Connection structure

Abstract

A connection structure according to the present invention which comprises a first member and a second member, wherein: the first member includes a body and an elastic claw configured so as to rotate around a rotational center; the elastic claw includes an arm part and a claw part; the claw part includes a pressed part and an engagement part capable of engaging the second member; and the position of the rotational center is set in a manner such that when a force is applied to the second member in the separating direction, the direction in which force is applied to the engagement part is toward a second rotation direction side relative to an imaginary line, and the elastic claw receives a force rotating in the second rotation direction from the second member. Such a structure makes it possible to provide a connection structure in which the first member and the second member are connected to each other, wherein the connection between the first member and the second member is easy, and movement of the first member and the second member away from each other is suppressed.

Description

Connection structure

[0001] The present invention relates to a connection structure.

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a window regulator that raises and lowers a window glass, which uses a structure in which a carrier plate is connected to a guide rail by snap fitting using elastically deformable claws provided on the carrier plate.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-8483

[0004] However, in a structure in which two components are connected to each other using elastically deformable claws, such as the carrier plate and guide rail described above, if the claws are made flexible to facilitate attachment of the components, one component will be more likely to come off the other component.On the other hand, if the claws are made less flexible to prevent one component from coming off the other component, it will be more difficult to attach the components.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a connection structure in which a first member and a second member are connected to each other, which facilitates connection between the first member and the second member and prevents the first member and the second member from becoming detached from each other.

[0006] The connection structure of the present invention comprises a first member and a second member, and the second member moves relative to the first member in a predetermined movement direction, thereby connecting the second member to the first member, wherein the first member comprises a main body and an elastic claw extending from the main body and configured to be elastically deformable so as to rotate around a rotation center provided at the connection point with the main body, the elastic claw comprising an arm portion extending from the rotation center and a claw portion provided at the end of the arm portion on the opposite side from the rotation center, the claw portion having a pressed portion that comes into contact with and is pressed against the second member when the second member moves in the movement direction, and a pressed portion that comes into contact with the second member when the second member is in a connection completion position where the second member is connected to the first member, The elastic claw is provided with an engaging portion that is located on the detachment direction side, which is the opposite direction to the movement direction, relative to the second member and is capable of engaging with the second member, and the elastic claw is configured to bend in a first rotation direction around the rotation center when the second member presses the pressed portion when the second member is connected to the first member, and the position of the rotation center is set so that when a force is applied to the second member in the detachment direction, the direction of the force applied from the second member to the engaging portion faces toward a second rotation direction that is opposite to the first rotation direction with respect to an imaginary line passing through the rotation center and the engaging portion, and the elastic claw receives a force from the second member to rotate in the second rotation direction.

[0007] According to the connection structure of the present invention, in a connection structure in which a first member and a second member are connected to each other, the connection between the first member and the second member is facilitated and the first member and the second member are prevented from coming loose from each other.

[0008] 5A is a schematic diagram showing a window regulator provided with a connection structure according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5B is an enlarged view of a portion where the connection structure of FIG. 1 is provided; FIG. 5C is a diagram showing a state where a guide rail is connected to a carrier plate; FIG. 5D is a perspective view of an elastic claw of a carrier plate; FIG. 5E is a view of the elastic claw of the carrier plate as viewed in the thickness direction of the main body; FIG. 5F is a cross-sectional view taken along line VB-VB of FIG. 5A; FIG. 5G is a schematic diagram showing a force applied from a guide rail to an elastic claw when a force is applied in a direction in which the guide rail separates; FIG. 5H is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the elastic claw is bent in a first rotation direction when the guide rail is connected to the carrier plate; FIG. 5I is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the elastic claw is bent in a second rotation direction when a force is applied to the guide rail to separate from the carrier plate; and FIG. 5J is a schematic diagram showing a reference example in which the elastic claw extends perpendicularly from a first surface of the main body.

[0009] A connection structure according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is merely an example, and the connection structure of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment.

[0010] In this specification, expressions such as "perpendicular to A" and similar expressions do not refer only to a direction that is completely perpendicular to A, but also refer to a direction that is approximately perpendicular to A. In this specification, expressions such as "parallel to B" and similar expressions do not refer only to a direction that is completely parallel to B, but also refer to a direction that is approximately parallel to B. In this specification, expressions such as "C-shape" and similar expressions do not refer only to a perfect C-shape, but also refer to a shape that visually resembles a C-shape (approximately a C-shape).

[0011] The connection structure S (see FIG. 1 ) of this embodiment includes a first member 1 and a second member 2. The second member 2 moves relative to the first member 1 in a predetermined movement direction MD1 (see FIG. 3 ), thereby connecting the second member 2 to the first member 1. Here, the phrase "relative movement" of the second member 2 with respect to the first member 1 includes the second member 2 moving relative to the first member 1 while the first member 1 is stationary, the first member 1 moving relative to the second member 2 while the second member 2 is stationary, and both the first member 1 and the second member 2 moving relative to each other. The "predetermined movement direction" is the direction in which the second member 2 and the first member 1 move closer to each other due to the relative movement between the first member 1 and the second member 2 described above. This direction may be a linear movement direction or a curved movement direction. In this embodiment, the second member 2 moves relative to the first member 1 in a predetermined movement direction MD1 while its movement in a direction approximately perpendicular to the movement direction MD1 (the width direction D2 described later) relative to the first member 1 is restricted.

[0012] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , the first member 1 is a carrier plate of the window regulator WR (hereinafter, the first member 1 will also be referred to as the carrier plate 1), and the second member 2 is a guide rail of the window regulator WR (hereinafter, the second member 2 will also be referred to as the guide rail 2). However, the combination of the first member 1 and the second member 2 is not limited to the combination of a carrier plate and a guide rail. The combination of the first member and the second member may be a combination of other members, such as, for example, a combination of a casing and a lid that closes the casing, which are connected to each other in a vehicle. In the following description of this specification, the term "carrier plate" can be read as the "first member," and the term "first member" can be read as the "carrier plate." Similarly, the term "guide rail" can be read as the "second member," and the term "second member" can be read as the "guide rail." In this embodiment, the first member 1 and the second member 2 are configured as separate bodies, but the first member and the second member may be integrally formed as long as they are movable relative to each other and can be connected to each other (for example, the first member and the second member may be integrally formed by a hinge and configured to be connected by rotating and moving relative to each other).

[0013] Below, the connection structure S will be explained using the example of a connection structure S provided on a window regulator WR, in which the first member is a carrier plate 1 and the second member is a guide rail 2, but the connection structure S is not limited to the example below.

[0014] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the window regulator WR includes a drive unit DR, a first cable C1 connected to the drive unit DR, and a second cable C2 connected to the drive unit DR. The window regulator WR also includes a carrier plate 1, which is a first member, and a guide rail 2, which is a second member. In this embodiment, the connection structure S is provided in a part of the window regulator WR, specifically, in a portion where the carrier plate 1 and the guide rail 2 are connected, as shown in Fig. 1.

[0015] The window regulator WR drives the first cable C1 and the second cable C2 using the drive unit DR to move the carrier plate 1 along the guide rail 2. This causes the window glass W attached to the carrier plate 1 to rise and fall. The window regulator WR is attached to a predetermined attachment target. Specifically, the window regulator WR is attached to a door panel (not shown) of the vehicle body to which it is attached.

[0016] The drive unit DR is a drive source that drives the first cable C1 and the second cable C2 (hereinafter collectively referred to as cables C). The drive unit DR may be configured to drive the cables C electrically or manually. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , the drive unit DR includes a motor DR1 and a drum DR2. The motor DR1 is configured to be rotatable forward and reverse, and rotates the drum DR2 forward and reverse. As a result, the cable C connected to the drum DR2 is wound onto the drum DR2 and unwound from the drum DR2.

[0017] The cable C is operated by a drive unit DR to move the carrier plate 1 connected to the cable C in the direction in which the window glass W is raised and lowered (the up and down direction in FIG. 1 ). The cable C has a first cable C1 and a second cable C2. In this embodiment, the first cable C1 is an ascending wire that pulls the carrier plate 1 in the ascending direction when the window glass W is raised. The second cable C2 is a descending wire that pulls the carrier plate 1 in the descending direction when the window glass W is lowered. The first cable C1 and the second cable C2 can be cables used in known window regulators.

[0018] One end C11 of the first cable C1 is connected to the carrier plate 1, and the other end (not shown) of the first cable C1 is connected to the drum DR2 of the drive unit DR. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the one end C11 of the first cable C1 is connected to a first fitting 111a provided on the carrier plate 1. The other end of the first cable C1 is wound around the drum DR2 and then connected to an end fixing portion (not shown) provided on the end surface or the like of the drum DR2. In addition, one end C21 of the second cable C2 is connected to the carrier plate 1, and the other end (not shown) of the second cable C2 is connected to the drum DR2 of the drive unit DR. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the one end C21 of the second cable C2 is connected to a second fitting 111b provided on the carrier plate 1. The other end of the second cable C2 is wound around the drum DR2 and then connected to an end fixing portion (not shown) provided on the end surface or the like of the drum DR2.

[0019] 1, the first cable C1 extends from one end C11 connected to the carrier plate 1 toward the upper end of the guide rail 2, is redirected by a direction-changing member 3 provided on the upper end side of the guide rail 2, and extends toward the lower end (see FIG. 1) of the guide rail 2. The second cable C2 extends from one end C21 connected to the carrier plate 1 toward the lower end of the guide rail 2.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , the guide rail 2, which is the second member, is connected to the carrier plate 1, which is the first member. The guide rail 2 guides the carrier plate 1 so that it moves along a predetermined movement path. The guide rail 2 has a predetermined length to move the carrier plate 1 a predetermined distance. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 , a drive unit DR is provided at the lower end of the guide rail 2, and a direction-changing member 3 is provided at the upper end. The guide rail 2 is fixed to an attachment target, such as a vehicle door panel, using known fixing means such as bolts. In this embodiment, the guide rail 2 is formed in the shape of an elongated plate extending along the movement path of the carrier plate 1 and is curved in an arch shape along the length of the guide rail to follow the curvature of the attachment target (e.g., a door panel). However, the shape of the guide rail 2 is not particularly limited as long as it can guide the carrier plate 1 along the predetermined movement path. The material of the guide rail 2 can be, for example, metal or hard resin, but is not particularly limited as long as it has the predetermined rigidity required to withstand the tension applied by the cable C.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the guide rail 2 includes an engaged portion (first engaged portion) 21 a provided on one of both sides in the width direction of the guide rail 2 (left-right direction in FIG. 2 ) and engaging with a resilient claw 12 (described later) of the carrier plate 1 in the thickness direction of the guide rail 2, and an engaged portion (second engaged portion) 21 b provided on the other side in the width direction and engaging with an engaging claw 112 (described later) of the carrier plate 1 in the thickness direction of the guide rail 2 (direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 2 ). In this embodiment, the first engaged portion 21 a and the second engaged portion 21 b are flat plate-like portions provided at the ends of the guide rail 2 in the width direction so as to be approximately parallel to the first surface 11 a of the carrier plate 1 at a connection completion position (position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 3 ) in which connection of the guide rail 2 to the carrier plate 1 is completed. In this embodiment, the guide rail 2 has a central portion 21 c provided between the first engaged portion 21 a and the second engaged portion 21 b in the width direction of the guide rail 2. The central portion 21c extends substantially parallel to the first engaged portion 21a and the second engaged portion 21b, and is connected to the first engaged portion 21a and the second engaged portion 21b by extension portions 21d that bend and extend substantially perpendicular to the central portion 21c from both sides of the width direction of the central portion 21c. The guide rail is not limited to the shape shown in Fig. 3, and various known shapes can be adopted. The back surface of the first engaged portion 21a (the surface facing the first surface 11a) serves as a pressing portion 21e that presses the pressed portion 122a of the elastic claw 12, which will be described later.

[0022] A carrier plate 1, which is a first member, is connected to a guide rail 2, which is a second member. In this embodiment, the carrier plate 1 is configured to move along the guide rail 2. As described above, the first member is not limited to the carrier plate 1.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the carrier plate 1, which is the first member, includes a main body 11 and elastic claws 12 extending from the main body 11 and configured to be elastically deformable so as to rotate around a rotation center provided at the connection point with the main body 11. In this embodiment, the carrier plate 1 also has a window glass connection portion 13, as shown in Figure 2. The window glass W is attached directly or indirectly to the window glass connection portion 13. The material constituting the carrier plate 1 is not particularly limited, but it can be made of, for example, a synthetic resin used for known carrier plates.

[0024] The main body 11 is a base on which the elastic claws 12 are provided. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the main body 11 is configured to hold the guide rail 2, which is the second member, together with the elastic claws 12. The shape and structure of the main body 11 are not particularly limited as long as the main body 11 serves as a base on which the elastic claws 12 are provided and can hold the guide rail 2. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 , the main body 11 is configured as a plate-like member having a first surface 11a and a second surface 11b opposite the first surface 11a. Note that the first surface 11a and the second surface 11b do not need to be flat surfaces, and may have an uneven surface, or may be a curved surface instead of a flat surface. Furthermore, although the first surface 11a and the second surface 11b are parallel to each other in this embodiment, they may also be non-parallel to each other.

[0025] 2, the carrier plate 1 (main body 11) includes a first fitting portion 111a into which a first cable C1 is fitted and a second fitting portion 111b into which a second cable C2 is fitted. One end C11 of the first cable C1 is engaged with the first fitting portion 111a, and one end C21 of the second cable C2 is engaged with the second fitting portion 111b. This connects the cable C to the carrier plate 1, and by driving the cable C, the carrier plate 1 can be driven along the guide rail 2. Note that the first fitting portion 111a and the second fitting portion 111b may be provided with an elastic member, such as a spring for stretching the cable C.

[0026] 2, in this embodiment, the first fitting portion 111a is provided on the opposite side in the width direction from the elastic claw 12, with the guide rail 2, which is the second member, sandwiched therebetween, and the second fitting portion 111b is also provided on the opposite side in the width direction from the elastic claw 12, with the guide rail 2, which is the second member, sandwiched therebetween. In other words, the first fitting portion 111a and the second fitting portion 111b are not provided in a position overlapping with the guide rail 2 in the width direction, but are located outside the guide rail 2 with respect to the side edge of the guide rail 2 in the width direction. Note that in this embodiment, the second fitting portion 111b is provided in a position offset in the width direction from the first fitting portion 111a, but the first fitting portion 111a and the second fitting portion 111b may be located in the same position in the width direction (positions spaced the same distance in the width direction from the side edge of the guide rail 2).

[0027] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 , the main body 11 has an engaging claw 112 that engages with the other of the widthwise side portions (second engaged portion 21 b) of the guide rail 2. The other of the widthwise side portions (second engaged portion 21 b) of the guide rail 2 engages with the engaging claw 112, and one of the widthwise side portions (first engaged portion 21 a) of the guide rail 2 engages with the elastic claw 12, thereby completing the connection of the guide rail 2 to the carrier plate 1 (see the solid line in FIG. 3 ; connection completion position). The engaging claw 112 engages with the thickness direction of the guide rail 2 so that the carrier plate 1 can move along the guide rail 2, but does not engage with the length direction of the guide rail 2. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 , an engaging recess 14 into which the second engaged portion 21 b of the guide rail 2 fits is provided on one surface 11 a of the main body 11, and the engaging claw 112 is disposed to face the second engaged portion 21 b fitted in the engaging recess 14 in the thickness direction of the guide rail 2. The engaging claw may have other configurations, such as an engaging claw protruding from one surface 11a of the main body 11, as long as it can engage with the guide rail 2. As will be described later, the guide rail 2 rotates toward the elastic claw 12 (moves in the moving direction MD1 (see FIG. 3)) from the state shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3 to the state shown by the solid line, using the engaging point with the engaging claw 112 (inside the engaging recess 14) as a fulcrum. As a result, a part of the guide rail 2 (first engaged portion 21a) engages with the elastic claw 12, and the guide rail 2 is connected to the carrier plate 1.

[0028] The elastic claw 12 elastically deforms when connected to the guide rail 2, which is the second member. Specifically, when the guide rail 2 moves in a predetermined movement direction MD1 relative to the carrier plate 1 (or the carrier plate 1 moves relative to the guide rail 2), the elastic claw 12 elastically deforms (see FIG. 7 ), allowing the guide rail 2 to move to a final connection completion position (see the solid line in FIG. 3 ). When the guide rail 2 reaches the final connection completion position, the elastic claw 12 elastically returns to its initial state and engages with the guide rail 2. This prevents the guide rail 2 from detaching from the carrier plate 1. In this embodiment, the elastic claw 12 engages with one of the widthwise side portions of the guide rail 2 (first engaged portion 21 a), and the engaging claw 112 engages with the other widthwise side portion of the guide rail 2 (second engaged portion 21 b). This prevents the guide rail 2 from detaching from the carrier plate 1. In this embodiment, the elastic claw 12 is made of a resin material that is integrally formed with the main body 11. Details will be described later, but as shown in Figure 7, when the guide rail 2, which is the second member, is connected to the carrier plate 1, which is the first member, the guide rail 2 presses the pressed portion 122a of the elastic claw 12, which will be described later, causing the elastic claw 12 to bend in a first rotational direction RD1 centered on the rotation center RC.

[0029] In this embodiment, the rotation center RC of the elastic claw 12 is a connection portion of the elastic claw 12 integrally formed with the main body 11, where the entire elastic claw 12 bends and changes its posture when a force is applied to the elastic claw 12. In this embodiment, the elastic claw 12 is configured to elastically deform mainly at the rotation center RC, and the entire elastic claw 12 rotates around the rotation center RC (see FIG. 7 ). In this embodiment, the portion of the elastic claw 12 that is the rotation center RC has lower rigidity than other portions of the elastic claw 12 (e.g., the arm portion 121 and the claw portion 122, described below, other than the portions surrounding the rotation center RC). This configuration makes the elastic claw 12 more likely to deform than other portions of the elastic claw 12 when a force is applied to the elastic claw 12 from the guide rail 2. This allows the elastic claw 12 to rotate around the rotation center RC. Note that when the elastic claw 12 rotates around the rotation center RC, other portions of the elastic claw 12 (e.g., the arm portion 121 and the claw portion 122) may also deform slightly. In this specification, among the rotation directions around the rotation center RC of the elastic claw 12, the direction in which the pressed portion 122a of the elastic claw 12 is pressed and rotated by the guide rail 2 when the guide rail 2 is connected to the carrier plate 1 is called the first rotation direction RD1, and the rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction RD1 is called the second rotation direction RD2.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5B, the elastic claw 12 includes an arm portion 121 extending from the rotation center RC, and a claw portion 122 provided at the end of the arm portion 121 opposite to the rotation center RC.

[0031] The arm portion 121 is a portion that extends from the rotation center RC to the claw portion 122. The arm portion 121 is configured to rotate mainly around the rotation center RC. The shape and structure of the arm portion 121 are not limited to the structure shown in the drawings. In this embodiment, the arm portion 121 includes a first extension portion 121a and a second extension portion 121b, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5B.

[0032] As shown in Figures 4 and 5B, the first extension portion 121a protrudes from the first surface 11a in the thickness direction D1 of the main body 11, which is the direction connecting the first surface 11a and the second surface 11b. The first extension portion 121a is connected to the second extension portion 121b, and in this embodiment, the first extension portion 121a and the second extension portion 121b are arranged in a substantially L-shape. A claw portion 122 protrudes from the end of the first extension portion 121a opposite the end connected to the second extension portion 121b. In the main body 11, the direction along the width direction of the guide rail 2 is referred to as the width direction D2 of the main body 11, and the direction along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 2 is referred to as the height direction D3 of the main body 11. In addition, the thickness direction D1 of the main body 11 can also be said to be the thickness direction of the guide rail 2, the width direction D2 of the main body 11 can also be said to be the width direction of the guide rail 2, and the height direction D3 of the main body 11 can also be said to be the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 2.

[0033] In this embodiment, the first extension portion 121a is configured to have higher rigidity than the second extension portion 121b. In this case, the amount of deformation of the first extension portion 121a when the elastic claw 12 is pressed by the guide rail 2 is suppressed, and the entire elastic claw 12 is more likely to rotate around the rotation center RC. In this embodiment, the first extension portion 121a is formed in a columnar (quadratic columnar) shape, and has higher rigidity than the plate-shaped second extension portion 121b.

[0034] The second extension portion 121b extends from the first extension portion 121a toward the rotation center RC. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5B , the second extension portion 121b extends in the same direction (to the right in FIG. 5B ) as the protrusion direction of the claw portion 122 from the first extension portion 121a. The second extension portion 121b is configured so that the cross-sectional area at the portion that forms the rotation center RC (the connection portion between the second extension portion 121b and the main body 11) is smaller than that of other portions of the second extension portion 121b. In this case, elastic deformation is facilitated at the rotation center RC, which is the connection portion between the second extension portion 121b and the main body 11, and the entire elastic claw 12 is facilitated to rotate around the rotation center RC. In this embodiment, the second extension portion 121b is configured as a plate-like body extending from the first extension portion 121a toward the main body 11, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5A . The connection portion between the second extension portion 121b and the main body 11 has a smaller cross-sectional area due to a narrower width than the other portions of the second extension portion 121b. As a result, the narrow portion 121c, which is the connection portion between the second extension portion 121b and the main body 11, is more easily deformed than the other portions of the second extension portion 121b and serves as the rotation center RC of the elastic claw 12. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5B , the second extension portion 121b is formed by a pair of plate-like bodies spaced apart in the height direction D3 of the main body 11 (the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 2). Of the second extension portion 121b formed by plate-like bodies, the narrow portion 121c protrudes in the thickness direction D1 of the main body 11 from a base end E (see FIG. 5B ) on the opposite side of the first extension portion 121a in the width direction D2 of the main body 11 and is connected to the connection portion 113 of the main body 11. In this embodiment, the connection portion 113 of the main body 11 extends from the first surface 11a of the wall portion WL, which is one of the wall portions defining a recess CP described below, facing the base end portion E of the second extension portion 121b, toward the second extension portion 121b. A gap is provided in the width direction D2 of the main body 11 between the base end portion E of the second extension portion 121b and the wall portion WL (below the connection portion 113 in FIG. 5B ). As a result, when the elastic claw 12 rotates in the first rotation direction RD1 about the rotation center RC, the base end portion E and the wall portion WL do not come into contact with each other, and the rotation of the elastic claw 12 in the first rotation direction RD1 is not impeded.In the drawings, the center of rotation RC is shown as one point for the sake of convenience, but the center of rotation does not have to be limited to the point shown in the drawing.

[0035] In this embodiment, the elastic claw 12 has a first extension portion 121a and a second extension portion 121b, and is configured to be approximately L-shaped when viewed in the height direction D3 of the main body 11, but the elastic claw may have other shapes other than approximately L-shaped, such as a curved approximately C-shape.

[0036] As shown in Figure 7, the claw portion 122 has a pressed portion 122a that comes into contact with and is pressed by the guide rail 2 when the second member, the guide rail 2, moves in the movement direction MD1, and an engaging portion 122b that is located on the detachment direction MD2 side, which is the opposite direction to the movement direction MD1, relative to the guide rail 2 when the guide rail 2 is in the connection completion position (see solid line in Figure 3 and Figure 6) in which the guide rail 2 is connected to the carrier plate 1, and is able to engage with the guide rail 2.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 7 , the pressed portion 122a is a portion that comes into contact with the guide rail 2 when the guide rail 2 moves from a state before being connected to the carrier plate 1 to a connection completion position. The pressed portion 122a is configured to convert the force applied to the elastic claw 12 from the guide rail 2 moving in the movement direction MD1 into a force in the first rotation direction RD1 when pressed by the guide rail 2 moving in the movement direction MD1. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7 , the pressed portion 122a is inclined with respect to the movement direction MD1 at the contact point between the guide rail 2 and the pressed portion 122a so that a component of the force applied to the pressed portion 122a from the pressing portion 21e of the guide rail 2 faces the first rotation direction RD1. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7 , when the guide rail 2 moves in the movement direction MD1, the elastic claw 12 rotates in the first rotation direction RD1 around the rotation center RC.

[0038] When the guide rail 2 is in the connection completion position, the engaging portion 122b is located on the side of the guide rail 2 in the removal direction MD2 (upper side in FIG. 6 ), which is the opposite direction to the movement direction MD1. As a result, the engaging portion 122b engages with the guide rail 2 (first engaged portion 21a) in the thickness direction D1 of the main body 11, and holds the guide rail 2 in the connection completion position.

[0039] In this embodiment, the carrier plate 1 includes an auxiliary claw 15 that sandwiches the first engaged portion 21a of the guide rail 2 between the carrier plate 1 and the engaging portion 122b in the thickness direction D1 of the main body 11. The auxiliary claw 15 protrudes cantilevered from the first surface 11a of the main body 11 toward the engaging portion 122b and is configured to be elastically deformable in the movement direction MD1. When the guide rail 2 is in the connection completion position, the auxiliary claw 15 presses the first engaged portion 21a toward the engaging portion 122b and sandwiches the first engaged portion 21a of the guide rail 2 together with the engaging portion 122b. This holds the guide rail 2 in a state where rattle is suppressed. Note that the auxiliary claw 15 may have another configuration or may not be provided at all.

[0040] 6 , in this embodiment, the position of the rotation center RC is set so that when a force is applied to the guide rail 2 in the removal direction MD2, the direction of the force F1 applied from the guide rail 2 to the engaging portion 122b faces the second rotation direction RD2, which is opposite to the first rotation direction RD1, with respect to an imaginary line L passing through the rotation center RC and the engaging portion 122b, and the elastic claw 12 receives a force (force F3, described later) that rotates in the second rotation direction RD2 from the guide rail 2. Here, the "direction of the force F1 applied from the guide rail 2 to the engaging portion 122b" refers to the direction of the force acting on the engaging portion 122b at the contact portion between the first engaged portion 21a of the guide rail 2 and the engaging portion 122b when the guide rail 2 receives a force in the removal direction MD2. In this embodiment, the force F1 is a force applied from the guide rail 2 to the engaging portion 122b when a force that moves the guide rail 2 relative to the carrier plate 1 is applied. However, the force F1 may be a force applied from the guide rail 2 to the engaging portion 122b when a force that moves the carrier plate 1 relative to the guide rail 2 is applied, or a force applied from the guide rail 2 to the engaging portion 122b when a force is applied to both the carrier plate 1 and the guide rail 2. In FIG. 6 , the imaginary line L is an extension of a line (the radius of rotation of an imaginary circle CC described later) that connects the rotation center RC and the contact portion of the guide rail 2 (first engaged portion 21a) and the engaging portion 122b. In FIG. 6 , the imaginary circle designated by reference symbol CC is an extension of the rotation locus of the contact portion between the first engaged portion 21a of the guide rail 2 and the engaging portion 122b when the elastic claw 12 rotates around the rotation center RC. In this embodiment, the force F1 applied from the guide rail 2 can be decomposed into a force F2 along the imaginary line L and a force F3 along the tangential direction of the imaginary circle CC, and the force F3 along the tangential direction of the imaginary circle CC acts in the second rotation direction RD2 on the elastic claw 12. As a result, when a force in the removal direction MD2 is applied to the guide rail 2, the elastic claw 12 receives a force that rotates it in the second rotation direction RD2.

[0041] In this embodiment, as described above, the position of the rotation center RC is set so that the elastic claw 12 receives a force F3 from the guide rail 2 that rotates the elastic claw 12 in the second rotation direction RD2. In this case, as shown in Fig. 8, even if a force in the removal direction MD2 is applied to the guide rail 2, the elastic claw 12 does not receive a force that rotates the elastic claw 12 in the first rotation direction RD1, which is the rotation direction that releases the engagement, but receives a force in the second rotation direction RD2 (clockwise in Fig. 8), which is the direction that strengthens the engagement. Therefore, the engagement between the elastic claw 12 and the guide rail 2 is less likely to be released.

[0042] 9 shows a reference example in which the elastic claw 120 extends perpendicularly from the first surface 110a of the main body 110 of the carrier plate 10. In this reference example, when a force is applied to the guide rail 20 in the removal direction MD2, the direction of a force F10 applied from the guide rail 20 to the engagement portion 1220b is oriented in the first rotation direction RD1 with respect to an imaginary line Lr passing through the rotation center RC and the engagement portion 1220b. The force F10 applied from the guide rail 20 can be decomposed into a force F20 along the imaginary line Lr and a force F30 along the tangent direction of the imaginary circle Cr, and the force F30 along the tangent direction of the imaginary circle Cr acts on the elastic claw 120 in the first rotation direction RD1. Therefore, the direction in which the elastic claw 120 rotates when the guide rail 20 is connected and the direction in which the elastic claw 120 rotates when the guide rail 20 is about to be detached are the same direction (first rotation direction RD1). Therefore, when a force in the detachment direction MD2 is applied to the guide rail 20, the elastic claw 120 rotates in the first rotation direction RD1, which is a direction in which the engagement between the elastic claw 120 and the guide rail 20 is released, and the guide rail 20 may be detached. In contrast, in this embodiment, as described above, when a force in the detachment direction MD2 is applied to the guide rail 2, the elastic claw 12 rotates in the second rotation direction RD2, which is a direction in which the engagement between the elastic claw 12 and the guide rail 2 is strengthened. Therefore, the guide rail 2 is prevented from being detached from the carrier plate 1.

[0043] As described above, in this embodiment, the direction of the force applied to the elastic claw 12 is opposite when the guide rail 2 is connected to the direction of the force applied to the elastic claw 12 when the guide rail 2 is about to be detached. Therefore, even if the entire elastic claw 12 or the area around the rotation center RC is made flexible so that the elastic claw 12 is easily elastically deformed when the guide rail 2 is connected, the elastic claw 12 is simply made more likely to rotate in the second rotation direction RD2 when the guide rail 2 is about to be detached. Therefore, even if the elastic claw is made easily deformable to facilitate connection of the guide rail 2 to the carrier plate 1, it is possible to prevent the guide rail 2 from being detached from the carrier plate 1.

[0044] 9 , if the elastic claws 120 are made more flexible by thinning the entire elastic claws 120 or the area around the rotation center RC, the elastic claws 120 will be more flexible when connecting the guide rail 20 to the carrier plate 10, facilitating connection of the guide rail 20. On the other hand, even when the guide rail 20 attempts to separate from the carrier plate 10, the elastic claws 120 rotate in the first rotation direction RD1, making it easier for the guide rail 20 to separate from the carrier plate 10. In contrast, in this embodiment, even if the elastic claws 12 are made more elastically deformable to make it easier to assemble the guide rail 2 to the carrier plate 1 with less force, the guide rail 2 will not be more easily separated from the carrier plate 1.

[0045] As described above, as shown in FIG. 2 , the carrier plate 1 includes a first fitting portion 111a and a second fitting portion 111b, which are provided on the opposite side of the guide rail 2 from the elastic claw 12 in the width direction of the guide rail 2, with the guide rail 2 interposed therebetween. The first cable C1 and the second cable C2 are fitted into the first fitting portion 111a and the second fitting portion 111b, respectively. In a window regulator WR having such a configuration, a rotational moment acts around a rotation axis extending in the extension direction of the guide rail 2 at the engagement point between the guide rail 2 and the carrier plate 1. In particular, when the guide rail 2 is curved and the carrier plate 1 is positioned at an intermediate position, the rotational moment is more likely to act, making the carrier plate 1 more likely to detach from the guide rail 2. In this case, once the elastic claw 12 rotates to a position where it is disengaged from the guide rail 2, the rotational moment acting on the carrier plate 1 causes the carrier plate 1 to rotate to a position significantly removed from the guide rail 2, making it difficult to reconnect the guide rail 2 to the carrier plate 1. Furthermore, this rotational moment applies a pressing force between the engaging portion 122b and the guide rail 2. In the case of a structure such as the reference example shown in Fig. 9, this force is added to the force that rotates the elastic claw 12 in the first rotational direction RD1, making it easier to release the engagement. On the other hand, in the case of this embodiment, the rotational moment applied to the carrier plate 1 described above becomes a force that rotates the elastic claw 12 in the second rotational direction RD2, making it harder to release the engagement between the elastic claw 12 and the guide rail 2.

[0046] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 , the first extension portion 121a extends from the first surface 11a in the thickness direction D1 of the main body 11, and the second extension portion 121b extends from the first extension portion 121a toward the rotation center RC in the same direction as the protrusion direction of the claw portion 122 from the first extension portion 121a, but by a length longer than the protrusion amount of the claw portion 122 from the first extension portion 121a. In this case, the rotation center RC located on the base end E side of the second extension portion 121b is located at a position farther from the first extension portion 121a in the width direction D2 (i.e., closer to the center of the width of the guide rail 2) than the tip end of the claw portion 122 (the contact portion between the engagement portion 122b and the guide rail 2). In this case, as shown in FIG. 6 , the imaginary line L connecting the rotation center RC and the engagement portion 122b inclines away from the center of the width of the guide rail 2 as it moves away from the first surface 11a of the main body 11 of the carrier plate 1. When the guide rail 2 is about to be released, a force F1 applied from the guide rail 2 to the engaging portion 122b is directed in a direction approximately perpendicular to the first surface 11a (strictly speaking, a direction slightly tilted toward the center of the guide rail 2 with respect to the direction perpendicular to the first surface 11a). Therefore, if the amount by which the second extending portion 121b protrudes from the first extending portion 121a is greater than the amount by which the claw portion 122 protrudes from the first extending portion 121a, a component force F3 in the tangential direction of the virtual circle CC is directed in the second rotational direction RD2. This makes it possible to reliably apply a force in the second rotational direction RD2 to the elastic claw 12, thereby preventing the guide rail 2 from coming off the carrier plate 1.

[0047] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 , the engaging portion 122b is inclined so as to approach the first surface 11a as it extends from the first extending portion 121a toward the tip of the claw portion 122. In this case, the magnitude of the force acting in the second rotation direction RD2 can be made larger compared to when the engaging portion 122b extends parallel to the first surface 11a. That is, because the engaging portion 122b is inclined so as to approach the first surface 11a as it extends from the first extending portion 121a toward the tip of the claw portion 122, the force acting in the direction perpendicular to the engagement surface of the engaging portion 122b is inclined toward the second rotation direction RD2. In this case, the component force F3 in the tangential direction of the imaginary circle CC obtained by decomposing the force acting on the engaging portion 122b is larger compared to when the engaging portion 122b is parallel to the first surface 11a. Therefore, the guide rail 2 can be further prevented from coming off the carrier plate 1.

[0048] In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5B , the main body 11 includes a recess CP extending from the first surface 11a to the second surface 11b. A portion of the first extension 121a and a portion of the second extension 121b are disposed within the recess CP. By disposing a portion of the first extension 121a and a portion of the second extension 121b in the recess CP provided in the main body 11, the amount of protrusion of the elastic claw 12 from the first surface 11a can be reduced. This reduces the length of the main body 11 in the thickness direction D1 required for the carrier plate 1, thereby reducing the space required for the carrier plate 1. In this embodiment, the recess CP is configured to penetrate from the first surface 11a to the second surface 11b, but the recess CP may also be a non-penetrating recess with a bottom.

[0049] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Note that the above-described embodiments mainly describe the invention having the following configurations.

[0050] (1) A connection structure comprising a first member and a second member, wherein the second member moves relative to the first member in a predetermined movement direction, thereby connecting the second member to the first member, wherein the first member comprises: a main body; and an elastic claw extending from the main body and configured to be elastically deformable so as to rotate around a rotation center provided at a connection point with the main body, the elastic claw comprising an arm portion extending from the rotation center and a claw portion provided at an end of the arm portion opposite to the rotation center, the claw portion comprising: a pressed portion that comes into contact with and is pressed against the second member when the second member moves in the movement direction, and an engaging portion that is located on a detachment direction side, which is opposite to the movement direction, with respect to the second member when the second member is in a connection completion position where it is connected to the first member, and is configured such that the elastic claw bends in a first rotation direction around the rotation center when the second member is connected to the first member, due to the pressed portion being pressed by the second member, a connection structure in which the position of the rotation center is set so that, when a force is applied to the second member in the removal direction, the direction of the force applied from the second member to the engagement portion faces a second rotation direction that is opposite to the first rotation direction with respect to an imaginary line passing through the rotation center and the engagement portion, and the elastic claw receives a force from the second member to rotate in the second rotation direction.

[0051] (2) The connection structure described in (1), wherein the main body of the first member is a plate-like member having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and the arm portion includes: a first extension portion that protrudes and extends from the first surface in the thickness direction of the main body, which is the direction connecting the first surface and the second surface; and a second extension portion that extends from the first extension portion toward the rotation center in the same direction as the protrusion direction from the first extension portion of the claw portion, at a length longer than the protrusion amount from the first extension portion of the claw portion.

[0052] (3) A connection structure described in (1) or (2), wherein the main body has a recess extending from the first surface toward the second surface, and a portion of the first extension portion and the second extension portion are disposed within the recess.

[0053] (4) A connection structure according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the first member is a carrier plate of a window regulator, the second member is a guide rail of the window regulator, the window regulator comprises a drive unit, a first cable connected to the drive unit, and a second cable connected to the drive unit, the elastic claw of the first member is configured to engage with one of both widthwise sides of the second member, and the first member comprises a first fitting portion, which is provided on the opposite side of the second member in the width direction from the elastic claw, and into which the first cable fits, and a second fitting portion, which is provided on the opposite side of the second member in the width direction from the elastic claw, and into which the second cable fits.

[0054] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 10 First member (carrier plate) 11, 110 Main body 11a, 110a First surface 11b Second surface 111a First fitting portion 111b Second fitting portion 112 Engaging claw 113 Connection portion 12, 120 Elastic claw 121 Arm portion 121a First extending portion 121b Second extending portion 121c Narrow width portion 122 Claw portion 122a Pressed portion 122b, 1220b Engaging portion 13 Window glass connecting portion 14 Engaging recess 15 Auxiliary claw 2, 20 Second member (guide rail) 21a First engaged portion 21b Second engaged portion 21c Central portion 21d Extended portion 21e Pressing portion 3 Direction changing member C Cable C1 First cable C11 One end of the first cable C2 Second cable C21 One end of the second cable CC Imaginary circle formed by extending the rotation trajectory of the contact point between the first engaged portion of the guide rail and the engaging portion CP Recessed portion D1 Thickness direction of the main body D2 Width direction of the main body D3 Height direction of the main body DR Drive portion DR1 Motor DR2 Drum E Base end portion F1, F10 Force applied from the guide rail to the engaging portion F2, F20 Force along the imaginary line F3, F30 Force along the tangent direction of the imaginary circle L, Lr Imaginary line passing through the center of rotation and the engaging portion MD1 Direction of movement MD2 Direction of release RC Center of rotation RD1 First rotation direction RD2 Second rotation direction S Connecting structure W Window glass WL Wall portion WR Window regulator

Claims

1. A connection structure comprising a first member and a second member, the second member moving relative to the first member in a predetermined movement direction to connect the second member to the first member, the first member comprising: a main body; and an elastic claw extending from the main body and configured to be elastically deformable so as to rotate around a rotation center provided at a connection point with the main body, the elastic claw comprising an arm portion extending from the rotation center and a claw portion provided at an end of the arm portion opposite the rotation center, the claw portion comprising: a pressed portion that comes into contact with and is pressed against the second member when the second member moves in the movement direction, and an engaging portion that is located on the release direction side of the second member that is opposite to the movement direction when the second member is in a connection completion position in which the second member is connected to the first member and is engageable with the second member, the elastic claw being configured to bend in a first rotation direction around the rotation center when the second member is connected to the first member, by the pressed portion being pressed by the second member, a connection structure in which the position of the rotation center is set so that, when a force is applied to the second member in the removal direction, the direction of the force applied from the second member to the engagement portion faces toward a second rotation direction that is opposite to the first rotation direction with respect to a virtual line passing through the rotation center and the engagement portion, and the elastic claw receives a force from the second member to rotate in the second rotation direction.

2. The connection structure described in claim 1, wherein the main body of the first member is a plate-like member having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and the arm portion comprises: a first extension portion that protrudes and extends from the first surface in the thickness direction of the main body, which is a direction connecting the first surface and the second surface; and a second extension portion that extends from the first extension portion toward the center of rotation in the same direction as the protrusion direction of the claw portion from the first extension portion, a length longer than the amount of protrusion of the claw portion from the first extension portion.

3. The connection structure according to claim 2, wherein said body has a recess extending from said first surface toward said second surface, and a portion of said first extension portion and said second extension portion are disposed within said recess.

4. A connection structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first member is a carrier plate of a window regulator, the second member is a guide rail of the window regulator, the window regulator comprises a drive unit, a first cable connected to the drive unit, and a second cable connected to the drive unit, the elastic claw of the first member is configured to engage with one of both side portions in the width direction of the second member, and the first member comprises a first fitting portion into which the first cable fits, which is provided on the opposite side in the width direction from the elastic claw across the second member, and a second fitting portion into which the second cable fits, which is provided on the opposite side in the width direction from the elastic claw across the second member.

Images