Patent Publication Number: US-2022219589-A1

Title: Vehicle equipped with slope device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-003282 filed on Jan. 13, 2021, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The disclosure relates to the structure of a vehicle that is equipped with a slope device that deploys a slope outward of the vehicle. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     In recent years, there has been proposed a configuration in which a slope device is mounted at a lower portion of an entrance of a shared-ride vehicle for wheelchair users to enhance the ease in getting on and off the shared-ride vehicle (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-116112 (JP 2019-116112 A)). 
     Besides, there is proposed a vehicle configured such that an auxiliary step in which a slope plate is stored is moved to a service position as a side door rotatably supported on a lateral portion of a vehicle body rotates in an opening direction and the slope plate is extracted from the auxiliary step to enable people to get on and off the vehicle through the use of a slope (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-18767 (JP 2009-18767 A)). 
     SUMMARY 
     By the way, the slope device is often configured such that a control unit performs rotational control of a drive motor to deploy and store the slope. In this case, the slope may be deployed due to malfunction of the control unit or the like when deployment of the slope is unnecessary. 
     It is thus an object of the disclosure to restrain the slope from being deployed unexpectedly. 
     A vehicle of the disclosure includes a body that includes a floor panel constituting a floor of a vehicle interior that is boarded by a passenger, a door that is attached to the body, a door lock mechanism that includes a hook engaging the body, and that is attached to a lower portion of the door to lock the door on the body, and a slope device that is attached to a lower side of the floor panel to deploy a slope outward of the vehicle and store the slope. A tip of the hook of the door lock mechanism penetrates the floor panel downward outside a vehicle outer end of the slope at a storage position with respect to the vehicle, and restrains the slope at the storage position from being deployed outward of the vehicle, when the door lock mechanism locks the door on the body. 
     In the case where the slope is stored and the door is locked, the tip of the hook of the lock mechanism mechanically restrains the slope at the storage position from being deployed. Therefore, the slope can be restrained from being deployed even in the case where a control unit of the slope device malfunctions. 
     In the vehicle of the disclosure, the tip of the hook may penetrate the floor panel downward, and reach an area below an upper surface of the slope at the storage position. 
     Thus, the tip of the hook closes up a deployment passage of the slope at the storage position. Therefore, an end portion of the slope outside the vehicle contacts the tip of the hook, so the slope is mechanically restrained from being deployed outward of the vehicle. Thus, the slope can be restrained from being deployed even in the case where the control unit of the slope device malfunctions. 
     In the vehicle of the disclosure, the door lock mechanism may include a striker that is engaged by the hook, and the striker may be attached to the floor panel, outside the vehicle outer end of the slope at the storage position with respect to the vehicle. 
     Owing to this configuration, the hook engages the striker outside the vehicle outer end of the slope with respect to the vehicle, and the tip of the hook reaches the area below the upper surface of the slope outside the vehicle outer end of the slope at the storage position with respect to the vehicle. Therefore, the slope can be restrained from being deployed even in the case where the control unit of the slope device malfunctions. 
     In the vehicle of the disclosure, the door lock mechanism may include a striker that is engaged by the hook, and the striker may be attached to the body below the slope, outside the vehicle outer end of the slope at the storage position with respect to the vehicle. 
     Owing to this configuration, the tip of the hook attached to the door engages the striker attached to the body below the slope. Therefore, the hook is connected to the door and the body above and below the slope respectively to close up the deployment passage of the slope, outside the vehicle outer end of the slope with respect to the vehicle. Thus, the strength of connection of the hook to the body increases, and hence the slope can be more reliably restrained from being deployed unexpectedly. 
     The disclosure can restrain the slope from being deployed unexpectedly. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like signs denote like elements, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a state where doors of a vehicle of one of the embodiments are closed and a slope is stored; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing a state where the doors of the vehicle shown in  FIG. 1  are opened and the slope is deployed; 
         FIG. 3  is a partially cross-sectional perspective view showing a floor panel, a slope device, and a door lock mechanism of the vehicle as viewed along a line A-A shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view showing the floor panel, the slope device, and the door lock mechanism of the vehicle as viewed along the line A-A shown in  FIG. 1 , and is a view showing an unlocked state of the door lock mechanism; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view showing a locked state of the door lock mechanism shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view showing a door lock mechanism, a floor panel, and a slope device of a vehicle according to another one of the embodiments, and is a cross-sectional view showing an unlocked state of the door lock mechanism; and 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view showing a locked state of the door lock mechanism of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     A vehicle  100  of one of the embodiments will be described hereinafter with reference to the drawings. Incidentally, arrows FR, UP, and RH shown in each of the drawings indicate a forward direction (a traveling direction), an upward direction, and a rightward direction of the vehicle  100  respectively. Besides, the opposite directions of the arrows FR, UP, and RH indicate a backward direction, a downward direction, and a leftward direction of the vehicle respectively. In the case where the description will be given simply by using a longitudinal direction, a lateral direction, and a vertical direction, it is assumed that the front and back in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the right and left in the lateral direction of the vehicle (a vehicle width direction), and the top and bottom in the vertical direction of the vehicle are meant respectively, unless otherwise specified. 
     In the following description, the vehicle  100  will be described as an electric automobile that can autonomously run through automated driving, but is not limited thereto. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the vehicle  100  includes a body  101 , a door device  10 , a slope device  20 , a vehicle control device  31 , a communication device  32 , a position detection device  33 , a sensor  34 , a drive motor  35 , a battery  36 , and a wheel  37 . Incidentally,  FIG. 1  shows a state where doors  12  of the vehicle  100  are closed and a slope  22  is stored. 
     The body  101  is longitudinally symmetrical, and is equipped with a vehicle interior  102  in which a passenger rides, and a floor panel  103  that constitutes a floor of the vehicle interior  102 . The floor panel  103  of the vehicle interior  102  is flat, and a seat (not shown) in which the passenger is seated is arranged in the vehicle interior  102 . 
     The door device  10  is constituted of the doors  12  as a double door that is provided on a lateral surface of the body  101  and that slides along the lateral surface of the body  101 , a motor  13  that opens and closes the doors  12 , and a control unit  14  that controls the operation of the motor  13 . Besides, door lock mechanisms  40  that lock the doors  12  on the floor panel  103  of the body  101  are attached to lower portions of the doors  12  respectively. The control unit  14  makes a changeover between a locked state and an unlocked state of the door lock mechanisms  40 . 
     The slope device  20  is provided on a lower side of the floor panel  103 . The slope device  20  is constituted of the plate-shaped slope  22  that is deployed outward of the body  101  in the vehicle width direction, a casing  21  that stores the slope  22 , a motor  23  that deploys and stores the slope  22 , and a control unit  24  that controls the motor  23 . 
     The vehicle control device  31 , the communication device  32 , the position detection device  33 , and the sensor  34  are arranged inside the body  101 . The battery  36  is arranged beside the slope device  20  below the floor panel  103 . The drive motor  35  of the vehicle  100  is an in-wheel motor built inside the wheel  37 . Incidentally, the drive motor  35  may be configured to be mounted on the body  101  to drive the wheel  37 , instead of being configured as an in-wheel motor. The vehicle control device  31  causes the vehicle  100  to run autonomously, by performing drive control of the drive motor  35  based on a current position detected by the position detection device  33 , a running state detected by the sensor  34  such as a speed sensor or an acceleration sensor, and operation information such as a destination from the communication device  32 . Besides, the vehicle control device  31  causes the door device  10  and the slope device  20  to open and close the doors  12  and deploy and store the slope  22 , respectively. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , when the vehicle  100  is stopped and the passenger gets on and off the vehicle, the door lock mechanisms  40  are rendered in the unlocked state to open the doors  12  for allowing the passenger to get on and off the vehicle. When the doors  12  are opened, the vehicle interior  102  having the flat floor comes into view. Besides, when the vehicle  100  is stopped and the doors  12  are opened, the slope device  20  deploys the slope  22  outward of the body  101  in the vehicle width direction. A tip of the deployed slope  22  is in contact with a sidewalk  82 , and constitutes a passage through which the passenger on the sidewalk  82  gets on and off the floor panel  103  of the vehicle  100 . 
     Next, each of the door lock mechanisms  40  attached to the lower portions of the doors  12  will be described with reference to  FIGS. 3 to 5 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the door lock mechanism  40  is constituted of a base  41 , an outer hook  42   a , an inner hook  42   b , an outer link  46   a , an inner link  46   b , an operational lever  49 , and a striker  51 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the base  41  is a plate-shaped member having a surface attached to a frame  15  constituted of an outer panel  15   a  and an inner panel  15   b  of the door  12  (see  FIG. 4 ) in such a manner as to extend in the vehicle width direction. The outer hook  42   a  and the inner hook  42   b  are rotatably attached around a lower shaft  45  attached to a lower portion of the base  41 , on a plane extending in the vehicle width direction. It should be noted herein that the lower shaft  45  is attached to the base  41  in such a manner as to be located outside a vehicle-width-direction outer end  22   a  of the slope  22  at the storage position in the vehicle width direction. The outer hook  42   a  and the inner hook  42   b  are equipped with recess portions  44   a  and  44   b  that engage an outer periphery of the striker  51  extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and tip portions  43   a  and  43   b  extending in the opposite direction of the lower shaft  45  from the recess portions  44   a  and  44   b , respectively. 
     The operational lever  49  is fixed to an upper shaft  50  attached to a position closer to the vehicle interior than the lower shaft  45  of the base  41  above the lower shaft  45 . The upper shaft  50  is rotatably attached to the base  41 . Besides, the upper shaft  50  is connected to a drive mechanism (not shown) to be driven rotationally. An upper connection pin  48  is attached to one end of the operational lever  49 , and upper portions of the outer link  46   a  and the inner link  46   b  are rotatably attached around the upper connection pin  48 . Besides, lower connection pins  47   a  and  47   b  are attached to the other side of the recess portions  44   a  and  44   b  of the outer hook  42   a  and the inner hook  42   b  respectively, and lower portions of the outer link  46   a  and the inner link  46   b  are rotatably attached around the lower connection pins  47   a  and  47   b  on a plane extending in the vehicle width direction. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , an opening  103   a  is provided through a region of the floor panel  103  corresponding to the lower portion of the door  12 . Besides, an opening  25  is also provided through an upper panel  21   a  of the casing  21  of the slope device  20 . Besides, the slope  22  of the slope device  20  is stored. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the striker  51  is attached inside the opening  103   a  of the floor panel  103  in such a manner as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Besides, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the striker  51  is arranged at a position outside the vehicle-width-direction outer end  22   a  of the slope  22  at the storage position in the vehicle width direction, as is the case with the lower shaft  45 . Incidentally, in the vehicle  100  of the present embodiment, the position of the lower shaft  45  in the vehicle width direction is the same as the position of the striker  51  in the vehicle width direction. However, as long as the lower shaft  45  and the striker  51  are located outside the vehicle-width-direction outer end  22   a  of the slope  22  at the storage position in the vehicle width direction, the positions thereof in the vehicle width direction may be different from each other. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , when the upper shaft  50  is rotated counterclockwise as indicated by an arrow  91  by a drive mechanism (not shown), the operational lever  49  rotates counterclockwise as indicated by the arrow  91 . The operational lever  49  then moves the upper connection pin  48  downward, and the upper connection pin  48  moves the upper portions of the outer link  46   a  and the inner link  46   b  downward, and moves the lower portions of the outer link  46   a  and the inner link  46   b  outward in the vehicle width direction and inward of the vehicle interior respectively. Thus, the lower connection pins  47   a  and  47   b  also move outward in the vehicle width direction and inward of the vehicle interior respectively. Therefore, the outer hook  42   a  rotates counterclockwise around the lower shaft  45  as indicated by an arrow  92   a , and the recess portion  44   a  engages an outer side of the striker  51  in the vehicle width direction. Besides, the inner hook  42   b  rotates clockwise around the lower shaft  45  as indicated by an arrow  92   b , and the recess portion  44   b  engages an inner side of the striker  51  with respect to the vehicle interior. 
     Besides, when the outer hook  42   a  rotates counterclockwise as indicated by the arrow  92   a , the tip portion  43   a  protrudes below the upper panel  21   a  through the opening  103   a  provided through the floor panel  103  and the opening  25  provided through the upper panel  21   a  of the casing  21  of the slope device  20 . By the same token, when the inner hook  42   b  rotates clockwise as indicated by the arrow  92   b , the tip portion  43   b  protrudes below the upper panel  21   a  through the opening  103   a  and the opening  25 . In this manner, the tip portions  43   a  and  43   b  of the outer hook  42   a  and the inner hook  42   b  penetrate the floor panel  103  downward through the openings  103   a  and  25 , and reach an area below an upper surface of the slope  22  at the storage position. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the slope device  20  stores the slope  22 . The striker  51  is arranged at such a position that the tip portion  43   b  does not interfere with the slope  22  when the inner hook  42   b  rotates as indicated by the arrow  92   b , outside the vehicle-width-direction outer end  22   a  of the slope  22  at the storage position in the vehicle width direction. Accordingly, the tip portions  43   a  and  43   b  of the outer hook  42   a  and the inner hook  42   b  penetrate the floor panel  103  downward outside the vehicle-width-direction outer end  22   a  of the slope  22  at the storage position in the vehicle width direction, and reach the area below the upper surface of the slope  22 . Therefore, the tip portions  43   a  and  43   b  close up part of the passage  29  for deploying the slope  22  outward in the vehicle width direction, and restrain the slope  22  from being deployed outward in the vehicle width direction. 
     Besides, the recess portions  44   a  and  44   b  of the outer hook  42   a  and the inner hook  42   b  of each of the door lock mechanisms  40  engage the striker  51  of the floor panel  103 , and enter the opening  103   a  of the floor panel  103  to engage the floor panel  103 . Thus, the door lock mechanisms  40  lock the doors  12  on the body  101  to prevent the doors  12  from being opened in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. 
     As described above, in the case where the slope  22  is stored and the doors  12  are locked, the tip portions  43   a  and  43   b  of the outer hook  42   a  and the inner hook  42   b  of each of the door lock mechanisms  40  close up part of the deployment passage  29  of the slope  22  at the storage position. Thus, the vehicle-width-direction outer end  22   a  of the slope  22  is in contact with the tip portions  43   a  and  43   b , so the slope  22  is restrained from being deployed outward in the vehicle width direction. In this manner, the tip portions  43   a  and  43   b  mechanically restrain the slope  22  at the storage position from being deployed, and the slope  22  can be restrained from being deployed even in the case where the control unit  24  of the slope device  20  malfunctions. 
     In the foregoing description, the base  41  is a plate-shaped member attached to the frame  15  of each of the doors  12  in such a manner that the surface of the base  41  extends in the vehicle width direction, the outer hook  42   a , the inner hook  42   b , the outer link  46   a , the inner link  46   b , and the operational lever  49  can rotate on the plane extending in the vehicle width direction, and the striker  51  is attached to the floor panel  103  in such a manner as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the base  41  is attached to the frame  15  in such a manner that the surface of the base  41  extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the outer hook  42   a , the inner hook  42   b , the outer link  46   a , the inner link  46   b , and the operational lever  49  can rotate on the plane extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the striker  51  is attached to the floor panel  103  in such a manner as to extend in the vehicle width direction. In the case of this configuration, it is appropriate to locate rotating surfaces of the outer hook  42   a  and the inner hook  42   b  outside the vehicle-width-direction outer end  22   a  of the slope  22  at the storage position in the vehicle width direction, and to ensure that the tip portions  43   a  and  43   b  penetrate below the upper surface of the slope  22  at the position of the vehicle-width-direction outer end  22   a  of the slope  22  when the outer hook  42   a  and the inner hook  42   b  come into contact with the striker  51 . 
     Next, another door lock mechanism  140  mounted in a vehicle  110  of another one of the embodiments will be described with reference to  FIGS. 6 and 7 . Components identical to those of the vehicle  100  and the door lock mechanisms  40  described hereinabove with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 5  are denoted by the same reference symbols respectively, and the description thereof will be omitted. 
     In the vehicle  110  of the embodiment, the floor panel  103  is provided with an opening  103   b  that is larger than the opening  103   a  provided through the floor panel  103  of the vehicle  100  of  FIG. 5 . Besides, an opening  25   a  that is larger than the opening  25  provided through the upper panel  21   a  of the slope device  20  of the vehicle  100  of  FIG. 5  is provided through the upper panel  21   a  of the slope device  20 , and an opening  26  is provided through a lower panel  21   b . In the stored state, the slope  22  is stored such that a tip portion  143  does not interfere with the slope  22  when a hook  142  rotates as indicated by an arrow  94  as shown in  FIG. 7 , as will be described later. Besides, the body  101  is equipped with a cross member  104  that is arranged below the slope device  20  and that extends in the vehicle width direction. 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the door lock mechanism  140  of the embodiment is constituted of a base  141 , the hook  142 , a shaft  145 , and a striker  151 . The base  141  is attached to the frame  15  of each of the doors  12  in such a manner that the surface of the base  141  extends in the vehicle width direction. The shaft  145  is attached to a lower portion of the base  141 , and the striker  151  is attached to the cross member  104  of the body  101  of the vehicle  110  in such a manner as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, so as to be located outside the vehicle-width-direction outer end  22   a  of the slope  22  at the storage position in the vehicle width direction, below the slope device  20 . One end of the hook  142  is fixed to the shaft  145 . The shaft  145  is rotatably attached to the base  141 . Besides, the shaft  145  is connected to a drive mechanism (not shown) and is driven rotationally. A recess portion  144  that engages an outer periphery of the striker  151  is provided at the other end of the hook  142 . The hook  142  is longer than the inner hook  42   b  from the shaft  145  to the recess portion  144 , since the hook  142  is longer than the inner hook  42   b  of each of the door lock mechanisms  40  between the shaft  145  and the striker  151 . Besides, the tip portion  143  is different from the inner hook  42   b  in that the tip portion  143  does not protrude from the recess portion  144  in the opposite direction of the shaft  145 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , when the shaft  145  is rotated clockwise as indicated by an arrow  93  by a drive device (not shown), the hook  142  rotates clockwise as indicated by the arrow  94 , and the recess portion  144  and the tip portion  143  protrude downward of the lower panel  21   b  through the opening  103   a  provided through the floor panel  103 , the opening  25  provided through the upper panel  21   a  of the casing  21  of the slope device  20 , and the opening  26  provided through the lower panel  21   b . The recess portion  144  then engages a vehicle interior side of the striker  151  arranged below the lower panel  21   b.    
     The striker  151  is located outside the vehicle-width-direction outer end  22   a  of the slope  22  at the storage position in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the recess portion  144  at the tip of the hook  142  engages the striker  151  outside the vehicle-width-direction outer end  22   a  in the vehicle width direction, below the slope  22 . Therefore, the hook  142  is connected to each of the doors  12  and the cross member  104  of the body  101  outside the vehicle-width-direction outer end  22   a  of the slope  22  above and below the slope  22  in the vehicle width direction, and closes up the deployment passage  29  of the slope  22 . Thus, the strength of the hook  142  in a sliding direction is increased. When the slope  22  is about to be deployed outward in the vehicle width direction, the vehicle-width-direction outer end  22   a  comes into contact with the hook  142  to restrain the slope  22  from being deployed outward in the vehicle width direction. Accordingly, the slope  22  can be effectively restrained from being deployed even in the case where the control unit  24  of the slope device  20  malfunctions. 
     Besides, the door lock mechanism  140  is constituted of the single hook  142 , the single striker  151 , and the single shaft  145 , and is simpler in configuration than each of the door lock mechanisms  40 . It is therefore possible to effectively restrain the slope  22  from being deployed with a simple configuration. 
     In the foregoing description, the door lock mechanism  140  is described as being constituted of the single hook  142 , the single striker  151 , and the single shaft  145 . However, as is the case with the door lock mechanisms  40 , the door lock mechanism  140  may be constituted of an inner hook, an outer hook, an outer link, an inner link, and an operational lever, and may be configured such that a recess portion of the outer hook and a recess portion of the inner hook engage the outer side of the striker  151  in the vehicle width direction and the inner side of the striker  151  with respect to the vehicle interior respectively. 
     Besides, the striker  151  may be attached to a structural member of the body  101  in such a manner as to extend in the vehicle width direction, the base  141  may be attached to the frame  15  of each of the doors  12  such that the surface of the base  141  extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the hook  142  may be configured to be rotatable on a plane extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In this case, it is appropriate to adopt a configuration in which a rotating surface of the hook  142  is located outside the vehicle-width-direction outer end  22   a  of the slope  22  at the storage position in the vehicle width direction, and the tip portion  143  is located outside the vehicle-width-direction outer end  22   a  of the slope  22  in the vehicle width direction when the hook  142  engages the striker  151 . 
     Besides, the striker  151  has been described as being attached to the cross member  104  of the body  101 . However, as long as the striker  151  is structurally connected to the body  101 , the striker  151  may not be directly attached to the body  101 . For example, the striker  151  may be configured to be attached to the lower panel  21   b  of the slope device  20  attached to the body  101 . 
     In the foregoing description, the doors  12  of the vehicle  100  or  110  have been described as being a pair of double sliding doors provided on the lateral surface of the body  101 , but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The doors  12  may be a pair of rotary opening/closing doors attached to the lateral surface of the body  101 . 
     Besides, the doors  12  may be arranged in front of or behind the vehicle  100  or  110 , and the slope device  20  may be configured to deploy the slope  22  outward of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.