Door support device

Abstract

To provide a door support device configured in such a manner of suppressing a load from being applied to a release cable when a slide door is opened / closed.SOLUTION: A door support device 40 includes a lower hinge unit 61 having guide rollers 122, 123 that roll relative to a lower rail 51, a door bracket 110 fixed to a sliding door 30, and a movable arm 121 that rotatably supports the guide rollers 122, 123 and is rotatably connected to the door bracket 110; and a locking mechanism 130 that is fixed to the movable arm 121 and that restrains the sliding door 30 from a striker when the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully open position. The locking mechanism 130 includes a release cable 150 that releases the restraint of the sliding door 30 from the striker, and a cable guide 137 that holds the release cable 150. The cable guide 137 is rotatable relative to the movable arm 121.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a door support device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle equipped with a vehicle body having a door opening and a sliding door that opens and closes the door opening. The vehicle body has a striker shaft located near the lower and rear ends of the door opening. The sliding door has a door body, a door bracket fixed to the lower end of the door body, a movable arm rotatably connected to the door bracket, and a locking mechanism located on the movable arm. When the sliding door is opened or closed, the movable arm rotates relative to the door bracket, causing the door body to move in the front-to-rear and width directions while maintaining its orientation relative to the vehicle body. When the sliding door is positioned in a fully open position that fully opens the door opening, the locking mechanism engages with the striker shaft. In this way, the sliding door is restrained relative to the vehicle body in the fully open position. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-121576 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When closing a sliding door from a fully open position, it is necessary to release the locked state of the locking mechanism. For this reason, a release cable that transmits power to release the locked state of the locking mechanism is generally connected to the locking mechanism. However, in such a vehicle, when the sliding door is opened or closed, the movable arm on which the locking mechanism is installed rotates. Therefore, when the sliding door is opened or closed in such a vehicle, a bending load may be applied to the release cable as the movable arm rotates. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A door support device that solves the above problem is a door support device that supports a sliding door that opens and closes a door opening on a vehicle body having a door opening on its side, and includes: a hinge unit that has: a guide rail fixed to the vehicle body so that the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body is the longitudinal direction; a guide roller that moves along the guide rail by rolling on the guide rail; a door bracket fixed to the sliding door; and a movable arm that rotatably supports the guide roller and is rotatably connected to the door bracket; and a locking mechanism that is fixed to the movable arm and that restrains the sliding door to a striker on the vehicle body when the sliding door is positioned in a fully open position that fully opens the door opening, and the locking mechanism has a release cable that is pulled to release the restraint of the sliding door from the striker by the locking mechanism, and a cable guide that holds the release cable, and it is preferable that the cable guide is rotatable with respect to the movable arm. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The door support device can suppress the load on the release cable when the sliding door is opened or closed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle equipped with a door support device. [Figure 2] 2 is a plan view of the lower rail and the lower hinge unit of the door support device of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is an exploded perspective view of a lower hinge unit of the door support device of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is an exploded perspective view of the locking mechanism of the lower hinge unit of FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a plan view of the locking mechanism of the lower hinge unit of FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view illustrating the operation of the door support device of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating the operation of the door support device of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a plan view illustrating the operation of the door support device of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view illustrating the operation of the door support device of the other embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An embodiment of a vehicle equipped with a door support device will be described below. The vehicle of this embodiment is, for example, an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle equipped with a large battery in a space under the floor.

[0009] <Configuration of this embodiment> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 20, a sliding door 30, a door support device 40, a remote control 80, and a door drive device 90.

[0010] In the following description, the width direction of the vehicle 10, the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10, and the up-down direction of the vehicle 10 are referred to as the width direction, the front-rear direction, and the up-down direction, respectively. In the drawings, the front-rear direction is the direction in which the X axis extends, the width direction is the direction in which the Y axis extends, and the up-down direction is the direction in which the Z axis extends. In addition, in the width direction, the direction toward the center of the vehicle 10 is referred to as the inward direction, and the direction away from the center of the vehicle 10 is referred to as the outward direction.

[0011] <Body 20> The vehicle body 20 has a door opening 21 and a storage space 22. The door opening 21 opens to a side surface in the width direction of the vehicle body 20. In a side view in the width direction, the door opening 21 has a rectangular shape with the front-to-rear direction as the short side and the up-to-down direction as the long side. The door opening 21 is an area through which users pass when getting in and out of the rear seat. The storage space 22 opens to a side surface in the width direction of the vehicle body 20. The storage space 22 is located below the door opening 21. The storage space 22 is a space for storing a lower rail 51 and a lower hinge unit 61, which will be described later. When the vehicle 10 is equipped with sliding doors 30 on both sides in the width direction, two storage spaces 22 are present, spaced apart in the width direction. Furthermore, the space between the two storage spaces 22 spaced apart in the width direction is a space for installing a battery.

[0012] <Sliding Door 30> The sliding door 30 includes a door body 31 and a door handle 35. The door body 31 has a shape corresponding to the door opening 21.

[0013] The door body 31 has an inner panel 32 and an outer panel 33. The inner panel 32 is a portion of the door body 31 that faces inward of the vehicle 10. The inner panel 32 includes a cable insertion hole 32a that penetrates the inner panel 32 in the plate thickness direction. The cable insertion hole 32a is provided near the lower end and near the front end of the inner panel 32. The outer panel 33 is a portion of the door body 31 that faces outward of the vehicle 10. The door handle 35 is operated by a user when opening or closing the sliding door 30. The door handle 35 includes an inside door handle provided on the inner panel 32 of the door body 31 and an outside door handle provided on the outer panel 33 of the door body 31. The sliding door 30 is movable between a fully closed position where the door opening 21 is fully closed and a fully open position where the door opening 21 is fully opened.

[0014] <Door support device 40> 1, the door support device 40 includes a lower rail 51, a center rail 52, an upper rail 53, a lower hinge unit 61, a center hinge unit 62, an upper hinge unit 63, and a striker 70. The lower rail 51 corresponds to the "guide rail," and the lower hinge unit 61 corresponds to the "hinge unit."

[0015] <Lower Rail 51> The lower rail 51 is an elongated member. The longitudinal direction of the lower rail 51 is the front-rear direction. The lower rail 51 has a first curved portion 51a constituting the rear portion and a second curved portion 51b constituting the front portion. The first curved portion 51a curves inward in the width direction as it extends forward. The second curved portion 51b curves outward in the width direction as it extends forward from the front end of the first curved portion 51a.

[0016] The longitudinal direction of the rear end of the first curved portion 51a extends generally along the front-rear direction. On the other hand, the longitudinal direction of the front end of the second curved portion 51b extends so as to intersect with the front-rear direction. In the front-rear direction, the length of the first curved portion 51a is longer than the length of the second curved portion 51b. The radius of curvature of the first curved portion 51a is larger than the radius of curvature of the second curved portion 51b. Furthermore, when a curve is drawn along the first curved portion 51a, the curve has an inflection point in the middle in the front-rear direction. On the other hand, when a curve is drawn along the second curved portion 51b, the curve does not have an inflection point in the middle in the front-rear direction.

[0017] The lower rail 51 is fixed to the vehicle body 20 below the lower end of the door opening 21. When the lower rail 51 is fixed to the vehicle body 20, the front end of the second curved portion 51b is located forward from the rear end of the first curved portion 51a. In other words, the rear end and the front end of the lower rail 51 are located at the same position in the width direction.

[0018] <Lower hinge unit 61> As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower hinge unit 61 includes a door bracket 110, a guide mechanism 120, a lock mechanism 130, a connecting shaft 160, and two bolts 170.

[0019] The door bracket 110 is formed, for example, by pressing a metal plate. The door bracket 110 has a side wall 111 and a bottom wall 112. The side wall 111 and the bottom wall 112 are plate-shaped. The side wall 111 includes a fixing surface 111a that comes into surface contact with the door main body 31 when fixed to the door main body 31. The bottom wall 112 extends from the lower end of the side wall 111 in the thickness direction of the side wall 111. In this embodiment, the door bracket 110 is made up of two separate members, but in other embodiments, it may be made up of a single member.

[0020] <Guide mechanism 120> The guide mechanism 120 includes a movable arm 121, two guide rollers 122 and 123, and a support roller .

[0021] The movable arm 121 is a long, plate-shaped member. The movable arm 121 has a main wall 121a and a support wall 121b. The movable arm 121 is formed, for example, by pressing a metal plate. In this respect, the main wall 121a and the support wall 121b are plate-shaped. The main wall 121a is a long, flat plate. The support wall 121b is bent from the base end of the main wall 121a in the thickness direction of the main wall 121a. The tip end of the movable arm 121 is connected to the bottom wall 112 of the door bracket 110 via a connecting shaft 160 so as to be rotatable relative to the bottom wall 112. In the following description, the rotation axis of the movable arm 121 relative to the door bracket 110 will be referred to as the "hinge axis Axh."

[0022] The two guide rollers 122, 123 are rotatably supported on the base end of the main wall 121a of the movable arm 121. The rotation axes of the two guide rollers 122, 123 are positioned parallel to the hinge axis Axh. The support roller 124 is rotatably supported on the support wall 121b of the movable arm 121. The rotation axis of the support roller 124 is positioned in a twisted relationship with the rotation axes of the two guide rollers 122, 123. When the guide mechanism 120 is viewed from above, the support roller 124 is located between the two guide rollers 122, 123.

[0023] <Lock mechanism 130> As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the locking mechanism 130 has a main base 131, a sub-base 132, a latch support shaft 133, a pole support shaft 134, a latch 135, a pole 136, a cable guide 137, a latch spring 141, a pole spring 142, a guide spring 143, two nuts 144, and a release cable 150.

[0024] The main base 131 and the sub-base 132 are formed by, for example, pressing a metal plate. The main base 131 and the sub-base 132 are plate-shaped. The main base 131 has a first support portion 131a and a second support portion 131b that support the ends of the springs 141 to 143. In this embodiment, two nuts 144 are joined to the lower surface of the main base 131 by welding or the like. That is, the main base 131 is configured integrally with the two nuts 144. In other embodiments, the main base 131 may be configured separately from the two nuts 144.

[0025] The latch support shaft 133 and the pole support shaft 134 are cylindrical. The latch support shaft 133 and the pole support shaft 134 connect the main base 131 and the sub-base 132 in the thickness direction of these plates. In other words, one end of the latch support shaft 133 and one end of the pole support shaft 134 are fixed to the main base 131, and the other end of the latch support shaft 133 and the other end of the pole support shaft 134 are fixed to the sub-base 132. In this case, a gap exists between the main base 131 and the sub-base 132.

[0026] The latch 135 is disk-shaped. The latch 135 has an engagement groove 135a extending in a direction perpendicular to the plate thickness direction. The latch 135 is rotatably supported by a latch support shaft 133. The latch 135 is rotatable around the axis of the latch support shaft 133 between a fully latched position where the latch 135 can be latched with the striker 70 and an unlatched position where the latch 135 cannot be latched with the striker 70.

[0027] The latch spring 141 is a torsion spring. The latch support shaft 133 is inserted into the coil portion of the latch spring 141. A first end of the latch spring 141 is engaged with the latch 135, and a second end of the latch spring 141 is engaged with the second support portion 131b of the main base 131. The latch spring 141 biases the latch 135 in a direction from the fully latched position toward the unlatched position.

[0028] The pole 136 is hook-shaped. The pole 136 is rotatably supported on the pole support shaft 134. The pole 136 is rotatable between a restricted position and a retracted position. The restricted position is a position where the pole 136 engages with the latch 135 positioned at the fully latched position, thereby restricting rotation of the latch 135 from the fully latched position toward the unlatched position. The retracted position is a position where the pole 136 retracts from the latch 135 positioned at the fully latched position, thereby allowing rotation of the latch 135 from the fully latched position toward the unlatched position.

[0029] The pole spring 142 is a torsion spring. The pole support shaft 134 is inserted into the coil portion of the pole spring 142. A first end of the pole spring 142 is engaged with the pole 136, and a second end of the pole spring 142 is engaged with the first support portion 131a of the main base 131. The pole spring 142 biases the pole 136 in a direction from the retracted position toward the restricted position.

[0030] The cable guide 137 has a first portion 137a, a second portion 137b, and a third portion 137c. The cable guide 137 is formed, for example, by pressing a metal plate. In this respect, the first portion 137a, the second portion 137b, and the third portion 137c are flat plate-shaped. The first portion 137a is elongated. The second portion 137b is bent from the tip of the first portion 137a. The third portion 137c is bent from the end of the second portion 137b in the width direction in the thickness direction of the second portion 137b. The base end of the first portion 137a of the cable guide 137 is rotatably supported by the pole support shaft 134. In other words, the rotation axis of the cable guide 137 coincides with the rotation axis of the pole 136. The cable guide 137 is located between the main base 131 and the pole 136 in the axial direction of the pole support shaft 134. The cable guide 137 is rotatable independently of the pole 136.

[0031] The guide spring 143 is a coil spring. A first end of the guide spring 143 is engaged with the second support portion 131b of the main base 131, and a second end of the guide spring 143 is engaged with the third portion 137c of the cable guide 137. The guide spring 143 biases the cable guide 137 in a direction in which the third portion 137c of the cable guide 137 approaches the first support portion 131a of the main base 131. In this way, the guide spring 143 generates a torque in the cable guide 137 that rotates the cable guide 137 in the second direction R2. In the following description, the torque generated in the cable guide 137 by the biasing force of the guide spring 143 will be referred to as "torque corresponding to the biasing force of the guide spring 143."

[0032] In the locking mechanism 130 described above, the latch 135 is supported by a latch support shaft 133 fixed to the main base 131. The pole 136 and the cable guide 137 are supported by a pole support shaft 134 fixed to the main base 131. The latch spring 141, the pole spring 142, and the guide spring 143 are supported by the main base 131. In this respect, the main base 131 corresponds to the "base." The axis of the pole support shaft 134 corresponds to the rotation axis of the cable guide 137.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the release cable 150 has an outer casing 151, two outer ends 152, an inner wire 153, and two inner ends 154.

[0034] The outer casing 151 is cylindrical. The outer casing 151 is made of a plurality of materials including metal and resin. The outer casing 151 preferably has appropriate elasticity so that it can be bent with a predetermined bending radius. The two outer ends 152 are fixed to both ends of the outer casing 151 in the longitudinal direction. The inner wire 153 is inserted through the outer casing 151 so as to be able to advance and retreat inside the outer casing 151. The two inner ends 154 are fixed to both ends of the inner wire 153 in the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, the inner end 154 is spherical, but in other embodiments, the inner end 154 may be plate-shaped or cylindrical.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 1 , most of the release cable 150 is routed inside the sliding door 30. In this regard, it is preferable that the outer casing 151 be fixed to the door main body 31 by one or more cable clips. Also, as shown in FIG. 1 , a first end of the release cable 150 is connected to the remote control 80. More specifically, at the first end of the release cable 150, the outer end 152 and the inner end 154 are connected to the remote control 80. Meanwhile, at the second end of the release cable 150, the outer end 152 is held by the second portion 137b of the cable guide 137. The manner in which the outer end 152 is held relative to the cable guide 137 can be selected appropriately. For example, the outer end 152 may be inserted into a groove formed in the cable guide 137, or the outer end 152 may be fixed to the cable guide 137 using a fastening member. Also, at the second end of the release cable 150, the inner end 154 is engaged with the pole 136. Here, the portion of the pole 136 that engages with the inner end 154 and the portion of the pole 136 that engages with the latch 135 are located on both sides of the rotation axis of the pole 136.

[0036] In this embodiment, a force corresponding to the amount of displacement associated with the routing of the release cable 150 and the elastic modulus of the release cable 150 acts on the portion that holds the release cable 150. Specifically, the release cable 150 biases the cable guide 137 via the outer end 152 on the second end side. As a result, the release cable 150 generates a torque on the cable guide 137 that rotates the cable guide 137 in the first direction R1. In the following description, the torque generated on the cable guide 137 by the biasing force of the release cable 150 is referred to as the "torque corresponding to the biasing force of the release cable 150." The direction in which the torque corresponding to the biasing force of the release cable 150 acts is opposite to the direction in which the torque corresponding to the biasing force of the guide spring 143 acts. Note that the direction and magnitude of the biasing force of the release cable 150 can vary depending on the routing mode of the release cable 150, the elastic modulus of the release cable 150, and the like.

[0037] 3, the locking mechanism 130 is fixed to the movable arm 121 via two bolts 170 and two nuts 144. At this time, the main base 131 of the locking mechanism 130 is fixed to the main wall 121a with the main base 131 overlapping the main wall 121a of the movable arm 121. When the locking mechanism 130 is fixed to the movable arm 121, at least a part of the latch 135 of the locking mechanism 130 protrudes from the movable arm 121.

[0038] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower hinge unit 61 is fixed to the inner panel 32 of the sliding door 30. More specifically, a side wall 111 of a door bracket 110 of the lower hinge unit 61 is fixed to a position near the front end and near the lower end of the inner panel 32 of the sliding door 30. At this time, a fixing surface 111a of the side wall 111 is in surface contact with the inner panel 32. The door bracket 110 can be fixed using, for example, a fastening member. When the door bracket 110 is fixed to the sliding door 30, the bottom wall 112 extends inward in the width direction from the sliding door 30. Furthermore, the hinge axis Axh extends in the up-down direction.

[0039] The two guide rollers 122, 123 of the guide mechanism 120 of the lower hinge unit 61 are engaged with the lower rail 51. At this time, the two guide rollers 122, 123 and the support roller 124 of the guide mechanism 120 are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the lower rail 51. The two guide rollers 122, 123 roll relative to the lower rail 51, allowing the lower hinge unit 61 to move along the lower rail 51. In the following description, the angle between the rotation axis of the support roller 124 and a line extending in the front-rear direction will be referred to as the "angle θa of the movable arm 121." In this embodiment, the angle θa of the movable arm 121 corresponds to the attitude of the movable arm 121.

[0040] The support rollers 124 of the guide mechanism 120 of the lower hinge unit 61 roll on a support surface provided on the vehicle body 20 when the door support device 40 is mounted on the vehicle 10. Here, the support surface is preferably a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction. The support surface may also be provided on the lower rail 51 instead of the vehicle body 20.

[0041] <Center rail 52 and upper rail 53> As shown in Fig. 1, the center rail 52 is fixed to the vehicle body 20 rearward of the rear end of the door opening 21. The center rail 52 is located below the upper rail 53 and above the lower rail 51. The upper rail 53 is fixed to the vehicle body 20 above the upper end of the door opening 21. The longitudinal direction of the center rail 52 and the upper rail 53 is the front-to-rear direction. In a plan view from above, the center rail 52 and the upper rail 53 preferably extend inward in the width direction as they move forward.

[0042] <Center hinge unit 62 and upper hinge unit 63> 1, the center hinge unit 62 is fixed near the rear end of the sliding door 30 and near the center in the up-down direction. The upper hinge unit 63 is fixed near the front end and near the top end of the sliding door 30. The center hinge unit 62 and the upper hinge unit 63 preferably have a configuration equivalent to the door bracket 110 and guide mechanism 120 in the lower hinge unit 61. The center hinge unit 62 is movably engaged with the center rail 52. Similarly, the upper hinge unit 63 is movably engaged with the upper rail 53.

[0043] <Strika 70> As shown in FIG. 2, the striker 70 includes a striker shaft 71, a cushion 72, and a striker holder 73.

[0044] The striker shaft 71 is made of a highly rigid material such as metal. The striker shaft 71 has a cylindrical shape. The striker shaft 71 is the target to be locked by the latch 135 of the locking mechanism 130. The cushion 72 is made of an elastomer such as viscoelastic rubber or resin. Like the striker shaft 71, the striker holder 73 is made of a highly rigid material such as metal. The striker holder 73 holds the striker shaft 71 and the cushion 72. The striker holder 73 is fixed rearward of the rear end of the lower rail 51. In this case, the axial direction of the striker shaft 71 is the up-down direction.

[0045] <Remote Control 80> The remote control 80 is configured to transmit the operating force of the door handle 35 to the lock mechanism 130. The remote control 80 is preferably disposed inside the sliding door 30 at a position close to the door handle 35. The remote control 80 is configured to be able to pull the inner wire 153 with respect to the outer casing 151 at the first end side of the release cable 150 when the door handle 35 is operated. When the remote control 80 pulls the inner wire 153, the pole 136 at the second end side of the release cable 150 rotates toward the retracted position.

[0046] <Door drive device 90> The door drive device 90 drives the sliding door 30. For example, the door drive device 90 drives the sliding door 30 by transmitting power from an electric motor to the sliding door 30 via power transmission members such as cables and wires. When the user operates the door handle 35 while the sliding door 30 is in the fully closed position, the door drive device 90 opens the sliding door 30 toward the fully open position. Furthermore, when the user operates the door handle 35 while the sliding door 30 is in the fully open position, the door drive device 90 closes the sliding door 30 toward the fully closed position.

[0047] <Other configurations> The locking mechanism 130 of the door support device 40 is a full-open lock that restrains the sliding door 30 to the vehicle body 20 in the full-open position. Although not explained here, the door support device 40 is preferably provided with a full-close lock that restrains the sliding door 30 to the vehicle body 20 in the full-close position.

[0048] <Operation of this embodiment> 6 to 9, the operation when the sliding door 30 is closed from the fully open position will be described.

[0049] When the sliding door 30 is in the fully open position, the lower hinge unit 61 is located near the rear end of the lower rail 51, the center hinge unit 62 is located near the rear end of the center rail 52, and the upper hinge unit 63 is located near the rear end of the upper rail 53.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 6 , when the sliding door 30 is in the fully open position, the lower hinge unit 61 is in the fully latched position where the latch 135 of the locking mechanism 130 engages with the striker 70. More specifically, the striker shaft 71 of the striker 70 is fitted into the engagement groove 135a of the latch 135. The pawl 136 is in a restricting position where the rotation of the latch 135 toward the unlatched position is restricted. In this way, the sliding door 30 is constrained by the vehicle body 20 so as not to move in the closing direction. On the other hand, when the sliding door 30 attempts to move in the opening direction from the fully open position, the latch 135 of the lower hinge unit 61 comes into contact with the cushion 72 of the striker 70. In this respect, the sliding door 30 is constrained by the vehicle body 20 so as not to move in the opening direction from the fully open position.

[0051] When the sliding door 30 is in the fully open position, the hinge axis Axh of the lower hinge unit 61 is located rearward of the rotation axes of the two guide rollers 122, 123 and outward in the width direction from the rotation axes of the two guide rollers 122, 123. The door bracket 110 of the lower hinge unit 61 is located at the rearmost and outermost position within its range of movement. The angle θa of the movable arm 121 is close to a right angle. The distance Ln in the width direction between the fixing surface 111a of the door bracket 110 and the rotation axis of the cable guide 137 is at its longest.

[0052] When the sliding door 30 is in the fully open position, the magnitude relationship of the torque acting on the cable guide 137 is as follows: That is, the torque corresponding to the biasing force of the guide spring 143 is greater than the torque corresponding to the biasing force of the release cable 150. Therefore, the cable guide 137 rotates as far as possible in the second direction R2 within its rotatable range. Furthermore, the cable guide 137 is positioned by contact with the nut 144. In this respect, the nut 144 corresponds to a "positioning portion" that positions the cable guide 137. Furthermore, the portion of the release cable 150 that is exposed from the sliding door 30 extends in a substantially straight line between the cable guide 137 and the cable insertion hole 32a of the sliding door 30.

[0053] When the sliding door 30 is to be closed from the fully open position, the user of the vehicle 10 operates the door handle 35. Then, the remote control 80 pulls the inner wire 153 of the release cable 150 based on the operating force on the door handle 35. As a result, in the locking mechanism 130, the inner wire 153 of the release cable 150 pulls the pawl 136, causing the pawl 136 to rotate from the latched position toward the retracted position. Here, the outer end 152 on the second end side of the release cable 150 is held by a cable guide 137, which is positioned by a nut 144. Therefore, variations in the operating force and amount of the door handle 35 required to rotate the pawl 136 to the retracted position are less likely to occur. When the pawl 136 rotates to the retracted position, the latch 135 rotates from the fully latched position toward the unlatched position based on the biasing force of the latch spring 141. As a result, the latch 135 no longer engages with the striker 70. In other words, the restraint of the sliding door 30 positioned in the fully open position against the vehicle body 20 is released.

[0054] Next, the door drive device 90 transmits power to the sliding door 30, thereby closing the sliding door 30. When closing the sliding door 30, the lower hinge unit 61 moves forward along the lower rail 51, the center hinge unit 62 moves forward along the center rail 52, and the upper hinge unit 63 moves forward along the upper rail 53.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 7 , when the sliding door 30 is closed, the lower hinge unit 61 moves along the first curved portion 51a of the lower rail 51 and then along the second curved portion 51b. When the two guide rollers 122, 123 move along the first curved portion 51a of the lower rail 51, the relative positions of the rotation axes of the two guide rollers 122, 123 in the width direction change slightly. Specifically, the rotation axis of the front guide roller 122 moves slightly inward in the width direction and then slightly outward relative to the rotation axis of the rear guide roller 123. As a result, the angle θa of the movable arm 121 increases slightly and then decreases slightly. Meanwhile, the two guide rollers 122, 123 tend to move inward in the width direction as they move forward along the direction in which the first curved portion 51a of the lower rail 51 is formed. As a result, the hinge axis Axh moves inward in the width direction as they move forward.

[0056] When the two guide rollers 122, 123 move along the front end of the first curved portion 51a of the lower rail 51, the amount of change in the angle θa of the movable arm 121 relative to the amount of forward movement of the lower hinge unit 61 is greater than when the two guide rollers 122, 123 move along the front end of the first curved portion 51a of the lower rail 51. In this regard, when the two guide rollers 122, 123 move along the front end of the first curved portion 51a of the lower rail 51, the amount of inward movement in the width direction relative to the amount of forward movement of the hinge axis Axh is greater than when the two guide rollers 122, 123 move along the front end of the first curved portion 51a of the lower rail 51.

[0057] Next, when the two guide rollers 122, 123 move along the second curved portion 51b of the lower rail 51, the positional relationship between the two guide rollers 122, 123 in the width direction changes significantly. Specifically, the rotation axis of the front guide roller 122 moves outward in the width direction relative to the rotation axis of the rear guide roller 123. As a result, the angle θa of the movable arm 121 suddenly decreases. Meanwhile, the two guide rollers 122, 123 move outward in the width direction as they move forward. As a result, the hinge axis Axh moves inward in the width direction as they move forward.

[0058] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 8 , when the front guide roller 122 reaches the front end of the second curved portion 51b of the lower rail 51, the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully closed position. When the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully closed position, the hinge axis Axh of the lower hinge unit 61 is positioned rearward of the rotation axes of the two guide rollers 122, 123 and inward in the width direction from the rotation axis of the front guide roller 122. The door bracket 110 of the lower hinge unit 61 is positioned in the forwardmost position and inward in the width direction within its range of movement. The angle θa of the movable arm 121 is also the smallest within its possible angle range. Furthermore, the distance Ln in the width direction between the fixing surface 111a of the door bracket 110 and the rotation axis of the cable guide 137 is also the shortest. That is, the distance Ln when the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully closed position is shorter than the distance Ln when the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully open position. In this embodiment, the distance Ln gradually becomes shorter as the sliding door 30 approaches the fully closed position from the fully open position.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 8 , in this embodiment, the locking mechanism 130 is provided not on the door bracket 110, whose posture does not change when the sliding door 30 is opened or closed, but on the movable arm 121, whose posture changes when the sliding door 30 is opened or closed. When the sliding door 30 is located at the fully closed position, the angle θa of the movable arm 121 is smaller than when the sliding door 30 is located at the fully open position. In other words, when the sliding door 30 is located at the fully closed position, the dimension of the movable arm 121 in the width direction is shorter than when the sliding door 30 is located at the fully open position. In other words, when the sliding door 30 is located at the fully closed position, the amount of inward protrusion of the movable arm 121 in the width direction is smaller. In this respect, when the sliding door 30 is located at the fully closed position, the amount of inward protrusion of the lower hinge unit 61 in the width direction relative to the sliding door 30 is smaller.

[0060] When the sliding door 30 is operating to close, the biasing force of the release cable 150 against the cable guide 137 increases as the angle θa of the movable arm 121 decreases. This is because the compressive load acting on the release cable 150 increases as the angle θa of the movable arm 121 decreases. More specifically, the compressive load acting on the release cable 150 increases because the portion of the outer casing 151 that is fixed by the cable clip inside the sliding door 30 approaches the portion held by the cable guide 137. Therefore, when the sliding door 30 is in the fully closed position, the biasing force of the release cable 150 against the cable guide 137 is maximized, and the torque corresponding to the biasing force of the cable guide 137 is maximized. As a result, when the sliding door 30 is in the fully closed position as shown in FIG. 8, the cable guide 137 is rotated in the first direction R1 and the guide spring 143 is stretched more than when the sliding door 30 is in the fully open position as shown in FIG. 6. Therefore, the portion of the outer casing 151 of the cable guide 137 that is exposed from the sliding door 30 does not have a portion that curves with a small radius of curvature. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 9, the radius of curvature of the curved portion of the outer casing 151 is larger than in other embodiments in which the cable guide 137 is made unrotatable from the state shown in Fig. 6.

[0061] In the state shown in Fig. 8, the cable guide 137 is not in contact with the nut 144 or the like. Therefore, the cable guide 137 assumes the position shown in Fig. 8 due to a balance between the torque corresponding to the biasing force of the release cable 150 and the torque corresponding to the biasing force of the guide spring 143. In this regard, for example, if the spring constant of the guide spring 143 decreases or the elastic modulus of the outer casing 151 of the release cable 150 increases, the cable guide 137 assumes a position rotated in the first direction R1 from the position shown in Fig. 8. On the other hand, if the spring constant of the guide spring 143 increases or the elastic modulus of the outer casing 151 of the release cable 150 decreases, the cable guide 137 assumes a position rotated in the first direction R1 from the position shown in Fig. 8.

[0062] Next, a brief description will be given of the operation when the sliding door 30 is opened from the fully closed position. When the sliding door 30 is to be opened from the fully closed position, the door handle 35 is operated by the user of the vehicle 10. This releases the restraint of the sliding door 30 from the vehicle body 20 by a fully closed lock (not shown). Next, the door drive device 90 transmits power to the sliding door 30, thereby opening the sliding door 30. When the sliding door 30 is to be opened, the lower hinge unit 61 moves rearward along the lower rails 51, the center hinge unit 62 moves rearward along the center rails 52, and the upper hinge unit 63 moves rearward along the upper rails 53.

[0063] The changes in the posture of the movable arm 121 of the lower hinge unit 61, the changes in the position of the hinge axis Axh, and the changes in the position of the door bracket 110 are reverse to those during the closing operation of the sliding door 30. When the rear guide roller 123 of the lower hinge unit 61 moves near the rear end of the lower rail 51, the latch 135 of the locking mechanism 130 comes into contact with the striker 70. As the movement of the lower hinge unit 61 continues, the striker 70 moves relatively toward the bottom of the engagement groove 135a of the latch 135. As a result, the latch 135 rotates toward the fully latched position. When the latch 135 rotates, the pawl 136 slides against the latch 135. When the latch 135 rotates to the fully latched position, the pawl 136 rotates to the restricting position. In other words, the sliding door 30 is restrained by the vehicle body 20, and the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully open position. In this manner, the opening operation of the sliding door 30 is completed.

[0064] <Effects of this embodiment> (1) When the locking mechanism 130 is fixed to the movable arm 121, the posture of the locking mechanism 130 changes as the sliding door 30 opens and closes. As a result, the release cable 150 of the locking mechanism 130 may bend, which may place a load on the release cable 150. In this regard, the door support device 40 includes a cable guide 137 that can rotate in a direction that reduces the bending of the release cable 150 while holding the outer end 152 on the second end side of the release cable 150. Therefore, the door support device 40 can prevent a load from being placed on the release cable 150 as the sliding door 30 opens and closes.

[0065] (2) When the movable arm 121 rotates in accordance with the closing operation of the sliding door 30, the distance Ln between the door bracket 110 and the rotation axis of the movable arm 121 becomes shorter. In this regard, because the cable guide 137 of the door support device 40 is rotatable, the load acting on the release cable 150 can be reduced even when the distance Ln between the door bracket 110 and the rotation axis of the movable arm 121 becomes shorter. In other words, the bending load acting on the release cable 150 is reduced.

[0066] (3) The door support device 40 has a guide spring 143 that biases the cable guide 137 in the second direction R2. Therefore, the door support device 40 can prevent the posture of the release cable 150 from becoming unstable when the sliding door 30 is opened or closed. In other words, the door support device 40 makes it easier for the posture of the release cable 150 to be uniquely determined with respect to the position of the sliding door 30.

[0067] (4) When the sliding door 30 is closed from the fully open position, it is necessary to rotate the latch 135 from the fully latched position to the unlatched position by rotating the pole 136 from the locked position to the retracted position. In other words, the power required to rotate the pole 136 to the retracted position must be transmitted to the pole 136 via the release cable 150. In this regard, in the door support device 40, when the sliding door 30 is disposed in the fully open position, the cable guide 137 is positioned by the nut 144 serving as a positioning part. Therefore, the door support device 40 can more reliably transmit to the pole 136 the power required to rotate the pole 136 to the retracted position.

[0068] (5) In the lower hinge unit 61, the cable guide 137 is rotatably supported by the pole support shaft 134. Therefore, the door support device 40 does not need to be provided with an additional support shaft for rotatably supporting the cable guide 137. Therefore, the door support device 40 can simplify the configuration of the lock mechanism 130.

[0069] (6) The components of the locking mechanism 130, excluding the main base 131, are assembled to the main base 131. The main base 131 of the locking mechanism 130 is then fixed to the movable arm 121, thereby fixing the locking mechanism 130 to the movable arm 121. Therefore, the components of the locking mechanism 130, excluding the main base 131, can be assembled to the main base 131 of the locking mechanism 130, before fixing the locking mechanism 130 to the movable arm 121. In other words, the locking mechanism 130 can be unitized. This improves workability when manufacturing the door support device 40 or assembling the vehicle 10.

[0070] (7) In the door support device 40, the movable arm 121 to which the lock mechanism 130 is fixed changes its posture in accordance with the opening and closing operation of the sliding door 30. Therefore, even if the movable arm 121 is enlarged, the amount by which the movable arm 121 protrudes inward in the width direction is unlikely to increase when the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully closed position. In other words, even if the movable arm 121 is enlarged, the amount by which the lower hinge unit 61 protrudes inward in the width direction from the sliding door 30 is unlikely to increase when the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully closed position. Therefore, the door support device 40 can prevent the space adjacent to the door support device 40 in the width direction from becoming narrower.

[0071] <Example of change> This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0072] The vehicle 10 does not need to include the door drive device 90. In other words, the sliding door 30 does not need to be a power sliding door. In the vehicle 10, the lower rails 51 and upper rails 53 may be interchanged, and the lower hinge units 61 and upper hinge units 63 may be interchanged. Alternatively, the upper rails 53 may be replaced with lower rails 51, and the upper hinge units 63 may be replaced with lower hinge units 61. This modification example can prevent the space in the upper part of the passenger compartment from becoming narrower in the width direction.

[0073] In the lower hinge unit 61, the components of the locking mechanism 130 may be directly assembled to the movable arm 121. In this case, the locking mechanism 130 does not need to include the main base 131.

[0074] In the lower hinge unit 61, the cable guide 137 may be rotatably supported by the latch support shaft 133. The lower hinge unit 61 may further include a guide support shaft that rotatably supports the cable guide 137.

[0075] In the lower hinge unit 61, the cable guide 137 may be configured to be able to displace linearly relative to the main base 131. The lower hinge unit 61 does not have to have a structure equivalent to a "positioning portion." The positioning portion may be formed by cutting and raising the main base 131, for example.

[0076] The lower hinge unit 61 does not have to include the guide spring 143. This modification can prevent the release cable 150 from being bent with a small radius when the sliding door 30 is placed in the fully closed position.

[0077] In the lower hinge unit 61, the latch spring 141, the pole spring 142, and the guide spring 143 may be other types of springs. For example, the guide spring 143 may be a torsion spring.

[0078] In the lower hinge unit 61, the release cable 150 may be any cable that can transmit power between the remote control 80 and the pole 136. The configuration of the lower rail 51 and the configuration of the lower hinge unit 61 may be such that the position of the movable arm 121 can be changed when the sliding door 30 is opened or closed. For example, in the door support device 40, the lower rail 51 does not have to be S-shaped. Furthermore, the lower rail 51 may be configured to include two or more rails. However, this is premised on the fact that the movable arm 121 is configured so that its position can be changed when the sliding door 30 is opened or closed.

[0079] <Summary of this embodiment> The door support device is a door support device that supports a sliding door that opens and closes a door opening on a vehicle body having a door opening on its side, and includes: a hinge unit that has: a guide rail fixed to the vehicle body so that the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body is the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body; a guide roller that moves along the guide rail by rolling on the guide rail; a door bracket fixed to the sliding door; and a movable arm that rotatably supports the guide roller and is rotatably connected to the door bracket; and a locking mechanism that is fixed to the movable arm and that restrains the sliding door to a striker on the vehicle body when the sliding door is positioned at a fully open position that fully opens the door opening, the locking mechanism having a release cable that is pulled to release the restraint of the sliding door from the striker by the locking mechanism, and a cable guide that holds the release cable, and the cable guide is rotatable with respect to the movable arm.

[0080] When the locking mechanism is fixed to the movable arm, the position of the locking mechanism changes as the sliding door is closed. This means that the release cable of the locking mechanism may bend, placing a load on the release cable. In this regard, the door support device configured as described above includes a cable guide that holds the release cable and that can rotate relative to the movable arm when the sliding door is opened or closed. This allows the door support device to prevent a load from being placed on the release cable as the sliding door is closed.

[0081] In the above-mentioned door support device, it is preferable that the distance in the width direction of the vehicle body between the door bracket and the rotation axis of the movable arm is shorter when the sliding door is positioned in a fully closed position in which the door opening is fully closed than when the sliding door is positioned in the fully open position.

[0082] When the movable arm rotates as the sliding door closes, the distance in the width direction between the door bracket and the rotation axis of the movable arm becomes shorter. In this regard, the door support device configured as described above has a rotatable cable guide, so even when the distance in the width direction between the door bracket and the rotation axis of the movable arm becomes shorter, the load acting on the release cable can be reduced.

[0083] In the above door support device, when the rotation direction of the cable guide accompanying the closing operation of the sliding door is defined as a first direction and the direction opposite to the first direction is defined as a second direction, it is preferable that the locking mechanism has a guide spring that urges the cable guide in the second direction.

[0084] If the locking mechanism does not include a guide spring, the release cable is likely to assume various positions when the sliding door is opened or closed. In other words, it is difficult to uniquely determine the relationship between the position of the sliding door and the position of the release cable. In this regard, the door support device configured as described above includes a guide spring that biases the cable guide in the second direction. Therefore, the door support device can prevent the position of the release cable from becoming unstable when the sliding door is opened or closed.

[0085] In the above door support device, it is preferable that the locking mechanism includes: a latch configured to rotate between a fully latched position where the striker can be engaged with the locking mechanism and an unlatched position where the striker cannot be engaged with the locking mechanism; a pawl configured to rotate between a restricting position where the pawl engages with the latch located at the fully latched position to restrict rotation of the latch toward the unlatched position and a retracted position where the pawl retracts from the latch to allow rotation of the latch toward the unlatched position; and a positioning portion that positions the cable guide when the sliding door is located at the fully open position.

[0086] When closing a sliding door from a fully open position, the latch must be rotated from the fully latched position to the unlatched position by rotating the pole from the locked position to the unlocked position. In other words, the power required to rotate the pole to the unlocked position must be transmitted to the pole via the release cable. In this regard, in the door support device configured as described above, when the sliding door is positioned in the fully open position, the cable guide is positioned by the positioning unit. Therefore, the door support device can more reliably transmit the power required to rotate the pole to the unlocked position to the pole.

[0087] In the above door support device, the locking mechanism includes a latch configured to rotate between a fully latched position where it can be engaged with the striker and an unlatched position where it cannot be engaged with the striker, a pole configured to rotate between a restricting position where it engages with the latch located at the fully latched position to restrict rotation of the latch toward the unlatched position and a retracted position where it retracts from the latch to allow rotation of the latch toward the unlatched position, a latch support shaft that rotatably supports the latch, and a pole support shaft that rotatably supports the pole, and it is preferable that the release cable is connected to the pole and rotates the pole toward the retracted position when pulled, and the cable guide is rotatably supported on the latch support shaft or the pole support shaft.

[0088] The door support device does not need to have an additional support shaft for rotatably supporting the cable guide, which simplifies the configuration of the locking mechanism. In the above door support device, it is preferable that the locking mechanism has a base to which the latch support shaft and the pole support shaft are fixed, and that the locking mechanism is fixed to the movable arm by fixing the base to the movable arm.

[0089] Before the locking mechanism is fixed to the movable arm, all components except the locking mechanism base can be assembled to the locking mechanism base. In other words, the locking mechanism is unitized. This improves workability during the manufacture of the door support device and the assembly of the vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 10...vehicle, 20...vehicle body, 21...door opening, 30...sliding door, 40...door support device, 51...lower rail (guide rail), 61...lower hinge unit (hinge unit), 70...striker, 110...door bracket, 120...guide mechanism, 121...movable arm, 122, 123...guide roller, 130...lock mechanism, 131...main base (base), 133...latch support shaft, 134...pole support shaft, 135...latch, 136...pole, 137...cable guide, 141...latch spring, 142...pole spring, 143...guide spring, 144...nut (positioning portion), 150...release cable, 160...connecting shaft, Axh...hinge axis, Ln...distance, R1...first direction, R2...second direction

Claims

1. A door support device for supporting a sliding door that opens and closes a door opening on a vehicle body having the door opening on a side thereof, a guide rail fixed to the vehicle body so that the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body is the front-rear direction; a hinge unit including: a guide roller that moves along the guide rail by rolling on the guide rail; a door bracket fixed to the sliding door; and a movable arm that rotatably supports the guide roller and is rotatably connected to the door bracket; a locking mechanism that is fixed to the movable arm and that restrains the sliding door against a striker of the vehicle body when the sliding door is positioned at a fully open position that fully opens the door opening, The locking mechanism is a release cable that is pulled to release the restraint of the sliding door on the striker by the locking mechanism; a cable guide for holding the release cable; The cable guide is rotatable relative to the movable arm. Door support device.

2. The distance between the door bracket and the rotation axis of the movable arm in the width direction of the vehicle body is shorter when the sliding door is positioned at a fully closed position where the sliding door fully closes the door opening than when the sliding door is positioned at the fully open position. The door support device of claim 1 .

3. When the rotation direction of the cable guide accompanying the closing operation of the sliding door is defined as a first direction and the opposite direction of the first direction is defined as a second direction, The locking mechanism includes a guide spring that biases the cable guide in the second direction.

3. The door support device of claim 2.

4. The locking mechanism is a latch configured to rotate between a fully latched position where it can be latched by the striker and an unlatched position where it cannot be latched by the striker; a pawl configured to rotate between a restricting position where the pawl engages with the latch located at the fully latched position to restrict rotation of the latch toward the unlatched position, and a retracted position where the pawl retracts from the latch to allow rotation of the latch toward the unlatched position; a positioning portion that positions the cable guide when the sliding door is placed at the fully open position.

4. The door support device of claim 3.

5. The locking mechanism is a latch configured to rotate between a fully latched position where it can be latched by the striker and an unlatched position where it cannot be latched by the striker; a pawl configured to rotate between a restricting position where the pawl engages with the latch located at the fully latched position to restrict rotation of the latch toward the unlatched position, and a retracted position where the pawl retracts from the latch to allow rotation of the latch toward the unlatched position; a latch support shaft that rotatably supports the latch; a pole support shaft that rotatably supports the pole, the release cable is connected to the pole and is pulled to rotate the pole toward the retracted position; The cable guide is rotatably supported on the latch support shaft or the pole support shaft. The door support device according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. the locking mechanism has a base to which the latch support shaft and the pole support shaft are fixed, The base is fixed to the movable arm, thereby fixing the locking mechanism to the movable arm.

6. The door support device of claim 5.

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