JP2014019421A - Sliding door opening/closing structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sliding door opening/closing structure which reduces a size of a slide rail for guiding a roller unit, and reinforces a body panel of a vehicle body.SOLUTION: A roller unit 20 arranged on a sliding door 13 includes: a vertical roller 21 and a horizontal roller 22 which rotate along a slide rail 30; and a roller bracket 23 which rotatably supports the vertical roller 21 and horizontal roller 22 and is mounted on the sliding door 13. The slide rail 30 for guiding the roller unit 20 includes: a rail bottom surface 31 on which the vertical roller 21 rolls and which is fixed on the body panel 18; a rail upper surface 32 which covers above the horizontal roller 22 and is fixed on the body panel 18; an outer side vertical wall 33 which is extended from the rail upper surface 32 downward and restricts movement of the horizontal roll 22 to an outer side of a vehicle width direction; and a connecting wall 34 which connects the rail bottom surface 31 and the rail upper surface 32 in an inner side position in the vehicle width direction from the outer side vertical wall 33.

Description

  The present invention relates to a sliding door opening / closing structure that enables opening and closing of a sliding door along a side surface of a vehicle body.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a sliding door opening / closing structure in which a vertical roller that supports a vertical load of a sliding door and a horizontal roller that regulates the horizontal movement of the sliding door are attached to the sliding door via a roller bracket (for example, , See Patent Document 1).
In this conventional sliding door opening / closing structure, the vertical roller rolls on a flat rail surface constituted by the body panel of the vehicle body. In addition, the horizontal roller rolls in the guide rail having a cross-sectional gate shape opened downward. Here, the guide rail is suspended and supported by a body panel extending in the horizontal direction after rising from the rail surface.

JP-A-8-312246

By the way, in the conventional sliding door opening and closing structure, the vertical roller rolls on the rail surface formed by the body panel, and the rail surface of this body panel directly receives the load of the sliding door via the vertical roller. Become. Here, while the load of the sliding door may reach 50 kg, the rail surface may be constituted by a steel plate having a thickness of 1 mm or less. Therefore, in order to prevent the deformation (dent etc.) of the rail surface, there is a problem that a reinforcing member is required on the lower surface side of the rail surface.
Further, the horizontal roller rolls up in the guide rail supported by being hung on the body panel extending in the horizontal direction after rising from the rail surface. That is, the upper portion of the horizontal roller is covered with the guide rail and is also covered with a body panel that supports the guide rail. Therefore, the problem that a guide rail will enlarge will also arise.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above-mentioned problem, and aims to provide a slide door opening / closing structure capable of reducing the size of the slide rail for guiding the roller unit and reinforcing the body panel of the vehicle body. And

In order to achieve the above object, the sliding door opening and closing structure of the present invention is capable of opening and closing the sliding door along the side surface of the vehicle body, and is provided with the roller unit provided in the sliding door and the vehicle body. And a slide rail that extends in the vehicle front-rear direction and guides the roller unit.
The roller unit supports a vertical load of the slide door and restricts horizontal movement of the slide door; a roller bracket that rotatably supports the roller and is attached to the slide door; It is equipped with.
The slide rail includes a rail bottom surface that is fixed on the body panel of the vehicle body while the roller rolls, and a rail bottom surface that is fixed on the body panel of the vehicle body while the roller rolls. A rail upper surface that covers the upper side of the roller and is fixed on a body panel of the vehicle body; and an outer vertical wall that extends downward from the rail upper surface and restricts the movement of the roller in the vehicle width direction. And a connecting wall that connects the rail bottom surface and the rail top surface at a vehicle width direction inner side position than the outer vertical wall.

Therefore, in the sliding door opening / closing structure of the present invention, the rail upper surface covering the upper side of the roller is fixed on the body panel. Therefore, the upper part of the roller is covered only by the rail upper surface, and the slide rail can be made compact.
The bottom surface of the rail on which the roller rolls is fixed on the body panel of the vehicle body. Therefore, the load of the sliding door via the roller is not a body panel that is generally thin, but the bottom surface of the rail that can be thickened as necessary. That is, it is not necessary to reinforce the back side of the body panel facing the rolling surface of the roller with a separate member, and the body panel can be reinforced using the slide rail.
Furthermore, since the rail bottom surface and the rail top surface are connected by the connecting wall, the load on the rail top surface is supported by the rail bottom surface and the body panel. Therefore, when the movement of the roller to the outside in the vehicle width direction is restricted by the outer vertical wall, the horizontal roller can be stably supported without using a reinforcing member made of a separate member.

1 is an external perspective view showing a vehicle to which a sliding door opening / closing structure of Example 1 is applied. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an explanatory perspective view showing a main part of a vehicle to which a sliding door opening / closing structure of Example 1 is applied. It is a top view which shows typically the sliding door opening / closing structure of Example 1. FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows a roller unit. It is a principal part longitudinal cross-sectional view of the sliding door opening-and-closing structure of Example 1. FIG. It is principal part explanatory drawing which shows the modification of the sliding door opening / closing structure of this invention.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for realizing the sliding door opening and closing structure of the present invention will be described based on Example 1 shown in the drawings.

Example 1
First, the configuration will be described.
The configuration of the sliding door opening / closing structure of the first embodiment will be described by dividing it into “a configuration of a vehicle to which a sliding door is applied”, “a whole configuration of a sliding door opening / closing structure”, “a configuration of a roller unit”, and “a configuration of a slide rail”. .

[Structure of sliding door applicable vehicle]
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a vehicle to which the sliding door opening / closing structure of the first embodiment is applied. FIG. 2 is an explanatory perspective view illustrating a main part of the vehicle to which the sliding door opening / closing structure of the first embodiment is applied. Hereinafter, the configuration of the vehicle to which the sliding door is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the vehicle 10, a slide door opening 12 is formed on the left side surface of the vehicle body 11, and a slide door 13 that opens and closes the slide door opening 12 is provided. Here, the slide door 13 moves in the vehicle front-rear direction along the left side surface of the vehicle body 11.
A step 14 for getting on and off is provided below the sliding door opening 12. This step 14 is a staircase portion that is one step down from the passenger compartment floor surface 11a, and includes a plate-like step member (step) and a thin plate-like scuff plate (decorative member) (not shown) that covers the entire top surface of the step member. Have.

The sliding door 13 is provided with a door handle 15 used for opening / closing operation on the outer surface. Further, the slide door 13 is supported such that the upper portion 13 a is slidable by the upper support means 16, and the vertical intermediate portion 13 b is slidably supported by the center support means 17. Further, the lower portion 13c of the slide door 13 is slidably supported by the slide door opening / closing structure S.
Here, the upper support means 16 includes an upper guide portion 16 a provided on the slide door 13 and an upper slide rail 16 b provided on the upper portion of the slide door opening 12. The center support means 17 has a center guide portion 17 a provided on the slide door 13 and a center slide rail 17 b provided on the left side surface of the vehicle body 11.

[Overall structure of sliding door opening and closing structure]
FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing the sliding door opening / closing structure of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the overall configuration of the sliding door opening / closing structure will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the slide door opening / closing structure S includes a roller unit 20, a slide rail 30, and a drive unit 40.

  The roller unit 20 is attached to the inside in the vehicle width direction (side surface of the passenger compartment) of the lower portion 13c of the slide door 13, and is slidably supported on the slide rail 30 (see FIG. 2).

  The slide rail 30 is provided below the step 14 of the vehicle body 11 and extends in the vehicle front-rear direction. The slide rail 30 has a curved portion 30a at the front. When the slide door 13 is closed, the curved portion 30a is a portion that is curved inward in the vehicle width direction in order to bring the slide door 13 toward the vehicle body 11 side.

  The drive unit 40 moves the roller unit 20 along the slide rail 30 together with the slide door 13. The drive unit 40 includes a drive device 41 and a belt 42.

  The driving device 41 is disposed below the step 14 and includes a motor, a speed reducer, a clutch, and the like. A gear (not shown) is provided on the output shaft 41 a of the driving device 41, and this gear meshes with the belt 42.

The belt 42 is a loop-like endless belt whose both ends are connected by a belt connecting part 27 described later, and a plurality of teeth (unevenness) engaging with the output shaft 41a of the drive device 41 are formed on the inner surface of the loop. ing. The belt 42 is stretched between a pair of toothed pulleys 43 and 43 disposed in the vicinity of the front end portion 30 b and the rear end portion 30 c of the slide rail 30, and is routed along the slide rail 30. The pair of toothed pulleys 43, 43 are rotatably supported by shafts 43a, 43a standing in the vertical direction. In FIG. 3, 44a is a belt regulating plate, and 44b is a belt regulating pulley. The belt restricting plate 44a and the belt restricting pulley 44b make the belt 42 follow the curved portion 30a of the slide rail 30.
Further, the belt 42 is disposed so as to sandwich the inner and outer surfaces of the connecting wall 34 (described later) of the slide rail 30 in the vehicle width direction. That is, the connecting wall 34 is disposed inside the loop belt 42.

[Configuration of roller unit]
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the roller unit of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the configuration of the roller unit will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the roller unit 20 includes a vertical roller (roller) 21, a pair of horizontal rollers (rollers) 22 and 22, and a roller bracket 23.

  The vertical roller 21 is a roller that supports the vertical load of the slide door 13. The vertical roller 21 has a shaft 21a extending in the vehicle width direction, and the rotation surface 21b rotates in the vehicle front-rear direction.

  The horizontal roller 22 is a roller that regulates the movement of the slide door 13 in the vehicle width direction. The horizontal roller 22 has a shaft 22a erected in the vertical direction, and the rotating surface 22b rotates in the horizontal direction.

  The roller bracket 23 rotatably supports the vertical roller 21 and the horizontal roller 22 and is attached to the slide door 13. The roller bracket 23 includes an arm portion 24, a vertical roller bracket portion 25, a horizontal roller bracket portion 26, and a belt connecting portion 27.

  The arm portion 24 is a belt-like member having a fixed portion 24a fixed to the slide door 13 and a support portion 24b extending from the fixed portion 24a toward the inside in the vehicle width direction. The fixing portion 24a extends in a substantially vertical direction along the side surface of the sliding door 13. The support portion 24b is formed by bending the lower end of the fixed portion 24a at a right angle, and a step portion 24c for lowering the ground height of the tip portion 24d is formed in the middle portion in the longitudinal direction.

  The vertical roller bracket 25 is attached to the tip 24d of the arm 24 and holds the vertical roller 21 rotatably. The vertical roller bracket portion 25 includes a vertical wall portion 25a extending in the vertical direction, an upper wall portion 25b extending from the upper end of the vertical wall portion 25a toward the vehicle width direction outer side, and a lower end of the vertical wall portion 25a. And a lower wall portion 25c extending outward in the vehicle width direction. Here, the shaft 21a of the vertical roller 21 is rotatably held by the vertical wall portion 25a via the bearing B. In addition, the distal end portion 24d of the arm portion 24 is disposed between the upper wall portion 25b and the lower wall portion 25c.

  The horizontal roller bracket 26 is attached to the tip 24d of the arm 24 and holds the pair of horizontal rollers 22 and 22 rotatably. The horizontal roller bracket portion 26 is a flat plate member having a triangular shape in plan view, and is disposed above the vertical roller 21 and the vertical roller bracket portion 25. Here, the horizontal roller bracket portion 26 has one of the triangular tops (hereinafter referred to as the first top portion 26 a) facing outward in the vehicle width direction, and the first top portion 26 a is formed of the vertical roller bracket portion 25. It overlaps with the upper wall portion 25b. Further, two triangular tops (hereinafter referred to as second and third top portions 26b and 26c) of the horizontal roller bracket portion 26 facing inward in the vehicle width direction are arranged along the vehicle front-rear direction. And the 2nd top part 26b protrudes rather than the vertical roller 21 in the vehicle front side. A shaft 22a of one horizontal roller 22 is erected on the second top portion 26b via a bearing B so as to be rotatable. Further, the third top portion 26 c protrudes further toward the vehicle rear side than the vertical roller 21. The shaft 22a of the other horizontal roller 22 is erected on the third top portion 26c via a bearing B so as to be rotatable.

  The arm portion 24, the vertical roller bracket portion 25, and the horizontal roller bracket portion 26 are integrally connected by a connecting shaft 28 extending in the vertical direction. Here, the connecting shaft 28 includes the first top portion 26a of the horizontal roller bracket portion 26, the upper wall portion 25b of the vertical roller bracket portion 25, the distal end portion 24d of the arm portion 24, and the vertical roller bracket portion in order from the vehicle upper side. 25 passes through the lower wall portion 25c. The connecting shaft 28 penetrates the arm portion 24, the vertical roller bracket portion 25, and the horizontal roller bracket portion 26 through bearings B, respectively. Thereby, the arm part 24, the vertical roller bracket part 25, and the horizontal roller bracket part 26 are rotatably held by the connecting shaft 28, respectively.

The belt connecting portion 27 includes a clamping portion 27a, a belt holding portion 27b, and a pressing plate 27c. The belt connecting portion 27 is disposed on the vehicle front side of the vertical roller bracket portion 25.
The clamping part 27a clamps the vehicle front side part 25d of the vertical wall part 25a of the vertical roller bracket part 25. The belt holding portion 27b extends from the clamping portion 27a toward the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and a rising holding portion 27b ′ rising toward the upper side of the vehicle is bent at the end portion on the vehicle compartment side. This rising holding portion 27b 'is inserted into the inside of the loop belt 42 from below the vehicle. The pressing plate 27c is a plate member that faces the belt holding portion 27b, and presses the belt 42 against the belt holding portion 27b from the outside in the vehicle width direction to fix the bolt (not shown). As a result, the belt connecting portion 27 is fixed to the belt 42. The pressing plate 27c fixes both end portions of the belt 42 between the belt holding portions 27b. Thereby, the belt 42 is formed in a loop shape.

  As described above, the roller bracket 23 is attached to the slide door 13, supports the vertical roller 21 rotatably, and supports the pair of horizontal rollers 22, 22 rotatably above the vertical roller 21. .

[Slide rail configuration]
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of an essential part of the sliding door opening / closing structure of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the configuration of the slide rail will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the slide rail 30 includes a rail bottom surface 31, a rail top surface 32, an outer vertical wall 33, and a connecting wall 34.

  The rail bottom surface 31 is placed on the first panel surface 18a of the body panel 18 of the vehicle body 11, and includes a rolling surface 31a and a lower panel fixing portion 31b. The rolling surface 31a is a rail portion on which the vertical roller 21 rolls. The lower panel fixing portion 31 b extends from the rolling surface 31 a toward the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and is bolted onto the first panel surface 18 a of the body panel 18. The rolling surface 31 a is formed over the entire length of the slide rail 30 in the longitudinal direction. On the other hand, the lower panel fixing portion 31b is formed at a plurality of locations at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the slide rail 30 (see FIG. 3).

  Further, the “body panel 18” is a panel member that connects the floor panel 11b constituting the passenger compartment floor surface 11a and the side sill 19 and is made of, for example, a steel plate having a thickness of about 1 mm. The body panel 18 is set via a first panel surface 18a extending in the horizontal direction and a step surface 18b on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the first panel surface 18a, and is higher than the first panel surface 18a. And a second panel surface 18c having a height increased. A side sill 19 is joined to the outer edge of the first panel surface 18a in the vehicle width direction. The second panel surface 18c has a rising surface 18d formed at the inner edge in the vehicle width direction, and the upper end of the rising surface 18d is joined to the floor panel 11b.

  The rail upper surface 32 is disposed below the step 14 and includes a support surface 32a, an upper panel fixing portion 32b, and a step portion 32c. The support surface 32a covers the upper side of the horizontal roller 22, and the step 14 is placed thereon. The lower surface 14a of the step 14 facing the vehicle lower side is joined to the support surface 32a. The upper panel fixing portion 32b extends from the support surface 32a to the inner side in the vehicle width direction through the step portion 32c, and is bolted onto the second panel surface 18c of the body panel 18. The support surface 32a is formed over the entire length of the slide rail 30 in the longitudinal direction. On the other hand, the upper panel fixing portion 32b is formed at a plurality of positions at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the slide rail 30, and alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction (vehicle longitudinal direction) with the lower panel fixing portion 31b. (See FIG. 3). The upper panel fixing portion 32b is set to have a ground clearance lower than that of the support surface 32a.

  The outer vertical wall 33 is a portion that restricts the movement of the horizontal roller 22 in the vehicle width direction outside, and extends downward from the support surface 32a of the rail upper surface 32 along the vertical direction. Cover the outside in the width direction.

The connecting wall 34 is a portion that rises from the rail bottom surface 31 and connects the rail bottom surface 31 and the rail top surface 32. The connecting wall 34 includes a belt guide wall portion (first wall portion) 34a, an inner vertical wall portion (second wall portion) 34b, and a step wall portion 34c.
The belt guide wall portion 34a is erected in the vertical direction and is disposed inside the loop belt 42 to guide the belt 42. That is, the belt 42 is disposed so as to sandwich the inner and outer surfaces of the belt guide wall portion 34a in the vehicle width direction.
The inner vertical wall portion 34b is set from the belt guide wall portion 34a via the stepped wall portion 34c, is located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction than the belt guide wall portion 34a, and the upper end portion is a support surface 32a of the rail upper surface 32. To be joined. The inner vertical wall portion 34b covers the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the horizontal roller 22 and restricts the movement of the horizontal roller 22 in the vehicle width direction.

Next, the operation will be described.
The operation of the sliding door opening / closing structure of the first embodiment will be described by being divided into “sliding rail structural operation”, “sliding rail arrangement operation”, and “drive unit arrangement operation”.

[Structure action of slide rail]
When the sliding door opening / closing structure is provided at the lower part of the vehicle body, if the slide rail provided on the vehicle body is large, the ground height of the passenger's boarding / alighting surface and floor surface becomes too high, or the step for getting on / off the vehicle on the outside in the vehicle width direction The problem that a protrusion dimension becomes long arises. To prevent these problems from occurring, it is necessary to make the slide rail compact. Hereinafter, the structure action of the slide rail reflecting this will be described.

  In the slide door opening / closing structure S of the first embodiment, the slide rail 30 extends downward from the rail upper surface 32, the rail upper surface 32 that covers the upper side of the horizontal roller 22, the rail bottom surface 31 on which the vertical roller 21 rolls. An outer vertical wall 33 that restricts the movement of the horizontal roller 22 in the vehicle width direction outside, and a connecting wall 34 that connects the rail bottom surface 31 and the rail upper surface 32 at a position inside the vehicle width direction with respect to the outer vertical wall 33 are provided. ing. Here, the rail bottom surface 31 is fixed on the first panel surface 18 a of the body panel 18. The rail upper surface 32 is fixed on the second panel surface 18 c of the body panel 18.

  That is, the outer vertical wall 33 that restricts the movement of the horizontal roller 22 in the vehicle width direction outside is supported by the rail upper surface 32. The rail upper surface 32 is supported by the rail bottom surface 31 via the connecting wall 34 and is also supported by the second panel surface 18 c of the body panel 18. Therefore, the rail upper surface 32 is supported by a support structure (the connecting wall 34 and the second panel surface 18c) from below the vehicle, and the slide rail 30 has a C-shaped rail shape that is open to the outside in the vehicle width direction. Become.

  Thereby, the upper part of the horizontal roller 22 of the roller unit 20 is covered only by the rail upper surface 32 of the slide rail 30. As a result, an increase in the vehicle vertical dimension of the slide rail 30 is suppressed, and, for example, compared to a structure in which a cross-section gate-shaped guide rail opened downward is supported by hanging on the lower surface of the body panel, Dimensions can be shortened. That is, the slide rail 30 can be made compact, and it is possible to prevent the ground height of the boarding / alighting surface of the step 14 and the passenger compartment floor surface 11a from increasing.

  In particular, in the first embodiment, the connecting wall 34 has the inner vertical wall portion 34b that restricts the movement of the horizontal roller 22 in the vehicle width direction. That is, the connecting wall 34 that connects the rail bottom surface 31 and the rail top surface 32 also serves as an inner vertical wall that restricts the movement of the horizontal roller 22 in the vehicle width direction. There is no need to provide it. Thereby, the vehicle width direction dimension of the slide rail 30 can be shortened, and the slide rail 30 can be further downsized.

Further, in the first embodiment, the body panel 18 of the vehicle body 11 includes the first panel surface 18a and the second panel surface 18c having a higher ground clearance than the first panel surface 18a. The rail bottom surface 31 is fixed to the first panel surface 18a, and the rail top surface 32 is fixed to the second panel surface 18c.
Therefore, the set height difference between the body panel 18 and the rail bottom surface 31 and the set height difference between the body panel 18 and the rail top surface 32 can be suppressed to be small. As a result, useless space can be eliminated and the slide rail 30 can be made compact.

In the first embodiment, the rail bottom surface 31 is a rolling surface 31a on which the vertical roller 21 rolls, and extends inward in the vehicle width direction from the rolling surface 31a and is fixed to the first panel surface 18a. A lower panel fixing portion 31b. Therefore, the position where the rail bottom surface 31 is fixed to the body panel 18 is different from the position where the vertical roller 21 rolls, and the slide rail 30 can be stably fixed and smooth rolling of the vertical roller 21 can be ensured. it can.
On the other hand, the rail upper surface 32 is a support surface 32a that is a covering surface that covers the horizontal roller 22, and the upper panel fixing portion 32b that extends from the support surface 32a inward in the vehicle width direction and is fixed to the second panel surface 18c. And have. Therefore, the position where the rail upper surface 32 is fixed to the body panel 18 is different from the position where the horizontal roller 22 is covered, and the fixing work of the slide rail 30 can be easily performed.

  Moreover, the lower panel fixing portions 31 b and the upper panel fixing portions 32 b are alternately arranged along the vehicle front-rear direction, which is the longitudinal direction of the slide rail 30. Thereby, the slide rail 30 extended in the vehicle front-back direction can be fixed with sufficient balance with respect to the body panel 18, and the roller unit 20 can be guided stably. That is, since the weight of the slide door 13 acts on the slide rail 30 via the roller unit 20, the load is most applied to the position where the roller unit 20 is in contact. On the other hand, by fixing the slide rail 30 in a well-balanced manner over the entire length in the vehicle front-rear direction, even if the roller unit 20 moves and the position where the load is applied fluctuates, rattling of the slide rail 30 can be suppressed. . As a result, the roller unit 20 can be stably guided.

[Sliding rail placement]
In the sliding door opening / closing structure, when the rail that guides the roller unit is configured by the body panel, the body panel that configures the rail directly receives the load of the sliding door via the roller unit. Here, the body panel is generally composed of a steel plate having a thickness of 1 mm or less, and may be deformed by the action of the load of the sliding door. Therefore, it is necessary to reinforce the body panel to prevent deformation.
However, for example, when a reinforcing member is installed on the back side of the body panel (the back side of the surface on which the roller unit rolls), there arises a problem that manufacturing costs and labor for installing the reinforcing member are required. Further, if the thickness of the body panel is increased only to prevent the rolling surface from being deformed, the weight of the vehicle body is greatly increased, which is not realistic.

  Moreover, although the boarding / alighting step provided on the vehicle body has a cantilever structure protruding outward in the vehicle width direction, a certain rigidity must be ensured so as not to be deformed even if it is stepped on by an occupant. However, if the reinforcing member is installed to ensure rigidity, there arises a problem that manufacturing costs and labor for installing the reinforcing member are required. Moreover, if the sliding door opening / closing structure is set below the step for getting on and off, the roller unit moves in the sliding door opening / closing direction in the lower space of the step, so it becomes difficult to set a member that supports the step. End up.

  In order to prevent these problems from occurring, it is necessary to reinforce the body panel and the step for getting on and off using a slide rail. Hereinafter, the arrangement | positioning effect | action of the slide rail which reflects this is demonstrated.

  In the slide door opening / closing structure S of the first embodiment, the rail bottom surface 31 on which the vertical roller 21 of the slide rail 30 rolls is fixed on the first panel surface 18 a of the body panel 18. That is, a rolling surface 31 a on which the vertical roller 21 rolls is formed by a separate member independent of the body panel 18.

For this reason, the load of the slide door 13 that receives the load from the vertical roller 21 is not the body panel 18 that is generally thin, but the rail bottom surface 31 that can be thickened as necessary. That is, by adjusting the plate thickness of the rail bottom surface 31 according to the required strength, there is no need to reinforce the back side of the body panel 18 facing the rotating surface 21b of the vertical roller 21 with another member, and the slide rail 30 is The body panel 18 can be reinforced by using it.
In addition, in the case where the rail bottom surface 31 including the rolling surface 31a is formed of synthetic resin, even if the plate thickness is increased and the rigidity is improved, an increase in the weight of the slide rail 30 can be suppressed.

Further, in the first embodiment, the rail bottom surface 31 and the rail top surface 32 are coupled by the coupling wall 34, and the rail top surface 32 covering the upper side of the horizontal roller 22 is fixed on the second panel surface 18 c of the body panel 18. ing.
Thereby, the load on the rail upper surface 32 is supported by the connecting wall 34 and the body panel 18. Therefore, the support strength of the rail upper surface 32 can be secured, and the outer vertical wall 33 extending downward from the rail upper surface 32 restricts the movement of the horizontal roller 22 to the outer side in the vehicle width direction. Even if it is pulled outward in the direction, it can be stably supported.

In the first embodiment, the step 14 for getting on and off provided on the vehicle body 11 is placed on the rail upper surface 32.
Therefore, although the load applied to the step 14 acts on the rail upper surface 32, the load acting on the rail upper surface 32 is also supported by the connecting wall 34 and the body panel 18. That is, the connecting wall 34 of the slide rail 30 supports the load applied to the step 14 and can function as a reinforcing member. Thereby, it becomes unnecessary to provide a separate reinforcing member for supporting the step 14, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced and the sliding door opening / closing structure S can be reduced in weight.

[Drive unit arrangement]
When the drive unit for automatically opening and closing the sliding door is disposed in the lower part of the vehicle body, particularly in the space below the step for getting on and off, the space below the step must be enlarged by the amount of the drive unit. However, in that case, the projecting dimension of the step toward the outside in the vehicle width direction increases, or the step height increases and the boarding / exiting property deteriorates. Therefore, even when a drive unit is provided, it is necessary to make the slide door opening / closing structure compact.

  In addition, the C-shaped slide rail can receive the load of the slide door by using the lower horizontal surface as the roller rolling surface of the roller unit. For this reason, if the roller rolling surface is a thin body panel, a reinforcing member is required. However, the C-shaped slide rail has the advantage that the reinforcing member is not necessary.

  However, when such slide rails having a C-shaped cross section are arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction with the belt of the drive unit, it is impossible to achieve both installation of the drive unit and installation of the slide rail. That is, in the C-shaped slide rail, a vertical wall standing in the vertical direction is essential. On the other hand, the belt of the drive unit and the slide door must be connected, and the slide rail is disposed between the belt and the slide door. For this reason, the vertical wall of the slide rail and the member connecting the belt and the slide door interfere with each other, making it impossible to achieve both.

  Furthermore, in order to avoid interference between the vertical wall of the slide rail and the member that connects the belt and the slide door, it is conceivable to arrange the member that connects the belt and the slide door above the slide rail. However, in this case, a space is required above the slide rail, and the ground level of the passenger compartment floor surface and the step entrance / exit surface becomes high, resulting in a problem that the boarding / exiting property deteriorates.

  Therefore, it is necessary to make the slide door opening / closing structure including the drive unit compact and to achieve both the installation of the C-shaped slide rail and the installation of the drive unit. Hereinafter, the arrangement operation of the drive unit reflecting this will be described.

In the sliding door opening / closing structure S of the first embodiment, the sliding door 13 is connected to a belt 42 arranged in a loop along the slide rail 30. Here, the belt 42 is disposed so as to sandwich the inner and outer surfaces of the connecting wall 34 of the slide rail 30 in the vehicle width direction. That is, the connecting wall 34 is disposed inside the loop belt 42, and the belt 42 and the slide rail 30 overlap when viewed in plan.
Thereby, the vehicle width direction dimension of the belt 42 and the slide rail 30 arranged in the horizontal direction can be shortened compared with the case where they are arranged in parallel, and the slide door opening / closing structure S can be made compact.

In particular, in the first embodiment, the connecting wall 34 is set via the belt guide wall portion 34a sandwiched between the belts 42 and the step guide wall portion 34c from the belt guide wall portion 34a, and more than the belt guide wall portion 34a. And an inner vertical wall portion 34b located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction.
Thereby, while ensuring the space required for arrangement | positioning of the belt 42, a useless space can be eliminated and the slide door opening-and-closing structure S can be made further compact.

  Further, since the belt 42 is arranged so as to sandwich the inner and outer surfaces of the connecting wall 34 of the slide rail 30 in the vehicle width direction, the belt 42 is a member that connects the connecting wall 34 of the slide rail 30 and the belt 42 and the slide door 13. There is no interference with a certain belt connecting portion 27. As a result, it becomes possible to apply the slide rail 30 having a C-shaped cross section having the above-mentioned merit.

That is, the belt 42 sandwiches the inner and outer surfaces of the connecting wall 34 in the vehicle width direction, so that the outer surface of the belt 42 facing the outer side in the vehicle width direction is disposed on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the connecting wall 34. Then, the connecting wall 34 and the belt connecting portion 27 interfere with each other by connecting the outer surface of the belt 42 disposed on the outer side in the vehicle width direction with respect to the connecting wall 34 to the roller unit 20 via the belt connecting portion 27. Never do.
Thereby, both the installation of the C-shaped slide rail 30 and the installation of the drive unit 40 can be achieved.

  Further, in the first embodiment, the connecting wall 34 is disposed inside the belt 42 and the roller unit 20 is connected to the belt 42 via the belt connecting portion 27, so that the sliding door opening / closing structure S can be assembled. Variation factors can be reduced. That is, it is not necessary to adjust the length of the belt 42 of the sliding door opening / closing structure S, and the length of the belt 42 does not vary during the assembly work to the vehicle body 11. Thereby, assembly work can be performed smoothly.

Next, the effect will be described.
In the sliding door opening / closing structure of the first embodiment, the effects listed below can be obtained.

(1) A roller unit 20 provided on the slide door 13 and a slide rail 30 provided on the vehicle body 11 and extending in the vehicle front-rear direction to guide the roller unit 20 are provided on a side surface of the vehicle body 11. In the sliding door opening and closing structure S that enables the sliding door 13 to be opened and closed along,
The roller unit 20 includes rollers (vertical roller 21 and horizontal roller 22) that rotate along the slide rail 30, and a roller bracket 23 that rotatably supports the rollers 21 and 22 and is attached to the slide door 13. With
The slide rail 30 covers the rail bottom surface 31 fixed on the body panel 18 of the vehicle body 11 while the roller (vertical roller 21) rolls, and the roller (horizontal roller 22) and the vehicle body. A rail upper surface 32 fixed on the eleventh body panel 18, and an outer vertical wall 33 that extends downward from the rail upper surface 32 and restricts the outward movement of the roller (horizontal roller 22) in the vehicle width direction. The connecting wall 34 that connects the rail bottom surface 31 and the rail top surface 32 at an inner position in the vehicle width direction than the outer vertical wall 33 is provided.
Thereby, the slide rail 30 for guiding the roller unit 20 can be made compact, and the body panel 18 of the vehicle body 11 can be reinforced.

(2) The step 14 for getting on and off provided on the vehicle body 11 is placed on the rail upper surface 32.
Thereby, reinforcement of step 14 can be performed using the slide rail 30, and reduction of manufacturing cost and weight reduction of the sliding door opening-and-closing structure S can be achieved.

(3) The connecting wall 34 has an inner vertical wall portion 34b that restricts the movement of the roller (horizontal roller 22) inward in the vehicle width direction.
Thereby, the vehicle width direction dimension of the slide rail 30 can be shortened, and the slide rail 30 can be further downsized.

(4) The rail bottom surface 31 is a rolling surface 31a on which the roller (vertical roller 21) rolls, and extends inward in the vehicle width direction from the rolling surface 31a and is fixed to the body panel 18. A lower panel fixing portion 31b,
The rail upper surface 32 includes a cover surface (support surface) 32a that covers the roller (horizontal roller 22), and an upper side that extends from the cover surface 32a inward in the vehicle width direction and is fixed to the body panel 18. And a panel fixing portion 32b.
Thereby, the slide rail 30 can be stably fixed, and the smooth rolling of the vertical roller 21 can be ensured. Further, the fixing operation of the slide rail 30 can be easily performed.

(5) The lower panel fixing portion 31b and the upper panel fixing portion 32b are alternately arranged in the vehicle front-rear direction.
Thereby, the slide rail 30 can be fixed with respect to the body panel 18 with good balance, and the roller unit 20 can be stably guided.

(6) The connecting wall 34 is set through a first wall portion (belt guide wall portion) 34a erected in the vertical direction and a stepped wall portion 34c from the first wall portion 34a. A second wall portion (inner vertical wall portion) 34b located outside the portion 34a in the vehicle width direction,
The slide door 13 is arranged in a loop along the slide rail 30 and is connected to a belt 42 rotated by a drive device 41 mounted on the vehicle body 11.
The belt 42 is arranged so as to sandwich the inner and outer surfaces of the first wall 34a in the vehicle width direction.
Thereby, even the sliding door opening / closing structure S including the drive device 41 and the belt 42 can be made compact.

(7) A roller unit 20 provided on the slide door 13, a slide rail 30 provided on the vehicle body 11 and extending in the vehicle front-rear direction to guide the roller unit 20, and a drive device mounted on the vehicle body 11 41 and a belt 42 arranged in a loop along the slide rail 30 and rotated by the drive device 41, and the slide door 13 can be opened and closed along the side surface of the vehicle body 11. In the sliding door opening / closing structure S,
The roller unit 20 includes rollers (vertical roller 21 and horizontal roller 22) that rotate along the slide rail 30, and a roller bracket 23 that rotatably supports the rollers 21 and 22 and is attached to the slide door 13. With
The slide rail 30 covers the rail bottom surface 31 fixed on the body panel 18 of the vehicle body 11 while the roller (vertical roller) 21 rolls, and the roller (horizontal roller 22) and the vehicle body. A rail upper surface 32 fixed on the eleventh body panel 18, and an outer vertical wall 33 that extends downward from the rail upper surface 32 and restricts the outward movement of the roller (horizontal roller 22) in the vehicle width direction. A connecting wall 34 that connects the rail bottom surface 31 and the rail top surface 32 at a position on the inner side in the vehicle width direction than the outer vertical wall 33,
The belt 42 is disposed so as to sandwich the inner and outer surfaces of the connecting wall 34 in the vehicle width direction, and is connected to the slide door 13 via the roller bracket 23.
The sliding door 13 is configured to be opened and closed by rotating the belt 42 by the driving device 41.
As a result, the sliding door opening / closing structure including the driving device 41 and the belt 42 can be made compact. Further, it is possible to achieve both the installation of the C-shaped slide rail 30 and the installation of the driving device 41 and the belt 42.

  As described above, the sliding door opening / closing structure of the present invention has been described based on the first embodiment. However, the specific configuration is not limited to the first embodiment, and the invention according to each claim of the claims. Design changes and additions are allowed without departing from the gist.

  For example, in the first embodiment, the slide door opening / closing structure S includes the drive unit 40 and the drive device 41 opens and closes the slide door 13. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the drive unit 40 may not be provided, and the slide door 13 may be opened and closed by a manual operation using the door handle 15.

  Further, at the front end portion 30b and the rear end portion 30c of the slide rail 30, a cover K which is a separate member is placed on each of the front and rear end portions of the connecting wall 34 (see FIG. 6A), or the front and rear end portions of the connecting wall 34 May be folded to form the flange F (see FIG. 6B), etc., so that the thickness in the vehicle width direction of the front and rear ends of the connecting wall 34 may be increased. As a result, the front and rear end portions 30b, 30c of the slide rail 30 can be prevented from biting into the belt 42, and the belt 42 can be prevented from being damaged. In FIG. 6, only the front end 30b of the slide rail 30 is shown, but the rear end 30c has the same configuration.

S Sliding door opening / closing structure 10 Vehicle 11 Car body 11a Car floor surface 11b Floor panel 13 Sliding door 14 Step 18 Body panel 18a First panel surface 18b Step surface 18c Second panel surface 19 Side sill 20 Roller unit 21 Vertical roller (roller)
21b Rotating surface 22 Horizontal roller (roller)
22a Rotating surface 23 Roller bracket 24 Arm portion 25 Vertical roller bracket portion 26 Horizontal roller bracket portion 27 Belt connecting portion 28 Connecting shaft 30 Slide rail 31 Rail bottom surface 31a Rolling surface 31b Lower panel fixing portion 32 Rail upper surface 32a Support surface (Covering surface)
32b Upper panel fixing part 33 Outer vertical wall 34 Connection wall 34a Belt guide wall part (first wall part)
34b Inner vertical wall (second wall)
34c Stepped wall 40 Drive unit 41 Drive device 42 Belt 43 Toothed pulley

Claims (8)

A roller unit provided on the slide door, and a slide rail provided on the vehicle body and extending in the vehicle front-rear direction to guide the roller unit, and the slide door can be opened and closed along a side surface of the vehicle body Sliding door opening and closing structure
The roller unit includes a roller that rotates along the slide rail, and a roller bracket that rotatably supports the roller and is attached to the slide door,
The slide rail includes a rail bottom surface that is fixed on the body panel of the vehicle body as the roller rolls, a rail upper surface that covers the upper side of the roller and is fixed on the body panel of the vehicle body, An outer vertical wall that extends downward from the rail upper surface and restricts the movement of the roller in the vehicle width direction outer side, and a connection that connects the rail bottom surface and the rail upper surface at the vehicle width direction inner side position than the outer vertical wall. And a sliding door opening and closing structure. In the sliding door opening and closing structure according to claim 1,
A sliding door opening and closing structure, wherein a step for getting on and off provided on the vehicle body is placed on the upper surface of the rail. In the sliding door opening and closing structure according to claim 1 or 2,
The connecting wall has an inner vertical wall that restricts movement of the roller inward in the vehicle width direction. In the sliding door opening and closing structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The rail bottom surface includes a rolling surface on which the roller rolls, and a lower panel fixing portion that extends from the rolling surface inward in the vehicle width direction and is fixed to the body panel. ,
The rail upper surface includes a cover surface that covers the roller, and an upper panel fixing portion that extends from the cover surface inward in the vehicle width direction and is fixed to the body panel. Door opening and closing structure. In the sliding door opening and closing structure according to claim 4,
The lower panel fixing part and the upper panel fixing part are alternately arranged in the vehicle front-rear direction. In the sliding door opening and closing structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The connection wall includes a first wall portion erected in a vertical direction, and a second wall that is set from the first wall portion via a stepped wall portion and is located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction than the first wall portion. And
The sliding door is arranged in a loop along the slide rail, and is connected to a belt rotated by a driving device mounted on the vehicle body,
The sliding door opening and closing structure, wherein the belt is disposed so as to sandwich an inner and outer surface of the first wall portion in a vehicle width direction. A roller unit provided on the slide door, a slide rail provided on the vehicle body and extending in the vehicle front-rear direction to guide the roller unit, a driving device mounted on the vehicle body, and a loop along the slide rail A sliding door opening and closing structure comprising a belt arranged in a shape and rotated by the driving device, and capable of opening and closing the sliding door along a side surface of the vehicle body,
The roller unit includes a roller that rotates along the slide rail, and a roller bracket that rotatably supports the roller and is attached to the slide door,
The slide rail includes a rail bottom surface that is fixed on the body panel of the vehicle body as the roller rolls, a rail upper surface that covers the upper side of the roller and is fixed on the body panel of the vehicle body, An outer vertical wall that extends downward from the rail upper surface and restricts the movement of the roller in the vehicle width direction outer side, and a connection that connects the rail bottom surface and the rail upper surface at the vehicle width direction inner side position than the outer vertical wall. A wall, and
The belt is disposed so as to sandwich the inner and outer surfaces of the connection wall in the vehicle width direction, and is connected to the slide door via the roller bracket,
The sliding door is opened and closed by rotating the belt by the driving device. In the sliding door opening and closing structure according to claim 6 or 7,
The slide rail is configured to increase the thickness in the vehicle width direction of the end portion of the connecting wall in the vehicle front-rear direction.