JPH0444448Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Field of industrial application) The present invention relates to a step device for automobiles, and is particularly applicable to automobiles equipped with a sliding door that opens and closes an entrance formed on the side of the vehicle body, and utilizes the movement of the sliding door. The present invention relates to a step device in which a step comes out when a doorway is opened.

(Prior Technology) Conventionally, steps have been fixed to the entrances and exits of automobiles equipped with sliding doors, but if they are installed protruding outside, it is dangerous, and if they are installed inside, they will damage the floor of the vehicle interior. This will create a large step on the surface. For this reason, various devices have been proposed in which the step plate is moved in and out in conjunction with the opening and closing of the sliding door. For example, in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 57-84136, as shown in FIG. 4, a step plate 32 is disposed at the bottom of the entrance 31 so as to be movable up and down between an upright position and a substantially horizontal position. This step plate 32 is folded and stored at the bottom of the entrance/exit 31 in an upright position, and protrudes laterally in a substantially horizontal position to function as a step.
The roller 33 provided at the free end of the sliding door 34
engaging with the inclined curved surface 35 formed on the inner surface of the
A device is disclosed in which the step plate 32 rises and rotates when the slide door 34 is closed.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, in the above structure, when the sliding door 34 is closed, the inclined curved surface 35 is engaged with the roller 33 at the free end of the step plate 32, and the inclined curved surface 35 is engaged with the roller 33 at the free end of the step plate 32. The step plate 32 is rotated upward by the pressing action of the surface 35, and when the step plate 32 is in a horizontal position, the pivot position of the step plate 32 and the pressed roller 33 are located parallel to each other in the horizontal direction. Therefore, even if the roller 33 is pressed, it may be difficult for the step plate 32 to rotate smoothly, especially at the start of rotation, and in this case, the sliding door is strongly pressed outward, making it impossible to open and close the sliding door smoothly. There is.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention provides a vehicle equipped with a sliding door that opens and closes an entrance formed on the side of the vehicle body. A step member with a rising plate surface rising obliquely upward and forward with respect to the step surface is placed in a protruding position where the step surface is in a substantially horizontal position and protrudes to the side of the entrance, and in a protruding position where the step surface is in an inclined position at the entrance and exit. The step member is pivotably supported at the upper end of the rising plate surface to be rotatable between a retracted position and a retracted position, and is disposed at the lower part of the entrance and exit, and the step member is always biased toward the protruding position. At the same time, the step member is configured to rotate the step member from the protruding position to the retracted position by pressing the tip of the step surface in conjunction with the closing operation of the sliding door, and a locking member that locks the step member in the protruding position. The present invention is characterized in that it is provided with a locking means and a locking release means that releases the locking in conjunction with the closing operation of the sliding door.

(Function) According to this configuration, when the sliding door is opened, the step member, which has a substantially L-shaped cross section and whose rising plate surface rises diagonally upward and forward with respect to the step surface, rotates to the protruding position. However, the step surface is locked in a substantially horizontal position protruding to the side of the entrance/exit. Therefore, you can easily get on and off using this step surface. Further, when the sliding door is closed, the lock is released and the step member is pressed and rotated to the retracted position in conjunction with the closing operation. When the step member moves in and out, the pivot point of the step member is located above the step surface, so by pressing the tip of the step surface with the slide door, the step member rotates smoothly and the slide door This allows the door to open and close smoothly without any large outward force acting on it. Furthermore, since the rising plate surface of the step member is shaped to rise diagonally upward and forward relative to the step member, the space required for the tip to rotate when the step member is extended or retracted is small. It can be stored compactly using the storage space under the floor of the vehicle.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

In FIG. 3 showing the overall arrangement, reference numeral 1 denotes a car body, and a doorway 2 formed on the side of the car body is configured to be openable and closable with a sliding door 3. This sliding door 3 is movably supported by a well-known guide mechanism (not shown), and closes the entrance/exit 2 in the state shown by the imaginary line in FIG. First, move horizontally and
As shown by the solid line in the figure, it is configured to move outward and then move laterally to open, and when closing, it moves laterally and then moves laterally and inward to close slightly before the closing is completed. There is. A step device 5 is disposed below the entrance/exit 2 on the floor 4 of the vehicle compartment.

Details of this step device 5 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. A storage space 7 in which a step member 6 is stored is formed in the lower part of the entrance/exit 2. The step member 6 has a substantially L-shaped cross-sectional shape, and the upper end portions of both ends of the rising plate surface 6a rising obliquely upward and forward are rotatable at a position immediately below the side end portion of the floor surface 4 by means of pivot pins 8. The step surface 10 is pivoted on the horizontal plate surface 6b of the step member 6.
is configured. In this way, the step member 6
As shown by the solid line in FIG. 1, the step surface 10 is in a substantially horizontal position and protrudes to the lower side of the entrance/exit 2, and as shown by the phantom line in FIG. 1, the step surface 10 is in an inclined position. It is configured to be rotatable between a retracted position and a retracted position in the storage space 7 at the lower part of the entrance/exit 2. Further, the step member 6 is wound around the pivot pin 8 and is constantly urged toward the protruding position by a torsion spring 9 having one end engaged with the floor surface 4 and the other end engaging the step member 6. ing. A lock piece 1 is provided on the step surface 10.
1 is attached to the step surface 10 so as to be able to move forward and backward vertically downward, and is urged to protrude by a spring 12, and its lower end is attached to a locking member 13 fixed to the side edge of the bottom wall of the storage space 7. The engagement shaft 11a of the step member 6 is configured to be able to fit therein and lock the step member 6 at the protruding position. This lock piece 11 is engaged with a working piece 15 having an inclined cam surface 14, and when the working piece 15 moves across the lock piece 11, the lock piece 11 is lifted up by the inclined cam surface 14 and locked. It is configured so that the lock with the member 13 is released. The operating piece 15 is located at the tip of the step surface 10.
A roller 16 is retractably disposed opposite to the roller 16, and is movable in the axial direction between the roller 16 and the working piece 15, and is supported by a spring 17 on the step surface 1.
An interlocking shaft 18 biased toward the tip end of the shaft 1 is interposed. These locking pieces 11, springs 12, and locking members 13 constitute a locking means 20, and an operating piece 15,
The spring 17, the interlocking shaft 18, and the roller 16 constitute a lock release means 21. The locking means 20 and the locking release means 21 are arranged at appropriate locations on the step member 6, but in the illustrated example, they are arranged near the rear end as shown in FIG. 2, and a guide roller 19 is arranged near the front end. It is arranged. Furthermore, a stopper 22 is provided at the pivot portion of the step member 6 to prevent the step member 6 from rotating beyond its protruding position.
is provided.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 23 denotes a support bracket attached to the lower end of the sliding door 3, and a support roller 25 rolling on a support surface 24 formed on the vehicle body 1 at the inner end thereof and a support bracket 23 attached to the bottom wall of the storage space 7. Guide roller 27 rolling within the installed guide rail 26
is installed.

In the above configuration, when the sliding door 3 closes the entrance 2 and the step member 6 is retracted into the storage space 7, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 1, when the sliding door 3 is opened, the torsion spring 9 The step member 6 is rotated toward the protruding position,
The locking piece 11 is fitted into the locking member 13 and is locked in the protruding position. In this way, the step surface 10 can be used as a step to get on and off the vehicle. On the other hand, when the sliding door 3 is closed, the sliding door 3
moves inward from the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 1 and first presses the roller 16, causing it to move inward. Along with this, the action piece 15 is
moves inward, the lock piece 11 is lifted against the biasing force of the spring 12, and the lock with the locking member 13 is released. When the sliding door 3 further moves inward, the tip of the step surface 10 of the step member 6 is pressed through the roller 16 and the guide roller 19, so the step member 6 rotates upward around the pivot pin 8, and the first It is retracted into the storage space 7 as shown by the imaginary line in the figure.

In the above operation, the step member 6 is rotatably supported by the pivot pin 8 at a position above the tip of the step surface 10 pressed by the sliding door 3. When pressed, the step member 6 smoothly rotates upward, and there is no risk of applying a large force outward to the sliding door 3.

(Effects of the Invention) According to the automobile step device of the present invention, as described above, when the sliding door is opened, the step member protrudes and rotates, and the step surface protrudes to the side of the entrance in a substantially horizontal position. Since the step member is in the locked state, it is possible to get on and off easily using this step surface, and when the sliding door is closed, the lock is automatically released and the step member is moved to the bottom of the entrance/exit. can be done. Furthermore, when the step member is retracted, the pivot point of the step member is located above the step surface, so by pressing the tip of the step surface with the slide door, the step member rotates smoothly. It can be opened and closed smoothly without applying a large force outward. Furthermore, the rising plate surface of the step member is shaped to rise obliquely upward and forward with respect to the step surface, and by increasing the inclination angle of the rising plate surface, a large depth of the step surface can be ensured, and the slope Compared to a step member with right-angled corners and the same depth of step surface, the space required for the tip of the step member to rotate is smaller, so the storage space for the step member can be reduced, and the space on the floor of the vehicle body can be reduced. It can be stored compactly using the storage space at the bottom.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 to 3 show one embodiment of the present invention, with Figure 1 being a longitudinal side view, Figure 2 being a perspective view, Figure 3 being a front view of the automobile body showing the overall arrangement, and Figure 4 being FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional example. 1... Vehicle body, 2... Entrance/exit, 3... Sliding door, 5... Step device, 6... Step member,
10... Step surface, 20... Locking means, 21...
...Latch release means.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In an automobile equipped with a sliding door that opens and closes an entrance formed on the side of the vehicle body, a step member having a substantially L-shaped cross section and a rising plate surface rising diagonally upward and forward with respect to the step surface is used. The upper end of the rising plate surface is rotatable between a protruding position where the step surface is in a substantially horizontal position and protrudes to the side of the entrance and exit, and a retracted position where the step surface is in an inclined position and retracted to the lower part of the entrance. The step member is pivotably supported at the bottom of the entrance and exit, and this step member is always biased toward the protruding position, and the step member is rotated from the protruding position to the retracted position in conjunction with the closing operation of the sliding door. A step for an automobile, comprising a locking means for locking the step member in the protruding position and a locking release means for releasing the lock in conjunction with the closing operation of the sliding door. Device.