JP7103562B2 - Vehicle latch system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle latch system that keeps a lid such as a tailgate closed to a vehicle body.

As a vehicle latch system provided between the vehicle body and the lid, for example, there is one described in Patent Document 1. In this vehicle latch system, the striker is provided so as to be movable with respect to the vehicle body, and an actuator for moving the striker is provided. The lid is provided with a latch unit having a latch that can engage the striker when closed. According to this vehicle latch system, when the latch engages with the striker while the striker is placed in the pop-up position, the striker closes and the striker is placed in the fully closed position from the pop-up position to the vehicle body. On the other hand, the lid is closed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-100225

Normally, a seal member called a weather strip is provided between the vehicle body and the lid in order to prevent external water such as rainwater from entering the vehicle. Therefore, when an external force such as vibration or impact is applied during traveling, the lid may move in the closing direction with respect to the vehicle body due to the bending of the seal member. The lid that has moved in the closing direction from the fully closed position returns to the original fully closed position due to the reaction force of the sealing member. When the lid moves as described above, the striker also interlocks with the ratchet, so that the latch repeatedly moves in and out of the ratchet, and a hitting sound may be generated when the two come into contact with each other. In order to prevent the striking noise between the latch and the ratchet, it can be solved by setting a large reaction force of the sealing member. That is, if the reaction force of the seal member is set large, the movement of the lid with respect to the vehicle body can be suppressed even when an external force is applied during traveling, and the latch and the ratchet, which cause a hitting sound, are separated from each other. Contact movement will be prevented. However, when the reaction force of the seal member is set to be large, a large external force is always applied to the seal member when the lid is closed, so that the seal member may be deteriorated at an early stage.

In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle latch system capable of preventing a hitting sound during traveling without causing a situation in which the seal member deteriorates at an early stage.

In order to achieve the above object, the vehicle latch system according to the present invention is provided between a vehicle body and a lid that is openable and closable with respect to the vehicle body, and the lid is provided with respect to the vehicle body. A vehicle latch system that limits the movement of the lid in the opening direction with respect to the vehicle body by keeping the striker and latch in mesh with each other when closed, between the vehicle body and the lid. Is provided with a striker drive device that moves the lid with respect to the vehicle body by moving the striker while maintaining the state in which the striker and the latch are in mesh with each other. When it is determined that the traveling condition of the above is not satisfied, the driving condition is satisfied in a state where the lid is arranged in the fully closed position with respect to the vehicle body and the lid is arranged in the fully closed position. When it is determined, the striker is closed to hold the lid at an overstroke position set in the closing direction rather than the fully closed position with respect to the vehicle body.

Further, according to the present invention, in the vehicle latch system described above, the striker drive device moves in a direction intersecting the moving direction of the striker with the mounting base that movably supports the striker. A movable member supported by the movable member and a cam mechanism provided between the movable member and the striker and converting the movement of the movable member into the movement of the striker are provided, and the striker is attached by the movement of the movable member. It is characterized by moving with respect to the base.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the vehicle latch system described above, the striker drive device holds the lid at the overstroke position when the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor exceeds a preset threshold value. ..

The present invention is also characterized in that, in the vehicle latch system described above, the striker drive device holds the lid in the overstroke position when the transmission is selected in a position in which the transmission can travel.

The present invention is also characterized in that, in the vehicle latch system described above, the striker drive device holds the lid in the overstroke position when the service brake is in the non-braking state.

According to the present invention, when it is determined that the vehicle is traveling, the lid is pulled into the overstroke position set in the closing direction rather than the fully closed position by the drive of the striker drive device, so that the lid and the vehicle body The amount of deformation of the seal member interposed between the two increases. Therefore, the reaction force of the sealing member becomes large, and the contact pressure between the latch and the ratchet also becomes high. As a result, even when an external force such as vibration or impact is applied while the vehicle is running, there is no possibility that the latch and the ratchet are separated from each other, and noise such as a hitting sound generated by recontacting the latch and the ratchet is generated. It becomes possible to suppress it. Moreover, when the vehicle is stopped, the lid is arranged at the fully closed position in the opening direction rather than the overstroke position, so that there is no possibility that the seal member is deteriorated at an early stage.

FIG. 1 conceptually shows the rear end portion of a vehicle to which the vehicle latch system according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied, and is an enlarged view of a part of the right side surface in a state where the tailgate which is a lid is fully closed. be. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a part of the right side surface of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1 in a state where the tailgate is arranged at the pop-up position. FIG. 3 is a right side surface of a vehicle latch system in which the tailgate is arranged at the overstroke position in the vehicle shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1 in a state where the tailgate is arranged at the fully open position. FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of a latch unit applied to the vehicle latch system shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the latch unit shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a main part showing the internal configuration of the latch unit shown in FIG. 4 from another angle. 8A and 8B show a portion of the latch unit shown in FIG. 4 that engages with the striker. FIG. 8A is a diagram in which the latch is arranged in the full latch position, and FIG. 8B is a diagram in which the latch is arranged in the half latch position. The figure in the opened state, (c) is the figure in the state where the latch is arranged in the open position. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the striker and the striker drive device applied to the vehicle latch system shown in FIG. 10A and 10B show a striker and a striker drive device applied to the vehicle latch system shown in FIG. 1, in which FIG. 10A is a bottom view of a state in which the striker is arranged in the foremost position, and FIG. It is a part plan view. 11A and 11B show an operating state of the vehicle latch system shown in FIG. 1, in which FIG. 11A is a plan conceptual diagram when the cam plate is moved to the moving end on the right side with respect to the mounting base, and FIG. 11B is a plan view. The plan view is a plan view when the cam plate is moved to an intermediate position with respect to the mounting base, and (c) is a plan view when the cam plate is moved to the moving end on the left side with respect to the mounting base. FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a control system of the vehicle latch system shown in FIG. FIG. 13 is a timing chart showing the operation timings of the slide motor and the release motor applied in the vehicle latch system shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a graph showing the relationship between the position of the tailgate and the reaction force of the seal member.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the vehicle latch system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 to 4 show a main part of a vehicle to which the vehicle latch system according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied. The vehicle illustrated here is a so-called minivan or one-box type having a vehicle body B having an opening A on the back surface and a tailgate (lid) C for opening and closing the rear opening A of the vehicle body B. belongs to. The rear opening A of the vehicle body B communicates with the space inside the vehicle and is provided so that almost the entire rear surface can be opened. The tailgate C has a hinge D between it and the upper edge of the rear opening A, and extends along the left-right direction of the vehicle body B (direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIGS. 1 to 4). ) Can be rotated to open and close the back opening A. When the tailgate C is closed and placed in the fully closed position, as shown in FIG. 1, the seal member E provided around the rear opening A in the vehicle body B is in a state of being pressed against the tailgate C and enters the vehicle. It is possible to prevent the ingress of water.

In this vehicle, the latch unit 10 is provided at the lower edge of the tailgate C, while the striker 20 is provided at the lower edge of the rear opening A in the vehicle body B. Hereinafter, the configurations of the latch unit 10 and the striker 20 will be described, and the feature portions of the present invention will be described in detail. In the following, for convenience, the directions of the respective components of the latch unit 10 and the striker 20 will be specified in the posture of being mounted on the vehicle body B. In this case, the portion located on the right side of the vehicle body B is referred to as the right side, and the portion located on the left side is referred to as the left side.

The latch unit 10 is for engaging and holding the striker 20 described later, and is attached to the tailgate C via the case 11 as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7. The latch unit 10 is provided with a latch 12 and a ratchet 13 inside the case 11.

The latch 12 is a plate-shaped member rotatably arranged via a latch shaft 12a extending up and down in a portion on one side of the striker entry groove 11a provided in the case 11. The latch 12 is provided with a hook portion 12b that limits the deviation of the striker 20 by engaging with the striker 20 that has entered the striker entry groove 11a. The latch 12 is provided with a return spring 12c for urging the latch 12 to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 8 (see FIG. 7).

The ratchet 13 is a plate-shaped member rotatably arranged via a ratchet shaft 13a extending up and down in a portion on the other side of the striker entry groove 11a. The ratchet 13 can limit the counterclockwise rotation of the latch 12 by engaging with the latch 12 which is rotated clockwise from the open position shown in FIG. 8 (c). More specifically, as shown in FIG. 8B, the ratchet 13 can engage with the latch 12 at the half-latch position where the hook portion 12b is located at the open end of the striker entry groove 11a, and FIG. As shown in (a), the hook portion 12b can engage with the latch 12 at the full latch position located at the rear end of the striker entry groove 11a. The ratchet 13 is provided with a ratchet spring 13b for urging the ratchet 13 so as to rotate it clockwise in FIG. 8 (see FIG. 7). As shown in FIG. 8C, when the latch 12 is arranged in the open position, the ratchet 13 does not engage with the latch 12.

Further, the latch unit 10 includes a courtesy switch 14, a release lever 15, and a release actuator 16. The courtesy switch 14 detects the rotational position of the latch 12 with respect to the case 11 via the detection protrusion 12d provided on the end surface of the latch 12. In the present embodiment, a courtesy switch 14 is provided that outputs an OFF signal when the latch 12 is arranged at the full latch position and outputs an ON signal when the latch 12 is arranged at a position other than the full latch position.

The release lever 15 is rotatably arranged on the case 11 via the lever shaft 15a. The lever shaft 15a extends substantially along the front-rear direction of the vehicle at a position above the ratchet 13, and is released to the case 11 with the working end portion 15b of the release lever 15 extending downward. The lever 15 is rotatably supported. When the release lever 15 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 6, it abuts on the input end 13c of the ratchet 13 via the working end 15b, and counterclockwise the ratchet 13 against the urging force of the ratchet spring 13b. It is possible to rotate to. The release lever 15 is provided with a release spring 15c for urging the release lever 15 so as to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 6 (see FIG. 5).

The release actuator 16 rotates the release lever 15 clockwise in FIG. 6 against the urging force of the release spring 15c when driven. In the present embodiment, the release actuator 16 includes a release motor 16a, a worm gear 16b, and a spiral cam 16c. The release motor 16a is an electric motor capable of rotating in the forward and reverse directions. The worm gear 16b is a speed reducer including a worm 16b1 attached to a drive shaft 16a1 of a release motor 16a and a worm wheel 16b3 rotatably arranged on a case 11 via a worm shaft 16b2. The spiral cam 16c is integrally provided on the worm wheel 16b3, and is in contact with the input end portion 15d of the release lever 15 via the outer peripheral surface. In the illustrated example, the urging force of the release spring 15c keeps the input end 15d of the release lever 15 in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the spiral cam 16c at a portion below the center of rotation of the worm wheel 16b3. There is. The spiral cam 16c is formed so that the distance from the center of rotation to the outer peripheral surface gradually changes when the worm wheel 16b3 rotates.

Specifically, when the worm wheel 16b3 is in the initial position, as shown in FIG. 7, the portion of the outer peripheral surface of the spiral cam 16c where the release lever 15 abuts is the position closest to the rotation center of the worm wheel 16b3. It becomes. Therefore, the release lever 15 is maintained in a state in which the working end portion 15b is separated from the input end portion 13c on the left side of the input end portion 13c of the ratchet 13. From this state, when the worm wheel 16b3 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 6, the outer peripheral surface of the spiral cam 16c gradually separates from the center of the worm wheel 16b3, and as a result, the release lever 15 is attached with the release spring 15c. It rotates clockwise in FIG. 6 against the force, and the working end 15b of the release lever 15 comes into contact with the input end 13c of the ratchet 13. After that, as the rotation of the worm wheel 16b3 progresses, the rotation of the release lever 15 progresses, and the ratchet 13 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 6, so that the engagement state with the latch 12 is released. When the engagement state between the ratchet 13 and the latch 12 is released, the latch 12 is rotated counterclockwise by the urging force of the return spring 12c, and the engagement state of the striker 20 by the latch 12 is released. After that, when the worm wheel 16b3 rotates in the opposite direction, the release lever 15 rotates counterclockwise due to the urging force of the release spring 15c, and the working end portion 15b is separated from the input end portion 13c of the ratchet 13. In order to return, the ratchet 13 is in a state where it can be engaged with the latch 12 again.

As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the striker 20 includes a base plate 21 and an engaging rod 22 held by the base plate 21. The base plate 21 has a substantially pentagonal shape with a straight trailing edge and a protruding front edge, and has slide guide holes 21a at both left and right ends and pin mounting holes 21b at the front protruding portion. ing. The slide guide holes 21a form an elongated hole extending along the front-rear direction, and are formed so as to be parallel to each other. The pin mounting hole 21b is a circular hole that penetrates the base plate 21. The engaging rod 22 has a substantially U-shape, and is fixed to the central portion of the base plate 21 via both ends in a posture in which both ends are arranged side by side. The outer diameter of the engaging rod 22 is smaller than the width of the striker entry groove 11a so that the engagement rod 22 can enter the striker entry groove 11a provided in the case 11 of the latch unit 10. The striker 20 is attached to the vehicle body B via the striker drive device 30.

The striker drive device 30 includes a mounting base 31 that supports the striker 20 described above, a cam plate (movable member) 32 arranged on the lower surface side of the mounting base 31, and three position detection switches 33A, 33B, 33C. It is configured.

The mounting base 31 is a plate-shaped member having a larger dimension in the left-right direction than the dimension in the front-rear direction, and is attached to the vehicle body B via a fixing bolt F (see FIG. 1). The mounting base 31 is provided with a cam through hole (cam mechanism) 31a and two plate guide holes 31b. The cam through hole 31a is an elongated through hole formed on the center line that bisects the mounting base 31 to the left and right, and is formed along the front and rear of the vehicle body B. The plate guide holes 31b are groove-shaped notches provided on both sides of the cam through hole 31a, and are formed along the left-right direction of the vehicle. The above-mentioned striker 20 mounts the slide guide pin 23 on the mounting base 31 via the slide guide hole 21a, so that the pin mounting hole 21b is located inside the cam through hole 31a and is located at the center of the upper surface of the mounting base 31. It is arranged in. As is clear from the figure, the slide guide pin 23 has a shaft portion 23a having a diameter smaller than that of the slide guide hole 21a and a head portion 23b having a larger diameter. As a result, the striker 20 can move along the front-rear direction of the vehicle body B in a state where the striker 20 is prevented from moving in the direction away from the mounting base 31.

The mounting position of the mounting base 31 and the moving range of the striker 20 with respect to the mounting base 31 are such that the striker 20 is the rearmost with respect to the mounting base 31 in a state where the latch 12 of the latch unit 10 described above is engaged with the engaging rod 22. Hereafter, the tailgate C is adjusted to be arranged at the pop-up position with respect to the vehicle body B when the vehicle is moved to the rearmost position). The pop-up position is a position where the tailgate C is arranged in the opening direction slightly from the fully closed position, and as shown in FIG. 2, the seal member E provided on the vehicle body B is separated from the tailgate C. be. It is not always necessary to separate the seal member E from the tailgate C at the pop-up position.

When the striker 20 moves to the frontmost position (hereinafter referred to as the frontmost position) with respect to the mounting base 31 in a state where the latch 12 of the latch unit 10 is engaged with the engagement rod 22, the striker 20 moves to the frontmost position (hereinafter referred to as the frontmost position) with respect to the vehicle body B. The mounting position of the mounting base 31 and the moving range of the striker 20 with respect to the mounting base 31 are adjusted so that the tailgate C is in the overstroke position. The overstroke position means that the tailgate C is arranged in the closing direction slightly from the fully closed position, and as shown in FIG. 3, the seal member E provided on the vehicle body B is deformed more than when it is in the fully closed position. It is the position where it is in a state of being in a state of being.

When the striker 20 moves between the rearmost position and the foremost position (hereinafter referred to as an intermediate position) with respect to the mounting base 31 in a state where the latch 12 of the latch unit 10 is engaged with the engaging rod 22. , As shown in FIG. 1, the tailgate C is arranged at the fully closed position with respect to the vehicle body B.

The cam plate 32 is a plate-shaped member having a dimension along the front-rear direction of about 1/2 with respect to the mounting base 31 and a dimension smaller than 1/2 along the left-right direction. The cam plate 32 is arranged at a portion located on the front side on the back surface of the mounting base 31 by a mounting pin 24 mounted via the plate guide hole 31b. The mounting pin 24 has a shaft portion 24a having a diameter smaller than that of the plate guide hole 31b and a head portion 24b having a diameter larger than that of the plate guide hole 31b. The mounting pin 24 allows the cam plate 32 to move along the left-right direction of the vehicle body B in a state where the cam plate 32 is prevented from moving in the direction away from the mounting base 31. The cam plate 32 is provided with a cam hole (cam mechanism) 32a, two cable hooks 32b, and two switch drive units 32c.

The cam hole 32a is a groove-shaped notch having substantially the same width as the cam through hole 31a of the mounting base 31, and is an opening position with respect to the cam through hole 31a when the cam plate 32 moves left and right with respect to the mounting base 31. Is formed so as to change. More specifically, the cam hole 32a is formed when the cam plate 32 moves to one moving end in the left-right direction with respect to the mounting base 31, for example, to the right moving end as shown in FIG. 11A. Located at the rear end of the cam through hole 31a and at the other moving end in the left-right direction, for example, at the front end of the cam through hole 31a when moved to the left moving end, as shown in FIG. 11C. It is provided so that it can be used. As is clear from the figure, the cam hole 32a has an inclined portion located on the left side of the cam plate 32 (hereinafter, referred to as an opening / closing inclined portion 32a1 when distinguishing) and an inclined portion located on the right side (hereinafter, when distinguishing). The tilt angle of the additional tilted portion 32a2 is different from that of the additional tilted portion 32a2), and the tilt angle of the additional tilted portion 32a2 is gentler than the tilt angle of the opening / closing tilted portion 32a1. Further, the opening / closing inclined portion 32a1 is formed so that the length in the left-right direction is larger than that of the additional inclined portion 32a2. In the present embodiment, with the latch 12 of the latch unit 10 engaged with the engaging rod 22, the cam plate 32 is located at the moving end on the right side as shown in FIG. 11A, and the cam roller (described later) When the cam mechanism) 25 is arranged at the left end of the opening / closing inclined portion 32a1, the tailgate C is arranged at the pop-up position, and as shown in FIG. 11C, the cam plate 32 is located at the left moving end. The cam hole 32a is formed so that the tailgate C is arranged at the overstroke position when the cam roller 25 is arranged at the right end portion of the additional inclined portion 32a2. Further, as shown in FIG. 11B, when the cam plate 32 moves to the intermediate position and the cam roller 25 is arranged at the left end portion of the additional inclined portion 32a2, the tailgate C is arranged at the fully closed position. The cam hole 32a is formed so as to be used.

A cam roller 25 is arranged in the cam hole 32a described above. The cam roller 25 is a cylindrical member having an outer diameter that fits into the cam hole 32a, and is a cam pin (cam mechanism) that penetrates the central portion of the cam roller 25 in a state of penetrating the cam hole 32a and the cam through hole 31a of the mounting base 31. It is attached to the base plate 21 via 26. The cam pin 26 has a disc-shaped head 26b having a diameter larger than that of the cam roller 25 at the tip of the cylindrical shaft portion 26a, and the base end portion of the shaft portion 26a is mounted in the pin mounting hole 21b. It is attached to the base plate 21 by. The cam pin 26 attached to the base plate 21 projects downward from the lower surface facing the attachment base 31, and is movably arranged in the cam through hole 31a.

The cable hook 32b is a hook-shaped portion provided at both left and right ends of the cam plate 32. One ends of cables 34A and 34B are engaged with these cable hooks 32b, respectively. The cables 34A and 34B are movably arranged inside the tubular outer tube 34a, and the other end thereof is engaged with a common drive pulley 35. Although not explicitly shown in the drawing, one end of the outer tube 34a is fixed to the end of the mounting base 31, and the other end is fixed to the support 36 of the drive pulley 35. The drive pulley 35 has a disk shape having boss portions 35a on both end surfaces of the central portion, and the cable 34A engaged with one cable hook 32b engages with one boss portion 35a and the other cable. The cable 34B engaged with the hook 32b is engaged with the other boss portion 35a. When one of the two cables 34A and 34B is pulled out from the boss portion 35a, the other is wound around the boss portion 35a, and when the other is pulled out from the boss portion 35a, one is wound around the boss portion 35a. It is engaged with each boss portion 35a so as to be turned. The winding length of the other cable 34B when one cable 34A is pulled out from the boss portion 35a is set to be substantially equal to the extending length of the plate guide hole 31b formed in the mounting base 31. That is, when the drive pulley 35 rotates in one direction, one cable 34A is pulled out from the boss portion 35a and the other cable 34B is wound around the boss portion 35a, and the wound cable 34B engages. The cam plate 32 moves to one side via the cable hook 32b. Similarly, when the drive pulley 35 rotates in the other direction, the other cable 34B is pulled out from the boss portion 35a and one cable 34A is wound around the boss portion 35a, and the wound cable 34A is engaged. The cam plate 32 moves to the other side via the cable hook 32b.

The drive pulley 35 described above can rotate about the axis by driving the slide motor 37. Like the release motor 16a, the slide motor 37 is an electric motor capable of rotating in the forward and reverse directions. That is, the drive pulley 35 driven by the slide motor 37 can reciprocate in the forward and reverse directions about the axis. A worm gear 38 composed of a worm 38a and a worm wheel 38b is provided between the drive shaft of the slide motor 37 and the drive pulley 35. In the present embodiment, the axial center of the drive pulley 35 and the drive shaft of the slide motor 37 are arranged so as to be in twisted positions.

The switch drive unit 32c is a protruding portion protruding rearward from both ends of an edge portion located on the rear side of the cam plate 32. These switch drive units 32c selectively drive the three position detection switches 33A, 33B, and 33C, which will be described later, when the cam plate 32 moves in the left-right direction with respect to the mounting base 31.

Each of the three position detection switches 33A, 33B, and 33C is provided with a contact 33b tiltable with respect to the switch body 33a, and outputs a detection signal according to the tilt direction of the contact 33b. These position detection switches 33A, 33B, 33C are arranged side by side with each other along the moving direction of the cam plate 32 with the contacts 33b facing the edge portion located on the rear side of the cam plate 32 on the mounting base 31. There is. The mounting positions of the three position detection switches 33A, 33B, and 33C are as follows.

That is, the position detection switch (hereinafter, referred to as pop-up position switch 33A when distinguishing) arranged on the right side of the mounting base 31 is on the right side of the cam plate 32 only when the cam plate 32 is located at the moving end on the right side. It is operated by the provided switch drive unit 32c to output an OFF signal. In the position detection switch (hereinafter, referred to as a closed position switch 33B when distinguished) arranged in the central portion of the mounting base 31, any of the additional inclined portions 32a2 faces the cam through hole 31a in the cam hole 32a of the cam plate 32. The switch drive unit 32c provided on the right side of the cam plate 32 operates to output an OFF signal only when the cam plate 32 is arranged. The position detection switch (hereinafter referred to as the overstroke position switch 33C to distinguish them) arranged on the left side of the mounting base 31 is provided on the left side of the cam plate 32 only when the cam plate 32 is located at the moving end on the left side. It is operated by the switch drive unit 32c and outputs an ON signal.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a control system of a vehicle latch system. The control unit 100 shown in FIG. 12 is when an output signal is given from the open switch 101, the courtesy switch 14, the three position detection switches 33A, 33B, 33C, the vehicle speed sensor 102, the shift position switch 103, and the service brake switch 104. The drive of the release motor 16a and the slide motor 37 is controlled based on a preset program or data stored in the memory. The control unit 100 may be realized by, for example, a processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program, that is, by software, or by hardware such as an IC (Integrated Circuit). It may be realized by using software and hardware together. The open switch 101 is provided in the vehicle body B of the vehicle body B or in a wireless remote controller owned by the driver. By operating the open switch 101, a request signal for opening the tailgate C is given to the control unit 100. The vehicle speed sensor 102 detects the traveling speed of the vehicle and gives the detection result to the control unit 100 as an output signal. The shift position switch 103 detects the position selected by the transmission and gives the detection result to the control unit 100 as an output signal. The service brake switch 104 detects the operating state of the service brake (foot brake) and gives the detection result to the control unit 100 as an output signal.

Hereinafter, the control contents of the control unit 100 will be described with reference to the timing chart shown in FIG. 13 as appropriate. In the following description, for convenience, the operation of the striker 20 moving toward the closing direction with respect to the mounting base 31 is referred to as a closing operation, and the operation of moving the striker 20 toward the opening direction is referred to as a pop-up operation.

Now, as shown in FIG. 4, it is assumed that the tailgate C is arranged at the fully open position and the rear opening A of the vehicle body B is open while the vehicle is stopped. At this time, in the latch unit 10, the latch 12 is arranged in the open position as shown in FIG. 8 (c), and in the striker drive device 30, the cam plate 32 is on the right side as shown in FIG. 11 (a). It is arranged at the moving end, the cam roller 25 is located at the rear end side of the cam through hole 31a, and the striker 20 is arranged at the rearmost position with respect to the mounting base 31. The fact that the striker 20 is arranged at the rearmost position is detected by the pop-up position switch 33A being operated by the switch drive unit 32c provided on the right side of the cam plate 32 and outputting an OFF signal to the control unit 100. (T1).

When the tailgate C is manually operated so as to close the rear opening A of the vehicle body B from the above state, the striker 20 of the striker drive device 30 eventually enters the striker entry groove 11a provided in the case 11 of the latch unit 10. The striker 20 will rotate the latch 12. As a result, the latch 12 reaches the full latch position shown in FIG. 8 (a) via the half latch position shown in FIG. 8 (b). However, immediately after the latch 12 is arranged at the full latch position, the striker 20 of the striker drive device 30 is arranged at the rearmost position. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, all the tailgates C are arranged with respect to the vehicle body B. It will not be in the closed position, but will be placed in the slightly open pop-up position.

When the latch 12 moves to the full latch position, an OFF signal is output from the courtesy switch 14, and this is detected by the control unit 100. The control unit 100, which has detected that the latch 12 is arranged at the full latch position, drives the slide motor 37 in the forward rotation direction and moves the cam plate 32 to the left side with respect to the mounting base 31 (T2). As a result, the cam roller 25 arranged in the cam hole 32a of the cam plate 32 and the cam through hole 31a of the mounting base 31 moves forward due to the tilting action of the cam hole 32a, and the striker 20 closes accordingly. It works and reaches the middle position. As a result, the latch unit 10 engaged with the striker 20 moves together with the striker 20, and as shown in FIG. 1, the tailgate C is arranged at a fully closed position with respect to the vehicle body B. When the closed position switch 33B detects that the cam plate 32 is arranged in the middle position, the control unit 100 stops driving the slide motor 37 (T3). When the tailgate C is arranged in the fully closed position, as described above, the seal member E provided around the rear opening A in the vehicle body B is in a state of being pressed against the tailgate C, and the tailgate C and the vehicle body are in contact with each other. The desired watertightness with B will be ensured.

Here, even when the tailgate C is arranged in the fully closed position, when an external force such as vibration or impact during traveling is applied, the seal member E bends and the tailgate C is moved with respect to the vehicle body B. It may move in the closing direction rather than the fully closed position. When the seal member E bends and the tailgate C moves in the closing direction, in the latch unit 10, the latch 12 rotates clockwise in the drawing from the state shown in FIG. 8A, so that the latch 12 and the ratchet 13 The contact state of is released. After the contact state between the latch 12 and the ratchet 13 is released, the return spring 12c may return the latch 12 and the ratchet 13 to the contact state again, and at that time, a striking sound may be generated.

Therefore, in the above-mentioned vehicle, when it is determined by the control unit 100 that the preset running conditions are satisfied, the slide motor 37 is driven in the forward rotation direction, and the cam plate 32 is further to the left side with respect to the mounting base 31. As shown in FIG. 3, the tailgate C is moved toward the overstroke position, and the tailgate C is arranged at the overstroke position (T4). As a result, the seal member E provided on the vehicle body B is in a state of being deformed more than in the fully closed position, the reaction force of the seal member E becomes large, and the contact pressure between the latch 12 and the ratchet 13 is also in the fully closed position. Higher than when placed in. Therefore, even if vibration or impact is applied while the vehicle is running, there is no possibility that the latch 12 and the ratchet 13 are separated from each other, and noise such as a hitting sound generated by the recontact of the latch 12 and the ratchet 13 is generated. It becomes possible to suppress it. When the overstroke position switch 33C detects that the cam plate 32 has moved to the frontmost position, the control unit 100 stops driving the slide motor 37 (T5). After that, while the traveling condition is satisfied, the tailgate C is continuously maintained in the state of being arranged at the overstroke position, and the generation of the hitting sound by the latch 12 and the ratchet 13 is prevented.

The above-mentioned traveling conditions are conditions for determining that the vehicle is traveling. In the present embodiment, it is determined that the vehicle is running when all of the following conditions are satisfied by the output signals given from the vehicle speed sensor 102, the shift position switch 103, and the service brake switch 104.
(1) The vehicle speed exceeds 0 km / h (2) The selected position of the transmission is other than parking (3) The service brake is in the non-braking state.

When the vehicle is stopped from the running state and it is determined that the above-mentioned running conditions are not satisfied, the control unit 100 drives the slide motor 37 in the reverse direction, moves the striker 20 to the middle position, and moves the tailgate C. The process of returning to the fully closed position is performed (T6). As a result, although watertightness is still ensured between the tailgate C and the vehicle body B, the amount of deformation of the seal member E is reduced, and the greatly deformed state does not continue (T7). .. Therefore, there is no possibility that the seal member E is deteriorated at an early stage, and the above-mentioned watertightness can be ensured for a long period of time.

In addition, in the above-mentioned vehicle, the seal member E in which the reaction force G is set so as not to separate the latch 12 and the ratchet 13 when the tailgate C is arranged at the overstroke position may be applied. As shown by the solid line in FIG. 14, the sealing member E having a smaller reaction force than the sealing member (broken line) as a comparative example in which the reaction force is set so that the latch 12 and the ratchet 13 are not separated from each other at the fully closed position. Can be applied. Therefore, the operating force when closing the tailgate C to the fully closed position is reduced, and it is possible to improve the opening / closing operability of the tailgate C.

When the open switch 101 is operated from the state where the tailgate C is arranged in the fully closed position, the control unit 100 requires that the above-mentioned traveling conditions are not satisfied, that is, that the vehicle is stopped. In addition, the release motor 16a is driven in the forward rotation direction, and the ratchet 13 is released from the engagement state with the latch 12 via the release lever 15. Further, the control unit 100 drives the slide motor 37 in the reverse direction and performs a process of moving the cam plate 32 to the right side with respect to the mounting base 31 (T8).

As a result, the latch 12 is rotated toward the open position by the return spring 12c, and is pushed out in the direction in which the tailgate C is opened by the reaction force of the seal member E interposed between the vehicle body B and the tailgate C. Further, the cam roller 25 moves to the rear side, and the striker 20 pops up accordingly, and the striker 20 eventually reaches the rearmost position (T9). After the state of engagement of the ratchet 13 with the latch 12 is released, the release motor 16a is driven in the reverse direction at an appropriate timing, and the ratchet 13 is in a state of being able to engage with the latch 12. Further, the drive of the slide motor 37 is stopped by the control unit 100 when the pop-up position switch 33A detects that the cam plate 32 has moved to the rearmost position.

In the above-described embodiment, a vehicle latch system for a tailgate C provided in the rear opening A of the vehicle body B leading to the vehicle interior space is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is also possible to target a trunk lid that opens and closes the trunk in a three-box type vehicle. In this case, the lid is not necessarily the one that opens and closes around the axis along the horizontal direction.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the striker drive device 30 is provided on the vehicle body B and the latch unit 10 is provided on the lid, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the latch unit 10 is attached to the vehicle body B. The striker drive device 30 may be arranged on the lid.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the cam plate 32 having a plate shape is applied as a movable member, and further, the axis of the drive pulley 35 and the drive shaft of the slide motor 37 are twisted positions. Since it is arranged, the striker drive device 30 can be made thinner, which is advantageous in terms of installation space. However, the configuration of the striker drive device is not limited to that of the embodiment.

Furthermore, as driving conditions, (1) the vehicle speed exceeds 0 km / h, (2) the selected position of the transmission is other than parking, and (3) the service brake is in the non-braking state. Although it is said that the present invention is satisfied, the present invention is not limited to this, and other conditions under which it can be determined that the vehicle is running may be applied as the running conditions. When applying (1) to (3), in the above-described embodiment, it may be determined that the traveling condition is satisfied when at least one is satisfied, or at least two are satisfied. If this is the case, it may be determined that the running conditions are satisfied. Further, when the vehicle speed is set as the traveling condition, 0 km / h is set as the threshold value, but the threshold value does not necessarily have to be 0 km / h, for example, when the threshold value exceeds 10 km / h.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the striker drive device 30 illustrates that the tailgate C, which is a lid, can move from the pop-up position to the overstroke position via the fully closed position. Not limited to this, it is sufficient if the lid is moved only between the fully closed position and the overstroke position.

12 latches, 20 strikers, 25 cam rollers, 26 cam pins, 30 striker drives, 31 mounting bases, 31a cam through holes, 32 cam plates, 32a cam holes, 102 vehicle speed sensors, 103 shift position switches, 104 service brake switches, B vehicles Body, C tailgate

Claims (3)

A lid provided between the vehicle body and a lid that is openable and closable to the vehicle body, and keeps the striker and latch in mesh with each other when the lid is closed with respect to the vehicle body. A vehicle latch system that restricts the movement of the lid in the opening direction with respect to the vehicle body.
A striker drive device for moving the lid with respect to the vehicle body is provided between the vehicle body and the lid by moving the striker while maintaining the state in which the striker and the latch are engaged with each other. Be,
When the striker drive device does not select a position in which the transmission can travel , the lid is arranged in the fully closed position with respect to the vehicle body, and the lid is arranged in the fully closed position. When a position in which the transmission can travel is selected , the striker is closed to hold the lid in an overstroke position set in the closing direction rather than the fully closed position with respect to the vehicle body. A vehicle latch system featuring. A lid provided between the vehicle body and a lid that is openable and closable to the vehicle body, and keeps the striker and latch in mesh with each other when the lid is closed with respect to the vehicle body. A vehicle latch system that restricts the movement of the lid in the opening direction with respect to the vehicle body.
A striker drive device for moving the lid with respect to the vehicle body is provided between the vehicle body and the lid by moving the striker while maintaining the state in which the striker and the latch are engaged with each other. Be,
In the striker drive device, when the service brake is in the braking state, the lid is arranged in the fully closed position with respect to the vehicle body, and the service brake is not in the fully closed position. A vehicle latch system characterized in that , when in a braking state, the striker is closed to hold the lid in an overstroke position set in a closing direction rather than a fully closed position with respect to the vehicle body. The striker drive device is
A mounting base that movably supports the striker,
A movable member supported by the mounting base so as to move in a direction intersecting the moving direction of the striker.
A cam mechanism provided between the movable member and the striker and converting the movement of the movable member into the movement of the striker is provided, and the striker is moved with respect to the mounting base by the movement of the movable member. The vehicle latch system according to claim 1 or 2 .

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