Apparatus for guiding sliding door of vehicle

Abstract

The present application relates to a device (1) for guiding a sliding door (2) of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, comprising an axial guide device (3) comprising an at least substantially linear first guide rail (31) along which a carriage (32) can slide; the invention relates to an angular guide device (4) comprising a second guide rail (41) and a connecting arm (43) for connecting to said door, in particular a second guide rail (41) having a curved end (42) with an inclined portion with respect to said first guide rail (31), characterized in that said first guide rail (31) extends in a plane (Pxy), in particular a substantially horizontal plane, and in that said second guide rail (41) is provided with a curved end (42) with an inclined portion with respect to said first guide rail (31). Wherein the second guide rail (41) moves such that a connecting arm (43) connecting the door and the guide means extends only below each of the first and second guide rails (31, 41).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a device for guiding a sliding door on a vehicle body, in particular a motor vehicle, comprising an axial guide device and an angular guide device, so that the door can be moved from a closed position and an open position, in which the door closes the opening by being substantially flush with the surrounding part of the vehicle body; in the open position, the door is pushed outwards and moved towards the rear or the front of the vehicle, substantially away from the opening. Background Art

[0002] Traditionally, in such sliding door movement, the front part of the door is guided by a guide rail having an end curved toward the inside of the vehicle passenger compartment, the door being connected to the guide rail by a carriage connected to the front part of the door to guide the door in alignment with the vehicle body when closing the door and to push the door toward the outside of the vehicle body when opening the door. However, such devices with curved guide rails extending into the passenger compartment have the disadvantage of a large lateral volume, at least equal to the lateral travel of the sliding door, which can produce an unsightly bulge in the passenger compartment in the area facing the guide rail. FR2779996 discloses a sliding door guide device which provides a large lateral travel of the sliding door and a small lateral volume, so as to enable the guide device to be discreetly integrated and to be simple and economical to manufacture. The device comprises an arm pivotally mounted on the door and slidably mounted at two different points along first and second guide rails, respectively, the first and second guide rails having different trajectories to ensure the pivoting of the arm so as to move the door away from the vehicle body in the open position and to reduce the lateral volume of the arm in the closed position. However, it is worth noting that the superposition of the first and second rails, one above the other, limits the vertical movement of the pivot arm between the first and second rails, which are close to each other for volume reasons, tending to limit the vertical adjustment position of the door by the displacement of the connecting arm relative to the rail on the door. Although the lateral volume has been reduced compared to the traditional single-rail solution, the placement of the first and second rails, one above the other, has determined a geometry that is difficult to integrate on the vehicle body. Therefore, an improved solution is needed in view of the above-mentioned disadvantages. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object of the present application is therefore to propose a sliding door guide which provides a large stroke of a sliding side door and requires a reduced volume in the lateral and vertical directions in order to enable a discreet integration of the guide and which is simple and economical to manufacture.

[0004] The subject of the present application is a device for guiding a sliding door of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, comprising an axial guide device, comprising a first guide rail, at least substantially rectilinear, along which a carriage can slide, and an angular guide device, comprising a second guide rail and a connecting arm for connecting the door, in particular the second guide rail having a curved end, which has an inclined portion relative to the first guide rail. In particular, the guide device is characterized in that the first guide rail extends in a plane, in particular in a substantially horizontal plane, wherein the second guide rail is moved so that the connecting arm connecting the door and the guide device extends only below each of the first and second guide rails.

[0005] According to other features and advantages of the present application, the guiding device includes the following features that are used alone or in combination with each other:

[0006] - the first and second guide rails each comprise a straight portion, in particular a rear portion, and are assembled to each other at their rear portions, in particular by welding;

[0007] - also comprising a guide rail module, the guide rail module comprising the first and second guide rails, the module being producible by folding a metal sheet made of steel, in particular stainless steel;

[0008] - also comprising a guide rail module, the guide rail module comprising the first and second guide rails, the module being producible by an extrusion operation of an alloy, in particular an aluminium alloy;

[0009] – the guide rail module comprises a guide rail rear portion having a substantially rectilinear profile;

[0010] - the first and second guide rails each have a substantially inverted U-shaped profile and one of the parallel branches of one of the first and second guide rails is directly connected to one of the parallel branches of the other of the first and second guide rails;

[0011] - the axial guide means comprises a carriage mounted to slide along the first rail by means of a pair of rollers connected to a plate extending below each of the first and second rails, in particular the plate comprising an eccentric portion on which a rotation connection is provided relative to the angular guide means;

[0012] - the angular guide device comprises a roller connected to the connecting arm and mounted to be rotatable along the second guide rail, such that movement of the roller along the inclined portion of the second guide rail generates a rotation of the connecting arm about the carriage, in particular about the first rotation axis;

[0013] - the connecting arm of the angular guide comprises branches parallel to each other, one end of the arm being connected to the axial guide via a first rotation axis coaxial with the first rotation axis, and the other end of the arm being connected to the door via a mounting plate connected to a second rotation axis coaxial with the second rotation axis and fastened to the door, in particular by screws, the first and second rotation axes each extending perpendicularly through the parallel branches;

[0014] – the other end of the connecting arm comprises a portion having a substantially U-shaped cross-section;

[0015] - the mounting plate, the connecting arm and the carriage respectively extend in planes parallel to each other, in particular in a substantially horizontal plane below each guide rail;

[0016] – Each roller is mounted on a rod, the height of the roller being less than the height of the branches parallel to the first and second guide rails, so that the gap separating the mounting plate and / or the connecting arm and / or the carriage of the first guide rail and / or the second guide rail, in particular the vertical gap, can be varied so that the door can be adjusted relative to the body side opening.

[0017] The present application also relates to a vehicle having a sliding door, in particular a side door, wherein one side of the vehicle body defines an opening that can be closed by the door, characterized in that the vehicle comprises a guide device as described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The objects, aspects and advantages of the present application will be better understood through the following description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] –[ Figure 1 ] Figure 1 is a three-quarter perspective view of a guide device for a sliding door according to the present application;

[0020] –[ Figure 2 ] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 an enlarged view of the guide device shown, showing in detail the components of the device when the door is in the closed position;

[0021] –[ Figure 3 ] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A three-quarter perspective view of the device is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Only elements necessary for understanding the present application are shown. To facilitate reading of the drawings, identical elements have the same reference numerals from one figure to another.

[0023] The description of the figures considers an orthogonal reference system of axes X, Y and Z relative to the vehicle on which the device according to the present application is intended to be mounted to enable the movement of the door, wherein the axis X corresponds to the longitudinal axis from the front to the rear of the vehicle, the axis Y corresponds to the transverse axis from the left to the right side of the vehicle and the axis Z corresponds to the vertical axis from the bottom to the top of the vehicle.

[0024] [ Figure 1 ] shows a device 1 for guiding the front part of a sliding door 2, which is in the closed position of the door. The device has an axial guide device 3 adjacent to an angular guide device 4, which is arranged on the lower part of the frame of the opening. The axial guide device 3 comprises a first guide rail 31, on which a carriage 32 with rollers 33 slides, the carriage 32 being connected to the door 2 via a connecting arm 43, which is rotatably mounted on the carriage of the axial guide device 3, and a mounting plate 5 dedicated to fastening the door to the guide device 1.

[0025] The angular guide 4 comprises a second guide rail 41, the front part of which is composed of an inclined portion 42, which can be linear, curved or even hyperbolic. The angular guide 4 is adapted to the kinematics of the door closing.

[0026] The components of the guiding device 1 are as follows: Figure 2 ]and[ Figure 3 ] is shown in detail along two different view planes. The first and second guide rails 31, 41 comprise rear portions 310, 410 adjacent to each other. The rear portions 310, 410 are parallel to each other and have a substantially rectilinear profile, which makes possible integration on the vehicle body at the door frame, thereby defining an opening on the vehicle body side for closing. Each rear portion 310, 410 preferably has an inverted U-shaped cross section, so that each guide rail has branches parallel to each other, in particular inner branches parallel to the outer branches. The axial guide means 3 and the angular guide means 4 comprise at least one roller 33, 34, which is assembled to rotate around a rod 6, which may be cylindrical, with its axis parallel to the parallel branches of each of the first and second guide rails 31, 41. The first and second guide rails 31, 41 can be fastened together by assembling one of the parallel branches of one of the first and second guide rails 31, 41 to one of the parallel branches of the other of the first and second guide rails 31, 41, in particular by assembling the inner branch of the axial guide rail 31 with the outer branch of the angular guide rail 41.

[0027] According to another embodiment, the fastening of the first and second rails 31 , 41 can be ensured by using fastening means welded directly on the bottom walls of the first and second rails 31 , 41 , each connecting one or the other parallel branch of the first and second rails 31 , 41 .

[0028] The rollers 33 and 44 only bear against the inner surfaces of the parallel branches of the guide rails, taking into account the function of transversely moving the sliding door. Each roller 33, 44 is intended to pivot about a rod 6 approximately along the axis Z, when the guide device 1 is arranged on the vehicle body.

[0029] The first rail 31 is connected to two rollers 33 arranged inside the first rail. The rod 6 comprises a top portion, on which the rollers 33 are arranged. The other end is assembled by a plate 34. The plate 34, including the rollers 33 and the rod 6, defines a carriage 32 for longitudinal sliding. The plate 34 comprises an eccentric portion 340 communicating with the angular guide 4. This relationship is achieved by a first rotation axis coaxial with the first rotation axis R1, which allows the connecting arm 43 to pivot around the axis Z on the carriage 32.

[0030] The second rail 41 is connected to a roller 44 arranged inside the second rail. The rod 6 comprises a top portion, on which the roller 44 is arranged. The other end of the rod 6 is assembled by a connecting arm 43.

[0031] The connecting arm 43 comprises two parallel branches 430 which are intended to increase the rigidity of the rotation assembly with the carriage 32 and the mounting plate 5 respectively.

[0032] like[ Figure 2 ], the connection for rotation about the second rotation axis R2 of the connecting arm 43 on the mounting plate 5 can thus be realized by a second rotation axis of cylindrical cross section coaxial with the second rotation axis R2, which extends through the parallel branches 430 of the connecting arm 43. The rotation connection R2 can be realized by a ring forming a bearing and surrounding the second axis, while being arranged between the parallel branches 430. The ring can be made by overmolding the mounting plate 5 at a through opening coaxial with the ring. After the mounting plate 5 is placed inside one end of the connecting arm 43, the second rotation axis can be arranged and crimped on the connecting arm 43.

[0033] The first and second axes of rotation R1 and R2 are substantially parallel to the axis Z.

[0034] like[ Figure 3 ], the rod 6 of the roller 44 extends completely through each parallel branch 430. Therefore, the rotational connection R1 of the connecting arm 43 on the slide 32 can be achieved by a cylindrical shaft extending through the parallel branches 430 of the connecting arm 43. The rotational connection R1 can be achieved by a ring forming a bearing and surrounding the cylindrical shaft, while being arranged between the parallel branches 430. This ring can be made by overmolding the plate 34 of the slide 32 at a through opening coaxial with the ring. After the plate 34 is placed inside the end of the connecting arm 43 opposite to the end of the rotational connection R1, the cylindrical shaft can be arranged and crimped on the connecting arm 43.

[0035] The connecting arm 43 may be made by folding a steel plate. The connecting arm 43 comprises a substantially U-shaped cross-section portion which is inclined so that the parallel branches extend along the axis Y and so that the side walls (particularly the inner side walls) connecting the parallel branches extend substantially in the plane of the axis Z. The parallel branches 430 of the connecting arm 43 may each extend substantially parallel to the bottom of the first and second guide rails 31, 41.

[0036] The design of the connecting arm 43 with a substantially U-shaped cross section allows for a compact assembly, since the movement of the connecting arm 43 around the carriage 32 or the mounting plate 5 can be achieved by placing it completely or partially inside the connecting arm 43, at least between the parallel branches 430. The connecting arm 43 has a substantially J-shaped longitudinal profile with a straight portion of the U-shaped cross section and an inclined portion without side walls connecting the parallel branches 430.

[0037] The door 2 is rigidly attached to a bracket which is mounted directly on the mounting plate 5 and assembled by tightening with screws. Figure 2 ], the door 2 is in the closed position and the mounting plate 5 extends partially into the interior of the connecting arm 43. In the closed position of the door 2, the mounting plate 5 is arranged longitudinally in the extension of the plate 34 of the carriage 32, i.e. one is arranged in the extension of the other along the axis X. Due to the rotational connection R2 connecting the connecting arm 43 to the mounting plate 5, the mounting plate 5 can adopt a position substantially at 90° relative to the connecting arm 43. In the open position of the door 2, the mounting plate 5 is arranged transversely in the continuation of the plate 34 of the carriage 32, i.e. one is arranged in the continuation of the other along the axis Y, or even in transverse contact. This improves the compactness of the guide device and the mounting plate 5 can be connected transversely to the carriage 32.

[0038] The angular guide means 4 of the connecting arm 43 comprise a second guide rail 41, the inclined portion 42 defining the front end of the second guide rail 41 being laterally away from the front free end of the first guide rail 31. Thus, the inclined portion 42 forms a constant or gradually changing angle with the first guide rail towards the interior of the vehicle passenger compartment. The inclined portion 42 can be rectilinear or curvilinear while extending in the plane Pxy. The presence of this angle allows the connecting arm 43 to rotate about the rotation point R1, so that when the roller 44 is located in the inclined portion 42, the connecting arm is more pivoted as the lateral clearance of the axis Y between the first and second guide rails 31, 41 is larger.

[0039] The first and second guide rails 31 , 41 are respectively made of folded steel plates, specifically stainless steel.

[0040] According to a variant of the embodiment, the first and second rails 31, 41 are made of plastic, in particular by injection molding. The first and second rails can be produced directly by molding plastic material into an element mounted directly on the body side, in particular a footrest, which will facilitate its integration.

[0041] According to another embodiment variant, the first and second guide rails 31 , 41 belong to a guide rail module which can be produced by extruding an alloy, in particular an aluminium alloy, in particular by using an extrusion nozzle with a gradually changing profile to produce the straight and curved parts.

[0042] The first guide rail 31 and the second guide rail 41 then form a guide rail module made in one piece, which makes them very easy to install on the vehicle.

[0043] The guide device 1 has a compact design at least along at least one vertical component. This makes it possible to place the rear of the door 2 close to the edge of the vehicle body, while making the front of the door 2 flush with the vehicle body when the door is closed and moving the door 2 away from the vehicle body when the door is opened.

[0044] Due to its compact nature, such a guide device can be arranged above or below the opening on the body side, making it easier to integrate the device involved in the lateral movement of the sliding door 2 into the vehicle, thereby increasing the latter's effective volume, particularly in terms of spaciousness.

[0045] Such a guide device 2 makes it possible to obtain a reduced lateral and vertical volume, independently of the lateral excursion required to open the door. In fact, in the door guide device according to the present application, the lateral excursion of the door is determined by the inclined portion of the second guide rail and not by the forward movement of the guide rail inside the passenger compartment. Such a device makes it possible to obtain a large lateral travel of the door, but with a small lateral excursion of the second guide rail due to the angle formed between the inclined portion of the second guide rail and the first guide rail. The travel of the door 2 is obtained by rotating the connecting arm 43 connecting the door to the hinge device 1 around the double rotation connection R1 and R2, and around the slide 32 and the mounting plate 5 respectively.

[0046] The small lateral and vertical volume of the guide device makes it possible to create a cavity of low depth and height for housing the first and second guide rails, which makes it less visible from inside the passenger compartment or less intrusive on the vehicle floor, an advantage sought in particular in the electric vehicle scenario, according to which the battery modules are arranged under the floor. The small volume of the device also makes it possible to retain front pillars of large cross-section, providing good resistance in the event of a collision. This impact resistance can be easily enhanced by using a door box of greater depth allowed by the considerable lateral travel provided by the guide device according to the present application.

[0047] The guide device according to the present application also has the following advantage: the trajectory of the door can be easily changed simply by changing the trajectory of the inclined portion 42 of the second guide rail 41.

[0048] Obviously, the present application is in no way limited to the embodiments described and shown, which are given merely by way of example. For example, according to a variant of the embodiment, such a guide device can also integrate support rollers, in particular in a mechanical relationship with the carriage, so that part of the weight of the sliding door can be distributed on the first guide rail, which will then have a suitable design, for example by using a material of greater thickness.

[0049] On the other hand, the present application encompasses all technical equivalents of the means described as well as their combinations if they are performed within the spirit of the present application.

Claims

1. A guide device (1) for a vehicle, in particular a sliding door (2) of a motor vehicle, the guide device (1) comprising: an axial guide device (3), the axial guide device (3) comprising a first guide rail (31) which is at least substantially straight, a carriage (32) being able to slide along the first guide rail (31); and an angular guide device (4), the angular guide device (4) comprising a second guide rail (41) and a connecting arm (43) for connecting to the door, in particular the second guide rail (41) having a curved end (42), the curved end (42) having an inclined portion relative to the first guide rail (31); characterized in that The first guide rail (31) extends in a plane (Pxy), in particular in a substantially horizontal plane, wherein the second guide rail (41) is moved so that a connecting arm (43) connecting the door to the guide device extends only below each of the first and second guide rails (31, 41).

2. The guiding device (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that The first and second guide rails (31, 41) each include a straight portion, specifically a rear portion (310, 410), and are assembled together at the rear portions (310, 410), specifically by welding.

3. The guiding device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The guide device (1) comprises a guide rail module, the guide rail module comprising the first and second guide rails (31, 41), the module being manufactured by a folding operation of a steel plate, in particular stainless steel, so that the module has a guide rail rear portion (310, 410) with a substantially straight profile.

4. A guiding device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The first and second guide rails (31, 41) each have a substantially inverted U-shaped profile, and one of the parallel branches of one of the first and second guide rails is directly connected to one of the parallel branches of the other of the first and second guide rails.

5. A guiding device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The axial guide device (3) comprises a carriage (32) which is slidably mounted along the first guide rail by means of a pair of rollers (33), the rollers (33) being connected to a plate (34) extending below each of the first and second guide rails (31, 41), the plate comprising an eccentric portion (340) on which a rotation connection (R1) is provided relative to the angular guide device (4).

6. The guiding device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The angle guide device (4) comprises a roller (44), which is connected to the connecting arm (43) and is slidably mounted along the second guide rail (41), so that the movement of the roller (44) along the inclined portion (42) of the second guide rail (41) produces a rotation of the connecting arm (43) around the slide (32), specifically a rotation around the first rotation axis (R1).

7. The guiding device (1) according to the preceding claims and claim 5, characterized in that The connecting arm (43) of the angle guide device (4) comprises branches (430) parallel to each other, one end of the arm is connected to the axial guide device (3) via a first rotation axis coaxial with the first rotation axis (R1), and the other end of the arm is connected to the door (2) via the mounting plate (5), the mounting plate (5) is connected to a rotation axis coaxial with a second rotation axis (R2) and is fastened to the door, specifically by screws, the first and second rotation axes each extending vertically through the parallel branches (430).

8. The guiding device (1) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that The other end of the connecting arm (43) includes a portion with a substantially U-shaped cross section.

9. A guiding device (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that The mounting plate (5), the connecting arm (43) and the slide (32) extend in planes (Pxy) parallel to each other, specifically in a substantially horizontal plane below each guide rail (31, 41).

10. A guiding device (1) according to any of the preceding claims and claims 5 or 6, characterized in that Each roller (33, 44) is mounted on a rod (6), and the height of the roller is less than the height of the parallel branches of the first and second guide rails, so that the gap separating the mounting plate (5) and / or the connecting arm (43) and / or the slide (32) from the first guide rail (31) and / or the second guide rail (41), in particular the vertical gap, can be varied so that the door can be adjusted relative to the side opening of the vehicle body.

11. A vehicle having a sliding door, in particular a side door, wherein one side of the vehicle body defines an opening that can be closed by the door, characterized in that The vehicle comprises a guiding device (1) according to any one of claims 1-10.

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