Power supply rail structure

Abstract

To provide a power feeding rail having a structure capable of preventing the collision of an elastic belt and a power feeding rail, resulting in inhibited generation of abnormal noise.SOLUTION: A power feeding rail stricture comprises a cylindrical power-feeding rail extending in a predetermined direction, a slider provided on the power-feeding rail in a slidable manner along the predetermined direction, an elastic belt having a based end joined to one end of the power-feeding rail, a bending part bending in a U-shape at an intermediate part of the power-feeding rail in the predetermined direction, a loose end joined to the slider, and an upward edge and a downward edge, a flexible flat cable having a based end joined to the one end of the power feeding rail, a loose end joined to the slider, and extending along the elastic belt, and a support member supporting the elastic belt between the base end and the bending part of the power feeding rail.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a power supply rail structure, and more particularly to a power supply rail structure for supplying power to a vehicle seat from a power source on the side of a vehicle such as an automobile. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a power supply rail structure including a power supply rail having a generally rectangular cylindrical shape and including a slit extending in a predetermined direction, an elastic belt disposed within the power supply rail and bent into a U-shape at a midsection in the predetermined direction, and a flexible flat cable disposed along the elastic belt. The base end of the flexible flat cable is fixed to the power supply rail by a fixed terminal connected to wiring in a vehicle power circuit. The free end of the flexible flat cable is provided with a slider that is connected to wiring in a sliding seat of the vehicle and that can reciprocate in a predetermined direction via the slit.

[0003] With this configuration, the flexible flat cable and the elastic belt reciprocate in a predetermined direction in response to the advancement and retreat of the sliding seat and the slider, so that power can be supplied from the vehicle's power supply circuit to the sliding seat via the flexible flat cable. At this time, because the flexible flat cable is arranged along the U-shaped elastic belt, the flexible flat cable can reciprocate within the power supply rail without buckling even when the sliding seat and the slider advance and retreat. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2020-032862 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, the elastic belt is deformed due to gravity or the like at its intermediate portion, particularly at its U-shaped bent portion, which causes the elastic belt to deform. As a result, when the vehicle body vibrates due to, for example, the vehicle running, the elastic belt may collide with the bottom surface of the power supply rail, resulting in the generation of abnormal noise.

[0006] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to prevent collision between an elastic belt and a power supply rail in a power supply rail structure and suppress the generation of abnormal noise. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve this problem, one aspect of the present invention provides a power supply rail structure (1) comprising: a power supply rail (15) having a cylindrical shape extending in a predetermined direction; a slider (40) provided slidably relative to the power supply rail along the predetermined direction; an elastic belt (51) having a base end connected to one end of the power supply rail, a bent portion (56) bent in a U-shape at an intermediate portion of the power supply rail in the predetermined direction, and a free end connected to the slider, the elastic belt having an edge portion facing up and down; a flexible flat cable (50) having a base end connected to the one end of the power supply rail and a free end connected to the slider, and extending along the elastic belt; and a support member (52) for supporting the elastic belt between the base end and the bent portion, the support member having a vertical wall (63) sandwiched between the flexible flat cable and the elastic belt, the central portion of the vertical wall engaging with the elastic belt.

[0008] According to this aspect, the elastic belt is supported by the support member between the base end and the bent portion, making it less likely for the elastic belt to deform due to gravity, etc. This prevents the elastic belt from colliding with the power supply rail, suppressing the generation of abnormal noise, and also ensuring stable support of the elastic belt.

[0009] In the above configuration, the support member may include a lower wall (65) extending laterally from the lower end of the vertical wall.

[0010] According to this configuration, the posture of the support member can be stabilized.

[0011] Furthermore, in the above configuration, it is preferable that the vertical wall of the support member includes a locking pin (69) protruding laterally, the elastic belt includes an opening penetrating the surface of the elastic belt, and the locking pin protrudes into the opening of the elastic belt, thereby fixing the elastic belt to the support member.

[0012] According to this configuration, the elastic belt is reliably fixed to the support member, and therefore, the elastic belt can be prevented from falling off the support member.

[0013] In addition, the above-mentioned configuration may preferably have elastic legs (67) that elastically abut against the power supply rail from above and below.

[0014] According to this configuration, rattle of the support member is reduced, and therefore, generation of abnormal noise due to the support member can be suppressed.

[0015] Furthermore, in the above configuration, the support member has an upper wall (64) extending laterally from the upper end of the vertical wall, and the vertical wall, the lower wall, and the upper wall form a recess (68) that opens laterally, and the elastic belt has a cross-sectional shape that is convex toward the vertical wall of the support member, and the edge of the elastic belt is received within the recess.

[0016] According to this configuration, the upward and downward movement of the elastic belt is restricted by the upper and lower walls, making it difficult for the elastic belt to collide with the power supply rail, thereby suppressing the generation of abnormal noise.

[0017] In the above configuration, the power supply rail has a bottom wall (16) extending in the predetermined direction, a first side wall (18) and a second side wall (17) extending upward from both left and right ends of the bottom wall, an upper wall (19) extending from the upper end of the second side wall toward the first side wall, and a central wall (20) extending downward from the tip of the upper wall and reaching the bottom wall, and a hollow first space (22) is defined by the first side wall, the bottom wall, and the central wall, and the upper wall A hollow second space (23) is defined by the wall, the second side wall, the bottom wall, and the central wall, and the portion of the slider to which the free end of the elastic belt and the free end of the flexible flat cable are fixed is positioned in the second space, and the slider is able to slide in the predetermined direction within the first space and the second space via a slit (21) that penetrates the central wall in the left-right direction and extends in the predetermined direction.

[0018] With this configuration, the slider in the first space is protected in the left-right direction by the first side wall, which prevents unexpected pressure from being applied to the slider, making it less likely for the slider to come into contact with the power supply rail and reducing the generation of abnormal noise.

[0019] In the above configuration, the first side wall may have an eave portion (30) that protrudes toward the central wall.

[0020] This configuration can prevent foreign matter from entering the power supply rail from outside, thereby preventing the flexible flat cable from coming into contact with foreign matter and breaking.

[0021] Furthermore, the above configuration may further include a receiving member (11) that is movably arranged along the predetermined direction and has a base that extends approximately front to back, and a front convex portion (12) and a rear convex portion (13) that extend to the left or right from the front or rear end of the base, and the slider is arranged between the front convex portion and the rear convex portion, and is configured to slide in the predetermined direction in accordance with the sliding movement of the receiving member in the predetermined direction.

[0022] According to this configuration, the slider can be slid in a predetermined direction in conjunction with the receiving member with a simple configuration.

[0023] In the above configuration, the lower end of the slider may have a rib (46) that protrudes downward.

[0024] According to this configuration, when the slider swings up and down, the rib abuts against the bottom surface of the power supply rail, thereby reducing abnormal noise. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a power supply rail structure in which collision between the elastic belt and the power supply rail is prevented and the generation of abnormal noise is suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle seat provided with a power supply rail structure according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a slider and a receiving member according to the present invention, viewed from above; [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the power supply rail as seen from the rear. [Figure 4] A cross-sectional view of the power supply rail taken along line IV-IV in Figure 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the rear end of the power supply rail as seen from the rear. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views of the power supply rail taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 3, with the slider positioned at the rearmost position in FIG. 6A and the slider positioned at the frontmost position in FIG. 6B. [Figure 7] 1 is a perspective view of a support member according to the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an embodiment in which a power supply rail structure 1 according to the present invention is provided in a vehicle such as an automobile will be described. In the following description, left and right are defined based on a passenger seated in a vehicle seat 2 of the vehicle.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 1, left and right slide rails 4, 5 extending substantially in the front-to-rear direction are provided on a vehicle floor 3. Each of the slide rails 4, 5 includes a bracket 7 fixed to the vehicle floor 3 and having a substantially thin plate shape with its main surfaces facing up and down, a lower rail 8 fixed to the upper surface of the bracket 7, and an upper rail 9 fitted onto the lower rail 8 so as to be slidable in the front-to-rear direction and whose upper portion is fixed integrally to the seat cushion of the vehicle seat 2. This allows the vehicle seat 2 to slide in the front-to-rear direction relative to the floor 3.

[0029] For the sake of simplicity, the following description will be directed to a power supply rail structure 1 that is installed on the right-hand slide rail 4. However, the power supply rail structure 1 of the present invention may also be installed on the left-hand slide rail 5 by reversing the configuration left and right.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 2, a receiving member 11 extending along the upper rail 9 is provided on the right side of the upper rail 9. A front convex portion 12 and a rear convex portion 13 extend rightward from the front and rear ends of the receiving member 11, and are substantially perpendicular to the upper rail 9. The receiving member 11 has insertion holes for inserting fastening members such as bolts, and is fixed to the side surface of the upper rail 9 by the fastening members.

[0031] A power supply rail structure 1 extending substantially in the front-to-rear direction is provided on the bracket 7 to the right of the lower rail 8 and the upper rail 9. The power supply rail structure 1 is a structural body for electrically connecting a power source provided in the vehicle to the vehicle seat 2 and supplying power from the power source on the vehicle side to the vehicle seat 2.

[0032] 3 and 4, the power supply rail structure 1 includes a power supply rail 15 having a generally rectangular cylindrical shape extending generally in the front-to-rear direction. The power supply rail 15 has a bottom wall 16 that faces the bracket 7 in the up-down direction and extends generally in the front-to-rear direction, a left side wall 17 and a right side wall 18 that extend upward from both left and right ends of the bottom wall 16 generally perpendicular to the bottom wall 16, and a top wall 19 that extends from the upper end of the left side wall 17 generally parallel to the bottom wall 16. The tip of the top wall 19 is located to the left of the right side wall 18, and a central wall 20 that is generally perpendicular to the top wall 19 extends downward from the tip of the top wall 19 and reaches the bottom wall 16. The central wall 20 has a slit 21 that penetrates the central wall 20 in the left-to-right direction and extends in the front-to-rear direction.

[0033] A hollow first space 22 is defined by the right side wall 18, the bottom wall 16, and the central wall 20, and a hollow second space 23 is defined by the top wall 19, the left side wall 17, the bottom wall 16, and the central wall 20. As shown in Fig. 3, the front and rear ends of the power supply rail 15 on the first space 22 side are open to the front and rear. The front end of the power supply rail 15 on the second space 23 side is closed by a front cap 24, and the rear end of the power supply rail 15 on the second space 23 side is closed by a rear cap 25.

[0034] A plurality of fastening pieces 27, each having a thin plate shape with its main surface facing up and down, extend to the right at predetermined intervals in the front-to-rear direction from the right end of the bottom wall 16 of the power supply rail 15. The fastening pieces 27 have insertion holes for inserting fastening members such as bolts, and are fixed to the bracket 7 by the fastening members. The power supply rail 15 is made of a metal such as aluminum.

[0035] A guide wall 28 extending upward and generally parallel to the central wall 20 is provided on the bottom wall 16 on the first space 22 side. The tip of the guide wall 28 is preferably located below the lower end of the opening of the central wall 20. A first overhanging portion 29 sloping downward to the right and an upper rib 31 protruding generally perpendicular to the central wall 20 toward the left are formed at the lower end of the central wall 20 on the upper wall 19 side. The tip of the first overhanging portion 29 is preferably located to the right of the guide wall 28. A second overhanging portion 30 protruding generally perpendicular to the central wall 20 toward the left is provided at the upper end of the right side wall 18. The upper end of the first overhanging portion 29 is preferably located below the upper end of the right side wall 18. The lower end of the first overhanging portion 29 is preferably located below the lower end of the second overhanging portion 30. The length of the first overhanging portion 29 in the left-right direction is preferably longer than the length of the second overhanging portion 30 in the left-right direction.

[0036] On the left side of the central wall 20, below the slit 21, a first lower rib 32 and a second lower rib 33 located below the first lower rib 32 protrude to the right and approximately perpendicular to the central wall 20. Also, on the right side of the central wall 20, below the second lower rib 33, a third lower rib 34 protrudes to the left and approximately perpendicular to the central wall 20.

[0037] A cover 36 is formed above the power supply rail 15 and the slide rail 4, and extends in the front-to-rear direction, covering the upper surfaces of the power supply rail 15 and the slide rail 4. Left and right lips 37 are formed in a portion of the cover 36 corresponding to the upper part of the first space 22. An opening extending in the front-to-rear direction is formed between the left and right lips 37. The cover 36 is made of resin or the like.

[0038] 4, a slider 40 extending substantially vertically is disposed within the first space 22 of the power supply rail 15. The slider 40 includes a body portion 41 extending substantially vertically, and a main body portion 42 fixed to the lower portion of the body portion 41. The slider 40 is formed from an insulating material such as ABS resin.

[0039] The tip of the body 41 extends upward to the outside of the first space 22 through the opening between the left and right lips 37. In addition, as shown in Figure 2, the upper part of the body 41 is received between the front convex portion 12 and the rear convex portion 13 of the receiving member 11.

[0040] The main body 42 extends leftward from the lower end of the trunk 41. A guide piece 47 extends downward from the lower end of the main body 42, and is generally parallel to the guide wall 28 and the central wall 20. The guide piece 47 is received between the guide wall 28 and the central wall 20. A portion of the main body 42 extends into the second space 23 through the slit 21, forming an engaging portion 43. The upper and lower ends of the engaging portion 43 protrude leftward to form a pair of upper and lower engaging pieces 44. A contact rib 46 protruding downward is provided at the tip of the engaging piece 44.

[0041] The second space 23 of the power supply rail 15 accommodates the attachment portion 43 and attachment piece 44 of the slider 40 extending from the first space 22 side, a strip-shaped flexible flat cable 50 whose main surface faces left and right and extends approximately front and rear, a strip-shaped elastic belt 51 extending along the inner surface of the flexible flat cable 50, and a support member 52 supporting the elastic belt 51.

[0042] The flexible flat cable 50 is a flexible transmission line group formed by arranging multiple conductive metal plates (e.g., copper plates) in the width direction and covering their outer surfaces with heat-resistant insulating tape. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the base end of the flexible flat cable 50 is fixed inside the rear cap 25 and electrically connected to a vehicle-side harness 55 connected to a vehicle power source. The flexible flat cable 50 extends forward from the rear cap 25 along the left side wall 17 of the power supply rail 15 and bends rearward at a midpoint in the fore-and-aft direction of the power supply rail 15 to form a U-shaped bent portion 56. The flexible flat cable 50 further extends rearward from the bent portion 56 along the right side wall 18 of the power supply rail 15 and is fixed between a pair of upper and lower engaging pieces 44 formed on the engaging portion 43 of the slider 40. The free end of the flexible flat cable 50 is electrically connected via the slider 40 to a seat-side harness 58 connected to wiring on the vehicle seat side. This electrically connects the vehicle seat 2 to the power source on the vehicle body side.

[0043] The elastic belt 51 is disposed in the second space 23 so that its width direction corresponds substantially to the top and bottom, and extends along the inner surface of the flexible flat cable 50. The outer surface of the elastic belt 51, i.e., the surface facing the flexible flat cable 50, is formed in a curved shape that convexly faces the flexible flat cable 50. The base end of the elastic belt 51 is fixed inside the rear cap 25, and the free end of the elastic belt 51 is fixed to the engagement portion 43 of the slider 40. The elastic belt 51 forms a U-shaped bent portion 56 together with the flexible flat cable 50 in the middle of the power supply rail 15 in the front-to-rear direction. The elastic belt 51 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel or a resin material.

[0044] A support member 52 for supporting the elastic belt 51 is provided in a portion of the power supply rail 15 between the base end of the elastic belt 51 and the bent portion 56. As shown in Fig. 6, in this embodiment, the support member 52 is provided slightly behind the position where the elastic belt 51 and the flexible flat cable 50 form the bent portion 56 when the slider 40 slides to the rearmost part in the first space 22, i.e., slightly behind the bent portion 56 in Fig. 6(A). Furthermore, the support member 52 in this embodiment is located close to the left side wall 17 and is positioned so as not to interfere with the slider 40 even when the slider 40 slides in the front-rear direction.

[0045] 4 and 7 , the support member 52 has a vertical wall 63 extending substantially parallel to the left side wall 17 of the power supply rail 15, and an upper wall 64 and a lower wall 65 extending substantially perpendicular to the vertical wall 63 from the upper and lower ends of the vertical wall 63 toward the right. An elastic leg 67 extending toward the bottom wall 16 of the power supply rail 15 is formed on the lower surface of the lower wall 65. The upper wall 64 of the support member 52 abuts against the upper wall 19 of the power supply rail 15, and the elastic leg 67 biases the support member 52 in the vertical direction. In another embodiment, an elastic portion extending toward the upper wall 19 of the power supply rail 15 may be provided on the upper surface of the upper wall 64.

[0046] The elastic belt 51 is received in a recess 68 defined by the vertical wall 63, the upper wall 64, and the lower wall 65. The upper and lower edges of the elastic belt 51 in the left-right direction are positioned to the left of their positions in the direction of the upper wall 64 and the lower wall 65. In other words, the elastic belt 51 is covered from above and below by the upper wall 64 and the lower wall 65.

[0047] A locking pin 69 extends generally perpendicular to the vertical wall 63 and protrudes to the right from approximately the center of the main surface of the vertical wall 63. An opening penetrating the elastic belt 51 from side to side is provided in the elastic belt 51 at a position corresponding to the locking pin 69 of the support member 52. The locking pin 69 of the support member 52 protrudes into the opening of the elastic belt 51, thereby fixing the elastic belt 51 to the support member 52.

[0048] 6, the flexible flat cable 50 is bent around the support member 52 toward the left side wall 17 of the power supply rail 15 and is disposed between the left side wall 17 of the power supply rail 15 and the vertical wall of the support member 52. That is, the vertical wall 63 of the support member 52 separates the surfaces of the elastic belt 51 and the flexible flat cable 50 from each other in the left-right direction.

[0049] Next, the principle of movement of the slider 40 in the front-rear direction and the operation of the power supply rail structure 1 of this embodiment will be described. When the upper rail 9 advances relative to the lower rail 8, the receiving member 11 fixed to the upper rail 9 also advances, and the rear side surface of the body 41 of the slider 40 is pressed forward by the rear convex portion 13 of the receiving member 11. As a result, the slider 40 advances in response to the advancement of the upper rail 9. At this time, the slider 40 slides forward relative to the power supply rail 15 while being guided by the guide piece 47 disposed between the guide wall 28 and the central wall 20. The body 41 also advances while deforming the lip 37 of the cover 36 upward. Furthermore, in response to the advancement of the slider 40, the free ends of the flexible flat cable 50 and the elastic belt 51 fixed to the slider 40 also advance.

[0050] Similarly, when the upper rail 9 moves backward relative to the lower rail 8, the receiving member 11 fixed to the upper rail 9 also moves backward, and the front side surface of the body portion 41 is pushed backward by the front convex portion 12 of the receiving member 11. As a result, the slider 40 and the free ends of the flexible flat cable 50 and the elastic belt 51 fixed to the slider 40 move backward in response to the receiving member 11.

[0051] In this way, when the slide seat moves back and forth, the elastic belt 51 and the flexible flat cable 50 are configured to move back and forth as a unit, making it difficult for the flexible flat cable 50 to buckle. Furthermore, the elastic belt 51 of this embodiment has a curved shape that is convex toward the flexible flat cable 50, improving the strength of the elastic belt 51 and making it difficult for the elastic belt 51 to buckle in the linear portion where the elastic belt 51 extends substantially back and forth.

[0052] In this embodiment, the elastic belt 51 is fixed to the locking pin 69 of the support member 52 between the bent portion 56 and the base end. This reduces the downward bending moment applied to the bent portion 56 regardless of the position of the bent portion 56 in the front-to-rear direction, thereby suppressing deformation of the elastic belt 51 due to gravity and the like. This makes it less likely that the lower edge of the elastic belt 51 will collide with the bottom wall 16 of the power supply rail 15, thereby suppressing the generation of abnormal noise. Furthermore, the support member 52 in this embodiment is located slightly behind the position where the elastic belt 51 and the flexible flat cable 50 form the bent portion 56 when the slider 40 slides to the rearmost part within the first space 22, i.e., slightly behind the bent portion 56 in FIG. 6(A). This effectively reduces the downward bending moment applied to the bent portion 56, further suppressing deformation of the elastic belt 51 due to gravity and the like.

[0053] In addition, the support member 52 is biased in the vertical direction by the elastic legs 67. This makes it difficult for the support member 52 to rattle when vibrations occur in the vehicle body, for example, and thus reduces the generation of abnormal noise. Furthermore, since the support member 52 is easily held in a predetermined position, the elastic belt 51 is less likely to fall off the locking pin 69 of the support member 52.

[0054] The support member 52 has a vertical wall 63 sandwiched between the flexible flat cable 50 and the elastic belt 51. The vertical wall 63 extends substantially vertically. The support member 52 also includes an upper wall 64 and a lower wall 65 extending to the left or right from the upper and lower ends of the vertical wall 63. This prevents the support member 52 from wobbling and stabilizes its posture. This allows the elastic belt 51 to be stably supported. The upper and lower edges of the elastic belt 51 are received in a recess 68 defined by the vertical wall 63, the upper wall 64, and the lower wall 65. This restricts the vertical movement of the elastic belt 51 by the upper wall 64 and the lower wall 65, making it less likely for the elastic belt 51 to collide with the power supply rail 15. The center of the vertical wall 63 engages with the elastic belt 51. The elastic belt 51 is fixed by being inserted into a locking pin 69. This ensures that the elastic belt 51 is securely fixed to the support member 52, preventing the elastic belt 51 from falling off the support member 52. Furthermore, since the locking pin 69 extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the standing wall, the elastic belt 51 can be fixed to the support member 52 by a simple means.

[0055] Furthermore, the power supply rail 15 of this embodiment includes a right side wall 18 that covers the slider 40 from the right side within the first space 22. This prevents unexpected pressure from being applied to the slider 40 within the first space 22, making it difficult for the slider 40 to come into contact with the power supply rail 15 and reducing the generation of abnormal noise.

[0056] A first overhanging portion 29, which slopes downward toward the right, is provided at the lower end of the central wall 20 on the upper wall 19 side of the power supply rail 15, and the upper end of the first overhanging portion 29 is located lower than the upper end of the right side wall 18. This configuration makes it easier for a foreign object, such as a screw, to fall over the first overhanging portion 29 when it enters the power supply rail 15 from above the first space 22, making it more difficult for the foreign object to enter the second space 23, thereby preventing breakage of the flexible flat cable 50. Furthermore, because the tip of the first overhanging portion 29 is located to the right of the guide wall 28, when a foreign object falls over the first overhanging portion 29, it is more likely to land between the guide wall 28 and the right side wall 18. Furthermore, if a relatively large foreign object lands between the guide wall 28 and the right side wall 18, the sliding movement of the slider 40 in the front-rear direction pushes the foreign object out of the power supply rail 15 from the front and rear ends on the first space side. This configuration makes it easier to remove foreign objects from the first space 22.

[0057] Furthermore, a second overhanging portion 30 extending leftward is provided at the upper end of the right side wall 18, further preventing foreign objects such as screws from entering the second space 23. Furthermore, because the lower end of the second overhanging portion 30 is positioned higher than the lower end of the first overhanging portion 29, foreign objects tend to fall over the first overhanging portion 29, making it difficult for foreign objects to enter the second space 23. Furthermore, the length of the first overhanging portion 29 in the left-right direction is longer than the length of the second overhanging portion 30 in the left-right direction. This allows the first overhanging portion 29 and the second overhanging portion 30 to be effectively positioned within the first space 22 having a predetermined length.

[0058] Although the description of the specific embodiment has been completed above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified in a wide variety of ways. For example, in the above embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the elastic belt 51 is not limited to a curved shape as long as the elastic belt 51 can press the flexible flat cable 50 with spring force. Furthermore, the specific configuration, arrangement, quantity, angle, etc. of each member and part can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Meanwhile, not all of the components shown in the above embodiment are necessarily required and can be selected as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1: Power supply rail structure 2: Vehicle seats 4: Slide rail 5: Slide rail 11: Receiving member 12: Front convex part 13: Rear convex part 15: Power rail 16: Bottom wall 17: Right side wall 19: Upper wall 20: Central wall 22: 1st space 23:Second space 24: Front cap 25: Rear cap 29:1st eaves 37: Lip 40: Slider 50: Flexible flat cable 51: Elastic belt 52: Support member 63: Vertical wall 64: Upper wall 67: Elastic legs 68: Recess 69: Locking pin

Claims

1. a power supply rail having a cylindrical shape extending in a predetermined direction; a slider provided slidably relative to the power supply rail along the predetermined direction; an elastic belt having a base end connected to one end of the power supply rail, a bent portion bent in a U-shape at an intermediate portion of the power supply rail in the predetermined direction, and a free end connected to the slider; a flexible flat cable having a base end connected to the one end of the power supply rail and a free end connected to the slider, the flexible flat cable extending along the elastic belt; a support member for supporting the elastic belt between the base end and the bent portion, the support member has a vertical wall sandwiched between the flexible flat cable and the elastic belt, A power supply rail structure in which the center portion of the vertical wall is engaged with the elastic belt.

2. The power supply rail structure according to claim 1 , wherein the support member includes a lower wall extending laterally from a lower end of the vertical wall.

3. The vertical wall of the support member includes a locking pin that protrudes laterally, the elastic belt includes an opening through a surface of the elastic belt; 3. The power supply rail structure according to claim 2, wherein the elastic belt is fixed to the support member by the engagement pin being inserted into the opening of the elastic belt.

4. 4. The power supply rail structure according to claim 2, wherein the support member has elastic legs extending toward the power supply rail.

5. the support member has an upper wall extending laterally from an upper end of the vertical wall, a recessed portion that is open laterally is formed by the vertical wall, the lower wall, and the upper wall, the elastic belt has a cross-sectional shape that is convex toward the vertical wall of the support member, 4. The power supply rail structure according to claim 2, wherein the elastic belt is received in the recess.

6. the power supply rail has a bottom wall extending in the front-rear direction, a first side wall and a second side wall extending upward from both left and right ends of the bottom wall, an upper wall extending from an upper end of the second side wall toward the first side wall, and a central wall extending downward from a tip of the upper wall, the tip of which reaches the bottom wall; a hollow first space is defined by the first side wall, the bottom wall, and the central wall; a second hollow space is defined by the top wall, the second side wall, the bottom wall, and the central wall; a portion of the slider to which the free end of the elastic belt and the free end of the flexible flat cable are fixed is disposed within the second space; The power supply rail structure according to claim 1, wherein the slider is slidable in the front-rear direction within the first space and the second space via a slit that penetrates the central wall in the left-right direction and extends in the predetermined direction.

7. The power supply rail structure according to claim 6 , wherein the first side wall has an eave portion that protrudes toward the central wall.

8. The device further includes a receiving member that is movably provided along the front-to-rear direction and has a base that extends approximately front-to-rear, and a front convex portion and a rear convex portion that extend to either the left or right from the front or rear ends of the base, the slider is disposed between the front convex portion and the rear convex portion, 7. The power supply rail structure according to claim 6, wherein the slider is configured to slide forward and backward in response to the sliding movement of the receiving member in the predetermined direction.

9. 7. The power supply rail structure according to claim 6, wherein the lower end of the slider has a rib that protrudes downward.

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