinking, and the holding member also serves as a rotation stop for the arm member.

  Further, according to the present invention, there is provided, according to the present invention, a movable step for assisting getting on and off, and a deployment in which the movable step is moved between a storage position stored below the vehicle floor and a deployment position deployed outside the vehicle. A vehicle entry / exit step device comprising: a storage unit; a drive unit that drives the deployment storage unit; and a support member that is attached to a vehicle floor and supports the deployment storage unit and the drive unit, The unfolding storage portion has one end portion rotatably connected to the movable step via a first vertical shaft, and the other end portion of the arm member connected to the other end portion via a second vertical shaft. A horizontal movement mechanism that rotates the arm member around a second vertical axis; and a vertical movement mechanism that is connected to the other end side of the arm member and moves the arm member up and down. A holding member is arranged on the side The arm member is provided with a held member that engages with the holding member when the movable step has moved to the deployed position. At the deployed position, the arm member has a downward direction applied to the movable step. The load is solved by being supported by the holding member via the held member.

Thus, on the support member or the vehicle side of the vehicle entry / exit step device of the present invention, when the movable step is deployed, a holding member for bearing a load applied to the step is provided. A held member that is locked to the holding member is provided.
Since the holding member has such a configuration, the holding member can bear a load applied to the movable step via the held member, and the load applied to the holding member is applied to the vehicle body side or the support member to which the holding member is attached. Will be supported.
Thus, by bearing the load applied to the movable step, it is possible to increase the strength of the movable step and prevent the movable step from sinking.
Further, when the movable step is deployed, the retained member is locked to the holding member, so that the movable step can be reliably stopped at the deployed position.
Furthermore, since the vertical movement mechanism is provided, the height of the movable step from the ground surface can be changed between the retracted position and the deployed position. Therefore, when unfolded, the movable step can be arranged at a position closer to the ground surface than the storage position, and the boarding / exiting performance is improved.

Further, in the above configuration, the vertical movement mechanism is configured such that the movable step is disposed in the retracted position when the arm member is in the upper position, and the movable step is in the deployed position when the arm member is in the lower position. The movable member is disposed at the unfolded position at the position above the lowest point within the movable range of the vertical movement mechanism, and the holding member is configured to be disposed. It is preferable that the held member is locked.
As described above, when the movable step is arranged at the unfolded position when the arm member is located above the lowest point, the vertical movement of the arm member is performed when a load is applied to the movable step. It is possible to prevent a load from being applied to the vertical movement mechanism that controls Therefore, the vertical movement mechanism can be reduced in size, and the vehicle entry / exit step device can be stored compactly in the lower part of the vehicle.

  Further, in the above configuration, when the held member is disposed between the first vertical axis and the second vertical axis, the load applied to the movable step is received in front of the deployment storage portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent this load from being transmitted to the deployment storage unit and the drive unit.

  Further, in the above configuration, the holding member is a housing having an opening, and the held member is inserted and locked from the opening of the holding member when the movable step is arranged at the unfolded position. If it is comprised, since a load will be applied to a holding member and a to-be-held member, it can prevent that an arm member deform | transforms by the load concerning a movable step.

  Further, in the above configuration, the height of the locking space for locking the held member of the holding member is set to be larger than the thickness of the portion of the held member that is locked to the holding member. If it exists, it can prevent that a to-be-latched member fits into a latching member, and since engagement / disengagement of the to-be-latched member from a latching member becomes easy, it is suitable.

  Further, in the above configuration, when the depth of the locking space for locking the held member of the holding member is set to be smaller than the length of the held member in the depth direction, the locked member is When locked by the locking member, the tip of the locked member comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the locking member first.

  Further, in the above configuration, when an elastic member is disposed on a portion where the holding member and the held member are in contact with at least one of the holding member and the held member, the holding member is covered. The impact generated when the holding member is locked can be reduced. For this reason, it is possible to prevent contact noise and the like from being generated.

Further, in the above configuration, the holding member is disposed above the arm member in the deployed position, and the held member is disposed on an upper surface of the arm member, and the held member is A fixing portion fixed to the upper surface of the arm member; and a locking portion supported by the fixing portion and locked to the holding member; and changing the height of the fixing portion. It is preferable that the distance between the arrangement position of the holding member on the support member and the arrangement position of the held member is adjusted.
For example, when the lower end of the side sill of the vehicle has a curved shape curved upward, the holding member cannot be seen from the outside of the vehicle in order to prevent the holding member from being visually recognized from the outside of the vehicle. It is necessary to install.
In this case, even if the mounting position of the holding member is moved in the vehicle upper direction, if the height of the fixed portion of the held member to be mounted on the upper surface of the arm member is changed, the arrangement position of the movable step during deployment may change. Absent. That is, if the height of the fixed portion is increased by the distance moved by the holding member, the position at which the movable step is deployed need not be moved upward.
Therefore, the holding member arrangement position can be moved upward of the vehicle without changing the arrangement position when the movable step is deployed.
The configuration of changing the height of the fixed portion is the same as the configuration of changing the thickness of the fixed portion itself, and the thickness of the fixed portion does not change, and extends upward from the fixed portion. And a configuration in which the height is changed by forming an extending portion that crosslinks the.

Further, in the above configuration, the held member includes a fixing portion fixed to the arm member, and a locking portion supported by the fixing portion and locked to the holding member. It is preferable that the locking portion is formed such that one end is connected to the fixed portion and the other end side is gradually reduced in thickness toward the distal end.
Furthermore, it is preferable that the lower surface side of the locking portion is formed as an inclined surface that is inclined toward the vehicle upper side toward the front end.
As described above, when the distal end side of the locking portion of the held member (that is, the side where the holding member is locked) is formed thin, the arm member is slightly displaced in the vertical direction due to looseness or vibration during assembly. Also, the held member is reliably guided to the holding member.

According to the present invention, the deployed movable step stops at a position where it is easy to get on and off, and the held member is locked to the holding member at this deployed position.
Therefore, since the load applied to the movable step is borne by the holding member, the rigidity of the movable step at the time of deployment is increased, and the movable step can be prevented from sinking due to the load.
Further, the deployed movable step can be reliably stopped at the deployed position by the holding member.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that members, arrangements, and the like described below do not limit the present invention, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made in accordance with the spirit of the present invention.
FIG. 1 to FIG. 14 relate to a vehicle entry / exit step device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing a state where a movable step is developed, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle entry / exit step device. 3 is a cross-sectional explanatory view of the vehicle entry / exit step device, FIG. 4 is an explanatory view seen from above, FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of the main part of the operating mechanism, FIG. 6 is an exploded view of FIG. FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing the structure, FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing the stopper, FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing how the stopper claw is locked to the stopper, FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing the stopper claw, and FIG. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the storage state, FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram in the middle of the unfolding operation, and FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of the unfolded state.
FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 are explanatory diagrams showing modified examples.

The vehicle entry / exit step device S according to the present embodiment is suitably mounted on a vehicle having a high entrance / exit from the ground, such as a one-box car, a so-called minivan, or a truck.
FIG. 1 shows an example in which a vehicle entry / exit step device S (hereinafter referred to as “device S”) is applied to a left rear entrance of a vehicle 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the device S is disposed under the floor of the vehicle 1 and is configured to expand and retract the movable step 50 in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the door 2. That is, in this example, when the door 2 is closed, the movable step 50 is held in the storage position under the floor, and when the door 2 is opened, the movable step 50 is deployed to the deployment position outside the vehicle 1 in the vehicle width direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus S of this example has a configuration in which a drive unit 20, a deployment storage unit 30, and the like are disposed on a support member 10 for mounting on the vehicle 1. It is possible to install. A structure such as a fuel tank (not shown) is disposed under the floor of the vehicle 1, and a recessed space is formed between the side sill and the underfloor structure. The device S is attached by fixing the support member 10 to the recessed space using a bolt or the like.
In the apparatus S of the present embodiment, the deployment storage unit 30 is driven by the operation of the drive unit 20, and the deployment storage unit 30 moves the movable step 50 from the storage position (displayed with a one-dot chain line) to the deployment position (displayed with a solid line). It can be moved.
Thus, in the retracted state, the mechanism portion is disposed within the substantially perpendicular projection surface of the movable step 50, so that the apparatus S can be configured compactly. Therefore, the device S can be attached even when the concave space is narrow. Therefore, the apparatus S of this example has good mountability to the vehicle 1 and can be reliably mounted in the recessed space. Therefore, in the state where the movable step 50 is stored, the device S can hardly be visually recognized from the outside. The appearance can be improved.

The support member 10 is formed of a plate member having rigidity, and a main body portion 11 that is attached to the floor of the vehicle 1 in a state of being horizontal with respect to the ground surface, and a part of a planar portion of the main body portion 11. A mechanism mounting member 12 is provided so as to close the notch hole 10a formed by notching.
The main body 11 is formed with a mounting portion to the vehicle 1 and a side disposed on the outside of the vehicle is bent substantially perpendicularly in the lower direction. A stopper claw 48, which will be described later, Stoppers 13 and 14 for locking 49 are attached. Hereinafter, the portion bent in the lower direction is referred to as a stopper mounting portion 11a.
A drive unit 20 and a deployment storage unit 30 are attached to the mechanism attachment member 12. With these attached, the mechanism attachment member 12 is bolted to the main body 11 so as to close the notch hole 10a from above. Yes.
In this example, the support member 10 is a plate-like member, but may not be a plate-like member, and may be, for example, a frame.

As shown in FIG. 3, the drive unit 20 outputs a rotation output from a drive motor 21 having a speed reduction mechanism from an output shaft 22. The drive motor 21 can rotate forward and backward, and the movable step 50 is developed or stored in accordance with the rotation direction. The drive motor 21 and the like are covered with a concave motor case 23, and the motor case 23 is screwed to the mechanism mounting member 12.
The drive motor 21 is fixed to the upper side of the mechanism mounting member 12, and the output shaft 22 extends downward.

  FIG. 4 is a view of the device S in the retracted state as viewed from above, and illustration of the support member 10 and the like is omitted. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the deployment storage unit 30 of this example moves the movable step 50 up and down by the driving force transmission mechanism 30 </ b> A that transmits the rotational driving force of the driving motor 21 and the transmitted rotational driving force. A drive mechanism 30B serving as a vertical movement mechanism / horizontal movement mechanism for horizontal movement is arranged on a mounting plate 31 having a recess. The mounting plate 31 is fitted into the notch hole 10a of the support member 10 in a state where the recessed space is closed by the mechanism mounting member 12, and is fixed to the mechanism mounting member 12 with bolts.

The driving force transmission mechanism 30 </ b> A includes a motor shaft gear 32, two idle gears 33 disposed on both sides of the motor shaft gear 32, and a rotation disposed on the outside of each idle gear 33. The cylinder 34 is a main component. These have spur gears with a predetermined gear diameter and are arranged in a state where they mesh with each other.
The motor shaft gear 32 and the idle gear 33 are attached to the attachment plate 31 with the support shaft 37 planted vertically upward on the attachment plate 31 inserted into the shaft attachment hole, and can be rotated around the support shaft 37. It has become.
The output shaft 22 is fitted into the motor shaft gear 32 from above, and the motor shaft gear 32 can rotate forward and backward with the support shaft 37 as a rotation shaft as the drive motor 21 operates.

As shown in FIG. 6, the rotating cylinder 34 is formed by integrally forming a cylindrical portion 35 and an annular gear 36 provided on the lower end side of the cylindrical portion 35 in a coaxial manner. The columnar arm shaft 43 can be inserted from below. Long holes 35 a and 35 b extending in the axial direction are formed in the peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 35. The long holes 35a and 35b are formed so as to oppose the positions approximately 180 degrees apart on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 35.
The rotating cylinder 34 is disposed on the mounting plate 31 so that the cylindrical portion 35 protrudes upward. The rotating cylinder 34 is covered with a bottomed cylindrical mechanism case 38. The mechanism case 38 is attached to the mechanism attachment member 12, and a bearing 39b is disposed on the bottom (upper inside). The bearing 39b can be slidably contacted with the upper end portion of the cylindrical portion 35. A bearing 39 a is disposed on the side surface of the rotating cylinder 34 close to the mounting plate 31. Thus, the rotating cylinder 34 is rotatably supported by the bearings 39a and 39b.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the rotation shafts of the motor shaft gear 32, the idle gear 33, and the rotating cylinder 34 are arranged in a straight line, and the motor shaft gear 32, the idle gear 33, and the rotating cylinder 34 are arranged. Are arranged symmetrically with respect to the output shaft 22. Thus, the driving force transmission mechanism 30A can transmit the driving force of the driving motor 21 to the downstream side with an efficient and compact configuration.

The drive mechanism 30B of this example will be described with reference to FIGS. The drive mechanism 30B has the same configuration at two locations so as to sandwich the drive motor 21 therebetween.
In the driving mechanism 30B, the cylindrical portion 35 of the rotating cylinder 34 is inserted into the cam member 40 fixed to the mechanism mounting member 12, and is rotatable inside. Further, a substantially cylindrical arm shaft 43 is inserted into the rotary cylinder 34 from below so as to be able to move forward and backward (up and down). The arm shaft 43 is held substantially vertically in the vertical direction of the vehicle within the rotating cylinder 34. The arm shaft 43 corresponds to a second vertical axis.

  Near the upper end of the arm shaft 43, two cam followers 44 and 45 are disposed. The cam followers 44, 45 protrude on the circumferential surface so as to face each other radially outward with a spacing of about 180 degrees. The cam followers 44 and 45 are respectively composed of base shafts 44b and 45b (not shown) and cylindrical portions 44a and 45a attached to the tip portions thereof. The outer diameters of the base shafts 44b and 45b are substantially the same as or slightly smaller than the widths of the long holes 35a and 35b. On the other hand, the outer diameters of the cylindrical portions 44a and 45a are set larger than the outer diameters of the base shafts 44b and 45b.

  The cam member 40 has a function similar to that of a substantially cylindrical cam, and a space in which the cylindrical portion 35 of the rotating cylinder 34 can be inserted and rotated is formed at the center of the shaft. The cam member 40 includes an annular portion 40a for attachment to the mechanism attachment member 12, and rotating rails 41 and 42 extending spirally upward from the annular portion 40a. A virtual columnar space is formed in the axial direction continuously with the circular opening of the annular portion 40a by the rotating rails 41 and. The rotating rails 41 and 42 are formed point-symmetrically with respect to the axis center.

  The rotating rails 41 and 42 are partially overlapped while being separated in the vertical direction, and are guided on the upper surface side in the vertical direction while rotating or sliding in contact with the cam followers 44 and 45, respectively. Inclined surfaces 41a and 42a are formed. In addition, the lower surface side of the rotating rails 41 and 42 does not normally come into direct contact with the cam followers 44 and 45, but a regulation surface 41b for regulating the vertical movement when the arm shaft 43 rattles in the vertical direction. , 42b are formed.

The inclined surfaces 41a and 42a are gently or substantially horizontal when the inclination angle is at the upper position. When the movable step 50 is stored, the cam followers 44 and 45 are held on the substantially horizontal surface that has risen up from the gently inclined surface. Further, the spiral inclined surfaces 41a and 42a have an inclination angle that forms a spline shape at an intermediate position, and are smoothly continuous with the annular portion 40a.
The cam followers 44 and 45 are normally brought into contact with the inclined surfaces 41a and 42a and the upper surface of the annular portion 40a by the unfolding and retracting operations. When the cam followers 44 and 45 rotate while contacting the inclined surfaces 41a and 42a, the arm shaft 43 also moves up and down. However, when the cam followers 44 and 45 rotate while abutting against the upper surface of the annular portion 40a, the arm shaft 43 does not move up and down.

The cam member 40, the rotary cylinder 34, and the arm shaft 43 are inserted into the cam member 40 from the lower side, and the cam followers 44 and 45 are inserted into the distal end portion of the arm shaft 43 through the long holes 35a and 35b. They can be assembled together by mounting them facing each other. FIG. 5 shows a state in which they are assembled together.
In this assembled state, when the rotary cylinder 34 rotates, the base shafts 44b and 45b are pushed against the side surfaces of the long holes 35a and 35b, and the arm shaft 43 rotates in the same direction in conjunction with the rotary cylinder 34. try to. When the arm shaft 43 rotates, the cam followers 44 and 45 are guided in contact with the inclined surfaces 41a and 42a of the rotating rails 41 and 42 according to gravity.
In this example, the cam followers 44 and 45 are guided by the rotating rails 41 and 42 and the annular portion 40a, so that the rotating cylinder 34 is formed to be rotatable at least 180 degrees or more.

As a result, when the rotating cylinder 34 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from above, the cam followers 44 and 45 are guided from the upper part to the lower part of the rotating rails 41 and 42, and the arm shaft 43 moves downward accordingly. To go. When the rotating cylinder 34 rotates clockwise as viewed from above, the cam followers 44 and 45 are guided from the lower part to the upper part of the rotating rails 41 and 42, and the arm shaft 43 moves upward accordingly. .
As described above, in the drive mechanism 30B of this example, the arm shaft 43 is rotated by the rotation of the rotating cylinder 34 (rotation mechanism, horizontal movement mechanism) and is moved up and down by a predetermined distance in the axial direction (up and down movement). Mechanism) is possible.

  In this example, the movable step 50 is coupled to the lower end portion of the arm shaft 43 via the arm member 46. Therefore, a large load is applied to the arm shaft 43 downward. In this example, the cam followers 44 and 45 provided on the upper end portion of the arm shaft 43 and the cam member 40 are brought into contact with each other so that the load is released from the cam member 40 to the main body portion 11 via the mechanism mounting member 12. . The cam followers 44 and 45 disposed opposite to each other are supported by the cam member 40 so that the load is equally applied to the respective cam followers 44 and 45 so that the arm shaft 43 is less likely to be shaken. .

In the developed state of the movable step 50, the cam followers 44 and 45 are in contact with the upper surface of the annular portion 40a of the cam member 40. When unfolded, the passenger's load is applied to the arm shaft 43 via the movable step 50. Therefore, when the load is most applied, the load is transmitted from the stopper claws 48 and 49 to the support member 10 via the stoppers 13 and 14. The Since the rotating rails 41 and 42 are only subjected to the load of the structure itself such as the movable step 50 during storage or during deployment, the rotating rails 41 and 42 should be strong enough to support this load. Good.
In this example, the two cam followers 44 and 45 are provided, but the number of cam followers is not limited to this, and may be one or three or more.

In this example, the rotation angle of the rotary cylinder 34 is about 180 degrees, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be set arbitrarily. For example, when the rotation angle is set to 180 degrees or more, the rotating rails 41 and 42 may be further extended spirally upward.
Further, in order to increase the vertical movement distance of the arm shaft 43, if the rotation angle is left as it is, the inclination angle of the rotation rails 41 and 42 is increased, or the rotation angle is set as it is while the inclination angle is left as it is. Good.

An arm member 46 having the same length is fixed to the lower ends of the two left and right arm shafts 43 so as to extend from the arm shaft 43 radially outward and in parallel in the same direction.
A movable step 50 is rotatably attached to the distal end portion of the arm member 46 via a support shaft 47 that is substantially perpendicular to the vehicle vertical direction. The support shaft 47 corresponds to a first vertical axis.
The two arm members 46 are provided with stopper claws 48 and 49 that engage with the stoppers 13 and 14, respectively. The stoppers 13 and 14 correspond to holding members, and the stopper claws 48 and 49 correspond to held members.
The stopper claws 48 and 49 are designed to be locked to the stoppers 13 and 14 at a position relatively higher than the position at which the drive mechanism 30B reaches the lowest point.
That is, the stopper pawls 48 and 49 are locked to the stoppers 13 and 14 at positions higher than the cam followers 44 and 45 reach the lowest point of the long holes 35a and 35b (that is, the movable step 50 is expanded). Designed to be placed in position).
This is to prevent the load received from the movable step 50 from being applied to the drive mechanism 30B. Thus, since the load burden of the drive mechanism 30B is reduced, the drive mechanism 30B can be reduced in size and vehicle mounting property can be improved.
The movable step 50 in this example is a plate-like member formed in a substantially rectangular shape. In the movable step 50 of this example, two portions that are separated in the longitudinal direction of the end portion on the vehicle center side are formed to extend toward the vehicle center side. A support shaft 47 is attached to the extended portion.

The stoppers 13 and 14 and the stopper claws 48 and 49 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
Since the stoppers 13 and 14 have the same configuration, only the stopper 14 will be described, and since the stopper claws 48 and 49 also have the same configuration, only the stopper claw 49 will be described.
7A is a perspective view of the stopper claw 49, FIG. 7B is a plan view of the stopper claw 49, and FIG. 7C is a side view of the stopper claw 49.
The stopper claw 49 according to the present embodiment is a member having a substantially Z-shaped cross section, and includes a fixing portion 49A and a locking portion 49B formed continuously on one end side of the fixing portion 49A.

The fixing portion 49A is a substantially rectangular plate and is for fixing the stopper claw 49 to the upper surface side of the arm member 46.
Three bolt holes 49a are drilled in the fixing portion 49A. In the present embodiment, one bolt hole 49a is perforated at a substantially central portion on the free end side of the fixing portion 49A and two perforations are juxtaposed in the width direction on the other end side. However, the number and the position of the perforations can be changed as appropriate.

The locking portion 49 </ b> B is a substantially pentagonal plate and is a portion that engages with the stopper 14.
As shown in FIG. 7B, the locking portion 49B has a planar shape in which one corner of a rectangular plate is cut into a substantially triangular shape, and the thickness of the free end side increases in the distal direction. It is formed in a tapered shape that becomes thinner. That is, the upper surface of the locking portion 49B is formed as a substantially horizontal surface, and the free end side of the lower surface is formed in a slope shape so that the thickness decreases toward the distal end (hereinafter, this slope is referred to as the slope). “Slope 49b”, and a substantially horizontal surface on the bottom is referred to as “horizontal surface 49c”).
The fixing portion 49A and the locking portion 49B are formed in a state in which the end portion on the side where the taper of the locking portion 49B is not formed overlaps the upper surface of the end portion of the fixing portion 49A. The fixing portion 49A and the locking portion 49B may be integrally formed, or both may be separately created and combined.
If an elastic member such as rubber is attached to a part or the entire surface of the locking portion 49B, the impact when the stopper claw 49 is inserted into the stopper 14 is mitigated and the sound during engagement is reduced. Occurrence can be suppressed.

8A is a perspective view of the stopper 14, FIG. 8B is a side view of the stopper 14 viewed from the A direction, and FIG. 8C is a side view of the stopper 14 viewed from the B direction.
The stopper 14 is a member that plays a role of bearing the load applied to the movable step 50 via the arm member 46 and the stopper claw 49. Further, the load applied to the stopper 14 is supported by the main body 11 (that is, the support member 10) to which the stopper 14 is attached. Furthermore, the stopper 14 can also serve as a rotation stop for the arm member 46.
The stopper 14 according to the present embodiment is a frame having a substantially U-shaped cross section in the width direction, and locks the locking portion 49 </ b> B of the stopper claw 49.
The shape of the stopper 14 is not limited to this, and may be any shape as long as the stopper claw 49 can be locked.
The stopper 14 according to the present embodiment includes an insertion portion 14A and a fixing portion 14B provided continuously on the upper surface of the insertion portion 14A.

The insertion portion 14A is a member having a substantially U-shaped cross section, and one side of the end portion in the length direction is closed (hereinafter, an opening formed at the end portion on the non-closed side is referred to as a locking portion insertion port). 14b, and a space formed inside the insertion portion 14A is referred to as a locking space 14c).
In this manner, the strength of the stopper 14 can be increased by closing the side facing the locking portion insertion port 14b. That is, when the locking portion 49B of the stopper claw 49 is locked in the locking space 14c, that is, when the movable step 50 is deployed, the stopper 14 supports the load in the lower direction. By closing the side facing the insertion port 14b, it is possible to prevent the stopper 14 from being deformed by this load and the locking space 14c from expanding.

The fixing portion 14B stands upward from the end side (end side on the U-shaped opening side) of the upper surface of the insertion portion 14A.
The fixing portion 14B is formed slightly longer on the closing side than the insertion portion 14A.
In addition, two bolt holes 14a are drilled in the fixing portion 14B in parallel with the length direction of the fixing portion 14B.
The stopper 14 is attached to the stopper attachment portion 11a with the U-shaped opening side of the insertion portion 14A directed toward the main body portion 11.
The method of attaching the stopper 14 is not limited to this, and positioning may be performed with a pin using the bolt hole 14a, and the stopper 14 may be attached to the stopper attaching portion 11a by welding.
In the present embodiment, the stopper 14 is attached to the stopper attaching portion 11a formed on the main body 11. However, the attachment position is not limited to this, and the stopper claw 49 can be locked. As long as the member has a strength capable of bearing the load applied to the movable step 50, it may be attached to any position / member, for example, on the vehicle side (for example, the side sill back side, body panel back side, etc.) It may be attached.
In this case, the load applied to the stopper 14 is supported by a member (a member constituting the vehicle, for example, a side sill, a body panel, etc.) to which the stopper 14 is attached.

In the present embodiment, the stopper 14 is mounted on the stopper mounting position 11a. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the stopper 14 and the stopper mounting position 11a may be configured integrally.
When configured as a separate body, it is easy to adjust the mounting position of the stopper 14, so that the stopper 14 can be appropriately mounted at a design-preferred position. Further, it is advantageous because the stopper 14 can be disposed at a position where the load can be received at a position closer to the movable step 50.
On the other hand, in the case of an integrated structure, the system can be modularized, so that the attachment to the vehicle body is simplified. In addition, since the stopper 14 is formed integrally, it is not necessary to mount the stopper 14 at the stopper mounting position, so that positioning of the stopper 14 is not necessary.
Further, if an elastic member such as rubber is attached to a part or the whole of the inner wall surface of the locking space 14c, the impact when the stopper claw 49 is inserted is alleviated and the sound during engagement is generated. Can be suppressed.

Next, the manner in which the stopper claw 49 is locked to the stopper 14 will be described with reference to FIG.
As described above, the locking portion 49B is formed so that the thickness on the free end side is thin.
This is a structure for reliably inserting the stopper claw 49 into the locking space 14 c when the stopper claw 49 is inserted into the locking space 14 c of the stopper 14.
That is, as shown in FIG. 9B, the inclined surface 49b of the stopper claw 49 is inserted into the locking space 14c while being in sliding contact with the lower end edge 14d of the stopper 14 (the lower edge of the locking portion insertion port 14b). Is done. That is, the stopper claw 49 has its inclined surface 49b sliding on the lower edge 14d and the horizontal surface 49c riding on the lower edge 14d, and is inserted into the locking space 14c as shown in FIG. 9C. .
With this configuration, even when the arm member 46 vibrates with the driving of the device S or the position of the stopper claw 49 is slightly shifted due to looseness during assembly, the stopper claw 49 can be securely locked. 14c.

FIG. 9D shows a state where the stopper claw 49 is locked to the stopper 14 as described above.
At this time (when the movable step 50 is deployed), the downward load applied to the movable step 50 is transmitted to the stopper 14 via the arm member 46 and the stopper claw 49.
That is, as shown in FIG. 9D, a load W in the lower direction is applied to the stopper 14. Since the stopper 14 is attached to the stopper attachment portion 11a of the main body portion 11 as described above, the load W in the lower direction is supported by the main body portion 11 (that is, the support member 10) via the stopper 14. It will be.
Thus, when the stopper claw 49 is locked to the stopper 14 at the time of deployment, the load in the lower direction received from the movable step 50 is borne by the main body 11 (that is, the support member 10).

The stopper claw 49 and the stopper claw 48 according to the present embodiment have the same basic structure, but the fixing portions 49A and 48A have different thicknesses.
The difference between the two will be described with reference to FIGS.
As described above, FIG. 7B is a plan view of the stopper claw 49, and FIG. 7C is a side view of the stopper claw 49. FIG. 10A is a side view of the stopper claw 48 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 10B is a plan view of the stopper claw 48 according to this embodiment.

As described above, the configuration of the stopper claw 48 is the same as the configuration of the stopper claw 49, and includes the fixing portion 48A and the locking portion 48B.
However, the thickness of the fixing portion 48A is larger than the thickness of the fixing portion 49A. That is, if the thickness of the fixed portion 49A is x (see FIG. 7C) and the thickness of the fixed portion 48A is y (see FIG. 10A), x <y.
This difference in thickness is for adjusting the position of the stopper 13. That is, when the distance between the stopper 13 mounting position and the upper surface of the movable step 50 is different from the distance between the stopper 14 mounting position and the upper surface of the movable step 50, the thicknesses are different to adjust the distance difference. It is
In the present embodiment, the thickness of the fixing portion 48A itself is changed in order to change the height of the fixing portion 48A. However, the configuration for changing the height of the fixing portion 48A is limited to this. is not.
In other words, the thickness of the stopper claw 48 may be the same as the thickness x of the stopper claw 49. In this case, the end of the fixing portion 48A (the end on the side where the locking portion 48B is formed) It is preferable to provide an extension part extending upward in the upper part and to form a locking part 48B at the upper end of the extension part. By comprising in this way, a distance difference can be adjusted with the height of an extension part.

For example, when the lower side of the side sill of the vehicle is linear, even if the stopper 13 and the stopper 14 are mounted at the same height (height from the upper surface of the movable step 50), both can be arranged on the back side of the side sill. Therefore, the stopper claw 48 and the stopper claw 49 may be the same size.
However, when the side sill lower end side of the vehicle has a curved shape curved upward, the stopper 13 may be exposed from a portion where the side sill is curved upward. Since it is not preferable in terms of design if the stopper 13 is visually recognized from the outside in this manner, it is necessary to move the mounting position of the stopper 13 in the upper direction (that is, the position hidden by the side sill) so as to be disposed on the back side of the side sill. . However, if the position of the stopper 13 is moved in the upper direction, the stopper 14 must also move in the upper direction in order to keep the movable step 50 horizontal, and therefore the position of the movable step 50 also moves in the upper direction. To do. For this reason, it is necessary to modify the vehicle, or to design it exclusively for the vehicle type.

  In order to avoid such a problem, in this embodiment, the fixing portion 48A of the stopper claw 48 is formed thick. In other words, the thickness of the fixed portion 48A is increased by the distance that the position of the stopper 13 is moved upward, so that the position of the movable step 50 does not move upward. 13 can be disposed behind the side sill. That is, the stopper 13 can be moved upward by the thickness difference (y−x) between the fixed portion 48A and the fixed portion 49A while maintaining the horizontality of the movable step 50 and the distance from the ground surface. Therefore, the stopper 13 is not visually recognized from the outside of the vehicle, which is advantageous in design.

FIG. 11 shows the operating range of the device S of this example. In the figure, the shaded portion is the operating range of the movable portion (movable step 50 and arm member 46).
In a state where the movable step 50 is in the retracted position (solid line), the distal end side of the arm member 46 faces the vehicle center side, and the arm member 46 is in a state of overlapping the movable step 50 in the vertical direction.

When the drive motor 21 operates with the movable step 50 in the retracted position (solid line), the two parallel arm members 46 rotate approximately 180 degrees counterclockwise while maintaining the parallel state and reach the deployed position. Then, the stopper claw 48 and the stopper claw 49 are locked to the stopper 13 and the stopper 14. As described above, when the stopper claw 48 and the stopper claw 49 are locked to the stopper 13 and the stopper 14, the movable step 50 is reliably stopped and the strength against the load is increased.
The movable step 50 held rotatably by the support shaft 47 once moves to the front of the vehicle, then moves to the rear of the vehicle again, and returns to the same vehicle front-rear position as the storage position. In the unfolded state, the arm member 46 and the movable step 50 do not overlap in the vertical direction except for the vicinity of the support shaft 47. At this time, the movable step 50 is also moved downward in the vehicle.

  As a result, the movable step 50 moves in the horizontal direction by a distance approximately twice that of the arm member 46. In this example, the arm shaft 43 that is the rotation center of the arm member 46 is disposed at a position close to the vehicle outer side, and the support shaft 47 to which the tip of the arm member 46 is connected is the vehicle center side end portion of the movable step 50. It is arranged in the vicinity. Thereby, the length of the arm member 46 can be increased, and accordingly, the horizontal movement distance of the movable step 50 can be set large.

  In this example, the unfolding storage unit 30 and the driving unit 20 are arranged in the substantially vertical projection plane of the movable step 50 on the upper surface side of the movable step 50 at the storage position. Thereby, the size of the device S can be made substantially the same as the size of the movable step 50. And by such a structure, since the stepping stones from the road surface hit the movable step 50 at the time of driving | running | working, it can prevent that the expansion | deployment storage part 30 and the drive part 20 are damaged by stepping stones.

Next, based on FIG. 12 thru | or FIG. 14, operation | movement of the apparatus S of this example is demonstrated.
12 to 14 show an example in which the stopper 13 is integrally formed and the position of the stopper 14 is adjusted by a spacer. 12 to 14 show an example in which the height of the stopper claw 48 is adjusted by providing an extending portion.
FIG. 12 shows the storage state. In this state, the cam followers 44 and 45 connected to the upper end of the arm shaft 43 are held on the rotating rails 41 and 42 of the cam member 40. That is, the cam followers 44 and 45 are held at a substantially horizontal position where the gentle surfaces of the inclined surfaces 41 a and 42 a of the rotating rails 41 and 42 are raised.
The inclination angle is held at a gentle position.
When the arm shaft 43 is subjected to a rotational force in the deploying direction or a downward load through the movable step 50 in the retracted state, it is caused by an external force due to the rotation prevention force by the drive motor 21 or the drive force transmission mechanism 30A. The unfolding action is blocked.

  As shown in FIG. 13, when the drive motor 21 operates in the deployment direction, the drive mechanism 30B is driven via the drive force transmission mechanism 30A. As a result, the arm shaft 43 rotates in the deployment direction. By this rotation, the cam followers 44 and 45 are guided on the rotating rails 41 and 42 and moved downward in the vehicle. By this operation, the arm member 46 connected to the arm shaft 43 rotates and moves downward. The movable step 50 that is rotatably connected by the two arm members 46 moves downward and moves toward the outside of the vehicle.

  As shown in FIG. 14, when the drive motor 21 rotates by a predetermined number of rotations, the arm shaft 43 rotates about 180 degrees in the deployment direction. Thereby, the arm member 46 which has faced the vehicle center side in the retracted state faces the vehicle outer side. As a result, the movable step 50 that is rotatably connected to the tip of the arm member 46 is deployed to the deployed position. At the unfolded position, the stopper claws 48 and 49 disposed on the arm member 46 enter the stoppers 13 and 14 of the support member 10. As a result, the rotation of the arm member 46 is surely stopped, and the stopper claws 48 and 49 are held by the stoppers 13 and 14, so that the downward load applied to the movable step 50 is prevented by the stopper claws 48 and 49. And the stoppers 13 and 14 are supported.

15 and 16 show modified examples of the stopper claws 48 and 49. FIG.
Since the stopper claw 48 and the stopper claw 49 have basically the same structure, the description will be given with the stopper claw 49.
FIG. 15 shows a first modification.
As shown in FIG. 15, in this example, the maximum thickness s of the locking portion 49 </ b> B constituting the stopper claw 49 is smaller than the height t (vertical distance) of the locking space 14 c of the stopper 14. Yes.
That is, since s <t, it is possible to prevent the locking portion 49B from fitting into the locking space.
Therefore, the stopper claw 49 can be easily engaged and disengaged from the stopper 14.

FIG. 16 shows a second modification.
As shown in FIG. 16, in this example, the depth u of the locking space 14 c is greater than the length v of the locking portion 49 </ b> B constituting the stopper claw 49 (distance from the boundary with the fixed portion 49 </ b> A to the free end side). Is also getting smaller.
That is, u <v, so that the tip of the locking portion 49B comes into contact with the inner surface of the locking space 14c first. Therefore, if an elastic member such as rubber is arranged on the inner surface, the tip of the locking portion 49B comes into contact with the elastic member such as rubber first, so that the impact can be reduced and the stopper The contact sound generated when the claw 49 is locked to the stopper 14 can be reduced.
Note that the position where the elastic member is affixed is not limited to the inner surface of the locking space 14c, and may be affixed to another surface constituting the locking space 14c.
Further, the elastic member may be affixed to the tip end portion of the locking portion 49B of the stopper claw 49, the portion that contacts the inner wall surface constituting the locking space 14c, or the like.

The device S according to the present embodiment is configured to operate in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the door 2.
For example, the door opening / closing detection unit detects opening / closing of the door 2 provided in the vehicle 1 and outputs an opening / closing signal of the door 2 to the central control unit. It is good to control the part.
In addition, a courtesy switch or a dedicated switch may be used instead of providing the door open / close detection unit. The door open / close detection unit outputs a door close signal when the door 2 is completely closed, and outputs a door open signal when the door 2 moves slightly in the opening direction from the fully closed state. Alternatively, the door opening signal may be output when the door 2 is fully open, and the door closing signal may be output when the door 2 moves slightly in the closing direction from the fully open state.

In the above embodiment, the stopper claws 48 and 49 as the members to be held are disposed on the upper surfaces of the arm members 46 and 46, and the stoppers 13 and 14 as the retaining members are disposed on the main body 11. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The stopper claws 48 and 49 as held members may be disposed on the main body 11, and the stoppers 13 and 14 as retaining members may be disposed on the upper surfaces of the arm members 46 and 46.
Further, the thickness of the stopper claws 48 and 49 as the held members may be adjusted by using another member such as a spacer.

In the above-described embodiment, the device S is configured to operate in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the door 2. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an operation switch is provided so that the movable step 50 can be developed and operated by a switch operation by a passenger. You may comprise so that it may store.
In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the vehicle is provided with a fixed step for getting on and off, such as a one-box car or a so-called minivan, so as to be lowered by one step from the vehicle floor to the gate. Besides this, it can be applied to buses, trucks, welfare vehicles, aircrafts, railway vehicles, and the like.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which the movable step of the boarding / alighting step apparatus for vehicles which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention developed. It is a perspective view of the boarding / alighting step device for vehicles. It is sectional explanatory drawing of the boarding / alighting step apparatus for vehicles. It is explanatory drawing which looked at the boarding / alighting step device for vehicles from the upper side. It is principal part explanatory drawing of the action | operation mechanism of the boarding / alighting step apparatus for vehicles. FIG. 6 is an exploded view of FIG. 5. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of a stopper nail | claw. It is explanatory drawing of a stopper. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode that a stopper nail | claw is latched by a stopper. Explanatory drawing showing stopper claw It is operation | movement explanatory drawing which looked at the boarding / alighting step apparatus for vehicles from the upper side. It is explanatory drawing of the storage state of the boarding / alighting step apparatus for vehicles. It is explanatory drawing in the middle of expansion | deployment operation | movement of the boarding / alighting step apparatus for vehicles. It is explanatory drawing of the expansion | deployment state of the boarding / alighting step apparatus for vehicles. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 1st modification. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 2nd modification.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... vehicle, 2 ... door,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Support member, 10a ... Notch hole, 11 ... Main-body part, 11a ... Stopper attaching part,
12. Mechanism mounting member
13, 14 ... stopper, 13A, 14A ... insertion part, 13B, 14B ... fixing part,
13a, 14a, bolt holes, 13b, 14b, locking portion insertion port, 13c, 14c, locking space,
13d, 14d ... lower end side edge,
20... Drive unit, 21... Drive motor, 22... Output shaft, 23.
30... Deployment storage unit, 30 A... Driving force transmission mechanism, 30 B.
31 ... Mounting plate, 32 ... Motor shaft gear, 33 ... Idle gear,
34: Rotating cylinder, 35: Cylindrical part, 35a, 35b: Long hole, 36: Gear, 37: Support shaft,
38 ... mechanism case, 39a, 39b ... bearing, 40 ... cam member, 40a ... ring part,
41, 42 ... rotating rail, 41a, 42a ... inclined surface, 41b, 42b ... regulating surface,
43 ... arm shaft, 44, 45 ... cam follower, 44a, 45a ... cylindrical part,
44b, 45b ... Base shaft, 46 ... Arm member, 47 ... Support shaft,
48, 49 ... Stopper claw, 48A, 49A ... Fixed part, 48B, 49B ... Locking part,
48a, 49a, bolt holes, 48b, 49b, slope, 48c, 49c, horizontal plane,
50 ... movable step, 70 ... central control unit, 71 ... power supply unit,
72. Door open / close detection unit, S.

Claims (11)

A movable step for assisting getting on and off, a deployment storage unit for moving the movable step between a storage position stored under the vehicle floor and a deployment position deployed outside the vehicle, and a drive for driving the deployment storage unit A vehicle getting-on / off step device comprising: a support member that is attached to the vehicle floor, and that supports the deployment storage part and the drive part,
The deployment storage unit is connected to an arm member having one end portion rotatably connected to the movable step via a first vertical shaft, and to the other end portion of the arm member via a second vertical shaft. A horizontal movement mechanism for rotating the arm member around the second vertical axis;
A holding member that locks the arm member when the movable step has moved to the unfolded position is disposed on the support member or the vehicle side. In the unfolded position, a downward direction is applied to the movable step. The vehicle loading and unloading step device is characterized in that the load is supported by the holding member. A movable step for assisting getting on and off, a deployment storage unit for moving the movable step between a storage position stored under the vehicle floor and a deployment position deployed outside the vehicle, and a drive for driving the deployment storage unit A vehicle getting-on / off step device comprising: a support member that is attached to the vehicle floor, and that supports the deployment storage part and the drive part,
The deployment storage unit is connected to an arm member having one end portion rotatably connected to the movable step via a first vertical shaft, and to the other end portion of the arm member via a second vertical shaft. A horizontal movement mechanism that rotates the arm member around the second vertical axis, and a vertical movement mechanism that is connected to the other end side of the arm member and moves the arm member up and down.
A holding member is disposed on the support member or the vehicle side,
The arm member is provided with a held member that engages with the holding member when the movable step moves to the deployed position.
The vehicle entry / exit step device according to claim 1, wherein a load in a lower direction applied to the movable step is supported by the holding member via the held member at the unfolded position. The vertical movement mechanism is configured such that when the arm member is at an upper position, the movable step is disposed at a retracted position, and when the arm member is at a lower position, the movable step is disposed at a deployed position. And
When the arm member is at a position above the lowest point within the movable range of the vertical movement mechanism, the movable step is disposed at the unfolded position, and the held member is engaged with the holding member. The vehicular boarding / alighting step device according to claim 2, which is stopped.   The vehicular entry / exit step device according to claim 2, wherein the held member is disposed between the first vertical axis and the second vertical axis. The holding member is a housing having an opening,
3. The vehicle entry / exit step device according to claim 2, wherein the held member is inserted and locked through the opening of the holding member when the movable step is arranged at the unfolded position.   The height of the locking space for locking the held member of the holding member is set larger than the thickness of the portion of the held member that is locked to the holding member. The vehicle entry / exit step device according to claim 5.   The depth of the locking space for locking the held member of the holding member is set to be smaller than the length in the depth direction of the held member. The vehicle entry / exit step device described.   8. An elastic member is disposed on at least one of the holding member and the held member at a portion where the holding member and the held member are in contact with each other. The vehicle entry / exit step device according to claim 1. The holding member is disposed above the arm member in the deployed position, and the held member is disposed on an upper surface of the arm member,
The held member includes a fixing portion fixed to the upper surface of the arm member, and a locking portion supported by the fixing portion and locked to the holding member.
The distance between the arrangement position of the holding member on the support member and the arrangement position of the held member is adjusted by changing the height of the fixing portion. Vehicle entry / exit step device. The held member includes a fixing portion fixed to the arm member, and a locking portion supported by the fixing portion and locked to the holding member.
3. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein one end of the locking portion is connected to the fixing portion, and the other end side is formed so that the thickness gradually decreases toward the distal end. Getting on and off step device.   The vehicle entrance / exit step device according to claim 10, wherein the lower surface side of the locking portion is formed as an inclined surface that is inclined toward the vehicle upper side toward the tip.

Images