Sliding door power supply device

Abstract

To provide a slide door power supply device in which a cable exterior member externally covering an electric cable can be inhibited from being held at a position displaced from a normal position, and thus, a large tension load can be inhibited from acting on the electric cable in accordance with movement of a slide door.SOLUTION: A slide door power supply device 1 includes a cable exterior member 5 externally covering an electric cable 2. The cable exterior member 5 includes a recessed-and-projected portion 50 that perpendicularly intersects with a longitudinal direction of the cable exterior member 5. In addition, a vehicle body-side holding portion 3 includes a cable insertion path 31P through which the electric cable 2 and the cable exterior member 5 are inserted. Furthermore, a fitting portion 35 to be fitted to the recessed-and-projected portion 50 of the cable exterior member 5, and a regulation portion 36 for regulating a fitting position between the recessed-and-projected portion 50 and the fitting portion 35, are provided on an inner surface of the cable insertion path 31P.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply device for a sliding door that supplies power to electrical components incorporated in a sliding door. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, electrical components such as power window motors and audio speakers have been incorporated into the sliding doors of automobiles, and therefore there are sliding door power supply devices that supply power to these electrical components (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] The sliding door power supply device includes an electric cable that is stretched between the vehicle body and the sliding door, a vehicle body-side holding part that is fixed to the vehicle body to hold one end of the electric cable, and a sliding door-side holding part that is fixed to the sliding door to hold the other end of the electric cable. The electric cable is also sheathed in a cable sheath member.

[0004] The vehicle body-side holding portion and the sliding door-side holding portion are provided with cable insertion passages through which the electric cable and the cable armoring member are inserted. The cable armoring member is held in the cable insertion passage. Therefore, if the cable armoring member is held in a position that is displaced from its normal position, and the bridging portion of the electric cable between the vehicle body and the sliding door becomes short, a large tensile load acts on the electric cable as the sliding door moves. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-158065 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-137396 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The object of this invention is to provide a sliding door power supply device that can prevent a cable sheathing member that is sheathed around an electric cable from being held in a position that is shifted from the normal position, and thus can prevent a large tensile load from acting on the electric cable as the sliding door moves. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a sliding door power supply device that supplies power from a vehicle body to electrical components incorporated in a sliding door, the sliding door power supply device including an electric cable that is stretched between the vehicle body and the sliding door, a vehicle body-side holding part that is fixed to the vehicle body and holds one end of the electric cable, and a sliding door-side holding part that is fixed to the sliding door and holds the other end of the electric cable, and the sliding door-side holding part is provided with a cable exterior member that sheathes the electric cable, and the cable exterior member is provided with a concave-convex part that intersects perpendicularly with a longitudinal direction of the cable exterior member, and at least one of the vehicle body-side holding part and the sliding door-side holding part is provided with a cable insertion passage through which the electric cable and the cable exterior member are inserted, and an inner surface of the cable insertion passage is provided with a fitting part that fits with the concave-convex part of the cable exterior member and a restricting part that restricts the fitting position of the concave-convex part and the fitting part. a trapezoidal portion having a width dimension in the longitudinal direction greater than that of a mountain-shaped portion of the concave-convex portion is formed at an end portion of the cable armoring member, and a length dimension from the fitting portion to the restricting portion is greater than the width dimension in the longitudinal direction of the trapezoidal portion; It is something.

[0008] This invention prevents the cable sheathing member that sheathes the electric cable from being held in a position that is shifted from the correct position, and thus prevents a large tensile load from being applied to the electric cable as the sliding door moves.

[0009] More specifically, the sliding door power supply device according to the present invention includes a cable sheathing member that sheathes an electric cable, and the cable sheathing member has a concave-convex portion that intersects perpendicularly with the longitudinal direction of the cable sheathing member. At least one of the vehicle body-side holding portion and the sliding door-side holding portion has a cable insertion passage through which the electric cable and the cable sheathing member are inserted. Furthermore, the inner surface of the cable insertion passage is provided with a fitting portion that fits with the concave-convex portion of the cable sheathing member and a restricting portion that restricts the fitting position between the concave-convex portion and the fitting portion. Therefore, by determining the position of the cable sheathing member based on the restricting portion provided in the cable insertion passage and engaging the concave-convex portion of the cable sheathing member with the fitting portion in the cable insertion passage, the cable sheathing member can be held in the correct position. That is, by determining the position of the cable sheathing member so that it abuts against the restricting portion or has a slight gap therebetween, and then engaging the concave-convex portion of the cable sheathing member with the fitting portion in the cable insertion passage, the cable sheathing member can be held in the correct position. Therefore, the cable sheathing member that sheathes the electric cable is prevented from being held in a position that is displaced from the normal position, and thus it is possible to prevent a large tensile load from acting on the electric cable as the sliding door moves.

[0010] Also, A trapezoidal portion having a width dimension in the longitudinal direction larger than that of a mountain-shaped portion of the concave-convex portion is formed at an end portion of the cable armoring member, and a length dimension from the fitting portion to the restricting portion is larger than the width dimension in the longitudinal direction of the trapezoidal portion. stomach.

[0011] This means:By positioning the trapezoidal portion of the cable armoring member between the fitting portion and the restricting portion in the cable insertion passage and fitting the concave-convex portion of the cable armoring member into the fitting portion in the cable insertion passage, it is possible to hold the cable armoring member in the correct position. In other words, by positioning the trapezoidal portion of the cable armoring member between the fitting portion and the restricting portion in the cable insertion passage, it is possible to prevent the position of the cable armoring member from shifting toward either the entrance or exit side of the cable insertion passage and to hold the cable armoring member in the correct position. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cable armoring member that armors the electric cable from being held in a position that is shifted from the correct position, and ultimately to prevent a large tensile load from being applied to the electric cable as the sliding door moves.

[0012] child In one aspect of the invention, the longitudinal length dimension between adjacent mountain-shaped or valley-shaped portions of the uneven portion may be defined as a pitch length, and the length dimension from the fitting portion to the regulating portion may be different from a value that is an integer multiple of the pitch length.

[0013] According to this invention, if the concave-convex portion of the cable armoring member is mistakenly mated with the restricting portion in the cable insertion passage, the position of the mating portion will be misaligned with the phase of the concave-convex portion, making it impossible to mate the concave-convex portion with the mating portion. In other words, even if the restricting portion provided in the cable insertion passage is mistakenly recognized as the mating portion and the concave-convex portion is mistakenly mated with the restricting portion, the position of the mating portion will be misaligned with the phase of the concave-convex portion, making it impossible to mate the concave-convex portion with the mating portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cable armoring member that armors the electric cable from being held in a position that is misaligned from the correct position, and ultimately to prevent a large tensile load from acting on the electric cable as the sliding door moves.

[0014] As another aspect of the present invention, the thickness dimension in the longitudinal direction of the restricting portion may be larger than the width dimension in the longitudinal direction of the valley-shaped portion of the uneven portion. This invention makes it impossible for the concave and convex portions of the cable armoring member to fit into the restricting portion in the cable insertion passage. In other words, even if the restricting portion provided in the cable insertion passage is mistakenly recognized as a fitting portion, the restricting portion cannot fit into the valley-shaped portion of the concave and convex portions, making it impossible for them to fit together. This prevents the cable armoring member that armors the electric cable from being held in a position that is displaced from the correct position, and ultimately prevents a large tensile load from being applied to the electric cable as the sliding door moves.

[0015] In another aspect of the present invention, the height dimension of the restricting portion in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction may be greater than the depth dimension of the valley-shaped portion of the uneven portion in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. This invention makes it impossible for the concave and convex portions of the cable armoring member to fit into the restricting portion in the cable insertion passage. In other words, even if the restricting portion provided in the cable insertion passage is mistakenly recognized as a fitting portion, the restricting portion cannot fit into the valley-shaped portion of the concave and convex portions, making it impossible for them to fit together. This prevents the cable armoring member that armors the electric cable from being held in a position that is displaced from the correct position, and ultimately prevents a large tensile load from being applied to the electric cable as the sliding door moves.

[0016] In another aspect of the present invention, the restricting portion may be provided at a position spaced apart from the end face of the cable armor member fitted at a predetermined fitting position. According to this invention, the concave and convex portions can be fitted into the fitting portion without the cable armor being pressed in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the cable armor can be easily fitted into the cable insertion passage. Furthermore, because the distal end of the cable armor is not deformed, the electric cable extending from the cable armor can be guided in a predetermined extending direction.

[0017] In another aspect of the present invention, the restricting portions may be provided on both sides of the electric cable. According to this invention, the concave and convex portions and the fitting portion can be fitted together while stabilizing the electric cable extended in a predetermined extension direction by the respective restricting portions. Therefore, the cable armoring member can be easily fitted into the cable insertion passage. Furthermore, bending or twisting of the electric cable when fitting the cable armoring member can be prevented.

[0018] In another aspect of the present invention, the restricting portion may have a guide surface that guides the electric cable. This invention makes it possible to guide the electric cable extending from the cable armoring member in a predetermined extending direction, thereby preventing the extension direction of the electric cable from changing and applying load to the bent portion of the electric cable, and also reliably preventing the electric cable from bending or twisting when the cable armoring member is fitted.

[0019] In another aspect of the present invention, the electric cable may be a flexible flat cable. The flexible flat cable is used in a single piece or in a state where multiple pieces are stacked. According to the present invention, the allowable bending radius of the electric cable is reduced, thereby preventing excessive load from being applied to the bent portion of the electric cable. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention, the cable sheathing member that sheathes the electric cable can be prevented from being held in a position that is shifted from the normal position, and thus it is possible to prevent a large tensile load from being applied to the electric cable as the sliding door moves. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the vehicle body-side holding portion as viewed from diagonally above the front side. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of a region R in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the cable holder as viewed from the front and diagonally above. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view of a region R in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 8A and 8B are cross-sectional views taken along lines AA, BB, and CC in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an enlarged plan view of a vehicle body side holding portion of a sliding door power supply device according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this application, all drawings indicate directions of the vehicle body 100. Specifically, arrow F indicates the front side of the vehicle body, arrow B indicates the rear side of the vehicle body, arrow E indicates the outside of the vehicle body, and arrow I indicates the inside of the vehicle body. Arrow U indicates the upper side, and arrow D indicates the lower side. In addition, the front-rear direction will be referred to as X, the left-right direction as Y, and the up-down direction as Z in the following description.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sliding door power supply device 1. In FIG. 1, a portion of a cable exterior member 5 is cut away so that an electric cable 2 can be seen. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle body-side holding portion 3 as seen from diagonally above the front, FIG. 3 is a plan view as seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of region R in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cable holder 30 as seen from diagonally above the front, FIG. 6 is a plan view as seen from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view of region R in FIG. 6. Furthermore, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines AA, BB, and CC in FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle body-side holding portion 3.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 1, the sliding door power supply device 1 according to the present invention supplies power from a vehicle body 100 to electrical components incorporated in a sliding door 200. The sliding door power supply device 1 has an electric cable 2, a vehicle body side holding part 3, and a sliding door side holding part 4. The electric cable 2 is also sheathed in a cable exterior member 5.

[0025] The electric cable 2 is laid between the vehicle body 100 and the sliding door 200. The electric cable 2 is made up of a plurality of overlapping flexible flat cables (hereinafter referred to as FFCs), each of which has a structure in which parallel-arranged strip-shaped conductors are sandwiched between sheet-shaped insulators. This bundle of FFCs is covered by a flexible cable exterior member 5. The cable exterior member 5 will be described in detail later.

[0026] The vehicle body side holding portion 3 is fixed to the vehicle body 100 and holds one end of the electric cable 2. The vehicle body side holding portion 3 has a cable holder 30 that is fixed to a floor panel 101 of the vehicle body 100. A connector unit 6 that connects the electric cable 2 to a power cable on the vehicle body 100 side is attached to the cable holder 30. In the sliding door power supply device 1 according to this embodiment, the power cable is connected to a relay cable 71 that extends from the connector unit 6. The cable holder 30 will also be described in detail later.

[0027] The sliding door side holding portion 4 is fixed to the sliding door 200 and holds the other end of the electric cable 2. The sliding door side holding portion 4 has a cable holder 40 fixed to the inner panel 201 of the sliding door 200. A connector unit (not shown) that connects the electric cable 2 to an electrical cable on the sliding door 200 side is attached to the cable holder 40. In the sliding door power supply device 1 according to this embodiment, the electrical cable is connected to a relay cable 72 extending from the connector unit. The cable holder 40 will be briefly described below.

[0028] The cable holder 40 has a cable insertion portion 41 and a connector unit accommodating portion 42 arranged side by side in the fore-and-aft direction X of the vehicle body 100 (see FIG. 1). The cable holder 40 also has cable bending shape restricting portions 43 and 44 that sandwich the electric cable 2 guided into the cable insertion portion 41 (see FIG. 1).

[0029] The cable insertion portion 41 refers to a portion provided with a cable insertion passage through which the electric cable 2 and the cable exterior member 5 are inserted, and the connector unit accommodating portion 42 refers to a portion provided with a connector unit accommodating space for accommodating the connector unit. The cable bending shape restricting portion 43 refers to a portion that restricts the bending shape of the electric cable 2 pulled toward the front side F of the vehicle body by the sliding door 200 when the sliding door 200 is in a fully closed state, and the cable bending shape restricting portion 44 refers to a portion that restricts the bending shape of the electric cable 2 pulled toward the rear side B of the vehicle body by the sliding door 200 when the sliding door 200 is in a fully open state.

[0030] Next, the cable armoring member 5 will be described in detail. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the cable armoring member 5 has a structure in which integrally formed rubber plates 5a and 5b are arranged so as to overlap in the horizontal direction (the direction defined by the front-rear direction X and the left-right direction Y), and a slit is formed in the lower edge of each plate along the longitudinal direction. Each of the rubber plates 5a and 5b has an uneven portion 50 that intersects perpendicularly with the longitudinal direction. More specifically, mountain-shaped portions 51 and valley-shaped portions 52 that intersect perpendicularly with the longitudinal direction are provided alternately.

[0031] The mountain-shaped portions 51 refer to portions of the cable jacketing member 5 that protrude outward. The mountain-shaped portions 51 extend perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and have a convex shape with a constant height. The valley-shaped portions 52 refer to portions between the mountain-shaped portions 51. Therefore, the valley-shaped portions 52 also extend perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and have a concave groove shape with a constant depth Dv (see FIG. 4). Furthermore, a trapezoidal portion 53 is formed at the end portion of the cable jacketing member 5. The trapezoidal portion 53 also extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and has a convex shape with a constant height. However, the trapezoidal portion 53 is formed with a larger width Wt in the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 4) than the mountain-shaped portions 51.

[0032] Next, a detailed description will be given of the cable holder 30 of the vehicle body side holding portion 3. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the cable holder 30 has a cable insertion portion 31 and a connector unit accommodating portion 32 arranged side by side in the left-right direction Y of the vehicle body 100. The cable holder 30 also has cable bending shape restricting portions 33 and 34 that sandwich the electric cable 2 guided by the cable insertion portion 31.

[0033] The cable insertion portion 31 refers to the portion through which the electric cable 2 and the cable exterior member 5 are inserted. In other words, the cable insertion portion 31 refers to the portion where a cable insertion passage 31P is provided through which the electric cable 2 and the cable exterior member 5 are inserted. The cable insertion passage 31P is open toward the upper side U, and during assembly, the electric cable 2 and the cable exterior member 5 are fitted in from this open end (see FIG. 9).

[0034] 5 to 7, the cable insertion portion 31 is provided in the center of the cable holder 30 in the left-right direction Y. The cable insertion portion 31 has a pair of side plate portions 311 and a bottom plate portion 312 that connects the ends of the side plate portions 311 on the lower side D. Each side plate portion 311 is provided with a fitting portion 35 that protrudes toward the opposing side plate portion 311. In addition, the side plate portion 311 on the rear side B of the vehicle body is provided with a restricting portion 36 that protrudes toward the side plate portion 311 on the front side F of the vehicle body. These will be described in detail later.

[0035] Additionally, the cable insertion portion 31 has insertion holes 31h through which cable ties 91 (see FIGS. 2 to 4) are inserted in the up-down direction Z of the vehicle body 100 so as to fit along each of the pair of side plate portions 311. Therefore, the electric cable 2 and the cable armoring member 5 are wound up by the cable tie 91 while being inserted into the cable insertion passage 31P. In this way, the cable holder 30 prevents the electric cable 2 and the cable armoring member 5 from rattling, shifting position, or being pulled out of the cable insertion passage 31P.

[0036] In addition, the cable insertion portion 31 is provided with a floor panel attachment portion 315 via an upper plate portion 313 and a front plate portion 314 on the vehicle body front side F beyond the cable insertion passage 31P. An insertion hole 31i is formed in the floor panel attachment portion 315, through which a fixing bolt 81 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) is inserted in the up-down direction Z of the vehicle body 100. The cable insertion portion 31 is also provided with a floor panel attachment portion 318 via an upper plate portion 316 and a rear plate portion 317 on the vehicle body rear side B beyond the cable insertion passage 31P. An insertion hole 31j is also formed in the floor panel attachment portion 318, through which a fixing bolt 82 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) is inserted in the up-down direction Z of the vehicle body 100. A locking structure 319 for locking a separate connector is provided at the tip of the floor panel attachment portion 318.

[0037] The connector unit accommodating portion 32 refers to a portion where the connector unit 6 is accommodated. In other words, the connector unit accommodating portion 32 refers to a portion where a connector unit accommodating space 32S is provided to accommodate the connector unit 6. The connector unit accommodating space 32S is open toward the upper side U, and in the assembly work, the connector unit 6 is inserted from this open end and fixed in a predetermined position on the exterior side E of the vehicle body (see FIG. 9).

[0038] 5 to 7, the connector unit accommodating portion 32 is provided on the inside side I of the vehicle body in the left-right direction Y of the cable holder 30. The connector unit accommodating portion 32 has a pair of side plate portions 321 and a bottom plate portion 322 connecting the ends of the side plate portions 321 on the lower side D. The connector unit accommodating portion 32 also has a left wall portion 323 that intersects perpendicularly with the side plate portion 311 and is connected to the side plate portion 321 and the bottom plate portion 322, and a right wall portion 324 that faces the left wall portion 323 and is connected to the side plate portion 321 and the bottom plate portion 322 on the rear side B of the vehicle body.

[0039] Additionally, the connector unit accommodating section 32 is provided with a notch 32n formed by cutting out the bottom plate 322 from the end on the vehicle body inner side I to the middle in the left-right direction Y. The connector unit accommodating section 32 also has an insertion hole 32h formed along the left wall 323, through which a cable tie 92 (see FIGS. 2 to 4) is inserted in the up-down direction Z of the vehicle body 100. Therefore, the connector unit 6 is wound and secured by the cable tie 92 while housed in the connector unit accommodating space 32S. In this way, the cable holder 30 prevents the connector unit 6 from rattling, shifting position, or coming out of the connector unit accommodating space 32S.

[0040] Additionally, the connector unit housing 32 is provided with a cable support portion 325 that extends toward the inside of the vehicle body I from a portion of the vehicle body front side F of the bottom plate portion 322. The cable support portion 325 has a step formed at its tip portion (right end portion) that is displaced upward U, and an insertion hole 32i through which a cable tie 93 (see FIGS. 2 to 4) is inserted in the up-down direction Z of the vehicle body 100. Therefore, the relay cable 71 is wound around the cable tie 93 while being supported by the cable support portion 325. In this way, the cable holder 30 prevents the relay cable 71 from rattling, shifting position, or coming off and falling off the cable support portion 325.

[0041] The cable bending shape restricting portions 33, 34 refer to portions that restrict the bending shape of the electric cable 2 that is deformed by the movement of the sliding door 200. More specifically, the cable bending shape restricting portion 33 refers to a portion that restricts the bending shape of the electric cable 2 that is pulled toward the front side F of the vehicle body by the sliding door 200 when the sliding door 200 is in a fully closed state. The cable bending shape restricting portion 34 refers to a portion that restricts the bending shape of the electric cable 2 that is pulled toward the rear side B of the vehicle body by the sliding door 200 when the sliding door 200 is in a fully open state.

[0042] 5 to 7 , the cable bending shape restricting portion 33 is provided on the outer side E of the vehicle body in the left-right direction Y of the cable holder 30. More specifically, the cable bending shape restricting portion 33 is provided at an end portion closer to the front F of the vehicle body and closer to the outer side E of the vehicle body than the cable insertion passage 31P provided in the cable insertion portion 31. The cable bending shape restricting portion 33 is formed in an arc shape with a constant radius about a central axis along the up-down direction Z, and the electric cable 2 is wound around an arc surface 33s that curves from the side plate portion 311 toward the front side F of the vehicle body. In this way, the cable holder 30 prevents the electric cable 2 from being locally bent when the sliding door 200 is in a fully closed state, thereby preventing a large load from acting on the electric cable 2.

[0043] 5 to 7, the cable bending shape restricting portion 34 is also provided on the vehicle body outer side E in the left-right direction Y of the cable holder 30. More specifically, the cable bending shape restricting portion 34 is provided at an end portion on the vehicle body rear side B and on the vehicle body outer side E with respect to the cable insertion passage 31P provided in the cable insertion portion 31. The cable bending shape restricting portion 34 is formed in an arc shape with a constant radius about a central axis along the up-down direction Z, and the electric cable 2 is wound around an arc surface 34s that curves from the side plate portion 311 toward the vehicle body rear side B. In this way, the cable holder 30 prevents the electric cable 2 from being locally bent when the sliding door 200 is in a fully open state, thereby preventing a large load from acting on the electric cable 2.

[0044] Next, the fitting portions 35 and the restricting portions 36 in the cable insertion passage 31P will be described in detail. As shown in Figures 6 to 8, each of the side plate portions 311 constituting the cable insertion passage 31P is provided with a total of four fitting portions 35 that protrude toward the opposing side plate portion 311. In addition, the side plate portion 311 on the rear side B of the vehicle body is provided with one restricting portion 36 that protrudes toward the side plate portion 311 on the front side F of the vehicle body.

[0045] The fitting portions 35 protrude from each side plate portion 311 toward the opposing side plate portion 311. In other words, the fitting portions 35 protrude from each side plate portion 311 toward the center line L of the cable insertion passage 31P. Therefore, these fitting portions 35 can be said to be portions that protrude perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the electric cable 2 and the cable armoring member 5 inserted into the cable insertion passage 31P (see FIGS. 5 and 8). Here, the pair of fitting portions 35 provided on the vehicle body outer side E of the cable insertion passage 31P will be described as first fitting portions 351, and the pair of fitting portions 35 provided on the vehicle body inner side I of the cable insertion passage 31P will be described as second fitting portions 352.

[0046] The first fitting portion 351 has a constant convex shape with a thickness T1 in the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 7) and a height H1 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 8). The thickness T1 of the first fitting portion 351 is smaller than the width Wv (see FIG. 4) of the valley-shaped portion 52 of the cable jacketing member 5, and the height H1 of the first fitting portion 351 is smaller than the depth Dv (see FIG. 4) of the valley-shaped portion 52. Therefore, when the electric cable 2 and the cable jacketing member 5 are fitted into the cable insertion passage 31P, the first fitting portion 351 enters into the valley-shaped portion 52 of the cable jacketing member 5, and they are fitted together.

[0047] The second fitting portion 352 also has a constant convex shape with a thickness T2 in the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 7) and a height H2 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 8). The thickness T2 of the second fitting portion 352 is equal to the thickness T1 of the first fitting portion 351, and the height H2 of the second fitting portion 352 is also equal to the height H1 of the first fitting portion 351. In other words, the second fitting portion 352 has the same shape as the first fitting portion 351. Therefore, when the electric cable 2 and the cable armoring member 5 are inserted into the cable insertion passage 31P, the second fitting portion 352 enters the valley-shaped portion 52 in the same way as the first fitting portion 351, and they are fitted together.

[0048] Furthermore, regarding the position of the second fitting portion 352 relative to the first fitting portion 351, the length dimension La (see FIG. 7) from the first fitting portion 351 to the second fitting portion 352 is twice the pitch length Lp (see FIG. 4), which is the length dimension between adjacent mountain-shaped portions 51 or valley-shaped portions 52. In other words, the relationship La = 2Lp holds. Therefore, when the electric cable 2 and the cable jacketing member 5 are fitted into the cable insertion passage 31P, the first fitting portion 351 and the second fitting portion 352 simultaneously enter the corresponding valley-shaped portions 52, and are fitted together at two locations in the longitudinal direction of the cable jacketing member 5.

[0049] The restricting portions 36 protrude from the side plate portion 311 on the rear side B of the vehicle body toward the side plate portion 311 on the front side F of the vehicle body. In other words, the restricting portions 36 protrude from the side plate portion 311 on the rear side B of the vehicle body toward the center line L of the cable insertion passage 31P. Therefore, like the fitting portions 35, these restricting portions 36 can be said to be portions that protrude perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the electric cable 2 and the cable exterior member 5 inserted in the cable insertion passage 31P (see FIGS. 5 and 8). In the sliding door power supply device 1 according to this embodiment, the restricting portions 36 are provided on the side plate portion 311 on the rear side B of the vehicle body, but the restricting portions 36 may also be provided on the side plate portion 311 or the bottom plate portion 312 on the front side F of the vehicle body.

[0050] The restricting portion 36 has a constant convex shape with a thickness T3 in the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 7) and a height H3 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 8). The thickness T3 of the restricting portion 36 is larger than the width Wv (see FIG. 4) of the valley-shaped portion 52 of the cable jacketing member 5, and the height H3 of the restricting portion 36 is larger than the depth Dv (see FIG. 4) of the valley-shaped portion 52. Therefore, even if the restricting portion 36 is mistaken for the fitting portion 35 when fitting the electric cable 2 and the cable jacketing member 5 into the cable insertion passage 31P, the restricting portion 36 will not fit into the valley-shaped portion 52 of the uneven portion 50, making it impossible to fit them together.

[0051] Furthermore, regarding the position of the restricting portion 36 relative to the second fitting portion 352, the length dimension Lb (see FIG. 7) from the second fitting portion 352 to the restricting portion 36 is formed to be larger than the width dimension Wt (see FIG. 4) of the trapezoidal portion 53 of the cable jacketing member 5. Therefore, when fitting the electric cable 2 and the cable jacketing member 5 into the cable insertion passage 31P, the trapezoidal portion 53 can be positioned between the second fitting portion 352 and the restricting portion 36, making it easy to determine the position of the cable jacketing member 5. Furthermore, the length dimension Lb from the second fitting portion 352 to the restricting portion 36 is set to a value between two and three times the pitch length Lp. As a result, even if the restricting portion 36 is mistakenly recognized as the fitting portion 35 and the valley-shaped portion 52 and the restricting portion 36 are erroneously fitted together, the position of the fitting portion 35 will be misaligned with the phase of the valley-shaped portion 52, making it impossible to fit the valley-shaped portion 52 and the fitting portion 35 together.

[0052] The restricting portion 36 is provided at a position spaced apart from the end surface 5s (see FIG. 4) of the cable sheathing member 5 fitted at the predetermined fitting position. In other words, the restricting portion 36 is provided at a position separated by a gap dimension Lc (see FIG. 4) from the end surface 5s of the cable sheathing member 5. This is because the valley-shaped portion 52 and the fitting portion 35 can be fitted together without the cable sheathing member 5 being pressed in the longitudinal direction. In addition, the restricting portion 36 extends from the bottom plate portion 312 toward the upper side U, and its length (dimension in the vertical direction Z) only needs to be such that it overlaps the end surface 5s of the cable sheathing member 5 when viewed from the left-right direction Y. This is because when the cable sheathing member 5 is fitted at a position displaced toward the vehicle body inner side I from the normal position, the tip portion (upper end portion) of the restricting portion 36 only needs to abut against the end portion of the cable sheathing member 5.

[0053] As described above, the sliding door power supply device 1 according to this embodiment supplies power from the vehicle body 100 to electrical components incorporated in the sliding door 200. The sliding door power supply device 1 includes the electric cable 2 stretched between the vehicle body 100 and the sliding door 200, a vehicle body-side holding unit 3 fixed to the vehicle body 100 to hold one end of the electric cable 2, and a sliding door-side holding unit 4 fixed to the sliding door 200 to hold the other end of the electric cable 2. The sliding door power supply device 1 is also provided with a cable sheathing member 5 that sheathes the electric cable 2, and the cable sheathing member 5 is provided with an uneven portion 50 that intersects perpendicularly (in the up-down direction Z) with the longitudinal direction of the cable sheathing member 5. The vehicle body-side holding unit 3 is also provided with a cable insertion passage 31P through which the electric cable 2 and the cable sheathing member 5 are inserted. Furthermore, on the inner surface of the cable insertion passage 31P, a fitting portion 35 that fits into the concave-convex portion 50 of the cable exterior member 5 and a restricting portion 36 that restricts the fitting position between the concave-convex portion 50 and the fitting portion 35 are provided.

[0054] Such a sliding door power supply device 1 prevents the cable sheathing member 5 that is sheathed around the electric cable 2 from being held in a position shifted from the normal position (a position shifted toward the inside of the vehicle body I), thereby preventing a large tensile load from acting on the electric cable 2 as the sliding door 200 moves.

[0055] More specifically, the sliding door power supply device 1 according to the present invention includes a cable sheathing member 5 that sheathes an electric cable 2, and the cable sheathing member 5 is provided with uneven portions 50 that intersect perpendicularly (in the up-down direction Z) with the longitudinal direction of the cable sheathing member 5. The vehicle body-side holding unit 3 is provided with a cable insertion passage 31P through which the electric cable 2 and the cable sheathing member 5 are inserted. The inner surface of the cable insertion passage 31P is further provided with a fitting portion 35 that fits into a valley-shaped portion 52 of the cable sheathing member 5, and a restricting portion 36 that restricts the fitting position between the valley-shaped portion 52 and the fitting portion 35. Therefore, by determining the position of the cable sheathing member 5 based on the restricting portion 36 provided in the cable insertion passage 31P and fitting the valley-shaped portion 52 of the cable sheathing member 5 into the fitting portion 35 in the cable insertion passage 31P, it is possible to hold the cable sheathing member 5 in the correct position. That is, by determining the position of the cable armoring member 5 so that it abuts against the restricting portion 36 or has a small gap therebetween, and by fitting the valley-shaped portion 52 of the cable armoring member 5 with the fitting portion 35 in the cable insertion passage 31P, it is possible to hold the cable armoring member 5 in the correct position. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cable armoring member 5 that armors the electric cable 2 from being held in a position deviated from the correct position (a position deviated toward the vehicle body inside I), and ultimately to prevent a large tensile load from acting on the electric cable 2 as the sliding door 200 moves.

[0056] In addition, in the sliding door power supply device 1 of this embodiment, a trapezoidal portion 53 having a longitudinal width dimension Wt larger than that of the mountain-shaped portion 51 of the uneven portion 50 is formed at the end portion of the cable exterior member 5, and the length dimension Lb from the fitting portion 35 to the regulating portion 36 is larger than the longitudinal width dimension Wt of the trapezoidal portion 53.

[0057] According to the sliding door power supply device 1, the trapezoidal portion 53 of the cable armoring member 5 is positioned between the fitting portion 35 and the restricting portion 36 in the cable insertion passage 31P, and the valley-shaped portion 52 of the cable armoring member 5 is fitted into the fitting portion 35 in the cable insertion passage 31P, thereby making it possible to hold the cable armoring member 5 in the correct position. In other words, by positioning the trapezoidal portion 53 of the cable armoring member 5 between the fitting portion 35 and the restricting portion 36 in the cable insertion passage 31P, it is possible to prevent the position of the cable armoring member 5 from shifting toward either the vehicle body outer side E or the vehicle body inner side I of the cable insertion passage 31P, and to hold the cable armoring member 5 in the correct position. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cable armoring member 5 that armors the electric cable 2 from being held in a position shifted from the correct position (a position shifted toward the vehicle body outer side E or the vehicle body inner side I), and ultimately to prevent a large tensile load from acting on the electric cable 2 as the sliding door 200 moves.

[0058] Furthermore, in the sliding door power supply device 1 according to this embodiment, the longitudinal length dimension between adjacent mountain-shaped portions 51 or valley-shaped portions 52 of the uneven portion 50 is defined as the pitch length Lp, and the length dimension Lb from the fitting portion 35 to the regulating portion 36 is different from a value that is an integer multiple of the pitch length Lp.

[0059] According to the sliding door power supply device 1, if the valley-shaped portion 52 of the cable sheathing member 5 is mistakenly fitted with the restricting portion 36 in the cable insertion passage 31P, the position of the fitting portion 35 will be misaligned with the phase of the valley-shaped portion 52, making it impossible to fit the valley-shaped portion 52 with the fitting portion 35. In other words, even if the restricting portion 36 provided in the cable insertion passage 31P is mistakenly recognized as the fitting portion 35 and the valley-shaped portion 52 is mistakenly fitted with the restricting portion 36, the position of the fitting portion 35 will be misaligned with the phase of the valley-shaped portion 52, making it impossible to fit the valley-shaped portion 52 with the fitting portion 35. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the cable sheathing member 5 that sheathes the electric cable 2 from being held in a position that is misaligned from the correct position, and ultimately to prevent a large tensile load from acting on the electric cable 2 as the sliding door 200 moves.

[0060] In the sliding door power supply device 1 according to this embodiment, the thickness T3 of the restricting portion 36 in the longitudinal direction is larger than the width Wv of the valley-shaped portion 52 of the uneven portion 50 in the longitudinal direction.

[0061] According to the sliding door power supply device 1, it is impossible to fit the valley-shaped portion 52 of the cable sheathing member 5 with the restricting portion 36 in the cable insertion passage 31P. In other words, even if the restricting portion 36 provided in the cable insertion passage 31P is mistaken for the fitting portion 35, the restricting portion 36 cannot fit into the valley-shaped portion 52 of the uneven portion 50, making it impossible to fit them together. This prevents the cable sheathing member 5 that sheathes the electric cable 2 from being held in a position that is displaced from the correct position, and ultimately prevents a large tensile load from acting on the electric cable 2 as the sliding door 200 moves.

[0062] In the sliding door power supply device 1 according to this embodiment, the height H3 of the restricting portion 36 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is greater than the depth Dv of the valley-shaped portion 52 of the uneven portion 50 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0063] According to the sliding door power supply device 1, it is impossible to fit the valley-shaped portion 52 of the cable sheathing member 5 with the restricting portion 36 in the cable insertion passage 31P. In other words, even if the restricting portion 36 provided in the cable insertion passage 31P is mistaken for the fitting portion 35, the restricting portion 36 cannot fit into the valley-shaped portion 52 of the uneven portion 50, making it impossible to fit them together. This prevents the cable sheathing member 5 that sheathes the electric cable 2 from being held in a position that is displaced from the correct position, and ultimately prevents a large tensile load from acting on the electric cable 2 as the sliding door 200 moves.

[0064] Furthermore, in the sliding door power supply device 1 according to this embodiment, the restricting portion 36 is provided at a position spaced apart from the end face 5s of the cable exterior member 5 fitted at a predetermined fitting position. According to the sliding door power supply device 1, the valley-shaped portion 52 can be fitted into the fitting portion 35 without the cable sheathing member 5 being pressed in the longitudinal direction. This makes it possible to easily fit the cable sheathing member 5 into the cable insertion passage 31P. Furthermore, because the end portion of the cable sheathing member 5 does not deform, the electric cable 2 extending from the cable sheathing member 5 can be guided in a predetermined extending direction.

[0065] In the sliding door power supply device 1 according to this embodiment, the electric cable 2 is made of an FFC. According to the sliding door power supply device 1, the allowable bending radius of the electric cable 2 is small, and therefore, it is possible to prevent an excessive load from acting on the bent portion of the electric cable 2.

[0066] In correspondence between the configuration of the present invention and the above-described embodiment, The sliding door power supply device corresponds to the sliding door power supply device 1, The electrical cable corresponds to electrical cable 2, The vehicle body side holding portion corresponds to the vehicle body side holding portion 3, The sliding door side holding portion corresponds to the sliding door side holding portion 4, The cable sheathing corresponds to the cable sheathing 5, The mating portion corresponds to the mating portion 35, The restricting portion corresponds to the restricting portion 36, The uneven portion corresponds to the uneven portion 50, The mountain part corresponds to mountain part 51, The valley-shaped portion corresponds to the valley-shaped portion 52, The trapezoidal part corresponds to the trapezoidal part 53, The car body corresponds to the car body 100, The sliding door is compatible with the sliding door 200. The cable passage is compatible with the 31P cable passage. The pitch length corresponds to the pitch length Lp, The width dimension of the valley portion corresponds to the width dimension Wv, The depth dimension of the valley portion corresponds to the depth dimension Dv, The width dimension of the trapezoidal portion corresponds to the width dimension Wt, The thickness dimension at the restricting portion corresponds to the thickness dimension T3, The height dimension at the restricting part corresponds to the height dimension H3, The length from the fitting portion to the restricting portion corresponds to the length Lb. The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0067] For example, as shown in Fig. 10, restricting portions 36 may be provided on both sides of the electric cable 2. In Fig. 10, restricting portions 36 are arranged so as to face each other. According to the sliding door power supply device 1, the valley-shaped portion 52 can be fitted into the fitting portion 35 in a state in which the electric cable 2 extended in a predetermined extension direction is stabilized by each of the restricting portions 36. Therefore, the cable armoring member 5 can be easily fitted into the cable insertion passage 31P. Furthermore, bending or twisting of the electric cable 2 when the cable armoring member 5 is fitted can be prevented.

[0068] 10, the restricting portion 36 may have a guide surface 36s that guides the electric cable 2. In FIG. 10, the guide surface 36s is along the bent portion of the electric cable 2. According to the sliding door power supply device 1, the electric cable 2 extending from the cable sheathing member 5 can be guided in a predetermined extending direction. This prevents a change in the extending direction of the electric cable 2 and prevents a load from acting on a bent portion of the electric cable 2. Furthermore, it is possible to reliably prevent the electric cable 2 from being bent or twisted when the cable sheathing member 5 is fitted.

[0069] Additionally, in the sliding door power supply device 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the fitting portion 35 is formed in a convex stripe shape, and the fitting portion 35 is fitted into the valley-shaped portion 52 of the cable exterior member. However, the fitting portion 35 may be formed in a concave groove shape, and the fitting portion 35 may be fitted into the mountain-shaped portion 51 of the cable exterior member.

[0070] Furthermore, in the sliding door power supply device 1 according to the above-described embodiment, the electric cable 2 is formed by overlapping a plurality of FFCs. However, the electric cable 2 may be formed by bundling so-called coated electric wires, which have a round cross section. Alternatively, the electric cable 2 may be formed by overlapping so-called ribbon electric wires, which have a flat cross section. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1...Sliding door power supply device 2...Electrical cable 3...Vehicle body side holding part 4...Sliding door side holding part 5...Cable sheath 50...Uneven part 51...Yamagata section 52...Taniform part 53...Trapezoidal part 100...Body 200...sliding door 31P...Cable passage Lp: pitch length Wv: Width of the valley Dv: Depth dimension of the valley part Wt: Width of the trapezoid T3: Thickness dimension at the restricting part H3: Height of the restriction section Lb: Length from the fitting part to the restricting part

Claims

1. A sliding door power supply device that supplies power from a vehicle body to electrical components built into a sliding door, an electric cable stretched between the vehicle body and the sliding door; a vehicle body side holding portion fixed to the vehicle body to hold one end side of the electric cable; a sliding door side holding portion fixed to the sliding door to hold the other end of the electric cable, a cable sheathing member that sheathes the electric cable; the cable armoring member is provided with a concave-convex portion that intersects perpendicularly with a longitudinal direction of the cable armoring member, a cable insertion passage through which the electric cable and the cable exterior member are inserted is provided in at least one of the vehicle body side holding portion and the sliding door side holding portion; an inner surface of the cable insertion passage is provided with a fitting portion that fits into the concave-convex portion of the cable exterior member, and a restricting portion that restricts a fitting position between the concave-convex portion and the fitting portion, a trapezoidal portion having a width dimension in the longitudinal direction greater than that of the mountain-shaped portion of the concave-convex portion is formed at an end portion of the cable armoring member, The length from the fitting portion to the restricting portion is greater than the width in the longitudinal direction of the trapezoidal portion. Sliding door power supply device.

2. a length dimension in the longitudinal direction between adjacent mountain-shaped portions or valley-shaped portions of the concave-convex portion is defined as a pitch length, The length from the fitting portion to the restricting portion is different from an integral multiple of the pitch length. The power supply device for a sliding door according to claim 1.

3. The thickness dimension of the restriction portion in the longitudinal direction is larger than the width dimension of the valley portion of the uneven portion in the longitudinal direction. The power supply device for a sliding door according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The height dimension of the restriction portion in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is greater than the depth dimension of the valley-shaped portion of the uneven portion in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The power supply device for a sliding door according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The restricting portion is provided at a position spaced apart from the end face of the cable armor member fitted at a predetermined fitting position. The power supply device for a sliding door according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The restricting portions are provided on both sides of the electric cable. The power supply device for a sliding door according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The restricting portion has a guide surface that guides the electric cable. The power supply device for a sliding door according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The electric cable is a flexible flat cable. The power supply device for a sliding door according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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