JP2007216756A - Getting-on-and-off step device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a getting-on-and-off step device for a vehicle high in rigidity a step plate of which never sinks even when a passenger steps on an upper surface of the step plate as the developed step plate stops at a position easy for the passenger to get on and off the vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: This getting-on-and-off step device S for the vehicle is furnished with the movable step 50, a developing and storing means 30 to move the movable step between a storing position and a developing position and a driving means 20 to drive the developing and storing means 30. The developing and storing means 30 is furnished with a driving mechanism 30B to revolve and vertically move an arm shaft 43 and a piece of arm member 70 one end of which is connected to a lower end part of the arm shaft 43 and the other end of which is connected to the movable step 50 through a vertical shaft 64a free to revolve, and the driving mechanism 30B is furnished with a horizontally moving mechanism to horizontally move the movable step 50 by revolving the arm member 70 around the arm shaft 43 and a vertically moving mechanism to vertically move the arm member 70 and the movable step 50. <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 each of a vehicle step lower direction and a lower side. Has been. 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, the step performs a reciprocating rotary motion on the same horizontal plane between the treadboard storage position and the treadboard overhanging position. The height (distance from the ground surface) and the height at the deployment position (distance from the ground surface) are the same.
Usually, the tread is stored in the lower part of the vehicle while the vehicle is running, and is deployed toward the lower side of the side of the vehicle when in use.
At this time, in the retracted state, it is desirable to store the tread as high as possible in order to avoid contact with obstacles on the road. In the unfolded state, in order to improve ease of getting on and off, a certain distance from the ground surface is required. Smaller is desirable.
However, in the technique of Patent Document 1, the auxiliary step is configured to reciprocate on the same horizontal plane between the treadle storage position and the treadle projecting position corresponding to the vehicle step lower direction and the lower front, respectively. Therefore, the height (distance from the ground surface) between the storage position and the unfolded position cannot be changed according to the traveling performance and the boarding / exiting performance.
In addition, the step device may be attached not only to the lower portion of the sliding door but also to the lower portion of the door on the driver's seat side. However, since the step device is visually recognized from the outside, there is a problem that the design is hindered.
Furthermore, in the technique of Patent Document 1, since the drive source moves with the movement of the auxiliary step, it is difficult to supply power, and the weight of the heavy drive source is borne on the auxiliary step side. There was also a problem of becoming.

  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, downsize the entire apparatus, and store it in the lower part of the vehicle during storage, so that it can be designed. It is an object to provide a boarding / alighting step device for a vehicle that does not hinder the vehicle.

  According to the present invention, the object is to provide a movable step for assisting getting on and off, and a deployment storage that moves the movable step between a storage position stored under the vehicle floor and a deployment position deployed on the side of the vehicle. And a drive means for driving the unfolding storage means, wherein the unfolding and storing means has an arm shaft that is driven by the driving means and extends below the vehicle. A driving mechanism that rotates and moves up and down by a driving force from the arm, and one end is connected to the lower end portion of the arm shaft and extends in the radial direction of the arm shaft, and the other end is connected to the movable step via a vertical shaft. An arm member coupled to be rotatable, and the drive mechanism rotates the arm shaft around the arm axis by rotating the arm shaft by a driving force from the driving means. Move A horizontal movement mechanism for moving the movable step horizontally; and a vertical movement mechanism for moving the arm member and the movable step up and down by moving the arm shaft up and down by a driving force from the driving means. Solved.

Thus, the vehicle entry / exit step device of the present invention can perform horizontal movement from the retracted position to the deployed position, and can perform a downward movement together.
For this reason, when the movable step according to the present invention is deployed from the storage position to the deployment position outside the vehicle, the movable step is disposed at a position lower than the storage position.
Therefore, when in the retracted state, the movable step can be held at a higher position to avoid contact with obstacles on the road, and when in the unfolded state, the movable step is held at a position lower than the retracted position, The occupant's ability to get on and off can be improved.
Moreover, since the arrangement position of the movable step can be set to a higher position, it becomes difficult to visually recognize the vehicle entry / exit step device including the movable step from the outside of the vehicle.
As a result, the design of the vehicle can be improved.
Further, the movable step can be moved by one arm member.

In the above configuration, the arm member is provided with a rotation direction conversion mechanism that reverses the rotation of the arm shaft and transmits the rotation to the vertical shaft, and the vertical shaft is driven by the driving means. It is preferable that the arm shaft is rotated by a force in a direction opposite to the direction in which the arm shaft is rotated.
Further, the rotation direction changing mechanism includes an even number of gears,
The even number of gears are connected to the arm shaft directly or indirectly, and the output gear is connected to the vertical shaft and directly or indirectly transmits the output from the input gear to the movable step. It is preferable to have at least.

If comprised in this way, since it becomes possible to rotate a vertical axis | shaft synchronizing with rotation of an arm axis | shaft, a movable step can be rotated with respect to an arm member.
For this reason, the movable step can be moved with a smaller trajectory than that in which the movable step is fixed to the arm member.
Therefore, the vehicle entry / exit step device can be disposed in a narrow space below the vehicle, and the area of the occupant placement surface of the movable step can be increased by the amount of the movement track.

Further, in the above configuration, the horizontal movement mechanism rotates the arm shaft 180 degrees from the retracted position to the deployed position, and the vertical axis interlocks with the rotation of the arm shaft to move the retracted position to the retracted position. If the arm member rotates 180 degrees from the deployment position to the deployment position, the arm member rotates 180 degrees to deploy the movable step, and the movable step rotates 180 degrees with respect to the arm member. .
For this reason, the movable step is not rotated about the arm axis but is pushed out by the arm member. Therefore, the movement trajectory of the movable step can be reduced.

Further, in the above configuration, it is preferable that the driving unit is fixed to the vehicle body because the driving source can be fixed at a predetermined position of the vehicle, so that power supply to the driving source is facilitated.
Moreover, since the drive source which is a heavy article can be fixed to the vehicle side, the load burden of a movable step can be reduced.

According to the present invention, the movable step is stored in the lower part of the vehicle at the time of storage, and the movable step is extended outwardly from the lower part of the vehicle and is stopped at a position lower than the storage position (small distance from the ground surface) at the time of deployment. It becomes possible.
In other words, since the deployed step plate can be stopped at a position where it is easy to get on and off, it is possible to improve the ability to get on and off the vehicle and to store the movable step at a higher position, thereby avoiding obstacles on the road. be able to.
Further, since the entire apparatus can be reduced in size, it can be stored in the lower part of the vehicle during storage, and the apparatus is difficult to be visually recognized from the outside during storage. Therefore, the design of the vehicle can be improved.
Furthermore, since the drive source can be fixed to the vehicle side, the drive source does not move with the movement of the step plate.
This facilitates power supply and reduces the load support burden of the movable step.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The members and arrangements described below are not intended to limit the present invention, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made in accordance with the spirit of the present invention.
FIG. 1 to FIG. 12 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. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the upper housing of the vehicle entry / exit step device is removed, FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of the main part of the operating mechanism, FIG. 5 is an exploded view of FIG. 4, and FIG. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing the retracted state of the vehicle getting on / off step device, FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing the vehicle on / off step device during the unfolding operation, and FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing the unfolding state of the vehicle getting on / off step device. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an operation path of the vehicle entry / exit step device, FIG. 11 is a top view showing an operation route of the vehicle entry / exit step device, and FIG. 12 is an explanatory view showing a moving track of the movable step.

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 the present embodiment, the movable step 50 is held in the storage position under the floor when the door 2 is closed, 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 FIGS. 2 and 3, the device S according to the present embodiment supports members such as gears, and a housing 10 for storing these members inside, a drive unit 20 as a drive means, and a deployment. A deployment storage unit 30 or the like as storage means is provided, and can be attached to the vehicle 1 in a unitized state.
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 according to the present embodiment is attached to the recessed space. Although not shown, a vehicle mounting member is attached to the device S, and the device S is attached to a predetermined position of the vehicle 1 (a side wall or the like constituting the recessed space) via the vehicle mounting member. It is done.

Further, 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 (indicated by a solid line) to the surface from the storage position. It can be moved to a close deployment position (indicated by a one-dot chain line).
Thus, in the retracted state, the mechanism portion is disposed in the substantially vertical projection plane 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 device S of the present embodiment has good mountability to the vehicle 1 and can be reliably mounted in the recessed space. Therefore, when the movable step 50 is stored, the device S is hardly visible from the outside. 1 design can be improved.

The housing 10 is formed of a rigid plate-like member, and includes a lower housing 11 and an upper housing 12 that covers the lower housing 11.
The lower housing 11 according to the present embodiment is configured as a substantially rectangular bottomed casing, and an arm shaft 43 (which is a member constituting the deployment storage unit 30) described later can be moved up and down on the bottom 11a. An arm shaft through hole 11b is formed for penetration.
In addition, a speed reduction mechanism rotation shaft and a support shaft 37 (not shown) are attached to the bottom portion 11a of the lower housing 11 vertically upward.
The speed reduction mechanism rotation shaft (not shown) is a rotation shaft for rotatably mounting a motor gear 32 and a speed reduction mechanism 31 to be described later, and the support shaft 37 is an idle gear 33 (member constituting the drive unit 20) to be described later. It is a rotating shaft for mounting in a rotatable manner.

As described above, the upper housing 12 is covered with the lower housing 11 in which the respective members are attached at predetermined positions.
The upper housing 12 according to the present embodiment is configured as a substantially plate-like member placed on the lower housing 11.
A substantially circular through hole 12a is formed in the upper housing 12 according to the present embodiment, and a rotating cylinder 34 of the deployment storage unit 30 described later passes through the through hole 12a.
Hereinafter, the plate-like portion other than the through hole 12a of the upper housing 12 is referred to as a “motor support portion 12b”.
On the upper surface side of the motor support portion 12b, a drive motor 21 (which is a member constituting the drive portion 20) to be described later is placed in a state of being stored in the motor case 23.

In addition, in this embodiment, although the housing 10 was comprised in this way, as long as it is a structure which can support and wear each member, what kind of structure may be sufficient.
Although not shown, a vehicle attachment member is attached to the housing 10 and is fixed to a predetermined position of the vehicle 1 (such as a side wall constituting the recessed space) with a bolt or the like. Thus, the entire device S is attached to the vehicle 1.

Further, the drive motor 21 provided in the drive unit 20 according to the present embodiment can rotate forward and backward, and the movable step 50 is developed or stored in accordance with the rotation direction of the drive motor 21.
The drive motor 21 and the like are covered with a concave motor case 23 and screwed in a state of being mounted on the motor support portion 12b of the upper housing 12.
A worm gear is attached to the output shaft of the drive motor 21, and a speed reduction mechanism 31 is engaged with the worm gear.

Next, the expansion storage unit 30 will be described with reference to FIGS.
3 and 6 are perspective views of the device S in the retracted state, and some of the members are not shown. FIG. 7A is an explanatory diagram of a cross section taken along the line AA in FIG. 2, and FIG. 7B is a top view of the vehicle step device S.
As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 6, the deployment storage unit 30 according to the present embodiment includes a driving force transmission mechanism 30 </ b> A that transmits the rotational driving force of the driving motor 21, and a movable step by the transmitted rotational driving force. It is comprised by the drive mechanism 30B which comprises the up-and-down moving mechanism and horizontal movement mechanism which move 50 up and down and move horizontally.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the driving force transmission mechanism 30 </ b> A according to this embodiment includes a speed reduction mechanism 31, a motor gear 32, an idle gear 33 that is meshed with the motor gear 32, and an idle gear 33. The main component is a rotating cylinder 34 that is engaged with the outside.
These have spur gears with a predetermined gear diameter and are arranged in a state where they mesh with each other.

The speed reduction mechanism 31 includes, for example, a worm wheel or the like, converts the output direction from the drive motor 21 and transmits it to the next stage.
The speed reduction mechanism 31 meshes with a worm gear attached to the output shaft of the drive motor 21, converts the output direction of the drive motor 21, and is planted so as to be rotatable vertically upward of the bottom 11 a of the lower housing 11. The motor output is transmitted to the next stage from the rotating shaft of the reduction mechanism.
In addition, a motor gear 32 is attached to the lower side of the speed reduction mechanism rotation shaft, and therefore the motor gear 32 rotates in the same direction as the rotation direction of the speed reduction mechanism rotation shaft.

The idle gear 33 is engaged with the motor gear 32. The idle gear 33 is attached to a support shaft 37 planted vertically above the bottom 11a of the lower housing 11 so as to be rotatable with respect to the bottom 11a.
For this reason, in accordance with the operation of the drive motor 21, power is transmitted to the worm gear 23 and the worm wheel 31, and the motor gear 32 and the idle gear 33 rotate in a predetermined direction.
The idle gear 33 is meshed with a drive gear 36 disposed in a rotating cylinder 34 described later.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the rotating cylinder 34 is formed by coaxially and integrally forming a cylindrical portion 35 and an annular drive gear 36 provided on the lower end side of the cylindrical portion 35. A cylindrical arm shaft 43 can be inserted into the internal space 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 bottom portion 11a of the lower housing 11 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 motor support portion 12b of the upper housing 12 so as to cover the through hole 12a with the bottom side facing upward, and a bearing (not shown) is disposed on the bottom portion (upper inner side). ing. This bearing (not shown) is capable of sliding contact with the upper end portion of the cylindrical portion 35. Thus, the rotating cylinder 34 is rotatably supported by a bearing (not shown).
An idle gear 33 is engaged with a drive gear 36 provided on the lower end side of the cylindrical portion 35, and an output from the idle gear 33 is transmitted to the rotary cylinder 34.

The drive mechanism 30B of this example will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the drive mechanism 30B, the cylindrical portion 35 of the rotating cylinder 34 is inserted into the cam member 40 fixed to the bottom portion 11a of the lower housing 11, 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.
Further, a first gear rotation shaft 48 is penetrated and fixed substantially vertically in the vehicle vertical direction in the arm shaft 43 at the center of the arm shaft 43. Therefore, when the arm shaft 43 rotates and moves up and down, the first gear rotation shaft rotates and moves up and down accordingly.

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.
An arm member 70 is fixed to the lower end portion of the arm shaft 43.

  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 and the first gear rotation shaft 48 also move up and down. However, when the cam followers 44 and 45 rotate while contacting the upper surface of the annular portion 40a, the arm shaft 43 and the first gear rotation shaft 48 do 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. 4 shows a state where 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 embodiment, 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 (rotation mechanism, horizontal movement mechanism) by the rotation of the rotary cylinder 34, and is moved up and down by a predetermined distance in the axial direction (up and down movement). Mechanism) is possible.

In the present embodiment, a first gear 61 as a first gear is coaxially attached to the lower end portion of the first shaft rotation shaft 48, and the second gear 62 is attached to the first gear 61. The third gear 63 meshes with the second gear 62, and the output gear 64 meshes with the third gear 63 in order. The first gear 61, the second gear 62, the third gear 63, and the output gear 64 are meshed with the movable step 50 in a state of being parallel to a substantially horizontal surface.
The first gear 61, the second gear 62, the third gear 63, and the output gear 64 correspond to a rotation direction conversion mechanism. The first gear 61, the second gear 62, the third gear 63, and the output gear 64 are known spur gears set to a predetermined gear ratio and meshed in series.
The first gear 61, the second gear 62, the third gear 63, and the output gear 64 are supported inside the hollow arm member 70 having a substantially elliptical column shape.
The arm member 70 includes a gear support member 71 and a cover member 72.
The gear support member 71 is configured as a housing having a substantially ellipse-shaped gear support bottom surface 71a.

Further, the cover member 72 is configured as a lid having a substantially oval upper surface 72 a and is configured in substantially the same shape as the gear support member 71.
Support shafts for rotatably supporting the first gear 61, the second gear 62, and the third gear 63 are planted in a substantially vertical direction on the gear support bottom surface 71a of the gear support member 71. The 1st gear 61, the 2nd gear 62, and the 3rd gear 63 are attached to. In addition, an output shaft through hole is formed at the end of the gear support bottom surface 71a (the end on the side where the rotating cylinder 34 is not disposed), and the output shaft 64a of the output gear 64 passes therethrough. The output shaft 64a corresponds to the first vertical axis.
A cover member 72 is covered with the gear support member 71 provided with the first gear 61, the second gear 62, the third gear 63, and the output gear 64 with the upper surface 72a facing upward.
The lower end portion of the arm shaft 43 is fixed to the upper surface 72a.

A movable step 50 is connected to the lower end side of the output shaft 64 a of the output gear 64 so as to be rotatable with respect to the arm member 70. The movable step 50 is attached so that its occupant mounting surface is substantially parallel to the ground surface.
With this configuration, the rotation of the arm shaft 43 is sequentially transmitted to the first gear 61, the second gear 62, the third gear 63, and the output gear 64, and with the vertical movement of the arm shaft 43. The first gear 61, the second gear 62, the third gear 63, and the output gear 64 also move up and down. For this reason, the movable step 50 attached to the lower end side of the output shaft 64 a of the output gear 64 also moves up and down and rotates relative to the arm member 70 at the same angle as the rotation angle of the arm shaft 43.

In the present embodiment, 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.
Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first gear 61, the second gear 62, the third gear 63, and the output gear 64 reverse the rotation direction of the first rotation shaft 48 and transmit it to the output shaft 64a. The configuration is not limited, and any number of gears may be used as long as an appropriate gear ratio is set. Further, for example, a rotary member such as a pulley may be disposed on each of the first rotary shaft 48 and the output shaft 64a, and these may be connected by a crossed belt, or the first gear 61 and the output gear 64 may be connected. You may connect with the crossed chain.

  In the present embodiment, 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. 7 thru | or FIG. 11, operation | movement of the apparatus S which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated.
7 to 9, some members are not shown for the sake of explanation.
FIGS. 7A, 8A, and 9A are cross-sectional equivalent views of the arm member 70 in the retracted state, during the unfolding operation, and in the unfolded state, respectively. FIGS. 8B and 9B are explanatory views of the upper surface of the device S in the retracted state during the retracted state, the unfolding operation, respectively.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the transition from the stored state to the deployed state, and FIG. 11 is a top view showing the transition from the stored state to the deployed 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. In other words, the cam followers 44 and 45 are held at positions where the inclination angles of the inclined surfaces 41a and 42a of the rotating rails 41 and 42 that have risen from the gentle surfaces are gentle.
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 FIGS. 7A and 7B, 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 and the first gear rotation shaft 48 rotate in the deployment direction (see arrows).
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 70 moves downward and the arm member 70 rotates. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, the first gear 61, the second gear 62, the third gear 63, and the output gear 64 disposed in the arm member 70 rotate in order, and as a result, the output shaft 64a. The movable step 50 attached to the arm member 70 rotates with respect to the arm member 70.
That is, the movable step 50 rotates relative to the arm member 70 by the rotation angle of the arm shaft 43 and the first gear rotation shaft 48.

As described above, the arm shaft 43 and the first gear rotating shaft 48 are lowered while performing the rotational motion, so that the arm member 70 is lowered while performing the rotational motion, and the first gear rotating shaft 48 is connected to each of the gears. The movable step 50 indirectly connected to the vehicle also descends while rotating with respect to the arm member 70 in the vehicle outer direction.
In FIG. 8, the figure in the middle of expansion | deployment of the movable step 50 is shown.
As described above, when the drive motor 21 rotates forward and the gears and the rotating cylinder 34 rotate in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 7B, the arm shaft 43 and the first gear rotation shaft 48 as shown in FIG. As the arm moves down, the arm member 70 and the movable step 50 descend. Further, as shown in FIG. 8A, the arm member 70 further rotates at the same time, and the movable step 50 is pushed toward the vehicle outer side while rotating with respect to the arm member 70.

Further, when the drive motor 21 rotates in the forward direction, as shown in FIG. 9B, the arm shaft 43 and the first gear rotation shaft 48 rotate about 180 degrees in the deployment direction. Thereby, the arm member 70 which faced the vehicle center side in the retracted state faces the vehicle outer side. As a result, the movable step 50 connected to the tip of the arm member 70 is deployed to the deployment position.
Further, as shown in FIG. 9A, the movable step 50 further descends with this movement.
Thus, the arm member 70 rotates 180 degrees while descending, and the movable step 50 is pushed out of the vehicle while descending.

As described above, the drive step 21 moves the movable step 50 from the retracted position to the deployed position.
If the rotation of the drive motor 21 is reversed, the movable step 50 moves from the deployed position to the retracted position along the path opposite to the above.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show a perspective view and a top view, respectively, of how the device S is displaced from the retracted position to the deployed position.
As described above, the arm member 70 drives the drive motor 21 to perform a downward movement together with the rotational movement, and accordingly, the movable step 50 is pushed out of the vehicle 1 to move from the retracted position to the deployed position. Displace.
At this time, the housing 10 and the drive source which is a member disposed on the housing 10 are fixed and do not move.
Therefore, power supply can be facilitated and a heavy load drive source can be supported on the vehicle 1 side, so that the load support burden is reduced.

FIG. 12 shows the movement trajectory of the movable step.
As described above, the gears are arranged in the arm member 70, and the rotation of the arm shaft 43 is transmitted to the output shaft 64 a via the first gear rotation shaft 48. It can be rotated.
For this reason, the movable step 50 is pushed out to the deployment position while moving on the horizontal plane.
Therefore, the moving range of the movable step can be reduced without reducing the development area of the movable step 50.
For this reason, the apparatus S can be reduced in size.
In the retracted state, since all the mechanisms are within the projection plane range of the movable step 50, the apparatus S can be further downsized.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which the movable step which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention developed. It is a perspective view of the boarding / alighting step apparatus for vehicles which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the state which removed the upper housing of the boarding / alighting step apparatus for vehicles which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is principal part explanatory drawing of the action | operation mechanism which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 5 is an exploded view of FIG. 4. It is explanatory drawing which shows the arm inside which concerns on one Embodiment to this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the retracted state of the boarding / alighting step apparatus for vehicles which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows during the expansion | deployment operation | movement of the boarding / alighting step apparatus for vehicles which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the expansion | deployment state of the boarding / alighting step apparatus for vehicles which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the action | operation path | route of the boarding / alighting step apparatus for vehicles which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the action | operation path | route of the boarding / alighting step apparatus for vehicles which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the movement track | orbit of the movable step which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 ... vehicle, 2 ... door,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Housing, 11 ... Lower housing, 11a ... Bottom, 11b ... Arm shaft through-hole,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 ... Upper housing, 12a ... Through-hole, 12b ... Motor support part 20 ... Drive part, 21 ... Drive motor, 23 ... Motor case 30 ... Deployment storage part, 30A ... Drive force transmission mechanism, 30B ... Drive mechanism,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 31 ... Reduction mechanism, 32 ... Motor gear, 33 ... Idle gear, 34 ... Rotating cylinder, 35 ... Cylindrical part, 35a, 35b ... Long hole, 36 ... Gear, 37 ... Spindle, 38 ... Mechanism case, 40 ... Cam member, 40a ... Annulus,
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...
48 ... 1st gear rotation shaft,
61 ... 1st gear, 62 ... 2nd gear, 63 ... 3rd gear, 64 ... output gear, 64a ... output shaft 50 ... movable step,
70 Arm member 71 Gear support member 71a Gear support bottom surface 72 Cover member 72a Top surface
S ... Boarding / leaving step device for vehicles

Claims (5)

A movable step for assisting getting on and off, a deployment storage means for moving the movable step between a storage position stored under the vehicle floor and a deployment position deployed on the side of the vehicle, and driving the deployment storage means A vehicle entry / exit step device comprising drive means,
The unfolding and storing means is connected at one end to a driving mechanism for rotating and vertically moving an arm shaft driven by the driving means and extending downward in the vehicle by a driving force from the driving means, and a lower end portion of the arm shaft. An arm member extending in the radial direction of the arm shaft and having the other end rotatably connected to the movable step via a vertical shaft;
The driving mechanism rotates the arm shaft by a driving force from the driving means, thereby rotating the arm member around the arm shaft to horizontally move the movable step, and the driving A vehicle entry / exit step device comprising: a vertically moving mechanism for vertically moving the arm member and the movable step by vertically moving the arm shaft by a driving force from the means. The arm member is provided with a rotation direction conversion mechanism that reverses the rotation of the arm shaft and transmits it to the vertical shaft,
2. The vehicle entry / exit step device according to claim 1, wherein the vertical shaft rotates in a direction opposite to a direction in which the arm shaft rotates by a driving force from the driving means. The rotation direction changing mechanism includes an even number of gears,
The even number of gears are connected to the arm shaft directly or indirectly, and the output gear is connected to the vertical shaft and directly or indirectly transmits the output from the input gear to the movable step. And a vehicle stepping-on / off step device according to claim 2, wherein: The horizontal movement mechanism rotates the arm shaft approximately 180 degrees from the retracted position to the deployed position,
2. The vehicle entry / exit step device according to claim 1, wherein the vertical shaft rotates approximately 180 degrees from the retracted position to the deployed position in conjunction with the rotation of the arm shaft.   2. The vehicle entry / exit step device according to claim 1, wherein the driving means is fixed to the vehicle main body.

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