Power supply device for slide door

Abstract

To provide a power supply device for a slide door, which can be operated smoothly while being simplified.SOLUTION: A power supply device for a slide door includes: a wire harness 10 having a crossover part 10A which bridges a vehicle body B and a slide door 500 and in which an electric wire is covered with a corrugated tube 11; a cylindrical and linear arm 30 supporting the corrugated tube at one end of the arm such that the corrugated tube can be relatively rotated around an axis; and a door side protector 40 pivotally supporting a shaft such that the other end of the arm can be rotated around an axis of a rotation axis 41. A first holding portion 31 having an inner peripheral surface 31a of a semicircular arc and a second holding portion 32 having an inner peripheral surface 32a of a semicircular arc are provided at the one end of the arm, and, by assembling the first holding portion and the second holding portion, a circular inner surface is formed by the inner peripheral surface of each of the first holding portion and the second holding portion. Ribs 36a, 36b of a semicircular arc are provided for each of a plurality of recessed portions 12a respectively in the inner peripheral surface of the first holding portion and the inner peripheral surface of the second holding portion, the ribs being fitted into the respective recessed portions of the corrugated tube to relatively rotate the corrugated tube around an axis.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply device for a sliding door. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, vehicles such as automobiles are equipped with a power supply device for a sliding door that electrically connects a power source (such as a secondary battery) on the vehicle body side to switches and electrical components on the sliding door side. In this power supply device for a sliding door, the electrical connection is performed by a wire harness, and a bridge portion of this wire harness is stretched between the vehicle body and the sliding door. For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a technology that includes a single L-shaped support arm rotatably supported on a fixed portion on the door side, and that supports an end of a corrugated tube at the bridge portion. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 listed below discloses a technology that includes two arms on the door side connected by a rotating shaft, and that supports an end of a corrugated tube at the bridge portion with one of the arms on the vehicle body side. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-081625 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-074431 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, in power supply devices for sliding doors, there is a demand for miniaturization and weight reduction by simplifying the arm on the door side, etc., but this simplification may hinder the smooth rotational movement of the arm when the door is opened and closed, or may hinder the smooth twisting movement of the bridge when the door is opened and closed.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a power supply device for a sliding door that is simple and can be operated smoothly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to a wire harness including a crossover section that is stretched between a vehicle body and a sliding door and in which electric wires are covered with a corrugated tube, a vehicle-body-side electric wire routing section that is routed at a tip of the vehicle-body-side end of the crossover section, and a door-side electric wire routing section that is routed at a tip of the door-side end of the crossover section; a vehicle-body-side protector that is fixed to the vehicle body and holds one end of the corrugated tube at the vehicle-body-side end of the crossover section and swings the crossover section in conjunction with the opening and closing of the sliding door; a cylindrical and linear arm that supports at one end the other end of the corrugated tube at the door-side end of the crossover section so that the other end can rotate relatively around its axis, and through which the door-side electric wire routing section is passed and drawn out of the cylinder from an electric wire drawing port at the other end; and a vehicle-body-side protector that is fixed to a door inner panel of the sliding door. and a door-side protector supporting the other end of the arm so that the other end can rotate around the axis of a rotation shaft, wherein the corrugated tube is cylindrically shaped and has a bellows portion on its outer peripheral surface where annular recesses and annular protrusions are alternately arranged in the axial direction, and the one end of the arm is provided with a first retaining portion having a semicircular inner peripheral surface and a second retaining portion having a semicircular inner peripheral surface, and by assembling the first retaining portion and the second retaining portion, a circular inner peripheral surface is formed by the respective inner peripheral surfaces, and the inner peripheral surface of the first retaining portion and the inner peripheral surface of the second retaining portion are each provided with a semicircular rib for each of the plurality of recesses that is fitted into the recesses of the corrugated tube to rotate the corrugated tube relatively around the axis. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] In the power supply device for sliding door according to the present invention, the other end of the corrugated tube can rotate concentrically relative to the pair of ribs (annular ribs) about an axis. Therefore, in the power supply device for sliding door, when the sliding door is opened and closed between fully closed and fully open positions, the other end of the corrugated tube can rotate relative to one end of the arm about an axis while changing the routing path of the bridge section, thereby alleviating twisting of the wire harness before and after the wire inlet at one end of the arm. Therefore, in this power supply device for sliding door according to the present invention, twisting of the wire harness does not act as a drag force and hinder the rotation of the arm, allowing the arm to rotate smoothly about the rotation axis. Furthermore, in the power supply device for sliding door according to the present invention, the pair of ribs form an annular rib, and multiple annular ribs are arranged in the axial direction. Therefore, the cylindrical axis of the other end of the corrugated tube can be aligned with the axis of the cylindrical internal space at one end of the arm, and the other end of the corrugated tube can be positioned in the internal space. In this power supply device for sliding doors, the cylindrical internal space at one end of the arm and the other end of the corrugated tube are coaxially arranged and can be maintained, allowing the annular rib and the annular recess to rotate relative to each other around the axis without generating excessive frictional resistance. Therefore, in this power supply device for sliding doors, twisting of the wire harness before and after the wire inlet at one end of the arm can be relaxed without catching, allowing the arm to rotate more smoothly around the axis of the rotation shaft. Furthermore, the power supply device for sliding doors according to the present invention has a simple structure in which a single linear arm is rotated around the axis of the rotation shaft in accordance with changes in the wiring path of the crossover section, and the other end of the corrugated tube is rotated concentrically relative to the arm around the axis. Thus, while the power supply device for sliding doors according to the present invention is simplified, it still allows the arm to rotate smoothly around the axis of the rotation shaft. Therefore, the power supply device for sliding doors according to the present invention can be simplified yet smoothly operated. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a power supply device for a sliding door according to an embodiment, as seen from inside a vehicle compartment, when the sliding door is in a fully closed position. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the power supply device for a sliding door according to the embodiment, as seen from inside the vehicle cabin, when the sliding door is in a fully open position. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the arm when the sliding door is in the fully closed position. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the arm when the sliding door is in the fully open position. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing one end of the arm, showing the first holding portion and the second holding portion in the open state. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing one end of the arm together with the corrugated tube, showing the first holding portion and the second holding portion in the open state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a power supply device for a sliding door according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0010] [Embodiment] One embodiment of a power supply device for a sliding door according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0011] 1 to 4, reference numeral 1 denotes a power supply device for a sliding door according to this embodiment.

[0012] The power supply device 1 for sliding door is mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile and supplies power from a power source on the vehicle body B to a sliding door 500 that can move back and forth in a sliding direction relative to the vehicle body B (FIGS. 1 and 2). The sliding door 500 is installed, for example, on the side of the vehicle and moves back and forth in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. The power supply device 1 for sliding door is responsible for supplying power from a power source (such as a secondary battery) on the vehicle body B to an electrical connection object (not shown) on the sliding door 500. The electrical connection object is something that is installed on the sliding door 500, such as an electrical component or a switch. For example, the electrical component of the sliding door 500 refers to a drive device for driving a power window, a speaker, etc. Furthermore, the switch of the sliding door 500 refers to a switch for operating a power window, a switch for operating a power seat, etc.

[0013] The power supply device 1 for a sliding door includes a wire harness 10 (FIGS. 1 and 2). One end of the wire harness 10 is electrically connected directly or indirectly to a power source on the vehicle body B side, and the other end is electrically connected directly or indirectly to an object to be electrically connected on the sliding door 500 side. Therefore, the wire harness 10 has a bridge portion 10A that is a portion between the one end and the other end and that spans between the vehicle body B and the sliding door 500 (FIGS. 1 and 2). In the bridge portion 10A, the electric wires are covered with a corrugated tube 11 (FIGS. 1 to 4). The corrugated tube 11 is formed in a cylindrical shape and has a bellows portion 12 on its outer circumferential surface, in which annular recesses 12a and annular protrusions 12b are alternately arranged in the axial direction (FIGS. 3, 4, and 6).

[0014] In this wire harness 10, one end of the crossover portion 10A (hereinafter referred to as the "vehicle body side end") is connected to one end on the vehicle body B side, and the other end of the crossover portion 10A (hereinafter referred to as the "door side end") is connected to the other end on the sliding door 500 side. Thus, the wire harness 10 has a vehicle body side electric wire routing portion (not shown) routed at the end of the vehicle body side end of the crossover portion 10A, and a door side electric wire routing portion 10B routed at the end of the door side end of the crossover portion 10A (FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0015] In the wire harness 10, the vehicle body side end of the crossover portion 10A is assembled to the vehicle body B side (FIGS. 1 and 2). The power supply device 1 for a sliding door is fixed to the vehicle body B and includes a protector (hereinafter referred to as the "vehicle body side protector") 20 that holds one end of the corrugated tube 11 at the vehicle body side end of the crossover portion 10A (FIGS. 1 and 2). The vehicle body side end of the crossover portion 10A is assembled to the vehicle body B side via this vehicle body side protector 20.

[0016] The vehicle body side protector 20 is molded from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. The vehicle body side protector 20 swings the transition portion 10A in conjunction with the opening and closing of the sliding door 500. The vehicle body side protector 20 is disposed on or near the floor surface FL of the vehicle body B in the vertical direction of the vehicle (FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0017] In addition, in the wire harness 10, the door-side end of the transition portion 10A is assembled to the sliding door 500 side (FIGS. 1 and 2). In this wire harness 10, the transition portion 10A is pulled between the door inner panel (not shown) and the door trim 501 of the sliding door 500 (i.e., inside the door trim 501), and the door-side end is assembled to the door inner panel side (FIGS. 1 and 2). The power supply device 1 for sliding door includes an arm 30 that supports, at one end, the other end of the corrugated tube 11 at the door-side end of the transition portion 10A so that the other end can rotate relatively around an axis (FIGS. 1 to 6). The power supply device 1 for sliding door includes a protector 40 (hereinafter referred to as the "door-side protector") that is fixed to the door inner panel and supports the other end of the arm 30 (FIGS. 1 to 4). Note that only a portion of the door trim 501 is shown in the figures.

[0018] The arm 30 and the door-side protector 40 are molded from an insulating material such as synthetic resin. When viewed in the vehicle up-down direction, the arm 30 and the door-side protector 40 are disposed higher on the vehicle than the vehicle-body-side protector 20. When viewed in the door opening / closing direction of the sliding door 500, the arm 30 and the door-side protector 40 are disposed in the closing direction of the sliding door 500 (here, toward the front of the vehicle) when the sliding door 500 is fully closed, and in the opening direction of the sliding door 500 (here, toward the rear of the vehicle) when the sliding door 500 is fully opened.

[0019] The arm 30 is formed into a cylindrical shape. The arm 30 is formed into a linear shape along the cylindrical axis. The arm 30 supports the other end of the corrugated tube 11 with a wire inlet 30a at one end thereof, and pulls the crossover portion 10A into the cylinder from the wire inlet 30a (FIGS. 1 to 4). The arm 30 passes the door-side electric wire routing portion 10B, which has come out of the other end of the corrugated tube 11, through the cylinder and pulls it out of the cylinder from a wire outlet 30b at the other end (FIGS. 1 to 4). The door-side protector 40 supports the other end of the arm 30 so that it can rotate around a rotation shaft 41 (FIGS. 1 to 4).

[0020] Here, when the sliding door 500 is fully closed, the transition portion 10A is pulled into the inside of the door trim 501 through a position below the lower end 501a of the door trim 501 and below the vehicle (FIG. 1). After being pulled into the inside of the door trim 501, the transition portion 10A is routed toward the wire inlet 30a at one end of the arm 30. When the sliding door 500 is fully closed, the transition portion 10A shown here is pulled into the inside of the door trim 501 and then routed in the closing direction of the sliding door 500 (here, toward the front of the vehicle) and toward the top of the vehicle. On the other hand, when the sliding door 500 is fully opened, the transition portion 10A shown here is pulled into the inside of the door trim 501 and then routed in the opening direction of the sliding door 500 (here, toward the rear of the vehicle) and toward the top of the vehicle. The transition portion 10A moves, for example, along the lower end 501a of the door trim 501 in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the sliding door 500. The power supply device 1 for sliding door rotates the arm 30 around the axis of the rotation shaft 41 while smoothly following the change in the wiring path of the transition portion 10A.

[0021] When the sliding door 500 is fully closed, the arm 30 has the wire inlet 30a at one end open in the door opening direction and facing downward toward the vehicle, and the wire outlet 30b at the other end open in the door closing direction and facing upward toward the vehicle ( FIGS. 1 and 3 ). When the sliding door 500 is fully open, the arm 30 has the wire inlet 30a at one end open in the door closing direction and facing downward toward the vehicle, and the wire outlet 30b at the other end open in the door opening direction and facing upward toward the vehicle ( FIGS. 2 and 4 ). As a result, in the power supply device 1 for sliding door, when the sliding door 500 is fully closed and fully open, the crossing portion 10A can be routed along a natural path that reduces unnecessary load from when it is pulled inside the door trim 501 to the wire inlet 30a at one end of the arm 30. Therefore, this power supply device 1 for sliding doors can smoothly rotate the arm 30 around the axis of the rotation shaft 41 by the force received at one end from the crossover section 10A in accordance with changes in the wiring path of the crossover section 10A linked to the opening and closing movement of the sliding door 500.

[0022] Since arm 30 generates a rotational torque around the axis of rotation shaft 41 on the other end side using an input from transition portion 10A at one end thereof, it is desirable that arm 30 have sufficient rigidity to prevent the input from escaping.

[0023] Furthermore, in order to smoothly generate rotational torque around the axis of the rotation shaft 41 by the force received at one end of the arm 30 from the transition section 10A, it is desirable to set the rotation shaft 41 and the electric wire outlet 30b at the other end in the following positional relationship: The electric wire outlet 30b shown here is positioned below the displacement line Lr of the axial center of the rotation shaft 41 in the door opening / closing direction when the sliding door 500 is fully closed (FIG. 1). This allows the sliding door power supply device 1 to smoothly rotate the arm 30 around the axis of the rotation shaft 41 at the other end by the force received at one end from the transition section 10A.

[0024] Incidentally, in the wire harness 10, when the sliding door 500 opens and closes between the fully closed state and the fully open state, the routing path of the crossover portion 10A is changed, and a twist around the axis is generated in the door-side end of the crossover portion 10A and the door-side wire routing portion 10B in front of and behind the wire inlet 30a of the arm 30. In this power supply device for sliding door 1, the wire harness 10 is rotated around the axis relatively at one end of the arm 30 so that the twist of the wire harness 10 does not act as a drag force and hinder the rotation of the arm 30.

[0025] Therefore, one end of the arm 30 is provided with a first holding portion 31 having a semicircular inner peripheral surface 31a and a second holding portion 32 having a semicircular inner peripheral surface 32a (FIGS. 1 to 6). The first holding portion 31 and the second holding portion 32 are formed to be detachable or openable and detachable from each other. By assembling the first holding portion 31 and the second holding portion 32 at one end of the arm 30, a circular inner peripheral surface is formed by the respective inner peripheral surfaces 31a, 32a. By assembling the first holding portion 31 and the second holding portion 32 at one end of the arm 30, a cylindrical internal space that forms the circular inner peripheral surface is formed, and a wire inlet 30a is formed at the end.

[0026] In the arm 30 shown here, a first holding portion 31 protrudes as part of a cylindrical arm body 33 located at a position closer to the other end than one end of the arm (FIGS. 1 to 6). The second holding portion 32 is connected to the first holding portion 31 via a living hinge 34 (FIGS. 1 to 6). The living hinge 34 opens and closes the second holding portion 32 relative to the first holding portion 31 between an open state and a closed state. The open state is a state in which the inner peripheral surfaces 31a and 32a of the first holding portion 31 and the second holding portion 32, respectively, are exposed (FIGS. 5 and 6). The closed state is a state in which the first holding portion 31 and the second holding portion 32, which have circular inner peripheral surfaces, are assembled together (FIGS. 1 to 4).

[0027] To maintain the first holding portion 31 and the second holding portion 32 in the assembled state, the first engaging portion 35a of the first holding portion 31 and the second engaging portion 35b of the second holding portion 32 are engaged with each other in the assembled state (FIGS. 5 and 6). For example, the first engaging portion 35a is a flexible piece portion in the shape of a flexible beam. The second engaging portion 35b has a claw portion protruding from the wall surface of the piece. When the first holding portion 31 and the second holding portion 32 are in the assembled state, the first engaging portion 35a and the second engaging portion 35b maintain the assembled state by hooking the claw portion onto the flexible piece portion.

[0028] At one end of the arm 30, the other end of the corrugated tube 11 is placed in the cylindrical internal space. Therefore, semicircular ribs 36a, 36b are provided on the inner circumferential surface 31a of the first holding part 31 and the inner circumferential surface 32a of the second holding part 32 for each of the plurality of recesses 12a. The semicircular ribs 36a, 36b are fitted into the recesses 12a of the corrugated tube 11 to rotate the corrugated tube 11 relative to the recesses 12a around the axis (FIGS. 5 and 6). The pair of ribs 36a, 36b form an annular rib when the first holding part 31 and the second holding part 32 are in an assembled state, and are arranged concentrically within the annular recesses 12a.

[0029] The other end of the corrugated tube 11 can rotate concentrically with the pair of ribs 36a, 36b (annular ribs) relative to the pair of ribs 36a, 36b. Therefore, in the power supply device for sliding door 1, when the sliding door 500 opens and closes between a fully closed state and a fully open state, the other end of the corrugated tube 11 can rotate relative to one end of the arm 30 about the axis while changing the routing path of the crossover portion 10A, thereby reducing twisting of the wire harness 10 before and after the wire introduction port 30a at one end of the arm 30. Therefore, in the power supply device for sliding door 1, the twisting of the wire harness 10 acts as a drag force that does not hinder the rotation of the arm 30, so that the arm 30 can rotate smoothly about the rotation shaft 41.

[0030] In addition, in this power supply device for sliding door 1, the pair of ribs 36a, 36b form an annular rib, and a plurality of these annular ribs are arranged in the axial direction. Therefore, the cylindrical axis of the other end of the corrugated tube 11 can be aligned with the axis of the cylindrical internal space at one end of the arm 30, and the other end of the corrugated tube 11 can be positioned in the internal space. In this power supply device for sliding door 1, the cylindrical internal space at one end of the arm 30 and the other end of the corrugated tube 11 are coaxially positioned and can be maintained, allowing the annular rib and the annular recess 12a to rotate relative to each other about the axis without generating excessive frictional resistance. Therefore, in this power supply device for sliding door 1, twisting of the wire harness 10 around the wire inlet 30a at one end of the arm 30 can be relaxed without catching, allowing the arm 30 to rotate more smoothly about the rotation shaft 41.

[0031] As described above, the power supply device for sliding door 1 of this embodiment has a simple structure in which one linear arm 30 is rotated around the axis of the rotation shaft 41 in accordance with changes in the wiring path of the transition section 10A, and the other end of the corrugated tube 11 is rotated concentrically relative to the arm 30 around the axis. Therefore, this power supply device for sliding door 1 contributes to miniaturization, weight reduction, and cost reduction. Although this power supply device for sliding door 1 is simplified, as described above, it can smoothly rotate the arm 30 around the axis of the rotation shaft 41. Therefore, the power supply device for sliding door 1 of this embodiment can operate smoothly while being simplified. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 1. Power supply device for sliding doors 10 Wire harness 10A Crossover 10B Door side electrical wiring section 11 Corrugated tube 12 Bellows 12a Recess 12b Convex part 20 Body side protector 30 Arm 30a wire entry port 30b Wire outlet 31 1st holding part 31a Inner surface 32 Second holding part 32a Inner surface 36a, 36b Rib 40 Door side protector 41 Rotation axis 500 sliding door B body Lr displacement line

Claims

1. a wire harness including a crossover section that is stretched between a vehicle body and a sliding door and in which electric wires are covered with a corrugated tube, a vehicle body-side electric wire routing section that is routed at a tip of a vehicle body-side end of the crossover section, and a door-side electric wire routing section that is routed at a tip of a door-side end of the crossover section; a vehicle body side protector that is fixed to the vehicle body, holds one end of the corrugated tube at the vehicle body side end of the transition portion, and swings the transition portion in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the sliding door; a cylindrical and linear arm that supports at one end the other end of the corrugated tube at the door-side end of the transition portion so as to be rotatable relative to the other end about an axis, and that passes the door-side electric wire routing portion through the cylindrical arm and draws the door-side electric wire routing portion out of the cylinder through an electric wire drawing port at the other end; a door-side protector fixed to an inner door panel of the sliding door and supporting the other end of the arm so as to be rotatable about an axis of a rotation shaft; Equipped with The corrugated tube is formed into a cylindrical shape and has a bellows portion on its outer circumferential surface, in which annular recesses and annular protrusions are alternately arranged in the axial direction, a first holding portion having a semicircular inner peripheral surface and a second holding portion having a semicircular inner peripheral surface are provided at the one end of the arm, and by assembling the first holding portion and the second holding portion, a circular inner peripheral surface is formed by the inner peripheral surfaces of the first holding portion and the second holding portion; A power supply device for a sliding door, characterized in that the inner surface of the first retaining portion and the inner surface of the second retaining portion are each provided with a semicircular arc rib for each of a plurality of recesses that fit into the recesses of the corrugated tube and rotate the corrugated tube relatively around its axis.

2. 2. The power supply device for a sliding door according to claim 1, wherein when the sliding door is fully closed, the arm opens the electric wire inlet at the one end in the door opening direction and toward the bottom of the vehicle, and opens the electric wire outlet at the other end in the door closing direction and toward the top of the vehicle, and when the sliding door is fully open, the arm opens the electric wire inlet at the one end in the door closing direction and toward the bottom of the vehicle, and opens the electric wire outlet at the other end in the door opening direction and toward the top of the vehicle.

3. 3. The power supply device for a sliding door according to claim 1, wherein the electric wire outlet is positioned below a displacement line of the axial center of the rotation shaft in the door opening / closing direction when the sliding door is fully closed.

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