Movable body driving device

Abstract

A movable body driving device includes upper and lower racks movable in a lengthwise direction; a motor which can rotate forward and backward; a drive pinion fixed to a rotary shaft of the motor; and a driven pinion engaging the upper and lower racks. The driven pinion is driven to rotate by the upper rack to thereby drive the lower rack linearly in a direction reverse to the upper rack. A sliding door is connected to the lower rack and is opened or closed in accordance with forward or backward rotation of the motor.

Claims

1. A movable body driving device, comprising: a sliding door; first and second linearly movable bodies disposed in respective upper and lower portions of a housing portion, said second linearly movable body being connected to the sliding door so as to be movable in a lengthwise direction of the housing portion; a first rotation transmission body which is located in a first position between movement paths of the first and second linearly movable bodies and which engages one of the first and second linearly movable bodies; a second rotation transmission body which is located in a second position between the movement paths of the first and second linearly movable bodies and which always engages the first and second linearly movable bodies; and a rotation actuator which has a power shaft connected to the first rotation transmission body; wherein in one end position of the sliding door, the first rotation transmission body is positioned at a substantially central portion of the second linearly movable body, and the second rotation transmission body is positioned away from the first rotation transmission body and above one edge area of the second linearly movable body.

2. A movable body driving device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second linearly movable bodies move linearly in opposite directions with respect to each other.

3. A movable body driving device according to claim 1, wherein the housing portion is a rack and pinion housing; the first and second linearly movable bodies are first and second racks disposed in the rack and pinion housing; the rotation actuator is a motor which can rotate forward and backward; the first rotation transmission body is a drive pinion which is provided so as to be fixed to the power shaft of the motor; and the second rotation transmission body is a driven pinion which engages the racks and which is driven to rotate by the first rack.

4. A movable body driving device according to claim 3, wherein the sliding door is a top-railed sliding door and is connected to second rack through a connection and door hangers, said sliding door being opened and closed through the drive pinion and the racks in accordance with the forward and backward rotations of the motor.

5. A movable body device driving according to claim 1, wherein in another end position of the sliding door, the first rotation transmission body is positioned away from the second linearly movable body, and the second rotation transmission body is positioned at another edge area of the second linearly movable body.

6. A movable body driving device according to claim 1, wherein the second linearly movable body supports the sliding door, and the first linearly movable body does not support the sliding door.

7. A movable body driving device according to claim 6, further comprising a rail groove and door hangers respectively connected to the sliding door and the second linearly movable body, the door hangers having rollers fitted into the rail groove.

8. A movable body driving device according to claim 7, wherein the rollers include guide rollers so as to guide the sliding door, and an adjusting roller disposed between the guide rollers so as to suppress rattling noise generated during an operation of the sliding door.

9. A movable body driving device, comprising: a sliding door; first and second linearly movable bodies disposed in respective upper and lower portions of a housing portion, said second linearly movable body being connected to the sliding door so as to be movable in a lengthwise direction of the housing portion; a first rotation transmission body which is located in a first position between movement paths of the first and second linearly movable bodies and which engages one of the first and second linearly movable bodies; a second rotation transmission body which is located in a second position between the movement paths of the first and second linearly movable bodies and which always engages the first and second linearly movable bodies; and a rotation actuator which has a power shaft connected to the first or second rotation transmission body; wherein in one end position of the sliding door, the first rotation transmission body is positioned at a substantially central portion of the second linearly movable body, and the second rotation transmission body is positioned away from the first rotation transmission body and above one edge area of the second linearly movable body; and the first and second linearly movable bodies have substantially same lengths and are arranged such that when the first linearly movable body engages the first and second rotation transmission bodies, the second linearly movable body engages only the second rotation transmission body, and when the second linearly movable body engages the first and second rotation transmission bodies, the first linearly movable body engages only the second rotation transmission body.

10. A movable body driving device, comprising: a sliding door; first and second linearly movable bodies disposed in respective upper and lower portions of a housing portion, said second linearly movable body being connected to the sliding door so as to be movable in a lengthwise direction of the housing portion; a first rotation transmission body which is located in a first position between movement paths of the first and second linearly movable bodies and which engages one of the first and second linearly movable bodies; a second rotation transmission body which is located in a second position between the movement paths of the first and second linearly movable bodies and which always engages the first and second linearly movable bodies; and a rotation actuator which has a power shaft connected to the first or second rotation transmission body; wherein in one end position of the sliding door, the first rotation transmission body is positioned at a substantially central portion of the second linearly movable body, and the second rotation transmission body is positioned away from the first rotation transmission body and above one edge area of the second linearly movable body; and in said one end position of the sliding door, the first rotation transmission body is positioned above a substantially central portion of the sliding door, and the second rotation transmission body is positioned away from the first rotation transmission body and above one edge area of the sliding door, and in another end position of the sliding door, the first rotation transmission body is positioned away from the sliding door, and the second rotation transmission body is positioned above another edge area of the sliding door.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1A is a view showing an overall configuration and an operating state of a movable body driving device according to Embodiment 1 of the invention when one door is driven by one motor in the movable body driving device, and the door is closed;

(2) FIG. 1B is a view showing an overall configuration and an operating state of a movable body driving device according to Embodiment 1 of the invention when one door is driven by one motor in the movable body driving device, and the door is opened;

(3) FIG. 2A is a view showing an example of one door to be closed for easy understanding of an overall configuration and an operating state of a movable body driving device according to the background art, which operates so that a pinion is paired exclusively with either one of racks; and

(4) FIG. 2B is a view showing an example of one door to be opened for easy understanding of an overall configuration and an operating state of a movable body driving device according to the background art, which operates so that a pinion is paired exclusively with either one of racks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(5) Embodiments of the invention will be described below in detail.

Embodiment 1

(6) FIGS. 1A and 1B are views showing an overall configuration and an operating state of a movable body driving device according to Embodiment 1 of the invention when one door is driven by one motor in the movable body driving device. Incidentally, FIG. 1A shows a state when the door 1 is in a close position whereas FIG. 1B shows a state when the door 1 is in an open position.

(7) In FIGS. 1A and 1B, constituent parts same as those in FIGS. 2A and 2B are referred to by numerals same as those in FIGS. 2A and 2B, so that redundant description thereof will be omitted. Constituent parts only according to Embodiment 1 are referred to by different numerals from those in FIGS. 2A and 2B, so that configuration and operation of the constituent parts given with the different reference numerals will be mainly described below.

(8) As shown in FIG. 1A, the movable body driving device 20 according to Embodiment 1 of the invention includes a rack and pinion housing 21, an upper rack 22, and a lower rack 23. The rack and pinion housing 21 serves as a housing portion. The upper rack 22 serves as a first linearly movable body. The lower rack 23 serves as a second linearly movable body. The upper rack 22 and the lower rack 23 are disposed in upper and lower portions of the rack and pinion housing 21 so as to be movable in a lengthwise direction of the rack and pinion housing 21.

(9) Further, a drive pinion 25 which serves as a first rotation transmission body is disposed in a first position 24 between a movement path of the upper rack 22 and a movement path of the lower rack 23. This drive pinion 25 is located so that the distance between the center (the first position 24) of the drive pinion 25 and a left end portion 16 of the door 1 when the door 1 is closed takes the same distance A as in the pinion 4 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B.

(10) The drive pinion 25 is integrated with one end of a rotary shaft (power shaft) of a motor 3 so as to be fixed thereto. The motor 3 serves as a rotation actuator. When the door 1 is closed as shown in FIG. 1A, the drive pinion 25 engages a substantially central portion of the upper rack 22 and waits for driving of the upper rack 22 to linearly move right in FIG. 1A in accordance with forward (clockwise in FIG. 1A) rotation of the motor 3.

(11) When the door 1 is opened as shown in FIG. 1B, the drive pinion 25 is located above a substantially central portion of the sliding door and engages a substantially central portion of the lower rack 23; and waits for driving the lower rack 23 to linearly move right in FIG. 1B in accordance with backward (counterclockwise in FIG. 1B) rotation of the motor 3.

(12) Further, a driven pinion 27 which serves as a second rotation transmission body is disposed in a second position 26 between the movement path of the upper rack 22 and the movement path of the lower rack 23. The position (second position 26) where the driven pinion 27 is disposed is not limited as long as the driven pinion 27 can always engage both the upper and lower racks 22 and 23.

(13) In the example shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the upper and lower racks 22 and 23 are formed so that the distance between the upper and lower racks 22 and 23 is as short as possible. Accordingly, the driven pinion 27 is located above one edge area of the sliding door to engage a right end portion of the upper rack 22 and a left end portion of the lower rack 23 when the door 1 is closed, but the driven pinion 27 is located above another edge area of sliding door to engage a left end portion of the upper rack 22 and a right end portion of the lower rack 23 when the door 1 is opened.

(14) The driven pinion 27 is driven to rotate following a linear movement of the upper rack 22 (or the lower rack 23) and transmits its rotating operation to the lower rack 23 (or the upper rack 22) to linearly move the lower rack 23 (or the upper rack 22) in a direction reverse to the other rack 22 (or 23).

(15) A connection 7 is screwed to the lower rack 23. The connection 7 is connected to door hangers 8 so as to allow for predetermined play in the upper, lower, left and right directions. The door 1 is connected to the door hangers 8.

(16) Lower portions of guide rollers 12 of the door hangers 8 are fitted into a rail groove 11 of a door rail 28. Thus, while the door 1 is slidably held so as to be suspended to the door rail 28 through the door hangers 8, the guide rollers 12, and the rail groove 11 on one hand, the door 1 is connected to the lower rack 23 through the door hangers 8 and the connection 7 on the other hand.

(17) In the movable body driving device 20 according to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, when the motor 3 rotates forward in the condition that the door 1 is in a close position shown in FIG. 1A, that is, when the drive pinion 25 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1A, the upper rack 22 begins to move right to rotate the driven pinion 27 clockwise.

(18) Since the driven pinion 27 engages both the upper rack 22 and the lower rack 23, the clockwise rotation of the driven pinion 27 actuated by the upper rack 22 is transmitted to the lower rack 23 so that the lower rack 23 begins to move left in FIG. 1A (in a direction reverse to the direction of movement of the other rack, i.e. the upper rack 22).

(19) As the operation goes on, the lower rack 23 which has not engaged the drive pinion 25 begins to engage the drive pinion 25 while the upper rack 22 which has engaged the drive pinion 25 contrariwise disengages from the drive pinion 25.

(20) When the drive pinion 25 transmits its own driving force while the rack to which the driving force is transmitted is changed from the upper rack 22 to the lower rack 23 in this manner, the door 1 can be opened as shown in FIG. 1B.

(21) When the motor 3 rotates backward in the condition that the door 1 is in the open position shown in FIG. 1B, that is, when the drive pinion 25 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 1B, the lower rack 23 begins to move right to rotate the driven pinion 27 counterclockwise.

(22) The counterclockwise rotation of the driven pinion 27 actuated by the lower rack 23 is transmitted to the upper rack 22 so that the upper rack 22 begins to move left (in a direction reverse to the direction of movement of the other rack, i.e. the lower rack 23) in FIG. 1B.

(23) As the operation goes on, the upper rack 22 which has not engaged the drive pinion 25 begins to engage the drive pinion 25 while the lower rack 23 which has engaged the drive pinion 25 contrariwise disengages from the drive pinion 25.

(24) When the drive pinion 25 transmits its own driving force while the rack to which the driving force is transmitted is changed from the lower rack 23 to the upper rack 22 in this manner, the door 1 can be closed as shown in FIG. 1A.

(25) On this occasion, the left end portion of the lower rack 23 is located at a distance B left from the left end portion 16 of the door 1. Accordingly, the length of the rack and pinion housing 21 is equal to a length from a right end portion corresponding to the right end portion 14 of the door 1 in the close position shown in FIG. 1A to a left end portion at a distance B+e (obtained by adding a length e of play to the distance B) from the left end portion 16 of the door 1 in the open position shown in FIG. 1B.

(26) When FIG. 1B is compared with FIG. 2B according to the background art, it is obvious that (B+e)<<(A+d+e). That is, in the embodiment, the length of the rack and pinion housing 21 can be set to be as extremely short as possible in comparison with the background art.

(27) As described above, in accordance with the embodiment of the invention, the power from the drive pinion is transmitted directly from the upper rack to the lower rack (or from the lower rack to the upper rack) so that the total length of the movable body driving device 20 can be set to be short and this setting can be fixed without any change.

(28) Moreover, the position where the drive pinion is disposed is not limited as long as the position is in the range of the distance A shown in FIG. 1A. Accordingly, the setting position of the motor can be selected relatively freely so that it is possible to avoid such a situation that the movable body driving device 20 cannot be attached to the vehicle according to the circumstances of the vehicle.

Embodiment 2

(29) Although Embodiment 1 has been described in the case where the door 1 is connected to the lower rack 23, the method of connecting the door 1 to a rack is not limited thereto. The door 1 may be connected to the upper rack, though not particularly shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

(30) In this case, the door 1 is in an open position when the positional relation between the drive pinion 25 and the upper and lower racks 22 and 23 is shown in FIG. 1A, whereas the door 1 is in a close position when the positional relation between the drive pinion 25 and the upper and lower racks 22 and 23 is shown in FIG. 1B.

(31) Also in this case, various operations such as rotation of the motor 3, rotation of the drive pinion 25, movement of the upper and lower racks 22 and 23 and rotation of the driven pinion 27 are the same as those in Embodiment 1.

(32) The invention can be applied to a driving device using a rack and pinion mechanism, such as a movable body driving device for opening and closing a top-railed sliding door or the like.

(33) The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-039005 filed on Feb. 23, 2009 is incorporated as a reference.

(34) While the invention has been explained with reference to the specific embodiments of the invention, the explanation is illustrative and the invention is limited only by the appended claims.