Lower striker structure for vehicle

Abstract

To provide a lower striker structure capable of suppressing thickness in a vertical direction.SOLUTION: A lower striker structure 100 is installed in a lower part of a door opening that is opened / closed by a slide door. The lower striker structure 100 comprises: a base plate 110 having a plate-like shape with a plate thickness direction that is a vertical direction, provided with a slit 115 extending in a direction intersecting with the plate thickness direction; and a striker shaft 120 having a rod-like shape with a longer direction that is the direction intersecting with the vertical direction, fixed on the base plate 110 so as to straddle the slit 115.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lower striker structure for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle equipped with a vehicle body having a door opening formed on its side, and a front sliding door and a rear sliding door for opening and closing the door opening. The front sliding door opens the front half of the door opening by sliding forward. The rear sliding door opens the rear half of the door opening by sliding rearward. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-88812 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described above, vehicles with double-swing sliding doors cannot install a striker on the center pillar because they do not have a center pillar. Therefore, in order to restrain the sliding door in the fully closed position, it is necessary to install a striker on the vehicle floor and a door lock device that engages with the striker at the bottom end of the sliding door. However, since such a striker is installed on the vehicle floor, it is preferable that it be low in height in the vertical direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The means for solving the above problems and their effects will be described below. The vehicle lower striker structure that solves the above-described problems is a lower striker structure that is installed below a door opening that is opened and closed by a vehicle door, and includes: a plate-shaped base plate with its thickness direction extending in the vertical direction and having a slit extending in a direction intersecting the thickness direction; and a rod-shaped striker shaft with its longitudinal direction intersecting the vertical direction and fixed to the base plate so as to straddle the slit.

[0006] The vehicle lower striker structure is configured by fixing a rod-shaped striker shaft to a plate-shaped base plate, which allows the vehicle lower striker structure to be thinner in the vertical direction than a U-shaped lower striker structure.

[0007] In the vehicle lower striker structure, it is preferable that the thickness of the striker shaft in the up-down direction is shorter than the width of the striker shaft in the direction in which the slit extends. One possible way to increase the rigidity of the striker shaft is to increase the thickness of the striker shaft in the vertical direction or to increase the width in the direction in which the slit extends. However, increasing the thickness of the striker shaft makes it difficult to reduce the thickness of the vehicle lower striker structure in the vertical direction. In this regard, the striker shaft configured as described above has a thickness in the vertical direction that is shorter than the width in the direction in which the slit extends. Therefore, the vehicle lower striker structure can easily ensure the rigidity of the striker shaft while suppressing the thickness in the vertical direction.

[0008] In the vehicle lower striker structure, it is preferable that a side surface of the striker shaft that intersects with the direction in which the slit extends has an arc shape that is convex outward when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the striker shaft.

[0009] The locking portion of the door lock device may lock onto the striker shaft while sliding against the side surface of the striker shaft. In this regard, the side surface of the striker shaft is arc-shaped when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the striker shaft. Therefore, when the locking portion of the door lock device locks onto the striker shaft, the locking portion can slide smoothly against the side surface of the striker shaft.

[0010] In the vehicle lower striker structure, it is preferable that the striker shaft has a top surface and a bottom surface that intersect with the vertical direction and are flat, and that the striker shaft contacts the base plate from above.

[0011] In the vehicle lower striker structure, the striker shaft has a flat upper surface, which makes it less likely to protrude upward. Furthermore, the vehicle lower striker structure also makes it easier to increase the contact area between the striker shaft and the base plate because the striker shaft has a flat bottom surface. In other words, the vehicle lower striker structure stabilizes the position of the striker shaft relative to the base plate.

[0012] The vehicle lower striker structure preferably includes a fastening member that fixes the striker shaft to the base plate, and the striker shaft preferably contacts the base plate from above.

[0013] When the locking portion of the door lock device locks onto the striker shaft, the locking portion presses the striker shaft, which can cause a load with a downward component to act on the striker shaft. Therefore, in the comparative example in which the striker shaft contacts the base plate from below, if a load with a downward component acts on the striker shaft, the load is transmitted to the base plate via the fastening member. Therefore, in the comparative example, the fastening member is more likely to be loaded. In contrast, in the vehicle lower striker structure configured as described above, the striker shaft contacts the base plate from above, so the load acting on the striker shaft is more likely to be transmitted to the base plate without via the fastening member. Therefore, the vehicle lower striker structure can reduce the load on the fastening member when a load acts on the striker shaft.

[0014] The vehicle lower striker structure preferably includes a fastening member that fixes the striker shaft to the base plate, the base plate having two bent portions extending upward on both sides of the slit in the width direction, and the striker shaft being fixed to the base plate while engaged with the two bent portions.

[0015] When the locking portion of the door lock device locks onto the striker shaft, a load including a component in the direction of extension of the slit may act on the striker shaft. In this regard, in the vehicle lower striker structure configured as described above, the striker shaft engages with the bent portion extending upward, which makes it easier for the load acting on the striker shaft to be transmitted to the base plate. Therefore, the vehicle lower striker structure can reduce the load on the fastening member when a load acts on the striker shaft.

[0016] In the vehicle lower striker structure, it is preferable that the base plate has plate-shaped first and second portions, and a connecting portion that connects the first and second portions so that the second portion is positioned higher than the first portion, the slit is provided in the second portion, and the striker shaft is fixed to the second portion.

[0017] In the vehicle lower striker structure, the striker shaft, which is the target of the locking portion of the door lock device, can be positioned at an upper position, and the portion that is not the target of the locking portion of the door lock device can be positioned at a lower position. As a result, the vehicle lower striker structure allows the striker shaft to be positioned near the vehicle door when it is in the fully closed position. Therefore, the locking portion of the door lock device can easily lock onto the striker shaft without having to be enlarged. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] The vehicle lower striker structure can reduce the thickness in the vertical direction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle equipped with a lower striker structure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lower striker structure and the lower lock device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the lower striker structure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the lower striker structure. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the lower striker structure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front view of the lower lock device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a rear view of the lower lock device. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a front view showing the lower lock device and the lower striker structure in the released state. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a front view showing the lower lock device and the lower striker structure in the process of transitioning from the released state to the locked state. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the lower lock device and the lower striker structure in the locked state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle lower striker structure (hereinafter also referred to as a "lower striker structure") will be described. In the drawings, the X axis is an axis extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the Y axis is an axis extending in the vehicle width direction, and the Z axis is an axis extending in the vehicle vertical direction. In the following description, the vehicle longitudinal direction will also be referred to as the longitudinal direction, the vehicle width direction will also be referred to as the width direction, and the vehicle vertical direction will also be referred to as the vertical direction.

[0021] <Vehicle 10> As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle 10 includes a vehicle body 20, a sliding door 30, and a door drive unit 40.

[0022] <Body 20> 1, the vehicle body 20 includes a door opening 21, upper rails 22F, 22R, center rails 23F, 23R, a front striker 24F, and a rear striker 24R. Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle body 20 includes a lower striker structure 100 and a floor panel 25.

[0023] The upper rails 22F, 22R are disposed above the door opening 21, and the center rails 23F, 23R are disposed below the upper rails 22F, 22R. The upper rail 22F is disposed forward of the center of the door opening 21 in the front-to-rear direction, and the center rail 23F is disposed forward of the door opening 21. The upper rail 22R is disposed rearward of the center of the door opening 21 in the front-to-rear direction, and the center rail 23R is disposed rearward of the door opening 21. The longitudinal direction of the upper rails 22F, 22R and the center rails 23F, 23R is mainly the front-to-rear direction.

[0024] The front striker 24F is disposed forward of the door opening 21. The rear striker 24R is disposed rearward of the door opening 21. The lower striker structure 100 is disposed below the door opening 21. The lower striker structure 100 will be described in detail later.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 2, floor panel 25 is plate-shaped. Floor panel 25 forms the bottom of the interior of vehicle 10. Floor panel 25 has through holes 26 that expose lower striker structure 100 upward. Although not shown in Figs. 1 and 2, two through holes 26 are opened in floor panel 25, spaced apart in the front-rear direction. Through holes 26 are T-shaped in a plan view in the up-down direction.

[0026] <Sliding Door 30> As shown in FIG. 1, the sliding door 30 includes a front door 30F that opens and closes the front half of the door opening 21, and a rear door 30R that opens and closes the rear half of the door opening 21.

[0027] The front door 30F is opened by moving forward and closed by moving backward. On the other hand, the rear door 30R is opened by moving backward and closed by moving forward. In other words, the front door 30F and the rear door 30R are opened by moving away from each other and closed by moving towards each other. In this way, the front door 30F and the rear door 30R are opened and closed between a "fully open position" in which the door opening 21 is fully opened and a "fully closed position" in which the door opening 21 is fully closed. The front door 30F and the rear door 30R correspond to "vehicle doors."

[0028] <Front door 30F> 1, the front door 30F includes a door body 31, an upper guide unit 32F, a center guide unit 33F, and a door handle 34F. The front door 30F also includes a front locking device 35F, a center locking device 36F, a lower locking device 200F, a front locking drive device 37F, a lower locking drive device 38F, and a remote control 39F.

[0029] The door body 31 has a rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of the front half of the door opening 21 in a side view. The door body 31 has an inner panel and an outer panel spaced apart in the width direction. Some of the components of the front door 30F are housed in the space between the inner panel and the outer panel. Although not shown, an elastic seal member is attached along the outer edge of the door body 31 to the surface of the door body 31 facing inward in the vehicle width direction. The seal member is compressed between the front door 30F in the fully closed position and the door opening 21. In this way, the seal member prevents rain from entering the interior of the vehicle 10 through the gap between the front door 30F and the door opening 21.

[0030] The upper guide unit 32F is fixed to the upper end of the door body 31, at the rear end thereof. The upper guide unit 32F is engaged with the upper rail 22F so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the upper rail 22F. The center guide unit 33F is fixed to the front end of the door body 31, at the middle portion of the door body 31 in the up-down direction. The center guide unit 33F is engaged with the center rail 23F so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the center rail 23F. The upper guide unit 32F and the center guide unit 33F move along the upper rail 22F and the center rail 23F, respectively, so that the front door 30F can move in the longitudinal direction relative to the vehicle body 20.

[0031] The door handle 34F is an inside door handle provided on a surface of the door body 31 facing the inside of the vehicle 10. The door handle 34F may be an outside door handle provided on a surface of the door body 31 facing the outside of the vehicle 10.

[0032] The front locking device 35F is provided at the front end of the door body 31, in the vertical middle of the door body 31. The front locking device 35F is configured to be switchable between a locked state in which it is locked with the front striker 24F and a released state in which it is not locked with the front striker 24F. When the front locking device 35F is switched to the locked state, it restrains the front end of the front door 30F, which is in the fully closed position, from the vehicle body 20. When the front locking device 35F is switched to the released state, it releases the restraint of the front door 30F, which is in the fully closed position.

[0033] The center locking device 36F is provided at the rear end of the door main body 31, in the vertical middle of the door main body 31. The center locking device 36F is configured to be switchable between a locked state in which it is locked with a center striker 36R of the rear door 30R (described later) and a released state in which it is not locked with the center striker 36R. When switched to the locked state, the center locking device 36F connects the rear end of the front door 30F located in the fully closed position with the front end of the rear door 30R. On the other hand, when switched to the released state, the center locking device 36F releases the connection between the front door 30F located in the fully closed position and the rear door 30R.

[0034] The lower locking device 200F is provided at the rear end, or lower end, of the door body 31. The lower locking device 200F is configured to be switchable between a locked state in which it is locked to the lower striker structure 100 and a released state in which it is not locked to the lower striker structure 100. When switched to the locked state, the lower locking device 200F restrains the lower end of the front door 30F, which is in the fully closed position, to the vehicle body 20. When switched to the released state, the lower locking device 200F releases the restraint of the front door 30F, which is in the fully closed position. The lower locking device 200F will be described in detail later.

[0035] The front lock drive device 37F transitions the front lock device 35F from an unlocked state to an locked state, and transitions the front lock device 35F from a locked state to an unlocked state. The front lock drive device 37F transitions the front lock device 35F from an unlocked state to an unlocked state after the front door 30F has been closed to a near-fully closed position. On the other hand, the front lock drive device 37F transitions the front lock device 35F from the locked state to the unlocked state when the front door 30F is opened from the fully closed position.

[0036] The lower lock drive unit 38F transitions the lower lock device 200F from the released state to the locked state. The lower lock drive unit 38F transitions the lower lock device 200F to the locked state after the front lock drive unit 37F transitions the front lock device 35F to the locked state, that is, after the front door 30F has been closed to the fully closed position.

[0037] The remote control 39F relays power transmitted between the door handle 34F, the front lock drive device 37F, the center locking device 36F, and the lower lock device 200F. Specifically, the remote control 39F transmits power to the center locking device 36F and the lower lock device 200F when the front lock drive device 37F transitions the front locking device 35F to the released state. The remote control 39F then transitions the center locking device 36F and the lower lock device 200F from the locked state to the released state. The remote control 39F also transmits power to the front locking device 35F, the center locking device 36F, and the lower lock device 200F when the user operates the door handle 34F. The remote control 39F then transitions the front locking device 35F, the center locking device 36F, and the lower lock device 200F from the locked state to the released state.

[0038] <Rear door 30R> 1, the rear door 30R includes a door body 31, an upper guide unit 32R, a center guide unit 33R, and a door handle 34R. The rear door 30R also includes a rear lock device 35R, a center striker 36R, a rear lock drive device 37R, a lower lock device 200R, a lower lock drive device 38R, and a remote control 39R.

[0039] The rear door 30R is configured substantially similarly to the front door 30F. The difference from the front door 30F is that the rear door 30R is equipped with a rear locking device 35R and a rear locking drive device 37R instead of the front locking device 35F and the front locking drive device 37F, and with a center striker 36R instead of the center locking device 36F. Therefore, a description of the configuration of the rear door 30R other than the center striker 36R will be omitted.

[0040] The center striker 36R is installed at the front end of the rear door 30R, in the vertically middle portion. In other words, the center striker 36R is installed in a position facing the center locking device 36F of the front door 30F in the front-rear direction. The center striker 36R is the object to be locked by the center locking device 36F.

[0041] <Door drive unit 40> As shown in FIG. 1 , the door drive unit 40 includes a first door drive unit 40F that drives the front door 30F in an opening / closing direction and a second door drive unit 40R that drives the rear door 30R in an opening / closing direction. The first door drive unit 40F and the second door drive unit 40R each include, for example, a motor and a transmission mechanism that transmits the motor's power to the sliding door 30. The transmission mechanism of the first door drive unit 40F and the second door drive unit 40R may include a pulley and a belt, or may include a drum and a cable. The first door drive unit 40F and the second door drive unit 40R may also be built into the sliding door 30. The front door 30F and the rear door 30R are so-called power sliding doors because they are opened and closed by the first door drive unit 40F and the second door drive unit 40R, respectively.

[0042] <Lower striker structure 100> 3 to 5, the lower striker structure 100 includes a base plate 110, two striker shafts 120, and a plurality of fastening members 130. As shown in Fig. 3, the lower striker structure 100 is symmetrical in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, the following description will mainly focus on the front half of the lower striker structure 100.

[0043] 3 and 4, the base plate 110 has a rectangular plate shape. The base plate 110 is formed, for example, by pressing a metal plate. The base plate 110 has a first portion 111 that occupies most of the base plate 110. The front portion of the base plate 110 has a second portion 112 located above the first portion 111, a connection portion 113 that connects the first portion 111 and the second portion 112, and two bent portions 114 that extend from the second portion 112.

[0044] The first portion 111 has a flat plate shape. The first portion 111 is a portion that is fixed to, for example, the frame structure and monocoque structure of the vehicle body 20. The first portion 111 is also a portion to which the floor panel 25 is fixed.

[0045] The second portion 112 has a flat plate shape. The second portion 112 has a rectangular shape in a plan view in the up-down direction. An outer end portion of the second portion 112 in the width direction is flush with an outer end portion of the first portion 111 in the width direction. On the other hand, an inner end portion of the second portion 112 in the width direction is located outward of an inner end portion of the first portion 111 in the width direction. The second portion 112 has a slit 115 extending in the width direction. The slit 115 extends in the width direction from an end portion of the second portion 112 toward the center of the second portion 112. In a plan view in the up-down direction, the slit 115 has a rectangular shape with the short side direction being the front-rear direction and the long side direction being the width direction. In other words, the width direction of the slit 115 is the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10.

[0046] The connecting portion 113 is a boundary portion between the first portion 111 and the second portion 112. The connecting portion 113 bends and connects the first portion 111 and the second portion 112, which are positioned apart in the vertical direction. Therefore, the thickness direction of the connecting portion 113 is inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the first portion 111 and the thickness direction of the second portion 112.

[0047] The two bent portions 114 are bent from the second portion 112 with a gap between them in the front-rear direction. More specifically, the two bent portions 114 extend slightly outward in the width direction on both sides of the slit 115 and then extend upward. Therefore, when the two bent portions 114 are viewed from the front-rear direction, the two bent portions 114 form an L shape. The length of the two bent portions 114 in the width direction is shorter than the length of the two bent portions 114 in the up-down direction.

[0048] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the striker shaft 120 is rod-shaped with its axial direction extending in the front-to-rear direction. The length of the striker shaft 120 in the axial direction is longer than the width of the slit 115 in the base plate 110. As shown in FIG. 5 , the cross-section of the striker shaft 120 perpendicular to the axial direction is elliptical. That is, the top surface 121 and the bottom surface 122 of the striker shaft 120, which intersect with the vertical direction, are flat. The inner surface 123 and the outer surface 124 of the striker shaft 120, which intersect with the width direction, are curved. More specifically, when the striker shaft 120 is viewed from the longitudinal direction, the inner surface 123 and the outer surface 124 have an arc shape that convex outward. In this embodiment, the length from the bottom surface 122 to the top surface 121 of the striker shaft 120 is approximately the same as the height of the bent portion 114 when the top surface of the second portion 112 of the base plate 110 is used as a reference.

[0049] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the striker shaft 120 is fixed to the base plate 110 so as to straddle the slit 115 of the base plate 110. More specifically, the striker shaft 120 is fixed to the second portion 112 of the base plate 110 by two fastening members 130. At this time, the striker shaft 120 is positioned above the second portion 112 of the base. The fastening members 130 fasten the striker shaft 120 to the second portion 112 of the base plate 110 from below the second portion 112 of the base.

[0050] In this respect, the bottom surface 122 of the striker shaft 120 is in contact with the base plate 110. In other words, the striker shaft 120 is in contact with the second portion 112 of the base plate 110 from above. In addition, the outer surface 124 of the striker shaft 120 is in contact with the two bent portions 114 of the base plate 110. In other words, the striker shaft 120 is in contact with the two bent portions 114 of the base plate 110 from the inside in the width direction.

[0051] 3, in the lower striker structure 100, the front striker shaft 120 is the locking target of the lower locking device 200F of the front door 30F, and the rear striker shaft 120 is the locking target of the lower locking device 200R of the rear door 30R. In this respect, it can be said that the lower striker structure 100 of this embodiment has a single base plate 110 provided with locking targets for both the lower locking device 200F of the front door 30F and the lower locking device 200R of the rear door 30R.

[0052] <Lower lock device 200F, 200F> The lower locking devices 200F, 200F will be described in detail below. The lower locking device 200F of the front door 30F and the lower locking device 200R of the rear door 30R are configured symmetrically in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, in the following description, only the lower locking device 200F of the front door 30F will be described.

[0053] 2, 6, and 7, the lower lock device 200F includes a base frame 210, a drive lever 220, a relay link 230, a hook 240, a release lever 250, and a pole 260. The lower lock device 200F also includes a plurality of stoppers 271, 272, a plurality of springs 273, 274, a plurality of support shafts 281-284, and a plurality of connecting shafts 285-287.

[0054] The base frame 210 is plate-shaped. The base frame 210 can be formed, for example, by pressing a metal plate. The base frame 210 has a first guide groove 211 that guides the rotation of the hook 240 and a second guide groove 212 that guides the rotation of the release lever 250. The first guide groove 211 is arc-shaped with its center on the axis of the second support shaft 282, and the second guide groove 212 is arc-shaped with its center on the axis of the third support shaft 283. The width of the first guide groove 211 is larger than the outer diameter of the second connecting shaft 286, and the width of the second guide groove 212 is larger than the outer diameter of the third connecting shaft 287. A first stopper 271 that limits the operating range of the drive lever 220 and a second stopper 272 that limits the operating range of the release lever 250 are fixed to the base frame 210. The base frame 210 is fixed to the door body 31 of the front door 30F by fastening members such as bolts. In the following description, one surface of the base frame 210 in the plate thickness direction, which is the surface illustrated in Fig. 6, will be referred to as the front surface, and the other surface of the base frame 210 in the plate thickness direction, which is the surface illustrated in Fig. 7, will be referred to as the back surface.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 6 , the drive lever 220 has a first lever 221 and a second lever 222 extending in different directions. The drive lever 220 is supported on the front side of the base frame 210 at the center of the base frame 210 by a first support shaft 281 whose axial direction is the front-rear direction. In this manner, the drive lever 220 is rotatable around the axis of the first support shaft 281. The drive lever 220 is biased in a first rotation direction R11 by a first spring 273. In this embodiment, the first spring 273 is a torsion coil spring, but other types of springs may be used as long as they can bias the drive lever 220 in the first rotation direction R11. In the state shown in FIG. 6 , the drive lever 220 is positioned by contacting a first stopper 271 of the base frame 210.

[0056] As shown in Fig. 6, the relay link 230 is a link that transmits power from the drive lever 220 to the hook 240. A first end in the longitudinal direction of the relay link 230 is connected to the second lever 222 of the drive lever 220 by a first connecting shaft 285 whose axial direction is the front-rear direction. Thus, the relay link 230 and the drive lever 220 are relatively rotatable about the axis of the first connecting shaft 285. Meanwhile, a second end in the longitudinal direction of the relay link 230 is connected to the hook 240 by a second connecting shaft 286 whose axial direction is the front-rear direction. Thus, the relay link 230 and the hook 240 are relatively rotatable about the axis of the second connecting shaft 286.

[0057] 7, the hook 240 has a protruding locking claw 241 and a locking recess 242 connected to the locking claw 241. The hook 240 is supported on the lower end of the base frame 210, on the rear side of the base frame 210, by a second support shaft 282 whose axial direction is the front-to-rear direction. Thus, the hook 240 is rotatable about the axis of the second support shaft 282 relative to the base frame 210. The locking claw 241 and the locking recess 242 of the hook 240 are portions of the lower lock device 200F that lock with the lower striker structure 100. For this reason, it is preferable that the shapes of the locking claw 241 and the locking recess 242 correspond to the shape of the striker shaft 120 of the lower striker structure 100, which is the object to be locked by the hook 240.

[0058] In this embodiment, the base frame 210, the drive lever 220, the relay link 230, and the hook 240 form a so-called four-bar link mechanism. In other words, the drive lever 220, the relay link 230, and the hook 240 are interlocked. Therefore, since the drive lever 220 is biased in the first rotation direction R11, it can be said that the hook 240 is biased in the first rotation direction R21. As a result, in the state shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the hook 240 is located in the retracted position.

[0059] In addition, in this embodiment, the second connecting shaft 286 that connects the relay link 230 and the hook 240 passes through the first guide groove 211 of the base frame 210. In this regard, when the relay link 230 operates, the second connecting shaft 286 moves along the first guide groove 211 of the base frame 210.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 6 , the release lever 250 has a third lever 251 and a fourth lever 252 extending in different directions. The release lever 250 is supported on the upper part of the base frame 210, on the front side of the base frame 210, by a third support shaft 283 whose axial direction is the front-rear direction. In this manner, the release lever 250 is rotatable about the axis of the third support shaft 283 relative to the base frame 210. The release lever 250 is biased in the first rotation direction R31 by a second spring 274. In this embodiment, the second spring 274 is a torsion coil spring, but any other type of spring may be used as long as it can bias the release lever 250 in the first rotation direction R31.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 7 , the pole 260 is rod-shaped. The pole 260 has a base end 261 constituting one end in the longitudinal direction and a tip end 262 constituting the other end in the longitudinal direction. The base end 261 is provided with a long hole 263 that is oval in plan view. The tip end 262 tapers toward the tip. The pole 260 is supported on the back side of the base frame 210 at the center of the base frame 210 by a fourth support shaft 284 whose axial direction is the front-rear direction. The fourth support shaft 284 penetrates a portion of the pole 260 between the base end 261 and the tip end 262. Thus, the pole 260 is rotatable around the axis of the fourth support shaft 284 relative to the base frame 210. The base end 261 of the pole 260 is connected to the fourth lever 252 of the release lever 250 by a third connecting shaft 287 whose axial direction is the front-rear direction. At this time, the third connecting shaft 287 is inserted through the elongated hole 263 of the pole 260. In this way, the pole 260 is capable of being displaced relative to the release lever 250.

[0062] Here, the third connecting shaft 287 that connects the pole 260 and the release lever 250 passes through the second guide groove 212 of the base frame 210. In this regard, when the pole 260 operates, the third connecting shaft 287 moves along the second guide groove 212 of the base frame 210.

[0063] In this embodiment, the base frame 210, the release lever 250, and the pole 260 having the elongated hole 263 constitute a so-called four-section slider crank mechanism. In other words, the release lever 250 and the pole 260 are interlocked. Therefore, it can be said that the release lever 250 is biased in the first rotation direction R31, and the pole 260 is biased in the first rotation direction R41. However, the pole 260 comes into contact with the hook 240, so that its rotation in the first rotation direction R41 is restricted.

[0064] <Operation of this embodiment> 1 and 8 to 10, the operation of the sliding door 30 when it is closed will be described.

[0065] 1, when the sliding door 30 is closed, the first door drive unit 40F closes the front door 30F to a position close to the fully closed position, and the second door drive unit 40R closes the rear door 30R to a position close to the fully closed position. The position close to the fully closed position is a position slightly shifted in the opening direction from the fully closed position.

[0066] When the front door 30F and the rear door 30R reach positions close to the fully closed position, the rear lock drive device 37R shifts the rear lock device 35R to a locked state. That is, the rear door 30R is closed from the position close to the fully closed position to the fully closed position. Once the rear lock device 35R has finished shifting to the locked state, the front lock drive device 37F shifts the front lock device 35F to a locked state. That is, the front door 30F is closed from the position close to the fully closed position to the fully closed position.

[0067] When the front door 30F is closed to the fully closed position while the rear door 30R is in the fully closed position, the rear end of the front door 30F approaches the front end of the rear door 30R. In other words, the center locking device 36F of the front door 30F approaches the center striker 36R of the rear door 30R. As a result, the center locking device 36F transitions to a locked state.

[0068] When the front locking device 35F, rear locking device 35R, and center locking device 36F transition to the locked state, the lower lock drive devices 38F, 38R are driven to transition the lower locking devices 200F, 200F to the locked state. The operation of the lower locking device 200F when transitioning to the locked state will be explained in detail below. The operation of the lower locking device 200R is substantially the same as the operation of the lower locking device 200F, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0069] Figure 8 shows the positional relationship between the lower locking device 200F and the lower striker structure 100 when the front locking device 35F, rear locking device 35R, and center locking device 36F transition to the locked state. As shown in Figure 8, before the lower locking device 200F transitions to the locked state, the lower end of the front door 30F is positioned outward in the width direction relative to the vehicle body 20. The position of the front door 30F is related to the magnitude of the elastic modulus of the seal member positioned between the door opening 21 and the front door 30F, the position of the center of gravity of the front door 30F, and the support mode of the front door 30F, etc.

[0070] When the lower lock device 200F is shifted to the locked state, the lower lock drive device 38F transmits a load indicated by a solid arrow in Figure 8 to the drive lever 220. This causes the drive lever 220 to rotate in the second rotation direction R12, which moves the relay link 230 and the hook 240. As a result, the hook 240 rotates in the second rotation direction R22. When the hook 240 rotates, the tip 262 of the pole 260 slides against the back surface of the hook 240.

[0071] 9 , when the lower lock drive device 38F continues to rotate the drive lever 220 in the second rotation direction R12, the locking recess 242 of the hook 240 comes into contact with the inner surface 123 of the striker shaft 120. If the hook 240 continues to rotate in the second rotation direction R22 even after the hook 240 has come into contact with the striker shaft 120, the locking recess 242 of the hook 240 and the inner surface 123 of the striker shaft 120 slide against each other. Here, because the inner surface 123 of the striker shaft 120 is a curved surface, the sliding resistance between the hook 240 and the striker shaft 120 tends to be small.

[0072] When the hook 240 slides over the striker shaft 120, the hook 240 pushes the striker shaft 120 in the direction shown by the solid arrow in Fig. 9. As shown by the solid arrow in Fig. 9, when the hook 240 initially comes into contact with the striker shaft 120, the direction in which the hook 240 pushes the striker shaft 120 is somewhere between outward and downward in the width direction. In other words, the load acting on the striker shaft 120 includes a downward component and an outward component in the width direction.

[0073] 9 and 10 , even after the hook 240 comes into contact with the striker shaft 120, as the drive lever 220 continues to rotate in the second rotation direction R22, the hook 240 continues to push the striker shaft 120 outward in the width direction. Here, the lower striker structure 100 including the striker shaft 120 cannot be displaced relative to the vehicle body 20, but the lower end portion of the front door 30F can be slightly displaced in the width direction. Therefore, the reaction force acting on the hook 240 causes the lower lock device 200F to be displaced inward in the width direction relative to the striker shaft 120. In other words, the lower end portion of the front door 30F is displaced inward in the width direction relative to the striker shaft 120.

[0074] As shown in Figure 10, when the hook 240 is completely locked onto the striker shaft 120, the transition of the lower lock device 200F to the locked state is completed. At this time, the striker shaft 120 is completely fitted into the locking recess 242 of the hook 240. The position of the hook 240 shown in Figure 10 is referred to as the locked position. When the transition of the lower lock device 200F to the locked state is completed, the drive of the lower lock drive device 38F is stopped.

[0075] When the hook 240 rotates to the locking position, the tip 262 of the pawl 260 no longer slides against the back surface of the hook 240. Therefore, the pawl 260 rotates in the first rotation direction R41 due to the biasing force of the second spring 274. Then, as the pawl 260 locks with the hook 240, the hook 240 cannot rotate in the first rotation direction R21. In other words, the drive lever 220 cannot rotate in the first rotation direction R11 due to the biasing force of the first spring 273. Therefore, even after the drive of the lower lock drive device 38F stops, the hook 240 remains locked with the striker shaft 120. In this way, the closing operation of the sliding door 30 is completed.

[0076] Next, the operation when the sliding door 30 is opened will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, when the sliding door 30 is opened, the front lock driving device 37F and the rear lock driving device 37R are driven. As a result, the front locking device 35F and the rear locking device 35R are shifted to the released state. At this time, the remote control 39F transmits the power transmitted from the front locking device 35F to the center locking device 36F. As a result, the center locking device 36F is shifted to the released state. In addition, the remote control 39F transmits the power transmitted from the front locking device 35F to the lower locking device 200F, and the remote control 39R transmits the power transmitted from the rear locking device 35R to the lower locking device 200R. The operation of the lower locking device 200F when shifting to the released state will be described in detail below.

[0077] As shown by the solid arrow in FIG. 10 , the power transmitted from the remote control 39F is transmitted to the third lever 251 of the release lever 250. Then, as the release lever 250 rotates in the second rotation direction R32, the pawl 260 rotates in the second rotation direction R42. In other words, the tip 262 of the pawl 260 moves away from the hook 240, causing the tip 262 of the pawl 260 to disengage from the hook 240. As a result, the hook 240 rotates in the first rotation direction R21 due to the biasing force of the first spring 273, and the hook 240 disengages from the striker shaft 120. At this time, the hook 240 rotates from the engaging position to the retracted position. This completes the transition of the lower lock device 200F to the released state. Similarly, the lower lock device 200F is also transitioned to the released state based on the power transmitted from the remote control 39F.

[0078] Thereafter, the front door 30F is opened by the first door drive unit 40F, and the rear door 30R is opened by the second door drive unit 40R. In this way, the opening operation of the sliding door 30 is completed.

[0079] The effects of this embodiment will be described. (1) Lower striker structure 100 is configured by fixing a rod-shaped striker shaft 120 to a plate-shaped base plate 110. As a result, lower striker structure 100 can be made thinner in the vertical direction compared to the U-shaped striker of the comparative example. As a result, lower striker structure 100 can prevent the striker from protruding upward from floor panel 25 and can make it easier to ensure space below floor panel 25 for arranging an electric ramp device or the like.

[0080] (2) In order to increase the rigidity of the striker shaft 120, it is conceivable to increase the thickness or width of the striker shaft 120. However, increasing the thickness of the striker shaft 120 makes it difficult to reduce the thickness of the lower striker structure 100 in the up-down direction. In this regard, the striker shaft 120 of this embodiment has a thickness that is shorter than its width. In other words, by increasing the width of the striker shaft 120, the cross-sectional area perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the striker shaft 120 is increased. Therefore, the lower striker structure 100 can easily ensure the rigidity of the striker shaft 120 while suppressing the thickness in the up-down direction.

[0081] (3) As shown in Figure 9, the hooks 240 of the lower lock devices 200F, 200R engage with the striker shaft 120 while sliding against the side surface of the striker shaft 120. Because the side surface of the striker shaft 120 is curved, when the hooks 240 of the lower lock devices 200F, 200R engage with the striker shaft 120, the hooks 240 of the lower lock devices 200F, 200R can slide smoothly against the striker shaft 120.

[0082] (4) In the lower striker structure 100, the striker shaft 120 is configured to be less likely to protrude upward because the top surface 121 of the striker shaft 120 is flat. In addition, in the lower striker structure 100, the bottom surface 122 of the striker shaft 120 is flat, which makes it easier to increase the contact area between the striker shaft 120 and the base plate 110. In other words, the lower striker structure 100 can stabilize the position of the striker shaft 120 relative to the base plate 110.

[0083] (5) As shown in FIG. 9 , when the hook 240 of the lower lock devices 200F, 200R engages with the striker shaft 120, the hook 240 presses the striker shaft 120, causing a load with a downward component to act on the striker shaft 120. Therefore, in the comparative example in which the striker shaft 120 contacts the base plate 110 from below, if a load with a downward component acts on the striker shaft 120, the load is transmitted to the base plate 110 via the fastening member 130. Therefore, in the comparative example, a load is more likely to be applied to the fastening member 130. In contrast, in the lower striker structure 100, the striker shaft 120 contacts the base plate 110 from above, so the load acting on the striker shaft 120 is transmitted to the base plate 110 without passing through the fastening member 130. Therefore, the lower striker structure 100 can reduce the load on the fastening member 130 when a load acts on the striker shaft 120.

[0084] (6) As shown in Figure 9, when the hook 240 of the lower lock device 200F, 200R engages with the striker shaft 120, a load including a widthwise component may act on it. In this regard, the outer surface 124 of the striker shaft 120 is in contact with the bent portion 114 that is located in the direction in which the load acts, as viewed from the striker shaft 120. This makes it easier for the load acting on the striker shaft 120 to be transmitted to the base plate 110. Therefore, the lower striker structure 100 can reduce the load on the fastening member 130 when a load acts on the striker shaft 120.

[0085] (7) In the base plate 110 of the lower striker structure 100, the second portion 112 to which the striker shaft 120 is fixed is located higher than the first portion 111. Therefore, in the lower striker structure 100, the striker shaft 120 that is the target of engagement by the hook 240 of the lower lock device 200F, 200R can be arranged at an upper position, and the portion of the lower striker structure 100 that is not the target of engagement by the hook 240 of the lower lock device 200F, 200R can be arranged at a lower position. Therefore, in the lower striker structure 100, the striker shaft 120 can be arranged near the sliding door 30 that is positioned in the fully closed position in the up-down direction. Therefore, the hook 240 of the lower lock device 200F, 200R can be easily engaged with the striker shaft 120 without increasing the size of the hook 240 of the lower lock device 200F, 200R.

[0086] <Example of change> This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0087] The vehicle 10 is provided with the lower striker structure 100 having two striker shafts 120, but may be provided with two lower striker structures each having one striker shaft 120.

[0088] The first portion 111 and the second portion 112 may be located at the same height in the base plate 110 of the lower striker structure 100. In other words, the base plate 110 may simply be configured with the slits 115 provided in a flat plate.

[0089] In the lower striker structure 100, the base plate 110 does not have to include the bent portion 114. In this case, it is preferable that the striker shaft 120 is fixed to the base plate 110 more firmly.

[0090] In the lower striker structure 100, the manner in which the striker shaft 120 is fixed to the base plate 110 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the striker shaft 120 may be welded to the base plate 110.

[0091] In the lower striker structure 100, the cross-sectional shape of the striker shaft 120 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the striker shaft 120 may be cylindrical or rectangular prism-shaped. The cross-sectional shape of the striker shaft 120 may also vary in the axial direction. Furthermore, the thickness of the striker shaft 120 in the up-down direction may be longer than the length of the striker shaft 120 in the width direction.

[0092] The shape of the hook 240 of the lower locking devices 200F, 200F can be changed as appropriate. Instead of the hook 240, the lower locking devices 200F, 200F may be provided with a latch that is used in general door locking devices.

[0093] The vehicle 10 may be a vehicle equipped with either a front door 30F or a rear door 30R. In this case, the lower striker structure 100 may have only one striker shaft 120.

[0094] The door opening 21 may be open to the front and rear of the vehicle body 20. In this case, in the lower striker structure 100 installed at the bottom of the door opening 21, the axial direction of the striker shaft 120 is the width direction, and the direction in which the slit 115 extends is the front-rear direction. In addition, the opening and closing direction of the sliding door 30 is the width direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 10...Vehicle 20...Body 21...Door opening 30 (30F, 30R)...Sliding door (vehicle door) 100...Lower striker structure 110...Base plate 111…Part 1 112…Second part 113...Connection 114...Bend 115...Slit 120...Strike shaft 121…Top surface 122...Bottom 123...Inner surface 124...Outer surface 130...Fastening member 200F, 200R...Lower lock device 210...Base frame 220...Drive lever 230...Relay link 240…Hook 250…Release lever 260...Paul

Claims

1. A vehicle lower striker structure that is installed below a door opening that is opened and closed by a vehicle door, a base plate having a plate shape with a thickness direction extending in the up-down direction and having a slit extending in a direction intersecting the thickness direction; a striker shaft having a rod-like shape with a flat upper surface whose longitudinal direction is a direction intersecting the vertical direction and is fixed to the base plate so as to straddle the slit, the base plate has two bent portions that are bent upward on both sides of the slit in the width direction, the bent portion is in contact with a side surface of the striker shaft but is not in contact with an upper surface of the striker shaft; Lower striker structure for vehicle.

2. The striker shaft is a rod-like member extending linearly.

2. The vehicle lower striker structure according to claim 1.

3. The thickness of the striker shaft in the up-down direction is shorter than the width of the striker shaft in the direction in which the slit extends.

3. The vehicle lower striker structure according to claim 2.

4. A side surface of the striker shaft that intersects with the direction in which the slit extends has an arc shape that is convex outward when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the striker shaft.

4. A vehicle lower striker structure according to claim 2 or 3.

5. a top surface and a bottom surface of the striker shaft that intersect with the up-down direction are flat surfaces; The striker shaft is in contact with the base plate from above. The vehicle lower striker structure according to any one of claims 2 to 4.

6. a fastening member that fixes the striker shaft to the base plate; The striker shaft is in contact with the base plate from above. The vehicle lower striker structure according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

7. a fastening member that fixes the striker shaft to the base plate; The striker shaft is fixed to the base plate while being engaged with the two bent portions. The vehicle lower striker structure according to any one of claims 2 to 6.

8. the base plate has a first portion and a second portion each having a plate shape, and a connecting portion that connects the first portion and the second portion such that the second portion is located higher than the first portion; the slit is provided in the second portion, The striker shaft is fixed to the second portion. The vehicle lower striker structure according to any one of claims 2 to 7.

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