Sliding door power supply device

Abstract

To provide a sliding door power supply device capable of preventing an electric cable from protruding from an exterior member.SOLUTION: One of a vehicle body side holding portion 3 and a sliding door side holding portion 4 is provided with a regulating portion 38 that regulates the movement of an exterior member 5 in the fore-and-aft direction X between these portions 3, 4, an extension opening 39 through which the exterior member 5 regulated by the regulating portion 38 extends toward the other of the vehicle body side holding portion 3 and the sliding door side holding portion 4, and a cable support portion 36 that supports an electric cable 2 in the up-down direction Z perpendicular to the fore-and-aft direction X, and the cable support portion 36 is arranged on the vehicle body inside I, which is on the opposite side of the extension opening 39 to the regulating portion 38, in the vehicle body side holding portion 3 and the sliding door side holding portion 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply device for a sliding door that supplies power to electrical components mounted in a sliding door. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Electrical components such as a power window motor and an audio speaker are incorporated in the sliding door of an automobile, and a sliding door power supply device exists for supplying power to these electrical components.

[0003] Such a sliding door power supply device has an electric cable that is spanned between the vehicle body and the sliding door, a vehicle body side holding portion that is fixed to the vehicle body and holds one end of the electric cable, and a sliding door side holding portion that is fixed to the sliding door and holds the other end of the electric cable.

[0004] In the sliding door power supply device as described above, the electric cable may hang down between the vehicle body side holding part and the sliding door side holding part, and when the sliding door operates in this state, the electric cable may come into contact with the vehicle body or the like, causing abnormal noise or damage to the electric cable itself. Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a sliding door power supply device that can suppress the sagging of the electric cable.

[0005] The sliding door power supply device of Patent Document 1 prevents the electric cable from sagging by directing the electric cable diagonally upward in an opening in the vehicle body side holding portion or the sliding door side holding portion, where the electric cable can be bent to follow the movement of the sliding door.

[0006] However, since the electric cable is surrounded by an exterior member between the vehicle body side holding portion and the sliding door side holding portion, in the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, the electric cable and the surrounding exterior member are directed obliquely upward.

[0007] In order to accommodate the electric cable inside, the exterior member has a slit that runs along the longitudinal direction and opens downward, which may cause the electric cable to hang down and protrude from the exterior member that faces diagonally upward due to the relative movement between the electric cable and the exterior member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-83398 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a sliding door power supply device capable of preventing an electric cable from protruding from an exterior member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The present invention relates to a sliding door power supply device that supplies power from a vehicle body to an electrical component incorporated in a sliding door, the device including a belt-shaped electric cable that is stretched between the vehicle body and the sliding door, an exterior member that houses at least a portion of the electric cable, and a pair of holding parts that respectively hold end sides of the electric cable, the pair of holding parts including a vehicle body side holding part that is fixed to the vehicle body and holds one end side of the electric cable, and a sliding door side holding part that is fixed to the sliding door and holds the other end side of the electric cable, the belt-shaped electric cable is arranged so that its width direction faces the up-down direction, and the belt-shaped electric cable is arranged so that its width direction faces the up-down direction. the exterior member housing at least a portion of the electric cable has a slit that opens downward and runs along the longitudinal direction, and at least one of the pair of holding portions is provided with a regulating portion that regulates at least the longitudinal position of the exterior member between the vehicle body side holding portion and the sliding door side holding portion, an extension opening through which the exterior member regulated by the regulating portion extends from the holding portion toward the other holding portion, and a support portion that supports the lower end of the electric cable in the up-down direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and the support portion is arranged on the holding portion on the opposite side of the extension opening from the regulating portion.

[0011] The regulating portion may have any structure as long as it can at least regulate the longitudinal position of the exterior member between the vehicle body side holding portion and the sliding door side holding portion, and may not only regulate but also fix the exterior member.

[0012] According to this invention, the laid electric cable can be prevented from protruding from the exterior member. More specifically, the belt-shaped electric cable is stretched between the vehicle body and the sliding door, and each end of the electric cable is held by a pair of the holding parts, and is arranged so that its width direction faces the up-down direction. At least a portion of the electric cable is opened downward and is housed in the exterior member having the slit along the longitudinal direction.

[0013] Therefore, when the sliding door moves, there is a risk that the hanging ribbon-like electric cable will protrude from the exterior member through the slit that opens toward the bottom of the exterior member, the longitudinal position of which between the vehicle body side holding portion and the sliding door side holding portion that constitute a pair of holding portions being at least regulated by the regulating portion.

[0014] However, the lower end of the electric cable is supported in the up-down direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction by the support portion arranged on the opposite side of the extension opening through which the outer casing extends from the holding portion toward the other holding portion, rather than by the restricting portion restricting the outer casing. Therefore, even if the electric cable is partially housed in the outer casing, it is supported by the support portion, which prevents the belt-like electric cable from sagging, and prevents the electric cable from protruding from the slit in the outer casing restricted by the restricting portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the electric cable protruding from the outer casing from contacting the vehicle body or the like, generating abnormal noise, or damaging the electric cable itself.

[0015] As an aspect of the present invention, the support portion may be disposed on the opposite side from the end portion of the exterior member. According to this invention, the electric cable extending from the end of the exterior member can be easily supported by the supporting portion having a simple structure.

[0016] As a further aspect of the present invention, the support portion may be disposed closer to the restricting portion than the end portion of the exterior member, and may be formed in a convex shape capable of entering the interior of the exterior member through the slit. According to the present invention, the electric cable housed inside the exterior member can be supported by the convex support portion that enters the interior through a slit, which increases the options for the location where the electric cable is supported by the support portion, thereby improving versatility.

[0017] Furthermore, the support portion formed in a convex shape supports the electric cable from below. Therefore, in the extension opening, the bottom surface of the extension opening and the lower end of the electric cable can be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction by a distance that does not allow them to come into contact with each other. Therefore, when the electric cable is bent by the operation of the sliding door, it is possible to prevent the generation of abnormal noise caused by the sliding between the bottom surface of the extension opening and the electric cable.

[0018] As an aspect of the present invention, the support portion may include a first support portion arranged on the opposite side from the end portion of the exterior member, and a second support portion arranged on the restricting portion side from the end portion of the exterior member and formed in a convex shape capable of entering the interior of the exterior member through the slit.

[0019] According to this invention, the electric cable extending from the end of the exterior member can be easily supported by the first support part having a simple structure, and the electric cable housed inside the exterior member can be supported by the convex second support part which enters the interior through a slit. Therefore, the electric cable can be supported at two points spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, and it is possible to more reliably prevent the belt-shaped electric cable from sagging or the electric cable from protruding out of the slit of the exterior member restricted by the restricting part.

[0020] Furthermore, since the second support portion formed in a convex shape supports the electric cable from below, the bottom surface of the extension opening and the lower end of the electric cable can be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction at a distance such that they do not come into contact with each other. Therefore, when the electric cable is bent by the operation of the sliding door, it is possible to prevent the generation of abnormal noise caused by the bottom surface of the extension opening and the electric cable sliding against each other.

[0021] As a further aspect of the present invention, a cable regulation portion for regulating upward movement of the electric cable may be provided on the opposite side of the support portion. According to this invention, it is possible to more reliably prevent the laid electric cable from protruding from the exterior member.

[0022] In detail, when the electric cable supported by the support portion tries to hang down, the electric cable on the opposite side moves so as to float upward with the support portion as a fulcrum. In response to this, a cable regulating portion that regulates the upward movement of the electric cable is provided on the opposite side of the support portion. Therefore, the upward movement of the electric cable can be regulated by the cable regulating portion, and the electric cable supported by the support portion can be prevented from hanging down in cooperation with the support portion. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the suspended electric cable from protruding from the exterior member.

[0023] As a further aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the band-shaped electric cables may be stacked in a thickness direction, and the stacked plurality of electric cables may be supported by the support portion. According to the present invention, it is possible to increase the number of circuits in a simple structure for supplying power to a plurality of electrical components. Also, the stacked plurality of electric cables are supported by the support portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the entirety or a part of the stacked plurality of electric cables from sagging, and to prevent the electric cables from protruding from the slits of the exterior member restricted by the restricting portion. Effect of the Invention

[0024] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sliding door power supply device that can prevent the electric cable from protruding from the exterior member. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the vehicle body side holding portion as viewed obliquely from above. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cable holder as viewed obliquely from above. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view of part a in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] 13A and 13B are explanatory diagrams of modified examples of the cable support part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of the sliding door power supply device 1. In Fig. 1, a part of the exterior member 5 is cut away so that the electric cable 2 can be seen. Fig. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the vehicle body side holding part 3 as seen from the front diagonally upward side, Fig. 3 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the vehicle body side holding part 3, Fig. 4 shows an explanatory diagram of the electric cable 2, and Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of the cable holder 30. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 show explanatory diagrams of the cable holder 30, Fig. 9 shows a schematic plan view of the vehicle body side holding part 3, and Fig. 10 shows an explanatory diagram of the vehicle body side holding part 3.

[0027] 4 to 10 will be described in detail. FIG. 4(a) shows a schematic plan view of the electric cable 2, and FIG. 4(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 4(a). In FIG. 4, the configuration subsequent to the relay cable 71 extending from the connector unit 6 is omitted. FIG. 5 shows a schematic perspective view of the cable holder 30 as seen from the front obliquely upward side. FIG. 6 shows a schematic plan view of the cable holder 30, and FIG. 7 shows a schematic enlarged plan view of the part a in FIG. 6. FIG. 8(a) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 7, FIG. 8(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 7, and FIG. 8(c) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line DD in FIG. 7. FIG. 9 shows a schematic plan view of the electric cable 2 fixed to the cable holder 30, FIG. 10(a) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE in FIG. 9, FIG. 10(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line FF in FIG. 9, and FIG. 10(c) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line GG in FIG. 9.

[0028] In this specification, directions of the vehicle body 100 are indicated in all drawings. Specifically, arrow F indicates the front side of the vehicle body, arrow B indicates the rear side of the vehicle body, arrow E indicates the outside of the vehicle body, and arrow I indicates the inside of the vehicle body. Arrow U indicates the upper side, and arrow D indicates the lower side. In addition, the front-rear direction is designated as X, the left-right direction as Y, and the up-down direction as Z.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 1, the sliding door power supply device 1 according to the present invention supplies power from a vehicle body 100 to electrical components built into a sliding door 200. The sliding door power supply device 1 has an electric cable 2, a vehicle body side holding part 3, and a sliding door side holding part 4. In addition, the electric cable 2 is covered with an exterior member 5.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 4, the electric cable 2 is stretched between the vehicle body 100 and the sliding door 200. The electric cable 2 is made of a plurality of overlapping so-called flexible flat cables, each of which is made up of strip-shaped conductors arranged in parallel sandwiched between sheet-shaped insulators. In this embodiment, all of the flexible flat cables are formed to have the same width (length along the vertical direction Z).

[0031] The electric cable 2 as described above is connected to a connector unit 6 (see FIG. 2) that is composed of a plurality of connectors 61 connected along the left-right direction Y. In addition, the end faces of the lower side D of the plurality of flexible flat cables that make up the electric cable 2 are all stacked so as to be aligned along the up-down direction Z.

[0032] 2, the vehicle body side holding portion 3 is fixed to the vehicle body 100 and holds one end of the electric cable 2. The vehicle body side holding portion 3 has a cable holder 30 fixed to a floor panel 101 of the vehicle body 100. In the sliding door power supply device 1 according to this embodiment, the electric cable 2 is connected to a connector (not shown) that connects to other electrical components via a relay cable 71 extending from the connector unit 6.

[0033] The sliding door side holding part 4 is fixed to the sliding door 200 and holds the other end of the electric cable 2. The sliding door side holding part 4 has a sliding door side cable holder 40 fixed to an inner panel 201 of the sliding door 200. A connector unit (not shown) that connects the electric cable 2 and an electrical cable on the sliding door 200 side is attached to the sliding door side cable holder 40. In the sliding door power supply device 1 according to this embodiment, the electrical cable (not shown) is connected to a connector (not shown) that connects to other electrical components via a sliding door side relay cable 72 extending from the connector unit (not shown).

[0034] The sliding door side cable holder 40 is provided with a sliding door side cable insertion portion 41 and a sliding door side connector unit storage portion 42 arranged side by side in the front-rear direction X of the vehicle body 100 (see FIG. 1). The sliding door side cable holder 40 is also provided with sliding door side cable bending shape regulating portions 43, 44 so as to sandwich the electric cable 2 etc. guided to the sliding door side cable insertion portion 41 (see FIG. 1).

[0035] The sliding door side cable insertion portion 41 refers to a portion provided with a cable insertion passage (not shown) through which the electric cable 2 and the exterior member 5 are inserted. The sliding door side connector unit accommodating portion 42 refers to a portion provided with a connector unit accommodating space (not shown) in which a connector unit (not shown) is accommodated. The sliding door side cable bending shape restricting portion 43 refers to a portion that restricts the bending shape of the electric cable 2 pulled toward the vehicle body front side F by the sliding door 200 when the sliding door 200 is in a fully closed state. The sliding door side cable bending shape restricting portion 44 refers to a portion that restricts the bending shape of the electric cable 2 pulled toward the vehicle body rear side B by the sliding door 200 when the sliding door 200 is in a fully opened state.

[0036] Next, the exterior member 5 will be described in detail. As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the exterior member 5 is arranged such that the integrally formed rubber plates 5a and 5b overlap in the horizontal direction (the direction defined by the front-rear direction X and the left-right direction Y), and each of the rubber plates 5a and 5b is provided with an uneven portion 50 that perpendicularly intersects with the longitudinal direction. The exterior member 5 composed of the rubber plates 5a and 5b is composed of a thermosetting elastomer such as natural rubber, synthetic rubber such as EPM or EPDM, or further, a resin-based elastomer such as urethane rubber or silicone rubber. More specifically, each of the rubber plates 5a and 5b is provided with alternating mountain-shaped portions 51 and valley-shaped portions 52 that perpendicularly intersect with the longitudinal direction. At the lower end edge of the exterior member 5, the rubber plates 5a and 5b are formed so as to be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance in the front-rear direction X. In other words, at the lower end edge of the exterior member 5, a slit 5c is formed along the longitudinal direction of the exterior member 5. (See Fig. 4(b))

[0037] The mountain-shaped portion 51 refers to a portion of the exterior member 5 that protrudes outward. The mountain-shaped portion 51 extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the exterior member 5 and has a convex shape with a constant height dimension. The valley-shaped portion 52 refers to a portion between two adjacent mountain-shaped portions 51. Therefore, the valley-shaped portion 52 also extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the exterior member 5 and has a concave groove shape with a constant depth dimension (not shown). Furthermore, a trapezoidal portion 53 is formed at the end portion of the exterior member 5. The trapezoidal portion 53 also extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and has a convex shape with a constant height dimension. However, the trapezoidal portion 53 is formed to have a larger width dimension (not shown) in the longitudinal direction than the mountain-shaped portion 51. The end portion of the exterior member 5 in the left-right direction Y that is arranged on the vehicle body side holding portion 3 is referred to as the end portion 54.

[0038] Next, a detailed description will be given of the cable holder 30 of the vehicle body side holding portion 3. As shown in Fig. 5 to Fig. 7, the cable holder 30 has a cable insertion portion 31 and a connector unit accommodating portion 32 arranged side by side in the left-right direction Y of the vehicle body 100. The cable holder 30 also has cable bending shape restricting portions 33 and 34 for sandwiching the electric cable 2 guided by the cable insertion portion 31, etc.

[0039] The cable insertion portion 31 refers to a portion through which the electric cable 2 and the exterior member 5 are inserted. In other words, the cable insertion portion 31 refers to a portion in which a cable insertion passage 31P through which the electric cable 2 and the exterior member 5 are inserted is provided. The cable insertion passage 31P is open toward the upper side U, and during assembly work, the electric cable 2 and the exterior member 5 are fitted in from this open end (see FIG. 3).

[0040] 5 to 7, the cable insertion portion 31 is provided in the center of the cable holder 30 in the front-rear direction X. The cable insertion portion 31 has a pair of side plate portions 311 and a first bottom plate portion 312 connecting the ends of the side plate portions 311 on the lower side D. Each side plate portion 311 is provided with a fitting portion 35 that protrudes toward the opposing side plate portion 311. In addition, the first bottom plate portion 312 is provided with a cable support portion 36 that protrudes toward the upper side U.

[0041] In addition, a total of four insertion holes 31h for inserting cable ties 91 (see FIGS. 2 and 9) in the up-down direction Z of the vehicle body 100 are formed in the cable insertion portion 31 along each of the pair of side plate portions 311. Therefore, the electric cable 2 and the exterior member 5 are wound up by the cable tie 91 while being inserted into the cable insertion passage 31P. In this way, the cable holder 30 prevents the electric cable 2 and the exterior member 5 from rattling, shifting out of position, or being pulled out of the cable insertion passage 31P.

[0042] In addition, the cable insertion portion 31 is provided with a first floor panel mounting portion 315 through a first upper plate portion 313 and a front plate portion 314 on the vehicle body front side F from the cable insertion passage 31P. The first floor panel mounting portion 315 is provided with an insertion hole 31i through which the fixing bolt 81 (see FIG. 9) is inserted in the vertical direction Z of the vehicle body 100. The cable insertion portion 31 is provided with a second floor panel mounting portion 318 through a second upper plate portion 316 and a rear plate portion 317 on the vehicle body rear side B from the cable insertion passage 31P. The second floor panel mounting portion 318 is also provided with an insertion hole 31j through which the fixing bolt 82 (see FIG. 9) is inserted in the vertical direction Z of the vehicle body 100. A locking structure 319 for locking a separate connector (not shown) is provided at the tip portion of the second floor panel mounting portion 318.

[0043] The connector unit accommodating portion 32 refers to a portion in which the connector unit 6 is accommodated. In other words, the connector unit accommodating portion 32 refers to a portion in which a connector unit accommodating space 32S in which the connector unit 6 is accommodated is provided. The connector unit accommodating space 32S is open toward the upper side U, and in the assembly work, the connector unit 6 is inserted from this open end and fixed (see FIG. 3).

[0044] The connector unit 6 is integrally constructed by stacking connectors 61, to which ends of a plurality of flexible flat cables are connected, in the left-right direction Y. The connector unit 6 is then housed in the connector unit housing 32. In the connector unit 6 thus configured, the connectors 61 connected to the ends of the respective flexible flat cables are stacked along the left-right direction Y. Therefore, the end faces on the lower side D of the plurality of flexible flat cables extending from the connector unit 6 coincide with each other in the up-down direction Z.

[0045] 5 to 7, the connector unit accommodating portion 32 is provided on the vehicle body inner side I in the left-right direction Y of the cable holder 30. The connector unit accommodating portion 32 has a pair of accommodating side plate portions 321 and a second bottom plate portion 322 connecting ends of the accommodating side plate portions 321 on the lower side D. The connector unit accommodating portion 32 also has a left wall portion 323 that perpendicularly intersects with the above-mentioned side plate portion 311 and is connected to the accommodating side plate portion 321 and the second bottom plate portion 322, and a right wall portion 324 that faces the left wall portion 323 and is connected to the accommodating side plate portion 321 and the second bottom plate portion 322 on the rear side B of the vehicle body.

[0046] In addition, the connector unit accommodating section 32 is provided with a notch section 32n formed by cutting the second bottom plate section 322 from the end section on the vehicle body inner side I to the middle section in the left-right direction Y. Also, the connector unit accommodating section 32 is formed with an insertion hole 32h through which a cable tie 92 (see Figs. 2 and 9) is inserted in the up-down direction Z of the vehicle body 100 along the left wall section 323. Therefore, the connector unit 6 is wound up by the cable tie 92 in a state in which it is accommodated in the connector unit accommodating space 32S. The cable tie 92 functions as a cable regulation section 37 that regulates the electric cable 2 including the connector unit 6 from rattling or shifting in position with respect to the cable holder 30, or from being pulled out of the cable insertion passage 31P.

[0047] In addition, the connector unit housing 32 is provided with a relay cable support portion 325 that is extended toward the vehicle body inner side I from a part of the vehicle body front side F of the second bottom plate portion 322. A step that is displaced toward the upper side U is formed at the tip portion (right end portion) of the relay cable support portion 325, and an insertion hole 32i through which a cable tie 93 (see FIGS. 2 and 9) is inserted is formed in the vertical direction Z of the vehicle body 100. Therefore, the relay cable 71 is wound up by the cable tie 93 while being supported by the relay cable support portion 325. In this way, the cable holder 30 prevents the relay cable 71 from rattling, shifting from its position, or falling off the relay cable support portion 325.

[0048] The cable bending shape restricting parts 33, 34 refer to parts that restrict the bending shape of the electric cable 2 that is deformed by the movement of the sliding door 200. More specifically, the cable bending shape restricting part 33 refers to a part that restricts the bending shape of the electric cable 2 pulled toward the vehicle body front side F by the sliding door 200 when the sliding door 200 is in a fully closed state. The cable bending shape restricting part 34 refers to a part that restricts the bending shape of the electric cable 2 pulled toward the vehicle body rear side B by the sliding door 200 when the sliding door 200 is in a fully open state. The space that is formed by the cable bending shape restricting parts 33, 34 and has a funnel shape in a plan view that gradually widens toward the outside E of the vehicle body is referred to as an extension opening 39 (see Figs. 6 and 7).

[0049] As shown in Figs. 5 to 7, the cable bending shape regulating portion 33 is provided on the outer side E of the vehicle body in the left-right direction Y of the cable holder 30. More specifically, the cable bending shape regulating portion 33 is provided at an end portion on the vehicle body front side F and the vehicle body outer side E from the cable insertion passage 31P provided in the cable insertion portion 31. The cable bending shape regulating portion 33 is formed in an arc shape having a constant radius with respect to a central axis along the up-down direction Z, and the electric cable 2 is wound around a first arc surface 33s curved from the side plate portion 311 toward the vehicle body front side F. In this way, the cable holder 30 prevents the electric cable 2 from being locally bent when the sliding door 200 is in a fully closed state, and thus prevents a large load from acting on the electric cable 2.

[0050] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 5 to Fig. 7, the cable bending shape restricting portion 34 is also provided on the vehicle body outer side E in the left-right direction Y of the cable holder 30. More specifically, the cable bending shape restricting portion 34 is provided at an end portion on the vehicle body rear side B and on the vehicle body outer side E from the cable insertion passage 31P provided in the cable insertion portion 31. The cable bending shape restricting portion 34 is formed in an arc shape having a constant radius with respect to a central axis along the up-down direction Z, and the electric cable 2 is wound around the second arc surface 34s curved from the side plate portion 311 toward the vehicle body rear side B. In this way, the cable holder 30 prevents the electric cable 2 from being locally bent when the sliding door 200 is in a fully open state, and thus prevents a large load from acting on the electric cable 2.

[0051] Next, the fitting portion 35 in the cable insertion passage 31P will be described. As shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, each side plate portion 311 constituting the cable insertion passage 31P is provided with a fitting portion 35 protruding toward the opposing side plate portion 311.

[0052] The fitting portions 35 are a pair of projections that protrude from each side plate portion 311 toward the opposing side plate portion 311. A total of two pairs of fitting portions 35 are provided at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction Y.

[0053] The thickness dimension of the fitting portion 35 is smaller than the width dimension of the valley-shaped portion 52 of the exterior member 5, and the height dimension of the fitting portion 35 is smaller than the depth dimension of the valley-shaped portion 52. Therefore, when the electric cable 2 and the exterior member 5 are fitted into the cable insertion passage 31P, the fitting portion 35 and the valley-shaped portion 52 of the exterior member 5 are fitted together.

[0054] In this way, the fitting portion 35 with which the valley-shaped portion 52 fits and the cable tie 91 that wraps around the exterior member 5 with which the valley-shaped portion 52 fits into the fitting portion 35 cooperate to restrict movement of the exterior member 5 in the front-rear direction X and the up-down direction Z relative to the cable holder 30. Note that the fitting portion 35 can function as a restricting portion 38 that at least restricts the position of the exterior member 5 relative to the cable holder 30 along the front-rear direction X.

[0055] Next, the cable support portion 36 in the cable insertion passage 31P will be described in detail. As shown in Fig. 6 to Fig. 8, the cable support portion 36 protruding upward U is provided on the first bottom plate portion 312 constituting the cable insertion passage 31P.

[0056] A total of two cable support parts 36 are provided at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction Y on the first bottom plate part 312. Of the two cable support parts 36, the one provided on the vehicle body inner side I of the cable insertion passage 31P is a first cable support part 361, and the one provided on the vehicle body outer side E of the cable insertion passage 31P is a second cable support part 362.

[0057] 5, 8(a), and 8(b), the first cable support part 361 is a rectangular parallelepiped that has a predetermined length in the left-right direction Y from the first bottom plate part 312 and protrudes at a predetermined height toward the upper side U. The length of the second cable support part 362 in the front-rear direction X is formed to be longer than the length of the electric cable 2 in the front-rear direction X.

[0058] As shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8(c), the second cable support portion 362 is integrally formed of a lower body 362a protruding from the first bottom plate portion 312 to the upward side U, and an upper body 362b protruding from the lower body 362a to the upward side U.

[0059] The lower body 362a is a rectangular parallelepiped that protrudes upwardly U from the center portion of the first bottom plate portion 312 in the front-to-rear direction X at a predetermined height and has a predetermined length in the left-right direction Y as well as a predetermined length in the front-to-rear direction X.

[0060] The upper body 362b is a rectangular parallelepiped that protrudes upward from the center in the front-rear direction X at the end of the upper side U of the lower body 362a to a height approximately equal to the end of the upper side U of the first cable support part 361.

[0061] The length of the upper body 362b in the front-rear direction X is shorter than the length of the lower body 362a in the front-rear direction X, and specifically, is formed to be approximately equal to the length of the slit 5c in the exterior member 5. Therefore, the second cable support part 362 integrally formed by the lower body 362a and the upper body 362b has a convex cross-sectional shape.

[0062] When the exterior member 5 and the electric cable 2 are routed through the cable insertion passage 31P of the vehicle body side holding part 3 having the two cable support parts 36 configured in this manner, the end part 54 of the exterior member 5 is disposed between the first cable support part 361 and the second cable support part 362 that are provided at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction Y. Then, the end part on the lower side D of the electric cable 2 routed through the cable insertion passage 31P comes into contact with the end parts on the upper side U of the first cable support part 361 and the second cable support part 362. This makes it possible to support the electric cable 2 from the lower side D.

[0063] More specifically, of the two cable support parts 36, the first cable support part 361 provided closer to the vehicle body inner side I supports the end part of the electric cable 2 that is exposed from the exterior member 5 for connection to the connector unit 6. Furthermore, the length of the first cable support part 361 in the front-rear direction X is formed to be longer than the length of the electric cable 2 in the front-rear direction X, thereby enabling more reliable support.

[0064] In addition, since the second cable support part 362 is provided in addition to the first cable support part 361, the electric cable 2 can be supported at two locations spaced apart in the left-right direction Y. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent the belt-shaped electric cable 2 from sagging and the electric cable 2 from protruding out of the slits 5c of the exterior member 5 that are restricted by the restricting part 38.

[0065] In addition, since the length of the upper body 362b of the second cable support part 362 in the front-rear direction X is formed to be substantially equal to the slit 5c of the exterior member 5, the upper body 362b can be inserted into the interior through the slit 5c (see FIG. 10(c)). As a result, even if the electric cable 2 is housed in the exterior member 5, the electric cable 2 can be directly supported from the lower side D, similarly to the first cable support part 361.

[0066] Furthermore, the above-mentioned cable support portion 36 is provided in the vehicle body side holding portion 3 on the vehicle body inner side I of the extension opening 39 through which the electric cable 2 extends toward the sliding door side holding portion 4 and further inwardly of the vehicle body I than the fitting portion 35 and the cable tie 91 that regulate the position of the exterior member 5. In other words, the cable support portion 36 is provided in a portion of the vehicle body side holding portion 3 where the movement of the electric cable 2 along the front-rear direction X is regulated. Therefore, the electric cable 2 can be prevented from moving relative to the cable support portion 36, and more reliable support can be achieved.

[0067] In addition, when the electric cable 2 supported by the cable support portion 36 tries to sag, the electric cable 2 on the inside I of the vehicle body moves upward from the cable support portion 36 to the upper side U, with the cable support portion 36 as a fulcrum. In response to this, the connector unit 6 to which the electric cable 2 is connected is wound and secured by the cable tie 92, so that the cable tie 92 can function as a cable regulating portion 37 that can regulate the movement of the electric cable 2, including the connector unit 6, to the upper side U. Therefore, the cable tie 92 cooperates with the cable support portion 36 to prevent the electric cable 2 supported by the cable support portion 36 from sagging.

[0068] As described above, the sliding door power supply device 1 according to the present embodiment supplies power from the vehicle body 100 to the electrical components built into the sliding door 200. The sliding door power supply device 1 includes the belt-shaped electric cable 2 that is stretched between the vehicle body 100 and the sliding door 200, an exterior member 5 that houses a part of the electric cable 2, and a pair of holding parts (3, 4) that hold the end sides of the electric cable 2, respectively. The pair of holding parts (3, 4) includes a vehicle body side holding part 3 that is fixed to the vehicle body 100 and holds one end side of the electric cable 2, and a sliding door side holding part 4 that is fixed to the sliding door 200 and holds the other end side of the electric cable 2. The belt-shaped electric cable 2 is arranged so that the width direction faces the up-down direction Z, and the exterior member 5 that houses a part of the belt-shaped electric cable 2 has a slit 5c that opens downward and runs along the longitudinal direction. One of the pair of holding parts (3, 4) is provided with a restricting part 38 that restricts the position of the exterior member 5 in the left-right direction Y between the vehicle body side holding part 3 and the sliding door side holding part 4. An extension opening 39 through which the exterior member 5 restricted by the restricting part 38 extends from the vehicle body side holding part 3 toward the sliding door side holding part 4, and a cable support part 36 that supports an end of the lower side D of the electric cable 2 in a vertical direction Z perpendicular to the left-right direction Y, is provided. The cable support part 36 is disposed on the vehicle body side holding part 3, on the vehicle body side, on the opposite side of the extension opening 39 to the restricting part 38, on the inside I of the vehicle body.

[0069] According to the sliding door power supply device 1 as described above, the electric cable 2 that is stretched across the exterior member 5 can be prevented from protruding. More specifically, the sliding door power supply device 1 according to the present invention has a belt-shaped electric cable 2 that is stretched between the vehicle body 100 and the sliding door 200, with each end held by a pair of holders (vehicle body-side holder 3, sliding door-side holder 4). The electric cable 2 is arranged so that its width direction faces the up-down direction Z, and a part of it opens toward the lower side D and is housed in an exterior member 5 that is provided with a slit 5c along the left-right direction Y.

[0070] Therefore, when the sliding door 200 slides, there is a risk that the hanging ribbon-like electric cable 2 will protrude from the exterior member 5 through the slit 5c, which opens toward the bottom of the exterior member 5 and is regulated by the regulating portion 38 in the longitudinal direction between the vehicle body side holding portion 3 and the sliding door side holding portion 4 that constitute a pair of holding portions (vehicle body side holding portion 3, sliding door side holding portion 4).

[0071] However, the end of the lower side D of the electric cable 2 is supported in the up-down direction Z perpendicular to the left-right direction Y by the cable support part 36 arranged on the vehicle body inside I opposite to the extension opening 39 through which the exterior member 5 extends from the vehicle body side holding part 3 toward the slide door side holding part 4, rather than by the restricting part 38 restricting the exterior member 5. Therefore, even if the electric cable 2 is partly housed in the exterior member 5, it is supported by the cable support part 36, which prevents the belt-shaped electric cable 2 from sagging, and prevents the electric cable 2 from protruding from the slit 5c of the exterior member 5 restricted by the restricting part 38. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the electric cable 2 protruding from the exterior member 5 from coming into contact with the vehicle body 100 or the like, generating abnormal noise, or damaging the electric cable 2 itself.

[0072] In addition, the cable support portion 36 is provided with a first cable support portion 361 arranged on the inner side I of the vehicle body opposite the end portion of the exterior member 5, and a second cable support portion 362 arranged on the outer side E of the vehicle body where the regulating portion 38 is arranged relative to the end portion 54 of the exterior member 5, and formed in a convex shape that can enter the interior of the exterior member 5 through the slit 5c.

[0073] According to such a sliding door power supply device 1, the electric cable 2 extending from the end portion 54 of the exterior member 5 can be easily supported by the first cable support portion 361 having a simple structure. Furthermore, the electric cable 2 housed inside the exterior member 5 can be supported by the convex second cable support portion 362 entering the interior through the slit 5c. Therefore, the electric cable 2 can be supported at two points spaced apart in the left-right direction Y, and it is possible to more reliably prevent the belt-shaped electric cable 2 from sagging or from protruding out of the slit 5c of the exterior member 5 restricted by the restricting portion 38.

[0074] Furthermore, the second cable support portion 362 formed in a convex shape supports the electric cable 2 from the lower side D. Therefore, in the extension opening 39, the bottom surface and the end portion of the electric cable 2 on the lower side D can be spaced apart from each other by a distance in the vertical direction Z so as not to come into contact with each other. Therefore, when the electric cable 2 is bent by the operation of the sliding door 200, it is possible to prevent the generation of abnormal noise caused by the sliding between the bottom surface of the extension opening 39 and the end portion of the electric cable 2 on the lower side D.

[0075] In addition, a cable regulating part 37 that regulates the upward movement of the electric cable 2 is provided on the inside side I of the vehicle body, which is opposite the cable support part 36, so that the suspended electric cable 2 can be more reliably prevented from protruding from the slit 5c of the exterior member 5.

[0076] More specifically, when the electric cable 2 supported by the cable support part 36 tries to hang down, the electric cable 2 on the opposite side moves so as to float up to the upper side U, with the cable support part 36 as a fulcrum. In response to this, a cable regulating part 37 that regulates the upward movement of the electric cable 2 is provided on the inside side I of the vehicle body opposite the cable support part 36. Therefore, the movement of the electric cable 2 to the upper side U can be regulated by the cable regulating part 37, and the electric cable 2 supported by the cable support part 36 can be prevented from hanging down in cooperation with the cable support part 36. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the stretched electric cable 2 from protruding from the slit 5c of the exterior member 5.

[0077] Furthermore, since the ribbon-shaped electric cable 2 is laminated in the thickness direction and the laminated electric cables 2 are supported by the cable support portion 36, it is possible to increase the number of circuits with a simple structure in supplying power to a plurality of electrical components. Furthermore, the laminated electric cables 2 are supported by the cable support portion 36. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the entirety or part of the laminated electric cables 2 from sagging, and to prevent the electric cables 2 from protruding from the slits 5c of the exterior member 5 restricted by the restricting portion 38.

[0078] In correspondence between the configuration of the present invention and the above-mentioned embodiment, The vehicle body corresponds to vehicle body 100, and so on. The sliding door is compatible with the sliding door 200. The sliding door power supply device corresponds to the sliding door power supply device 1, The electrical cable corresponds to electrical cable 2, The exterior member corresponds to the exterior member 5; The holding parts correspond to the vehicle body side holding part 3 and the sliding door side holding part 4, The vehicle body side holding portion corresponds to the vehicle body side holding portion 3, The sliding door side holding part corresponds to the sliding door side holding part 4, The slit corresponds to slit 5c, The up and down direction corresponds to the up and down direction Z, The longitudinal direction corresponds to the left-right direction Y, The restricting portion corresponds to the restricting portion 38; The extension opening corresponds to the extension opening 39; The support corresponds to the cable support 36; The first support corresponds to the first cable support 361, The second support corresponds to the second cable support 362, Although the cable regulation portion corresponds to the cable tie 92, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0079] For example, in the sliding door power supply device 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the restricting portion 38, the extension opening 39, and the cable support portion 36 are provided in the vehicle body side holding portion 3. However, the above-described configuration may also be provided in the sliding door side holding portion 4, or the above-described configuration may be provided in the sliding door side holding portion 4 instead of the vehicle body side holding portion 3. Even when the above-mentioned configuration is provided in the sliding door side holding portion 4 instead of the vehicle body side holding portion 3, the same effects as those of the sliding door power supply device 1 according to the above-mentioned embodiment can be achieved.

[0080] Furthermore, when the electric cable 2 is provided on both the vehicle body side holding part 3 and the sliding door side holding part 4, the movement of the electric cable 2 can be restricted and supported by both the vehicle body side holding part 3 and the sliding door side holding part 4. Therefore, the electric cable 2 can be more reliably prevented from protruding from the slit 5c of the exterior member 5. In addition, when the above-mentioned configuration is provided on the slide door side holding portion 4, The extension opening 39 of the vehicle body side holding portion 3 corresponds to a space between the slide door side cable bending shape regulating portions 43 and 44 of the slide door side holding portion 4.

[0081] In the sliding door power supply device 1 according to the embodiment described above, the cable support portion 36 includes two cable support portions, a first cable support portion 361 and a second cable support portion 362. However, the sliding door power supply device 1 may be provided with only the first cable support portion 361 disposed on the vehicle body inner side I, which is opposite to the end portion 54 of the exterior member 5. Even in this case, the electric cable 2 can be easily supported by the first cable support portion 361 having a simpler structure.

[0082] Furthermore, in the sliding door power supply device 1, only the second cable support part 362 may be provided, which is disposed closer to the restricting part 38 than the end part 54 of the exterior member 5 and is formed in a convex shape capable of entering the interior of the exterior member 5 from the slit 5c. Even in this case, the electric cable 2 housed inside the exterior member 5 can be supported by the convex second cable support part 362 entering the interior from the slit 5c. This increases the options for the location where the electric cable 2 is supported by the second cable support part 362, improving versatility.

[0083] Furthermore, the second cable support portion 362 formed in a convex shape supports the electric cable 2 from the lower side D. Therefore, in the extension opening 39, the bottom surface and the end portion of the electric cable 2 on the lower side D can be spaced apart from each other by a distance in the vertical direction Z so as not to come into contact with each other. Therefore, when the electric cable 2 is bent by the operation of the sliding door 200, it is possible to prevent the generation of abnormal noise caused by the sliding between the bottom surface of the extension opening 39 and the end portion of the electric cable 2 on the lower side D.

[0084] Furthermore, in the sliding door power supply device 1 according to the embodiment described above, the first cable support portion 361 is formed by protruding a part of the first bottom plate portion 312 of the cable insertion passage 31P in the up-down direction Z. However, the entire first bottom plate portion 312 and the second bottom plate portion 322 on the vehicle body inner side I beyond the second cable support portion 362 may be raised to a height equal to the upper end of the second cable support portion 362.

[0085] Furthermore, in the sliding door power supply device 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the first cable support part 361 and the upper body 362b of the second cable support part 362 constituting the cable support part 36 are formed to have a substantially rectangular cross section. However, there is no particular limitation on the shape as long as the electric cable 2 can be supported from the lower side D.

[0086] For example, as shown in FIG. 11(a), instead of the upper body 362b of the first cable support part 361 and the second cable support part 362, a cable support 363 having an inverted L-shaped cross section may be provided, which is composed of a vertical member 363a protruding to the upper side U and a horizontal member 363b extending from an end of the upper side U of the vertical member 363a to one side in the front-rear direction X. When the exterior member 5 accommodating the electric cable 2 is placed on the cable support 363, the cable support 363 enters the interior of the exterior member 5 through the slit 5c of the exterior member 5. Then, inside the exterior member 5, the end of the lower side D of the valley-shaped portion 52 and the end of the horizontal member 363b on one side in the front-rear direction X are engaged. Therefore, the cable support 365 can be held by the exterior member 5, and therefore the cable support 363 can be prevented from unintentionally falling off the slit 5c of the exterior member 5.

[0087] In addition, instead of the upper body 362b of the first cable support part 361 and the second cable support part 362, a cable support 364 having a generally T-shaped cross section may be provided which is composed of a vertical member 364a protruding to the upward side U, a horizontal member 364b extending from an end of the upper side U of the vertical member 364a on both sides in the front-to-rear direction X, and a pair of upright portions 364c standing on the upward side U from both ends of the horizontal member 364b in the front-to-rear direction X (see FIG. 11(b)).

[0088] Furthermore, instead of the upper body 362b of the first cable support part 361 and the second cable support part 362, a cable support 365 having a generally Y-shaped cross section may be provided, which is composed of a vertical member 365a protruding to the upper side U and a curved member 365b extending from the end of the upper side U of the vertical member 365a on both sides in the front-rear direction X and curved toward the upper side U as it moves away from the vertical member 365a (see FIG. 11(c)).

[0089] Even in the case of these cable supports 364 and 365, the end of the lower side D of the valley-shaped portion 52 of the exterior member 5 is engaged with the end of the horizontal member 364b and the curved member 365b in the front-rear direction X, as in the case of the above-mentioned cable support 363. However, since the horizontal member 364b and the curved member 365b extend to both sides in the front-rear direction X, the end of the lower side D of the valley-shaped portion 52 of the exterior member 5 can be engaged with the end of the horizontal member 364b and the curved member 365b in the front-rear direction X at two points. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably prevent the cable supports 364 and 365 from unintentionally falling off the slit 5c of the exterior member 5. Furthermore, since the pair of standing parts 364c and the curved member 365b can restrict the movement of the electric cable 2 in the front-rear direction X, the electric cable 2 can be more reliably supported in addition to being supported in the up-down direction Z.

[0090] Furthermore, in the sliding door power supply device 1 according to the embodiment described above, the cable regulating portion 37 is configured with a cable tie 92 that winds up the connector unit 6. However, the cable regulating portion 37 is not limited to this configuration as long as it can regulate the movement of the electric cable 2 toward the upper side U on the vehicle body inner side I relative to the cable support portion 36. For example, the cable regulating portion 37 may be a protruding portion that protrudes toward the cable insertion passage 31P from the housing side plate portion 321 arranged on the vehicle body rear side B, out of the pair of housing side plate portions 321 of the connector unit housing portion 32, or may be a lid that covers the connector unit housing space 32S.

[0091] Furthermore, in the sliding door power supply device 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the electric cable 2 is said to be a stack of multiple flexible flat cables, but the electric cable 2 is not limited to a flexible flat cable and may be, for example, a ribbon-shaped electric wire in which multiple coated electric wires are arranged in parallel in the width direction and integrated together.

[0092] Furthermore, in the sliding door power supply device 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the electric cable 2 is configured by stacking flexible flat cables all having the same width, but it may be configured by stacking flexible flat cables having different widths. Even in this case, it is more preferable to configure the electric cable 2 by aligning the ends of the lower side D of the flexible flat cables of different widths in the up-down direction Z. Also, multiple flexible flat cables may be integrated by applying grease between the flexible flat cables. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1...Sliding door power supply device 2. Electrical cable 3…Vehicle body side holding part 4…Sliding door side holding part 5…Exterior material 5c…Slit 35…Fitting part 36…Cable support part 39...Extension opening 91…Cable tie 100…Body 200…Sliding door 361…First cable support part 362…Second cable support part

Claims

1. A sliding door power supply device that supplies power from a vehicle body to electrical components built into a sliding door, A belt-shaped electric cable is stretched between the vehicle body and the sliding door; and an exterior member that accommodates at least a portion of the electric cable; a pair of holding portions each holding an end side of the electric cable, The pair of holding portions include a vehicle body side holding portion fixed to the vehicle body to hold one end side of the electric cable; a sliding door side holding portion fixed to the sliding door and holding the other end of the electric cable, The belt-shaped electric cable is arranged so that the width direction is oriented in the vertical direction, The exterior member that houses at least a portion of the belt-shaped electric cable has a slit that opens downward and extends along a longitudinal direction, At least one of the pair of holding parts, a restricting portion that restricts at least a position of the exterior member in the longitudinal direction between the vehicle body side retaining portion and the sliding door side retaining portion; an extension opening through which the exterior member restricted by the restriction portion extends from the holding portion toward the other holding portion; a support portion that supports a lower end of the electric cable in the vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, The support portion is disposed on the holding portion on the opposite side of the extension opening portion from the restricting portion. Sliding door power supply device.

2. The support portion is disposed on the opposite side from the end portion of the exterior member. The power supply device for a sliding door according to claim 1.

3. The support portion is disposed closer to the restricting portion than the end portion of the exterior member, and is formed in a convex shape that can enter the interior of the exterior member through the slit. The power supply device for a sliding door according to claim 1.

4. The support portion is A first support portion disposed on the opposite side from the end portion of the exterior member; a second support portion that is disposed on the restricting portion side from the end portion of the exterior member and is formed in a convex shape so as to be able to enter the interior of the exterior member through the slit; The power supply device for a sliding door according to claim 1.

5. On the opposite side of the support portion, A cable restricting portion is provided to restrict the upward movement of the electric cable. The power supply device for a sliding door according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The belt-shaped electric cable is laminated in a thickness direction, The stacked electrical cables are supported by the support portion. The power supply device for a sliding door according to claim 5.

7. The belt-shaped electric cable is laminated in a thickness direction, The stacked electrical cables are supported by the support portion. The power supply device for a sliding door according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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