Automatic opening and closing apparatus for vehicle

• US 6,891,344 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2003
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
• Inventors: Sakai, Hiroshi, Ochiai, Takao, Hoshino, Takashi, Shioiri, Seiji, Yoshida, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): San Martin, Edgardo
• Application Number:
  US10/350,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20030141834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 49324-363, 492/12, 492/21, 492/80, 492/23, 492/61, 49250-252, 493/23, 318280-286, 318/9, 318/10, 318/15, 318/265, 318/266, 318/65, 318/466, 318/468, 296/56, 296/146.8, 744/21.A, 744/22, 74/891.1, 74/893.2, 74/893.3
• US Class Current: 318/280
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/619 using flexible or rigid rack-and-pinion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/63 operated by swinging arms
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/722 Racks
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailboards, tailgates or sideboards opening upwards
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18768 with rack and pinion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/1967 Rack and pinion

Abstract

The invention provides to make an automatic opening and closing apparatus for a vehicle to be thin. An outer rack is attached to an outer side of a stay fixed to a vehicle in such a manner as to freely move in an axial direction along the stay. A thickness of the stay is set to be smaller than a width, and a cross sectional shape thereof is formed so as to be in a substantially thin convex shape. A width in a base end wall portion of the outer rack is formed so as to be larger than a width of a side surface wall portion corresponding to a thickness of the outer rack, and the outer rack is formed in a substantially thin C cross sectional shape. It is possible to make a thickness of a slide mechanism about a gear with of rack gears lined up in an axial direction in the side surface wall portion by making the width of the side surface wall portion slightly larger than the gear width of the rack gear.

Claims

1. An automatic opening and closing apparatus for a vehicle, which automatically opens and closes an opening and closing member attached to a vehicle in a freely opening and closing manner, comprising:

a guide rail provided with a guide surface, said guide rail being formed tohave a flat shape extending toward the axial direction and fixed to said vehicle;

a slide member having a rack portion provided with rack gears lining up in an axial direction on an outer peripheral surface of said rack portion and having a slide portion attached to an outer side of said guide rail so as to freely move in the axial direction along said guide surface of said guide rail;

a link mechanism provided between said slide member and said opening and closing member, and transmitting a displacement of said slide member to said opening and closing member; and

a driving means having an electric motor for rotating and driving an output pinion gear engaged with said rack gear and said output pinion gear, and oscillating said slide member between a first position at which said opening and closing member is in a fully closed state and a second position at which said opening and closing member is in a fully open state.

2. An automatic opening and closing apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said opening and closing member is attached to a rear end portion of said vehicle in such a manner as to freely pivot around a rotational supporting point of a hinge provided in the rear end portion of said vehicle roof.

3. An automatic opening and dosing apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said guide rail is fixed to a pillar portion adjacent to said opening and dosing member of said vehicle.

4. An automatic opening and dosing apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said guide rail is formed in a substantially convex cross sectional shape having a flat rail portion including a base end surface, a pair of side end surfaces substantially perpendicular to said base end surface and said guide surface substantially in parallel to said base end surface, and having a rib portion protruding at a substantially center portion in a width direction of said guide surface;

and said slide member is formed in a substantially C cross sectional shape having a base end wall portion slidably in contact with said base end surface, a pair of side surface wall portions respectively substantially perpendicular to said base end wall portion and slidably in contact with said side end surface, and a pair of guide wall portions respectively substantially in parallel to said base end portion and slidably in contact with said guide surface with respect to said rib portion.

5. An automatic opening and closing apparatus for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein said rack gear is formed in any one of said side surface wall portions, and a width of said side surface wall portion is formed so as to have about a tooth width of said rack gear.