JP2023097285A - Lid device for vehicle and door handle device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To achieve smooth movement of a lid member between a closed position and an open position with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: A lid device for a vehicle comprises: the lid member that moves between the closed position that closes an opening of a vehicle member and the open position that opens the opening; a driving rotary member that is rotatably driven around an axis extending in parallel with the lid member, and moves the lid member between the closed position and the open position; and a conversion mechanism that converts a rotation of the driving rotary member into the movement of the lid member. The conversion mechanism includes a rack part of the lid member and a pinion part of the driving rotary member. The rack part includes a first rack part that extends in a linear manner and a second rack part that extends in a curved manner. The pinion part includes a first pinion part that engages with the first rack part and a second pinion part that engages with the second rack part. In a moving process between the closed position and the open position of the lid member, the engagement of the first rack part with the first pinion part, and the engagement of the second rack part with the second pinion part occur in a prescribed sequence.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle lid device and a vehicle door handle device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a vehicle door handle device that drives a door handle for unlocking a vehicle door by a rack-and-pinion system (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the vehicle door handle device described in Patent Document 1, the door handle also functions as a lid member that opens and closes an opening provided in the vehicle door, and the door handle protrudes outward from the opening in the closed position to close the opening. to and from the open position to open the aperture.

The vehicle door handle device described above includes a rotating member that moves the lid member by rotational driving. The lid member has a linearly extending rack portion, and the rotary member has a pinion portion that engages with the rack portion of the lid member. When the rotary member rotates, the rack portion and the pinion portion are engaged to linearly move the lid member inward and outward relative to the vehicle door between the closed position and the open position.

JP-A-6-191279

By the way, in the lid member for opening and closing the opening of the vehicle door, in addition to the lid member that moves inward and outward between the closed position and the open position as described above, there is a lid member that extends parallel to the vehicle door between the closed position and the open position. There is a moving lid member. The lid member, which moves parallel to the vehicle door to open and close the opening, is moved inward and outward in order to avoid interference with the periphery of the opening of the vehicle door near the closed position. It is necessary to provide a moving mechanism for moving parallel to the door.

When the above-mentioned rack and pinion is adopted for the above-mentioned movement mechanism, the rack and pinion for linear movement in the inward and outward directions and the rack and pinion for linear movement along the vehicle door are separately and independently A configuration is conceivable. However, this configuration may complicate the structure for selectively switching between the linear movement of the lid member in the inward and outward directions and the linear movement along the vehicle door. The moving speed and trajectory of the lid member may be restricted at the switching point between the movement and the movement along the vehicle door, and smooth movement may become difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides a vehicle lid device and a vehicle that are capable of realizing smooth movement of a lid member between a closed position and an open position with a simple structure. An object of the present invention is to provide a door handle device for a vehicle.

According to one aspect of the present invention, an opening provided in a vehicle member can be opened and closed, and a lid member that moves between a closed position that closes the opening and an open position that opens the opening, and a lid member parallel to the lid member. a drive rotary member that is driven to rotate about an axis extending in the direction of the lid member to move the lid member between the closed position and the open position; a conversion mechanism, wherein the conversion mechanism has a rack portion provided on the lid member and a pinion portion provided on the driving rotation member; the rack portion extends linearly; A first rack portion and a second rack portion extending in a curved shape with a predetermined curvature are included, and the pinion portion engages with the first pinion portion engaging the first rack portion and the second rack portion. a second pinion portion, wherein, in the process of moving the lid member between the closed position and the open position, engagement between the first rack portion and the first pinion portion and the second rack portion; In the vehicle lid device, the engagement between the second pinion portion and the second pinion portion occurs continuously in a predetermined order.

According to this configuration, it is possible to achieve smooth movement of the lid member between the closed position and the open position with a simple structure.

1 is a front view of a vehicle door handle device mounted with a vehicle lid device according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the outside of a door; FIG. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is the perspective view which looked at the vehicle door handle apparatus of embodiment from the door inner side. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle door handle device according to an embodiment (with an upper member of a base member removed) viewed from the inner side of a door; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a positional relationship (partially cut) between a lid member and a drive rotary member in a housing space of the vehicle door handle device of the embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV shown in FIG. 1; BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is the perspective view which looked at the vehicle door handle apparatus of embodiment from the front side. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is the perspective view which looked at the vehicle door handle apparatus (however, the state from which the lower member of the base member was removed) of embodiment from the front side. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is the perspective view which looked at the vehicle door handle apparatus (however, the state from which the base member was removed) of embodiment from the front side. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional perspective view of a state in which the vehicle door handle device of the embodiment is arranged on the door inner side of a vehicle door and in a state in which a lid member is positioned at an open position; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of the vehicle door handle device of the embodiment, viewed from the inner side of the door when the lid member is positioned in the vicinity of the closed position and at the closed position; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the opening and closing operation of the lid member in the vehicle door handle device of the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a perspective view from the inside of the door for explaining the opening and closing operation of the lid member in the vehicle door handle device of the embodiment (where the upper member of the base member is removed); FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle door handle device of the embodiment cut along a plane including the inside-outside direction and the up-down direction when the lid member is positioned near the closed position and at the closed position; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle door handle device of the embodiment cut along a plane including the inside-outside direction and the front-rear direction when the lid member is positioned near the closed position and at the closed position; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle door handle device of the embodiment when the lid member is positioned at the open position and the latch release handle is operated to release the latch; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view for explaining position regulation of the latch release handle when an impact load is applied to the vehicle door with the lid member positioned at the closed position in the vehicle door handle device of the embodiment;

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of a vehicle lid device and a vehicle door handle device according to the present invention will be described.
A vehicle lid device 1 of the present embodiment is a device that moves a lid member that opens and closes an opening provided in a vehicle member. A vehicle door handle device 2 is a device for controlling a latch of a vehicle door 3 provided in a vehicle. Specifically, the vehicle door handle device 2 unlatches the vehicle door 3 when a predetermined operation is performed on a latch release handle provided on the vehicle door 3 . The vehicle lid device 1 is mounted and incorporated in a vehicle door handle device 2, and opens and closes an opening of a vehicle door 3 as a vehicle member by means of the lid member.

The vehicle door 3 is a door that can be opened and closed with respect to the vehicle body. The vehicle door 3 includes a door for passengers to get on and off, a rear door for loading and unloading luggage, a bonnet for opening and closing an engine compartment, or a door cover for opening and closing a fuel supply port and a charging port. The vehicle door 3 is latched by the vehicle door handle device 2 in a closed state with respect to the vehicle body, and can be unlatched and opened to the vehicle body by a predetermined operation. In the latched state, the vehicle door 3 can be locked (locked) by a locking device (not shown) and unlocked (unlocked) by a predetermined unlocking operation. good. 1, 2, 3, and 12, etc., a portion of the vehicle door 3 is shown.

When the vehicle door 3 is a passenger door having a window that can be opened and closed, it is sandwiched between an inner panel (not shown) on the inside of the vehicle, an outer panel 3a on the outside of the vehicle, and the inner panel and the outer panel 3a. and a gap space 3b. The vehicle door handle device 2 is accommodated in the clearance space 3b.

Hereinafter, it is assumed that the vehicle door 3 is a passenger door having an outer panel 3a and a clearance space 3b, and is provided on the left and right sides of the vehicle body. For the sake of convenience, the direction orthogonal to the surface of the vehicle door 3 attached to the vehicle body is referred to as the inward/outward direction I/O, and the direction in which the vehicle door 3 extends in the horizontal direction is referred to as the front-rear direction F/B. called. In addition, a position on the inner side of a reference part or part is referred to as the door inner side I of the part or part, similarly, a position on the outer side is called the door outer O side, and a position on the front side is called. The position on the door front F side and the position on the rear side are referred to as the door rear B side, respectively.

The vehicle door handle device 2 is provided for each vehicle door 3 provided in the vehicle. For example, when the vehicle door 3 is applied to a plurality of entrance/exit doors in a vehicle, the vehicle door handle device 2 may have a common shape or structure for each vehicle door 3, Moreover, it may have a symmetrical shape or structure with respect to the vehicle doors 3 on the left and right sides of the vehicle body. Also, the vehicle door handle device 2 will be described as being provided on the right side of the vehicle body.

The vehicle door handle device 2 includes a base member 10, a latch release handle 20, a lid member 30, and a driving device 40, as shown in FIGS.

The base member 10 is a member that accommodates the latch release handle 20 and the lid member 30 that constitute the vehicle door handle device 2 and also accommodates all or part of the drive device 40 . The base member 10 is formed in a size corresponding to the clearance space 3b between the inner panel and the outer panel 3a, and is accommodated in the clearance space 3b. The base member 10 is attached and fixed to an attachment portion (not shown) provided on the back side of the outer panel 3a. This mounting and fixing is performed by, for example, bolting or welding. The base member 10 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and has a lower member 11 and an upper member 12 .

The lower member 11 is a storage box that forms a storage space 13 that stores the latch release handle 20 and the lid member 30 . As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the lower member 11 has a bottom wall 11a and four side walls 11b extending from the four sides of the bottom wall 11a. The bottom wall 11a and each side wall 11b are each formed in a rectangular shape. The bottom wall 11a and the four side walls 11b form an accommodation space 13. As shown in FIG. The accommodation space 13 has a necessary and sufficient size (capacity) so that the latch release handle 20 and the lid member 30 can each move along a predetermined trajectory.

The bottom wall 11a is adjacent to and faces the rear surface of the outer panel 3a. Two side walls 11b out of the four side walls 11b are oriented in the vertical direction U/D and face each other. Further, the remaining two side walls 11b are oriented in the front-rear direction F/B and face each other. A portion of the lower member 11 facing the bottom wall 11a across the housing space 13 is open.

The upper member 12 is a cover member that closes the opening of the lower member 11 on the inner side I of the door. The upper member 12 is formed in a substantially plate shape. The upper member 12 is attached and fixed to the lower member 11 . The attachment and fixation of the upper member 12 and the lower member 11 are performed by, for example, bolting or welding. The upper member 12 has a plate-shaped cover plate portion 12a.

The vehicle door 3 (specifically, the outer panel 3a) has an opening 3d that exposes the gap space 3b to the outside of the vehicle body. The base member 10 is arranged near the opening 3 d of the vehicle door 3 . A bottom wall 11 a of the lower member 11 has an opening 11 c that exposes the accommodation space 13 of the base member 10 to the outside of the base member 10 . The opening 11c of the lower member 11 is formed to have substantially the same size as the opening 3d of the outer panel 3a. The size of the openings 3d and 11c is such that an operator's hand can be inserted therein. The lower member 11 and the base member 10 are attached and fixed to the attachment portion so that the opening 11c of the bottom wall 11a communicates with the opening 3d of the outer panel 3a. The accommodation space 13 of the base member 10 can be exposed to the outside of the vehicle body through the openings 3d and 11c.

The unlatch handle 20 is an operation unit for performing an input operation (hereinafter referred to as an unlatch operation) to unlatch the vehicle door 3 when the vehicle door 3 is closed. The unlatch handle 20 can be unlatched by an operator outside the vehicle body. When the latch release handle 20 is operated to release the latch, the vehicle door 3 is unlatched from the vehicle body and the vehicle door 3 is opened.

The latch release handle 20 is accommodated in the accommodation space 13 of the base member 10, and specifically, is arranged in the accommodation space 13 above the door U rather than the opening 11c. The latch release handle 20 is formed in a handle shape or a leather shape and extends in the front-rear direction F/B. The latch release handle 20 is rotatably supported by the base member 10 (specifically, on the front and rear side walls 11b of the lower member 11). The unlatch handle 20 is pivotable about a horizontal axis. The latch release handle 20 has a handle body portion 21 and a pivot shaft 22 .

The handle body portion 21 is an operation portion that is touched by an operator's hand and rotated (latch release operation). The handle body portion 21 is formed in a plate shape. The handle body portion 21 extends in the front-rear direction F/B. The rotating shaft 22 is a shaft portion that rotates the handle body portion 21 with respect to the base member 10 by rotating the rotating shaft 22 . The rotating shaft 22 is formed in a columnar or cylindrical shape. The rotating shaft 22 is integrated with the handle body portion 21 . The rotating shaft 22 is provided so as to pass through the handle body portion 21 and protrude from the front end portion of the handle body portion 21 to the door front side F and to protrude from the rear end portion of the handle body portion 21 to the door rear side B. .

The lower member 11 has a support groove 11d having a semicircular cross section. The support groove 11d is provided at the end portion of the protruding wall 11e protruding from the bottom wall 11a of the lower member 11 toward the door inner side I. As shown in FIG. The projecting wall 11e is provided adjacent to the inside of each of the two front and rear side walls 11b. In addition, the projecting wall 11e may be a part of the side wall 11b. The protruding wall 11e is provided in a stepped shape so that the end on the door inner side I side changes according to the vertical position. 11 d of support grooves are provided in the upper part of the protrusion wall 11e.

Further, the upper member 12 has a support groove 12d having a semicircular cross section. The support groove 12d is provided at the end portion of the protruding wall 12e protruding from the cover plate portion 12a of the upper member 12 toward the door outward O side. The protruding wall 12e is provided so as to be adjacent to the inside of each of the two front and rear side walls 11b of the lower member 11 and to face the protruding wall 11e of the lower member 11 in the I/O direction. The protruding wall 12e is provided in a stepped shape so that the end portion on the door outer side O side corresponds to the protruding wall 11e of the lower member 11 and changes according to the vertical position. 12 d of support grooves are provided in the upper part of the protrusion wall 12e.

The support groove 11 d of the lower member 11 and the support groove 12 d of the upper member 12 form one circular support hole that supports the rotating shaft 22 in a state where the upper member 12 is attached and fixed to the lower member 11 . The rotary shaft 22 is rotatably supported by the base member 10 while being fitted in the support groove 11d of the lower member 11 and the support groove 12d of the upper member 12 .

As shown in FIG. 5, the latch release handle 20 is configured such that the handle body portion 21 extends radially outward from the pivot shaft 22 . The latch release handle 20 is urged by an urging member such as a torsion spring such that the handle main body 21 rotates from the latch release position toward the latch position. Note that this biasing direction is the clockwise direction in FIG. The latch release handle 20 can be rotated (unlatched) from the latch position toward the latch release position against the biasing force of the biasing member. The direction of the rotating operation is the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 5 with the rotating shaft 22 as the center.

The operator pulls the latch release handle 20 so that the radial tip of the handle main body 21 is pulled from the latch position toward the outside O of the door (the front side for the operator on the outside of the vehicle) about the pivot shaft 22 . By doing so, the latch release operation is performed.

The rotating shaft 22 is arranged on the outside O side of the door in the housing space 13 . The pivot shaft 22 is connected to a door latch device (not shown). The door latch device is arranged on one end side (for example, left side when viewed from the surface side of the base member 10) with respect to the rotating shaft 22. As shown in FIG. The above latch position is a position where the vehicle door 3 is latched by the door latch device. The unlatched position is a position where the vehicle door 3 is unlatched by the door latch device.

At the latch position, the handle main body 21 extends obliquely downward (specifically, the door inner side I and the door downward side D) from the pivot shaft 22 (the state shown in FIG. 5). When the handle main body 21 is in the latched position, the angle formed by the vertical line passing through the axis of the rotating shaft 22 is greater than 0° and less than 90°, and the operator can put his or her hand through the openings 3d and 11c. The angle is set at 30°, for example, so that the handle main body 21 can be easily unlatched by inserting it into the handle 13 .

Further, the handle body portion 21 extends substantially downward D from the rotating shaft 22 at the unlatched position. The angle formed by the handle main body 21 with respect to a vertical line passing through the axis of the rotating shaft 22 at the unlatched position is set to be smaller than the angle formed at the latched position. In the process in which the latch release handle 20 moves from the latched position to the unlatched position, the radial tip of the handle main body 21 moves toward the outside O of the door just before reaching the unlatched position.

The lid member 30 is a panel cover that opens and closes the opening 11 c of the base member 10 and the opening 3 d of the vehicle door 3 . The lid member 30 is formed in a plate shape so as to be larger than the openings 3d and 11c as a whole. The lid member 30 is housed in the housing space 13 . The lid member 30 can be fitted into the openings 3d and 11c to close the openings 3d and 11c, and can be retracted from the openings 3d and 11c to open the openings 3d and 11c. The lid member 30 moves in the housing space 13 between a closed position that closes the openings 3d and 11c and an open position that opens the openings 3d and 11c.

The accommodation space 13 of the base member 10 is wider in the door downward direction D than the opening 11c. A lower area of the accommodation space 13 can accommodate a lid member 30 that moves from the closed position to the open position. The open position of the lid member 30 is at the height of the opening 11c, ie, the door downward D from the closed position of the lid member 30. As shown in FIG. The lid member 30 moves in the vertical direction U/D between the closed position and the open position, and also moves in the inward/outward direction I/O to prevent interference with the outer panel 3a and the base member 10 near the closed position.

Within the accommodation space 13, the movement trajectory along which the latch release handle 20 moves between the latch position and the latch release position and the movement trajectory along which the lid member 30 moves between the closed position and the open position overlap each other. have. Therefore, the latch release handle 20 and the lid member 30 may interfere with each other.

The overlapping range is limited to a portion of the locus of movement of the latch release handle 20 and a portion of the locus of movement of the lid member 30 . Specifically, the region near the latch release position of the latch release handle 20 and the region near the closed position of the lid member 30 overlap each other. That is, when the latch release handle 20 is positioned near the latch release position and the lid member 30 is positioned near the closed position, the latch release handle 20 and the lid member 30 may interfere with each other. The timing for causing the latch release handle 20 and the lid member 30 to interfere with each other will be detailed later.

When the latch release handle 20 is positioned at the latch position, the latch release handle 20 and the lid member 30 do not interfere in the process of moving the lid member 30 between the closed position and the open position. Further, when the lid member 30 is positioned at the open position, the latch release handle 20 and the lid member 30 do not interfere in the process of moving the latch release handle 20 between the latch position and the latch release position. None.

The lid member 30 has a closing portion 31 , a peripheral edge portion 32 , a guide portion 33 and an interference portion 34 . The blocking part 31 is a part that fits into the openings 3d and 11c to block the openings 3d and 11c. The closing portion 31 is provided at a portion of the lid member 30 on the door outer side O side. The closing portion 31 has a size (area) corresponding to the size (area) of the openings 3d and 11c and a predetermined thickness in the inside and outside direction.

The predetermined thickness in the inside and outside direction is the surface of the closing portion 31 on the door outside O side when the peripheral portion 32 of the lid member 30 is in contact with the bottom wall 11a, that is, when the lid member 30 is in the closed position. is set so as to be flush with the surface of the outer panel 3a. For example, the inner-outer thickness of the closing portion 31 corresponds to the sum of the inner-outer thickness near the opening 3d of the outer panel 3a and the inner-outer thickness near the opening 11c of the bottom wall 11a. When the lid member 30 is in the closed position, the surface of the closing portion 31 on the door outer side O is flush with the surface of the outer panel 3a.

The peripheral edge portion 32 is a flange portion extending outward from the peripheral edge of the closing portion 31 in a plate shape. The peripheral portion 32 is provided over the entire circumference so as to surround the closing portion 31 . The peripheral edge portion 32 forms an outer edge portion of the lid member 30 . The peripheral edge portion 32 is arranged to face the bottom wall 11a of the lower member 11 of the base member 10 and the cover plate portion 12a of the upper member 12 . The peripheral portion 32 abuts against the bottom wall 11a of the lower member 11 to restrict the position of the lid member 30 when the lid member 30 is at the closed position. A sealing member such as an O-ring may be arranged between the peripheral portion 32 and the bottom wall 11a to ensure the sealing performance of the accommodation space 13. As shown in FIG.

The peripheral edge portion 32 has a flat plate-like flat portion 32a and a curved plate-like curved portion 32b. The flat portion 32 a is provided on the peripheral edge of the closing portion 31 . The curved portion 32b is formed integrally with the flat portion 32a below the door D of the flat portion 32a. The curved portion 32b is curved from one end (that is, the end connected to the flat portion 32a) to the other end so as to be located on the door lower D side and the door inner I side. That is, the curved portion 32b is curved so that the other end is positioned on the door lower D side and the door inner I side about the axis extending in the front-rear direction F/B.

The curved portion 32b is arranged in the lower region of the housing space 13, and is curved in the housing space 13 from the openings 3d and 11c not only when the lid member 30 is positioned at the open position but also when it is positioned at the closed position. is also located below the door D. The vicinity of the other end of the curved portion 32b extends linearly in the inward/outward direction I/O. In order to prevent interference between the closing portion 31 and the peripheral portions of the openings 3d and 11c, it is desirable that the linear distance of this portion is set to at least the thickness of the closing portion 31 in the inner and outer directions.

The guide portion 33 is a portion that guides the lid member 30 that moves between the closed position and the open position. The guide portion 33 is formed in a columnar or cylindrical shape. The guide portions 33 are provided at the upper end and the lower end of the peripheral edge portion 32 , respectively, and are provided at the front side end portion and the rear side end portion of the peripheral edge portion 32 , respectively. The two guide portions 33 on the door front side F protrude from the front side end portion of the peripheral portion 32 toward the door front side F, respectively. Further, the two guide portions 33 on the door rear B side protrude from the rear side end portion of the peripheral edge portion 32 to the door rear B side.

The base member 10 has guide grooves 14 that guide the lid member 30 . The guide groove 14 is a groove into which the guide portion 33 of the lid member 30 is slidably fitted. The guide portion 33 and the guide groove 14 constitute a guide mechanism that guides the lid member 30 . Four guide grooves 14 are provided in accordance with the four guide portions 33 . That is, the guide grooves 14 are provided at two upper and lower locations on the front side of the base member 10 and are provided at two upper and lower locations on the rear side of the base member 10 . The four guide portions 33 are fitted into the four guide grooves 14 one by one.

The upper and lower guide grooves 14 are formed in substantially the same shape. Further, the front and rear guide grooves 14 are formed in substantially the same shape. Each guide groove 14 is formed corresponding to the shape of the front-rear end portion of the peripheral portion 32 and extends linearly. Each guide groove 14 has a linear portion 14a that extends linearly in the vertical direction U/D corresponding to the flat portion 32a of the peripheral edge portion 32, and a curved portion 32b that extends curvedly with a predetermined curvature corresponding to the curved portion 32b of the peripheral edge portion 32. and a curved portion 14b.

The straight portion 14a and the curved portion 14b are integrated so as to be continuously connected to each other. The curved portion 14b is curved from one end (that is, the connection end with the straight portion 14a) to the other end opposite to the connection end so as to be positioned on the door upper U side and the door outer O side. That is, the curved portion 14b is curved so that the other end is located on the door upper U side and the door outer O side about the axis extending in the front-rear direction F/B. The vicinity of the other end of the curved portion 14b extends linearly in the inward/outward direction I/O.

With the upper member 12 attached and fixed to the lower member 11, the four guide grooves 14 are arranged at the end of the protruding wall 11e of the lower member 11 on the door inner side I side and the protruding wall 12e of the upper member 12 outside the door. It is formed between the end on the direction O side. The four guide portions 33 are driven by the driving device 40 to slide along the four guide grooves 14 to move the lid member 30 between the closed position and the open position.

When the lid member 30 is in the closed position, the guide portion 33 is positioned farthest from the connecting portion of the curved portion 14b with the straight portion 14a, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 11A. When the lid member 30 is in the open position, the guide portion 33 is positioned farthest from the connecting portion of the straight portion 14a with the curved portion 14b, as shown in FIG. 11(C).

The closing portion 31 protrudes outwardly O from the peripheral edge portion 32 . The protruding length of the closing portion 31 from the peripheral edge portion 32 corresponds to the thickness of the closing portion 31, and is the sum of the thickness in the inner/outer direction near the opening 3d of the outer panel 3a and the thickness in the inner/outer direction near the opening 11c in the bottom wall 11a. approximately match. The closing portion 31 and the peripheral edge portion 32 are configured such that a step corresponding to the openings 3d and 11c is formed on the surface on the door outer side O side.

The surface of the closing portion 31 on the door outside O side is exposed to the door outside O side when the lid member 30 is positioned at the closed position. Therefore, the closing portion 31 is formed of the same material as the outer panel 3a, or is a portion subjected to surface treatment such as gloss or matte, in order to ensure the appearance design and visibility of the surface on the outer side O of the door. It's okay.

The interference portion 34 is a portion that can interfere with the latch release handle 20 . The interference portion 34 is provided at a portion of the lid member 30 (specifically, the peripheral edge portion 32) where the latch release handle 20 can pass through the locus of movement. The interference portion 34 is provided integrally with the peripheral portion 32, for example. The interference portion 34 interferes with the latch release handle 20 before reaching the latch release position in the process of moving the latch release handle 20 from the latch position toward the latch release position with the lid member 30 positioned at the closed position. The position of the latch release handle 20 is regulated.

The interference portion 34 may protrude from the peripheral edge portion 32 of the lid member 30 toward the door inner side I, or may extend in the front-rear direction F/B along the peripheral edge portion 32 . In this case, the length of protrusion of the interference portion 34 from the peripheral edge portion 32 is set to a size necessary to ensure positional regulation before the latch release handle 20 reaches the latch release position. Also, the length of the interference portion 34 in the front-rear direction F/B may correspond to the length of the latch release handle 20 in the front-rear direction F/B, and extends in the front-rear direction F/B without a gap. However, they may be interspersed with a gap in the front-rear direction F/B.

The drive device 40 is a device that moves the lid member 30 between the closed position and the open position. The driving device 40 has an electric actuator 41 and a driving rotating member 42 . The driving device 40 rotates the driving rotating member 42 by driving the electric actuator 41 to move the lid member 30 .

The electric actuator 41 is an actuator that rotationally drives the driving rotary member 42 . The electric actuator 41 is a motor operated by electric power supply. The electric actuator 41 is rotatable in both forward and reverse directions. The electric actuator 41 is housed in the base member 10 . The electric actuator 41 may be accommodated in the clearance space 3 b outside the base member 10 and arranged adjacent to the base member 10 . The electric actuator 41 is attached to the base member 10 . The output shaft of the electric actuator 41 is connected to the driving rotating member 42 directly or via a speed reducer.

Rotational driving of the electric actuator 41 is controlled by a controller mainly composed of a microcomputer. This control unit operates the electric actuator 41 so that the lid member 30 moves from the closed position toward the open position when an operation requesting the opening of the vehicle door 3 is performed. This opening request operation is, for example, the operation of pushing the lid member 30 toward the door inner side I with respect to the outer panel 3a, the depression of a switch provided on the outer surface of the lid member 30, or the operator's portable device. It is the completion of collation by wireless communication with the portable device, the depression of a lock release switch or latch release switch provided on the portable device, or a combination of these operations.

Further, when an operation requesting closing of the vehicle door 3 is performed, the control unit operates the electric actuator 41 so that the lid member 30 moves from the open position toward the closed position. This closing request operation is performed, for example, by detecting that the operator's hand has been pulled out of the housing space 13, by pressing a switch provided on the outer surface of the lid member 30, or by pressing the switch carried by the operator. This includes failure of wireless communication with the portable device, depression of a lock switch or latch switch provided on the portable device, or a combination of these operations.

When the lid member 30 is positioned at the closed position, the control unit causes the electric actuator 41 to generate a torque for holding the lid member 30 at the closed position. This is suitable for preventing abnormal noise caused by small vibrations in the closed position due to vehicle shake or the like.

Further, the control unit detects that the lid member 30 is positioned at the closed position using the sensor 60 (see FIGS. 10, 13, and 14), and, for example, opens the lid member 30 by operating the electric actuator 41. When the closed position of the lid member 30 is detected during movement control from the position to the closed position, the operation of the electric actuator 41 may be switched to hold the lid member 30 in the closed position or stopped.

The drive rotation member 42 is a shaft member that is driven to rotate about an axis extending in the front-rear direction F/B, that is, parallel to the surface of the lid member 30 . The driving rotation member 42 is formed in a columnar or cylindrical shape. The driving rotary member 42 is rotationally driven by the driving force generated by the electric actuator 41 . The driving rotation member 42 is housed in the housing space 13 . The drive rotation member 42 is rotatably supported by the base member 10 (specifically, on the front and rear side walls 11b of the lower member 11). One end of the driving rotary member 42 (for example, the left end when viewed from the surface side of the base member 10 ) is connected to the output shaft of the electric actuator 41 passing through the side wall 11 b of the lower member 11 .

The lower member 11 has a support groove (not shown) having a semicircular cross section provided at the end of the projecting wall 11e on the door inner side. This support groove is provided in the central portion of the projecting wall 11e. Further, the upper member 12 has a support groove (not shown) having a semicircular cross-section provided at the end of the projecting wall 12e on the door outward side. This support groove is provided in the central portion of the projecting wall 12e. These support grooves of the lower member 11 and the support grooves of the upper member 12 form one circular support hole that supports the rotary driving member 42 in a state where the upper member 12 is attached and fixed to the lower member 11 . The drive rotation member 42 is rotatably supported by the base member 10 while being fitted in the support groove of the lower member 11 and the support groove of the upper member 12 .

The drive device 40 has a conversion mechanism 44 that converts the rotation of the drive rotation member 42 into movement of the lid member 30 . The conversion mechanism 44 converts the rotation of the drive rotary member 42 into movement of the lid member 30 between the closed position and the open position in a rack-and-pinion manner. Specifically, the conversion mechanism 44 has a linearly extending rack portion 45 having a plurality of teeth arranged at predetermined intervals, and a pinion portion 46 made of a circular gear. The rack portion 45 and the pinion portion 46 are engaged with each other to convert the rotation of the drive rotary member 42 into movement of the lid member 30 .

The rack portion 45 is provided on the lid member 30 . The rack portion 45 includes a first rack portion 45a and a second rack portion 45b, as shown in FIG. That is, the lid member 30 has a first rack portion 45a and a second rack portion 45b. A pair of first rack portions 45a are provided on the lid member 30 with a predetermined distance therebetween. A pair of second rack portions 45b are provided on the lid member 30 with a predetermined distance therebetween.

The first rack portion 45a is a portion extending linearly. The first rack portion 45a is formed on the surface of the peripheral portion 32 on the inner side of the door, and is arranged on the flat portion 32a. The first rack portion 45a extends linearly in the vertical direction. The length of the first rack portion 45a is set to a size necessary for moving the lid member 30 between the closed position and the open position. preferably of a size necessary to fully open the The length of the first rack portion 45a may be, for example, such that the driving rotary member 42 rotates 1.5 times. The teeth of the first rack portion 45a have a shape extending in the front-rear direction while protruding toward the inside of the door, and are arranged in the vertical direction at a first interval. The pair of first rack portions 45 a are arranged in front and rear portions of the peripheral edge portion 32 with respect to the closing portion 31 .

The second rack portion 45b is a portion extending in a curved shape with a predetermined curvature. The second rack portion 45b is formed on the door inner side surface of the peripheral portion 32, and is arranged on the curved portion 32b. The second rack portion 45b is curved around an axis extending in the front-rear direction. The curvature of the second rack portion 45b allows the lid member 30 to move in the inward/outward I/O direction and in the vertical direction without causing the lid member 30 to interfere with the base member 10 or the outer panel 3a when the lid member 30 moves near the closed position. It is set to a size necessary for smooth transition to U/D. The teeth of the second rack portion 45b have a shape extending in the front-rear direction F/B while protruding toward the center of the curve, and are arranged substantially vertically along the curved surface at a second interval.

The second rack portion 45b is arranged below the first rack portion 45a. The second rack portion 45b is curved from one end (that is, the end connected to the first rack portion 45a) to the other end so as to be positioned downward and inward of the door. The vicinity of the other end of the second rack portion 45b extends linearly in the inward and outward directions. The linear distance of this portion is set to at least the thickness of the closing portion 31 in the inside-outside direction. The pair of second rack portions 45 b are arranged in front and rear portions of the peripheral edge portion 32 with respect to the closing portion 31 .

The first rack portion 45a and the second rack portion 45b are arranged offset from each other in the front-rear direction, that is, in the direction in which the axis of the drive rotation member 42 extends. That is, the first rack portion 45a and the second rack portion 45b are not arranged so that the ends thereof are directly connected to each other at the same position in the front-rear direction, but are obliquely arranged at the peripheral edge portion 32 . Note that the first rack portion 45a and the second rack portion 45b are arranged such that, for example, the teeth of the first rack portion 45a and the second rack portion 45b overlap each other, provided that the lid member 30 can be smoothly moved between the closed position and the open position. or they may be arranged obliquely so that the teeth do not overlap at all.

The pinion portion 46 is provided on the driving rotating member 42 . The pinion portion 46 includes a first pinion portion 46a and a second pinion portion 46b, as shown in FIG. That is, the driving rotation member 42 has a first pinion portion 46a and a second pinion portion 46b. A pair of first pinion portions 46a are provided on the drive rotary member 42 at a predetermined distance. A pair of second pinion portions 46b are provided on the drive rotary member 42 at a predetermined distance.

The first pinion portion 46a is a portion that engages with the first rack portion 45a. The second pinion portion 46b is a portion that engages with the second rack portion 45b. The first pinion portion 46a and the second pinion portion 46b are formed on or attached to the outer surface of the drive rotation member 42, respectively, and are arranged at both ends of the drive rotation member 42. As shown in FIG. The pair of first pinion portions 46a are arranged at positions corresponding to the pair of first rack portions 45a. The pair of second pinion portions 46b are arranged at locations corresponding to the pair of second rack portions 45b.

The first pinion portion 46a and the second pinion portion 46b are arranged on the outer surface of the driving rotary member 42 so as to be offset from each other in the front-rear direction, that is, in the direction in which the axis of the driving rotary member 42 extends.

In the process of moving the lid member 30 between the closed position and the open position, the engagement between the first rack portion 45a and the first pinion portion 46a and the engagement between the second rack portion 45b and the second pinion portion 46b and occur consecutively in a predetermined order. Specifically, when the lid member 30 moves from the closed position to the open position, the second rack portion 45b and the second pinion portion 46b are initially engaged, and then the second rack portion 45b and the second pinion are engaged. After the portion 46b is disengaged, the first rack portion 45a and the first pinion portion 46a are engaged. Further, when the lid member 30 moves from the open position to the closed position, the first rack portion 45a and the first pinion portion 46a are initially engaged, and then the first rack portion 45a and the first pinion portion 46a are engaged. is disengaged, the second rack portion 45b and the second pinion portion 46b are engaged.

It should be noted that the distance (hereinafter referred to as the first pitch length) that the first rack portion 45a and the first pinion portion 46a move relative to each other while engaging with each other during one rotation of the drive rotary member 42 and the drive rotation The distance over which the second rack portion 45b and the second pinion portion 46b move relative to each other while engaging each other during one rotation of the member 42 (hereinafter referred to as the second pitch length) may be the same. may be different from each other. For example, the lid member 30 contacts the bottom wall 11a of the base member 10 and reaches the closed position. The second pitch length is preferably shorter than the first pitch length in order to increase the movement speed when moving downward D and upward U from the open position.

The operation of the vehicle lid device 1 and the vehicle door handle device 2 will be described below.
First, normal operations of the vehicle lid device 1 and the vehicle door handle device 2 will be described.
When the vehicle door 3 is closed with respect to the vehicle body, the latch release handle 20 is positioned at the latched position and the lid member 30 is positioned at the closed position (FIGS. 11A and 12A). )).

At this time, the rack portion 45 of the lid member 30 and the pinion portion 46 of the drive rotating member 42 are disengaged from each other and the second rack portion 45b and the second pinion portion 45b are disengaged from each other. It is positioned so as to engage with the portion 46b. Specifically, the second pinion portion 46b is engaged with the second rack portion 45b near the other end of the curved portion 32b. Further, the guide portion 33 of the lid member 30 is positioned in the vicinity of the other end of the curved portion 14b of the guide groove 14 of the base member 10 . At this time, the surface of the lid member 30 (that is, the closing portion 31) on the outside of the door is flush with the surface of the outer panel 3a, so that the exterior design of the vehicle door 3 is ensured.

Further, when an operation requesting opening of the vehicle door 3 is performed, the electric actuator 41 is operated so that the lid member 30 moves from the closed position toward the open position. When the electric actuator 41 is actuated, the driving rotary member 42 is rotationally driven clockwise as shown in FIGS.

When the lid member 30 is in the closed position, the second rack portion 45b and the second pinion portion 46b are engaged with each other near the other end of the curved portion 32b, that is, near the other end of the second rack portion 45b, as described above. Further, the guide portion 33 is located near the other end of the curved portion 14b. The vicinity of the other end of the curved portion 32b, the vicinity of the other end of the second rack portion 45b, and the vicinity of the other end of the curved portion 14b linearly extend in the inward and outward directions. Therefore, the lid member 30 moves toward the inside of the door with respect to the base member 10 when the driving rotation member 42 is rotationally driven in the above direction. After that, the guide portion 33 is fitted into the curved portion 14b while the second rack portion 45b and the second pinion portion 46b are engaged with each other (FIG. 11(B)). In this case, the lid member 30 pivots obliquely downward, including toward the inside of the door, with respect to the base member 10 according to the curvature of the second rack portion 45b.

Next, as the movement of the guide portion 33 along the curved portion 14b progresses, the engagement between the rack portion 45 of the lid member 30 and the pinion portion 46 of the rotating driving member 42 is eventually disengaged from the second rack portion 45b and the second The engagement with the pinion portion 46b is switched to the engagement between the first rack portion 45a and the first pinion portion 46a, and the guide portion 33 fits into the straight portion 14a. The first rack portion 45a and the linear portion 14a extend linearly in the vertical direction. Therefore, the lid member 30 moves downward with respect to the base member 10 when the first rack portion 45a and the first pinion portion 46a are engaged with each other. When the upper end of the first rack portion 45a engages with the first pinion portion 46a and the guide portion 33 reaches the lower end of the linear portion 14a, the lid member 30 stops moving and moves to the open position. (FIGS. 11(C) and 12(B)). Then, when the lid member 30 reaches the open position, the operation of the electric actuator 41 is switched to control for holding the lid member 30 at the open position.

When the lid member 30 is in the open position, the operator can insert his/her hand into the housing space 13 through the openings 3d and 11c from the outside of the vehicle door 3, and the latch in the housing space 13 can be opened. It is possible to unlatch the release handle 20 to the unlatched position against the biasing force of the biasing member. When the latch release handle 20 is operated to release the latch from the latched position and reaches the latch released position as shown in FIG. 15, the vehicle door 3 is unlatched from the vehicle body by the door latch device. The vehicle door 3 is opened by pulling the vehicle door 3 together with the release handle 20 toward the outside of the door.

When the operator releases the latch release operation to the latch release handle 20, the latch release handle 20 is moved toward the latch position by the biasing force of the biasing member. When the latch release handle 20 reaches the latch position, the door latching device enables the vehicle door 3 to be latched to the vehicle body. When the vehicle door 3 is pushed from the open side and closed in such a latchable state, the vehicle door 3 is latched in a closed state.

Further, when a predetermined condition is established after the operator's hand is pulled out of the accommodation space 13, the electric actuator 41 is operated so that the lid member 30 moves from the open position toward the closed position. When the electric actuator 41 is actuated, the driving rotary member 42 is rotated counterclockwise as shown in FIGS. 5, 11 and 13 .

When the lid member 30 is positioned at the open position, the first rack portion 45a and the first pinion portion 46a are engaged near the upper end of the first rack portion 45a, and the guide portion 33 is positioned near the lower end of the linear portion 14a. are doing. The first rack portion 45a and the linear portion 14a extend linearly in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the driving rotating member 42 is driven to rotate in the above direction, the lid member 30 moves upward with respect to the base member 10 .

Next, as the movement of the guide portion 33 along the linear portion 14a progresses, the engagement between the rack portion 45 of the lid member 30 and the pinion portion 46 of the rotating driving member 42 eventually becomes The engagement with the pinion portion 46a is switched to the engagement between the second rack portion 45b and the second pinion portion 46b, and the guide portion 33 fits into the curved portion 14b (FIG. 11(B)). In this case, the lid member 30 pivots obliquely upward, including toward the outside of the door, with respect to the base member 10 according to the curvature of the second rack portion 45b.

Then, the second rack portion 45b and the second pinion portion 46b are engaged near the other end of the second rack portion 45b, and the guide portion 33 reaches near the other end of the curved portion 14b. The vicinity of the other end of the second rack portion 45b and the vicinity of the other end of the curved portion 14b linearly extend in the inward and outward directions. Therefore, when the second rack portion 45b and the second pinion portion 46b are engaged with each other near the other end of the second rack portion 45b and the guide portion 33 reaches near the other end of the curved portion 14b, the lid member 30 moves toward the base. It moves outward relative to the member 10 .

Finally, when the other end of the second rack portion 45b engages the second pinion portion 46b and the guide portion 33 reaches the other end of the curved portion 14b, the movement of the lid member 30 is stopped. 30 reaches the closed position (FIGS. 11A and 12A). Then, when the lid member 30 reaches the closed position, the operation of the electric actuator 41 is switched to control for holding the lid member 30 at the closed position.

Thus, in the vehicle lid device 1, the lid member 30 can be moved in two directions by the rack and pinion method between the closed position that closes the opening 3d of the outer panel 3a and the open position that opens the opening 3d. can be done. Specifically, when the lid member 30 is located in the vicinity of the closed position, the lid member 30 is moved inward and outward, and when the lid member 30 is out of the vicinity of the closed position, the lid member 30 is vertically moved. can be moved.

According to this configuration, the lid member 30 moves in the inner and outer directions I/O near the closed position, so that the lid member 30 can be prevented from interfering with the outer panel 3a and the openings 3d and 11c in the base member 10. Since the lid member 30 moves in the vertical direction U/D along the vehicle door 3 except near the closed position, the openings 3d and 11c can be opened and closed to expose the storage space 13 to the outside of the door.

In the vehicle lid device 1, the movement mechanism for moving the lid member 30 in the inward/outward direction I/O in the vicinity of the closed position and in the vertical direction U/D in the vicinity of the closed position as described above includes the rack portion 45 and the lid member 30. It is a rack and pinion system using the pinion part 46 . The movement of the lid member 30 in the inward/outward I/O direction near the closed position is realized by the engagement between the first rack portion 45a and the first pinion portion 46a. Movement in the vertical direction U/D is realized by engagement between the first rack portion 45a and the first pinion portion 46a. In the process of moving the lid member 30 between the closed position and the open position, the engagement between the first rack portion 45a and the first pinion portion 46a, and the engagement between the second rack portion 45b and the second pinion portion 46b. Engagement occurs continuously in a predetermined order.

According to this configuration, the lid member 30 is moved in the inward/outward direction I/O in the vicinity of the closed position while being kept parallel to the vehicle door 3, and is moved in the vertical direction U/D in areas other than the vicinity of the closed position. At the switching point between the movement in the inward/outward direction I/O and the movement in the vertical direction U/D, the turning movement can be performed so that the movement components in those directions I/O and U/D are both included. Therefore, the lid member 30 can be smoothly moved between the closed position and the open position.

The rack portion 45 includes a first rack portion 45a linearly extending in the vertical direction U/D, a second rack portion 45b extending curvedly with a predetermined curvature around an axis extending in the front-rear direction F/B, have The pinion portion 46 has a first pinion portion 46a that engages with the first rack portion 45a and a second pinion portion 46b that engages with the second rack portion 45b. In this configuration, the structure for moving the lid member 30 in the inward/outward direction I/O and in the up/down direction U/D between the closed position and the open position can be simplified.

Therefore, according to the vehicle lid device 1, smooth movement of the lid member 30 between the closed position and the open position (specifically, inward/outward direction I/O and up/down direction U/ D) can be realized with a simple structure.

The first rack portion 45a and the second rack portion 45b are arranged in the lid member 30 so as to be offset from each other in the longitudinal direction F/B in which the axis extends. In addition, the first pinion portion 46a and the second pinion portion 46b are arranged on the outer surface of the driving rotary member 42 so as to be offset from each other in the front-rear direction F/B. Therefore, the movement of the lid member 30 in the inner and outer directions I/O due to the engagement between the first rack portion 45a and the first pinion portion 46a, and the lid movement due to the engagement between the second rack portion 45b and the second pinion portion 46b. The movement of the member 30 in the vertical direction U/D can be individually set as parameters, thereby increasing the degree of design freedom in moving the lid member 30 between the closed position and the open position. be able to.

Further, the lid member 30 is guided by the guide mechanism when moving between the closed position and the open position. The lid member 30 has a guide portion 33 . The base member 10 has a guide groove 14 in which the guide portion 33 is slidably fitted to guide the lid member 30 . The guide groove 14 has a linear portion 14a extending linearly in the vertical direction U/D corresponding to the flat portion 32a of the peripheral portion 32, and a curved portion 32b corresponding to the curved portion 32b of the peripheral portion 32 extending in a curved shape. and a curved portion 14b. Therefore, when the lid member 30 moves between the closed position and the open position, the posture of the lid member 30 can be maintained in a predetermined posture.

In particular, the guide portions 33 are provided at four locations corresponding to the plate-like lid member 30 , and the guide grooves 14 are provided at four locations corresponding to the guide portions 33 . Therefore, when the lid member 30 moves between the closed position and the open position, the posture of the lid member 30 can be maintained parallel to the vehicle door 3 .

The second pitch length at which the second rack portion 45b and the second pinion portion 46b are engaged is set shorter than the first pitch length at which the first rack portion 45a and the first pinion portion 46a are engaged. may be The engagement between the first rack portion 45a and the first pinion portion 46a contributes to the movement of the lid member 30 in the vertical direction U/D, and the engagement between the second rack portion 45b and the second pinion portion 46b contributes to the lid It contributes to the I/O movement of the member 30 in the inward and outward directions. Therefore, according to this configuration, when the lid member 30 moves in the vertical direction U/D, the movement speed of the lid member 30 in the inward/outward direction I/O is suppressed when the lid member 30 reaches the closed position. can increase the movement speed of the lid member 30, so that the lid member 30 can be quickly moved in the vertical direction U/D while mitigating the impact between the lid member 30 and the lower member 11 when the lid member 30 reaches the closed position. can be realized.

In addition, according to the configuration in which the first pitch length and the second pitch length are allowed to be different from each other in this way, the second rack portion 45b is formed with a radius of curvature as small as possible to make the second pitch length as short as possible. be able to. Therefore, when switching the movement of the lid member 30 between the movement in the inward/outward direction I/O and the movement in the up/down direction U/D, a rapid angle change can be made without interfering the gears of the rack and pinion. Since it can be realized, it is possible to avoid restrictions on the shapes of the openings 3d and 11c for the realization thereof.

Further, in the vehicle door handle device 2 on which the vehicle lid device 1 is mounted, the lid member 30 moves from the closed position that closes the opening 3d of the outer panel 3a to the open position that opens the opening 3d inward I of the door. After that, the vehicle door 3 is unlatched by pulling the unlatch handle 20 from the latched position to the unlatched position toward the outside O of the door to perform the unlatch operation.

In this configuration, when the vehicle door 3 is unlatched by operating the latch release handle 20 to release the latch, the parts such as the lid member 30 must protrude further toward the door O than the outer panel 3a of the vehicle door 3. There is no Therefore, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the exterior design of the vehicle door 3 when the vehicle door 3 is operated to be unlatched.

Further, in the above configuration, the movement of the lid member 30 between the closed position and the open position is limited within the housing space 13. Therefore, even if the driving device 40 or the like malfunctions, the lid member 30 can remain closed while the vehicle is running. Parts such as the member 30 do not remain protruding to the door outside O side from the outer panel 3a of the vehicle door 3. - 特許庁Therefore, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the appearance design of the vehicle door 3 when the driving device 40 or the like fails, and it is possible to prevent deterioration of the aerodynamic characteristics while the vehicle is running.

By the way, the latch release handle 20 is biased toward the latch position by a biasing member, and is maintained at the latch position in a state in which no latch release operation is input. Further, the latch release handle 20 extends obliquely downward including the door downward D from the pivot shaft 22 at the latched position. For this reason, in this structure, when an impact load is input to the door inner side I due to a vehicle side collision to the vehicle door 3 side, the latch release handle 20 of the vehicle door 3 moves to the latch release position side due to inertia force. , and the vehicle door 3 may unintentionally reach the unlatched position and be unlatched.

On the other hand, in the vehicle door handle device 2, there is a movement locus along which the latch release handle 20 moves between the latch position and the latch release position, and a movement along which the lid member 30 moves between the closed position and the open position. The trajectories and have overlapping ranges. Specifically, the region near the latch release position of the latch release handle 20 and the region near the closed position of the lid member 30 overlap each other. Therefore, the latch release handle 20 and the lid member 30 may interfere with each other.

Further, the movement direction in which the latch release handle 20 moves from the latch position to the latch release position and the movement direction in which the lid member 30 moves from the closed position to the open position are opposite directions. Specifically, just before the latch release handle 20 reaches the latch release position in the process of moving the latch release handle 20 from the latch position toward the latch release position, the radial tip portion of the latch release handle 20 moves outward O from the door. When the lid member 30 moves from the closed position to the open position, the lid member 30 moves inwardly I of the door relative to the base member 10 .

In the above configuration, when the lid member 30 is positioned at the closed position and an impact load is applied to the door inner side I of the vehicle door 3, the latch release handle 20 moves toward the latch release position side due to inertial force. At the same time, the lid member 30 is pressed against the bottom wall 11a side of the base member 10 by inertial force while being positioned at the closed position. Further, the lid member 30 is held in the closed position by the torque generated by the electric actuator 41 at the closed position.

When the lid member 30 is positioned at the open position (more specifically, the lid member 30 is out of the overlapping range of the movement locus), the latch release handle 20 is positioned between the latch position and the latch release position. There is no interference between the latch release handle 20 and the lid member 30 when the lid member 30 is moved. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 16, when the lid member 30 is positioned at the closed position (more specifically, the lid member 30 is positioned within the overlapping range of the movement locus), the unlatch handle 20 is latched. Before reaching the unlatched position from the position, it interferes with the interference portion 34 of the lid member 30 and is positionally regulated. Therefore, when the lid member 30 is positioned at the closed position, even if the latch release handle 20 moves, it is prevented from reaching the latch release position.

Therefore, when the lid member 30 is in the closed position, even if the latch release handle 20 moves to the latch release position side due to the inertial force due to the input of the impact load to the door inner side I of the vehicle door 3, the vehicle door 3 is not latched. Unintentional opening of the vehicle door 3 can be prevented because the release can be avoided.

Furthermore, in order to prevent the vehicle door 3 from being unintentionally opened, it is sufficient to cause the latch release handle 20 and the lid member 30 to interfere with each other, so there is no need to dispose a separate dedicated component such as an inertia stopper. is. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the unintended opening of the vehicle door 3 with a simple structure.

When an impact load is input to the outside O of the own vehicle door 3 due to a vehicle side collision to the vehicle door 3 side on the left and right opposite side of the vehicle body, the latch release handle 20 is temporarily moved from the latch position to further release the latch. Although it rotates away from the position, it may then rotate toward the unlatched position as a reaction and reach the unlatched position. Further, when this impact load is input, the lid member 30 is first moved toward the door inner side I away from the closed position with respect to the base member 10 by inertia force, so that the lid member 30 is moved before the latch release handle 20 reaches the latch release position. 30, the latch of the vehicle door 3 may be unintentionally released.

In the vehicle door handle device 2 , the driving device 40 has an electric actuator 41 that rotationally drives a driving rotary member 42 . In this configuration, the rotation of the driving rotary member 42 is restricted by frictional resistance with the electric actuator 41 except when it is rotationally driven by the electric actuator 41, and furthermore, when the lid member 30 is positioned at the closed position, the electric actuator 41 rotates. A torque is generated to hold the lid member 30 in the closed position. Therefore, even if inertial force is applied to the latch release handle 20 or the lid member 30 when the vehicle door 3 collides toward the inside of the door or toward the outside of the door, the lid member 30 does not move. Movement from the closed position toward the open position can be suppressed.

Therefore, even if any of the side collisions described above occurs when the lid member 30 is in the closed position, the lid member 30 is prevented from moving out of the overlapped range of the movement locus before interference between the latch release handle 20 and the lid member 30 occurs. can be prevented, and the position of the latch release handle 20 can be regulated by reliably causing the interference before the latch release handle 20 moves from the latched position to the latched release position. It is possible to improve the function of preventing unintended opening.

In the above-described embodiment, the vehicle door 3 is described in the scope of claims as the "vehicle member", and the guide portion 33 of the lid member 30 and the guide groove 14 of the base member 10 are described in the scope of claims. Each corresponds to a "guide mechanism".

By the way, in the above-described embodiment, the first rack portion 45a and the second rack portion 45b are arranged in the lid member 30 so as to be offset from each other in the front-rear direction F/B, and the first pinion portion 46a and the second pinion portion 46b are displaced from each other. are displaced from each other in the front-rear direction F/B on the driving rotary member 42 . However, the present invention is not limited to this, and in a structure in which the lid member 30 can move between the closed position and the open position while the driving rotary member 42 rotates once, the first rack portion 45a and the The second rack portion 45b and the second rack portion 45b are arranged separately in the vertical direction U/D at the same front-rear direction position without mutually shifting in the front-rear direction F/B on the lid member 30, and the first pinion portion 46a and the second pinion portion 46b are arranged. In the driving rotation member 42, they may be arranged at the same front-rear direction position without being mutually shifted in the front-rear direction F/B, with the angular regions being divided.

In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 and the like, the first rack portion 45a is arranged outside the peripheral portion 32, the second rack portion 45b is arranged inside the peripheral portion 32, 45b is arranged closer to the closing portion 31 than the first rack portion 45a. Further, the first pinion portion 46a is arranged axially outside the drive rotary member 42, and the second pinion portion 46b is arranged axially inside the drive rotary member 42. As shown in FIG. However, the present invention is not limited to this. may be

In the above-described embodiment, the opening opened and closed by the lid member 30 of the vehicle lid device 1 is the opening for the latch release operation of the latch release handle 20 provided on the vehicle door 3 for getting on and off. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be applied to a lid member that opens and closes an opening such as a fuel filler port or charging port provided in a rear door or vehicle body.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

1: vehicle lid device, 2: vehicle door handle device, 3: vehicle door, 3a: outer panel, 3d: opening, 10: base member, 14: guide groove, 20: latch release handle, 30: lid member, 31 : Closing portion 32: Peripheral portion 33: Guide portion 34: Interference portion 40: Driving device 41: Electric actuator 42: Rotating member for driving 44: Conversion mechanism 45: Rack portion 45a: First Rack portion 45b: Second rack portion 46: Pinion portion 46a: First pinion portion 46b: Second pinion portion.

Claims (5)

a lid member capable of opening and closing an opening provided in a vehicle member and moving between a closed position for closing the opening and an open position for opening the opening;
a driving rotary member that is rotationally driven about an axis extending parallel to the lid member to move the lid member between the closed position and the open position;
a conversion mechanism that converts rotation of the driving rotary member into movement of the lid member;
with
The conversion mechanism has a rack portion provided on the lid member and a pinion portion provided on the drive rotation member,
The rack portion includes a first rack portion extending linearly and a second rack portion extending curvedly with a predetermined curvature,
The pinion portion includes a first pinion portion that engages with the first rack portion and a second pinion portion that engages with the second rack portion,
In the process of moving the lid member between the closed position and the open position, the engagement between the first rack portion and the first pinion portion, and the engagement between the second rack portion and the second pinion portion. A lid device for a vehicle, wherein the engagement and the engagement occur consecutively in a predetermined order. the first rack portion and the second rack portion are arranged to be offset from each other in the direction in which the axis extends;
2. The vehicle lid device according to claim 1, wherein said first pinion portion and said second pinion portion are arranged to be offset from each other in the direction in which said axis extends. 3. The vehicle lid device according to claim 1, further comprising a guide mechanism that guides the lid member that moves between the closed position and the open position. 2. A second pitch length at which said second rack portion and said second pinion portion engage is shorter than a first pitch length at which said first rack portion and said first pinion portion engage. 4. The vehicle lid device according to any one of items 1 to 3. The vehicle member is a vehicle door,
It is arranged on the inner side of the vehicle door and can be operated through the opening from the outer side of the vehicle door in a state where the lid member is positioned at the open position, and when a predetermined operation is performed, the vehicle door. 5. A vehicle door handle device equipped with the vehicle lid device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a latch release handle for releasing the latch.

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