JP2021070366A - Vehicular step device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicular step device which can prevent operation failure of the step device caused due to water entering a space between a link shaft and a bush.SOLUTION: In the invention, when each node part 39 is formed having: link shafts 45a, 45b each inserted into a space between link members; and bushes 46a, 46b each loosely fitted in the link shaft in link mechanisms 25a, 25b which enable a step 23 to be displaced between a storage position and a get-in/off position and are provided on a vehicle body lower surface, a water-repellent layer 49 is provided at least between an outer peripheral surface portion of each link shaft which faces an inner surface of an end part of the bush and an outer peripheral surface portion of the link shaft located at the outer side of the end part of the bush and near the bush.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle step device in which steps are arranged on a vehicle body.

Vehicles with a high ground clearance have a higher floor position. Therefore, the vehicle tends to lose the ease of getting on and off from the entrance.
Therefore, in order to support the getting on and off of the occupants in such a vehicle, a step is provided under the entrance and exit to improve the getting on and off of the occupants.
The step device has a movable type that moves the step so that the step does not get in the way. Specifically, it refers to a structure in which a step is stored in a storage position on the lower surface of the vehicle body so that the step can be displaced from the lower side of the entrance / exit to the outer entrance / exit position when the step is used.

Such a movable step device has a structure in which a step is displaced from a storage position to a boarding / alighting position by using a link mechanism (see Patent Document 1 and the like).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 58-39543

By the way, the link mechanism of the step device is rotatably supported between a plurality of link members by a node, but when applied to the step device of a vehicle, the step is a large part, and when getting on and off, the step is changed to a step. Twisting due to the applied load tends to cause misalignment at the knots, which may affect the movement of the step.
Therefore, in the link mechanism applied to the step device, not the knots of the "tight fit" structure but the knots of the "gap fit" structure that can tolerate misalignment, specifically, are inserted between the link members. Nodal parts that combine a link shaft and a bush (slide bearing) that is supported by a link member and idlely fitted to the link shaft have been studied.

However, the bush that is loosely fitted to the link shaft has a minute clearance (gap) between the outer peripheral surface of the link shaft and the inner surface of the bush.
For this reason, when the link mechanism arranged on the lower surface of the vehicle body is exposed to water when traveling in the rain or when washing the car, water transmitted through the link member or water scattered from the front wheels is transmitted along the outer peripheral surface of the link shaft and becomes the link shaft. It may invade a small clearance with the bush (due to capillarity).

Such intrusion of water may cause freezing between the link shaft and the bush when the vehicle is left in a low outside air temperature, resulting in malfunction of the step device.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle step device that can prevent malfunction of the step device due to water entering between the link shaft and the bush.

Aspects of the present invention are a link mechanism that displaceably supports a step that is arranged on a vehicle body to support passengers getting on and off, and a step that is provided on the lower surface of the vehicle body and supports the step from the storage position of the lower surface of the vehicle body and the getting on and off position protruding from the vehicle body. The link mechanism is a step device of a vehicle having a plurality of link members and a knot portion that rotatably supports between the link members, and the knot portion is inserted between the link members. It is composed of a link shaft and a bush that is supported by a link member and is loosely fitted to the link shaft. The link shaft has at least an outer peripheral surface portion facing the inner surface of the end portion of the bush and an outer side from the end portion of the bush. It is assumed that a water-repellent layer is provided between the bush and the outer peripheral surface portion in the vicinity of the bush.

According to the present invention, even when traveling in the rain or washing a car, the link mechanism on the lower surface of the vehicle body may be exposed to water, and water may enter the clearance between the link shaft and the bush from the outer peripheral surface of the link shaft. However, since a water-repellent layer is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the link shaft, the water that goes toward the bush repels the outside of the link shaft and the outside of the bush due to the water-repellent effect of the water-repellent layer. Is done.

As a result, water can be prevented from entering between the link shaft and the bush, and freezing between the link shaft and the bush can be prevented.
Therefore, it is possible to prevent the step device from malfunctioning due to the intrusion of water between the link shaft and the bush.

A perspective view showing a vehicle equipped with a side step device according to an embodiment of the present invention, together with a step retracted state and a step getting on and off state. The side view which shows the front link mechanism of a step device together with a step. A perspective view of the front link mechanism and steps as viewed from below the vehicle. A perspective view of the main part of the front link mechanism disassembled. A perspective view of the rear link mechanism of the step device and the step as viewed from below the vehicle. A perspective view of the main part of the rear link mechanism disassembled. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the arrow in FIG.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on one embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 7.
FIG. 1 shows the appearance of a part of a vehicle 1 called, for example, a 1BOX vehicle, and reference numeral 2 in FIGS. 1A and 1B shows the vehicle body of the vehicle 1.
On both the left and right sides (driver's seat side and passenger's seat side) of the vehicle body 2, the front entrance / exit 5, the hinged front door 5a for opening / closing the front entrance / exit 5, the rear entrance / exit 7, and the rear entrance / exit 7 are opened and closed. A sliding rear door 7a is provided (both are shown on only one side).

That is, the occupant (not shown) can get on and off the vehicle interior space (not shown) or the outside of the vehicle through the front entrance / exit 5 and the rear entrance / exit 7.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a step device 21 is provided on the lower surface of the vehicle body 2 located below the front entrance / exit 5 and the rear entrance / exit 7 on the passenger seat side. The step device 21 has, for example, a side step 23 (corresponding to the step of the present application) having a total length extending from the front entrance / exit 5 to the rear entrance / exit 7.

The side step 23 is composed of, for example, a strip-shaped plate member made of an aluminum alloy.
Both ends (front side, rear side) in the longitudinal direction of the side step 23 are a pair of link mechanisms, specifically, for example, the front link mechanism 25a of Section 4 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 (corresponding to the link mechanism of the present application). Alternatively, it is supported on the lower surface of the vehicle body 2 via a rear link mechanism 25b (corresponding to the link mechanism of the present application) having four sections similar to the front link mechanism 25a shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

By the link mechanisms 25a and 25b, as shown in FIG. 2, the side step 23 has a storage position A set on the lower surface of the vehicle body and a boarding / alighting position B protruding to the sides of the front boarding / alighting port 5 and the rear boarding / alighting port 7. The space is displaced (up and down swing).
For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the front link mechanism 25a includes a bifurcated link arm 27 extending inward in the vehicle width direction from the base end side of the side step 23, and two types of intermediate links 29 having different arm lengths. It has a plurality of link members such as 31 and a link bracket 33 having a C-shaped cross section.

Incidentally, for example, the intermediate link 29 uses a flat plate-shaped link having a bifurcated portion 29a at one end and a boss portion 29b at the other end, and the intermediate link 31 has boss portions 31a at both ends. A flat plate-shaped link having an open portion (not shown) between the boss portions 31a and 31a (intermediate portion) is used.
Of these, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the link bracket 33 forms the most skeletal member of the vehicle body 2 in the vehicle width direction via two pairs of mounting legs 35 and 37 protruding from the front and rear sides of the bracket 33, respectively. It is fixed to the lower surface of the side sill 11 passing through the outside and the side frame 13 passing through the inside of the side sill 11, and is fastened by, for example, a bolt member 41.

Incidentally, the side sill 11 and the side frame 13 are skeleton members provided along the vehicle front-rear direction, and reference numerals 15 in FIGS. 3 and 5 indicate cross members provided between the side frames 13.
The bifurcated portion 29a of the intermediate link 29 and one boss portion 31a of the intermediate link 31 are fitted side by side between the side walls 34 on the front end side of the link bracket 33. Then, the pair of side walls 34 of the link bracket 33, the side wall 30 forming the bifurcated portion 29a, and the boss portion 31a are rotatably supported via the knot portion 39, respectively.

The remaining boss 29b of the intermediate link 29 and the boss portion 31a of the intermediate link 31 are fitted and inserted side by side in the bifurcated portion 27a of the link arm 27. Similarly, the bifurcated portion 27a of the link arm 27, the boss portion 29b of the intermediate link 29, and the boss portion 31a of the intermediate link 31 are rotatably supported via the knot portion 39, respectively, and 4 on the lower surface of the vehicle body. The link mechanism of the section is arranged.
On the other hand, in the rear link mechanism 25b, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a drive unit 43 using an electric motor as a drive source is installed in the link bracket 33, and the node 39 of the intermediate link 29 is used to transmit the driving force. Only the structure to be used is used, and the remaining parts have the same structure as the front link mechanism 25a.

Due to the front link mechanism 25a and the rear link mechanism 25b assembled on both ends of the side step 23, the side step 23 waiting at the storage position A under the vehicle body is displaced as shown by the arrow α in FIG. 2, that is, the front entrance / exit 5 And, it can be guided to the boarding / alighting position B on the side of the rear boarding / alighting port 7 while maintaining a horizontal posture lower than the boarding / alighting ports 5 and 7.
By the way, the drive unit 43 is connected to the ECU (not shown), and the side step 23 operates in conjunction with the on / off of the door switch (not shown), that is, the opening / closing movement of the front door 5a and the rear door 7a. ing.

By the way, the side step 23 is a large-sized part, and when an occupant gets on and off, the side step 23 is likely to be twisted due to the load applied from each part, so that the knots 39 of the link mechanisms 25a and 25b are misaligned. It is easy to affect the movement of the side step 23.
Therefore, the knots 39 of the link mechanisms 25a and 25b employ a "gap fitting" structure that can tolerate misalignment.

Specifically, in each node 39 connecting the link bracket 33 and the intermediate links 29 and 31, the side wall 34 of the link bracket 33, the side wall 30 of the bifurcated portion 29a of the intermediate link 29, and the boss of the intermediate link 31 A structure is used in which a link shaft 45a inserted between the portion 31a (one side) and a tubular bush 46a (slide bearing) that is loosely fitted (gap-fitted) with the link shaft 45a are used. Be done.

Also in the node 39 connecting the link arm 27 and the intermediate links 29 and 31, the bifurcated portion 27a of the link blink arm 27, the boss portion 29b of the intermediate link 29, and the boss portion 31a (the other side) of the intermediate link 31 A structure is used in which a link shaft 45b inserted therein and a tubular bush 46b (slide bearing) that is loosely fitted (gap-fitted) with the link shaft 45a are combined.

That is, each node 39 is provided with a bush 46a or a bush 46a provided on one side of the link member by inserting the link shaft 45a or the link shaft 45b into both of the pair of link members (each link 27, 29, 31, 33) to be connected. The structure is such that the link shaft 45a and the link shaft 45b are rotatably supported by "gap fitting" in the bush 46b.
By the way, unlike the link mechanism 25a, the rear link mechanism 25b employs a structure in which the motor shaft extending from the drive unit 43 is press-fitted (inserted) into the intermediate link 29, and the motor shaft itself has the link shaft 45a. Also serves as.

Therefore, in the link shaft 45a composed of the motor shaft as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, unlike the other support structures, the press-fitted motor shaft end provided in the intermediate link 29 is provided in the link bracket 33. A structure is used in which the bush 46a is rotatably supported by "gap fitting".
By the way, in each of the link shafts 45a and 45b (other than the motor shaft), for example, a brim portion (not shown) is formed at one end portion, and a retaining tool such as an E-ring 46 is attached to the other end portion. , It does not come out in the axial direction.

Of the link mechanisms 25a and 25b on the lower surface of the vehicle body, when the link mechanisms 25a and 25b are exposed to water, the node 39 at a point where the transmitted water and the scattered water easily enter, here, the portion using the motor shaft is used. Each section 39 except the section 39 is provided with a means for preventing water from entering the inside of the section 39. The same structure is used in both cases.
FIG. 7 shows the structure of the upper node 39 of the intermediate link 31 in FIG. 2 as a typical structure thereof.

Explaining the water intrusion prevention structure with reference to FIG. 7, this includes at least the outer peripheral surface portion of the outer peripheral surface of the link shaft 45a facing the inner surface of the end portion of the bush 46a and the outer peripheral surface portion of the bush 46a from the end portion. A structure is used in which a water-repellent layer 49 is continuously provided between the outer peripheral surface portion in the vicinity of the bush.
Here, the water-repellent layer 49 allows the water-repellent agent, which repels water, to pass through the side wall 34 of the link bracket 33 from the outer peripheral surface portion 47a of the link shaft 45a facing the inner peripheral surface near the end of the bush 46a. It is formed by continuously coating up to the outer peripheral surface portion 47b facing the surface.

As a result, the water that tries to enter the bush 46a from between the side wall 34 of the link bracket 33 and the boss portion 31a of the intermediate link 31 (gap) is caused by the water repellent effect of the water repellent layer 49, so that the bush 46a Of course, it makes it difficult for the link bracket 33 to be penetrated.
Further, in order to combine the bush 46a with the large-diameter link shaft 45a, a flat plate (not shown) is bent into a tubular shape as shown in FIGS. 4 (b) and 6 (b) so that the ends are joined to each other. A tubular structure is used in which a main body portion 51a is abutted and a flange portion 51b protruding outward is bent at one end of the main body portion 51a. Measures are taken against water that invades the bush 46a itself.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6, the bush 46a is positioned so that the butt portion 51c of the tubular main body portion 51a faces downward when the side step 23 is retracted (stored state). It is attached (insertion).
As a result, even if the bush 46a is exposed to the water splashed by the front wheel 1a (shown in FIG. 1) of the vehicle 1 during rainy weather, the butt portion 51c, which is susceptible to water intrusion, is located at a position where it is difficult for water to splash. Here, the lower side, that is, the butt portion 51c, which is the most difficult to be exposed to water, is positioned so as to face directly downward.

Further, the bush 46a not only arranges the butt portion 51c on the lower side, but also has a notch portion in the flange portion 51b that reaches the inner surface (bush inner surface) of the main body portion 51a in the flange portion corresponding to the butt portion 51c. A triangular notch 51d is formed. Of course, other notch shapes may be used.
As a result, even if water may stay under the bush 46a, the surface tension of the stayed water is sheared at the notch 51d so that the water is quickly discharged to the outside. That is, measures are taken to prevent the retention of water.

Next, the operation of the step device 21 will be described.
For example, suppose that an occupant outside the vehicle operates to open the rear door 7a. Then, in conjunction with the opening operation of the rear door 7a, the side step 23 stored at the storage position A on the lower surface of the vehicle body as shown by the arrow α in FIG. , It reaches the boarding / alighting position B while swinging downward.

As a result, the occupant may board the vehicle from the rear boarding / alighting port 7 by using the side step 23 positioned at the boarding / alighting position B.
On the other hand, when the vehicle is traveling in the rain, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, the water h splashed by the front wheel 1a of the vehicle 1 is applied to the front link mechanisms 25a on both ends of the side step 23 (water coverage).

Here, the water invades the gap between the side wall 34 of the link bracket 33 and the end of the bush 46a of the intermediate link 31, propagates through the link shaft 45a, and is between the bush 46a and the link shaft 45a (fine clear rinse). May invade.
At this time, due to the water-repellent effect of the water-repellent layer 49 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the link shaft 45a, the water h is repelled to the outside of the link shaft 45a and the outside of the bush 46a.

This prevents water h from entering between the link shaft 45a and the bush 46a (clearance).
From this, it is possible to prevent freezing of water in an environment such as leaving the vehicle in a low outside air temperature, that is, freezing between the link shaft 45a and the bush 46a, and prevent malfunction of the step device 21 due to freezing. ..

In particular, since the water-repellent layer 49 only coats the outer peripheral surface of the link shaft 45a with a water-repellent agent, it can be dealt with with a simple structure.
Of course, such an action effect is also exerted on the intrusion of water between the other link shaft 45b and the bush 46b.
Moreover, the bushes 46a (46b), in which the flat plates are bent into a tubular shape and the ends are butted against each other, are arranged so that the butted portions 51c face downward when the butted portion 51c is in the retracted state, so that the bushes 46a (46b) jump up from the front wheels 1a when traveling in the rain. It is hard to invade water h, helps prevent invasion of water h, and contributes to prevention of freezing.

Further, the bush 46a (46b) is likely to stay between the link shaft 45a (45b) and the bush 46a (46b) by providing a notch 51d in a portion corresponding to the butt 51c in the flange portion 51b protruding outward. With respect to water, the surface tension of the water is sheared at the notch 51d so that the water is quickly discharged to the outside, so that the water h has a high discharge property.

Therefore, even if water h invades, it does not remain between the link shaft 45a (45b) and the bush 46a (46b), which contributes to the prevention of freezing.
As described above, according to one embodiment, it is possible to prevent the step device 21 from malfunctioning due to the intrusion of water between the link shafts 45a and 45b and the bushes 46a and 46b.
Moreover, the water-repellent layer 49 can prevent not only water but also mud and dust from entering, and also has an advantage of preventing the generation of abnormal noise caused by mud and dust.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be varied and implemented within a range that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. For example, in one embodiment, the present invention is applied to a node of a four-section link mechanism, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention may be applied to a node of another link mechanism. Of course, it may be applied not only to the side step but also to the node of the link mechanism that can move other steps.

2 Body 21 Step device 23 Side step (step)
25a, 25b Front link mechanism, rear link mechanism (link mechanism)
27, 29, 31, 33 Link arm, intermediate link, link bracket 39 Nodal part 45a, 45b Link shaft 46a, 46b Bush 49 Water repellent layer 51b Flange part 51c Butt part 51d Notch part

Claims (4)

Steps that are placed on the vehicle body to support passengers getting on and off,
It has a link mechanism provided on the lower surface of the vehicle body and supports the step so as to be displaceable between the storage position of the lower surface of the vehicle body and the boarding / alighting position protruding from the vehicle body.
The link mechanism is a vehicle step device having a plurality of link members and a node that rotatably supports between the link members.
The knot has a link shaft inserted between the link members and a bush supported by the link member and loosely fitted to the link shaft.
The link shaft is characterized by having a water-repellent layer provided at least between an outer peripheral surface portion facing the inner surface of the end portion of the bush and an outer peripheral surface portion in the vicinity of the outer bush from the end portion of the bush. Vehicle step device. The vehicle step device according to claim 1, wherein the water-repellent layer is formed by coating an outer peripheral surface of the link shaft with a water-repellent agent. The bush is formed by bending a flat plate into a tubular shape and abutting the ends against each other.
The vehicle step device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bush is positioned so that the tubular butt portion faces downward in the retracted state of the step. The bush has a flange portion that projects outward at the end of the cylinder.
The vehicle step device according to claim 3, wherein the flange portion corresponding to the butt portion has a notch portion.

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