JP6949369B2 - Retractable auxiliary step for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a retractable auxiliary step for a vehicle arranged between a vehicle step already installed in a vehicle such as a passenger car, a one-box car, or a bus and the ground surface.

In the retractable auxiliary step for a vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1, the base ends of a drive arm and a driven arm having the same turning radius are pivotally attached to the lower part of the vehicle step, and the tips of the drive arm and the driven arm are attached to the bottom of the tread plate. The drive arm is pivotally attached to a driven gear on its base end shaft, and the driven gear is meshed with the driven gear connected to the drive source.

Then, by rotating the drive gear in the forward and reverse directions by the operation of the drive source, the arm is rotated in the forward and reverse directions via the driven gear, and the tread plate is moved from the retracted position at the lower part of the vehicle step to the overhanging position in front of the lower part of the vehicle step. It can be reciprocated on the same horizontal plane.

By the way, in the auxiliary step of the above configuration, if the drive source or the like breaks down while the tread plate is overhanging and the tread plate cannot be retracted, the drive source is slid from a fixed position by operating the equipped manual lever. As a result, the drive gear is disengaged from the driven gear, the meshing of both gears is released, and the tread plate can be manually stored in the storage position at the bottom of the vehicle step, enabling the vehicle to travel.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-359067

However, the above-mentioned moving means of the driving source has a problem that its structure is complicated and it is necessary to secure a space when the driving source is slid and moved.

Therefore, in the present invention, in the event that the drive source or the like should fail in the overhanging state of the tread plate, the connection between the drive source and the arm is easily cut off without moving the drive source as described above, and manual operation is performed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a retractable auxiliary step for a vehicle so that the tread plate can be stored in a storage position at the lower part of the vehicle step.

In view of the above problems, in the retractable auxiliary step for a vehicle of the present invention, the base ends of the drive arm and the driven arm having the same turning radius are pivotally attached to the lower part of the vehicle step, and the tips of the drive arm and the driven arm are attached to the tread plate. It is pivotally attached to the bottom, and the tread plate is provided so as to be reciprocally movable on the same horizontal plane between the storage position of the lower part of the vehicle step and the overhanging position in front of the lower part of the vehicle step, and the drive arm is connected to the drive source via a transmission means. Then, the transmission means has a projecting piece projecting from the base end of the drive arm in the opposite direction of the drive arm and one end of a rack that meshes with a drive gear provided in the drive source and advances and retreats in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. It is characterized in that a shaft stay having a pivot that is pivotally connected via a link and the tip of the link is pivotally supported is detachably provided on a projecting piece.
Then, the shaft stay is superposed on the projecting piece, and a pivotal axis whose tip is pivotally attached to the link is vertically projected from one end of the overlapping surface with the projecting piece, and the base end of the pivotal axis is projected onto the projecting piece. It is characterized in that it is hooked in a notch recessed in the outer edge, and the other end of the overlapping surface is detachably bolted to a projecting piece.

In short, in the present invention, the base ends of the drive arm and the driven arm having the same turning radius are pivotally attached to the lower part of the vehicle step, and the tips of the drive arm and the driven arm are pivotally attached to the bottom of the tread plate, and the tread plate is pivotally attached to the bottom of the tread plate. The lower storage position and the overhanging position in front of the lower part of the vehicle step are provided so as to be reciprocally movable on the same horizontal plane, and the drive arm is connected to the drive source via a transmission means, and the transmission means is the base of the drive arm. A projecting piece protruding in the opposite direction of the drive arm at the end and one end of a rack that meshes with a drive gear provided in the drive source and advances and retreats in the front-rear direction of the vehicle are pivotally connected via a link. Therefore, the rack that meshes with the drive gear is advanced and retracted in the front-rear direction of the vehicle by the drive gear that rotates forward and reverse by the operation of the drive source, and the drive arm is rotated via the link by the advance and retreat to set the tread plate as the retracted position. It can be reciprocated between overhang positions.
Then, by providing a shaft stay having a pivot shaft on which the tip of the link is pivotally supported on the projecting piece, the shaft stay is provided to the projecting piece in the event that the drive source or the like fails in the overhanging state of the tread plate. If the link (drive source side) and the drive arm are disconnected from the above, the tread plate can be manually stored in the storage position at the bottom of the vehicle step, and the vehicle can run.
Therefore, according to the present invention, the connection between the drive source and the drive arm can be easily cut off without using the conventional means of moving the drive source, and the tread plate can be manually stored. However, the structure on the drive source side is simplified, the manufacturing cost can be reduced, and it is not necessary to secure the space for sliding the drive source, which has been required in the past.
Further, in the present invention, in order to attach / detach the link from the projecting piece (drive arm), the link is attached to the projecting piece via a shaft stay attached to the projecting piece with a bolt without using a screw member such as a bolt or a nut. By pivotally attaching the tip of the link to the provided pivot and removing the shaft stay, the link can be separated from the projecting piece (drive arm) together with the shaft stay.
For this reason, a problem that occurs when the link and the projecting piece are simply pivotally supported by the above-mentioned screw member, that is, the screw member is loosened because the pivotal support always rotates during use, and the link and the drive arm (protrusion). There can be no problem that the tread plate cannot be operated normally because the pivotal attachment to the piece) comes off without permission.

Then, the shaft stay is superposed on the projecting piece, and a pivot axis whose tip is pivotally attached to the link is vertically projected from one end of the overlapping surface with the projecting piece, and the base end of the pivot axis is projected by the projecting piece. Since it was hooked in the notch recessed in the outer edge and the other end of the overlapping surface was detachably bolted to the projecting piece, the base end of the pivot was hooked in the notch, so that the other end of the shaft stay was hooked. Even if only one point is bolted, the pivot can be placed in a fixed position of the projecting piece that is in good pivotal position with the link, and the rack and drive arm can be pivotally connected normally, so the tread plate can be operated normally. Be done.
In the unlikely event that the drive source fails, simply loosen the bolt and separate it from the shaft stay and projectile, and the pivot located in the back of the notch will link to the immobile rack in a tense state. By being attached via, the notch shifts to the opening side, the connection between the drive source side and the drive arm can be broken, and if the drive arm is manually rotated in the retracted direction, the tread plate can be moved to the lower part of the vehicle step. It can be stored in the stowed position, allowing the vehicle to run, and even if you mistakenly try to rotate the drive arm in the extension direction, the notch will be caught on the pivot that is misaligned toward the opening side of the notch, and the drive arm will move in that direction. Since it cannot rotate, the storage direction of the tread plate is not mistaken, and its practical effect is enormous.

It is a perspective view which shows the overhanging state of the retractable auxiliary step for a vehicle which concerns on this invention. It is a plan view of the same as above. It is a perspective view which shows the stored state as above. It is a plan view of the same as above. It is an exploded perspective view of the transmission means. It is a top view which shows the disconnection state of the drive source side of the tread plate which is overhanging, and the drive arm. It is a top view which shows the retracted state of the tread plate.

Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The retractable auxiliary step for a vehicle according to the present invention is between the storage position X on the right side (rear of the vehicle) of the lower part of the vehicle step S and the overhang position Y in front of the lower part of the vehicle step S, which are already installed at the rear entrance / exit of the vehicle (not shown). A tread plate 1 that can be reciprocated on the same horizontal plane is provided.

The tread plate 1 is formed in a horizontally long rectangular shape (long in the front-rear direction A of the vehicle) in a plan view, and a drive arm 2 and a driven arm 3 (hereinafter, simply arms 2 and 3) having the same turning radius are formed in the lower part of the vehicle step S. The base end of (also referred to as) is pivotally attached to the left and right sides of the lower surface (corresponding to the front-rear direction A of the vehicle) of the rectangular base 4 in a plan view provided at the lower part of the vehicle step S, and the tips of the drive arm 2 and the driven arm 3 are attached. It is pivotally attached to the left and right sides of the bottom of the tread plate 1 so that the tread plate 1 is translated between the storage position X and the overhanging position Y.

Further, the base end of the drive arm 2 is horizontally attached to the lower end of the sleeve 2a rotatably fitted to a support shaft (not shown) suspended from the lower surface of the base 4, and the base end of the driven arm 3 is the base 4. The tread plate 1 is rotatably mounted on a support shaft (not shown) suspended from the lower surface, and the height position of each base end with respect to the lower surface is different. The tip to be attached is arranged on the same horizontal plane.

A drive unit 5 of the tread plate 1 is installed between the arms 2 and 3 on the lower surface of the base 4.
The drive unit 5 is connected to a drive source 6 composed of an electric motor to a drive arm 2 via a transmission means 7.

The transmission means 7 includes a tip 8a of a projecting piece 8 projecting from the upper end of the sleeve 2a at the two end of the drive arm in the opposite direction of the drive arm 2, and a drive gear axially attached to a drive shaft that can rotate forward and backward of the drive source 6. One end (left end) 9a of the rack 9 that meshes with 6a and advances and retreats in the front-rear direction A of the vehicle is pivotally connected via a link 10.

As a result, the drive gear 6a that rotates forward and reverse by the operation of the drive source 6 advances and retreats the rack 9 that meshes with the drive gear 6a in the front-rear direction A of the vehicle, and the drive arm 2 is rotated via the link 10 by the advancement and retreat. By moving the tread plate 1 is reciprocated between the storage position X and the overhang position Y.

In the following, the state in which the tread plate 1 is arranged at the storage position X is referred to as a retracted state, and the state in which the tread plate 1 is arranged at the overhanging position Y is referred to as an overhanging state.

Then, the projecting piece 8 is formed so that the projecting end 8a side is bent counterclockwise (in the storage direction of the tread plate 1) from the middle, and a shaft stay 12 having a pivot 11 on which the tip of the link 10 is pivotally supported is detachably attached to the projecting end 8a. It is provided in.

The shaft stay 12 is formed in a rectangular plate shape in which the long side is superposed on the upper surface of the projecting piece 8 (protruding end 8a) substantially corresponding to the length of the projecting end 8a. A pivot 11 whose tip is pivotally attached to the link 10 is vertically projected downward at one end of the shaft 11, and the base end of the pivot 11 is recessed in the outer edge 8b on the convex side of the bent portion of the projecting piece 8. The other end of the overlapping surface 12a is screwed to the projecting piece 8 with a bolt 14 inserted into the through hole 8c formed in the projecting end 8a from the lower surface of the projecting piece 8 so as to be detachably bolted to the projecting piece 8. (See Fig. 5).

In this way, since the base end of the pivot 11 is suspended and arranged in the inner part of the notch 13, the pivot 11 can be attached even if one of the other ends of the shaft stay 12 is screwed to the projecting piece 8 with the bolt 14. Since the rack 9 and the drive arm 2 (projection piece 8) can be normally pivotally connected to the link 10 at a fixed position of the projecting piece 8 having a good pivotal state with the link 10, the tread plate 1 operates normally. Be made to.
The tip of the link 10 is pivotally supported by the pivot 11 by retaining it with a retaining ring 11a (not shown) at the lower end through which the pivot 11 is inserted.

Further, in the present invention, in order to attach / detach the link 10 from the projecting piece 8 (drive arm 2), a shaft attached to the projecting piece 8 with a bolt 14 without using a screw member such as a bolt or a nut for the pivot 11. The tip of the link 10 is pivotally attached to the pivot 11 provided on the stay 12 via the stay 12, and the link 10 can be detached from the projecting piece 8 together with the shaft stay 12 by removing the bolt 14.
For this reason, a problem that occurs when the link 10 and the projecting piece 8 are simply pivotally supported by the screw member, that is, the screw member is loosened because the pivot portion always rotates during use, and the link 10 and the drive are driven. There can be no problem that the tread plate 1 cannot be operated normally because the pivotal attachment to the arm 2 is detached without permission.

On one side of the other end of the shaft stay 12 (the side corresponding to the outer edge 8b of the protrusion 8 when polymerized on the upper surface of the protrusion 8), the other end of the shaft stay 12 and the through hole 8c of the protrusion 8 (the tip). An L-shaped plate-shaped auxiliary plate 15 for sandwiching 8a) is continuously provided, and a screw hole 12b is provided on the surface of the auxiliary plate 15 facing the shaft stay 12 so that a bolt 14 is screwed to the shaft stay 12. A bolt insertion hole 15a concentric with the above is bored.

The drive source 6 is fixed to the front of the rack 9 (on the tread overhang side) on the lower surface of the base 4, and the teeth of the rack 9 that mesh with the drive gear 6a are long in the advancing / retreating direction A. It is engraved in the right place.

The rack 9 is provided with elongated holes 9b on the left and right sides thereof over a predetermined length, and trochanters 16 hanging at appropriate positions on the lower surface of the base 4 are slidably arranged in each elongated hole 9b with respect to the elongated holes 9b. At the lower end of the support shaft 16a of the trochanter 16, a flange 16b for slidingly supporting the rack 9 is provided so as to project outward.

Further, the tip made of synthetic rubber elastically contacts the protrusion 3a projecting from the tip of the driven arm 3 immediately before the tread plate 1 is arranged at the storage position X to prevent the tread plate 1 from rotating in the storage direction. A stopper 17 is provided at an appropriate position on the bottom of the tread plate 1, so that even if the tread plate 1 is located at the storage position X, the arms 2 and 3 do not rotate once, and the link 10 and the rack 9 connected to the drive arm 2 are connected to the tread plate 1. It is kept in the fixed position X in the retracted state, and the retracted state of the tread plate 1 at the lower part of the vehicle step S is firmly held firmly.

Further, immediately before the tread plate 1 is arranged at the overhanging position Y, a stopper 18 whose tip is made of synthetic rubber is elastically contacted with the right edge of the tip of the drive arm 2 to prevent the tread plate 1 from rotating in the overhanging direction. The bottom of the tread plate 1 is provided at an appropriate position so that the arms 2 and 3 do not rotate once even if the tread plate 1 is located at the overhanging position Y, and the link 10 and the rack 9 connected to the drive arm 2 are stretched on the tread plate 1. It is kept in the fixed position Y in the protruding state, and the overhanging state of the tread plate 1 in front of the lower part of the vehicle step S is firmly held firmly.

In the retractable auxiliary step for a vehicle configured as described above, in the retracted state of the tread plate 1, the front end edge of the auxiliary step 1 is parallel to the outer edge of the vehicle step S on the left side of the lower part of the vehicle step S. It is arranged forward like this.

In this retracted state, the drive gear 6a meshes with the rack 9 whose right end of the elongated hole 9b is located close to the trochanter 16, and the drive source 6 is stopped, so that the state is firmly held and the vehicle step S The tread plate 1 is horizontally arranged at the lower storage position X.

Further, since the protrusion 3a of the driven arm 3 is stopped by the stopper 17, the arms 2 and 3 are prevented from rotating in the further retracting direction, so that the arms 2 and 3 (link 10) are stretched. It prevents the tread plate 1 from being inadvertently rotated in the outward direction, whereby the retracted state of the tread plate 1 is stably maintained (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

Then, when the rack 9 is moved to the right side via the drive gear 6a by the operation of the drive source 6, the drive arm 2 rotates in the overhanging direction (clockwise) together with the driven arm 3 via the link 10, and the tread plate 1 Moves in parallel while maintaining its horizontal state, overhangs the lower front of the vehicle step S, the left end of the elongated hole 9b of the rack 9 approaches the trochanter 16, and the stopper 18 hits the right edge of the tip of the drive arm 2. By doing so, the extension of the tread plate 1 is completed, and the overhanging tread plate 1 can be used by passengers as a foot joint to the vehicle step S (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

The tread plate 1 in the overhanging state can be stored by operating the drive source 6 and moving the tread plate 1 to the storage position X in the reverse procedure of the above.

Then, in the unlikely event that the drive source 6 or the like fails in the overhanging state of the tread plate 1, the bolt 14 is loosened with the bolt head 14a exposed below the vehicle step S, and the bolt 14 is used as the shaft stay 12 and the projecting piece. When separated from 8, the pivot 11 arranged in the inner part of the notch 13 shifts toward the open opening side of the notch 13 because it is attached to the immobile rack 9 via the tensioned link 10. (See FIG. 6), the connection between the link 10 (drive source 6 side) and the drive arm 2 can be disconnected, and if the drive arm 2 is manually rotated in the retracting direction (counterclockwise), the tread plate 1 can be moved to the lower part of the vehicle step S. Can be stored in the storage position X (see FIG. 7), and the vehicle can travel.

Even if the drive arm 2 is mistakenly rotated in the extension direction after the bolt 14 is removed, the notch 13 is caught on the pivot 11 that is displaced toward the opening side of the notch 13, and the drive arm 2 is extended. Since it cannot rotate in the direction, the storage direction of the tread plate 1 is not mistaken (see FIG. 6).

1 tread plate 2 drive arm 3 driven arm 6 drive source
6a Drive gear 7 Transmission means 8 Projection piece 9 Rack
9a one end
10 links
11 Axis
12-axis stay
12a Polymerized surface
13 notch
14 Bolt A Front-rear direction S Vehicle step X Storage position Y Overhang position

Claims (2)

The base ends of the drive arm and the driven arm having the same turning radius are pivotally attached to the lower part of the vehicle step, and the tips of the drive arm and the driven arm are pivotally attached to the bottom of the tread plate, and the tread plate is used as the storage position of the lower part of the vehicle step. The drive arm is connected to the drive source via a transmission means, and the drive arm is connected to the drive source at the base end of the drive arm. A projecting piece projecting in the opposite direction of the above and one end of a rack that meshes with a drive gear provided in the drive source and advances and retreats in the front-rear direction of the vehicle are pivotally connected via a link, and the tip of the link is formed. A retractable auxiliary step for a vehicle, characterized in that a shaft stay having a pivot on which the gear is supported is detachably provided on a projecting piece. The shaft stay is superposed on the projecting piece, and a pivot axis whose tip is pivotally attached to the link is vertically projected from one end of the overlapping surface with the projecting piece, and the base end of the pivot axis is used as the outer edge of the projecting piece. The retractable auxiliary step for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the recessed notch is hooked, and the other end of the overlapping surface is detachably bolted to a projecting piece.

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