Sliding door drive unit

Abstract

To provide a slide door driving device capable of suppressing adhesion of liquid to a belt and a peripheral configuration of the belt.SOLUTION: A slide door driving device includes: an elongated guide frame 50; a first driven pulley and a second driven pulley rotatably supported at both end portions of the guide frame 50 in a lengthwise direction; a belt 91 wound around the first driven pulley and the second driven pulley; and a main cover 55 covering the belt 91. The main cover 55 has: upper walls 512, 513 covering the belt 91 from the above; an outer wall 514 extending downward from outer ends of the upper walls 512, 513 in a width direction; and an inner wall 515 extending downward from inner ends of the upper walls 512, 513 in the width direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a sliding door drive device that opens and closes a sliding door along a guide rail fixed to a vehicle body panel. The sliding door drive device includes a belt guide unit that extends along the guide rail, two timing pulleys provided at the front and rear ends of the belt guide unit, a belt that is wound around the two timing pulleys, and a belt drive unit that drives the belt. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-100081 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Because the sliding door drive device described above is installed on a vehicle body panel, its components may become contaminated with liquids such as rainwater and cleaning water. If the vehicle is left in a low-temperature environment with liquid on the components of the sliding door drive device, the belt may freeze in contact with the belt guide, etc. In this case, the sliding door drive device may become unable to open or close the sliding door. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The means for solving the above problems and their effects will be described below. A sliding door drive device that solves the above problem is a sliding door drive device that is fixed to a body panel of a vehicle and operates the vehicle's sliding door in an opening direction and a closing direction, and includes a long guide frame, a first driven pulley and a second driven pulley rotatably supported at both ends of the guide frame in the longitudinal direction, a belt that is wound around the first driven pulley and the second driven pulley, and a cover that covers the belt, wherein the cover has an upper wall that covers the belt from above, an outer wall that extends downward from the outer end of the upper wall in the width direction of the vehicle, and an inner wall that extends downward from the inner end of the upper wall in the width direction.

[0006] The sliding door drive device includes a cover having an upper wall, an outer wall, and an inner wall. Therefore, even if liquid such as rainwater or cleaning water splashes on the sliding door drive device, the liquid is less likely to reach the belt and the surrounding components of the belt. Therefore, the sliding door drive device can prevent liquid from adhering to the belt and the surrounding components of the belt.

[0007] In the sliding door drive device, it is preferable that the outer wall and the inner wall overlap at least a portion of the belt in the up-down direction of the vehicle. The sliding door drive device can further prevent liquid from adhering to the belt and the like.

[0008] In the sliding door drive device, it is preferable that a lower end of the inner wall is located lower than a lower end of the outer wall. Power for opening and closing the sliding door is transmitted to the sliding door via a belt bracket that connects the belt and the sliding door. When the belt is driven, the belt bracket moves below the outer wall of the cover along the longitudinal direction of the guide frame. Therefore, the outer wall of the cover needs to avoid interference with the belt bracket. On the other hand, the inner wall of the cover does not need to consider interference with the belt bracket. In this regard, in the sliding door drive device configured as described above, the lower end of the inner wall of the cover is positioned lower than the lower end of the outer wall. Therefore, the sliding door drive device can easily prevent liquid flowing inside the device from reaching the belt, etc., while avoiding interference between the belt bracket and the outer wall of the cover.

[0009] In the sliding door drive device, it is preferable that the cover is integrally formed with the guide frame. The slide door drive device can integrate the cover and the guide frame, thereby reducing the number of parts that make up the device.

[0010] In the sliding door drive device, the guide frame has a straight portion extending linearly toward the closing direction and a curved portion that curves inward in the width direction as it progresses from the end of the straight portion in the closing direction, and the cover is a main cover that covers the belt arranged along the straight portion of the guide frame, and preferably includes a sub-cover that is configured separately from the guide frame and covers the belt arranged along the curved portion of the guide frame.

[0011] Because the curved portion of the guide frame is curved differently from the straight portion, it may be difficult to integrate the curved portion with the main cover. Therefore, with the above configuration, the main cover that covers the belt routed along the straight portion of the guide frame is integrated with the guide frame. Meanwhile, the sub-cover that covers the belt routed along the curved portion of the guide frame is configured separately from the guide frame. This allows the sliding door drive device to reduce the number of components that make up the device while preventing liquid from adhering to the belt routed along the curved portion.

[0012] In the sliding door drive device, the sub-cover preferably has a seal that closes a gap between the sub-cover and the body panel. In the sliding door drive device, the sub-cover seals the gap between the sub-cover and the body panel, thereby preventing liquid from passing through the gap between the sub-cover and the body panel. In this way, the sliding door drive device can prevent liquid passing through the gap between the sub-cover and the body panel from adhering to the belt, etc. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The sliding door drive device can prevent liquid from adhering to the belt and the surrounding structure of the belt. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the vehicle behind a door opening. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the sliding door driving device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the sliding door driving device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an end view of the sliding door driving device perpendicular to the straight portion of the guide frame. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an end view of the sliding door driving device perpendicular to the curved portion of the guide frame. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an end view of the sliding door driving device perpendicular to the straight portion of the guide frame. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an end view of the sliding door driving device perpendicular to the curved portion of the guide frame. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle equipped with a sliding door drive device (hereinafter also referred to as a "door drive device") will be described. <Configuration of this embodiment> As shown in FIG. 1 , a vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 20, a sliding door 30, and a door drive device 40. In the following description, the width direction of the vehicle 10 will also be referred to as the "width direction," the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 10 will also be referred to as the "front-to-rear direction," and the up-to-down direction of the vehicle 10 will also be referred to as the "up-to-down direction." In addition, in the width direction, the direction facing the center of the vehicle 10 will be referred to as the "inner direction," and the opposite direction of the "inner direction" will be referred to as the "outer direction." In some drawings, an axis extending in the front-to-rear direction will be referred to as the X-axis, an axis extending in the width direction will be referred to as the Y-axis, and an axis extending in the up-to-down direction will be referred to as the Z-axis.

[0016] <Body 20> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a vehicle body 20 has a door opening 21, a body panel 22, an upper rail 23, a center rail 24, and a lower rail 25.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the door opening 21 opens on a side surface of the vehicle body 20. The door opening 21 has a rectangular shape in a side view in the width direction. The door opening 21 is an area through which a user of the vehicle 10 passes when getting in and out of the vehicle 10. The body panel 22 is a side body panel that constitutes the side surface of the vehicle body 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the portion of the body panel 22 where the center rail 24 and the door drive device 40 are assembled is recessed inward in the width direction. In addition, although hidden by the door drive device 40, the body panel 22 has a through-hole that passes through it in the width direction to allow some of the components of the door drive device 40 to pass therethrough.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1 , the upper rail 23, the center rail 24, and the lower rail 25 are fixed to the side of the vehicle body 20. The upper rail 23 is located above the door opening 21. The center rail 24 is located rearward of the door opening 21. The lower rail 25 is located below the door opening 21. In the vertical direction, the upper rail 23 is located above the center rail 24 and the lower rail 25, and the center rail 24 is located between the upper rail 23 and the lower rail 25. The upper rail 23, the center rail 24, and the lower rail 25 are members for determining the opening and closing direction of the sliding door 30.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2 , the center rail 24 has a straight portion 241 extending forward and a curved portion 242 extending inward in the width direction in an arc shape from the front end of the straight portion 241 toward the front. The straight portion 241 does not need to extend linearly throughout and may be slightly curved with a small curvature. Similarly, the curved portion 242 does not need to be curved entirely and may have a portion that extends linearly. Although not shown, the upper rail 23 and the lower rail 25 also include components corresponding to the straight portion 241 and the curved portion 242 of the center rail 24. Therefore, the upper rail 23, the center rail 24, and the lower rail 25 are curved so that their front ends are located inward in the width direction relative to their rear ends. The curvature of the upper rail 23, the center rail 24, and the lower rail 25 allows the sliding door 30 to move in the width direction near the fully closed position.

[0020] <Sliding Door 30> As shown in FIG. 1, the sliding door 30 includes a door body 31, an upper hinge unit 32, a center hinge unit 33, and a lower hinge unit .

[0021] The door body 31 has a shape corresponding to the door opening 21. The upper hinge unit 32, the center hinge unit 33, and the lower hinge unit 34 are fixed to the door body 31. The upper hinge unit 32 is located at the front end and upper part of the door body 31. The center hinge unit 33 is located at the rear end and central part in the up-down direction of the door body 31. The lower hinge unit 34 is located at the front end and lower part of the door body 31. The upper hinge unit 32 is engaged with the upper rail 23 so as to be movable along the upper rail 23. The center hinge unit 33 is engaged with the center rail 24 so as to be movable along the center rail 24. The lower hinge unit 34 is engaged with the lower rail 25 so as to be movable along the lower rail 25.

[0022] The upper hinge unit 32, the center hinge unit 33, and the lower hinge unit 34 move relative to the upper rail 23, the center rail 24, and the lower rail 25, respectively, causing the sliding door 30 to slide in the opening and closing directions. Specifically, the sliding door 30 slides between a fully closed position where the door opening 21 is fully closed and a fully open position where the door opening 21 is fully opened. In this embodiment, the sliding door 30 moves rearward to perform an opening operation, and the sliding door 30 moves forward to perform a closing operation. In other words, the opening direction of the sliding door 30 is rearward, and the closing direction of the sliding door 30 is forward.

[0023] <Door drive device 40> 2, the door drive device 40 is fixed to the body panel 22. At this time, the door drive device 40 is aligned vertically with the center rail 24. More specifically, the door drive device 40 is located directly above the center rail 24.

[0024] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the door drive device 40 includes a guide frame 50, a sub-cover 60, a belt drive unit 70, a drive pulley 81, two pressure pulleys 82 and 83, three driven pulleys 84 to 86, a pulley cover 87, a belt 91, and a belt bracket 92.

[0025] The guide frame 50 has an elongated shape, similar to the center rail 24. In other words, the guide frame 50 is curved so that the front end is positioned more inward in the width direction than the rear end when fixed to the vehicle body 20. In terms of the opening and closing direction of the sliding door 30, the front end of the guide frame 50 is the end in the closing direction, and the rear end of the guide frame 50 is the end in the opening direction.

[0026] The guide frame 50 includes a straight portion 51 that is linear in plan view, a curved portion 52 that is arcuate in plan view, a storage portion 53 that stores some of the components of the door drive device 40, and a plurality of fixing holes 541-543 that are fixed to the body panel 22. In this embodiment, the guide frame 50 is a molded product made of a resin material. The straight portion 51 of the guide frame 50 is a portion that is molded using a mold that releases mainly in the vertical direction. On the other hand, the curved portion 52 and the storage portion 53 of the guide frame 50 are portions that are molded using a mold that releases mainly in the width direction.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the straight portion 51 constitutes the rear portion of the guide frame 50. The straight portion 51 does not need to extend linearly without any bends, and may be gently curved. The straight portion 51 has a guide wall 511, an outer upper wall 512, an inner upper wall 513, an outer wall 514, and an inner wall 515. FIG. 5 shows a cross section of the door drive device 40 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the straight portion 51 of the guide frame 50.

[0028] The guide wall 511 is an elongated member that extends in the same manner as the straight portion 241 of the center rail 24. The cross-sectional shape of the guide wall 511 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is rectangular with the width direction as the short side and the up-down direction as the long side. The outer upper wall 512 extends outward in the width direction from the guide wall 511, and the inner upper wall 513 extends inward in the width direction from the guide wall 511. The outer upper wall 512 extends from the upper end of the guide wall 511, while the inner upper wall 513 extends from a position lower than the upper end of the guide wall 511. Therefore, in this embodiment, the outer upper wall 512 is located higher than the inner upper wall 513. In other embodiments, the outer upper wall 512 and the inner upper wall 513 may be located at the same height, or the outer upper wall 512 may be located lower than the inner upper wall 513.

[0029] The outer wall 514 extends downward from the outer end of the outer upper wall 512 in the width direction, and the inner wall 515 extends downward from the inner end of the inner upper wall 513 in the width direction. The outer wall 514 faces the outer surface of the guide wall 511, and the inner wall 515 faces the inner surface of the guide wall 511. The lower end of the inner wall 515 is located lower than the lower end of the outer wall 514. In the straight portion 51, the space enclosed by the guide wall 511, the outer upper wall 512, and the outer wall 514 and the space enclosed by the guide wall 511, the inner upper wall 513, and the inner wall 515 are both spaces in which the belt 91 is routed.

[0030] In this embodiment, the "main cover 55" is configured to include the outer upper wall 512, the inner upper wall 513, the outer wall 514, and the inner wall 515 of the straight portion 51 of the guide frame 50. In other words, the main cover 55 in this embodiment is configured integrally with the guide frame 50. In addition, the outer upper wall 512 and the inner upper wall 513 correspond to the "upper wall of the main cover 55."

[0031] As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 6, the curved portion 52 forms the front portion of the guide frame 50. The curved portion 52 extends inward in the width direction in an arc shape as it moves forward from the front end of the straight portion 51. The curved portion 52 does not have to be composed only of arc-shaped portions, and may also have linearly extending portions. The curved portion 52 has an outer guide wall 521, an inner guide wall 522, an outer bottom wall 523, an inner bottom wall 524, and an upper wall 525. Note that Figure 6 is a cross section of the door drive device 40 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the curved portion 52 of the guide frame 50.

[0032] The outer guide wall 521 and the inner guide wall 522 are elongated members that extend at a distance from each other in the same manner as the curved portion 242 of the center rail 24. The outer guide wall 521 is located outward in the width direction from the inner guide wall 522. The cross-sectional shapes of the outer guide wall 521 and the inner guide wall 522 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction are rectangular, with the width direction as the short side and the up-down direction as the long side. If the outer guide wall 521 and the inner guide wall 522 were integrated into a single guide wall, sink marks might occur during resin molding. For this reason, a gap is provided between the outer guide wall 521 and the inner guide wall 522. In other words, if the distance between the outer guide wall 521 and the inner guide wall 522 is narrow, the outer guide wall 521 and the inner guide wall 522 can also be integrated.

[0033] The outer bottom wall 523 extends outward in the width direction from the lower end of the outer guide wall 521. Specifically, the outer bottom wall 523 extends in the opposite direction from the direction from the outer guide wall 521 toward the inner guide wall 522. The outer bottom wall 523 gradually becomes thinner in the up-down direction as it extends from the outer guide wall 521. In other words, the outer bottom wall 523 tapers. Thus, the upper surface of the outer bottom wall 523 is continuously connected to the outer surface of the outer guide wall 521. The inner bottom wall 524 extends outward in the width direction from the lower end of the outer guide wall 521. Specifically, the inner bottom wall 524 extends in the opposite direction from the direction from the outer guide wall 521 toward the inner guide wall 522. The thickness of the inner bottom wall 524 in the up-down direction does not change as it extends from the outer guide wall 521.

[0034] The top wall 525 is connected to the upper end of the outer guide wall 521 and the upper end of the inner guide wall 522. The top wall 525 extends outward in the width direction from the upper end of the outer guide wall 521, and extends inward in the width direction from the upper end of the inner guide wall 522. The top wall 525 faces the inner bottom wall 524 and the outer bottom wall 523 in the up-down direction.

[0035] In the guide frame 50 described above, the guide wall 511 of the straight portion 51 and the outer guide wall 521 and inner guide wall 522 of the curved portion 52 guide the belt 91 that moves along the straight portion 51 and the curved portion 52. The outer upper wall 512 and inner upper wall 513 of the straight portion 51 and the upper wall 525 of the curved portion 52 protect the belt 91 routed along the straight portion 51 and the curved portion 52 from above. The inner bottom wall 524 and outer bottom wall 523 of the curved portion 52 prevent the belt 91 routed along the curved portion 52 from falling off downward.

[0036] 3 and 4, the accommodation portion 53 is integrated with the front end portion of the straight portion 51 and the rear end portion of the curved portion 52. The accommodation portion 53 has an opening on the surface facing the body panel 22. The accommodation portion 53 has an accommodation space 531 that accommodates the drive pulley 81 and the two pressure pulleys 82, 83.

[0037] The multiple fixing holes 541 to 543 are provided at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the guide frame 50. More specifically, the fixing hole 541 is provided near the rear end of the guide frame 50 in the longitudinal direction. The fixing hole 542 is provided near the front end of the guide frame 50 in the longitudinal direction. The multiple fixing holes 543 are provided so as to surround the periphery of the storage section 53 in a side view in the width direction. The multiple fixing holes 541 to 543 are portions through which fastening members such as screws and bolts pass when fixing the door drive device 40 to the vehicle body 20, i.e., when fixing the guide frame 50 to the body panel 22.

[0038] <Subcover 60> As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, the sub-cover 60 includes a protection plate 61 and a seal 62.

[0039] The protective plate 61 has an upper wall 611, an outer wall 612, and an inner wall 613. In a plan view from above, the upper wall 611 has a shape similar to that of the upper wall 611 of the curved portion 52 of the guide frame 50. That is, the upper wall 611 has an arc shape in a plan view from above. The outer wall 612 extends downward from the outer end of the upper wall 611 in the width direction, and the inner wall 613 extends upward from the inner end of the upper wall 611 in the width direction. The rear end of the outer wall 612 coincides with the rear end of the upper wall 611, but the rear end of the inner wall 613 is located forward of the rear end of the upper wall 611. Therefore, it can be said that the outer wall 612 extends further rearward than the inner wall 613. The seal 62 is an elastic member made of an elastomer such as rubber or resin. The seal 62 is affixed to the inner wall 613 of the sub-cover 60. At this time, the seal 62 is inclined so as to move upward from the upper end of the inner wall 613 of the sub-cover 60 toward the inside in the width direction.

[0040] The sub-cover 60 is fixed to the curved portion 52 of the guide frame 50 from above. For example, the sub-cover 60 and the guide frame 50 may be fixed together using a snap fit or a fastening member such as a bolt. When the sub-cover 60 is fixed to the guide frame 50, the curved portion 52 of the guide frame 50 is covered from above by the sub-cover 60. At this time, the outer wall 612 of the sub-cover 60 faces the outer guide wall 521 of the curved portion 52 of the guide frame 50. Note that the sub-cover 60 is fixed to the guide frame 50 after the guide frame 50 is fixed to the body panel 22. Therefore, when the sub-cover 60 is fixed to the guide frame 50, the seal 62 elastically deforms. In this way, the seal 62 fills the gap between the sub-cover 60 and the body panel 22.

[0041] <Belt drive unit 70> As shown in Fig. 3, the belt drive unit 70 has an electric motor 71, an output shaft 72 driven by power transmitted from the electric motor 71, and a case 73 that houses the components of the belt drive unit 70. The belt drive unit 70 has a reducer (not shown) inside the case 73 that transmits the power of the electric motor 71 to the output shaft 72. The output shaft 72 is connected to a drive pulley 81. As shown in Fig. 2, when the door drive device 40 is fixed to the vehicle 10, the belt drive unit 70 is disposed inside the body panel 22.

[0042] <Pulley> As shown in Fig. 4, the drive pulley 81 and the two pressure pulleys 82, 83 are housed in the housing portion 53 of the guide frame 50. More specifically, the drive pulley 81 and the two pressure pulleys 82, 83 are rotatably supported in the housing portion 53. At this time, the drive pulley 81 is located between the first pressure pulley 82 and the second pressure pulley 83 in the longitudinal direction of the guide frame 50. Furthermore, the rotation axes of the drive pulley 81, the first pressure pulley 82, and the second pressure pulley 83 extend in the width direction. The drive pulley 81 is a toothed pulley.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the first driven pulley 84 and the second driven pulley 85 are supported at both longitudinal ends of the guide frame 50. Specifically, the first driven pulley 84 is rotatably supported at the rear end of the straight portion 51 of the guide frame 50. The second driven pulley 85 is rotatably supported at the front end of the curved portion 52 of the guide frame 50. The third driven pulley 86 is rotatably supported at an intermediate portion of the curved portion 52 of the guide frame 50 in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the third driven pulley 86 is supported at a position facing the inner guide wall 522 of the curved portion 52 of the guide frame 50 in the width direction. The rotation axes of the three driven pulleys 84 to 86 extend in the vertical direction. That is, the rotation axes of the three driven pulleys 84 to 86 are in a torsional relationship with the rotation axes of the drive pulley 81, the first pressure pulley 82, and the second pressure pulley 83.

[0044] The pulley cover 87 is a member that covers the opening of the accommodating portion 53. The pulley cover 87 has an insertion hole 871 through which the output shaft 72 of the belt drive unit 70 is inserted. By covering the opening of the accommodating portion 53 with the pulley cover 87, the accommodating space 531 of the accommodating portion 53 becomes a closed space. In this case, it is preferable that the pulley cover 87 be flush with the inner wall 515 of the straight portion 51 of the guide frame 50.

[0045] <Belt 91 and belt bracket 92> The belt 91 is a toothed belt made of an elastomer such as rubber or resin. The belt 91 is wound around the drive pulley 81, two pressure pulleys 82 and 83, and three driven pulleys 84 to 86, while surrounding the guide wall 511 of the straight portion 51 and the outer guide wall 521 and inner guide wall 522 of the curved portion 52 of the guide frame 50. Here, the portion of the belt 91 wound around the drive pulley 81 is pressed down by the two pressure pulleys 82 and 83. In this way, the power of the output shaft 72 of the belt drive unit 70 is efficiently transmitted to the belt 91 via the drive pulley 81.

[0046] In this embodiment, the rotation axes of the drive pulley 81 and the two pressure pulleys 82 and 83 are in a twisted positional relationship with the rotation axes of the three driven pulleys 84 to 86. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 4, a twist occurs in the belt 91 at the front and rear of the portions of the belt 91 wound around the drive pulley 81 and the two pressure pulleys 82 and 83. More specifically, a twist occurs in the belt 91 between the first pressure pulley 82 and the first driven pulley 84, and a twist occurs between the second pressure pulley 83 and the third driven pulley 86.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 5 , the belt 91 routed along the straight portion 51 of the guide frame 50 is covered by the main cover 55. An outer upper wall 512 and an inner upper wall 513 of the main cover 55 cover the belt 91 from above. An outer wall 514 and an inner wall 515 of the main cover 55 cover the belt 91 in the width direction. The outer wall 514 and the inner wall 515 of the main cover 55 overlap at least a portion of the belt 91 in the up-down direction. In other words, the outer wall 514 and the inner wall 515 of the main cover 55 face the belt 91. At this time, the lower end of the outer wall 514 of the main cover 55 is located at the same height as the lower end of the belt 91 facing the outer wall 514. The lower end of the inner wall 515 of the main cover 55 is located lower than the lower end of the belt 91 facing the inner wall 515.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 6, the belt 91 routed along the curved portion 52 of the guide frame 50 is covered by the upper wall 525 of the curved portion 52 and the sub-cover 60. The upper wall 525 of the curved portion 52 and the upper wall 525 of the sub-cover 60 cover the belt 91 from above. The outer wall 612 of the sub-cover 60 covers the belt 91 from the outside in the width direction. The outer wall 612 of the sub-cover 60 also overlaps with at least a portion of the belt 91 in the up-down direction. In this case, the lower end of the outer wall 612 of the sub-cover 60 is located lower than the lower end of the belt 91 facing the outer wall 612.

[0049] 3 and 4, the belt bracket 92 has a base end connected to the belt 91 and a tip end connected to the center hinge unit 33 of the sliding door 30. In this way, the belt bracket 92 transmits the power output from the belt drive unit 70 from the belt 91 to the center hinge unit 33. The belt bracket 92 is formed, for example, by pressing a metal plate.

[0050] <Function of the door driving device 40> The door drive device 40 configured as described above drives the electric motor 71 of the belt drive unit 70 when opening or closing the sliding door 30. This causes the output shaft 72 of the belt drive unit 70 to rotate, thereby rotating the belt 91. When opening the sliding door 30, the belt 91 is rotated so that the belt bracket 92 moves rearward. As a result, a rearward load acts on the sliding door 30 via the center hinge unit 33. In this way, the sliding door 30 is opened by moving rearward. On the other hand, when closing the sliding door 30, the belt 91 is rotated so that the belt bracket 92 moves forward. As a result, a frontward load acts on the sliding door 30 via the center hinge unit 33. In this way, the sliding door 30 is closed by moving forward.

[0051] <Operation of this embodiment> 7 and 8, the operation when the vehicle 10 is submerged in water will be described. The vehicle 10 is submerged in water when, for example, rainwater falls on the vehicle 10 or when cleaning fluid is sprayed onto the vehicle 10 during a car wash.

[0052] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle 10 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the straight portion 51 of the guide frame 50. As shown in FIG. 7, the belt 91 routed along the straight portion 51 of the guide frame 50 is covered by the main cover 55. Therefore, liquid flowing from above toward the belt 91 and the guide wall 511 is blocked by the outer upper wall 512 and the inner upper wall 513 of the main cover 55, as indicated by arrow A1. Liquid flowing from the side toward the belt 91 and the like is blocked by the outer wall 514 of the main cover 55, as indicated by arrow A2. Furthermore, liquid flowing along the body panel 22 toward the belt 91 and the like is blocked by the inner wall 515 of the main cover 55, as indicated by arrow A3. In this way, liquid is prevented from adhering to the belt 91, the guide wall 511, and the like.

[0053] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle 10 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the curved portion 52 of the guide frame 50. As shown in FIG. 8, the belt 91 routed along the curved portion 52 of the guide frame 50 is covered by the sub-cover 60. Therefore, liquid flowing from above toward the belt 91, outer guide wall 521, and inner guide wall 522 is blocked by the upper wall 525 of the sub-cover 60, as indicated by arrow A4. Liquid flowing from the side toward the belt 91 and other components is blocked by the outer wall 612 of the sub-cover 60, as indicated by arrow A5. Furthermore, liquid flowing along the body panel 22 toward the belt 91 and other components is blocked by the seal 62 of the sub-cover 60, as indicated by arrow A6. This prevents liquid from adhering to the belt 91, outer guide wall 521, inner guide wall 522, and other components.

[0054] <Effects of this embodiment> (1) The door drive device 40 includes a main cover 55 having an outer upper wall 512, an inner upper wall 513, an outer wall 514, and an inner wall 515. Therefore, even if liquid splashes on the vehicle 10, the liquid is less likely to reach the belt 91 and the surrounding components of the belt 91. Therefore, the door drive device 40 can prevent liquid from adhering to the belt 91 and the like. As a result, problems caused by liquid adhering to the belt 91 and the like can be avoided. For example, it is possible to prevent the belt 91 from becoming stuck relative to the guide frame 50 due to liquid adhering to the belt 91 freezing. In other words, it is possible to prevent the door drive device 40 from becoming unable to open or close the sliding door 30.

[0055] (2) The outer wall 514 and the inner wall 515 of the main cover 55 overlap at least a portion of the belt 91 in the vertical direction. Therefore, the door drive device 40 can further prevent liquid from adhering to the belt 91 and the like.

[0056] (3) Power for opening and closing the sliding door 30 is transmitted to the sliding door 30 via a belt bracket 92 that connects the belt 91 and the sliding door 30. When the belt 91 is driven, the belt bracket 92 moves below the outer wall 514 of the main cover 55 along the longitudinal direction of the guide frame 50. Therefore, the outer wall 514 of the main cover 55 needs to avoid interference with the belt bracket 92. On the other hand, the inner wall 515 of the main cover 55 does not need to consider interference with the belt bracket 92. In this regard, the door drive device 40 has a lower end of the inner wall 515 positioned lower than the lower end of the outer wall 514. Therefore, the door drive device 40 can prevent liquid flowing inside the device from reaching the belt 91 and the like while avoiding interference between the belt bracket 92 and the outer wall 514 of the main cover 55.

[0057] (4) In the door drive device 40, the main cover 55 is integrated with the guide frame 50, which reduces the number of parts that make up the device. (5) The curved portion 52 of the guide frame 50 is curved differently from the straight portion 51. This may make it difficult to form a cover that covers the belt 91 routed along the curved portion 52 integrally with the curved portion 52. For example, as shown in FIG. 6 , the curved portion 52 of the guide frame 50 has an outer bottom wall 523 and an inner bottom wall 524 to prevent the belt 91 from falling off. In this case, when the guide frame 50 is molded from resin, restrictions on the mold release direction make it impossible to provide side walls extending downward from the upper wall 525. In this regard, in the door drive device 40, the main cover 55 that covers the belt 91 routed along the straight portion 51 of the guide frame 50 is formed integrally with the guide frame 50. On the other hand, the sub-cover 60 that covers the belt 91 routed along the curved portion 52 of the guide frame 50 is formed separately from the guide frame 50. This allows the door drive device 40 to reduce the number of components constituting the device while preventing liquid from adhering to the belt 91 routed along the curved portion 52. Furthermore, the door drive device 40 can reduce the size of the cover that is separate from the guide frame 50.

[0058] (6) In the door drive device 40, the sub-cover 60 can prevent liquid from passing through the gap between the sub-cover 60 and the body panel 22 by closing the gap with the body panel 22 using the seal 62. In this way, the door drive device 40 can prevent liquid passing through the gap between the sub-cover 60 and the body panel 22 from adhering to the belt 91, etc.

[0059] <Example of change> This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0060] The guide frame 50 may be composed of only the straight portion 51. In this case, it is preferable that the straight portion 51 be gently curved so that the front end is positioned more inward in the width direction than the rear end.

[0061] The main cover 55 may be configured as a separate body from the guide frame 50. In this case, the main cover 55 and the sub-cover 60 may be configured as an integral body or as separate bodies.

[0062] The sub-cover 60 does not have to be fixed to the guide frame 50 from above. For example, the sub-cover 60 may be fixed to the guide frame 50 from the outer side toward the inner side in the width direction.

[0063] The seal 62 may be omitted from the sub-cover 60. In this case, it is preferable that the sub-cover 60 has a configuration equivalent to the inner wall 515 of the main cover 55. In other words, it is preferable that the sub-cover 60 has an inner wall that extends downward from the inner end in the width direction of the upper wall 611. Furthermore, it is preferable that the inner wall has a length sufficient to face the belt 91 routed along the curved portion 52 of the guide frame 50.

[0064] In the sub-cover 60, the seal 62 can be replaced with a waterproof tape that is attached across the body panel 22 and the protection plate 61 to seal the gap between them. The lengths of the outer wall 514 and the inner wall 515 of the main cover 55 can be adjusted as appropriate. For example, the outer wall 514 of the main cover 55 may extend slightly downward from the outer end of the outer upper wall 512, and the inner wall 515 of the main cover 55 may extend slightly downward from the inner end of the inner upper wall 513. In this case, the belt 91 routed along the straight portion 51 of the guide frame 50 does not need to be hidden by the outer wall 514 and the inner wall 515 in a side view in the width direction.

[0065] In the door driving device 40, the guide frame 50 does not have to be a one-piece molded product made of a resin material. For example, the straight portion 51 and the curved portion 52 may be formed separately. The door drive device 40 can also be installed in a position where it is aligned vertically with the upper rail 23. In this case, the belt bracket 92 of the door drive device 40 is connected to the upper hinge unit 32. The door drive device 40 can also be installed in a position where it is aligned vertically with the lower rail 25. In this case, the belt bracket 92 of the door drive device 40 is connected to the lower hinge unit 34.

[0066] The belt driving unit 70 may be mounted on the guide frame 50 so that the axial direction of the output shaft 72 of the belt driving unit 70 is aligned with the axial directions of the three driven pulleys 84 to 86. This configuration prevents twisting of the belt 91. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 10...Vehicle 20...Body 21...Door opening 22...Body panel 24...Center rail 30...Sliding door 31...Door body 33...Center hinge unit 40...Sliding door drive unit 50...Guide frame 51...Straight section 511...Guide wall 512...Outer upper wall (an example of an upper wall) 513...Inner upper wall (an example of an upper wall) 514…Outer wall 515...Inner wall 52...Bend 521...Outer guide wall 522...Inner guide wall 523...Outer bottom wall 524…Inner bottom wall 525...Upper wall 53...Storage section 55...Main cover (example of cover) 60...Sub-cover 61...Protection plate 611...Upper wall 612…Outer wall 613...Inner wall 62...Seal 70...Belt drive unit 81...Drive pulley 82...First pressure pulley 83...Second pressure pulley 84...First driven pulley 85...Second driven pulley 86...Third driven pulley 87...Pulley cover 91...Belt 92...Belt bracket

Claims

1. A sliding door driving device that is fixed to a body panel of a vehicle and operates a sliding door of the vehicle in an opening direction and a closing direction, A long guide frame, a first driven pulley and a second driven pulley rotatably supported at both longitudinal ends of the guide frame; a belt wound around the first driven pulley and the second driven pulley; a cover that covers the belt, the cover has an upper wall that covers the belt from above, an outer wall that extends downward from an outer end of the upper wall in the width direction of the vehicle, and an inner wall that extends downward from an inner end of the upper wall in the width direction, The outer wall and the inner wall cover the belt in the width direction. Sliding door drive unit.

2. A sliding door driving device that is fixed to a body panel of a vehicle and operates a sliding door of the vehicle in an opening direction and a closing direction, A long guide frame, a first driven pulley and a second driven pulley rotatably supported at both longitudinal ends of the guide frame; a belt wound around the first driven pulley and the second driven pulley; a cover that covers the belt, the cover has an upper wall that covers the belt from above, an outer wall that extends downward from an outer end of the upper wall in the width direction of the vehicle, and an inner wall that extends downward from an inner end of the upper wall in the width direction, The cover is integrally formed with the guide frame, the guide frame has a straight portion extending linearly in the closing direction and a curved portion that curves inward in the width direction as it progresses in the closing direction from an end of the straight portion in the closing direction, the cover is a main cover that covers the belt routed along the straight portion of the guide frame, a sub-cover that is formed separately from the guide frame and covers the belt that is routed along the curved portion of the guide frame; Sliding door drive unit.

3. The outer wall and the inner wall overlap at least a portion of the belt in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The sliding door drive device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The lower end of the inner wall is located lower than the lower end of the outer wall. The sliding door drive device according to claim 3.

5. The sub-cover has a seal that closes the gap between the sub-cover and the body panel. The sliding door drive device according to claim 2.

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