JPH0730434Y2 - Automotive step equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial application] The present invention relates to a step device for an automobile, and more particularly to a retractable movable step device used for getting on and off a vehicle having a high minimum ground clearance.

[Conventional technology]

Steps are required to get on and off a vehicle with a high minimum ground clearance, such as a four-wheel drive off-road vehicle.

Conventionally, such steps of a vehicle are usually fixedly provided on the vehicle body, and as shown in the vertical sectional view of FIG.
A bracket 12 is sandwiched between the floor panel 6 and the side sill inner 8 and fixed to the tip of the bracket 12.

[Problems to be solved by the device]

By the way, in the conventional fixing step as described above, since the step is attached through the bracket 12 as a member separate from the member forming the vehicle body, the step is performed below the outer shape of the vehicle body and on both left and right sides. Has no choice but to adopt an overhanging structure, thus affecting the minimum ground clearance and vehicle width.

As a measure for improving such a problem, a type has been devised in which a step is interlocked with opening and closing of a door of a vehicle, horizontally moved in the left-right direction of the vehicle body, and stored under the vehicle body when not in use.

If such a form is adopted, overhang of the step in the left-right direction of the vehicle body can be eliminated by storing it, but
Since the trajectory of the horizontal movement of the step must be below the vehicle body, it is unavoidable that the storage mechanism including the step is projected below the vehicle body, and it is unavoidable that the minimum ground clearance is lowered. .

The present invention is intended to solve such a problem, and it is possible to eliminate the influence on the minimum ground clearance and the vehicle width of the vehicle due to the installation of the step, and it is possible to sufficiently prevent the vehicle from getting in and out of the vehicle. It is an object of the present invention to provide a step device for an automobile capable of ensuring a large step allowance.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the step device for an automobile of the present invention comprises a side sill along a lower edge of an opening / closing opening of a vehicle, which has a fixing step, and is pivotally mounted around a horizontal axis along a leading edge of the fixing step. The movable step is provided, and the stay supporting the stepping load to the movable step is mounted between the movable step and the side sill so that the movable step can cover the movable step when the movable step is closed, The movable step operation mechanism is provided, and the operation mechanism detects the opening and closing of the door provided at the opening / closing opening and the movable step when the door switch detects the opening of the door. And a motor arranged in the garnish of the vehicle for displacing the step to the use position.

[Action]

When the movable step pivotally mounted around the horizontal axis along the leading edge of the fixed step provided on the side sill of the vehicle body is extended, the stepping device of the fixed step and the movable step of the present invention described above. A deep horizontal tread surface is formed, and at this time, the supporting stay mounted between the movable step and the side sill serves to support the stepping load applied to the movable step when the movable step is extended. The above-described expansion of the movable step is performed by the motor when the door switch detects the opening of the door, and thereby the step is automatically formed by opening the door.

〔Example〕

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIGS. 1 to 4 show a step device for an automobile as one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing its installation position on a vehicle body. 2 (a) is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG.
Figure (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the step expansion state of the above device,
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing only the mechanism.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle step device is fixedly installed on a side sill along a lower edge of a door opening I as an opening for getting on and off a vehicle body B.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, in this step device, the step surface is divided into a fixed step 10 and a movable step 9, and the fixed step 10 serves as a door opening I as an opening for getting on and off the vehicle body B. It is provided on the side sill along the lower edge of. The movable step 9 is rotatably mounted around a horizontal axis along a front edge of the fixed step 10 by a pair of hinges 13 attached to both edge portions of the fixed step 10. Further, a stay 14 is mounted between the movable step 9 and the side sills 7 and 8 in order to support a stepping load of an occupant on the movable step 9, and a motor 15 and an operation link 16 as an operating mechanism of the movable step 9 are installed. Equipped.

The fixing step 10 is formed in a substantially horizontal plate shape,
As shown in FIG. 2 (a), the upright portion 10a on the inner edge side is
The side sills 7 and 8 are fixed to the vehicle body B by being attached to the joints with bolts and nuts 11.

The movable step 9 is the inner surface side that constitutes the tread surface when getting on and off.
A hinge bracket having a flat inner surface 9a and an outer surface 9b formed along the large side garnish 4 (see FIG. 1) of the vehicle body and attached to the inner surface 9a.
It is openably and closably coupled to the fixed step 10 via 13a.

One end of the stay 14 is pivotally fixed to the side sill outer 7, and the other end thereof is pivotally fixed to the hinge bracket 13a of the movable step 9, and the stay 14 is formed as a bent link pinned in the middle. Therefore, the stay 14 is moved to the movable step 9
Will be covered by the movable step 9 when closed.

The operating mechanism of the movable step 9 includes a motor 15, a rotating arm 16a fixed to its rotation shaft, a connecting arm 16b pivotally attached to the rotating arm at one end and pivotally attached to the movable step 9 hinge bracket 13a at the other end. Consists of a motor 15
Is connected to a power source P via a door switch 17 that operates by opening and closing the door.

In FIGS. 1 to 4, reference numeral 1 is a door outer, 2 is a door inner, 3 is a large side garnish, and 5 is a large side garnish.
Indicates a scuff plate, and 6 indicates a floor panel.

In the step device configured as described above, when the door switch 17 operates by opening or closing the door, the motor 15
Rotates normally or reversely, and accordingly, the rotating arm 16a rotates by a certain angle. By this rotation, the connecting arm 16
In step b, the movable step 9 is opened and closed by rotating the movable step 9 about the hinge pin of the hinge 13 and rotating it from the position shown in FIG. 2 (a) to the position shown in FIG. 2 (b) or vice versa.

Then, when the movable step 9 is closed, the outer surface side 9b thereof forms a surface of the vehicle body B flush with the large side garnish 4, as shown in FIG. 2 (a). When the step 9 is expanded, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the inner surface side 9a of the step 9 is flush with the fixed step 10 to form a deep tread surface with a large step allowance.

In the above-mentioned movable step device, since the fixed step 10 and the movable step 9 are provided separately in the large side garnish 4 outside the side sill along the lower edge of the opening / closing opening of the vehicle body, it is necessary to install the step. It becomes possible to eliminate the influence on the minimum ground clearance and the vehicle width of the vehicle.

Further, when the movable step 9 is expanded, the inner surface 9a thereof becomes flush with the fixed step 10 to form a deep tread surface for the step allowance, which is stable when getting on and off the vehicle. The effect that the step can be secured can be obtained. Further, at this time, the stepping load applied to the movable step 9 is supported by the stay 14. Therefore,
No stepping load is applied to the motor 15.

Further, since the operation of the movable step 9 is performed in conjunction with the opening and closing of the door, it is possible to avoid the troublesome operation.

Furthermore, since the motor 15 is incorporated by utilizing the space inside the large side garnish 4, not only does it require a new installation space, but it is also protected from splash etc. when the vehicle is running. The effect that a durable device can be realized is also obtained.

The present invention has been described in detail above based on the embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the matters described in the scope of claims for utility model registration. The stay that supports the stepping load on the movable step is not limited to the bent link, and various types of stays can be used.

If the outer surface of the movable step portion has the same shape on the left and right sides, the parts can be commonly used on the left and right, and the increase in the number of manufacturing points can be minimized.

[Effect of device]

As described in detail above, according to the vehicle stepping device of the present invention, the following effects and advantages can be obtained.

(1) By dividing the step surface into a fixed step and a movable step, and by making the movable step rotatable, it is possible to reduce the amount of protrusion of the step to the lower surface of the side sill and the outside of the vehicle body, and the minimum ground clearance of the vehicle. It becomes easier to secure the vehicle, and it is possible to avoid the step from coming into contact with the ground when traveling off-road.

(2) Since the motor and stay are installed inside the garnish and the movable step, there is no freezing of the motor or stay, and mud adheres. Sometimes your feet are slippery and not dangerous.

(3) By dividing the step surface into two, a large step surface can be secured, and since only the movable step needs to be rotated, the motor can be downsized.

(4) Since the load supporting of the movable step is performed by the load supporting stay, not by the motor that displaces the movable step, no load (stepping load) is applied to the motor.

(5) Since the opening of the door is detected by the door switch and the motor is actuated to move the movable step to the use position, the step can be automatically formed by opening the door.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 4 show an automobile stepping device as one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing an installation position on the vehicle body, and FIG. 2 (a) is a perspective view of FIG. II-II arrow sectional view, FIG. 2 (b) is a sectional view showing the step expansion state of the above apparatus, FIG. 3 is a III-III arrow sectional view of FIG.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing only the mechanism, and FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view showing a conventional step device for an automobile. 1 ... Door outer, 2 ... Door inner, 3,4 ... Large side garnish, 5 ... Scuff plate, 6 ... Floor panel, 7 ... Side sill outer, 8 ... Side sill inner, 9 ... Movable step, 10 ... … Fixed steps,
11 …… Bolt nut, 13 …… Hinge, 14 …… Stay, 15
...... Motor as operating mechanism, 16 ...... Operating link as operating mechanism, 17 …… Door switch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A side sill along a lower edge of an opening / closing opening of a vehicle is provided with a fixed step, and a movable step pivotally mounted around a horizontal axis is provided along a leading edge of the fixed step. A stay that supports the stepping load of the movable step is mounted between the movable step and the side sill so that the movable step can be covered by the movable step when the movable step is closed, and the operation mechanism of the movable step is equipped. A mechanism includes a door switch for detecting opening / closing of a door provided in the entry / exit opening, and a garnish of the vehicle for displacing the movable step to a use position when opening of the door is detected by the door switch. A step device for an automobile, comprising: a motor disposed therein.