JPH0346988Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) This invention relates to a side step device for an automobile having a sliding door that opens and closes in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, for example, in a van-type vehicle having a sliding door that opens and closes in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, a step portion is provided on the side of the floor facing the opening of the vehicle body.
When the sliding door is closed, the setting position of this step is restricted to within the installation range of the sliding door on the inside of the vehicle so that it is not exposed to the outside, so the ground clearance of the step is relatively high. There is a problem in that it is difficult to get on and off, and to solve this problem, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-230841 has been published. What was disclosed in this conventional publication is a sliding door 10
Floor 103 facing the vehicle body opening 102 where 1 is attached
The step part 104 is formed in a stepped manner on the side part, and a slide step 111 is disposed that extends outward from the side of the vehicle body from the storage position A below the step part 104. A driving means 112 is provided for sliding the storage device between the advanced position B and the retracted position A in conjunction with the opening/closing movement of the storage device 1.

(Problem to be Solved) However, in this conventional publication, as shown in FIGS. 18 to 20, the slide step 11
1 is supported under the step portion 104 so as to be able to slide outward via a pair of guide rails 110, and extends diagonally inward on the front side of the slide step 111 from a bent portion 121a on the inside of the upper surface of the slide step 111. The guide link relief portion 121b and the general portion 12 extending diagonally inward at the rear of the slide step 111 from the bent portion 121a.
A guide rail 121 is provided, which is bent into a substantially doglegged planar shape, and is fixed to the lower front side of the sliding door 101 and extends around the lower edge of the outer sliding door 101. A driving means 11 comprising a roller 120a pivotally supported on the lower surface of the tip of a guide link 120 extending toward the vehicle interior.
2 are engaged, the sliding door 101 and the sliding step 111 are connected, and the sliding door 101
As the slide door 101 opens and closes, the slide step 111 is slid from the storage position A below the step portion 104 to the advanced position B in a direction perpendicular to the movement trajectory of the slide door 101. Therefore, since this guide link 120 is provided perpendicularly to the movement locus line of the sliding door 101, when the slide step 111 is moved in the fully open direction as shown in FIG. Since the roller 120a rolls on the general portion 121c, a large force f1 is required on the sliding door 101 in order to obtain the force f2 that operates the sliding step 111.
The opening/closing operation of 1 becomes extremely heavy and lacks smoothness.
Further, there were other problems such as dust and the like tending to accumulate on the guide rail 121, making it impossible for it to slide.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and is an automobile side step that can smoothly open and close a sliding door with a relatively small operating force. The purpose of the device is to provide a device that connects via a link mechanism with a sliding door that is attached to a vehicle body opening so that it can be opened and closed by sliding the vehicle body opening in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. A side step device for an automobile having a sliding step capable of moving in and out at a predetermined sliding angle in the opening movement direction of the sliding door,
The link mechanism includes a first link that is pivotally connected to a support member provided inside a slide support frame that slidably supports the slide step, one end that is pivotally connected to the end of the first link, and the other end that is pivotally connected to the end of the first link. a second link pivotally attached to the front lower edge side of the sliding door; the first link is formed by bending a short rod and a long rod having a predetermined length ratio into a substantially dogleg shape;
The side step device for an automobile is configured such that an end portion of an operating link, which is pivotally connected to a predetermined position of the slide step, is pivotally connected to the bent portion of the first link.

(Embodiment) Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawing, 1 is a sliding door, and the sliding door 1 includes an upper rail, a center rail, and a lower rail provided on the side of the vehicle body. (not shown) is provided so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body,
When the vehicle body opening W is closed, the outer surface of the sliding door 1 is aligned with the vehicle body side surface, and when opening the vehicle body opening W, the sliding door 1 is pushed out a predetermined distance from the vehicle body side surface to the outside of the vehicle and rearward. It is configured to slide.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a floor of the vehicle body, and a step portion 3 is provided in a stepped shape on the side of the floor 2 facing the vehicle body opening W, and a side portion connecting the sliding door 1 is provided at the bottom of the step portion 3. A step device 4 is provided.

Reference numeral 4 denotes the side step device described above, which is composed of a step support frame 5 and a slide step 13. The slide step 13 of this side step device 4 is connected to the slide door 1 and the link mechanism 21.
As the sliding door 1 opens and closes, the storage position A is moved obliquely along a predetermined sliding angle θ toward the opening movement side of the sliding door 1 with respect to the line C1 perpendicular to the center line of the vehicle body. and an overhanging position B so as to be able to appear and retract.

Reference numeral 5 denotes the above-mentioned step support body, and the step support frame 5 is provided in parallel with two support bars 6 connected by a plurality of connection bars 7 (two in this example). A pair of guide rails 8 having a predetermined length are provided parallel to each other between both sides of the support bars 6 along lines C2 and C3 along the slide angle θ. This guide rail 8 is formed into a substantially U-shaped cross section by an upper edge 8a, a lower edge 8b, and a side edge 8c, and has a lower edge 8b.
is formed slightly longer than the upper edge 8a. The guide rail 8 formed in this manner is attached with its groove portions 8d facing each other. Further, a plurality of parallel rollers 9 (in this example, two rollers are exemplified) are mounted inside the guide rail 8 along lines C3, C3 parallel to the line C2 at a predetermined interval. ) are arranged. The support bracket 10 has a substantially Z-shaped cross section as shown in the figure, and an arm 11 is attached to its upper edge 10a, and a horizontal roller 9 is pivoted upward at the tip of the arm 11. One of the horizontal rollers 9 mounted in this manner is removably disposed on the connecting bar 7 with its center of rotation on the line C3 and approximately on the center line between the support bars 6 via a fastening member or the like. Further, the center of rotation of the local horizontal roller 9 is removably disposed on a line C3 extending from the outer edge of the outer support bar 6 via a fastening member. The step support frame 5 formed in this manner is suspended from the bottom side of the step portion 3 via the bracket 12.
A slide step 13 is mounted on the step support frame 5.
is provided so as to be slidable along the slide angle θ.

Reference numeral 13 is the above-mentioned slide step, and its planar shape has an inner edge 13a and an outer edge 13 as shown in the figure.
The front side edge 13c, which is on the front side of the vehicle body, is formed obliquely along the slide angle θ, and the rear side edge 13d, which is on the rear side of the vehicle body, is provided in parallel to the front side of the vehicle body. It is formed with a bent edge bent into a substantially dogleg shape, and is formed into a substantially deformed pentagonal flat plate shape. Slide step 1 formed in this way
A guide rail 14 having a substantially C-shaped cross section is attached to the lower surface of the step supporting frame 5 in correspondence with a line C3 along which a horizontal roller 9 is disposed, with its groove 14a facing downward. Further, on the front and rear side edges 13c and 13d of this slide step 13, a plurality of rolling guide rails 8 (in this example, three guide rails) are attached to the front and rear sides of the step support frame 5 along the line C2. A vertical roller 15 (illustrated) is mounted via a bracket 16 with the center of its width aligned along line C2.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a bracket for the vertical roller 15, and the bracket 16 has a mounting piece 17 attached to the lower surface of the slide step 13, and a supporting piece 18 hanging downward at one end of the mounting piece 17. A vertical roller 15 is pivotally mounted approximately at the center of the piece 18 via a shaft 19, and the supporting piece 1
Ratchet plates 20 that expand into a substantially V-shape are integrally formed on both sides of the ratchet plate 8, and the vertical roller 15 is housed between both ratchet plates 20. In this way, the bracket 16 provided with the vertical rollers 15 is attached to each roller 1.
It is removably attached to a predetermined position via a fastening member or the like, with the width center of 5 aligned with line C2.
A link mechanism 21 is interposed between the inner edge 13a of the slide step 13 formed in this way and the front lower edge of the slide door 1, so that they are linked.

Reference numeral 21 denotes the link mechanism described above, and this link mechanism is composed of the first link 22, the operating link 33, and the second link 27.

This first link 22 is pivotally attached 24 to a mounting portion 23a of a support member 23 attached to a support bar 6 inside the step support frame 5, and the first link 22 has a short length having a predetermined length L1. The rod 22a and the long rod 22b having a predetermined length L2 form a predetermined angle α.
The end of the short rod 22a is bent at the mounting portion 23 of the support member 23.
It is pivoted 24 to a. In addition, this short rod 22a
and the long rod 22b are formed to have a predetermined length ratio. Further, at the end of the long rod 22b of the first link 22, two second links 27 having a predetermined length L3 are pivotally attached 26 to a connecting member 25 attached to the front lower edge of the sliding door 1. Arrived at 28. Further, as shown in the figure, a guide is provided at a predetermined position on the long rod 22b of the first link 22, that is, a position at a radius R with the pivot point 24 as the rotation center, via a mounting member 29 having a substantially L-shape. A roller 30 is rotatably supported, and a reinforcing base 31 attached to the lower surface of the step portion 3 has a substantially U-shaped cross section curved along the movement locus line K1 of the guide roller 30. A guide rail 32 is attached, and the guide rollers 30 are rotatably fitted into the grooves of the guide rail 32. Reference numeral 33 denotes an operating link, which is composed of two links 33a having a predetermined length L4, one end of which is pivotally attached to the bending portion 22c of the first link, and the other end is a sliding step. Pivotally attached to stud bolt 35 erected at a predetermined position of 13 via spacer 36
7 has been done. The pivot point 26 of the sliding door 1 of the second link 27 of the link mechanism 21 provided in this way moves along the trajectory line K as the sliding door 1 moves.
2 and the actuating link 33
The pivot point 37 with the slide step 13 is moved along the trajectory line K3 connecting the P1 position to the P3 position, that is, the slide angle θ at which the guide rail 8 is attached, and the slide step 13 is moved to the storage position A.
It is configured to move further to the extended position B.

In addition, 40 in the figure is a stopper part of the slide step 13, and a stopper member 41 to which a cushion rubber 42 is fixed is attached to the rear lower edge of the slide door 1.
A stopper bracket 43 to which a cushion rubber 42 is fixed is attached to the rear side edge 13d,
When the vehicle body opening W is closed by the slide door 1, the slide steps 13 are engaged with each other so that they do not protrude outward.

Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment configured as described above will be explained.

Now, in this example, the side step device is installed at the vehicle body opening W.
is linked via a link mechanism 21 to the sliding door 1 which is attached to the vehicle so that it can be opened and closed by sliding in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and the sliding door 1 is slid at a predetermined sliding angle from the lower part of the step portion 3 of the vehicle body opening W in the direction of opening and movement of the sliding door 1. The side step device has a slide step 13 that can be retracted and retracted at θ, and the link mechanism 21 is a first link 24 that is pivotally attached to a support member 23 provided inside a slide support frame 5 that slidably supports the slide step 13. 22 and the first link 22
A second link 27 has one end pivotally attached 28 to the end of the sliding door 1, and a second link 27 whose other end is pivotally attached 26 to a connecting member 25 provided on the front lower edge side of the sliding door 1. The short rod 22a and the long rod 22b having a length ratio are bent into a substantially dogleg shape, and
The bending portion 22c of the first link 22 is configured to have an end portion of an operating link 33 which is pivotally attached 37 to a predetermined position of the slide step 13. Therefore, in the slide step device of this example, when the pivot point 26 of the second link 27 of the link mechanism 22 and the slide door 1 is at the position A shown in the figure, as shown in FIG. The vehicle body opening W is closed, the pivot point 37 of the operating link 33 with the slide step 13 is at the P1 position, and the slide step 13 is at the storage position A. When opening the opening W from this closed state, the sliding door 1 is once pushed outward along the upper rail and the lower rail, and the pivot point 26 reaches the position B along the trajectory line K2. In this case, the first link 22 is slightly rotated about the pivot point 24, but the amount of rotation is extremely small, so there is almost no operating force on the slide step 13 connected via the operating link 33, and the same slide Step 13 is in storage position A. After that, when the sliding door 1 is moved rearward and the pivot point 26 reaches the position C, the first link 2
2 is rotated counterclockwise around the pivot point 24, and each pivot point 28, 34 is rotated to the corresponding position of the pivot point 26, and the actuator attached to the pivot point 34 is rotated counterclockwise. The link 33 is pushed forward by the rotation of the first link 22, and the operating force of the sliding door 1 is significantly doubled and acts on the operating link 33 due to the rotation of the first link 22, and the pivot point with the slide step 13 is 37 is moved from the illustrated position P1 to the P2 position, and the slide step 13 is moved slightly outward from the storage position A guided by the guide rail 8 provided at a slide angle θ. Then, when the sliding door 1 is further moved rearward, the first link 22 is further rotated counterclockwise about the pivot point 24, and the operating link 33 is also pushed and moved to its pivot point. 37 is moved along the trajectory line K3, and along with this movement, the slide step 13 is guided by the guide rail 8 and the horizontal roller 9 and moved rearward and outward along the slide angle θ, and the slide door 1 is moved. When the pivot point 26 reaches the fully open position, that is, the position 2 on the trajectory line K2, the pivot point 3
7 is pushed to the P3 position and slides step 1
3 is stopped at the extended position B. Therefore, in this state, the occupant can easily get on and off the vehicle using the slide step 13, which has a low height above the ground, as in the conventional case.

Next, when the sliding door 1 is moved forward from the fully open state to the closed state, the sliding step 13 is retracted along the sliding angle θ, and when the pivot point 26 reaches the position B, it returns to the original storage position A. In this state, the sliding door 1 is located outside the vehicle body from the vehicle body opening W, and the sliding door 1 is located outside the vehicle body opening W.
When the door is placed in the storage position A, the pivot point 26 returns to the position A, and in this case, as in the initial stage, no actuating force is applied to the slide step 13, so it is stopped at the storage position A. The slide step 13, in which the stopper member 41 and the stopper bracket 43 provided on the slide step 13 are engaged, is prevented from protruding outward.

In this way, in the side step device of this example, the link mechanism 21 is connected to the slide step 13.
A first link 22 is pivotally attached 24 to a support member 23 provided inside a slide support frame 5 that slidably supports the first link 22, and one end is pivotally attached 28 to the end of the first link 22, and the other end is slidable. It consists of a second link 27 which is pivoted 26 to a connecting member 25 provided on the front lower edge side of the door 1, and the first link 22 has a short rod 22a and a long rod 22b having a predetermined length ratio. The end of the actuating link 33, which is bent into a letter-shaped shape and is pivoted 37 to the bent portion 22c of the first link 22 at a predetermined position of the slide step 13, is pivoted 34.
Since the configuration is such that the first link 22
Since the second link 27 and the operating link 33 constitute a boosting mechanism, even if the operating force toward the opening side of the sliding door 1 is small, there is no boosting force at the pivot point 37 of the operating link 33. As a result, the slide step 13 can be operated easily and smoothly, and the first link 2
2 has a guide rail 32 provided on a reinforcing base 31.
Since the guide roller 30 is provided, the links 22, 27 and the operating link 33 can operate smoothly without any play.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the stopper part 40
The stopper member 41 and the stopper bracket 4
3, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. It is also possible to have a structure in which it comes into direct contact with.

(Effect of the invention) Now, the present invention connects the opening of the vehicle body with a sliding door which is attached to the vehicle body so that it can be opened and closed by sliding it in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body through a link mechanism. A side step device for an automobile has a slide step that can move in and out at a predetermined slide angle in the direction of door opening movement, wherein the link mechanism is a support member provided inside a slide support frame that slidably supports the slide step. The first link pivoted at
a second link having one end pivotally attached to the end of the link and the other end pivotally attached to the front lower edge side of the sliding door, the first link being a short rod having a predetermined length ratio; The long rod is bent into a dogleg shape,
Moreover, since the end of the actuation link, which is pivoted to a predetermined position of the slide step, is pivotally connected to the bending part of the first link, it can be used even when the actuation force to open the slide door is small. Since a booster force is applied to the pivot point of the operating link, the slide step can be operated easily and smoothly, making this invention extremely practical as a side step device for an automobile.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a lower perspective view of the opening of the vehicle body equipped with a side step device, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the side step device, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the side step device. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the installation state of the horizontal roller, and Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the mounting state of the horizontal roller.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the installed state of the vertical roller. FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line - in FIG. 6. FIG. Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view of the step part, the first
0 is a perspective view of the reinforcing base, FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line -- in FIG. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the lower edge of the sliding door, FIG. 15 is an exploded view of the stopper, and FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the lower edge of the sliding door.
FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the stopper portion, and FIGS. 18 to 20 show a conventional side step structure. 1...Sliding door, 3...Step section, 4...
...Side step device, 5...Step support frame,
13...Slide step, 21...Link mechanism, 22...First link, 22a...Short rod, 22
b...Long rod, 22c...Bending portion, 23...Supporting member, 24, 26, 28, 34, 37... Pivoting point,
27...second link, 33...operating link, W...
...Vehicle body opening.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] The vehicle body opening is connected via a link mechanism to a sliding door that is attached to the vehicle body so that it can be opened and closed by sliding in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and a predetermined sliding angle is established from the lower part of the step portion of the vehicle body opening in the opening movement direction of the sliding door. The side step device for an automobile has a slide step that can be retracted and retracted from the side step, and the link mechanism includes a first link that is pivotally connected by a support member provided inside a slide support frame that slidably supports the slide step; a second link having one end pivotally attached to the end of the first link, and a second link having the other end pivotally attached to the front lower edge side of the sliding door, the first link being a short rod having a predetermined length ratio. and a long rod are bent into a substantially dogleg shape, and the first
A side step device for an automobile, characterized in that an end portion of an operating link, which is pivotally connected to a predetermined position of the slide step, is pivotally connected to a bent portion of the link.