Protector with sensor

Abstract

To prevent breakage, etc. due to contact with foreign matter and decrease of detection capability.SOLUTION: An in-vehicle side of a hollow part 52 of a protector 50 with a sensor is swollen and curved on an inner side of a vehicle by passing through an in-vehicle side curved top part 52d from a tip P side to an in-vehicle side end part 52b; a height direction distance L5 from the in-vehicle side curved top part 52d to the innermost in-vehicle side position Q of the in-vehicle side end part is made to be shorter than a height direction distance L4 from the tip P to the in-vehicle side curved top part 52d; an out-vehicle side of the hollow part 52 is swollen and curved on the out-vehicle side by passing through an out-vehicle side curved top part 52e from the tip P side to an out-vehicle side end part 52c; a height direction distance L7 from the out-vehicle side curved top part 52e to the outermost out-vehicle side position R of the out-vehicle side end part is made to be shorter than a height direction distance L6 from the tip P of the hollow part to the out-vehicle side curved top part 52e; a hollow upper conductive part 54 is disposed to a lower side position from a top part 55a of a hollow lower conductive part 55; and on the lower end part thereof is disposed a step part D protruding stepwise in the hollow lower conductive part 55 direction from an outer shell 52a inner surface side of the hollow part 52.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a protector with a sensor that has a built-in sensor that detects the presence of a foreign object, such as a finger, by outputting a corresponding signal when the foreign object is caught between an opening and a sliding door that moves back and forth on a vehicle body, such as a station wagon or minivan. [Background technology]

[0002] As shown in FIG. 9, a protector 10 with a sensor is attached to an automobile such as a station wagon in which an opening of the body is opened and closed by a sliding door 1.

[0003] This protrudes from the front end surface of the sliding door 1 toward the front side of the vehicle body, and extends vertically from the top to the bottom of the vehicle as shown in FIG. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the protector with sensor 10 is attached to the front end surface of the sliding door 1 and comprises a mounting base 11 with a concave cross-section consisting of an inner side wall 11a, an outer side wall 11b and a connecting wall 11c, and a hollow portion 12 integrally molded therewith. A sensor (pressure-sensitive sensor) S is attached to the hollow portion 12 and detects the entrapment of a foreign object such as a part of the human body (a finger, a hand or a foot) between the sliding door 1 and a body side opening (which may be a front door (side door)) and outputs a corresponding electrical signal (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The outer peripheral surface of the hollow portion 12 is an outer shell 12a having a concave cross section, and both ends 12b, 12c of the outer shell 12a are connected to the left and right sides of the mounting base 11 with a gap between them. At the bottom of the sensor-equipped protector 10, a channel portion 13 having a C-shaped cross section is integrally molded on the vehicle interior side wall 11a of the mounting base 11, and holds a wire harness W connected to the pressure sensor S. A plurality of holding lips 14, 14 are provided on the inside of the mounting base 11, and a core material 15 having a concave cross section is embedded in the mounting base 11 to increase rigidity. Furthermore, a seal lip 16 is provided on the vehicle exterior side wall 11b of the mounting base 11.

[0004] The sensor (pressure sensor) S is configured such that two core wires (electrode wires) 31, 32 extending in the vertical direction (longitudinal direction) of the vehicle are fixed in the hollow portion 12 so as to be embedded in conductive rubber-like elastic bodies (conductive parts) 34, 35 provided with a space 33 between them. When the sliding door 1 is closed, if a foreign object is caught between the sliding door 1 and the opening on the body side, the hollow portion 12 is partially pressed and crushed, and the rubber-like elastic bodies 34, 35 come into contact with each other, causing a short circuit between the two core wires 31, 32. The change in the electric signal is transmitted to the control device 60 connected to the lead wires 36, 36 connected to the two core wires 31, 32 at the lower terminal portion of the sensor-equipped protector 10, thereby detecting the presence of a foreign object. The lead wires 36, 36 are bundled by the wire harness W while covered with an insulator, but their ends are bare wires exposed from the covering parts 37, 37.

[0005] In addition, the rubber-like elastic body (conductive portion) 34, 35 consists of a concave-shaped hollow upper conductive portion 34 and a convex-shaped hollow lower conductive portion 35, and in order to expand the detection range of the sensor (pressure sensor) S, the space portion 33 is shaped and arranged so that it has a "concave" cross-section and the same cross-sectional width, and the opening of the "concave" shape faces the mounting base 11 side.

[0006] In addition, the strength of the inner peripheral surface of the hollow portion 12 is weak in the portion where the two conductive portions 34, 35 are not present, i.e., the portion where both ends 33a, 33b of the space portion 33 are connected, and there is a risk of damage or tearing if a protrusion Z such as a key hits it hard when a person gets on or off the vehicle, so the thickness of both ends 12b, 12c of the hollow portion 12 is made particularly thick, as shown in Fig. 11. In particular, the position of the portion where both ends 33a, 33b of the space portion 33 are connected to the inner peripheral surface of the outer shell of the hollow portion 12 is a position where a protrusion Z such as a key is particularly likely to get caught, and there is a high risk of damage or tearing, so it was effective to make both ends 12b, 12c of the hollow portion 12 thick. If the hollow portion 12 is ruptured, rainwater, car wash water, etc. will enter and the sensor function will be lost, which may result in malfunction of the sliding door 1 when opening and closing.

[0007] In addition, there is a structure in which the cross-sectional shape of the hollow portion is diamond-shaped, bulging outward on both the inside and outside of the vehicle, and the top is curved to dissipate the force of the protrusion Z (see, for example, Patent Document 2), but because the distance between the base of the hollow portion and the mounting base is extremely narrow and the bulging curved portion is positioned at the midpoint between the top end of the hollow portion and the base of the hollow portion, the wall length from the bulging curved portion to the base of the hollow portion is long, the rigidity is low near the base of the hollow portion, and when the protrusion Z abuts against the flange F from an oblique direction, the hollow portion itself is likely to tilt, which can reduce the accuracy of the contact detection sensitivity. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-174633 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2016-097809 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] However, in the protector with sensor 10 shown in Figs. 11 and 12, if the thickness of both ends 12b, 12c of the hollow portion 12 is increased, those portions will have a columnar structure, and the load on the hollow portion 12 will increase, which is a problem. In other words, since the hollow portion 12 becomes difficult to bend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, the accuracy of the detection sensitivity of the sensor (pressure sensor) S may decrease.

[0010] In addition, the sensor-equipped protector 10 shown in Patent Document 1, Figures 11 and 12, has a shape in which the thickness of the hollow upper conductive portion 34 becomes thinner and disappears as it approaches the lower end (hereinafter referred to as an "edge shape"). Therefore, in manufacturing the extrusion cross section, it is difficult to control the position of the lower end of the hollow upper conductive portion 34, which is likely to cause variation. Also, it is difficult to manufacture a die that corresponds to the edge shape of the extrusion molding cross section.

[0011] Furthermore, there is no particular problem when pressure is applied by protrusion Z from directly above to directly below (from the front to the rear of the vehicle) to hollow portion 12 (0 degree pressure); however, when diagonal pressure is applied by protrusion Z from a direction inclined at 70 degrees to the inside or outside of the vehicle relative to the direction from directly above to directly below (from the front to the rear of the vehicle) to hollow portion 12 (70 degree diagonal pressure), the thin-walled portion at the lower end of hollow upper conductive portion 34 will bend and come into contact with hollow lower conductive portion 35. Therefore, taking into consideration various variations (for example, variations in the shape and dimensions of the extrusion-molded cross-section of the sensor-equipped protector 10 during manufacture, variations in the shape and dimensions of the vehicle during manufacture, and positional variations when the sensor-equipped protector 10 is assembled to the vehicle), the resistance value of the current flowing between the hollow upper conductive portion 34, 35 when the hollow lower conductive portion 35 comes into contact with the hollow upper conductive portion 34 remains high and does not decrease, and as a result, there is a possibility that an area will arise where the ON resistance is not detected.

[0012] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a protector with a sensor that prevents damage caused by contact with a foreign object and has high detection capabilities. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] In order to achieve the above object, the sensor-equipped protector of the present invention comprises an attachment base (11) extending in the vertical direction and having a concave cross-sectional shape, the attachment base (11) being made up of an inner side wall (11a), an outer side wall (11b), and a connecting wall (11c) connecting both side walls (11a, 11b) and attached to a flange (F) formed and protruding forward at a front edge portion of a sliding door (1) that moves in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle body to open and close an opening portion, and a tubular hollow portion (52) which is integrated with the connecting wall (11c) of the attachment base (11) so as to extend forward and in which two conductive portions (54, 55) in which core wires (31, 32) are respectively embedded are provided with a space portion (53) interposed therebetween; The hollow portion (52) has an inner end portion (52b) and an outer end portion (52c) connected to the mounting base portion (11) with a gap therebetween, The two conductive portions (54, 55) are composed of a convex-shaped hollow lower conductive portion (55) provided on the mounting base (11) side and a concave-shaped hollow upper conductive portion (54) provided on the tip side of the hollow portion (52), and are shaped and arranged so that the space portion (53) has a "concave" cross section, an opening of the "concave" shape faces the mounting base (11) side, and both ends (53a, 53b) of the space portion (53) are connected to the inner surface of the outer shell (52a) of the hollow portion (52), a protector (50) with a sensor that detects the presence of a foreign object by a change in an electrical signal corresponding to the pressure and collapse of the hollow portion (52) caused by a foreign object caught between the sliding door (1) and the opening when the sliding door (1) is closed, The vehicle interior side of the outer shell (52a) of the hollow portion (52) is curved so as to bulge toward the vehicle interior side, passing through an interior curved apex (52d) located at the vehicle innermost side midway from the tip (P) side of the hollow portion (52) to the vehicle interior end (52b), and a height direction distance (L5) from the interior curved apex (52d) to the vehicle interior most position (Q) of the vehicle interior end (52b) of the hollow portion (52) is made shorter than a height direction distance (L4) from the tip (P) of the hollow portion (52) to the interior curved apex (52d); The vehicle exterior side of the outer shell (52a) of the hollow portion (52) is curved so as to bulge toward the vehicle exterior, passing through an exterior curved apex (52e) located at the vehicle outermost position midway from the tip (P) side of the hollow portion (52) to the vehicle exterior end (52c), and a height direction distance (L7) from the exterior curved apex (52e) to the vehicle outermost position (R) of the vehicle exterior end (52c) of the hollow portion (52) is made shorter than a height direction distance (L6) from the tip (P) of the hollow portion (52) to the exterior curved apex (52e), The hollow upper conductive portion (54) is provided to a position lower than the top portion (55a) of the hollow lower conductive portion (55), A step portion (D) is provided at the lower end of the hollow upper conductive portion (54) so ​​as to protrude in a step shape from the inner surface side of the outer shell (52a) of the hollow portion (52) toward the hollow lower conductive portion (55). Establishment, Furthermore, the thickness (M1) of the outer shell (52a) of the hollow portion (52) is set to be uniform in cross section (M2, M3) from the tip (P) side to just before the interior curved apex (52d) and from the tip (P) to just before the exterior curved apex (52e); The thickness (N1, N2, N3) of the hollow upper conductive portion (54) is made thicker than the thickness (M1, M2, M3) of the outer shell (52a) of the hollow portion (52) up to a position below the top (55a) of the hollow lower conductive portion (55). It is characterized by: It should be noted that the "change in the electrical signal" here includes a change caused by a short circuit between two core wires and a change in capacitance.

[0015] The present invention also provides The sliding door (1) is attached to a flange (F) formed on a front edge of the sliding door (1) that moves in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body to open and close the opening, and is formed to protrude forward. The flange (F) is formed on the front edge of the sliding door (1) to protrude forward. The flange (F) is formed to protrude forward. The front edge of the sliding door (1) is attached to a flange (F) formed on a front edge of the sliding door (1) that moves in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body to open and close the opening. The sliding door (1) is attached to a front edge of the sliding door (1) to protrude forward. The sliding door (1) is formed to protrude forward. The sliding door (1) is attached to a front edge of the sliding door (1) to open and close the opening ... attached to a front edge of the sliding door (1) to open and close the opening. The sliding door (1) is attached to a front edge of the sliding door (1) to open and close the opening. The sliding door (1) is attached to a front edge of the sliding door (1). The sliding door (1) is formed to protrude forward. The sliding door (1) is formed to protrude forward. The sliding door (1) is attached to a front edge of the sliding door (1). The hollow portion (52) has an inner end portion (52b) and an outer end portion (52c) connected to the mounting base portion (11) with a gap therebetween, The two conductive portions (54, 55) are composed of a convex-shaped hollow lower conductive portion (55) provided on the mounting base (11) side and a concave-shaped hollow upper conductive portion (54) provided on the tip side of the hollow portion (52), and are shaped and arranged so that the space portion (53) has a "concave" cross section, an opening of the "concave" shape faces the mounting base (11) side, and both ends (53a, 53b) of the space portion (53) are connected to the inner surface of the outer shell (52a) of the hollow portion (52), a protector (50) with a sensor that detects the presence of a foreign object by a change in an electrical signal corresponding to the pressure and collapse of the hollow portion (52) caused by a foreign object caught between the sliding door (1) and the opening when the sliding door (1) is closed, The vehicle interior side of the outer shell (52a) of the hollow portion (52) is curved so as to bulge toward the vehicle interior side, passing through an interior curved apex (52d) located at the vehicle innermost side midway from the tip (P) side of the hollow portion (52) to the vehicle interior end (52b), and a height direction distance (L5) from the interior curved apex (52d) to the vehicle interior most position (Q) of the vehicle interior end (52b) of the hollow portion (52) is made shorter than a height direction distance (L4) from the tip (P) of the hollow portion (52) to the interior curved apex (52d); The vehicle exterior side of the outer shell (52a) of the hollow portion (52) is curved so as to bulge toward the vehicle exterior, passing through an exterior curved apex (52e) located at the vehicle outermost position midway from the tip (P) side of the hollow portion (52) to the vehicle exterior end (52c), and a height direction distance (L7) from the exterior curved apex (52e) to the vehicle outermost position (R) of the vehicle exterior end (52c) of the hollow portion (52) is made shorter than a height direction distance (L6) from the tip (P) of the hollow portion (52) to the exterior curved apex (52e), The hollow upper conductive portion (54) is provided to a position lower than the top portion (55a) of the hollow lower conductive portion (55), a step portion (D) is provided at a lower end portion of the hollow upper conductive portion (54) so ​​as to protrude in a step shape from an inner surface side of the outer shell (52a) of the hollow portion (52) toward the hollow lower conductive portion (55); moreover, The thickness of the outer shell (52a) of the hollow portion (52) is gradually increased from the interior curved apex (52d) toward the mounting base (11), and from the exterior curved apex (52e) toward the mounting base (11).

[0019] Note that symbols in parentheses indicate corresponding elements or matters described in the drawings and in the detailed description of the invention described below. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, the inside side of the shell of the hollow portion is curved so as to bulge toward the inside of the vehicle, passing through the inside curved apex located at the inside-most side of the vehicle midway from the tip side to the inside end, and the outside side of the shell of the hollow portion is curved so as to bulge toward the outside of the vehicle, passing through the outside curved apex located at the outside-most side of the vehicle midway from the tip side to the outside end.This gives the hollow portion a structure that is easily flexible in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle like a pantograph, making it easy to detect the presence of a foreign object. Furthermore, the height distance from the inner side curved apex to the innermost position of the inner side end is shorter than the height distance from the tip of the hollow portion to the inner side curved apex, and the height distance from the outer side curved apex to the outermost position of the outer side end is shorter than the height distance from the tip of the hollow portion to the outer side curved apex.As a result, on both the inner and outer sides, the wall length from the apex of the curved portion to the base of the hollow portion is shorter than the wall length of the hollow portion from the tip of the hollow portion to the curved apex.As a result, the rigidity of the hollow portion in the vicinity of the base of the hollow portion is increased and the hollow portion itself is less likely to tilt when a protrusion abuts against the flange from an oblique direction, and there is almost no risk of the accuracy of the contact detection sensitivity being reduced.

[0021] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the hollow upper conductive portion is provided up to a position lower than the top of the hollow lower conductive portion, and a step portion is provided at the lower end of the hollow upper conductive portion, protruding in a stepped shape from the inner surface side of the outer shell of the hollow portion toward the hollow lower conductive portion, thereby eliminating the edge-shaped portion that has traditionally been formed at the lower end of the hollow upper conductive portion. This eliminates the need to manufacture a die that corresponds to the edge shape of the extrusion molding cross section, which was previously considered difficult. In addition, if a protrusion enters from an oblique direction (for example, a direction tilted 70 degrees toward the inside or outside of the vehicle in relation to the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle), there is a concern that the accuracy of the contact detection sensitivity will decrease if the thin-walled portion of the lower end of the hollow upper conductive part is in a deflected form that comes into contact with the hollow lower conductive part; however, by providing a stepped protruding portion, the lower end of the hollow upper conductive part becomes thick, and the accuracy of the contact detection sensitivity is maintained.

[0022] Furthermore, according to the present invention, the thickness of the outer shell of the hollow portion is the same cross-sectional thickness from the tip side to just before the curved apex on the inside of the vehicle, and from the tip to just before the curved apex on the outside of the vehicle, and the thickness of the hollow upper conductive portion is made thicker than the thickness of the outer shell of the hollow portion up to a position below the apex of the hollow lower conductive portion.Therefore, even if various variations occur (for example, variations in shape and dimensions during the extrusion molding of the cross-section of the sensor-equipped protector, variations in shape and dimensions during vehicle manufacture, and positional variations when the sensor-equipped protector is assembled to the vehicle), there is almost no risk of an area not sensing the ON resistance, and the accuracy of the contact detection sensitivity is further maintained.

[0023] In addition, according to the present invention, the thickness of the outer shell of the hollow portion is gradually increased from the curved apex on the inside of the vehicle toward the mounting base, and from the curved apex on the outside of the vehicle toward the mounting base, so that the amount of deformation of the hollow portion in the inside / outside direction of the vehicle can be kept small, and the amount of encroachment of the protrusion and the degree of friction can be reduced. Therefore, even if a key or other protruding object strongly hits this part when getting on or off the vehicle, the hollow part is prevented from being damaged or torn by the impact. Therefore, malfunctions such as the loss of sensor function due to water entering through the hollow part and malfunctions in opening and closing the sliding door are avoided. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 10 , showing the protector with a sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a main part of the protector with sensor in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 10 , showing another protector with a sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 10 showing a comparative example in which the shape of the hollow portion is changed, for comparison with the protector with sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state when a pressure of 0 degrees is applied in the comparative example shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state when a pressure of 70 degrees is applied in the comparative example shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which variation is taken into consideration when a pressure is applied at 70 degrees in the comparative example shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which variation is taken into consideration when a pressure is applied at 70 degrees in the protector with sensor according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a side view of an automobile that opens and closes with a sliding door. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the protector with the sensor shown in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 10 showing a protector with a sensor according to a conventional example. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 10 , showing a protector with a sensor according to a conventional example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] The sensor-equipped protector 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, front and rear refer to the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and up and down refer to the up-down direction of the vehicle in the case of a vehicle, and in the sensor-equipped protector 50, the hollow portion 52 side is the top and the mounting base 11 side is the bottom. The protector with sensor 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached to the front end surface of the sliding door 1 of an automobile that opens and closes an opening in the vehicle body by using the sliding door 1 as shown in Fig. 9 so as to protrude toward the front side of the vehicle body, and is equipped with a sensor (pressure sensor) S that detects a foreign object such as a part of the human body (a finger or a hand or foot) being caught between the sliding door 1 and the body side opening (which may be a front door (side door)) and outputs a corresponding electric signal. The protector with sensor 50 has the same configuration as that shown in Fig. 10 as shown in the conventional example, but Fig. 1, which shows the part where the sensor (pressure sensor) S is attached as an enlarged cross section of line AA in Fig. 10, differs from that shown in Fig. 11 shown in the conventional example in the cross-sectional shape of the hollow part 52, the space part 53, and the cross-sectional shape of the hollow lower conductive part 55. The same parts as those in the conventional example are given the same reference numerals.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, this protector with sensor 50 is equipped with a mounting base 11 having a concave cross-section and consisting of an inner side wall 11a, an outer side wall 11b and a connecting wall 11c which is attached directly to a flange (F) formed on the sliding door 1, a tubular hollow portion 52 which is integrally molded with the mounting base 11 and which elastically contacts a foreign object such as a finger if the foreign object is present between the front end surface of the sliding door 1 and the body side opening which the front end surface faces when the sliding door 1 is closed, and a sensor (pressure-sensitive sensor) S which is incorporated in the hollow portion 52 and detects the foreign object and outputs a corresponding electrical signal, and the sensor (pressure-sensitive sensor) S is fixed within the hollow portion 52 such that two core wires (electrode wires) 31, 32 extending in the vertical direction (longitudinal direction) of the vehicle are embedded in conductive rubber-like elastomers 54, 55 which are provided with a space 53 between them. The conductive rubber-like elastic bodies 54, 55 are made of conductive rubber mainly composed of synthetic rubber such as EPDM, and the sensor S is integrally molded with the non-conductive hollow portion 52.

[0029] A plurality of retaining lips 14, 14 are provided on the inside of the mounting base 11, and a core material 15 having a concave cross section is embedded in the mounting base 11 to increase its rigidity. Furthermore, a seal lip 16 is provided on the vehicle exterior side wall 11b of the mounting base 11.

[0030] The hollow portion 52 is integrally formed with the connecting wall 11c of the mounting base 11, and its tip side protrudes toward the front of the vehicle. Both ends (inner side end) 52b and (outer side end) 52c of hollow portion 52 connected to connecting wall 11c are connected to mounting base 11 with a gap between them. In this embodiment, the interior side end 52b of the hollow portion 52 is connected to the corner where the connecting wall 11c of the mounting base 11 and the interior side wall 11a are connected, and the exterior side end 52c of the hollow portion 52 is connected to a position slightly spaced (closer) to the interior side of the vehicle from the corner where the connecting wall 11c of the mounting base 11 and the interior side wall 11b are connected, in this embodiment, at a position closer to the exterior side of the vehicle than the line that divides the mounting base 11 into two equal parts inside and outside the vehicle in the cross-sectional shape.

[0031] The conductive rubber-like elastic bodies 54, 55 are conductive parts consisting of a hollow lower conductive part 55 provided on the mounting base 11 side in the hollow part 52 and a hollow upper conductive part 54 provided on the tip side in the hollow part 52, with a core wire 31 embedded in the center of the hollow upper conductive part 54 and a core wire 32 embedded in the center of the hollow lower conductive part 55. Generally, a solid material without air bubbles inside is used for the conductive rubber-like elastic bodies 54, 55.

[0032] The cross-sectional shape of space 53 provided between both conductive parts 54, 55 is determined by the shapes of hollow upper conductive part 54 and hollow lower conductive part 55, and the arrangement of hollow upper conductive part 54 and hollow lower conductive part 55 within hollow part 52, and here, the cross-sectional shape is formed in a "concave" shape. The opening of the "concave" shape faces the mounting base 11 side, and the "concave"-shaped interior end part 53a and exterior end part 53b are each connected to the inner surface of outer shell 52a of hollow part 52. The interior side end 53a of the concave space 53 is connected between the inner surface of the interior side curved apex 52d of the hollow portion 52 described later and the inner surface of the interior side end 52b, and the exterior side end 53b of the space 53 is connected between the inner surface of the exterior side curved apex 52e of the hollow portion 52 described later and the inner surface of the exterior side end 52c. A portion of the outer end 53b of the space 53 is also directly connected to the connecting wall 11c of the mounting base 11 (the inner end 53a of the space 53 is not directly connected to the connecting wall 11c).

[0033] As shown in Figure 2, the shape of the outer shell 52a of the hollow portion 52 is curved on the inside of the vehicle from the tip side of the hollow portion 52 to the inside end 52b, passing through the inside-side curved apex 52d located at the insidemost part of the vehicle, and on the outside of the vehicle from the tip side of the hollow portion 52 to the outside end 52c, passing through the outside-side curved apex 52e located at the outsidemost part of the vehicle, so as to bulge towards the outside of the vehicle, resulting in a cross-sectional shape that contracts in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle like a pantograph. The interior curved apex 52d and the exterior curved apex 52e are curved, and the length of the curved surface from the tip P of the hollow portion 52 to the interior curved apex 52d and the exterior curved apex 52e is longer than the length of the curved surface from the interior curved apex 52d and the exterior curved apex 52e to the interior end 52b and the exterior end 52c.

[0034] More specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the height distance L5 from the interior curved apex 52d to the interior-most position Q of the interior end is shorter than the height distance L4 from the tip P of the hollow portion to the interior curved apex 52d, and the height distance L7 from the exterior curved apex 52e to the exterior-most position R of the exterior end is shorter than the height distance L6 from the tip P of the hollow portion to the exterior curved apex 52e. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, L5 is set to be short, about 0.7 times the length of L4, and L7 is set to be short, about 0.3 times the length of L6.

[0035] In addition, the thickness M1 of the outer shell 52a of the hollow portion 52 is the same cross-sectional thickness M2, M3 from the tip P side to just before the inside curved apex 52d and from the tip P side to just before the outside curved apex 52e, and the thicknesses N1, N2, N3 of the hollow upper conductive portion 54 are thicker than the thicknesses M1, M2, M3 of the outer shell 52a of the hollow portion 52 up to a position below the apex 55a of the hollow lower conductive portion 55. In addition, the thickness of the outer shell 52a of the hollow portion 52 gradually increases from the vehicle interior curved apex 52d toward the mounting base 11 side, and from the vehicle exterior curved apex 52e toward the mounting base 11 side. The thickness from the interior curved apex 52d to the interior end 52b is the same, that is, a constant thickness t1 from the interior curved apex 52d to the interior end 52b. Similarly, the thickness from the exterior curved apex 52e to the exterior end 52c is the same, that is, a constant thickness t2 from the exterior curved apex 52e to the exterior end 52c.

[0036] In particular, the cross-sectional shape of hollow lower conductive portion 55 is bell-shaped. The width of space portion 53 gradually increases from width X in the vehicle front-rear direction (up-down direction in hollow portion 52) at the center of the cross-sectional shape toward interior curved apex portion 52d and exterior curved apex portion 52e, has maximum widths Y1, Y2 at interior curved apex portion 52d and exterior curved apex portion 52e, and gradually decreases from interior curved apex portion 52d and exterior curved apex portion 52e toward the mounting base 11. At this time, an inner end 53a and an outer end 53b of the space 53 are curved and connected to the inner surface of the outer shell 52a of the hollow portion 52, respectively.

[0037] Here, in particular, the cross-sectional shape of hollow upper conductive portion 54 is not an edge shape with sharp angles at both ends but a concave shape with rounded semicircular ends, and the position of the lower portion 54a of hollow upper conductive portion 54 is lower than the position of the top portion 55a of hollow lower conductive portion 55, i.e., closer to the mounting base 11. In addition, the lower end of the hollow upper conductive part 54 forms a step D that protrudes in a step shape from the inner surface side of the outer shell 52a of the hollow part 52 toward the hollow interior, that is, toward the hollow lower conductive part 55. As a result, when a protrusion Z comes into contact with the hollow part 52 diagonally from a direction of 70 degrees (shown by a dotted line) relative to the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle as shown in Figure 1 when a person gets on or off the vehicle, when the hollow part 52 bends, it is the step D located further inside that comes into contact with the hollow lower conductive part 55, rather than the outer shell 52a. Therefore, even with slight bending or bending from any direction, the two conductive parts 54, 55 can easily come into contact with each other, which enables reliable contact (contact point) between the conductive parts 54, 55 and prevents the contact points from passing each other.

[0038] Moreover, the shape of step D is a step that rises in a stepped shape from the inner surface of outer shell 52a of hollow portion 52 toward hollow lower conductive portion 55 at the lower end of hollow upper conductive portion 54. The shape smoothly connects without bending points from the inner surface of the lowest end of hollow upper conductive portion 54 to the step, and the shape smoothly connects without bending points from a portion slightly above the step on the inner surface of hollow upper conductive portion 54 to the step. The reason for this is that if the inner surface side of the lower end of the hollow upper conductive part 54 is not smooth but has a bend that protrudes toward the hollow lower conductive part 55, it will have a locally protruding shape, and when the hollow part 52 of the sensor-equipped protector 50 is bent and deformed, the locally protruding specific position will try to hit the hollow lower conductive part 55 in the active area, but there is a possibility that the sensitivity will vary depending on the bending shape, so a step part D that is smoothly connected without a bend is more preferable than a protruding part with a bend. In addition, the contact area S between the conductive materials 54, 55 may become smaller, increasing the resistance value R. As a result, it may become difficult to ensure good conductivity, and the ON resistance may not be detected.

[0039] As a result, as shown in Figure 2, in the cross-sectional shape, the distance between the hollow portion 52 in the interior and exterior directions is maximum at the distance L1 between the interior curved apex 52d and the exterior curved apex 52e, which is greater than the distance L2 between the interior-most position of the interior end 52b and the exterior-most position of the exterior end 52c. A distance L2 between the innermost position of the inner end 52b and the outermost position of the outer end 52c is greater than a maximum distance L3 of the space 53 in the interior / exterior direction.

[0040] The mounting base 11 and hollow portion 52 of the sensor-equipped protector 50 constitute extrusion-molded portions extruded from a non-conductive rubber-like elastic body made of, for example, synthetic rubber such as EPDM or thermoplastic elastomer such as TPO or TPS, and the upper and lower terminal portions of the vehicle are molded to have a shaped outer shape. Since the hollow portion 52 of the sensor-equipped protector 50 requires flexibility, a foamed sponge material may be used. Similarly, the mounting base 11 may also be made of a foamed sponge material. In this embodiment, the hollow portion 52 is made of a material having a hardness of 72 degrees (conventional products usually have a material hardness of about 67 degrees), and is made high within a range in which the load does not increase too much.

[0041] According to this type of sensor-equipped protector 50, the inside side of the outer shell 52a of the hollow portion 52 is curved from the tip side to the inside side end 52b, passing through the inside side curved apex 52d located at the innermost side of the vehicle, and the outside side of the outer shell 52a of the hollow portion 52 is curved from the tip side to the outside side end 52c, passing through the outside side curved apex 52e located at the outermost side of the vehicle, so that it bulges toward the outside of the vehicle.As a result, the hollow portion 52 has a structure that is easily flexible in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle like a pantograph, making it easy to detect the presence of a foreign object.

[0042] In addition, the hollow upper conductive portion 54 is provided up to a position lower than the top 55a of the hollow lower conductive portion 55, and a step portion D is provided at the lower end of the hollow upper conductive portion 54, protruding in a stepped shape from the inner surface side of the outer shell 52a of the hollow portion 52 toward the hollow lower conductive portion 55, thereby eliminating the edge-shaped portion that has traditionally been formed at the lower end of the hollow upper conductive portion 54. This eliminates the need to manufacture a die that corresponds to the edge shape of the extrusion molding cross section, which was previously considered difficult. In addition, when protrusion Z enters from an oblique direction (for example, a direction inclined 70 degrees toward the inside or outside of the vehicle in relation to the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle), there is a concern that the accuracy of the contact detection sensitivity will decrease if the thin portion of the lower end of hollow upper conductive part 54 is in a deflected form that contacts hollow lower conductive part 55; however, by providing step portion D, the lower end of hollow upper conductive part 54 becomes thick, and the accuracy of the contact detection sensitivity is maintained.

[0043] In addition, the thickness M1 of the outer shell 52a of the hollow portion 52 is the same cross-sectional thickness M2, M3 from the tip P side to just before the inner curved apex 52d and from the tip P to just before the outer curved apex 52e, and the thicknesses N1, N2, N3 of the hollow upper conductive portion 54 are thicker than the thicknesses M1, M2, M3 of the outer shell 52a of the hollow portion 52 up to a position below the apex 55a of the hollow lower conductive portion 55. Therefore, even if various variations occur (for example, variations in shape and dimensions during the extrusion molding of the cross section of the sensor-equipped protector 50, variations in shape and dimensions during the manufacture of the vehicle, and positional variations when the sensor-equipped protector 50 is assembled to the vehicle), there is almost no risk of an area not sensing the ON resistance, and the accuracy of the contact detection sensitivity is further maintained.

[0044] In addition, the thickness of the outer shell 52a of the hollow portion 52 is gradually increased from the vehicle interior curved apex 52d toward the mounting base 11, and from the vehicle exterior curved apex 52e toward the mounting base 11, so that the amount of deformation of the hollow portion 52 in the vehicle interior / exterior direction can be kept small, and the amount of encroachment of the protrusion Z and the degree of friction can be reduced. Therefore, even if a key or other protruding object strongly hits this part when getting on or off the vehicle, the hollow part is prevented from being damaged or torn by the impact. Therefore, malfunctions such as the loss of sensor function due to water entering through the hollow part and malfunctions in opening and closing the sliding door are avoided.

[0045] 1 and 2, the cross-sectional shape of the hollow lower conductive part 55 is bell-shaped, the width of the space 53 gradually increases from the width X at the tip end to maximum widths Y1, Y2 at the interior curved apex 52d and the exterior curved apex 52e, and gradually decreases from the interior curved apex 52d and the exterior curved apex 52e toward the mounting base 11, but as shown in Fig. 3, the cross-sectional shape of the hollow lower conductive part 55 can also be a mountain-like shape that widens from the apex 55a of the hollow lower conductive part 55 to its base. This allows the space 53 to have a uniform cross-sectional width.

[0046] In this case, the interior side end 53a and the exterior side end 53b of the space portion 53 are curved and are each connected to the inner surface of the outer shell 52a of the hollow portion 52, and a part of the exterior side end 53b is also connected to the connecting wall 11c of the mounting base 11. As a result, the hollow portion 52 has a structure which makes it easier to flex in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and the sensor has a high ability to detect foreign objects.

[0047] Although not shown in the drawings, the hollow portion 52 and the sensor S may be integrally molded, and the mounting base 11 may be molded separately. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mounting base 11 has multiple retaining lips 14, 14 provided on its inside, and a core material 15 having a concave cross-sectional shape is embedded in it, but this type of mounting base 11 may also have only one retaining lip 14, or may not have a core material 15 embedded in it.

[0048] Here, the contact detection sensitivity of the sensor S is compared between the present embodiment (FIGS. 1 and 2) in which an edge-shaped portion is eliminated from the lower end of the hollow upper conductive portion 54, and a comparative example in which an edge-shaped portion exists at the lower end of the hollow upper conductive portion 54, as shown in FIG 4. The sensor-equipped protector 50 of the comparative example shown in FIG 4 is similar in shape and material to the sensor-equipped protector 50 of the present embodiment, except that an edge-shaped portion exists at the lower end of the hollow upper conductive portion 54 and no step D is formed.

[0049] The resistance value R when the hollow lower conductive portion 55 contacts the hollow upper conductive portion 54 is It can be calculated by the formula R=ρ×L / S, where ρ is the volume resistivity of the conductive parts 54, 55, L is the distance between the core wires 31, 32, and S is the contact area between the conductive materials. The indenter 100 used when pressing the hollow portion 52 had a width of 4 mm.

[0050] First, the resistance value R at 0 degrees (FIG. 5) when the hollow portion 52 of the sensor-equipped protector 50 of the comparative example shown in FIG. 4 is pressed from the top to the bottom in the vertical direction (vehicle front-rear direction) with an indenter is: R = ρ (= 75 Ω mm) × L (= (1 mm + 0.4 mm)) / S (= 0.3 mm × 4 mm (indenter width)), =87.5 Ω, which is a level that does not pose any particular problems in terms of conductivity.

[0051] Next, the resistance value R when the hollow portion 52 of the sensor-equipped protector 50 of the comparative example shown in FIG. 4 is pressed by an indenter from a direction inclined 70 degrees toward the outside of the vehicle from the vertical direction (vehicle front-rear direction) is as follows (FIG. 6): R = ρ (= 75 Ω mm) × L (= (2.6 mm + 0.9 mm)) / S (= 0.6 mm × 4 mm (indenter width)), =109.4 Ω, which is a level that does not pose any particular problems in terms of conductivity.

[0052] Here, we will explain the case where various variations are taken into consideration. For example, if the volume resistivity ρ increases by 25 Ω mm in the upper direction, and the distance L between the core wires 31, 32 increases by 1 mm due to variation in the core wire position, and further, as shown in Figure 7, if the position of the edge-shaped portion at the end of the hollow upper conductive part 54 varies upward, the thick part that affects the contact area S between the conductive materials will be 0.2 mm. As a result, the resistance R is R = ρ(= 75 Ω mm + 25 Ω mm) × L(= (2.6 mm + 0.9 mm + 1 mm)) / S(= 0.2 mm × 4 mm (indenter width)), = 562 Ω, which makes it difficult to ensure good conductivity. For this value, it is necessary to reduce it from 562 Ω to 500 Ω or less, which reduces the robustness of the function. As shown in Figure 7, the contact area S between the conductive materials is the contact width of 0.6 mm, but the thickness of the conductive material at the contact point is 0.2 mm, and this value becomes the hard point that reduces the resistance value R, so the contact area S between the conductive materials is 0.8 = 0.2 mm × 4 mm (the width of the indenter).

[0053] In contrast, in the case of the protector with sensor 50 of this embodiment (FIGS. 1 and 2), as shown in FIG. 8, various variations are 25 due to variation in the upper limit direction of the volume resistivity ρ and 1 mm due to variation in the core wire position, as in the comparative example. Also, the thick parts that affect the contact area S between the conductive materials are the thicknesses N2 and N3 at both ends of the hollow upper conductive part 54, which are secured at 0.9 mm and, taking into account a variation of plus or minus 0.3 mm, are 0.6 mm (equivalent to the contact width of 0.6 mm). Here, by providing step D, the inner surface of the lower end of hollow upper conductive part 54 becomes a step that rises in a stepped shape from the inner surface side of outer shell 52a of hollow part 52 toward hollow lower conductive part 55, and the shape smoothly connects without any bending points from the inner surface of the lowest end of hollow upper conductive part 54 to the step, and the inner surface of hollow upper conductive part 54 also connects smoothly without bending points from slightly above the step to the step, so that it is extremely unlikely that the contact width will be smaller than 0.6 mm. As a result, the resistance value R when pressure is applied at an angle of 70 degrees is: R = ρ(= 75 Ω mm + 25 Ω mm) × L(= (2.6 mm + 0.9 mm + 1 mm)) / S(= 0.6 mm × 4 mm (indenter width)), = 187.5 Ω, It was found that good conductivity could be ensured even if various variations occurred. In Figures 7 and 8, the central shape of the conductive material position indicates the shape when there is no variation, the lower limit shape of the conductive material position indicates the shape when the contact area S is smallest due to variation, and the upper limit shape of the conductive material position indicates the shape when the contact area S is largest due to variation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1. Sliding door 10 Sensored Protector 11 Mounting base 11a Car interior wall 11b Vehicle outside wall 11c Connecting wall 12 Hollow part 12a Outer shell 12b Inner end of hollow section 12c Outside end of hollow section 13 Channel section 14 Retaining Lip 15 Core material 16 Sealing lip 31,32 Core wire 33 Space section 33a Inner end of space 33b Outside end of space 34 Rubber-like elastic body (hollow upper conductive part) 35 Rubber-like elastic body (hollow lower conductive part) 36 Lead Wire 37 Covering section 50 Sensored Protector 52 Hollow part 52a Outer shell 52b Inner end of hollow section 52c Outside end of hollow section 52d Curved top of hollow section on inside of car 52e Curved top of hollow section on outside of car 53 Space section 53a Inner end of space 53b Outside end of space 54 Hollow upper conductive part 54a Lower part of hollow upper conductive part 55 Hollow lower conductive part 55a Top of hollow lower conductive part 60 Control device 100 indenter D Stepped section F flange L1 Distance between the inside curved top and the outside curved top L2 Distance between the innermost position of the inner end and the outermost position of the outer end L3 Maximum distance between interior and exterior of space L4: Height distance from the tip of the hollow part to the top of the curve on the inside of the car L5 Height distance from the top of the curve on the inside of the vehicle to the innermost position of the inside edge L6: Height distance from the tip of the hollow to the curved top on the outside of the vehicle L7 Height distance from the outer curved top to the outermost point of the outer end of the vehicle P Tip of hollow part Q The innermost position on the inside edge of the vehicle R Outermost position of the outer end S sensor (pressure sensor) W Wire Harness Z Protrusions such as keys

Claims

1. The sliding door opens and closes an opening by moving in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. The sliding door is attached to a flange formed on the front edge of the sliding door to protrude forward. The flange is attached to the front edge of the sliding door to protrude forward. The flange is attached to the front edge of the sliding door to protrude forward. The flange connects the interior side wall, the exterior side wall, and both side walls. The mounting base has a concave cross-sectional shape and extends in the vertical direction. The mounting base has a hollow tube portion which is integrated with the connecting wall of the mounting base so as to extend forward. The hollow tube portion has two conductive portions with core wires embedded therein and is provided with a space between them. The hollow portion has an inner end portion and an outer end portion connected to the mounting base with a gap between them, The two conductive parts are composed of a convex hollow lower conductive part provided on the mounting base side and a concave hollow upper conductive part provided on the tip side of the hollow part, the space part has a "concave" cross section, the opening of the "concave" shape faces the mounting base side, and both ends of the space part are shaped and arranged so as to be connected to the inner surface of the outer shell of the hollow part, a protector with a sensor that detects the presence of a foreign object by a change in an electrical signal corresponding to the pressure and collapse of the hollow portion caused by a foreign object caught between the sliding door and the opening when the sliding door is closed, The interior side of the shell of the hollow portion is curved so as to bulge toward the interior side of the vehicle, passing through an interior curved apex portion located at the interiormost position on the way from the tip side of the hollow portion to the interior end portion, and the height direction distance from the interior curved apex portion to the interiormost position of the interior end portion of the hollow portion is made shorter than the height direction distance from the tip of the hollow portion to the interior curved apex portion, the vehicle exterior side of the shell of the hollow portion is curved so as to bulge toward the vehicle exterior, passing through an exterior curved apex located at the vehicle outermost side midway from the tip side of the hollow portion to the vehicle exterior end, and the height direction distance from the exterior curved apex to the vehicle outermost position of the vehicle exterior end of the hollow portion is made shorter than the height direction distance from the tip of the hollow portion to the exterior curved apex, the hollow upper conductive portion is provided to a position lower than the top of the hollow lower conductive portion, a step portion is provided at a lower end of the hollow upper conductive portion, the step portion protruding in a step shape from an inner surface side of an outer shell of the hollow portion toward the hollow lower conductive portion; Furthermore, the thickness of the outer shell of the hollow portion is set to be uniform in cross section from the tip side to just before the inner curved apex and from the tip to just before the outer curved apex, A protector with a sensor, characterized in that the thickness of the hollow upper conductive portion is thicker than the thickness of the outer shell of the hollow portion up to a position below the top of the hollow lower conductive portion.

2. A mounting base extending in the vertical direction with a concave cross-sectional shape consisting of a connecting wall connecting the vehicle's inner side wall, outer side wall, and both side walls, which is attached to a flange formed to protrude forward at the front edge of a sliding door that moves in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body to open and close an opening, and a tubular hollow portion which is integrated with the connecting wall of the mounting base so as to extend forward and in which two conductive portions each having a core wire embedded therein are provided via a space portion; The hollow portion has an inner end portion and an outer end portion connected to the mounting base with a gap between them, The two conductive parts are composed of a convex hollow lower conductive part provided on the mounting base side and a concave hollow upper conductive part provided on the tip side of the hollow part, the space part has a "concave" cross section, the opening of the "concave" shape faces the mounting base side, and both ends of the space part are shaped and arranged so as to be connected to the inner surface of the outer shell of the hollow part, a protector with a sensor that detects the presence of a foreign object by a change in an electrical signal corresponding to the pressure and collapse of the hollow portion caused by a foreign object caught between the sliding door and the opening when the sliding door is closed, The interior side of the shell of the hollow portion is curved so as to bulge toward the interior side of the vehicle, passing through an interior curved apex portion located at the interiormost position on the way from the tip side of the hollow portion to the interior end portion, and the height direction distance from the interior curved apex portion to the interiormost position of the interior end portion of the hollow portion is made shorter than the height direction distance from the tip of the hollow portion to the interior curved apex portion, the vehicle exterior side of the shell of the hollow portion is curved so as to bulge toward the vehicle exterior, passing through an exterior curved apex located at the vehicle outermost side midway from the tip side of the hollow portion to the vehicle exterior end, and the height direction distance from the exterior curved apex to the vehicle outermost position of the vehicle exterior end of the hollow portion is made shorter than the height direction distance from the tip of the hollow portion to the exterior curved apex, the hollow upper conductive portion is provided to a position lower than the top of the hollow lower conductive portion, a step portion is provided at a lower end of the hollow upper conductive portion, the step portion protruding in a step shape from an inner surface side of an outer shell of the hollow portion toward the hollow lower conductive portion; The protector with sensor is further characterized in that the thickness of the outer shell of the hollow portion is gradually increased from the interior curved apex toward the mounting base, and from the exterior curved apex toward the mounting base.

Images