JP7360776B2 - vehicle structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to vehicle structures.

Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 disclose vehicle rear structures that include a slope at the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle rear structure of Patent Document 1 can store the slope both in an inverted state and in a state placed on the floor. The slope is rotatably supported on the lower side of the rear opening of the vehicle body. A return spring is provided at the bottom of the rear opening of the vehicle body. This return spring assists the user who is trying to lift the slope by biasing the slope when operating the slope from a state where it is rotated toward the rear of the vehicle body to an inverted state.

The vehicle rear structure of Patent Document 2 is a structure in which the slope device and the lower portion of the back door are rotated together. This slope device is rotatable between an upright state and a tilted forward state so as to overlap the floor when stored in the vehicle compartment. The slope device is rotatably supported by the lower portion of the back door.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-60064 JP 2021-923 Publication

In a vehicle structure that includes a slope, an elastic body that biases the slope is sometimes attached to assist the rotation operation of the slope. When assembling the slope and elastic body, while holding the slope at an appropriate angle, the movable part of the elastic body is fixed to the slope with a bracket against the urging force that tends to move the movable part of the elastic body away from the slope. There is a need to. These series of operations place a heavy burden on the operator, and the workability of attaching the elastic body to the slope is poor. Therefore, it is desired that the elastic body be easily attached to the slope.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a vehicle structure with excellent workability for attaching an elastic body to a slope.

A vehicle structure according to one aspect of the present invention includes:
A support member provided at a door opening at the rear of the vehicle body;
a slope rotatably attached to the support member;
a rotation mechanism that rotates the slope relative to the support member between a first state in which the slope stands up and a second state in which the slope falls forward of the vehicle;
an elastic body that biases the slope in a direction from the second state to the first state;
a connecting member connecting the slope and the elastic body,
The elastic body has a fixed part fixed to the support member and a movable part that biases the slope,
The connecting member includes a first bracket fixed to the slope and a second bracket holding the movable part,
The first bracket has a first groove that opens toward the tip side of the slope,
The second bracket has a main body to which the movable part is attached, and an end extending from the main body,
By inserting the end portion into the first groove, the second bracket is positioned so as not to be separated from the first bracket by the urging force of the movable portion.

The above vehicle structure has excellent workability for attaching the elastic body to the slope. In the above vehicle structure, the elastic body is attached to the slope via the connecting member. The work of attaching the elastic body is performed by inserting the end of the second bracket that holds the movable part of the elastic body into the first groove of the first bracket fixed to the slope. The second bracket is positioned on the first bracket by inserting the end of the second bracket into the first groove of the first bracket. Even if a force is exerted on the second bracket to move it away from the first bracket due to the urging force of the movable part, the first bracket absorbs that force, so the second bracket remains positioned relative to the first bracket. be done. By fixing the second bracket to the slope in this state, the elastic body can be easily attached to the slope.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a vehicle including a vehicle structure according to an embodiment. . FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the vehicle structure according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic perspective view showing the vicinity of an elastic body and a connecting member in the vehicle structure according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of an elastic body and a connecting member in the vehicle structure according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing a first bracket included in the vehicle structure according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a second bracket included in the vehicle structure according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a method of attaching an elastic body to a slope in the vehicle structure according to the embodiment.

A specific example of a vehicle structure according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each figure, the same or corresponding parts are given the same reference numerals. In the diagram, "FR" is the front of the vehicle, "RR" is the rear of the vehicle, "LH" is the left side of the vehicle, "RH" is the right side of the vehicle, "UP" is above the vehicle, and "LWR" is the vehicle Shows the lower part of. Hereinafter, they will simply be referred to as front, rear, etc.

[Embodiment]
A vehicle structure according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. First, an overview of a vehicle to which the vehicle structure of the embodiment is applied will be described, and then details of the vehicle structure of the embodiment will be described.

<Vehicle overview>
A vehicle 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a back door 2 at a door opening 1 provided at the rear of the vehicle body. Vehicle 100 includes a rear floor panel 3 that constitutes a floor surface at the rear of the vehicle body. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of vehicle 100 seen from the rear.

(back door)
In this embodiment, the back door 2 has a structure that is divided into upper and lower parts. The back door 2 has an upper part 2U that forms the upper side of the back door 2, and a lower part 2L that forms the lower side of the back door 2. The upper part 2U opens and closes the upper part of the door opening 1. The lower part 2L opens and closes the lower part of the door opening 1. The upper portion 2U occupies most of the back door 2. In this embodiment, the upper portion 2U is of an upward-opening type. The lower portion 2L is of a downward opening type. The upper portion 2U is rotatably supported by the upper edge of the door opening 1. The lower portion 2L is rotatably supported by an end cross member (not shown) provided at the rear end of the vehicle body. This cross member is arranged below the door opening 1 along the left-right direction. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the back door 2 is open, that is, a state in which both the upper part 2U and the lower part 2L are open. A known backdoor can be used as the backdoor 2.

<Vehicle structure>
As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle structure of this embodiment includes a support member 10, a slope 20, a rotation mechanism 30, an elastic body 40, and a connection member 50. In the vehicle structure of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the elastic body 40 is attached to the slope 20 via the connecting member 50. One of the features of the vehicle structure of this embodiment is that the connecting member 50 has a first bracket 51 and a second bracket 52 having a specific structure. The configuration of the vehicle structure will be explained in detail below.

(Support member)
The support member 10 is a member provided in the door opening 1. The support member 10 is a member constituting the vehicle body, and is a structural member having a rigidity capable of rotatably supporting the slope 20. In this embodiment, the support member 10 is the lower portion 2L of the back door 2 shown in FIG. 2 to 4 show a state in which the lower portion 2L is closed.

(slope)
The slope 20 is rotatably attached to the lower portion 2L, which is the support member 10. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the slope 20 and the lower portion 2L are connected via a rotation mechanism 30. A known slope 20 can be used. FIG. 1 shows the slope 20 in use. 2 to 4 show the state of the slope 20 when it is stored. The state of the slope 20 during use and storage will be described later.

The slope 20 is rotatable by a rotation mechanism 30 between a first state in which it is upright and a second state in which it is tilted toward the front of the vehicle. In both the first state and the second state, the slope 20 is stored in the vehicle compartment. 2 to 4 show the slope 20 in the second state. When the slope 20 is in the second state, the slope 20 is arranged so as to overlap the rear floor panel 3, as shown in FIG. In the second state, the surface of the slope 20 faces the upper surface of the rear floor panel 3. Therefore, in the second state, as shown in FIG. 4, the slope 20 is arranged with the back surface facing upward of the vehicle. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the back side of the slope 20 is visible. When the slope 20 is in the first state, the slope 20 is arranged to stand up against the rear floor panel 3. In the first state, the slope 20 is arranged so that the back surface of the slope 20 faces toward the rear of the vehicle so as to face the lower portion 2L of the back door 2.

The slope 20 has a distal end and a proximal end in its longitudinal direction. The tip of the slope 20 is the end farthest from the lower portion 2L. The base end of the slope 20 is the end closer to the lower portion 2L. A rotation mechanism 30 is connected to the back surface of the slope 20 on the base end side. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, when the slope 20 is in the second state, the tip of the slope 20 faces toward the front of the vehicle. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower left side of the paper surface is the tip end side of the slope 20. In FIG. 4, the left side of the paper is the tip end side of the slope 20. When the slope 20 is in the first state, the tip of the slope 20 faces upward of the vehicle.

(Rotating mechanism)
The rotation mechanism 30 rotatably supports the slope 20 with respect to the lower portion 2L, which is the support member 10. The rotation mechanism 30 of this embodiment can rotate the slope 20 between the first state and the second state described above. In this embodiment, a pair of rotation mechanisms 30 are provided on the left and right sides. A known rotation mechanism 30 can be used. In this embodiment, the rotation mechanism 30 is a hinge.

(elastic body)
The elastic body 40 biases the slope 20 in the direction from the second state to the first state. That is, when the slope 20 is in the second state, the elastic body 40 biases the tip of the slope 20 in a direction away from the rear floor panel 3. A spring can be used as the elastic body 40. Examples of the spring include torsion springs.

The elastic body 40 is fixed to the lower portion 2L, which is the support member 10. The elastic body 40 has a fixed part 41 fixed to the lower part 2L and a movable part 42 that biases the slope 20. The movable portion 42 generates a biasing force in a direction in which the slope 20 changes from the second state to the first state.

The elastic body 40 of this embodiment is a double torsion spring. As shown in FIG. 3, the double torsion spring has two torsion coil parts 410 and a connecting part 420 that connects the two torsion coil parts 410. This double torsion spring consists of one spring wire. The two twisted coil sections 410 are arranged in series. The two twisted coil parts 410 are formed by spirally winding a spring wire. The connecting portion 420 is located in the middle of the double torsion spring. The connecting portion 420 is formed by bending a spring wire into a U-shape so as to protrude in the tangential direction of the torsion coil portion 410 . The connecting portion 420 is rotatable about the central axis of the torsion coil portion 410 as a fulcrum. When the connecting portion 420 rotates, the torsion coil portion 410 twists, thereby generating an urging force in a direction opposite to the direction in which the connecting portion 420 rotates. At both ends of the double torsion spring, ends of spring wire protrude from the ends of each torsion coil section 410. Specifically, the end of the spring wire protrudes in the tangential direction of each torsion coil portion 410, and is further bent so as to be parallel to the axial direction of each torsion coil portion 410. Each of these protruding parts functions as a fixing part 41. The double torsion spring connecting portion 420 functions as the movable portion 42 .

In this embodiment, a double torsion spring as the elastic body 40 is located at the lower part of the lower part 2L and at the center in the left-right direction. The double torsion spring is arranged such that the torsion coil portions 410 are aligned in the left-right direction. A pair of fixtures 14 are provided in the lower portion 2L so as to sandwich the double torsion spring from the left and right sides. The attachment 14 is provided on the inside of the lower portion 2L. The fixture 14 of this embodiment is an L-shaped metal piece. The fixing portion 41 is fixed to each fixture 14 . That is, the ends of each torsion coil portion 410 are fixed to each fixture 14, respectively. A shaft 430 around which a torsion coil portion 410 is wound is supported between the fixtures 14 . The movable part 42 is attached to the slope 20 via a connecting member 50.

(Connection member)
The connecting member 50 is a member that connects the slope 20 and the elastic body 40. The connecting member 50 has a first bracket 51 and a second bracket 52, as shown in FIG. A method for attaching the elastic body 40 to the slope 20 using the connecting member 50 will be described later.

<First bracket>
The first bracket 51 is a plate-shaped member fixed to the slope 20, as shown in FIG. The first bracket 51 of this embodiment has a substantially U-shape when viewed from above. The first bracket 51 has a first groove 511, as shown in FIG. The first groove 511 opens toward the distal end side of the slope 20 shown in FIG. The first bracket 51 is fixed to the back surface of the slope 20. The first bracket 51 includes a horizontal side portion 512 extending in the left-right direction, and a pair of vertical piece portions 513 extending in the longitudinal direction from both ends of the horizontal side portion 512 toward the distal end side of the slope 20. The horizontal side portion 512 and the vertical piece portion 513 are integrally formed. The horizontal side portion 512 is provided with an attachment portion 514 that extends toward the base end of the slope 20. An attachment portion 515 is provided at each end of the left and right vertical piece portions 513 located on the tip side of the slope 20 . The attachment portion 515 provided at the end of the left vertical piece portion 513 is provided so as to protrude to the left side. The attachment portion 515 provided at the end of the right vertical piece portion 513 is provided so as to protrude to the right side. Of the first bracket 51 , a mounting portion 514 , a mounting portion 515 , and an intermediate portion between the left and right vertical pieces 513 are joined to the slope 20 . As a joining method, for example, rivets, bolts, welding, adhesives, etc. can be used.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the first bracket 51 is provided with three first grooves 511. The first groove 511 is provided in the horizontal side portion 512 and at each end of the left and right vertical piece portions 513 located on the tip side of the slope 20. Hereinafter, the first groove 511 provided in the horizontal side portion 512 will be referred to as a first groove 511a. The first groove 511 provided at the ends of the left and right vertical pieces 513 is referred to as a first groove 511b. The horizontal side portion 512 is shaped so that a gap is provided between it and the slope 20. This gap functions as the first groove 511a. The ends of the left and right vertical pieces 513 are shaped so as to provide a gap with the slope 20. This gap functions as the first groove 511b. The attachment portion 514, the attachment portion 515, and the remaining portions of the left and right vertical pieces 513 excluding the ends are provided so as to be in contact with the slope 20.

<Second bracket>
The second bracket 52 is a plate-like member that holds the movable part 42 of the elastic body 40, as shown in FIG. The second bracket 52 of this embodiment has a substantially T-shape when viewed from above. The second bracket 52 has a main body 520 and an end 521 extending from the main body 520, as shown in FIG. The movable part 42 shown in FIG. 3 is attached to the main body part 520. As shown in FIG. 4, the main body portion 520 is provided to extend in the longitudinal direction from the distal end side to the proximal end side of the slope 20. The second bracket 52 has a substantially hat shape when viewed from the side. The main body part 520 is attached to cover the movable part 42. That is, the movable part 42 is sandwiched between the main body part 520 and the slope 20. The movable part 42 is not fixed to the main body part 520. The movable part 42 is attached so as to be movable within a predetermined range surrounded by the main body part 520 and the slope 20. The predetermined range is a range in which the movable portion 42 moves in the longitudinal direction of the slope 20 as the slope 20 rotates.

The end portion 521 is inserted into the first groove 511 of the first bracket 51 shown in FIG. By inserting the end portion 521 into the first groove 511, the second bracket 52 is positioned so as not to be separated from the first bracket 51 by the urging force of the movable portion 42. As shown in FIG. 6, the end portions 521 are provided at both ends of the main body portion 520, respectively. Hereinafter, of the two ends 521, the end 521 located on the base end side of the slope 20 will be referred to as an end 521a. The end 521 located on the tip side of the slope 20 is called an end 521b. The end portion 521a extends toward the base end side of the slope 20. The end portion 521a is inserted into the first groove 511a shown in FIG. The end portion 521b extends in the left-right direction. Both left and right ends of the end portion 521b are inserted into the first groove 511b shown in FIG. 5, respectively. The end portion 521a and the end portion 521b are provided so as to be in contact with the slope 20.

The second bracket 52 is fixed to the slope 20 with the end portion 521 inserted into the first groove 511. In this embodiment, the end portion 521a and the intermediate portion of the end portion 521b of the second bracket 52 are joined to the slope 20 by bolts.

The urging force of the movable portion 42 acts on the main body portion 520 . The biasing force of the movable portion 42 acts on the slope 20 via the second bracket 52. When the slope 20 is in the second state where it is tilted forward, the slope 20 is urged by the movable part 42 in the direction where the slope 20 is in the first state where it is upright. Therefore, when the slope 20 is rotated from the second state to the first state, it can be assisted by the urging force of the movable portion 42.

A method of attaching the elastic body 40 to the slope 20 using the connecting member 50 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. In the following description, reference will be made to FIGS. 3 to 6 as appropriate. Before attaching the elastic body 40 to the slope 20, the first bracket 51 is fixed to the slope 20. Furthermore, a fixing portion 41 (see FIG. 3) of the elastic body 40 is fixed to a fixture 14 provided on the lower portion 2L. The movable portion 42 of the elastic body 40 before being attached to the slope 20 is positioned so as to protrude in the direction in which the slope 20 is in the first state, as shown in FIG. When attaching the elastic body 40 to the slope 20, the slope 20 is rotated to bring the first bracket 51 closer to the movable part 42. In this state, the main body part 520 of the second bracket 52 is attached to the movable part 42, and the end part 521 (see FIG. 6) is inserted into the first groove 511 (see FIG. 5) of the first bracket 51. Thereby, the second bracket 52 is positioned so as not to separate from the first bracket 51 while the second bracket 52 holds the movable part 42 .

After the second bracket 52 is positioned on the first bracket 51, the second bracket 52 is moved to a predetermined position of the first bracket 51 by rotating the slope 20 in the direction of the second state (see FIG. 4). go deep into it. Thereafter, the elastic body 40 is attached to the slope 20 by joining the second bracket 52 to the slope 20 with bolts.

When the slope 20 is in the second state, the movable part 42 rotates following the slope 20, so that the movable part 42 generates an urging force in the direction in which the slope 20 is in the first state. That is, the biasing force of the movable portion 42 acts on the main body portion 520 of the second bracket 52 in a direction away from the slope 20. In this embodiment, the end portion 521 of the second bracket 52 is inserted into the first groove 511 of the first bracket 51, so that the second bracket 52 is not separated from the first bracket 51 due to the urging force of the movable part 42. is positioned. Therefore, even if a force is applied in the direction of moving the second bracket 52 away from the first bracket 51 due to the biasing force of the movable portion 42, the second bracket 52 is maintained in a position relative to the first bracket 51. Since the second bracket 52 can be fixed to the slope 20 with the second bracket 52 positioned, the elastic body 40 can be easily attached to the slope 20.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle structure of this embodiment includes a lock device 60 and a handle 70 as other components.

(Lock device)
The lock device 60 is a device that holds the slope 20 in the first state. In this embodiment, the locking device 60 includes a striker 61 and a locking portion 62 capable of locking the striker 61, as shown in FIG. The striker 61 is provided on the back surface of the slope 20. The lock portion 62 is provided on the inside of the lower portion 2L. The striker 61 is inserted into the lock portion 62 when the slope 20 is in the first state. When the striker 61 is inserted into the lock portion 62, the lock portion 62 locks the striker 61. Thereby, the locking device 60 holds the slope 20 in the first state. The lock portion 62 can be switched between a locked state in which the striker 61 is locked and a released state in which the striker 61 is unlocked. When rotating the slope 20 from the first state to the second state, the slope 20 can be rotated by unlocking the striker 61.

The handle 70 is used when rotating the slope 20. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a belt-shaped handle 70 is provided on the back surface of the slope 20. The handle 70 is fixed to the slope 20 only at both ends thereof. When rotating the slope 20 from the second state to the first state, the slope 20 can be easily rotated by pulling the middle portion of the handle 70.

<When storing the slope>
The state of the slope 20 when it is stored in the vehicle structure of this embodiment will be described. The slope 20 can be stored in the vehicle compartment in a first state in which it is upright and in a second state in which it is tilted forward. When the slope 20 is in the second state as shown in FIG. 2, it is possible to load cargo onto the slope 20. The top of the slope 20 can be used as a luggage compartment space. In this embodiment, since the elastic body 40 is arranged behind the striker 61, it is easy to secure a cargo space. Furthermore, when the slope 20 is in the second state, the slope 20 is arranged so as not to block the door opening 1 shown in FIG.

When the slope 20 is in the first state, the slope 20 is erected along the lower portion 2L of the back door 2 so as to face the lower portion 2L. In this embodiment, the slope 20 is held in the first state by providing the locking device 60. When the slope 20 is rotated to the first state, the striker 61 is inserted into the lock portion 62, and the striker 61 is locked by the lock portion 62. When the slope 20 is in the first state, it is possible to load luggage or a wheelchair with a person on it on the rear floor panel 3.

<When using slope>
When using the slope 20, as shown in FIG. 1, the upper part 2U of the back door 2 is opened. The slope 20 is rotated to the first state, and the slope 20 is held in the first state by the locking device 60. In this state, lower part 2L is tilted backward and opened. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the slope 20 rotates rearward together with the lower portion 2L, and the slope 20 is expanded from the door opening 1 to the outside of the vehicle. The slope 20 of this embodiment is a retractable slope. The slope 20 has a slide portion 21 that is slidable along the longitudinal direction of the slope 20. The slope 20 can be expanded and contracted by sliding the slide portion 21. By pulling out the slide portion 21, the slope 20 is spanned between the door opening 1 and the ground. A person can get on and off from a door opening 1 through a slope 20 while riding in a wheelchair.

《Effect》
The vehicle structure of this embodiment has the following effects.

The workability of attaching the elastic body 40 to the slope 20 is excellent. Before fixing the second bracket 52 that holds the movable part 42 of the elastic body 40 to the slope 20, the end 521 of the second bracket 52 is inserted into the first groove 511 of the first bracket 51. Thereby, while the second bracket 52 holds the movable part 42, the second bracket 52 is positioned so as not to separate from the first bracket 51 due to the biasing force of the movable part 42. Since the second bracket 52 is held in a positioned position on the first bracket 51, it is easy to join the second bracket 52 to the slope 20. Therefore, the elastic body 40 can be easily attached to the slope 20. Further, by rotating the slope 20 to the second state with the second bracket 52 positioned on the first bracket 51, the second bracket 52 enters into the first bracket 51 to a predetermined position. When joining the second bracket 52 to the slope 20, the positioning of the second bracket 52 with respect to the slope 20 is easy, so work efficiency is very good.

Further, the slope 20 can be easily rotated in the direction from the second state to the first state. The movable portion 42 of the elastic body 40 biases the slope 20 in the direction from the second state to the first state. Therefore, when the slope 20 is rotated from the second state to the first state, it can be assisted by the urging force of the movable portion 42.

The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is indicated by the scope of the claims, and is intended to include all changes within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

In the embodiment described above, a case has been described in which the elastic body 40 is fixed to the lower portion 2L of the back door 2, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The support member 10 to which the elastic body 40 is fixed may be, for example, the rear floor panel 3.

100 Vehicle 1 Door opening 2 Back door 2U upper part, 2L lower part 3 Rear floor panel 10 Support member 14 Mounting tool 20 Slope 21 Slide part 30 Rotating mechanism 40 Elastic body 41 Fixed part, 42 Movable part 410 Torsion coil part, 420 Connecting portion 430 Axis 50 Connecting member 51 First bracket 511, 511a, 511b First groove 512 Horizontal side portion, 513 Vertical side portion 514, 515 Mounting portion 52 Second bracket 520 Main body portion 521, 521a, 521b End portion 60 Locking device 61 Striker, 62 Lock part 70 Handle

Claims (1)

A support member provided at a door opening at the rear of the vehicle body;
a slope rotatably attached to the support member;
a rotation mechanism that rotates the slope relative to the support member between a first state in which the slope stands up and a second state in which the slope falls forward of the vehicle;
an elastic body that biases the slope in a direction from the second state to the first state;
a connecting member connecting the slope and the elastic body,
The elastic body has a fixed part fixed to the support member and a movable part that biases the slope,
The connecting member includes a first bracket fixed to the slope and a second bracket holding the movable part,
The first bracket has a first groove that opens toward the tip side of the slope,
The second bracket has a main body to which the movable part is attached, and an end extending from the main body,
By inserting the end portion into the first groove, the second bracket is positioned so as not to separate from the first bracket due to the urging force of the movable portion.
Vehicle structure.

Images