Door drive for vehicle sliding door system

Abstract

A vehicle sliding door system includes a door portal and a door opening, at least one sliding door with an, in the closing direction of the sliding door, vertical front lateral edge and an, in the closing direction of the sliding door, vertical rear lateral edge, and a door driving unit for displacing the sliding door. The door driving unit has a cable, which, with its first end, is attached to the sliding door in the region of the front vertical lateral edge, and with its second end in the region of the rear vertical lateral edge, a coupling member, connected to the cable and which is connected to a motor, which is attached on the door portal laterally next to the door portal and which drives the coupling member such that the cable is movable along its longitudinal extent in both directions of movement and displaces the sliding door.

Claims

1. A vehicle sliding door system with a door portal and a door opening, at least one sliding door with a front lateral edge and a rear lateral edge, and a door driving unit for displacing the sliding door, wherein the door driving unit comprises: a cable having a first end attached to the sliding door in the region of the front vertical lateral edge, and having a second end in the region of the rear vertical lateral edge, and a coupling member, which is connected to the cable and which is connected to a motor, which is attached on the door portal laterally next to the door portal and which drives the coupling member such that the cable is movable along its a longitudinal extent in both directions of movement and displaces the sliding door, wherein a first roller, a second roller, and a third roller, via which the cable is redirected, are rotatably mounted on the door portal, with the following cable portions resulting therefrom: a first portion extending in the horizontal direction from a first attaching means to the first roller, a second portion extending from the first roller in the vertical direction to the second roller, a third portion extending from the second roller in the vertical direction to the third roller, and a fourth portion extending from the third roller in the horizontal direction to a second attaching means.

2. The vehicle sliding door system according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member is connected to the cable in one of two vertically extending portions.

3. The vehicle sliding door system according to claim 2, wherein the coupling member is configured as a spindle nut arranged on a spindle driven by the motor.

4. The vehicle sliding door system according to claim 1, wherein a cable pulley, on which the cable is configured to be spooled up and from which the cable is configured to be unspooled, is attached to the door portal in the path of the cable, wherein the cable pulley is driven by the motor.

5. A vehicle sliding door system with a door portal and a door opening, at least one sliding door with a front lateral edge and a rear lateral edge, and a door driving unit for displacing the sliding door, wherein the door driving unit comprises: a cable having a first end attached to the sliding door in the region of the front vertical lateral edge, and having a second end in the region of the rear vertical lateral edge, and a coupling member, which is connected to the cable and which is connected to a motor, which is attached on the door portal laterally next to the door portal and which drives the coupling member such that the cable is movable along a longitudinal extent in both directions of movement and displaces the sliding door, wherein a first roller, a second roller, and a third roller, via which the cable is redirected, are rotatably mounted on the door portal, with the following cable portions resulting therefrom: a first portion extending in the horizontal direction from a first attaching means to the first roller, a second portion extending from the first roller in the vertical direction to the second roller, a third portion extending from the second roller in the vertical direction to the third roller, and a fourth portion extending from the third roller in the horizontal direction to a second attaching means, wherein a cable pulley, on which the cable is configured to be spooled up and from which the cable is configured to be unspooled, is attached to the door portal in the path of the cable, wherein the cable pulley is driven by the motor, wherein the cable pulley is arranged at approximately a same height as the two attaching means in the vertical direction.

6. The vehicle sliding door system according to claim 1, further comprising a locking device via which the sliding door is configured to be locked in a closed final position.

7. A vehicle sliding door system with a door portal and a door opening, at least one sliding door with a front lateral edge and a rear lateral edge, and a door driving unit for displacing the sliding door, wherein the door driving unit comprises: a cable having a first end attached to the sliding door in the region of the front vertical lateral edge, and having a second end in the region of the rear vertical lateral edge, a coupling member, which is connected to the cable and which is connected to a motor, which is attached on the door portal laterally next to the door portal and which drives the coupling member such that the cable is movable along a longitudinal extent in both directions of movement and displaces the sliding door, and a locking device via which the sliding door is configured to be locked in a closed final position, wherein on a motor housing rotatable relative to the motor, a joint lever is pivotably mounted on the side of the end thereof, which, with the other free end, is connected to a locking lever rotatably mounted on the door portal, wherein the locking lever is pivotable with the other free end on a counter bearing on the sliding door, such that the sliding door is locked in the closed final position.

8. The vehicle sliding door system according to claim 7, wherein the locking device is in an over-dead-center position when the sliding door is closed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The disclosure is explained further with reference to the following Figures. The depicted exemplary embodiments are not to be understood as limiting but rather as examples, and are supposed to enable the person skilled in the art to carry out the disclosure. The applicant reserves the right to make individual ones or several of the features disclosed in the exemplary embodiment the subject matter of claims, or to incorporate such features into existing claims. The Figures are to be understood merely as schematic illustrations; in particular, dimensions and shapes may vary.

(2) In the Figures:

(3) FIG. 1: shows a vehicle sliding door system according to the disclosure with a closed sliding door,

(4) FIG. 2: shows the vehicle sliding door system according to the disclosure from FIG. 1 with an opened vehicle sliding door system,

(5) FIG. 3: shows the vehicle sliding door system according to the disclosure from FIG. 2 in a plan view from above,

(6) FIG. 4: shows the vehicle sliding door system according to the disclosure with a locking unit in a plan view, and

(7) FIG. 5: shows a second embodiment of a vehicle sliding door system according to the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(8) FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate a first advantageous embodiment of the disclosure. What is shown is a vehicle sliding door system 20 viewed from the vehicle interior. Two sliding doors 22 are arranged in a door portal 24 and can be displaced from the latter from a closed final position into an opened final position. As an example, what is shown is a vehicle sliding door system 20 with two sliding doors 22; however, the disclosure can also be used with only a single sliding door.

(9) The sliding door 22 has an, in the closing direction, front vertical lateral edge 26 and an, in the closing direction, rear vertical lateral edge 28.

(10) The door driving unit according to the disclosure has a cable 30 which, by means of a first attaching means 32 in the region of the front vertical lateral edge 26, and by means of a second attaching means 34 in the region of the rear vertical lateral edge 28, is attached to the sliding door. In the depicted exemplary embodiment, the cable 30 is connected to the sliding door 22, in each case with free ends on the two attaching means 32, 34.

(11) Moreover, a first roller 36, a second roller 38 and a third roller 40, via which the cable 30 is redirected, are rotatably mounted on the door portal. This results in the following four portions of the cable 30: a first portion 42 extends in the horizontal direction from the first attaching means 32 to the first roller 36, a second portion 44 extends from the first roller 36 in the vertical direction to the second roller 38, a third portion 46 extends from the second roller 38 in the vertical direction to the third roller 40, a fourth portion 48 extends from the third roller 40 in the horizontal direction to the second attaching means 34.

(12) In the vertical direction, the first roller 36 and the third roller 40 are arranged at approximately the same height, preferably at the same height as the two attaching means 32, 34 on the sliding door 22. In the depicted exemplary embodiment, the second roller 38 is located underneath the two other rollers 36, 40 in the vertical direction (between the two rollers 36, 40 preferably centrally in the horizontal direction).

(13) The cable 30 is firmly connected with a coupling member 50; a movement of the coupling member 50 results in a movement of the cable 30. In the depicted exemplary embodiment, the coupling member 50 is connected in the second portion 44 with the cable 30; alternatively, however, it may also be connected therewith in the region of the third portion 44. The door driving unit causes a movement of the coupling member 50 in the vertical direction, i.e. parallel to the second portion 44 or third portion 46. In the depicted exemplary embodiment, this is accomplished by means of a spindle 52 driven by a motor 54. In the depicted exemplary embodiment, the coupling member 50 is configured as a displaceable spindle nut.

(14) FIG. 1 depicts the vehicle sliding door system 20 with closed sliding doors 22. The coupling member 50 is located in its upper position. FIG. 2 depicts the vehicle sliding door system 20 with opened sliding doors 22; accordingly, the coupling member 50 is located in its lower position. FIG. 3 shows this embodiment with a closed sliding door 22 in a top view from above.

(15) FIG. 4 illustrates an advantageous locking device 58, which cooperates with the door driving unit according to the disclosure. The motor 54 attached to the door portal has a motor housing 60 on which a joint lever 62 is pivotably mounted on the side of the end thereof. With its other free end, the joint lever 60 is connected to a locking lever 64, which is also rotatably mounted on the door portal 24. The locking lever 64 has a free end 66, which in the depicted exemplary embodiment can be pivoted into a recess 68 of the sliding door 22 in order to lock the latter in the closed end position. An inner wall of the recess 68 thus serves as a counter bearing 70 for the locking lever 64.

(16) The locking device 58 is activated when the sliding door 22 is located in the closed final position and the coupling member 50 cannot be displaced any further on the spindle 52. Thus, a rotation of the motor housing 60 is caused, which pivots the joint lever 60 or the locking lever 62 into its locking position. The motor housing 60 rotates, as it were, about the motor 54 located in the interior.

(17) The illustration in FIG. 5 shows that the locking device 58 is in an over-dead-center position when the sliding door 22 is closed. A displacement of the sliding door 22 into the opened final position is not possible; for this purpose, the over-dead-center position first has to be suspended by the rotation of the motor housing 58.

(18) FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the disclosure. A cable pulley 56 is provided instead of the rollers 36, 38, 40 and the spindle drive. The cable pulley 56 is driven by the motor 54 and spools up or unspools the cable 30. The cable pulley 56 is arranged at approximately the same height in the vertical direction as the two attaching means 32, 34. By rotating the cable pulley 56, the sliding doors 22 are opened or closed, depending on the direction of rotation of the cable pulley 56.

(19) Alternatively, it is also possible to configure one or several of the rollers 36, 38, 40 as a motor-driven cable pulley 56 in the embodiment according to the FIGS. 1 to 4. The sliding door 22 can also be moved by spooling up or unspooling the cable 30. In particular, the lowermost roller 38 is particularly suitable for being configured as a cable pulley 56, for reasons of space.

(20) It is also conceivable that one of the rollers 36, 38, 40 is configured as a driven pinion gear meshing with a toothed region of the cable 30. Accordingly, the cable 30 has a configuration similar to a toothed belt across a longitudinal section of suitable length. In this case, the toothed belt portion may be formed from the cable 30 itself, but may also be formed by an additional element connected to the cable 30. In principle, the entire cable 30 may even be replaced with a toothed belt, which is driven or moved via one or several rollers 36, 38, 40.

(21) The disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiment shown, but also includes other useful deviations from the illustrated design. For example, it would be possible to provide a toothed-belt drive instead of the spindle 52.