Vehicle side structure

Abstract

A vehicle side structure is provided. An upper rail is positioned along an upper edge of a door opening. A center rail extends from a side edge of the door opening in a direction away from the door opening. A lower rail is positioned along a lower edge of a sliding door. An upper hinge guided by the upper rail and a center hinge guided by the center rail slide with the sliding door. A lower hinge guided by the lower rail is located at each of a front side edge and a rear side edge of the door opening and does not slide. A lower edge locking mechanism secures the lower edge of the sliding door to a body side structure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to vehicle side structures, and more particularly to the side structures of vehicles having sliding doors. Background Technology

[0002] So-called sliding doors, which open and close by sliding along the side of a vehicle, are known as doors that open and close a boarding opening for occupants to enter and exit the vehicle. For example, a sliding door is supported by hinges guided by tracks placed on the vehicle body. The sliding door slides as the hinges slide along the tracks. For vehicles with a large overall height and a large sliding door height, sliding doors supported in three positions (i.e., the upper, lower, and middle sections of the vehicle body) are known in the prior art.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-320852 (JP 2003-320852 A) describes a structure in which arms (22 to 25) rotatably connected to the driver's cab (1) support the sliding door (11) via a rail (26) fixed to the sliding door (11). The markings in parentheses above are those used in JP 2003-320852 A and are unrelated to those used in the description of embodiments in this application. Summary of the Invention

[0004] When all three tracks are placed on the vehicle body and three hinges are placed on the sliding door supported in three locations (i.e., the upper, lower, and middle parts of the vehicle body), the three hinges move with the sliding door. Therefore, the relative positional relationship between the three hinges does not change regardless of whether the sliding door is opened or closed. That is, the shape of the triangle formed by the three hinges does not change with the opening and closing of the sliding door. On the other hand, in the case where two of the three tracks are placed on the vehicle body and one of the three tracks is placed on the sliding door, as in JP 2003-320852 A, two hinges are placed on the sliding door and one hinge is placed on the vehicle body. The two hinges placed on the sliding door move with the sliding door, but the one hinge placed on the vehicle body does not move. Therefore, the shape of the triangle formed by the three hinges changes with the opening and closing of the sliding door. When the area of ​​the triangle formed by the three hinges is large, the support for the sliding door is stable. However, when the triangle deforms and the area of ​​the triangle decreases, the support for the sliding door becomes unstable.

[0005] The present invention provides enhanced support stability for the sliding door when the lower of the three tracks is located on the vehicle side structure of the sliding door.

[0006] The vehicle side structure according to the invention includes: a vehicle body side structure including a boarding opening through which occupants enter and exit the vehicle; and a sliding door that slides to open and close the boarding opening. The sliding door is slidably supported by three tracks located at three different heights. The vehicle side structure further includes: an upper hinge configured to slide with the sliding door; an upper rail located on the vehicle side structure along the upper edge of the boarding opening and configured to guide the upper hinge; a center hinge configured to slide with the sliding door; a center rail located on the vehicle side structure and extending from the side edge of the boarding opening in a direction away from the boarding opening, the center rail configured to guide the center hinge; a lower hinge located on the vehicle side structure near the side edge of the boarding opening; a lower rail located on the sliding door at a position lower than the center rail and configured to be guided when the sliding door slides; and a lower edge locking mechanism configured to secure the lower end of the end edge of the sliding door to the vehicle side structure when the sliding door is closed. The upper rail is at the highest height of the three rails, the center rail is at the middle height of the three rails, and the lower rail is at the lowest height of the three rails.

[0007] Because two hinges slide along with the sliding door, while the remaining hinge is located on the side structure of the vehicle body and does not slide, the shape of the triangle formed by the three hinges changes as the sliding door slides. As the area of ​​the triangle decreases with the sliding door's movement, the support stability for the sliding door decreases. However, by fixing the lower end of the sliding door's end edge to the side structure of the vehicle body using a lower edge locking mechanism, the sliding door can be stably supported.

[0008] The lower track can be positioned along the lower edge of the sliding door. This increases the distance between the lower and upper tracks and improves the support stability of the sliding door.

[0009] The sliding door may include a door panel. The lower track may include a straight portion and a curved portion. The straight portion is located inside the door panel and positioned at a distance from the door panel in the lateral direction of the vehicle, extending along the door panel from the end edge of the sliding door. The curved portion extends towards the door panel in a curved manner from the end of the straight portion opposite to the end edge of the sliding door. The lower edge locking mechanism may include a lower edge impact member located at the lower edge of the entry opening, and a lower edge locking unit including a hook configured to engage with the lower edge impact member, the lower edge locking unit being located between the door panel and the straight portion of the lower track. Therefore, the space between the door panel and the lower track can be used effectively.

[0010] The sliding door may include a lower edge locking unit cover, which is fixed to the door panel inside the vehicle in the lateral direction and covers the lower edge locking unit located between the lower edge locking unit cover and the door panel. The straight portion of the lower track may be located inside the lower edge locking unit cover in the lateral direction of the vehicle. The lower edge locking unit cover protects the lower edge locking unit.

[0011] The lower track may include a spacer located on the straight portion of the lower track away from the lower edge locking unit in a direction toward the base edge of the sliding door, and the lower track may be fixed to the door panel via the spacer.

[0012] The vehicle side structure may also include a sealing strip located on the sliding door or the vehicle body side structure, extending along the lower edge of the entry opening when the sliding door is closed. The lower edge locking mechanism may be configured to move the lower edge of the sliding door toward the vehicle body and press against the sliding door or the vehicle body to retain the sealing strip between the sliding door and the vehicle body. Pressing and retaining the sealing strip in this manner more effectively reduces water ingress into the passenger compartment.

[0013] The vehicle side structure may also include a door closing sensor configured to detect the closing of the sliding door. The lower edge locking mechanism may be configured to be operated by an actuator to perform a locking operation, and the door closing sensor may be configured to initiate the locking operation when the door closing sensor detects the sliding door is closed.

[0014] The vehicle side structure may include two sliding doors, and these two sliding doors can form a double door.

[0015] Because the sliding door is supported by three hinges and a lower edge locking mechanism, it can stably support the sliding door when it is closed.

[0016] The lower edge locking mechanism may include two lower edge impact members located at the middle of the lower edge of the boarding opening. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like elements, and wherein:

[0018] Figure 1 The exterior of the vehicle according to an embodiment is shown;

[0019] Figure 2 A perspective view illustrating the side structure of the vehicle, especially the left side structure.

[0020] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view showing the structure near the lower edge of the boarding opening;

[0021] Figure 4 The mechanism for locking the lower edge of the sliding door is shown;

[0022] Figure 5 The schematic diagram shows the tracks and hinges located at the top, middle, and bottom of the vehicle;

[0023] Figure 6 To show the horizontal cross-section of the structure near the lower track of the sliding door;

[0024] Figure 7 This shows the construction near the lower track of the sliding door when viewed from the end edge side of the sliding door;

[0025] Figure 8 A block diagram illustrating the configuration related to the operation of the lower edge locking mechanism; and

[0026] Figure 9 This illustrates the relationship between the opening and closing of a sliding door and the support points provided by the hinges. Detailed Implementation

[0027] In the following description, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, terms indicating relative positions and directions such as front, rear, right, left, up, and down indicate relative positions and directions with respect to the vehicle, unless otherwise stated. "Inside the vehicle in the lateral direction" or "inward along the lateral direction of the vehicle" refers to the side closer to the centerline extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in the left-right direction (lateral direction), while "outside the vehicle in the lateral direction" or "outward along the lateral direction of the vehicle" refers to the side further away from the centerline extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in the lateral direction. In the figures, the arrow "front" (FR) indicates a forward direction, the arrow "up" (UP) indicates an upward direction, the arrow "left" (LH) indicates a leftward direction, and the arrow "outside" (OUT) indicates an outer direction in the lateral direction of the vehicle.

[0028] Figure 1This is a perspective view schematically illustrating the appearance of vehicle 10. Vehicle 10 includes a body 12 that is generally rectangular in shape. Body 12 has the longest dimension in the longitudinal direction and the second longest dimension in the vertical direction. Wheels 14 are located at the four corners of body 12. Windshield 16 is located in the upper region of the front surface of body 12, while headlights 18 are mounted on the right and left sides of the lower region of the front surface of body 12. A rear window (not shown) having the same shape as the windshield 16 is located on the rear surface of body 12, and a rear combination lamp (not shown) is mounted on the rear surface of body 12 in the same position as the headlights 18 on the front surface of body 12.

[0029] The door 20 for boarding is located on the side of the vehicle body 12. Specifically, in areas where the vehicle is driven on the left side of the road, the door 20 is located on the left side of the vehicle body 12, and in areas where the vehicle is driven on the right side of the road, the door 20 is located on the right side of the vehicle body 12. The door 20 can be located on both sides of the vehicle body 12. The door 20 includes two sliding doors 22A and 22B that slide along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The door 20 opens and closes as the sliding doors 22A and 22B slide. When the sliding doors 22A and 22B open, they first move outward in the lateral direction of the vehicle while sliding from the closed state, and then slide along the side of the vehicle body 12 outside the vehicle body 12. The sliding doors 22A and 22B are provided with door glass forming a door window. The portion of the sliding doors 22A and 22B other than the window is referred to as door panels 23A and 23B. Door 20 is located approximately in the middle of the side of the vehicle body 12 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and side window glass 24 is located in front of and behind door 20 and forms a side window. The side window is located on the side of vehicle body 12 without door 20. The side window extends along the entire length of vehicle body 12 in the longitudinal direction.

[0030] Figure 2 The structure of the vehicle's side is schematically shown, particularly the side associated with the entrance and exit. Figure 2 The vehicle side structure on the left side of the vehicle is shown, particularly the body side structure 26 of the body 12, which is shown separate from the sliding doors 22A and 22B. With the doors located on the right side of the vehicle, the right-side vehicle side structure is symmetrical to the left-side vehicle side structure shown in the figure. The body side structure 26 has a boarding opening 28 for occupants to enter and exit the vehicle. The sliding doors 22A and 22B open and close the boarding opening 28. Figure 2 The sliding doors 22A and 22B are shown in perspective.

[0031] The boarding opening 28 is generally rectangular and has an upper edge 28a, a lower edge 28b, a front edge 28c, and a rear edge 28d. The upper edge 28a and the lower edge 28b extend along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10, while the front edge 28c and the rear edge 28d extend along the vertical direction.

[0032] Sliding doors 22A and 22B are also generally rectangular, and each sliding door 22A and 22B has a size such that it covers approximately half of the boarding opening 28. The upper edges of the two sliding doors 22A and 22B are denoted by 22Aa and 22Ba, while the lower edges of the two sliding doors 22A and 22B are denoted by 22Ab and 22Bb. When the sliding doors 22A and 22B are closed, the edges of the two sliding doors 22A and 22B that meet each other, that is, the edges of the two sliding doors 22A and 22B that define the entrance and exit when the door 20 is open, are called end edges 22Ac and 22Bc, while the edges of the two sliding doors 22A and 22B opposite to the end edges 22Ac and 22Bc are called base edges 22Ad and 22Bd. The upper edges 22Aa, 22Ba and lower edges 22Ab, 22Bb of sliding doors 22A and 22B correspond to the upper edge 28a and lower edge 28b of the boarding opening 28 and extend along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10. The end edge 22Ac of sliding door 22A and the end edge 22Bc of sliding door 22B are opposite each other along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10 and extend vertically. When sliding door 22A is closed, the base edge 22Ad of sliding door 22A extends along the front edge 28c of boarding opening 28 and is adjacent to the front edge 28c of boarding opening 28. When sliding door 22B is closed, the base edge 22Bd of sliding door 22B extends along the rear edge 28d of boarding opening 28 and is adjacent to the rear edge 28d of boarding opening 28.

[0033] Sliding doors 22A and 22B are slidably supported on the side structure 26 of the vehicle body at three locations on the vehicle 10 (i.e., the upper, middle, and lower parts of the vehicle 10) by tracks and hinges. The tracks extend substantially along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10, and the hinges slide relative to the tracks. The sliding doors 22A and 22B are guided to slide by these tracks.

[0034] On the side structure 26 of the vehicle body, upper rails 30A and 30B are placed along and near the upper edge 28a of the entry opening 28. Upper rail 30A corresponds to sliding door 22A, and upper rail 30B corresponds to sliding door 22B. In the following text, elements corresponding to sliding door 22A are indicated by a mark ending in the letter "A", and elements corresponding to sliding door 22B are indicated by a mark ending in the letter "B". Upper hinges 32A and 32B are placed at the corners formed by the upper edges 22Aa and 22Ba and the end edges 22Ac and 22Bc of sliding doors 22A and 22B. Upper hinges 32A and 32B are slidably engaged with their corresponding upper rails 30A and 30B. When sliding doors 22A and 22B slide, upper hinges 32A and 32B also slide together with sliding doors 22A and 22B.

[0035] Center rails 34A and 34B are placed on the side structure 26 of the vehicle body. Center rail 34A extends from the front edge 28c of the boarding opening 28 in a direction away from the boarding opening 28. Similarly, center rail 34B extends from the rear edge 28d of the boarding opening 28 in a direction away from the boarding opening 28. Center rails 34A and 34B are located lower than the upper rails 30A and 30B. For example, center rails 34A and 34B are located at approximately the middle height of the boarding opening 28. Center hinges 36A and 36B are placed near the base edges 22Ad and 22Bd of the sliding doors 22A and 22B at a height corresponding to the height of the center rails 34A and 34B. Center hinges 36A and 36B are slidably engaged with the corresponding center rails 34A and 34B. When the sliding doors 22A and 22B slide, the center hinges 36A and 36B also slide together with the sliding doors 22A and 22B.

[0036] The lower tracks 38A and 38B are positioned lower than the center tracks 34A and 34B, for example, near the lower edges 22Ab and 22Bb of the sliding doors 22A and 22B, and are placed along the lower edges 22Ab and 22Bb on the sliding doors 22A and 22B. The lower hinge 40A is placed at a height corresponding to the height of the lower tracks 38A on the front edge 28c of the boarding opening 28. The lower hinge 40A can slidably engage with the lower tracks 38A. The lower hinge 40B is placed at a height corresponding to the height of the lower tracks 38B on the rear edge 28d of the boarding opening 28. The lower hinge 40B can slidably engage with the lower tracks 38B. When the sliding doors 22A and 22B slide, the lower tracks 38A and 38B also slide together with the sliding doors 22A and 22B.

[0037] A front edge impact member 42A is placed at the middle of the vertical direction of the front edge 28c of the entry opening 28. A base edge locking unit 44A corresponding to the front edge impact member 42A is placed near the base edge 22Ad of the sliding door 22A. Similarly, a rear edge impact member 42B is placed at the middle of the vertical direction of the rear edge 28d of the entry opening 28. A base edge locking unit 44B corresponding to the rear edge impact member 42B is placed near the base edge 22Bd of the sliding door 22B. Each base edge locking unit 44A, 44B includes a hook (not shown) that grips the rod-shaped portion of the corresponding side edge impact member 42A, 42B. When the sliding doors 22A, 22B are closed, the hooks of the base edge locking units 44A, 44B engage with the corresponding side edge impact members 42A, 42B. The sliding doors 22A, 22B are thus secured to the vehicle body 12 at the base edges 22Ad, 22Bd.

[0038] An end-edge impact member 46 is positioned at the midpoint of the vertical direction of the end edge 22Ac of the sliding door 22A. An end-edge locking unit 48, corresponding to the end-edge impact member 46, is positioned near the end edge 22Bc of the sliding door 22B. The end-edge locking unit 48 includes a hook (not shown) that grips the rod-shaped portion of the end-edge impact member 46. When the sliding doors 22A and 22B are closed, the hook of the end-edge locking unit 48 engages with the corresponding end-edge impact member 46. The sliding doors 22A and 22B are thus secured to each other. The positions of the end-edge impact member 46 and the end-edge locking unit 48 can be reversed. That is, the end-edge impact member 46 can be placed on the sliding door 22B, while the end-edge locking unit 48 can be placed on the sliding door 22A.

[0039] The lower edge impact members 50A and 50B are positioned at the middle of the lower edge 28b of the boarding opening 28. The lower edge locking unit 52A corresponding to the lower edge impact member 50A is positioned at the corner formed by the end edge 22Ac and the lower edge 22Ab of the sliding door 22A. The lower edge locking unit 52B corresponding to the lower edge impact member 50B is positioned at the corner formed by the end edge 22Bc and the lower edge 22Bb of the sliding door 22B. Each lower edge locking unit 52A, 52B includes a hook 66 that grips the rod-shaped portion of the corresponding lower edge impact member 50A, 50B (see [link to hook 66]). Figure 4When sliding doors 22A and 22B are closed, hook 66 engages with the corresponding lower edge impact members 50A and 50B. Sliding doors 22A and 22B are thus secured to the vehicle body 12 at their lower edges 22Ab and 22Bb. The lower edge impact member 50A and the lower edge locking unit 52A constitute a lower edge locking mechanism that secures the lower end of the distal edge 22Ac of sliding door 22A to the vehicle body side structure 26. The lower edge impact member 50B and the lower edge locking unit 52B also constitute a lower edge locking mechanism that secures the lower end of the distal edge 22Bc of sliding door 22B to the vehicle body side structure 26. The locking of sliding doors 22A and 22B at their lower edges will be described in detail later.

[0040] Drive units 54A and 54B, which drive the sliding doors 22A and 22B, are mounted near the upper edge 28a of the entry opening 28 on the vehicle body side structure 26. Each drive unit 54A and 54B includes a drive motor (not shown) and a transmission element (not shown), such as a wire connecting the drive motor to the upper hinges 32A and 32B. The drive motor causes the upper hinges 32A and 32B to slide along the upper tracks 30A and 30B. The sliding doors 22A and 22B thus slide, thereby opening and closing.

[0041] Figure 3 A cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is shown of the body side structure 26 and sliding door 22B near the lower edge 28b of the entry opening 28. The cross-section of the sliding door 22A is shown in a similar manner. The lower edge 28b of the entry opening 28 is part of the left edge of the floor 56, and the floor 56 is substantially flush with the lower edge 28b of the entry opening 28. A ramp 60 is housed between the floor 56 corresponding to the entry opening 28 and the lower frame 58 of the body 12. As needed, for example, when a wheelchair occupant enters or exits the vehicle, the ramp 60 extends laterally through the ramp opening 62 (in the vehicle 10). Figure 3 (Shown by dashed lines). The ramp opening 62 is adjacent to the lower edge 28b of the entry opening 28 of the vehicle side structure 26. The deployment and retraction of the ramp 60 can be achieved by a drive unit including a drive motor.

[0042] A sealing strip 64 is placed along the lower edge 22Bb of the sliding door 22B. The sealing strip 64 extends along the lower edge 22Bb. In this example, the sealing strip 64 is fixed to the sliding door 22B, and the end edge of the sealing strip 64 contacts the side edge of the floor 56. The sealing strip 64 extends along the entire length of the lower edge of the sliding door 22B and seals the gap between the lower edge 28b of the entry opening 28 and the sliding door 22B, preventing water and the like from entering from the outside. A sealing strip is similarly placed on the sliding door 22A. The number of sealing strips is not limited to one; two or more sealing strips can be placed in parallel. The sealing strip can be placed on the vehicle side structure 26 instead of the sliding door, or it can be placed on both the sliding door and the vehicle side structure 26.

[0043] Figure 4 The lower edge impact member 50B located at the lower edge 28b of the boarding opening 28 and the lower edge locking unit 52B located at the lower edge of the sliding door 22B are shown. Figure 4 The image shows the sliding door 22B in its closed state. In this state, the hook 66 of the lower edge locking unit 52B faces the lower edge impact member 50B.

[0044] The floor 56 defining the lower edge 28b of the boarding opening 28 has a T-shaped opening 68 (hereinafter referred to as "T-shaped opening 68"), and a lower edge impact member 50B is placed in the T-shaped opening 68. Specifically, the lower edge impact member 50B can be positioned so as not to protrude beyond the surface of the floor 56. For example, the lower edge impact member 50B has a U-shape and is positioned as an inverted U-shape. The rod-shaped portion of the lower edge impact member 50B corresponding to the bottom of the letter "U" corresponds to the portion of the T-shaped opening 68 corresponding to the horizontal portion of the letter "T".

[0045] The lower edge locking unit 52B includes: a hook 66; an actuator 70 including a drive motor; and a transmission mechanism 72 for transmitting the driving force of the actuator 70 to the hook 66. The transmission mechanism 72 includes gears, linkages, levers, etc. The hook 66 includes a pawl 66a at its end. When the hook 66 rotates in the direction of arrow Y1 in the figure, the pawl 66a enters the portion of the T-shaped opening 68 corresponding to the vertical portion of the letter "T" and engages with the lower edge impact member 50B. The hook 66, and in particular the pawl 66a, has a shape that pulls the lower edge impact member 50B relative to the hook 66 as the hook 66 rotates. When the hook 66 engages with the lower edge impact member 50B, the hook 66 thus reduces the gap between the sliding door 22B and the floor 56. This configuration improves the contact between the sealing strip 64 and the floor 56.

[0046] Figure 5 It shows how the sliding door 22B slides, and shows the closed and open states of the sliding door 22B in an overlapping manner. Figure 5The upper part shows the support structure associated with the upper track 30B. Figure 5 The middle section shows the support structure associated with the central track 34B, while Figure 5 The lower part shows the support structure associated with the lower track 38B. The structure associated with the sliding door 22A is shown in symmetry with the structure associated with the sliding door 22B.

[0047] Each of tracks 30B, 34B, and 38B extends longitudinally. The end of each track 30B, 34B, or 38B closest to the other sliding door 22A is called the "end," and the end of each track 30B, 34B, or 38B furthest from the other sliding door 22A is called the "base end." Figure 5 In the middle, the left end of each of the orbitals 30B, 34B, and 38B is the end point, while the right end of each of the orbitals 30B, 34B, and 38B is the base point.

[0048] The upper track 30B curves inward toward its end 30Ba in the lateral direction of the vehicle. The upper track 30B has a generally straight shape at the base end 30Bb of the curved portion. The upper hinge 32B includes an upper hinge base 74 fixed to the sliding door 22B, and an upper hinge bracket 76 rotatable relative to the upper hinge base 74. The upper hinge bracket 76 rotatably supports a guide roller engaged with the upper track 30B at its end.

[0049] The central track 34B curves inward toward its end 34Ba in the lateral direction of the vehicle. The central track 34B has a generally straight shape at the base end 34Bb of the curved portion. The central track 34B may curve slightly inward toward its base end 34Bb in the lateral direction of the vehicle. Therefore, when the sliding door 22B is opened, the base edge 22Bd of the sliding door 22B is located close to the vehicle body 12. The central hinge 36B includes a central hinge base 78 fixed to the sliding door 22B, and a central hinge support 80 rotatable relative to the central hinge base 78. The central hinge support 80 rotatably supports a guide roller engaged with the central track 34B at its end.

[0050] The lower rail 38B curves outward toward the base end 38Bb in the lateral direction of the vehicle. The lower rail 38B has a generally straight shape at the end 38Ba of the curved portion. The lower hinge 40B includes a lower hinge base 82 fixed to the side structure 26 of the vehicle body, and a lower hinge bracket 84 rotatable relative to the lower hinge base 82. The lower hinge bracket 84 rotatably supports a guide roller that engages with the lower rail 38B at its end.

[0051] When sliding door 22B from Figure 5When opened from the closed position shown on the left, as indicated by arrow Y2, the sliding door 22B is first guided by the curved portions of tracks 30B, 34B, and 38B, thus moving backward while moving outward in the lateral direction of the vehicle. As a result, the sliding door 22B protrudes outward from the vehicle side structure 26 in the lateral direction of the vehicle. Subsequently, as indicated by arrow Y3, the sliding door 22B slides backward along the surface of the vehicle side structure 26 on its outer side. The sliding door 22B thus moves to... Figure 5 The right side shows the open state.

[0052] When the sliding door 22B is closed, it operates in the opposite manner to the above. When the sliding door 22B moves to the closed position, the base edge locking unit 44B, the end edge locking unit 48, and the lower edge locking unit 52B operate to pull the sliding door 22B to the closed position and position the sliding door 22B.

[0053] The opening and closing operations of the other sliding door 22A are the same as those of the sliding door 22B, except for the sliding direction.

[0054] Figure 6 and Figure 7 The construction around the lower edge of the sliding door 22B is schematically shown, particularly the construction around the lower track 38B. Figure 6 This is the horizontal cross-section at position 38 of the lower track, and Figure 7 The lower edge of the end of the sliding door 22B is shown when viewed from the front. In the lateral direction of the vehicle, the lower track 38B is located inside the door panel 23B. The lower track 38B is supported at its end 38Ba by a lower track end bracket 86 fixed to the lower edge locking unit 52B. The lower track 38B is also supported at its base end 38Bb by a lower track base end bracket 88 fixed to the door panel 23B. The lower track 38B includes a straight portion 38Bc and a curved portion 38Bd. The straight portion 38Bc is located at a distance from the door panel 23B and extends from the end edge 22Bc of the sliding door 22B along the door panel 23B toward the base edge 22Bd of the sliding door 22B. The curved portion 38Bd extends in a curved manner from the end of the straight portion 38Bc on the base edge 22Bd side of the sliding door 22B toward the door panel 23B. The lower edge locking unit 52B of the lower edge locking mechanism is located between the straight portion 38Bc of the lower track 38B and the door panel 23B. The lower track 38B has a curved portion 38Bd, which causes the sliding door 22B to protrude outward from the vehicle side structure 26 in the lateral direction of the vehicle when it is opened. Therefore, there is a space between the straight portion 38Bc of the lower track 38B and the door panel 23B. By placing the lower edge locking unit 52B in this space, space can be used effectively.

[0055] The lower edge locking unit cover 90 is fixed to the door panel 23B. The lower edge locking unit cover 90 is located on the inside of the door panel 23B in the lateral direction of the vehicle, so as to cover the lower edge locking unit 52B. Figure 6 As shown, the lower edge locking unit cover 90 is generally L-shaped and is fixed to the door panel 23B near the end edge of the door panel 23B and after the lower edge locking unit 52B. The lower edge locking unit 52B is located between the door panel 23B and the lower edge locking unit cover 90, and is surrounded and protected by the door panel 23B and the lower edge locking unit cover 90. The lower rail 38B, particularly the straight portion 38Bc, is located inside the lower edge locking unit cover 90 in the lateral direction of the vehicle. The lower edge locking unit 52B, the lower edge locking unit cover 90, and the lower rail 38B can be attached to the door panel 23B in this order.

[0056] The spacer 92 is located on the base edge 22Bd side of the sliding door 22B relative to the lower edge locking unit 52B and is fixed to the door panel 23B. The lower track 38B is fixed to the spacer 92 and, via the spacer 92, to the door panel 23B. Since the lower track 38B is supported by the spacer 92 in addition to being supported by the lower track end bracket 86 and the lower track base bracket 88, the load applied to the lower track 38B can be distributed between them.

[0057] The structure around the lower track 38A of the sliding door 22A is symmetrical to the structure associated with the lower track 38B of the sliding door 22B described above.

[0058] Figure 8 This is a block diagram showing the configuration related to the control of the operation of the lower edge locking units 52A and 52B. The door opening and closing control device 100 controls the opening and closing operations of the sliding doors 22A and 22B, and in addition to controlling the lower edge locking units 52A and 52B, it can also control the operation of the drive units 54A and 54B. When the base edge locking unit 44B and the end edge locking unit 48 are operated by actuators, the door opening and closing control device 100 can also control the operation of the base edge locking unit 44B and the end edge locking unit 48.

[0059] When the door closing sensor 102 detects that the sliding door 22B is closed, the door opening and closing control device 100 drives the actuator 70 of the lower edge locking unit 52B to cause the hook 66 to move along the edge of the sliding door 22B. Figure 4Rotating in the direction of arrow Y1 causes hook 66 to engage with lower edge impact member 50B. As a result, the lower end of the end edge 22Bc of sliding door 22B is pulled towards the vehicle side structure 26. Furthermore, the sealing strip 64 along the lower edge of sliding door 22B is pressed against the vehicle side structure 26, particularly against the floor 56, thereby creating a tight seal between sliding door 22B and floor 56. Door closing sensor 102 can function as a door-controlled light switch. The lower edge locking unit 52A on another sliding door 22A is controlled in a similar manner.

[0060] Figure 9 The diagram illustrates the operation and function of the side structure of a vehicle equipped with sliding doors 22A and 22B of this embodiment. Figure 9 The upper side shows the vehicle with sliding doors 22A and 22B open, while Figure 9 The lower side shows the vehicle with sliding doors 22A and 22B closed. The upper hinges 32A and 32B supporting the upper parts of sliding doors 22A and 22B, and the central hinges 36A and 36B supporting the middle parts of sliding doors 22A and 22B, slide together with the sliding doors 22A and 22B. On the other hand, the lower hinges 40A and 40B supporting the lower parts of sliding doors 22A and 22B are fixed to the vehicle body side structure 26 and do not move even when sliding doors 22A and 22B are sliding.

[0061] Regarding sliding door 22B, the area of ​​triangle S formed by the three hinges 32B, 36B, and 40B is larger when sliding door 22B is open and smaller when sliding door 22B is closed. In other words, the longest side of triangle S, i.e., the side connecting the upper hinge 32B and the lower hinge 40B, has a larger distance from the remaining vertex (center hinge 36B) when sliding door 22B is open and smaller when sliding door 22B is closed. Therefore, the supporting stability of sliding door 22B tends to be lower when sliding door 22B is closed compared to when sliding door 22B is open. This also applies to the other sliding door 22A.

[0062] If these three hinges are configured to slide together with the sliding door 22B, the shape of triangle S will not change even when the sliding door 22B is closed, and the support stability for the sliding door 22B can be maintained. However, in this case, the vehicle body side structure 26 needs to have a lower track for guiding the lower hinge that slides together with the sliding door 22B, and the space for this lower track hinders the floor 56 from being at a lower height, i.e., hinders the so-called lowering of the floor. The space constraints on this lower track are even more stringent when storage space for the ramp 60 is required below the floor 56.

[0063] In the vehicle side structure of this embodiment, lower rails 38A and 38B are provided on the sliding doors 22A and 22B. This helps to lower the floor. As described above, when the sliding doors 22A and 22B are closed, the support stability of the sliding doors 22A and 22B decreases. However, when the sliding doors 22A and 22B are closed, the support stability of the sliding doors 22A and 22B increases as the lower edge impact members 50A and 50B and the lower edge locking units 52A and 52B pull the lower ends of the end edges 22Ac and 22Bc of the sliding doors 22A and 22B toward the vehicle side structure 26. This configuration also improves the sealing performance of the sealing strip 64.

[0064] Although the support structure for a double sliding door has been described above, the same support structure can be used for a single sliding door.

Claims

1. A vehicle side structure, characterized in that... include: The vehicle body side structure includes a boarding opening through which occupants enter and exit the vehicle; A sliding door that slides to open and close the boarding opening; The upper hinge is configured to slide together with the sliding door; An upper track, which is located on the side structure of the vehicle body along the upper edge of the boarding opening, and is configured to guide the upper hinge; A central hinge, configured to slide together with the sliding door; A central track, located on the side structure of the vehicle body, extends from the side edge of the boarding opening in a direction away from the boarding opening, and the central track is configured to guide the central hinge; The lower hinge is located on the side structure of the vehicle body near the side edge of the entry opening; A lower track, positioned lower than the central track on the sliding door, and configured to be guided as the sliding door slides; and The lower edge locking mechanism is configured to fix the lower end of the end edge of the sliding door to the vehicle body side structure when the sliding door is closed. The lower track is positioned along the lower edge of the sliding door. The sliding door mentioned above includes a door panel; The lower track includes a straight portion and a curved portion. The straight portion is located inside the door panel and positioned at a distance from the door panel in the lateral direction of the vehicle, and extends along the door panel from the end edge of the sliding door. The curved portion extends toward the door panel in a curved manner from the end of the straight portion opposite to the end edge of the sliding door. and The lower edge locking mechanism includes a lower edge impact member located at the lower edge of the boarding opening, and a lower edge locking unit including a hook configured to engage with the lower edge impact member, the lower edge locking unit being located between the door panel and the straight portion of the lower track. The sliding door includes a lower edge locking unit cover, which is fixed to the door panel on the inner side in the lateral direction of the vehicle and covers the lower edge locking unit located between the lower edge locking unit cover and the door panel; and The straight portion of the lower track is located inside the lower edge locking unit cover in the lateral direction of the vehicle. The lower track includes a spacer located on the straight portion of the lower track at a position away from the lower edge locking unit in a direction toward the base edge of the sliding door; and The lower track is fixed to the door panel via the spacer.

2. The vehicle side structure according to claim 1, characterized in that... It also includes a sealing strip located on the sliding door or the vehicle body side structure and extending along the lower edge of the entry opening when the sliding door is closed, wherein the lower edge locking mechanism is configured to move the lower edge of the sliding door toward the vehicle body and press the sealing strip to retain the sealing strip.

3. The vehicle side structure according to claim 2, characterized in that... It also includes a door closing sensor configured to detect the closing of the sliding door, wherein the lower edge locking mechanism is configured to be operated by an actuator to perform a locking operation, and the door closing sensor is configured to initiate the locking operation when the door closing sensor detects the closing of the sliding door.

4. The vehicle side structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that... It also includes two sliding doors, which together form a double door.

5. The vehicle side structure according to claim 4, characterized in that, The lower edge locking mechanism includes two lower edge impact members located at the middle of the lower edge of the boarding opening.

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