Vehicle boarding and alighting assistance device

Abstract

To provide a getting-on and getting-off assist device for a vehicle capable of securing sufficient support rigidity of a board and securing foldability.SOLUTION: A getting-on and getting-off assist device for a vehicle includes: a board 22 rotatable between an expanded first posture P1 and a folded second posture P2, on which a vehicle occupant can be seated temporarily in the first posture P1; a support frame 24 for supporting the board 22 rotatably between the first posture and the second posture; an attaching part 26 for supporting the support frame 24 from below and attaching the support frame 24 to a vehicle body 6; a rotation shaft part 30 for rotating the support frame 24 in a back and forth direction of the vehicle; and a load support member 40 for connecting the support frame 24 and the board 22, and supporting the board 22 from below. The load support member 40 is disposed at a position separated on a rear side of the vehicle more than the rotation shaft part 30, and extends obliquely upward toward an underside of the board 22 from the support frame 24 when the board 22 is at the first posture P1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle ingress / egress assistance device, and more particularly to a vehicle ingress / egress assistance device that is provided on the outer side, in the vehicle width direction, of a seat adjacent to a door opening of a vehicle and assists an occupant in getting in and out of the vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a transfer board provided on the side of a vehicle seat for the purpose of assisting a passenger with a disability in the lower limbs, for example, a passenger using a wheelchair, when transferring into the vehicle. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a gas damper type transfer board on the side of a rear seat. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-079307 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, when a passenger, particularly a wheelchair user, transfers to a vehicle, the transfer board (hereinafter referred to as the board) is required to have a structure that ensures rigidity to effectively support the passenger when seated on the board, as well as foldability so as not to affect driving operations when driving the vehicle.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and aims to provide a vehicle boarding and alighting assistance device that can ensure sufficient supporting rigidity of the board while also ensuring foldability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a vehicle ingress / egress assistance device that is provided on the vehicle widthwise outer side of a seat adjacent to a door opening of a vehicle and assists an occupant in getting on and off, the device comprising: a board that is rotatable between a first position when unfolded and a second position when folded, on which an occupant can temporarily sit when in the first position; a support frame that supports the board so that it can be rotatably moved between the first position and the second position; a support base that supports the support frame from below and for attaching the support frame to the vehicle body; a pivot shaft that is provided on the support base and rotates the support frame in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle; and a support member that connects the support frame and the board and supports the board from below, the support member being provided at a position spaced away from the pivot shaft toward the rear of the vehicle and extending diagonally upward from the support frame toward the underside of the board when the board is in the first position.

[0007] According to the present invention configured as described above, a board is provided that can rotate between a first position when unfolded and a second position when folded, and a rider can temporarily sit on the board when in the first position, a support frame that supports the board so that the board can rotate between the first position and the second position, and a pivot shaft that rotates the support frame in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and when a rider sits on the board in the first position, the load input to the board is received by the support member and the pivot shaft. In the present invention, the support member is provided at a position spaced away from the pivot shaft toward the rear of the vehicle, and when the board is in the first position, it extends obliquely upward from the support frame toward the underside of the board, so that the support member and the pivot shaft distribute and receive the load when the rider sits on the board, and the support member extending obliquely upward can reliably receive the load. As a result, according to the present invention, it is possible to ensure sufficient support rigidity of the board and ensure foldability.

[0008] In addition, in the present invention, the pivot shaft portion is preferably provided at the front of the support base in the fore-and-aft direction, and the support member is connected to the rear of the board in the fore-and-aft direction, so that the load exerted when sitting on the board can be more effectively distributed and received.

[0009] In the present invention, preferably, the support base has a vertical wall portion on the vehicle widthwise inner side of the support frame, and when the board is in the first position, the connection portion of the support member to the support frame is adjacent to the vertical wall portion of the support base. According to the present invention configured in this manner, when an occupant is seated on the board in the first position and the support member extending diagonally upward receives a load, the load can be received by the adjacent vertical wall portion on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, via the connection portion to the support member and the support frame.

[0010] In addition, in the present invention, the support frame is preferably provided with a gripping portion for the occupant to fold the board, at a position toward the rear of the vehicle relative to the support member, thereby making it possible to achieve both ease of operation of the board by the occupant and ensuring the support rigidity of the board.

[0011] Furthermore, in the present invention, when the board is in the second position, the support member and the gripping portion are preferably stored in a bulge provided in the door trim of the side door, thereby improving the layout of the interior of the vehicle when in the folded position and allowing the board to be positioned so as not to interfere with the driver.

[0012] In addition, in the present invention, it is preferable to further include a link member having one end connected to the front of the board in the fore-and-aft direction and the other end adjacent to the pivot shaft and connected to the support base on the vehicle front side of the pivot shaft, thereby effectively enabling the board to be unfolded or folded between the first and second positions.

[0013] In the present invention, the support base is preferably provided with a deformation prevention member on the vehicle front side of the pivot shaft, protruding from the support base towards the vehicle body side to prevent deformation of the support base. According to the present invention configured as described above, the deformation prevention member prevents the deformation of the support base, so that it is possible to prevent deformation or cutting of members, such as a harness, that exist below the support base. In particular, when the board and support frame are tilted so as to fall forward of the vehicle due to the law of inertia during a collision, it is possible to prevent deformation of the portion of the support base on the vehicle front side of the pivot shaft. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to ensure sufficient supporting rigidity of the board while also ensuring foldability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle boarding / exiting assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention and its arrangement within a vehicle cabin, in which the unfolded state of the board is shown by a solid line and the folded state of the board is shown by a dashed line. [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle boarding / exiting assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention and its arrangement in a vehicle cabin, showing a board in a folded state. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the boarding / disembarking assistance device of the present embodiment, seen obliquely from behind, illustrating the unfolded state of the board. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the boarding / disembarking assistance device of the present embodiment, seen obliquely from behind, illustrating the board in a folded state. [Diagram 5] 1 is a side view showing the boarding / disembarking assistance device of the present embodiment and its fixing structure to the vehicle body, showing the unfolded state of the board. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a side view showing the boarding / disembarking assistance device of the present embodiment and its fixing structure to the vehicle body, showing the board in a folded state. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of the boarding / disembarking assistance device of the present embodiment, seen from the rear, illustrating the unfolded state of the board. FIG. [Figure 8] 5 for explaining a fixing structure of the getting on and off assistance device of the present embodiment to a vehicle body. FIG. [Figure 9] 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a boarding / alighting assistance device, a fixing device, and a part of a vehicle body, for illustrating a fixing structure of the boarding / alighting assistance device to a vehicle body according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 10] 10 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the support bracket of the fixing device shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Next, a boarding / exiting assistance device and a device for fixing the same to a vehicle body according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] First, a schematic configuration of a boarding / alighting assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a side view showing the schematic configuration of a vehicle boarding / alighting assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention and its arrangement in a vehicle cabin, with a solid line indicating the unfolded state of the board and a dashed line indicating the folded state of the board, and Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of a vehicle boarding / alighting assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention and its arrangement in a vehicle cabin, with a diagram showing the folded state of the board. In Figures 1 and 2, arrow F indicates the front in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and arrow U indicates the upward direction in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

[0018] First, as shown in Fig. 1, a vehicle V equipped with the boarding / exiting assistance device 1 of this embodiment has a door opening 12 surrounded by a roof side rail 2, a center pillar (rear pillar) 4, a side sill 6, a hinge pillar 8, and a front pillar 10. Figs. 1 and 2 show a vehicle V equipped with so-called double doors. The boarding / exiting assistance device 1 of this embodiment can be applied to two-door vehicles, four-door vehicles, vehicles equipped with sliding doors, etc.

[0019] A driver's seat (seat) 14 and a passenger seat (not shown) are provided at the front of the vehicle compartment, aligned in the vehicle width direction. This embodiment shows an example of a so-called right-hand drive vehicle, and Fig. 1 shows the driver's seat 14 and door opening 12 on the right side in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle V. Note that the getting on and off assistance device 1 of the present invention can also be applied to the left side in the vehicle width direction of a left-hand drive vehicle if each component described below is formed symmetrically with respect to the vehicle center plane.

[0020] The door opening 12 is an entrance where passengers get in and out of the vehicle. As shown in Fig. 1, the boarding / exiting assistance device 1 of this embodiment is disposed on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of a driver's seat 14 adjacent to the door opening 12 on the right side in the vehicle width direction. 2, a side door 16 (see FIG. 2) is provided in the door opening 12 so as to be openable and closable via a door hinge at the front of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 2, when the boarding / exiting assistance device 1 is in the folded position, a board 22 and a support frame 24, which will be described later, are located in front of and to the side of the driver's seat.

[0021] The boarding and alighting assistance device 1 of this embodiment is positioned on the outside of the driver's seat 14 in the vehicle width direction, and is a device that assists the occupant with a lower limb disability in moving between the driver's seat 14 and the wheelchair outside the vehicle when getting on or off the vehicle by temporarily placing the occupant's buttocks, etc. on the board 22 described later as the occupant moves between the driver's seat 14 and the wheelchair outside the vehicle.

[0022] Next, the basic configuration of the boarding and alighting assistance device 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the boarding and alighting assistance device of this embodiment seen from diagonally behind, showing the board in an unfolded state, and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the boarding and alighting assistance device of this embodiment seen from diagonally behind, showing the board in a folded state. First, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the boarding and alighting assistance device 1 includes a board 22, a support frame 24, a support base (mounting portion) 26, and a link mechanism .

[0023] First, the configurations of the board 22, the support frame 24, the support base 26, and the link mechanism 28 will be described. First, the board 22 is formed in a plate shape having a size and strength that allows the occupant's buttocks to be temporarily placed thereon in the horizontal position (P1) or the occupant's hands to be placed thereon to support the upper half of the body with the arms. Here, as shown in Fig. 2, the board 22 has a front part 22A in its fore-and-aft direction (corresponding to the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle when the board 22 is in the deployed position (Figs. 1 and 3)) that is narrower in width, and a rear part 22B in its fore-and-aft direction that is wider in width. The front portion 22A is large enough to provide a handholding area for an occupant (e.g., a person with a lower limb disability) to place his or her hands on and support his or her body when transferring between a wheelchair (not shown) and the driver's seat 14 via the board 22. The rear portion 22B has a size that allows the occupant's buttocks (the area between the pair of right and left ischial bones and the surrounding area) to be temporarily placed (supported).

[0024] Next, the support frame 24 is attached to the support base 26 so as to be rotatable about an axis (rotation shaft 30 described later) extending in the vehicle width direction in a side view. The upper edge of the support frame 24 extends to face an area spanning the front part 22A and the rear part 22B of the board 22, and supports the inner edge part of the board 22 in the horizontal position (P1) on the vehicle width inner side via two board rotation shafts 32.

[0025] Next, the support base (mounting portion) 26 rotatably supports the support frame 24 from below, and functions as a mounting portion for mounting the boarding / disembarking assistance device 1 to the vehicle body (side sill 6 in this embodiment). This support base 26 is provided with a support frame pivot shaft 30 that pivotally supports the support frame 24 relative to the vehicle body so as to be rotatable in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and further, an upper edge portion of the support frame 24 is provided with a board pivot shaft 32 that pivotally supports the board 22 relative to the support frame 24. In this embodiment, the support frame rotating shaft portion 30 is attached to the front-rear direction front portion 26b of the support base portion (mounting portion) 26 (see FIG. 8).

[0026] Next, the link mechanism 28 has a link member 34, and a first joint 36 to which one end of the link member 34 is connected is provided on the support base 26 at a position adjacent to the support frame pivot shaft 30 and at a position on the vehicle front side of the support frame pivot shaft 30. Meanwhile, a second joint 38 to which the other end of the link member 34 is connected is provided on the underside of the front portion 22A of the board 22. The link member 34 is longer than the distance in the vehicle up-down direction between the board 22 in the horizontal position (P1) and the support base 26. The link mechanism 28 is mainly composed of the link member 34, the first joint 36, and the second joint 38.

[0027] Next, the board 22 can be unfolded or folded between a horizontal posture (first posture, unfolded position) P1 when unfolded to a position outside the driver's seat 14 in the vehicle width direction by the above-mentioned pivot shaft portions 30, 32 and link mechanism 28, and a vertical posture (second posture, folded position) P2 when flipped forward from this seat side position (P1) and folded.

[0028] For example, when unfolding from the folded position as shown in FIG. 4, the support frame 24 rotates toward the rear of the vehicle around the support frame pivot shaft 30, and at the same time, the link member 34 of the link mechanism 28 pulls the board 22 toward the unfolded side, and the pulled board 22 rotates around the board pivot shaft 32, and when unfolding is complete, the board 22 and support frame 24 are in the unfolded state as shown in FIG. 3. On the other hand, when folding from the unfolded position as shown in Figure 5, the support frame 24 rotates towards the front of the vehicle around the support frame pivot shaft 30, and at the same time, the link member 34 of the link mechanism 28 pushes up the board 22, which then rotates around the board pivot shaft 32, and when folding is complete, the board 22 and support frame 24 are in the folded state as shown in Figure 4.

[0029] Next, a configuration for supporting the load applied to the board 22 and the operability of the board 22 will be described. First, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, a load support member 40 having a dual structure that is axially expandable and contractible is attached to the board 22 and the support frame 24 by hinges 42, 44, respectively, so as to connect them to each other. The load support member 40 extends obliquely upward from the support frame 24 toward the underside of the board 22 when the board 22 is in the horizontal position as shown in FIG. 3, to support the load of the occupant (see FIG. 7). In particular, the load support member 40 is attached to the underside of the rear portion 22B of the board 22 (through a hinge 42), and the rear portion 22B of the board 22 is a portion on which the buttocks of the occupant are temporarily placed as described above, and is a portion to which most of the load of the occupant is applied. Therefore, the load support member 40 effectively supports the board 22. Here, the load applied to the board 22 is mainly transmitted to the load support member 40 and the support frame pivot shaft portion 30 that supports the support frame 24 (rotatably). In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the load support member 40 is provided at a position on the rear side of the vehicle away from the support frame pivot shaft portion 30 to disperse such a transmitted load.

[0030] Next, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the support frame 24 is provided with an operation unit (grip) 46 with which the occupant operates the boarding / disembarking assistance device 1. The operation unit 46 is mainly gripped and operated by the occupant when unfolding the boarding / disembarking assistance device 1 from the folded position P2 to the unfolded position P1. When the occupant operates the operation unit 46 by pulling it toward himself / herself at the folded position P2, the support frame 24 rotates, and the boarding / disembarking assistance device 1 is unfolded as described above. The operation unit 46 is located on the rear side of the vehicle relative to the load support member 40 described above, so that the load support member 40 does not impede the operability of the occupant. In addition, the grip 46 is located outside the rotation range of the board 22 relative to the support frame 24, and is provided so as to be located rearward of the rear end of the board 22 in the vertical position P2.

[0031] 2, in the folded position P2, the load support member 40, the operating unit 46, and the like are stored in a bulge 20 formed in the door trim 18 of the side door 16 so as not to interfere with the side door 16. The bulge 20 is formed from below the arm rest (including the assist grip) 19 to the front. Furthermore, when the board 22 in the vertical position is involuntarily displaced toward the rear of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling or starting, the upper part of the board 22 comes into contact with the arm rest 19 or the assist grip, thereby restricting the board 22 from displacing toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0032] Next, a shock absorber for ensuring operability of the board 22 in the boarding / alighting assistance device 1 of this embodiment when it is unfolded will be described in detail with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a side view showing the boarding / alighting assistance device of this embodiment and its fixing structure to the vehicle body, showing the board in an unfolded state, and Figure 6 is a side view showing the boarding / alighting assistance device of this embodiment and its fixing structure to the vehicle body, showing the board in a folded state. 5 and 6, the support base 26 is provided with a cushioning device 50 for ensuring operability for the rider when unfolding the board 22. The cushioning device 50 has a first cushioning device 52 and a second cushioning device 54 attached to the support base 26.

[0033] The first shock absorber 52 mainly comprises a first fixed part 56 extending upward from the support base 26, a spring member 58 having one end attached to the first fixed part 56 and generating a reaction force by expanding and contracting with the first fixed part 56 as a base point, an axis member 60 extending in the axial direction (longitudinal direction) of the spring member 58 inside the spring member 58 and movable in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle relative to the first fixed part 56, a movable member 62 configured to abut against the end of the axis member 60 (spring member 58) on the front side of the vehicle, a guide member 64 for guiding the sliding of the movable member 62 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, an arm member 66 having one end connected to the movable member 62 and the other end connected to the support frame 24 and capable of swinging in conjunction with the rotation of the support frame 24, and a noise prevention member 68 provided at the tip (68) on the rear side of the vehicle of the axis member 60.

[0034] The second shock absorber 54 mainly comprises a second fixed portion 70 extending upward from the support base 26, and a damper member 72 fixed to this second fixed portion 70 and generating a reaction force when the tip portion 60a of the shaft member 60 (the tip portion of the noise prevention member 68) comes into contact with it and expands and contracts.

[0035] 6, the spring member 58 of the first shock absorber 52 has a free length. Also, the tip portion 60a of the shaft member 60 of the first shock absorber 52 and the tip portion 72a of the damper member 72 of the second shock absorber 54 are separated by a distance S as shown in FIG.

[0036] When the boarding and alighting assistance device 1 begins to be deployed from this state, the arm member 66 swings in conjunction with the rotation of the support frame 24 toward the rear of the vehicle, stroking the movable member 62 toward the rear of the vehicle, and this movable member 62 pushes the ends of the shaft member 60 and spring member 58 of the first shock absorber 52 on the front side of the vehicle, causing the shaft member 60 to move toward the rear of the vehicle and compressing the spring member 58 (start of stroke).

[0037] Next, until the compression of the spring member 58 and the movement of the shaft member 60 reach a predetermined first stroke, that is, until the tip 60a of the shaft member 60, which has moved rearward by the distance S, reaches a stroke position where it abuts against the tip 72a of the damper member 72, the spring member 58 is compressed by a predetermined displacement amount (basically corresponding to the distance S) to generate an initial reaction force of a predetermined magnitude (a reaction force generated from the start of the stroke to the first stroke). The generated reaction force is transmitted to the support frame 24 via the arm member 66, and becomes a response to the operating force when the occupant operates the operating unit 46. In this embodiment, the elastic force of the spring member 58 is set to be a reaction force (initial reaction force up to the first stroke) that allows the occupant to easily operate the operating unit while feeling a response to the operation. At this time, no reaction force is generated by the second shock absorber 54.

[0038] Next, when the shaft member 60 further pushes the damper member 72 from the first stroke position where the tip 60a of the shaft member 60 abuts against the tip 72a of the damper member 72, a reaction force corresponding to the displacement speed of the damper member 72 is generated. Note that the reaction force of the damper member 72 is small at very slow speeds, but in this embodiment, the damping force of the damper member 72 is adjusted so as to generate a reaction force appropriate to the displacement speed generated in the damper member 72 by normal operation of the boarding / disembarking assistance device 1 (a speed equivalent to the time it takes for the boarding / disembarking assistance device 1 to deploy in one to several seconds).

[0039] Next, in the stroke range from the first stroke to the deployed position (end of stroke) shown in Fig. 5, both the reaction force of the spring member 58 of the first shock absorber 52 and the reaction force of the damper member 72 of the second shock absorber 54 are transmitted to the support frame 24 via the arm member 66, and act as a response to the operating force when the occupant operates the operating part 46. In this embodiment, the elastic force of the spring member 58 and the damping force of the damper member 72 are set so as to suppress a bottoming-out feeling of a sudden increase in reaction force at the end of the operation by the occupant, that is, when the deployed position shown in Fig. 5 is reached.

[0040] In this embodiment, in order to more effectively obtain the above-mentioned operational reaction force, the reaction force generated by the damper member 72 of the second shock absorber 54 is set to be greater than the reaction force generated by the spring member 58 of the first shock absorber 52.

[0041] 5, the reaction force generated by the spring member 58 is set to balance the load generated by the weight of the board 22 to keep it in that position. This prevents the boarding / disembarking assistance device 1 from returning to the folded position due to the reaction force of the spring member 58 without the rider's operation. Also, when the rider wishes to return it to the folded position (operates it), it can be easily returned with a small force. The reaction force of the spring member 58 may be set to be smaller than the load (load to keep it in the deployed position) due to the weight of the board 22.

[0042] 7, in the deployed position, the load of the board 22 itself is applied to the support frame 24 via the load support member 40 described above, and this load tries to hold the support frame 24 in that position. In this embodiment, the reaction force of the spring member 58 is set to be the same as or smaller than this holding load.

[0043] Next, the configuration of the support base 26 which is the mounting portion of the boarding / disembarking assistance device 1 to the vehicle body, the fixing structure of the boarding / disembarking assistance device 1 to the vehicle body and the fixing device will be described with reference to Fig. 7 to Fig. 10. Fig. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the boarding / disembarking assistance device of this embodiment seen from the rear at the position of the load support member 40 in Fig. 5, showing the unfolded state of the board, Fig. 8 is a partially enlarged side view of Fig. 5 for explaining the fixing structure of the boarding / disembarking assistance device of this embodiment to the vehicle body, Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing the boarding / disembarking assistance device, the fixing device and a part of the vehicle body for explaining the fixing structure of the boarding / disembarking assistance device of this embodiment to the vehicle body, and Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the support bracket of the fixing device shown in Fig. 9. 7, the support base 26 (hereinafter referred to as the mounting portion 26) is attached to the upper surface 6a of the side sill inner panel 6. The mounting portion 26 extends inward from the mounting portion to the side sill inner panel 6 in the vehicle width direction.

[0044] A vertical wall portion 26a is formed in a portion of the mounting portion 26 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction at a position on the inner side of the support frame 24 in the vehicle width direction and adjacent to the support frame 24. The connecting portion (hinge 44) of the load support member 40 to the support frame 24 is adjacent to the vertical wall portion 26a of the mounting portion 26, as shown in Fig. 7. In this embodiment, due to this arrangement, when the load support member 40 extending diagonally upward receives the load of the board 22, the load is also received by the adjacent vertical wall portion 26a on the inner side in the vehicle width direction via the connecting portion (hinge 44).

[0045] Next, a fixing device applied to the boarding / alighting assistance device (vehicle-mounted device) 1 will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, the mounting portion 26 of the boarding / exiting assistance device 1 is fixed to the upper surface 6a of the side sill 6 by using a fixing device 74. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the fixing device 74 of this embodiment has a support plate 76, two support brackets 78, two fastening bolts 80, and two nuts 81. The support plate 76 has a main body portion 76a that is sandwiched between the mounting portion 26 and the support bracket 78, and two contact legs 76b that extend downward from both ends of the main body portion 76a.

[0046] In addition, each of the two support brackets 78 has an engagement portion 78a formed to engage with the hole portion 6b of the side sill 6, and a mounting leg portion 78b formed to extend from this engagement portion 78a toward the main body portion 76a of the support plate 76. In the illustrated state, the engagement portion 78a extends so as to protrude in the vehicle width direction relative to the mounting leg portion 78b, and this protrusion is of a size such that it can pass through the hole 6b of the side sill 6 (in this example, it is a long hole 6b, and the orientation of the engagement portion 78a is changed so that it can pass through from above) and engage with the underside of the side sill 6. The fastening bolt 80 is for fastening together the support bracket 78, the support plate 76, and the mounting portion 26, in that order from below.

[0047] Next, a structure for fixing the mounting portion 26 of the boarding / exiting assistance device 1 to the vehicle body will be described. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the above-mentioned support plate 76, support bracket 78 and fastening bolt 80 (and nut 81) are used to fasten to the side sill upper surface 6a as well, utilizing hole portion (fixing hole portion) 6b (for example, a hole portion originally formed for a side garnish) formed during the manufacture of the vehicle V.

[0048] 8, the engagement portions 78a of the two support brackets 78 engage with the underside of the side sill 6. The mounting legs 78b of the two support brackets 78 extend in a direction away from the hole 6b of the side sill 6, and an upper portion of each of the mounting legs 78b abuts against the main body 76a of the support plate 76. Furthermore, the abutting portions of the mounting legs 78b of the support brackets 78 and the main body 76a of the support plate 76 are fastened to the mounting portion 26 by fastening bolts 80 at two locations spaced apart in the vehicle front-rear direction. At this time, the lower ends of the two contact legs 76b of the support plate 76 are in contact with the upper surface 6a of the side sill 6 on the sides of the hole 6b. Further, the main body portion 76a of the support plate 76 is configured to be fastened to the attachment portion 26 together with the support bracket 78 at a position spaced apart from the hole portion 6b of the side sill 6 or the upper surface 6a of the side sill.

[0049] 8, the contact leg 76b of the support plate 76 has a predetermined vertical length L1, which is the vertical length from the lower end of the contact leg 76b to the lower surface of the main body 76a. The mounting leg 78b of each support bracket 78 has a predetermined vertical length L2, which is the vertical length from the same height position as the side sill upper surface 6a to the contact surface of the support plate 76 with the main body 76a.

[0050] In this embodiment, the predetermined length L1 of the abutment leg 76b is formed to be longer than the predetermined length L2 of the mounting leg 78b by, for example, about 1 mm, so that the fastening force applied to the main body 76a by the fastening bolt 80 is transmitted to the side sill 6 via the abutment leg 76b. As a result, in this embodiment, the mounting portion 26 is fixed to the hole 6b of the side sill 6 by the support bracket 78, and the mounting portion 26 is fixed to the upper surface 6a of the side sill 6 by the abutment leg 76b of the support plate 76. At this time, the engagement portion 78a of the support bracket 78 engages with the lower surface of the side sill 6. In addition, the support plate 78 supports the boarding / disembarking assistance device 1 from below via the abutment leg 78b, the main body 78a, and the mounting portion 26.

[0051] For example, if the predetermined length L1 of the abutment leg 76b is set shorter than the predetermined length L2 of the mounting leg 78b, the lower end of the abutment leg 76b will be raised above the upper surface 6a of the side sill 6, and the fastening force will not be transmitted from the support plate to the vehicle body via the abutment leg. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to reliably fix the abutment leg 76b in a state of abutting against the side sill (vehicle body) 6, the predetermined length L1 of the abutment leg 76b is set longer than the predetermined length L2 of the mounting leg 78b. Due to this difference in length, when the fastening bolt 80 is fastened, the main body 76a of the support plate 76 will bend slightly downward.

[0052] The support plate 76 and the support bracket 78 are formed from plate-like members made of steel, and the plate thickness of the support plate 76 is 3.2 mm in this example, and the plate thickness of the support bracket 78 is 4.5 mm in this example, so that the plate thickness of the support bracket 78 is greater than the plate thickness of the support plate 76. In the support bracket 79 according to the modified example shown in Fig. 10, in particular, the plate thickness of the mounting legs 79b is 4.5 mm.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 10, as a modified example of the support bracket 78, only one support bracket 79 may be used in which two mounting legs 79b extend in two directions from one engagement portion 79a.

[0054] Next, a deformation prevention structure for the mounting portion 26 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the mounting portion 26 has a bolt 82 protruding from the mounting portion 26 toward the vehicle body at a portion 26b on the vehicle front side from the fastening portion of the support plate 76 and the support bracket 78. The lower end of the bolt 82 is in contact with the upper surface 6a of the side sill 6 or is located at a position slightly away from the upper surface 6a. With this configuration, when the board 22 and the support frame 24 of the boarding / disembarking assistance device 1 are caused to fall forward of the vehicle from the folded position shown in Fig. 6 due to inertial force during a frontal collision of the vehicle V, the mounting portion 26 receives a load via the support frame pivot shaft portion 30. In this embodiment, the mounting portion 26 is prevented from being deformed at the vehicle front side portion 26b when such a load is received. For example, in the vehicle V of this embodiment, the harness 84 is arranged below the mounting portion 26 so as to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction, but in this embodiment, it is possible to prevent the front portion 26b of the mounting portion 26 from being deformed downward, causing the harness 84 to be deformed or broken.

[0055] Next, the effects of the vehicle getting on and off assistance device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. First, in this embodiment, the vehicle includes a board 22 that is rotatable between a first position P1 when unfolded and a second position P2 when folded, and on which an occupant can temporarily sit when in the first position P1, a support frame 24 that supports the board 22 so that it can rotate between the first position and the second position, an attachment portion 26 that supports the support frame 24 from below and attaches the support frame 24 to the vehicle body (side sill 6), a pivot shaft portion 30 that is provided on the attachment portion 26 and rotates the support frame 24 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and a load support member 40 that connects the support frame 24 and the board 22 and supports the board 22 from below, the load support member 40 being provided at a position spaced away from the pivot shaft portion 30 toward the rear of the vehicle, and extending diagonally upward from the support frame 24 toward the underside of the board 22 when the board 22 is in the first position P1. According to the present embodiment configured as described above, when a rider sits on the board 22 in the first position P1, the load input to the board 22 is received by the load support member 40 and the rotating shaft 30. The load support member 40 is provided at a position spaced from the rotating shaft 30 toward the rear of the vehicle, and extends obliquely upward from the support frame 24 toward the underside of the board 22 when the board 22 is in the first position P1. Therefore, the load support member 40 and the rotating shaft 30 distribute and receive the load when a rider sits on the board 22, and the load support member 40 extending obliquely upward can reliably receive the load. As a result, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to ensure sufficient support rigidity of the board 22 and ensure foldability. Furthermore, in the present invention, the pivot shaft portion is preferably provided at the front of the mounting portion in the fore-and-aft direction, and the support member is connected to the rear of the board in the fore-and-aft direction, so that the load exerted when sitting on the board can be more effectively distributed and received.

[0056] In this embodiment, the mounting portion 26 has a vertical wall portion 26a on the inner side of the support frame 24 in the vehicle width direction, and when the board 22 is in the first position P1, the connecting portion 44 of the load support member 40 to the support frame 24 is adjacent to the vertical wall portion 26a of the mounting portion 26. Therefore, according to this embodiment, when an occupant sits on the board 22 in the first position P1 and the load support member 40 extending diagonally upward receives a load, the load can be received by the adjacent vertical wall portion 26a on the inner side in the vehicle width direction via the load support member 40 and the connecting portion 44 to the support frame 24. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the support frame 24 is provided with an operating portion (grip portion) 46 at a position toward the rear of the vehicle relative to the load support member 40, which allows the occupant to fold the board 22. This makes it possible to achieve both ease of operation of the board 22 by the occupant and ensuring the support rigidity of the board 22.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the board 22 is in the second position P2, the load support member 40 and the operating portion (grip portion) 46 are stored within the bulge 20 provided in the door trim 18 of the side door 16, thereby improving the layout flexibility within the vehicle cabin when the device 1 is in the folded position, and the board 22 can be positioned so as not to interfere with the driver. In addition, in this embodiment, the board 22 is provided with a link member 34 having one end connected to the front of the board 22 in the fore-and-aft direction and the other end adjacent to the pivot shaft portion 30 and connected to the mounting portion 26 on the vehicle front side of the pivot shaft portion 30, thereby effectively enabling the board 22 to be unfolded or folded between the first position P1 and the second position P2.

[0058] In this embodiment, the mounting portion 26 is provided with a bolt 82 for preventing deformation of the mounting portion 26, which protrudes downward from the mounting portion 26 toward the vehicle body on the vehicle front side of the rotating shaft portion 30, and therefore it is possible to prevent deformation or cutting of members such as the harness 84 present below the mounting portion 26. In particular, when the board 22 and the support frame 24 are tilted so as to fall forward of the vehicle due to the law of inertia during a collision, it is possible to prevent the front portion 26a of the mounting portion 26 on the vehicle front side of the rotating shaft portion 30 from being deformed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1. Boarding and alighting assistance devices (vehicle boarding and alighting assistance devices) 6 Side sill (inner side sill) 12 Door opening 18 Door trim 20 Bulge 22 Board 22A Front part of the board (front part in the front-to-back direction) 24B Rear part of the board (rear part in the front-to-back direction) 24 Support frame 26 Support base, mounting part 26a Vertical wall section 26b Front part of the vehicle 28 Link mechanism 30 Rotating shaft for support frame 32 Board pivot shaft 34 Link member 40 Load-bearing member (support member) 46 Operation part (grip part) 50 Shock absorber 60a Tip 52 1st shock absorber 54 Second shock absorber 58 Spring parts 60 Shaft member 62 Movable parts 64 Guide member 66 Arm parts 72 Damper material 72a Tip 74 Fixation device 76 Support Plate 76a Main body 76b Contact leg 78, 79 Support bracket 78a Engagement part 78b Mounting foot 80 Fastening bolt (fixing bolt) 82 Bolt for preventing deformation of mounting part P1 Horizontal posture, 1st posture, deployment position P2 Vertical position, second position, folded position

Claims

1. A vehicle boarding / exiting assistance device that is provided on a vehicle width direction outer side of a seat adjacent to a door opening of a vehicle and assists an occupant in getting on and off the vehicle, a board that is rotatable between a first position when unfolded and a second position when folded, and on which a rider can temporarily sit when in the first position; a support frame that supports the board rotatably between the first position and the second position; a support base for supporting the support frame from below and attaching the support frame to a vehicle body; a rotation shaft portion provided on the support base and configured to rotate the support frame in a vehicle front-rear direction; a support member that connects the support frame and the board and supports the board from below, The support member is provided at a position spaced away from the pivot shaft portion toward the rear of the vehicle, and extends diagonally upward from the support frame toward the underside of the board when the board is in the first position.

2. The pivot shaft portion is provided at the front of the support base in the front-rear direction, The vehicle boarding and alighting assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein the support member is connected to a rear portion of the board in a front-rear direction.

3. The support base has a vertical wall portion on an inner side in a vehicle width direction of the support frame, 3. The vehicle getting-on / off assistance device according to claim 1, wherein when the board is in the first position, a connection portion of the support member to the support frame is adjacent to a vertical wall portion of the support base.

4. 4. The vehicle boarding and alighting assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the support frame is provided with a grip portion at a position rearward of the support member, the grip portion being used by an occupant to fold the board.

5. 5. The vehicle getting-in / out assistance device according to claim 4, wherein when the board is in the second position, the support member and the gripping portion are housed in a bulge provided in a door trim of a side door.

6. 6. The vehicle boarding and alighting assistance device according to claim 1, further comprising a link member having one end connected to a front portion of the board in the fore-and-aft direction and having the other end adjacent to the pivot shaft portion and connected to the support base on the vehicle front side of the pivot shaft portion.

7. 7. A vehicle boarding and alighting assistance device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the support base is provided with a deformation prevention member on the vehicle front side of the pivot shaft portion, the deformation prevention member protruding from the support base toward the vehicle body side to prevent deformation of the support base.

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