Patent Publication Number: US-7591493-B2

Title: Door opening/closing device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-159078, filed Jun. 7, 2006, all of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a door opening/closing device that permits an opening movement of a door with respect to a vehicle body by releasing a closed-door holding mechanism (CR) when an inside handle is operated to open the door, and permits a closing movement of the door with respect to the vehicle body by releasing an open-door holding mechanism when the inside handle is operated to close the door. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A vehicle having a slide door usually has a closed-door holding means and an open-door holding means provided between a vehicle body and the slide door. The closed-door holding means holds the slide door in a closed state with respect to the vehicle body, and on the other hand, the open-door holding means holds the slide door in an open state with respect to the vehicle body. 
     A door opening/closing device used for the vehicle of the type generally includes a door opening lever that releases the closed-door holding means when an inside handle is turned to open the door and a door closing lever that releases the open-door holding unit when the inside handle is turned to close the door. If the inside handle is operated to open the door when the slide door is in the closed state, the closed-door holding means is released by the turning of the door opening lever, so that the slide door can be moved to open. On the other hand, if the inside handle is operated to close the door when the slide door is in the open state, the open-door holding means is released by the turning of the door closing lever, so that the slide door can be moved to close (for example, see Japanese Patent No. 2001-182402). 
     In the above door opening/closing device, because the inside handle and the door opening lever and door closing lever are configured as an integral mechanism, when these elements are installed on a vehicle, these elements need not be handled individually, so that the door opening/closing device can be installed easily. However, work for installing a link rod and a wire cable between the inside handle and the door opening lever and door closing lever to transmit the power needs to be performed, so that the assembling work of the door opening/closing device itself is very troublesome. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to at least partially solve the problems in the conventional technology. 
     According to an aspect of the present invention, a door opening/closing device that permits an opening movement of a door with respect to a vehicle body by releasing a closed-door holding mechanism when an inside handle is operated to open the door, and that permits a closing movement of the door with respect to the vehicle body by releasing an open-door holding mechanism when the inside handle is operated to close the door, includes a door operating lever that releases the closed-door holding mechanism when being turned to a first direction and releases the open-door holding mechanism when being turned to a second direction is arranged on a base plate by means of a rotating shaft member, and an operation output mechanism is formed on the inside handle so as to engage with the door operating lever, wherein when the inside handle is operated to open or close the door, the door operating lever is turned in a desired direction by bringing the operation output mechanism into contact with the door operating lever; and an intermediate lever that transmits the turning operation to the second direction of the door operating lever to the open-door holding mechanism is arranged on the base plate by means of the rotating shaft member. 
     The above and other objects, features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of this invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a slide door that includes a door opening/closing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of a four-wheel vehicle with the slide door shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a view of a control unit for the door opening/closing device shown in  FIG. 1  as viewed from inside of the vehicle (hereinafter, “vehicle interior side”); 
         FIG. 4  depicts a detailed structure of the control unit shown in  FIG. 3  as viewed from the vehicle interior side; 
         FIG. 5  is depicts a detailed structure of the control unit shown in  FIG. 3  as viewed from outside of the vehicle (hereinafter, “vehicle exterior side”); 
         FIG. 6  is a view of a base plate in the control unit shown in  FIG. 3  as viewed from the vehicle interior side; 
         FIG. 7  is a view of a door operating lever in the control unit shown in  FIG. 3  as viewed from the vehicle interior side; 
         FIG. 8  is a view of a link lever in the control unit shown in  FIG. 3  as viewed from the vehicle interior side; 
         FIG. 9  is a view of a child lock lever in the control unit shown in  FIG. 3  as viewed from the vehicle interior side; 
         FIG. 10  is a view of an open lever in the control unit shown in  FIG. 3  as viewed from the vehicle interior side; 
         FIG. 11  is a view of an open sub lever in the control unit shown in  FIG. 3  as viewed from the vehicle interior side; 
         FIG. 12  is a view of a lower open lever in the control unit shown in  FIG. 3  as viewed from the vehicle interior side; 
         FIG. 13  is a view of an open handle lever in the control unit shown in  FIG. 3  as viewed from the vehicle interior side; 
         FIG. 14  is a view of a locking lever in the control unit shown in  FIG. 3  as viewed from the vehicle interior side; 
         FIG. 15  is a sectional side view of an inside handle in the door opening/closing device shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 16  is a transverse sectional view of a state in which the inside handle shown in  FIG. 15  is operated to open the door; 
         FIG. 17  is a transverse sectional view of a state in which the inside handle shown in  FIG. 15  is operated to close the door; 
         FIG. 18  is a schematic view of the initial state of the control unit shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 19  is a schematic view of a state in which an inside handle is operated to open the door in the control unit shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 20  is a schematic view of a state in which an inside handle is operated to close the door in the control unit shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 21  is a schematic view of a state in which an outside handle is operated in the control unit shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 22  is a schematic view of the locked state of the control unit shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 23  is a schematic view of a state in which an inside handle is operated to open the door when the control unit shown in  FIG. 3  is in the locked state; 
         FIG. 24  is a schematic view of a state in which an outside handle is operated when the control unit shown in  FIG. 3  is in the locked state; 
         FIG. 25  is a schematic view of the child lock state of the control unit shown in  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 26  is a schematic view of a state in which an inside handle is operated to open the door when the control unit shown in  FIG. 3  is in the child lock state. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  schematically shows a door opening/closing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The door opening/closing device is configured so that when an inside handle IH is operated or when an outside handle OH is operated, a control unit  100  is operated appropriately to control the operation of any one of a closed-door latch unit CR and an open-door latch unit OR and both. The closed-door latch unit CR and the open-door latch unit OR are provided between a vehicle body B of a four-wheel vehicle and a slide door D as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     A slide door D that employs the door opening/closing device opens and closes an ingress-egress opening DO by sliding back and forth along the side of the vehicle body B. Only the sliding door D arranged on the right-hand side of the vehicle body B (for a right-hand drive vehicle, a door arranged on the rear side of driver seat) is explained below. Because, the slide door arranged on the left-hand side of the vehicle body B has a structure symmetrical to that of the sliding door D arranged on the right-hand side. 
     The closed-door latch unit CR forms a closed-door holding unit that (mechanism) holds the slide door D in the closed state with respect to the vehicle body B. The closed-door latch unit CR is provided between the rear edge portion of the slide door D and the vehicle body B, and is also provided between the front edge portion of the slide door D and the vehicle body B. The closed-door latch unit CR provided between the rear edge portion of the slide door D and the vehicle body B has a closer device CL. The closer device CL, which is an actuator incorporating a clutch mechanism (not shown), functions so as to transfer the closed-door latch unit CR into a fully latched state on condition that the clutch mechanism is in the engaged state when the closed-door latch unit CR becomes in a half latched state. The closed-door latch unit CR is configured so that even during the time when the closed-door latch unit CR transfers from the half latched state to the fully latched state, if the clutch mechanism turns from the engaged state to the disengaged state, the transfer operation is immediately interrupted. 
     The open-door latch unit OR forms an open-door holding unit that holds the slide door D in the open state with respect to the vehicle body B, and is provided between a support frame SF provided on the slide door D and the vehicle body B. The support frame SF is a unit that serves as a guide when the slide door D is slidingly moved with respect to the vehicle body B. The support frame SF is provided so as to project from the front lower end portion of a door inner panel IP toward the inside of vehicle. 
     Although not shown in the figures, the closed-door latch unit CR and the open-door latch unit OR have the same construction as those of the typical example: for example, the closed-door latch unit CR and the open-door latch unit OR have a latch engaging toothingly with a striker provided on the vehicle body B and a ratchet that controls the movement of the latch. 
       FIGS. 3 to 14  show a construction example of the control unit  100  used in this embodiment. The control unit  100  typically shown in these figures is mounted on an outer surface upper part on the vehicle interior side on the door inner panel IP of the slide door D via a base plate  101 . The control unit  100  has an inside-handle lever shaft  102 , which is a rotating shaft member, provided on the base plate  101 . Also, in the control unit  100 , a door operating lever  110 , a lower open lever (intermediate lever)  160 , and a link lever  120  are provided on the inside-handle lever shaft  102 , and a child lock lever  130  is provided in a portion surrounding the inside-handle lever shaft  102  on the base plate  101 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the door operating lever  110  is arranged at the tip end of the inside-handle lever shaft  102  so as to turn around the axis of the inside-handle lever shaft  102  on the back surface side of the base plate  101  (the vehicle outside), and, as shown in  FIG. 7 , has a link engagement unit  112 , an inside-handle engagement unit  113 , and a first spring engagement unit  115 , which are provided around a disc-shaped operating lever base  111 . 
     The link engagement unit  112  is a unit that extends from a portion located on the vehicle front side of the operating lever base  111  toward the vehicle front side. 
     The inside-handle engagement unit  113  is a unit that extends from a portion located on the lower side of the operating lever base  111  substantially toward the downside, and has an extension end portion formed so as to be wide toward the vehicle rear side. The inside-handle engagement unit  113  is formed so as to have a length sufficiently larger than the link engagement unit  112 . The inside-handle engagement unit  113  has a door-opening detecting unit  116  provided in a side edge portion located on the vehicle front side, and also has an output-unit engagement hole  117  and a door-closing detecting unit  118 , which are provided in the wide extension end portion. 
     The door-opening detecting unit  116  is a unit that extends toward the vehicle front side so as to be inclined downward and then extends toward the vehicle rear side so as to be inclined downward. The door-opening detecting unit  116  separates from a first door-operation detecting sensor S 1  provided on the base plate  101  when the inside-handle engagement unit  113  is in a downward extending state, and on the other hand, comes into contact with the first door-operation detecting sensor S 1  to turn on the sensor S 1  when the door operating lever  110  turns counterclockwise in  FIG. 5 . The output-unit engagement hole  117  is formed in the extension end portion of the inside-handle engagement unit  113  so as to form a front-side contact surface  117   a  in a portion located on the vehicle front side and a rear-side contact surface  117   b  in a portion located on the vehicle rear side. As shown in  FIG. 4 , a portion in which the output-unit engagement hole  117  is formed in the inside-handle engagement unit  113  is exposed to the top surface side (the vehicle inside) via an insertion window hole  101   a  formed in the base plate  101 . The door-closing detecting unit  118  is a unit projecting from the tip end of the inside-handle engagement unit  113  in the diameter outside direction of the inside-handle lever shaft  102 . The door-closing detecting unit  118  separates from a second door-operation detecting sensor S 2  provided on the base plate  101  when the inside-handle engagement unit  113  is in a downward extending state, and on the other hand, comes into contact with the second door-operation detecting sensor S 2  to turn on the sensor S 2  when the door operating lever  110  turns clockwise in  FIG. 5 . 
     The first spring-engagement unit  115  is a unit that extends from a portion located on the upper side of the operating lever base  111  toward the upside. With the first spring engagement unit  115 , a return spiral spring  103  is engaged, the return spiral spring  103  being provided between the first spring-engagement unit  115  and a spring engagement base  101   b  provided on the base plate  101 . The return spiral spring  103  serves to hold the door operating lever  110  at the normal position at which the inside-handle engagement unit  113  extends downward. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the lower open lever  160  is located between the base plate  101  and the door operating lever  110  on the back surface side of the base plate  101 , and is arranged on the inside-handle lever shaft  102  so as to be turnable around the axis of the inside-handle lever shaft  102 . As shown in  FIG. 12 , the lower open lever  160  has a door-operating-lever connecting unit  162  and a third wire-cable connecting unit  163 , which are provided around a disc-shaped lower open-lever base  161 . 
     The door-operating-lever connecting unit  162 , which is a unit that extends from a portion located on the vehicle front side of the lower open-lever base  161  toward the upside, has an engagement convex portion  162   a . The engagement convex portion  162   a  is a portion that bendingly extends from an edge portion along the upper end of the door-operating-lever connecting unit  162  toward the vehicle outside, and a portion located on the vehicle rear side engages contactingly with a portion located on the vehicle front side of the first spring-engagement unit  115  of the door operating lever  110 . To the tip end of the portion that bendingly extends toward the vehicle outside of the door-operating-lever connecting unit  162 , a second coil spring  164  is connected. The second coil spring  164  is interposed between the door-operating-lever connecting unit  162  and the base plate  101  to always urge the lower open lever  160  counterclockwise in  FIG. 5 . 
     The third wire-cable connecting unit  163  is a unit that extends from a portion located on the vehicle rear side of the lower open-lever base  161  toward the vehicle rear side. To the third wire-cable connecting unit  163 , one end of a third wire cable WC 3  is connected. The other end of the third wire cable WC 3  is connected to the open-door latch unit OR, and when the third wire cable WC 3  is pulled, the open-door latch unit OR is released. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the link lever  120  is located between the base plate  101  and the lower open lever  160  on the back surface side of the base plate  101 , and is arranged on the inside-handle lever shaft  102  so as to be turnable around the axis of the inside-handle lever shaft  102 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , the link lever  120  has a pin slide unit  122 , a link-slide connecting unit  123 , and a second spring-engagement unit  124 , which are provided around a disc-shaped link lever base  121 . 
     The pin slide unit  122 , which is a unit that extends from a portion located on the vehicle front side of the link lever base  121  toward the vehicle front side, is formed so as to have a length longer than the link engagement unit  112  of the door operating lever  110 . In the pin slide unit  122 , a pin slide groove  122   a  is provided so as to extend in the radial direction with respect to the axis of the inside-handle lever shaft  102 . 
     The link-slide connecting unit  123 , which is a unit that extends from a portion located on the lower side of the link lever base  121  toward the vehicle rear side so as to be inclined downward and then bendingly extends toward the vehicle front side, has a slide groove hole  123   a  in the portion that extends toward the vehicle front side. The slide groove hole  123   a  is a narrow cutout formed into an arcuate shape with the axis of the inside-handle lever shaft  102  being the center. To the link-slide connecting unit  123 , one end of a connection link L 2  is connected so that a connection pin LP 2  is inserted through the slide groove hole  123   a.    
     The second spring-engagement unit  124  is a unit that extends upward along the first spring-engagement unit  115  of the door operating lever  110  from a portion located on the upside of the link lever base  121  when the pin slide unit  122  extends along the link engagement unit  112  of the door operating lever  110 . With the second spring-engagement unit  124 , the return spiral spring  103  is engaged, the return spiral spring  103  being engaged with the first spring-engagement unit  115  of the door operating lever  110 . The return spiral spring  103  has a function of always holding the pin slide unit  122  at the normal position at which the pin slide unit  122  extends along the link engagement unit  112  of the door operating lever  110  with respect to the link lever  120 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the child lock lever  130  is turnably arranged in a portion on the vehicle front side of the inside-handle lever shaft  102  on the top surface side of the base plate  101  via a child-lock lever shaft  131 , and has a pin-operating unit  132  and a switching operating unit  133  as shown in  FIG. 9 . 
     The pin-operating unit  132 , which is a unit that extends from the child-lock lever shaft  131  in the direction such as to intersect the pin slide unit  122  of the link lever  120 , has a pin-operating groove  132   a . The pin-operating groove  132   a  extends along the lengthwise direction of the pin-operating unit  132 , and has an engagement pin  134  therein. The engagement pin  134  is arranged so as to be slidable along the lengthwise direction of the pin-operating groove  132   a . The end portion located on the vehicle outside of the engagement pin  134  projects to the back surface side via a pin insertion opening  101   c  in the base plate  101 , and engages with the pin slide groove  122   a  in the link lever  120  described above. 
     The switching operating unit  133  is a unit that switches over the child lock lever  130  from the unlock position to the lock position and vice versa, and is a unit that extends from the child-lock lever shaft  131  toward the vehicle front side so as to project from the front end edge of the base plate  101 . The child lock lever  130  has a function such that when being positioned at the unlock position, in the pin slide unit  122  of the link lever  120 , the engagement pin  134  is positioned in the rotational movement region of the link engagement unit  112  of the door operating lever  110 , and on the other hand, when being positioned at the lock position, in the pin slide unit  122  of the link lever  120 , the engagement pin  134  is positioned out of the rotational movement region of the link engagement unit  112  of the door operating lever  110 . 
     Also, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the control unit  100  has a lever shaft  104 , which is a second rotating-shaft member, in a portion on the vehicle rear side of the inside-handle lever shaft  102  on the base plate  101 , and has a locking lever shaft  105 , which is a third rotating-shaft member, in a portion on the vehicle rear side of the lever shaft  104 . On the lever shaft  104 , an open lever  140 , an open sub lever  150 , and an open handle lever  170  are arranged. Although arranged on the common lever shaft  104 , these open lever  140 , open sub lever  150 , and open handle lever  170  can be turned individually around the axis of the lever shaft  104 . Also, on the locking lever shaft  105 , a locking lever  180  is arranged. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the open lever  140  is arranged on the inside-handle lever shaft  102  so as to turn around the axis of the lever shaft  104  on the top surface side of the base plate  101 , and has a sub-lever engagement unit  141  and a wire-cable connecting unit  142  as shown in  FIG. 10 . 
     The sub-lever engagement unit  141 , which is a unit that extends from the lever shaft  104  toward the upside, has a lock-pin slide groove  141   a  and an engagement convex portion  141   b . The lock-pin slide groove  141   a  is a groove formed into a straight line shape so as to extend in the radial direction with respect to the axis of the lever shaft  104 . The engagement convex portion  141   b , which is a portion that bendingly extends from the edge along the vehicle rear side of the sub-lever engagement unit  141  toward the base plate  101 , projects to the back surface side of the base plate  101  via a lever penetrating hole  101   d  provided in the base plate  101 . 
     The wire-cable connecting unit  142  is a unit that extends downward from the lever shaft  104  so as to be inclined slightly to the vehicle rear side. As shown in  FIG. 3 , to the wire-cable connecting unit  142 , one end of a first wire cable WC 1  and one end of a second wire cable WC 2  are connected. The other end of the first wire cable WC 1  is connected to the closed-door latch unit CR at the rear edge of the slide door D. When being pulled, the first wire cable WC 1  releases the closed-door latch unit CR, and also switches over the clutch mechanism of the closer device CL that the closed-door latch unit CR has from the engaged state to the disengaged state. The other end of the second wire cable WC 2  is connected to the closed-door latch unit CR at the front edge of the slide door D. When being pulled, the second wire cable WC 2  releases the closed-door latch unit CR. 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the open sub lever  150  is arranged on the back surface side so as to turn around the axis of the lever shaft  104 , and has an open-lever engagement unit  151 , a second link-connecting unit  152 , and a lock-pin engagement unit  153  as shown in  FIG. 11 . 
     The open-lever engagement unit  151 , which is a unit that extends upward from the lever shaft  104  so as to be inclined slightly to the vehicle rear side, engages contactingly with the engagement convex portion  141   b  of the open lever  140  via the side surface on the vehicle front side thereof. To the open-lever engagement unit  151 , one end of a first coil spring  155  is connected via a coil-spring connecting unit  154 . The first coil spring  155  is interposed between the open sub lever  150  and the base plate  101  to always urge the open sub lever  150  clockwise in  FIG. 5 . 
     The second link-connecting unit  152  is a unit that extends downward from the lever shaft  104  so as to be inclined slightly to the vehicle rear side. To the second link-connecting unit  152 , the other end of the connection link L 2  is connected. 
     The lock-pin engagement unit  153  is a unit that extends along the sub-lever engagement unit  141  of the open lever  140  in a state in which an engagement concave portion  153   a  agreeing with the lock-pin slide groove  141   a  is secured between the lock-pin engagement unit  153  and the open-lever engagement unit  151  when the open-lever engagement unit  151  engages contactingly with the sub-lever engagement unit  141  via the engagement convex portion  141   b . The lock-pin engagement unit  153  is constructed so as to be sufficiently shorter than the lock-pin slide groove  141   a  in the open lever  140 . Also, the lock-pin engagement unit  153  has a handle lever engagement unit  156 . The handle lever engagement unit  156  is a unit that is bent from the extension end of the lock-pin engagement unit  153  toward the vehicle outside. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the open handle lever  170  is arranged in a portion on the outermost side of vehicle on the lever shaft  104  on the back surface side of the base plate  101 , and has a first lever-engagement unit  172 , a second lever-engagement unit  173 , a wire-cable-slide connecting unit  174 , a wire-cable connecting unit  175 , and a third door-operation detecting unit  176 , which are provided around a disc-shaped handle lever base  171 , as shown in  FIG. 13 . 
     The first lever-engagement unit  172  is a unit that extends from a portion located on the vehicle front side of the handle lever base  171  toward the vehicle front side, and is a unit having a projecting pin  172   a . The projecting pin  172   a  is provided at a portion located on the tip end side of the first lever-engagement unit  172  so as to project from the back surface side of the open handle lever  170  toward the vehicle outside. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the upper end of the projecting pin  172   a  is in contact with the lower end of the third wire-cable connecting unit  163  of the lower open lever  160 . 
     The second lever-engagement unit  173  is a unit that extends from a portion located on the upper side of the handle lever base  171  toward the vehicle front side so as to be inclined upward. The second lever-engagement unit  173  is in contact with the end surface located on the vehicle front side of the handle lever engagement unit  156  of the open sub lever  150  via the side surface directed to the upside thereof. 
     The wire-cable-slide connecting unit  174  is a unit that extends from a portion located on the vehicle rear side of the handle lever base  171  toward the vehicle rear side. As shown in  FIG. 5 , to the wire-cable-slide connecting unit  174 , one end of a fourth wire cable WC 4  is connected via a wire-connecting groove hole  174   a  so as to be slidable. The wire-connecting groove hole  174   a  is a narrow cutout having an arcuate shape with the axis of the lever shaft  104  being the center. The other end of the fourth wire cable WC 4  is connected to the outside handle OH shown in  FIG. 1  via a bell crank (not shown). Usually, no tension is produced on the fourth wire cable WC 4 . However, when the outside handle OH is operated, tension is produced on the fourth wire cable WC 4  by the operation, and the tension oscillates the open handle lever  170  counterclockwise in  FIG. 5 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5 and 13 , the wire-cable connecting unit  175  is a unit projecting from the tip end upper portion of the wire-cable-slide connecting unit  174  in the diameter outside direction of the lever shaft  104 . To the wire-cable connecting unit  175 , one end of a fifth wire cable WC 5  is connected via a wire connecting hole  175   a . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the other end of the fifth wire cable WC 5  is connected to an output lever  179  of a release actuator RA. Usually, the tip end of the output lever  179  is in a state of being positioned on the vehicle front side, and thus no tension is produced. When the release actuator RA is driven from the state by triggering the ON state of, for example, the first door-operation detecting sensor S 1 , S 2 , the tip end of the output lever  179  oscillates downward in  FIG. 5 . Tension is produced on the fifth wire cable WC 5  by the oscillation, by which the open handle lever  170  is oscillated counterclockwise in  FIG. 5 . 
     The third door-operation detecting unit  176  is a unit projecting from the tip end lower portion of the wire-cable-slide connecting unit  174  in the diameter outside direction of the lever shaft  104 . When the wire-cable-slide connecting unit  174  is in a state of extending from the handle lever base  171  toward the vehicle rear side, the third door-operation detecting unit  176  separates from a third door-operation detecting sensor S 3  provided on the base plate  101 . On the other hand, when the open handle lever  170  turns counterclockwise in  FIG. 5 , the third door-operation detecting unit  176  comes into contact with the third door-operation detecting sensor S 3  to turn on the sensor S 3 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the locking lever  180  is arranged on the top surface side of the base plate  101 , and has a lock-pin holding unit  181  and an actuator engagement unit  182  as shown in  FIG. 14 . 
     The lock-pin holding unit  181  is a unit that extends from the locking lever shaft  105  toward the vehicle front side. In the extension end portion of the lock-pin holding unit  181 , a lock member  200  is provided. The lock member  200  is turnably supported on the lock-pin holding unit  181  via the base end portion thereof, and has a lock pin  201  in the tip end portion thereof. The lock pin  201  is a columnar member projecting from the tip end of the lock member  200  toward the base plate  101 , and the projecting end portion thereof penetrates the lock-pin slide groove  141   a  in the open lever  140 , and further penetrates the lever penetrating hole  101   d  provided in the base plate  101 . Therefore, the lock pin  201  can engage with the engagement concave portion  153   a  provided between the open-lever engagement unit  151  of the open sub lever  150  and the lock-pin engagement unit  153 . 
     The actuator engagement unit  182  extends from the locking lever shaft  105  toward the vehicle rear side, and the tip end portion thereof branches into a fork shape. The actuator engagement unit  182  is connected to a locking actuator  190  via the branching portion. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 3 to 5 , the locking actuator  190  is attached to a portion on the vehicle rearmost side of the base plate  101 , and has a locking output lever  191  provided in a portion on the vehicle front side. The locking output lever  191  extends along the top surface of the base plate  101 , and turns around an output lever shaft  190   a . An engagement protrusion  192  provided at the tip end of the locking output lever  191  is engaged with the branching portion of the actuator engagement unit  182 . 
     The locking actuator  190  functions as described below. When the locking output lever  191  is turned around the output lever shaft  190   a  clockwise to the extreme position in  FIG. 4 , the locking actuator  190  moves the lock-pin holding unit  181  downward via the actuator engagement unit  182 , and positions the lock pin  201  in the rotational movement region of the lock-pin engagement unit  153  in the lock-pin slide groove  141   a  in the open lever  140 , by which the control unit  100  is made in the unlocked state. On the other hand, when the locking output lever  191  is turned around the output lever shaft  190   a  counterclockwise to the extreme position in  FIG. 4 , the locking actuator  190  moves the lock-pin holding unit  181  upward via the actuator engagement unit  182 , and positions the lock pin  201  out of the rotational movement region of the lock-pin engagement unit  153  in the lock-pin slide groove  141   a  in the open lever  140 , by which the control unit  100  is made in the locked state. 
     On the other hand, as shown in  FIGS. 15 to 17 , the door opening/closing device has the inside handle IH. The inside handle IH includes a handle base member  300  and an operating handle member  310 . The handle base member  300  and the operating handle member  310  are connected to each other via an operation shaft member  320  provided along the lengthwise direction of the handle base member  300 , so that the operating handle member  310  can be tiltingly moved around the axis of the operation shaft member  320  with respect to the handle base member  300 . 
     The operating handle member  310  has an operation output unit  311  only. The operation output unit  311  is a unit that extends in the direction opposed to the operating handle member  310  when the operation shaft member  320  is the center. The operation output unit  311  projects to a portion on the back surface side of the handle base member  300  via a cutout provided in the handle base member  300 . The cross section of the operation output unit  311  is formed into a size such as to be inserted through the output-unit engagement hole  117  in the door operating lever  110 . 
     When relative positioning is performed by using a positioning unit (not shown), provided between the inside handle IH and the base plate  101 , for example, when a positioning pin provided on one of these elements is inserted through a positioning hole provided on the other thereof, the inside handle IH becomes a temporarily assembled state in which the operation output unit  311  of the operating handle member  310  is inserted into the output-unit engagement hole  117  in the door operating lever  110  via the insertion window hole  101   a  in the base plate  101  in the state in which the operation shaft member  320  extends along the up and down direction. From the temporarily assembled state, if a mounting screw is fastened through a mounting-screw insertion hole  300   a  provided in the handle base member  300  shown in  FIG. 3  and a screw insertion hole  101   f  provided in the base plate  101  shown in  FIG. 4 , the door opening/closing device can be mounted onto the door inner panel IP of the slide door D. In this case, work for connecting the inside handle IH to the door operating lever  110  is not needed at all, and the mounting work can be performed easily. 
     Reference numeral  340  in  FIG. 3  denotes a lock knob connected to the locking output lever  191  via a link rod  341 . When the lock knob  340  is operated manually, the control unit  100  can be switched over from the locked state to the unlocked state and vice versa without the need for the operation of the locking actuator  190 . 
       FIGS. 18 to 26  are schematic views showing the states of elements at the time when the control unit  100  is operated. Hereunder, the operation of the control unit  100  is explained with reference to these figures. 
     The control unit  100  is mounted on the door inner panel IP in such a manner that the operating handle member  310  of the inside handle IH is exposed to the vehicle interior side, and can be operated appropriately by the passenger. 
     When the control unit  100  is in the initial state, the operating handle member  310  is at the neutral position, and as shown in  FIG. 18 , a state in which the operation output unit  311  is inserted through the output-unit engagement hole  117  in the door operating lever  110  held at the normal position is formed. In the initial state shown in  FIG. 18 , the pin slide unit  122  of the link lever  120  is held at the normal position at which the pin slide unit  122  extends along the link engagement unit  112  of the door operating lever  110  by the elastic force of the return spiral spring  103 . Also, the open sub lever  150 , the open lever  140 , and the open handle lever  170  are in a state of being turned counterclockwise to the extreme position in the figure by the elastic force of the first coil spring  155 . Further, the lower open lever  160  is in a state of being turned clockwise to the extreme position in the figure by the elastic force of the second coil spring  164 . For convenience, in the initial state shown in  FIG. 18 , it is assumed that the child lock lever  130  is at the unlock position, and the control unit  100  is in the unlocked state. 
     From the initial state, if the operating handle member  310  of the inside handle IH is tiltingly moved toward the vehicle rear side as shown in  FIG. 16  (door opening operation of the inside handle IH), the operation output unit  311  is brought into contact with the front-side contact surface  117   a  of the output-unit engagement hole  117 , and the door operating lever  110  is turned clockwise as shown in  FIG. 19 . If the door operating lever  110  is turned clockwise, the turning is transmitted to the link lever  120  via the link engagement unit  112  and the engagement pin  134 , and thus the link lever  120  turns clockwise. 
     If the link lever  120  turns, the open sub lever  150  turns clockwise via the connection link L 2 , and further the turning of the open sub lever  150  is transmitted to the open lever  140  via the lock-pin engagement unit  153  and the lock pin  201 , so that the open lever  140  turns clockwise. Therefore, the first wire cable WC 1  and the second wire cable WC 2  are pulled. 
     If the first wire cable WC 1  is pulled, the closed-door latch unit CR at the rear edge of the slide door D is released. If the second wire cable WC 2  is pulled, the closed-door latch unit CR at the front edge of the slide door D is released. Therefore, for example, even if the slide door D is in the closed state, the closed door can be moved to open by the tiltingly moving operation of the inside handle IH to the vehicle rear side. If the first wire cable WC 1  is pulled, the clutch mechanism of the closer device CL that the closed-door latch unit CR at the rear edge of the slide door D has becomes in the disengaged state. Therefore, for example, even in the state in which the closer device CL is operated, if the inside handle IH is tiltingly moved to the vehicle rear side, the transfer operation from the half latched state to the fully latched state can be interrupted. 
     If the door operating lever  110  turns clockwise in  FIG. 19 , the door-opening detecting unit  116  turns on the first door-operation detecting sensor S 1 . Therefore, based on the detection result of the first door-operation detecting sensor S 1 , the tiltingly moving operation of the operating handle member  310  to the vehicle rear side can be detected. 
     If the operating handle member  310  of the inside handle IH is tiltingly moved from the initial state toward the vehicle front side as shown in  FIG. 17  (door closing operation of the inside handle IH), the operation output unit  311  is brought into contact with the rear-side contact surface  117   b  of the output-unit engagement hole  117 , and the door operating lever  110  is turned counterclockwise as shown in  FIG. 20 . If the door operating lever  110  is turned counterclockwise, the turning is transmitted to the lower open lever  160  via the first spring engagement unit  115 , and the lower open lever  160  turns counterclockwise. 
     If the lower open lever  160  turns counterclockwise, the third wire cable WC 3  is pulled, and hence the open-door latch unit OR is released. As a result, for example, even if the slide door D is in the open state, the open door can be moved to close by the tiltingly moving operation of the inside handle IH to the vehicle front side. 
     If the door operating lever  110  turns counterclockwise, the door-closing detecting unit  118  turns on the second door-operation detecting sensor S 2 . Therefore, based on the detection result of the second door-operation detecting sensor S 2 , the tiltingly moving operation of the operating handle member  310  to the vehicle front side can be detected. 
     If the outside handle OH is operated from the initial state, tension is produced on the fourth wire cable WC 4 , and thus the open handle lever  170  is turned clockwise by the tension as shown in  FIG. 21 . The turning of the open handle lever  170  is transmitted to the lower open lever  160  via the projecting pin  172   a  of the first lever-engagement unit  172  so that the lower open lever  160  turns counterclockwise, and also is transmitted to the open sub lever  150  via the second lever-engagement unit  173  so that the open sub lever  150  turns clockwise. 
     If the lower open lever  160  turns counterclockwise, the third wire cable WC 3  is pulled, and hence the open-door latch unit OR is released. As a result, for example, even if the slide door D is in the open state, the open door can be moved to close by the operation of the outside handle OH. 
     If the open sub lever  150  turns clockwise, the turning is transmitted to the open lever  140  via the lock-pin engagement unit  153  and the lock pin  201 , so that the first wire cable WC 1  and the second wire cable WC 2  are pulled by the clockwise turning of the open lever  140 . As a result, for example, even if the slide door D is in the closed state, the closed door can be moved to open by the operation of the outside handle OH. Also, for example, even in the state in which the closer device CL is operated, if the outside handle OH is operated, the transfer operation from the half latched state to the fully latched state can be interrupted. 
     In the operation described above, when the lower open lever  160  is turned by the turning of the open handle lever  170 , the door-operating-lever connecting unit  162  of the lower open lever  160  and the first spring-engagement unit  115  of the door operating lever  110 , which are in contact with each other, separate from each other, so that the door operating lever  110  is not operated by the counterclockwise turning of the lower open lever  160 . Further, when the open sub lever  150  is turned by the turning of the open handle lever  170 , one end of the connection link L 2  moves appropriately in the slide groove hole  123   a  in the link lever  120 . Therefore, the link lever  120  is not operated by the clockwise turning of the open sub lever  150 . 
     If the open handle lever  170  turns clockwise, the third door-operation detecting unit  176  turns on the third door-operation detecting sensor S 3 , so that the operation of the outside handle OH can be detected based on the detection result of the third door-operation detecting sensor S 3 . 
     If the control unit  100  is switched over from the initial state to the locked state, as shown in  FIG. 22 , in the lock-pin slide groove  141   a  in the open lever  140 , the lock pin  201  is positioned out of the rotational movement region of the lock-pin engagement unit  153 . Therefore, when the inside handle IH is tiltingly moved from the locked state toward the vehicle rear side, as shown in  FIG. 23 , the clockwise turning of the door operating lever  110  is transmitted to the open sub lever  150  via the link lever  120  and the connection link L 2 , but the turning of the open sub lever  150  is not transmitted to the open lever  140 . As a result, the closed-door latch unit CR is not released, so that, for example, when the slide door D is in the closed state, the slide door D cannot be moved to open. However, even in the locked state, the door-opening detecting unit  116  turns on the first door-operation detecting sensor S 1  when the door operating lever  110  turns. Therefore, the tiltingly moving operation of the inside handle IH to the vehicle rear side can be detected based on the detection result of the first door-operation detecting sensor S 1 . For example, when the slide door D is in the open state, if the inside handle IH is tiltingly moved from the locked state toward the vehicle front side, the lower open lever  160  is turned counterclockwise by the counterclockwise turning of the door operating lever  110 . Thereby, the open-door latch unit OR can be released. In other words, for example, when the slide door D is in the open state and in the locked state, the slide door D can be moved to close by the tiltingly moving operation of the inside handle IH. 
     When the outside handle OH is operated from the locked state shown in  FIG. 22 , as shown in  FIG. 24 , the turning of the open sub lever  150  caused by the turning of the open handle lever  170  is not transmitted to the open lever  140 . As a result, the closed-door latch unit CR is not released. For example, when the slide door D is in the closed state, the slide door D cannot be moved to open. However, even in the locked state, the turning of the open handle lever  170  is transmitted to the lower open lever  160  via the projecting pin  172   a , so that the third wire cable WC 3  is pulled. Therefore, for example, when the slide door D is in the open state, the slide door D can be moved to close by the operation of the outside handle OH. Also, even in the locked state, the third door-operation detecting unit  176  turns on the third door-operation detecting sensor S 3  when the open handle lever  170  turns. Therefore, the operation of the outside handle OH can be detected based on the detection result of the third door-operation detecting sensor S 3 . 
     On the other hand, if the child lock lever  130  is switched over from the initial state to the locked position, as shown in  FIG. 25 , in the pin slide unit  122  of the link lever  120 , the engagement pin  134  is positioned out of the rotational movement region of the link engagement unit  112  of the door operating lever  110 . Therefore, even if the inside handle IH is tiltingly moved from the state toward the vehicle rear side, as shown in  FIG. 26 , the turning of the door operating lever  110  is not transmitted to the link lever  120 . That is to say, since the link engagement unit  112  does not come into contact with the engagement pin  134 , the link lever  120  does not turn, and hence the closed-door latch unit CR is not released. When the door operating lever  110  turns, the door-opening detecting unit  116  turns on the first door-operation detecting sensor S 1 . Therefore, the tiltingly moving operation of the inside handle IH to the vehicle rear side can be detected based on the detection result of the first door-operation detecting sensor S 1 . However, even in the state, if the control unit  100  is in the unlocked state, the lower open lever  160  and the open sub lever  150  are turned clockwise by the operation of the outside handle OH, so that the slide door D can be moved to open and close. 
     As described above, according to the door opening/closing device of this embodiment, by bringing the operation output unit  311  formed on the inside handle IH into direct contact with the door operating lever  110 , the power is transmitted from one element to another. Therefore, work for connecting the inside handle IH and the door operating lever  110  to each other is not needed, and the assembling work can be performed easily. Moreover, since the open-door latch unit OR and the closed-door latch unit CR are released selectively by one door operating lever  110 , the assembling work can be made easy by a decrease in the number of parts handled. Furthermore, since the lower open lever  160 , which is an intermediate lever, and the door operating lever  110  are arranged on the base plate  101  by means of the inside-handle lever shaft  102 , which is a common rotating-shaft member, the turning of the door operating lever  110  need not be transmitted to the open-door latch unit OR via a link. Therefore, the link need not be provided, so that the assembling work can be made easy by a decrease in the number of parts handled. 
     According to the present invention, by bringing the operation output unit formed on the inside handle into direct contact with the door operating lever, the power is transmitted from one element to another. Therefore, work for connecting the inside handle and the door operating lever to each other is not needed, and the assembling work can be performed easily. Moreover, since the open-door holding unit and the closed-door holding unit are released selectively by one door operating lever, the assembling work can be made easy by a decrease in the number of parts handled. Also, since the door operating lever and the intermediate lever are arranged on the base plate by means of the rotating shaft member, the turning operation to the second direction of the door operating lever need not be transmitted to the open-door holding unit via a link. Therefore, the link that transmits the turning operation to the second direction of the door operating lever need not be provided, so that the assembling work can be made easy by a decrease in the number of parts handled. 
     Although the invention has been described with respect to a specific embodiment for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art that fairly fall within the basic teaching herein set forth.