Power supply device

Abstract

To provide a power supply device capable of reducing its size.SOLUTION: A slide door power supply device 1 for supplying electric power from a vehicle body 100 to electrical equipment incorporated into a slide door 200 that slides with respect to the vehicle body 100 comprises: an electric cable 2 hung between the vehicle body 100 and the slide door 200; a connector unit 5 which is connected to the end part of the electric cable 2 with a door-side wire 6b led from the side opposite to the side connected to the electric cable 2; a slide door side holding part 4 which is fixed to the slide door 200 and holds one end side of the electric cable 2; and a vehicle body side holding part 3 which is fixed to the vehicle body 100 and holds the other end side of the electric cable 2. A base end part 43 for disposing the connector unit 5 is provided on the slide door side holding part 4, and the connector unit 5 is provided on the base end part 43 to face such a direction that the door-side wire 6b is led along the height direction H of the hung part of the electric cable 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply device that supplies power to an electrical component incorporated in a sliding body that slides relative to a vehicle body. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, electrical equipment for improving convenience and comfort has been built into a sliding body that slides relative to the vehicle body, such as a sliding door or a sliding seat of an automobile. For example, electrical equipment such as a power window motor and an audio speaker is built into the sliding door of an automobile, and a sliding door power supply device that supplies power to these electrical equipment is provided (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Such a sliding door power supply device includes an electric cable that is stretched between the vehicle body and the sliding door, a sliding body side holding part that is fixed to the sliding door and holds one end of the electric cable, and a vehicle body side holding part that is fixed to the vehicle body and holds the other end of the electric cable. An electric wire that is connected to an electrical component is connected to the tip of the electric cable that is fixed to the sliding body side holding part, so that power can be supplied from the vehicle body to the electrical component built into the sliding door.

[0004] In recent years, the number of electrical devices mounted on vehicles has been increasing, and the space for arranging the vehicle body side holding part and the slide body side holding part has been limited due to the provision of storage structures to improve comfort inside the vehicle, etc. For this reason, there is a demand for making the vehicle body side holding part and the slide body side holding part more compact. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7190084 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a power supply device that can be made compact. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This invention is a power supply device that supplies power from a vehicle body to an electrical component incorporated in a sliding body that slides relative to the vehicle body, and is equipped with an electric cable composed of a flexible flat cable and suspended between the vehicle body and the sliding body, a connection body connected to an end of the electric cable and from which an electric wire is led out from the side opposite to the side to which the electric cable is connected, a slide body side holding part fixed to the sliding body and holding one end side of the electric cable, and a vehicle body side holding part fixed to the vehicle body and holding the other end side of the electric cable, and is characterized in that at least one of the vehicle body side holding part and the slide body side holding part is provided with a positioning part for positioning the connection body, and the connection body is positioned in the positioning part in a direction in which the electric wire is led out along the width direction of the bridging portion of the electric cable.

[0008] The sliding body is slidably moved relative to the vehicle body, and includes, for example, a sliding door and a sliding seat. Note that the sliding movement relative to the vehicle body mentioned above also includes the sliding body moving from the inside to the outside of the vehicle body, or from the outside to the inside of the vehicle body. The electric cable may be a single flexible flat cable or a plurality of overlapping flexible flat cables.

[0009] According to this invention, the power supply device can be made compact. In detail, the connection body to which the electric cable is connected is arranged in a placement section provided in at least one of the vehicle body side holding section and the slide body side holding section. This allows the length of at least one of the vehicle body side holding section and the slide body side holding section to be shortened in the thickness direction of the electric cable made of a flexible flat cable. Furthermore, when the connection body is arranged in the placement section, the electric wire connected to the electrical equipment is led out along the width direction rather than the thickness direction, so that protrusion of the electric wire in the thickness direction can be suppressed. In this way, at least one of the vehicle body side holding section and the slide body side holding section can be made compact in the thickness direction, and protrusion of the electric wire in the thickness direction can be suppressed. Therefore, the vehicle body side holding section and the slide body side holding section can be arranged even in a place where the space for arranging the vehicle body side holding section and the slide body side holding section is limited.

[0010] As an aspect of the present invention, the arrangement portion may be provided with a bent portion formed by bending one end side of the electric cable, and a accommodating portion may be provided for guiding the one end side of the electric cable beyond the bent portion to the side from which the electric wire is led out.

[0011] According to this invention, one end of the electric cable made of a flexible flat cable can be folded toward the arrangement portion and housed in the housing portion. This makes it possible to prevent the folded portion of the electric cable from expanding excessively in the longitudinal direction of the electric cable, thereby making the housing portion more compact. Therefore, it is possible to make at least one of the vehicle body side holding portion and the slide body side holding portion more compact. Furthermore, by folding one end of the electric cable and housing it in the housing portion, the folded state of the electric cable can be maintained and the one end of the electric cable can be protected.

[0012] In another aspect of the present invention, the direction in which the slide body is slid relative to the vehicle body is defined as the sliding direction, and a shape regulating portion for regulating the bending shape of the electric cable may be provided on one side of the sliding direction in at least one of the vehicle body side holding portion and the slide body side holding portion.

[0013] According to the present invention, with a simple configuration, when the electric cable is strongly pulled, the bent electric cable can be guided along the shape restricting portion, thereby preventing the electric cable from being damaged by hitting against a corner.

[0014] In addition, when the electric wire led out from the connection body arranged in the arrangement section is directed in the thickness direction, there is a risk of interference between the bent electric cable and the electric wire. For this reason, it was necessary to provide a protective member between the electric cable and the electric wire. However, since the electric wire led out from the connection body arranged in the arrangement section is directed in the width direction, there is no risk of interference between the bent electric cable and the electric wire, and there is no need to provide a protective member between the electric wire and the electric cable. For this reason, it is possible to make at least one of the vehicle body side holding section and the slide body side holding section more compact in the thickness direction, and it is possible to protect the electric wire.

[0015] As a further aspect of the present invention, a fixing portion for fixing the electric cable may be provided between the shape restricting portion and the arrangement portion. According to this invention, it is possible to prevent the electric cable from moving away from at least one of the vehicle body side holding part and the slide body side holding part in which the holding part is provided in the thickness direction of the electric cable between the shape restricting part and the holding part, thereby making at least one of the vehicle body side holding part and the slide body side holding part in which the electric cable is routed more compact in the thickness direction.

[0016] As a further aspect of the present invention, the arrangement portion may be provided with an extended fixing portion that extends in the width direction and fixes the connector arranged on the arrangement portion. According to this invention, the connecting body is fixed in the state where it is placed in the placement portion, so that unintentional movement of the connecting body can be restricted. In other words, because the movement of the connecting body in the thickness direction is restricted, there is no need to provide an excess length in the thickness direction in the placement portion, and the length in the thickness direction of the placement portion can be shortened. Therefore, at least one of the vehicle body side holding portion and the slide body side holding portion can be made more compact.

[0017] As a further aspect of the present invention, a direction in which the slide body is slid relative to the vehicle body may be defined as a sliding direction, and the extended fixing portion may be provided at an end of the arrangement portion in the sliding direction. According to this invention, it is possible to prevent the connector from protruding in at least one of the sliding directions, and therefore it is possible to make at least one of the vehicle body side holding part and the slide body side holding part compact along the sliding direction.

[0018] As a further aspect of the present invention, the electric cable may be configured by stacking a plurality of flexible flat cables having the same length in the longitudinal direction, the flexible flat cables being shifted in the longitudinal direction. According to this invention, the lengths of the multiple flexible flat cables constituting the electric cable can be unified, so there is no need to prepare multiple flexible flat cables of different lengths. Therefore, the work process for connecting each flexible flat cable to a connecting body can be simplified. In addition, when bending one end of the flexible flat cables, all the flexible flat cables can be bent at the same position, so the work process can be further simplified. Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a power supply device that can be made compact. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a sliding door power supply device. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is an enlarged schematic perspective view of a connector to which one end of an electric cable is connected and a door-side holding portion; FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] 6 is an explanatory diagram of a connector to which one end of an electric cable is connected and a door-side holding portion. FIG. [Figure 9] 6 is an explanatory diagram of a connector to which one end of an electric cable is connected and a door-side holding portion. FIG. [Figure 10] 6 is an explanatory diagram of a connector to which one end of an electric cable is connected and a door-side holding portion. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] A sliding door power supply device 1 that supplies power from the vehicle body 100 to electrical equipment incorporated in a sliding door 200 that slides relative to the vehicle body 100 will be described in detail below with reference to Figs. 1 to 10.

[0022] Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of the sliding door power supply device 1, Fig. 2 shows an explanatory diagram of the electric cable 2, and Fig. 3 shows an explanatory diagram of a connector unit 5 connected to an end of the electric cable 2. Fig. 4 shows an enlarged schematic perspective view of the sliding door side holding part 4 in a state in which a connector case 50 to which one end of the electric cable 2 is connected is arranged. Figs. 5 to 7 show explanatory diagrams of the sliding door side holding part 4, and Figs. 8 to 10 show explanatory diagrams of the sliding door side holding part 4 in a state in which a connector case 50 to which one end of the electric cable 2 is connected is arranged.

[0023] 2, 3, and 5 to 10 will be described in detail. Fig. 2(a) shows a schematic plan view of the electric cable 2, and Fig. 2(b) shows a schematic front view of the flexible flat cable 21 as viewed from the thickness direction. Fig. 3(a) shows a schematic perspective view of the connector case 50, and Fig. 3(b) shows a schematic perspective view showing the process of manufacturing the connector unit 5 by stacking the connector cases 50.

[0024] Fig. 5(a) shows a schematic perspective view of the sliding door side holding part 4, and Fig. 5(b) shows a schematic plan view of the sliding door side holding part 4. Fig. 6(a) shows a schematic front view of the sliding door side holding part 4 as seen from the outside WO, Fig. 6(b) shows an enlarged view of part a in Fig. 6(a), and Fig. 6(c) shows an enlarged view of part b in Fig. 6(a). Fig. 7(a) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Fig. 5(b), and Fig. 7(b) shows an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of the cable housing part 47 in Fig. 7(a). Fig. 7(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion corresponding to part b in Fig. 6(a).

[0025] Fig. 8 shows a schematic front view of the sliding door side holding part 4 in a state where a connector case 50 connected to one end of an electric cable 2 is arranged. Fig. 9(a) shows a schematic plan view of the sliding door side holding part 4 in a state where a connector case 50 connected to one end of an electric cable 2 is arranged, and Fig. 9(b) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in Fig. 8. Fig. 10(a) shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in Fig. 9(a), and Fig. 10(b) shows an enlarged view of part c in Fig. 10(a).

[0026] 1, the up-down direction is defined as a height direction H, and the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 100 and the sliding door 200, i.e., the direction in which the sliding door 200 slides relative to the vehicle body 100 is defined as a sliding direction L. The sliding direction L and the height direction H are perpendicular to each other. The direction perpendicular to the sliding direction L and the height direction H is defined as a width direction W.

[0027] 1, the upper side along the height direction H is the upper side HU, and the lower side along the height direction H is the lower side HD. Similarly, the right side along the sliding direction L is the front side LF, the left side along the sliding direction L is the rear side LB, the right side along the width direction W is the outer side WO, and the left side along the width direction W is the inner side WI. The directions defined in FIG. 1 are the same in FIGS.

[0028] 1, 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. Connector units 5 of the same specifications are connected to both ends of the electric cable 2. The connector units 5 are fixed to the vehicle body side holding part 3 and the sliding door side holding part 4 via a fastener 7. Further, an electric wire bundle 6 is connected to the side of the connector unit 5 opposite to the side to which the electric cable 2 is connected, and is electrically connected to electric components incorporated in the vehicle body 100 and the sliding door 200 (see FIG. 4).

[0029] The electric cable 2 is stretched between the vehicle body 100 and the sliding door 200. As shown in Fig. 2(a) and Fig. 2(b), the electric cable 2 is made by overlapping a plurality of flexible flat cables 21 with a shift in the longitudinal direction.

[0030] The flexible flat cable 21 has a structure in which strip-shaped conductors arranged in parallel are sandwiched between sheet-shaped insulators. Connector cases 50 constituting the connector unit 5 are connected to both ends of the flexible flat cable 21, as shown in FIG. 2(a).

[0031] 2(b), the flexible flat cable 21 has a bent portion 211 at one end (the side of the sliding door side holding portion 4) that is bent toward the face width direction that is a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flexible flat cable 21. As a result, the one end side of the electric cable 2 along the longitudinal direction is redirected so as to extend toward the face width direction of the flexible flat cable 21 at the bridge portion between the vehicle body side holding portion 3 and the sliding door side holding portion 4.

[0032] The electric cable 2 is formed by stacking flexible flat cables 21 of equal length in the longitudinal direction in a bundle with the cables 21 shifted in the longitudinal direction. The bundle of flexible flat cables 21 stacked in the thickness direction in this manner is covered with a cable exterior member 22 having flexibility.

[0033] In this embodiment, the electric cable 2 is formed by stacking eight flexible flat cables 21. Of the eight stacked flexible flat cables 21, the flexible flat cable 21 arranged on the furthest side in the thickness direction (the lower side in FIG. 2(a)) is referred to as flexible flat cable 21a. Also, the flexible flat cable 21 stacked on the other side in the thickness direction of the flexible flat cable 21a (the upper side in FIG. 2(a)) is referred to as flexible flat cable 21b (see FIG. 2(a)).

[0034] The eight overlapping flexible flat cables 21 have the same length along the longitudinal direction, so that the connector case 50 (connector case 50a) connected to both ends of the flexible flat cable 21a is disposed on one side in the longitudinal direction of the connector case 50 (connector case 50b) connected to both ends of the flexible flat cable 21b (see FIG. 2(a)).

[0035] The connector unit 5 connected to both ends of the electric cable 2 is configured by stacking a plurality of connector cases 50. The number of connector cases 50 can be freely changed according to the specifications of the sliding door 200. Specifically, it can be freely changed according to the number of flexible flat cables 21 required. In this embodiment, the connector unit 5 is configured by stacking nine connector cases 50.

[0036] 3, the connector case 50 has a main plate 51 which is a substantially rectangular flat plate, and a pair of side plate portions 52 standing upright from both ends of the short side of the main plate portion 51. Here, in the connector case 50, a space surrounded by the pair of side plate portions 52 and the main plate portion 51 is defined as a terminal accommodating portion 5C. The terminal accommodating portion 5C accommodates a connection terminal 53 in accordance with a circuit corresponding to an electrical component.

[0037] The connection terminal 53 accommodated in the terminal accommodating portion 5C has a pierce portion 531 provided on one side in the long side direction of the main plate portion 51, and a barrel portion 532 provided on the other side in the long side direction.

[0038] The piercing portion 531 is a so-called piercing terminal, and by piercing the flexible flat cable 21 , the flexible flat cable 21 and the connection terminal 53 can be electrically connected to each other. The barrel portion 532 is a so-called closed barrel, and by crimping the electric wire 61 to be connected to an electrical component, the electric wire 61 can be electrically connected to the connection terminal 53. In this way, the flexible flat cable 21 and the electric wire 61 are electrically connected via the connection terminal 53.

[0039] The main plate 51 is formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape. Three partition plates 511 are provided on the inner wall surface of the main plate 51 at a predetermined interval in the short side direction along the short side. The partition plate 511 is formed so that the central portion in the long side direction along the long side is the highest, and an engagement piece 512 is provided at the tip edge thereof, extending toward the other side in the long side direction.

[0040] Furthermore, a vertical plate extending in the short-side direction is provided in the central portion in the long-side direction on the outer wall surface of the main plate portion 51. This vertical plate is formed to have a constant height, and an engaged piece 513 configured to be engaged with an engaging piece 512 provided on the adjacent connector case 50 is provided on the tip edge of the vertical plate (see FIG. 2).

[0041] The side plate portion 52 is a generally plate-shaped side wall erected from both outer edges in the short side direction of the main plate portion 51. In detail, the side plate portion 52 has a first side plate portion 521 provided from the outer edge on one side in the long side direction to the central portion of the main plate portion 51, and a second side plate portion 522 provided from the first side plate portion 521 to the outer edge on the other side in the long side direction.

[0042] The first side plate portion 521 is a side wall erected from the outer edge of one side in the long side direction of the main plate portion 51. The second side plate portion 522 is a side wall portion having the same plate thickness as the first side plate portion 521, and is disposed inward in the short side direction from the first side plate portion 521. That is, the outer edge of the main plate portion 51 in the short side direction is recessed inward in the short side direction from the other side in the long side direction to the one side in the long side direction. Therefore, a step portion 523 is formed between the outer wall of the first side plate portion 521 and the outer wall of the second side plate portion 522. The step portion 523 is provided with an engagement groove 524 formed by recessing the outer wall of the second side plate portion 522. The engagement groove 524 extends from the other side in the long side direction of the main plate portion 51 toward the first side plate portion 521.

[0043] A hook-shaped locking portion 525 protruding in the erecting direction of the side plate portion 52 is provided at the tip of the second side plate portion 522. The locking portion 525 is configured to be able to be locked into a locking groove 524 of another stacked connector case 50. The outer wall of the locking portion 525 is flush with the outer wall of the first side plate portion 521.

[0044] Further, the first side plate portion 521 and the second side plate portion 522 are each provided with a protrusion 526 that protrudes outward in the short side direction. The distance between the protrusions 526 in the long side direction is equal to the width of a band portion 71, which will be described later.

[0045] A method for stacking the connector cases 50 thus configured will be described. First, the flexible flat cable 21 and the electric wires 61 are connected to the connection terminals 53 housed in the terminal housings 5C. Then, as shown in Fig. 3, the connector cases 50 can be stacked on each other by sliding the connector case 50 along the longitudinal direction relative to the adjacent connector case 50. At this time, the engaging piece 512 and the engaged portion 513 are engaged with each other, and the engaging portion 525 on the other side is engaged with the engaging groove 524 on one side.

[0046] As a result, on one side of the long side of the connector unit 5 in which the multiple connector cases 50 are stacked, the multiple flexible flat cables 21 connected to the respective connector cases 50 can be overlapped. Also, on the other side of the long side of the connector unit 5, the electric wires 61 extending from each connection terminal 53 can be gathered and bundled into an electric wire bundle 6 (see FIG. 2(a)).

[0047] Here, among the electric wire bundles 6, the electric wire bundle 6 electrically connected to the electric equipment incorporated in the vehicle body 100 is referred to as the vehicle body side electric wire 6a, and the electric wire bundle 6 electrically connected to the electric equipment incorporated in the sliding door 200 is referred to as the door side electric wire 6b.

[0048] The vehicle body side holding part 3 holds one end of the electric cable 2 and is fixed to the vehicle body 100. More specifically, the vehicle body side holding part 3 is fixed to a floor panel of the vehicle body 100. A connector unit 5 that connects the electric cable 2 and a vehicle body side electric wire 6a is attached to the vehicle body side holding part 3.

[0049] 4, the sliding door side holding part 4 holds the other end of the electric cable 2 and is fixed to the sliding door 200. More specifically, the sliding door side holding part 4 is fixed to an inner panel of the sliding door 200. A connector unit 5 that connects the electric cable 2 and the door side electric wire 6b is fixed to the sliding door side holding part 4 with a binder 7.

[0050] Here, the fastener 7 is a so-called cable tie, and includes a band portion 71 formed from a long, strip-shaped body, and a buckle portion 72 to which the base end of the band portion 71 is connected and through which the tip of the band portion 71 is inserted to engage and fix the band portion 71 in a ring shape.

[0051] The slide door side holding portion 4 will be described in detail below. 5(a) and 5(b), the sliding door side holding part 4 is an elongated block body with an end part on the front side LF formed in an arc shape in a plan view. The sliding door side holding part 4 is integrally formed with a tip part 41 arranged on the front side LF, a middle part 42 arranged on the rear side LB of the tip part 41, and a base part 43 arranged on the rear side LB of the middle part 42.

[0052] The tip portion 41 is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape having a bottom surface that is approximately semicircular in plan view. The bottom surface of the tip portion 41 has a diameter that is slightly longer than the short side of the main plate portion 51. The height of the tip portion 41 is longer than the width of the flexible flat cable 21.

[0053] The intermediate portion 42 is a prism having a rectangular shape when viewed from the bottom, with a short side having a width length equal to the diameter of the tip portion 41 and a long side having a diameter approximately three times the diameter of the bottom surface at the tip portion 41. The height of the intermediate portion 42 is equal to the height of the tip portion 41. The intermediate portion 42 thus configured is provided with a pair of bolt fixing portions 44 for bolt fixing to the inner panel of the sliding door 200, and two through holes 45 penetrating the intermediate portion 42 in the height direction H, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 .

[0054] The bolt fixing portion 44 is a flat plate standing from the intermediate portion 42 in the height direction H, and is provided with a bolt hole 441 penetrating in the plate thickness direction at a predetermined position. By aligning this bolt hole 441 with a predetermined position of the inner panel of the sliding door 200 and inserting a bolt into the bolt hole 441, the sliding door side holding portion 4 can be fixed to the sliding door 200.

[0055] The bolt fixing portions 44 configured in this manner are provided on the outer side WO and the inner side WI of the central portion in the sliding direction L of the intermediate portion 42. Here, the bolt fixing portion 44 provided on the outer side WO is referred to as a first fixing portion 44a, and the bolt fixing portion 44 provided on the inner side WI is referred to as a second fixing portion 44b.

[0056] 5(b) and 6, the first fixing portion 44a extends from an end portion of the outer side WO of the intermediate portion 42 toward the lower side HD. Note that the first fixing portion 44a protrudes slightly toward the outer side WO from the outer wall of the outer side WO of the intermediate portion 42. The second fixing portion 44b extends toward the lower side HD from the end portion of the outer side WO of the intermediate portion 42. The second fixing portion 44b is flush with the outer wall of the inner side WI of the intermediate portion 42.

[0057] The through hole 45 is formed by penetrating the vicinity of the end portion of the outer side WO of the intermediate portion 42 along the height direction H. The length of the through hole 45 along the sliding direction L is configured to be slightly longer than the width of the band portion 71 and shorter than the width of the buckle portion 72. Therefore, the band portion 71 can be inserted through the through hole 45. Two through holes 45 configured in this manner are provided at both end portions of the second fixing portion 44b in the sliding direction L.

[0058] 5 and 6, the base end 43 is a rectangular prism in bottom view, having a short side with a width equal to the diameter of the tip end 41 and a long side longer than the length along the stacking direction of the connector unit 5 in which the connector cases 50 are stacked. The height of this intermediate portion 42 is equal to the height of the tip end 41. More specifically, the length along the sliding direction L of the base end 43 is approximately equal to the length along the stacking direction of the connector unit 5 plus the length along the stacking direction when four connector cases 50 are stacked.

[0059] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, an extension portion 46 is provided on the upper surface of the base end portion 43 configured in this manner. In addition, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, a plurality of cable housing portions 47 that are inserted inward are provided on the surface of the outer side WO of the base end portion 43.

[0060] The extension portion 46 is a hollow frame-like body having a rectangular shape in a plan view, penetrating along the width direction W, and extending from an end portion on the rear side LB of the base end portion 43 toward the upper side HU. In detail, the extension portion 46 is composed of a first extension wall 461 and a second extension wall 462 standing from the base end portion 43 toward the upper side HU, an upper end connecting wall 463 connecting the first extension wall 461 and the second extension wall 462, a central connecting wall 464, and an inner connecting wall 465.

[0061] The first extension wall 461 is a flat plate erected from the end of the rear side LB of the base end portion 43 toward the upper side HU, and has a height slightly longer than the long side of the main plate portion 51. The length of the first extension wall 461 along the width direction W is configured to be approximately the same as the short side of the main plate portion 51. The plate thickness of the first extension wall 461 is equal to the length from the first side plate portion 521 to the tip of the locking portion 525.

[0062] The second extension wall 462 is a flat plate having substantially the same shape as the first extension wall 461, and stands apart from the first extension wall 461 at a distance substantially equal to the width of the band portion 71. A case locking groove 466 recessed toward the inside in the width direction W is formed on the upper side HU of the second extension wall 462 configured in this manner so that the locking portion 525 can be locked.

[0063] The upper end connecting wall 463 is a flat plate connecting the upper ends of the first extension wall 461 and the second extension wall 462 in the sliding direction L. The central connecting wall 464 is a flat plate connecting the central parts of the first extension wall 461 and the second extension wall 462 in the sliding direction L at the lower end part of the case locking groove 466. The main surfaces of the upper end connecting wall 463 and the central connecting wall 464 are parallel to the upper surface of the sliding door side holding part 4.

[0064] 6(b) and 7, the inner connecting wall 465 is a flat plate that connects the first extension wall 461 and the second extension wall 462 so as to straddle the inner sides WI. More specifically, the inner connecting wall 465 is a flat plate having a main surface along the sliding direction L and the height direction H, and connects an area HD slightly lower than the upper end connecting wall 463 along the sliding direction L. Note that a gap approximately equal to the lateral width of the band portion 71 is provided between the lower end of the inner connecting wall 465 and the central connecting wall 464.

[0065] That is, in the upper end portion and the central portion of the extension portion 46, communication holes that communicate along the width direction W are formed so that the band portion 71 can be inserted. Here, the communication hole in the upper HU is referred to as a first communication hole 467, and the communication hole in the central portion is referred to as a second communication hole 468.

[0066] 6(c) and 7, the cable housing 47 is a slit formed by cutting out the base end 43 so as to straddle the side surface of the outer side WO of the base end 43 and the upper surface of the upper HU. In detail, the cable housing 47 is a slit formed by cutting out the upper surface of the upper HU of the base end 43 toward the lower side HD, and has a housing portion 471, a protrusion 472 provided at the upper end of the housing portion 471, and a support portion 473 provided in the center of the housing portion 471 in the height direction H.

[0067] In a plan view, the accommodating portion 471 is a slit cut from the end of the outer side WO of the base end 43 to the vicinity of the end of the inner side WI, and forms an accommodating space S inside the base end 43 that can accommodate the bent portion 211 (see FIG. 7(b)). The length of the accommodating portion 471 along the width direction W and height direction H is sufficiently longer than the width of the flexible flat cable 21. Moreover, the length of the accommodating portion 471 along the sliding direction L is about four times the plate thickness of the flexible flat cable 21.

[0068] The protrusion 472 protrudes from an upper end of the front side LF of the accommodating portion 471 toward the rear side LB. An end of the protrusion 472 on the outer side WO has an arc shape in a plan view that approaches the inner side WI as it approaches the rear side LB (see FIG. 5(b)). The length of the protrusion 472 along the sliding direction L is slightly less than twice the thickness of the flexible flat cable 21. In other words, an opening having a length approximately twice the thickness of the flexible flat cable 21 is formed on the rear side LB of the protrusion 472.

[0069] The support portion 473 is a protruding piece that protrudes from an end face on the front side LF at the center portion in the height direction H of the accommodating portion 471 toward the rear side LB, and has the same shape as the protruding portion 472 . The cable accommodating portion 47 has an insertion port 474 formed on the side surface of the outer side WO at the base end portion 43, and an outlet port 475 formed on the upper surface of the upper side HU at the base end portion 43 (see Figures 5(b) and 6).

[0070] The eight cable housing portions 47 thus configured are provided at equal intervals along the sliding direction L in accordance with the number of flexible flat cables 21. The interval between adjacent cable housing portions 47 is approximately equal to the height of the stacked connector cases 50.

[0071] Next, a method for fixing the electric cable 2 connected to the connector unit 5 to the sliding door side holding portion 4 configured as above will be briefly described. 8 to 10, the bent portion 211 is inserted from each insertion opening 474 so that the tip side of the bent portion 211 is led out from each lead-out opening 475 provided along the sliding direction L. This allows the bent portion 211 to be accommodated in the accommodation space S.

[0072] 9 and 10, the bent portion 211 accommodated in the accommodation space S is supported by the protruding portion 472 and the supporting portion 473, so that the flexible flat cable 21 can be reliably guided from the outlet 475 to the upper side HU, and the bent shape of the bent portion 211 can be maintained. In addition, the outer side WO of the protruding portion 472 and the supporting portion 473 are arc-shaped, so that the flexible flat cable 21 can be easily accommodated from the insertion opening 474 without deforming the bent portion 211.

[0073] In addition, in a state in which the bent portion 211 is accommodated in the cable accommodating portion 47, the tip side of the bent portion 211 is led out toward the upper HU from the lead-out port 475. Therefore, the connector unit 5 to which the tip of the bent portion 211 is connected can be disposed on the upper surface of the base end portion 43 so that the door-side electric wire 6b is led out toward the upper HU.

[0074] At this time, the locking portions 525 of the connector case 50 arranged on the rear side LB are locked into the case locking grooves 466, thereby locking and fixing the connector unit 5 to the extension portion 46. In this state, the band portion 71 is inserted into the first communication hole 467, wound around between the protruding pieces 526 to form a ring, and locked and fixed to the buckle portion 72. As a result, the connector unit 5 is reliably fixed to the extension portion 46 via the fastener 7 (see FIG. 8).

[0075] Similarly, the door-side electric wire 6b led out from the connector unit 5 toward the upper HU is bent to the upper HU of the extension portion 46, and the band portion 71 inserted into the second communication hole 468 is wound around the outer circumferential surface of the door-side electric wire 6b and engaged and fixed to the buckle portion 72. This ensures that the door-side electric wire 6b is fixed to the extension portion 46 (see FIG. 8).

[0076] In this manner, the connector unit 5 is disposed in a state of being fixed to the upper HU at the base end 43. That is, the sliding door side holding part 4 can be shaped to match the width (length in the width direction W) of the connector unit 5 disposed at the base end 43, so that the sliding door side holding part 4 can be made compact in the width direction W. Therefore, even in a place where the space for disposing the sliding door side holding part 4 is limited, the sliding door side holding part 4 can be disposed.

[0077] Next, the electric cable 2 is aligned along the intermediate portion 42, and the band portion 71 inserted into the through hole 45 is wound around the cable exterior member 22 and inserted into the buckle portion 72 to be locked and fixed. This makes it possible to fix the electric cable 2 to the intermediate portion 42 between the tip end portion 41 and the base end portion 43 via the binder 7 (see FIG. 8). That is, it is possible to prevent the electric cable 2 from being separated from the side surface of the outer side WO of the intermediate portion 42.

[0078] Finally, the electric cable 2 is bolted to the inner panel of the sliding door 200 via the bolt fixing portion 44, and the vehicle body side holding portion 3 to which the other end of the electric cable 2 is connected is fixed to the floor panel of the vehicle body 100. This allows the electric cable 2 to be stretched between the vehicle body 100 and the sliding door 200.

[0079] The electric cable 2 thus stretched between the vehicle body 100 and the sliding door 200 has flexibility and can follow the sliding movement of the sliding door 200 relative to the vehicle body 100. Here, when the sliding door side holding part 4 is disposed on the forward side LF of the vehicle body side holding part 3 (see FIG. 1), the electric cable 2 is rewound. In this case, the electric cable 2 is rewound along the tip part 41 which is arc-shaped in a plan view, so that the electric cable 2 does not come into contact with the sliding door side holding part 4 at its corners and damage to the electric cable 2 can be prevented.

[0080] In addition, when the sliding door side holding part 4 is disposed on the forward side LF of the vehicle body side holding part 3, the electric cable 2 is arranged on the inner side WI of the sliding door side holding part 4 (see FIG. 1). If the door side electric wire 6b led out from the connector unit 5 disposed at the base end part 43 is led out toward the inner side WI, there is a possibility that the door side electric wire 6b and the electric cable 2 may interfere with each other. For this reason, it was necessary to provide a protective member between the door side electric wire 6b and the electric cable 2 in the sliding door side holding part 4. However, since the door side electric wire 6b led out from the connector unit 5 disposed at the base end part 43 is led out in the height direction H, there is no possibility that it may interfere with the bent back electric cable 2. Therefore, there is no need to provide a protective member between the door side electric wire 6b and the electric cable 2, and the sliding door side holding part 4 can be made compact in the width direction W.

[0081] The sliding door power supply device 1 thus configured supplies power from the vehicle body 100 to an electrical component incorporated in the sliding door 200 that slides relative to the vehicle body 100. The sliding door power supply device 1 includes an electric cable 2 formed of a flexible flat cable 21 and stretched between the vehicle body 100 and the sliding door 200, a connector unit 5 connected to an end of the electric cable 2 and from which a door-side electric wire 6b is led out from the side opposite to the side to which the electric cable 2 is connected, a sliding door-side holding part 4 fixed to the sliding door 200 and holding one end of the electric cable 2, and a vehicle body-side holding part 3 fixed to the vehicle body 100 and holding the other end of the electric cable 2. The sliding door-side holding part 4 is provided with a base end 43 on which the connector unit 5 is disposed, and the connector unit 5 is disposed at the base end 43 in a direction in which the door-side electric wire 6b is led out along the width direction (height direction H) of the stretching part of the electric cable 2.

[0082] This allows the sliding door power supply device 1 to be made more compact. More specifically, the connector unit 5 to which the electric cable 2 is connected is disposed at the base end 43 provided at the sliding door side holding part 4. This allows the length of the sliding door side holding part 4 in the width direction W of the electric cable 2 formed of the flexible flat cable 21 to be shortened. In addition, the door side electric wire 6b to be connected to the electrical equipment is led out along the height direction H, not the width direction W, in a state in which the connector unit 5 is disposed at the base end 43, so that protrusion in the width direction W can be suppressed. In this way, the sliding door side holding part 4 can be made compact in the width direction W, and protrusion of the door side electric wire 6b in the width direction W can be suppressed. Therefore, the sliding door side holding part 4 can be disposed even in a place where the space for disposing the sliding door side holding part 4 is limited.

[0083] In addition, a cable accommodating portion 47 is provided at the base end 43 to accommodate a bent portion (bent portion 211) at one end of the electric cable 2 and to guide the one end side of the bent portion of the electric cable 2 to the upper HU, which is the side from which the door side electric wire 6b is led out.

[0084] In the sliding door power supply device 1 configured in this manner, one end side of the electric cable 2 configured as the flexible flat cable 21 can be folded toward the base end 43 and housed in the cable housing portion 47. This makes it possible to prevent the folded portion of the electric cable 2 from expanding excessively in the sliding direction L, and to make the cable housing portion 47 more compact. Therefore, it is possible to make the sliding door side holding portion 4 more compact. Furthermore, by folding one end side of the electric cable 2 and housing it in the cable housing portion 47, it is possible to maintain the folded state of the electric cable 2 and protect the one end side of the electric cable 2.

[0085] Furthermore, the direction in which the sliding door 200 is slid relative to the vehicle body 100 is defined as a sliding direction L, and a tip portion 41 that regulates the bent shape of the electric cable 2 is provided on one side of the sliding door side holding portion 4 in the sliding direction L.

[0086] This allows the bent electric cable 2 to be aligned along the tip portion 41 with a simple configuration when the electric cable 2 is pulled strongly, thereby preventing the electric cable 2 from hitting a corner and being damaged.

[0087] When the door-side electric wire 6b led out from the connector unit 5 arranged at the base end 43 is led out in the width direction W, there is a risk of interference between the door-side electric wire 6b and the electric cable 2, and therefore it has been necessary to provide a protective member between the electric cable 2 and the door-side electric wire 6b. However, since the door-side electric wire 6b led out from the connector unit 5 arranged at the base end 43 is led out in the height direction H, there is no risk of interference with the bent-back electric cable 2, and it is not necessary to provide a protective member between the door-side electric wire 6b and the electric cable 2. Therefore, at least one of the vehicle body-side holding part 3 and the sliding door-side holding part 4 can be made compact in the width direction W, and the door-side electric wire 6b can be protected.

[0088] In addition, an intermediate portion 42 is provided between the tip portion 41 and the base portion 43 of the sliding door side holding portion 4, which fixes the electric cable 2 via the binder 7 inserted into the through hole 45. This makes it possible to prevent the electric cable 2 from moving away from the sliding door side holding portion 4 in the width direction W between the tip portion 41 and the base portion 43. This makes it possible to further compactify the sliding door side holding portion 4 in the width direction W, in which the electric cable 2 is routed.

[0089] Further, the base end 43 is provided with an extension portion 46 that extends in the height direction H and fixes the connector unit 5 arranged at the base end 43. This allows the connector unit 5 to be fixed in a state where it is arranged at the base end 43, thereby restricting unintended movement of the connector unit 5. In other words, since movement of the connector unit 5 in the width direction W is restricted, there is no need to provide an excess length along the width direction W at the base end 43, and the length of the base end 43 along the width direction W can be shortened. Therefore, the sliding door side holding portion 4 can be made more compact in the width direction W.

[0090] Furthermore, the direction in which the sliding door 200 is slid relative to the vehicle body 100 is defined as a sliding direction L, and the extension portion 46 is provided at the end of the base end portion 43 in the sliding direction L. This makes it possible to prevent the connector unit 5 from protruding toward the rear side LB. Therefore, it is possible to make the sliding door side holding portion 4 compact in the sliding direction L.

[0091] Moreover, the electric cable 2 is configured by stacking a plurality of flexible flat cables 21 having the same longitudinal length with a shift in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the lengths of the plurality of flexible flat cables 21 constituting the electric cable 2 can be unified, and there is no need to prepare a plurality of flexible flat cables 21 with different lengths. This simplifies the work of connecting each flexible flat cable 21 to the connector unit 5. Furthermore, when bending one end side of the flexible flat cables 21, all of the flexible flat cables 21 can be bent at the same position, further simplifying the work process.

[0092] In the configuration of the present invention and the correspondence between the above-mentioned embodiment, the vehicle body of the present invention corresponds to the vehicle body 100, The sliding body corresponds to the sliding door 200, The power supply device corresponds to the sliding door power supply device 1, The flexible flat cable is compatible with the flexible flat cable 21. The electrical cable corresponds to electrical cable 2, The wire corresponds to the door side wire 6b. The connector corresponds to the connector unit 5, The slide body side holding portion corresponds to the slide door side holding portion 4, The vehicle body side holding portion corresponds to the vehicle body side holding portion 3, The placement portion corresponds to the base end portion 43, The width direction corresponds to the height direction H, The housing corresponds to the cable housing 47, The sliding direction corresponds to the sliding direction L, The shape restricting portion corresponds to the tip portion 41, The fixed portion corresponds to the intermediate portion 42, The extended fixing portion corresponds to the extended portion 46, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0093] For example, in this embodiment, the base end 43 is provided on the sliding door side holding part 4, but the vehicle body side holding part 3 may have the same configuration as the sliding door side holding part 4. Also, both the vehicle body side holding part 3 and the sliding door side holding part 4 may have the same configuration. Also, the connector unit 5 is disposed on the upper HU of the base end 43, but may be disposed on the lower HD.

[0094] In this embodiment, the sliding door power supply device 1 is attached to the sliding door 200 that slides relative to the vehicle body 100, but is not limited to this as long as it can slide relative to the vehicle body 100. For example, the sliding door power supply device 1 may be attached to a sliding seat that slides relative to the vehicle body 100. Note that sliding relative to the vehicle body 100 includes sliding from the inside to the outside of the vehicle body 100, or sliding from the outside to the inside.

[0095] In this embodiment, the electric cable 2 is configured by overlapping a plurality of flexible flat cables 21, but as described above, the number of flexible flat cables 21 can be changed as appropriate. The number of flexible flat cables 21 may be, for example, one. In this case, the length of the base end 43 along the sliding direction L can also be changed as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1...Sliding door power supply device 2. Electrical cable 3…Vehicle body side holding part 4…Sliding door side holding part 5…Connector unit 6b…Door side wire 21...Flexible flat cable 41...Tip 42…Middle section 43...Proximal end 46…Extension part 47…Cable storage section 100…Body 200…Sliding door L…Slide direction H: Height direction

Claims

1. A power supply device that supplies power from a vehicle body to an electrical component incorporated in a sliding body that slides relative to the vehicle body, an electric cable configured as a flexible flat cable and laid between the vehicle body and the slide body; a connector that is connected to an end of the electric cable and from which an electric wire is led out from the side opposite to the side to which the electric cable is connected; a slide body side holding portion fixed to the slide body and holding one end side of the electric cable; a vehicle body side holding portion that is fixed to the vehicle body and holds the other end side of the electric cable, At least one of the vehicle body side holding portion and the slide body side holding portion is provided with a placement portion for placing the connecting body, The connector is arranged in the arrangement section in such a direction that the electric wire is led out along the width direction of the bridging portion of the electric cable. Power supply device.

2. The arrangement section is provided with a housing section that houses a bent portion of one end of the electric cable and guides the one end side of the electric cable beyond the bent portion to a side from which the electric wire is led out. The power supply device according to claim 1 .

3. A direction in which the slide body is slid relative to the vehicle body is defined as a slide direction, A shape restricting portion that restricts a bent shape of the electric cable is provided on one side in the sliding direction of at least one of the vehicle body side retaining portion and the slide body side retaining portion. The power supply device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A fixing portion for fixing the electric cable is provided between the shape restricting portion and the arrangement portion. The power supply device according to claim 3 .

5. The arrangement portion is provided with an extended fixing portion that extends in the width direction and fixes the connector arranged on the arrangement portion. The power supply device according to claim 1 .

6. A direction in which the slide body is slid relative to the vehicle body is defined as a slide direction, The extension fixing portion is provided at an end portion of the arrangement portion in the sliding direction. The power supply device according to claim 5 .

7. The electric cable is configured by stacking a plurality of flexible flat cables having the same length in the longitudinal direction while shifting them in the longitudinal direction. The power supply device according to claim 1 .

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