Vehicle door opening / closing device

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to improve the mountability of a vehicle door opening / closing device by increasing the degree of freedom of the layout of the vehicle door opening / closing device. According to the prevent invention: a drive motor that rotates a door side hinge bracket of a door hinge relative to a vehicle body side hinge bracket is provided to a vehicle body; a transmission member that transmits rotational force of the drive motor to the door hinge side is disposed on the vehicle body side; one end portion of the transmission member is connected to an output shaft side of the drive motor; the other end portion of the transmission member is connected to the door hinge side; and the transmission member is configured to be capable of flexural deformation or bending deformation.

Description

Vehicle door opening / closing device

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle door opening / closing device.

[0002] Generally, a vehicle includes a pair of door hinges that connect a vehicle door to a vehicle body so as to be rotatable with respect to the vehicle body in order to open and close the vehicle door. The pair of door hinges are spaced apart in the vertical direction. Each door hinge has a vehicle body side hinge bracket fixed to the vehicle body and a door side hinge bracket fixed to the vehicle door and rotatably connected to the vehicle body side hinge bracket via a hinge pin.

[0003] Further, it is known to equip a vehicle with a vehicle door opening / closing device that automatically performs the opening and closing operation of a vehicle door (see Patent Document 1). The vehicle door opening / closing device described in Patent Document 1 includes a drive motor for rotating the vehicle body side hinge bracket at one of the door hinges with respect to the door side hinge bracket. The drive motor is disposed inside the vehicle door. The above vehicle door opening / closing device includes a multi-joint arm (referred to as a drive shaft in Patent Document 1) as a transmission member for transmitting the rotational force of the drive motor to one of the door hinge sides. The multi-joint arm is disposed on the vehicle door side and is configured to be bendable. One end of the multi-joint arm is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor, and the other end of the multi-joint arm is connected to the door hinge.

[0004] U.S. Patent No. 9,353,566

[0005] By the way, in the vehicle door opening / closing device described in Patent Document 1, as described above, the drive motor is disposed inside the vehicle door, and the multi-joint arm as a transmission member is disposed on the vehicle door side. On the other hand, inside the vehicle door, electric devices such as a window regulator for raising and lowering a window glass are usually disposed. Therefore, when a vehicle is equipped with a vehicle door opening / closing device, it is restricted in layout by electric devices such as a window regulator, and it becomes difficult to improve the mountability of the vehicle door opening / closing device.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to increase the degree of freedom in the layout of a vehicle door opening / closing device and improve the mountability of the vehicle door opening / closing device.

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the vehicle door opening and closing device according to the present invention includes: a drive motor that rotates a door-side hinge bracket, which is provided on the vehicle body and constitutes part of a door hinge that connects the vehicle door to the vehicle body so as to be able to open and close the vehicle door, relative to a vehicle-side hinge bracket that constitutes part of the door hinge and is fixed to the vehicle body; and a transmission member that is arranged on the vehicle body side, is configured to be flexible or bendable, has one end connected to the output shaft side of the drive motor and the other end connected to the door hinge side, and transmits the rotational force of the drive motor to the door hinge side.

[0008] Furthermore, another vehicle door opening and closing device according to the present invention includes a door hinge having a vehicle body-side hinge bracket fixed to the vehicle body and a door-side hinge bracket fixed to the vehicle door and rotatably connected to the vehicle body-side hinge bracket via a hinge pin, thereby connecting the vehicle door to the vehicle body so as to be able to open and close it; a drive motor provided on the vehicle body for rotating the door-side hinge bracket relative to the vehicle body-side hinge bracket; and a transmission member disposed on the vehicle body side, configured to be flexible or bendable, with one end connected to the output shaft side of the drive motor and the other end connected to the door hinge side, for transmitting the rotational force of the drive motor to the door hinge side.

[0009] According to the present invention, the degree of freedom in the layout of the vehicle door opening and closing device can be increased, thereby improving the mountability of the vehicle door opening and closing device.

[0010] Figure 1 shows the vehicle door opening and closing device according to the first embodiment installed on a vehicle. Figure 2 is an enlarged view of part II in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the vehicle door opening and closing device according to the first embodiment. Figure 4 is an enlarged view of part IV in Figure 2. Figure 5 is an enlarged view of part V in Figure 2. Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the vehicle door opening and closing device according to the first embodiment. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view along the line VII-VII in Figure 6. Figure 8 shows the vehicle door opening and closing device according to the second embodiment installed on a vehicle.

[0011] The first and second embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, "FD" refers to the front of the vehicle, "RD" to the rear of the vehicle, "UD" to the top or upward direction, "DD" to the bottom or downward direction, "ID" to the inside of the vehicle, and "ED" to the outside of the vehicle.

[0012] Referring to Figures 1 to 6, the configuration of the vehicle door opening and closing device 30 according to the first embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a diagram showing the vehicle door opening and closing device 30 according to the first embodiment installed on a vehicle 10. Figure 2 is an enlarged view of part II in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the vehicle door opening and closing device 30 according to the first embodiment. Figure 4 is an enlarged view of part IV in Figure 2. Figure 5 is an enlarged view of part V in Figure 2. Figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the vehicle door opening and closing device 30 according to the first embodiment. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view along the line VII-VII in Figure 6.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle 10 is equipped with a side door 16 that opens and closes the door opening 14 of the vehicle body 12. The vehicle body 12 has a skeletal member 18 that forms the frame of the vehicle 10, and an outer panel (not shown) that is joined to the skeletal member 18 and forms the outer surface of the vehicle 10. The side door 16 has an inner panel 20 that is located on the inside of the vehicle, and an outer panel (not shown) that is located on the outside of the vehicle and is joined to the inner panel 20.

[0014] The vehicle body 12 is equipped with a pair of door hinges 22 that connect the side door 16 to the vehicle body 12 in an openable (rotatable) manner, and the pair of door hinges 22 are spaced apart in the vertical direction. Each door hinge 22 has a vehicle body-side hinge bracket 24 fixed to the frame member 18 of the vehicle body 12 and a door-side hinge bracket 26 fixed to the front flange portion 20f of the inner panel 20 of the side door 16.

[0015] Each door hinge 22 has a hinge pin 28 that rotatably connects the door-side hinge bracket 26 to the vehicle-side hinge bracket 24. In other words, the door-side hinge bracket 26 of each door hinge 22 is rotatably connected to the vehicle-side hinge bracket 24 via the hinge pin 28. The hinge pin 28 of each door hinge 22 is rotatably supported by the vehicle-side hinge bracket 24.

[0016] The door-side hinge bracket 26 of each door hinge 22 is integrally connected to the hinge pin 28 and rotates integrally with the hinge pin 28 around the axis 28c of the hinge pin 28. The pivot point of the door-side hinge bracket 26 of one door hinge 22 (axis 28c of the hinge pin 28) and the pivot point of the door-side hinge bracket 26 of the other door hinge 22 are located on the same straight line. Note that the door-side hinge bracket 26 does not need to be integrally connected to the hinge pin 28 as long as it is rotatably connected to the vehicle body-side hinge bracket 24.

[0017] The side door 16 can be opened by rotating the door-side hinge bracket 26 of each door hinge 22 in the forward direction (opening direction) relative to the vehicle-side hinge bracket 24. The side door 16 can be closed by rotating the door-side hinge bracket 26 of each door hinge 22 in the reverse direction (closing direction) relative to the vehicle-side hinge bracket 24.

[0018] The vehicle 10 is equipped with a vehicle door opening and closing device 30 that automatically opens and closes the side door 16. The specific configuration of the vehicle door opening and closing device 30 is as follows.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the frame member 18 of the vehicle body 12 is provided with a drive motor 32 that rotates the door-side hinge bracket 26 of one door hinge 22 (the lower door hinge 22) relative to the vehicle body-side hinge bracket 24. The drive motor 32 has an output shaft 34 that can rotate in forward and reverse directions. The drive motor 32 is located on the upper side of the wheel housing 36 of the frame member 18 of the vehicle body 12, near the vehicle body-side hinge bracket 24 of the other door hinge 22 (the upper door hinge 22).

[0020] An upper housing 38 is fixed to the frame member 18 of the vehicle body 12, and the upper housing 38 is positioned near the vehicle body-side hinge bracket 24 of the other door hinge 22. The upper housing 38 is integrally connected to the outer casing of the drive motor 32. Alternatively, the drive motor 32 may be mounted on the frame member 18 of the vehicle body 12 via the upper housing 38.

[0021] An angle sensor (not shown) may be provided on the upper housing 38 or the drive motor 32 to detect the rotation angle of the output shaft 34 of the drive motor 32 or an angle corresponding to that rotation angle. Alternatively, a controller (not shown) may control the drive motor 32 based on the detection result of the angle sensor so that the rotation angle of the output shaft 34 of the drive motor 32 becomes a predetermined rotation angle.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2, 5 to 7, a lower housing 40 is fixed to the vehicle body-side hinge bracket 24 of one door hinge 22. A notch 40n (see Figures 6 and 7) is formed in the lower part of the lower housing 40.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, a torque cable 42 is positioned on the vehicle body 12 side as a transmission member that transmits the rotational force of the drive motor 32 to one of the door hinges 22. The torque cable 42 is configured to be flexible and deformable. One end of the torque cable 42 is located inside the upper housing 38 and is connected to the output shaft 34 side of the drive motor 32. The other end of the torque cable 42 is located inside the lower housing 40 and is connected to one of the door hinges 22.

[0024] A tubular outer casing 44 is provided between the upper housing 38 and the lower housing 40 to rotatably house the torque cable 42. The outer casing 44 protects the torque cable 42. One end of the outer casing 44 is integrally connected to the upper housing 38, and the other end of the outer casing 44 is integrally connected to the lower housing 40.

[0025] As shown in Figure 4, a motor-side reduction mechanism 46 is provided inside the upper housing 38 to reduce the rotation of the output shaft 34 of the drive motor 32 and transmit it to the torque cable 42. In other words, the motor-side reduction mechanism 46 is provided between the output shaft 34 of the drive motor 32 and one end of the torque cable 42 via the upper housing 38. One end of the torque cable 42 is connected to the output shaft 34 side of the drive motor 32 via the motor-side reduction mechanism 46.

[0026] The motor-side reduction mechanism 46 includes a driving gear 48 integrally mounted on the output shaft 34 of the drive motor 32, and a driven gear 50 rotatably mounted within the upper housing 38 and meshing with the driving gear 48. The driving gear 48 rotates integrally with the output shaft 34 of the drive motor 32. The driven gear 50 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the driving gear 48, in the opposite direction to the rotation of the driving gear 48. The pitch circle radius of the driven gear 50 is larger than that of the driving gear 48.

[0027] The shaft portion 50s of the driven gear 50 is connected to the torque cable 42 at one end via an upper joint 52. The torque cable 42 rotates integrally with the driven gear 50 around its axis.

[0028] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, two hinge-side reduction mechanisms 54 and 56 are provided between the other end of the torque cable 42 and one door hinge 22 to reduce the rotation of the torque cable 42 and transmit it to the one door hinge 22. The other end of the torque cable 42 is connected to the one door hinge 22 via the two hinge-side reduction mechanisms 54 and 56. The two hinge-side reduction mechanisms 54 and 56 are the first hinge-side reduction mechanism 54 and the second hinge-side reduction mechanism 56.

[0029] The first hinge-side reduction mechanism 54 is a planetary gear reduction mechanism provided within the lower housing 40, which reduces the rotation of the torque cable 42 and transmits it to the second hinge-side reduction mechanism 56. The first hinge-side reduction mechanism 54 has a sun gear 58 as an input gear that is rotatably provided within the lower housing 40. The shaft portion 58s of the sun gear 58 as an input gear is connected to the other end of the torque cable 42 via a lower joint 60, and the sun gear 58 rotates integrally with the torque cable 42.

[0030] The first hinge-side reduction mechanism 54 has an internal gear 62 as an output gear rotatably mounted within the lower housing 40 and surrounding the sun gear 58, and a plurality of planetary gears 64 that mesh with the sun gear 58 and the internal gear 62. The plurality of planetary gears 64 do not revolve around the sun gear 58, but rotate in the opposite direction to the rotation of the sun gear 58 in conjunction with the rotation of the sun gear 58. The internal gear 62 as an output gear rotates in the same direction as the rotation of the planetary gears 64 (opposite to the rotation of the sun gear 58) in conjunction with the rotation of the plurality of planetary gears 64.

[0031] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the second hinge-side reduction mechanism 56 is provided between the first hinge-side reduction mechanism 54 and one door hinge 22, and reduces the rotation of the internal gear 62, which is the output gear of the first hinge-side reduction mechanism 54, and transmits it to the one door hinge 22. The second hinge-side reduction mechanism 56 has a pinion 66 that is rotatably mounted within the lower housing 40. The pinion 66 is coaxially coupled to the shaft portion 62s of the internal gear 62 and rotates integrally with the internal gear 62. A portion of the pinion 66 is located outside the lower housing 40 via a notch 40n in the lower housing 40.

[0032] The second hinge-side reduction mechanism 56 has a sector gear 68 provided near the lower housing 40 and meshing with a portion of the pinion 66. The base of the sector gear 68 is integrally connected to the upper end of the hinge pin 28 of one door hinge 22. In other words, the base of the sector gear 68 is integrally connected to the door-side hinge bracket 26 of one door hinge 22 via the hinge pin 28. The sector gear 68 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the pinion 66, in the opposite direction to the rotation of the pinion 66. Note that the base end of the sector gear 68 does not need to be integrally connected to the upper end of the hinge pin 28, as long as it is integrally connected to the door-side hinge bracket 26 of one door hinge 22.

[0033] As mentioned above, the vehicle door opening and closing device 30 does not include one of the door hinges 22 as a component, but one of the door hinges 22 may be included as a component of the vehicle door opening and closing device 30. In other words, one of the door hinges 22 may be considered as part of the vehicle door opening and closing device 30.

[0034] Next, the operation of the vehicle door opening and closing device 30 according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0035] As shown in Figures 1, 4, and 5, the drive motor 32 rotates the output shaft 34 in the forward direction, causing the torque cable 42 to rotate around its axis via the motor-side reduction mechanism 46. This causes the door-side hinge bracket 26 of one of the door hinges 22 to rotate in the forward direction (opening direction) integrally with the hinge pin 28 via the first hinge-side reduction mechanism 54 and the second hinge-side reduction mechanism 56. As a result, the door-side hinge brackets 26 of the pair of door hinges 22 rotate synchronously in the forward direction, enabling the opening operation of the side door 16.

[0036] The drive motor 32 rotates the output shaft 34 in the reverse direction, causing the torque cable 42 to rotate around its axis via the motor-side reduction mechanism 46. This causes the door-side hinge bracket 26 of one of the door hinges 22 to rotate in the reverse direction (closing direction) integrally with the hinge pin 28 via the first hinge-side reduction mechanism 54 and the second hinge-side reduction mechanism 56. As a result, the door-side hinge brackets 26 of the pair of door hinges 22 rotate synchronously in the reverse direction, enabling the closing operation of the side door 16.

[0037] According to the configuration of the vehicle door opening and closing device 30 in the first embodiment, as described above, the drive motor 32 that rotates the door-side hinge bracket 26 of one door hinge 22 is provided on the skeletal member 18 of the vehicle body 12. The torque cable 42 that transmits the rotational force of the drive motor 32 to the one door hinge 22 side is located on the vehicle body 12 side. Therefore, even when the vehicle door opening and closing device 30 is equipped on the vehicle 10, the layout is less likely to be restricted by electric devices such as window regulators.

[0038] Therefore, according to the vehicle door opening and closing device 30 of the first embodiment, the degree of freedom in the layout of the vehicle door opening and closing device 30 can be increased, and the mountability of the vehicle door opening and closing device 30 can be improved.

[0039] Furthermore, according to the configuration of the vehicle door opening and closing device 30 according to the first embodiment, as described above, a motor-side reduction mechanism 46 is provided between the output shaft 34 of the drive motor 32 and one end of the torque cable 42. Therefore, the torque of the drive motor 32 can be increased and transmitted to the torque cable 42. As a result, sufficient torque can be transmitted to the torque cable 42 without using a large drive motor (not shown).

[0040] Therefore, according to the vehicle door opening and closing device 30 of the first embodiment, it is possible to make the drive motor 32 more compact and to further improve the mountability of the vehicle door opening and closing device 30.

[0041] Also, according to the configuration of the vehicle door opening / closing device 30 according to the first embodiment, as described above, hinge-side speed reduction mechanisms 54 and 56 are provided between the other end of the torque cable 42 and one of the door hinges 22. Therefore, the torque of the torque cable 42 can be increased and transmitted to the side of one of the door hinges 22. Thereby, it is possible to suppress an excessive torque (load) from being applied to the torque cable 42.

[0042] In particular, when the hinge-side speed reduction mechanism 54 is a planetary gear speed reduction mechanism, while reducing the mounting space of the hinge-side speed reduction mechanism 54, the rotation of the torque cable 42 can be transmitted to the side of the second hinge-side speed reduction mechanism 56 at a high reduction ratio. Thereby, it is possible to further suppress an excessive torque from being applied to the torque cable 42.

[0043] Therefore, according to the vehicle door opening / closing device 30 according to the first embodiment, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the torque cable 42 and improve the reliability (operation reliability) of the vehicle door opening / closing device 30.

[0044] Also, according to the configuration of the vehicle door opening / closing device 30 according to the first embodiment, as described above, the drive motor 32 is disposed above the wheel housing 36 of the vehicle body 12. That is, a relatively large space above the wheel housing 36 is used as part of the installation space of the vehicle door opening / closing device 30.

[0045] Therefore, according to the vehicle door opening / closing device 30 according to the first embodiment, it is possible to further increase the degree of freedom in the layout of the vehicle door opening / closing device 30 and further improve the mountability of the vehicle door opening / closing device 30.

[0046] Also, according to the configuration of the vehicle door opening / closing device 30 according to the first embodiment, as described above, the torque cable 42 is used as the transmission member. Therefore, the flexibility of the torque cable 42 can increase the degree of freedom in the mounting position of the drive motor 32.

[0047] Therefore, according to the vehicle door opening / closing device 30 according to the first embodiment, it is possible to further increase the degree of freedom in the layout of the vehicle door opening / closing device 30 and further improve the mountability of the vehicle door opening / closing device 30.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 8, a specific configuration of the vehicle door opening / closing device 70 according to the second embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the vehicle door opening / closing device 70 according to the second embodiment is equipped on the vehicle 10.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 8, the vehicle door opening / closing device 70 according to the second embodiment is a device that automatically performs the opening / closing operation of the side door 16, and has the same configuration as the vehicle door opening / closing device 30 (refer to FIGS. 1 and 2) according to the first embodiment. Among the configurations of the vehicle door opening / closing device 70 according to the second embodiment, the differences from the configuration of the vehicle door opening / closing device 30 according to the first embodiment will be described. For the sake of convenience of explanation, members having the same functions as the members described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their explanations will not be repeated.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 8, on the vehicle body 12 side, a multi-joint arm 72 as a transmission member for transmitting the rotational force of the drive motor 32 to one door hinge 22 side is arranged. In other words, the vehicle door opening / closing device 70 according to the second embodiment uses a multi-joint arm 72 instead of the torque cable 42 (refer to FIGS. 1 and 2) as the transmission member. The multi-joint arm 72 as the transmission member has a universal joint 74 and is configured to be bendable. The number of universal joints 74 can be appropriately set according to the mounting position of the drive motor 32.

[0051] One end portion of the multi-joint arm 72 is located inside the upper housing 38 and is connected to the output shaft 34 side of the drive motor 32 via a motor side reduction mechanism (not shown) similar to the motor side reduction mechanism 46 shown in FIG. 4. The other end portion of the multi-joint arm 72 is located inside the lower housing 40 and is connected to one door hinge 22 side via a hinge side reduction mechanism (not shown) similar to at least one of the two hinge side reduction mechanisms 54, 56 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Note that the motor side reduction mechanism may be omitted depending on the load of the side door 16.

[0052] Subsequently, the operation of the vehicle door opening / closing device 70 according to the second embodiment will be described.

[0053] As shown in Figure 8, the drive motor 32 rotates the output shaft 34 in the forward direction, causing the articulated arm 72 to rotate around its axis. This causes the door-side hinge bracket 26 of one of the door hinges 22 to rotate in the forward direction (opening direction) together with the hinge pin 28. As a result, the door-side hinge brackets 26 of the pair of door hinges 22 rotate synchronously in the forward direction, enabling the opening operation of the side door 16.

[0054] The drive motor 32 rotates the output shaft 34 in the opposite direction, causing the articulated arm 72 to rotate around its axis. This causes the door-side hinge bracket 26 of one of the door hinges 22 to rotate in the opposite direction (closing direction) together with the hinge pin 28. As a result, the door-side hinge brackets 26 of the pair of door hinges 22 rotate synchronously in the opposite direction, enabling the closing operation of the side door 16.

[0055] According to the configuration of the vehicle door opening and closing device 70 in the second embodiment, as described above, the drive motor 32 that rotates the door-side hinge bracket 26 of one door hinge 22 is provided on the skeletal member 18 of the vehicle body 12. The articulated arm 72 that transmits the rotational force of the drive motor 32 to the one door hinge 22 is located on the vehicle body 12 side. Therefore, even when the vehicle door opening and closing device 70 is equipped on the vehicle 10, the layout is less likely to be restricted by electric devices such as window regulators.

[0056] Therefore, according to the vehicle door opening and closing device 70 of the second embodiment, the degree of freedom in the layout of the vehicle door opening and closing device 70 can be increased, and the mountability of the vehicle door opening and closing device 70 can be improved.

[0057] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the technology applied to the vehicle door opening and closing device 30 can be applied to a door opening and closing device (not shown) that automatically opens and closes vehicle doors other than the side doors 16, such as a back door. Various other modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0058] The present invention is useful as a vehicle door opening and closing device that can increase the degree of freedom in the layout of the vehicle door opening and closing device and improve the mountability of the vehicle door opening and closing device.

[0059] 10 Vehicle 12 Body 14 Door opening 16 Side door 18 Frame member 20 Inner panel 20f Flange portion 22 Door hinge 24 Body side hinge bracket 26 Door side hinge bracket 28 Hinge pin 28c Axle 30 Vehicle door opening / closing device 32 Drive motor 34 Output shaft 36 Wheel housing 38 Upper housing 40 Lower housing 40n Notch 42 Torque cable (transmission member) 44 Outer casing 46 Motor side reduction mechanism 48 Drive gear 50 Drive gear 50s Shaft portion 52 Upper joint 54 Hinge side reduction mechanism (first hinge side reduction mechanism) 56 Hinge side reduction mechanism (second hinge side reduction mechanism) 58 Sun gear 58s Shaft portion 60 Lower joint 62 Internal gear 62s Shaft 64 Planetary gear 66 Pinion 68 Sector gear 70 Vehicle door opening / closing device 72 Articulated arm (transmission member) 74 Universal joint

Claims

1. A vehicle door opening and closing device comprising: a drive motor that rotates a door-side hinge bracket, which is provided on the vehicle body and forms part of a door hinge that connects to the vehicle body so as to be able to open and close a vehicle door, and is fixed to the vehicle door, relative to a vehicle-side hinge bracket that forms part of the door hinge and is fixed to the vehicle body; and a transmission member that is arranged on the vehicle body side, is configured to be flexible or bendable, has one end connected to the output shaft side of the drive motor and the other end connected to the door hinge side, and transmits the rotational force of the drive motor to the door hinge side.

2. A vehicle door opening and closing device comprising: a door hinge having a body-side hinge bracket fixed to the vehicle body and a door-side hinge bracket fixed to the vehicle door and rotatably connected to the body-side hinge bracket via a hinge pin, thereby connecting the vehicle door to the vehicle body so as to be able to open and close; a drive motor provided on the vehicle body for rotating the door-side hinge bracket relative to the body-side hinge bracket; and a transmission member disposed on the vehicle body side, configured to be flexible or bendable, with one end connected to the output shaft side of the drive motor and the other end connected to the door hinge side, for transmitting the rotational force of the drive motor to the door hinge side.

3. The vehicle door opening and closing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transmission member is a torque cable configured to be flexibly deformable.

4. The vehicle door opening and closing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transmission member is a multi-jointed arm having a universal joint and configured to be bendable and deformable.

5. The vehicle door opening and closing device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a motor-side reduction mechanism provided between the output shaft of the drive motor and one end of the transmission member, which reduces the rotation of the output shaft of the drive motor and transmits it to the transmission member.

6. The vehicle door opening and closing device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a hinge-side deceleration mechanism provided between the other end of the transmission member and the door hinge, which decelerates the rotation of the transmission member and transmits it to the door hinge side.

7. The vehicle door opening and closing device according to claim 6, wherein the hinge-side reduction mechanism includes a planetary gear reduction mechanism.

8. The vehicle door opening and closing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the drive motor is located above the wheel well in the vehicle body.

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