Sliding door support device

Abstract

A sliding door support device (100C) comprises a guide rail (150C) that extends in the front-rear direction and a roller unit (180C) that moves along the guide rail (150C). The roller unit (180C) is configured such that, when a sliding door moves between the fully closed position and the fully opened position, a state in which the hinge axis (Axh) is positioned more in the opening direction than the rotation axis of a guide roller (181) is maintained, irrespective of the position of the sliding door. The guide rail (150C) has a first curved part (151C) that is curved inward in the width direction of a vehicle toward the closing direction and a second curved part (152C) that is curved outward in the width direction from the end part of the first curved part (151C) in the closing direction toward the closing direction.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sliding door support device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle equipped with a vehicle body having a door opening, a sliding door that opens and closes the door opening, and a sliding door support device that supports the sliding door on the vehicle body. The sliding door support device has a long guide rail fixed to the vehicle body and a roller unit that moves along the guide rail while being fixed to the sliding door.

[0003] When the roller unit moves to the front end of the guide rail, the sliding door is positioned at a fully closed position where the door opening is fully closed. On the other hand, when the roller unit moves to the rear end of the guide rail, the sliding door is positioned at a fully open position where the door opening is fully opened. In this way, the sliding door moves between the fully closed position and the fully open position as the roller unit moves along the guide rail. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-38815 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In a vehicle such as the one described above, if there is a large amount of overlap between the sliding door and the door opening in the fore-and-aft direction when the sliding door is positioned in the fully open position, this may reduce the convenience for users getting in and out of the vehicle through the door opening. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A sliding door support device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is applied to a vehicle including a vehicle body having a door opening that opens to a side and a sliding door configured to move between a fully closed position that fully closes the door opening and a fully open position that fully opens the door opening, and is configured to support the sliding door on the vehicle body. Among directions along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, the direction in which the sliding door moves toward the fully closed position is the closing direction, and the direction in which the sliding door moves toward the fully open position is the opening direction. The sliding door support device includes a guide rail extending in the fore-and-aft direction, and a roller unit configured to move along the guide rail to move the sliding door between the fully closed position and the fully open position. The roller unit includes two guide rollers configured to roll on the guide rail while being aligned in the fore-and-aft direction, a door bracket fixed to the sliding door, and a connecting portion connected to the door bracket so as to rotate relatively about a hinge axis extending in the up-and-down direction with respect to the door bracket and configured to rotatably support the two guide rollers, wherein when the sliding door moves between the fully closed position and the fully open position, a state in which the hinge axis is positioned further in the opening direction than a rotation axis of at least one of the two guide rollers is maintained, regardless of the position of the sliding door. The guide rail has a first curved portion that curves inward in the width direction of the vehicle as it progresses in the closing direction, and a second curved portion that curves outward in the width direction from an end of the first curved portion in the closing direction as it progresses in the closing direction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle equipped with a sliding door support device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the upper rail and upper roller unit (center rail and center roller unit) of the slide door support device shown in FIG. [Figure 3]3 is a plan view of the lower rail and the lower roller unit of the slide door support device shown in FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a perspective view of a lower rail and a lower roller unit of the slide door support device shown in FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a plan view of the lower rail and the lower roller unit of the slide door support device shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the lower rail and the lower roller unit of the slide door support device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view of the lower rail and the lower roller unit of the slide door support device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a plan view of the lower rail and the lower roller unit of the slide door support device according to the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of a vehicle equipped with a sliding door support device (hereinafter referred to as "door support device") will be described.

[0009] <Configuration of the first embodiment> As shown in Fig. 1, a vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 20, a sliding door 30, a door drive device 40, and a door support device 100. In the following description, the width direction of the vehicle 10, the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10, and the up-down direction of the vehicle 10 will be simply referred to as the width direction, the front-rear direction, and the up-down direction, respectively. The width direction is the direction in which the X axis extends, the front-rear direction is the direction in which the Y axis extends, and the up-down direction is the direction in which the Z axis extends. In addition, in the width direction, the direction toward the center of the vehicle 10 is referred to as the inward direction, and the direction away from the center of the vehicle 10 is referred to as the outward direction.

[0010] <Body 20> The vehicle body 20 has a door opening 21 that opens to the side. The door opening 21 is an area through which users pass when getting in and out of the rear seat. When viewed from the width direction, the door opening 21 has a rectangular shape. The shorter side of the door opening 21 is the front-to-rear direction, and the longer side of the door opening 21 is the up-to-down direction. In the first embodiment, the front end of the door opening 21 is separated by a B-pillar of the vehicle body 20.

[0011] <Sliding Door 30> The sliding door 30 has a shape corresponding to the door opening 21. The sliding door 30 moves between a fully closed position where the door opening 21 is fully closed and a fully open position where the door opening 21 is fully opened. The closing and opening directions of the sliding door 30 are along the front-to-rear direction. Specifically, the closing direction of the sliding door 30 is forward, and the closing direction of the sliding door 30 is rearward. When the sliding door 30 is opened, it moves rearward while moving outward in the width direction from the fully closed position to avoid interference with the vehicle body 20. Therefore, the sliding door 30 positioned in the fully open position is positioned rearward and outward in the width direction relative to the sliding door 30 positioned in the fully closed position.

[0012] <Door support device 100> As shown in FIG. 1, the door support device 100 includes an upper rail 110 , an upper roller unit 120 , a center rail 130 , a center roller unit 140 , a lower rail 150 , and a lower roller unit 180 .

[0013] In the first embodiment, the upper rail 110 and the center rail 130 have the same configuration, and the upper roller unit 120 and the center roller unit 140 have the same configuration. Therefore, the upper rail 110 and the center rail 130, and the upper roller unit 120 and the center roller unit 140 will be described together. The lower rail 150, which corresponds to the "guide rail," and the lower roller unit 180, which corresponds to the "roller unit," will be described separately.

[0014] <Upper rail 110 and center rail 130> 1, the upper rail 110 is fixed to the side surface of the vehicle body 20 above the door opening 21. On the other hand, the center rail 130 is fixed to the side surface of the vehicle body 20 at a position rearward from the center of the door opening 21 in the up-down direction.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2 , the upper rail 110 and the center rail 130 are elongated in the front-rear direction. The upper rail 110 and the center rail 130 each have a straight portion 111 and a curved portion 112. The straight portion 111 extends linearly in the front-rear direction. The curved portion 112 curves inward in the width direction as it extends forward from the front end of the straight portion 111. Note that the longitudinal direction of the straight portion 111 may be slightly inclined with respect to the front-rear direction, or the straight portion 111 may be slightly curved. Furthermore, the shapes of the straight portion 111 and the curved portion 112 of the upper rail 110 do not need to be identical to the shapes of the straight portion 111 and the curved portion 112 of the center rail 130. For example, it is preferable that the curved portion 112 of the center rail 130 bends inward in the width direction less than the curved portion 112 of the upper rail 110.

[0016] <Upper roller unit 120 and center roller unit 140> 1, the upper roller unit 120 is fixed to the upper part of the front end of the sliding door 30. The center roller unit 140 is fixed to the center of the rear end of the sliding door 30 in the up-down direction.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the upper roller unit 120 and the center roller unit 140 each include two guide rollers 121 and 122, a support roller 123, a roller support portion 124, and a door bracket 125.

[0018] The guide rollers 121, 122 are rollers that determine the direction of movement of the sliding door 30. The support roller 123 is a roller that supports the weight of the sliding door 30. The roller support portion 124 rotatably supports the two guide rollers 121, 122 and the support roller 123. The rotation axes of the two guide rollers 121, 122 extend in the vertical direction, and the rotation axis of the support roller 123 is perpendicular to the rotation axes of the two guide rollers 121, 122. The support roller 123 is located between the two guide rollers 121, 122. The roller support portion 124 is connected to a door bracket 125 so as to be rotatable relative to the door bracket 125. The roller support portion 124 is rotatable around an axis that extends in the vertical direction with respect to the door bracket 125. The door bracket 125 is a portion that is fixed to the sliding door 30. Specifically, the door bracket 125 of the upper roller unit 120 is fixed to the upper part of the front end of the sliding door 30. The door bracket 125 of the center roller unit 140 is fixed to the center of the rear end of the sliding door 30 in the up-down direction.

[0019] The two guide rollers 121, 122 and the support roller 123 of the upper roller unit 120 are engaged with the upper rail 110. Thus, the two guide rollers 121, 122 and the support roller 123 of the upper roller unit 120 can roll relative to the upper rail 110. Similarly, the two guide rollers 121, 122 and the support roller 123 of the center roller unit 140 are engaged with the center rail 130. Thus, the two guide rollers 121, 122 and the support roller 123 of the center roller unit 140 can roll relative to the center rail 130.

[0020] <Lower rail 150> As shown in FIG. 1 , the lower rail 150 is fixed to a side surface of the vehicle body 20 below the door opening 21. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the lower rail 150 has a first rail 160 and a second rail 170. The first rail 160 and the second rail 170 are elongated in the front-rear direction. The longitudinal direction of the first rail 160 and the second rail 170 is the front-rear direction. The first rail 160 and the second rail 170 are disposed adjacent to each other in the width direction. The first rail 160 is located inward of the second rail 170 in the width direction. The rear end of the first rail 160 coincides with the rear end of the second rail 170, but the front end of the first rail 160 is located rearward of the front end of the second rail 170.

[0021] The first rail 160 has a first straight portion 161 extending along the front-rear direction and a first curved portion 162 that curves inward in the width direction as it moves forward from the front end of the first straight portion 161. Similarly, the second rail 170 has a second straight portion 171 extending along the front-rear direction and a second curved portion 172 that curves inward in the width direction as it moves forward from the front end of the second straight portion 171. Note that it is sufficient that the first curved portion 162 and the second curved portion 172 extend continuously from the front ends of the first straight portion 161 and the second straight portion 171, respectively, and extend more inward in the width direction than the front ends of the first straight portion 161 and the second straight portion 171. Therefore, for example, as shown in the figure, the first curved portion 162 does not have to have a linearly extending portion, and the second curved portion 172 may have a linearly extending portion.

[0022] The first straight portion 161 extends in the same direction as the second straight portion 171. On the other hand, the first curved portion 162 extends in a different direction from the second curved portion 172. Specifically, the first curved portion 162 extends more inward in the width direction than the second curved portion 172. In other words, the first curved portion 162 curves more inward in the width direction as it progresses in the closing direction than the second curved portion 172. The first straight portion 161 and the second straight portion 171 are in close contact with each other in the width direction, while the first curved portion 162 and the second curved portion 172 are separated from each other in the width direction. The widthwise distance between the first curved portion 162 and the second curved portion 172 increases as it progresses forward. Therefore, the widthwise distance between the first rail 160 and the second rail 170 is different at the end in the opening direction and the end in the closing direction.

[0023] However, the degree of inward curvature in the width direction of the first rail 160 and the second rail 170 is smaller than the degree of inward curvature in the width direction of the upper rail 110 and the center rail 130. Thus, the length of the lower rail 150 in the width direction is shorter than the length of the upper rail 110 and the center rail 130 in the width direction.

[0024] 4, the first straight portion 161 and the first curved portion 162 constituting the first rail 160 have two side walls 163 facing each other in the width direction, an upper wall 164 connecting the upper ends of the two side walls 163, and a bottom wall 165 located below the upper wall 164. In the first embodiment, the bottom wall 165 is configured separately from the two side walls 163 and the upper wall 164, but in other embodiments, the bottom wall 165 may be connected to the lower end of one of the side walls 163. The second straight portion 171 and the second curved portion 172 constituting the second rail 170 have two side walls 173 facing each other in the width direction and an upper wall 174 connecting the upper ends of the two side walls 173.

[0025] <Lower Roller Unit 180> As shown in Fig. 1, lower roller unit 180 is fixed to the lower part at the front end of sliding door 30. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, lower roller unit 180 includes two first guide rollers 181, 182, a support roller 183, a second guide roller 184, a roller support portion 185, a door bracket 186, a connecting arm 187, and two connecting pins 188, 189. In the first embodiment, roller support portion 185 and connecting arm 187 together form a "connecting portion."

[0026] The roller support portion 185 is plate-shaped. The roller support portion 185 has a base portion 185a and three extension portions 185b to 185d extending from the base portion 185a. The three extension portions 185b to 185d extend from one side of the base portion 185a with a gap between them. As a result, the three extension portions 185b to 185d are arranged in a line. Of the three extension portions 185b to 185d, the two extension portions 185b and 185d located at both ends each rotatably support the two first guide rollers 181 and 182. The rotation axes of the two first guide rollers 181 and 182 extend in the vertical direction. Of the three extension portions 185b to 185d, the tip of the central extension portion 185c is bent upward. The tip of the central extension portion 185c rotatably supports the support roller 183. In other words, the support roller 183 is located between the two first guide rollers 181, 182. The rotation axis of the support roller 183 is perpendicular to the rotation axes of the two first guide rollers 181, 182.

[0027] The door bracket 186 is a plate-like member that is bent in an L shape when viewed from the front-rear direction. The door bracket 186 is fixed to the lower part of the front end of the sliding door 30. The connecting arm 187 is a long, plate-shaped link member. A base end of the connecting arm 187 in the longitudinal direction is connected to the roller support portion 185 by a connecting pin 188 extending in the vertical direction. Thus, the connecting arm 187 is rotatable relative to the roller support portion 185 about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction. Meanwhile, a tip end of the connecting arm 187 in the longitudinal direction is connected to the door bracket 186 by a connecting pin 189 extending in the vertical direction. Thus, the connecting arm 187 is rotatable relative to the door bracket 186 about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction. In this way, the connecting arm 187 connects the roller support portion 185 and the door bracket 186 to each other. In the following explanation, the rotation axis between the connecting arm 187 and the roller support portion 185 will be referred to as the "arm axis Axa," and the rotation axis between the connecting arm 187 and the door bracket 186 will be referred to as the "hinge axis Axh." Because the arm axis Axa and the hinge axis Axh both extend in the vertical direction, they are parallel to each other. Furthermore, when viewing the lower roller unit 180 from above, the direction in which the connecting arm 187 rotates clockwise relative to the roller support portion 185 will be referred to as the first rotation direction R1, and the direction in which the connecting arm 187 rotates counterclockwise relative to the roller support portion 185 will be referred to as the second rotation direction R2.

[0028] The connecting arm 187 rotatably supports the second guide roller 184 at a position close to the base end. The rotation axis of the second guide roller 184 extends in the vertical direction. The rotation axis of the second guide roller 184 is positioned offset from the arm axis Axa. More specifically, in the longitudinal direction of the connecting arm 187, the arm axis Axa is positioned between the hinge axis Axh and the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184. In other words, in the longitudinal direction of the connecting arm 187, the hinge axis Axh and the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184 are positioned on either side of the arm axis Axa. Here, "the arm axis Axa being positioned between the hinge axis Axh and the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184" includes a case where the arm axis Axa is positioned offset from the line segment connecting the hinge axis Axh and the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184 when viewed from the vertical direction.

[0029] Therefore, when the connecting arm 187 rotates around the arm axis Axa, the movement direction of the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184 and the movement direction of the hinge axis Axh are opposite to each other. Also, the distance from the arm axis Axa to the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184 is shorter than the distance from the arm axis Axa to the hinge axis Axh. Therefore, when the connecting arm 187 rotates around the arm axis Axa, the movement amount of the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184 is less than the movement amount of the hinge axis Axh.

[0030] The two first guide rollers 181, 182 and the support roller 183 of the lower roller unit 180 are engaged with the first rail 160 of the lower rail 150. More specifically, the two first guide rollers 181, 182 contact one of the two side walls 163 of the first rail 160, and the support roller 183 contacts the bottom wall 165 of the first rail 160. In this way, the two first guide rollers 181, 182 and the support roller 183 of the lower roller unit 180 are able to roll on the first rail 160 of the lower rail 150. The two first guide rollers 181, 182 are aligned with a gap in the longitudinal direction of the first rail 160. In other words, the two first guide rollers 181, 182 are aligned with a gap in the front-to-rear direction. Of the two first guide rollers 181, 182, the first guide roller 181 located in the closing direction corresponds to the "closing side first guide roller," and the first guide roller 182 located in the opening direction corresponds to the "opening side first guide roller."

[0031] The second guide roller 184 of the lower roller unit 180 engages with the second rail 170 of the lower rail 150. More specifically, the second guide roller 184 contacts one of the two side walls 173 of the second rail 170. In this way, the second guide roller 184 of the lower roller unit 180 is able to roll relative to the second rail 170 of the lower rail 150.

[0032] 3, lower roller unit 180 engages with first rail 160 and second rail 170 from below. Therefore, the installation positions of roller support portion 185, door bracket 186, and connecting arm 187 are shifted downward with respect to the installation positions of first rail 160 and second rail 170. In another embodiment, lower roller unit 180 may engage with first rail 160 and second rail 170 from above. In this case, the installation positions of roller support portion 185, door bracket 186, and connecting arm 187 are shifted upward with respect to the installation positions of first rail 160 and second rail 170.

[0033] <Operation of the First Embodiment> The following describes the operation when the sliding door 30 is closed. In particular, the operations of the upper roller unit 120, the center roller unit 140, and the lower roller unit 180 when the sliding door 30 is closed will be described.

[0034] The operation of the upper roller unit 120 will now be described. 2, when the sliding door 30 is in the fully open position, the upper roller unit 120 is located near the rear end of the upper rail 110. At this time, the door bracket 125 of the upper roller unit 120 is located at the rearmost position and the outermost position in the width direction.

[0035] When the sliding door 30 is closed from the fully open position, the upper roller unit 120 moves from the rear end toward the front end of the upper rail 110. At this time, the two guide rollers 121, 122 and the support roller 123 of the upper roller unit 120 roll relative to the upper rail 110. When the two guide rollers 121, 122 move along the straight portion 111 of the upper rail 110, the relative positional relationship between the roller support portion 124 and the door bracket 125 remains substantially unchanged. On the other hand, when the two guide rollers 121, 122 move along the curved portion 112 of the upper rail 110, the roller support portion 124 rotates relative to the door bracket 125.

[0036] The operation of the upper roller unit 120 when the sliding door 30 is closed has been described above, but the operation of the center roller unit 140 when the sliding door 30 is closed is substantially the same.

[0037] The operation of the lower roller unit 180 will now be described. As shown by the solid line in FIG. 5 , when the sliding door 30 is in the fully open position, the lower roller unit 180 is located near the rear end of the lower rail 150. At this time, the arm axis Axa is located outward in the width direction from the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184. Also, the hinge axis Axh is located outward in the width direction from the arm axis Axa. Therefore, the hinge axis Axh is located outward in the width direction from the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184. Furthermore, the distance in the width direction between the rotation axis of the first guide roller 181 and the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184 (hereinafter referred to as the "axis distance Dr") is the shortest. In other words, the connecting arm 187 is in a state of being rotated the most in the first rotation direction R1 relative to the roller support portion 185. Therefore, the distance between the rotation axis of the first guide roller 181 and the hinge axis Axh is the largest. Furthermore, the connecting arm 187 is oriented so that it extends rearward as it moves outward in the width direction, with the base end as the reference point. As a result, the door bracket 186 of the lower roller unit 180 is positioned at the rearmost position and the outermost position in the width direction.

[0038] When the sliding door 30 is closed from the fully open position, the lower roller unit 180 moves from the rear end to the front end of the lower rail 150. At this time, the two first guide rollers 181, 182 and the support roller 183 roll relative to the first rail 160, and the second guide roller 184 rolls relative to the second rail 170.

[0039] First, the two first guide rollers 181, 182 move along the first straight portion 161 of the first rail 160, and the second guide roller 184 moves along the second straight portion 171 of the second rail 170. In this case, the two first guide rollers 181, 182 and the second guide roller 184 all move forward. Therefore, the position of the lower roller unit 180 in the width direction does not change substantially. Furthermore, because the distance Dr between the axes of the first guide roller 181 and the second guide roller 184 does not change substantially, the connecting arm 187 does not rotate with respect to the roller support portion 185. Therefore, the relative positional relationship between the roller support portion 185, the door bracket 186, and the connecting arm 187 does not change substantially.

[0040] Next, the two first guide rollers 181, 182 move along the first curved portion 162 of the first rail 160, and the second guide roller 184 moves along the second curved portion 172 of the second rail 170. In this case, the two first guide rollers 181, 182 and the second guide roller 184 move inward in the width direction while facing forward. As a result, the position of the lower roller unit 180 changes inward in the width direction. Furthermore, in this case, the movement direction of the two first guide rollers 181, 182 differs from the movement direction of the second guide roller 184. Specifically, the movement direction of the two first guide rollers 181, 182 faces more inward in the width direction than the movement direction of the second guide roller 184. As a result, as the lower roller unit 180 approaches the front end of the lower rail 150, the distance Dr between the axes of the first guide roller 181 and the second guide roller 184 becomes longer. In other words, as the connecting arm 187 rotates in the second rotation direction R2 relative to the roller support part 185, the distance between the rotation axis of the first guide roller 181 and the hinge axis Axh gradually decreases. As a result, the door bracket 186 of the lower roller unit 180 moves inward in the width direction as it moves forward. Here, the dashed dotted line in Figure 5 indicates the movement trajectory of the hinge axis Axh relative to the movement of the lower roller unit 180.

[0041] When the lower roller unit 180 moves near the front end of the lower rail 150, the arm axis Axa moves inward in the width direction relative to the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184. Furthermore, the distance Dr between the axes of the first guide roller 181 and the second guide roller 184 becomes longest. In other words, the connecting arm 187 rotates most in the second rotation direction R2 relative to the roller support portion 185, and the distance between the rotation axis of the first guide roller 181 and the hinge axis Axh becomes shortest. Furthermore, the connecting arm 187 extends rearward relative to its base end. In other words, the connecting arm 187 is oriented so as to follow the second curved portion 172 of the second rail 170. As a result, the door bracket 186 of the lower roller unit 180 is positioned most forward and most inward in the width direction. Therefore, at least a portion of the door bracket 186 is disposed below the first rail 160 and the second rail 170. That is, when viewed from above, at least a portion of the door bracket 186 is hidden by the first rail 160 and the second rail 170.

[0042] When the lower roller unit 180 moves to near the front end of the lower rail 150, the door bracket 125 of the upper roller unit 120 moves to near the front end of the upper rail 110. Similarly, the door bracket 125 of the center roller unit 140 moves to near the front end of the center rail 130. Here, the postures of the door bracket 125 of the upper roller unit 120, the door bracket 125 of the center roller unit 140, and the door bracket 186 of the lower roller unit 180 are maintained substantially constant. Therefore, when the sliding door 30 is closed, the sliding door 30 moves to the fully closed position with its side surface facing the width direction.

[0043] The above explanation has been given for the case where the sliding door 30 is operated to close, but the case where the sliding door 30 is operated to open is generally similar except that the movement directions of the components of the sliding door 30 and the door support device 100 are reversed.

[0044] <Effects of the first embodiment> (1-1) As shown in FIG. 5 , when the sliding door 30 moves between the fully closed position and the fully open position, the hinge axis Axh is maintained in a state in which it is positioned in the opening direction relative to the rotation axes of the two first guide rollers 181, 182. In other words, when the sliding door 30 moves between the fully closed position and the fully open position, the positional relationship in the front-to-rear direction between the hinge axis Axh and the rotation axes of the two first guide rollers 181, 182 does not change. More specifically, the state in which the hinge axis Axh is positioned forward of the two first guide rollers 181, 182 and the state in which the hinge axis Axh is positioned rearward of the two first guide rollers 181, 182 do not alternate. Therefore, the door support device 100 can achieve smooth opening and closing operations of the sliding door 30.

[0045] (1-2) As shown by the solid line in Fig. 5, in the door support device 100, when the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully open position, the hinge axis Axh is positioned in the opening direction relative to the rotation axes of the two first guide rollers 181, 182. Therefore, the door support device 100 can open the door opening 21 widely when the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully open position.

[0046] (1-3) The space occupied by the lower rail 150 is shorter in width than the spaces occupied by the upper rail 110 and the center rail 130. This makes it possible to effectively utilize the space below the passenger compartment of the vehicle 10 while avoiding interference with the lower rail 150. For example, it becomes possible to place a ramp and steps or a large battery in the space.

[0047] (1-4) As shown in Fig. 5, when the lower roller unit 180 moves along the lower rail 150, the two first guide rollers 181, 182 move along the first rail 160, and the second guide roller 184 moves along the second rail 170. In other words, when the lower roller unit 180 moves along the lower rail 150, the axis-to-axis distance Dr between the first guide roller 181 and the second guide roller 184 changes depending on the position of the lower roller unit 180 relative to the lower rail 150. As a result, the connecting arm 187 rotates relative to the roller support portion 185, changing the position of the door bracket 186 in the width direction. In this way, the door support device 100 can adjust the position of the door bracket 186 in the width direction by using three rollers and two rails.

[0048] (1-5) Both first rail 160 and second rail 170 are curved so as to curve inward in the width direction as they move forward. Therefore, when a structure such as a B-pillar of vehicle body 20 is located at a position in the closing direction beyond the end of second straight portion 171 of second rail 170 in the closing direction, door support device 100 can avoid interference between the structure and second rail 170.

[0049] (1-6) When the sliding door 30 is positioned at the fully closed position, the arm axis Axa of the lower roller unit 180 is located inward in the width direction from the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184. Therefore, when the sliding door 30 is positioned at the fully closed position, the door support device 100 can easily store the connecting arm 187 inward in the width direction. As a result, the door support device 100 can easily position the door bracket 186 inward in the width direction. In this way, when the sliding door 30 is positioned at the fully closed position, the door support device 100 can reduce the space occupied by the device in the width direction.

[0050] (1-7) When the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully open position, the arm axis Axa of the lower roller unit 180 is positioned outward in the width direction from the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184. Furthermore, when the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully open position, the hinge axis Axh is positioned outward in the width direction from the arm axis Axa. Therefore, when the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully open position, the door support device 100 can easily deploy the connecting arm 187 outward in the width direction. As a result, the door support device 100 can easily position the door bracket 186 outward in the width direction. In this way, the door support device 100 can ensure a wide gap in the width direction between the sliding door 30 positioned in the fully open position and the vehicle body 20.

[0051] (1-8) When the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully closed position, at least a portion of the door bracket 186 of the lower roller unit 180 is positioned below the first rail 160 and the second rail 170 of the lower rail 150. Therefore, when the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully closed position, the door support device 100 can position the door bracket 186 more inward in the width direction. As a result, the door support device 100 can reduce the space occupied by the device in the width direction.

[0052] (Second embodiment) The following describes the door support device 100A according to the second embodiment, focusing on the differences from the door support device 100 according to the first embodiment. In the following description, the same reference numerals will be used to designate the same or similar components as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0053] <Configuration of the second embodiment> As shown in FIG. 6, the door support device 100A includes a lower rail 150A and a lower roller unit 180A.

[0054] <Lower rail 150A> The lower rail 150A has a first rail 160 and a second rail 170A. The first rail 160 and the second rail 170A are elongated in the front-rear direction. The longitudinal direction of the first rail 160 and the second rail 170A is the front-rear direction. The first rail 160 and the second rail 170A are disposed adjacent to each other in the width direction. The first rail 160 is located inward of the second rail 170A in the width direction. The rear end of the first rail 160 coincides with the rear end of the second rail 170A, but the front end of the first rail 160 is located rearward of the front end of the second rail 170A. The first rail 160 has a first straight portion 161 and a first curved portion 162. The second rail 170A has only a second straight portion 171A extending along the front-rear direction. In other words, the second rail 170A extends linearly across the entire length in the front-rear direction. That is, in the second embodiment, the second rail 170A does not have the second curved portion 172.

[0055] <Lower Roller Unit 180A> Lower roller unit 180A in the second embodiment has substantially the same configuration as lower roller unit 180A in the first embodiment. That is, lower roller unit 180A includes two first guide rollers 181, 182, a support roller 183, a second guide roller 184, a roller support portion 185, a door bracket 186, a connecting arm 187, and two connecting pins 188, 189. In the second embodiment, roller support portion 185 and connecting arm 187 together form a "connecting portion."

[0056] When the lower roller unit 180A is viewed from above, the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184, the arm axis Axa, and the hinge axis Axh are aligned in a straight line. The arm axis Axa is located between the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184 and the hinge axis Axh. The distance from the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184 to the arm axis Axa is shorter than the distance from the arm axis Axa to the hinge axis Axh.

[0057] <Operation of the Second Embodiment> The operation of the sliding door 30 when it is closed will be described below, focusing on the operation of the lower roller unit 180A.

[0058] When the sliding door 30 is in the fully open position, the lower roller unit 180A is located near the rear end of the lower rail 150A. At this time, the arm axis Axa is located outward in the width direction from the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184. The hinge axis Axh is also located outward in the width direction from the arm axis Axa. Therefore, the hinge axis Axh is located outward in the width direction from the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184. Furthermore, the distance Dr between the axes of the first guide roller 181 and the second guide roller 184 is minimized. In other words, the connecting arm 187 is rotated furthest in the first rotation direction R1 relative to the roller support portion 185. As a result, the door bracket 186 of the lower roller unit 180A is located furthest rearward and furthest outward in the width direction.

[0059] When the sliding door 30 is closed from the fully open position, the lower roller unit 180A moves from the rear end to the front end of the lower rail 150A. At this time, the two first guide rollers 181, 182 and the support roller 183 roll relative to the first rail 160, and the second guide roller 184 rolls relative to the second rail 170A.

[0060] First, the two first guide rollers 181, 182 move along the first straight portion 161 of the first rail 160, and the second guide roller 184 moves along the second straight portion 171A of the second rail 170A. In this case, the two first guide rollers 181, 182 and the second guide roller 184 all move forward. Therefore, the position of the lower roller unit 180A in the width direction does not change substantially. Furthermore, because the distance Dr between the axes of the first guide roller 181 and the second guide roller 184 does not change substantially, the connecting arm 187 does not rotate with respect to the roller support portion 185. Therefore, the relative positional relationship between the roller support portion 185, the door bracket 186, and the connecting arm 187 does not change substantially.

[0061] Next, the two first guide rollers 181, 182 move along the first curved portion 162 of the first rail 160, and the second guide roller 184 moves along the second straight portion 171A of the second rail 170A. In this case, the two first guide rollers 181, 182 move forward and inward in the width direction, and the second guide roller 184 moves forward. In other words, in this case, the movement direction of the two first guide rollers 181, 182 is more inward in the width direction than the movement direction of the second guide roller 184. Therefore, as the lower roller unit 180A approaches the front end of the lower rail 150A, the distance Dr between the axes of the first guide roller 181 and the second guide roller 184 increases. In other words, as the connecting arm 187 rotates in the second rotation direction R2 relative to the roller support portion 185, the distance between the rotation axis of the first guide roller 181 and the hinge axis Axh gradually decreases. As a result, door bracket 186 of lower roller unit 180A moves inward in the width direction as it moves forward. Here, the dashed dotted line in Figure 6 indicates the movement locus of hinge axis Axh relative to the movement of lower roller unit 180A.

[0062] When the lower roller unit 180A moves near the front end of the lower rail 150A, the arm axis Axa moves inward in the width direction from the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184. The hinge axis Axh also moves inward in the width direction from the arm axis Axa. Therefore, the hinge axis Axh moves inward in the width direction from the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184. Furthermore, the distance Dr between the axes of the first guide roller 181 and the second guide roller 184 becomes the longest. In other words, the connecting arm 187 is rotated the most in the second rotation direction R2 relative to the roller support portion 185, and the distance between the rotation axis of the first guide roller 181 and the hinge axis Axh becomes the shortest. As a result, the door bracket 186 of the lower roller unit 180A is positioned at the frontmost position and the innermost position in the width direction. Therefore, at least a portion of door bracket 186 is disposed below first rail 160 and second rail 170A. In other words, when viewed from above, at least a portion of door bracket 186 is hidden by first rail 160 and second rail 170A.

[0063] <Effects of the second embodiment> The second embodiment can achieve the effects (1-1) to (1-4), (1-7), and (1-8) of the first embodiment. In addition, the second embodiment can achieve the following effects.

[0064] (2-1) The second rail 170A extends linearly. Therefore, the door support device 100A can simplify the shape of the second rail 170A compared to a case in which both the first rail 160 and the second rail 170A have curved portions.

[0065] (2-2) When the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully closed position, in the lower roller unit 180A, the arm axis Axa is located inward in the width direction from the rotation axis of the second guide roller 184. Furthermore, in the lower roller unit 180A, the hinge axis Axh is located inward in the width direction from the arm axis Axa. Therefore, when the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully closed position, the door support device 100 can easily store the connecting arm 187 inward in the width direction. As a result, the door support device 100A can easily position the door bracket 186 inward in the width direction. In this way, when the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully closed position, the door support device 100A can reduce the space occupied by the device in the width direction.

[0066] (Third embodiment) The following describes the door support device 100B according to the third embodiment, focusing on the differences from the door support device 100 according to the first embodiment. In the following description, the same reference numerals will be used to designate the same or similar components as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0067] <Configuration of the third embodiment> As shown in FIG. 7, the door support device 100B includes a lower rail 150B and a lower roller unit 180B.

[0068] <Lower rail 150B> The lower rail 150B has an elongated shape that is long in the front-rear direction. The longitudinal direction of the lower rail 150B is the front-rear direction. The lower rail 150B has an S-shape when viewed from above. The lower rail 150B has a first curved portion 151B and a second curved portion 152B. The first curved portion 151B curves inward in the width direction as it extends forward. The second curved portion 152B curves outward in the width direction as it extends forward from the front end of the first curved portion 151B.

[0069] The rear end of the first curved portion 151B is located outward in the width direction than the front end of the second curved portion 152B. When the lower rail 150B is viewed from above, the rear end of the first curved portion 151B is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction. Specifically, the rear end of the first curved portion 151B extends outward in the width direction as it progresses rearward, which is the opening direction. The boundary portion between the first curved portion 151B and the second curved portion 152B is curved so as to convex inward in the width direction. In other words, the boundary portion between the first curved portion 151B and the second curved portion 152B forms an arc shape that convex inward in the width direction. The radius of curvature of the second curved portion 152B is smaller than the radius of curvature of the first curved portion 151B. Furthermore, it is preferable that the width Wd near the rear end and the width Wd near the front end of the lower rail 150B be narrower than the width Wd of a middle portion in the longitudinal direction of the lower rail 150B. Here, the width Wd of the lower rail 150B is the distance between two side walls of the lower rail 150B that intersect with the width direction.

[0070] <Lower Roller Unit 180B> The lower roller unit 180B includes two guide rollers 181 and 182, a support roller 183, a door bracket 186, a connecting pin 189, and a connecting portion 190.

[0071] The connecting portion 190 is plate-shaped. The connecting portion 190 has an elongated shape in a plan view from above. The connecting portion 190 rotatably supports the two guide rollers 181, 182 and the support roller 183 at its base end. The rotation axes of the two guide rollers 181, 182 extend in the vertical direction. The rotation axis of the support roller 183 is perpendicular to the rotation axes of the two guide rollers 181, 182. The tip end of the connecting portion 190 is connected to the door bracket 186 by a connecting pin 189 extending in the vertical direction. The connecting portion 190 is rotatable relative to the door bracket 186 around the rotation axis extending in the vertical direction. In the following description, the rotation axis of the connecting portion 190 and the door bracket 186 is referred to as the "hinge axis Axh."

[0072] The two guide rollers 181, 182 and the support roller 183 of the lower roller unit 180B are engaged with the lower rail 150B. More specifically, the two guide rollers 181, 182 and the support roller 183 are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the lower rail 150B. In this way, the two guide rollers 181, 182 and the support roller 183 of the lower roller unit 180B are able to roll relative to the lower rail 150B. Of the two guide rollers 181, 182, the guide roller 181 located in the opening direction corresponds to the "opening-side guide roller," and the guide roller 182 located in the closing direction corresponds to the "closing-side guide roller."

[0073] <Operation of the Third Embodiment> The operation of the sliding door 30 when it is closed will be described below, focusing on the operation of the lower roller unit 180B.

[0074] When the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully open position, the lower roller unit 180B is located near the rear end of the lower rail 150B. At this time, the hinge axis Axh is located rearward of the rotation axes of both of the two guide rollers 181, 182. Furthermore, the door bracket 186 of the lower roller unit 180B is located at the rearmost position and the outermost position in the width direction within its range of movement. In the following description, the angle formed between the rotation axis of the support roller 183 and the front-to-rear direction is referred to as the "angle θ of the connecting portion 190." When the lower roller unit 180B is located near the rear end of the lower rail 150B, the angle θ of the connecting portion 190 is close to a right angle.

[0075] When the sliding door 30 is closed from the fully open position, the lower roller unit 180B moves from the rear end to the front end of the lower rail 150B. At this time, the two guide rollers 181, 182 and the support roller 183 roll on the lower rail 150B.

[0076] Here, when the two guide rollers 181, 182 move in the front-to-rear direction while the angle θ of the connecting portion 190 is maintained constant, the position of the hinge axis Axh in the width direction does not change. In contrast, when the two guide rollers 181, 182 move inward in the width direction as they move forward while the angle θ of the connecting portion 190 is maintained constant, the position of the hinge axis Axh changes inward in the width direction. On the other hand, when the two guide rollers 181, 182 move outward in the width direction as they move forward while the angle θ of the connecting portion 190 is maintained constant, the position of the hinge axis Axh changes outward in the width direction.

[0077] Furthermore, when the sliding door 30 is being closed, if the movement direction of the two guide rollers 181, 182 gradually changes inward in the width direction, the angle θ of the connecting portion 190 becomes larger. In this case, the position of the hinge axis Axh is likely to change outward in the width direction. On the other hand, if the movement direction of the two guide rollers 181, 182 gradually changes outward in the width direction, the angle θ of the connecting portion 190 becomes smaller. In this case, the position of the hinge axis Axh is likely to change inward in the width direction.

[0078] Thus, in the third embodiment, the position of the hinge axis Axh in the width direction is determined by both the movement of the two guide rollers 181, 182 in the front-rear direction and the widthwise displacement of the two guide rollers 181, 182 that accompanies the movement. Therefore, when the two guide rollers 181, 182 move along the first curved portion 151B and the second curved portion 152B of the lower rail 150B, the hinge axis Axh moves as shown by the dashed line in Fig. 7. This will be explained in detail below.

[0079] When the two guide rollers 181, 182 move along the first curved portion 151B, first, the two guide rollers 181, 182 move inward in the width direction as they move forward. At this time, the angle θ of the connecting portion 190 gradually increases. As a result, the hinge axis Axh moves forward. Thereafter, the two guide rollers 181, 182 continue to move inward in the width direction as they move forward, but the angle θ of the connecting portion 190 gradually decreases. As a result, the hinge axis Axh moves inward in the width direction as they move forward. Next, when the two guide rollers 181, 182 move along the second curved portion 152B, the two guide rollers 181, 182 move outward in the width direction as they move forward. However, in this case, the angle θ of the connecting portion 190 rapidly decreases. As a result, the hinge axis Axh continues to move inward in the width direction as they move forward.

[0080] When the upper roller unit 120 moves to the vicinity of the front end of the lower rail 150B, the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully closed position. At this time, the hinge axis Axh is located rearward of the rotation axes of both of the two guide rollers 181, 182. In addition, the hinge axis Axh is closest to the lower rail 150B in the width direction.

[0081] The hinge axis Axh moves forward and inward in the width direction during the closing operation of the sliding door 30. As a result, when the sliding door 30 is disposed in the fully closed position, the door bracket 186 of the lower roller unit 180B is positioned at the forward-most position and the innermost position in the width direction within its movement range.

[0082] Furthermore, when the sliding door 30 is closed from the fully open position to the fully closed position, the positional relationship in the front-to-rear direction between the hinge axis Axh and the rotation axes of the guide rollers 181, 182 does not change. In other words, when the sliding door 30 moves between the fully open position and the fully closed position, the hinge axis Axh remains positioned rearward of the rotation axes of both of the two guide rollers 181, 182.

[0083] <Effects of the third embodiment> The third embodiment can obtain the effects (1-1) to (1-3) of the first embodiment. In addition, the third embodiment can obtain the following effects.

[0084] (3-1) The door support device 100B can move the lower roller unit 180B along the single lower rail 150B, thereby moving the door bracket 186 inward in the width direction as the door bracket 186 advances in the closing direction.

[0085] (3-2) The width Wd of the front and rear ends of the lower rail 150B is narrower than that of other portions. Therefore, when the lower roller unit 180B is positioned near the front and rear ends of the lower rail 150B, the two first guide rollers 181, 182 are less likely to move in the width direction than when the lower roller unit 180B is positioned in the middle of the lower rail 150B. In other words, when the lower roller unit 180B is positioned near the front and rear ends of the lower rail 150B, the posture of the lower roller unit 180B is more likely to be stable than when the lower roller unit 180B is positioned in the middle of the lower rail 150B. Therefore, the door support device 100B can stabilize the posture of the lower part of the front end of the sliding door 30 when the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully open position or the fully closed position.

[0086] (3-3) The magnitudes of the curvature radii of the first curved portion 151B and the second curved portion 152B of the lower rail 150C relate to the amount of change in the inclination of the connecting portion 190 when the sliding door 30 moves a unit length in the front-rear direction. For example, when the two first guide rollers 181, 182 roll on a curved portion with a large curvature radius, the inclination of the connecting portion 190 does not change much. On the other hand, when the two first guide rollers 181, 182 roll on a curved portion with a small curvature radius, the inclination of the connecting portion 190 changes significantly. In this regard, in the door support device 100B, the curvature radius of the second curved portion 152B located in the closing direction of the lower rail 150B is smaller than the curvature radius of the first curved portion 151B located in the opening direction of the lower rail 150B. Therefore, when the sliding door 30 moves near the fully closed position, the inclination of the connecting portion 190 changes significantly. Therefore, the door support device 100B can move the door bracket 186 in the width direction by a large amount when the sliding door 30 moves near the fully closed position. Therefore, the door support device 100B can make the movement trajectory of the sliding door 30 moving between the fully closed position and the fully open position a natural trajectory.

[0087] (3-4) In the lower rail 150B, the boundary between the first curved portion 151B and the second curved portion 152B is curved so as to convex inward in the width direction. Therefore, the two first guide rollers 181, 182 of the lower roller unit 180B can roll smoothly along the boundary between the first curved portion 151B and the second curved portion 152B. In other words, the two first guide rollers 181, 182 of the lower roller unit 180B can roll smoothly along the portion of the lower rail 150B where the longitudinal direction changes significantly. In this way, the door support device 100B can smoothly move the lower roller unit 180B relative to the lower rail 150B.

[0088] (3-5) In the lower rail 150B, the end of the first curved portion 151B in the opening direction extends outward in the width direction as it progresses in the opening direction. Therefore, the door support device 100B can prevent the sliding door 30 from approaching the vehicle body 20 in the width direction when the sliding door 30 moves in the opening direction near the fully open position.

[0089] (Fourth embodiment) The following describes the door support device 100C according to the fourth embodiment, focusing on the differences from the door support device 100 according to the first embodiment. In the following description, the same reference numerals will be used to designate the same or similar components as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0090] <Configuration of Fourth Embodiment> As shown in FIG. 8, the door support device 100C includes a lower rail 150C and a lower roller unit 180C.

[0091] <Lower rail 150C> The lower rail 150C has an elongated shape that is long in the front-rear direction. The longitudinal direction of the lower rail 150C is the front-rear direction. The lower rail 150C has an S-shape when viewed from above. The lower rail 150C has a first curved portion 151C and a second curved portion 152C. The first curved portion 151C curves inward in the width direction as it extends forward. The second curved portion 152C curves outward in the width direction as it extends forward from the front end of the first curved portion 151C.

[0092] The rear end portion, which is the end portion of the first curved portion 151C in the opening direction, is located more inward in the width direction than the front end portion, which is the end portion of the second curved portion 152C in the closing direction. In the fourth embodiment, the front end portion of the second curved portion 152C is the outermost portion in the width direction of the lower rail 150C. When the lower rail 150C is viewed from above, the rear end portion of the first curved portion 151C is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction. Specifically, the rear end portion of the first curved portion 151C extends outward in the width direction as it progresses rearward, which is the opening direction. The boundary portion between the first curved portion 151C and the second curved portion 152C is convex inward in the width direction. The radius of curvature of the second curved portion 152C is smaller than the radius of curvature of the first curved portion 151C. Furthermore, the radius of curvature of the second curved portion 152C gradually decreases as it progresses forward.

[0093] <Lower Roller Unit 180C> The lower roller unit 180C includes two guide rollers 181 and 182, a support roller 183, a door bracket 186, a connecting pin 189, and a connecting portion 190.

[0094] The connecting portion 190 is plate-shaped. The connecting portion 190 has an elongated shape in a plan view from above. The connecting portion 190 rotatably supports the two guide rollers 181, 182 and the support roller 183 at its base end. The rotation axes of the two guide rollers 181, 182 extend in the vertical direction. The rotation axis of the support roller 183 is perpendicular to the rotation axes of the two guide rollers 181, 182. The tip end of the connecting portion 190 is connected to the door bracket 186 by a connecting pin 189 whose axial direction is the vertical direction. The connecting portion 190 is rotatable relative to the door bracket 186 around the rotation axis extending in the vertical direction. In the following description, the rotation axis between the connecting portion 190 and the door bracket 186 is referred to as the "hinge axis Axh."

[0095] The two guide rollers 181, 182 and the support roller 183 of the lower roller unit 180C are engaged with the lower rail 150C. More specifically, the two guide rollers 181, 182 and the support roller 183 are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the lower rail 150C. In this way, the two guide rollers 181, 182 and the support roller 183 of the lower roller unit 180C are able to roll relative to the lower rail 150C.

[0096] <Operation of the Fourth Embodiment> The operation of the sliding door 30 when it is closed will be described below, focusing on the operation of the lower roller unit 180C.

[0097] When the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully open position, the lower roller unit 180C is located near the rear end of the lower rail 150C. At this time, the hinge axis Axh is located rearward of the rotation axes of both of the two guide rollers 181, 182 and outward in the width direction from the rotation axes of both of the two guide rollers 181, 182. Furthermore, the door bracket 186 of the lower roller unit 180C is located at the rearmost position and the outermost position in the width direction within its movement range. When the lower roller unit 180C is located near the rear end of the lower rail 150C, the angle θ of the connecting portion 190 is close to a right angle.

[0098] When the sliding door 30 is closed from the fully open position, the lower roller unit 180C moves from the rear end to the front end of the lower rail 150C. At this time, the two guide rollers 181, 182 and the support roller 183 roll on the lower rail 150C.

[0099] Here, when the two guide rollers 181, 182 move in the front-to-rear direction while the angle θ of the connecting portion 190 is maintained constant, the position of the hinge axis Axh in the width direction does not change. In contrast, when the two guide rollers 181, 182 move inward in the width direction as they move forward while the angle θ of the connecting portion 190 is maintained constant, the position of the hinge axis Axh changes inward in the width direction. On the other hand, when the two guide rollers 181, 182 move outward in the width direction as they move forward while the angle θ of the connecting portion 190 is maintained constant, the position of the hinge axis Axh changes outward in the width direction.

[0100] Furthermore, when the sliding door 30 is being closed, if the movement direction of the two guide rollers 181, 182 gradually changes inward in the width direction, the angle θ of the connecting portion 190 becomes larger. In this case, the position of the hinge axis Axh is likely to change outward in the width direction. On the other hand, if the movement direction of the two guide rollers 181, 182 gradually changes outward in the width direction, the angle θ of the connecting portion 190 becomes smaller. In this case, the position of the hinge axis Axh is likely to change inward in the width direction.

[0101] Thus, in the fourth embodiment, the position of the hinge axis Axh in the width direction is determined by both the movement of the two guide rollers 181, 182 in the front-rear direction and the widthwise displacement of the two guide rollers 181, 182 that accompanies the movement. Therefore, when the two guide rollers 181, 182 move along the first curved portion 151C and the second curved portion 152C of the lower rail 150C, the hinge axis Axh moves as shown by the dashed line in Fig. 8. This will be explained in detail below.

[0102] When the two guide rollers 181, 182 move along the first curved portion 151C, first, the two guide rollers 181, 182 move inward in the width direction as they move forward. At this time, the angle θ of the connecting portion 190 gradually increases. As a result, the hinge axis Axh moves forward. Thereafter, the two guide rollers 181, 182 continue to move inward in the width direction as they move forward, but the angle θ of the connecting portion 190 gradually decreases. As a result, the hinge axis Axh moves inward in the width direction as they move forward. Next, when the two guide rollers 181, 182 move along the second curved portion 152C, the two guide rollers 181, 182 move outward in the width direction as they move forward. However, in this case, the angle θ of the connecting portion 190 suddenly decreases. As a result, the hinge axis Axh continues to move inward in the width direction as they move forward.

[0103] When the upper roller unit 120 moves to the vicinity of the front end of the lower rail 150C, the sliding door 30 is positioned in the fully closed position. At this time, the hinge axis Axh is located rearward of the rotation axes of both guide rollers 181, 182 and inward in the width direction from the rotation axis of the guide roller 181. In other words, the hinge axis Axh is located inward in the width direction from the front end of the lower rail 150C, which is the outermost portion of the lower rail 150C in the width direction. Furthermore, consider a line segment connecting point Pf, which indicates the center in the width direction of the front end edge of the lower rail 150C, and point Pr, which indicates the center in the width direction of the rear end edge of the lower rail 150C. In this case, the hinge axis Axh is located inward in the width direction from this line segment.

[0104] The hinge axis Axh moves forward and inward in the width direction during the closing operation of the sliding door 30. As a result, when the sliding door 30 is disposed in the fully closed position, the door bracket 186 of the lower roller unit 180C is disposed in the position that is the most forward and the most inward in the width direction within its movement range.

[0105] Furthermore, when the sliding door 30 is closed from the fully open position to the fully closed position, the positional relationship in the width direction between the hinge axis Axh and the rotation axis of the guide roller 181 is reversed. On the other hand, when the sliding door 30 is closed from the fully open position to the fully closed position, the positional relationship in the front-rear direction between the hinge axis Axh and the rotation axes of the guide rollers 181, 182 is not reversed. In other words, when the sliding door 30 moves between the fully open position and the fully closed position, the hinge axis Axh remains positioned rearward of the rotation axes of both of the two guide rollers 181, 182.

[0106] <Effects of the Fourth Embodiment> The fourth embodiment can achieve the effects (1-1) to (1-3) of the first embodiment and the effects (3-1) to (3-5) of the third embodiment. In addition, the fourth embodiment can achieve the following effects.

[0107] (4-1) When the sliding door 30 is disposed in the fully closed position, the hinge axis Axh is located inward in the width direction from the front end of the lower rail 150C, which is the outermost portion of the guide rail in the width direction. Therefore, when the sliding door 30 is disposed in the fully closed position, the door support device 100C can position the door bracket 186 more inward in the width direction. Therefore, it is possible to fit the door support device 100C in a space that is narrow in the width direction.

[0108] (4-2) When the sliding door 30 is in the fully closed position, the hinge axis Axh of the lower roller unit 180C is located inward in the width direction from the guide roller 182. Therefore, when the sliding door 30 is moved toward the fully open position, the door support device 100C can move the door bracket 186 significantly outward in the width direction.

[0109] (4-3) When the sliding door 30 is in the fully open position, the hinge axis Axh of the lower roller unit 180C is located outward in the width direction from the guide roller 182. Therefore, when the sliding door 30 is moved toward the fully closed position, the door support device 100C can move the door bracket 186 significantly inward in the width direction. In other words, when the sliding door 30 is in the fully closed position, the door support device 100C can prevent the door bracket 186 from protruding significantly outward in the width direction. As a result, the door support device 100C can be accommodated in a space that is narrow in the width direction.

[0110] <Example of change> The above-described embodiments can be modified as follows: The above-described embodiments and the following modifications can be combined with each other within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0111] In the first embodiment, the first rail 160 may be positioned outward in the width direction from the second rail 170. In this case, it is preferable to appropriately select the curved form of the first rail 160 and the second rail 170. The same applies to the second embodiment.

[0112] In the first embodiment, a gap may be formed between the first straight portion 161 of the first rail 160 and the second straight portion 171 of the second rail 170. In this case, the gap between the first straight portion 161 and the second straight portion 171 may vary in the front-to-rear direction. This is also true in the second embodiment.

[0113] In the first embodiment, the upper roller unit 120, the center roller unit 140, and the lower roller unit 180 may each include three or more first guide rollers. This also applies to the other embodiments.

[0114] In the first embodiment, the lower rail 150 and the lower roller unit 180 may be applied to the upper rail 110 and the upper roller unit 120. Similarly, the lower rail 150 and the lower roller unit 180 may be applied to the center rail 130 and the center roller unit 140. The same applies to the other embodiments.

[0115] In the first embodiment, when the sliding door 30 moves between the fully closed position and the fully open position, it is sufficient that the hinge axis Axh is maintained in a state where it is positioned in the opening direction relative to the rotation axis of the first guide roller 181. In other words, when the sliding door 30 moves between the fully closed position and the fully open position, the hinge axis Axh may be positioned in the closing direction relative to the first guide roller 182. The same applies to the other embodiments.

[0116] The sliding door 30 may be a door that is manually operated by a user. In other words, the vehicle 10 does not need to include the door driver 40. The sliding door 30 may be opened by moving forward. That is, the sliding door 30 may be closed by moving backward.

[0117] The sliding door 30 may have a front door that opens and closes the front half of the door opening 21, and a rear door that opens and closes the rear half of the door opening 21. In this case, the door opening 21 is fully closed when the front door and the rear door move toward each other. On the other hand, the door opening 21 is fully opened when the front door and the rear door move away from each other. <Summary of this embodiment> This embodiment has at least the following configuration.

[0118] The sliding door support device (100B, 100C) of this embodiment is applied to a vehicle (10) including a vehicle body (20) having a door opening (21) that opens to a side surface, and a sliding door (30) configured to move between a fully closed position where the door opening (21) is fully closed and a fully open position where the door opening (21) is fully opened, and is configured to support the sliding door (30) on the vehicle body (20). Among directions along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle (10), a direction in which the sliding door (30) moves toward the fully closed position is a closing direction, and a direction in which the sliding door (30) moves toward the fully open position is an opening direction. The sliding door support device (100B, 100C) includes a guide rail (150B, 150C) extending in the front-to-rear direction, and a roller unit (180B, 180C) configured to move along the guide rail (150B, 150C) to move the sliding door (30) between the fully closed position and the fully open position. The roller unit (180B, 180C) has two guide rollers (181, 182) configured to roll on the guide rails (150B, 150C) while aligned in the front-to-rear direction, a door bracket (186) fixed to the sliding door (30), and a connecting portion (190) connected to the door bracket (186) so as to rotate relative to the door bracket (186) about a hinge axis (Axh) extending in the vertical direction, and configured to rotatably support the two guide rollers (181, 182), and is configured so that when the sliding door (30) moves between the fully closed position and the fully open position, the hinge axis (Axh) is maintained in the opening direction relative to the rotation axis of at least one of the two guide rollers (181, 182), regardless of the position of the sliding door (30). The guide rails (150B, 150C) have first curved portions (151B, 151C) that curve inward in the width direction of the vehicle (10) as they progress in the closing direction, and second curved portions (152B, 152C) that curve outward in the width direction from the end of the first curved portions (151B, 151C) in the closing direction as they progress in the closing direction.

[0119] When the sliding door moves between the fully closed position and the fully open position, the hinge axis remains positioned further in the opening direction than the rotation axes of the two guide rollers. In other words, when the sliding door moves between the fully closed position and the fully open position, the relative positions of the hinge axis and the rotation axes of the two guide rollers in the front-to-rear direction do not change. Furthermore, because the hinge axis is positioned further in the opening direction than the rotation axes of the two guide rollers when the sliding door is positioned in the fully open position, the sliding door support device can widen the door opening when the sliding door is positioned in the fully open position. In other words, the sliding door support device can reduce the overlap in the front-to-rear direction between the sliding door positioned in the fully open position and the door opening.

[0120] In this embodiment, it is preferable that the roller units (180B, 180C) are configured so that, when the sliding door (30) moves between the fully closed position and the fully open position, the hinge axis (Axh) is maintained in a state in which it is positioned in the opening direction relative to the rotation axes of both of the two guide rollers (181, 182) regardless of the position of the sliding door (30).

[0121] The sliding door support device can further reduce the overlap in the front-to-rear direction between the sliding door when it is in the fully open position and the door opening.

[0122] In this embodiment, when the guide rails (150B, 150C) are viewed in the up-down direction, the radius of curvature of the second curved portions (152B, 152C) is preferably smaller than the radius of curvature of the first curved portions (151B, 151C).

[0123] The radius of curvature of the curved portion is related to the amount of change in the inclination of the connecting portion when the sliding door moves a unit length in the forward / backward direction. For example, when two guide rollers roll on a curved portion with a large radius of curvature, the inclination of the connecting portion does not change much. On the other hand, when two guide rollers roll on a curved portion with a small radius of curvature, the inclination of the connecting portion changes significantly. In this regard, in the above-mentioned sliding door support device, the radius of curvature of the second curved portion located in the closing direction of the guide rail is smaller than the radius of curvature of the first curved portion located in the opening direction of the guide rail. Therefore, when the sliding door moves near the fully closed position, the inclination of the connecting portion changes more significantly than when the sliding door moves near the fully open position. Therefore, the sliding door support device can move the door bracket significantly in the width direction when the sliding door moves near the fully closed position. Therefore, the sliding door support device can ensure that the movement trajectory of the sliding door between the fully closed position and the fully open position is natural.

[0124] In the guide rails (150B, 150C) of this embodiment, it is preferable that the boundary portion between the first curved portion (151B, 151C) and the second curved portion (152B, 152C) is curved so as to convex inward in the width direction.

[0125] The two guide rollers can smoothly roll along the boundary between the first curved portion and the second curved portion. In other words, the two guide rollers can smoothly roll along the portion where the longitudinal direction of the guide rail changes significantly. In this way, the sliding door support device can smoothly move the roller unit relative to the guide rail.

[0126] In this embodiment, when the sliding door (30) is positioned in the fully closed position, it is preferable that the hinge axis (Axh) is located inward in the width direction from the outermost portion of the guide rail (150C) in the width direction.

[0127] The sliding door support device can position the door bracket more inward in the width direction when the sliding door is in the fully closed position, thereby reducing the space occupied by the device in the width direction when the sliding door is in the fully closed position.

[0128] In this embodiment, of the two guide rollers (181, 182), the guide roller (181) located in the closing direction may be a closing-side guide roller (181). It is preferable that the hinge axis (Axh) is located outward in the width direction from the closing-side guide roller (181) when the sliding door (30) is located at the fully open position, and is located inward in the width direction from the closing-side guide roller (181) when the sliding door (30) is located at the fully closed position.

[0129] The sliding door support device can move the door bracket significantly outward in the width direction when moving the sliding door toward the fully open position, while the sliding door support device can move the door bracket significantly inward in the width direction when moving the sliding door toward the fully closed position.

[0130] In the present embodiment, it is preferable that the ends of the first curved portions (151B, 151C) in the opening direction extend outward in the width direction as they progress in the opening direction.

[0131] The sliding door support device can prevent the sliding door from approaching the vehicle body in the width direction when the sliding door moves in the opening direction near the fully open position. [Explanation of symbols]

[0132] 10...vehicle, 20...vehicle body, 21...door opening, 30...sliding door, 100, 100A, 100B, 100C...sliding door support device, 150, 150A, 150B, 150C...lower rail (guide rail), 151B, 151C...first curved portion, 152B, 152C...second curved portion, 180, 180A, 180B, 180C...lower roller unit (roller unit), 181, 182...guide roller, 183...support roller, 184...second guide roller, 185...roller support portion (component of connecting portion), 186...door bracket, 187...connecting arm (component of connecting portion), 188, 189...connecting pin, 190...connecting portion, Axh...hinge axis

Claims

1. A sliding door support device is applied to a vehicle including a vehicle body having a door opening that opens to a side, and a sliding door configured to move between a fully closed position that fully closes the door opening and a fully open position that fully opens the door opening, and is configured to support the sliding door on the vehicle body, Among directions along the front-rear direction of the vehicle, a direction in which the sliding door moves toward the fully closed position is a closing direction, and a direction in which the sliding door moves toward the fully open position is an opening direction, a guide rail extending in the front-rear direction; a roller unit configured to move along the guide rail to move the sliding door between the fully closed position and the fully open position, The roller unit includes: two guide rollers configured to roll on the guide rail while being aligned in the front-rear direction; a door bracket fixed to the sliding door; a connecting portion that is connected to the door bracket so as to rotate relative to the door bracket about a hinge axis that extends in the vertical direction, and that is configured to rotatably support the two guide rollers; When the sliding door moves between the fully closed position and the fully open position, the hinge axis is maintained in a state where it is positioned in the opening direction relative to a rotation axis of at least one of the two guide rollers, regardless of the position of the sliding door, The guide rail is a first curved portion that curves inward in the width direction of the vehicle as the door moves in the closing direction; a second curved portion that curves outward in the width direction as it progresses in the closing direction from an end of the first curved portion in the closing direction; Sliding door support device.

2. The roller unit is configured such that, when the sliding door moves between the fully closed position and the fully open position, the hinge axis is maintained in a state in which it is positioned in the opening direction relative to the rotation axes of both of the two guide rollers, regardless of the position of the sliding door. The sliding door support device according to claim 1.

3. When the guide rail is viewed from the top-bottom direction, the radius of curvature of the second curved portion is smaller than the radius of curvature of the first curved portion. The sliding door support device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. In the guide rail, a boundary portion between the first curved portion and the second curved portion is curved so as to be convex inward in the width direction. The sliding door support device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. When the sliding door is disposed at the fully closed position, the hinge axis is located inward in the width direction from the outermost portion of the guide rail in the width direction. The sliding door support device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. Of the two guide rollers, the guide roller located in the closing direction is a closing-side guide roller, The hinge axis is When the sliding door is disposed at the fully open position, the sliding door is positioned outward in the width direction from the closing-side guide roller, When the sliding door is placed at the fully closed position, the sliding door is positioned inward in the width direction from the closing-side guide roller. The sliding door support device according to claim 1 or 2.

7. An end portion of the first curved portion in the opening direction extends outward in the width direction as it progresses in the opening direction. The sliding door support device according to claim 1 or 2.

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