WO2001010680A1

WO2001010680A1 - Step system for a vehicle

Info

Publication number: WO2001010680A1
Application number: PCT/EP2000/006856
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jörg Blank; Götz ECKHOFF
Original assignee: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
Priority date: 1999-08-07
Filing date: 2000-07-18
Publication date: 2001-02-15
Also published as: DE19937487A1; EP1206372A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a step (6) which can be moved between an inoperative position and an operative position by means of a drive motor (8). In both of these positions, the step is lifted slightly by means of lifting guides containing sloped surfaces (20 to 25) and pressed against a seal strip (28) and a brush strip (29). This reduces wear and noise, as well as reducing the strain on the sliding roller or track roller guides (18, 19) with which the step (6) is also provided. The invention also relates to an emergency release system for the step (6). This system enables the step (6) to be restored to its inoperative position manually if the drive motor (8) fails.

Description

Step arrangement for a vehicle

The invention relates to a step arrangement for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle.

Step arrangements of this construction make it easier for older and disabled people to get in and out of vehicles without protruding over the circumference of the vehicle while driving. In itself, the construction of such a step arrangement appears relatively simple, because the construction of a guide for the step during its movements between the operating position and the rest position obviously does not pose any fundamental problems. However, the operating conditions to which the step arrangement is subject must be observed, not only due to the forces and moments that occur when using the step, but also due to the contamination of the tread of the step, for example in winter by sprinkling agents or dirt falling off the shoes in bad weather. Understandably, seals can be used to prevent the ingress of water and dirt while driving, but these are subject to abrasion, which may make them ineffective, during the movements of the step, at least over longer periods of operation.

The invention has for its object to provide a generic step arrangement that works reliably with a simple structure even under the harsh conditions of driving.

The inventive solution to this problem consists in the characterizing features of the independent claims; advantageous embodiments of the invention describe the subclaims.

If one first considers the invention according to the main claim and the subclaims which refer back to it, it is essential for the invention that the step is not simply made using slide or rail rollers. Guides between their defined two positions by means of a motor

Drive is moved, but also that lifting guides are provided, which are only in the two defined positions of the step, so to speak in the area of their

End positions, an increase in the step by order of magnitude, for example

Effect millimeters. This ensures in the two end positions of the step that the slide or rail-roller guides are relieved, so that they only the

Movements of the step in a running between the two end positions

Serve range of motion. The slide or rail-roller guides can therefore be made relatively weak, since they only serve to transport the step in the unloaded state and without vibrations from driving.

This lifting of the step in its end positions by the lifting guides, which can be constructed very simply using inclined planes or wedge surfaces, has the further advantage that a sealing and / or brush strip assigned to it is not subjected to force during the main phase of the movements of the step ; rather, this bar or these bars are only brought into contact with the step in their end positions. This means that dirt and moisture can practically not penetrate into the housing when the vehicle is stationary (step in the operating position) and also while driving with the step in its rest position. The fact that the sealing and / or brush strip is only effective when the step is in its end positions also contributes to noise reduction during the movements of the step. The fact that the brush strip is at a certain distance above the tread of the tread during the actual movements of the tread has the understandable consequence that not all dirt particles are brushed off when it is moved from its operating position into its rest position. However, this is portable because all larger dirt particles are still held back by the brush strip, because this is located at a relatively short distance (e.g. on the order of a millimeter) above the tread surface, so that all larger dirt particles, e.g. Snow accumulations or stones are "swept".

Since one avoids moving supply lines to the drive motor, be it pressure medium lines or electrical lines, it is expedient, according to claim 6, to fix the drive motor on or in the housing for the step. Since, as explained in detail above, when moving between their end positions at the same time also executes slight lifting movements, the drive connection between

Drive motor on the one hand and treadle on the other hand be designed in the height direction, albeit slightly resiliently. This is borne out by the design of the invention

Claim 6 in that a drive device in the manner of one of

Vehicles known from cable window lifters are used with cables driven in opposite directions as a force-transmitting connection between the drive motor and the step. This drive connection is understandably easy to make very flat, so that the housing of the step arrangement is flat and can easily be attached to the vehicle floor from below if necessary.

The drive motor will be self-locking so that it not only moves the step into the desired position, but also locks it there. Understandably, this has disadvantages if the drive motor fails, since then the step cannot be moved manually from its rest position into its operating position nor from this back to its rest position. This avoids with simple means the step arrangement described in claims 9 to 12, which, although it uses cable pulls as a force-transmitting connection of the drive motor to the step, can also be used to advantage if no lifting guides are provided for the step, their importance was explained in detail above.

An embodiment of the invention is explained below with reference to the drawing. In this show:

FIG. 1: perspective, obliquely from the front left, a motor vehicle with the step arrangement according to the invention, FIGS. 3, 4 and 5:

Side views at different positions of the step,

Figure 6: the sectional view according to VI-VI in Figure 4, limited to a rail

Roller guide,

FIG. 7: a top view of an emergency release device,

FIG. 8: the sectional view according to Vlll-Vlll in FIG. 7,

Figure 9: the same sectional view after actuation of the emergency release device and

Figure 10: the sectional view according to XX in Figure 7. Looking at FIG. 1, 1 shows a conventional vehicle body with the door opening 2, which is associated with the step arrangement 3 to facilitate getting in and out. This contains as essential components the flat housing 4, which is fastened by means of brackets 5 in the area of the vehicle floor, and the step 6, which is shown in FIG. 1 in its operating position largely pulled out of the housing 4. The step 6 has the step surface 7 made safe by profiling and / or friction inserts and, as will be explained later, can be shifted between its illustrated operating position and a retracted position into the housing 4 by means of the drive motor 8 and the cable arrangement 9 fixedly arranged in the housing.

The structure of the drive arrangement for the step shows the top view of Firgur 2, in which the step itself is not recognizable. It is therefore practically an insight into the housing 4. For reasons of stiffening, its lower wall 10 is provided with profiles; it carries pulleys 11 for the cable assembly 9 with the two cables 12 and 13, which are attached at 14 and 15 to the step, not shown, and which are wound in opposite directions on a cable drum located at 16 and located on the output shaft of the drive motor 8. Counter-rotating or counter-rotating here means that when the cable drum rotates in one direction of rotation, one of the two cables 12 and 13 is wound up and the other is unwound; a change in the direction of rotation of the drive motor 8 and thus the cable drum 16 results in the cables being interchanged with respect to winding and unwinding. This means that the connection points 14 and 15 always move in parallel in the same direction due to the selected arrangement of the deflection rollers 11, but only one of the cable pulls and thus one of the linkages 14 and 15 always transmits forces to the running board.

The use of cables described, which also allow movements between the drive motor and the treadle in vertical directions, also takes into account the fact that, as will be described in the following with reference to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the treadle 6 intervenes in its sliding movements their rest position (Figure 4) and their operating position (Figure 5) not only moved horizontally, but also somewhat in the vertical direction. First of all, it should be noted that 6 rail-roller guides are provided on both sides of the step, with at least two rollers 17 and 18 on each side and a rail 19 fastened to the housing 4 for the rollers 17 and 18. As can be seen from all the figures and also the sectional view in FIG. 6, the rails 19 are provided with vertical play for the rollers 17 and 18. This is a prerequisite for the operation of the stroke guides to be described:

On its underside, the step 6 carries a total of three inclined planes or wedge surfaces 20, 21 and 22, which are opposed to inclined planes 23, 24 and 25 on the housing side. The positions of the inclined planes provided on the step 6 and the housing 4 are selected such that the step 6 is supported on the respective rail via the rollers 17 and 18, that is to say slightly, during the movement of the step 6 between its end positions (FIG. 3) is to be moved. In its end positions, however, step 6 is supported on the inclined planes, and the rail-roller guides are relieved of force.

On its upper side, the step 6 carries the further inclined plane 26, to which the further inclined plane 27 is assigned on the housing side. These two inclined planes 26 and 27 form a torque support against forces and moments exerted by a person on the step 6 in its operating position. The two further inclined planes come into contact only in the operating position of step 6 (in FIG. 5), so that the forces and moments then exerted on them are absorbed via the inclined planes 23 and 27 on the housing.

These lifting and lowering movements of the step 6 now have the consequence that the sealing strip 28 and the brush strip 29 on the front edge of the housing 4 only come into contact with the step surface 7 between their two end positions during the intermediate movement (FIG. 4) of the step 6. In contrast, in the movement phase shown in FIG. 3, there is a gap between the strips 28 and 29 on the one hand and the tread surface 7 on the other hand, which is shown here in an exaggerated size; usually it will be about 1 mm or less. This gap ensures that the major part of the movement of the step 6 does not lead to signs of wear or noise on the strips 28 and 29. In contrast, in the two end positions of step 6 (FIGS. 4 and 5), sealing strip 28 and brush strip 29 develop their sealing or cleaning action.

Since the drive motor 8 does not participate in these lifting movements of the step 6, but rather is fixedly mounted in the housing 4, its feed lines 30 and 31 (see Figure 1) are also fixed. The supply line 31 incidentally contains the door contact or door switch 32, which automatically switches on the motor 8 when the door is opened and when it is closed, so that the step 6 is then automatically extended or drawn into its rest position.

An emergency release will now be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10, which gives the possibility of manually pushing the step 6 (not shown in FIG. 7) from its operating position into its rest position if the drive motor 8 fails.

An essential part of this emergency release is a specific design of the fastenings 14 and 15 of the cables 12 and 13 on the step 6, namely using approximately Z-shaped (or S-shaped) hooks 33 which have a hole 34 in the step with their central region 6 (or in a lower bowl of the same). In the case shown it is assumed that it is the hook for fastening the cable 12; The attachment point 15 of the other cable 13 (see Figure 2) is understandably constructed identically. The upper end region 35 of the hook 33 lies under the action of the pull exerted by the cable 12 on the slide 36, which likewise has a hole 37 for the hook 33 to pass through. As can be seen from FIG. 7, this hole 37 is obtained through a fork-shaped end region of the slide 36. As soon as the slide 36 is moved by applying a pulling force on the handle 38 of this emergency release in FIG. 7 to the bottom right, in FIG. 10 with respect to the plane of the drawing, the end region 35 of the hook 33 loses its support and falls in the illustration in FIG. 10 down through hole 34 in step 6 through: The connection between drive motor 8 and step 6 is broken.

in its normal position (FIG. 8), slide 36 also prevents spring pin 40 on step 6 from penetrating hole 41 therein and, according to FIG. 9, which represents the unlocked state, penetrates openings 42 in slide 36 and 41 in step 6 to protrude down into the working area of the stop 43 on the lower wall of the housing 4. If the step 6 is in its operating position at the moment the emergency release is actuated, the spring pin 40 then in its relaxed position according to FIG. 9 can slide on the right-hand sloping surface of the stop 43 in FIG. 9 during manual insertion of the step 6 and thus after be pushed away above, ie the step 6 can be in their Shift rest position. However, as soon as the spring pin 40 has come over the top of the stop 43, it falls under the action of its elasticity, as shown in FIG. 9, behind the stop 43, so that the step 6 moves again into its working position, be it manually or by driving-related vibrations, is impossible.

So that a manual shift of the step 6 from this rest position into its operating position is still possible, the spring pin 40 is in alignment with the hole 44 in the lower wall of the housing 4, which serves, for example, as a water drain and in this Embodiment can be closed with the rubber stopper 45. By inserting a tool through the hole 44, the spring pin 40 can be pivoted upward out of the area of the stop 43, so that with simultaneous application of an outward manual force to the step 6, these are brought into their working position even after the drive motor 8 has failed can.

With the invention, a generic step arrangement is created which meets all the requirements placed on such an arrangement by using simple, reliable and easily manageable parts in terms of production.

Claims

1. step arrangement for a vehicle with a movable step between an operating position in which it is extended, and a rest position in which it is retracted into the vehicle body, characterized in that the step (6) is movable in a motorized manner between its two positions a housing (4) is guided by means of sliding or rail-roller guides (18, 19) and lifting guides (20 to 25) running in the direction of movement, which guide rails (6) are only in the two positions while relieving the rail Raise the roller guides (18, 19) and press them with a step (7) against a sealing and / or brush strip (28, 29) on the housing.

2. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the lifting guides below the step (6) on the underside of the same and the facing side of the housing (4) contain inclined planes (20 to 25) which only when the step (6) approaches at their two positions, the steps step up to one another.

3. Arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that above the step (6) is provided only in its operating position, the moment support (26, 27).

4. Arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that the torque support on the tread surface (7) and the facing side of the housing (4) contains further inclined planes (26, 27), which only when the step (6) approaches its operating position run into each other.

5. Arrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that the at least one step level further inclined plane (26) is provided near a rear edge of the step (6).

6. Arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a drive motor (8) for the movements of the step (6) is fixed on the housing side and via two cables (12, 13) driven in opposite directions by it, which have deflections (11) on the housing side ) are connected to the step (6) in drive connection.

7. Arrangement according to claim 6, characterized in that the cables (12, 13) in opposite directions loop around a cable drum (16) driven by the drive motor (8).

8. Arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the drive motor (8) is assigned a door switch (32) for its actuation.

9. step arrangement for a vehicle with a step between an operating position in which it is extended, and a rest position in which it is retracted into the vehicle body by means of a drive motor, in particular according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the drive motor (8) is connected to the step (6) in drive connection via cable pulls (12, 13) which engage the step (6) via Z-like hooks (33) which have a hole (34) in a central area the step (6) and a recess (37) in a slide (36) connected to an emergency release lever (38) and support it with an end region (35) until the slide (36) pushes it when the emergency release lever (38 ) releases.

10. The arrangement according to claim 9, characterized in that the recess (37) is formed by a fork-shaped region of the slide (36).

11. Arrangement according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the slide (36) further releases a spring pin (40) on the step (6) only when the emergency release lever (38) is actuated, which then after manual movement of the step (6) engages at least approximately in its rest position a housing-side stop (43) to prevent the step (6) from moving automatically into its operating position.

12. The arrangement according to claim 11, characterized in that the stop (43) has a spring pin (40) when moving the step (6) in its rest position pushing back slope.

13. Arrangement according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the spring pin (40) in the rest position tread (6) with an opening (44), in particular a water drain opening, in the housing (4).