JP7225717B2 - Vehicle door opening/closing body assembly, opening/closing body driving device, and door frame assembly - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an opening/closing body assembly for a vehicle door, an opening/closing body driving device , and a door frame assembly .

2. Description of the Related Art There is an opening/closing body drive device that opens and closes a window opening formed in a vehicle door by means of an opening/closing body (a window made of glass or resin), and uses a rack to transmit a driving force to the opening/closing body. There are known a type in which a separate rack is attached to the opening/closing body and a type in which a row of teeth of the rack is directly formed on the side edge of the opening/closing body made of resin.

Japanese Patent No. 5061089

The type in which a row of rack teeth is formed on the side edge of the opening/closing body is difficult to apply to the opening/closing body made of glass, and the material of the opening/closing body is restricted. In addition, when the rack is formed by post-processing the opening/closing body, which is a large-sized member, costs and labor are required.

The opening/closing body of a vehicle door often has a curved shape along the vehicle body. In the type in which a separate rack is attached to the opening/closing body, the rack is previously formed into a curved shape corresponding to the opening/closing body by molding or bending at the stage of manufacturing the rack, and then assembled to the opening/closing body. Therefore, manufacturing the rack is costly and time-consuming.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a vehicle door opening/closing member assembly (an opening/closing member driving device including the opening/closing member assembly and a door opening/closing member assembly that can easily obtain an opening/closing member with a rack at low cost). frame assembly ) .

The present invention provides a vehicle door including an opening/closing body that has a curved shape along a vehicle door and opens and closes a window opening of the vehicle door, and a rack that is attached to the opening/closing body and transmits driving force of a drive source to the opening/closing body. In the opening/closing body assembly of (1), the opening/closing body has a concave inner surface facing the inside of the vehicle, and includes a support member fixed to the inner surface of the opening/closing body, and the rack has a plurality of mounting holes at different positions in the longitudinal direction. The supporting member has a plurality of screw holes corresponding to the plurality of mounting holes, and the plurality of screws inserted into the plurality of mounting holes are screwed into the plurality of screw holes so that the rack is formed into a curved shape along the opening/closing body. One of the plurality of mounting holes is a reference hole that serves as a positional reference for the rack with respect to the support member, and the mounting holes other than the reference hole are elongated holes longer in the longitudinal direction than the reference hole. Characterized by

Preferably, the rack has side walls positioned on both sides of the tooth row for receiving the drive force of the drive source. The side walls increase the rigidity of the rack. Further, according to the present invention, it becomes easy to manufacture even a rack having side walls.

More preferably, the support member has a fixed portion fixed to the inner surface of the opening/closing body and a protruding portion protruding from the fixed portion toward the vehicle interior, and a screw hole is formed in the protruding portion. The rack has a mounting portion overlapping the projecting portion, and a mounting hole is formed in the mounting portion.

The present invention may be applied as an opening/closing body driving device in which a drive source and a guide member for guiding the opening/closing body in the opening/closing direction are combined with the opening/closing body assembly described above.

Furthermore, the present invention may be applied as a door frame assembly having a sash portion forming a window opening and having an opening/closing body driving device attached to the sash portion.

According to the above-described vehicle door opening/closing member assembly (opening/closing member driving device including the opening/closing member assembly and door frame assembly ) of the present invention, the rack-equipped opening/closing member can be easily obtained at low cost.

1 is a side view of a vehicle door; FIG. It is a perspective view of a state disassembled into a door frame, a guide rail, a window assembly, and a drive unit. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the assembly of the guide rail, window assembly, and drive unit to the door frame; 1 is an exploded perspective view of a window assembly; FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the standing pillar sash taken along line AA of FIG. 1; 1. It is sectional drawing of a vertical pillar sash in the state in which the slider shoe reached the position of the AA line of FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the vicinity of the upper end of the slider base; FIG. 10 is a view showing a state in which the movement of the window glass is restricted by contact between the stopper portion of the slider shoe and the pinion; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the front sash and its surroundings taken along line BB of FIG. 1; It is a figure which shows the initial shape of a rack. It is a figure which shows the state which attached the rack to the slider base. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the rack taken along line CC of FIG. 10; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the rack taken along line DD of FIG. 10;

Embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings. A door 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a side door attached to the side of a right front seat of a vehicle body (not shown), and a door opening (not shown) that is opened and closed by the door 10 is formed in the vehicle body. . The door 10 includes a door panel 10a (virtually indicated by a dashed line) and a door frame 10b. A window opening 10c is formed surrounded by the upper edge of the door panel 10a and the door frame 10b.

In the following description, the inside and outside of the vehicle correspond to the inside and outside of the vehicle body when the door 10 is closed. call. Further, of the door frame 10b, the side facing the window opening 10c is the inner peripheral side, the opposite side of the window opening 10c (the side facing the inner edge of the body opening when the door 10 is closed) is the outer peripheral side, and the inner peripheral side is the inner peripheral side. A direction connecting the outer peripheral sides is called an inner and outer peripheral direction.

Although illustration is omitted, the door panel 10a is configured by combining an inner panel located inside the vehicle and an outer panel located outside the vehicle. A door panel inner space (not shown) is formed between the inner panel and the outer panel, and the upper edge of the door panel inner space opens toward the window opening 10c.

The door frame 10b has an upper sash 11 positioned at the upper edge of the door 10, and a vertical column sash (sash portion) 12 and a front sash 13 extending generally vertically from the upper sash 11 toward the door panel 10a. there is The pillar sash 12 is located at the rearmost part of the door frame 10b, and the upper rear corner of the door 10 forms a door corner 10d where the rear end of the upper sash 11 and the upper end of the pillar sash 12 intersect. At the door corner portion 10d, the rear end of the upper sash 11 and the upper end of the standing pillar sash 12 are connected via a connecting member. The vertical pillar sash 12 and the front sash 13 extend substantially parallel, the vertical pillar sash 12 forms the rear edge of the window opening 10c, and the front sash 13 forms the front edge of the window opening 10c. Also, the upper sash 11 forms the upper edge of the window opening 10c.

The vertical pillar sash 12 extends downward (diagonally downward) from the door corner portion 10d and is inserted into the door panel inner space. The upper sash 11 extends forward from the door corner portion 10d, curves downward as it progresses forward from the middle, and reaches the inner space of the door panel. The front sash 13 extends downward (diagonally downward) from an intermediate position of the upper sash 11 and is inserted into the door panel inner space. The upper sash 11, the pillar sash 12, and the front sash 13 are each fixed to the door panel 10a within the door panel inner space.

A mirror bracket 14 is arranged in the front portion of the door panel inner space, and a lock bracket 15 is arranged in the rear portion thereof. A mirror bracket 14 and a lock bracket 15 are fixed to the door panel 10a, respectively. A part of the mirror bracket 14 protrudes upward from the door panel 10a and has a shape that fits in a triangular space between the upper sash 11 and the front sash 13. A door mirror (not shown) is attached to the part of the mirror bracket 14. etc. is attached. A door lock mechanism (not shown) or the like is attached to the lock bracket 15 .

A beltline reinforcement 16 extending in the front-rear direction is arranged near the upper edge of the inner space of the door panel. The beltline reinforcement 16 is composed of an inner reinforcement 16a located inside the vehicle and an outer reinforcement 16b located outside the vehicle. A front end of the inner reinforcement 16 a is fixed to the mirror bracket 14 and a rear end is fixed to the lock bracket 15 . As shown in FIG. 1, the rear end of the inner reinforcement 16a is fastened and fixed to the lock bracket 15 at fastening portions Q1 and Q2. Further, at the fastening portion Q1, a drive unit 60, which will be described later, is fastened and fixed (fastened together) to the lock bracket 15 and the inner reinforcement 16a.

A window glass (opening/closing body) W for opening and closing a window opening 10c by moving up and down along a vertical pillar sash 12 and a front sash 13 is provided. The window glass W is a plate-shaped glass material having an exterior surface W1 facing the exterior of the vehicle, an interior surface (inner surface) W2 facing the interior of the vehicle, and an edge surface W3 facing the outer periphery. The window glass W moves up and down between a fully closed position (the position shown in FIG. 1) and a fully open position by a window regulator 19, which will be described later. The window glass W lowered from the fully closed position to the fully opened position is accommodated in the door panel inner space.

Although the details will be described later, the window glass W is movably supported and guided in the vertical direction by guide rails 40 incorporated in the vertical pillar sash 12 (constituting the vertical pillar sash 12). Therefore, the guide rail 40 has a length corresponding to the moving range of the rear edge portion of the window glass W from the fully open position to the fully closed position, and extends to the vicinity of the lower end of the inner space of the door panel below the pillar sash 12. extended. The front sash 13 also has a length corresponding to the moving range of the front edge portion of the window glass W from the fully open position to the fully closed position, and extends to the vicinity of the lower end of the inner space of the door panel.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the upper sash 11 has a cross-sectional structure in which a frame portion 20 having a hollow cross-sectional shape located inside the vehicle and a design portion 21 located outside the vehicle are connected by a connecting portion 22 . A glass run housing portion 23 is formed as a recess surrounded by the frame portion 20 , the design portion 21 and the connection portion 22 . The glass run housing portion 23 is opened toward the inner periphery, and a glass run (not shown) made of an elastic material is housed therein.

When the window glass W is in the fully closed position ( FIG. 1 ), the upper edge of the window glass W enters the glass run housing portion 23 of the upper sash 11 . The glass run comes into close contact with the outer side surface W1, the inner side surface W2, and the edge surface W3 of the window glass W that has entered the glass run housing portion 23, and becomes watertight to prevent raindrops from entering the inner side of the vehicle. The upper edge of the glass W is elastically held by the glass run.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the upper sash 11 is further formed with a weatherstrip holding portion 24 on the outer peripheral side opposite to the glass run housing portion 23 . The weatherstrip holding portion 24 holds an elastic weatherstrip (not shown in FIG. 9). The weatherstrip held by the weatherstrip holding portion 24 is continuous with a weatherstrip 38 (FIGS. 5 and 6) held by the upright sash 12, which will be described later.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pillar sash 12 is configured by combining an inner sash 30 and a guide rail (guide member) 40, which are long members. The inner sash 30 and the guide rail 40 may be made of metal such as iron or aluminum, or may be made of non-metal such as synthetic resin. In this embodiment, the inner sash 30 is made of iron or aluminum, and the guide rail 40 is made of aluminum. The window glass W has a curved shape that is convex toward the outside of the vehicle. Corresponding to the curved shape of the window glass W, the vertical column sash 12 also has a curved shape that is convex toward the outside of the vehicle. Mainly referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the structure of the pillar sash 12 will be described.

The inner sash 30 has a frame portion 31 located inside the vehicle, a design portion 32 located outside the vehicle, and a stepped portion 33 connecting the frame portion 31 and the design portion 32 . The frame portion 31 is a portion of the upper sash 11 corresponding to the frame portion 20 . More specifically, the frame portion 31 includes a vehicle interior side wall 31a located on the vehicle interior side, an inner peripheral side wall 31b extending from the inner peripheral side end of the vehicle interior side wall 31a to the vehicle exterior side, and a and an outer peripheral side wall 31c extending outwardly of the vehicle. The distance between the inner peripheral side wall 31b and the outer peripheral side wall 31c increases with distance from the vehicle inner side wall 31a.

Unlike the frame portion 20 (see FIG. 9) of the upper sash 11, which has a closed cross-sectional shape, the inner sash 30 of the vertical column sash 12 connects the vehicle-outside end portions of the inner peripheral side wall 31b and the outer peripheral side wall 31c of the frame portion 31. It has a bag-like cross-sectional shape that opens toward the outside of the vehicle.

The stepped portion 33 of the inner sash 30 includes an outer periphery extending portion 33a extending outward from the outer end of the outer peripheral side wall 31c and an outer extending portion extending outward from the outer end of the outer periphery extending portion 33a. 33b. The design portion 32 extends outward from the end portion of the exterior extension portion 33b on the exterior side of the vehicle.

The guide rail 40 is arranged to fit inside the open portion of the frame portion 31 and the stepped portion 33 of the inner sash 30 on the outside of the vehicle. More specifically, the guide rail 40 includes a vehicle inner side wall 41 located inside the vehicle, an inner peripheral side wall 42 extending from the inner peripheral end of the vehicle inner side wall 41 to the vehicle outer side, and It has an outer peripheral side wall 43 extending to the outside of the vehicle, and an outer peripheral extended portion 44 extending from the end portion of the outer peripheral side wall 43 on the outside of the vehicle to the outer peripheral side. A bent portion 45 protruding toward the outer peripheral side is provided at the end portion of the inner peripheral side wall 42 on the outside of the vehicle.

In the guide rail 40, an inner peripheral side wall 42 and an outer peripheral side wall 43 which are spaced apart in the inner and outer peripheral directions, and a vehicle interior side wall 41 connecting them form a recess opening toward the exterior of the vehicle. It becomes space S. A pair of opposing surfaces (inner surfaces facing the guide space S) of the inner peripheral side wall 42 and the outer peripheral side wall 43 are substantially parallel to each other and extend vertically while maintaining a constant interval in the inner and outer peripheral directions. The inner peripheral side wall 42 and the outer peripheral side wall 43 are fitted inside the inner peripheral side wall 31b and the outer peripheral side wall 31c of the frame portion 31 of the inner sash 30, respectively. Therefore, the thickness of each of the inner peripheral side wall 42 and the outer peripheral side wall 43 increases as the distance from the inner side wall 41 toward the outer side of the vehicle increases. The portion where the thickness of the inner peripheral side wall 42 and the outer peripheral side wall 43 is maximum forms an end face facing the outside of the vehicle. The end face of the inner peripheral side wall 42 and the end face of the outer peripheral side wall 43 are generally flush with each other with the opening of the guide space S interposed therebetween.

The bent portion 45 protrudes in a direction (outer peripheral side) in which the thickness of the inner peripheral side wall 42 is further increased from the outer end of the vehicle where the inner peripheral side wall 42 has the maximum thickness. It partially covers the outside of the vehicle. That is, the opening width of the guide space S in the inner and outer peripheral directions is narrower than the width inside the guide space S due to the bent portion 45 .

By fitting the inner peripheral side wall 42 and the outer peripheral side wall 43 to the inner peripheral side wall 31b and the outer peripheral side wall 31c of the frame portion 31, the relative positions of the inner sash 30 and the guide rail 40 in the inner and outer peripheral directions and the vehicle interior and exterior directions are determined. . At this time, the outer peripheral extension portion 33a of the step portion 33 of the inner sash 30 and the outer peripheral extension portion 44 of the guide rail 40 overlap in the vehicle interior and exterior directions. A through hole 33c is formed in the outer peripheral extension portion 33a, and a through hole 44a is formed in the outer peripheral extension portion 44. As shown in FIG. When the inner sash 30 and the guide rail 40 have a predetermined positional relationship in the vertical direction, the through holes 33c and 44a communicate with each other in the vehicle interior and exterior directions.

In this state, the shaft portions of the bolts 17 are inserted into the through holes 33c and 44a from the inside of the vehicle. A shaft portion of the bolt 17 projecting into the stepped portion 33 is screwed into the nut 18 . The inner sash 30 and the guide rail 40 are fixed by applying a predetermined tightening torque while the head of the bolt 17 is in contact with the outer peripheral extension portion 33a. As shown in FIG. 3 , fastening and fixing by bolts 17 and nuts 18 are performed at a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction of inner sash 30 and guide rail 40 .

An inner garnish 34 covering the frame part 31 of the inner sash 30 from the inside of the vehicle and an outer garnish 35 covering the design part 32 and the step part 33 from the outside of the vehicle are provided. The inner garnish 34 and the outer garnish 35 are long members extending in the longitudinal direction of the pillar sash 12, and are made of synthetic resin, metal, or the like. The inner garnish 34 constitutes the appearance of the vertical pillar sash 12 on the vehicle inner side, and the outer garnish 35 constitutes the appearance of the vertical pillar sash 12 on the vehicle outer side.

A space is provided between the outer garnish 35 and the stepped portion 33, and the threaded portion of the bolt 17 and the nut 18 is positioned in this space. Therefore, by attaching the outer garnish 35, the fastening portion between the inner sash 30 and the guide rail 40 becomes invisible from the outside of the vehicle. Each of the inner garnish 34 and the outer garnish 35 is fixed to the inner sash 30 by a predetermined fixing means (adhesion, etc.).

An elastic cover 36 and an elastic cover 37 are attached to the guide rail 40 at positions on the inner peripheral side of the outer garnish 35 . Both of the elastic covers 36 and 37 are formed of a non-permeable elastic material (for example, rubber) and are long members extending in the longitudinal direction of the pillar sash 12 . 5 and 6 show the shapes of the elastic covers 36 and 37 in the initial state (free state) where no external force is applied.

A seat surface is provided on the end surface of the guide rail 40 facing the vehicle exterior side, and elastic covers 36 and 37 are supported on the vehicle exterior surface of the seat surface. The seat surface is divided into an inner peripheral side seat surface 46 and an outer peripheral side seat surface 47 with the opening of the guide space S interposed therebetween. The inner peripheral seat surface 46 is supported by the end face of the inner peripheral side wall 42 . The outer peripheral seat surface 47 is supported from the end surface of the outer peripheral side wall 43 to the outer peripheral extended portion 44 . The elastic cover 36 located on the inner peripheral side is supported on the inner peripheral side seat surface 46 , and the elastic cover 37 located on the outer peripheral side is supported on the outer peripheral side seat surface 47 . The elastic cover 36 and the elastic cover 37 are respectively fixed to the inner peripheral side seat surface 46 and the outer peripheral side seat surface 47 by a predetermined fixing means (adhesion, etc.).

The elastic cover 36 has a hollow portion 36a having a hollow interior and a cantilevered lip portion 36b extending outward from the hollow portion 36a. there is A portion of the hollow portion 36a extends inward in a cantilevered manner to cover the outer end of the inner garnish 34, thereby preventing the end of the inner peripheral side wall 31b of the inner sash 30 from being exposed. .

The elastic cover 37 includes a base portion 37a supported by the outer seating surface 47, a plate-like portion 37b protruding from the base portion 37a toward the vehicle interior, and a cantilevered portion protruding toward the inner periphery from near the tip of the plate-like portion 37b. A first lip portion 37c, a cantilevered second lip portion 37d protruding from the vicinity of the inner peripheral end portion of the base portion 37a toward the vehicle outer side and the inner peripheral side, and a pressing portion 37e positioned on the outer peripheral side of the plate-like portion 37b. and have

The lip portion 36b of the elastic cover 36 and the second lip portion 37d of the elastic cover 37 extend in a direction approaching each other and cover the guide space S on the outside of the vehicle. The first lip portion 37c of the elastic cover 37 is located on the outer side of the vehicle than the second lip portion 37d. The outer garnish 35 has a bent portion 35a formed by bending an inner peripheral end portion toward the vehicle interior. The bent portion 35a is fitted between the plate-like portion 37b and the pressing portion 37e to hold the elastic cover 37 stably.

The vertical pillar sash 12 of this embodiment has a so-called flush surface structure in which the outer side surface of the outer garnish 35 is substantially at the same position as the outer side surface W1 of the window glass W in the vehicle interior and exterior direction. The elastic covers 36 and 37 contribute to waterproofing and vibration suppression around the window glass W in this flash surface structure.

The first lip portion 37c of the elastic cover 37 is positioned to face the rear edge surface W3 of the window glass W in the inner and outer peripheral directions. The edge surface W3 pushes the first lip portion 37c outward and elastically deforms. The pressing force applied to the first lip portion 37c is received by the plate-like portion 37b, and the plate-like portion 37b comes into contact with the bent portion 35a of the outer garnish 35 and is restricted from moving to the outer peripheral side. Further, since the plate-like portion 37b and the pressing portion 37e are fitted to the bent portion 35a, the stability of the elastic cover 37 is high. Therefore, the first lip portion 37c is brought into close contact with the edge surface W3 with a predetermined reaction force to seal the gap between the window glass W and the outer garnish 35 in a watertight manner and suppress the vibration of the window glass W.

The hollow portion 36a of the elastic cover 36 is positioned between the vehicle interior side surface W2 of the window glass W and the guide rail 40 (the inner peripheral seat surface 46) in the vehicle interior and exterior direction. A portion of the hollow portion 36a that protrudes toward the vehicle exterior side is pressed by the vehicle interior side surface W2 of the window glass W, and the hollow portion 36a is compressed and deformed in the vehicle interior and exterior directions. As a result, the elastic cover 36 watertightly closes the space between the vehicle interior side surface W2 and the guide rail 40, and suppresses the vibration of the window glass W. In addition to sealing the edge surface W3 of the window glass W with the first lip portion 37c, the airtightness between the window glass W and the vertical column sash 12 is improved by sealing the inner side surface W2 of the window glass W with the hollow portion 36a. Further improve.

Especially in the door 10 of this embodiment, the component of the window regulator 19 is incorporated in the vertical pillar sash 12 as will be described later. Therefore, it is highly effective to highly waterproof the space between the window glass W and the vertical pillar sash 12 by the elastic covers 36 and 37 .

Although the details will be described later, the guide space S of the guide rail 40 is a portion that slidably supports the slider shoes 52 and 53 attached to the window glass W. As shown in FIG. The inner peripheral side wall 42 and the outer peripheral side wall 43 forming the guide space S of the guide rail 40 determine the position of the window glass W in the inner and outer peripheral directions. The position of the glass W is determined. An inner peripheral seat surface 46 and an outer peripheral seat surface 47 that support the elastic covers 36 and 37 are provided on the guide rail 40 . That is, both the window glass W and the elastic covers 36 and 37 are positioned with the guide rail 40 as a reference. As a result, the positional relationship between the window glass W and the elastic covers 36, 37 is stabilized (difficult to vary). Since the elastic covers 36 and 37 function as seal members when pressed by the window glass W, if the positional relationship between the window glass W and the elastic covers 36 and 37 is stable, the window glass W and the pillar sash 12 will not be affected. The degree of close contact between the elastic covers 36 and 37 is stabilized, and a high degree of watertightness by the elastic covers 36 and 37 can be ensured.

Further, as will be described later, since the elastic covers 36, 37 have the lip portions 36b and the second lip portions 37d in contact with the slider base 51, the positional relationship between the window glass W and the elastic covers 36, 37 is stable. With this, the load fluctuation on the slider base 51 is suppressed, and the sliding performance of the slider base 51 with respect to the guide rail 40 is improved.

The outer garnish 35 and the elastic cover 37 are positioned on the outermost side of the upright sash 12 and form the outer surface of the door 10 together with the window glass W. In the elastic cover 37, the base end side of the first lip portion 37c (the side connected to the plate-like portion 37b) is substantially flush with the vehicle exterior surface W1 of the window glass W and the vehicle exterior surface of the outer garnish 35. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the elastic cover 37 has an excellent waterproof performance and, together with the window glass W and the outer garnish 35, forms an external appearance of a flush surface structure, thereby enhancing external appearance quality.

In addition, on the inner peripheral side of the outer garnish 35, the entire elastic cover 36 and the second lip portion 37d of the elastic cover 37 are positioned on the vehicle inner side of the window glass W, so that the internal structure of the upright pillar sash 12 is almost visible to the outside. covered without Therefore, even in the region where the window glass W and the vertical pillar sash 12 overlap in the vehicle interior and exterior directions, an excellent appearance can be obtained.

A weatherstrip 38 is further attached to the upright sash 12 . The weatherstrip 38 is made of a non-permeable elastic material (eg, rubber). The outer peripheral side wall 31c of the inner sash 30 is provided with a seat surface 39 facing the outer periphery, and the leg portion 38a of the weatherstrip 38 is fixed to the seat surface 39. As shown in FIG. By partially covering the inner garnish 34 with the weatherstrip 38, the step between the outer peripheral side wall 31c of the inner sash 30 and the inner garnish 34 becomes invisible from the inside of the vehicle.

The weather strip 38 also covers the outer peripheral extending portion 33a of the stepped portion 33 from the inside of the vehicle. The area covered by this weatherstrip 38 also includes the head of the bolt 17 . Accordingly, by attaching the weatherstrip 38, the fastening portion between the inner sash 30 and the guide rail 40 becomes invisible from the inside of the vehicle.

The weatherstrip 38 has a hollow elastic contact portion 38b protruding from the leg portion 38a. When the door 10 is closed with respect to the vehicle body, the elastic contact portion 38b comes into contact with the body pillar P of the vehicle body extending along the door opening and is elastically deformed, thereby maintaining a watertight seal between the vehicle body and the door 10 (upright sash 12). close to

The door 10 has a window regulator 19 that drives the window glass W to move up and down. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the window regulator 19 supports and guides the window assembly 50 by the guide rails 40 so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and transmits the driving force of the drive unit 60 to the window assembly 50 to move the window glass. Raise W. Components of the window regulator 19 are incorporated in the vertical pillar sash 12 . A structure for driving the glass up and down including the window regulator 19 will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 4, the window assembly (opening/closing body assembly) 50 includes a slider base (supporting member) 51, a pair of slider shoes 52 and 53, a rack 54, and a slide guide 55 assembled to the window glass W. configured as follows.

The window glass W is longer at the trailing edge than at the leading edge. The slider base 51 is an elongated member that extends vertically, and has a length along substantially the entire rear edge of the window glass W. As shown in FIG. The material of the slider base 51 may be metal or non-metal such as synthetic resin. The slider base 51 has a glass fixing portion (fixing portion) 51a located outside the vehicle, and a connecting portion (protruding portion) 51b projecting from the glass fixing portion 51a to the inside of the vehicle. It is approximately T-shaped.

The glass fixing portion 51a is a plate-like portion whose front and back surfaces (side surfaces) face inward and outward directions of the vehicle. The vehicle-exterior surface of the glass fixing portion 51a is fixed to the mounting region G1 (FIG. 4) of the vehicle-interior side surface W2 of the window glass W by adhesion or the like. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the glass fixing portion 51a extends to the outer peripheral side from the fixing portion to the mounting region G1, and the end portion of the outer peripheral side of the glass fixing portion 51a extends to the edge surface W3 of the window glass W. It is located on the outer side of the

As shown in FIG. 4, a lower end receiving portion 51c is provided at the lower end of the glass fixing portion 51a. The lower end receiving portion 51c is a flat plate-like portion that protrudes outward from the glass fixing portion 51a. At the lower end portion of the glass fixing portion 51a, there is formed a widened portion 51g that gradually increases in width in the inner and outer peripheral directions (increases in width) as it progresses downward. formed (see FIG. 4). The amount of protrusion of the lower end receiving portion 51c from the glass fixing portion 51a to the outside of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the thickness of the window glass W. When the slider base 51 is attached to the window glass W, the position of the slider base 51 is determined so that the lower end of the window glass W is supported by the lower end receiving portion 51c.

A force that tends to move the window glass W and the slider base 51 relative to each other in the vertical direction acts as a shear load in the vertical direction between the vehicle interior side surface W2 (mounting region G1) and the glass fixing portion 51a. By receiving the lower end of the window glass W with the lower end receiving portion 51c provided on the slider base 51, the window glass W and the slider base 51 can be fixed with high strength. 51 can be reliably prevented from being dislocated or separated.

The connection portion 51b is a plate-like portion that protrudes from the inner side surface of the glass fixing portion 51a and has both side surfaces facing in the inner and outer peripheral directions. Part of each of the upper end side and the lower end side of the connection portion 51b forms shoe support portions 51d and 51e by increasing the amount of protrusion toward the vehicle interior. A slider shoe 52 is attached to the shoe support portion 51d on the upper end side, and a slider shoe 53 is attached to the shoe support portion 51e on the lower end side. Each of the shoe support portions 51d and 51e has an L-shaped cross-sectional shape formed by bending the end portion of the connecting portion 51b toward the outer peripheral side, and the slider shoes 52 and 53 are fitted into the L-shaped portions. (See FIGS. 4 and 6).

The slider shoes 52 and 53 respectively have sliding bases 52a and 53a with rectangular cross-sections that fit within the guide space S of the guide rail 40. As shown in FIG. Cantilevered first elastic contact portions 52b and 53b and cantilevered second elastic contact portions 52d and 53d protrude from the sliding bases 52a and 53a, respectively. Further, stopper portions 52c and 53c protrude in the longitudinal direction of the slider base 51 from the sliding base portions 52a and 53a. Each of the slider shoes 52 and 53 is made of a synthetic resin or the like having a hardness lower than that of the guide rail 40 in order to realize smooth movement while preventing noise and vibration.

The slider shoe 52 and the slider shoe 53 are members having the same structure, and are mounted on the slider base 51 in a vertically inverted relationship. As shown in FIG. 7, the slider shoe 52 on the upper end side is assembled with the stopper portion 52c directed downward. The stopper portion 52c extends downward along the inner peripheral surface of the connection portion 51b of the slider base 51 . The slider shoe 53 on the lower end side is assembled with the stopper portion 53c directed upward. The stopper portion 53c extends upward along the surface of the connecting portion 51b of the slider base 51 on the outer peripheral side.

When the slider shoe 52 is assembled to the slider base 51, the first elastic contact portion 52b protrudes toward the inside of the vehicle with respect to the sliding base portion 52a, and the second elastic contact portion 52d (see FIG. 8) extends outward from the sliding base portion 52a. protrude to the side. When the slider shoe 53 is assembled to the slider base 51, the first elastic contact portion 53b protrudes toward the inside of the vehicle relative to the sliding base portion 53a, and the second elastic contact portion 53d protrudes toward the inner peripheral side relative to the sliding base portion 52a. .

Fixing screws 56 (FIG. 4) are inserted into the holes formed in the slide bases 52a and 53a, and the fixing screws 56 are screwed into the threaded holes provided in the shoe support portions 51d and 51e and tightened, whereby the slider shoe is secured. 52 and 53 are fixed to the slider base 51 respectively.

As shown in FIG. 4, a rack 54 is further attached to the slider base 51 . The rack 54 is an elongated member extending in the vertical direction, and has the length of the slider base 51 excluding part of the upper and lower ends to which the slider shoes 52 and 53 are attached.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 10 to 13, the rack 54 has a main body portion 54a and a plate-like mounting portion 54b that protrudes outward from the main body portion 54a. A mounting hole 54c is formed through the mounting portion 54b in the plate thickness direction. A plurality of mounting portions 54b and mounting holes 54c are provided at different positions in the longitudinal direction of the rack 54 .

The rack 54 is attached to the slider base 51 with the attachment portion 54b in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the connection portion 51b. A plurality of screw holes 51f corresponding to the mounting holes 54c are formed in the connecting portion 51b, and a fixing screw 57 (FIGS. 4 and 5) is screwed into each screw hole 51f through each mounting hole 54c to be tightened. , the rack 54 is fixed to the slider base 51 . A portion of the main body portion 54a that faces the outside of the vehicle forms a recess 54i into which the end of the connecting portion 51b that faces the inside of the vehicle is fitted (see FIGS. 12 and 13). The recessed portion 54i is a recessed portion directed toward the vehicle outside and formed between a projecting portion 54k projecting toward the vehicle outside from a side wall portion 54g, which will be described later, and the mounting portion 54b. The rack 54 can be firmly fixed to the slider base 51 by providing the concave portion 54i.

Of the body portion 54a of the rack 54, the surface facing the inner peripheral side when attached to the slider base 51 is provided with a tooth row composed of teeth 54d formed at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction (FIG. 4). , FIGS. 7, 10 and 11). The tooth 54d is formed by partially recessing the body portion 54a, and both sides of the tooth 54d on the vehicle outer side and the vehicle inner side are closed by side wall portions 54g and 54h that constitute the body portion 54a. By providing side walls 54g and 54h on both sides of tooth 54d, the rigidity of rack 54 is improved. A support projection 54e (FIGS. 5, 10, 12, and 13) is formed on the surface of the body portion 54a facing the outer peripheral side opposite to the teeth 54d.

As shown in FIG. 11, the window glass W, which is curved glass along the door frame 10b, has a convex outer surface W1 and a concave inner surface W2. The slider base 51 fixed to the inner side surface W2 has a shape corresponding to the concave shape of the inner side surface W2. That is, the slider base 51 has a curved shape that gradually bulges outward from the vehicle from both ends in the longitudinal direction toward the center. In accordance with the shape of the slider base 51, the rack 54 also has a curved shape that gradually bulges outward from the vehicle from both ends in the longitudinal direction toward the center. The slider base 51 and the rack 54 shown in FIG. 4 are in a curved shape corresponding to the side surface W2 of the window glass W inside the vehicle.

The rack 54 is a molded product of synthetic resin, and is formed as a linear member shown in FIG. 10 instead of the curved shape described above at the time of manufacture. Before being attached to the slider base 51, the rack 54 maintains a linear shape, and when attached to the slider base 51, the curved rack 54 shown in FIGS. 4 and 11 is formed. The linear shape shown in FIG. 10 is called the initial shape of the rack 54 .

As shown in FIG. 10, the plurality of mounting portions 54b of the rack 54 are formed at approximately equal intervals in the longitudinal direction. One mounting hole 54c is formed in each mounting portion 54b. The plurality of mounting holes 54 c are arranged on a straight line extending in the longitudinal direction of the rack 54 in the initial shape of the rack 54 . Of these mounting holes 54c, one mounting hole 54c located at one end in the longitudinal direction is a circular reference hole 54j. Each mounting hole 54c other than the reference hole 54j is an elongated hole extending in the longitudinal direction of the rack 54 and longer than the reference hole 54j. With the rack 54 attached to the slider base 51, the reference hole 54j among the plurality of attachment holes 54c is positioned at the lowest position.

When attaching the rack 54 to the slider base 51, it is first fixed by the fixing screw 57 at the reference hole 54j on the lower end side. The inner diameter of the reference hole 54j is such that the shaft portion of the fixing screw 57 can be inserted without backlash. The rack 54 is aligned with the slider base 51 by the reference hole 54j.

Subsequently, the fixing screws 57 are inserted into the remaining mounting holes 54c, which are long holes, and the fixing screws 57 are sequentially screwed into the remaining screw holes 51f. The rack 54 is in its initial shape when it is first aligned with the reference hole 54j. Then, while bending the rack 54 along the curved shape of the slider base 51, the fixing screws 57 are inserted into the long mounting holes 54c. When fixing by each fixing screw 57 is completed, the rack 54 assumes the curved shape shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the rack 54 has nine mounting portions 54b and nine mounting holes 54c. Can be selected arbitrarily. In the configuration shown in FIG. 4, five fixing screws 57 are used to insert every other screw from the reference hole 54j into the mounting hole 54c.

In mounting the rack 54 using the fixing screws 57, it is preferable to perform the fixing work in order from the mounting hole 54c closer to the reference hole 54j to the mounting hole 54c farther from the reference hole 54j. In this fixing order, the distance from the mounting hole 54c fixed immediately before to the mounting hole 54c fixed next is small, so when fixing with the individual fixing screws 57, the rack 54 is aligned along the slider base 51. The load for deforming by pressing can be kept small. In addition, since the parts are fixed in order from the side closest to the reference hole 54j, it is easy to ensure a high degree of positional accuracy even in a portion away from the reference hole 54j. As a result, mounting workability is good, and mounting accuracy of the rack 54 can be easily ensured.

However, the fixing by the plurality of fixing screws 57 is not limited to the above order, and can be selected arbitrarily. For example, after the reference hole 54j, the fixing screw 57 may be inserted and fixed in the mounting hole 54c (long hole) on the upper end side of the rack 54 farthest from the reference hole 54j.

Of the plurality of mounting holes 54c, the reference hole 54j is positioned closest to the meshing position between the pinion 61 and the rack 54 when the window glass W is fully closed (FIG. 1). By determining the position of the rack 54 using the reference hole 54j as a position reference, the meshing between the pinion 61 and the rack 54 can be controlled with high accuracy. However, the position of the reference hole can be arbitrarily selected, and it is also possible to select the attachment hole 54c located at a position other than the lower end of the rack 54 as the reference hole.

The structure in which the plate-shaped connection portion 51b of the slider base 51 protruding toward the vehicle interior and the plate-shaped mounting portion 54b of the rack 54 projecting toward the vehicle exterior are overlapped and fixed. Excellent workability. In particular, each mounting hole 54c and each screw hole 51f are formed in a direction along the vehicle interior side surface W2 of the window glass W, and each mounting hole 54c opens toward the same direction as the rear edge of the window glass W (Fig. 5), even when the slider base 51 is fixed to the window glass W, it is easy to attach and detach each fixing screw 57 .

The rack 54 can be removed from the slider base 51 by releasing the fixation by each fixing screw 57 . The rack 54 removed from the slider base 51 restores from the curved shape (FIG. 11) to the straight initial shape (FIG. 10). Depending on the material and hardness of the rack 54, the rack 54 after removal may remain curved to some extent.

As described above, the initial shape of the rack 54 is linear, and the rack 54 is attached along the inner side surface W2 of the window glass W so that the rack 54 has a curved shape. Thereby, the productivity of the rack 54 is improved. For example, it is possible to omit the labor of forming the rack 54 in a straight line and then bending it separately. In addition, compared to forming the rack 54 in a curved shape in advance, there are fewer restrictions on the mold structure and mold operation for molding, and it is possible to manufacture the rack 54 at a low cost with a compact and simple mold.

The rack 54 of this embodiment has teeth 54d (row of teeth) toward the inner periphery, and the vehicle outer side and the vehicle inner side of the teeth 54d are covered with side wall portions 54g and 54h of the main body portion 54a. Further, each mounting hole 54c penetrates in the inner and outer peripheral directions. Therefore, when the rack 54 is a molded product of synthetic resin or the like, it must be manufactured using a mold that is divided in the inner and outer peripheral directions. On the other hand, when fixed to the window glass W, the rack 54 has a shape curved inwardly and outwardly of the vehicle (FIG. 11). In this way, under the condition that the release direction of the molding die (inner and outer peripheral directions) and the bending direction of the rack 54 (vehicle inner and outer directions) are different, the final shape of the curved rack 54 can be obtained with high precision using a small molding die. difficult to form. However, if the rack 54 is linear, it can be molded with high accuracy using a small mold that is divided in the inner and outer peripheral directions.

Moreover, depending on the shape of the window glass W and the guide rail 40, the rack 54 may have a curved shape in the inner and outer peripheral directions. If the rack 54 is curved in the inner and outer peripheral directions, the teeth 54d, in particular, will have a shape that hinders movement of the mold in the inner and outer peripheral directions. is difficult. However, by making the initial shape of the rack 54 linear, it is possible to reliably form the rack 54 with a mold that is divided in the inner and outer peripheral directions.

When the rack 54, whose initial shape is linear, is fixed along the slider base 51 and curved, the inner end of the connection portion 51b is fitted into the concave portion 54i of the rack 54, whereby the slider The effect of improving the shape followability of the rack 54 to the base 51 and stabilizing the position of the rack 54 is obtained. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the recessed portion 54i has a shape that is open toward the outside of the vehicle. Therefore, the concave portion 54i may be formed by using another mold (slide mold) that moves in the vehicle interior and exterior directions, in addition to the mold that is divided in the inner and outer peripheral directions. Alternatively, after the rack 54 is molded without the concave portion 54i, the concave portion 54i may be formed by post-processing.

Also, the projecting portion 54k (see FIGS. 12 and 13) may be provided only in a range (see FIGS. 10 and 11) where the mounting portion 54b is not formed in the rack 54 in the longitudinal direction. In this case, the projecting portions 54k and the mounting portions 54b are alternately present in the longitudinal direction of the rack 54, instead of the concave portions 54i in which the projecting portions 54k and the mounting portions 54b exist in the same cross section as in FIGS. However, since the projecting portion 54k faces the connecting portion 51b from the inner peripheral side and the mounting portion 54b faces the connecting portion 51b from the outer peripheral side, the same effect as the recessed portion 54i can be obtained. In this embodiment, both the protruding portion 54k and the connecting portion 51b can be formed by a mold that is divided in the inner and outer peripheral directions.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, when the slider shoe 52 and the rack 54 are attached to the slider base 51, the stopper portion of the slider shoe 52 extends (above) the teeth 54d of the rack 54 in the longitudinal direction of the slider base 51. 52c is located. A restricting portion 54f (FIGS. 8 and 13) is formed at the upper end of the rack 54 with which the outer peripheral surface of the stopper portion 52c abuts.

A slide guide 55 is attached to the front edge side of the window glass W. As shown in FIG. 9, the slide guide 55 is a plate-shaped member having both side surfaces directed toward the vehicle interior and exterior. and a stepped portion 55c connecting the mounting portion 55a and the projecting portion 55b. The mounting portion 55a is positioned further outward than the projecting portion 55b, and the stepped portion 55c has an inclined shape projecting outwardly from the projecting portion 55b toward the mounting portion 55a. The surface of the mounting portion 55a facing the vehicle exterior side is fixed to the mounting region G2 (FIG. 4) of the vehicle interior side surface W2 of the window glass W by adhesion or the like.

As described above, the slider base 51, the pair of slider shoes 52 and 53, the rack 54, and the slide guide 55 are attached to the window glass W to form the window assembly 50. FIG. When the window assembly 50 is installed in the door frame 10b, the state shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 9 is obtained.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the pillar sash 12, two upper and lower slider shoes 52 and 53 are slidable in the guide space S of the guide rail 40 in the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 40 (lifting direction of the window glass W). housed movably. The vehicle interior side wall 41 surrounding the guide space S and the bent portion 45 restrict movement of the slider shoes 52 and 53 in the vehicle interior and exterior directions. Further, the inner peripheral side wall 42 and the outer peripheral side wall 43 restrict movement of the slider shoes 52 and 53 in the inner and outer peripheral directions.

The first elastic contact portion 52b and the second elastic contact portion 52d provided on the slider shoe 52 are elastically deformed by coming into contact with the vehicle inner side wall 41 and the outer peripheral side wall 43, thereby preventing the slider shoe 52 from rattling. A first elastic contact portion 53b and a second elastic contact portion 53d provided on the slider shoe 53 are elastically deformed by coming into contact with the vehicle inner side wall 41 and the inner peripheral side wall 42, thereby preventing the slider shoe 53 from rattling.

More specifically, the first elastic contact portions 52b and 53b of the slider shoes 52 and 53 are elastically deformed by being pushed outward while in contact with the vehicle inner side wall 41, and are restored from the elastic deformation. This force presses the sliding bases 52a and 53a outwardly of the vehicle. The sliding bases 52a and 53a pressed to the outside of the vehicle are pressed against the bent portion 45 that partially covers the outside of the vehicle of the guide space S, and are held in a stable state in the direction of the inside and outside of the vehicle.

The second elastic contact portion 52d of the slider shoe 52 is elastically deformed by being pressed toward the inner peripheral side while in contact with the outer peripheral side wall 43, and the sliding base portion 52d is elastically deformed by a force that restores from the elastic deformation. 52a is pressed inward. The sliding base portion 52a pressed to the inner peripheral side is pressed against the inner peripheral side wall 42 and held in a stable state in the inner and outer peripheral directions.

The second elastic contact portion 53d of the slider shoe 53 is elastically deformed by being pressed toward the outer peripheral side while in contact with the inner peripheral side wall 42, and the sliding base portion 53d is elastically deformed by the force that restores from the elastic deformation. 53a is pressed to the outer peripheral side. The sliding base portion 53a pressed to the outer peripheral side is pressed against the outer peripheral side wall 43 and held in a stable state in the inner and outer peripheral directions.

In this manner, in the slider shoe 52 located on the upper end side of the rear edge portion of the window glass W, the sliding base portion 52a is pressed toward the inner peripheral side (forward) by the second elastic contact portion 52d projecting to the outer peripheral side, It is possible to absorb rattling to the outer peripheral side (rear). On the other hand, in the slider shoe 53 positioned on the lower end side of the trailing edge portion of the window W, the sliding base portion 53a is pressed outward (rearward) by the second elastic contact portion 53d projecting inwardly, and (Forward) rattling can be absorbed. The division of functions between the slider shoes 52 and 53 has the following advantages.

The window glass W has a shape in which the rear edge is vertically longer than the front edge, and the height of the upper edge gradually decreases from the rear edge to the front edge (FIGS. 1 to 4). reference). Therefore, the window glass W, which is supported by the slider shoes 52 and 53 along the trailing edge, is always subjected to a load in the forward tilting direction (counterclockwise when viewed from the inside of the vehicle as shown in FIG. 1). This load in the forward falling direction acts as a force to move the upper slider shoe 52 toward the inner periphery, and acts as a force to move the lower slider shoe 53 toward the outer periphery. work. Here, in each of the slider shoes 52 and 53, the side surfaces of the sliding bases 52a and 53a, which have high strength and a large area, are brought into contact with the guide rail 40 (the inner surface of the guide space S) in the direction in which the load acts. Therefore, excellent load bearing capacity can be obtained.

In addition, when the vehicle body is subjected to severe vibration due to running on rough roads, etc., a load is applied to tilt the window glass W in a direction opposite to the above-described forward tilting direction (clockwise when viewed from the inside of the vehicle as shown in FIG. 1). works. This reverse load acts as a force to move the slider shoe 52 on the upper end side to the outer peripheral side, and acts as a force to move the slider shoe 53 on the lower end side to the inner peripheral side. work. Here, each slider shoe 52, 53 can efficiently suppress vibrations to the guide rail 40 while absorbing the load in the acting direction of the load by elastic deformation of the second elastic contact portions 52d, 53d.

As the slider shoes 52 and 53 move along the inner surface of the guide space S, the window glass W moves up and down. In other words, the guide rail 40 functions as a guide portion for guiding the slider shoes 52 and 53 in the window regulator 19 to move up and down. The guide rail 40 has a curved shape corresponding to the curvature of the window glass W, and the slider shoes 52 and 53 can move the window glass W up and down along the curved guide rail 40 with high accuracy.

Since the slider shoe 52 and the slider shoe 53 that constitute the window regulator 19 support the window glass W at a position greatly separated in the vertical direction (the shoe pitch that is the vertical interval between the two slider shoes 52 and 53 is large), the window The positional accuracy and stability of the glass W are extremely high. The larger the shoe pitch, the easier it is to suppress the inclination of the window glass W with respect to the guide rail 40 (especially the inclination in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle), so that the window glass W can be supported with high accuracy and with high stability.

In particular, the rear edge of the window glass W along the pillar sash 12 is vertically longer than the front edge along the front sash 13 . By arranging the slider shoe 52 and the slider shoe 53 in the vicinity of the upper end and the lower end of the trailing edge of the window glass W, the effective length of support for the window glass W in the vertical direction is greatly increased, and the length in the longitudinal direction is greatly increased. Sufficient stability and support strength can be obtained even with a structure in which the window glass W is supported by one edge (rear edge in this embodiment) of the window glass W. Further, it is unnecessary to provide a means for supporting and guiding the window glass W in a wide area between the front sash 13 and the guide rail 40 in the inner space of the door panel, and excellent space efficiency can be obtained.

In the support structure on the side of the vertical pillar sash 12 that supports the window glass W with such excellent accuracy and stability, an elastic member (generally concave structure glass run) is not provided. The elastic covers 36 and 37 with which the vicinity of the rear edge of the window glass W abuts provide waterproofness between the window glass W and the vertical pillar sash 12 (outer garnish 35), and function as an external component of the vertical pillar sash 12. , and the cross-sectional shape can be made compact and simple.

The connection portion 51b of the slider base 51 connects the slider shoes 52 and 53 arranged in the guide space S of the guide rail 40 and the glass fixing portion 51a positioned outside the guide space S (vehicle outside). . Therefore, the guide rail 40 has a cross-sectional shape in which the guide space S is open to the outside of the vehicle so that the connecting portion 51b can be passed in the direction of the inside and outside of the vehicle. Since the connection portion 51b is a target for attaching the rack 54 in addition to the slider shoes 52 and 53, the connection portion 51b extends long in the vertical direction. As a result, the guide rail 40 has an open portion to the outside of the vehicle along the entire longitudinal direction.

The lip portion 36b of the elastic cover 36 and the second lip portion 37d of the elastic cover 37 extend in the inner and outer peripheral directions, and have a relationship in which the vicinity of the tip thereof overlaps each other in a free state (see FIGS. 5 and 6). Therefore, at the cross-sectional position of the vertical pillar sash 12 where the slider base 51 exists, the elastically deformed lip portion 36b and the second lip portion 37d are in close contact with the connection portion 51b from both sides, and the glass fixing portion 51a does not move toward the glass fixing portion 51a. Close from the inside. As a result, the periphery of the slider base 51 can be reliably sealed. By extending the glass fixing portion 51a to a position on the outer peripheral side of the edge surface W3 of the window glass W, a contact range of the second lip portion 37d with respect to the glass fixing portion 51a can be ensured. At the cross-sectional position of the vertical pillar sash 12 where the slider base 51 is no longer present due to the downward movement of the window glass W, the open portion of the guide rail 40 facing the outside of the vehicle is moved while the lip portion 36b and the second lip portion 37d overlap each other. cover. As a result, regardless of the vertical position of the window glass W, the internal structure of the vertical pillar sash 12 (especially the guide rail 40) is not exposed so as to be visible from the outside of the vehicle, and the appearance quality of the vertical pillar sash 12 can be improved. .

In addition, separate elastic covers 36 and 37 are provided in the inner and outer spaces divided by the connecting portion 51b of the slider base 51, so that the respective spaces can be sealed. Easy to optimize. Specifically, an elastic cover 36 having a shape suitable for sealing between the inner side surface W2 of the window glass W and the guide rail 40 is arranged on the inner peripheral side of the connecting portion 51b. An elastic cover 37 having a shape suitable for sealing between the edge surface W3 of the window glass W and the outer garnish 35 and between the outer garnish 35 and the guide rail 40 is arranged on the outer peripheral side of the connecting portion 51b. there is

As shown in FIG. 5 , in addition to the slider shoes 52 and 53 , the rack 54 is also located within the guide space S of the guide rail 40 . The body portion 54a of the rack 54 has a smaller cross-sectional area than the sliding base portions 52a and 53a of the slider shoes 52 and 53, and has a clearance with the inner surface of the guide space S. It does not interfere with the upward/downward movement of the glass W. The teeth 54d of the rack 54 face the inner peripheral side (inner peripheral side wall 42) in the guide space S. As shown in FIG.

The guide rail 40 extends downward longer than the inner sash 30 and the inner garnish 34, and has a length extending from the forming region of the vertical pillar sash 12 overlapping the inner sash 30 to the lowest part of the inner space of the door panel. (See Figures 1 to 3). The guide rail 40 is exposed without being surrounded by the inner sash 30 and the inner garnish 34 in the inner space of the door panel. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, a cutout 48 is formed by cutting out a portion of the inner peripheral side wall 42 in the inner space of the door panel to expose the teeth 54d of the rack 54. As shown in FIG. A pinion 61 of the drive unit 60 meshes with the teeth 54 d of the rack 54 through the notch 48 .

The drive unit 60 has a motor M which is a drive source for the window regulator 19, and transmits the driving force of the motor M to the pinion 61 to rotate it. A drive unit 60 is attached to the lock bracket 15 . As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the lock bracket 15 is located inside the vehicle relative to the inner sash 30 , and a predetermined space is provided outside the lock bracket 15 in the door panel interior space below the inner sash 30 . There is The guide rail 40 passes through the space inside the door panel. The drive unit 60 is fixed to the outer surface of the lock bracket 15 . In this state, the rotating shaft of the pinion 61 faces toward the inside of the vehicle.

When the drive unit 60 is attached to a predetermined position of the lock bracket 15, the pinion 61 meshes with the rack 54 from the inner peripheral side. The support projections 54e provided on the rack 54 are separated from the inner surface of the guide space S when no external force is applied. When the pinion 61 applies a strong load to the rack 54 (particularly, a force that presses the rack 54 toward the outer peripheral side), the support projection 54 e comes into contact with the outer peripheral side wall 43 and transfers the load to the guide rail 40 . As a result, excessive deformation of the rack 54 within the guide space S is prevented, and the meshing between the pinion 61 and the rack 54 is properly maintained.

By assembling the door components (the door frame 10b, the window assembly 50, and the drive unit 60) including the components of the window regulator 19 as described above, the door frame assembly 10e including the window regulator 19 is constructed. The door frame assembly 10e includes a door frame 10b and a window regulator 19 (see FIG. 2). FIG. 2 shows the state before assembling the door frame assembly 10e.

When the motor M of the drive unit 60 is driven to rotate the pinion 61 with the window regulator 19 assembled, the force is converted into a moving force of the guide rail 40 in the longitudinal direction via the rack 54 . Then, the slider base 51 to which the rack 54 is fixed moves together with the window glass W while sliding the slider shoes 52 and 53 on the guide rails 40 . Accordingly, when the pinion 61 rotates forward and backward, the window assembly 50 including the rack 54 moves up and down along the guide rail 40 . The rack 54 has a length that meshes with the pinion 61 over the entire movable range from the fully closed position to the fully opened position of the window glass W.

When the window assembly 50 moves downward, the position of the slider shoe 52 attached to the upper end of the slider base 51 changes downward. Since the stopper portion 52c of the slider shoe 52 is located on the extension (upper side) of the teeth 54d of the rack 54, the stopper portion 52c approaches the pinion 61 when the position of the slider shoe 52 changes downward. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, when the stopper portion 52c reaches the position of the pinion 61, the teeth of the pinion 61 come into contact with the side surface of the stopper portion 52c.

With the teeth of the pinion 61 in contact with the stopper portion 52c, when the pinion 61 attempts to rotate further in the glass downward direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 8), the stopper portion 52c is pushed outward. Since the movement of the stopper portion 52c toward the outer peripheral side is restricted by the restricting portion 54f provided at the upper end of the rack 54, the rotation of the pinion 61 in the glass lowering direction is restricted. As a result, the pinion 61 and the rack 54 are locked, and the downward movement of the window glass W is mechanically restricted. Since a mechanical stopper is constituted by the slider shoe 52 for guiding the upward/downward movement of the window glass W and the pinion 61 for applying an upward/downward driving force to the window glass W, there is no need to provide a separate stopper member, and the structure is simple and low in cost. You can get it for the cost.

The mechanical limit position (FIG. 8) where the stopper portion 52c abuts against the pinion 61 can be the fully opened position of the window glass W. As shown in FIG. Alternatively, the fully open position of the window glass W to be moved by normal drive control of the drive unit 60 is set above the mechanical limit position shown in FIG. The stopper portion 52c may be configured to contact the pinion 61 only when it is moved.

It should be noted that the slider shoe 53 on the lower end side can also be a dedicated component that does not have the stopper portion 53c.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the front sash 13 includes a vehicle interior side wall 70 located on the vehicle interior side, a connection wall 71 extending outward from the outer peripheral end of the vehicle interior side wall 70 , and an exterior end of the connection wall 71 . It has an outer side wall 72 extending inwardly from the inner peripheral side of the vehicle, and is opened toward the inner peripheral side. The vehicle outer side wall 72 is positioned forward of the edge surface W3 of the front edge of the window glass W in the inner and outer peripheral directions. The vehicle interior side wall 70 includes a base portion 70a connected to the connection wall 71, a tip portion 70b positioned on the tip side and shifted to the outside of the vehicle with respect to the base portion 70a, and a stepped portion 70c connecting the base portion 70a and the tip portion 70b. and The inner side wall 70 protrudes more toward the inner peripheral side than the outer side wall 72 , and the distal end portion 70 b is positioned closer to the inner peripheral side than the outer side wall 72 .

The front sash 13 has a fixing portion 73 projecting outward from the connecting wall 71 , and the surface of the fixing portion 73 on the outside of the vehicle is fixed to the mirror bracket 14 . In addition, the vehicle-interior surface of the distal end portion 70 b of the vehicle-interior side wall 70 is also fixed to the mirror bracket 14 . Furthermore, an exterior member 75 is provided to cover the exterior side of the mirror bracket 14 .

When the window assembly 50 is attached to the door frame 10b, the front end portion 70b of the inner side wall 70 of the front sash 13 is positioned facing the inner side of the window glass W. The attachment portion 55a of the slide guide 55 attached to the vehicle interior side surface W2 (attachment region G2 shown in FIG. 4) on the front edge side of the window glass W faces the tip portion 70b of the vehicle interior side wall 70 in the vehicle interior and exterior direction. The projecting portion 55b of the slide guide 55 is positioned between the base portion 70a of the vehicle interior side wall 70 and the vehicle exterior side wall 72 in the vehicle interior and exterior direction. In addition, the vehicle exterior surface of the exterior member 75 and the vehicle exterior surface W1 of the window glass W are substantially flush with each other, resulting in a flush surface structure similar to the vertical pillar sash 12 .

An elastic cover 76 and an elastic cover 77 are attached to the front sash 13 . Both of the elastic covers 76 and 77 are formed of a non-permeable elastic material (such as rubber) and are long members extending in the longitudinal direction of the front sash 13 . FIG. 9 shows the shape of the elastic covers 76 and 77 in the initial state (free state) where no external force is applied.

The elastic cover 76 has a fitting portion 76a fitted to the front end portion 70b of the vehicle interior side wall 70 of the front sash 13 and the inner peripheral side end portion of the mirror bracket 14, and a cantilever shape projecting from the fitting portion 76a. a first lip portion 76b and a second lip portion 76c. The first lip portion 76b abuts against the vehicle interior side surface W2 of the window glass W and is elastically deformed.

The elastic cover 77 includes a fitting portion 77a fitted to the outer side wall 72 of the front sash 13, a cantilevered first lip portion 77b projecting inwardly from the fitting portion 77a, and a It has a cantilevered second lip portion 77c that protrudes toward the inside of the vehicle. The first lip portion 77b is positioned to face the front edge surface W3 of the window glass W in the inner and outer peripheral directions. The edge surface W3 pushes the first lip portion 77b outward and elastically deforms. A portion of the first lip portion 77b is positioned to fill the gap between the edge surface W3 of the window glass W and the inner peripheral end portion of the exterior member 75, and constitutes a portion of the outer surface of the door 10. As shown in FIG. The second lip portion 77c is elastically deformed by coming into contact with the projecting portion 55b of the slide guide 55 from the outside of the vehicle.

The elastic cover 76 and the elastic cover 77 seal watertightly between the window glass W, the slide guide 55, the front sash 13 and the exterior member 75, and suppress the vibration of the window glass W. In addition, the elastic covers 76 and 77 cover the internal structure of the front sash 13 so that it is not visible from the inside of the vehicle, thereby improving the appearance of the vicinity of the front edge of the window glass W.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the slide guide 55 is only in elastic contact with the elastic covers 76 and 77 and is not in contact with the front sash 13 . As described above, the window regulator 19 provided on the pillar sash 12 side can support and raise/lower the window glass W with high accuracy. Therefore, at the front edge of the window glass W, the front sash 13 and the slide guide 55 are normally spaced apart so as not to affect the support and drive of the window glass W by the window regulator 19 . When a strong external force exceeding a predetermined level is applied, the inner surface of the front sash 13 restricts the movement of the slide guide 55 to prevent the window glass W from coming off the door frame 10b.

As described above, in the door 10 of the present embodiment, the components (the guide rail 40, the slider base 51, the slider shoe 52, the guide rail 40, the slider base 51, and the slider shoe 52) of the window regulator 19 that transmits the driving force of the motor M, which is the driving source, to the window glass W to raise and lower the window glass W. , 53 , rack 54 , etc.) are arranged so as to pass through the vertical column sash 12 . As a result, space efficiency and layout properties around the door panel 10a can be improved compared to the existing configuration in which the window regulator is arranged in the door panel inner space below the window opening 10c. For example, the degree of freedom in setting the shape of the door trim provided on the inner side of the door panel 10a is increased. In addition, the inner surface of the door can be made closer to the outside of the vehicle to improve foot handling when getting on and off, or the space inside the door panel can be widened to secure the placement space for functional parts other than the window regulator. It is possible to improve the ease of assembly of parts into the door panel 10a.

Moreover, since the mechanism for transmitting the driving force to the window glass W is configured using the rack 54 and the pinion 61, the number of parts is small, which is advantageous in terms of simplicity of configuration and productivity. The rack 54 is linear before being attached to the window glass W, and is curved along the window glass W after being attached, so that the window assembly 50 with the rack can be obtained simply and at low cost.

The window regulator 19 is positioned inside the vehicle with respect to the window glass W, and the slider shoes 52 and 53 are held by the guide rail 40 to restrict its movement in both the inside and outside directions of the vehicle. The movement of the slider shoes 52 and 53 in the vehicle interior and exterior directions is restricted only on the vehicle interior side of the window glass W without sandwiching the window glass W. Therefore, it is possible to accommodate the component parts of the window regulator 19 in the vertical pillar sash 12 while avoiding an increase in the size of the vertical pillar sash 12 (especially an increase in size in the vehicle interior and exterior directions).

In addition, since the components of the window regulator 19 arranged along the vertical pillar sash 12 do not restrict the configuration of the window glass W on the outside of the vehicle, the degree of freedom in designing the outer surface of the door 10 is increased. As a result, it is possible to employ a structure in which the vehicle exterior surface W1 of the window glass W and the vehicle exterior surface (outer garnish 35) of the vertical pillar sash 12 are substantially flush with each other.

The door 10 of the above-described embodiment is a type of door (sash door) provided with a frame-shaped door frame 10b that is formed of a member separate from the door panel 10a. Then, before attaching the door panel 10a to the door frame 10b, the components of the window regulator 19 are assembled to the upright sash 12 and the lock bracket 15 that constitute the door frame 10b, and the door frame assembly 10e (see FIG. 2) is assembled. forming.

As a different form of the sash door, it is also possible to assemble the components of the window regulator 19 to the upright sash 12 and the lock bracket 15 after the door panel 10a is attached to the door frame 10b.

The present invention is also applicable to doors other than sash doors. For example, a type of door in which the door panel and door sash are integrally formed (an inner full door in which the inner panel and the door sash are integrally formed, and an inner panel and an outer panel in which the inner and outer sides of the door sash are integrally formed and then combined) It can also be applied to panel doors). That is, the present invention is applicable to any vehicle door that allows the window glass to move up and down within the window opening, regardless of whether the door sash forming the window opening is integrated with the door panel or separate from the door panel.

Although the above-described embodiment is applied to a side door attached to the side of the right front seat of a vehicle, application to other doors is also possible. For example, it may be applied to a rear side door of a vehicle. In rear side doors, the leading edge of the window glass is often longer than the trailing edge. Therefore, contrary to the above embodiment, it is preferable to fix the slider (slider base) and the rack along the front edge of the window glass.

Although the window glass W in the above embodiment is made of glass, it is also possible to apply a resin window or the like as an opening/closing body for opening/closing the window opening 10c.

In the above embodiment, the window glass W moves up and down to open and close the window opening 10c, but the opening and closing direction of the opening and closing body is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to a vehicle door in which an opening/closing member corresponding to the window glass W slides horizontally. In this case, the slider base and the rack are extended along the horizontal direction in which the opening/closing body moves.

In the above embodiment, the slider base 51 is longer than the rack 54, but the configuration of the support member interposed between the opening/closing body (window glass W) and the rack is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of slider bases divided in the opening/closing direction of the opening/closing member may be provided, and the rack may be attached across the plurality of slider bases.

The present invention can also be applied to a type of opening/closing member assembly in which the rack is directly fixed to the opening/closing member (window glass W) without a support member such as the slider base 51 interposed.

Moreover, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications thereof, and various changes, substitutions, and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. Furthermore, if the technical idea of the present invention can be realized in another way by advances in technology or another derived technology, the method may be used for implementation. Therefore, the claims cover all embodiments that can be included within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention.

10: Door (vehicle door)
10b: Door frame 10e: Door frame assembly 11: Upper sash 12: Pillar sash (sash portion)
13 : Front sash 14 : Mirror bracket 15 : Lock bracket 16 : Belt line reinforcement 19 : Window regulator 30 : Inner sash 31 : Frame portion 32 : Design portion 33 : Step portion 34 : Inner garnish 35 : Outer garnish 36 : Elastic cover 37: elastic cover 38: weather strip 40: guide rail (guide member)
50: Window assembly (opening/closing body assembly)
51: slider base (supporting member)
51a: Glass fixing part (fixing part)
51b: connecting part (protruding part)
51f: Screw hole 52: Slider shoe 53: Slider shoe 54: Rack 54a: Body portion 54b: Mounting portion 54c: Mounting hole 54d: Teeth 54e: Support projection 54f: Regulating portion 54g: Side wall portion 54h: Side wall portion 54i: Recess 54j : Reference hole 54k : Protruding portion 55 : Slide guide 60 : Drive unit 61 : Pinion 75 : Exterior member 76 : Elastic cover 77 : Elastic cover G1 : Mounting area G2 : Mounting area M : Motor S : Guide space W : Window glass ( opening and closing body)
W1: Outer side of vehicle W2: Inner side of vehicle (inner surface of opening/closing body)
W3: edge surface

Claims (5)

an opening/closing body having a curved shape along a vehicle door and opening and closing a window opening of the vehicle door;
a rack attached to the opening/closing body for transmitting driving force of a drive source to the opening/closing body;
A vehicle door opener assembly comprising:
The opening/closing body has a concave inner surface facing the inside of the vehicle,
A support member fixed to the inner surface of the opening and closing body,
The rack has a plurality of mounting holes at different positions in the longitudinal direction,
The support member has a plurality of screw holes corresponding to the plurality of mounting holes,
a plurality of screws inserted into the plurality of mounting holes are screwed into the plurality of screw holes to fix the rack to the support member in a curved shape along the opening/closing body;
One of the plurality of mounting holes is a reference hole that serves as a positional reference of the rack with respect to the support member, and the mounting holes other than the reference hole are long holes that are longer than the reference hole in the longitudinal direction. A vehicle door opener assembly comprising: 2. The vehicle door opening/closing member assembly according to claim 1, wherein the rack has side walls positioned on both sides of the tooth row for receiving the driving force of the driving source. The support member has a fixing portion fixed to the inner surface of the opening/closing body and a projecting portion projecting from the fixing portion toward the inside of the vehicle, and the screw hole is formed in the projecting portion,
3. The opening/closing body assembly for a vehicle door according to claim 1 , wherein the rack has a mounting portion that overlaps with the projecting portion, and the mounting hole is formed in the mounting portion. 4. The vehicle door according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , comprising: the opening/closing body assembly; the drive source; and a guide member for guiding the opening/closing body in the opening/closing direction. An opening/closing body driving device including an opening/closing body assembly. 5. A door frame assembly provided with an opening/closing body driving device according to claim 4 , further comprising a sash portion forming said window opening, wherein said opening/closing body driving device is attached to said sash portion.

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