Vehicle sliding door opening and closing device

Abstract

To prevent a drive belt from sticking to a belt guide frame in a vehicle door opening / closing device.SOLUTION: A belt guide unit 12 includes a belt guide frame 13 fixed to a vehicle body panel so that its longitudinal direction extends along the opening / closing direction of a sliding door, a drive belt 14 movable along the longitudinal direction in a sliding manner along a guide portion 13a of the belt guide frame 13 by power output from a drive unit 11, and a waterproof cover 16 fixed to the belt guide frame 13. The waterproof cover 16 has an upper cover portion 161 covering an upper portion 13b of the belt guide frame 13 and a side cover portion 162 covering the guide portion 13a and the outside of the portion of the drive belt 14 sliding along the guide portion 13a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle slide door opening / closing device for automatically opening and closing a slide door of a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe a vehicle slide door opening / closing device for automatically opening and closing a slide door of a vehicle. The vehicle door slide opening / closing device described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 includes a belt guide frame (belt guide in Patent Document 1, belt frame in Patent Document 2) fixed to a vehicle body panel and extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, and a drive belt (also an endless belt, also a belt) wound around pulleys rotatably supported at the front and rear ends of the belt guide frame, respectively, and capable of circulating and moving along the longitudinal direction of the belt guide frame by the power of a motor or the like. The drive belt is connected to the slide door, and the slide door is automatically opened and closed by moving the drive belt by the power of the motor.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the vehicle sliding door opening and closing devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the drive belt is routed around the belt guide frame with its inner surface in contact with the guide portion (outer surface) of the belt guide frame. In particular, when parked, the inner surface of the drive belt remains in contact with the guide portion of the belt guide frame for a long period of time. In such a state, and in a low-temperature environment, if droplets of liquid such as rainwater or de-icing agent adhere between the guide portion of the belt guide frame and the inner surface of the drive belt, these droplets may freeze, causing the drive belt to stick to the guide portion of the belt guide frame and generating a large resistance force. If the sliding door is opened and closed automatically in such a state, a large load is placed on the drive unit (motor), which raises durability issues. Furthermore, considering safety in operation, this may lead to a larger drive unit and increased costs.

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle sliding door opening and closing device that achieves stable operation over a long period of time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, the above problem is solved as follows. A vehicle sliding door opening and closing device comprises a drive unit capable of outputting motor power, and a belt guide unit that transmits the power output from the drive unit to the sliding door to automatically open and close the sliding door. The belt guide unit includes a belt guide frame fixed to a vehicle body panel so that its longitudinal direction is aligned with the opening and closing direction of the sliding door, a drive belt that moves along the longitudinal direction while sliding on the guide portion of the belt guide frame by power output from the drive unit, and a waterproof cover fixed to the belt guide frame. The waterproof cover is characterized by having an upper cover portion that covers the upper surface of the belt guide frame, and a side cover portion that covers the outside of the guide portion of the belt guide frame and the portion of the drive belt that slides on the guide portion.

[0007] Preferably, the side cover portion is spaced a predetermined distance outward from the guide portion of the belt guide frame.

[0008] Preferably, the waterproof cover has a mounting cover portion that covers a bracket for fixing the end of the belt guide frame to the vehicle body.

[0009] Preferably, the belt guide unit includes a belt connecting member that is movable along the longitudinal direction of the belt guide frame together with the drive belt and is connected to a guide roller unit that moves together with the sliding door in a predetermined connected position, and the belt guide frame has a temporary holding portion that can detachably temporarily hold the belt connecting member in a predetermined temporary holding position in a temporary holding position on the belt guide frame.

[0010] Preferably, the waterproof cover has a notch in the side cover portion that corresponds to the position of the temporary holding portion, so as not to interfere with the belt connecting member in the temporary holding position.

[0011] Preferably, the waterproof cover has a temporary holding cover that can close the notch when the belt connecting member is in the connected position.

[0012] Preferably, the belt guide unit is located on the outside of the vehicle body panel and connected to the drive unit located on the inside of the vehicle body panel through an opening provided in the vehicle body panel, and the waterproof cover has a sealing cover portion that covers a seal provided around the opening. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, by fixing a waterproof cover to the belt guide frame and covering the entire upper and outer areas of the belt guide frame and the drive belt with the waterproof cover, the adhesion of droplets to the belt guide frame and the drive belt can be minimized. As a result, even in a low-temperature environment, it is possible to prevent a large resistance force from occurring between the drive belt and the belt guide frame due to freezing of the contact portion between the belt guide frame and the drive belt. This enables miniaturization of the drive unit and cost reduction.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] [Figure 1] It is a side view of a vehicle equipped with a slide door opening / closing device for a vehicle according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view of a slide door opening / closing device for a vehicle in a state of being attached to a vehicle body panel. [Figure 3] It is a side view of a slide door for a vehicle as viewed from the direction of arrow III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] It is a perspective view of a slide door opening / closing device for a vehicle in a state where a waterproof cover is separated from a belt guide frame. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view of a slide door opening / closing device for a vehicle. [Figure 6] It is a side view of a slide door opening / closing device for a vehicle as viewed from the direction of arrow VI in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] It is a plan view of a slide door opening / closing device for a vehicle. [Figure 8] It is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 3. [Figure 9] It is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 6. [Figure 10] It is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line X-X in FIG. 3. [Figure 11] It is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 3. [Figure 12] It is a cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 7.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and also includes those appropriately modified by those skilled in the art within the self-evident range from the following embodiments.

[0016] In the following description, the orientation is, unless otherwise specified, the orientation in the state where the vehicle slide door opening / closing device 1 is attached to the vehicle body panel 7.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle door slide opening / closing device 1 according to the present embodiment is attached to the vehicle body panel 7 in a wagon-type vehicle 2, and automatically opens and closes a slide door 3 supported by the vehicle body panel 7 so as to be able to open and close the boarding and alighting opening provided in the vehicle body panel 7 in the front-rear direction by the power of a motor 112 of a drive unit 11 described later.

[0018] The slide door 3 is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction on an upper guide rail 8 extending in the front-rear direction and fixed to the upper part of the boarding and alighting opening by an upper guide roller unit 4 attached to the upper part, is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction on a center guide rail 9 extending in the front-rear direction and fixed to the vehicle body panel 7 by a center guide roller unit 5 attached to the rear part of the center, and is supported so as to be movable in the front-rear direction on a lower guide rail 10 extending in the front-rear direction and fixed to the lower part of the boarding and alighting opening by a lower guide roller unit 6 attached to the front-lower part, and thus is supported by the vehicle body panel 7 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the center guide rail 9 has a shape in which a straight part 91 extending in the front-rear direction and a curved part 92 that curves from the front end of the straight part 91 toward the inside of the vehicle are formed so as to match the opening and closing locus of the slide door 3, and is fixed to the outside of the vehicle body panel 7.

[0020] The vehicle door opening and closing device 1 comprises a drive unit 11 located inside the vehicle body panel 7 and a belt guide unit 12 located outside the vehicle body panel 7 and above the center guide rail 9. A portion of the belt guide unit 12 is connected to the drive unit 11 through an opening 7a provided in the vehicle body panel 7, as described later, thereby transmitting power output from the drive unit 11 to the sliding door 3, causing the sliding door 3 to open and close automatically.

[0021] The drive unit 11 outputs power to automatically open and close the sliding door 3, and comprises an upper casing 111 that houses various components, and a motor 112 mounted on the upper part of the upper casing 111.

[0022] As shown in Figure 8, the upper casing 111 is positioned inside the vehicle body panel 7. Inside the upper casing 111 are components such as an electromagnetic clutch (not shown), a reduction gear 113 for reducing the rotation of the motor 112, and an output shaft 114 that can rotate integrally with the reduction gear 113.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the belt guide unit 12 comprises a synthetic resin belt guide frame 13 positioned above the center guide rail 9, a lower casing 20 fixed to the belt guide frame 13 and rotatably supporting a toothed drive pulley 19 (see Figure 8) inside, a drive belt 14 supported on the belt guide frame 13 so as to be able to circulate in the longitudinal direction (front-to-back direction), a belt connecting member 15 for connecting the drive belt 14 to the sliding door 3, and a synthetic resin waterproof cover 16 attached to the belt guide frame 13.

[0024] The belt guide frame 13 has a straight section 13c on the rear side and a curved section 13d on the front side, so in a plan view it has a shape substantially similar to the center guide rail 9, and is positioned on the outside of the vehicle body panel 7 in a manner that overlaps the upper surface of the center guide rail 9.

[0025] The belt guide frame 13 is fixed to the outside of the vehicle body panel 7 by bolts (not shown) via a front bracket 131 provided at the front end and a rear bracket 132 provided at the rear end. Furthermore, as can be seen particularly from the longitudinal cross-sectional views shown in Figures 8 and 11, the belt guide frame 13 has a guide portion 13a that guides the drive belt 14 and an upper surface portion 13b that forms the upper part. In the straight section 13c of the belt guide frame 13, the guide portion 13a is provided with a plurality of openings 13f along the longitudinal direction to reduce the contact area with the drive belt 14.

[0026] Furthermore, the center guide rail 9 and belt guide frame 13, which are fixed to the outside of the vehicle body panel 7, are covered by a rail cover 71 fixed to the vehicle body panel 7 so as not to be exposed to the outside of the vehicle body.

[0027] The lower casing 20 is fixed by fastening a flange portion 201, which is provided on the outside of the vehicle, to the outside of the vehicle body panel 7 with bolts 18. The flange portion 201, when fastened to the vehicle body panel 7, closes the opening 7a (see Figure 8) provided in the vehicle body panel 7. Preferably, to prevent liquid droplets from entering the opening 7a in the vehicle body panel 7, a seal 21 is interposed between the flange portion 201 and the vehicle body panel 7, as shown in Figure 8. The opening 7a provided in the vehicle body panel 7 is for allowing the lower casing 20 to protrude inward from the vehicle body panel 7.

[0028] As shown in Figure 8, the drive pulley 19 is supported within the lower casing 20 so as to be rotatable around its vertical axis and is connected to the output shaft 114 of the drive unit 11, thereby rotating integrally with the output shaft 114.

[0029] The drive belt 14 is a toothed rubber belt, and as can be seen particularly from Figure 11, the front end is wrapped around the front pulley 134, which is pivotally supported at the front of the belt guide frame 13, and the rear end is wrapped around the rear pulley 135, which is pivotally supported at the rear of the belt guide frame 13, with the guide portion 13a of the belt guide frame 13 sandwiched between the inside and outside of the vehicle. Furthermore, the portion of the drive belt 14 that moves on the inside of the guide portion 13a is wrapped around the drive pulley 19, so that as the drive pulley 19 rotates, the inner surface of the drive belt 14 slides along the outer surface of the guide portion 13a and moves in the longitudinal direction.

[0030] In this embodiment, the vehicle sliding door opening and closing device 1 employs a configuration in which the drive unit 11 is positioned inside the vehicle body panel 7 and the belt guide unit 12 is positioned outside the vehicle body panel 7. Therefore, the connection between the drive pulley 19 provided on the belt guide unit 12 side and the output shaft 114 provided on the drive unit 11 side is made through an opening 7a provided in the vehicle body panel 7. Specifically, with the drive unit 11 and the belt guide unit 12 separated from each other, as shown in Figure 8, the lower casing 20 is made to protrude from the outside of the vehicle through the opening 7a in the vehicle body panel 7 to the inside of the vehicle body panel 7. The flange portion 201 of the lower casing 20 is fixed to the outside of the vehicle body panel 7 with bolts 18, and the belt guide frame 13 is also fixed to the outside of the vehicle body panel 7. Next, from the inside of the vehicle body panel 7, the output shaft 114 of the drive unit 11 is connected to the drive pulley 19, and the lower part of the upper casing 111 is fixed to the upper part of the lower casing 20.

[0031] The belt connecting member 15 is connected to the drive belt 14, which moves outside the guide portion 13a of the belt guide frame 13. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the connecting portion 151 at the bottom faces downward, and is connected to the bracket 51 of the center guide roller unit 5 by bolts 52. As a result, the belt connecting member 15 moves along the longitudinal direction of the belt guide frame 13 as the drive belt 14 moves, and transmits this movement to the sliding door 3 via the center guide roller unit 5, thereby automatically opening and closing the sliding door 3.

[0032] The belt connecting member 15 is temporarily held in place by a temporary holding part 133 (see Figures 4, 6, 9, and 10) provided on the belt guide frame 13 so as not to cause the drive belt 14 to move back and forth uncontrollably until it is connected to the bracket 51 of the center guide roller unit 5. When it is connected to the center guide roller unit 5, it is removed from the temporary holding part 133.

[0033] By temporarily holding the belt connecting member 15 to the belt guide frame 13, it is possible to prevent the drive belt 14 and the belt connecting member 15 from coming into contact with and damaging the vehicle body panel 7 or the sliding door 3 during transport and assembly of the vehicle sliding door opening and closing device 1 to the vehicle body panel 7, thereby improving the handling of the vehicle sliding door opening and closing device 1.

[0034] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the temporary holding portion 133 is located in the guide portion 13a of the belt guide frame 13 and is formed by a rectangular engagement hole that penetrates the guide portion 13a in the inward and outward direction and has a predetermined opening width in the front-rear direction.

[0035] The temporary holding of the belt connecting member 15 with respect to the temporary holding portion 133 is achieved by fitting the insertion portion 152 provided on the upper part of the belt connecting member 15 into the temporary holding portion 133 in the position shown in Figure 9. When the belt connecting member 15 is temporarily held, the connecting portion 151 faces upward and diagonally outward from the vehicle, and it is held in a temporary holding position (shown in Figure 9) that prevents forward and backward movement relative to the belt guide frame 13. The removal of the belt connecting member 15 from the temporary holding portion 133 is achieved by detaching the insertion portion 152 of the belt connecting member 15 from the temporary holding portion 133. As shown in Figure 10, the belt connecting member 15 is connected to the bracket 51 of the center guide roller unit 5 by bolts 52 in a connected position with the connecting portion 151 facing downward.

[0036] The waterproof cover 16 is integrally formed with an upper cover portion 161 that covers the entire upper surface portion 13b of the belt guide frame 13 from above, a side cover portion 162 that covers the entire guide portion 13a of the belt guide frame 13 and the drive belt 14 from the outside, and a mounting cover portion 163 at the front end that covers the upper surface, sides and front of the front bracket 131, and is fixed to the upper surface portion 13b of the belt guide frame 13 by a plurality of fasteners 17. Preferably, as shown in Figure 4, a plurality of convex fixed portions 161a are provided on the upper cover portion 161 of the waterproof cover 16, and a plurality of convex fixing portions 13e are provided on the upper surface portion 13b of the belt guide frame 13, and as shown in Figure 12, the waterproof cover 16 is fixed to the belt guide frame 13 by fastening the fixed portions 161a to the fixing portions 13e with the fasteners 17 while the fixed portions 161a are placed over the fixing portions 13e.

[0037] The upper cover portion 161 covers the entire upper surface portion 13b of the belt guide frame 13 from above, thereby preventing droplets flowing down from above the belt guide unit 12 from flowing down onto and adhering to the belt guide frame 13.

[0038] The side cover portion 162 covers the entire area of ​​the guide portion 13a of the belt guide frame 13, including the straight portion 13c and the curved portion 13d, and the entire area of ​​the drive belt 14 located outside the guide portion 13a from the outside, thereby preventing droplets from flowing down and adhering to the surface of the guide portion 13a of the belt guide frame 13 and the drive belt 14. Preferably, a curved cover portion 169 is formed at the front of the side cover portion 162, curved along the curved portion 13d of the belt guide frame 13, so that the curved portion 13d of the belt guide frame 13 is reliably covered by the curved cover portion 169. Furthermore, preferably, the side cover portion 162 is spaced a predetermined distance outward from the surface of the guide portion 13a of the belt guide frame 13 and the drive belt 14, as shown in Figure 11. This more reliably prevents droplets from adhering to the surface of the guide portion 13a and the drive belt 14, and allows the belt connecting member 15 to move along the longitudinal direction between the side cover portion 162 and the guide portion 13a of the belt guide frame 13. In addition, the side cover portion 162, which is positioned on the inside of the vehicle rather than the rail cover 71, can suppress the flapping of the drive belt 14 due to external disturbances such as wind, thus also having the effect of preventing flapping noise of the drive belt 14 when the vehicle is stopped and running.

[0039] Furthermore, the waterproof cover 16 covers the entire upper surface 13b and guide portion 13a of the belt guide frame 13, as well as the drive belt 14 located at the curved portion 13d of the belt guide frame 13, from the outside. This ensures that even in a vehicle body structure where the area near the curved portion 13d of the belt guide frame 13 is visible through the gap between the vehicle body panel 7 and the front end of the rail cover 71, the curved cover 169 can cover the drive belt 14 visible through the gap. This prevents the user from accidentally touching the drive belt 14, ensuring stable opening and closing operation of the sliding door 3 over a long period.

[0040] A notch 164 with an open bottom is provided in the waterproof cover 16 at a position opposite to the temporary holding portion 133 of the belt guide frame 13, that is, at the position where the belt connecting member 15 is temporarily held. The notch 164 is a relief portion to prevent the belt connecting member 15, which is in a temporarily held position, from interfering with the side cover portion 162 of the waterproof cover 16 when the waterproof cover 16 is fixed to the belt guide frame 13.

[0041] A temporary holding cover 165 is provided above the notch 164 in the waterproof cover 16, which is rotatable in the vertical direction and can open and close the notch 164. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, when the temporary holding cover 165 is rotated upward to open the notch 164, it allows the belt connecting member 15 to be temporarily held in place by the temporary holding part 133, and when the belt connecting member 15 is in the connected position, the notch 164 can be closed. By closing the notch 164, the waterproof cover 16 prevents liquid droplets from entering the inside of the waterproof cover 16 through the notch 164.

[0042] In the temporary holding position, the belt connecting member 15 is fitted into the notch 164 of the waterproof cover 16 and cannot move back and forth. However, when it is placed in the connected position, it can detach downward from the notch 164 and move back and forth along the lower edge of the side cover portion 162 of the waterproof cover 16.

[0043] Furthermore, the waterproof cover 16 is provided with a notch 163a in the mounting cover portion 163, a mounting lid 166 that can rotate vertically to open and close the notch 163a, and a seal cover portion 167 that covers the seal 21 provided around the flange portion 201 of the lower casing 20. The notch 163a is a mounting work hole used when fixing the front bracket 131 to the vehicle body panel 7 with bolts (not shown) while the waterproof cover 163 is fixed to the belt guide frame 13.

[0044] The mounting cover 166 is left open until the front bracket 131 is fixed to the vehicle body panel 7, and the notch 163a is closed after the front bracket 131 is fixed to the vehicle body panel 7 with bolts.

[0045] The seal cover portion 167 is integrally formed to bulge upward from the upper cover portion 161, covering the entire flange portion 201 of the lower casing 20 and the seal 21 from the outside, thereby more reliably preventing droplets from entering the opening 71 of the vehicle body panel 7. Preferably, an elastically deformable tongue-shaped fin portion 211 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the seal 21, and as can be seen from Figure 8, the fin portion 211 is in close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the seal cover portion 167, so as to completely close the gap between the seal cover portion 167 and the flange portion 201 of the casing 20. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent droplets from entering the opening 71 of the vehicle body panel 7.

[0046] Furthermore, the seal cover portion 167 is provided with an arch-shaped overhang portion 168 that protrudes outward from the vehicle, covering the front and rear of the bolt 18. This prevents liquid droplets flowing down from above from entering the insertion hole for inserting the bolt 18.

[0047] (Operation of vehicle sliding door opening / closing device 1) When the user's portable wireless remote switch or the door handle on the sliding door 3 is operated, the motor 112 of the drive unit 11 is driven accordingly. The rotation of the motor 112 is transmitted to the drive belt 14 via the electromagnetic clutch, reduction gear 113, output shaft 114, and drive pulley 19. As a result, the drive belt 14 and belt connecting member 15 move along the longitudinal direction of the belt guide frame 13, causing the sliding door 3 to move in the opening direction if it is in the closed position, and in the closing direction if it is in the open position.

[0048] Furthermore, since the entire upper and outer areas of the belt guide frame 13 and drive belt 14 in the belt guide unit 12 are covered by a waterproof cover 16 fixed to the belt guide frame 13, rainwater and de-icing agents that flow down from above can be caught by the waterproof cover 16 and directed outwards. This prevents droplets from adhering to the surface of the guide portion 13a of the belt guide frame 13 and the drive belt 14. As a result, even when the vehicle is parked for a long time in a low-temperature environment, it is possible to prevent the drive belt 14 from sticking to the guide portion 13a of the belt guide frame 13 and generating a large resistance force.

[0049] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, various modifications, changes, and combinations can be made to the above embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the center guide rail 9 and the belt guide frame 13 were separate components. Alternatively, the center guide rail 9 and the belt guide frame 13 may be integrally formed, or the belt guide frame 13 may be pre-fixed to the center guide rail 9. In this case, a temporary holding portion 133 for temporarily holding the belt connecting member 15 may be provided on the center guide rail 9.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the upper surface of the upper cover portion 161 of the waterproof cover 16 was a surface facing approximately horizontally. However, instead, the upper surface of the upper cover portion 161 is made a surface that slopes downward from the inside of the vehicle to the outside of the vehicle, or from the outside of the vehicle to the inside of the vehicle. By doing so, it becomes possible to improve the drainage of liquid droplets that flow down onto the upper cover portion 161. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0052] 1. Vehicle sliding door opening and closing device 2. Vehicle 3. Sliding door 4. Upper guide roller unit 5 Center guide roller unit 51 Bracket 52 Bolt 6 Lower Guide Roller Unit 7 Body panels 71 Rail covers 7a Opening 8 Upper guide rail 9 Center guide rail 91 Straight section 92 Curved section 10 Lower guide rail 11 Drive unit 111 Upper casing 112 Motor 113 Reduction gear 114 Output shaft 12 Belt guide unit 13 Belt guide frame 13a Guide section 13b Top section 13c Straight section 13d Curved section 13e Fixed section 13f Opening 131 Front Bracket 132 Rear bracket 133 Temporary holding part 134 Front pulley 135 Rear pulley 14 Drive belt 15 Belt connecting member 151 Connecting part 152 Insertion part 16 Waterproof cover 161 Upper cover part 161a Fixed part 162 Side cover part 163 Mounting cover section 163a Notch section 164 Notch 165 Temporary holding cover 166 Mounting cover 167 Seal cover 168 Canopy section 169 Curved cover section 17 fasteners 18 bolts 19 Drive pulley 20 Lower casing 201 Flange section 21 Seal 211 Fin section

Claims

1. The system comprises a drive unit capable of outputting motor power, and a belt guide unit that transmits the power output from the drive unit to the sliding door to automatically open and close the sliding door. The aforementioned belt guide unit is The system includes a belt guide frame fixed to the vehicle body panel such that its longitudinal direction aligns with the opening and closing direction of the sliding door, a drive belt that moves along the longitudinal direction while sliding along the guide portion of the belt guide frame by power output from the drive unit, and a waterproof cover fixed to the belt guide frame. The waterproof cover comprises an upper cover portion that covers the upper surface portion of the belt guide frame, and a side cover portion that covers the outside of the guide portion of the belt guide frame and the portion of the drive belt that slides over the guide portion. The aforementioned belt guide unit is It includes a belt connecting member that is movable along the longitudinal direction of the belt guide frame together with the drive belt and is connected to a guide roller unit that moves together with the sliding door in a predetermined connected position, A vehicle sliding door opening and closing device characterized in that the belt guide frame has a temporary holding portion that can detachably temporarily hold the belt connecting member in a predetermined temporary holding position in a temporary holding posture on the belt guide frame.

2. In claim 1, The vehicle sliding door opening and closing device is characterized in that the side cover portion is spaced a predetermined distance outward from the guide portion of the belt guide frame.

3. In claim 1, The waterproof cover is characterized by having a mounting cover portion that covers a bracket for fixing the end of the belt guide frame to the vehicle body panel.

4. In claim 1, The waterproof cover is characterized in that it has a notch in the side cover portion and in a portion corresponding to the position of the temporary holding portion, so as to prevent the belt connecting member from interfering with the temporary holding position.

5. In claim 4, The waterproof cover is characterized by having a temporary holding cover that can close the notch when the belt connecting member is in the connected position, for use as a vehicle sliding door opening and closing device.

6. In claim 1, The belt guide unit is positioned on the outside of the vehicle body panel and is connected to the drive unit, which is positioned on the inside of the vehicle body panel, through an opening provided in the vehicle body panel. The vehicle sliding door opening and closing device is characterized in that the waterproof cover has a sealing cover portion that covers the seal provided around the opening.

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