Retractable auxiliary step for vehicles

Abstract

To store a boarding plate with a minimum size and reduce manufacturing cost.SOLUTION: A storage part 1 of a flat square box shape having a flat opening 1a formed only at the front corresponding to the front end of a vehicle step S is fixed below the vehicle step S. A drive source 3 having a vertical drive shaft 3a is provided in a rear part in the storage part 1. A drive gear 4 axially fixed to the drive shaft 3a of the drive source 3 is engaged with one of a pair of follower gears 5 symmetrically arranged to be engaged with each other. Cranks 5a are projected from the respective follower gears 5 so as to oppositely rotate at the same phase. The rear end left and right of a square boarding plate 6 are pivotally connected to the tips of the cranks 5a via a connection stick 7. Linear rails 9 of lengths projecting from the front end of the boarding plate 6 to behind the rear end are provided at the left and right edges of the boarding plate 6. The respective linear rails 9 are slidably inserted into guider rails 10 provided at the left and right edges in the storage part 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a retractable auxiliary step for a vehicle that is arranged between the vehicle step and the ground surface, mainly for one-box or minivan-type passenger cars. [Background technology]

[0002] The auxiliary step shown in Patent Document 1 is configured in such a way that a box-shaped frame is fixed directly below the vehicle step already installed on the vehicle, a pantograph-shaped telescopic member that is movable by an electric motor is provided deep within the frame, a boarding and alighting plate is attached to the free end of the telescopic member, the boarding and alighting plate is protruded forward of the vehicle step by extending the telescopic member that is movable by the electric motor, and the boarding and alighting plate is stored within the frame below the vehicle step by contracting the telescopic member in the extended state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-268169 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the auxiliary step of the above configuration, the boarding and alighting plate protrudes forward from the inside of the lower part of the vehicle further than the vehicle step. In this protruding state, the boarding and alighting plate requires a size (depth) that is the combined size of the part where the passenger steps on and the part where the rails that slide and support the left and right sides of the boarding and alighting plate cantilever-support the base end of the boarding and alighting plate. This requires a large amount of storage space in the vehicle width direction, and in order to move such a large boarding and alighting plate forward and backward, the drive source must be made larger and more powerful, which poses the problem of rising manufacturing costs.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention provides a retractable auxiliary step for a vehicle that stores the boarding and alighting board in a minimum size and reduces manufacturing costs. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In view of the above problems, the retractable auxiliary step for a vehicle of the present invention has a flat, rectangular box-shaped storage section fixed to the bottom of the vehicle step, with a flat opening only at the front corresponding to the front end of the vehicle step, a drive source having a vertical drive shaft provided at the rear of the storage section, a drive gear attached to the drive shaft of the drive source and meshing with one of a pair of meshed driven gears arranged symmetrically on the left and right, each driven gear having a protruding crank that rotates in the same phase but in the opposite direction, and the left and right rear ends of a square boarding and alighting plate are pivotally connected to the tips of the cranks via connecting rods, linear rails are provided on the left and right side edges of the boarding and alighting plate, each of which has a length that protrudes from the front end of the boarding and alighting plate rearward by a predetermined distance, and each of the linear rails is slidably inserted into guide rails provided on the left and right side edges of the storage section, allowing the boarding and alighting plate to freely move in and out of the storage section. The left and right cranked driven gears are formed in the same shape, and the tip of the crank is provided with a left-use and a right-use pivot hole for pivoting with the base end of the connecting rod, and the left-use and right-use pivot holes are located on a circumference centered on the central axis of the driven gear, and are arranged in phase with each other at an angle corresponding to a predetermined number of teeth of the driven gear. Furthermore, a slider that slides on the guide rail is attached to the front and rear of the part of the linear rail that protrudes from the rear end of the boarding and disembarking plate, and a groove that can accommodate foreign objects is engraved in the front-to-rear direction on the sliding surface of the slider that contacts the guide rail. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] In short, the present invention provides a flat rectangular box-shaped storage section fixed to the bottom of a vehicle step, with a flat opening only at the front corresponding to the front end of the vehicle step, a drive source having a vertical drive shaft provided at the rear of the storage section, a drive gear attached to the drive shaft of the drive source and meshing with one of a pair of meshed driven gears arranged symmetrically on the left and right, cranks that rotate in the same phase but in opposite directions protruding from each driven gear, and left and right rear ends of a rectangular boarding and alighting plate pivotally connected to the tips of the cranks via connecting rods, linear rails of a length that protrude from the front end of the boarding and alighting plate to the rear of the rear end by a predetermined length, and the linear rails Each of the rails is slidably inserted into guide rails provided on the left and right side edges of the storage section, and the boarding and alighting plate is designed to be able to move in and out of the storage section.When the drive source is activated, the left and right driven gears rotate via a drive gear, causing the left and right cranks to rotate in the same phase but in opposite directions, thereby bending and extending the cranks and connecting rod, and the boarding and alighting plate can be moved back and forth in parallel along the linear rail that slides back and forth along the guide rail.The boarding and alighting plate can be moved back and forth between a storage position corresponding to the stored state in which it is recessed into the storage section, and an extended position in which it protrudes the most from the storage section and extends forward of the lower part of the vehicle step to allow boarding and alighting. When the boarding and alighting plate is in the protruding state, the linear rails that protrude rearward from the rear end of the boarding and alighting plate, which are provided on the left and right side edges, are inserted and supported by the guide rails, so there is no need to extend the rear of the boarding and alighting plate all the way to the bottom of the vehicle step to support it. For this reason, the boarding and alighting plate only needs to have the minimum depth required for passengers to step on it, and the entire boarding and alighting plate can be extended forward of the vehicle step to form a tread surface; the depth of the boarding and alighting plate can be made extremely short, minimizing the size of the boarding and alighting plate; this makes it possible to reduce the size of the drive source that moves the boarding and alighting plate forward and backward and to minimize the storage space for the boarding and alighting plate, reducing its manufacturing costs; and even if an external force is generated when passengers step on the boarding and alighting plate, the protruding state can be reliably and stably maintained, allowing it to serve as a safe footrest.

[0008] The left and right crank driven gears are formed to be the same shape, and the tips of the cranks are provided with pivot holes for left and right use for pivoting to the base ends of the connecting rod. The pivot holes for left and right use are on a circumference centered on the central axis of the driven gear and are arranged out of phase with each other at an angle corresponding to the specified number of teeth of the driven gear. Therefore, even though the crank driven gears have the same shape, by simply using the pivot holes for left and right use, the pivot holes for pivoting to the base ends of the connecting rod can be arranged in symmetrical positions, allowing the left and right cranks to be synchronized, and manufacturing costs can be reduced compared to using two different types of crank driven gears for left and right use.

[0009] Sliders that slide on the guide rail are attached to the front and rear of the linear rail at the part that protrudes from the rear end of the boarding and disembarking plate. Therefore, since the linear rail is directly in sliding contact with the guide rail, the linear rail itself does not wear out, and in the unlikely event that a slider does wear out, it is only necessary to replace the worn slider. Furthermore, grooves capable of accommodating foreign matter are carved in the front-to-rear direction on the sliding surface of the slider against the guide rail. This means that even if foreign matter such as mud or sand gets into the guide rail, the foreign matter is expelled to the outside through the grooves. This suppresses so-called abrasive wear, which occurs when foreign matter gets caught between the sliding surfaces of the slider and guide rail and scrapes off the surface, and has significant practical effects such as extending the life of parts and preventing breakdowns. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a protruding state of the boarding and alighting plate. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view of the storage section with the internal structure omitted. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the storage state of the boarding and disembarking board. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 6 taken along line B-B. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. The retractable auxiliary step for a vehicle according to the present invention has a flat rectangular box-shaped storage section 1, which has a flat opening 1a only at the front corresponding to the front end of the vehicle step S, fixed horizontally to a suitable location at the bottom of the vehicle step S already installed in the vehicle (not shown) via a bracket (not shown) formed according to the vehicle model. For convenience of explanation, the top plate 1b of the storage section 1 is omitted in FIGS.

[0012] A base plate 2 having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view is installed in the center of the bottom plate 1c in the storage section 1, and a drive source 3 having a drive shaft 3a with a tip pointing vertically downward is installed in the center of the rear of the base plate 2.

[0013] The drive source 3 consists of an electric motor, and its drive shaft 3a is located on the right side of the base plate 2, with a drive gear 4 horizontally attached to it. In front of the drive gear 4, a pair of mutually meshing driven gears 5 are horizontally arranged at symmetrical positions on the base plate 2, and the drive gear 4 is meshed with the driven gear 5 on the right side.

[0014] A crank 5a protrudes from each driven gear 5, and rotates in the same phase but in the opposite direction as the driven gear 5 rotates. The crank 5a is bent in the middle and formed in a Z-shape when viewed from the side so that its tip is positioned horizontally above the driven gear 5. The tip of the crank 5a is pivotally connected to tongue pieces 6a that protrude horizontally and integrally rearward on the left and right sides of the rear end of the square boarding and alighting plate 6 via a strip-shaped connecting rod 7.

[0015] The left and right driven gears 5 with cranks 5a are formed in the same shape, and the tip of the crank 5a is formed in a T-shape when viewed from above, and the tip is provided with left-use and right-use pivot holes 5b, 5c for pivotal connection to the base end of the connecting rod 7, and the left-use and right-use pivot holes 5b, 5c are located on a circumference centered on the central axis 8 of the driven gear 5, and are arranged out of phase with each other at an angle α corresponding to the predetermined number of teeth of the driven gear 5 (see Figure 2).

[0016] The driven gear 5 in the illustrated example has 50 teeth around its entire circumference, with one tooth corresponding to a central angle of 7.2 degrees. In order for the teeth and tooth spaces of both driven gears 5 to mesh, they must be out of phase with each other by 0.5 teeth (3.6 degrees in the illustrated example). However, considering the length of the crank 5a and the size of the pivot holes 5b and 5c, a spacing of 0.5 teeth is not sufficient to form effective pivot holes 5b and 5c. Therefore, the pivot holes 5b and 5c are spaced apart by a phase of 10.8 (= α) degrees, which is the equivalent of 1.5 teeth.

[0017] The driven gear 5 with crank 5a formed in this manner has the same shape, but by simply using the pivot holes 5b and 5c for left and right use, the pivot holes 5b and 5c that pivot to the base end of the connecting rod 7 can be arranged in symmetrical positions, and the left and right cranks 5a can be synchronized.

[0018] Therefore, in this example, which can use driven gears 5 with cranks 5a of the same shape on the left and right, manufacturing costs can be reduced because, if there were a single pivot hole at the tip of the cranks 5a, driven gears 5 with teeth 0.5 tooth phase shifts would have to be used in order to mesh the left and right driven gears 5 so as to synchronize the left and right cranks 5a, and two different types of driven gears 5 with cranks 5a would have to be formed on the left and right.

[0019] In addition, linear rails 9 are provided on the left and right side edges of the boarding and alighting plate 6, each having a length that protrudes a predetermined distance from the front end of the boarding and alighting plate 6 rearward from the rear end, and each of the linear rails 9 is slidably inserted into approximately U-shaped guide rails 10 provided on the left and right side edges within the storage section 1, so that the boarding and alighting plate 6 can be freely advanced and retreated horizontally from the storage section 1 through the opening 1a.

[0020] The linear rail 9 has a rod 9a whose upper part is open over the entire length, and whose upper edge on one side of a groove whose both longitudinal ends are open is bent horizontally outward to form a joint piece 9b. An interior rod 9c having a grooved shape and whose both longitudinal ends are open is inserted into the rod 9a, and whose side corresponding to the joint piece 9b is open over the entire length, and the interior rod 9c is riveted and fixed to the rod 9a with rivets R, and the main body 9d of the linear rail 9 excluding the joint piece 9b is formed into an approximately square tube shape (see Figures 3 and 7).

[0021] Then, the left and right side edges of the boarding and alighting plate 6 are overlapped on the front joint pieces 9b of each of the pair of left and right linear rails 9 with the joint pieces 9b facing inward and fastened together with rivets R, thereby integrally fixing the linear rails 9 to the left and right sides of the boarding and alighting plate 6.

[0022] Furthermore, sliders 11 made of self-lubricating resin that slide on guide rails 10 are attached to the front and rear of the linear rail 9 at the portions that protrude from the rear end of the boarding and disembarking plate 6 .

[0023] The slider 11 is formed with a roughly U-shaped cross section so that it fits onto the main body 9d from the opposite side of the joint piece 9b, so that it can abut on three sides of the main body 9d that do not have the joint piece 9b. The upper and lower horizontal plates 11a of the slider 11 have protruding claw pieces 11b at the central tips of their inner surfaces, and the claw pieces 11b are fitted into perforations 12 provided in appropriate positions on the upper and lower surfaces of the main body 9d, thereby maintaining the fitted and fixed state onto the main body 9d (see Figure 7).

[0024] In addition, in the slider 11, the side wall 11c connecting the upper and lower horizontal plates 11a has a recessed portion extending from front to back in the middle portion, and this recessed portion 11d prevents the side wall 11c from coming into contact with the head of the fixing screw (only the screw insertion hole is shown in Figures 1 and 5) for fixing to the bracket that protrudes from the middle portion of the inner surface of the upright wall 10a of the guide rail 10, which corresponds to the left and right side surfaces of the storage section 1, so that the slider 11 can slide smoothly within the guide rail 10 without any hindrance.

[0025] Each of the upper and lower horizontal plates 11a of the slider 11 that come into contact with the guide rail 10 (upper and lower) has multiple grooves 13 (three in the illustrated example) engraved in the front-to-rear direction to accommodate foreign matter such as mud and sand.

[0026] In addition, each of the left and right linear rails 9 is provided with stoppers 14, 15 that stably stop the boarding and alighting plate 6 at a storage position X corresponding to a stored state in which the boarding and alighting plate 6 is retracted into the storage section 1, and at an extension position Y where the boarding and alighting plate 6 protrudes to the maximum extent from the storage section 1 and protrudes forward below the vehicle step S to allow boarding and alighting.

[0027] The stoppers 14 and 15 are made of synthetic rubber disks, and the base shafts protruding from the center of the rear surface thereof are screwed onto the front and rear end faces of a bracket 16 that is a bottomless box that is long in the front-to-rear direction.

[0028] The bracket 16 is arranged parallel to the inner side of the linear rail 9 by extending one side of its top plate in a band shape and overlapping it on the rear part of the joint piece 9b and fastening it with a rivet R.

[0029] The front stopper 14 protruding from the front end of the bracket 16 is configured to stop the boarding and alighting plate 6 at the extended position Y by abutting against a barrier 17 having a height approximately one-third of the opening 1a at the lower edge of the opening 1a.

[0030] A rear stopper 15 protruding from the rear end of the bracket 16 is configured to abut against the rear end surface 1d inside the storage section 1, thereby stopping the boarding and alighting plate 6 at the storage position X where it is retracted inside the storage section 1.

[0031] The boarding and alighting plate 6 and the front part of the linear rail 9 attached to it (the part forward of the front slider 11) are covered with a synthetic resin cover 18 (the outline of the cover 18 is shown by a two-dot chain line in Figures 2 and 6), giving the linear rail 9 protruding from the storage section 1 and the boarding and alighting plate 6 a wide, integrated appearance that looks good.

[0032] Furthermore, the cover 18 has a number of horizontally elongated anti-slip ridges 18a of an appropriate length protruding upward from the portion of the cover 18 that corresponds to the boarding / alighting board 6.

[0033] The auxiliary step configured as described above is operated by the drive source 3, and the left and right driven gears 5 rotate via the drive gear 4 to rotate the left and right cranks 5a in the same phase but in opposite directions, thereby bending and extending the cranks 5a and the connecting rod 7, and moving the boarding and alighting plate 6 back and forth in parallel along the linear rail that slides back and forth along the guide rail 10, thereby allowing it to move back and forth between the storage position X and the extension position Y while maintaining a horizontal state.

[0034] In the stored state of the boarding and alighting plate 6 shown in Figures 5 and 6, the crank 5a and the connecting rod 7 are bent, and the boarding and alighting plate 6 is stored by being immersed in the storage position X in the storage section 1 below the vehicle step S via the tongue piece 6a at the rear of the boarding and alighting plate 6 connected to the connecting rod 7.

[0035] When the boarding and alighting plate 6 is stored in this manner, the linear rails 9 on the left and right sides of the boarding and alighting plate 6 overlap within the guide rails 10 on the left and right sides of the storage section 1 so that their front and rear ends are aligned, and the rear end surface 1d of the storage section 1 is pressed against the elastic rear stopper 15 of the linear rails 9, keeping the boarding and alighting plate 6 stationary, thereby maintaining a stable storage state and preventing vibration and noise from occurring when the vehicle is running.

[0036] Then, in the stored state, the drive source 3 is operated to rotate the drive gear 4 counterclockwise in FIG. 6, causing the right-side driven gear 5 meshing with it to rotate clockwise, and the left-side driven gear 5 meshing with it to rotate counterclockwise, causing the left and right cranks 5a to rotate in opposite directions in the same phase.

[0037] As a result, the crank 5a and the connecting rod 7 extend, and the boarding / alighting plate 6, which is pivotally attached to the connecting rod 7 via the tongue 6a, moves forward in parallel with the linear rail 9, which slides forward along the guide rail 10.

[0038] Furthermore, in the linear rail 9, the pair of front and rear sliders 11 directly slide against the guide rail 10, so the linear rail 9 itself does not wear out, and in the unlikely event that the slider 11 does wear out, it is only necessary to replace the worn slider 11.

[0039] Furthermore, even if foreign matter such as mud or sand gets into the guide rail 10, such foreign matter is expelled to the outside through the grooves 13 provided on each of the sliding contact surfaces of the upper and lower horizontal plates 11a of the slider 11. This suppresses so-called abrasive wear, in which foreign matter gets caught between the sliding contact surfaces of the slider 11 and the guide rail 10 and scrapes off the surface, thereby extending the life of parts and preventing malfunctions, etc.

[0040] When the tip of the boarding and alighting plate 6 reaches the protruding position Y at the front of the lower part of the vehicle step S, the drive source 3 stops and the barrier 17 is pressed against the elastic front stopper 14 of the linear rail 9, thereby maintaining the boarding and alighting plate 6 in a stable protruding state.

[0041] When the boarding and alighting plate 6 is in the protruding state, the linear rails 9 provided on the left and right side edges of the boarding and alighting plate 6 and protruding rearward from the rear end of the boarding and alighting plate 6 are inserted and supported by the guide rails 10 via sliders 11, so there is no need to extend the rear of the boarding and alighting plate 6 to the lower side of the vehicle step S to support it.

[0042] For this reason, the boarding and alighting plate 6 only needs to have the minimum depth required for passengers to step on it, and the entire boarding and alighting plate 6 can be extended forward of the vehicle step S to form a tread, and the depth of the boarding and alighting plate 6 can be made extremely short to minimize the size of the boarding and alighting plate 6. This makes it possible to reduce the size of the drive source 3 that moves the boarding and alighting plate 6 forward and backward and to minimize the storage space for the boarding and alighting plate 6, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost.Moreover, even if an external force is generated when passengers step on the boarding and alighting plate 6, the protruding state can be reliably and stably maintained, and it can serve as a safe footrest.

[0043] In addition, to store the boarding and alighting plate 6, the drive source 3 is operated to rotate the crank 5a in the direction of storing it into the storage section 1, which is the opposite of the above, thereby causing the boarding and alighting plate 6 to be retracted into the storage section 1 in the reverse procedure to that described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1 Storage section 1a opening 3. Drive source 3a Drive shaft 4 Drive gear 5 Driven gear 5a crank 5b pivot hole 5c pivot hole 6. Getting on and off 7 consecutive rods 8 center axis 9 Linear Rail 10 Guide rail 11 Slider 13 Groove S vehicle step

Claims

1. a drive source having a vertical drive shaft is provided at the rear of the storage section, a drive gear attached to the drive shaft of the drive source is engaged with one of a pair of engaged driven gears arranged symmetrically on the left and right, and each driven gear has a protruding crank that rotates in the same phase in the opposite direction, and the left and right rear ends of a square boarding and alighting plate are pivotally connected to the tips of the cranks via connecting rods, and linear rails are provided on the left and right side edges of the boarding and alighting plate, each of which has a length that protrudes rearward from the front end of the boarding and alighting plate by a predetermined distance, and the linear rails are slidably inserted into guide rails provided on the left and right side edges of the storage section, so that the boarding and alighting plate can be freely moved in and out of the storage section; A retractable auxiliary step for a vehicle, characterized in that the left and right cranked driven gears are formed in the same shape, the tip of the crank has a left-use and a right-use pivot hole for pivoting to the base end of the connecting rod, the left-use and right-use pivot holes are on a circumference centered on the central axis of the driven gear, and are arranged out of phase with each other at an angle corresponding to a predetermined number of teeth of the driven gear.

2. A retractable auxiliary step for a vehicle as described in Claim 1, characterized in that a slider that slides on a guide rail is attached to the front and rear of the portion of the linear rail that protrudes from the rear end of the boarding and alighting plate, and a groove that can accommodate foreign objects is engraved in the front-to-rear direction on the sliding surface of the slider that comes into contact with the guide rail.

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