Sliding door drive

Abstract

Provided is a sliding door drive device capable of suppressing bulging with respect to a vehicle body panel serving as a fixed object. A door drive device (40) includes an elongated guide frame (50), a first driven pulley (641) and a second driven pulley each supported at one of two end portions in the longitudinal direction of the guide frame (50), a belt (66) wound around the first driven pulley (641) and the second driven pulley, and a belt drive portion that drives the belt (66). The guide frame (50) has a guide wall (53) that guides the belt (66) between the first driven pulley (641) and the second driven pulley. The door drive device (40) includes a sliding plate (70) disposed at a position sandwiched by an inner side surface of a bent portion (50B) of the guide wall (53) and the belt (66) and generating sliding with the driven belt (66).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a sliding door drive device. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a door opening and closing device as a sliding door drive device for opening and closing a vehicle's sliding door. The door opening and closing device includes: a belt guide extending along a guide track; two timing pulleys respectively provided at the front end and rear end of the belt guide; a belt wound around the two timing pulleys; and a pressure pulley that presses the belt toward the belt guide.

[0003] The guide rail has a straight section extending in the front-rear direction and a curved section bending towards the carriage from the front end of the straight section. Therefore, the belt guide section also has a straight section corresponding to the straight section of the guide rail and a curved section corresponding to the curved section of the guide rail. A pressure pulley is provided at the curved section of the belt guide section. That is, the pressure pulley prevents the belt from being driven while it is away from the curved section of the belt guide section.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-100081 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The technical problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] When the aforementioned door opening and closing device is fixed to the vehicle body panel, the pressure roller is located between the belt guide and the body panel. Therefore, such vehicles require recesses in the body panel to prevent interference from the pressure roller.

[0009] Technical means for solving technical problems

[0010] The following describes the technical means used to solve the above-mentioned technical problems and their effects. A sliding door drive device that solves the above-mentioned technical problems is fixed to the vehicle body panel and causes the sliding door of the vehicle to move in the opening and closing directions. It comprises: an elongated guide frame, which, when fixed to the body panel, is bent such that its end in the closing direction is located inward in the vehicle width direction compared to its end in the opening direction; a first driven pulley and a second driven pulley, which are respectively supported at the two ends in the long side direction of the guide frame; a belt wound around the first driven pulley and the second driven pulley; and a belt drive unit that drives the belt. The guide frame has a guide wall that guides the belt between the first driven pulley and the second driven pulley. The sliding door drive device includes a sliding part, which, when the bent portion of the guide wall is taken as the bent portion and the surface of the guide wall facing the body panel is taken as the inner surface, is positioned where it is sandwiched between the inner surface of the bent portion of the guide wall and the belt, and slides with the driven belt.

[0011] The sliding door drive device described above enables the sliding door to open and close by transmitting power to the sliding door via a belt. As a structure to prevent interference between the belt and the vehicle body panel, the sliding door drive device includes a sliding portion that slides with the driven belt, rather than a pressure pulley that rotates relative to the driven belt. Therefore, the sliding door drive device does not require the pulley to be supported in a rotatable structure, thus reducing bulging relative to the vehicle body panel.

[0012] In the above-described sliding door drive device, it is preferable that the sliding part is a plate-shaped sliding plate that is curved along the curved part.

[0013] For example, compared to using multiple pins as sliding parts, the above-described sliding door drive device simplifies the structure of the sliding door drive device.

[0014] In the above-described sliding door drive device, preferably, when the extension direction of the rotation axis of the first driven pulley and the second driven pulley is taken as the axial direction, the guide frame has: a bottom wall and an upper wall that clamp the guide wall in the axial direction along the long side of the guide frame; and a support wall that extends from the bottom wall in a manner opposite to the inner surface of the curved portion of the guide wall and supports the sliding plate in a state of contact with the sliding plate.

[0015] In the sliding door drive device described above, the sliding plate is located between the curved portion of the guide wall and the support wall, specifically between the belt and the support wall. That is, when the sliding plate is used as a reference, the support wall is located in the direction of the reaction force from the belt. Therefore, even if the reaction force from the belt is applied, the sliding plate is unlikely to displace in the direction of that reaction force. Thus, the sliding door drive device can stabilize the posture of the sliding plate relative to the guide frame.

[0016] In the above-described sliding door drive device, it is preferable that, when the direction in which the support wall extends from the bottom wall is taken as the height direction, the upper wall of the guide frame has an abutment portion that, together with the bottom wall, clamps the sliding plate in the height direction.

[0017] The sliding door drive device described above can stabilize the posture of the sliding plate relative to the guide frame in the height direction.

[0018] In the above-mentioned sliding door drive device, preferably, the sliding plate has a main body and a locking part, the main body is supported by the support wall, and the locking part is locked to the bottom wall on both sides of the main body in the long side direction.

[0019] In the sliding door drive device described above, the locking part of the sliding plate is locked to the bottom wall of the guide frame. Therefore, the sliding door drive device can further stabilize the posture of the sliding plate relative to the guide frame.

[0020] Preferably, when the surface of the belt that slides with the sliding part is used as the sliding surface, the belt has a belt body and a covering layer. The belt body is made of an elastic material, and the covering layer includes the sliding surface and covers the belt body. The coefficient of friction between the covering layer and the sliding part is smaller than the coefficient of friction between the belt body and the sliding part.

[0021] When a sliding door is opened and closed, sliding resistance is generated between the belt and the sliding part. In this respect, the coefficient of friction between the cover layer and the sliding part of the sliding door drive device configured above is lower than the coefficient of friction between the belt body and the sliding part. Therefore, compared with the case where no cover layer is provided on the belt, the sliding door drive device can reduce the sliding resistance generated between the belt and the sliding part.

[0022] Preferably, the sliding door drive device includes a drive pulley supported on the guide frame and driven by the belt drive unit. The rotation axis of the drive pulley is in a torsional position relative to the rotation axes of the first driven pulley and the second driven pulley. The belt, which is torsional between the first driven pulley and the second driven pulley, is wound around the drive pulley.

[0023] When slippage occurs between the twisted belt and the sliding part, it is more likely that only a portion of the belt will slip against the sliding part compared to when slippage occurs between the belt and the sliding part without twisting. Therefore, when slippage occurs between the twisted belt and the sliding part, the belt may experience uneven wear. In this respect, in the sliding door drive device with the above-described structure, the belt has a covering layer with a relatively low coefficient of friction between it and the sliding part. Therefore, even when slippage occurs between the twisted belt and the sliding part, the belt is less prone to uneven wear.

[0024] Preferably, the vehicle has an upper rail, a lower rail, and a central rail. The upper rail is positioned above the door opening that is opened and closed by the sliding door, the lower rail is positioned below the door opening, and the central rail is positioned at a position that moves forward from the door opening in the opening direction and is positioned vertically between the upper rail and the lower rail. The upper rail, the lower rail, and the central rail define the opening and closing direction of the sliding door, and the guide frame is fixed to the vehicle body panel along the central rail.

[0025] Invention Effects

[0026] The aforementioned sliding door drive device can suppress bulging of the vehicle body panel relative to the fixed object of the sliding door drive device. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a vehicle equipped with a sliding door drive device according to one embodiment.

[0028] Figure 2 This is an enlarged 3D view of the aforementioned vehicle.

[0029] Figure 3 This is an exploded perspective view of the aforementioned sliding door drive device.

[0030] Figure 4 This is an exploded perspective view of the aforementioned sliding door drive device.

[0031] Figure 5 This is a side view of the aforementioned sliding door drive device, with a portion of its structure omitted.

[0032] Figure 6 This is an exploded perspective view of the front end of the aforementioned sliding door drive device.

[0033] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the front end of the aforementioned sliding door drive device.

[0034] Figure 8 This is a top view of the front end of the aforementioned sliding door drive device.

[0035] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 Sectional view along line 9-9.

[0036] Figure 10 yes Figure 8 10-10 line sectional view.

[0037] Figure 11 yes Figure 8 Sectional view along line 11-11.

[0038] Figure 12 This is a 3D view of the area involved in the change example.

[0039] Symbol Explanation

[0040] 10… vehicles

[0041] 20…body

[0042] 21…door opening

[0043] 22…body panels

[0044] 30… Sliding door

[0045] 40… Door drive mechanism (sliding door drive mechanism)

[0046] 50…Bootframe

[0047] 50A…First Straight Section

[0048] 50B…bend

[0049] 50C…Second straight section

[0050] 51…bottom wall

[0051] 52…up the wall

[0052] 521…butt part

[0053] 53…Guiding Wall

[0054] 55… Support wall

[0055] 61…with drive unit

[0056] 65…cover

[0057] 641…First driven pulley

[0058] 642…Second driven pulley

[0059] 66…

[0060] 67…Connector

[0061] 68…protection board

[0062] 70… Sliding plate (an example of a sliding part)

[0063] 71…Main Body

[0064] 72… Extension

[0065] 73…Kahebu

[0066] 74…stop section

[0067] 80…

[0068] 80S… Sliding Surface

[0069] 81…with main body

[0070] 84…Second Cover Section (An Example of a Cover Section) Detailed Implementation

[0071] The following describes one embodiment of a vehicle equipped with a sliding door drive device (hereinafter also referred to as "door drive device").

[0072] <Vehicle 10>

[0073] like Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle 10 includes a body 20, a sliding door 30, and a door drive device 40. In the following description, the vehicle width direction is also referred to as the "width direction", the vehicle front-to-back direction is also referred to as the "front-to-back direction", and the vehicle vertical direction is also referred to as the "vertical direction".

[0074] <Body 20>

[0075] The vehicle body 20 includes: a body panel 22 for a door opening 21, an upper track 23 positioned above the door opening 21, a central track 24 positioned behind the door opening 21, and a lower track 25 positioned below the door opening 21. The upper track 23, central track 24, and lower track 25 are fixed to the body panel 22. In the vertical direction, the upper track 23 is positioned above the central track 24 and lower track 25, with the central track 24 located between the upper track 23 and lower track 25. The upper track 23, central track 24, and lower track 25 are components used to define the opening and closing direction of the sliding door 30.

[0076] like Figure 2 As shown, body panel 22 is a side body panel that forms the side of body 20. Figure 2Although concealed within the door drive unit 40, the through-hole for passing through a portion of the components of the door drive unit 40 in the width direction extends through the body panel 22 in the thickness direction. The central track 24 has: a first track 24A extending forward, a second track 24B extending in an arc shape as it moves forward from the front end of the first track 24A, and a third track 24C extending in a straight line from the front end of the second track 24B. Although not shown in the figure, the upper track 23 and the lower track 25 also include structures equivalent to the first track 24A, the second track 24B, and the third track 24C. Therefore, the upper track 23, the central track 24, and the lower track 25 are curved inward in the width direction compared to their rear ends. Due to the curvature of the upper track 23, the central track 24, and the lower track 25, the sliding door 30 can move in the width direction near the fully closed position. In addition, the radius of curvature of the curved portion of the central track 24 is smaller than that of the upper track 23 and the lower track 25. This is because when the radius of curvature of the curved part of the central track 24 is set to be large, the front end of the central track 24 extends further forward, thereby shortening the length of the door opening 21 in the front-back direction.

[0077] <Sliding Door 30>

[0078] like Figure 1 As shown, the sliding door 30 has: a door body 31 of a size corresponding to the door opening 21, an upper hinge unit 32 disposed on the upper part of the door body 31, a central hinge unit 33 disposed on the rear part of the door body 31, and a lower hinge unit 34 disposed on the lower part of the door body 31.

[0079] The upper hinge unit 32 and the lower hinge unit 34 are located near the front end of the door body 31, and the central hinge unit 33 is located near the rear end of the door body 31. The central hinge unit 33 is located in the center of the door body 31 in the vertical direction. The upper hinge unit 32 engages with the upper track 23 in a manner that allows it to move along the upper track 23. The central hinge unit 33 engages with the central track 24 in a manner that allows it to move along the central track 24. The lower hinge unit 34 engages with the lower track 25 in a manner that allows it to move along the lower track 25.

[0080] Furthermore, since the upper hinge unit 32, the central hinge unit 33, and the lower hinge unit 34 move relative to the upper track 23, the central track 24, and the lower track 25 respectively, the sliding door 30 opens and closes between a fully closed position (where the door opening 21 is fully closed) and a fully open position (where the door opening 21 is fully open). In this embodiment, the sliding door 30 opens by moving backward and closes by moving forward. That is, the opening direction of the sliding door 30 is backward, and the closing direction is forward. In other embodiments, the sliding door 30 may also open by moving forward and close by moving backward.

[0081] <Gate drive device 40>

[0082] like Figures 3-5 As shown, the door drive device 40 includes: a guide frame 50, a drive unit 61, a drive pulley 62, two pressure pulleys 631 and 632, two driven pulleys 641 and 642, a cover 65, a belt 66, a connecting member 67, a protective plate 68, and a sliding plate 70.

[0083] The door drive unit 40 is fixed relative to the body panel 22 along the central track 24 at a position arranged vertically with respect to the central track 24. Moreover, the door drive unit 40 causes the sliding door 30 to move in the opening and closing directions. In the following description, fixing the door drive unit 40 to the body panel 22 is also referred to as "mounting the door drive unit 40 on the body 20".

[0084] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the guide frame 50 is also elongated like the central rail 24. That is, when the guide frame 50 is mounted on the vehicle body 20, it is bent inward in the width direction compared to the rear end.

[0085] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown in the following description, in the guide frame 50, the portion extending forward is referred to as the "first straight portion 50A", the portion extending in an arc shape in the width direction as it moves forward from the front end of the first straight portion 50A is referred to as the "curved portion 50B", and the portion extending in a straight line from the front end of the curved portion 50B is referred to as the "second straight portion 50C". The first straight portion 50A is longer than the curved portion 50B and the second straight portion 50C, and the curved portion 50B and the second straight portion 50C are of equal length. In terms of its relationship to the opening and closing directions of the sliding door 30, the front end of the guide frame 50 is the end in the closing direction, and the rear end of the guide frame 50 is the end in the opening direction.

[0086] like Figure 4 and Figure 6As shown, the guide frame 50 has: a bottom wall 51, an upper wall 52, a guide wall 53, a receiving portion 54, a supporting wall 55, a retaining wall 56, and a fixing portion 57. The guide frame 50 is made of, for example, resin material and is molded using a mold.

[0087] like Figure 4 As shown, the bottom wall 51, upper wall 52, and guide wall 53 are elongated members that are curved in the same way as the central track 24. The lower ends of the bottom wall 51 and guide wall 53 are connected, and the upper wall 52 is connected to the upper end of guide wall 53. That is, the bottom wall 51 and upper wall 52 sandwich the guide wall 53. The length of the bottom wall 51 and upper wall 52 in the long side direction is slightly longer than the length of the guide wall 53 in the long side direction. Figure 6 As shown, the upper wall 52 includes two abutting portions 521 that protrude radially from the curved portion 50B. The two abutting portions 521 are located at a distance from each other in the long side direction of the guide frame 50.

[0088] In the following description, the inner surface facing in the width direction of the guide wall 53 is referred to as the "inner surface", and the outer surface facing in the width direction of the guide wall 53 is referred to as the "outer surface". The inner surface becomes the surface facing the body panel 22 when the door drive device 40 is mounted on the body 20.

[0089] like Figure 4 As shown, the receiving portion 54 is integrated with the upper wall 52 and the guide wall 53 at a position closer to the front end than the central portion along the long side of the guide frame 50. The receiving portion 54 has a housing 541 for housing the drive pulley 62 and two pressure pulleys 631, 632, and a flange 542 extending from the edge of the housing 541. When the door drive device 40 is mounted on the vehicle body 20, the housing 541 passes through the insertion hole and is located inside the vehicle body panel 22, and the flange 542 is located outside the vehicle body panel 22.

[0090] like Figure 6 As shown, the support wall 55 extends upward from the curved portion 50B of the bottom wall 51. That is, the inner surface of the support wall 55 faces the curved portion 50B of the guide wall 53. When the extension direction of the support wall 55 is taken as the height direction, the support wall 55 is slightly curved when viewed from above. In the support wall 55, the surface facing the guide wall 53 extends in the vertical direction. On the other hand, in the support wall 55, the surface facing the body panel 22 when the door drive device 40 is mounted on the vehicle body 20 is inclined relative to the vertical direction. That is, in the support wall 55, the surface facing the body panel 22 extends along the outer surface of the body panel 22.

[0091] like Figure 4As shown, the retaining wall 56 extends upward from the first straight portion 50A of the bottom wall 51. That is, the retaining wall 56 is opposite to the first straight portion 50A of the guide wall 53. The retaining wall 56 is located between the rear end of the guide frame 50 and the receiving portion 54 in the long side direction of the guide frame 50. In the retaining wall 56, the surface facing the guide wall 53 extends in the vertical direction. On the other hand, in the retaining wall 56, when the door drive device 40 is mounted on the vehicle body 20, the surface facing the vehicle body panel 22 is inclined relative to the vertical direction. That is, in the retaining wall 56, the surface facing the vehicle body panel 22 extends along the outer surface of the vehicle body panel 22. In this embodiment, the guide frame 50 has three retaining walls 56, but the number of retaining walls 56 can be arbitrarily changed. Moreover, the retaining walls 56, together with the first straight portion 50A of the guide frame 50, guide the movement of the belt 66.

[0092] The fixing part 57 extends upward from the upper wall 52. A plurality of fixing parts 57 are provided at intervals along the long side of the guide frame 50. The fixing part 57 is a part through which fastening components such as threaded parts and bolts pass when the door drive device 40 is mounted on the body 20 or when the guide frame 50 is fixed to the body panel 22.

[0093] like Figure 3 As shown, the belt drive unit 61 includes: a motor 611, an output shaft 612 that outputs power to the motor 611, and a housing 613 that houses the components of the belt drive unit 61. The belt drive unit 61 has a reducer (not shown) within the housing 613 that transmits power from the motor 611 to the output shaft 612. The output shaft 612 has its width direction as its axial direction. The output shaft 612 is connected to a drive pulley 62. Figure 2 As shown, when the door drive unit 40 is mounted on the vehicle 10, the belt drive unit 61 is positioned inside the body panel 22. In this respect, it can be said that the belt drive unit 61, together with the guide frame 50, clamps the body panel 22.

[0094] like Figure 4 As shown, the drive pulley 62, the first pressure pulley 631, and the second pressure pulley 632 are housed in the receiving portion 54 of the guide frame 50. Specifically, the drive pulley 62, the first pressure pulley 631, and the second pressure pulley 632 are rotatably supported on the housing 541. At this time, the drive pulley 62 is located between the first pressure pulley 631 and the second pressure pulley 632 along the long side of the guide frame 50. Furthermore, when the door drive device 40 is mounted on the vehicle body 20, the rotation axes of the drive pulley 62, the first pressure pulley 631, and the second pressure pulley 632 extend along the width direction. Moreover, the drive pulley 62 is a toothed pulley.

[0095] like Figure 4As shown, the first driven pulley 641 is rotatably supported at the front end of the guide frame 50 along its long side. Specifically, the first driven pulley 641 is supported between the front ends of the bottom wall 51 and the upper wall 52 along their long sides. The second driven pulley 642 is rotatably supported at the rear end of the guide frame 50 along its long side. Specifically, the second driven pulley 642 is supported between the rear ends of the bottom wall 51 and the upper wall 52 along their long sides. In this respect, it can be said that the bottom wall 51 and the upper wall 52 axially sandwich the guide wall 53 between the first driven pulley 641 and the second driven pulley 642. Furthermore, it can be said that the guide wall 53 is located between the first driven pulley 641 and the second driven pulley 642.

[0096] When the door drive unit 40 is mounted on the vehicle body 20, the rotation axes of the first driven pulley 641 and the second driven pulley 642 extend in the vertical direction. That is, the rotation axes of the first driven pulley 641 and the second driven pulley 642 are in a torsional position relative to the rotation axes of the drive pulley 62, the first pressure pulley 631, and the second pressure pulley 632. Furthermore, the first driven pulley 641 and the second driven pulley 642 are idler pulleys.

[0097] The cover 65 is a component that covers the drive pulley 62, the first pressure pulley 631, and the second pressure pulley 632 housed in the housing portion 54. The cover 65 has a through hole 651 for connecting the output shaft 612 of the drive unit 61 to the drive pulley 62. The cover 65 is fixed to the housing portion 54 of the guide frame 50.

[0098] Belt 66 is a toothed belt made of elastic materials such as rubber and resin. Belt 66 is wound around the drive pulley 62, two pressure pulleys 631 and 632, and two driven pulleys 641 and 642, while surrounding the guide wall 53 of the guide frame 50. (Example...) Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the rotation axes of the drive pulley 62 and the two pressure pulleys 631, 632 are in a torsional position relative to the rotation axes of the two driven pulleys 641, 642. Therefore, as Figure 5 As shown, in belt 66, torsion occurs in the portion wound around drive pulley 62 and the two pressure pulleys 631, 632. More specifically, in belt 66, torsion occurs between pressure pulley 631 and sliding plate 70, and between pressure pulley 632 and retaining wall 56.

[0099] like Figure 3 As shown, the connector 67 is used to fix the central hinge unit 33 of the sliding door 30 to the bracket of the belt 66. That is, one end of the connector 67 is fixed to the central hinge unit 33, and the other end is fixed to the belt 66.

[0100] like Figure 3As shown, the protective plate 68 is formed, for example, by stamping a metal sheet. The protective plate 68 is fixed from above to the second straight portion 50C of the upper wall 52 of the guide frame 50. When the protective plate 68 is fixed to the guide frame 50, the strip 66 is covered by the protective plate 68 in the horizontal direction. In this way, the protective plate 68 prevents foreign objects from contacting the strip 66, which is guided along the second straight portion 50C of the guide frame 50.

[0101] like Figure 6 As shown, the sliding plate 70 has: a main body portion 71 supported by a support wall 55 of a guide frame 50; two extension portions 72 extending in a manner that avoids the support wall 55 of the guide frame 50; two engaging portions 73 engaging with the upper wall 52 of the guide frame 50; and a locking portion 74 engaging with the bottom wall 51 of the guide frame 50. The sliding plate 70 is formed, for example, by stamping a metal sheet such as stainless steel. The sliding plate 70 is an example of a "sliding portion".

[0102] The main body 71 is rectangular when viewed from the thickness direction. The main body 71 is slightly curved in an arc shape when viewed from above. Specifically, the main body 71 is curved with the same curvature as the curved portion 50B of the guide wall 53 of the guide frame 50 when viewed from above. One end of the main body 71 in the short side direction is slightly curved along the long side direction. Two extensions 72 extend from both ends of the main body 71 in the long side direction. The two extensions 72 extend in a direction slightly inclined relative to the long side direction of the main body 71. When viewed from above, the two extensions 72 are inclined in a direction with a greater degree of curvature than the main body 71. Two engaging portions 73 extend along the short side direction of the main body 71 from both sides of the long side direction. Two locking portions 74 extend from the top ends of the two extensions 72 along the short side direction of the main body 71. In terms of its relationship with vehicle 10, the two engaging parts 73 extend upwards, and the two locking parts 74 extend downwards.

[0103] like Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the sliding plate 70 is inserted into the guide frame 50. Specifically, the sliding plate 70 is inserted between the bend 50B of the guide wall 53 and the support wall 55. At this time, the sliding plate 70 undergoes slight elastic deformation. Thus, the sliding plate 70 is positioned to clamp the band 66 together with the inner surface of the bend 50B of the guide wall 53. That is, the sliding plate 70 is supported by the guide frame 50.

[0104] like Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, with the sliding plate 70 supported by the guide frame 50, the main body 71 of the sliding plate 70 is in contact with the support wall 55. In other words, the main body 71 of the sliding plate 70 is located between the support wall 55 and the belt 66.

[0105] like Figure 8 and Figure 10 As shown, the two engaging portions 73 of the sliding plate 70 engage with the two abutting portions 521 of the upper wall 52 of the guide frame 50, respectively. When the sliding plate 70 is inserted into the guide frame 50, the two engaging portions 73 of the sliding plate 70 undergo slight elastic deformation. Furthermore, the two engaging portions 73 of the sliding plate 70 are respectively positioned below the two abutting portions 521 of the upper wall 52 of the guide frame 50. As a result, the sliding plate 70 is sandwiched between the two engaging portions 73 and the bottom wall 51 in the vertical direction.

[0106] like Figure 6 and Figure 11 As shown, the two locking portions 74 of the sliding plate 70 are locked to the bottom wall 51 in the curved portion 50B. At this time, the support wall 55 of the guide frame 50 is located closer to the vehicle body panel 22 than the main body portion 71 of the sliding plate 70, and conversely, the two locking portions 74 of the sliding plate 70 are located closer to the vehicle body panel 22 than the bottom wall 51 of the guide frame 50. At this time, the sliding plate 70 clamps the guide frame 50 using a restoring force.

[0107] In this way, the sliding plate 70 is firmly supported on the guide frame 50 without the use of threaded fasteners or other fastening components. As a result, the sliding plate 70 can press the band 66 toward the bend 50B of the guide wall 53.

[0108] The function of this embodiment will be explained.

[0109] like Figure 3 As shown, when the sliding door 30 is opened, the belt 66 is driven to move the connecting member 67 rearward. Conversely, when the sliding door 30 is closed, the belt 66 is driven to move the connecting member 67 forward. Figure 7 As shown, when belt 66 is driven, belt 66 slides against sliding plate 70. In other words, belt 66 moves in one direction or in another between the inner side of guide wall 53 and sliding plate 70 at the bend 50B of guide frame 50. In this way, sliding plate 70 suppresses interference between belt 66 and body panel 22.

[0110] The effects of this implementation method will be explained.

[0111] (1) As a structure to prevent interference between the belt 66 and the body panel 22, the door drive device 40 has a sliding plate 70 that slides with the driven belt 66 instead of a pulley that rotates relative to the driven belt 66. Therefore, the door drive device 40 does not need to support the pulley in a rotatable structure, thus reducing the bulge relative to the body panel 22.

[0112] (2) The sliding plate 70 is plate-shaped. Therefore, for example, the structure of the door drive device 40 can be simplified compared to the case where multiple pins are used as "sliding parts".

[0113] (3) Figure 9 As shown, in the door drive device 40, the sliding plate 70 is located between the bend 50B of the guide wall 53 and the support wall 55, specifically between the belt 66 and the support wall 55. That is, when the sliding plate 70 is taken as a reference, the support wall 55 is located in the direction of the reaction force from the belt 66. Therefore, even if the reaction force from the belt 66 is applied, the sliding plate 70 is difficult to displace towards the body panel 22. Thus, the door drive device 40 can stabilize the posture of the sliding plate 70 relative to the guide frame 50.

[0114] (4) Figure 9 As shown, the support wall 55 of the guide frame 50 is shaped along the outer surface of the body panel 22. Therefore, the support wall 55 of the guide frame 50 can contact the outer surface of the body panel 22. Therefore, the reaction force from the belt 66 acting on the sliding plate 70 can be borne not only by the support wall 55 but also by the body panel 22. Therefore, the door drive device 40 can suppress the concentration of load relative to the support wall 55.

[0115] (5) Figure 7 and Figure 10 As shown, the two engaging portions 73 of the sliding plate 70 engage with the abutting portion 521 of the upper wall 52 of the guide frame 50. More specifically, the two engaging portions 73 of the sliding plate 70 engage with the abutting portion 521 of the upper wall 52 of the guide frame 50 from below. Therefore, the sliding plate 70's vertical movement is restricted by the bottom wall 51 and upper wall 52 of the guide frame 50. Thus, the door drive device 40 can stabilize the posture of the sliding plate 70.

[0116] (6) Figure 7 and Figure 11 As shown, the two locking portions 74 of the sliding plate 70 are locked to the bottom wall 51 of the guide frame 50. Therefore, the door drive device 40 can stabilize the posture of the sliding plate 70 in the thickness direction.

[0117] This embodiment can be modified as follows. This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other without technical inconsistencies.

[0118] The 66 can also be changed to Figure 12 The belt 80 shown is a toothed belt, similar to the one described in the above embodiment. Figure 12As shown, the tape 80 has: a tape body 81, a plurality of core wires 82, a first cover layer 83, and a second cover layer 84. The tape body 81, core wires 82, first cover layer 83, and second cover layer 84 are all in a ring shape.

[0119] The belt body 81 is made of elastic materials such as rubber and resin. The belt body 81 is preferably made of a material with high durability and wear resistance. The material of the elastic material forming the toothed side and the material forming the back side of the belt body 81 can be changed. The core wire 82 is a reinforcing member of the belt body 81. The core wire 82 is preferably made of a material with high tensile strength, such as resin fiber or metal. The core wire 82 is embedded in the belt body 81 in a state arranged along the width direction of the belt 80.

[0120] The first cover layer 83 covers the toothed side of the belt body 81, and the second cover layer 84 covers the back side of the belt body 81. The first cover layer 83 is a so-called toothed cloth. The second cover layer 84 is an example of a "cover layer" that includes a sliding surface 80S that slides with the sliding plate 70, etc. The first cover layer 83 and the second cover layer 84 are cloth-like members made of synthetic fibers such as nylon. The coefficient of friction between the second cover layer 84 and the sliding plate 70 is smaller than the coefficient of friction between the belt body 81 and the sliding plate 70. In other words, the coefficient of friction between the materials of the first cover layer 83 and the second cover layer 84 and the metal constituting the sliding plate 70 is smaller than the coefficient of friction between the elastic material constituting the belt body 81 and the metal constituting the sliding plate 70. The first cover layer 83 and the second cover layer 84 are preferably made of a self-lubricating material. Furthermore, the coefficient of friction referred to in this embodiment refers to the coefficient of kinetic friction.

[0121] For example, when manufacturing the strip 80 through a vulcanization process, it is preferable to ensure that the constituent elements of the strip 80 are in close contact with each other during the vulcanization process. Therefore, prior to the vulcanization process, it is preferable to perform a pretreatment on the core wire 82, the first cover layer 83, and the second cover layer 84 to improve their adhesion to the elastic material constituting the strip body 81.

[0122] When the sliding door 30 is opened and closed, sliding resistance is generated between the sliding surface 80S of the belt 80 and the sliding plate 70, or between the sliding surface 80S of the belt 80 and the retaining wall 56. In the above-described modification, the second covering layer 84, which has a relatively low coefficient of friction with metal, slides in the belt 80 against the sliding plate 70. Therefore, the above-described modification can reduce the sliding resistance generated between the driven belt 80 and the sliding plate 70, etc.

[0123] When the twisted belt 80 slides against the sliding plate 70, it is more likely that only a portion of the belt 80 will slide against the sliding plate 70 compared to when the belt 80 does not slide against the sliding plate 70. Therefore, when the twisted belt 80 slides against the sliding plate 70, the belt 80 may experience uneven wear. In this regard, the belt 80 has a second covering layer 84 with a relatively low coefficient of friction with metal. Therefore, even when the twisted belt 80 slides against the sliding plate 70, the belt 80 is less prone to uneven wear.

[0124] As described in the above embodiment, the radius of curvature of the curved portion of the central track 24 is smaller than that of the curved portions of the upper track 23 and the lower track 25. Therefore, the radius of curvature of the curved portion 50B of the guide frame 50 of the door drive device 40 is also smaller. As a result, the sliding resistance between the driven belt 80 and the sliding plate 70 tends to increase. Therefore, according to the above-described modified example, it can be said that the effect of suppressing sliding resistance due to the provision of the second covering layer 84 on the belt 80 is further improved.

[0125] As a structure to prevent interference between the belt 66 and the body panel 22, the door drive device 40 may also have a pulley that rotates relative to the driven belt 66 instead of the sliding plate 70. In this case, if the belt 66 is replaced by a belt 80, the sliding resistance generated between the driven belt 80 and the pulley can be reduced.

[0126] The guide frame 50 may also be without a support wall 55. In this case, the sliding plate 70 is preferably fixed to the bottom wall 51 or the top wall 52 of the guide frame 50.

[0127] The sliding plate 70 can be replaced by a pin or the like that can slide with the belt 66. In this case, the pin is equivalent to an example of a "sliding part".

[0128] Alternatively, the support wall 55 in the guide frame 50 can function as a "sliding part". In this case, it is preferable to select a material for the support wall 55 so that the support wall 55 does not wear due to sliding with the belt 66.

[0129] The sliding plate 70 can also be integrated with the support wall 55 of the guide frame 50 during resin molding. This allows the sliding plate 70 to be more securely fixed to the guide frame 50.

[0130] The sliding plate 70 can be fixed to the guide frame 50 using fastening components such as threaded parts and bolts, or it can be bonded to the guide frame 50 using adhesive.

[0131] The shape of the sliding plate 70 can be appropriately changed. For example, the sliding plate 70 may not have a structure equivalent to the engaging part 73, or it may not have a structure equivalent to the locking part 74.

[0132] Alternatively, the sliding plate 70 can be fixed to the guide frame 50 by providing a hole in the bottom wall 51 of the guide frame 50 and inserting the sliding plate 70 into the hole.

[0133] The door drive unit 40 can also be assembled onto the body panel 22 along the upper rail 23 or along the lower rail 25.

Claims

1. A sliding door drive device, fixed to the body panel of a vehicle, and causing the sliding door of the vehicle to move in an opening and closing direction, comprising: A long, narrow guide frame that, when fixed to the body panel, bends in such a way that its end in the closed direction is located inside the vehicle width direction compared to its end in the open direction. The first driven pulley and the second driven pulley are respectively supported at both ends in the long side direction of the guide frame; A belt, the belt being wound around the first driven pulley and the second driven pulley; and A belt drive unit that drives the belt. The guide frame has a guide wall that guides the belt between the first driven pulley and the second driven pulley. The sliding door drive device includes a sliding part. When the curved portion of the guide wall is used as the curved portion and the surface of the guide wall facing the vehicle body panel is used as the inner surface, the sliding part is positioned between the inner surface of the curved portion of the guide wall and the belt, and slides with the driven belt.

2. The sliding door drive device according to claim 1, wherein, The sliding part is a plate-shaped sliding plate that is curved along the curved part.

3. The sliding door drive device according to claim 2, wherein, When the extension direction of the rotation axis of the first driven pulley and the second driven pulley is taken as the axial direction, The bootstrapping framework has: A bottom wall and an upper wall, which clamp the guide wall axially along the long side of the guide frame; as well as A support wall extends from the bottom wall in a manner opposite to the inner side surface of the curved portion of the guide wall, and supports the sliding plate in a state of contact with the sliding plate.

4. The sliding door drive device according to claim 3, wherein, When the direction in which the supporting wall extends from the bottom wall is taken as the height direction... The upper wall of the guide frame has an abutment portion that, together with the bottom wall, clamps the sliding plate in the height direction.

5. The sliding door drive device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein, The sliding plate has a main body and a locking part. The main body is supported by the supporting wall, and the locking part is locked to the bottom wall on both sides of the main body in the long side direction.

6. The sliding door drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, When the surface of the strip that slides with the sliding part is taken as the sliding surface... The belt has a belt body and a cover layer. The belt body is made of an elastic material, and the cover layer includes the sliding surface and covers the belt body. The coefficient of friction between the cover layer and the sliding part is smaller than the coefficient of friction between the belt body and the sliding part.

7. The sliding door drive device according to claim 6, wherein, It includes a drive pulley, which is supported on the guide frame and driven by the belt drive unit. The rotation axis of the drive pulley is in a torsional position relative to the rotation axes of the first driven pulley and the second driven pulley. The belt, which twists between the first driven pulley and the second driven pulley, is wound around the drive pulley.

8. The sliding door drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, The vehicle includes an upper rail, a lower rail, and a central rail. The upper rail is positioned above the door opening that is opened and closed by the sliding door. The lower rail is positioned below the door opening. The central rail is positioned at a point where it moves forward from the door opening in the opening direction and is positioned vertically between the upper rail and the lower rail. The upper track, the lower track, and the central track define the opening and closing direction of the sliding door. The guide frame is fixed to the vehicle body panel along the central track.

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