Electric opening/closing device for vehicle

• US 7,959,204 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2006
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
• Inventors: Yoshida, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): REDMAN, JERRY E
• Application Number:
  US11/470,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20070051046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,742 Days
• Field of Search: 49340-342, 493/45, 493/60, 296/146.4, 296/146.8, 296/56
• US Class Current: 296/56
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/63 operated by swinging arms
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/216 Clutches
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/246 by motors, magnets, springs or weights
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/462 Electromagnets
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/72 Planetary gearing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/50 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailgates

Abstract

An electric opening/closing device for vehicle, which has good layout characteristic of the vehicle and is provided with a highly-rigid attachment part, is provided. The vehicle electric opening/closing device comprises: a worm wheel meshed with a worm provided on a motor shaft of an electric motor; a planetary gear mechanism disposed coaxially with the worm wheel and decelerating rotation of the worm wheel to transmits it to an output gear; a gear case housing the worm wheel etc. and assembled to the electric motor; and a swing arm rotatably supported by the gear case between an output end linked to a back door and an input end linked to an output gear. An attachment plate for mounting the vehicle electric opening/closing device on the vehicle is sandwiched between the first case body and the second case body which constitute the gear case.

Claims

1. An electric opening/closing device for a vehicle, in which rotation of an electric motor is decelerated and transmitted to an opening/closing member mounted in a vehicle body and opening/closing an opening portion of the vehicle, the device comprising:

a worm wheel meshed with a worm provided on a motor shaft of the electric motor;

a planetary gear mechanism disposed coaxially with the worm wheel and decelerating the rotation of the worm wheel to transmit the rotation to an output gear;

a gear case housing the worm wheel, a rotation shaft which mounts the worm wheel in a manner that the worm wheel is rotatable relative to the rotation shaft, the planetary gear mechanism, a support shaft which is disposed coaxially with the rotation shaft and fixed to the gear case and which mounts the planetary gear mechanism and the output gear in a manner that the planetary gear mechanism and the output gear are rotatable relative to the support shaft, and the output gear and assembled to the electric motor; and

a swing arm having an input end and an output end and rotatably supported by the gear case through a swing shaft disposed between the input end linked to the output gear and the output end linked to the opening/closing member, and the swing arm includes a sector gear formed on an outer edge of the input end, and the sector gear meshed with the output gear such that the swing arm swings in conjunction with the output gear to move the opening/closing member for opening/closing.

2. The electric opening/closing device for vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the planetary gear mechanism is linked to the worm wheel via a power intermittent mechanism of switching to a power transmission state and a power transmission interrupted state.

3. The electric opening/closing device for vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a linking rod linked to the output end of the swing arm and the opening/closing member and swinging in conjunction with the swing arm to move the opening/closing member for opening/closing.

4. The electric opening/closing device for vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the opening/closing member, mounted in a rear pillar of the vehicle body and mounted so as to be movable for opening/closing vertically in a rear section of the vehicle, is moved for opening/closing.

5. An electric opening/closing device for a vehicle, in which rotation of an electric motor is decelerated and transmitted to an opening/closing member mounted in a vehicle body and opening/closing an opening portion of the vehicle, the device comprising:

a worm wheel meshed with a worm provided on a motor shaft of the electric motor;

a planetary gear mechanism disposed coaxially with the worm wheel and decelerating the rotation of the worm wheel to transmit the rotation to an output gear;

a gear case formed by mutually assembling a first case body housing the worm wheel and a rotation shaft which mounts the worm wheel in a manner that the worm wheel is rotatable relative to the rotation shaft and a second case body housing the output gear, the planetary gear mechanism and a support shaft which is disposed coaxially with the rotation shaft and fixed to the gear case and which mounts the planetary gear mechanism and the output gear in a manner that the planetary gear mechanism and the output gear are rotatable relative to the support shaft and assembled to the electric motor; and

an attachment plate sandwiched between the first case body and the second case body, and

a swing arm having an input end and an output end and rotatably supported by the gear case through a swing shaft disposed between the input end linked to the output gear and the output end linked to the opening/closing member, and the swing arm includes a sector gear formed on an outer edge of the input end, and the swing arm swings in conjunction with the output gear to move the opening/closing member for opening/closing,

wherein the attachment plate is fixed to the vehicle body to mount the electric opening/closing device for the vehicle on the vehicle body.

6. The electric opening/closing device for vehicle according to claim 5, further comprising:

a gear part provided in the output gear; and

the sector gear meshed with the gear part.

7. The electric opening/closing device for vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the planetary gear mechanism is linked to the worm wheel via a power intermittent mechanism of switching to a power transmission state and a power transmission interrupted state.

8. The electric opening/closing device for vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the opening/closing member, mounted in a rear pillar of the vehicle body and mounted so as to movable for opening/closing vertically in a rear section of the vehicle, is moved for opening/closing.

9. The electric opening/closing device for vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the planetary gear mechanism is linked to the worm wheel via a power intermittent mechanism of switching to a power transmission state and a power transmission interrupted state.

10. The electric opening/closing device for vehicle according to claim 5, further comprising a linking rod linked to the output end of the swing arm and the opening/closing member and swinging in conjunction with the swing arm to move the opening/closing member for opening/closing.

11. The electric opening/closing device for vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the opening/closing member, mounted in a rear pillar of the vehicle body and mounted so as to movable for opening/closing vertically in a rear section of the vehicle, is moved for opening/closing.