Object moving mechanism

Abstract

To provide an object moving mechanism capable of improving the holding force of a moving object.SOLUTION: A drive-side spindle member 14 of a drive device 10 in an object moving mechanism 1 brought into rotation by driving of a motor 13. A drive-side nut member 15 is engaged in a thread manner with the drive-side spindle member 14. A moving section 11 has a first connecting section 22 which can be connected to an object to be moved, and is connected to the drive-side nut member 15. A driven section 51 of a support device 50 in an object moving mechanism 1 has a third connecting section 62 which can be connected to the object to be moved, and is driven by the movement of the moving section 11. A support-side nut member 55 is connected to the driven section 51. A support-side spindle member 54 is engaged in a thread manner with the support-side nut member 55, and is rotated by movement of the support-side nut member 55. The lead of the support-side spindle member 54 is smaller than a lead of the drive-side spindle member 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an object moving mechanism. [Background technology]

[0002] As an object moving mechanism for moving an object such as a vehicle back door, a configuration including a support device for supporting the object to be moved and a drive device for moving the object to be moved has been disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In Patent Document 1, a drive device is disposed on one side between the back door and the vehicle body, and a support device is disposed on the other side. A motor is provided in the drive device, and the drive device extends and retracts when driven by the motor, opening and closing the back door. The support device extends and retracts in response to the opening and closing of the back door. When the drive device extends to open the back door, the back door is kept open by the drive device and the support device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-70633 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the object moving mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1 does not have a sufficient holding force for the back door, and the back door may drop slightly after being opened.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an object moving mechanism capable of improving the holding force of an object to be moved. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An object moving mechanism according to an aspect of the present invention is an object moving mechanism including a support device that supports an object to be moved and a drive device that moves the object to be moved. The drive device has a motor, a drive side spindle member, a drive side nut member, and a moving unit. The drive side spindle member rotates when driven by the motor. The drive side nut member screws into the drive side spindle member. The moving unit has a drive side connection part that can be connected to the object to be moved and is connected to the drive side nut member. The support device has a driven part, a support side nut member, and a support side spindle member. The driven part has a support side connection part that can be connected to the object to be moved and is driven by the movement of the moving unit. The support side nut member is connected to the driven part. The support side spindle member screws into the support side nut member and rotates when the support side nut member moves. The lead of the support side spindle member is smaller than the lead of the drive side spindle member. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an object moving mechanism capable of improving the holding force of an object to be moved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing an example in which an object moving mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention is used in a back door that opens and closes the rear of a vehicle. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example in which an object moving mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention is used in a back door that opens and closes the rear of a vehicle. [Figure 3A] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a contracted state of the drive device of the object moving mechanism. [Figure 3B] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the drive device of the object moving mechanism is extended. [Figure 4] 4A is a diagram showing a drive-side nut member, a part of a drive-side spindle member, and a part of a rotation restricting member of the drive device, FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram of the drive-side spindle member, and FIG. 4C is a schematic diagram of a support-side spindle member. [Figure 5A] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a contracted state of the support device of the object moving mechanism. [Figure 5B]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the support device of the object moving mechanism is extended. [Figure 6] Enlarged view of area T in Figure 5A. [Figure 7] 7(a), (b), and (c) are diagrams for explaining the configuration and operation of a braking member of the support device, as viewed from the direction of arrow X in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 7(a), (b), and (c) are diagrams for explaining the operation of the supporting device, as viewed from the direction of the arrow X in FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] An object moving mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] (Overview of Object Movement Mechanism 1) The object moving mechanism 1 in this embodiment converts a rotational motion caused by the drive of a drive motor or the like into a linear body motion to move an object in a predetermined direction.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example in which an object moving mechanism 1 is used for a back door 101 that opens and closes the rear of a vehicle 100. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the back door 101 that opens and closes the rear of the vehicle 100 is the object to be moved, and the object moving mechanism 1 can be used as an opening and closing drive device that moves the back door 101 in the vertical direction.

[0013] The moving object is not limited to the back door 101, but may be, for example, an opening / closing body that opens and closes an opening on the side of the vehicle, or may be an automatic window opening / closing device in the housing facility field.

[0014] The object moving mechanism of the present invention is not limited to an opening / closing body driving device that opens and closes the tailgate 101 as described above, but can be applied to devices in which the movement of an object is performed by driving with support, such as devices that move an item or structure, which is the object to be moved, in a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal direction.

[0015] 2 is a perspective view showing the rear of a vehicle 100 to which an object moving mechanism 1 is attached. The object moving mechanism 1 includes a drive device 10 that moves a back door 101, and a support device 50 that supports the back door 101 while following the moving motion of the back door 101.

[0016] Each of the driving device 10 and the support device 50 is configured so that the tip side (specifically, the moving part 11 and the driven part 51 described later) can move forward and backward, and is arranged on one side and the other side of the rear of the vehicle 100, respectively.

[0017] An upper end of the back door 101 is attached to the body 102 of the vehicle 100 via a hinge or the like so as to be movable in the up and down direction. The drive unit 10 is disposed between the body 102 and the back door 101 on one side of the vehicle 100 (the left side in FIG. 2). The drive unit 10 is rotatably connected to the body 102 via a second connection part 32 of a drive-side holding part 12, which will be described later. The drive unit 10 is rotatably connected to the back door 101 via a first connection part 22 (an example of a drive-side connection part) of a moving part 11 that advances and retreats relatively to the drive-side holding part 12.

[0018] The support device 50 is disposed between the body 102 and the back door 101 on the other side (the right side in FIG. 2 ) of the vehicle 100. The support device 50 is rotatably connected to the body 102 via a fourth connection portion 72 of the support side holding portion 52 described below. The support device 50 is rotatably connected to the back door 101 via a third connection portion 62 of the driven portion 51 that advances and retreats relatively to the support side holding portion 52.

[0019] In the object moving mechanism 1, the moving part 11 of the driving device 10 advances, whereby the driving device 10 extends, and the back door 101 is pushed up from below by the moving part 11 and moves upward. As the back door 101 moves upward, the driven part 51 of the support device 50 also advances while following and supporting the back door 101, and the support device 50 extends.

[0020] The moving part 11 of the driving device 10 moves backward, whereby the driving device 10 contracts, and the back door 101 is moved downward by being pulled downward by the moving part 11 or by descending under its own weight. As the back door 101 moves downward, the driven part 51 of the support device 50 also moves backward while supporting the back door 101 in accordance with the movement of the back door 101, and the support device 50 contracts.

[0021] (Drive unit 10) Fig. 3A is a cross-sectional view showing the driving device 10 in a contracted state. Fig. 3B is a cross-sectional view showing the driving device 10 in an extended state. As shown in Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B, the driving device 10 includes a moving unit 11, a driving side holding unit 12, a motor 13, a driving side spindle member 14, a driving side nut member 15, and a driving side biasing member 16.

[0022] The moving part 11 moves in an advancing / retreating direction A relative to the drive side holding part 12 by being driven by the motor 13. The advancing direction of the advancing / retreating direction A is indicated by A1, and the retreating direction is indicated by A2. When the moving part 11 moves in the advancing direction A1 relative to the drive side holding part 12, the drive unit 10 extends. When the moving part 11 moves in the retreating direction A2 relative to the drive side holding part 12, the drive unit 10 contracts. The motor 13 generates a driving force that rotates the drive side spindle member 14. The motor 13 is housed in the drive side holding part 12. The drive side spindle member 14 rotates by the driving force of the motor 13. The drive side spindle member 14 is housed in the drive side holding part 12. The drive side spindle member 14 is arranged so that its axis is along the advancing / retreating direction A. The drive side nut member 15 is screwed into the drive side spindle member 14. The driving side biasing member 16 biases the moving portion 11 in the advancing direction A1.

[0023] (Mobile part 11) The moving section 11 has a moving side housing 21, a first connection portion 22, and a moving member 23. The moving side housing 21 is a cylindrical member with a bottom, the end on the retreating direction A2 side being an open end. The moving side housing 21 is formed long in the advancing / retreating direction A. The moving side housing 21 has an end face 21a on the advancing direction A1 side. A through hole is formed in the end face 21a, and an end 23a of the moving member 23 is inserted into it.

[0024] The first connection part 22 is disposed on the advancing direction A1 side of the end surface 21a of the moving-side housing 21. The first connection part 22 is, for example, a ball joint. The first connection part 22 is rotatably connected to an attachment member (not shown) provided on the back door 101, which is an example of a moving object. The configuration of the first connection part 22 is not limited to a configuration in which it is directly connected to the back door 101, and it may be a configuration in which it is connected to the back door 101 via another mechanism such as a link mechanism.

[0025] The moving member 23 moves in the forward / backward direction A by the rotation of the motor 13. The moving member 23 is a hollow cylindrical member. The moving member 23 is disposed inside the moving side housing 21. The end 23a of the moving member 23 is disposed in a through hole formed in the end face 21a of the moving side housing 21 on the advancing direction A1 side. The end 23a of the moving member 23 and the end face 21a of the moving side housing 21 are fixed to each other. The first connecting portion 22 is fixed to the end 23a of the moving member 23 on the advancing direction A1 side. The driving side nut member 15 is fixed to the end 23b of the moving member 23 on the retreating direction A2 side. When the driving side nut member 15 moves in the forward / backward direction A by the rotation of the driving side spindle member 14, the moving member 23 and the moving side housing 21 move together with the driving side nut member 15 along the forward / backward direction A.

[0026] (Drive side holding portion 12) The driving side holding portion 12 holds the moving portion 11 so as to be movable in the forward and backward direction A. The driving side holding portion 12 has a holding side housing 31, a second connection portion 32, and a rotation restricting member 33.

[0027] The holding side housing 31 is a cylindrical member with a bottom, the end on the advancing direction A1 side being an open end. The inner diameter of the holding side housing 31 is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the moving side housing 21. The holding side housing 31 and the moving side housing 21 are arranged coaxially. The moving side housing 21 is inserted inside the holding side housing 31. Inside the holding side housing 31, the moving side housing 21 is capable of moving relative to the holding side housing 31 in the axial direction.

[0028] Specifically, the movable-side housing 21 is disposed with its end face 21a facing the advancing direction A1 and its end 21b on the open surface side facing the holding-side housing 31. The holding-side housing 31 is disposed with its closed end face 31a facing the retreating direction A2 and its open surface facing the movable-side housing 21. The end 21b on the open surface side of the movable-side housing 21 is inserted into the inside of the holding-side housing 31 via the open surface of the holding-side housing 31. The movable-side housing 21 is fitted to the holding-side housing 31 so as to be movable relative to the holding-side housing 31. The holding-side housing 31 and the movable-side housing 21 form the housing of the drive unit 10.

[0029] The internal space of the holding side housing 31 is divided into a closed end surface side space portion 31b arranged on the closed end surface 31a side and an open surface side space portion 31c provided on the open surface side. The holding side housing 31 is provided with a protrusion portion 34 protruding inward from the inner peripheral surface. The bearing member 17 is arranged on the protrusion portion 34, and the connection shaft 14b of the drive side spindle member 14 is inserted inside the bearing member 17. In this manner, the internal space of the holding side housing 31 is divided into the closed end surface side space portion 31b and the open surface side space portion 31c by the protrusion portion 34, the bearing member 17, and the connection shaft 14b. The internal space portion 21c of the moving side housing 21 is in communication with the open surface side space portion 31c of the holding side housing 31 by inserting the end 21b of the moving side housing 21 into the inside of the holding side housing 31.

[0030] The space 18 defined by the moving-side housing 21 and the holding-side housing 31 from the outside is composed of a first space 18a consisting of a closed end surface side space 31b, and a second space 18b consisting of an open surface side space 31c and an inner space 21c. As shown in Figs. 3A and 3B, the volume of the second space 18b changes as the moving-side housing 21 moves in the forward / backward direction A relative to the holding-side housing 31. Specifically, the volume of the second space 18b is largest when the moving part 11 has moved the most in the forward direction A1 relative to the driving-side holding part 12. Also, the volume of the second space 18b is smallest when the moving part 11 has been pulled the most in the backward direction A2 relative to the driving-side holding part 12.

[0031] The second connection part 32 is disposed on the closed end surface 31a of the holding side housing 31. The second connection part 32 is disposed on the rearward direction A2 side of the closed end surface 31a. The second connection part 32 is, for example, a ball joint, similar to the first connection part 22, and is rotatably connected to a mounting member (not shown) provided at the rear of the vehicle 100. Similarly to the first connection part 22, the configuration of the second connection part 32 is not limited to a configuration in which it is directly connected to the rear of the vehicle 100, and may be a configuration in which it is connected to the rear of the vehicle 100 via another mechanism such as a link mechanism.

[0032] The rotation restricting member 33 restricts the rotation of the driving side nut member 15. The holding side housing 31 is a hollow cylindrical member. The rotation restricting member 33 is arranged coaxially with the holding side housing 31. The rotation restricting member 33 is arranged in the second space portion 18b. The rotation restricting member 33 has a main body portion 33a and an end portion 33b. The inner diameters of the main body portion 33a and the end portion 33b are approximately the same. The end portion 33b is formed to have a larger outer diameter than the main body portion 33a. The end portion 33b is arranged at the end of the main body portion 33a on the retreating direction A2 side. The end portion 33b is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the holding side housing 31. The holding side housing 31 has a protrusion portion 31d arranged on the advancing direction A1 side of the end portion 33b. The protrusion portion 31d is formed along the circumferential direction. One end of the driving side biasing member 16 described later abuts against the protrusion portion 31d. 4(a) is an enlarged view showing a part of the drive-side spindle member 14, the drive-side nut member 15, and a part of the rotation restricting member 33. A recess 33c is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the rotation restricting member 33. A plurality of recesses 33c are provided along the circumferential direction. Each recess 33c is formed along the forward / backward direction A.

[0033] (Motor 13) The motor 13 is housed in the holding side housing 31 of the drive side holding part 12. The motor 13 is disposed in the first space portion 18a formed by the closed end face side space portion 31b. The motor 13 is disposed so that the output shaft is coaxial with the holding side housing 31. The output shaft 13a of the motor 13 extends toward the moving part 11 side (advancing direction A1).

[0034] (Drive side spindle member 14) The driving side spindle member 14 is a round bar-shaped member. The driving side spindle member 14 is arranged coaxially with the output shaft 13a of the motor 13. The driving side spindle member 14 is housed in the holding side housing 31. The driving side spindle member 14 is arranged in the second space portion 18b. The driving side spindle member 14 is arranged inside the rotation restricting member 33. The driving side spindle member 14 has a spindle portion 14a and a connecting shaft 14b. A convex male screw portion 14c formed in a spiral shape toward the axial direction is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the spindle portion 14a. The connecting shaft 14b extends from the end of the spindle portion 14a on the rearward direction A2 side toward the rearward direction A2. The connecting shaft 14b is arranged coaxially with the output shaft 13a of the motor 13. The connecting shaft 14b is rotatably supported by the holding side housing 31 by the bearing member 17. The connecting shaft 14b is connected to the output shaft 13a of the motor 13 via a shaft coupling 19 on the side of the bearing member 17 in the backward direction A2.

[0035] As a result, when the motor 13 is driven by power supplied by a control signal from a control unit (not shown), the drive side spindle member 14 is rotated in the axial direction.

[0036] The drive spindle member 14 is not limited to a configuration in which it is directly connected to the output shaft 13a of the motor 13 via the shaft coupling 19, and may be connected to the output shaft 13a via a reduction mechanism or the like.

[0037] The lead L1 of the male screw portion 14c of the driving side spindle member 14 may be any lead that allows the opening and closing speed of the back door 101 to be the desired opening and closing speed and the operating sound of the motor to be the desired operating sound. For example, the lead L1 is preferably 12 mm or more and 15 mm or less. The lead L1 indicates the distance that the driving side nut member 15 advances along the advancing and retreating direction A when the driving side spindle member 14 rotates once. FIG. 4(b) is a schematic diagram of the male screw portion 14c of the driving side spindle member 14. As shown in FIG. 4(b), the lead L1 can be expressed as the product of the pitch p1 and the number of threads s1 of the male screw portion 14c. In FIG. 4(b), for example, the number of threads s1 is set to 12.

[0038] (Drive side nut member 15) The driving nut member 15 is a hollow member. An internal thread 15a is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the driving nut member 15 in a spiral shape in the axial direction. The driving nut member 15 is fixed to the moving member 23.

[0039] The drive-side nut member 15 is disposed coaxially with the drive-side spindle member 14 on the outer circumferential surface of the drive-side spindle member 14. The female thread portion 15a of the drive-side nut member 15 is screwed into the male thread portion 14c of the spindle portion 14a of the drive-side spindle member 14.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 4(a), a protrusion 15b is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the drive side nut member 15. A plurality of protrusions 15b are provided in the circumferential direction of the drive side nut member 15. Each of the protrusions 15b extends along the axial direction of the drive side spindle member 14. The protrusions 15b of the drive side nut member 15 are fitted into the recesses 33c of the rotation restricting member 33. When the drive side nut member 15 is screwed into the drive side spindle member 14, the protrusions 15b are fitted into the recesses 33c of the rotation restricting member 33, and the drive side nut member 15 is slidable relative to the rotation restricting member 33 in the axial direction of the drive side spindle member 14 (advance and retreat direction A).

[0041] This prevents the drive side nut member 15 from rotating about the axis as the drive side spindle member 14 rotates about the axis, and allows the drive side nut member 15 to move along the axial direction (advance / retreat direction A) of the drive side spindle member 14.

[0042] The configuration of the rotation restricting member 33 is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration. For example, a recess extending in the axial direction may be formed on the inner peripheral surface of the rotation restricting member 33, and a recess into which a protrusion can be fitted may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the drive-side nut member 15. Alternatively, the cross-sectional shape of the drive-side nut member 15 may be formed into a polygonal shape, and a portion that abuts against a part of the outer peripheral surface of the drive-side nut member 15 may be provided on the inner peripheral surface of the rotation restricting member 33, thereby restricting the rotation of the drive-side nut member 15 accompanying the rotation of the drive-side spindle member 14. In short, the configuration of the rotation restricting member 33 may be any configuration that can restrict the rotation of the drive-side nut member 15 accompanying the rotation of the drive-side spindle member 14, but does not restrict the axial movement of the drive-side nut member 15.

[0043] (Drive side biasing member 16) The driving-side biasing member 16 is an elastic member formed of, for example, a coil spring. The outer diameter of the driving-side biasing member 16 is smaller than the inner diameter of the moving-side housing 21. The inner diameter of the driving-side biasing member 16 is larger than the outer diameters of the rotation restricting member 33 and the moving member 23.

[0044] The driving-side biasing member 16 is disposed coaxially with the movable-side housing 21 or the holding-side housing 31 in the second space portion 18b. An end of the driving-side biasing member 16 on the advancing direction A1 side abuts against an end face 21a of the movable-side housing 21. An end of the driving-side biasing member 16 on the retreating direction A2 side abuts against a protrusion 31d protruding from the inner peripheral surface of the holding-side housing 31.

[0045] As a result, the moving part 11 is constantly biased by the driving-side biasing member 16 so as to move in the advancing direction A1 relative to the driving-side holding part 12. Note that the driving-side biasing member 16 may have one end fixed to the end face 21a of the moving-side housing 21 and the other end fixed to the protrusion 31d of the holding-side housing 31 so as to generate a predetermined biasing force in the axial direction.

[0046] With the above-described configuration, when the motor 13 is driven and the drive side spindle member 14 is rotated in a predetermined direction around its axis, the drive side nut member 15 and the moving part 11 move together in the axial advance direction A1 of the drive side spindle member 14.

[0047] In addition, when the motor 13 is driven and the drive side spindle member 14 is rotated in the direction opposite to the specified side about the axis, the drive side nut member 15 and the moving part 11 move together in the axial backward direction A2 of the drive side spindle member 14.

[0048] (Support device 50) Figure 5A is a cross-sectional view showing the support device 50 in a contracted state, and Figure 5B is a cross-sectional view showing the support device 50 in an expanded state.

[0049] Compared to the above-described drive device 10, the support device 50 is not provided with the motor 13 and the shaft coupling 19, but is provided with a braking member 90. In the following explanation, the differences from the above-described drive device 10 will be mainly described.

[0050] The support device 50 includes a driven part 51, a support side holding part 52, a support side spindle member 54, a support side nut member 55, a support side biasing member 56, and a brake member 90. The driven part 51 has a third connection part 62 (an example of a support side connection part) connectable to a back door 101, which is an example of an object to be moved. The driven part 51 follows the movement of the moving part 11 described above. The support side holding part 52 holds the driven part 51 so as to be movable along the forward / backward direction A. The support side holding part 52 has a fourth connection part 72 connectable to the body 102. The support side nut member 55 is connected to the driven part 51. The support side spindle member 54 is screwed into the support side nut member 55, and rotates due to the movement of the support side nut member 55. The brake member 90 allows or restricts the movement of the driven part 51.

[0051] The driven part 51 has a configuration substantially similar to that of the moving part 11, and includes a driven-side housing 61, the above-mentioned third connection part 62, and a moving member 63. The driven-side housing 61, the third connection part 62, and the moving member 63 have configurations substantially similar to those of the moving-side housing 21, the first connection part 22, and the moving member 23, respectively, and therefore detailed explanations of the configurations will be omitted.

[0052] The support side holding part 52 has a configuration substantially similar to that of the drive side holding part 12, and includes a holding side housing 71, a fourth connection part 72, a rotation restricting member 73, and a case member 75. The case member 75 accommodates therein the bearing member 57, the brake member 90, and the end part of the connection shaft 54b of the support side schedule 4 on the retreat direction A2 side. The case member 75 is a cylindrical member having a through hole formed at the end part on the advance direction A1 side through which the connection shaft 54b is inserted. The holding side housing 71, the fourth connection part 72, and the rotation restricting member 73 have configurations substantially similar to those of the holding side housing 31, the second connection part 32, and the rotation restricting member 33, respectively, and detailed explanations of the configurations will be omitted.

[0053] The support side nut member 55 and the support side biasing member 56 have substantially the same configuration as the drive side nut member 15 and the drive side biasing member 16, and therefore a detailed description of the configuration will be omitted.

[0054] (Support side spindle member 54) The support side spindle member 54 has a spindle portion 54a and a connecting shaft 54b, similar to the drive side spindle member 14. The connecting shaft 54b is arranged coaxially with the spindle portion 54a. The connecting shaft 54b extends from the end of the spindle portion 54a on the rearward direction A2 side toward the rearward direction A2 side. The connecting shaft 54b is rotatably held in the holding side housing 71 by a bearing member 57 arranged in a protruding portion 74 provided on the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the case member 75 and protruding toward the inside. A support side nut member 55 is screwed into the support side spindle member 54. A rotating member 81 of the brake member 90 is arranged in the support side spindle member 54. The rotating member 81 rotates together with the support side spindle member 54.

[0055] A convex male screw portion 54c is formed in a spiral shape in the axial direction on the outer peripheral surface of the spindle portion 54a of the support side spindle member 54. The lead L2 of the male screw portion 54c of the support side spindle member 54 is smaller than the lead L1 of the male screw portion 14c of the drive side spindle member 14. The lead L2 of the male screw portion 54c is set to a value capable of suppressing the phenomenon of the back door 101 rattling down due to its own weight caused by the rattling of the braking member 90, as described later. For example, the lead L2 of the male screw portion 54c is preferably 7.5 mm or more and 9 mm or less. The lead L2 indicates the distance traveled along the advancing and retreating direction A of the support side nut member 55 when the support side spindle member 54 rotates once. FIG. 4(c) is a schematic diagram showing the support side spindle member 54. The lead L2 is expressed as the product of the pitch p2 and the number of threads s2 of the male screw portion 54c. It is preferable that the pitch p2 of the male screw portion 54c of the support side spindle member 54 is the same length as the pitch p1 of the male screw portion 14c of the drive side spindle member 14. For this reason, it is preferable that the male screw portion 54c of the support side spindle member 54 and the male screw portion 14c of the drive side spindle member 14 have different thread numbers to change the lead. In FIG. 4(c), for example, the thread number s2 is set to 6. Also, for example, the pitch can be set to 1.5 mm, but can be appropriately changed depending on the size of the drive device 10 and the support device 50.

[0056] (Rotating member 81) Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion T in Fig. 5A. The support device 50 further includes a rotating member 81 that rotates together with the support spindle member 54 in the direction around the axis of the support spindle member 54. The rotating member 81 is disposed on the rearward direction A2 side of the bearing member 57. The rotating member 81 is a hollow cylindrical member. At the end of the rotating member 81 on the forward direction A1 side, a through hole 81a is formed in a shape conforming to the end 54d of the connection shaft 54b of the support spindle member 54. The through hole 81a is disposed coaxially with the support spindle member 54.

[0057] 7(a) is a view seen from the X direction of FIG. 6. A plurality of convex portions 54d1 (see FIG. 7(a)) extending in the axial direction of the support side spindle member 54 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the tip portion of the end portion 54d of the support side spindle member 54. On the other hand, a plurality of concave portions 81a1 (see FIG. 7(a)) extending in the axial direction of the rotation member 81 and capable of fitting with the plurality of convex portions 54d1 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 81a of the rotation member 81. The end portion 54d of the support side spindle member 54 is inserted into the through hole 81a of the rotation member 81 so that the concave portions 81a1 of the through hole 81a of the rotation member 81 and the convex portions 54d1 of the end portion 54d fit with each other. This suppresses the relative rotation of the rotation member 81 with respect to the support side spindle member 54.

[0058] The inner peripheral surface 92a of the outer member 92 is formed with a groove 92b for holding each of a first arm portion 91b and a second arm portion 91c of the brake spring 91, which will be described later. The groove 92b is formed so as to extend radially outward from the inner peripheral surface 92a of the outer member 92. The groove 92b is formed in a sector shape in which the arc length on the outer peripheral side is longer than the arc length on the inner peripheral side. The groove 92b has a first wall portion 92b1 against which the first arm portion 91b of the brake spring 91 can abut, and a second wall portion 92b2 against which the second arm portion 91c can abut. The first wall portion 92b1 and the second wall portion 92b2 are provided at a distance corresponding to the distance between the first arm portion 91b and the second arm portion 91c in the circumferential direction. As will be described later, the rotating member 81 is slightly rotatable relative to the brake spring 91 along the axis circumferential direction of the rotating member 81.

[0059] (Braking member 90) The braking member 90 includes a brake spring 91, an outer member 92, and a rotating member 81. The brake spring 91 is a so-called coil spring. As shown in FIG. 7(a), the brake spring 91 includes a body portion 91a, a first arm portion 91b, and a second arm portion 91c. The body portion 91a is formed by winding a wire in close contact with one another. As shown in FIG. 6, the first arm portion 91b extends from the end of the body portion 91a on the advancing direction A1 side toward the radially outer side of the body portion 91a. The second arm portion 91c extends from the end of the body portion 91a on the retreating direction A2 side toward the radially outer side of the body portion 91a. Note that in FIG. 6, only the outer member 92 of the braking member 90 is shown in cross section, and the brake spring 91 and the rotating member 81 are shown in side view rather than in cross section.

[0060] The brake spring 91 increases or decreases the frictional force against the rotating member 81 by increasing or decreasing the inner diameter of the body portion 91a (diameter increase) or decreasing (diameter decrease), thereby generating a braking force.

[0061] The inner diameter of the body 91a is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the rotating member 81. The outer diameter of the body 91a is approximately equal to or slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the outer member 92 described later. As shown in FIG. 7(a), the brake spring 91 is arranged on the rotating member 81 such that the body 91a is arranged coaxially with the rotating member 81 on the radially outer side of the rotating member 81, and the first arm 91b and the second arm 91c are inserted into the groove 92b of the rotating member 81. The brake spring 91 is fitted to the outside of the rotating member 81 via the body 91a. Note that, since the outer member 92 is shown in cross section in FIG. 6, the state in which the second arm 91c is inserted into the groove 92b is not shown, and only the state in which the first arm 91b is inserted into the groove 92b is shown.

[0062] The outer member 92 is a hollow cylindrical member as shown in Fig. 6. The inner diameter of the outer member 92 is larger than the outer diameter of the rotating member 81 and is formed to be approximately equal to or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the body portion 91a of the brake spring 91.

[0063] The outer member 92 is disposed coaxially with the rotating member 81 and radially outside the rotating member 81. The outer member 92 is fixed by the case member 75 so as not to be rotatable about the axis.

[0064] 7(a), the brake spring 91 is disposed inside the outer member 92 with the inner peripheral surface 91a2 of the body portion 91a in close contact with the outer peripheral surface 81b of the rotating member 81. In other words, the outer member 92, which connects to the case member 75, is provided on the outside of the body portion 91a of the brake spring 91. Due to friction between the brake spring 91 and the rotating member 81, the support-side spindle member 54 is held in a state in which relative rotation around the axis is restricted.

[0065] For example, when the biasing forces of the drive-side biasing member 16 and the support-side biasing member 56, and the drive of the drive device 10 are not applied to the moving part 11, and no force is acting to rotate the rotating member 81 together with the support-side spindle member 54 in the axial direction, the inner peripheral surface 91a2 of the body 91a and the outer peripheral surface 81b of the rotating member 81 are in close contact with each other. In other words, the tightening force of the brake spring 91 acts on the rotating member 82, restricting the rotation of the rotating member 82.

[0066] By the braking member 90 having the above-mentioned configuration, the relative movement of the driven portion 51 with respect to the support side holding portion 52 is permitted or restricted depending on the situation in which the operation is performed.

[0067] (Back door 101 opening operation) Next, the operation of the object moving mechanism 1 when the back door 101 is opened from the closed state will be described.

[0068] For example, as shown in Fig. 2, when the vehicle 100 is stopped with the back door 101 closed at the rear, the driven part 51 is mainly subjected to only the biasing force of the driving-side biasing member 16 and the biasing force of the support-side biasing member 56. As shown in Fig. 7(a), the rotating member 81 is temporarily restrained from rotating in a predetermined direction around the axis relative to the outer member 92 via the brake spring 91.

[0069] In this state, when the motor 13 of the drive device 10 is driven to move the moving part 11 in the advancing direction A1 relative to the drive-side holding part 12, the driving force of the motor 13 is transmitted to the driven part 51 via the back door 101 as a force that moves the driven part 51 in the advancing direction A1 relative to the support-side holding part 52. The driving force of the motor 13 transmitted to the driven part 51 is transmitted to the support-side spindle member 54 via the support-side nut member 55 (see FIG. 4(a)).

[0070] Here, since the driving force of the motor 13 greatly exceeds the frictional force between the inner surface 91a2 of the body 91a of the brake spring 91 and the outer surface 81b of the rotating member 81, the support side spindle member 54 rotates together with the rotating member 81 toward a predetermined side in the axial direction (the direction of arrow B).

[0071] 7(b), the rotating member 81 is rotated toward the predetermined side in the axial direction (the direction of arrow B) together with the brake spring 91. As a result, the first arm portion 91b of the brake spring 91 is displaced toward the predetermined side in the axial direction (the direction of arrow B) and engages with the first wall portion 92b1 of the groove portion 92b.

[0072] Thereafter, the rotating member 81 is further rotated toward a predetermined side in the axial direction (the direction of arrow B) while sliding against the inner circumferential surface 91a2 of the brake spring 91. As a result, the second arm portion 91c is displaced toward the predetermined side in the axial direction (the direction of arrow B) by a predetermined angle θ2. Due to the displacement of the first arm portion 91b and the second arm portion 91c, the inner diameter of the body portion 91a of the brake spring 91 is enlarged, and the inner circumferential surface 91a2 is no longer in close contact with the outer circumferential surface 81b of the rotating member 81.

[0073] In other words, the inner diameter of the body 91a of the brake spring 91 expands, and the inner surface 91a2 of the body 91a and the outer surface 81b of the rotating member 81 are released from their tight contact state, and the rotating member 81 becomes rotatable in a predetermined direction around the axis (in the direction of arrow B) relative to the outer member 92.

[0074] (Back door 101 closing operation) Next, the operation of the object moving mechanism 1 when closing the back door 101 from the open state will be described.

[0075] For example, as shown in FIG. 1, even when the vehicle 100 is stopped at the rear with the back door 101 in the open position, as described above, the driven part 51 is mainly subjected to only the biasing force of the driving side biasing member 16 and the biasing force of the support side biasing member 56.

[0076] Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the rotating member 81 is temporarily restrained from rotating in a predetermined direction around the axis relative to the outer member 92 (the direction of arrow B) via the brake spring 91.

[0077] In this state, when the motor 13 of the drive unit 10 is driven to move the moving part 11 toward the backward direction A2 relative to the drive side holding part 12, the drive force of the motor 13 is transmitted to the driven part 51 via the back door 101 as a force moving the driven part 51 toward the backward direction A2 relative to the support side holding part 52.

[0078] The driving force of the motor 13 transmitted to the driven portion 51 is transmitted to the support side spindle member 54 via the support side nut member 55 .

[0079] As a result, the support side spindle member 54 is rotated together with the rotating member 81 in the direction opposite to the predetermined side in the axial direction (the direction of the arrow C).

[0080] 7(c), the rotating member 81 is rotated toward the opposite side to the predetermined side in the axial direction (the direction of the arrow C) together with the brake spring 91. As a result, the second arm portion 91c of the brake spring 91 is displaced toward the direction of the arrow C and engages with the second wall portion 92b2 of the groove portion 92b, and the first wall portion 92b1 is released from the engagement state with the first arm portion 91b of the brake spring 91.

[0081] Here, since the driving force of the motor 13 greatly exceeds the frictional force between the inner surface 91a2 of the body 91a of the brake spring 91 and the outer surface 81b of the rotating member 81, the support side spindle member 54 rotates further in the direction of arrow C together with the rotating member 81.

[0082] At this time, the rotating member 81 is further rotated in the direction of the arrow C while sliding against the inner circumferential surface 91a2 of the brake spring 91. As a result, the first arm portion 91b is displaced by a predetermined angle θ2 in the direction of the arrow C. Due to the displacement of the first arm portion 91b and the second arm portion 91c, the inner diameter of the body portion 91a of the brake spring 91 is expanded, and the inner circumferential surface 91a2 is no longer in close contact with the outer circumferential surface 81b of the rotating member 81.

[0083] In other words, the inner diameter of the body 91a of the brake spring 91 expands, and the inner surface 91a2 of the body 91a and the outer surface 81b of the rotating member 82 are released from close contact with each other, and the rotating member 81 becomes rotatable in the direction of arrow C relative to the outer member 92.

[0084] In this way, when the drive unit 10 is driven, the driven part 51 is capable of moving in the forward direction A1 or the backward direction A2 relative to the support side holding part 52, and the braking member 90 allows the driven part 51 to move in accordance with the moving part 11 due to the operating force of the moving part 11 by the drive unit 10.

[0085] In the braking member 90 configured as described above, when the drive device 10 is stopped, the rotation of the rotating member 81 is inhibited by friction with the brake spring 91 (in this embodiment, the inner surface 91a2 of the body portion 91a), and when the drive device 10 is driven, the rotation of the rotating member 81 expands the diameter of the brake spring 91 (in this embodiment, the inner diameter of the body portion 91a), thereby allowing the rotation of the rotating member 81.

[0086] The configuration of the braking member 90 is not limited to the configuration shown in this embodiment. For example, instead of the configuration of the brake spring 91 in which the diameter of the body 91a is reduced to bring it into close contact with the outer circumferential surface 81b of the rotating member 81 and suppress the rotation of the rotating member 81 as in this embodiment, the diameter of the body 91a may be enlarged to bring it into close contact with the inner circumferential surface 92a of the outer member 92 and suppress the rotation of the rotating member 81.

[0087] (Support of the back door 101 by the support device 50 when opening) Next, support of the back door 101 by the support device 50 when the back door 101 is fully opened will be described.

[0088] As described above, when the back door 101 is in a closed state, the motor 13 of the drive device 10 is driven to move the moving part 11 in the advancing direction A1 relative to the drive-side holding part 12. This causes the back door 101 to move upward. As the back door 101 moves upward, the support-side spindle member 54 of the support device 50 also rotates in the direction of arrow B shown in Fig. 7(b), the tight contact between the body part 91a of the brake spring 91 and the rotating member 81 is released, and the driven part 51 moves in the advancing direction A1 relative to the support-side holding part 52.

[0089] When the motor 13 is stopped with the back door 101 fully open, the second arm portion 91c moves in the direction of the arrow C by a rotation angle θ2 corresponding to the amount of expansion of the diameter of the body portion 91a of the brake spring 91. Then, as described above, the driven portion 51 stops in the state shown in FIG. 7(a) due to the biasing forces of the driving-side biasing member 16 and the support-side biasing member 56, and the braking force of the braking member 90.

[0090] As described above, when the second arm portion 91c is displaced in the direction of the arrow C by the rotation angle θ2, the braking force of the brake spring 91 is not acting on the rotating member 81. Therefore, if the biasing forces of the drive-side biasing member 16 and the support-side biasing member 56 become weaker due to aging or the like, the back door 101 may move down due to its own weight when the second arm portion 91c is displaced in the direction of the arrow C by the rotation angle θ2.

[0091] In addition, when backlash occurs between the brake spring 91 and the groove portion 92b of the outer member 92 due to aging or the like, a non-operating angle region is generated, which is an angle region where the torque required to support the back door 101 is not generated. Here, backlash refers to a state where a predetermined or larger gap is generated between the first arm portion 91b and the first wall portion 92b1 of the brake spring 91 and the second arm portion 91c and the second wall portion 92b2, respectively, in a state where no external force (such as the biasing force of the support side biasing member 56) is acting on the braking member 90. Such backlash generates a region where resistance is not generated by the braking member 90. This makes it easier for the back door 101 to lower due to its own weight.

[0092] FIG. 8(a) is a diagram showing the same state as FIG. 7(b) when backlash occurs. In this state, a line passing through the central axis of the rotating member 81 and the second wall portion 92b2 is defined as M1, a line passing through the central axis of the rotating member 81 and the surface of the second arm 92c on the second wall portion 92b2 side is defined as M2, and a line passing through a position shifted from M2 to the arrow C side (the second wall portion 92b2 side) is defined as M3. The angle θ1 between M1 and M3 corresponds to the gap corresponding to the backlash. When the motor 13 is stopped from the opening operation state of the back door 101 shown in FIG. 8(a), as shown in FIG. 8(b), the second arm portion 91c is displaced in the direction of the arrow C by a rotation angle θ2 corresponding to the diameter expansion of the body portion 91a of the brake spring 91. Then, as shown in FIG. 8(c), the second arm portion 91c and the first arm portion 91b are further displaced in the direction of the arrow C by an angle θ1 corresponding to the backlash. In this way, the rotation of the rotating member 81 in the direction of arrow C is allowed by angles θ1 and θ2. Therefore, when the biasing force is small, the support side spindle member 54 and the drive side spindle member 14 rotate, the driven part 51 and the moving part 11 move in the backward direction A2, and the back door 101 is lowered.

[0093] In this embodiment, the lead L2 of the male thread portion 54c of the support side spindle member 54 is set to be smaller than the lead L1 of the male thread portion 14c of the drive side spindle member 14.

[0094] By reducing the lead L2, the frictional force between the support side spindle member 54 and the support side nut member 55 is increased. When a force in the backward direction A2 is generated on the support side nut member 55 via the driven part 51 due to the weight of the back door 101, the frictional force between the support side nut member 55 and the support side spindle member 54 is large, making it difficult for the support side spindle member 54 to rotate, and thus suppressing the downward movement of the back door 101. In this way, by reducing the lead L2, the holding force of the back door 101 by the support device 50 can be improved.

[0095] For this reason, even if the brake spring 91 becomes loose due to deterioration over time or the like, the back door 101 can be held by the frictional force generated between the support side spindle member 54 and the support side nut member 55, and the descent of the back door 101 can be suppressed. Also, while a smaller lead reduces the moving speed, the lead L1 of the drive side spindle member 14 of the drive device 10 is set large, so that the moving speed of the moving part 11 can be ensured without increasing the rotation speed of the motor 13, and the opening speed of the back door 101 can be sufficiently ensured.

[0096] (Features, etc.) In the object moving mechanism 1 of this embodiment, the lead L2 of the male screw portion 54c of the support side spindle member 54 is set to be smaller than the lead L1 of the male screw portion 14c of the drive side spindle member 14. In this way, by reducing the lead L2 of the support side spindle member 54 of the support device 50, the holding force of the support device 50 for the object to be moved can be improved. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the object to be moved from returning to its original position after being moved by the drive device 10.

[0097] Also, there is a risk that the moving speed will slow down if the lead is made smaller, but in this embodiment, the lead L1 of the drive side spindle member 14 of the drive device 10 can be set large, so the moving speed of the object to be moved can be ensured without increasing the driving speed of the motor 13. In this way, the driving speed of the motor 13 can be reduced, so the sound quality can be improved.

[0098] Furthermore, as described above, movement of the back door 101 in the closing direction when in the open position can be suppressed.

[0099] In the object moving mechanism 1 of this embodiment, the support device 50 has a braking member 90 that restricts or allows the movement of the driven part 51. This can improve the holding force of the support device 50. Also, since the holding force of the object to be moved is improved by reducing the lead L2 of the support side spindle member 54 of the support device 50, the output of the braking member 90 can be reduced when the braking member 90 is provided.

[0100] In the object moving mechanism 1 of this embodiment, the braking member 90 has a brake spring 91 that generates a braking force by increasing or decreasing the frictional force due to the diameter expansion and contraction. This makes it possible to improve the holding force of the object to be moved by the support device 50 using the brake spring 91.

[0101] In the object movement mechanism 1 of the present embodiment, the lead of the drive side spindle member 14 is equal to or greater than 12 mm and equal to or less than 15 mm. This allows the operating speed of the motor 13 to be reduced, thereby improving the sound quality.

[0102] In the object moving mechanism 1 of the present embodiment, the lead of the support side spindle member 54 is not less than 7.5 mm and not more than 9 mm. This makes it possible to suppress the object to be moved from returning to its original position after it has been moved.

[0103] In the object moving mechanism 1 of this embodiment, the lead of the drive-side spindle member 14 is set to a lead that improves the moving speed of the back door 101 that is reduced due to the lead of the support-side spindle member 54. This makes it possible to prevent the opening and closing speed of the back door 101 from being reduced, thereby preventing loss of marketability.

[0104] In the object moving mechanism 1 of this embodiment, the lead of the support side spindle member 54 is set to suppress the descent of the back door 101 in the non-operating angle region of the braking member 90. The descent of the back door 101 can be suppressed with a simple configuration, and the loss of marketability due to the descent of the back door 101 can be prevented.

[0105] (Other embodiments) Although one embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0106] (A) In the object moving mechanism 1 of the above embodiment, the driving side biasing member 16 and the support side biasing member 56 are provided, but both or either one may be omitted. The present invention may be applied to an object moving mechanism configured not to include the driving side biasing member 16 and the support side biasing member 56, and the holding force of the object to be moved by the support device can be improved.

[0107] (B) In the object movement mechanism 1 of the above embodiment, a coil spring is used for the brake spring 91 of the braking member 90, but since the holding force can be increased by reducing the lead of the support side spindle member 54 of the support device 50, the force required for the braking member 90 can be reduced, so the brake spring does not have to be limited to a coil spring.

[0108] (C) In the object moving mechanism 1 of the above embodiment, the braking member 90 is provided, but the braking member 90 may not be provided. The present invention may be applied to an object moving mechanism configured not to include the braking member 90, and the holding force of the support device for the object to be moved can be improved. [Industrial Applicability]

[0109] The object moving mechanism of the present invention has an effect of improving the holding force of the object to be moved, and is useful as an opening and closing mechanism for a back door of a vehicle, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 1: Object movement mechanism 10: Drive unit 11: Moving section 13: Motor 14: Drive side spindle member 15: Drive side nut member 22: First connection part 50: Support device 51: Driven part 54: Support side spindle member 55: Support side nut part

Claims

1. An object moving mechanism comprising a support device for supporting an object to be moved and a driving device for moving the object to be moved, The driving device includes a motor, a driving side spindle member that rotates by driving of the motor, a driving side nut member that is screwed with the driving side spindle member, and a moving part having a driving side connection part connectable to the object to be moved and connected to the driving side nut member. The support device includes a support side connection part connectable to the object to be moved, a driven part that follows the movement of the moving part, a support side nut member connected to the driven part, and a support side spindle member that is screwed with the support side nut member and rotates by the movement of the support side nut member. The lead of the support side spindle member is smaller than the lead of the driving side spindle member. Object moving mechanism.

2. The support device further includes a braking member that regulates or permits the movement of the driven part. The object moving mechanism according to claim 1.

3. The braking member includes a brake spring that generates a braking force by increasing and decreasing the frictional force by diameter expansion and diameter reduction. The object moving mechanism according to claim 2.

4. The lead of the driving side spindle member is set to a lead that improves the moving speed of the object that decreases due to the lead of the support member side spindle member. The object moving mechanism according to claim 1.

5. The lead of the support side spindle member is set to suppress the descent of the object in the non-operating angle region of the braking member. The object moving mechanism according to claim 1.

Images