JP7798014B2 - Vehicle step device - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a step device installed in a vehicle door opening.

Patent Document 1 discloses a sliding step device in which a step plate (tread) is deployed and retracted in conjunction with the opening and closing of a sliding door on the side of a vehicle. With this step device, the step plate is deployed to the side when the sliding door is opened, making it easier for passengers to get in and out.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-238933

The objective of this invention is to enhance the usefulness of step devices while ensuring user convenience.

The above problems are solved by the following inventions. The first invention is a step device installed in a vehicle door opening, comprising a first step plate extending from the door opening, a step main body covering the top of the first step plate, a second step plate with an L-shaped cross section and an integral upright portion extending upward from the edge of the step main body, and a connecting member connecting the second step plate to the door opening. The connecting member has a base portion connected to the door opening and a support portion facing the base portion and connected to the upright portion of the second step plate. The base portion and the support portion are connected in a U-shape between their upper or lower portions, and are spring-biased in a direction toward each other.

According to the first aspect of the invention, the second step plate has an integral shape, with the step body and upright portion connected in an L-shape. The second step plate is connected to the door opening by a connecting member with a biasing force. This simplifies the structure of the second step plate and reduces the number of parts, thereby enhancing the usefulness of the step device.

In the second invention, in the first invention, the support portion has a first engagement portion that restricts downward displacement relative to the second step plate, and a second engagement portion that restricts upward displacement. The base portion has a third engagement portion that restricts displacement of the second step plate in a direction away from the door opening. According to the second invention, the support rigidity of the second step plate relative to the door opening is ensured with a simple configuration.

The third invention is the same as the first or second invention, except that the connecting member is made of stainless steel or spring steel. According to the third invention, the connecting member itself has a spring biasing force, so the step body is biased toward the first step plate without the need for a separate spring, suppressing fluttering. This simplifies the structure of the second step plate.

The fourth invention is the first or second invention, wherein the base portion is screwed to the door opening. According to the fourth invention, the support rigidity of the resin second step plate relative to the door opening can be ensured without using a configuration such as insert molding of a reinforcing member.

The fifth invention is the fourth invention, in which the upright portion of the second step plate and the support portion of the connecting member are provided with work holes for screwing the base portion of the connecting member to the door opening. This facilitates the installation of the second step plate to the door opening.

The sixth aspect of the present invention is the first or second aspect of the present invention, in which the connecting members are interposed at multiple locations along the length of the second step plate. According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the support rigidity of the second step plate relative to the door opening is increased across the entire length of the second step plate.

FIG. FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the step device, showing a state in which the sliding door is opened and the step plate is removed. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the step device, showing a state in which the sliding door is closed and the step plate is stored. FIG. 6 is a view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. 5, and is a right side view of the second step plate. 10 is a perspective view of the second step plate, which shows the state in which the connecting member is removed, as viewed from inside the vehicle compartment. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of part VIII in FIG. 7. 10 is a perspective view of the connecting member, as viewed from inside the vehicle compartment. 10 is a perspective view of a connecting member, as viewed from outside the vehicle compartment. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XI-XI in FIG. 5, and is a vertical cross-sectional view of the state in which the second step plate is attached to the rocker panel by the connecting member.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 11. Figure 1 shows the left side of a so-called minivan-type vehicle 1. A sliding door 2 is installed on, for example, the left side of the vehicle 1. When the sliding door 2 is slid rearward, the door opening 3 is opened. Figure 1 shows a state in which the sliding door 2 is slid rearward and the door opening 3 is opened. When the sliding door 2 is slid forward, the door opening 3 is closed. In addition to the left side, the sliding door 2 may also be installed on the right side of the vehicle 1.

Passengers enter and exit the vehicle through door opening 3. Rear seats 6 are installed on floor 4. Although not visible in the diagram, front seats (driver's seat and passenger seat) are installed in front of rear seats 6. A rotating hinged front door 7 is installed in front of sliding door 2. When front door 7 is opened, passengers sit in the front seats. The front-to-back, left-to-right, up-and-down directions of each component are based on the driver sitting in the driver's seat.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a floor step section 5 for boarding and disembarking is provided at the bottom of the door opening 3, one step lower than the floor 4. A movable step device 10 is installed along the bottom of the floor step section 5. The floor step section 5 and step device 10 provide convenience for passengers getting in and out of the vehicle.

As shown in Figure 5, the step device 10 comprises a first step plate 11 and a second step plate 12. The first step plate 11 has a generally rectangular flat plate shape that is long in the front-to-rear direction. The first step plate 11 is supported below the floor step portion 5 (rocker panel 9) by a parallel link mechanism 20. The first step plate 11 is supported by the parallel link mechanism 20 so that it can slide in the planar direction. The first step plate 11 is slid to the left (outside the vehicle cabin) to be extended to the usage position. The first step plate 11 is slid to the right (inside the vehicle cabin) to be stored.

The parallel link mechanism 20 has a front link arm 21 and a rear link arm 22. The base end of the front link arm 21 is rotatably supported on the rocker panel 9 via a support shaft 21a. The tip end of the front link arm 21 is rotatably supported on the front underside of the first step plate 11 via a support shaft 21b. The base end of the rear link arm 22 is rotatably supported on the rocker panel 9 via a support shaft 22a. The tip end of the rear link arm 22 is rotatably supported on the rear underside of the first step plate 11 via a support shaft 22b.

The first step plate 11 is connected to the sliding door 2 via the linkage arm 8. This allows the first step plate 11 to be extended and retracted in conjunction with the opening and closing of the sliding door 2. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, when the sliding door 2 is slid rearward to open the door opening 3, the first step plate 11 is extended to its use position. As shown in Figure 4, when the sliding door 2 is slid forward to close the door opening 3, the first step plate 11 is slid into the passenger compartment and retracted below the rocker panel 9.

A second step plate 12 is provided to cover the upper surface of the first step plate 11. By extending the first step plate 11 from below the second step plate 12 to a usable position outside the vehicle cabin, passengers can place their feet across both the first step plate 11 and the second step plate 12. This ensures that the step device 10 provides a large step width across the vehicle, providing great convenience for passengers getting in and out.

The second step plate 12 has an integrally molded structure in which a step main body 12a that protrudes outward from the vehicle cabin and a rising portion 12b that protrudes upward from the inside edge of the step main body 12a are joined in an L-shape. The step main body 12a protrudes along the upper surface of the first step plate 11. The second step plate 12 is molded as an integral unit using, for example, synthetic resin.

The second step plate 12 is connected along the outer side of the vehicle cabin of the rocker panel 9 by metal connecting members 13. In this embodiment, the second step plate 12 is attached by four connecting members 13. All four connecting members 13 have the same configuration.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the connecting member 13 is made by bending stainless steel or spring steel into a U-shape. The connecting member 13 has been treated to prevent rust. The connecting member 13 has a base portion 13a and a support portion 13b that face each other. The base portion 13a and the support portion 13b are rectangular flat plates of approximately the same size. The top of the base portion 13a and the top of the support portion 13b are connected in an inverted U-shape via a connecting portion 13c. The connecting portion 13c has a spring force (leaf spring hinge structure) that moves the base portion 13a and the support portion 13b toward each other.

The base portion 13a on the interior side of the vehicle is connected to the rocker panel 9. The support portion 13b is connected to the upright portion 12b of the second step plate 12. A circular hole 13d is provided in the center of the base portion 13a. An L-shaped third engagement portion 13e is provided at the bottom of the base portion 13a. The third engagement portion 13e extends toward the support portion 13b (outside the vehicle cabin). An engagement claw 13f is provided at the tip of the third engagement portion 13e. The engagement claw 13f extends forward and rearward from the tip of the third engagement portion 13e.

A single circular hole 13g is provided in the center of the support portion 13b. The circular hole 13g is provided coaxially with the circular hole 13d in the base portion 13a. The circular hole 13g in the support portion 13b has a larger diameter than the circular hole 13d in the base portion 13a. The circular hole 13g in the support portion 13b has a diameter that allows the head 14a of the fixing screw 14 used to fix the connecting member 13 to pass through. The circular hole 13d in the base portion 13a has a smaller diameter than the head 14a of the fixing screw 14.

A rectangular engagement recess 13j is provided in the shape of a notch at the bottom of the circular hole 13g. Front and rear engagement portions 13h are provided at the top of the support portion 13b. The front and rear engagement portions 13h are provided so as to protrude forward and rearward from the front and rear ends of the connecting portion 13c. Beveled engagement claws 13i are provided at the bottom of the support portion 13b, in front and rear of the engagement portions 13h.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, four connecting members 13 are connected at approximately equal intervals to the back surface (cabin interior side) of the standing portion 12b of the second step plate 12. Four mounting seats 12c are provided on the standing portion 12b for connecting the connecting members 13. The rearmost mounting seat 12c will be described below. The other three mounting seats 12c have a similar configuration.

As shown in Figure 8, one circular hole 12d is provided in the mounting seat 12c. A fixing screw 14 is tightened into the rocker panel 9 through the circular hole 12d and the circular hole 13g of the connecting member. The circular hole 12d has a slightly smaller diameter than the circular hole 13g of the connecting member 13. This hides the connecting member 13 from the outside, improving the appearance of the second step plate 12.

Second engagement portions 12e are provided at the front and rear of the upper side of the circular hole 12d. The front and rear engagement portions 13h of the connecting member 13 are inserted from below into the front and rear second engagement portions 12e, respectively, to engage with them. A single first hook portion 12f is provided directly below the circular hole 12d. The first hook portion 12f protrudes to the right and is bent downward in an L-shape. The first hook portion 12f hooks into the engagement recess 13j of the connecting member 13. First engagement portions 12g are provided in front and behind the first hook portion 12f. The engagement claws 13i of the connecting member 13 engage with the first engagement portion 12g from above.

Second hook portions 12h are provided below the front and rear first engagement portions 12g, each protruding to the right. The front and rear engagement claws 13f of the connecting member 13 are hooked onto the second hook portions 12h from below. This engages the lower side of the base portion 13a via the third engagement portion 13e, restricting displacement of the second step plate 12 toward the outside of the vehicle cabin (away from the rocker panel 9).

The connecting member 13 is attached to the mounting seat 12c by inserting the engaging portion 13h of the support portion 13b into the second engaging portion 12e from below, and inserting the first hook portion 12f into the engaging recess 13j, so that the support portion 13b abuts against the upright portion 12b. This causes the front and rear engaging claws 13i to engage with the first engaging portion 12g from above, and the third engaging portion 13e to hook onto the second hook portion 12h.

As shown in Figure 11, with four connecting members 13 attached to the interior side (right side) of the upright portion 12b, the second step plate 12 is screwed to the rocker panel 9. One fixing screw 14 is used for each connecting member 13. The fixing screws 14 are inserted through the circular holes 12d in the second step plate 12 and the circular holes 13g in the connecting members 13. The fixing screws 14 pass through the circular holes 13d in the connecting members 13 and are tightened into the fixing nuts 9a on the rocker panel 9. The fixing nuts 9a are previously welded to the inner surface of the rocker panel 9. The fixing screws 14 are tightened by engaging the heads 14a of the fixing screws 14 with a driver bit (screw tightening tool) through the circular holes 12d in the second step plate 12 and the circular holes 13g in the connecting members 13. Tightening the four fixing screws 14 connects the second step plate 12 to the rocker panel 9. The circular hole 12d in the second step plate 12 and the circular hole 13g in the connecting member 13 function as work holes for screw tightening work.

When the second step plate 12 is attached, the base portion 13a of the connecting member 13 abuts against the left side of the rocker panel 9, and the support portion 13b abuts against the right side of the upright portion 12b of the second step plate 12. The support portion 13b of the connecting member 13 is spring-biased in a direction approaching the base portion 13a by the biasing force of the connecting portion 13c. As a result, the step main body portion 12a of the second step plate 12 is pressed against the upper surface of the first step plate 11 by the spring-biasing force of the connecting portion 13c. The spring-biasing force of the connecting portion 13c acts as a downward pressing force P that presses the step main body portion 12a against the upper surface of the first step plate 11. This prevents the step main body portion 12a from flapping.

In the embodiment configured as described above, the second step plate 12 covering the top of the first step plate 11 has an integral shape, with the step body portion 12a and the upright portion 12b connected in an L-shape. The second step plate 12 is connected to the lower part of the door opening 3 (rocker panel 9) by a metal connecting member 13. This simplifies the configuration of the second step plate 12, reducing the number of parts and costs. This enhances the usefulness of the step device 10.

In this embodiment, the support portion 13b of the connecting member 13 has a first engagement portion 12g that restricts downward displacement relative to the upright portion 12b of the second step plate 12, and a second engagement portion 12e that restricts upward displacement. The base portion 13a of the connecting member 13 has a third engagement portion 13e that restricts displacement of the second step plate 12 in a direction away from the rocker panel 9 (to the left). This ensures sufficient support rigidity for the second step plate 12 relative to the rocker panel 9 with a simple configuration.

In this embodiment, the connecting member 13 is made of stainless steel or spring steel. Therefore, the connecting member 13 itself has a spring biasing force, which biases the step body 12a toward the first step plate 11 without the need for a separate spring, thereby suppressing fluttering. This simplifies the structure of the second step plate 12.

In this embodiment, the base portion 13a of the connecting member 13 is screwed to the side of the rocker panel 9. This ensures the support rigidity of the synthetic resin second step plate 12 against the rocker panel 9 without the need for a separate reinforcing member, such as insert molding.

In this embodiment, the upright portion 12b of the second step plate 12 and the support portion 13b of the connecting member 13 are provided with work holes (circular holes 12d and 13g) for screwing the base portion 13a of the connecting member 13 to the rocker panel 9. This facilitates the installation of the second step plate 12 to the rocker panel 9.

In this embodiment, the connecting members 13 are positioned at four locations along the longitudinal direction (front-to-rear direction) of the second step plate 12. This increases the support rigidity of the second step plate 12 with respect to the rocker panel 9 (the lower part of the door opening 3) across the entire longitudinal area of the second step plate 12.

The above-described embodiment can be modified in various ways. For example, while the second step plate 12 is made of synthetic resin, it may be changed to a second step plate made of metal or other materials.

Although the example shows a configuration in which the step body 12a and upright portion 12b of the second step plate 12 are integrally formed by molding, they may also be integrated by screw connection or adhesive bonding.

In the illustrated example, the connecting member 13 has an inverted U-shape in which the base portion 13a and the support portion 13b are connected at their upper ends, but this may be changed to a connecting member having a U-shape in which the base portion 13a and the support portion 13b are connected at their lower ends. In the example, four locations are shown for the connecting member 13, but this can be changed as appropriate.

Although the example shows a step device 10 installed in the left door opening 3 of the vehicle 1, the second step plate and its mounting structure shown as an example can also be applied to a step device installed in the right door opening or rear opening.

1...vehicle 2...sliding door 3...door opening 4...floor 5...floor step portion 6...rear seat 7...front door 8...connecting arm 9...rocker panel 9a...fixing nut 10...step device 11...first step plate 12...second step plate 12a...step main body portion, 12b...standing portion, 12c...mounting seat 12d...circular hole, 12e...second engaging portion, 12f...first hook portion, 12g...first engaging portion 12h...second 2. Hook portion P...pressing force of second step plate 12 13...connecting member 13a...base portion, 13b...support portion, 13c...connecting portion, 13d...circular hole 13e...third engaging portion, 13f...engaging claw, 13g...circular hole 13h...engaging portion, 13i...engaging claw, 13j...engaging recess 14...fixing screw 14a...head 20...parallel link mechanism 21...front link arms 21a, 21b...support shaft 22...rear link arms 22a, 22b...support shaft

Claims (6)

A step device provided at a door opening of a vehicle,
a first step plate extending from the door opening;
a step body portion covering the upper part of the first step plate; and a second step plate having an L-shaped cross section and integrally having an upright portion extending upward from an edge of the step body portion;
a connecting member for connecting the second step plate to the door opening,
the connecting member has a base portion connected to the door opening and a support portion facing the base portion and connected to the upright portion of the second step plate,
The base portion and the support portion are connected to each other in a U-shape between their upper and lower portions, and are spring-biased in directions in which they approach each other,
The support portion has a first engagement portion that restricts downward displacement relative to the second step plate and a second engagement portion that restricts upward displacement, and the base portion has a third engagement portion that restricts displacement of the second step plate in a direction away from the door opening . A step device provided at a door opening of a vehicle,
a first step plate extending from the door opening;
a step body portion covering the upper part of the first step plate; and a second step plate having an L-shaped cross section and integrally having an upright portion extending upward from an edge of the step body portion;
a connecting member for connecting the second step plate to the door opening,
the connecting member has a base portion connected to the door opening and a support portion facing the base portion and connected to the upright portion of the second step plate,
The base portion and the support portion are connected to each other in a U-shape between their upper and lower portions, and are spring-biased in directions in which they approach each other,
A step device in which the second step plate is pressed downward against the upper surface of the first step plate by the spring force of the connecting member. 3. The step device according to claim 1 or 2,
The step device wherein the connecting member is made of stainless steel or spring steel. 3. The step device according to claim 1 or 2,
A step device in which the base portion is threadably connected to the door opening. 5. The step device according to claim 4,
A step device in which the upright portion of the second step plate and the support portion of the connecting member are provided with work holes for screwing the base portion of the connecting member to the door opening. 3. The step device according to claim 1 or 2,
The connecting members are interposed at a plurality of locations in the longitudinal direction of the second step plate.