Door opening and closing device

Abstract

To provide a door open / close device capable of improving motor maintainability.SOLUTION: A door open / close device 1 has an upper rail 10 that suspends and holds the sliding door panel so as to slide in the width direction of the door to guide a guided member 29 coupled with the top end 9a of the sliding door panel 9. The door open / close device 1 includes: a drive rotation wheel 31 that transmits the drive to a string-like transmitter 28 connected to the guided member; a driven wheel 21 that is wrapped with the string-like transmitter to be rotated subordinately; a motor 35 that is provided with a gear 37 for transmitting the rotation to a gear 33 provided to the drive rotation wheel for rotating the drive rotation wheel; a first fixing member 34 for fixing the drive rotation wheel to the upper rail; and a second fixing member 38 that is provided independently from the first fixing member for detachably fixing the motor to the upper rail on which the drive rotation wheel is fixed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a door opening and closing device for opening and closing a sliding door panel. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Door opening and closing devices that transmit rotational drive of a motor to open and close a sliding door have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a sliding door drive device that includes a rail base from which a sliding door is suspended, a motor that drives the sliding door, a drive pulley that is rotated by the motor, and a timing belt that is looped around the drive pulley and driven pulley. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-33824 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the sliding door drive device described in Patent Document 1, the motor and the drive pulley with the timing belt wound around it are integrated and fixed to the rail base via a holding member. Therefore, when removing and installing the motor for maintenance or the like, it is necessary to remove and re-wrap the timing belt around the drive pulley that is integral with the motor, and further improvement is desired.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a door opening and closing device that can improve the maintainability of the motor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the door opening and closing device of the present invention is a door opening and closing device having an upper rail that guides a guided member connected to the upper end of a sliding door panel and suspends and holds the sliding door panel so that it can slide freely in the door width direction, and is characterized by having a drive rotating wheel that transmits drive to a string-like transmission body connected to the guided member, a driven rotating wheel that is wound around the string-like transmission body and rotates following it, a motor that is provided with a gear that transmits rotation to a gear provided on the drive rotating wheel and rotates the drive rotating wheel, a first fixing member that fixes the drive rotating wheel to the upper rail, and a second fixing member that is separate from the first fixing member and fixes the motor detachably to the upper rail to which the drive rotating wheel is fixed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The door opening and closing device according to the present invention is configured as described above, and therefore can improve the maintainability of the motor. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are partially cutaway schematic front views showing an example of a door opening and closing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, with some parts omitted. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional side view, partly cut away, of the door opening and closing device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway schematic perspective view of the door opening and closing device with a portion thereof omitted. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway schematic perspective view of the door opening and closing device with a portion thereof omitted. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway schematic perspective view of the door opening and closing device with a portion thereof omitted. [Figure 6] 1(a) to 1(c) are schematic perspective views in which part of the door opening and closing device is omitted. [Figure 7] 2(a) and 2(b) are partially cutaway schematic perspective views in which a part of the door opening and closing device is omitted. [Figure 8] 1A is a schematic exploded perspective view in which a part of the door opening and closing device is omitted, and FIG. 1B is a schematic partially cutaway front view in which a part of the door opening and closing device is omitted. [Figure 9] FIG. 1(a) is a partially cutaway schematic exploded perspective view in which a part of the door opening and closing device is omitted, and (b) to (d) are partially cutaway schematic front views in which a part of the door opening and closing device is omitted. [Figure 10] 10(a) and 10(b) are partially cutaway schematic front views showing a modified example of the door opening and closing device, with some parts omitted. [Figure 11] 10(a) to 10(c) are partially cutaway schematic front views showing other modified examples of the door opening and closing device. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway, schematic exploded perspective view showing still another modified example of the door opening and closing device, with some parts omitted. [Figure 13] 10(a) and 10(b) are partially cutaway schematic exploded plan views of the modified example. [Figure 14] 10(a) and 10(b) are partially cutaway schematic perspective views of the modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In some drawings, some of the detailed reference numerals used in other drawings are omitted. In the following embodiment, directions such as the up and down directions will be described based on the state in which the door opening and closing device according to this embodiment is installed.

[0010] 1 to 14 are diagrams that schematically show an example and a modified example of a door opening and closing device according to this embodiment. 1(a) and 1(b), the door opening and closing device 1 according to this embodiment includes an upper rail 10 that guides a guided member 29 connected to the upper end 9a of the sliding door panel 9 and suspends and holds the sliding door panel 9 so that it can slide in the door width direction. The door opening and closing device 1 also includes a drive mechanism 20 that is connected to the guided member 29 and slides the guided member 29 in the door width direction. With this configuration, when the drive mechanism 20 is driven, the guided member 29 moves in the door width direction, and the sliding door panel 9 can be opened and closed (opened and closed). In other words, the sliding door panel 9 can function as an automatic door.

[0011] The door opening and closing device 1 also includes an upper frame 3 as a fixing object to which the upper rail 10 is fixed. This door opening and closing device 1 may be a sliding door device made up of a door frame 2 including the upper frame 3 and a sliding door panel 9. The door opening and closing device 1 may be installed in a variety of locations, including ordinary residences such as detached houses and apartment buildings, public facilities such as accommodation facilities, medical facilities, and welfare facilities, commercial facilities such as offices, and various stores. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which one sliding door panel 9 is installed in a single sliding manner. In the example shown, the sliding door panel 9 is installed in a sleeve wall manner, but it can be installed in any other suitable manner, such as in a door pocket or offset manner.

[0012] The door frame 2 is installed in an opening in a wall of a building. The door frame 2 includes an upper frame 3 (upper rail 10) that defines the upper side of a doorway 8 that is opened and closed by a sliding door panel 9, a leading edge vertical frame 4 disposed on the leading edge of the sliding door panel 9, a trailing edge vertical frame 5 disposed on the trailing edge of the sliding door panel 9, and a middle mullion (intermediate vertical frame) 6. The middle mullion 6 is disposed along the end of the sleeve wall (not shown) on the doorway 8 side, and defines both sides of the opening width of the doorway 8 together with the leading edge vertical frame 4. The upper frame 3 may be attached to or embedded in the ceiling, or may be installed along the lower edge of a hanging wall. The lower side of the doorway 8 may also be defined by a floor or an appropriate lower frame.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1(a), the upper frame 3 is elongated in the door width direction. The length of this upper frame 3 is approximately twice the door width (maximum door width, described below) W1 (see Figure 1(b)) of the sliding door panel 9. As shown in Figure 2, the upper frame 3 is arranged so that its thickness direction is the vertical direction. Furthermore, the projected dimension (dimension along the door thickness direction) of the sleeve wall side portion of this upper frame 3 arranged on the sleeve wall side is smaller than the projected dimension of the entranceway 8 side portion arranged on the entranceway 8 side (see also Figure 5). The upper frame 3 is also provided with a receiving groove 3a that receives the upper portion of the drive mechanism 20, which will be described later. This configuration makes it easy to align the upper rail 10, on which the drive mechanism 20 is mounted. The receiving groove 3a opens downward and is provided so as to extend the entire length of the upper frame 3. The upper frame 3 may also be fixed to an appropriate upper frame base, such as a lintel, with fasteners such as screws or nails.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1(a), the leading edge vertical frame 4, trailing edge vertical frame 5, and middle mullion 6 are elongated in the door height direction (vertical direction). The length of these leading edge vertical frame 4, trailing edge vertical frame 5, and middle mullion 6 is roughly the same as the door height of the sliding door panel 9 plus the vertical dimensions of the upper rail 10 including the drive mechanism 20 and the upper frame 3. The leading edge vertical frame 4, trailing edge vertical frame 5, and middle mullion 6 are arranged so that their thickness direction is the door width direction. The projected dimensions of the trailing edge vertical frame 5 and middle mullion 6 are smaller than the projected dimensions of the leading edge vertical frame 4 (see Figure 2). The leading edge vertical frame 4 and trailing edge vertical frame 5 may be fixed to an appropriate vertical frame base such as a pillar using fasteners. The leading edge vertical frame 4, trailing edge vertical frame 5, and upper frame 3 may also be fixed to the vertical frame base and upper frame base in a state of being assembled in a three-sided frame configuration. The illustrated example shows an example in which the facing surfaces of the upper ends of the leading edge vertical frame 4 and trailing edge vertical frame 5 are butted against the longitudinal end faces of the upper frame 3, and the leading edge vertical frame 4, trailing edge vertical frame 5, and upper frame 3 are assembled in a vertically aligned configuration.

[0015] In addition, the facing surfaces of the leading edge vertical frame 4 and the trailing edge vertical frame 5 may be configured with door grooves to accommodate each end (leading edge end and trailing edge end) of the sliding door panel 9 on both sides of the door width. The upper end of the mullion 6 may be fixed to the upper frame 3, and the lower end may be fixed to the floor. The end of the middle mullion 6 on the sliding door panel 9 side may be provided with a gap shielding member such as mohair that rubs against one side of the sliding door panel 9 in the thickness direction. The door frame 2 is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration, and may have various other configurations.

[0016] The sliding door panel 9 is a generally rectangular flat plate that is long in one direction (vertical direction). The door height (length) of this sliding door panel 9 may be a standard door height, for example, about 1800 mm to 2100 mm, as long as it corresponds to the opening height of the doorway 8 that is opened and closed by the sliding door panel 9. The sliding door panel 9 may also be a high door whose door height is approximately the same as the ceiling height, for example, about 2300 mm to 3000 mm. The door thickness of the sliding door panel 9 may be about 20 mm to 40 mm. The door width dimension of this sliding door panel 9 is a preset maximum door width W1. This maximum door width W1 may be, for example, approximately 1200 mm to 1800 mm so as to accommodate the various installation locations as described above. When this sliding door panel 9 is installed indoors, it may be a relatively lightweight panel such as a so-called flush panel configured by attaching a surface material to a panel core material including a frame-shaped core material made of wood-based material, metal-based material, or the like, which is used as a general interior sliding door. This sliding door panel 9 is not limited to such a flush panel, and may be configured appropriately depending on the installation location, etc.

[0017] A first guided member 29A constituting the guided member 29 is connected to an upper end portion 9a on the leading side, which is one side in the door width direction, of the sliding door panel 9, and a second guided member 29B constituting the guided member 29 is connected to an upper end portion 9a on the trailing side, which is the other side in the door width direction. The first guided member 29A and the second guided member 29B have substantially the same configuration. As shown in FIG. 2, the first guided member 29A and the second guided member 29B are provided with mounting portions 29a that are mounted to mounting portions of the sliding door panel 9. The mounting portions of the sliding door panel 9 are provided on each of the upper end portions 9a on both sides in the door width direction of the sliding door panel 9 so as to open outward and upward in the door width direction, and are recessed cup-like portions into which the mounting portions 29a are fitted.

[0018] Furthermore, the first guided member 29A and the second guided member 29B are provided with a support shaft 29b that protrudes upward from the attached portion 29a, and a guide body 29c that is fixed to the upper end of the support shaft 29b. The guide body 29c is provided with rolling elements 29d that run on the guide piece portion 13a of the upper rail 10, which will be described later. In the illustrated example, the rolling elements 29d that rotate about an axis along the door thickness direction are provided on both sides of the guide body 29c in the door thickness direction. Note that the rolling elements 29d on both sides in the door thickness direction may also be provided at multiple locations on the guide body 29c at intervals in the door width direction.

[0019] Furthermore, the drive mechanism 20, which will be described in detail later, is connected to the first guided member 29A, which is one of both sides in the door width direction. In other words, the first guided member 29A is slid in the door width direction by the drive mechanism 20, and the second guided member 29B, which is not connected to the drive mechanism 20 and is on the other side, is slid in the door width direction in a manner that follows. It should be noted that the first guided member 29A and the second guided member 29B are not limited to the configuration described above, but may be configured appropriately in accordance with the upper rail 10 described below. Furthermore, the lower end of the sliding door panel 9 may be provided with a guide groove or the like into which a lower end guide member such as a guide pin provided on the floor side is inserted.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1(b), the upper rail 10 has a maximum length L1 that is approximately twice the maximum door width W1 of the sliding door panel 9. In this embodiment, the upper rail 10 is configured as the longest upper rail 10 with the longest length L1, and the drive mechanism 20 is fixed to the first half 10A on one side in the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 10. With this configuration, when the sliding door panel 9 has the maximum door width W1, as in this embodiment, the sliding door panel 9 can be opened and closed by sliding the first guided member 29A in the first half 10A of the longest upper rail 10 and sliding the second guided member 29B in the second half 10B of the longest upper rail 10. Furthermore, when the door width of the sliding door panel 9 is smaller than the maximum door width W1, the length of the upper rail 10 can be adjusted to approximately twice the door width by, for example, cutting or shortening the second half 10B, thereby allowing a common drive mechanism 20 to be applied.

[0021] In other words, shortening the dimension of the second half 10B side of the longest upper rail 10 does not affect the first half 10A side to which the drive mechanism 20 is fixed, and there is no need to change the installation position of the drive mechanism 20. This allows the same drive mechanism 20 to be applied to sliding door panels 9 with a maximum door width W1 as well as sliding door panels 9A with a door width (minimum door width) W2 (see Figure 10) that is approximately half that width, improving versatility. In other words, the dimension of the drive mechanism 20 along the rail longitudinal direction (door width direction) is set to approximately twice the minimum door width W2 or less so that the sliding door panel 9A with the minimum door width W2 can be opened and closed. 10(a) and 10(b) is configured to open and close a sliding door panel 9A having a door width W2 that is approximately half that of the sliding door panel 9 having the maximum door width W1 described above. The length L2 of the upper rail 10C of this door opening and closing device 1A is approximately twice the door width W2 of the sliding door panel 9A, and is approximately half the length L1 of the longest upper rail 10 described above. In other words, the length L2 of this upper rail 10C is approximately the same length as the length of the first half 10A of the longest upper rail 10 described above.

[0022] The other components of the door opening and closing device 1A according to the modified example are the same as those of the door opening and closing device 1 shown in FIG. 1 etc., so they are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted. In each example, the lengths L1, L2 of the upper rails 10, 10C are less than twice the door width W1, W2. The lengths L1, L2 of the upper rails 10, 10C may be set appropriately depending on the overlap dimension between the trailing edge of the sliding door panel 9, 9A and the middle mullion 6 (side wall) in the closed state, the remaining dimension of the sliding door panel 9, 9A in the fully open state, etc. In other words, the lengths L1, L2 of the upper rails 10, 10C may be set approximately equal to the dimension obtained by subtracting twice the overlap dimension from twice the door width W1, W2 of the sliding door panel 9, 9A.

[0023] In this embodiment, the second half 10B on the other longitudinal side of the longest upper rail 10 is cuttable. With this configuration, if the door width W2 of the sliding door panel 9A is smaller than the maximum door width W1, the second half 10B can be cut to approximately twice the door width W2 to create an upper rail 10C with a length L2 that can guide the sliding door panel 9A. This makes it possible, for example, to cut the second half 10B while the drive mechanism 20 remains attached to the first half 10A, making this an easy process even after shipping from the factory. The upper rail 10 may be made of metal, with at least the second half 10B having a uniform cross-sectional shape along its entire length and capable of being cut with an appropriate cutting tool.

[0024] 2, the upper rail 10 is provided with guide grooves 11 that open downward and receive the guided members 29 (first guided member 29A and second guided member 29B). The guide grooves 11 are provided to extend over the entire length of the upper rail 10. A guide body 29c of the guided member 29 is inserted into the guide grooves 11 and is guided. The upper rail 10 includes a groove bottom plate portion 12 that defines the groove bottom of the guide groove 11, side plate portions 13, 13 on both sides that define both sides in the groove width direction of the guide groove 11, and guide pieces 13a, 13a that extend in directions facing each other from the lower ends of the side plate portions 13, 13. The upper rail 10 also includes protruding pieces 14, 14 on both sides that protrude upward from both edge portions in the groove width direction on the upper surface side of the groove bottom plate portion 12.

[0025] The guide pieces 13a on both sides have upwardly projecting ridges at their distal ends in the extending direction, extending the entire length of the upper rail 10. The ridges of the guide pieces 13a engage with annular grooves on the outer circumferential surfaces of the rolling elements 29d of the guided member 29, and the rolling elements 29d run along the ridges of the guide pieces 13a. The upper rail 10 is not limited to having guide pieces 13a on both sides in the door thickness direction, spaced apart from each other, along which the rolling elements 29d run. The upper rail 10 may have, for example, a single guide piece that holds the rolling elements 29d provided on only one side of the guided member 29 in the door thickness direction, or may have various other configurations.

[0026] As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the drive mechanism 20 is fixed onto the groove bottom plate-like portion 12 of the upper rail 10. With this configuration, the upper rail 10 can be fixed to a fixed object such as the upper frame 3 of the door frame 2 to which the sliding door panel 9 is attached, with the drive mechanism 20 integrated into the upper rail 10. Furthermore, compared to a case in which the drive mechanism 20 is fixed to the side plate-like portion 13 of the upper rail 10, for example, the dimensions along the door thickness direction can be made more compact. 3 and 4, the drive mechanism 20 includes a first driven rotary wheel 21 constituting a first rotary wheel and a second driven rotary wheel 25 constituting a second rotary wheel, which are provided at positions spaced apart in the door width direction. The drive mechanism 20 also includes a string-like power transmission body 28 wound around each of the first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25 and connected to a first guided member 29A, and a drive unit 30 that transmits drive to the string-like power transmission body 28. With this configuration, when the drive unit 30 is driven, the first guided member 29A connected to the string-like power transmission body 28 moves in the door width direction, allowing the sliding door panel 9 to be opened or closed.

[0027] The first driven rotary wheel 21 is provided to be located at a first end 10a on one longitudinal side of the first half 10A of the longest upper rail 10. The second driven rotary wheel 25 is provided to be located at a second end 10b on the other longitudinal side of the first half 10A of the longest upper rail 10. With this configuration, the cord-like power transmission body 28 wound around them allows the first guided member 29A to slide over substantially the entire length of the first half 10A of the longest upper rail 10. Furthermore, even when applied to different door widths W1 and W2, the installation positions of the first driven rotary wheel 21 and second driven rotary wheel 25 and the length of the cord-like power transmission body 28 can be changed.

[0028] The drive unit 30 is positioned between the first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25 and above the upper rail 10. The drive unit 30 includes a drive rotary wheel 31 that transmits drive to the cord-like power transmission body 28 and a motor 35 that rotates the drive rotary wheel 31. With this configuration, when the drive rotary wheel 31 is rotated by the motor 35, the first guided member 29A connected to the cord-like power transmission body 28 moves in the door width direction, thereby opening and closing the sliding door panel 9. Furthermore, compared to a configuration in which the drive rotary wheel 31 and the motor 35 are provided at one end of the door width direction, the dimensions along the door width direction can be made more compact. Furthermore, compared to a configuration in which the drive rotary wheel 31 is provided on one side of the upper rail 10 in the door thickness direction, the dimensions along the door thickness direction can be made more compact. These features enable installation in a door frame 2 that is the same size as the door frames of sliding door devices installed in general buildings such as residences. Furthermore, for example, it can be installed on an existing door frame 2, and is applicable not only to new construction but also to reconstruction and renovation. This makes it suitable for use as a door opening and closing device 1 for opening and closing sliding door panels 9 installed indoors in ordinary homes such as existing detached houses and apartment complexes, public facilities such as accommodation facilities, medical facilities, and welfare facilities, commercial facilities such as offices, various stores, etc. Furthermore, because the door opening and closing device 1 is compact, it is possible to make the sliding door panel 9 function as an automatic door, while minimizing the strange appearance (noise) even when installed as an interior sliding door, making it suitable for use indoors.

[0029] The first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25 have their respective shafts, the first driven axle 22 and the second driven axle 26, parallel to each other. Furthermore, the first driven axle 22 and the second driven axle 26 are arranged so as to intersect the axial direction of the drive axle 32 of the drive rotary wheel 31, which is arranged so that its axial direction is in the door height direction. This configuration allows for a more compact dimension along the door thickness direction compared to a configuration in which the axial direction of the drive rotary wheel 31 is in the door thickness direction and the motor 35 is provided adjacent to the drive rotary wheel 31 in the door thickness direction. Furthermore, the portion of the cord-like power transmission body 28 connected to the first guided member 29A and the portion to which drive is transmitted to the drive rotary wheel 31 can be arranged above and below each other. This allows for a more effective compact dimension along the door thickness direction compared to a configuration in which the axial direction of the first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25 is in the door height direction.

[0030] 7, the motor 35 is arranged on one side of the drive rotary wheel 31 in the door width direction so that the axial direction of the output shaft 36 is in the door width direction, and is configured to rotate the drive rotary wheel 31 via gears 33, 37. With this configuration, the dimensions along the door height direction can be made more compact than when the motor 35 is provided so that the axial direction of the output shaft 36 is in the door height direction. The specific configuration of the drive unit 30, which includes the drive rotary wheel 31 and motor 35, will be described later.

[0031] A cord-like power transmission body 28 is wound around the first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25 in a parallel loop (see FIG. 4). The lower displacement portion 28b of the cord-like power transmission body 28 is connected to the first guided member 29A and displaces in the door width direction, and the upper displacement portion 28a displaces in the opposite direction in the door width direction from the lower displacement portion 28b (see FIG. 2). The first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25 have the first driven axle 22 and the second driven axle 26 provided at an angle so that the lower displacement portion 28b and the upper displacement portion 28a of the cord-like power transmission body 28 are at different positions in the door thickness direction of the upper rail 10. With this configuration, the lower displacement portion 28b and the upper displacement portion 28a of the string-shaped transmission body 28 are positioned at offset positions in the door thickness direction, and various equipment and components can be placed by utilizing the space to the side of one of the lower displacement portion 28b and the upper displacement portion 28a in the door thickness direction.

[0032] The first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25 have the first driven axle 22 and the second driven axle 26 inclined so that the lower displacement portion 28b is located approximately in the center of the upper rail 10 in the door thickness direction and the upper displacement portion 28a is located offset to one side in the door thickness direction of the upper rail 10. With this configuration, the lower displacement portion 28b, which is located approximately in the center of the upper rail 10 in the door thickness direction, can be connected to the first guided member 29A. This allows the first guided member 29A to move more stably in the door width direction than in a configuration in which the lower displacement portion 28b is connected to one side of the first guided member 29A or the upper end 9a of the sliding door panel 9 via a connecting member. In addition, various devices and components can be arranged by utilizing the space to the side in the door thickness direction of the upper displacement portion 28a, which is displaced at a position offset to one side in the door thickness direction of the upper rail 10.

[0033] In addition, the drive rotary wheel 31 and motor 35, which will be described later, are arranged to be located on one side of the upper displacement section 28a in the door thickness direction. With this configuration, the drive rotary wheel 31 and motor 35 that make up the drive section 30 can be arranged using the space on one side of the upper displacement section 28a in the door thickness direction. Furthermore, the lower displacement portion 28b is disposed within the guide groove 11, and the upper displacement portion 28a is disposed above the groove bottom plate-like portion 12. With this configuration, the groove bottom plate-like portion 12 is interposed between the lower displacement portion 28b and the upper displacement portion 28a, which are displaced in opposite directions in the door width direction, thereby preventing interference between them. Furthermore, if the upper displacement portion 28a is disposed at a position offset to one side of the upper rail 10 in the door thickness direction, as in this embodiment, the space above the groove bottom plate-like portion 12 can be effectively utilized.

[0034] The first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25 are of the same size and shape. Furthermore, the first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25 are thin, disk-shaped, with relatively small dimensions along the axial direction of the first driven axle 22 and the second driven axle 26. Furthermore, the first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25 are pulleys with annular grooves 21a, 25a (see FIG. 6) on their outer circumferential surfaces, into which a string-like power transmission body 28, which is a rope-like member, engages. Furthermore, the first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25 are arranged so that their positions coincide with each other when viewed in the door width direction. Furthermore, the first driven rotating wheel 21 and the second driven rotating wheel 25 are arranged so that their lower end portions are located approximately in the center of the guide groove 11 in the groove width direction, and their upper end portions are positioned above the groove bottom plate-shaped portion 12 and offset to one side in the groove width direction (see FIG. 2). The first driven axle 22 and the second driven axle 26 of the first driven rotating wheel 21 and the second driven rotating wheel 25 are arranged so as to be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 10 and so as to be inclined with respect to the horizontal plane (the upper surface of the groove bottom plate-shaped portion 12). The inclination angle of the first driven axle 22 and the second driven axle 26 with respect to the horizontal plane (the upper surface of the groove bottom plate-shaped portion 12) may be approximately 10 to 60 degrees, and in the illustrated example is shown as being approximately 30 degrees.

[0035] In addition, at least one of the first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25 is held on the upper rail 10 so that its position can be adjusted in the door width direction. With this configuration, it is possible to adjust the tension of the cord-like power transmission body 28. In this embodiment, the position of the first driven rotary wheel 21 is adjustable in the door width direction. As shown in Figures 6(a) and (b), the first driven rotating wheel 21 is held rotatably around the first driven wheel shaft 22 by a holding member 23 which is held in a position adjustable manner in the door width direction by a fixing member 24 fixed to the groove bottom plate-shaped portion 12. The fixing member 24 has a fixing piece 24a fixed along the upper surface of the groove bottom plate-shaped portion 12, and a holding piece 24b provided to rise from one side edge in the rail width direction (door thickness direction) of the fixing piece 24a. The holding member 23 has a held piece 23a arranged along one surface in the door thickness direction of the holding piece 24b.

[0036] The holding piece portion 24b of the fixing member 24 is provided with a screw insertion hole 24c that penetrates in the door thickness direction, and through which the shank of the fastener 7 is inserted. The fastener 7 is screwed into a female threaded hole that is provided in the held piece portion 23a of the holding member 23 so as to penetrate in the door thickness direction. The screw insertion hole 24c is an elongated hole with a long diameter in the door width direction so that the position of the holding member 23 in the door width direction relative to the fixing member 24 can be adjusted. Also shown is an example in which a plurality of female threaded holes (two in the illustrated example) are provided in the held piece portion 23a of the holding member 23 at intervals in the door width direction, and a plurality of screw insertion holes 24c, 24c are provided in the holding piece portion 24b of the fixing member 24, through which the shank of the fastener 7 that is screwed into these female threaded holes is inserted.

[0037] The fixing member 24 is also provided with a screw insertion hole that penetrates the door width direction, into which the shank of the fastener 7 is inserted, which is screwed into an internally threaded hole that is provided in the holding member 23 so as to penetrate in the door width direction. With this configuration, the holding member 23 can be moved in the door width direction relative to the fixing member 24 by rotating the fastener 7 about its axis. The illustrated example shows an example in which a shank receiving piece 23c that protrudes in the door thickness direction and has an internally threaded hole is provided at one end of the held piece 23a of the holding member 23 in the door width direction. Also shown is an example in which a head receiving piece 24d that protrudes in the door thickness direction and has a screw insertion hole is provided at one end of the holding piece 24b of the fixing member 24 in the door width direction. In addition, the example shown in the figure shows an example in which a protruding piece portion that protrudes in the door thickness direction is provided on the upper edge of the holding piece portion 24b of the fixing member 24, and a protruding piece portion that can be aligned with the underside of the protruding piece portion of the holding piece portion 24b is provided on the upper edge of the held piece portion 23a of the holding member 23.

[0038] Furthermore, a wheel bearing piece 23b is provided on the held piece 23a of the holding member 23 so as to extend downward from the lower edge on one end side in the door width direction. A first driven axle 22 is provided on this wheel bearing piece 23b. In the illustrated example, the wheel bearing piece 23b is provided at an angle with respect to the held piece 23a so that the thickness direction is the axial direction of the first driven axle 22. The first driven rotating wheel 21 may be rotatable relative to the first driven axle 22 fixedly provided relative to this wheel bearing piece 23b, or may be fixedly provided relative to the first driven axle 22 which is held rotatably relative to the wheel bearing piece 23b. The first driven rotating wheel unit, which includes the fixing member 24, the holding member 23, and the first driven rotating wheel 21, is attached to the upper rail 10 by fixing the fixing member 24 onto the groove bottom plate-shaped portion 12 of the first end portion 10a of the first half portion 10A with fasteners such as screws (see also Figures 3 and 4).

[0039] Furthermore, when adjusting the position of the first driven rotary wheel 21 in the door width direction, the fasteners 7, 7 inserted into the screw insertion holes 24c, 24c of the holding piece 24b of the fixing member 24 may be loosened, and the fasteners 7 inserted into the screw insertion holes of the head receiving piece 24d of the fixing member 24 may be screwed. At this time, since this can be done with the cord-like power transmission body 28 wound around it, workability can be improved. Furthermore, once the position of the first driven rotary wheel 21 in the door width direction has been adjusted, the fasteners 7, 7 inserted into the screw insertion holes 24c, 24c of the holding piece 24b of the fixing member 24 may be tightened. Note that the manner in which the position of the first driven rotary wheel 21 can be adjusted in the door width direction is not limited to the manner described above, and various other manners may be used. Furthermore, the fixing member 24 that fixes the first driven rotary wheel 21 to the upper rail 10 is not limited to the configuration described above, and may have various other configurations.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 6(c), the second driven rotary wheel 25 is held rotatably around the second driven wheel shaft 26 by a fixed member 27 fixed to the groove bottom plate-shaped portion 12. The fixing member 27 includes a fixing piece 27a fixed along the upper surface of the groove bottom plate portion 12 and a retaining piece 27b provided to rise from one edge of the fixing piece 27a in the door thickness direction. The retaining piece 27b is provided with a wheel bearing piece 27c extending downward from the lower edge of one end in the door width direction. The second driven axle 26 is provided on the wheel bearing piece 27c. In the illustrated example, similar to the above, the wheel bearing piece 27c is provided at an angle relative to the retaining piece 27b so that its thickness direction is the axial direction of the second driven axle 26. The second driven rotating wheel 25 may be rotatable relative to the second driven axle 26 fixedly provided relative to the wheel bearing piece 27c, or may be fixedly provided relative to the second driven axle 26 rotatably held relative to the wheel bearing piece 27c. In addition, the illustrated example shows an example in which a protruding piece that protrudes in the door thickness direction is provided on the upper edge of the holding piece portion 27b.

[0041] The second driven rotating wheel unit, which includes the fixed member 27 and the second driven rotating wheel 25, is attached to the upper rail 10 by fixing the fixed member 27 onto the groove bottom plate-shaped portion 12 of the second end portion 10b of the first half portion 10A with fasteners such as screws (see also Figures 3 and 4). The fixing member 27 for fixing the second driven rotary wheel 25 to the upper rail 10 is not limited to the above-described configuration, and may have various other configurations.

[0042] The groove bottom plate portion 12 of the upper rail 10 is provided with a notched recess or through-hole for receiving the lower portions of the first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25 (see FIG. 4). Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the guide bodies 29c, 29c of the first guided member 29A and the second guided member 29B are provided with recesses that open upward and on both sides in the door width direction to receive the lower end portions of the first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25 when viewed in the door width direction. This configuration allows for compact dimensions in the vertical direction while suppressing interference with the first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25. Furthermore, the guide body 29c of the first guided member 29A is provided with a connecting portion 29e to which the lower displacement portion 28b of the string-like power transmission body 28 is connected. This connecting portion 29e is positioned within the recess of the guide body 29c.

[0043] 2, the cord-like power transmission body 28 has an upper displacement portion 28a that displaces on the upper surface side of the groove bottom peripheral surfaces of the annular grooves 21a, 25a of the first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25, and is arranged at a position offset to one side in the door thickness direction above the groove bottom plate-shaped portion 12. Also, the cord-like power transmission body 28 has a lower displacement portion 28b that displaces on the lower surface side of the groove bottom peripheral surfaces of the annular grooves 21a, 25a of the first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25, and is arranged at the center in the groove width direction within the guide groove 11. The cord-like power transmission body 28 may have a ring-shaped portion to which the connecting portion 29e of the first guided member 29A is fixed, or may have a substantially ring-shaped portion with both longitudinal end portions connected to both sides of the connecting portion 29e in the door width direction. Furthermore, the string-like power transmission body 28 may be made of any material as long as it is constructed so as to be difficult to stretch, and may be, for example, a metal wire, a twisted string made by twisting together appropriate fibers, or a braided string made by combining fibers.

[0044] The string-like power transmission body 28, which is thus made into a rope-like member, is wound around the drive rotary wheel 31 one or more times, as shown in Figure 7. With this configuration, compared to string-like power transmission body 28 in the form of a belt, chain, etc., the drive rotary wheel 31 can be made more compact in the axial direction, and while noise generation can be suppressed, slippage of the string-like power transmission body 28 relative to the drive rotary wheel 31 can be prevented. The drive rotary wheel 31 is a thin, circular plate with a relatively small dimension along the axial direction of the drive axle 32. The drive rotary wheel 31 is a pulley with an annular groove 31a on its outer circumferential surface, into which the cord-like power transmission body 28 engages. The drive rotary wheel 31 is installed so that one surface in the thickness direction faces the upper surface of the groove bottom plate-like portion 12. The drive rotary wheel 31 is also installed so that one side of the groove bottom peripheral surface in the door thickness direction corresponds to the position of the upper displacement portion 28a of the cord-like power transmission body 28 arranged on one side in the door thickness direction. The upper displacement portion 28a of the cord-like power transmission body 28 is wound around the drive rotary wheel 31 approximately one full turn. The upper displacement portion 28a wound around the drive rotary wheel 31 is arranged so that the intersection of the upper displacement portion 28a wound around the drive rotary wheel 31 in this manner is positioned approximately in line with the upper surface portions of the first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25 when viewed in the door width direction. In addition, the outer surfaces (groove bottom surfaces of the annular grooves 21a, 25a, 31a) of the driving rotary wheel 31, the first driven rotary wheel 21, and the second driven rotary wheel 25 on which the string-like transmission body 28 is wound may be made of a soft material with anti-slip properties by two-color molding or the like.

[0045] The drive rotary wheel 31 is provided with a gear (rotor wheel side gear) 33 that transmits rotation to a gear (motor side gear) 37 provided on a motor 35 that rotates the drive rotary wheel 31. In this embodiment, the drive wheel side gear 33 and the motor side gear 37 are bevel gears (straight bevel gears in the illustrated example) that mesh with each other, corresponding to the drive axle 32 of the drive rotary wheel 31 and the output shaft 36 of the motor 35, which are arranged so as to intersect with each other. The drive wheel side gear 33 is non-rotatably attached to one end (the upper end in the illustrated example) of the drive axle 32 of the drive rotary wheel 31. The motor side gear 37 is non-rotatably attached to the output shaft 36 of the motor 35. The drive wheel side gear 33 and the motor side gear 37 may be configured appropriately depending on the arrangement of the drive rotary wheel 31 and the motor 35. Furthermore, the rotating wheel side gear 33 and the motor side gear 37 are not limited to being configured to mesh directly with each other, but may be configured to transmit rotation via an appropriate intermediate gear or the like.

[0046] The drive mechanism 20 also includes a first fixing member 34 that fixes the drive rotary wheel 31 to the upper rail 10, and a second fixing member 38 that is separate from the first fixing member 34 and that detachably fixes the motor 35 to the upper rail 10 to which the drive rotary wheel 31 is fixed. With this configuration, when detaching the motor 35, the gears 33, 37 are released from their rotation transmission state (in this embodiment, meshed) while the drive rotary wheel 31 is fixed to the upper rail 10. The motor 35 can then be detached from the upper rail 10 by removing the second fixing member 38 from the upper rail 10. When fixing the motor 35, the gears 33, 37 are placed in their rotation transmission state (in this embodiment, meshed) while the drive rotary wheel 31 is fixed to the upper rail 10, and the motor 35 can be fixed to the upper rail 10 via the second fixing member 38. This improves maintainability by eliminating the need to remove or reel in the cord-like power transmission body 28 or adjust the tension when attaching or detaching the motor 35 to or from the upper rail 10. In other words, only the motor 35 can be attached or detached to or from the upper rail 10 while the drive rotary wheel 31 is capable of transmitting drive to the cord-like power transmission body 28. The drive rotary wheel 31 and motor 35 are fixed onto the groove bottom plate-like portion 12 via the first fixing member 34 and second fixing member 38.

[0047] Additionally, the second fixed member 38 is provided with fixed portions 38d, 38e that are fixed to the fixed portions 34d, 34e provided on the first fixed member 34. With this configuration, by fixing the fixed portions 38d, 38e of the second fixed member 38 to the fixed portions 34d, 34e of the first fixed member 34, it is possible to relatively reliably align the motor 35 with the drive rotary wheel 31. This allows the rotary wheel-side gear 33 of the drive rotary wheel 31 and the motor-side gear 37 of the motor 35 to be in a rotation transmitting state (mesh in this embodiment) relatively reliably. Furthermore, one of the first fixing member 34 and the second fixing member 38 is provided with a positioning protrusion 34c that fits into a positioning recess 38c provided on the other fixing member 38. With this configuration, alignment can be easily performed when fixing the second fixing member 38 to the first fixing member 34.

[0048] The first fixing member 34 is fixed along the upper surface of the groove bottom plate-shaped portion 12 and includes a fixing piece 34a that rotatably holds one end (the lower end in the illustrated example) of the drive axle 32 of the drive rotary wheel 31, and a wheel bearing piece 34b that rotatably holds the upper end side of the drive axle 32. The fixing piece 34a may be fixed to the groove bottom plate-shaped portion 12 with an appropriate fastener such as a screw. The wheel bearing piece 34b is disposed above the fixing piece 34a so as to face the fixing piece 34a across the space where the drive rotary wheel 31 is disposed. The rotary wheel side gear 33 is disposed so as to be exposed on the upper surface side of the wheel bearing piece 34b.

[0049] The fixed portions 34d, 34e of the first fixing member 34 include a first fixed portion 34d on one side in the door thickness direction and a second fixed portion 34e on the other side in the door thickness direction. The first fixed portion 34d and the second fixed portion 34e are generally flat plates whose thickness direction is the door thickness direction and are spaced apart from each other in the door thickness direction. In the illustrated example, the first fixed portion 34d is provided so as to hang down from the edge of the wheel bearing piece 34b on one side in the door thickness direction. The second fixed portion 34e is provided so as to rise from the edge of the wheel bearing piece 34b on the other side in the door thickness direction. Further, a positioning projection 34c is provided so as to project from one end of the wheel bearing piece portion 34b of the first fixing member 34 in the door width direction.

[0050] The second fixing member 38 has a fixing piece 38a that is fixed along the upper surface of the groove bottom plate-like portion 12. In the illustrated example, this fixing piece 38a is provided at the lower end of a plate-like portion that is fixed to the end of the motor 35 on the side opposite the output shaft 36 in the axial direction. This fixing piece 38a may be fixed to the groove bottom plate-like portion 12 with an appropriate fastener such as a screw. The second fixing member 38 also has a plate-shaped holding piece 38b fixed to the end of the motor 35 on the output shaft 36 side in the axial direction. A through hole is provided in the holding piece 38b, through which the output shaft 36 is inserted. The holding piece 38b is fixed to the motor 35 (motor case) with an appropriate fastener such as a screw. The holding piece 38b also has a positioning recess 38c into which the positioning protrusion 34c is fitted.

[0051] The fixing portions 38d, 38e of the second fixing member 38 correspond to the fixing portions 34d, 34e of the first fixing member 34. The fixing portions 38d, 38e have a first fixing portion 38d on one side in the door thickness direction and a second fixing portion 38e on the other side in the door thickness direction. The first fixing portion 38d and the second fixing portion 38e are generally flat, with their thicknesses aligned with the door thickness direction, and are spaced apart from each other in the door thickness direction. In the illustrated example, the first fixing portion 38d is provided to protrude in the door width direction from one edge of the holding piece 38b in the door thickness direction. The second fixing portion 38e is provided to extend in the door width direction from the other edge of the holding piece 38b in the door thickness direction. The first fixing portion 38d and the second fixing portion 38e are aligned along one side of the first fixing portion 34d and the second fixing portion 34e of the first fixing member 34, respectively, and are fixed by appropriate fasteners such as screws. In addition, these first fixing portion 38d and second fixing portion 38e are provided with insertion holes through which the shank of the fastener is inserted so as to communicate with the female threaded holes provided in the first fixed portion 34d and second fixed portion 34e of the first fixing member 34, respectively.

[0052] Additionally, the lower end of the second fixed portion 38e is provided with an abutment portion 38f, the lower end surface of which abuts in a surface-contact manner against the upper surface of the wheel bearing piece portion 34b of the first fixed member 34. With this configuration, the positioning protrusion 34c and the positioning recess 38c are fitted together, and the abutment portion 38f is brought into abutment with the upper surface of the wheel bearing piece portion 34b, making it possible to easily align the second fixed member 38 with the first fixed member 34. The motor unit including the second fixing member 38 and motor 35 configured as described above is detachable from the upper rail 10 with the rotating wheel unit including the first fixing member 34 and drive rotating wheel 31 attached to the upper rail 10. In other words, the motor unit can be easily removed from the upper rail 10 by removing the fixing piece portion 38a from the groove bottom plate-shaped portion 12 and removing the first fixing portion 38d and the second fixing portion 38e from the first fixed portion 34d and the second fixed portion 34e of the first fixing member 34. Note that the first fixing member 34 that fixes the drive rotating wheel 31 to the upper rail 10 and the second fixing member 38 that fixes the motor 35 to the upper rail 10 are not limited to those configured as described above, and may have various other configurations.

[0053] The motor 35 may be a servo motor or the like that can rotate forward and backward and whose rotation speed can be controlled. Furthermore, in the above example, the drive axle 32 of the drive rotary wheel 31 is provided so as to extend in the door height direction, but it may also be provided so as to extend in the door thickness direction. Even with this configuration, the rotation of the motor 35 located on one side in the door width direction can be transmitted to the drive rotary wheel 31 via gears 33, 37, and the dimensions along the door height direction can be made more compact compared to when the motor 35 is provided so that its axial direction extends in the door height direction. In this case, the first fixing member 34 and the second fixing member 38 can be modified as appropriate.

[0054] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, a control block 39 that controls the rotation of the motor 35 is provided on one side of the motor 35 in the door width direction. The control block 39 includes a power supply unit that supplies drive power to the motor 35 and a control circuit connected to the motor 35 via appropriate signal lines, etc. The control block 39 controls the motor 35 to rotate forward or backward, thereby moving the sliding door panel 9 to the fully open or closed position. In the illustrated example, the control block 39 is shaped like a rectangular pillar that is elongated in the door width direction. The upper displacement portion 28a of the cord-like power transmission body 28 is disposed along the lower end portion of the control block 39 on one side in the door thickness direction (see FIG. 4). Note that a notched recess that receives the upper displacement portion 28a may be provided at the lower end portion of the control block 39 on one side in the door thickness direction, extending along the entire length.

[0055] 3, 4 and 8, this embodiment is provided with a position detection unit 40 that includes a variable resistor 44 that rotates with the displacement of the cord-like transmission body 28 and detects the position of the sliding door panel 9. With this configuration, the position (absolute position) of the sliding door panel 9 can be detected by the resistance value (voltage) of the variable resistor 44. 8, the position detection unit 40 includes a detection rotating wheel 41 that is rotated by the string-like power transmission body 28 to rotate the variable resistor 44, and a biasing member 48 that biases the detection rotating wheel 41 so as to press it against the string-like power transmission body 28. With this configuration, loosening of the string-like power transmission body 28 can be suppressed, and the position detection unit 40 can also function as a tensioning mechanism that increases the tension of the string-like power transmission body 28.

[0056] The position detection unit 40 is provided on one side of the control block 39 in the door width direction. The control block 39 is provided so as to be located between the position detection unit 40 and the drive unit 30. The drive unit 30, control block 39, and position detection unit 40 are also provided so as to be located between the first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25. 8(a) and 8(b), the position detection unit 40 is provided with a pair of holding members 46, 46 that hold the detection rotating wheel 41 so as to sandwich it from both sides in the door thickness direction along the axial direction. The position detection unit 40 also includes a detection fixing member 49 that holds these holding members 46, 46 rotatably around an axis (held axis) 47 along the door thickness direction and is fixed to the upper rail 10.

[0057] The detection rotating wheel 41 is a thin, disc-shaped wheel with a relatively small axial dimension, and is pulley-shaped with an annular groove on its outer circumferential surface that engages with the string-like power transmission body 28. The axle of the detection rotating wheel 41 is rotatably held by holding members 46, 46 on both sides. In this embodiment, a first gear 42 and a second gear 43 are provided as gears that transmit the rotation of a gear portion 41a fixedly provided coaxially on the detection rotating wheel 41 to rotate the variable resistor 44. The gear portion 41a of the detection rotating wheel 41 has a relatively small diameter and is provided on one axial side of the detection rotating wheel 41. The first gear 42 has a larger diameter than the gear portion 41a and is provided to mesh with the gear portion 41a. The axle of this first gear 42 is held by one of the holding members 46. The second gear 43 has a larger diameter than the gear portion 41a but a smaller diameter than the first gear 42 and is provided to mesh with the first gear 42. One end of the axle of this second gear 43 is held by one of the holding members 46, and the other end of the axle of this second gear 43 is connected to the rotor 44a of the variable resistor 44 so as to rotate the rotor 44a.

[0058] The gear portion 41a, the first gear 42, and the second gear 43 constitute a speed reduction mechanism that reduces the rotation of the detection rotating wheel 41 and transmits it to the variable resistor 44. The gear portion 41a, the first gear 42, and the second gear 43 may be configured so that the rotor 44a of the variable resistor 44 rotates within a detectable range (within one rotation) when the sliding door panel 9 (sliding door panel 9 with the maximum door width W1) is moved from the closed position to the fully open position. The variable resistor 44 may be a so-called rotary position sensor that outputs a voltage (resistance value) proportional to the rotation angle of the rotor 44a. The position detection unit 40 is also provided with a detection board 45 to which the variable resistor 44 is fixed and which transmits the output voltage of the variable resistor 44 to the control block 39. The detection board 45 is fixed to the other holding member 46 by an appropriate fastener.

[0059] In the position detection unit 40 configured as described above, the detection rotating wheel 41 rotates as the upper displacement portion 28a of the cord-like power transmission body 28 is displaced in the door width direction, and this rotation is transmitted by the first gear 42 and the second gear 43 to rotate the rotor 44a of the variable resistor 44. The motor 35 is controlled in accordance with position information and movement direction (closing side or opening side) information of the sliding door panel 9 calculated based on the voltage (resistance value) output according to the rotation angle of this rotor 44a, and the sliding door panel 9 is opened or closed. In addition, if a variable resistor 44 is provided that can detect the position of the sliding door panel 9 with the maximum door width W1, and a sliding door panel 9A with a different door width W2 is installed, the detection range of the rotation angle of the rotor 44a can be changed as appropriate depending on the movement range of the sliding door panel 9A.

[0060] The pair of holding members 46, 46 are generally flat plates arranged so that their thickness direction is in the door thickness direction and are elongated in the door width direction. One of the holding members 46 is provided with an insertion hole through which the shank of the fastener 7 is inserted, which is screwed into the female threaded hole of the boss-shaped protrusion provided on the other holding member 46. The detection rotating wheel 41 is rotatably held on one longitudinal side of these holding members 46, 46, and a boss-shaped protrusion provided on the lower end of the other longitudinal side forms a held shaft 47 that is rotatably held on the detection fixing member 49.

[0061] The detection fixing member 49 includes a fixing piece portion fixed along the upper surface of the groove bottom plate portion 12 and support pieces on both sides extending from both door thickness direction edges of the fixing piece portion, and is shaped to open upward and on both sides in the door width direction. Holding members 46, 46 holding the detection rotating wheel 41 and other components are inserted between the support pieces on both sides of the detection fixing member 49, and a held shaft 47 is held. The held shaft 47 of the holding members 46, 46 may be held via a fastener 7 having a shaft inserted into a shaft insertion hole provided in one support piece of the detection fixing member 49. Furthermore, a shaft coaxial with the held shaft 47 may be provided on the outer surface of the other holding member 46 in the door thickness direction, and rotatably inserted into an insertion hole provided in the other support piece of the detection fixing member 49. The manner in which the holding members 46, 46 holding the detection rotating wheel 41 and the like are rotatably held around the held shaft 47 is not limited to this manner, and various other modifications are possible.

[0062] The biasing member 48 is a torsion spring with a coil portion through which the held shaft 47 is inserted. One arm end 48a of this biasing member 48 abuts against the upper end side of the other longitudinal end of the holding member 46 that holds the detection rotating wheel 41, and the other arm end 48b of the biasing member 48 abuts against the upper surface of the fixed piece portion of the detection fixing member 49. With this configuration, the biasing member 48 is configured to bias the detection rotating wheel 41 so as to press it toward the upper displacement portion 28a of the string-like transmission body 28 on the lower side. Note that the biasing member 48 is not limited to a torsion coil spring and may be other spring members such as a leaf spring, compression coil spring, or tension coil spring, and is not limited to a spring member and may be made of rubber or the like. Furthermore, the position detection unit 40 is not limited to one that functions as a tensioning mechanism that increases the tension of the string-like power transmission member 28. For example, it may be configured to have a variable resistor 44 that rotates in conjunction with any one of the first driven rotary wheel 21, the second driven rotary wheel 25, and the drive rotary wheel 31. Furthermore, instead of an embodiment in which such a variable resistor 44 is provided, an embodiment in which appropriate position sensors are provided at multiple locations so that the position of the sliding door panel 9 can be detected, an embodiment in which limit switches that are operated at both the closed position and the fully open position are provided, etc.

[0063] As shown in Figures 5 and 9, one of the upper rail 10 and the upper frame 3 has multiple hooks 17, which are held so as to be displaceable horizontally, and are provided at intervals in the door width direction. The other of the upper rail 10 and the upper frame 3 has multiple horizontally opening receiving recesses 16, which receive the hooks 17, and are provided at intervals in the door width direction. This configuration allows the upper rail 10 to be fixed (temporarily fixed) to the upper frame 3 by inserting the hooks 17 on one side into the receiving recesses 16 on the other side. Furthermore, since multiple longitudinal positions of the upper rail 10 can be fixed to multiple longitudinal positions of the upper frame 3, the upper rail 10 is less likely to be fixed at an angle relative to the upper frame 3, improving installation efficiency. Furthermore, the horizontally displaceable hooks 17 can be inserted and fixed into the horizontally opening receiving recesses 16. Therefore, compared to, for example, a structure in which an elastic claw portion that is elastically deformed and inserted into a through-hole provided on the upper frame 3 so as to penetrate the upper rail 10 in the vertical direction is provided, it can be fixed relatively firmly. Furthermore, even if there is a slight misalignment in the horizontal direction, the misalignment can be absorbed, that is, the hook portion 17 can be inserted into the receiving recess 16.

[0064] The hooking portion 17 is held so as to be displaceable in the door width direction relative to one side, and the receiving recess 16 opens in the door width direction. With this configuration, the hooking portion 17, which is displaceable in the door width direction, can be inserted into the receiving recess 16, which opens in the door width direction, and fixed. This effectively increases the hooking allowance of the hooking portion 17 compared to a configuration in which the hooking portion 17 is displaced along the rail width (door thickness) direction of the upper rail 10, which is relatively narrow. The hook portion 17 is biased in the protruding direction by a biasing member 19 against a holding portion 18 provided on one side. The protruding tip of the hook portion 17 and / or the recess defining portion 15 that defines the receiving recess 16 against which the tip abuts are provided with an inclined guide surface 17a that retracts the hook portion 17 by the guiding action resulting from their mutual abutment. With this configuration, when the upper rail 10 is moved upward relative to the upper frame 3 fixed to the frame base or the like, the inclined guide surface 17a provided on the tip of the hook portion 17 and / or the recess defining portion 15 causes the hook portion 17 to retract against the bias of the biasing member 19. When the upper rail 10 is further moved upward and the hook portion 17 is positioned within the opening of the receiving recess 16, the biasing member 19 causes the hook portion 17 to protrude and be inserted into the receiving recess 16. This allows for improved workability compared to when the hook portion 17 needs to be slid by fingers or the like.

[0065] The receiving recess 16 is provided in the other upper rail 10, and a recess defining portion 15 defining the receiving recess 16 is provided with an insertion hole 15d for a fastener 7 that is fastened to the upper frame 3. With this configuration, the hook portion 17 is inserted into the receiving recess 16 and temporarily fixed, and then the fastener 7 can be fastened to the upper frame 3 via the insertion hole 15d in the recess defining portion 15 to effect final fastening. Furthermore, the recess defining portion 15 can function as an insertion location for the fastener 7, which simplifies the structure compared to a configuration in which an insertion hole for the fastener 7 is provided in another portion. In other words, the recessed portion 15 defining the receiving recess 16 functions as a fastener that is fixed to the upper frame 3, which is the target for fixing the upper rail 10, by the fastener 7. The recessed portion 15 has a dimension larger in the vertical direction than the drive mechanism 20 and is attached to the groove bottom plate portion 12 of the upper rail 10 at multiple locations spaced apart along the longitudinal direction. With this configuration, the upper rail 10 can be fixed to the upper frame 3 by fastening the fastener 7 to the upper frame 3 via the multiple recessed portion 15. Furthermore, even if the dimensions of the upper rail 10 are adjusted according to the door widths W1 and W2, this can be accommodated by changing the attachment positions of the recessed portion 15. Furthermore, because the dimension of the recessed portion 15 in the vertical direction is larger than that of the drive mechanism 20, the upper rail 10 can be fixed to the upper frame 3 without the drive mechanism 20 interfering with the upper frame 3. In other words, the upper rail 10 can be fixed to the upper frame 3 without providing a recess or the like on the upper frame 3 side to receive the drive mechanism 20.

[0066] The receiving recess 16 in the upper rail 10 is provided in a space where the components of the drive mechanism 20 are not installed (see FIGS. 3 and 4). This configuration allows the receiving recess 16 to be provided in the empty space other than where the components of the drive mechanism 20 are installed, thereby enabling the upper rail 10 to be compact in size along the vertical direction. The illustrated example shows an example in which recess defining areas 15 defining the receiving recess 16 are provided between the first driven rotary wheel unit and the position detection unit 40 and between the drive unit 30 and the second driven rotary wheel unit. Alternatively, an appropriate number of recess defining areas 15 may be provided at intervals in the door width direction depending on the length of the upper rail 10. FIG. 1 shows an example in which two recess defining areas 15, 15 are provided in each of the first half 10A and the second half 10B of the longest upper rail 10. That is, this shows an example in which four recessed sections 15, 15, 15, 15 are provided at intervals in the longitudinal direction on the upper rail 10. Fig. 10 shows an example in which two recessed sections 15, 15 are provided at intervals in the longitudinal direction on the upper rail 10C, which has approximately the same length as the first half 10A of the longest upper rail 10.

[0067] The recess defining portion 15 includes a fixed piece 15a that is fixed along the upper surface of the groove bottom plate portion 12, and a recess defining piece 15b that rises from the fixed piece 15a and has a receiving recess 16. In this embodiment, a pair of recess defining pieces 15b, 15b are provided with a gap in the door width direction, and the fixed piece 15a, 15a is provided at the lower end of each. Furthermore, each of the recess defining pieces 15b, 15b is provided with a receiving recess 16 that penetrates through it in the door width direction. In the example shown, the receiving recess 16 is an approximately rectangular hole-shaped hole when viewed in the door width direction. The recess defining portion 15 is provided with a fixed piece 15c that is provided to bridge between the upper ends of the recess defining pieces 15b, 15b and has an insertion hole 15d that passes through in the vertical direction. The recess defining portion 15 may be configured such that the fixing pieces 15a, 15a on both sides are fixed to the groove bottom plate portion 12 with appropriate fasteners such as screws. The recess defining portion 15 is not limited to a generally U-shaped configuration that includes the fixing pieces 15a, 15a, recess defining pieces 15b, 15b, and the fixed piece 15c, and may have various other configurations.

[0068] As shown in Fig. 5, the hooking portion 17 is held by a holding portion 18 fixed to one of the upper frames 3. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the holding portion 18 is fixed to the groove bottom of the receiving groove 3a provided in the upper frame 3. These hooking units, each including the hooking portion 17 and the holding portion 18, are provided at multiple locations spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the upper frame 3 so that the hooking portion 17 can be inserted into the receiving recess 16 provided in the recess partitioning portion 15. The illustrated example shows an example in which adjacent hooking units in the longitudinal direction of the upper frame 3 are provided so that the protruding directions of the respective hooking portions 17, 17 relative to the holding portions 18, 18 are opposite in the door width direction. 9, the hook portion 17 is formed in a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the door width direction. In this embodiment, an inclined guide surface 17a is provided at the tip end in the protruding direction, which is one end in the door width direction, of the hook portion 17. The inclined guide surface 17a is formed to face diagonally downward in the door width direction, and is provided over substantially the entire surface of the tip end face in the protruding direction of the hook portion 17.

[0069] The hook portion 17 is provided with a retaining projection 17b that is inserted into a guide groove 18b provided in the holding portion 18. Although not shown, the retaining projections 17b are provided on both side surfaces of the hook portion 17 in the door thickness direction. A receiving recess 17c for receiving one end of the biasing member 19 is provided at the base end, which is the other end in the door width direction, of the hook portion 17 so as to open outward in the door width direction. The holding portion 18 is formed so as to open in the door width direction and define a receiving recess that receives the hook portion 17. In the example shown, the holding portion 18 is provided with a bottom piece that fits along the underside of the hook portion 17, both side pieces that fit along both side surfaces of the hook portion 17 in the door thickness direction, and a base end piece that faces the base end of the hook portion 17. The other end of the biasing member 19 abuts against the base end piece of this holding portion 18.

[0070] Also shown is an example in which fixing pieces 18a are provided on both side pieces and the base piece of the holding part 18, respectively, to be fixed along the groove bottom of the receiving groove 3a of the upper frame 3. These fixing pieces 18a are provided with insertion holes through which the shanks of fasteners such as screws to be fastened to the upper frame 3 are inserted. Also shown is an example in which guide grooves 18b, 18b are provided on both side pieces of the holding portion 18 to receive the anti-detachment protrusion 17b of the hook portion 17 so that it can be displaced in the door width direction. These guide grooves 18b, 18b are provided to extend in the door width direction. Also shown is an example in which upper surface pieces 18c, 18c that are fitted along the upper surface of the hook portion 17 are provided on both side pieces of the holding portion 18. The biasing member 19 is configured to bias the hook portion 17 so as to push it out toward the holding portion 18. The biasing member 19 may be, for example, a compression coil spring.

[0071] When temporarily fixing the upper rail 10, to which the recess defining portion 15 is fixed, to the upper frame 3 to which the hooking unit configured as described above is fixed, the upper rail 10 is moved upward relative to the upper frame 3, as shown in Fig. 9(b). When the upper rail 10 is moved upward, as shown in Fig. 9(c), the corner between one recess defining piece 15b and the fixed piece 15c of the recess defining portion 15 abuts against the inclined guide surface 17a of the hook portion 17, and the guide action displaces the hook portion 17 so that it is pushed into the holding portion 18. Then, when the upper rail 10 is moved further upward, as shown in Fig. 9(d), the hook portion 17 is inserted into the receiving recess 16 of the recess defining portion 15, and the upper rail 10 is temporarily fixed (temporarily held) to the upper frame 3. With the upper rail 10 temporarily fixed to the upper frame 3 in this manner, the fastener 7 may be fastened to the upper frame 3 via the insertion hole 15d of the recessed section 15, thereby permanently fixing the upper rail 10 to the upper frame 3. Although not shown, the groove bottom plate portion 12 of the upper rail 10 is provided with an insertion hole with a larger diameter than the head of the fastener 7.

[0072] Furthermore, the hook portion 17, the holding portion 18 that holds the hook portion 17, and the biasing member 19 that biases the hook portion 17 in the protruding direction relative to the holding portion 18 are not limited to the configurations described above, and may have various other configurations. While the example described above illustrates an example in which the hook portion 17 is provided with an inclined guide surface 17a at the tip thereof, an inclined guide surface may be provided at the portion of the recess defining portion 15 where the tip of the hook portion 17 abuts. While the example described above illustrates an example in which the hook portion 17 is provided on the upper frame 3 and the receiving recess 16 is provided on the upper rail 10, these may be provided on the opposite sides. That is, a configuration in which the receiving recess 16 is provided on the upper frame 3 and the hook portion 17 is provided on the upper rail 10 may also be used.

[0073] 2, the door opening and closing device 1 may also be provided with covers 50, 50 arranged on both sides of the upper rail 10 in the door thickness direction so as to cover the space between the upper frame 3 and the upper rail 10. These covers 50, 50 may be fixed to the upper rail 10 with an appropriate adhesive or fastener, or may be configured with a locking portion that locks onto a locking portion provided on the upper rail 10. Furthermore, when the door is fitted into a sleeve wall as described above, the cover 50 on the sleeve wall side may be provided so as to cover the area from the door-end vertical frame 4 to the middle mullion 6.

[0074] Next, a modified example of the door opening and closing device will be described with reference to FIG. The following mainly describes the differences from the above-mentioned example, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted or simplified. Also, the explanations of the same effects as those of the above-mentioned example are omitted or simplified.

[0075] As shown in FIGS. 11(a) to 11(c), a door opening and closing device 1B according to this modification differs from the above-described example mainly in the configurations of a hook portion 17A and a receiving recess 16A. In this modified example, a fixing screw 19A is provided in one of recess defining region 15A and hook portion 17A that define receiving recess 16A, and is screwed to fix hook portion 17A within receiving recess 16A. With this configuration, hook portion 17A can be fixed within receiving recess 16A by screwing fixing screw 19A with hook portion 17A inserted into receiving recess 16A. In this modified example, recessed section 15A is provided on the upper frame 3 side, and a hooking unit including hook portion 17A is provided on the upper rail 10D side. Although the illustrated example shows one set of recessed section 15A and hooking unit, similarly to the above, recessed section 15A and hooking units are provided at multiple locations spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of upper rail 10D.

[0076] The hook portion 17A is held by a holding portion 18A provided on the upper rail 10D so as to be movable in the door width direction. The hook portion 17A may be a generally flat plate-like member extending in the door width direction and arranged with its thickness in the vertical direction. A female threaded hole into which a fixing screw 19A is screwed is provided so as to pass vertically through the tip of the hook portion 17A on one end in the door width direction that is inserted into the receiving recess 16A. A handle 17Ab is provided at the base end of the other end in the door width direction of the hook portion 17A when the hook portion 17A is displaced in the door width direction. In the illustrated example, the handle 17Ab is a piece that is provided so as to hang downward from the base end of the hook portion 17A.

[0077] The retaining portion 18A is fixed to the groove bottom plate portion 12 (see Figure 2, etc.) of the upper rail 10D and is configured to protrude upward, with a retaining hole at its upper end that penetrates in the door width direction and holds the hook portion 17A so that it can be freely displaced in the door width direction. The fixing screw 19A is configured so that the shaft (male thread) faces upward and has a head at the bottom that serves as an operating part. The head of this fixing screw 19A may be configured so that it can be operated by fingers, or may be configured so that it can be operated by an appropriate tool. The recessed portion 15A is configured such that the receiving recess 16A is open in the door width direction so as to receive the tip of the hook portion 17A. In the example shown, the receiving recess 16A is open on one side in the door width direction and on both sides in the door thickness direction.

[0078] The recess defining portion 15A includes a fixed piece 15Aa fixed to the bottom of the receiving groove 3a of the upper frame 3 and a hanging piece 15Ab hanging from the edge of the other end of the fixed piece 15Aa in the door width direction. The recess defining portion 15A also includes a retaining piece 15Ac extending from the lower end of the hanging piece 15Ab toward one side in the door width direction. The fixed piece 15Aa, the hanging piece 15Ab, and the retaining piece 15Ac define a receiving recess 16A. The retaining piece 15Ac has a notched recess that opens toward one side in the door width direction and penetrates vertically to receive the shank of the fixing screw 19A. The illustrated example also shows an example in which the tip of the retaining piece 15Ac is provided with a movement prevention portion that bends downward and prevents the head of the fixing screw 19A from moving toward one side in the door width direction. The recess defining portion 15A may have a fixing piece portion 15Aa fixed to the upper frame 3 by an appropriate fastener.

[0079] In this modification, when fixing the upper rail 10D to the upper frame 3, as shown in FIG. 11(a), the upper rail 10D is positioned so that the hook portion 17A can be inserted into the receiving recess 16A of the recessed section 15A fixed to the upper frame 3. At this time, the fixing screw 19A may be loosened so that the retaining piece 15Ac can be received between the head of the fixing screw 19A and the tip of the hook portion 17A. Then, as shown in FIG. 11(b), the hook portion 17A is displaced in the door width direction and its tip is inserted into the receiving recess 16A. Next, as shown in FIG. 11(c), the fixing screw 19A may be tightened to sandwich and hold the retaining piece 15Ac between the head of the fixing screw 19A and the tip of the hook portion 17A, thereby fixing the upper rail 10D to the upper frame 3. After this fixation, the upper rail 10D may be further fixed in place to the upper frame 3 using an appropriate fastener, screw, or other fastener.

[0080] Also in this modified example, the above-described biasing member or inclined guide surface that biases the hook portion 17A in the protruding direction may be provided. In addition, in the above examples, the hook portions 17, 17A are movable in the door width direction and the receiving recesses 16, 16A are open in the door width direction, but this is not limited to this. For example, the hook portions 17, 17A may be movable in the door thickness direction or diagonally horizontally relative to the door thickness direction, and the receiving recesses 16, 16A may be open in a direction that allows the hook portions 17, 17A to be received. Furthermore, the door opening and closing devices 1, 1A, 1B according to the above-described examples may be configured without the hooking unit including the hook portion 17, 17A or the receiving recess 16, 16A. In this case, the upper rails 10, 10C, 10D may be fixed at appropriate positions to the upper frame 3 by suitable fasteners such as fixtures or screws.

[0081] Next, another modified example of the door opening and closing device will be described with reference to FIGS. The following mainly describes the differences from the above-mentioned examples, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted or simplified. Also, the explanations of the effects and advantages similar to those of the above-mentioned examples are omitted or simplified.

[0082] In this modified example, the main difference from the above example is the configuration of the first fixing member 34A that fixes the drive rotary wheel 31 to the upper rail 10 and the second fixing member that fixes the motor 35 to the upper rail 10. 12 and 14, the door opening and closing device 1C according to this modification includes a case 50A that houses and covers the drive unit 30A including the motor 35, is fixed to the upper rail 10, and constitutes a second fixing member. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent an installer from touching the drive unit 30A when installing the upper rail 10 to which the drive unit 30A and case 50A are attached. It is also possible to prevent foreign matter such as dust from adhering to the drive unit 30A.

[0083] The first fixing member 34A is configured to hold the drive axle 32A so that its axial direction is vertical, similar to the above-described example. The drive axle 32A is provided with a drive rotary wheel 31 and a rotary wheel-side gear 33 that are coaxial with each other and connected in the axial direction, similar to the above-described example. The drive rotary wheel 31 and the rotary wheel-side gear 33 may be integrally formed resin molded products. In this modified example, the first fixing member 34A is configured to rotatably hold both axial end portions of the drive axle 32A. This configuration allows the drive axle 32A to be held more stably than in the above-described example. In other words, the drive rotary wheel 31 and the rotary wheel-side gear 33 provided on the drive axle 32A can be held more stably. The first fixing member 34A is provided with a fixing piece 34Aa, which holds one end portion (the lower end portion in the illustrated example) of the drive axle 32A and is fixed so as to fit along the upper surface of the groove bottom plate portion 12 of the upper rail 10, in a manner similar to that described above.

[0084] The first fixed member 34A includes a rising piece 34Ab rising from one end of the fixed piece 34Aa in the door width direction, and a wheel bearing piece 34Ad extending from the upper end of the rising piece 34Ab to the other side in the door width direction and facing the fixed piece 34Aa. The other end (the upper end in the illustrated example) of the drive axle 32A is rotatably held by the wheel bearing piece 34Ad, and the wheel-side gear 33 and the drive wheel 31 are disposed between the wheel bearing piece 34Ad and the fixed piece 34Aa. Both axial ends of the drive axle 32A may be held by the fixed piece 34Aa and the wheel bearing piece 34Ad via appropriate bearings. Such bearings may be oil-less plain bearings that require almost no oiling. When the drive wheel 31 is made of resin as described above, an appropriate clearance may be provided between the resin and a metal bearing to prevent wear. 13, the first fixing member 34A is provided with a positioning portion 34Ac that determines the fixing position of the case 50A relative to the first fixing member 34A (rotary wheel side gear 33) when fixing the case 50A to the upper rail 10. The positioning portion 34Ac is provided so as to protrude outward in the door thickness direction from both sides in the door thickness direction of the lower end portion of the rising piece portion 34Ab (see also FIG. 12).

[0085] As shown in Figure 12, the case 50A is separate from the first fixing member 34A and constitutes a second fixing member that detachably fixes the motor 35 to the upper rail 10 to which the drive rotary wheel 31 is fixed. The case 50A is shaped like a rectangular pillar that is long in the door width direction. A control case 51 that houses a control circuit, a power supply, and the like similar to the control block 39 described above is integrally provided with the case 50A. With this configuration, the control circuit, power supply, and the like connected to the motor 35 are housed in the case 50A that houses the motor 35, thereby improving ease of assembly and maintenance. The control case section 51 is provided at one longitudinal side of the case 50A. The control case section 51 is provided with a main power switch at a position corresponding to a switch opening 12a provided to pass through the grooved bottom plate section 12 of the upper rail 10. The control case section 51 is provided with a passage detection section that detects a detection target passing through the entrance / exit 8 (see FIG. 1(a)) at a position corresponding to a detection section opening 12b provided to pass through the grooved bottom plate section 12 of the upper rail 10. The control case section 51 is provided with a control cover that is detachable from the case 50A to cover the upper opening of a housing section that houses a control circuit, a power supply section, etc.

[0086] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the other longitudinal side of the case 50A is provided with a gear accommodating section 52 that accommodates the rotating wheel side gear 33 held by the first fixing member 34A and the motor side gear 37 that meshes with it, and a motor accommodating section 55 that accommodates the motor 35. The motor accommodating section 55 is provided adjacent to the control case section 51. This motor accommodating section 55 is partitioned by a bottom plate section, side plate sections on both sides in the door thickness direction, and partition wall sections on both sides in the door width direction, and is provided so as to open upward. This motor accommodating section 55 is provided with holding sections 56, 56 that hold the held piece 38A fixed to the end of the motor 35 on the output shaft 36 side. The holding sections 56, 56 are holding grooves that open to face each other in the side plate sections on both sides in the door thickness direction of the motor accommodating section 55 and extend vertically. As shown in Figure 13(b), the motor 35 is housed and held in the motor housing 55 so that the motor-side gear 37 fixed to the output shaft 36 is located within the gear housing 52. On both sides of the retained piece 38A fixed to the motor 35 in the door thickness direction, protruding pieces 39A, 39A are provided so as to protrude outward in the door thickness direction. These protruding pieces 39A, 39A are inserted into and held in the holding parts 56, 56, preventing downward and horizontal movement of the motor 35. Upward movement of the motor 35 is prevented by a drive unit cover 58 (see Figure 12) that covers the openings of the motor housing 55 and the rotary wheel housing 52.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 13 , the gear accommodating portion 52 is disposed adjacent to the motor accommodating portion 55 and at the other longitudinal end of the case 50A. The gear accommodating portion 52 is partitioned by a bottom plate portion, side plate portions on both sides in the door thickness direction, and partition wall portions on both sides in the door width direction, and is disposed so as to open upward. The bottom plate portion of the gear accommodating portion 52 is disposed so as to be located above the drive rotary wheel 31. The bottom plate portion of the gear accommodating portion 52 is disposed so as to be located above the bottom plate portions of other parts of the case 50A, including the bottom plate portion of the motor accommodating portion 55, so as to be able to receive the drive rotary wheel 31. The bottom plate portion of the gear accommodating portion 52 is provided with a gear opening 53 into which the wheel bearing piece portion 34Ad and the rising piece portion 34Ab of the first fixing member 34A and the rotary wheel side gear 33 are inserted. Abutment portions 54, 54 that abut against positioning portions 34Ac, 34Ac provided on the first fixing member 34A are provided on a bottom plate portion of this gear accommodating portion 52. In the illustrated example, the abutment portions 54, 54 are provided so as to protrude in directions facing each other from the inner peripheral edge portion of the gear opening 53. The positioning portions 34Ac, 34Ac of the first fixing member 34A and the abutment portions 54, 54 of the case 50A are moved in the door width direction and abut against each other so as to be positioned so that the motor-side gear 37 held in the case 50A meshes with the rotary wheel-side gear 33 fixed to the upper rail 10.

[0088] The gear opening 53 is formed so as not to interfere with the rising piece 34Ab of the first fixing member 34A and the rotating wheel side gear 33 when the case 50A is moved in the door width direction to engage the disengaged rotating wheel side gear 33 and the motor side gear 37 (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 13( a)). In other words, the gear opening 53 is formed so as to allow the rising piece 34Ab and the rotating wheel side gear 33 to move relative to each other in the door width direction within the gear opening 53. The gear opening 53 is shaped to correspond to the outer shapes of the rising piece 34Ab and the rotating wheel side gear 33 so as to allow their relative movement in the door width direction, from the viewpoint of reducing the intrusion of foreign matter into the gear accommodating portion 52, etc. In the illustrated example, the gear opening 53 is shaped so as to have abutment portions 54, 54 that narrow the boundary between the elliptical portion that receives the rotating wheel side gear 33 and the rectangular portion that receives the rising piece 34Ab.

[0089] The case 50A is provided with insertion holes 51a, 51b, and 51c for fasteners that secure the case 50A to the upper rail 10. In the illustrated example, a first insertion hole 51a elongated in the door width direction is provided at one longitudinal end portion on the control case portion 51 side, and a second insertion hole 51b elongated in the door width direction is provided at a longitudinal midpoint of the case 50A. A third insertion hole 51c shaped as a round hole is provided at the other longitudinal end portion of the case 50A. The third insertion hole 51c may also be elongated. Similar to the control block 39 described above, a notched recess that receives the upper displacement portion 28a of the cord-like power transmission body 28 is provided at the lower end portion on one side of the door thickness direction of the case 50A, extending along its entire length. The case 50A is provided with fasteners 57 for fastening a drive unit cover 58 that covers the upper opening of the gear housing 52 and the motor housing 55. In the illustrated example, fasteners 57 are provided at the four corners of the gear housing 52 and at both corners of the motor housing 55 on the control case 51 side. The drive unit cover 58 is shaped to continuously cover the upper openings of the gear housing portion 52 and the motor housing portion 55. This drive unit cover 58 is provided with a plurality of insertion holes 59 through which fasteners are inserted so that the insertion holes 59 are positioned in accordance with the fastening portions 57.

[0090] In the door opening and closing device 1C configured as above, as shown in Fig. 12, the case 50A may be fixed to the upper rail 10 with the drive rotary wheel 31 around which the string-like power transmission body 28 of the drive mechanism 20A is wound and the rotary wheel side gear 33 fixed to the upper rail 10. In this case, with the motor 35 housed and held in the motor housing 55, the case 50A may be placed on the groove bottom plate-like portion 12 of the upper rail 10, and fasteners may be inserted into the elongated first insertion hole 51a and second insertion hole 51b to temporarily fasten the case 50A to the upper rail 10. Then, the case 50A is moved in the door width direction so that the motor side gear 37 meshes with the rotary wheel side gear 33 arranged in the gear housing 52 through the gear opening 53, and the abutting portions 54, 54 are brought into abutment with the positioning portions 34Ac, 34Ac of the rising piece portion 34Ab. Next, the fasteners inserted through the first insertion hole 51a and the second insertion hole 51b may be permanently fixed to the upper rail 10, and a fastener may be inserted through the third insertion hole 51c and fixed to the upper rail 10. Then, the drive unit cover 58 may be fixed to the case 50A.

[0091] The case 50A that covers the drive unit 30A including the motor 35 and is fixed to the upper rail 10 is not limited to the above-described configuration, and may have various other configurations. In the above example, the drive mechanisms 20, 20A are provided so as to fit within the length of the first half 10A of the longest upper rail 10, but the present invention is not limited to this. In addition, in the above example, the first driven axle 22 and the second driven axle 26 of the first driven rotating wheel 21 and the second driven rotating wheel 25 are arranged at an incline, but these may also be arranged so that they are in the door thickness direction or the door height direction.

[0092] In the above example, the driving rotary wheel 31 and the motor 35 are provided between the first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25, but the present invention is not limited to this. One of the first driven rotary wheel 21 and the second driven rotary wheel 25 may be the driving rotary wheel constituting the first rotary wheel around which the cord-like power transmission body 28 is wound, and the other may be the driven rotary wheel constituting the second rotary wheel. In this case, an appropriate motor may be provided to enable transmission of rotation to the driving rotary wheel, and first fixing members 34, 34A and second fixing members 38 (case 50A) may be provided to fix the driving rotary wheel to the upper rails 10, 10C, 10D, respectively. In the above example, the upper rails 10, 10C, and 10D are provided with guide grooves 11 that open downward, but guide grooves 11 that open toward one side in the door thickness direction or toward the upper side may also be provided. In this case, the guided member 29 and the drive mechanism 20 and 20A may be modified appropriately. Furthermore, in the above example, the driving rotary wheel 31, the first driven rotary wheel 21, and the second driven rotary wheel 25 are configured as pulleys (shrouds), but they may also be configured as gears (sprockets), etc. Furthermore, the string-like power transmission body 28 is not limited to being a rope-like member that matches the driving rotary wheel 31, the first driven rotary wheel 21, and the second driven rotary wheel 25, but may also be a belt, ball chain, chain, etc. The configurations of the above-mentioned devices, members, and parts of the door opening and closing devices 1, 1A, 1B, 1C according to this embodiment are merely examples, and various other modifications are possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1, 1A~1C Door opening and closing device 10, 10C, 10D upper rail 11 Guide groove 12 Groove bottom plate 21 First driven rotating wheel (driven rotating wheel) 25 Second driven rotating wheel (driven rotating wheel) 28 Cord-like power transmission body 29 Guided member 29A First guided member (guided member) 29B Second guided member (guided member) 30A drive unit 31 Drive wheel 32 Drive axle (shaft) 33 Rotating wheel gear (gear) 34, 34A First fixing member 34d 1st fixed part 34e 2nd fixed part 35 motor 36 Output shaft 37 Motor side gear (gear) 38 Second fixing member 38d 1st fixed part 38e 2nd fixed part 50A Case (Second fixing member) 9 Sliding door panel 9a Upper end

Claims

1. A door opening and closing device equipped with an upper rail that guides a guided member connected to the upper end of a sliding door panel and suspends and holds the sliding door panel so that it can slide freely in the door width direction, a drive rotary wheel that transmits drive to a string-like transmission body connected to the guided member; a driven rotary wheel that is wound around the string-like transmission body and rotates accordingly; a motor that is provided with a gear that transmits rotation to a gear provided on the drive rotary wheel and rotates the drive rotary wheel; a first fixing member that fixes the drive rotary wheel to the upper rail; and a second fixing member that is separate from the first fixing member and that detachably fixes the motor to the upper rail to which the drive rotary wheel is fixed.

2. In claim 1, A door opening and closing device, characterized in that the second fixing member is provided with a fixing portion that is fixed to a fixed portion provided on the first fixing member.

3. In claim 1 or 2, A door opening and closing device characterized in that the drive rotating wheel is arranged so that its axial direction is in the door height direction or the door thickness direction, and the motor is arranged on one side of the drive rotating wheel in the door width direction so that the axial direction of the output shaft is in the door width direction.

4. In any one of claims 1 to 3, The upper rail is provided with a guide groove that opens downward and receives the guided member, A door opening and closing device characterized in that the drive rotary wheel and the motor are fixed to a groove bottom plate-shaped portion that defines the groove bottom of the guide groove via the first fixing member and the second fixing member.

5. In any one of claims 1 to 4, A door opening and closing device comprising a case that houses and covers a drive unit including the motor and is fixed to the upper rail.

6. In claim 5, A door opening and closing device characterized in that the case is separate from the first fixed member and constitutes a second fixed member that detachably fixes the motor to the upper rail to which the drive rotating wheel is fixed.

7. In any one of claims 1 to 6, A door opening and closing device characterized in that the first fixing member is configured to hold both axial end portions of the shaft of the drive rotary wheel.

Images