Composite cable and composite harness

Abstract

To provide a composite cable in which a cable external diameter can be made smaller while an electric wire that transmits a control signal for controlling a device to be controlled is made redundant, and a composite harness equipped with the composite cable and a connector.SOLUTION: A composite cable 1 comprises: a plurality of power lines 10 for supplying operating power to an electric brake unit 9; a plurality of first signal lines 11 which transmit a control signal for controlling the electric brake unit 9; a plurality of second signal lines 12 for redundancy of the plurality of first signal lines 11; and a sheath 14 which collectively covers the plurality of power lines 10, the plurality of first signal lines 11, and the plurality of second signal lines 12. A signal line part 100 in which the plurality of first signal lines 11 and the plurality of second signal lines 12 are stranded and the plurality of power lines 10 are stranded inside the sheath 14, and the plurality of first signal lines 11 and the plurality of second signal lines 12 are collectively spirally stranded about the central axis C1 of the signal line part 100.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a composite cable having a plurality of power lines and a plurality of signal lines, and to a composite harness in which a connector is provided at an end of the composite cable. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, for example, in electric brake devices for vehicles, duplication or redundancy of equipment has been considered to improve reliability. Patent Document 1 describes an electric brake device in which a motor that applies a braking force to a wheel, a first motor drive unit that drives a first winding set of the motor, and a second motor drive unit that drives a second winding set of the motor are provided on the wheel side, and a controller that controls the first motor drive unit and the second motor drive unit is provided on the vehicle body side, the first motor drive unit and the controller are connected by a first communication line, and the second motor drive unit and the controller are connected by a second communication line. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-30463 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the electric brake device described in Patent Document 1, the wheel side and the vehicle body side are connected by a first communication line, a second communication line, and an electric wire that supplies power from the vehicle body side to the wheel side. If these two communication lines and the electric wire are covered with a sheath and configured as a single cable, the outer diameter of the cable will be large. Here, since a part of the cable for the electric brake is repeatedly bent in the longitudinal direction due to the movement of the wheels relative to the vehicle body when the vehicle is running, it is desirable that the cable outer diameter is small and highly flexible. In other words, if the two communication lines and the electric wire for supplying power are configured as a single cable in the electric brake device described in Patent Document 1, the outer diameter of the cable will be large due to the two communication lines, which will reduce the ease of routing and may make the cable more susceptible to breakage due to repeated bending.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a composite cable that enables the outer diameter of the cable to be reduced while making the electric wires that transmit control signals for controlling the controlled device redundant, and a composite harness that includes the composite cable and a connector. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a composite cable comprising: a plurality of power lines for supplying operating power to a controlled device; a plurality of first signal lines for transmitting control signals for controlling the controlled device; a plurality of second signal lines for making the plurality of first signal lines redundant; and a sheath for collectively covering the plurality of power lines, the plurality of first signal lines, and the plurality of second signal lines, wherein a signal line section in which the plurality of first signal lines and the plurality of second signal lines are twisted together and the plurality of power lines are twisted inside the sheath, and the plurality of first signal lines and the plurality of second signal lines are twisted together in a spiral shape around a central axis of the signal line section.

[0007] In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a composite harness including the above-mentioned composite cable and a connector provided at an end of the composite cable. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the diameter of the composite cable while providing redundancy to the electric wires that transmit the control signals for controlling the controlled device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle having a composite cable and a composite harness according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of an electric brake unit together with a composite cable and a part of a composite harness. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a composite cable. [Figure 4] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a wheel-side connector, a mating connector of an electric brake unit that is fitted into the wheel-side connector, and a communication circuit section of a control section. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a composite cable shown as a comparative example. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a composite cable and a composite harness according to a second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] [First embodiment] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle 3 having a composite cable 1 and a composite harness 2 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle 3 has a wheel 4 having a metal wheel 41 and a rubber tire 42, a brake rotor 5 that rotates integrally with the wheel 41, a hub unit 6 that rotatably supports the wheel 4 and the brake rotor 5, a suspension device 7 that supports the hub unit 6 on a vehicle body 30, a general controller 8 that is a control device that performs overall control of the vehicle 3, and an electric brake unit 9 that brakes the wheel 4 according to an instruction from the general controller 8.

[0011] The suspension device 7 is configured to include a knuckle 71, an upper arm 72, a lower arm 73, a damper 74, and a suspension spring 75. One end of each of the upper arm 72 and the lower arm 73 is connected to the knuckle 71, and the other end is connected to the vehicle body 30. The hub unit 6 has an outer wheel 61 attached to the knuckle 71, a hub wheel 62 rotatably supported relative to the outer wheel 61, and a wheel speed sensor 63 that detects the rotational speed of the wheel 4. The knuckle 71 has a first connecting portion 711 to which the upper arm 72 and the damper 74 are connected, a second connecting portion 712 to which the lower arm 73 is connected, and a mounting portion 713 to which the electric brake unit 9 is attached.

[0012] The wheel 41 and the brake rotor 5 are fixed to the hub wheel 62 of the hub unit 6 by a plurality of hub bolts 621. The wheel speed sensor 63 detects the rotational speed of the hub wheel 62 relative to the outer wheel 61 as the rotational speed of the wheel 4, and outputs a detection signal indicating the detection result to the general controller 8 via a sensor cable (not shown). The general controller 8 controls the electric brake unit 9 based on information such as the amount of depression of the brake pedal by the driver of the vehicle 3 and the rotational speed of the wheel 4 detected by the wheel speed sensor 63. The electric brake unit 9 is a device controlled by the general controller 8 and is a control target of the general controller 8.

[0013] The electric brake unit 9, together with the wheel 4, the brake rotor 5, the hub unit 6, and the knuckle 71, moves up and down relative to the vehicle body 30 as the suspension spring 75 expands and contracts. A part of the composite cable 1 in the longitudinal direction is suspended in the air, and connects the electric brake unit 9 and the general controller 8.

[0014] 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of the electric brake unit 9 together with the composite cable 1 and the composite harness 2. The electric brake unit 9 includes a control unit 90 that communicates with the general controller 8 via the composite cable 1, an outer brake pad 911 and an inner brake pad 912, a caliper 92 to which the outer brake pad 911 is attached, a piston 93 to which the inner brake pad 912 is attached, a motor 94 that is a drive source of the electric brake unit 9, a reduction gear 95 that reduces the rotation of a motor shaft 941 that is an output shaft of the motor 94, a rotary-to-linear motion conversion mechanism 96 that converts the rotational motion of the output shaft 951 of the reduction gear 95 into the linear motion of the piston 93, a caliper bracket 97 that is fixed to the mounting portion 713 of the knuckle 71, and an inverter 98 that supplies a current to the motor 94. The caliper 92 is supported by the caliper bracket 97 and is movable parallel to the rotation axis of the wheel 4 relative to the caliper bracket 97.

[0015] The reducer 95 reduces the speed of rotation of the motor shaft 941 and transmits the torque of the motor 94 to a rotary-to-linear motion conversion mechanism 96. The rotary-to-linear motion conversion mechanism 96 is formed of, for example, a ball screw mechanism. When the motor 94 rotates due to a current supplied from an inverter 98, the outer brake pad 911 and the inner brake pad 912 are pressed toward the brake rotor 5 with a pressing force corresponding to the torque generated by the motor 94, and the wheel 4 is braked by the frictional force generated between the outer brake pad 911 and the inner brake pad 912 and the brake rotor 5.

[0016] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the composite cable 1. The composite cable 1 includes a plurality of power supply lines 10 for supplying operating power to the electric brake unit 9, a plurality of first signal lines 11 for transmitting control signals for controlling the electric brake unit 9, a plurality of second signal lines 12 for making the plurality of first signal lines 11 redundant, a fibrous interposer 13, and a hollow tubular sheath 14. In this embodiment, the composite cable 1 includes two power supply lines 10, two first signal lines 11, and two second signal lines 12.

[0017] One of the two power supply lines 10 is a positive power supply line and the other is a negative power supply line. Each of these power supply lines 10 is an insulated wire having a central conductor 101 covered with an insulator 102 made of insulating resin. The central conductor 101 is a stranded wire formed by twisting together a plurality of conductor wires 101a. The voltage supplied to the electric brake unit 9 by the two power supply lines 10 is, for example, DC 12V. The control unit 90 of the electric brake unit 9 includes an electric circuit that operates on a voltage obtained by transforming the voltage supplied to the electric brake unit 9 by the two power supply lines 10 using a DC-DC converter, and the inverter 98 switches the voltage supplied to the electric brake unit 9 by the two power supply lines 10 and outputs it to the motor 94.

[0018] Each of the two first signal wires 11 is an insulated wire having a central conductor 111 covered with an insulator 112 made of insulating resin. The central conductor 111 is a stranded wire formed by twisting together a plurality of conductor wires 111a. Similarly, each of the two second signal wires 12 is an insulated wire having a central conductor 121 covered with an insulator 122 made of insulating resin. The central conductor 121 is a stranded wire formed by twisting together a plurality of conductor wires 121a. The first signal wire 11 and the second signal wire 12 have common specifications such as outer diameter and material.

[0019] The interposer 13 is a fibrous body such as aramid fiber or nylon fiber. The sheath 14 is made of a resin such as soft polyurethane having excellent flexibility and durability. The sheath 14 collectively covers the power supply wires 10, the first signal wires 11, the second signal wires 12, and the interposer 13. In the vicinity of the electric brake unit 9, the sheath 14 is removed, and the power supply wires 10, the first signal wires 11, and the second signal wires 12 are exposed from the sheath 14. In FIG. 2, a part of the sheath 14 is indicated by a two-dot chain line, and the power supply wires 10, the first signal wires 11, and the second signal wires 12 inside the sheath 14 are illustrated.

[0020] The overall controller 8 outputs command signals indicating the magnitude of the braking force to be generated by the electric brake unit 9 to two first signal lines 11 and two second signal lines 12. The signals output to the two first signal lines 11 are the same as the signals output to the two second signal lines 12. The control unit 90 outputs a PWM signal to the inverter 98 to control the motor 94 so that a braking force corresponding to this command signal is generated.

[0021] The first signal wires 11 and the second signal wires 12 are twisted together to form a signal wire section 100. The signal wire section 100 and the power wires 10 are twisted together inside a sheath 14 to form an electric wire assembly 110. The first signal wires 11 and the second signal wires 12 are twisted together in a spiral shape around a central axis C1 of the signal wire section 100 shown in FIG. 3. The signal wire section 100 and the power wires 10 are twisted in a spiral shape around a central axis C2 of the composite cable 1. A tape member 15 made of a resin such as PET (Poly Ethylene Terephthalate) is wound around the outer periphery of the electric wire assembly 110. A shield layer made of a shield conductor such as a braided shield may be provided around the outer periphery of the signal wire section 100.

[0022] In FIG. 3, the twisting direction of the first signal wires 11 and the second signal wires 12 and the twisting direction of the signal wire section 100 and the power wires 10 are indicated by arrows A1 and A2, respectively. In this embodiment, the twisting direction of the first signal wires 11 and the second signal wires 12 is the same as the twisting direction of the signal wire section 100 and the power wires 10. As a result, when the composite cable 1 is twisted, the twisting of the signal wire section 100 and the electric wire assembly 110 is tightened or loosened together, so that the load can be distributed and durability against twisting can be improved. However, this is not limited to this, and the twisting direction of the first signal wires 11 and the second signal wires 12 may be reversed to the twisting direction of the signal wire section 100 and the power wires 10. In this case, the bending tendency of the composite cable 1 caused by twisting can be suppressed.

[0023] In this embodiment, the multiple first signal wires 11 are arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction centered on the central axis C1, and the multiple second signal wires 12 are arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction centered on the central axis C1. This makes it easier to separate the first signal wires 11 and the second signal wires 12 in the terminal processing work of the composite cable 1, improving workability. Note that the two first signal wires 11 and the two second signal wires 12 have insulators 112, 122 that are different in color, and terminal processing is performed based on this color.

[0024] 1, an end of the sheath 14 on the wheel 4 side is fixed to a first connecting portion 711 of a knuckle 71 by a fixing device 70 near the electric brake unit 9. By fixing the end of the sheath 14 near the electric brake unit 9, the lengths of the multiple power supply lines 10, the multiple first signal lines 11, and the multiple second signal lines 12 exposed from the sheath 14 are shortened, and the lengths of the multiple power supply lines 10, the multiple first signal lines 11, and the multiple second signal lines 12 protected by the sheath 14 are lengthened. The multiple power supply lines 10, the first signal lines 11, and the second signal lines 12 exposed from the sheath 14 may be covered by a tubular protective member.

[0025] The composite harness 2 includes a composite cable 1, a wheel side connector 21 provided at one end of the composite cable 1, and a vehicle body side connector 22 provided at the other end of the composite cable 1. The wheel side connector 21 is attached to the electric brake unit 9. The vehicle body side connector 22 is attached to the general controller 8. One end of each of the multiple power supply lines 10, the multiple first signal lines 11, and the multiple second signal lines 12 is connected to a terminal of the wheel side connector 21, and the other end of each of the multiple power supply lines 10, the multiple first signal lines 11, and the multiple second signal lines 12 is connected to a terminal of the vehicle body side connector 22.

[0026] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of the wheel side connector 21, the mating connector 99 of the electric brake unit 9 that is fitted into the wheel side connector 21, and the communication circuit section 900 of the control section 90. The wheel side connector 21 has a connector housing 210 made of insulating resin, and first to sixth terminals 211 to 216. A plurality of power supply lines 10, a plurality of first signal lines 11, and a plurality of second signal lines 12 are connected to the first to sixth terminals 211 to 216, respectively.

[0027] The mating connector 99 has a connector housing 990 made of insulating resin, and first to sixth terminals 991-996 respectively connected to the first to sixth terminals 211-216 of the wheel side connector 21. The first and second terminals 991, 992 of the mating connector 99 electrically connected to the first and second terminals 211, 212 of the wheel side connector 21 to which the multiple power supply lines 10 are connected are respectively connected to a power supply pattern and a ground pattern of the board of the control unit 90.

[0028] In the example shown in Fig. 4, two first signal lines 11 are used as a normal system, and two second signal lines 12 are used as a backup system. The communication circuit unit 900 is configured to include a first transceiver 901 and a first receiver 902 electrically connected to the two first signal lines 11, respectively, a second transceiver 903 and a second receiver 904 electrically connected to the two second signal lines 12, respectively, and first and second switching circuits 905, 906. The CPU (arithmetic processing unit) of the control unit 90 normally communicates with the general controller 8 using the first transceiver 901 and the first receiver 902, and when communication with the general controller 8 becomes abnormal, switches the first and second switching circuits 905, 906 so as to communicate with the general controller 8 using the second transceiver 903 and the second receiver 904.

[0029] (Comparative Example) 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a composite cable 1A shown as a comparative example. The composite cable 1A according to this comparative example has two power lines 10, two first signal lines 11, and two second signal lines 12, similar to the composite cable 1 according to the first embodiment, but the twisted configuration of the first signal lines 11 and the second signal lines 12 is different. In the composite cable 1A according to the comparative example, a first twisted pair 11A formed by twisting two first signal lines 11 and a second twisted pair 12A formed by twisting two second signal lines 12 are twisted together to form a signal line section 100A.

[0030] In the composite cable 1A according to the comparative example, the maximum outer diameter of the signal line portion 100A is equal to the total outer diameter of each of the two first signal lines 11 and each of the two second signal lines 12, and is larger than the outer diameter of the signal line portion 100 of the composite cable 1 according to the first embodiment. As a result, the outer diameter of the composite cable 1A is also larger than that of the composite cable 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0031] (Effects of the First Embodiment) According to the first embodiment described above, even if any of the plurality of first signal lines 11 is damaged, such as broken, communication with the general controller 8 can be performed using the plurality of second signal lines 12, improving reliability. Furthermore, by configuring the plurality of first signal lines 11 and the plurality of second signal lines 12 to be twisted together in a spiral shape, the outer diameters of the signal line section 100 and the composite cable 1 can be reduced, improving the routing ability of the composite cable 1 and providing high bending durability and resistance to breakage.

[0032] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a composite harness 2A according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, a case where one wheel side connector 21 is provided at one end of the composite cable 1 has been described, but the composite harness 2A according to the second embodiment has a first wheel side connector 23 and a second wheel side connector 24 attached to an electric brake unit 9 at one end of the composite cable 1. The first wheel side connector 23 is provided at the ends of the multiple power supply lines 10 and the multiple first signal lines 11, and the second wheel side connector 24 is provided at the multiple second signal lines 12.

[0033] The first wheel side connector 23 and the second wheel side connector 24 are aligned in the vertical direction. In the example shown in Fig. 6, the second wheel side connector 24 is attached to the electric brake unit 9 vertically below the first wheel side connector 23. This prevents flying stones generated by the tires 42 kicking up stones on the road surface from colliding with the first wheel side connector 23 by the second wheel side connector 24. In other words, the first wheel side connector 23 is protected by the second wheel side connector 24.

[0034] (Summary of the embodiment) Next, the technical ideas grasped from the first and second embodiments explained above will be described by using the reference numerals and the like in these embodiments. However, the reference numerals and the like in the following description do not limit the components in the claims to the members and the like specifically shown in the embodiments.

[0035] [1] A composite cable (1) comprising: a plurality of power supply lines (10) for supplying operating power to a controlled device (electric brake unit 9), a plurality of first signal lines (11) for transmitting control signals for controlling the controlled device (9), a plurality of second signal lines (12) for making the plurality of first signal lines (11) redundant; and a sheath (14) for collectively covering the plurality of power supply lines (10), the plurality of first signal lines (11), and the plurality of second signal lines (12), wherein a signal line section (100) in which the plurality of first signal lines (11) and the plurality of second signal lines (12) are twisted together and the plurality of power supply lines (10) are twisted together inside the sheath (14), and the plurality of first signal lines (11) and the plurality of second signal lines (12) are twisted together in a spiral shape around a central axis (C1) of the signal line section (100).

[0036] [2] The composite cable (1) according to the above-mentioned [1], wherein the plurality of first signal wires (11) are arranged adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction centered on the central axis line (C1), and the plurality of second signal wires (12) are arranged adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction centered on the central axis line (C1).

[0037] [3] The composite cable (1) described in [1] above, wherein the controlled device (9) is an electric brake unit (9) that brakes the wheels (4).

[0038] [4] A composite harness (2, 2A) comprising the composite cable (1) described in any one of [1] to [3] above and a connector (21, 22, 23, 24) provided at an end of the composite cable (1).

[0039] [5] The composite harness (2A) described in [4] above, wherein the signal line portion (100) branches into the plurality of first signal lines (11) and the plurality of second signal lines (12) outside the sheath (14), a first connector (23) is provided at terminals of the plurality of power supply lines (10) and the plurality of first signal lines (11), and a second connector (24) is provided at terminals of the plurality of second signal lines (12).

[0040] Although the first and second embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. It should be noted that not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the means for solving the problems of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1...Composite cable 10...Power line 100: signal line portion 11: first signal line 12: Second signal line; 14: Sheath 2, 2A…Composite harness 21…Wheel side connector 22... Vehicle body side connector 23... First wheel side connector 24...Second wheel side connector 4...Wheel 8...General controller 9...Electric brake unit (controlled device) C1…Central axis line

Claims

1. A plurality of power lines for supplying operating power to the controlled device; a plurality of first signal lines for transmitting control signals for controlling the controlled device; a plurality of second signal lines for providing redundancy to the plurality of first signal lines; a sheath that collectively covers the plurality of power supply lines, the plurality of first signal lines, and the plurality of second signal lines; a signal line portion in which the plurality of first signal lines and the plurality of second signal lines are twisted together and the plurality of power lines are twisted together inside the sheath, the plurality of first signal lines and the plurality of second signal lines are collectively twisted in a spiral shape around a central axis of the signal line portion; Composite cable.

2. the plurality of first signal lines are arranged adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction about the central axis line, and the plurality of second signal lines are arranged adjacent to each other in a circumferential direction about the central axis line, The composite cable of claim 1 .

3. The controlled device is an electric brake unit that brakes wheels. The composite cable of claim 1 .

4. A composite cable according to any one of claims 1 to 3; A connector provided at an end of the composite cable. Composite harness.

5. the signal line portion branches into the plurality of first signal lines and the plurality of second signal lines outside the sheath, a first connector is provided at terminals of the plurality of power supply lines and the plurality of first signal lines, and a second connector is provided at terminals of the plurality of second signal lines; 5. The composite harness of claim 4.

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