JP3557377B2 - Sliding door support mechanism - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a slide door support mechanism for supporting a slide door slidably with respect to a body, and more particularly to a power supply for electrically connecting a component mounted on the slide door and a component mounted on the body. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a slide door support mechanism having a device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a slide door support mechanism that has a power supply device that electrically connects a slide door side and a body side and that supports the slide door slidably with respect to the body is known. For example, there is a technique disclosed in JP-A-10-936. The slide door support mechanism disclosed in this publication is a mechanism that slidably supports the slide door with respect to the body along a lower rail disposed below the body of the vehicle, and connects the slide door to the vehicle body. A flexible conductor of a type in which wiring is embedded in a flexible strip is used as a harness. The lower rail includes a storage groove formed of a back wall, a floor, and a partition wall, a window provided at a height of the partition wall, and a guide groove extending from an upper edge of the partition wall. The flexible conductor is stored in a U-shape in the storage groove of the lower rail, and the guide roll attached to the slide door is fitted into the guide groove and rolls in the guide groove. One end of the flexible conductor is coupled to the partition wall of the lower rail by bolts through the L fitting from the window, and the other end of the flexible conductor is coupled to the back wall of the storage groove by a clip. Since the flexible strip overlaps and abuts the vertical wall of the lower rail, derailment can be prevented even when the flexible conductor is inclined when the door is opened and closed.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, when the flexible conductor is arranged in a U-shape, a restoring force acts on the curved portion of the flexible strip, and the curved portion spreads outward. Abutting against the vertical wall and the back wall to restrict the extent of the curved portion. With this configuration, when a person or the like gets on and off the vehicle when the slide door is opened and foreign matter such as mud or snow enters the storage groove of the lower rail and closes the slide door, foreign matter that has climbed up from the curved portion of the flexible conductor is removed. There is a possibility that the durability of the flexible conductor is reduced by being sandwiched between the contact portions between the flexible conductor and the lower rail. In addition, there is a possibility that a smooth operation cannot be performed because an operation space of the flexible strip is not secured with opening and closing of the slide door.
[0004]
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a slide door support mechanism having a configuration in which the number of problems is reduced as much as possible when foreign matter enters a guide rail in order to solve the above problems.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The technical means taken in the present invention to solve the above technical problem includes a rail attached to the body having a substantially U-shaped cross section in the vehicle width direction, and a rail attached to the slide door and along the rail. The moving roller is electrically connected between the first functional component on the slide door side and the second functional component on the body side while displacing a curved portion of the flexible portion in accordance with the opening / closing operation of the slide door. And a sliding door for a vehicle of a type that supports a sliding door slidably with respect to the body, the sliding door including at least a part of the flexible portion in the vehicle width direction and a power supply device disposed at a predetermined gap from the rail. In the supporting mechanism, the flexible portion of the power supply device may include a power supply line that electrically connects the first functional component and the second functional component, and a flexible body that covers the power supply line. A body, and a strip-shaped steel plate which is disposed along the flexible conductor and has a concave vertical section in the sliding direction of the sliding door and a vertical section in the sliding direction of the sliding door having an arc shape. And the strip-shaped steel plate is a slide door support mechanism covered by a heat-shrinkable tube.
[0006]
According to the first aspect, at the time of the opening and closing operation of the slide door, the roller moves along the rail, so that the slide door slides on the body. At this time, the power supply device electrically connects the first functional component and the second functional component while changing the curved portion of the flexible portion with the opening and closing operation of the slide door. Here, when a person or the like gets on or off the vehicle with the slide door open and foreign matter such as mud or snow enters the rail, a predetermined gap between the flexible portion of the power supply device and the rail is provided. Since the foreign matter is absorbed, the durability of the flexible part is reduced as much as possible by the foreign matter between the rail and the flexible part. Further, even if a foreign object enters the rail, an operation space for the flexible portion is secured when the slide door is opened and closed, and a smooth operation can be performed.
[0008]
Further, according to the technical means of the first aspect, since the bending width of the bending portion of the flexible portion is held by itself, the spread of the power supply device in the vehicle width direction is restricted. Therefore, the predetermined gap between the rail and the flexible portion of the power supply device in the vehicle width direction does not change in accordance with the opening / closing operation of the slide door. This is preferable because stable absorption of foreign matter is possible. Further, since the flexible portion has a self-holding function, it is not necessary to provide the rail with a function for guiding the flexible portion. That is, there is no need to contact the flexible portion with the rail, and the flexible portion of the power supply device does not slide on the rail with the opening / closing operation of the slide door. It does not drop.
[0009]
Embodiment
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a main part of a vehicle provided with a slide door support mechanism 50 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of opening and closing of the slide door according to the present embodiment.
[0010]
The peripheral configuration including the slide door support mechanism 50 in the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the slide door 1 opens and closes a rectangular door opening 21 formed in the side body 2 of the vehicle, and extends in the vehicle front-rear direction (the left-right direction shown in FIG. 6). The center guide rail 3 and a pair of upper and lower upper guide rails 41 and lower guide rails 42 are slidably supported in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The upper guide rail 41 is arranged near the upper edge along the upper edge of the door opening 21 and is fixed to the side body 2. The lower guide rail 42 is arranged near the lower edge along the lower edge of the door opening 21 and is fixed to the side body 2. The center guide rail 3 is fixed to the center outside surface of the side body 2 on the rear side of the vehicle with respect to the door opening 21.
[0011]
A mechanism for opening and closing the slide door 1 will be described. The slide door 1 is connected to a geared cable 6 via a shoe fixed to a roller unit 5 attached to the rear of the slide door via a pin. The geared cable 6 is connected to a grommet 23 provided at the rear of the center guide rail. The geared cable 6 slides along the center guide rail 3 by being guided into the vehicle and pushed and pulled by a drive mechanism (actuator) 8 fixed to the vehicle interior side of the vehicle side body 2. As a result, three sets of roller units 5 roll in the respective guide rails 3, 41, 42, and the slide door 1 is opened and closed along the guide rails 3, 41, 42.
[0012]
FIG. 7 shows a configuration of a drive mechanism 8 that drives the slide door 1 to open and close. The drive mechanism 8 is mounted on the inside of the interior panel of the vehicle side body 2 via the mounting bracket 85. The housing 82 of the drive mechanism 8 has a speed reduction mechanism disposed inside, and a DC motor 81 for driving the speed reduction mechanism is attached and fixed. The drive mechanism 8 is provided with a brake mechanism BK while the geared cable 6 moves. The brake mechanism BK is a mechanism for applying a braking force to the geared cable 6. When the brake mechanism BK operates, a braking force is applied to the sliding operation of the slide door 1 connected to the geared cable 6.
[0013]
When power is supplied from a battery through an external harness, the DC motor 81 is rotated by a current flowing through a coil inside the motor, and the rotational drive of the motor is transmitted to a link mechanism to open and close the slide door 1.
[0014]
The slide door support mechanism 50, which is the gist of the present invention, will be described. In the present embodiment, the above-described lower guide rail 42 constitutes a slide door support mechanism 50 which is the gist of the present invention, and a roller which is attached to the slide door 1 and moves along the lower guide rail 42. And electrically connecting between the first functional component on the slide door 1 side and the second functional component on the body 2 side while displacing the curved portion 22 of the flexible portion 10a in accordance with the opening / closing operation of the slide door 1. The power supply device 10 includes at least a part of the flexible portion in the vehicle width direction and the lower guide rail 42 and a predetermined gap.
[0015]
The power supply device 10 electrically connects the first functional component on the slide door 1 side and the second functional component on the body 2 while displacing the curved portion 22 of the flexible portion 10 a according to the opening / closing operation of the slide door 1. A flexible conductor 11 having a power supply line for electrically connecting the first functional component and the second functional component, and an insulator covering the power supply line, and disposed along the flexible conductor 11. In addition, the flexible section 10a is configured by the strip-shaped steel plate 12 having a circular section having a concave surface 12A and a convex surface 12B in a vertical section in the sliding direction of the slide door 1.
[0016]
The roller that moves along the lower guide rail 42 is a first roller 5a that moves while regulating the movement of the slide door 1 in the vehicle width direction, and a roller that moves along the lower guide rail 42 with the sliding operation of the slide door 1. The roller 5 is a combination of two types of rollers, that is, a moving second roller 5b.
[0017]
The lower guide rail 42 is slidably connected to the slide door 1 via the lower arm 27, and a roller unit 5 that moves along the lower guide rail 42 is provided at an end of the lower arm 27 extending from the slide door 1 side. Are swingably attached to the lower arm 27. As shown in FIG. 2, the lower guide rail 42 includes a first lower guide rail 43 attached to the interior body 2a and a second lower guide rail 44 attached to the exterior body 2b. The first lower guide rail 43 is attached to the interior body 2a and guides the first roller 5a in the vehicle width direction. The first lower guide rail 43 extends from the guide groove 43a in the vehicle width direction and has a window 43b. It is composed of a wall 43c and a bent wall 43d bent downward from the extending wall 43c in the drawing. The second lower guide rail 44 is joined to the bent wall 43d of the first lower guide rail 43 by spot welding, and the second roller 5b extends from the joined wall 44a in the vehicle width direction and rolls. It comprises a rolling wall 44b forming a surface, and a mounting wall 44c which curves downward from the rolling wall 44b in the drawing and is mounted on the exterior body 2b.
[0018]
The accommodation of the power supply device 10 in the lower guide rail 42 will be described. One end of the flexible portion 10a is fixed to the body 2 by attaching the bracket 20 on one end side of the flexible portion 10a to the interior body 2b via the window 43b of the first lower guide rail 43, and the other portion of the flexible portion 10a is fixed. The other end of the flexible portion 10a is fixed to the slide door 1 by attaching the end bracket 19 to the attachment bracket 27A provided on the lower arm 27. The bracket 19 is attached so that the curved portion 22 of the flexible portion 10a and the roller unit 5 overlap in the moving direction of the roller unit 5. In such a configuration, when the roller unit 5 rolls in the lower guide rail 42 with the opening and closing operation of the slide door 1, the bracket 19 attached to the lower arm 27 side also moves with the lower guide rail 42 with the opening and closing operation of the slide door 1. Move along. By displacing the position of the bracket 19 in this manner, the curved portion 22 of the flexible portion 10a shown in each state of FIG. 1 is displaced. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 24 denotes a step, and 25 denotes a weather strip.
[0019]
The power supply device 10 will be further described. The power supply device 10 electrically connects the first functional component and the second functional component, supplies power from a battery (not shown) via a power supply line, and supplies power from the first functional component via the power supply line. A signal is output to the second functional component. In the present embodiment, the first functional component is the touch sensor 13 and the inside door handle sensor 14, and the second functional component is the CPU 15. The on / off signal of an open / close switch (not shown) in the vehicle compartment, an electric signal from the inside door handle sensor 14, and an electric signal from the touch sensor 13 are input to the CPU 15 of the slide door 1 to open and close the slide door 1. Control.
[0020]
The touch sensor 13 is attached along the entire opening side end surface 1a of the slide door 1 in order to detect a pinch between the opening side end surface 1a of the slide door 1 and the door opening 21 on the body 2 side. The touch sensor 13 is formed of a hollow cylindrical conductive elastic body, and is constantly energized with a battery and a constant current flows. The current flowing through the touch sensor 13 is output to the CPU 15 as an electric signal.
[0021]
The inside door handle sensor 14 is disposed in the inside door handle 26, detects whether the inside door handle 26 has been operated, and supplies power to the sensor 14 only when the inside door handle 26 is operated. The flowing current is output to the CPU 15 as an electric signal.
[0022]
Connectors 16 and 17 are provided at both ends of the flexible conductor 11. One end of the flexible conductor 11 is electrically connected to the connector of the touch sensor 13, and the other end is electrically connected to the connector of the CPU 15. The flexible conductor 11 includes a signal line 11A that can electrically connect the inside handle 26 and the CPU 15, a signal line 11B that electrically connects the touch sensor 13 and the CPU 15, and a ground for the touch sensor 13 and the inside handle sensor 14. It is constituted by covering three feeder lines of the line 11C with a highly flexible insulator 11D.
[0023]
The belt-shaped steel plate 12 is formed of a SK material (JIS standard) having a thickness of 0.1 mm and having flexibility while exhibiting an arc-shaped cross section, and is formed into an arc-shaped cross section.
[0024]
The strip-shaped steel plate 12 and the flexible conductor 11 are held substantially integrally within the heat-shrinkable tube 18. The heat-shrinkable tube 18 is made of a material that shrinks by applying heat to the hollow cylindrical tube, and the flexible sheet 11 is disposed on the convex surface 12 </ b> B of the strip-shaped steel plate 12. When the conductor 11 is inserted and then heated, the tube shrinks and is processed into the state shown in FIG. The length of the heat-shrinkable tube 18 is set to be slightly shorter than that of the strip-shaped steel sheet 12, and the strip-shaped steel sheet 12 is exposed from both ends of the heat-shrinkable tube 18 by about 20 mm. Resin brackets 19 and 20 are attached to both ends of the heat-shrinkable tube 18 and the strip-shaped steel plate 12. The flexible conductor 11 changes its direction inside the brackets 19 and 20 and extends toward the touch sensor 13, the inside door handle sensor 14 and the CPU 15.
[0025]
The flexible portion 10 a of the power supply device 10 is bent in a U-shape within the length range of the heat-shrinkable tube 18 and disposed in the lower guide rail, and the curved portion 22 is displaced by opening and closing the slide door 1. 1 shows a state where the slide door 1 is fully opened, a state B shows a state where the slide door 1 is at the intermediate position, and a state C shows a state where the slide door 1 is fully closed. In this manner, the bending portion 22 of the flexible portion 10a is displaced within the lengthwise range of the heat-shrinkable tube 18 of the power supply device 10 due to the change in the position of the slide door 1 according to the opening and closing of the slide door 1. FIG. 5 shows a state of the heat-shrinkable tube 18 in the vicinity of the curved portion 22. 5 indicates the distance from the top surface of the cross section of the strip-shaped steel plate 12 to the heat-shrinkable tube 18. At the curved portion 22, the cross section of the strip-shaped steel plate 12 is deformed from an arc shape to a flat shape.
[0026]
The opening and closing operation of the slide door 1 in the present embodiment will be described. When an open switch (not shown) of the slide door 1 is turned on, a signal is sent to the CPU 15 to drive the DC motor 81 to open the slide door 1. When the inside door handle 26 is operated with the slide door 1 opened, the inside door handle sensor 14 is energized to output an electric signal to the CPU 15, and the DC motor 81 is driven to close the slide door 1. At this time, if a foreign object is caught between the door opening 21 and the opening side end surface 1a of the slide door 1 and the touch sensor 13 is deformed, the current flowing through the touch sensor 13 becomes larger than when no caught. When the changed current is output to the CPU 15 via the power supply device 10, the slide door 1 is opened by recognizing that it is in a pinching state, temporarily stopping the power supply to the DC motor 81, switching the power supply direction. As described above, when the pinch is detected by the touch sensor 13, the slide door 1 is opened, and the pinched state is immediately released.
[0027]
Here, when a person gets into the vehicle with the slide door 1 opened, it is conceivable that foreign substances such as mud and snow on the road surface adhering to the feet of the person are swept in step 24 before getting into the vehicle. Therefore, the foreign matter swept in step 24 may enter the lower guide rail 42. In this case, since the slide door 1 is open (the state A in FIG. 1), most of the foreign matter that has entered the lower guide rail 42 is stored in the space between the flexible portion 10a and the roller unit 5. When the slide door 1 shifts from the open state to the closed state in a state in which foreign matter is stored, the flexible portion 10a of the power supply device 10 shifts from the state A to the states B and C in FIG. Is displaced, so that foreign matters stored in the lower guide rail 42 gradually accumulate on the inner peripheral side of the curved portion 22 with the displacement of the curved portion 22. Most of the foreign matter accumulated on the inner peripheral side of the curved portion 22 is discharged from a discharge hole 44d provided in the rolling wall 44b through a gap between the flexible portion 10a and the rolling wall 44b. In the case where a foreign object gets on the curved portion 22 and enters between the bent wall 43d and the flexible portion 10a during the sliding operation of the slide door 1, a gap formed between the flexible portion 10a and the bent wall 43d. The foreign matter hardly contacts the outside of the flexible portion 10a because the foreign matter enters the inside of the flexible portion 10a. Therefore, the operation of the power supply device 10 is not affected, and the durability of the flexible portion is not reduced due to the entry of foreign matter, so that a smooth operation is performed.
[0028]
In the present embodiment, when the slide door 1 is fully opened (state A in FIG. 1), the bent wall 43d and the joining wall are maintained until the bent wall 43d of the first lower guide rail 42 contacts the flexible portion 10a of the power supply device 10. 44a is extended toward the flexible portion 10a. With this configuration, the rigidity near the step 24 can be increased.
[0029]
Next, the curved portion 22 in the flexible portion 10a of the power supply device 10 when the slide door 1 is opened and closed will be described. Since the flexible portion 10a of the power feeding device 10 is attached between the slide door 1 and the side body 2 in a state where the concave surface 12A of the strip-shaped steel plate 12 is curved outward, as shown in FIG. The curved portion 22 is displaced in accordance with the opening and closing of the first. It is possible to bend the belt-shaped steel plate 12 with the convex surface 12B facing outward, but in the present embodiment, the concave surface 12A of the belt-shaped steel plate 12 faces outward, that is, the bending direction of the bending portion 22 as shown in FIG. Since the concave surface 12A of the cross section of the strip-shaped steel plate 12 is curved in the direction as described above, the force for holding the strip-shaped steel plate 12 in a linear state increases, and the force for restricting the curved portion 22 from spreading outward increases. Therefore, even if the curved portion 22 is displaced in accordance with the opening and closing of the slide door 1, the vicinity of the curved portion 22 does not spread outward, and the curved portion 22 is always displaced in a state where the spread is restricted. It displaces within the mounting width of the bracket 19 and the bracket 20.
[0030]
According to this configuration, the predetermined gap between the lower guide rail 42 and the flexible portion 10a of the power supply device 10 in the vehicle width direction does not change according to the opening / closing operation of the slide door 1. Even when such foreign matter enters, the foreign matter is stably absorbed. Further, it is not necessary to bring the flexible portion 10a into contact with the lower guide rail 42, and the flexible portion 10a of the power supply device 10 does not slide on the lower guide rail 42 with the opening / closing operation of the slide door 1. Even if the frequency of opening and closing of the power supply device increases, the durability of the power supply device 10 does not decrease.
[0031]
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the above-described embodiment, and any form of a sliding door support mechanism according to the gist of the present invention is possible. It may be.
[0032]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect, when a person or the like gets on and off the vehicle with the slide door opened and foreign matter such as mud or snow enters the rail, a predetermined distance between the flexible portion of the power supply device and the rail is established. Foreign matter is absorbed in the gap between the rails and the flexible portion, so that the durability of the flexible portion is less likely to be reduced by the foreign material between the rail and the flexible portion. Further, even if a foreign object enters the rail, an operation space for the flexible portion is secured when the slide door is opened and closed, and a smooth operation can be performed.
[0033]
Further, according to the technical means of the present invention, the predetermined interval of the gap between the rail and the flexible portion of the power supply device in the vehicle width direction does not change according to the opening / closing operation of the slide door. This is preferable because foreign substances can be stably absorbed even when foreign substances enter the apparatus. Further, since the flexible portion has a self-holding function, it is not necessary to contact the flexible portion with the rail, and the flexible portion of the power supply device does not slide on the rail with the opening and closing operation of the slide door. Even if the frequency of opening and closing the slide door increases, the durability of the power supply device does not decrease.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a main part of a vehicle including a slide door support mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a front view of the power supply device according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the vicinity of a curved portion of the power supply device according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of opening and closing of a slide door in the present embodiment.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a drive mechanism for opening and closing the slide door according to the present embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Slide door 2 ... Side body 3, 41, 42 ... Guide rail 5 ... Roller unit 6 ... Geared cable 8 ... Driving mechanism 10 ... Power supply device 11. ..Flexible conductor 12 ・ ・ ・ Strip-shaped steel plate 12A ・ ・ ・ Concave surface 12B ・ ・ ・ Convex surface 13 ・ ・ ・ Touch sensor 14 ・ ・ ・ Inside door handle sensor 15 ・ ・ ・ CPU
16, 17: Connector 18: Heat-shrinkable tubes 19, 20: Bracket 21: Door opening 22: Curved portion 27: Lower arm

Claims (1)

A rail having a substantially U-shaped cross section in the vehicle width direction, the rail being attached to the body, a roller being attached to the slide door and moving along the rail, and a bending of the flexible portion in response to the opening and closing operation of the slide door. The first functional component on the sliding door side and the second functional component on the body side are electrically connected while displacing the part, and at least a part of the flexible portion is in contact with the rail in the vehicle width direction. In a slide door support mechanism for a vehicle of a type that supports a slide door slidably with respect to a body, the slide door including a power supply device disposed with a gap between the first functional component and the first functional component. A flexible conductor having a power supply line for electrically connecting to the second functional component and an insulator covering the power supply line; Characterized in that the sliding direction of the vertical section A is the said vertical cross-section of the sliding direction of the sliding door and the flexible conductor is constituted by a steel strip is arcuate steel strip having a concave surface is covered by a heat shrinkable tube And a sliding door support mechanism.

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