JP2606926B2 - Car auto step device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic stepping device suitable for, for example, an automobile having a sliding door, and more particularly to a stepping plate which is rotated between a use position and a storage position. The present invention relates to simplification of a structure in a case where it is possible to lock both positions.

[Conventional technology]

An automatic stepping device for a car is a device for facilitating getting on and off, such that when a door is opened, a step plate protrudes outward from a side of a vehicle body, and when the door is closed, the step plate is pushed inward. It is particularly effective for automobiles with a high entrance position such as a so-called one-box car having a sliding door.

FIG. 7 shows an example of such an automatic stepping device for an automobile. In the figure, 31 is a step plate, which is a bracket fixed to the vehicle body.
32 is rotatably supported via a support rod 33 between a use position shown by a solid line in the drawing and a storage position shown by a two-dot chain line, and is urged in the use position direction. . On the lower surface of the step plate 31, a lock lever 34a for use is provided.
The release lever 34b is rotatably supported by a shaft and is connected by a link 34c. The lock lever 34a is biased so as to be locked to a lock pin 35a fixed to the vehicle body when the step plate 31 is rotated to the use position.
A lock lever for storage is provided on the upper surface of the step plate 31.
The lock lever 36 is urged to lock the lock pin 35b fixed to the bracket 32 when the step plate 31 is rotated to the storage position. ing. Reference numeral 37 denotes a stopper, which restricts the rotational position of the step plate 31 by abutting on the receiving member 32a fixed to the bracket 32.

In this conventional apparatus, when a slide door (not shown) is opened, the step plate 31 is rotated by the urging force to a use position shown by a solid line in the drawing, and a use lock lever 31a is locked to a lock pin 35a, and Locked to. Further, in response to the closing operation of the slide door, the roller 38 of the opener fixed to the door comes into contact with the release lever 34b to rotate it, thereby rotating the lock lever 34a during use via the link 34c. Then, the lock with the lock pin 35a is released, the lock is released, and the roller 38 causes the step plate 31 to rotate to the non-use position.

When the automatic step mechanism is not operated, the step plate 31 is rotated to the storage position shown by a two-dot chain line, and the storage lock lever 36 is locked to the lock pin 35b. Thereby, the step plate 31 is locked at the storage position. In order to release the lock, rotate the lock lever 36 at the time of storage to lock the lock pin.
Release the lock with 35b.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

In the above-mentioned conventional auto-step device, a lock mechanism for the use position and a lock mechanism for the storage position are separately required, and the lock mechanism for the use position is a lock lever,
It is composed of many parts such as a release lever and a link, and its structure is complicated. Therefore, the cost is high accordingly, and it is required to simplify the structure and reduce the cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to meet the above-mentioned demands, and has as its object to provide an auto-step device for an automobile which can reduce the number of parts and simplify the structure.

[Means for solving the problem]

According to the present invention, a step plate is rotatably supported on a bottom wall of a door opening between a use position in which the step plate protrudes outward from the side of the vehicle body and a non-use position in which the step plate is immersed inward. An auto-stepping device for an automobile, which is urged to rotate to the use position when the door is opened, and is rotated to the non-use position by an opener fixed to the door when the door is closed. A lock lever is rotatably supported by the plate, and one end of the lock lever is locked by a use locking portion fixed to the vehicle body when the step plate is rotated to the use position, and When the lock lever is rotated to the storage position further inward than the use position, the lock lever is rotationally urged to lock the storage lock portion fixed to the vehicle body, and the other end of the lock lever is moved. Above One end when the use of the lock lever when rotated in the direction opposite to the energization direction is characterized by being configured as latching between the stored state locking portion is released.

[Action]

According to the auto-step device according to the present invention, one end of the lock lever is locked to the use locking portion at the use position,
In the retracted position, it is configured to be locked to the retracted retaining portion, so that one lock mechanism can be used to lock both when used and when retracted, which simplifies the structure and reduces cost. Can be reduced.

〔Example〕

 Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 to FIG. 6 are views for explaining an auto-stepping device for an automobile according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a one-box type vehicle to which the present embodiment is applied, which is a door opening 2a in the center of a side wall of a vehicle body 2.
The door opening 2a is opened and closed by moving the slide door 3 in the vehicle front-rear direction.

A step plate 4 is rotatably supported on the bottom wall 2b of the door opening 2a, and an opener 5 is mounted on the slide door 3.
Are fixed, and the two constitute an automatic step device 6. The opener 5 has a structure in which a roller 8 is rotatably mounted on the lower end of a bracket 7 composed of a round bar 7a and a band plate 7b, and the bracket 7 is fixed to the slide door 3 with bolts 9a. The roller 8 comprises a large diameter portion 8a located at the lower end and a small diameter portion 8b located above the lower end. The roller 8 projects downward from the lower edge of the slide door 3. When the door 3 is advanced, the step plate Contact 4

The step plate 4 is bolted to the bottom wall 2b of the vehicle body 2.
Support rod 11 by support bracket 10 fixed at 9b
Is pivoted through. The upper portion of the support rod 11 is rotatably inserted into a bearing 10a welded and fixed to the support bracket 10, and the lower portion is welded and fixed to the step plate 4. Reference numeral 12 denotes an urging spring wound around the support rod 11, one end of the spring 12 being locked on the support bracket 10 side and the other end being locked on the step plate 4 side. It is urged to rotate in the use position direction protruding laterally from the opening 2a.

The rear edge of the support bracket 10 has a locking recess 10 in use for locking the step plate 4 in a position for use.
b is formed so as to open rearward, and a guide surface 10c for guiding a later-described locking pin to the concave portion 10b is formed in a portion adjacent to the concave portion 10b. Also this support bracket 10
A lock plate 10d is welded and fixed to the front side of the lock plate.
Is formed at the storage position, and a guide surface 10f for guiding the locking pin to the concave portion 10e and a receiving surface with which a stopper described later abuts are provided adjacent to the concave portion 10e. 10 g are sequentially formed.

The step plate 4 is made of sheet metal, and has a structure in which a concave groove 4a is formed, the peripheral edge is bent downward, and a reinforcing plate 4b is fixed to the lower surface by welding in order to improve the strength. A stopper 13 is fixed near the support rod 11 on the upper surface of the step plate 4. The stopper 13 has a rubber damper 15 disposed on the front surface of a box-shaped bracket 14 made of sheet metal, and is integrally formed with the damper 15 and has a lever portion 1 in which a reinforcing wire 15d is embedded.
This is a structure in which 5c is rotatably supported by a bracket 14. A notch 15b is formed in the abutting portion 15a of the damper 15, and by rotating the damper 15, one of the abutting portion 15a and the notch 15b is connected to the locking plate 10d.
10g.

A lock lever 16 made of a band-shaped metal plate is arranged on the lower surface of the step plate 4, and is rotatably supported on the step plate 4 by a support pin 17. One end 16a of the lock lever 16 is attached to the step plate 4
And is located on the upper surface thereof through an opening 4c formed in the hole.
A locking pin 16b implanted in the one end 16a can be locked in the above-described locking recess 10b during use or the locking recess 10e during storage, and is attached by a biasing spring 18 in the locking direction. It is being rushed. A guide plate 16d is formed at the other end 16c of the lock lever 16. When the slide door 3 is moved in the closing direction, the roller 8 of the opener 5 comes into contact with the guide plate 16d, and The lock lever 16 is rotated.

 Next, the operation and effect of this embodiment will be described.

When the slide door 3 is opened, the step plate 4 is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 1 by the urging force of the urging spring 12 to a use position shown by a solid line in FIG.
At this time, the locking pin 16b of the lock lever 16 is
The step plate 4 is locked in the use position by being guided by the lock member 10 during use.

Next, when the slide door 3 is closed, first, the large diameter portion 8a of the roller 8 of the opener 7 is
Press d to rotate the lock lever 16 clockwise,
As a result, the locking between the locking pin 16b and the locking recess 10b during use is released, and the lock is released. Then, the small-diameter portion 8b of the roller 8 comes into contact with the peripheral edge of the step plate 4, rotates the step plate 4 in accordance with the movement of the slide door 3 in the closing direction, and ends the step plate 4 by closing the door.
Is located at the non-use position shown by the three-dot chain line in FIG. Normally, the damper 15 of the stopper 13 is located at a position where the contact portion 15a faces the receiving surface 10g (FIG. 4 (a)).
When the contact portion 15a comes into contact with the receiving surface 10g, the rotation range of the step plate 4 is restricted between the position indicated by the solid line and the position indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. Is done.

If you do not want to operate the auto step mechanism,
The 13 dampers 15 are rotated so that the notch 15b faces the receiving surface 10g (see FIGS. 1 and 4 (b)), and the damper 15 is rotated until the notch 15b contacts the receiving surface 10g. . Then, the locking pin 16b of the lock lever 16 is guided by the guide surface 10f to be locked in the storage locking recess 10e, whereby the step plate 4 is locked at the storage position shown by the two-dot chain line in the drawing. When returning the auto step mechanism,
When the lock lever 16 is rotated by pushing the guide plate 16d, the lock at the storage position is released, and the automatic step mechanism operates.

Thus, in the automatic step device according to the present embodiment,
The locking pin 16b of the lock lever 16 is locked in the locking recess 10b at the time of use and locked at the storage recess 10e at the time of storage when used, so that only one set of locking mechanism is required.
In addition, since the lock mechanism has a simple structure that only supports the lock lever 16 in a rotatable manner, the number of parts can be reduced and the structure can be simplified, and as a result, the cost can be reduced.

Further, in this embodiment, the contact portion 15
a and the notch 15b are formed, and any one of them is brought into contact with the receiving surface 10g, so that the contact portion 15a is brought into contact with the receiving surface 10g during normal operation of the automatic step mechanism. The stopper 13 has a function of restricting the rotation range. When locking to the storage position, use the damper 15
The notch 15b is opposed to the receiving surface 10g, so that the stopper 13 does not hinder the rotation of the step plate 4, and the locking pin 16b of the lock lever 16 is locked in the storage recess 10e. The lock at both the storage position and the use position by the one lock mechanism described above can be realized.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the automatic stepping device for a vehicle according to the present invention, one end of one lock lever is locked to the locking portion during use at the time of use, and to the locking portion during storage at the time of storage. Since the locking is performed, both locking can be performed by one locking mechanism, the number of parts can be reduced, the structure can be simplified, and the cost can be reduced accordingly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 to FIG. 6 are views for explaining an automatic stepping device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a plan view thereof, FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of FIG. 1, FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b) are perspective views of the stopper, FIG. 4 (c) is a plan view of the damper, and FIG. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the apparatus of the embodiment, FIG. 6 is a side view of an automobile adopting the apparatus of the embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a plan view of a conventional auto step device. In the figure, 1 is an automobile, 2 is a car body, 2a is a door opening, 2b
Is the bottom wall, 3 is the sliding door, 4 is the step plate, 6
Is an auto-stepping device, 7 is an opener, 10b is a locking recess during use (locking portion during use), 10e is a locking recess during storage (locking portion during storage), 12 is an urging spring, 16 is a lock lever, 16b is a locking pin (one end of the lock lever), and 16d is a guide plate (the other end of the lock lever).

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A step plate is rotatably supported on a bottom wall of a door opening between a use position where the step plate protrudes outward from a side surface of the vehicle body and a non-use position where the step plate is immersed inward. And an open step fixed to the door when the door is closed, and is rotated to the non-use position by the opener when the door is closed. A lock lever is rotatably supported on the plate, and one end of the lock lever is locked by a use locking portion fixed to the vehicle body when the step plate is rotated to the use position, and When the lock lever is rotated to the storage position further inside than the non-use position, the lock lever is rotationally urged to be locked to the storage locking portion fixed to the vehicle body, and the other end of the lock lever is Move When one of the lock levers is rotated in a direction opposite to the biasing direction, the lock between the one end of the lock lever and the lock portion for use or the lock portion for storage is released. Auto step device for cars.