Abstract:
A sliding door operating mechanism for a vehicle to provide access to the vehicle through an opening in a wall thereof, includes at least one sliding door and a reciprocating power mechanism and a transmission mechanism for transmitting movement of power to the door for performing opening, closing and locking movements thereof. A beam structure carries the door, the power mechanism and the transmission mechanism. The beam structure extends across and is accommodated within an upper portion of the opening so as to be slidingly movably driven by the power mechanism between a relatively retracted position within the opening, in which the door is located in a first plane in a closed position confirmed within the opening, and a relatively less retracted position, in which the door is located in a second plane exteriorly of the opening allowing movement of the door along the second plane.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of PCT/SE01/02572 filed Nov. 21, 2001, which claims the benefit of priority from Swedish Patent Application No. 0004263-0, filed Nov. 21, 2000. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention concerns a vehicle door operating mechanism, specifically a mechanism for opening and closing a sliding door of a vehicle to provide access to the vehicle through an opening in a wall thereof. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     It is a general desire among vehicle constructors and designers to provide a sliding door operating mechanism, that includes a minimum of components and a minimum of adjustment places, and that is compact and flexible in its adaption to different vehicle types. 
     It is also a desire to provide a sliding door operating mechanism that makes opening of a vehicle door impossible during movement of the vehicle. 
     A further desire is to provide a sliding door operated by a reciprocating power means, such as a pneumatic piston movable within a cylinder, having a travel less than movement of said door between an open and a closed position. 
     A particular desire is to have access to a sliding door module ready for installation in a vehicle, such door module comprising a frame structure carrying one or more door leaves as well as devices for opening, closing and locking the door blade or blades. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention complies with the desires mentioned by providing a sliding door operating mechanism for a vehicle to provide access to said vehicle through an opening in a wall thereof, including sliding door means and reciprocating power means and transmission means for transmitting movement of said power means to said door means for performing opening, closing and locking movements thereof, which mechanism is characterized by a beam structure carrying said door means, said power means and said transmission means, said beam structure extending across and being accommodated within an upper portion of said opening so as to be slidingly movably driven by said power means between a relatively retracted position within said opening, in which said door means is located in a first plane in a closed position confined within said opening, and a relatively less retracted position, in which said door means is located in a second plane exteriorly of said opening allowing movement of said door means along said second plane. 
     Apart from the door means, also the reciprocating power means and the transmission means are carried by the beam structure, the power means being of the kind having a housing means and a rod means extendable and retractable relative to the housing means, such as a hydraulic, or, preferably, a pneumatic cylinder with an associated piston and piston rod, or an equivalent, fully mechanical device, such as a device transforming a rotational movement into a linear movement, or any other linear motor. The rod means is connected to the transmission means so as to transfer its movements to the door means, while the housing means is rigidly attached to a sliding member extending in the longitudinal direction of the beam structure and being slidable in that direction relative to the beam structure. 
     As stated above, in the less retracted position of the beam structure the door means is free to move in its opening direction, and, of course, in its closing direction, operated by the rod means of the power means. When in its fully closed position, however, the rod means cannot move further in its corresponding closing stroke direction. Instead, the housing of the power means moves in an opposite direction, and this movement causes a corresponding longitudinal displacement of the sliding member relative to the beam structure. This longitudinal displacement of the sliding member is transformed into a lateral movement of the beam structure and the door means. This may suitably be accomplished by means of co-operating cam means on the sliding member and stationary cam means, the beam structure being restricted from movement in its longitudinal direction, but guided for movement in its transverse direction, i.e., perpendicularly to the plane of the frame structure and the door means. This transverse movement of the beam structure and the upper portion of the door means is advantageously transferred to the bottom portion of the door means by a link system such that the door means is imparted a controlled, parallel movement. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will now be described more in detail in connection with a double door embodiment thereof, reference being made to the accompanying schematic drawings, wherein: 
     FIGS. 1 a  and  b  are side views of a section of a vehicle having a two-leaf sliding door shown in a closed and an open position, respectively; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 1 b  showing parts of the door operating mechanism; 
     FIGS. 3 a  and  b  are views looking upon upper portions of the door operating mechanism according to a first embodiment thereof, and the door from inside the vehicle in a closed and an open position, respectively; 
     FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b  are views from below looking upwards on the door operating mechanism of FIGS. 3 a  and  b  in an open and a closed position of the doors, respectively; 
     FIG. 5 is a part sectional view at an enlarged scale seen from the left in FIG. 4 a;    
     FIGS. 6 a, b  and  c  show a link system for controlling a lower part of the door; 
     FIG. 7 shows an upper portion of FIG. 6 b  at an enlarged scale; 
     FIG. 8 shows a lower portion of FIG. 6 b  at an enlarged scale; 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view from below of a second embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 10 is a side view of the left hand part of the second embodiment; 
     FIG. 11 is a side view of the right hand part of the second embodiment; and 
     FIG. 11 a  is a detail of FIG.  11 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In FIGS. 1 a  and  b  is shown a section of a railway carriage  1  having a body  2  supported by two bogies  3  and  4 . A sliding door  5  is shown having two door blades  6  and  7  slidable between a closed position shown in FIG. 1 a  and an open position shown in FIG. 1 b  and also shown in FIG. 2, the latter position giving access to the interior of the vehicle through an opening  8  in an exterior wall  9  thereof. The opening  8  may be defined by portions of the vehicle ceiling, side wall and floor, but it is preferred to form these elements from a rectangular frame structure  10  having vertical left and right (as seen from inside the vehicle) side members  11 ,  12 , a horizontal upper frame member  13  and a horizontal lower frame member  14  (indicated in FIG. 1 b  only). 
     A beam structure  15  having a substantially L-shaped cross section with a substantially horizontal web portion  16  and a substantially vertical flange portion  17  extends across the opening  8  between opposed faces of the frame members  11  and  12  and is carried by guide rollers  18 ,  19 , respectively, mounted in end plates  20 ,  21 , respectively, of the beam structure by means of bolts  22 ,  23 , respectively. Substantially horizontally directed U-shaped guide channels  24 ,  25  mounted in the frame members  11 ,  12 , respectively, receive the guide rollers  18 ,  19 , respectively, so as to guide horizontal movement of the beam structure  15  from a fully retracted position within the confines of the frame structure  10  shown in FIG. 4 b  to a more extended position shown in FIG. 4 a.    
     The door leaves  6  and  7  are carried by the beam structure so as to be flush with the exterior wall  9  of the vehicle in the fully retracted position of the beam structure (FIG. 4 a ) and also to be totally confined between the frame members  11  and  12  in that position which is the closed position of the door. In the less retracted position of the beam structure shown in FIG. 4 a , the door leaves are free to be opened as far as restriction by the frame members  11  and  12  is concerned. 
     The door leaves are carried by the beam structure by means of parallel guide rails  26 ,  27  each including a first member  28 ,  29 , respectively, attached to the flange portion  17 , and a second member  30 ,  31 , respectively, attached to the door leaf  6 ,  7 , respectively. The first and second guide rail members are mutually guided so as to be telescopingly extendable and retractable. In their fully retracted position shown in FIG. 4 b , the guide rails have an equal length substantially corresponding to the free width of the opening  8 , whereas they are extendable so as to bring the door leafs to their fully open position shown in FIG. 4 a . In that position, the guide rails are somewhat overlapping one another. 
     To control the reciprocating movement of the door leaves and of the beam structure it is preferred to use a pneumatic cylinder and piston device, whose cylinder or housing  32  is carried by the web portion  16  of the beam structure, while its piston rod  33  extends in the longitudinal direction of the beam structure. The free end of the piston rod is connected by means of a connecting piece  34  to an upper sling  35 ′ of a first endless belt  35  extending between two idling rollers  36 ,  37 . Roller  37  is carried by a shaft  38  journalled in a bracket  39  attached to the web portion  16 . Shaft  38  also carries an idling roller  40  having a larger diameter than roller  37 , preferably twice its diameter. A second endless belt  41  extends between roller  40  and a further idling roller  42 . A lower sling  41 ′ of belt  41  carries a first connecting piece  43  and an upper sling  41 ″ thereof carries a second connecting piece  44 . As appears from FIGS. 3 a  and  b , these connecting pieces are located at opposite ends of the slings  41 ′ and  41 ″ in the closed and open positions of the door. Both connecting pieces extend through a longish slot  45  in the flange portion  17  and are connected to a respective one of the door leaves  6 ,  7 . As seen in FIG. 5, an upwardly directed flange portion  46  of the connecting piece  44  is interposed between the door leaf  7  and the guide rail member  31  and connected to both. Correspondingly, a downwardly directed flange portion  47  of guide rail member  43  is interposed between door leaf  6  and guide rail member  30  (not shown). Shown in FIG. 5 is a spacer  48  keeping door leaf  7  clear from flange portion  47 . 
     As seen in FIGS. 3 b  and  4   a , the piston rod  33  is in its retracted position when the door is open. In that position, the connecting members  43 ,  44  are at one of their extreme positions. Extension of the piston rod will bring the upper sling  35 ′ of the belt  35  to the right of FIG. 3 b  and, consequently, rotate roller  37  in a clockwise direction. This rotation is transferred to roller  40  that will impart its movement to belt  41 , whose lower sling  41 ′ will move to the left and whose upper sling  41 ″ will move to the right bringing along connection pieces  43  and  44 , respectively, towards the closed position of the door. However, the stroke of the piston rod  33  is such, that it is not fully extended when the door leafs  6  and  7  reach a substantially abutting position shown in FIGS. 3 a  and  4   b . In that position, further movement of the piston and piston rod relative to the beam structure and the belt  35  is restricted. However, the cylinder  32  is now free to move relative to the beam structure and the piston. This is accomplished in that the cylinder is firmly connected to the beam structure by means of a slide member  49  shown in FIGS. 4 a  and  b  only. This slide member extends along a major portion of the beam structure and is slidably connected thereto in a manner allowing the cylinder to be carried thereby. Thus, movement of the cylinder relative to the beam structure will result in movement of the slide member relative to the beam structure. 
     Connected to the frame structure  10 , such as to its vertical frame members  11 ,  12 , or its upper frame member  13 , are two guide or cam plates  50 ,  51 , each having an straight, oblique guide slot  52 ,  53 , respectively. Close to its ends the slide member is provided with downwardly protruding studs or pins  54 ,  55  engaged in a respective one of the slots  52 ,  53 . 
     In the initial position, i.e., when the door is just closed, the cylinder  32 , the slide member  49  and the pins  54 ,  55  are in the positions shown in FIG. 4 a . As soon as the piston is restricted from further movement, the cylinder, the slide member and the pins start moving to the left in FIG. 4 a . Since the beam structure is prevented from lengthwise movement but free to move laterally guided by the guide rollers  18 ,  19  and guide channels  24 ,  25 , movement of the pins along the slots  52 ,  53  will transform into a lateral movement of the slide member and the beam structure towards its retracted position shown in FIG. 4 b.    
     It is evident, that in case the door leaves should encounter an object during their travel towards the closed position, that would restrict the door from closing, the cylinder would tend to move instead of the piston, thus moving towards the retracted position although the door leaves were not in the closed position. To prevent such situation, the door is provided with a guide means preventing inward movement of the door and the beam structure unless the door is in a closed position. In FIGS. 3 a ,  3   b  and  5  is shown such guide means comprising a guide roller  56  carried by one of the door leaves, in this case door leaf  7 , by means of an arm  57  attached to the upper edge of the door by a screw  58 . The roller engages in an L-shaped guide track  59  mounted in the upper frame member  13  and including one portion  60  extending in the direction of opening and closing movement of door leaf  7  and one portion  61  extending in the direction of retraction of the beam structure  15 . Thus, as long as the door leaf is moving along track portion  60 , any attempt to move in a perpendicular direction would be prevented, whereas, as soon as the roller  56  reaches track portion  61 , which connects to track portion  59  not before the fully closed position of the door, movement of the roller, the door and the beam structure is enabled. 
     As appears from the foregoing description, only the upper part of the door is properly controlled by the mechanism so far described. However, the present invention proposes means for control of the lower part of the door as well. Such means comprises the link system shown in FIGS. 6 a-c  and more in detail in FIGS. 7 and 8. It consists of an upper substantially L-shaped lever  62  having two arms  63 ,  64  and a lower correspondingly shaped lever  65  having two arms  66 ,  67 . Lever  62  is pivotably attached to frame member  11  at the intersection  68  between arms  63  and  64 , and lever  65  is likewise pivotably attached to frame member  11  at the intersection  69  between arms  66  and  67 . A link  70  is pivotably attached at one end to end plate  20  of beam structure  15  and at its other end to arm  63 . Thus, movement of the beam structure will rotate lever  62  about intersection  69 . Movement of arm  64  is transferred to the lower lever  65  by a rod  71  linked to the free end of arm  64  and to the free end of arm  66 . Thus, rotation of lever  62  will be transferred to lever  65 . The free end of its arm  67  is pivoted to one end of a link  71  whose other end is linked to an inner end of a horizontally guided bar  72  which is guided by means of two rollers  73 ,  74  in a guide track  75  resembling guide track  59 . A vertical shaft  76  carries a guide roller  77  that engages in an L-shaped guide rail  78  inwardly protruding from door leaf  7  and having a vertical flange  79 . Thus, lateral movement of beam structure  15  will be transferred into a corresponding lateral movement of bar  72  and roller  77  which in turn influences the door by contact against flange  79  or the door leaf  7  itself. A corresponding link system is arranged for the other door leaf  6 . 
     Returning to FIGS. 4 a  and  b , it will be seen that the straight slots  52 ,  53  terminate with short slot portions  52 ′,  53 ′, respectively, that are directed perpendicularly to the lateral direction of movement of the beams structure. Thus, having reached these slot portions  52 ′,  53 ′, as shown in FIG. 4 b , the pins  54 ,  55 , and with them the slide member  49 , the beam structure  15  and the door will be prevented from moving in the lateral direction enabling opening of the door. 
     The second embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 9-11 utilises a wheel and belt combination as power means. An electric motor  80  drives a worm gear  81  driving in turn a belt wheel  82 , preferably a toothed wheel. The motor, the gear and the wheel are fixed to the beam structure  15  in a corresponding manner as the cylinder  32 . A belt  83 , preferably a toothed belt, is driven by the wheel  82 . A lower part  84  of the belt is held around a major portion of the circumference of the wheel  82  by two idling rollers  85 ,  86  to form an Ω like sling as shown in FIG. 11 a . The ends of the belt are guided by idling rollers  87 ,  88  between the upper part  89  of the belt runs. The lower part  84  carries a first door leaf supporting clamp member  90  (FIG.  10 ), whereas the upper part  89  carries a second door leaf supporting clamp member  91  (FIG.  11 ). 
     In the second embodiment, the motor  80 , the worm gear  81  and the belt wheel  82  are analogous with the cylinder  32  in the first embodiment, whereas the belt  83  is analogous with the combination of the piston rod  33 , the first belt  35  and the second belt  41 .