Sliding door support structure

Abstract

In a sliding door support structure, the upper or lower sliding rail can be eliminated while appropriately receiving the force in the direction of the door tilting. [Solution] A sliding door support structure is disclosed, comprising: a first slide support mechanism having a first slide rail above or below the door opening in the vehicle body, which supports the door to the vehicle body via the first slide rail and restricts the opening and closing trajectory of the door; and a second slide support mechanism having second and third slide rails provided below the upper end of the door opening in the vehicle body and above the lower end of the door opening, which supports the door and restricts the opening and closing trajectory of the door, wherein the second slide rail and the third slide rail are arranged apart in the vertical direction, and the second slide support mechanism receives the weight of the door via the second slide rail and restricts the opening and closing trajectory of the door, and receives the force in the direction of tilting of the door via the second slide rail and the third slide rail.

Description

【Technical Field】 【0001】 The present disclosure relates to a slide door support structure. 【Background Art】 【0002】 Regarding a slide door support structure that slidably supports a vehicle door that closes a vehicle body opening in a closed state, a slide rail (also referred to as an "upper slide rail") is disposed above the upper end of the vehicle body opening in the vehicle body, and a slide rail (also referred to as a "lower slide rail") is disposed below the lower end of the vehicle body opening, and a slide rail (also referred to as an "intermediate slide rail") is disposed behind the vehicle body opening. A technique is known. 【Prior Art Documents】 【Patent Documents】 【0003】 【Patent Document 1】 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-79513 【Summary of the Invention】 【Problems to be Solved by the Invention】 【0004】 However, in the prior art as described above, since an upper slide rail extending linearly in the vehicle front-rear direction is disposed, there is a problem that the design freedom around the door opening is reduced. Alternatively, since a lower slide rail is disposed, there is a problem that the component mounting property in the lower part of the vehicle body is deteriorated. On the other hand, simply abolishing the upper slide rail or the lower slide rail makes it difficult for the vehicle body to appropriately receive the force in the falling direction of the door. 【0005】 Therefore, on one side, an object of the present disclosure is to enable the abolition of an upper slide rail or a lower slide rail while appropriately receiving the force in the falling direction of the door in a slide door support structure. 【Means for Solving the Problems】 【0006】 In one aspect, it is a sliding door support structure that slides a door that can be opened and closed through the door opening of the vehicle body, A first slide support mechanism has a first slide rail located either above or below the door opening in the vehicle body, and supports the door relative to the vehicle body via the first slide rail while restricting the opening and closing trajectory of the door. The vehicle body includes a second slide support mechanism which has a second slide rail and a third slide rail provided below the upper end of the door opening and above the lower end of the door opening, and supports the door while restricting the opening and closing trajectory of the door. The second slide rail and the third slide rail are arranged apart in the vertical direction. The second slide support mechanism provides a sliding door support structure that, via the second slide rail, supports the weight of the door and restricts the opening and closing trajectory of the door, and also receives a force in the tilting direction of the door via the second slide rail and the third slide rail. [Effects of the Invention] 【0007】 In one respect, according to this disclosure, in a sliding door support structure, it becomes possible to eliminate the upper or lower sliding rail while appropriately receiving the force in the direction of the door tilting. [Brief explanation of the drawing] 【0008】 [Figure 1] This is a schematic side view showing a part of the vehicle, including the sliding door support structure of this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the sliding door support structure. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view from the same direction as Figure 2, showing the first and second central guide units together with the central hinge. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the sliding door support structure, showing the position of the central hinge when the door is in the open position. [Figure 5]This is a perspective view from the same direction as Figure 4, showing the first and second central guide units together with the central hinge. [Figure 6] This is a plan view showing the central hinge of the door in the open position, viewed from above. [Figure 7] This is a plan view showing the rail forming member from above. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view of the rail-forming member in the main guide section, and is a cross-sectional view taken with a cutting plane parallel to the YZ plane. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view of the sliding door support structure when the door is in the open position, and is a cross-sectional view taken with a cutting plane parallel to the YZ plane. [Figure 10] This is a schematic side view showing a part of a vehicle including the sliding door support structure according to Example 2. [Figure 11] This is a perspective view of the sliding door support structure according to Example 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention] 【0009】 The following describes each embodiment in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are merely examples and are not limiting, and the shapes and other details in the drawings may be partially exaggerated for illustrative purposes. Furthermore, for ease of viewing, only some parts with the same attribute may be assigned reference numerals in the drawings. 【0010】 Figure 1 is a schematic side view showing a part of the vehicle 10 including the sliding door support structure 20 of this embodiment. Figure 1 shows three orthogonal axes (X axis, Y axis, and Z axis) in a right-handed coordinate system. In this embodiment, the X direction corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the positive side of the X direction corresponds to the rear. The Y direction corresponds to the vehicle width direction, and the positive side of the Y direction corresponds to the outside (the side away from the center of the vehicle body). The Z direction corresponds to the vertical direction, and the positive side of the Z direction corresponds to the top. The same coordinate system is shown with similar relationships in Figure 2 and subsequent figures. 【0011】 As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 12 provided with a door opening 11 on its side surface, a door 13 for opening and closing the door opening 11, and a slide door support structure 20 for slidably supporting the door 13 on the vehicle body 12. 【0012】 The door 13 opens and closes between a fully closed position that restricts the entry and exit of passengers to and from the vehicle 10 through the door opening 11 and a fully open position that allows the passengers to enter and exit the vehicle 10 through the door opening 11. In the following description, the degree of opening of the door 13 is also referred to as the opening angle of the door 13. That is, the opening angle of the door 13 is minimum at the fully closed position and maximum at the fully open position. In this embodiment, the door 13 may be a slide door manually operated by a user of the vehicle 10 or may be an electric type. 【0013】 In this embodiment, the slide door support structure 20 includes a first slide support mechanism 21 and a second slide support mechanism 22. 【0014】 The first slide support mechanism 21 includes a lower slide rail 40 and a lower guide unit 42. The lower slide rail 40 may be disposed below the door opening 11 (for example, near the lower end). The lower guide unit 42 may be connected to a position near the lower end and the front end of the door 13. The first slide support mechanism 21 supports the door 13 with respect to the vehicle body 12 via the lower slide rail 40 and the lower guide unit 42 and restricts the opening and closing trajectory of the door 13. 【0015】 Note that the configuration of the first slide support mechanism 21 (the respective configurations of the lower slide rail 40 and the lower guide unit 42) is arbitrary, and for example, the configurations described in JP-A-2018-80468 and JP-A-2020-79513, which may be incorporated herein by reference, may be used. 【0016】 The second slide support mechanism 22 includes a first central slide rail 60 and a second central slide rail 70, and a first central guide unit 80 and a second central guide unit 90. 【0017】 The first central slide rail 60 and the second central slide rail 70 may be arranged, for example, in recesses formed in the vehicle body 12. 【0018】 The first central slide rail 60 and the second central slide rail 70 are positioned below the upper end of the door opening 11 and above the lower end of the door opening 11. In this embodiment, the first central slide rail 60 and the second central slide rail 70 are positioned behind the door opening 11. The first central slide rail 60 and the second central slide rail 70 are positioned above the lower slide rail 40. 【0019】 The first central guide unit 80 is provided with respect to the first central slide rail 60. The second central guide unit 90 is provided with respect to the second central slide rail 70. The first central guide unit 80 and the second central guide unit 90 may be connected to the central part of the door 13 in the vehicle's vertical direction and near the rear end of the door 13. 【0020】 In this embodiment, the door 13 is for the rear seats, but the sliding door support structure 20 of this embodiment can be applied to any door. Also, although the door 13 is a type that slides backward, it may also be a type that slides forward. 【0021】 In this embodiment, since there is no sliding door support mechanism above the door opening 11, the design freedom of the upper rear part of the vehicle body can be increased. 【0022】 Next, with reference to Figure 2 and subsequent figures, the details of the second slide support mechanism 22 of the slide door support structure 20 will be described. 【0023】 Figure 2 is a perspective view of the sliding door support structure 20, showing the position of the central hinge 50 when the door 13 (not shown in Figure 2) is closed. Figure 3 is a perspective view from the same direction as Figure 2, showing the first central guide unit 80 and the second central guide unit 90 together with the central hinge 50. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the sliding door support structure 20, showing the position of the central hinge 50 when the door 13 (not shown in Figure 4) is open. Figure 5 is a perspective view from the same direction as Figure 4, showing the first central guide unit 80 and the second central guide unit 90 together with the central hinge 50. Figure 6 is a plan view showing the central hinge 50 from above when the door 13 (not shown in Figure 6) is open. Figure 7 is a plan view showing the rail forming member 67 from above. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the rail forming member 67 in the main guide section SC2, and is a cross-sectional view taken from a cutting plane parallel to the YZ plane. Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the sliding door support structure 20 when the door 13 (not shown in Figure 9) is in the open position, and is a cross-sectional view taken with a cutting plane parallel to the YZ plane. 【0024】 The first central slide rail 60 and the second central slide rail 70 are arranged separately in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the first central slide rail 60 and the second central slide rail 70 are formed from a common one-piece member (hereinafter also referred to as the "rail forming member 67"). The opening and closing trajectories (guide trajectories) of the first central slide rail 60 and the second central slide rail 70 are formed to overlap when viewed in the vertical direction. In this case, the manufacturability of the rail forming member 67 as a one-piece member is improved. 【0025】 The first central slide rail 60 and the second central slide rail 70 may form an initial guide section SC1 that moves the closed door 13 outward in the vehicle width direction, and a main guide section SC2 that moves the door 13 towards the rear of the vehicle in the vehicle longitudinal direction (see Figure 7). The boundary between the initial guide section SC1 and the main guide section SC2 does not have to be precise and may be continuous via a curved section. 【0026】 The first central slide rail 60 primarily works in cooperation with the first central guide unit 80, which will be described later, to support the weight of the door 13 and regulate the opening and closing trajectory of the door 13. 【0027】 The second central slide rail 70 primarily functions to receive the force in the direction of tilting of the door 13 (the direction in which the upper part tilts outward in the vehicle width direction), in cooperation with the second central guide unit 90, which will be described later. The second central slide rail 70 may also function to restrict the opening and closing trajectory of the door 13, in cooperation with the second central guide unit 90, which will be described later. 【0028】 The first central guide unit 80 is connected to the central hinge 50. The central hinge 50 comprises a door-side hinge portion 51 fixed to the door 13 and a vehicle body-side hinge portion 52. The door-side hinge portion 51 and the vehicle body-side hinge portion 52 are connected in such a manner that they can rotate around a vertical rotation axis 53. The door-side hinge portion 51 and the vehicle body-side hinge portion 52 have virtually no degrees of freedom other than rotation around the rotation axis 53. 【0029】 The first central guide unit 80 has an upper roller holding member 802 (see Figure 3) which is coupled to the upper side of the vehicle body hinge portion 52. The upper roller holding member 802 rotatably holds a pair of upper rollers 810 and a main roller 820 (see Figure 5). The pair of upper rollers 810 and the main roller 820 are movable while rotating along the first central slide rail 60. 【0030】 The pair of upper rollers 810 have vertical rotation axes 811 and 812. The two rotation axes 811 and 812 may be arranged in a manner aligned in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when the door 13 is in the fully open position. Preferably, as can be seen in Figure 6, the two rotation axes 811 and 812 are arranged such that the triangle formed by connecting the rotation axis 53 and the two rotation axes 811 and 812 is a right-angled triangle. In this case, when the door 13 is in the fully open position, in a top view, the line connecting the rotation axis 811 on the vehicle's front side of the two rotation axes 811 and 812 to the rotation axis 53 may be substantially parallel to the vehicle width direction. With this arrangement of the two rotation axes 811 and 53, the force generated during the opening and closing operation of the door 13 can be efficiently transmitted to the vehicle body. In other words, the force generated during the opening and closing of the door 13 mainly includes a directional component in the straight line connecting the rotation axis 811 and the rotation axis 53 on the front side of the vehicle when viewed from above, so this directional component of force can be efficiently transmitted to the vehicle body. 【0031】 The pair of upper rollers 810 are supported via the upper roller guide portion 61 of the first central slide rail 60. The upper roller guide portion 61 may have a C-shaped cross-section formed by the upper portion 610, the inner wall portion 612 of the vehicle, and the outer wall portion 614 of the vehicle, in which case it partially surrounds the pair of upper rollers 810 from above (surrounding them in a manner that leaves the bottom open). In this case, the pair of upper rollers 810 are sandwiched in the inward-outward direction by the inner wall portion 612 of the vehicle and the outer wall portion 614 of the vehicle. This allows the outer wall portion 614 of the vehicle to receive the force in the tilting direction of the door 13. When the door 13 attempts to displace in the tilting direction, the pair of upper rollers 810 hit the outer wall portion 614 of the vehicle, and the inner wall portion 612 receives the force in the tilting direction of the door 13 (see arrow R91 in Figure 9), thereby preventing further displacement of the door 13. Furthermore, when the door 13 attempts to fall (see arrow R90 in Figure 9), a moment in the direction of falling is generated with the contact point between the main roller 820 (described later) and the lower wall portion 640 (see Figure 4) as the pivot point. 【0032】 The pair of upper rollers 810 are supported via the upper roller guide portion 61 of the first central slide rail 60. The upper roller guide portion 61 may have a C-shaped cross-section formed by the upper portion 610, the inner wall portion 612 of the vehicle, and the outer wall portion 614 of the vehicle, in which case it partially surrounds the pair of upper rollers 810 from above (surrounding them in a manner that leaves the bottom open). In this case, the pair of upper rollers 810 are sandwiched in the inward-outward direction by the inner wall portion 612 of the vehicle and the outer wall portion 614 of the vehicle. This allows the outer wall portion 614 of the vehicle to receive the force in the tilting direction of the door 13. When the door 13 attempts to displace in the tilting direction, the pair of rollers 810 hit the outer wall portion 614 of the vehicle, and the inner wall portion 612 receives the force in the tilting direction of the door 13, thereby preventing further displacement of the door 13. Furthermore, when the door 13 attempts to fall, a force (moment) in the direction of falling is generated, with the contact point with the lower wall portion 640 of the main roller 820 (described later) acting as a fulcrum. 【0033】 Furthermore, during the opening and closing operation of the door 13, the pair of upper rollers 810 can contact the inner wall portion 612 or the outer wall portion 614 of the vehicle, thereby restricting the opening and closing trajectory of the door 13. A necessary clearance may be set between the pair of upper rollers 810 and the inner wall portion 612 and the outer wall portion 614 of the vehicle in the horizontal direction (a direction perpendicular to the movement trajectory). In addition, a necessary clearance is set between the pair of upper rollers 810 and the upper portion 610 in the vertical direction. In the modified example, part or all of the upper portion 610 of the upper roller guide portion 61 may be omitted. 【0034】 The main roller 820 has a rotation axis 822 in the horizontal plane. The rotation axis 822 may be substantially parallel to the vehicle width direction when viewed from above in the fully open position of the door 13. The rotation axis 822 may be positioned below the pair of upper rollers 810 and above the pair of lower rollers 930, which will be described later. The main roller 820 is supported via the main roller guide portion 64 of the first central slide rail 60. The main roller guide portion 64 has a lower wall portion 640 that supports the main roller 820 from below. As a result, the first central guide unit 80 can receive the weight of the door 13 via the main roller 820 and the main roller guide portion 64. The main roller 820 may be positioned between the pair of upper rollers 810 in the front-rear direction when viewed from above in the fully open position of the door 13. 【0035】 The second central guide unit 90 is coupled to the central hinge 50. That is, the second central guide unit 90 is coupled to the central hinge 50 together with the first central guide unit 80. In this case, the central hinge 50 can be shared, and the number of parts can be reduced. 【0036】 The second central guide unit 90 is positioned below the first central slide rail 60. Specifically, the second central guide unit 90 has a lower roller holding member 902 that is coupled to the upper side of the vehicle body side hinge portion 52. The lower roller holding member 902 rotatably holds a pair of lower rollers 930. The pair of lower rollers 930 are movable while rotating along the second central slide rail 70. 【0037】 The pair of lower rollers 930 have vertical rotation axes 931 and 932. The two rotation axes 931 and 932 may be arranged in a manner aligned in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when the door 13 is in the fully open position. Preferably, the two rotation axes 931 and 932 are coaxial with the two rotation axes 811 and 812 of the pair of upper rollers 810 described above. In this case, the first central slide rail 60 and the second central slide rail 70 can be formed to substantially overlap when viewed from above. This improves the manufacturability of the common one-piece member when the first central slide rail 60 and the second central slide rail 70 are formed from a common one-piece member. Furthermore, with this arrangement of the two rotation axes 931 and 932, the force generated during the opening and closing operation of the door 13 can be efficiently transmitted to the vehicle body. In other words, the force generated during the opening and closing of the door 13 mainly includes a directional component in the straight line connecting the rotation axis 931 and the rotation axis 53 on the front side of the vehicle when viewed from above, so this directional component of force can be efficiently transmitted to the vehicle body. 【0038】 The pair of lower rollers 930 are supported via the lower roller guide portion 71 of the second central slide rail 70. The lower roller guide portion 71 has a C-shaped cross-section formed by a lower wall portion 710, an inner wall portion 712, and an outer wall portion 714, and in this case, it partially surrounds the pair of lower rollers 930 from below (surrounding them in a manner that leaves the top open). At this time, the pair of lower rollers 930 are sandwiched in the inward-outward direction by the inner wall portion 712 and the outer wall portion 714. As a result, the force in the tilting direction of the door 13 can be received by the inner wall portion 712 (see arrow R92 in Figure 9). That is, when the door 13 tries to displace in the tilting direction, the pair of lower rollers 930 hit the inner wall portion 712, and the force in the tilting direction of the door 13 is received by the inner wall portion 712, thereby preventing further displacement of the door 13. 【0039】 Furthermore, during the opening and closing operation of the door 13, the pair of lower rollers 930 can contact the inner wall portion 712 or the outer wall portion 714 of the vehicle, thereby restricting the opening and closing trajectory of the door 13. A necessary clearance may be set between the pair of lower rollers 930 and the inner wall portion 712 and the outer wall portion 714 of the vehicle in the direction of the horizontal plane (a direction perpendicular to the movement trajectory). 【0040】 In this embodiment, the lower roller guide portion 71 has a C-shaped cross-section formed by the lower wall portion 710, the inner wall portion 712, and the outer wall portion 714. However, the outer wall portion 714 may be omitted. In this case, the pair of lower rollers 930 will not come into contact with the outer wall portion 714 during the opening and closing operation of the door 13, and in this respect, the restrictive function for the opening and closing trajectory of the door 13 will be reduced. However, this restrictive function is ensured by the pair of upper rollers 810 and the upper roller guide portion 61, so no particular problems arise. Also, if the outer wall portion 714 is omitted (or even if the outer wall portion 714 is not omitted), the lower wall portion 710 may be omitted. 【0041】 Furthermore, although this embodiment includes a pair of lower rollers 930, one of the lower rollers 930 may be omitted. In this case, preferably, the roller with the rotation axis 931 of the pair of lower rollers 930 is retained. In this case, the force generated during the opening and closing operation of the door 13 can be efficiently transmitted to the vehicle body. That is, the force generated during the opening and closing operation of the door 13 mainly includes a directional component in the straight line connecting the rotation axis 931 and the rotation axis 53 of the central hinge 50 in a top view, so the force of this directional component can be efficiently transmitted to the vehicle body. Also, when one of the pair of lower rollers 930 is omitted, preferably, the lower roller guide portion 71 is retained without omitting the outer wall portion 714 of the vehicle. This is because if only one of the pair of lower rollers 930 is present, the function of restricting the rotation of the door 13 around the rotation axis 53 of the central hinge 50 is reduced. In other words, the lower roller 930 contacts the outer wall portion 714 of the vehicle, thereby enhancing the rotation restriction function of the door 13 around the rotation axis 53 of the central hinge 50. 【0042】 By the way, if the sliding door support mechanism (upper sliding rail, etc.) that can be provided above the door opening 11 is abolished as in this embodiment, the sliding door support mechanism above the door opening 11 will no longer be able to withstand the force in the direction of tilting of the door 13. In other words, it will no longer be possible to generate a force that adequately resists the tilting of the door 13 as the upper part of the door 13 tilts outward from the vehicle. 【0043】 In contrast, according to this embodiment, as described above, by providing the second slide support mechanism 22, the force in the tilting direction of the door 13 can be appropriately received. In other words, according to this embodiment, it is possible to eliminate the upper slide rail and the like while appropriately receiving the force in the tilting direction of the door 13. This increases the design freedom of the upper rear area around the door opening 11. 【0044】 Next, other embodiments that may be implemented instead of the embodiments described above will be described. For the purpose of distinction, the embodiments described above will also be referred to as "Embodiment 1," and the other embodiments described below will be referred to as Embodiment 2 and Embodiment 3. In the following descriptions of Embodiments 2 and Embodiment 3, components that may be the same as those in Embodiment 1 above may be given the same reference numerals and their descriptions may be omitted. 【0045】 Figure 10 is a schematic side view showing a part of the vehicle 10A, including the sliding door support structure 20A according to Embodiment 2. 【0046】 In the above-described embodiment 1, the sliding door support mechanism (upper sliding rail, etc.) that may be provided above the door opening 11 is eliminated. In embodiment 2, however, the sliding door support mechanism (lower sliding rail, etc.) that may be provided below the door opening 11 is eliminated instead. 【0047】 Specifically, in this embodiment, the sliding door support structure 20A includes a first sliding support mechanism 21A and a second sliding support mechanism 22. 【0048】 The first slide support mechanism 21A includes an upper slide rail 30 and an upper guide unit 32. The upper slide rail 30 may be positioned above the door opening 11 (for example, near the upper end of the door opening 11). The upper guide unit 32 may be connected to a position near the front end of the door 13. The first slide support mechanism 21A supports the door 13 against the vehicle body 12 via the upper slide rail 30 and the upper guide unit 32, while restricting the opening and closing trajectory of the door 13. 【0049】 The configuration of the first slide support mechanism 21A (the configurations of the upper slide rail 30 and the upper guide unit 32) is arbitrary, and configurations such as those described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-80468 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-79513, which may be incorporated into the content of this specification by reference herein, may be used. 【0050】 By the way, if the sliding door support mechanism (lower sliding rail, etc.) that can be provided below the door opening 11 is abolished as in this embodiment, the sliding door support mechanism below the door opening 11 will no longer be able to withstand the force in the direction of the door 13 tilting. In other words, it will no longer be possible to generate a force that adequately resists the tilt of the door 13 when the lower side of the door 13 moves inward towards the vehicle. 【0051】 In contrast, according to this embodiment, as described above, by providing the second slide support mechanism 22, the force in the tilting direction of the door 13 can be appropriately received. In other words, according to this embodiment, it is possible to eliminate the lower slide rail and the like while appropriately receiving the force in the tilting direction of the door 13. This makes it possible to improve the mounting capacity of components in the lower part of the vehicle body below the door opening 11. For example, the space where the lower slide rail would be located can be used to place a battery frame, improving the mounting capacity of high-voltage battery packs for electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles. 【0052】 Figure 11 is a perspective view of the sliding door support structure 20B according to Example 3. 【0053】 The sliding door support structure 20B according to Embodiment 3 differs from the sliding door support structure 20 according to Embodiment 1 described above in that the second sliding support mechanism 22 is replaced by the second sliding support mechanism 22B. 【0054】 The second slide support mechanism 22B according to Embodiment 3 differs from the second slide support mechanism 22 according to Embodiment 1 described above in that a second main roller 820B is added. 【0055】 The second main roller 820B is located further forward (and towards the inside of the vehicle) than the main roller 820 when the door 13 is in the fully closed position. The second main roller 820B has a rotation axis 822B in the horizontal plane. The rotation axis 822B may be substantially parallel to the vehicle width direction when viewed from above when the door 13 is in the fully open position. The rotation axis 822B may be located below the pair of upper rollers 810 and above the pair of lower rollers 930. The second main roller 820B is supported by the second main roller guide portion 64B of the first central slide rail 60B. The second main roller guide portion 64B has an upper wall portion 640B that faces the second main roller 820B from above in the vertical direction. As a result, the first central slide rail 60B can receive the force in the tilting direction of the door 13 via the second main roller 820B and the second main roller guide portion 64B. 【0056】 Specifically, when the door 13 is in the fully closed position and attempts to displace in the tilting direction, the second main roller 820B contacts the upper wall portion 640B of the second main roller guide portion 64B, and the upper wall portion 640B receives the tilting force of the door 13, thereby preventing further displacement of the door 13. When the door 13 attempts to tilt, a moment in the tilting direction is generated with the contact point between the main roller 820 and the lower wall portion 640 as the fulcrum. In the fully closed position of the door 13, the second main roller 820B is located inside the vehicle compared to the main roller 820, so a moment in the direction that cancels out the tilting moment can be efficiently generated by the upward force acting from the second main roller 820B to the upper wall portion 640B. 【0057】 In this explanation, the second main roller 820B has the function of receiving a force in the tilting direction when the door 13 is in the fully closed position. However, this function is not limited to the fully closed position of the door 13, but is realized near the fully closed position of the door 13 (mainly in the initial guide section SC1). That is, in the initial guide section SC1, when the door 13 attempts to displace in the tilting direction (the upper part of the door 13 outwards from the vehicle), a moment is generated in which the second main roller 820B strikes the upper wall portion 640B of the second main roller guide portion 64B. 【0058】 In Embodiment 3, in the main guide section SC2, if the door 13 attempts to be displaced in the tilting direction (with the upper part of the door 13 facing outward), as explained in Embodiment 1 above, the pair of upper rollers 810 strike the outer wall portion 614 of the vehicle, and the tilting force of the door 13 is received by the inner wall portion 612 of the vehicle. Furthermore, the pair of lower rollers 930 strike the inner wall portion 712 of the vehicle, and the tilting force of the door 13 is received by the inner wall portion 612 of the vehicle, thereby preventing further displacement of the door 13. 【0059】 Thus, in Embodiment 3, in the initial guide section SC1, the second main roller 820B and the upper wall section 640B are mainly responsible for receiving forces in the tilting direction, and in the main guide section SC2, the pair of lower rollers 930 and the inner wall section 712 of the vehicle are mainly responsible for receiving forces in the tilting direction. 【0060】 Although each embodiment has been described in detail above, the invention is not limited to any particular embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope described in the claims. Furthermore, it is possible to combine all or more of the components of the embodiments described above. 【0061】 For example, in the above-described embodiment 1 (and similarly in embodiments 2 and 3, and so on), the second central slide rail 70 and the second central guide unit 90 are arranged below the first central slide rail 60 and the first central guide unit 80 in the sliding door support structure 20, but the opposite may also be true. That is, the second central slide rail 70 and the second central guide unit 90 may be arranged above the first central slide rail 60 and the first central guide unit 80. 【0062】 Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment 1, the main roller 820 is held by the upper roller holding member 802, but in a modified example, it may be held by the lower roller holding member 902. In this case, the main roller 820 moves while rotating along the lower wall portion 710, and the lower wall portion 710 receives the weight of the door 13 from the main roller 820. Also, the upper roller holding member 802 and / or the lower roller holding member 902 may be integral members with the vehicle body side hinge portion 52. 【0063】 Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment 1, the first central slide rail 60 and the second central slide rail 70 are formed from a common single piece of material (rail forming member 67), but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the first central slide rail 60 and the second central slide rail 70 may be formed from separate pieces of material. 【0064】 With regard to each of the above embodiments, the following additional information is disclosed. 【0065】 [Note 1] A sliding door support structure that supports a door that can be opened and closed in the door opening of a vehicle body, A first slide support mechanism has a first slide rail located either above or below the door opening in the vehicle body, and supports the door relative to the vehicle body via the first slide rail while restricting the opening and closing trajectory of the door. The vehicle body includes a second slide support mechanism which has a second slide rail and a third slide rail provided below the upper end of the door opening and above the lower end of the door opening, and supports the door while restricting the opening and closing trajectory of the door. The second slide rail and the third slide rail are arranged apart in the vertical direction. The second slide support mechanism is a sliding door support structure that, via the second slide rail, supports the weight of the door and restricts the opening and closing trajectory of the door, and also receives a force in the tilting direction of the door via the second slide rail and the third slide rail. 【0066】 [Note 2] The second slide rail and the third slide rail overlap when viewed in the vertical direction, as described in Appendix 1, in the sliding door support structure. 【0067】 [Note 3] The second slide support mechanism further includes a first roller that rotates and moves along a first wall provided on either the second slide rail or the third slide rail, a second roller that rotates and moves along the second slide rail, and a third roller that rotates and moves along the third slide rail. The first wall section receives the weight of the door from the first roller, The second slide rail has a second wall portion on the outside of the vehicle that receives the force in the direction of tilting of the door from the second roller, The sliding door support structure according to Appendix 1, wherein the third sliding rail has a third wall portion on the vehicle side that receives a force in the direction of tilting of the door from the third roller. 【0068】 [Note 4] The sliding door support structure according to Appendix 3, wherein the second slide support mechanism further comprises a fourth roller and a fourth wall portion that receives a force from the fourth roller in the direction of tilting the door, and the fourth wall portion is opposed to the fourth roller in the vertical direction. 【0069】 [Note 5] The second slide support mechanism includes a first roller and a first wall portion that receives the gravity of the door from the first roller, and has a first wall portion that faces the first roller in the vertical direction. The sliding door support structure described in Appendix 4, wherein the fourth roller is positioned further forward than the first roller. 【0070】 [Note 6] The second slide support mechanism further comprises two second rollers that rotate and move along the second slide rail, and two third rollers that rotate and move along the third slide rail, The second slide rail sandwiches the two second rollers between the inner wall portion of the vehicle and the outer wall portion of the vehicle. The sliding door support structure described in any one of the appendices 1, 2, 4, or 5, wherein the third sliding rail partially surrounds the two third rollers with an L-shaped cross section formed by the lower part and the inner wall of the vehicle. 【0071】 [Note 7] The second slide support mechanism further comprises two second rollers that rotate and move along the second slide rail, and one third roller that rotates and moves along the third slide rail. The second slide rail sandwiches the two second rollers between the inner wall portion of the vehicle and the outer wall portion of the vehicle. The sliding door support structure described in any one of the appendices 1, 2, 4 to 6, wherein the third sliding rail sandwiches the two third rollers between the inner wall portion of the vehicle and the outer wall portion of the vehicle. 【0072】 [Note 8] The second slide support mechanism further includes a support member that pivotally supports the two second rollers, The support member is rotatably supported relative to the door around a first pivot axis, In the fully open position of the door, the sliding door support structure according to Appendix 6 or 7, wherein, when viewed in the vertical direction, the triangle formed by connecting the second rotation axes of each of the two second rollers and the first rotation axis forms a right-angled triangle. 【0073】 [Note 9] The second slide support mechanism further includes a support member that pivotally supports the two second rollers, The support member is rotatably supported relative to the door around a first pivot axis, When the door is fully open, the triangle formed by connecting the second rotation axis of each of the two second rollers and the first rotation axis, when viewed in the vertical direction, is a right-angled triangle. The sliding door support structure according to Appendix 7, wherein the third rotation axis of the third roller is coaxial with the second rotation axis of one of the two second rollers, and when the door is in the fully open position, the triangle formed by connecting the second rotation axis of the other of the two second rollers and the first rotation axis is a right-angled triangle when viewed in the vertical direction. [Explanation of Symbols] 【0074】 12 Body, 11 Door opening, 13 Door, 20 Sliding door support structure, 21 First slide support mechanism, 22 Second slide support mechanism, 30 Upper slide rail (first slide rail), 40 Lower slide rail (first slide rail), 60 First central slide rail (second or third slide rail), 614 Wall section (second wall section), 70 Second central slide rail (third or second slide rail), 712 Wall section (third wall section), 810 Upper roller (second roller), 930 Lower roller (third roller), 820B Second main roller (fourth roller), 640B Upper wall section (fourth wall section), 640 Lower wall section (first wall section)

Claims

[Claim 1] A sliding door support structure that supports a door that can be opened and closed in the door opening of a vehicle body, A first slide support mechanism has a first slide rail located either above or below the door opening in the vehicle body, and supports the door relative to the vehicle body via the first slide rail while restricting the opening and closing trajectory of the door. The vehicle body includes a second slide support mechanism which has a second slide rail and a third slide rail provided below the upper end of the door opening and above the lower end of the door opening, and supports the door while restricting the opening and closing trajectory of the door. The second slide rail and the third slide rail are arranged apart in the vertical direction. The second slide support mechanism is a sliding door support structure that, via the second slide rail, supports the weight of the door and restricts the opening and closing trajectory of the door, and also receives a force in the tilting direction of the door via the second slide rail and the third slide rail. [Claim 2] The sliding door support structure according to claim 1, wherein the second sliding rail and the third sliding rail overlap when viewed in the vertical direction. [Claim 3] The second slide support mechanism further includes a first roller that rotates and moves along a first wall provided on the second slide rail, a second roller that rotates and moves along the second slide rail, and a third roller that rotates and moves along the third slide rail. The first wall portion receives the weight of the door from the first roller, The second slide rail has a second wall portion on the outside of the vehicle that receives the force in the direction of tilting of the door from the second roller, The sliding door support structure according to claim 1, wherein the third sliding rail has a third wall portion on the vehicle side that receives a force in the direction of tilting of the door from the third roller. [Claim 4] The sliding door support structure according to claim 3, wherein the second slide support mechanism further comprises a fourth roller and a fourth wall portion that receives a force from the fourth roller in the direction of tilting the door, and the fourth wall portion is opposed to the fourth roller in the vertical direction.

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