Fixing structure of wire harness

Abstract

To disclose a fixing structure of a wire harness which enables reduction of an impact input to window glass.SOLUTION: A fixing structure of a wire harness includes: window glass 10 which may move upward or downward and into which an electric element 12 is incorporated; a groove-like glass channel 14 which receives and holds an edge of the window glass 10; a wire harness 60 for supplying electric power to the electric element 12; and a fixing bracket 20 fastened to one surface of the glass channel 14 and configured to hold the wire harness 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present specification discloses a fixing structure for a wire harness that supplies power to a windshield mounted in a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Typically, vehicles are provided with window glass that covers the window opening. Some of such window glass incorporates an electric element. Examples of electric elements include a heating wire that heats the window glass to defog it, and a light control film (such as a liquid crystal film) that changes the light transmittance of the window glass.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a window glass incorporating an electric heating wire. In Patent Document 1, a bracket (called "end 1a" in Patent Document 1) is directly fixed to one side of the window glass. A wire harness for power supply is connected to this bracket. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-238932 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when a thick bracket is fixed to the surface of the window glass as in Patent Document 1, there is a risk of a strong impact being applied to the window glass. That is, when closing a door in which the window glass is installed, the bracket is subjected to a strong impact by colliding with the door panel or the like, or by the generation of a large moment accompanying the movement of the long wire harness. If a thick bracket is fixed directly to the surface of the window glass, this impact is transmitted from the bracket to the window glass, and there is a risk of the window glass being damaged.

[0006] Therefore, this specification discloses a fixing structure for a wire harness that can reduce the impact input to the windshield. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The fixing structure of the wire harness disclosed in this specification is characterized by comprising a window glass that can be advanced and retreated and has an electrical element incorporated therein, a groove-shaped glass channel that receives and holds the edge of the window glass, a wire harness that supplies power to the electrical element, and a fixing bracket that is fixed to one side of the glass channel and holds the wire harness.

[0008] By fastening the fixing bracket to the glass channel instead of to the window glass, any impact received by the fixing bracket is less likely to be input to the window glass, which results in a reduction in the impact input to the window glass.

[0009] In this case, the fixing bracket may include a main bracket having a substantially flat joint portion which is overlapped and joined to one side of the glass channel and a protrusion portion which protrudes outward in the longitudinal direction of the glass channel, a fixing protector which is screwed and fastened to the protrusion portion, and a relay terminal which is attached to at least one of the main bracket and the fixing protector and which electrically relays the wire harness and the electrical element.

[0010] The provision of the fixing protector allows the wire harness to be protected more appropriately, and the provision of the relay terminal simplifies the wiring work of the wire harness.

[0011] Furthermore, the relay terminal may be located on the outer side in the planar direction of the window glass, and neither the main bracket nor the fixing protector may be in direct contact with the window glass.

[0012] With this configuration, interference between the relay terminal and the window glass can be prevented, and the impact input to the window glass can be more reliably reduced.

[0013] In addition, the window glass may be a side window glass installed in a side door of a vehicle and may be a laminated glass made by laminating two or more glass sheets, and the electric element may be a light control film that adjusts the transmittance of the window glass.

[0014] By attaching the fixing bracket to the glass channel, laminated glass, which is weaker than tempered glass, can be used for side windows, which are more susceptible to impacts. In addition, by using laminated glass, it is possible to attach a light control film to the window glass as an electrical element. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the technology disclosed in this specification, the impact input to the window glass can be further reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of a window glass to be installed in a vehicle. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a front view of the glass channel and main bracket. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the glass channel and main bracket. [Figure 6] 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of a glass channel, a main bracket, and a fixing protector. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, the fixing structure of the wire harness 60 will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, Fr, Up, and Rh in each drawing indicate the front, upper, and right side of the vehicle, respectively.

[0018] The window glass 10 is a side window glass attached to a side door (not shown) of a vehicle. A window opening is formed in the upper part of the side door of the vehicle, and the window glass 10 covers this window opening. The window glass 10 is mechanically connected to a lifting mechanism (not shown) and moves up and down, i.e., forward and backward. When the window glass 10 rises, the window opening is closed, and when the window glass 10 falls, the window opening is opened. The configuration of the lifting mechanism is not particularly limited, and for example, the lifting mechanism may be an electric actuator having an electric drive source such as a motor. In another embodiment, the lifting mechanism may be a mechanical transmission mechanism that converts a manual operation by a passenger into up and down movement and transmits it to the window glass 10. The lifting mechanism is mechanically connected to, for example, a glass channel 14.

[0019] In this example, a specific electric element 12 is incorporated into the window glass 10. The electric element 12 is operated by receiving a supply of electric power. There is no particular limitation on the type of electric element 12. The electric element 12 may be, for example, a heating wire that heats the window glass 10 to defog it. The electric element 12 may also be, for example, a light control film (such as a liquid crystal film) that adjusts the transmittance of the window glass 10. In any case, the electric element 12 is integrated with the window glass 10.

[0020] The lower edge of the window glass 10 is held by a glass channel 14. The glass channel 14 is a groove-shaped metal member. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the glass channel 14 has a pair of side walls 16 and a bottom wall 18 connecting the lower ends of the two side walls 16. The window glass 10 is inserted between the two side walls 16. The two side walls 16 have some springiness and hold the window glass 10 in place.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, an electrode 64 is attached to the surface of the lower part of the window glass 10. The electrode 64 is electrically connected to the electric element 12 and receives power supply to the electric element 12. A power supply line 62, which will be described later, is connected to this electrode 64. This electrode 64, the glass channel 14, and the fixing bracket 20, which will be described later, are all located in positions that are not visible to the occupants. In other words, even if the window glass 10 is fully raised, the lower part of the window glass 10 is lower than the lower edge L of the window opening. The glass channel 14 and the like are located below the lower edge L of the window opening. Therefore, the glass channel 14 and the like are accommodated in the door internal space formed between the door inner panel and the door outer panel (neither of which are shown).

[0022] A wire harness 60 is electrically connected to the power supply line 62. A base end of the wire harness 60 is held by a fixing member 50 mounted on the vehicle. The wire harness 60 is also electrically connected to a power supply 70, and supplies power from the power supply 70 to the electric element 12. The power supply 70 is, for example, an on-board battery or a generator mounted on the vehicle.

[0023] A fixing bracket 20 that holds an end of the wire harness 60 is attached to the glass channel 14. The fixing bracket 20 is broadly divided into a main bracket 22 and a fixing protector 36. The main bracket 22 is a metal member that is joined to the glass channel 14. Note that hereinafter, when viewed from the main bracket 22, the direction approaching the center of the thickness direction of the window glass 10 is referred to as the "inner side in the thickness direction," and the direction away from the center of the thickness direction of the window glass 10 is referred to as the "outer side in the thickness direction."

[0024] As is clear from Figs. 4 and 5, the main bracket 22 is a flat member, and is overlapped and joined to the side wall 16 of the glass channel 14. The upper part of Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the relative positions of the main bracket 22, the glass channel 14, and the fixing protector 36. The cross marks in Fig. 3 indicate the joint points 30 between the main bracket 22 and the side wall 16. The number of such joint points 30 is not particularly limited. However, by providing two or more joint points 30, the rotation of the main bracket 22 is effectively prevented.

[0025] A part of the main bracket 22 protrudes outward in the longitudinal direction of the glass channel 14. Hereinafter, this protruding part will be referred to as a "protruding part 26," and the part overlapping with the side wall 16 will be referred to as a "joint part 24." The end of the protruding part 26 is substantially circular and bulges downward. A fastening hole 28 for fastening a fixing protector 36 is formed in the center of this circular part. Furthermore, a nut 38 is fixed concentrically with the fastening hole 28 on the back surface of the main bracket 22.

[0026] 2 and the upper part of Fig. 6, the fixing protector 36 is a member that is fastened to the protruding portion 26 in a state where it is overlapped on the outer side in the thickness direction of the protruding portion 26. The fixing protector 36 is, for example, a substantially flat plate-shaped member made of resin.

[0027] The relay terminal 39 is a member that electrically connects the power supply line 62 and the wire harness 60. The relay terminal 39 includes, for example, a relay line 40 that is connected to the wire harness 60, a first connector 42, and a second connector 43.

[0028] Here, the main bracket 22 is joined to the outer side of the side wall 16 in the thickness direction, and the fixing protector 36 is fastened to the outer side of the main bracket 22 in the thickness direction. Therefore, both the main bracket 22 and the fixing protector 36 are positioned away from the window glass 10. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the relay terminal 39 including the connectors 42, 43 is disposed on the outer side in the surface direction of the window glass 10. Therefore, none of the main bracket 22, the fixing protector 36, and the relay terminal 39 are in direct contact with the window glass 10 in the thickness direction. As a result, an impact in the thickness direction applied to the main bracket 22 and the fixing protector 36 is likely to be transmitted to the window glass 10.

[0029] Next, the reason for providing the fixing bracket 20 described above will be explained. First, consider a case where the wire harness 60 is not held midway and is directly connected to the power supply line 62 from the fixing member 50. In this case, the tension of the power supply line 62 changes as the window glass 10 rises and falls, so the power supply line 62 is likely to deteriorate. In addition, in this case, the load of the wire harness 60 acts on the power supply line 62 and thus the electrode 64, which is likely to cause deterioration of the electrode 64 and the power supply line 62. For this reason, a fixing bracket for holding the wire harness 60 has been proposed in the past. However, the conventional fixing bracket is attached directly to the surface of the window glass 10, not to the glass channel 14. In this case, there is a problem that an impact applied to the fixing bracket is likely to be transmitted to the window glass 10.

[0030] That is, as described above, the lower part of the window glass 10 and the fixing bracket fixed to said lower part are located in the space inside the door. If the door is closed forcefully in this state, a large impact is applied to the fixing bracket in the direction of the thickness of the glass. If the fixing bracket is directly fixed to the window glass 10, the impact received by the fixing bracket is transmitted directly to the window glass 10, which may cause the window glass 10 to break.

[0031] To avoid these problems, it is conceivable to use tempered glass for the window glass 10. However, when incorporating a light control film as the electric element 12 into the window glass 10, the window glass 10 must be laminated glass in which multiple glass sheets are bonded together via an interlayer. Therefore, when tempered glass is used, it is not possible to incorporate a light control film as the electric element 12 into the window glass 10. In other words, in the past, it was difficult to incorporate an electric element 12, particularly a light control film, into window glass 10 that is mounted on an opening and closing object (i.e., a door, etc.).

[0032] On the other hand, in this example, as described above, the fixing bracket 20 is attached to the glass channel 14, not to the window glass 10. Also, as described above, none of the main bracket 22, the fixing protector 36, and the relay terminal 39 are in direct contact with the window glass 10 in the thickness direction. As a result, impacts in the thickness direction applied to the main bracket 22, the fixing protector 36, and the relay terminal 39 are not easily transmitted to the window glass 10. As a result, according to this example, the electric element 12 can be satisfactorily incorporated into the window glass 10 mounted on the opening and closing device. The electrode 64 is sufficiently thin and is located inside the main bracket 22 in the thickness direction. Therefore, there is no risk of the electrode 64 colliding with door components when the door is closed.

[0033] In this embodiment, the joint 24 of the main bracket 22 is generally flat. This configuration makes it possible to reduce the amount of protrusion of the main bracket 22 from the glass channel 14. The amount of protrusion in the thickness direction can be reduced. As a result, the overall thickness of the window glass 10 after the fixing bracket 20 is attached can be reduced, and the workability when inserting the window glass 10 into the door opening can be maintained high.

[0034] Moreover, the relay terminal 39 including the connectors 42, 43 is thick. By arranging the thick relay terminal 39 on the outer side in the planar direction of the window glass 10, it is possible to suppress interference between the relay terminal 39 and the window glass 10 and to keep the overall thickness of the window glass 10 small after the fixing bracket 20 is attached.

[0035] The configurations described so far are all examples, and other configurations may be changed as long as the configuration of claim 1 is included. For example, the configuration of the fixing bracket 20 may be changed as appropriate as long as it is attached to the glass channel 14. For example, the fixing bracket 20 may have a main bracket 22 but may not have a fixing protector 36. In addition, although the present example has been described using a side window glass mounted on a side door as an example, the technology disclosed in this specification may be applied to other window glasses 10 mounted on a vehicle and moving forward and backward. For example, the technology disclosed in this specification may be applied to a window glass 10 for an openable and closable sunroof. The shape of the main bracket 22 may also be changed as appropriate. For example, the main bracket 22 is not limited to a flat plate shape, and may be a crank shape that is bent in a step-like manner in the thickness direction, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 6. In this case, the end of the main bracket 22 is bent in a direction approaching the window glass 10 (i.e., toward the inside in the thickness direction). With this configuration, the amount of protrusion of the fixing protector 36 from the window glass 10 can be kept small. This allows the connection portion 41 between the wire harness 60 and the relay wire 40 to be located on the outside in the thickness direction. Here, since an operator works from the outside in the thickness direction, locating the connection portion 41 on the outside in the thickness direction can improve the workability of wiring. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 10 window glass, 12 electrical element, 14 glass channel, 16 side wall, 18 bottom wall, 20 fixing bracket, 22 main bracket, 24 joint, 26 protrusion, 28 fastening hole, 30 joint point, 36 fixing protector, 38 nut, 39 relay terminal, 40 relay line, 42 first connector, 43 third connector, 50 fixing member, 60 wire harness, 62 power supply line, 64 electrode, 70 power supply.

Claims

1. A window glass that can be moved forward and backward and has an electric element built therein; a groove-shaped glass channel for receiving and holding an edge of the window glass; A wire harness for supplying power to the electric element; a fixing bracket fixed to one side of the glass channel and holding the wire harness; A fixing structure for a wire harness comprising:

2. The fixing structure of the wire harness according to claim 1, The fixing bracket is a main bracket having a substantially flat joint portion that is overlapped and joined to one side of the glass channel and a protruding portion that protrudes outward in the longitudinal direction of the glass channel; a fixing protector that is screwed and fastened to the protruding portion; a relay terminal attached to at least one of the main bracket and the fixing protector, electrically relaying the wire harness and the electric element; A fixing structure for a wire harness comprising:

3. The fixing structure of the wire harness according to claim 2, The relay terminal is located on an outer side in a surface direction of the window glass, Neither the main bracket nor the fixing protector is in direct contact with the window glass. A fixing structure for a wire harness, comprising:

4. The fixing structure of the wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The window glass is a side window glass mounted on a side door of a vehicle and is a laminated glass formed by laminating two or more glass sheets, The electrical element is a light control film that adjusts the transmittance of the window glass. A fixing structure for a wire harness, comprising:

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