JPH0476809B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to an upper support structure for a sliding door that slides open and close in the front-rear direction along the outer surface of an automobile body.

[Conventional technology]

As a support structure for this type of sliding door, for example, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 57-121321, an atsupa guide rail is installed along the upper edge of the door opening, and a support structure is provided at the bottom edge of the door opening. A lower guide rail is provided along the rear end of the door opening, and a center guide rail is provided along the side of the vehicle body from the middle height of the rear end of the door opening to the rear. It is constructed by slidingly fitting and supporting a guide roller attached through the guide roller.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

By the way, such a sliding door slides between the door open position where it overlaps the outside wall of the vehicle body behind the door opening and the door closed position where it fits into the door opening and the outside surface of the door is approximately flush with the outside surface of the vehicle body. Conventionally, in order to provide guidance, each guide rail has generally been curved largely toward the vehicle interior at its end on the door-closed position side. Therefore, the roof side rail to which the Atsupa guide rail is attached has to bulge out toward the passenger compartment at a portion corresponding to the above-mentioned curved part of the Atsupa guide rail, which spoils the aesthetics of the passenger compartment and also However, there was a problem of compressing the cabin space. Note that the center guide rail is located inside the side wall of the vehicle body, and the lower guide rail is located within the side sill, so even if their ends are curved toward the vehicle body, this will cause a bulge in the passenger compartment. There isn't. The present invention was devised under the above circumstances, and is capable of slidingly guiding a sliding door between a door open position and a door closed position without curving the top guide rail. To provide an upper support structure for a sliding door to improve the beauty of the interior of a vehicle equipped with a sliding door and to eliminate the feeling of pressure in the interior space.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention takes the following technical measures. That is, the upper support structure of a sliding door for an automobile of the present invention is supported in a side part of the vehicle body so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction, and the sliding door fits into and closes a door opening provided in the middle part of the side part of the vehicle body in the longitudinal direction. It is an upper support structure, and a stopper part is provided at the end on the side of the door closed position,
A top guide rail extending linearly in the front-rear direction is attached to the upper edge of the door opening, and an arm support bracket attached to the sliding door has a roller at one end that is slidably guided by the top guide rail. The door support arm member is swingably supported, and the arm support bracket is provided with a slide guide means capable of sliding a swinging center of the door support arm member in the front and back direction, and one end is attached to the arm support bracket. , by providing a link arm whose other end is rotatably connected to a portion of the door support arm member displaced from the swinging center, the door support arm member can open the door relative to the arm support bracket. When relative sliding in the direction, the door support arm member is rotated in the direction of the folded position where the door support arm member is collapsed along the inner surface of the sliding door,
When the door support arm member slides relative to the arm support bracket in the door closing direction, the door support arm member can be rotated toward an upright position in which it stands up in an inwardly protruding manner with respect to the sliding door. It is characterized by its composition.

[Effect]

The door support arm member swingably supported by the arm support bracket is configured such that its swing center can slide relative to the arm support bracket in the front and back direction by the slide guide means of the arm support bracket. Further, the other end of the link arm, whose one end is rotatably connected to the arm support bracket, is rotatably connected to a portion of the arm support bracket that is displaced from the swinging center. Therefore, when the door support arm member slides relative to the arm support bracket, the link arm rotates in conjunction with this, and
This rotation of the link arm causes the door support arm member to rotate in a predetermined direction. In the present invention, the door support arm member, which is rotated in a predetermined direction in conjunction with the rotation of the link arm, stands up in an inwardly protruding manner with respect to the sliding door when sliding relative to the arm support bracket. The sliding door is configured to rotate between an upright position and a folded position where it collapses along the inner surface of the sliding door. That is, when the door support arm member slides relative to the arm support bracket in the door opening direction (that is, when the arm support bracket and the sliding door slide relative to the door support arm member in the door opening direction),
When the door is rotated toward the folded position and slides relative to the arm support bracket in the door closing direction (i.e., when the arm support bracket and the sliding door slide relative to the door support arm member in the door opening direction), the It is designed so that it can be rotated in the position direction. Now, when the door support arm member is in the upright state, a predetermined distance can be secured between the sliding door and the vehicle body, and the sliding door can be positioned at the door open position overlapping the outer wall of the vehicle body. On the other hand, when the sliding door is slid in the closing direction from the door open position, the roller of the door support arm member hits the stopper portion of the top guide rail near the closed position. As a result, the sliding movement of the door support arm member in the door closing direction is restricted, but the arm support bracket and the sliding door, which are slidable relative to the door support arm member, further slide in the door closing direction. . At this time, the arm support bracket and the sliding door slide relative to the door support arm member in the door closing direction, so that the door support arm member is rotated toward the folded position as described above. This allows the sliding door to
As the door slides in the closing direction, the door support arm rotates around the roller that hits the stopper and is pulled inward in the vehicle width direction, so the outer surface of the door is approximately flush with the outer wall of the vehicle body. The door will be slid to the closed position. Furthermore, when the sliding door is in the door closed position, the door support arm member is located at the end of the sliding stroke relative to the arm support bracket in the door opening direction. When slid in the opening direction, the door support arm member slides relative to the arm support bracket and the sliding door in the door closing direction. Therefore, when the sliding door is slid from the closed position to the opening direction, the arm support bracket is rotated in the upright direction. As a result, the sliding door slides in the door opening direction and is pushed outward in the vehicle width direction by the rotation of the door support arm member around the roller, so the door can be opened overlapping the outer wall of the vehicle. It will be slid into position.

【effect】

In this way, in the present invention, the sliding door can be guided and displaced in the vehicle width direction while slidingly guiding the door support arm member on the linear Atsupa guide rail. There's no need to do it. Therefore,
There is no need to bulge the roof side rails toward the passenger compartment, which prevents the aesthetic appearance of the passenger compartment from deteriorating.Also, the distance between the left and right roof side rails can be kept constant, which improves the interior of the passenger compartment. Space can be used effectively.

[Explanation of Examples]

Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 7, an atsupa guide rail 2 is attached to the upper edge of the door opening 1 provided on the side of the vehicle body.
However, a lower guide rail 3 is provided on the bottom edge thereof, and a center guide rail 4 is provided on the side wall of the vehicle body behind the rear edge of the door opening 1. The sliding door 5 is supported so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction on the side of the vehicle body via a door support arm member having a roller guided and supported by each of the guide rails 2, 3, and 4. Among such sliding door support structures, the present invention relates to an upper support structure for a sliding door consisting of the above-mentioned upper guide rail 2, rollers and arm members supported by the upper guide rail 2, and this will be explained below. do. As shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. It has a mounting plate part 2a fixed to the side part, and a guide plate part 2b bent downward from the outer end of the mounting plate part 2a. Further, at the end of the atsupa guide rail 2 on the side of the door closed position, that is, at the front end in this example, a stopper part 2c is provided, which is formed by curving the guide plate part 2b into a U-shape in plan view. . On the other hand, on the sliding door 5, there are
As shown in the figure, a door support arm member 8 having a roller 7 guided and supported by the upper guide rail 2 is attached via an arm support bracket 9 to the top surface of its front end. In this example, the door support arm member 8 is a bell crank-shaped member having a first arm part 8a and a second arm part 8b extending in a substantially bifurcated shape from the base end. Then, on the first arm portion 8a,
At its tip, the guide plate portion 2b
The roller 7, which is slidably guided by the upper guide rail 2 in contact with the inner side surface of the roller 7, is rotatably supported, and the guide plate portion 2b is connected to the roller 7 at the proximal end from the roller mounting portion. A slider block 10 is provided upright to be sandwiched therebetween. The slider block 10 comes into contact with the outer side surface of the guide plate portion 2b to prevent rattling of the sliding door 5, and by forming a smooth surface facing the guide plate portion 2b, the slider block The contact resistance with the portion 2b is made small. Further, the arm support bracket 9 has a base end plate portion 9a bolted to the slide door 5.
and an arm attachment plate portion 9c extending upward from the inner end portion of the base end plate portion 9a to the upper end portion of the leg plate portion 9b. The arm attachment plate portion 9c is provided with an elongated guide hole 9d extending in the front-rear direction as a slide guide means for slidingly guiding the door support arm member 8 in the front-rear direction. A pivot pin 11 protruding from the base end of the door support arm member 8 is relatively rotatably inserted into the slider collar 14 which is slidably fitted into the guide hole 9a, thereby supporting the door. The arm member 8 is supported by an arm support bracket 9 so as to be swingable in a horizontal plane and slidable in the front and rear directions. That is, the door support arm member 8
is a pivoting center, and this pivoting center is slidably guided by the guide hole 9d so as to be able to slide relative to the arm support bracket 9 in the front-rear direction. In the case of this example, a headed rivet is used for the pivot pin 11, and after passing it through each pin hole in the slider collar 14 and the door support arm member 8, the shaft portion is inserted. It is attached by caulking the tip. Further, in the present invention, a link arm 12 is provided, which is rotatably connected at one end to the arm support bracket 9 and at the other end to a portion of the door support arm member 8 displaced from the swinging center. In the case of this example, the link arm 12 is connected to the arm support bracket 9 by a pin at its proximal end at the rear part (on the door opening direction end side) of the guide hole 9d in the arm attachment plate part 9a. The tip of the second arm portion 8b is connected to the support arm member 8 with a pin. Further, the link arm 12 has a door support arm pushing position as shown by a solid line in FIG. The door support arm is rotated clockwise at , with its tip facing outward in the vehicle width direction (inner surface of the sliding door). I'm getting used to it. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, by providing an opening 9e in the leg plate portion 9b of the arm support bracket 9, there is no problem in the link arm 12 taking the door support arm retracted position. It is made so that there is no Further, the rotation range of the link arm 12 is such that the link arm 12 contacts the arm stopper 9f provided at the inner end of the arm attachment plate portion 9c when the door support arm is pushed out, and when the link arm 12 is in the door support arm retracted position. is defined by contacting the edge (rear edge) of the opening 9e in the door opening direction. When the link arm 12 is in the door support arm pushing position, the door support arm member 8 moves as shown by the solid line in FIG.
Its swinging center is located at the end (front part) in the door closing direction within the guide hole 9d, and the first arm 8a assumes a standing position in which it stands up in an inwardly protruding manner with respect to the sliding door 5. It is configured as follows. In addition, when the link arm 12 is located at the door support arm retracted position, the door support arm member 8, as shown by the imaginary line (dotted chain line) in FIG. The first arm part 8a is located at the inner end (rear part) in the door opening direction, and is located at a folded position where the first arm part 8a collapses along the inner surface of the sliding door. That is, when the link arm 12 rotates from the door support arm retracted position to the door support arm push-out position, the door support arm member 8 located at the folded position is rotated.
is pushed out by the link arm 12 and slid toward the end (front) in the door closing direction along the guide hole 9d, and rotated toward the upright position. Further, when the link arm 12 rotates toward the door support arm retracted position, the door support arm member 8 is pulled into the link arm 12 and slid toward the end (rearward) in the door opening direction along the guide hole 9d. while being rotated toward the folded position. Therefore, when the arm support bracket 9 and the slide door 5 slide relative to the door support arm member 8 in the door closing direction, the door support arm member 8 is moved relative to the arm support bracket 9 and the slide door 5 in the door opening direction. While relatively sliding in the direction, the link arm 12 is rotated in the direction of the folded position according to the rotation of the link arm 12. On the other hand, when the arm support bracket 9 and the slide door 5 slide relative to the door support arm member 8 in the door opening direction, the door support arm member 8 slides relative to the arm support bracket 9 and the slide door 5 in the door closing direction. While relatively sliding, the link arm 12 is rotated toward the upright position following the rotation of the link arm 12. In the case of this example, the axis of the link arm 12 is further rotated from the state in which it extends straight in the front-rear direction as shown by the imaginary line (two-dot chain line) in FIG. The door support arm member 8 is arranged to take an upright position while being tilted inward in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, when the door support arm member 8 rotates toward the upright position, the center of its swing is at the end of movement (maximum After sliding relative to the arm support bracket 9 to the sliding position), the door slides slightly back in the door opening direction to take an upright position. Further, the movement of the roller 7 is a combination of two movements: rotation about the swinging center of the first arm part 8a and back and forth sliding movement of the swinging center. 8 does not return and slide between the convolution position (the position indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 5) and the maximum slide position (the position indicated by the dashed double dot line in FIG. 5). Therefore, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 5, the movement trajectory of the roller 7 is close to a straight line between the convolution position and the maximum slide position, and is nearly a straight line between the maximum slide position and the upright position. It becomes a gentle curve. the result,
The movement locus of the sliding door 5 around the roller 7 when the door support arm member 8 rotates is as shown by the dashed line A in FIG.
The trajectory is a gentle curve until it reaches the maximum slide position, and thereafter it becomes a nearly straight trajectory that slopes inward in the vehicle width direction as it moves forward. In the above configuration, when the door support arm member 8 is in an upright position as shown in FIG. can be positioned in the door open position to overlap with the side wall of the vehicle body. On the other hand, when the sliding door 5 is slid from the door open position toward the door closing direction (in this example, forward), the stopper portion 2c of the top guide rail 2 near the door closing position as shown by the solid line in FIG. roller 7 hits. Thereafter, as the sliding door 5 moves forward, the door support arm member 8 is rotated in the direction of the folded position in a backward tilted manner, and as a result, the sliding door 5 slides forward along the above-mentioned movement trajectory. while moving inward in the vehicle width direction, and guided to the door closed position as shown by the imaginary lines in FIGS. 3 and 4. In this way, in the sliding door upper support structure of this example, while the upper guide rail 2 is linear, the sliding door 5 is moved from the open state where it overlaps with the side wall of the vehicle body to the position where it fits into the door opening and is substantially flush with the outer surface of the vehicle body. The vehicle can be guided and displaced in the vehicle width direction to a closed position. Therefore, there is no need to curve the Atsupa guide rail 2 as in the past, and this eliminates the need for the roof side rail to bulge toward the passenger compartment, so there is no possibility of deteriorating the aesthetics of the passenger compartment. . In addition, in the case of a vehicle with a sliding door, there is usually a mail provided at the end of the sliding door (on the door closed position side) and a leading edge retaining pillar of the door opening that receives the end of the sliding door on the door end side. A down stopper (not shown) for preventing the sliding door from rattling or the door tip from sagging, etc., is generally constructed by a recessed part in which the mail is fitted and received. is provided. In this example, when guiding the sliding door 5 to the door closed position, the sliding door 5 can be fitted into the door opening while being moved diagonally forward along a near-straight movement trajectory as described above. When opening and closing, the above-mentioned mail and Himale can be smoothly fitted and removed, and the door can also be opened and closed very smoothly. In addition, in the case of this example, on the back side of the arm support bracket 9, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5,
A pin-shaped spring stopper 13 is provided to elastically press the door support arm member 8 in the upright state toward the door opening direction (rearward). Therefore, this spring stopper 13 allows the door support arm member 8 to
The door support arm member 8 is placed in the upright position by elastically pressing the door support arm member 8 in the door opening direction and by sliding the door support arm member 8 back to take the upright position as described above. It can give a sense of moderation when positioning. Also,
Even if an inward force in the vehicle width direction acts on the sliding door 5 when the door support arm member 8 is upright, this force is absorbed by the idle slide ( (play rotation)
This can be absorbed by the cushioning action of the spring stopper 13. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the sliding door 5 from twisting when sliding. By the way, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the connection point between the link arm 12 and the arm support bracket 9 may be located outward in the vehicle width direction with respect to the guide hole 9b. In this case, when the door support arm member 8 rotates in the direction of the folded position, the link arm 12 is rotated in a backward tilting manner. Further, the slide guide means provided on the arm support bracket may be a guide groove, and various design changes can be made in the connection structure between the door support arm member and link arm and the arm support bracket.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a door support arm member and an arm support bracket according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken along the line - in FIG. 7, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the sliding door when it is open; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the sliding door when it is closed;
4 and 5 are plan views of the first embodiment;
The figure is a diagram schematically showing the second embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a diagram partially showing a vehicle having a sliding door. 1... Door opening, 2... Atsupa guide rail,
5...Sliding door, 7...Roller, 8...Door support arm member, 9...Arm support bracket,
9d...Slide guide means (guide hole), 12...
...link arm.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An upper support structure for a sliding door that is supported so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction on the side of the vehicle body, and that fits into and closes a door opening provided at the intermediate portion of the side portion of the vehicle body in the longitudinal direction, comprising: A stopper part is provided at the end on the closed position side,
A top guide rail extending linearly in the front-rear direction is attached to the upper edge of the door opening, and an arm support bracket attached to the sliding door has a roller at one end that is slidably guided by the top guide rail. The door support arm member is swingably supported, and the arm support bracket is provided with a slide guide means capable of sliding a swing center portion of the door support arm member in the front and back direction, and one end portion is attached to the arm support bracket. By providing a link arm whose other end is rotatably connected to a portion of the door support arm member that is displaced from the swinging center, the door support arm member can be attached to the door relative to the arm support bracket. When relatively sliding in the opening direction, the door support arm member is rotated along the inner surface of the sliding door toward a folded position,
When the door support arm member slides relative to the arm support bracket in the door closing direction, the door support arm member can be rotated toward an upright position in which it stands up in an inwardly protruding manner with respect to the sliding door. An upper support structure for an automobile sliding door, characterized by comprising: