Patent ID: 8136299

Claim:
A sliding door opening/closing device for a vehicle comprising: at least one sliding door rail attached to a vehicle body; at least two rail moving bodies configured to move along the sliding door rail; two sliding doors that are attached to the respective two rail moving bodies; an opening/closing drive device configured to supply an opening/closing drive force to drive the two sliding doors in an opening/closing direction along the sliding door rail; two locking portions formed by magnetic bodies and provided at the two rail moving bodies opposite each other; a magnetic lock device in which a columnar permanent magnet is rotatably supported; and a latch lifting lock device comprising a latch and a conversion unit configured to convert a rotational operation of the columnar permanent magnet of the magnetic lock device into a lifting operation of the latch and vice versa, wherein one of the locking portions, the magnetic lock device, and the other of the locking portions are disposed side by side along the sliding door rail, in an unlocked state in which the two sliding doors are opened and the two locking portions are separated from each side of the magnetic lock device, the magnetic lock device is configured to rotate and fix the columnar permanent magnet so as to form therein an unlocking magnetic circuit, and the latch lifting lock device is configured to fix the latch in a lifted position in response to fixing of the columnar permanent magnet, and in a locked state in which the two sliding doors are closed and the two locking portions abut against each side of the magnetic lock device, the magnetic lock device is configured to attract and fix the two locking portions by a magnetic force, while rotating and fixing the columnar permanent magnet, so as to form therein a locking magnetic circuit to lock together with the two locking portions that abut against both sides, and the latch lifting lock device is configured to fix the latch in a lowered position in response to the fixing of the columnar permanent magnet, while restraining the two locking portions to prevent them from separating from the magnetic lock device, using the lowered latch.