JP2024087909A - Door Retaining Device for Vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

A door holding device for a vehicle is provided that can reduce the load applied to a fastening point with respect to the vehicle door.
[Solution] A door holding device 20a for a vehicle comprises a housing 21, a spindle screw 23 rotatably supported relative to the housing 21, a spindle nut 24 screwed into the spindle screw 23, a connecting rod 25 whose front end is rotatably connected to the vehicle body 11 and whose rear end is rotatably connected to the spindle nut 24, a front bracket 22 attached to the front end of the housing 21 and fixed to a portion forming the front end face of an inner panel 121 of the vehicle door 12, and a side bracket 29a located rearward of the front end and fixed to the side of the inner panel 121.
[Selected figure] Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a door retaining device for a vehicle.

Patent Document 1 discloses a door holding device (referred to as a door check device in Patent Document 1) that regulates the opening and closing of a vehicle door. Specifically, the door holding device described in Patent Document 1 includes a cylindrical tubular member to which a nut is attached, a threaded rod (male screw) that is coaxially housed inside the tubular member and screws into the nut, and a brake mechanism that regulates the rotation of the threaded rod.

The base member of the door holding device described in Patent Document 1 is attached to the panel of the vehicle door, and the tip of the tubular member is connected to the vehicle body. With this configuration, when the vehicle door is opened or closed, the relative distance between the vehicle body (specifically, the point on the vehicle body where the tip of the tubular member is connected) and the base member of the door holding device changes, so that the tubular member moves axially relative to the threaded rod, and the threaded rod rotates in conjunction with the movement of the tubular member. At this time, if the rotation of the threaded rod is restricted by the brake mechanism, the axial movement of the tubular member is restricted, and therefore the opening and closing of the vehicle door is restricted.

JP 2019-90258 A

(Problem to be solved by the invention)
Incidentally, the door holding device described in Patent Document 1 is attached to the vehicle door by a mounting member (referred to as a holding tool in Patent Document 1). Specifically, the front end of the mounting member is fixed to a panel member of the vehicle door, and the rear end of the mounting member is connected to a housing (case body and cover member) of the door holding device. According to this configuration, when the vehicle door is opened or closed, or when an external force is applied to the vehicle door, a force is applied to the cylindrical member and the threaded rod in the axial direction. Since this force is transmitted to the mounting member through the housing of the holding device, a moment is applied to the mounting member centered on the front end (the part fixed to the vehicle door). If this moment becomes large, the front end of the mounting member may be damaged. In particular, if the distance between the front end (the part fixed to the vehicle door) and the rear end (the part connected to the housing of the door holding device) of the mounting member becomes large, the moment applied to the mounting member also becomes large. As a result, the front end of the mounting member becomes more likely to be damaged.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above situation. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a door retaining device for a vehicle that can reduce the load (moment) applied to the connection point between the mounting member and the vehicle body.

(Means for solving the problem)
In order to achieve the above object, a door holding device for a vehicle according to the present invention comprises:
A door holding device for a vehicle, the door being rotatably connected to a vehicle body at one end in a front-rear direction and configured to be opened and closed by rotating relative to the vehicle body,
A housing and
a screw member rotatably supported relative to the housing;
A nut member that is screwed onto the screw member and configured to move in an axial direction of the screw member when the screw member rotates, and configured to rotate the screw member when it moves in the axial direction of the screw member;
a rod-shaped connecting member having one end in a longitudinal direction rotatably connected to the vehicle body and the other end in a longitudinal direction rotatably connected to the nut member;
A first mounting member is attached to one end of the housing in a front-rear direction and is attached to an end of the vehicle door in the front-rear direction;
a second mounting member that is attached to a position spaced from the one end of the housing in the front-rear direction toward the other end of the housing in the front-rear direction and that is attached to a location spaced from the end of the vehicle door in the front-rear direction;
Equipped with
The housing is attached by the first attachment member and the second attachment member such that movement of the housing in the left-right direction relative to the vehicle door is restricted by the first attachment member and the second attachment member.

According to the present invention, when a moment is applied to the housing through the connecting member centered on the first mounting member due to the opening and closing of the vehicle door, the second mounting member can receive the moment. This reduces the moment applied to the first mounting member, thereby preventing or suppressing damage to the connection between the first mounting member and the vehicle door.

The second mounting member includes a first member that is attached to the housing, and a second member that is attached to the first member and is attached to the vehicle door.
The following configuration can be applied.

With this configuration, by changing the configuration of the second member according to the configuration of the vehicle door (in other words, according to the vehicle model to which the door holding device is attached), it is not necessary to change the configuration of the first member even if the configuration of the vehicle door differs. Therefore, it is possible to standardize parts, which can reduce parts costs.

The first member includes a housing clamping portion that clamps the housing from both outer sides in the left and right direction.
The following configuration can be applied.

With this configuration, the housing clamping portion can prevent or suppress the first member from being displaced in the left-right direction relative to the housing. Therefore, it is possible to prevent or suppress the left-right displacement of the housing of the door holding device.

the second mounting member is attached to the housing such that movement in a front-rear direction relative to the housing is permitted but movement in a left-right direction relative to the housing is restricted;
The following configuration can be applied.

This configuration allows the door holding device to move in the front-rear direction relative to the vehicle door. This allows for misalignment in the front-rear direction between the door holding device and the vehicle door. This makes it easier to manage dimensional tolerances.

The housing is provided with a pair of grooves extending in a substantially vertical direction and facing each other while being spaced apart from each other in a front-rear direction,
When the front end portion and the rear end portion of the second mounting member are inserted into the pair of grooves, the second mounting member is supported by the housing and the left-right movement of the second mounting member with respect to the housing is restricted.
The following configuration can be applied.

With this configuration, the second mounting member is supported on the housing by inserting the second mounting member into the pair of grooves, which simplifies the assembly process of the second mounting member.

The housing is provided with a through hole extending substantially in a vertical direction,
When a portion of the second mounting member is inserted into the through hole, the second mounting member is supported by the housing and movement of the second mounting member in the left-right direction relative to the housing is restricted.
The following configuration can be applied.

With this configuration, the second mounting member is supported by the housing by being inserted into the through hole, which simplifies the assembly process of the second mounting member.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle equipped with a door holding device. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the door holding device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of the door holding device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of the door holding device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of a side bracket. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an assembly structure of the door holding device. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an assembly structure of the door holding device. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of a door holding device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration of a door holding device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a door holding device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of the door holding device according to the first embodiment.

Each embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the following description, the orientation of the door holding device and each component that constitutes the door holding device according to each embodiment is based on the vehicle door. In each drawing, the front of the vehicle door is indicated by arrow Fr, the rear of the vehicle door is indicated by arrow Rr, the upper side of the vehicle door is indicated by arrow Up, the lower side of the vehicle door is indicated by arrow Dw, the inside side of the vehicle door in the left-right direction (outside in the vehicle width direction) is indicated by arrow In, and the outside side of the vehicle door in the left-right direction (outside in the vehicle width direction) is indicated by arrow Out.

<Vehicles>
FIG. 1 is a top view of a vehicle 10 to which door holding devices 20a, 20b, and 20c according to each embodiment are applied. The vehicle 10 includes a vehicle door 12 (so-called swing door) that can be opened and closed by rotating (in other words, swinging like a pendulum) relative to the vehicle body 11. Specifically, the front end (one end in the front-rear direction) of the vehicle door 12 is rotatably connected to the vehicle body 11 via a hinge or the like about a straight line that is substantially parallel to the up-down direction, and is configured to be movable between a closed position and an open position by rotating relative to the vehicle body 11 about the front end. The closed position of the vehicle door 12 is a position that blocks an opening for getting on and off provided in the vehicle body 11, and the open position of the vehicle door 12 is a position that does not block the opening for getting on and off provided in the vehicle body 11. The vehicle door 12 shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1 is an example in which it is located in the open position. The open position of the vehicle door 12 is not a specific one position, but a position that has a certain range. In addition, among the open positions, the position farthest from the closed position may be referred to as a fully open position. Door holding devices 20a, 20b, and 20c are disposed inside the vehicle doors 12 near their front ends.

First Embodiment
Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the door holding device 20a according to the first embodiment, Fig. 3 is an external perspective view showing the configuration of the door holding device 20a according to the first embodiment, and Fig. 4 is a view of the door holding device 20a according to the first embodiment with a part of a housing 21, which will be described later, omitted. As shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, the door holding device 20a includes a housing 21, a front bracket 22, a spindle screw 23, a spindle nut 24, a connecting rod 25, an actuator 26, a brake mechanism 27, a rotation transmission mechanism 28, and a side bracket 29a.

The housing 21 of the door holding device 20a includes a first housing 30, a second housing 31, and a third housing 32. The first housing 30, the second housing 31, and the third housing 32 are all members formed from a resin material.

The first housing 30 is configured to accommodate a part of the rear end side of the spindle screw 23, a part of the rear end side of the connecting rod 25, and the brake mechanism 27. Furthermore, the first housing 30 is configured to be able to mount the second housing 31, the third housing 32, the actuator 26, the front bracket 22, and the side bracket 29a. Specifically, the first housing 30 is provided with a first housing portion 301 and a second housing portion 302. The first housing portion 301 is a through hole that penetrates the first housing 30 in the front-rear direction, and is configured to accommodate the spindle screw 23 and the rear end portion of the connecting rod 25 and their neighboring portions. The second housing portion 302 is a through hole that penetrates the first housing 30 in the front-rear direction, and is configured to accommodate the brake mechanism 27. The first housing portion 301 is provided in the upper part of the first housing 30, and the second housing portion 302 is provided in the lower part of the first housing 30, below the first housing portion 301.

The first housing 30 is configured so that the second housing 31 can be attached to the upper part of its front end, the actuator 26 can be attached to the lower part of its front end, and the third housing 32 can be attached to the rear end. Specifically, the front end of the first housing 30 is provided with a first mounting portion 303, which is a flat plate-shaped portion (which can also be called a flange-shaped portion) that extends in a direction approximately perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The first mounting portion 303 is provided with screw insertion holes 305 through which screws can be inserted to fix each of the second housing 31 and the actuator 26. These screw insertion holes 305 are through holes that penetrate the first mounting portion 303 in the front-rear direction.

The rear end of the first housing 30 is provided with a second mounting portion 304, which is a flat plate-like portion (which can also be called a flange-like portion) that extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the second mounting portion 304 has a substantially rectangular shape that is vertically long when viewed in the front-rear direction. The second mounting portion 304 is provided with a plurality of screw insertion holes 306 through which screws for fixing the third housing 32 can be inserted. In this embodiment, the plurality of screw insertion holes 306 provided in the second mounting portion 304 include two screw insertion holes 306 (corresponding to the two corners closer to the top side of the four corners of the rectangle) that are located near the upper end of the second mounting portion 304 and spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction.

The second housing 31 is configured to accommodate the front end portion of the spindle screw 23 and the front end portion of the connecting rod 25. Specifically, the second housing 31 is provided with a through hole that penetrates in the front-rear direction and can accommodate the spindle screw 23 and the connecting rod 25. The second housing 31 is fixed to the upper part of the front end portion of the first housing 30. Specifically, the rear end portion of the second housing 31 is provided with a plurality of screw insertion holes 311 through which screws for fixing the second housing 31 to the first housing 30 can be inserted. These plurality of screw insertion holes 311 are through holes that penetrate in the front-rear direction. The second housing 31 is fixed to the upper part of the front end portion of the first housing 30 with screws so as to be located on the front side of the first housing 30.

The front end of the second housing 31 is configured so that the front bracket 22 can be attached. Specifically, a front bracket attachment portion 312 is provided at the front end of the second housing 31. A mounting surface that is a flat surface that is approximately perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction is provided at the front end surface of the front bracket attachment portion 312. The front bracket 22 can be attached so as to cover (overlap) the mounting surface from the front side. In addition, the front bracket attachment portion 312 is provided with a plurality of screw insertion holes 315 through which screws for fixing the front bracket 22 can be inserted. These multiple screw insertion holes 315 are through holes that penetrate in the front-to-rear direction.

The third housing 32 is configured to be able to accommodate the rotation transmission mechanism 28 and is configured to be able to be attached to the rear end of the first housing 30. Specifically, the third housing 32 is provided with a bottomed recess (recess) that is able to accommodate the rotation transmission mechanism 28 and is open at the front side. The front end of the third housing 32 is provided with a main housing attachment portion 321, which is a plate-shaped portion (which can also be called a flange-shaped portion) that extends in a direction approximately perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The outer shape of the main housing attachment portion 321 as viewed in the front-rear direction is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, it is a vertically elongated rectangle that is approximately the same as the outer shape of the second attachment portion 304 of the first housing 30 as viewed in the front-rear direction. The main housing attachment portion 321 of the third housing 32 is provided with a plurality of screw insertion holes 322 through which screws for attaching the third housing 32 to the first housing 30 can be inserted. In this embodiment, the multiple screw insertion holes 322 provided in the main housing attachment part 321 include two screw insertion holes 322 spaced apart from each other in the left-right direction near the upper end of the main housing attachment part 321 (corresponding to the two corners closest to the top side of the four corners of the rectangle).

The front bracket 22 is an example of a first mounting member of the present invention. The front bracket 22 is a member for mounting (fixing) the housing 21 (second housing 31) to an inner panel 121 of the vehicle door 12. The inner panel 121 is a member that forms the front end surface and the side surface on the inside of the vehicle door 12, and is a member made of a metal plate. The front bracket 22 is a plate-like member made of metal. The front bracket 22 is attached to the front end portion of the housing 21 (front bracket mounting portion 312 of the second housing 31) with screws (
The door holding device 20a is fixed to the inner panel 121 of the vehicle door 12. A fixing screw 222 for attaching (fixing) the door holding device 20a to the inner panel 121 of the vehicle door 12 is attached to the front bracket 22 so as to protrude forward. The front bracket 22 is also provided with a connecting rod insertion hole 223 through which the connecting rod 25 can be inserted. The connecting rod insertion hole 223 is a through hole that penetrates in the front-rear direction (thickness direction of the front bracket 22).

The spindle screw 23 is an example of a screw member of the present invention. The spindle screw 23 is a male screw (a rod-shaped member with a thread formed on its outer circumferential surface). The axis of the spindle screw 23 is arranged in a direction that is approximately parallel to the front-rear direction, and is rotatably supported by the housing 21 (first housing 30 and second housing 31) via bearings 33.

The spindle nut 24 is an example of a nut member of the present invention. The spindle nut 24 is a cylindrical (or annular) member with a threaded hole that is a through hole. The spindle nut 24 screws onto the threads on the outer periphery of the spindle screw 23. The spindle nut 24 is configured to move in the axial direction on the spindle screw 23 as the spindle screw 23 rotates. Alternatively, the spindle nut 24 is configured to rotate the spindle screw 23 by moving in the axial direction on the spindle screw 23 without rotating.

The connecting rod 25 is an example of a connecting member of the present invention. The connecting rod 25 is a long rod-shaped member. However, the connecting rod 25 is not a straight rod-shaped configuration, but has a rod-shaped configuration that is bent or curved into a predetermined shape when viewed in the vertical direction. One end (front end) of the connecting rod 25 in the longitudinal direction is rotatably connected to the vehicle body 11 via the hinge 34, and the other end (rear end) is rotatably connected to the spindle nut 24. The rotation center line of the connecting rod 25 with respect to the vehicle body 11 and the rotation center line of the spindle nut 24 are approximately parallel to each other and are approximately parallel to the rotation center line of the vehicle door 12 with respect to the vehicle body 11. The connecting rod 25 is inserted into a connecting rod insertion hole 223 provided in the front bracket 22, and the front end of the connecting rod 25 protrudes forward from the connecting rod insertion hole 223. The front end of the connecting rod 25 is connected to the vehicle body 11 on the left-right inner side (inner side) of the center of rotation of the vehicle door 12 relative to the vehicle body 11.

The actuator 26 is a rotational power source for the spindle screw 23. In this embodiment, an electric motor capable of outputting rotational power in both forward and reverse directions is applied to the actuator 26. The actuator 26 is fixed to the lower part of the front end of the first housing 30 by a screw or the like. In this embodiment, the actuator 26 is disposed below the spindle screw 23 and the connecting rod 25. The axis of the rotation shaft of the actuator 26 and the axis of the spindle screw 23 are approximately parallel to each other.

The brake mechanism 27 is configured to be able to restrict (brake) the rotation of the spindle screw 23 and to hold the state in which the spindle screw 23 is stopped from rotating. A conventionally known electromagnetic brake having a rotating shaft is applied to the brake mechanism 27. The brake mechanism 27 is housed inside the first housing 30. The brake mechanism 27 is arranged coaxially with the rotating shaft of the actuator 26, and is connected (coupled) to the rotating shaft of the actuator 26 and the rotating shaft of the brake mechanism 27 so that they rotate together.

The rotation transmission mechanism 28 is configured to transmit rotation between the actuator 26 and the brake mechanism 27 and the spindle screw 23. Specifically, when the vehicle door 12 is opened or closed by the driving force of the actuator 26, the rotation transmission mechanism 28 transmits the rotational power output by the actuator 26 to the spindle screw 23, and when the vehicle door 12 is opened or closed by manual operation, the rotation transmission mechanism 28 transmits the rotation of the spindle screw 23 caused by the opening or closing of the vehicle door 12 to the brake mechanism 27. More specifically, the rotation transmission mechanism 28 includes a gear attached to the rear end of the spindle screw 23 so as to rotate integrally with the spindle screw 23, a gear attached to the rear end of the rotation shaft of the brake mechanism 27 so as to rotate integrally with the rotation shaft of the brake mechanism 27, and an intermediate gear disposed between these gears.

The rotation transmission mechanism 28 allows the spindle screw 23, the rotating shaft of the actuator 26, and the rotating shaft of the brake mechanism 27 to rotate integrally ("rotate integrally" can also be said to "rotate in conjunction with each other"). Note that "rotate integrally (rotate in conjunction with each other)" means that when one of the spindle screw 23, the rotating shaft of the actuator 26, and the rotating shaft of the brake mechanism 27 rotates, the other also rotates, and when the rotation of one is restricted, the rotation of the other is also restricted.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the side bracket 29a. The side bracket 29a is an example of the second mounting member of the present invention. The side bracket 29a is a member for mounting (fixing) the door holding device 20a to the inner panel 121 of the vehicle door 12. The side bracket 29a includes a first bracket 40 and a second bracket 50. The first bracket 40 and the second bracket 50 are both made of metal and are manufactured, for example, by pressing a metal plate.

The first bracket 40 is configured to be attachable (fixable) to the housing 21 (first housing 30 in this embodiment) of the door holding device 20a, and is also configured to be attachable (fixable) to the second bracket 50. The first bracket 40 includes a second bracket fixing portion 401, a pair of housing clamping portions 402, and a housing fixing portion 403. The second bracket fixing portion 401, the pair of housing clamping portions 402, and the housing fixing portion 403 are integrally formed.

The second bracket fixing portion 401 is a portion configured to be able to attach (fix) the second bracket 50. In this embodiment, the second bracket fixing portion 401 has a flat plate-like configuration extending in a direction approximately perpendicular to the vertical direction. A screw insertion hole 411 and a locking hole 412 are provided near both left and right sides of the second bracket fixing portion 401. The screw insertion hole 411 is a hole configured to be able to insert a screw for fixing the second bracket 50. The locking hole 412 is a hole configured to be able to insert (in other words, be able to lock) the locking portion 512 of the second bracket 50 described later from above. Note that the screw insertion hole 411 and the locking hole 412 are both through holes that penetrate in the vertical direction (thickness direction of the second bracket fixing portion 401). Note that the second bracket fixing portion 401 has an approximately bilaterally symmetrical shape so that the second bracket 50 can be fixed to either the right or left side. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the entire first bracket 40 has a substantially symmetrical shape.

The pair of housing clamping parts 402 are configured to be able to clamp the upper part of the housing 21 (first housing 30) from both the left and right sides. Each of the pair of housing clamping parts 402 has a plate-like configuration that extends downward from each of the left and right sides of the second bracket fixing part 401. Specifically, the pair of housing clamping parts 402 has a plate-like configuration that is bent at approximately a right angle from each of the left and right sides of the second bracket fixing part 401.

The housing fixing part 403 is a part for attaching (fixing) the first bracket 40 to the housing 21. The housing fixing part 403 has a plate-like configuration extending in a direction approximately perpendicular to the front-rear direction, and is provided so as to extend upward from the rear side of the second bracket fixing part 401. It can also be said that "the housing fixing part 403 has a flat plate-like configuration bent upward at approximately a right angle from the rear side of the second bracket fixing part 401". The housing fixing part 403 has a screw insertion hole 413 through which a screw for attaching the first bracket 40 to the housing 21 can be inserted. The screw insertion hole 413 is a through hole that penetrates in the front-rear direction (thickness direction of the housing fixing part 403). In this embodiment, a configuration is shown in which a total of two screw insertion holes 413 are provided, one at each of the left and right ends of the housing fixing part 403.

The second bracket 50 is configured to be attachable (fixable) to the first bracket 40, and is also configured to be attachable (fixable) to the inner panel 121 of the vehicle door 12. Specifically, the second bracket 50 has a first bracket fixing portion 501 and a panel fixing portion 502. The first bracket fixing portion 501 is a portion configured in a flat plate shape extending in a direction approximately perpendicular to the up-down direction. The panel fixing portion 502 is a portion configured in a flat plate shape extending downward from one side in the left-right direction (the side facing the vehicle) of the first bracket fixing portion 501, and is approximately perpendicular to the left-right direction. Therefore, the second bracket 50 has a shape that is approximately "inverted L-shaped" when viewed in the front-rear direction.

The first bracket fixing portion 501 is provided with a screw insertion hole 511 and a locking portion 512. The screw insertion hole 511 is a hole through which a screw can be inserted for attaching the second bracket 50 to the first bracket 40 (in other words, for connecting the first bracket 40 and the second bracket 50), and is a through hole that penetrates in the vertical direction (in the thickness direction of the first bracket fixing portion 501). The locking portion 512 is a portion configured to be insertable into the locking hole 412 of the first bracket 40, and specifically, is a portion having a protruding configuration that protrudes downward from the end of the first bracket 40 on the vehicle interior side.

The first bracket 40 and the second bracket 50 are joined to each other by a screw and a nut inserted through the screw insertion holes 411, 511, with the first bracket fixing portion 501 stacked on top of the second bracket fixing portion 401. The locking portion 512 of the second bracket 50 fits into the locking hole 412 of the first bracket 40, thereby restricting relative rotation between the second bracket 50 and the first bracket 40. Note that, although the second bracket 50 is arranged on the upper side in this embodiment, the second bracket 50 may be arranged on the lower side. In this case, the locking portion 512 has a protruding configuration that protrudes upward.

Here, the mounting structure of the side bracket 29a to the housing 21 will be described. The first bracket 40 is attached to the upper part of the first housing 30 from above the first housing 30 of the housing 21. At this time, a pair of housing clamping parts 402 clamp the first housing 30 from both the left and right sides, thereby restricting the left and right movement of the side bracket 29a relative to the housing 21. Then, the side bracket 29a is attached to the first housing 30 with screws. Specifically, the housing fixing part 403 of the side bracket 29a is arranged so as to overlap the front side of the second mounting part 304 of the first housing 30, and the third housing 32 is arranged on the rear side of the first housing 30. In this state, a screw is inserted from one side in the front-rear direction (the rear side in each figure) through the screw insertion hole 322 provided in the main housing attachment portion 321 of the third housing 32, the screw insertion hole 306 provided in the second attachment portion 304 of the first housing 30, and the screw insertion hole 413 provided in the housing fixing portion 403 of the side bracket 29a, and a nut is screwed onto the screw from the other side in the front-rear direction (the front side in each figure). That is, the first housing 30, the third housing 32, and the housing fixing portion 403 are fastened together by the screw. This fixes the side bracket 29a to the housing 21. The side bracket 29a is fixed to the housing 21 at a position rearward of the front bracket 22.

6 and 7 are diagrams showing the state in which the door holding device 20a is attached to the inner panel 121 of the vehicle door 12. Note that FIG. 6 is a top view, and FIG. 7 is a view seen from diagonally behind. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the inner panel 121 of the vehicle door 12 has an end surface portion 122 and a side surface portion 123. The end surface portion 122 is a portion that forms the front end surface (front end portion) of the vehicle door 12, and has a plate-like configuration extending in a direction approximately perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The side surface portion 123 is a portion that forms the surface on the inside of the vehicle door 12, and has a plate-like configuration extending in a direction approximately perpendicular to the left-right direction. Then, with the front surface of the front bracket 22 of the door holding device 20a in contact with the end surface portion 122 of the inner panel 121 of the vehicle door 12, the front bracket 22 is attached (fixed) to the inner panel 121 by the fixing screw 222. Specifically, the fixing screw 222 provided on the front bracket 22 is inserted into a screw insertion hole (a through hole penetrating in the front-rear direction) not shown provided on the end surface portion of the inner panel 121 from the rear side of the end surface portion 122 of the inner panel 121, and a nut is screwed onto the fixing screw 222 from the front side of the end surface portion 122 of the inner panel 121. This fixes the front bracket 22 (in other words, the front end portion of the housing 21 of the door holding device 20a) to the inner panel 121 (in other words, the vehicle door 12).

Furthermore, the second bracket 50 is attached (fixed) to the inner panel 121 by a screw while the panel fixing portion 502 of the second bracket 50 of the side bracket 29a is in contact with the outer surface of the inner panel 121 in the left-right direction (the surface on the vehicle exterior side, the surface on the inside side of the vehicle door 12). Specifically, while the panel fixing portion 502 of the second bracket 50 is abutted against the outer surface of the side portion 123 of the inner panel 121, a screw is inserted from the inside of the vehicle of the side portion of the inner panel 121 through a screw insertion hole (a through hole penetrating in the left-right direction) not shown in the figure provided in the inner panel 121 and a screw insertion hole 513 provided in the panel fixing portion 502, and a nut is screwed onto the screw from the outside of the inner panel 121. As a result, the side bracket 29a (in other words, a portion rearward of the front end of the housing 21 of the door holding device 20a) is fixed to the inner panel 121.

In this way, the housing 21 of the door holding device 20a is fixed at its front end to the inner panel 121 of the vehicle door 12 via the front bracket 22, and is fixed at a position rearward of the front end to the inner panel 121 of the vehicle door 12 via the side bracket 29a.

Here, an outline of the operation of the door holding device 20a will be described. The distance between the front end of the vehicle door 12 (end surface portion 122 of the inner panel 121) and the point on the vehicle body 11 where the connecting rod 25 is connected varies depending on the position of the vehicle door 12. Specifically, this distance is smallest when the vehicle door 12 is in the closed position, and is largest when the vehicle door 12 is in the fully open position. Therefore, when the vehicle door 12 is in the closed position, the protruding length of the connecting rod 25 from the connecting rod insertion hole 223 of the front bracket 22 is smallest. And, when the vehicle door 12 is in the closed position, the spindle nut 24 is located near the rear end of the spindle screw 23.

In this state, when the spindle screw 23 rotates in a predetermined direction by the rotational power of the actuator 26, the spindle nut 24 moves toward its front end side by the rotation of the spindle screw 23. Then, as the spindle nut 24 moves, the length of the protrusion of the connecting rod 25 from the connecting rod insertion hole 223 of the front bracket 22 increases, and the connecting rod 25 pushes the vehicle body 11. Therefore, the vehicle door 12 moves from the closed position toward the fully open position by the reaction force of the force of the connecting rod 25 pushing the vehicle body 11. Also, when a user or the like tries to move the vehicle door 12 from the closed position toward the fully open position by manual operation, a force is applied to the connecting rod 25 in a direction that pulls it out from the housing 21, so that a force is applied to the spindle nut 24 that moves it on the spindle screw 23 from the vicinity of the rear end toward the front end side. At this time, the rotation of the spindle screw 23 allows the movement of the spindle nut 24 (i.e., the movement of the vehicle door 12).

When the actuator 26 is activated with the vehicle door 12 in the open position and the spindle screw 23 rotates in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction, the spindle nut 24 moves toward the rear end side due to the rotation of the spindle screw 23. As the spindle nut 24 moves, the length of the connecting rod 25 protruding from the connecting rod insertion hole 223 of the front bracket 22 becomes shorter, so that the connecting rod 25 pulls the vehicle body 11. The vehicle door 12 moves from the open position toward the closed position due to the reaction force of the connecting rod 25 pulling the vehicle body 11. Also, when a user or the like manually moves the vehicle door 12 from the open position toward the closed position, a force is applied to the connecting rod 25 in a direction that pushes it into the housing 21, so that a force is applied to the spindle nut 24 on the spindle screw 23 toward the rear end side. At this time, the rotation of the spindle screw 23 allows the movement of the spindle nut 24 (i.e., the movement of the vehicle door 12).

In this way, the door holding device 20a is configured to be able to open and close the vehicle door 12 by the rotational power output by the actuator 26, and is also configured to allow the vehicle door 12 to be opened and closed (movement of the vehicle door 12) by manual operation. Furthermore, the door holding device 20a is configured to be able to stop the movement of the vehicle door 12 and hold the vehicle door 12 in a stopped state (in other words, hold the vehicle door 12 in a predetermined position) by the brake mechanism 27.

The connecting rod 25 of the door holding device 20a according to this embodiment is rotatable relative to both the vehicle body 11 and the spindle nut 24 (in other words, relative to both the vehicle body 11 and the housing 21 of the door holding device 20a). Therefore, even if the housing 21 of the door holding device 20a is fixed by the front bracket 22 and the side bracket 29a so that it cannot be displaced relative to the vehicle door 12, the above operation can be realized.

Specifically, for example, in a door holding device described in JP 2019-90258 A (referred to as a door check device in JP 2019-90258 A), in a configuration including a cylindrical tubular member to which a nut is attached and a threaded rod (male screw) that is coaxially housed inside the tubular member and screws into the nut, the tubular member moves along the axis of the threaded rod, so the connection point between the tubular member and the vehicle body must always be located on an extension of the axis of the threaded rod. However, since the connection point between the tubular member and the vehicle body is located at a position offset from the center of rotation of the vehicle door relative to the vehicle body, when the door holding device is fixed to the vehicle body, the axis of the threaded rod rotates relative to the vehicle body when the vehicle door is opened or closed. Therefore, in order for such a door holding device to achieve the above-mentioned operation, the housing of the door holding device must be attached to the vehicle door so as to be rotatable around a straight line parallel to the center of rotation of the door relative to the vehicle body.

In contrast, the connecting rod 25 of the door holding device 20a according to this embodiment is rotatably connected to the vehicle body 11 and the spindle screw 23. Therefore, even if the connection point between the spindle screw 23 and the vehicle body 11 and the extension line of the axis of the spindle screw 23 misaligns as the vehicle door 12 rotates relative to the vehicle body 11, the connecting rod 25 can rotate relative to the spindle screw 23 to accommodate this misalignment. Therefore, the door holding device 20a according to this embodiment can be fixed so that it cannot rotate relative to the vehicle door 12.

As described above, the connecting rod 25 is not a straight rod, but has a bent or curved shape when viewed in the vertical direction. This prevents the connecting rod 25 from interfering with the front bracket 22 (the connecting rod 25 contacting the inner circumferential surface of the connecting rod insertion hole 223 of the front bracket 22) when the vehicle door 12 is opened or closed. That is, the rotation center of the vehicle door 12 relative to the vehicle body 11 and the rotation center of the connecting rod 25 relative to the vehicle body 11 (the point where the connecting rod 25 is connected to the vehicle body 11) are offset in the vehicle width direction when viewed in the vertical direction. Therefore, as described above, when the vehicle door 12 is opened or closed, the connecting rod 25 rotates relative to the vehicle body 11 and the spindle screw 23. At this time, if the connecting rod 25 has a straight rod configuration, the connecting rod 25 contacts the inner circumferential surface of the connecting rod insertion hole 223 of the front bracket 22, and the opening and closing of the vehicle door 12 is hindered.

In this embodiment, the connecting rod 25 has a curved or bent shape when viewed in the vertical direction so as not to interfere with the front bracket 22 when the vehicle door 12 is opened or closed. The specific shape of the connecting rod 25 is appropriately set depending on the movement trajectory of the inner circumferential surface of the connecting rod insertion hole 223 of the front bracket 22 when the vehicle door 12 is opened or closed, the installation position of the door holding device 20a relative to the vehicle door 12, the position of the connection point of the connecting rod 25 relative to the vehicle body 11, etc.

According to this embodiment, by reducing the load on the front bracket 22, damage to the joint between the front bracket 22 and the vehicle body 11 can be prevented or suppressed. That is, when the vehicle door 12 is opened or closed, a load is applied to the connecting rod 25 in its longitudinal direction in both cases of manual operation and the driving force of the actuator 26. In addition, when an external force is applied to the vehicle door 12 to open or close it while the vehicle door 12 is held in a predetermined position by the brake mechanism 27, a load is also applied to the connecting rod 25 in its longitudinal direction. In this case, if the longitudinal direction of the connecting rod 25 and the axis of the spindle screw 23 are not parallel, a moment is applied to the door holding device 20a centered on the front end (front bracket 22) due to the load in the axial direction of the connecting rod 25. If this moment becomes large, there is a risk of damage to the joint between the front bracket 22 and the vehicle door 12.

According to this embodiment, the housing 21 is fixed to the vehicle door 12 by the side bracket 29a at a position rearward of the front bracket 22. Therefore, the moment can be borne by this side bracket 29a, so the moment (load) applied to the joint between the front bracket 22 and the vehicle door 12 is reduced. Therefore, damage to the joint between the front bracket 22 and the vehicle door 12 can be prevented or suppressed. In addition, since the moment applied to the joint between the front bracket 22 and the vehicle door 12 can be reduced, the joint strength between the front bracket 22 and the vehicle door 12 can be reduced. Therefore, the weight of the door holding device 20a can be reduced (or the weight can be increased) by reducing the size of the front bracket 22, etc.

The side bracket 29a can also enhance the effect of holding the vehicle door 12 stopped at a predetermined position. In other words, if the door holding device 20a is fixed to the vehicle door 12 only by the front bracket 22, when the vehicle door 12 is held in a predetermined position by the brake mechanism 27, if the fixing force between the door holding device 20a and the vehicle door 12 is weak, there is a risk that the vehicle door 12 will move (cannot be held in the predetermined position). According to this embodiment, the side bracket 29a prevents or suppresses left-right displacement of the door holding device 20a relative to the vehicle door 12, so that when the vehicle door 12 is held in a predetermined position by the brake mechanism 27 of the door holding device 20a, movement of the vehicle door 12 can be prevented or suppressed.

The side bracket 29a of this embodiment also includes a first bracket 40 and a second bracket 50. With this configuration, the first bracket 40 can be formed into a shape that corresponds to the configuration of the housing 21 of the door holding device 20a, and the second bracket 50 can be shaped to correspond to the configuration of the vehicle door 12 in which the door holding device 20a is incorporated. Therefore, when one type of door holding device 20a is applied to multiple types of vehicles 10, the first bracket 40 can be of a common configuration and the second bracket 50 can be of a configuration that corresponds to the vehicle model, thereby reducing parts costs.

By making the first bracket 40 approximately symmetrical, the same first bracket 40 can be applied to both the right and left vehicle doors 12. In other words, the configuration of the first bracket 40 does not need to be changed when applied to the right and left vehicle doors 12. Therefore, with this configuration, it is possible to reduce parts costs by standardizing parts.

In addition, the door holding device 20a according to this embodiment is fixed so that it cannot be displaced relative to the vehicle door 12. Therefore, unlike the door holding device described in JP 2019-90258 A, no space is required around the door holding device inside the vehicle door for the door holding device to rotate. Therefore, the installation space of the door holding device 20a can be reduced. In this embodiment, the actuator 26 is disposed below the spindle screw 23 and the connecting rod 25. With this configuration, interference with the member disposed above the door holding device 20a can be prevented compared to a configuration in which the actuator 26 is disposed above the spindle screw 23 and the connecting rod 25. For example, a glass frame (a member for supporting the window glass) is disposed above the door holding device 20a inside the vehicle door 12. According to this embodiment, interference between the actuator 26 and the glass frame can be prevented (i.e., the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the glass frame and the door holding device 20a can be increased).

In addition, according to the door holding device described in the above patent document, the bracket for mounting the door holding device to the vehicle door must be configured to allow rotation of the door holding device. In contrast, according to this embodiment, the door holding device 20a does not need to be allowed to rotate. Therefore, compared to the configuration described in the above patent document, it is possible to simplify the configuration of the bracket for mounting the door holding device 20a to the vehicle door 12 (the front bracket 22 and the side bracket 29a in this embodiment).

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described. The same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are used for the components common to the first embodiment, and the description thereof may be omitted (the same applies to a third embodiment described later). Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a door holding device 20b according to the second embodiment, and Fig. 9 is an external perspective view showing the configuration of the door holding device 20b according to the second embodiment.

The side bracket 29b is a member made of metal and is manufactured by pressing a metal plate. The side bracket 29b has a housing mounting portion 60b and a panel mounting portion 61b. The housing mounting portion 60b and the panel mounting portion 61b each have a plate-like configuration extending in a direction perpendicular to the left-right direction, are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the left-right direction, and are parallel to each other. The side bracket 29b has an approximately U-shape when viewed in the front-rear direction. In this case, one vertical line of the "U" corresponds to the housing mounting portion 60b, and the other vertical line corresponds to the panel mounting portion 61b. The housing mounting portion 60b is provided with a locking hole 601. The locking hole 601 is a through hole that penetrates in the left-right direction (thickness direction) and is configured to allow the locking portion 702 described later to be inserted. The panel mounting portion 61b is a portion configured to be attached (fixed) to the inner panel 121. Specifically, the panel mounting portion 61b is provided with a screw insertion hole 611 through which a screw can be inserted to fix the side bracket 29b to the side surface portion 123 of the inner panel 121. The screw insertion hole 611 is a through hole that penetrates in the left-right direction (thickness direction).

A side bracket mounting portion 70b is provided on the side surface of the second housing 31 at a position rearward of the front end. The side bracket mounting portion 70b is configured to be able to mount (support) the housing mounting portion 60b of the side bracket 29b. The side bracket mounting portion 70b includes a pair of side bracket accommodating grooves 701, a locking portion 702, and a positioning portion 703. The pair of side bracket accommodating grooves 701 are grooves that open on one side in the front-rear direction and extend in the vertical direction, and are provided spaced apart in the front-rear direction with the open sides facing each other. The distance between the bottom surfaces of the pair of side bracket accommodating grooves 701 is set to a dimension larger than the front-rear dimension of the housing mounting portion 60b of the side bracket 29b. The locking portion 702 has a protruding configuration that protrudes outward in the left-right direction, and is provided between the pair of side bracket accommodating grooves 701 in the front-rear direction. The positioning portion 703 has a protrusion-like configuration that protrudes outward in the left-right direction, and is provided between a pair of side bracket accommodating grooves 701 in the front-rear direction, and above the pair of side bracket accommodating grooves 701 in the up-down direction.

The housing mounting portion 60b of the side bracket 29b is inserted from below into each of the pair of side bracket accommodating grooves 701. At this time, the locking portion 702 and other parts are elastically deformed, so that the housing mounting portion 60b of the side bracket 29b climbs over the locking portion 702 of the side bracket mounting portion 70b, and then the locking portion 702 fits into the locking hole 601 of the side bracket 29b. The upper end of the housing mounting portion 60b of the side bracket 29b comes into contact with the positioning portion 703, so that the housing mounting portion 60b is positioned so that it does not move too far upward. This supports the side bracket 29b so that it does not fall off the side bracket mounting portion 70b. Then, as in the first embodiment, the front bracket 22 and the side bracket 29b are screwed to the inner panel 121, and the door holding device 20b is fixed to the vehicle door 12.

According to the second embodiment, the same effect as the first embodiment can be achieved. Also, according to the second embodiment, the housing mounting portion 60b of the side bracket 29b fits into each of the pair of side bracket accommodating grooves 701, so that the side bracket 29b is supported by the housing 21. Therefore, since it is not necessary to screw the side bracket 29b, it is possible to prevent an increase in the number of parts and simplify the assembly process. Also, since the distance between the bottom surfaces of the pair of side bracket accommodating grooves 701 is greater than the front-rear dimension of the housing mounting portion 60b of the side bracket 29b, the second housing 31 (housing 21) and the side bracket 29b can move relatively in the front-rear direction. Therefore, it is possible to absorb the variation in the relative position between the position of the screw hole provided in the inner panel 121 and the screw insertion hole 611 provided in the side bracket 29b. Therefore, it is easy to manage the dimensional tolerance.

Third Embodiment
Next, a third embodiment will be described. Fig. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a door holding device 20c according to the third embodiment, and Fig. 11 is an external perspective view showing the configuration of the door holding device 20c according to the third embodiment.

The side bracket 29c is a member made of metal and is manufactured by pressing a metal plate. The side bracket 29c has a housing mounting portion 60c and a panel mounting portion 61c. The housing mounting portion 60c and the panel mounting portion 61c each have a plate-like configuration extending in a direction perpendicular to the left-right direction, are spaced apart in the left-right direction, and are parallel to each other. Therefore, the side bracket 29c has an approximately U-shape when viewed in the front-rear direction. In this case, one vertical line of the "U" corresponds to the housing mounting portion 60c, and the other vertical line corresponds to the panel mounting portion 61c. The housing mounting portion 60c is provided with a locking hole 602. The locking hole 602 is a through hole that penetrates in the left-right direction (thickness direction) and is configured to allow the locking portion 704 described later to be inserted. The panel mounting portion 61c is a portion configured to be attached (fixed) to the inner panel 121. The panel mounting portion 61c has a screw insertion hole 611 through which a screw can be inserted to mount the side bracket 29c to the side surface portion 123 of the inner panel 121. The screw insertion hole 611 is a through hole that penetrates in the left-right direction (thickness direction).

A side bracket mounting portion 70c is provided on the side surface of the second housing 31 at a position rearward of the front end. The side bracket mounting portion 70c is configured to be able to mount the housing mounting portion 60c of the side bracket 29c (in other words, to be able to support the side bracket 29c). Specifically, the housing mounting portion 60c is provided with a side bracket mounting hole 704 and a locking portion 705. The side bracket mounting hole 704 is a through hole that penetrates in the vertical direction and is configured to be able to insert the housing mounting portion 60c of the side bracket 29c. The front-rear dimension of the side bracket mounting hole 704 is larger than the front-rear dimension of the housing mounting portion 60c of the side bracket 29c. The locking portion 705 is configured as a protrusion that protrudes outward in the left-right direction from the side surface of the second housing 31, and is configured to be able to be inserted into the locking hole 602 provided in the housing mounting portion 60c of the side bracket 29c. The locking portion 705 is provided below the side bracket mounting hole 704.

The housing mounting portion 60c of the side bracket 29c is inserted from below into the side bracket mounting hole 704 of the side bracket mounting portion 70c. At this time, the side bracket mounting portion 70c is elastically deformed, causing the housing mounting portion 60c of the side bracket 29c to climb over the locking portion 705 of the side bracket mounting portion 70c, and the locking portion 705 fits into the locking hole 602 of the side bracket 29c. This supports the side bracket 29c so that it does not fall off the side bracket mounting portion 70. Then, as in the first embodiment, the front bracket 22 and the side bracket 29c are screwed to the inner panel 121, and the door holding device 20c is fixed to the vehicle door 12. According to the third embodiment, the same effects as those of the first and second embodiments can be achieved.

Although each embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to each of the above embodiments.

For example, in the second and third embodiments, the side brackets 29b, 29c are attached to the second housing 31, but the side brackets 29b, 29c may be attached to the first housing 30 or the third housing 32. From the viewpoint of reducing the moment applied to the front bracket 22, it is preferable that the attachment positions of the side brackets 29a, 29b, 19c are as far rearward as possible from the door holding devices 20a, 20b, 20c (in other words, the distance from the front bracket 22 to the side brackets 29a, 29b, 19c in the fore-aft direction is large).

10...vehicle, 11...vehicle body, 12...vehicle door, 20a, 20b, 20c...door retaining device, 21...housing, 22...front bracket, 29a, 29b, 29c...side bracket, 40...first bracket of side bracket, 50...second bracket of side bracket, 23...spindle screw, 24...spindle nut, 25...connecting rod, 121...inner panel of vehicle door

Claims (6)

A door holding device for a vehicle, the door being rotatably connected to a vehicle body at one end in a front-rear direction and configured to be opened and closed by rotating relative to the vehicle body,
A housing and
a screw member rotatably supported relative to the housing;
A nut member that is screwed onto the screw member and configured to move in an axial direction of the screw member when the screw member rotates, and configured to rotate the screw member when it moves in the axial direction of the screw member;
a rod-shaped connecting member having one end in a longitudinal direction rotatably connected to the vehicle body and the other end in a longitudinal direction rotatably connected to the nut member;
A first mounting member is attached to one end of the housing in a front-rear direction and is attached to an end of the vehicle door in the front-rear direction;
a second mounting member that is attached to a position spaced from the one end of the housing in the front-rear direction toward the other end of the housing in the front-rear direction and that is attached to a location spaced from the end of the vehicle door in the front-rear direction;
Equipped with
The housing is attached to the vehicle door such that movement in a left-right direction is restricted by the first attachment member and the second attachment member.
A door retention device for a vehicle. 2. A door retaining device for a vehicle according to claim 1,
The second mounting member includes a first member that is attached to the housing, and a second member that is attached to the first member and is attached to the vehicle door.
A door retention device for a vehicle. 3. A door retaining device for a vehicle according to claim 2,
The first member includes a housing clamping portion that clamps the housing from both outer sides in the left and right direction.
A door retention device for a vehicle. 2. A door retaining device for a vehicle according to claim 1,
the second mounting member is attached to the housing such that movement in a front-rear direction relative to the housing is permitted but movement in a left-right direction relative to the housing is restricted;
A door retention device for a vehicle. 5. A door retaining device for a vehicle according to claim 4,
The housing is provided with a pair of grooves extending in a substantially vertical direction and facing each other while being spaced apart from each other in a front-rear direction,
When the front end portion and the rear end portion of the second mounting member are inserted into the pair of grooves, the second mounting member is supported by the housing and the left-right movement of the second mounting member with respect to the housing is restricted.
A door retention device for a vehicle. 5. A door retaining device for a vehicle according to claim 4,
The housing is provided with a through hole extending substantially in a vertical direction,
When a portion of the second mounting member is inserted into the through hole, the second mounting member is supported by the housing and movement of the second mounting member in the left-right direction relative to the housing is restricted.
A door retention device for a vehicle.

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