Sliding door power supply device

Abstract

To provide a slide door power supply device which can suppress slackness of a wire harness when a slide door is slidably moved.SOLUTION: A slide door power supply device 1 has a power supply harness 2 laid over a vehicle body 100 and a slide door 200, a vehicle body side holding part 3 fixed to the vehicle body 100 and a slide door side holding part 4 fixed to the slide door 200. The slide door side holding part 4 includes a winding mechanism 5 which changes the length of the wound portion of the power supply harness 2 wound around a first winding part 60 and a second winding part 70 around which a part of the power supply harness 2 is wound, and the first winding part 60 is provided with a winding moving part 6 for relatively moving the first winding part 60 with respect to a pivot point P1 in the second winding part 70, involved in a state change by slide movement of the slide door 200 between a tensile state where tension acting on the power supply harness 2 is tensioned and an alleviation state where the tension acting on the power supply harness 2 is alleviated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sliding door power feeding device that feeds power from a vehicle body to electrical components provided on a sliding door. [[Background Art]]

[0002] In recent years, sliding doors of automobiles are provided with electrical components such as motors for power windows and speakers for audio systems. Therefore, a sliding door power feeding device that feeds power from the vehicle body to these electrical components is provided.

[0003] Such a sliding door power feeding device, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, includes a wire harness bridged between a vehicle body and a sliding door, a vehicle body side holding portion fixed to the vehicle body and holding one end portion of the wire harness, and a sliding door side holding portion fixed to the sliding door and holding the other end portion of the wire harness, and feeds power from the vehicle body side to the sliding door side via the wire harness.

[0004] In the sliding door power feeding device configured as described above, the relative position between the vehicle body side holding portion fixed to the vehicle body and the sliding door side holding portion fixed to the sliding door changes as the sliding door slides in the front-rear direction. For this reason, when the vehicle body side holding portion and the sliding door side holding portion approach each other due to the sliding movement of the sliding door, slack occurs in the bridged wire harness. When the slack becomes excessive, there is a risk of interference with peripheral devices and unintended bending. [[Prior Art Documents]] [[Patent Documents]]

[0005] [[Patent Document 1]] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-260770 [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a sliding door power supply device that can suppress slack in the wire harness when the sliding door moves. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This invention relates to a sliding door power supply device that supplies power from the vehicle body to electrical components installed on a sliding door that slides relative to the vehicle body, comprising: a wire harness stretched between the vehicle body and the sliding door; a vehicle body-side holding portion fixed to the vehicle body and holding one end of the wire harness; and a sliding door-side holding portion fixed to the sliding door and holding the other end of the wire harness, wherein at least one of the vehicle body-side holding portion and the sliding door-side holding portion is provided with a winding mechanism that changes the length of the winding portion of the wire harness around which a part of the wire harness is wound, and the winding portion is provided with a winding movement portion that moves the winding portion relative to a base point in the winding mechanism in accordance with the state change due to the sliding movement, between a taut state in which the tension acting on the wire harness is taut and a relaxed state in which the tension acting on the wire harness is relaxed. The winding mechanism includes a pivot part that is supported to pivot in conjunction with the sliding movement, the winding part having a first winding part located on the pivot tip side of the pivot part, and a second winding part located on the pivot base end side with at least a gap through which the wire harness passes relative to the first winding part, the tensioned state is when the wire harness is wound around the first winding part and the second winding part in an S-shape, the relaxed state is when the wire harness is wound around the first winding part and the second winding part in an S-shape, the winding movement part moves at least one of the first winding part and the second winding part relative to the base point, and the winding mechanism includes the The first winding portion and the second winding portion are configured separately, and in the relaxed state, a path bypass portion is provided that contacts the connecting portion stretched between the first winding portion and the second winding portion of the wire harness and bypasses the connecting portion, and the direction in which the pivot portion pivots as the wire harness transitions from the tensioned state to the relaxed state is defined as the pivot direction, and the path bypass portion has a support body that contacts the side of the wire harness in the pivot direction in the relaxed state and supports the pivot portion that pivots as it slides, and a facing portion is provided that faces the support body and is configured to allow at least the pivot portion to be inserted, and the path bypass portion is provided on the facing portion. It is characterized by the following.

[0008] The aforementioned reference point is a predetermined point on the winding portion, such as the center and center of gravity of the winding portion in a predetermined state, and if the winding mechanism is provided with a pivot portion that is supported to pivot in accordance with the sliding movement, it includes the pivot center of the pivot portion.

[0009] The winding movement part includes a configuration that, when changing from a tensioned state to a relaxed state, moves the winding part relative to the base point to lengthen the length of the winding portion; a configuration that, when changing from a relaxed state to a tensioned state, moves the winding part relative to the base point to shorten the length of the winding portion; and a configuration that adjusts the distance between the vehicle body side holding part or the sliding door side holding part and the winding portion.

[0010] Furthermore, the winding movement part only needs to be able to move the winding part relative to a base point in the winding part, and this includes, for example, cases in which the winding part moves relative to the base point in a direction that approaches or moves away from the base point in accordance with the change in state, or cases in which the center of the winding part moves relative to the base point on a circular orbit with the base point as the center of rotation.

[0011] The pivot tip side mentioned above refers to the radially outward direction, which is the direction away from the pivot center of the pivot part. Conversely, the pivot base side, which will be discussed later, refers to the radially inward direction, which is the direction closer to the pivot center of the pivot part. These definitions remain unchanged from here on.

[0012] The second winding portion includes cases where it is provided on the pivot portion or where it is not provided on the pivot portion. Furthermore, the pivot center of the pivot portion includes cases where it coincides with or does not coincide with the center of the second winding portion. That is, the pivot center of the pivot portion includes cases where it is provided on the pivot base end side of the second winding portion, or between the second winding portion and the first winding portion, etc.

[0013] The winding movement part includes cases in which at least one of the first winding part and the second winding part moves relative to the base point due to the tension acting on the wire harness, and cases in which at least one of the first winding part and the second winding part moves relative to the base point because the first winding part and the second winding part are positioned in a predetermined position regardless of the tension acting on the wire harness.

[0014] The aforementioned path bypass portion is provided at the tip of the opposing portion, which is configured so that only the pivot portion can be inserted between it and the support portion body, or, in cases where the pivot portion, the first winding portion, and the winding portion can be inserted between it and the support portion body, it is composed of a protrusion that extends from the opposing portion toward the support portion body.

[0015] This invention makes it possible to suppress slack in the wire harness when the sliding door slides in the front-to-back direction. More specifically, the winding portion can be moved relative to the base point in accordance with the change in state between a tensioned state and a relaxed state. This allows, for example, the position of the winding portion to be adjusted so that, in the relaxed state, the distance between the winding portion and the sliding door side retaining portion or the vehicle body side retaining portion that is close to the winding mechanism increases. In this way, the length of the wire harness routed between the sliding door side retaining portion or the vehicle body side retaining portion and the winding portion can be adjusted to be longer in the relaxed state, thereby further suppressing slack in the wire harness.

[0016] Furthermore, in the tensioned state, the position of the winding portion can be adjusted by moving the winding portion relative to the base point, for example, so that the distance between the winding portion and the sliding door side retaining portion or the vehicle body side retaining portion, which is separated from the winding mechanism, becomes smaller. In this way, the length of the wire harness routed between the sliding door side retaining portion or the vehicle body side retaining portion and the winding portion can be shortened in the tensioned state. As a result, the overall length of the wire harness in the tensioned state can be shortened, and the slack of the wire harness in the relaxed state when the state changes from tensioned to relaxed can be further suppressed.

[0017] Also , the winding mechanism comprises a pivoting portion supported so as to pivot along with the sliding movement, the winding portion has a first winding portion disposed on a pivoting distal end side of the pivoting portion, and a second winding portion disposed on a pivoting proximal end side with a gap spaced apart from the first winding portion through which at least the wire harness passes, in the tensioned state, the wire harness is wound around the first winding portion and the second winding portion in an S-shape, and in the relaxed state, the wire harness is wound around the first winding portion and the second winding portion in an S-shape, and the winding moving portion relatively moves at least one of the first winding portion and the second winding portion with respect to the base point Yes, they are.

[0018] This composition According to the present invention, in addition to being able to suppress slack of the wire harness by causing the winding moving portion to relatively move at least one of the first winding portion and the second winding portion with respect to the base point, the wiring path of the wire harness can be changed by pivoting of the pivoting portion accompanying the sliding movement of the sliding door. Thereby, the slack of the wire harness in the relaxed state can be further reduced.

[0019] Furthermore, the winding mechanism is provided with a path bypass section that is configured separately from the first winding section and the second winding section, and which, in the relaxed state, comes into contact with the connecting section that is stretched between the first winding section and the second winding section of the wire harness, thereby bypassing the connecting section.

[0020] This configuration allows the wire harness, which is linearly connected between the first and second winding sections, to curve and bypass when the bypass section comes into contact with the connecting section during the relaxed state, thereby increasing the length of the wire harness wrapped around the first and second winding sections. As a result, the slack in the wire harness caused by the relaxation of tension acting on the wire harness due to the proximity of the vehicle body side retaining section and the sliding door side retaining section can be further reduced.

[0021] Furthermore, as the transition from the tensioned state to the relaxed state occurs, the direction in which the pivot part pivots is defined as the pivot direction, and the path bypass portion is in contact with the side of the wire harness in the pivot direction in the relaxed state.

[0022] This configuration allows the bypass section to easily contact the wire harness's mounting portion simply by pivoting the pivot section. In other words, the structure that pivots the pivot section alone can suppress the slack in the wire harness caused by the relaxation of the tension acting on it. Furthermore, because the pivot part pivots in the opposite direction when the state changes from a relaxed state to a tense state, the contact between the bypass section and the connecting section can be easily released.

[0023] Furthermore, the device has a support body that supports the pivot part which pivots in conjunction with the sliding movement, and an opposing part is provided that faces the support body and is configured to allow at least the pivot part to be inserted through it, and the path bypass part is provided on the opposing part.

[0024] With this configuration, the path bypass section can be easily provided on the pivot side of the pivot section. In other words, simply by pivoting the pivot section, the path bypass section located on the pivot side can be easily and reliably brought into contact with the wire harness's connecting portion. Furthermore, because the pivot part pivots in the opposite direction when the state changes from a relaxed state to a tense state, the contact between the bypass section and the connecting section can be released more easily and reliably.

[0025] In another aspect of this invention, the path bypass portion may be erected on the support body along the pivot axis of the pivot portion, and the pivot portion may be provided with an avoidance portion that avoids contact with the path bypass portion during pivoting associated with the sliding movement.

[0026] This invention makes it possible to easily bring the path bypass portion into contact with the wire harness's mounting portion while preventing the path bypass portion from coming into contact with the pivot portion as the pivot portion pivots.

[0027] In another aspect of this invention, the base point may be the center of one of the first winding portion and the second winding portion, and the winding moving portion may move the other of the first winding portion and the second winding portion relative to the base point in a direction perpendicular to the pivot axis of the pivot portion as the pivot of the pivot portion is spun by the sliding movement.

[0028] According to this invention, the winding movement unit can move the first winding unit and the second winding unit relative to each other such that the other unit approaches or moves away from the center of the first winding unit and the second winding unit, which are the base points. This allows the length of the winding unit to be adjusted according to the conditions.

[0029] For example, as the state changes from a tensioned state to a relaxed state, the length of the wire harness wrapped around the first and second winding sections can be adjusted to increase by moving the other section away from the center of the other section. This suppresses slack in the wire harness when the state is relaxed.

[0030] Furthermore, for example, as the state changes from a relaxed state to a tense state, the length of the winding portion of the wire harness stretched between the first and second winding portions can be shortened by bringing one end closer to the center of the other end of the first and second winding portions. This shortens the length of the winding portion of the wire harness in the tense state, thus shortening the overall length of the wire harness in the tense state. Consequently, slack in the wire harness in the relaxed state can be suppressed, and the weight of the wire harness can be reduced.

[0031] Furthermore, in an embodiment of this invention, the device may have an elastically deformable portion that undergoes elastic deformation in accordance with the change in state between the tensioned state and the relaxed state, and the winding moving portion may be moved relative to the base point by the elastic deformation of the elastically deformable portion accompanying the change in state.

[0032] This invention allows an elastically deformable part, which deforms elastically as the sliding door moves, to move the other part relative to its base point. In other words, it is possible to move the other part relative to the base point with a simple structure, thereby suppressing slack in the wire harness in a relaxed state. Furthermore, even in a tensioned state, the elastic deformation of the elastically deformable part causes the other part to move relative to the base point, thereby relieving the tension acting on the wire harness.

[0033] In another aspect of this invention, the base point may be the pivot center of the pivot part, the second winding part may be provided on the pivot base end side of the pivot part, and the center of the second winding part may be provided at a position different from the pivot center. This invention allows for a more compact design because both the first and second winding sections are provided on the pivot. Furthermore, since the first and second winding sections are attached to the pivot and then mounted together as a single unit to the mounting location, assembly is made easier.

[0034] Furthermore, the center of the second winding portion is moved relative to the pivot center of the pivot portion, which is the base point, on a circular orbit with the pivot center as the center of rotation. In other words, the position of the second winding portion relative to the base point can be changed in accordance with the change in state, and the distance between the wound portion of the wire harness and the pivot center can be adjusted according to the state. As a result, for example, in the relaxed state, the distance between the wound portion and the pivot center can be increased, and slack in the wire harness in the relaxed state can be suppressed.

[0035] In another aspect of this invention, the winding movement part may be moved relative to the base point in accordance with the change in tension acting on the wire harness due to the sliding movement. This invention allows for the length of the winding portion to be adjusted by utilizing the tension acting on the wire harness, which changes in accordance with the sliding movement of the sliding door. Therefore, regardless of the tension acting on the wire harness, there is no need to provide a mechanism that moves the base point relative to the sliding movement, and slack in the wire harness can be suppressed with a simple structure.

[0036] In another aspect of this invention, at least one of the first winding portion and the second winding portion may be provided with a distance adjustment portion for adjusting the distance between a reference point in the first portion and the portion of the wire harness to be wound around the winding portion in the first portion.

[0037] The aforementioned reference point includes the center or center of gravity of the winding portion in a predetermined state, as well as, if the winding mechanism is provided with a pivot portion that is supported to pivot in accordance with the sliding movement, the pivot center of the pivot portion. The wrapped portion is the part around which the wire harness is wrapped in the tensioned state and the relaxed state. That is, the wrapped portion may be the same location or a different location in the tensioned state and the relaxed state.

[0038] The distance adjustment unit includes a configuration that increases the distance between the wrapped portion and the reference point when the state changes from the tensioned state to the relaxed state, or a configuration that decreases the distance between the wrapped portion and the reference point when the state changes from the relaxed state to the tensioned state. The distance adjustment unit also includes a configuration that adjusts the distance between the wrapped portion and the reference point by continuously or discontinuously changing the distance.

[0039] This invention allows for the movement of the winding portion by the winding movement unit according to the tension and relaxation states, as well as the adjustment of the distance between the reference point and the wound portion by adjusting the distance adjustment unit to lengthen or shorten it. In other words, in addition to reducing the slack of the wire harness in the relaxed state, the length of the wound portion of the wire harness can be increased. Therefore, the slack of the wire harness in the relaxed state can be further reduced.

[0040] Furthermore, in a tensioned state, the overall length of the wire harness can be shortened as the winding portion moves, and the length of the winding portion of the wire harness can be further shortened, thus reducing the overall length of the wire harness in a tensioned state. Consequently, the slack in the wire harness in a relaxed state can be further reduced.

[0041] Furthermore, the wire harness is wound around the first and second winding sections in an S-shape in both the tensioned and relaxed states, so that the wiring path of the wire harness can be changed by the pivoting of the pivot section. This reduces the slack of the wire harness caused by the distance adjustment section, making it possible to make the winding mechanism with the distance adjustment section more compact.

[0042] In another aspect of this invention, the reference point may be the center of one of the first winding portion and the second winding portion, where the distance adjustment portion is provided, when viewed from a direction along the pivot axis of the pivot portion, and the distance adjustment portion may increase the distance between the wound portion and the reference point in one of the portions as it transitions from the tensioned state to the relaxed state.

[0043] According to this invention, as the state changes from a tensioned state to a relaxed state, the distance adjustment unit can be adjusted to increase the distance between the reference point and the wrapped portion, thereby increasing the length of the wrapped portion of the wire harness in the relaxed state. This makes it possible to further reduce the slack of the wire harness when the vehicle body side retaining portion and the sliding door side retaining portion are close together.

[0044] In another aspect of this invention, the reference point may be the center of one of the first winding portion and the second winding portion, where the distance adjustment portion is provided, when viewed from a direction along the pivot axis of the pivot portion, and the distance adjustment portion may shorten the distance between the wound portion and the reference point in one of the portions as it transitions from the relaxed state to the tensioned state.

[0045] According to this invention, as the state changes from a relaxed state to a tense state, the distance adjustment unit can be adjusted to shorten the distance between the reference point and the wrapped portion, thereby shortening the length of the wrapped portion of the wire harness in the tense state. As a result, the overall length of the wire harness in the tense state can be shortened, and thus slack in the wire harness in the relaxed state can be suppressed. Furthermore, it is possible to alleviate the tension on the wire harness when the vehicle body-side retaining part and the sliding door-side retaining part are separated, thereby preventing excessive tension from being applied to the wire harness.

[0046] In another aspect of this invention, the distance adjustment unit may adjust the distance between the wrapped portion and the reference point in accordance with the change in tension of the wire harness acting on the wrapped portion due to the sliding movement. This invention allows the distance adjustment unit to lengthen or shorten the distance between the wrapped portion and the reference point by utilizing the tension acting on the wire harness, which changes in accordance with the sliding movement of the sliding door. Therefore, there is no need to provide a mechanism that adjusts the distance between the wrapped portion and the reference point in accordance with the sliding movement, regardless of the tension acting on the wire harness, and slack in the wire harness can be suppressed with a simple structure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0047] According to this invention, it is possible to provide a sliding door power supply device that can prevent slack in the wire harness from occurring when the sliding door moves. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0048] [Figure 1] A schematic perspective view of the sliding door power supply device. [Figure 2] A schematic exploded perspective view of the retaining mechanism on the sliding door side. [Figure 3] Diagram illustrating the base plate. [Figure 4] Diagram illustrating the second winding section. [Figure 5]An explanatory diagram showing the operation of the sliding door holding mechanism when the sliding door slides from the fully closed position to the fully open position. [Figure 6] Diagram illustrating the retaining mechanism on the sliding door side when it is fully closed. [Figure 7] Diagram illustrating the retaining mechanism on the sliding door side in an intermediate state. [Figure 8] Diagram illustrating the second winding section in the fully closed and partially closed states. [Figure 9] Diagram illustrating the retaining mechanism on the sliding door side when it is fully open. [Figure 10] Diagram illustrating the sliding door side retaining part according to another embodiment. [Figure 11] Diagram illustrating the sliding door side retaining part according to another embodiment. [Figure 12] Diagram illustrating the sliding door side retaining part according to another embodiment. [Figure 13] Diagram illustrating the sliding door side retaining part according to another embodiment. [Figure 14] Diagram illustrating the sliding door side retaining part according to another embodiment. [Figure 15] Diagram illustrating the sliding door side retaining part according to another embodiment. [Figure 16] Diagram illustrating the sliding door side retaining part according to another embodiment. [Figure 17] Diagram illustrating the sliding door side retaining part according to another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0049] One embodiment of this invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 shows a schematic perspective view of the sliding door power supply device 1 provided on the left side Wl sliding door 200 of the vehicle body 100, and Figure 2 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the sliding door side holding part 4. Figure 3 shows an explanatory diagram of the base plate 40, and Figure 4 shows an explanatory diagram of the second winding part 70. Figure 5 shows a schematic perspective view of the operation of the winding mechanism 5 when the sliding door 200 slides from the fully closed state to the fully open state. Figure 6 shows an explanatory diagram of the winding mechanism 5 in the fully closed state, Figure 7 shows an explanatory diagram of the winding mechanism 5 in the intermediate state, Figure 8 shows an explanatory diagram of the first winding part 60 in the fully closed state and the intermediate state, and Figure 9 shows an explanatory diagram of the winding mechanism 5 in the fully open state. Note that in Figures 6 to 8, the cover plate 54 has been removed so that the power supply harness 2, the first winding part 60 and the second winding part 70 are visible.

[0050] Figures 3 and 4, and Figures 6 to 8 will be described in detail. Figure 3(a) shows a schematic front view of the base plate 40 as seen from the right side Wr, and Figure 3(b) shows a schematic side view of the base plate 40 as seen from the front side Lf. Figure 4(a) shows a schematic perspective view of the second winding section 70 as seen from the lower side Hd and the left side Wl, Figure 4(b) shows a schematic rear view of the second winding section 70 as seen from the left side Wl, and Figure 4(c) shows a cross-sectional view taken along arrow AA in Figure 4(b).

[0051] Figure 6(a) shows a schematic front view of the winding mechanism 5 in the fully closed state, viewed from the right side Wr, and Figure 6(b) shows a schematic enlarged front view of the second winding section 70 in Figure 6(a). Figure 7(a) shows a schematic front view of the winding mechanism 5 in the partially closed state, viewed from the right side Wr, and Figure 7(b) shows a schematic enlarged front view of the second winding section 70 in Figure 7(a). Figure 8(a) shows a schematic enlarged front view of the first winding section 60 in Figure 6(a), and Figure 8(b) shows a schematic enlarged front view of the first winding section 60 in Figure 7(a). Figure 9(a) shows a schematic front view of the winding mechanism 5 in the fully open state, viewed from the right side Wr, and Figure 9(b) shows a schematic enlarged front view of the second winding section 70 in Figure 9(a).

[0052] Here, the direction along the front and rear of the vehicle body 100 is defined as the longitudinal direction L, the direction along the width of the vehicle body 100 is defined as the width direction W, and the direction along the height of the vehicle body 100 is defined as the vertical direction H. Furthermore, the front along the longitudinal direction L is defined as the front side Lf, and the rear along the front side Lb. Also, the right side of the vehicle along the width direction W is defined as the right side Wr, the left side of the vehicle along the width direction W is defined as the left side Wl, the upper part of the vehicle along the vertical direction H is defined as the upper side Hu, and the lower part of the vehicle along the vertical direction H is defined as the lower side Hd.

[0053] As shown in Figure 1, the sliding door power supply device 1 supplies power from the vehicle body 100 to the electrical components incorporated in the sliding door 200. The sliding door power supply device 1 mainly consists of a power supply harness 2, a vehicle body-side retaining part 3, and a sliding door-side retaining part 4.

[0054] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the power supply harness 2 is composed of bundled insulated wires 21 and is stretched between the vehicle body 100 and the sliding door 200. The base end (vehicle body side) and tip end (sliding door side) of the power supply harness 2 are fitted with a base-side connector 22 and a tip-side connector 23, respectively, which house terminal fittings crimped to each insulated wire 21. In addition to the insulated wires 21, the power supply harness 2 may also include communication wires.

[0055] The vehicle body-side retaining part 3 includes a base block 31 that is fixed to the floor panel 101 of the vehicle body 100, and holds the base-end connector 22 attached to the base end of the power supply harness 2 inside the base block 31. The base-end connector 22 is connected to a floor-side connector 103 attached to the end of the vehicle body-side harness 102, which is a wire harness routed to the floor panel 101. In this way, the vehicle body-side harness 102 and the power supply harness 2 are electrically connected. Furthermore, the vehicle-side harness 102 and the power supply harness 2 may not be equipped with a floor-side connector 103 and a base-end connector 22, and the vehicle-side harness 102 and the power supply harness 2 may be configured as a single continuous wire harness.

[0056] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sliding door side retaining part 4 is fixed to the sliding door 200, which is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction L relative to the floor panel 101, and holds the tip portion of the power supply harness 2.

[0057] The sliding door side retaining part 4 consists of a base plate 40 fixed to the inner panel 201 of the sliding door 200, a link case 50 configured to pivot relative to the base plate 40, a first winding part 60 provided on the outside of the pivot center of the link case 50, a second winding part 70 provided on the pivot center side of the link case 50, and a coil spring 80 which is a biasing member.

[0058] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the base plate 40 is composed of a plate-shaped base body 41 that is roughly rectangular in shape when viewed from the right side Wr. Bolt holes 411 that penetrate in the thickness direction are provided in the upper corner of this base body 41. A connector 203 of the harness 202 routed to the sliding door 200 is attached to the rear upper end portion of the base body 41.

[0059] The base body 41, which can be fixed to the inner panel 201, is equipped with a center shaft 42 for fixing the first winding section 60, a stopper shaft 43 for restricting the pivot of the first winding section 60, and a contact member 44 positioned between the base body 41 and the center shaft 42.

[0060] The center shaft 42 is made up of a cylindrical body having a predetermined inner diameter and extends from approximately the center of the base body 41 toward the inside of the vehicle (right side Wr in Figure 2). In a front view from the right side Wr, the center shaft 42 is provided with an axle hole 421 formed by recessing the center of the center shaft 42 toward the left side Wl, and a rotation restricting hole 422 recessed toward the left side Wl in the longitudinal direction L of the axle hole 421.

[0061] The stopper shaft 43 is a projection provided on the front diagonally upper side Hu of the center shaft 42, and by contacting the link case 50 which is pivoted relative to the base plate 40, it restricts the pivot range of the link case 50 so that the link case 50 does not pivot excessively upward to Hu.

[0062] As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the contact member 44 is composed of a shaft portion 441 that protrudes from the base body 41 toward the inside of the vehicle between the center of the center shaft 42 and the stopper shaft 43, and an extension portion 442 that extends downward from the shaft portion 441.

[0063] The shaft portion 441 protrudes from the base body 41 toward the inside of the vehicle (to the right in Figure 2, Wr). The height of this shaft portion 441 (length along the vehicle width direction W) is configured to be longer than the thickness of the main plate 51 that constitutes the link case 50. In a front view, the shaft portion 441 is positioned above the stopper shaft 43, Hu (see Figure 3(a)).

[0064] The extension portion 442 is a rod-shaped body that extends downward Hd from the tip of the shaft portion 441. As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the tip of this extension portion 442 is formed in an arc shape in a front view and is composed of a contact portion 443 located below the lower end of the center shaft 42.

[0065] As shown in Figure 3(b), the extension portion 442 and the base body 41 are separated by a gap G larger than the thickness of the main plate 51, and the pivoted main plate 51 can be inserted between the extension portion 442 and the base body 41.

[0066] As shown in Figure 2, the link case 50 consists of a plate-shaped main plate 51 formed in a substantially rectangular shape, a first mounting portion 52 provided on one longitudinal side of the main plate 51, a second mounting portion 53 provided on the other longitudinal side of the main plate 51, and a cover plate 54 that is paired with the main plate 51.

[0067] The first mounting portion 52 is a cylindrical body with a smaller outer diameter than the center shaft 42, and is positioned to protrude inward from a position offset to one side in the longitudinal direction (the lower side Hd in Figure 2) from the central part of the roughly rectangular main plate 51. A fixing hole 521 for fixing the cover plate 54 is provided in the center of the first mounting portion 52 when viewed from the front. In addition, an axle spring 522 is provided in the roughly central part in the height direction of the first mounting portion 52, extending toward one side in the longitudinal direction of the main plate 51.

[0068] The shaft spring 522 is a so-called coil spring wound spirally along the longitudinal direction of the main plate 51, with one end fixed to the first mounting portion 52 and the other end fixed to the oval hole 61, which will be described later. The shaft spring 522 is a compression spring that has elastic force such that the first mounting portion 52 and the oval hole 61 repel each other when fixed to the oval hole 61.

[0069] The second mounting portion 53 is an annular column with an outer diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the center shaft 42, and a through portion 531 with an inner diameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the center shaft 42 formed in its central part. It is positioned to protrude toward the inside of the vehicle (right side Wr in Figure 2) from a position offset to the other longitudinal side (upper side Hu in Figure 2) from the central part of the approximately rectangular main plate 51. The through portion 531 formed in this second mounting portion 53 is provided along the thickness direction of the main plate 51 and is configured to allow the center shaft 42 to be inserted through it. Therefore, when the center shaft 42 is inserted through the first mounting portion 52, the link case 50 is configured to pivot around the center of the center shaft 42 as the pivot axis. The distance between the first mounting portion 52 and the second mounting portion 53 is sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of the power supply harness 2.

[0070] The cover plate 54 is a plate-like component formed in a substantially rectangular shape opposite the main plate 51, with a first locking shaft 541 formed at a position offset from the central portion towards one end in the longitudinal direction (the lower side Hd in Figure 2). A second locking shaft 542 is formed at a position offset from the central portion towards the other end in the longitudinal direction (the upper side Hu in Figure 2).

[0071] More specifically, the first locking shaft 541 is a rod-shaped body extending from the left side Wl surface of the cover plate 54 toward the left side Wl, and is provided at a position corresponding to the fixing hole 521. Similarly, the second locking shaft 542 is a rod-shaped body extending from the left side Wl surface of the cover plate 54 toward the left side Wl, and is provided at a position corresponding to the center of the through-hole 531. The tip of the first locking shaft 541 is configured to be lockable with the fixing hole 521. On the other hand, although the tip of the second locking shaft 542 can be inserted into the shaft hole 421, it is not fixed to the shaft hole 421. In other words, when the link case 50 is assembled to the base plate 40, the cover plate 54 is configured to pivot freely with the shaft hole 421 as the pivot axis, similar to the main plate 51.

[0072] As shown in Figure 2, the first winding section 60 is an annular column with an oval-shaped through hole 61, through which the first mounting section 52 can be inserted, located in the center when viewed from the front. The long axis of the oval-shaped hole 61 is aligned with the vertical direction H in Figure 2. Furthermore, the height of the first winding section 60 (length along the vehicle width direction W in Figure 2) is configured to be longer than the outer diameter of the power supply harness 2.

[0073] The second winding section 70 is a substantially cylindrical body having the same outer diameter and height as the first winding section 60, and as shown in Figures 2, 4(a), and 4(b), an insertion hole 71 through which the second locking shaft 542 can be inserted is provided in the center of the front view, along the height direction (vehicle width direction W in Figure 2).

[0074] Furthermore, the outer end face of the second winding portion 70 (left side Wl in Figure 2) is provided with a recess 72 that is shaped to allow the second mounting portion 53 to be inserted inside, and a groove 73 is provided on a part of the side surface of the second winding portion 70 that is recessed toward the inner diameter of the second winding portion 70.

[0075] As shown in Figures 4(a), 4(b), and 4(c), the recess 72 is a cylindrical recess having an inner diameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the second mounting portion 53. The depth of this recess 72 is approximately the same as the height of the second mounting portion 53 that protrudes to the right side Wr from the main plate 51. In addition, two locking protrusions 721 are provided on the bottom surface of the recess 72, protruding toward the left side Wl.

[0076] The locking projections 721 have an outer diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the rotation restricting hole 422 and are formed in a cylindrical shape with the same height as the depth of the recess 72. As shown in Figures 4(b) and 4(c), they are provided at predetermined intervals on either side of the insertion hole 71, which penetrates through the center in the height direction when viewed from the front. The distance between the locking projections 721 is equal to the distance between the rotation restricting holes 422.

[0077] The groove 73 is a groove formed on a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the second winding portion 70. More specifically, the groove 73 is a groove formed by recessing the outer circumferential surface of the second winding portion 70 to a predetermined depth from the apex of the lower side Hd to the rear side Lb. The circumference of the groove 73 is slightly more than 1 / 4 the circumference of the second winding portion 70. The width of the groove 73 is slightly wider than the outer diameter of the power supply harness 2. A leaf spring 731 is provided in the groove 73 configured in this way.

[0078] The leaf spring 731 is a plate-shaped body made of an elastic material. One end of the leaf spring 731 is connected to the bottom of the groove Hd on the lower side of the groove 73, and it extends from one end to the other towards the rear side Lb. The leaf spring 731 configured in this way has an arc shape that is convex radially outward from the second winding portion 70, and when no external force is acting, a portion of it extends radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the second winding portion 70.

[0079] The coil spring 80 biases the base body 41, which constitutes the base plate 40, to one side in the pivot direction R. More specifically, the spirally wound body portion 81 of the coil spring 80 is fitted onto the center shaft 42, and as will be described later, one end 82 extending from the body portion 81 is fixed to the base body 41, and the other end 83 extending from the body portion 81 is fixed to the main plate 51. Therefore, the coil spring 80 can bias the main plate 51 counterclockwise around the center shaft 42 when viewed from the inside of the vehicle (right side Wr in Figure 2).

[0080] The base plate 40, link case 50, first winding section 60, second winding section 70, and coil spring 80, configured in this way, are assembled together to form the sliding door side retaining section 4. A brief explanation follows below. First, the first winding portion 60 is assembled to the first mounting portion 52 of the link case 50. At this time, the other end of the shaft spring 522, one end of which is fixed to the first mounting portion 52, is fixed to one side in the longitudinal direction of the oval hole 61 (the lower side Hd in Figure 2). This allows the first winding portion 60 to be moved along the longitudinal direction of the main plate 51 relative to the first mounting portion 52. The shaft spring 522 fixed to the oval hole 61 in this manner has elastic force such that one side in the longitudinal direction of the oval hole 61 and the first mounting portion 52 repel each other.

[0081] Furthermore, the second winding portion 70 is assembled to the link case 50 by inserting the second mounting portion 53 into the recess 72. In this manner, the first winding section 60 and the second winding section 70 assembled in the link case 50 are separated by a gap large enough to allow the power supply harness 2 to pass through when the first winding section 60 is closest to the second winding section 70 due to the elastic force of the shaft spring 522.

[0082] Next, the power supply harness 2 is passed through the gap between the first winding section 60 and the second winding section 70, and the cover plate 54 is moved relative to the main plate 51 so that the first locking shaft 541 and the second locking shaft 542 are inserted into the fixing hole 521 and the insertion hole 71, respectively, thereby assembling the cover plate 54 and the main plate 51. In the link case 50 with the main plate 51 and cover plate 54 assembled in this way, the power supply harness 2, the first winding section 60 and the second winding section 70 are sandwiched between the main plate 51 and the cover plate 54. This prevents the power supply harness 2, the first winding section 60 and the second winding section 70 from falling out of the link case 50.

[0083] Then, the position of the second winding portion 70 is adjusted so that the locking projections 721 correspond to the rotation restricting holes 422, and the center shaft 42 is inserted through the through portion 531. As a result, the second locking shaft 542 is inserted into the shaft hole 421 and the locking projections 721 are inserted into the rotation restricting holes 422, and the link case 50 can be assembled to the base plate 40.

[0084] In this configuration, the other end 83 of the body portion 81, with one end 82 fixed to the base body 41, is fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the through portion 531. As a result, the coil spring 80 can bias the main plate 51 counterclockwise around the center shaft 42 when viewed from the inside of the vehicle (right side Wr in Figure 2).

[0085] This allows the link case 50, to which the first winding portion 60 and the second winding portion 70 are assembled, to be pivotably mounted on the base plate 40, forming a sliding door-side holding portion 4. Furthermore, since the locking projection 721 is fitted into the rotation restricting hole 422, it is possible to prevent the second winding portion 70 from rotating in accordance with the pivoting of the link case 50. Here, the pivot point P1 is defined as the pivot center of the link case 50. Note that the pivot point P1 coincides with the center of the second winding portion 70 in a front view.

[0086] In this configuration, the sliding door side holding part 4 has a power supply harness 2 routed between the first winding part 60 and the second winding part 70, and the link case 50 can be pivoted relative to the base plate 40 with the pivot axis being the axis along the center of the center shaft 42, i.e., the pivot point P1 in a front view. The link case 50, the first winding part 60, the second winding part 70, and the coil spring 80 pivot relative to the base plate 40 with the center of the center shaft 42 as the pivot axis, and constitute a winding mechanism 5 that changes the winding length of the power supply harness 2 at the pivot position.

[0087] Here, the direction away from the pivot center (pivot point P1) of the link case 50, that is, the side on which the first winding portion 60 is positioned relative to the pivot point P1, is defined as the pivot tip side, and the direction approaching the pivot center (pivot point P1) of the link case 50, that is, the side on which the second winding portion 70 is positioned relative to the first winding portion 60, is defined as the pivot base side.

[0088] Furthermore, the first winding portion 60 can be moved along a direction that approaches or moves away from the pivot point P1, which is also the center of the second winding portion 70. In other words, the first mounting portion 52 and the oval hole 61 can constitute a winding movement portion 6 that moves the first winding portion 60 along a predetermined direction relative to the pivot point P1 (second winding portion 70).

[0089] The sliding door side retaining part 4 configured in this way allows the base body 41 to be bolted to a predetermined position on the inner panel 201, and the base end connector 22 and tip end connector 23 provided at both ends of the power supply harness 2 to be connected to the floor side connector 103 and connector 203, respectively, thereby fixing both ends of the power supply harness 2 to the inner panel 201 and the floor panel 101, and electrically connecting the vehicle body side harness 102 and harness 202.

[0090] As shown in Figure 5, the sliding door-side retaining portion 4, which is fixed to the sliding door 200, changes its relative position to the vehicle body-side retaining portion 3, which is fixed to a predetermined location on the floor panel 101, as the sliding door 200 slides relative to the vehicle body 100. This change in relative position changes the tension acting on the power supply harness 2 connecting the vehicle body-side retaining portion 3 and the sliding door-side retaining portion 4, causing the winding mechanism 5 to pivot relative to the base plate 40. As a result, the power supply harness 2 routed through the winding mechanism 5 deforms, and the routing path of the power supply harness 2 changes.

[0091] The following describes the pivoting of the link case 50 and the changes in the harness path of the power supply harness 2 that occur with the sliding operation of the sliding door 200, using Figures 5 to 9. When the sliding door 200 is fully closed, the relative positions of the vehicle body-side retaining part 3 and the sliding door-side retaining part 4 are separated (see Figure 5). Therefore, as shown in Figure 6(a), the power supply harness 2 extending from the floor-side connector 103 is wrapped around the front side Lf of the first winding part 60 for about half a turn, then passes between the second winding part 70 and the first winding part 60, and is wrapped around the rear side Lb and lower side Hd of the second winding part 70 for about a quarter of a turn before reaching the connector 203. That is, in a tensioned state where a tensile load is applied to the power supply harness 2, the power supply harness 2 is wrapped around the first winding part 60 and the second winding part 70 in an S-shape (see Figure 6). Here, the portion of the second winding part 70 where the power supply harness 2 is wrapped is called the wrapped portion X. The length from the pivot point P1 to the wrapped portion X is called the distance D.

[0092] At this time, a relatively large tensile load is acting on the power supply harness 2, so the power supply harness 2, which is wrapped around the front Lf of the first winding section 60, presses the first winding section 60 toward the rear Lb. As a result, the winding mechanism 5 is kept in a state where it pivots clockwise when viewed from inside the vehicle, against the biasing force of the coil spring 80 (see Figure 6(a)).

[0093] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(b), since a relatively large tensile load is acting on the power supply harness 2, an external force acts on the leaf spring 731 provided in the groove 73, pushing it toward the center (pivot point P1) of the second winding section 70. For this reason, the power supply harness 2 is routed along the leaf spring 731 and the outer circumferential surface of the second winding section 70. Here, in a tensioned state where a relatively large tensile load is acting on the power supply harness 2, the distance D between the leaf spring 731 (tensioned winding section Xa) around which the power supply harness 2 is wound in the second winding section 70 and the pivot point P1, which is the reference point, is defined as the first tension distance D1 (see Figure 6(b)).

[0094] Furthermore, because a relatively large tensile load is acting on the power supply harness 2, an external force due to the tension of the power supply harness 2 acts on the first winding portion 60. As a result, a biasing force acts on the shaft spring 522, and the first winding portion 60 is positioned so that, in a front view, the center of the shaft spring 522 and the center of the first winding portion 60 coincide (see Figure 6(a)).

[0095] In contrast, as shown in Figures 5 and 7, sliding the sliding door 200 reduces the tension acting on the power supply harness 2 compared to the fully closed state (tensioned state), causing slack in the power supply harness 2. As a result, the winding mechanism 5 pivots counterclockwise (pivot direction R) due to the biasing force of the coil spring 80. At this time, the main plate 51 slides between the base body 41 and the extension 442, and the winding mechanism 5 pivots so that the extension 442 is sandwiched between the main plate 51 and the cover plate 54.

[0096] In this relaxed state, where the tensile load acting on the power supply harness 2 is reduced, the power supply harness 2 extending from the floor-side connector 103 is wrapped around approximately half a turn of the upper Hu of the first winding section 60, then passes between the first winding section 60 and the second winding section 70, and is wrapped around approximately half a turn of the lower Hd of the second winding section 70, reaching the connector 203. In other words, in this relaxed state, where the tensile load acting on the power supply harness 2 is reduced, the power supply harness 2 is wrapped around the first winding section 60 and the second winding section 70 in an S-shape.

[0097] Due to the pivoting motion of the link case 50 accompanying this sliding movement, the power supply harness 2 is pushed upward towards Hu by the first winding portion 60 which pivots together with the link case 50. As a result, the power supply harness 2 is pulled towards the connector 203, and the routing path of the power supply harness 2 changes. Therefore, the slack in the power supply harness 2 caused by the proximity of the relative positions of the vehicle body side retaining portion 3 and the sliding door side retaining portion 4 can be reduced.

[0098] Furthermore, as the tension load on the power supply harness 2 wound around the second winding section 70 decreases, the tip of the leaf spring 731 pushes the power supply harness 2 in a direction away from the pivot point P1, as shown in Figure 7(b). Here, in the relaxed state where the tension on the power supply harness 2 is relieved, the distance D between the leaf spring 731 (relaxed winding section Xb) around which the power supply harness 2 is wound in the second winding section 70 and the pivot point P1 is defined as the first tension distance D2.

[0099] As the power supply harness 2 changes tension due to the state change from a tensioned state to a relaxed state, the leaf spring 731 protrudes in a direction away from the pivot point P1. As a result, the relaxed winding portion Xb is positioned outside the tensioned winding portion Xa, and the first tension distance D2 becomes longer than the first tension distance D1. Therefore, the winding portion of the power supply harness 2 wound around the first winding portion 60 and the second winding portion 70 can be lengthened, and the slack in the power supply harness 2 routed on the vehicle body side of the second winding portion 70 can be reduced.

[0100] Furthermore, the pivoting motion of the winding mechanism 5 causes the contact portion 443 to contact the upper side Hu (pivot direction R) of the power supply harness 2 stretched between the first winding portion 60 and the second winding portion 70. This pushes the power supply harness 2 downwards to the lower side Hd, allowing the power supply harness 2, which would otherwise be routed in a straight line between the first winding portion 60 and the second winding portion 70 if the contact member 44 were not present, to be rerouted downwards to the lower side Hd. Therefore, the power supply harness 2 can be pulled towards the connector 203, reducing the slack of the power supply harness 2 on the vehicle body side of the second winding portion 70.

[0101] In addition, the tensile load acting on the power supply harness 2 is reduced, which reduces the pressing force that pushes the first winding portion 60 toward the second winding portion 70. As a result, the elastic force of the shaft spring 522 causes the first winding portion 60 to move toward the pivot end (see Figures 8(a) and 8(b)). This increases the winding length of the power supply harness 2 wound around the first winding portion 60 and the second winding portion 70, pulling the power supply harness 2 that is routed closer to the vehicle body than the second winding portion 70 toward the connector 203. Therefore, the slack in the power supply harness 2 can be reduced.

[0102] Furthermore, when the sliding door 200 is slid in the opening direction, the relative positions of the vehicle body-side retaining part 3 and the sliding door-side retaining part 4 separate again, increasing the tensile load acting on the power supply harness 2. As a result, as shown in Figure 9, the power supply harness 2 presses the first winding part 60 toward the downward side Hd, and the winding mechanism 5 pivots clockwise against the biasing force of the coil spring 80. In this manner of operation, the power supply harness 2 from the floor-side connector 103 to the connector 203 is pulled out toward the downward side Hd from between the first winding part 60 and the second winding part 70.

[0103] As a result, the tensile load acting on the power supply harness 2 increases, and the power supply harness 2 wrapped around the second winding section 70 presses the leaf spring 731 in a direction closer to the pivot point P1, causing it to be housed inside the groove section 73. This changes the path of the power supply harness 2, shortening its path and reducing the tension on the power supply harness 2 in a tensioned state.

[0104] Furthermore, as the tensile load acting on the power supply harness 2 increases, the pressing force exerted by the power supply harness 2, which is wrapped around the first winding portion 60, on the first winding portion 60 toward the second winding portion 70 also increases. As a result, the first winding portion 60 moves toward the pivot base end side against the elastic force of the shaft spring 522. Therefore, the power supply harness 2 can take the shortest distance toward the floor-side connector 103, and the tension on the power supply harness 2 can be reduced.

[0105] In this embodiment, when fully closed, i.e., when tension is applied to the power supply harness 2, the power supply harness 2 is wrapped around the first winding portion 60 and the second winding portion 70 in an S-shape, and when fully open, the power supply harness 2 is wrapped only around the second winding portion 70. However, this configuration is not necessarily required, and when fully open, the power supply harness 2 may be wrapped around the first winding portion 60 and the second winding portion 70 in an S-shape, and when fully closed, the power supply harness 2 may be wrapped only around the second winding portion 70.

[0106] Thus, the sliding door power supply device 1, which supplies power from the vehicle body 100 to electrical components installed on a sliding door 200 that slides relative to the vehicle body 100, includes a power supply harness 2 stretched between the vehicle body 100 and the sliding door 200, a vehicle body-side holding part 3 fixed to the vehicle body 100 and holding one end of the power supply harness 2, and a sliding door-side holding part 4 fixed to the sliding door 200 and holding the other end of the power supply harness 2. The sliding door-side holding part 4 is equipped with a winding mechanism 5 that changes the length of the winding portion of the power supply harness 2 wound around the first winding part 60 and the second winding part 70, around which a part of the power supply harness 2 is wound. Furthermore, the first winding section 60 is provided with a winding movement section 6 that moves relative to the pivot point P1 in the second winding section 70 in accordance with the change in state caused by the sliding movement of the sliding door 200, from a taut state where the tension acting on the power supply harness 2 is taut to a relaxed state where the tension acting on the power supply harness 2 is relaxed.

[0107] This prevents slack in the power supply harness 2 when the sliding door 200 slides in direction L. More specifically, as the state changes from a tensioned state to a relaxed state, the first winding part 60 can be moved relative to the vehicle body side holding part 3, which is close to the winding mechanism 5, so that the first winding part 60 is separated from the first winding part 60. This allows the length of the power supply harness 2 routed between the first winding part 60 and the vehicle body side holding part 3 to be increased in the relaxed state, thereby further suppressing slack in the power supply harness 2.

[0108] Furthermore, in the tensioned state, the length of the power supply harness 2 routed between the first winding part 60 and the vehicle body side holding part 3 can be shortened by moving the first winding part 60 relative to the pivot point P1 so that the vehicle body side holding part 3, which is separated from the winding mechanism 5, and the first winding part 60 come closer together. As a result, the overall length of the power supply harness 2 in the tensioned state can be shortened, and therefore the slack in the power supply harness 2 in the relaxed state when the state changes from tensioned to relaxed can be further suppressed.

[0109] Furthermore, the winding mechanism 5 includes a link case 50 that is supported to pivot as it slides, and a first winding section 60 is positioned on the pivot end side of the link case 50, while a second winding section 70 is positioned on the pivot base side, separated from the first winding section 60 by a gap large enough for the power supply harness 2 to pass through. In the tensioned state, the power supply harness 2 is wound around the first winding section 60 and the second winding section 70 in an S-shape, and in the relaxed state, the power supply harness 2 is wound around the first winding section 60 and the second winding section 70 in an S-shape, and the winding movement section 6 moves the first winding section 60 relative to the pivot point P1.

[0110] As a result, the winding movement section 6 moves the first winding section 60 relative to the pivot point P1, thereby suppressing slack in the power supply harness 2. In addition, the pivoting of the link case 50 accompanying the sliding movement of the sliding door 200 can change the routing path of the power supply harness 2. This further reduces slack in the power supply harness 2 when the tension is relaxed.

[0111] Furthermore, the winding movement unit 6 moves the first winding section 60 relative to the pivot point P1, which is also the center of the second winding section 70, in a direction perpendicular to the pivot axis of the link case 50, as the link case 50 pivots due to the sliding movement. As a result, the winding movement unit 6 can move the first winding section 60 relative to the pivot point P1 so that it approaches or moves away from the first winding section 60, thereby allowing the length of the winding portion of the power supply harness 2 to be adjusted according to the conditions.

[0112] More specifically, as the state changes from a tensioned state to a relaxed state, the first winding portion 60 is moved away from the pivot point P1, thereby adjusting the length of the winding portion of the power supply harness 2 that is stretched between the first winding portion 60 and the second winding portion 70 to increase. This suppresses slack in the power supply harness 2 in the relaxed state.

[0113] Furthermore, as the state changes from a relaxed state to a tense state, the first winding portion 60 is brought closer to the pivot point P1, thereby adjusting the length of the winding portion of the power supply harness 2 that is stretched between the first winding portion 60 and the second winding portion 70 to be shortened. As a result, the length of the winding portion of the power supply harness 2 can be shortened in the tense state, thus shortening the overall length of the power supply harness 2 in the tense state, which suppresses slack in the power supply harness 2 in the relaxed state and also reduces the weight of the power supply harness 2.

[0114] Furthermore, the winding movement section 6 has an elastically deformable shaft spring 522 that changes in state between a tensioned state and a relaxed state, and the winding movement section 6 moves the first winding section 60 relative to the pivot point P1 due to the elastic deformation of the shaft spring 522 accompanying the change in state. In this way, the first winding section 60 can be moved relative to the pivot point P1 by the elastic deformation of the shaft spring 522 as the sliding door 200 slides. In other words, with a simple structure, the first winding section 60 can be moved relative to the pivot point P1, and slack in the power supply harness 2 in the relaxed state can be suppressed. Also, even in the tensioned state, the tension acting on the power supply harness 2 can be reduced because the first winding section 60 moves relative to the pivot point P1 due to the elastic deformation of the shaft spring 522.

[0115] Furthermore, the winding movement section 6 moves the first winding section 60 relative to the pivot point P1 in accordance with the change in tension acting on the power supply harness 2 due to the sliding movement of the sliding door 200. This allows the winding length of the power supply harness 2 to be adjusted by utilizing the tension acting on the power supply harness 2 that changes in accordance with the sliding movement of the sliding door 200. For this reason, there is no need to provide a mechanism that moves the base point relative to the sliding movement regardless of the tension acting on the power supply harness 2, and slack in the power supply harness 2 can be suppressed with a simple structure.

[0116] Furthermore, a leaf spring 731 is provided to adjust the distance D between the pivot point P1 in the second winding section 70 and the wound-up section X around which the winding portion of the power supply harness 2 is wound in the second winding section 70. As a result, the leaf spring 731 can be adjusted so that the distance D between the pivot point P1 and the wound-up section X increases as the state changes from the fully closed state (tensioned state) to the intermediate state (relaxed state) (see Figure 7(b)), thereby increasing the length of the winding portion of the power supply harness 2 wound around the first winding section 60 and the second winding section 70. Therefore, slack in the power supply harness 2 can be suppressed in the relaxed state when the vehicle body side holding section 3 and the sliding door side holding section 4 are close together.

[0117] Furthermore, in addition to adjusting the distance D between the pivot point P1 and the wound portion X using the leaf spring 731, as shown in Figures 6(a) and 7(a), the pivoting of the link case 50 accompanying the sliding movement of the sliding door 200 can change the routing path of the power supply harness 2, thereby further reducing slack in the power supply harness 2.

[0118] Furthermore, by pivoting the link case 50, the routing path of the power supply harness 2 can be changed, further reducing the slack in the power supply harness 2. As a result, the slack in the power supply harness 2 caused by the leaf spring 731 can be reduced compared to when the link case 50 is not pivoting. Therefore, the second winding section 70 (winding mechanism 5) equipped with the leaf spring 731 can be made more compact.

[0119] Furthermore, the leaf spring 731 can suppress slack in the power supply harness 2 with a simple structure by adjusting the distance D between the wound portion X and the pivot point P1 in response to the change in tension acting on the power supply harness 2 due to the sliding movement of the sliding door 200.

[0120] In other words, the leaf spring 731 can adjust the distance D between the wrapped portion X and the pivot point P1 by lengthening or shortening it by utilizing the tension acting on the power supply harness 2, which changes in accordance with the sliding movement of the sliding door 200. Therefore, there is no need to provide a mechanism that adjusts the distance D between the wrapped portion X and the pivot point P1 with the leaf spring 731 in accordance with the sliding movement, regardless of the tension acting on the power supply harness 2. As a result, slack in the power supply harness 2 can be suppressed with a simple structure.

[0121] Furthermore, the leaf spring 731 is a plate-shaped elastic material that elastically deforms in response to changes in the tension acting on the power supply harness 2. As a result, by simply providing the elastic leaf spring 731 in the second winding section 70, the distance D between the wound section X and the pivot point P1 can be easily and reliably adjusted. In other words, slack in the power supply harness 2 can be easily and reliably suppressed with a simple structure.

[0122] Furthermore, the second winding section 70 is provided on the pivot base end side of the link case 50. As a result, not only the first winding section 60 but also the second winding section 70 is provided on the link case 50, making the winding mechanism 5 more compact. In addition, since the first winding section 60 and the second winding section 70 can be attached to the link case 50 and then mounted together as a single unit to the mounting location (base plate 40), assembly can be improved.

[0123] Furthermore, the winding mechanism 5 is configured separately from the first winding section 60 and the second winding section 70, and is provided with a contact section 443 (contact member 44) that, in the relaxed state, comes into contact with the connecting section stretched between the first winding section 60 and the second winding section 70 of the power supply harness 2, thereby bypassing the connecting section.

[0124] As a result, in the relaxed state, the contact portion 443 can be brought into contact with the portion of the power supply harness 2 that is wrapped around the first wrapping portion 60 and the second wrapping portion 70, and the power supply harness 2 that is wrapped around the first wrapping portion 60 and the second wrapping portion 70 in a straight line can be curved and bypassed. Therefore, the length of the wrapping portion of the power supply harness 2 that is wrapped around the first wrapping portion 60 and the second wrapping portion 70 can be increased. Consequently, slack in the power supply harness 2 caused by the proximity of the vehicle body side holding portion 3 and the sliding door side holding portion 4 can be further suppressed.

[0125] Furthermore, as the link case 50 pivots during the transition from a tensioned state to a relaxed state, the pivot direction R is defined as the pivot direction, and the contact portion 443 contacts the side of the power supply harness 2 in the pivot direction R during the relaxed state. This allows the contact portion 443 to easily contact the connecting portion of the power supply harness 2 simply by pivoting the link case 50. In other words, the slack in the power supply harness 2 caused by the relaxation of the tension acting on the power supply harness 2 can be suppressed simply by having a pivoting structure for the link case 50. Furthermore, as the state changes from a relaxed state to a tense state, the link case 50 pivots in the opposite direction, making it easy to release the contact between the contact portion 443 and the connecting portion.

[0126] Furthermore, the link case 50 has a base body 41 that supports the link case 50 which pivots as it slides, and an extension 442 is provided that faces the base body 41 and is configured to allow the main plate 51 to be inserted through it, with the contact portion 443 provided on the extension portion 442. This makes it easy to provide the contact portion 443 on the side of the pivot direction R of the link case 50. In other words, simply by pivoting the link case 50, the contact portion 443 located on the side of the pivot direction R can be easily and reliably brought into contact with the connecting portion of the power supply harness 2.

[0127] In the above-described embodiment, the winding mechanism 5 is configured such that the distance D between the wound portion X and the pivot point P1 increases as the state changes from a tensioned state to a relaxed state by means of the leaf spring 731. However, when the state changes from a relaxed state to a tensioned state, the distance D between the wound portion X and the pivot point P1 may be shortened.

[0128] The winding mechanism 5A, which shortens the distance D between the wound portion X and the pivot point P1 in a tensioned state, will be described below with reference to Figure 10. Here, Figure 10(a) shows a schematic enlarged front view of the second winding section 70A in the tensioned state, and Figure 10(b) shows a schematic enlarged front view of the second winding section 70A in the relaxed state. In the winding mechanism 5A, the same numbering is used for components that are the same as those in the winding mechanism 5, and their explanations are omitted.

[0129] The winding mechanism 5A can shorten the distance D between the wound portion X around which the power supply harness 2 is wound and the pivot point P1, which is the pivot center of the winding mechanism 5, when under tension. This winding mechanism 5A has exactly the same configuration as the winding mechanism 5, except that the second winding portion 70 that constitutes the winding mechanism 5 is called the second winding portion 70A.

[0130] The second winding section 70A has substantially the same configuration as the second winding section 70. That is, the second winding section 70A is provided with an insertion hole 71, a recess 72, and a groove 73A which replaces the groove 73. Groove 73A, like groove 73, is a groove formed by recessing the outer circumferential surface of the second winding portion 70 to a predetermined depth, and has a length of slightly more than 1 / 4 of the circumference from the apex of the lower Hd to the rear Lb along the outer circumferential surface of the second winding portion 70. The width of groove 73A is wider than the outer diameter of the power supply harness 2, and is configured to accommodate a portion of the power supply harness 2 inside. A leaf spring 731 is provided in groove 73A configured in this way.

[0131] The leaf spring 731 is a plate-shaped body made of an elastic material. One end of the leaf spring 731 is connected to the bottom of the groove Hd on the lower side of the groove 73A and extends toward the rear side Lb. The leaf spring 731 connected to the groove 73A has an arc shape that is convex radially outward of the second winding portion 70A, and is positioned so as to be substantially flush with the outer circumferential surface of the second winding portion 70A when no external force is acting on it.

[0132] In the winding mechanism 5A configured in this way, under tension conditions where a relatively large tensile load acts on the power supply harness 2, the tension acting on the power supply harness 2 pushes the leaf spring 731 toward the center (pivot point P1) of the second winding section 70A (see Figure 10(a)). As a result, a portion of the power supply harness 2 is housed inside the groove 73.

[0133] On the other hand, when the sliding door 200 is slid in the opening direction (rearward side Lb), the relative positions of the vehicle body side retaining part 3 and the sliding door side retaining part 4 become closer, reducing the tensile load acting on the power supply harness 2. In this relaxed state, where the tensile load acting on the power supply harness 2 is reduced, an elastic force acts on the leaf spring 731 provided in the groove 73A in a direction away from the pivot point P1, thereby pushing the power supply harness 2 away from the pivot point P1. As a result, as shown in Figure 10(b), the routing path of the power supply harness 2 can be changed to follow the outer circumferential surface of the second winding portion 70A.

[0134] In other words, the leaf spring 731 can make the second relaxation distance D4 between the pivot point P1 and the wound portion X (relaxed wound portion Xb) in the relaxed state longer than the second tension distance D3 between the pivot point P1 and the wound portion X (tensioned wound portion Xa) in the tensioned state.

[0135] In the sliding door power supply device 1 having the winding mechanism 5A as described above, as the power supply harness 2 changes state from a tensioned state (fully closed state) to a relaxed state (intermediate state), the leaf spring 731 can be adjusted to increase the distance D between the pivot point P1 and the wound portion X (see Figure 10(b)). This allows the length of the wound portion of the power supply harness 2 wound around the first winding portion 60 and the second winding portion 70A to be adjusted to increase, thereby suppressing slack in the power supply harness 2 in the relaxed state.

[0136] Furthermore, the pivot point P1 is the center of the second winding section 70A where the leaf spring 731 is provided, when viewed from a direction along the pivot axis. As the leaf spring 731 changes state from a relaxed state to a taut state, it shortens the distance D between the wound portion X in the second winding section 70 and the pivot point P1.

[0137] This allows the length of the winding portion of the power supply harness 2 to be shortened when under tension. Therefore, since the overall length of the power supply harness 2 can be shortened when under tension, slack in the power supply harness 2 when relaxed can be suppressed, and the weight of the power supply harness 2 can be reduced.

[0138] Furthermore, in a state of tension where the power supply harness 2 is under high tension, the leaf spring 731 may be positioned inside the groove 73 (see Figure 10(a)), while in a relaxed state where the tension acting on the power supply harness 2 is relieved as the sliding door 200 slides, the leaf spring 731 may protrude from the groove 73 (see Figure 7(a)).

[0139] In other words, in a tensioned state, a portion of the power supply harness 2 is housed inside the groove 73, and in a relaxed state where the tension acting on the power supply harness 2 is relieved as the sliding door 200 slides, the elastic force of the leaf spring 731 may be adjusted so that the power supply harness 2 is pushed outward from the outer surface of the second winding portion 70.

[0140] This allows for a shorter overall length of the power supply harness 2 in a tensioned state, and also allows for a longer length of the winding portion of the power supply harness 2 wound around the first winding portion 60 and the second winding portion 70 in a relaxed state, thereby further suppressing slack in the power supply harness 2 in a relaxed state and reducing the weight of the power supply harness 2.

[0141] Furthermore, in the winding mechanism 5A, the leaf spring 731 enters the groove 73A when the harness is tensioned, allowing the power supply harness 2 to be housed in the groove 73A. This shortens the overall length of the power supply harness 2 when the harness is tensioned, and also adjusts the length of the winding portion of the power supply harness 2 wound around the first winding portion 60 and the second winding portion 70A when the harness is relaxed to be longer, thereby suppressing slack in the power supply harness 2 when the harness is relaxed.

[0142] To obtain the same effect as the winding mechanism 5A, for example, instead of the second winding portion 70A, the winding mechanism 5B may be provided with a second winding portion 70B in which at least the wound portion X around which the power supply harness 2 is wound is made of an elastic material (see Figure 11).

[0143] Below, a brief explanation of winding mechanism 5B, which has the same effect as winding mechanism 5A, will be given based on Figure 11. Here, Figure 11(a) shows a schematic enlarged front view of the second winding section 70B in the tensioned state, and Figure 11(b) shows a schematic enlarged front view of the second winding section 70B in the relaxed state. In the winding mechanism 5B, the same numbering is used for components that are the same as those in the winding mechanism 5, and their explanations are omitted.

[0144] The winding mechanism 5B can shorten the distance D between the wound portion X around which the power supply harness 2 is wound and the pivot point P1, which is the pivot center of the winding mechanism 5, when under tension. This winding mechanism 5B has exactly the same configuration as the winding mechanism 5, except that the second winding portion 70 that constitutes the winding mechanism 5 is called the second winding portion 70B.

[0145] The second winding portion 70B is made of an elastic member whose outer surface deforms toward the pivot point P1, which is the center of the second winding portion 70B, when a predetermined external force is applied. More specifically, the second winding portion 70B is a substantially cylindrical body having the same outer diameter and height as the first winding portion 60, and is provided with an insertion hole 71 and a recess 72. In other words, unlike the second winding portion 70, the second winding portion 70B is not provided with a groove 73.

[0146] In the winding mechanism 5B configured in this way, under tension conditions in which a relatively large tensile load acts on the power supply harness 2, the outer surface of the second winding portion 70B deforms toward the center (pivot point P1) of the second winding portion 70 due to the tension acting on the power supply harness 2 (see Figure 11(a)).

[0147] On the other hand, when the sliding door 200 is slid in the opening direction (rearward side Lb), the relative positions of the vehicle body side retaining part 3 and the sliding door side retaining part 4 become closer, and the tensile load acting on the power supply harness 2 decreases. In this relaxed state where the tensile load acting on the power supply harness 2 is reduced, an elastic force acts on the second winding part 70B in a direction away from the pivot point P1, and the power supply harness 2 can be pushed in a direction away from the pivot point P1. As a result, as shown in Figure 11(b), the routing path of the power supply harness 2 can be changed to follow the outer circumferential surface of the second winding part 70B.

[0148] Thus, the second winding section 70B can increase the third relaxation distance D6 between the pivot point P1 and the wound-up section X (relaxed winding section Xb) in the relaxed state compared to the third tension distance D5 between the pivot point P1 and the wound-up section X (tensioned winding section Xa) in the tensioned state. In other words, the second winding section 70B functions as a distance adjustment section that adjusts the distance D between the wound-up section X and the pivot point P1, similar to the leaf spring 731.

[0149] The sliding door power supply device 1 having the winding mechanism 5B described above can adjust the distance D between the pivot point P1 and the wound portion X to increase as the power supply harness 2 changes state from a tensioned state (fully closed state) to a relaxed state (intermediate state) (see Figure 10(b)). This allows the length of the wound portion of the power supply harness 2 wound around the first winding portion 60 and the second winding portion 70B to be adjusted to increase, thereby suppressing slack in the power supply harness 2 in the relaxed state.

[0150] Furthermore, the wrapped portion X has a second wrapped portion 70B whose shape elastically deforms in accordance with the change in state between a tensioned state and a relaxed state, and the distance D between the wrapped portion X and the pivot point P1 can be adjusted by the elastic deformation of the second wrapped portion 70B in accordance with the change in state.

[0151] As a result, the second winding portion 70B elastically deforms as the sliding door 200 slides, allowing the distance D between the wound portion X and the pivot point P1 to be adjusted. In other words, the wound portion X can be deformed in response to changes in state with a simple structure. Therefore, slack in the power supply harness 2 in the relaxed state can be suppressed.

[0152] Furthermore, the second winding section 70B in the winding mechanism 5B may be configured such that the entire winding section having the wound portion X is elastically deformable, or that only the wound portion X is elastically deformable. In addition, the second winding section 70B may be made of, for example, a porous resin material such as a sponge or an elastic member that elastically deforms when the tension acting on the power supply harness 2 changes. Furthermore, the second winding section 70B may be composed of a coil spring wound in a spiral shape when viewed from the vehicle width direction W, and the entire structure may be configured to contract or expand in diameter due to the tension of the power supply harness 2.

[0153] Furthermore, in both the tensioned and relaxed states, the wound portion X, which is the part around which the power supply harness 2 is wound, is a groove 73. However, the location of the wound portion X is not necessarily the same in the tensioned and relaxed states, and may be a different location. For example, a configuration can be considered in which the second wound portion 70 rotates around the pivot center as the center of rotation in accordance with the pivot of the link case 50 relative to the base plate 40.

[0154] As an example, in the tensioned state, the leaf spring 731 is positioned on the upper side Hu and the rear side Lb. As the state changes from tensioned to relaxed, the second winding section 70 rotates 90 degrees around the pivot point P1 as the center of rotation, and as shown in Figure 7(b), the leaf spring 731 is positioned on the lower side Hd and the rear side Lb. This configuration can achieve the same effect as the sliding door power supply device 1.

[0155] As another example, a roughly egg-shaped second winding section 70C that rotates in accordance with the pivot of the link case 50 relative to the base plate 40 can also achieve the same effect as the sliding door power supply device 1. Below, a winding mechanism 5C in which the second winding section 70C that rotates in accordance with the pivot of the link case 50 relative to the base plate 40 is provided instead of the second winding section 70 will be briefly described with reference to Figure 12.

[0156] Here, Figure 12(a) shows a schematic enlarged front view of the second winding section 70C in the tensioned state, and Figure 12(b) shows a schematic enlarged front view of the second winding section 70C in the relaxed state. In the winding mechanism 5C, the same numbering is used for components that are the same as those in the winding mechanism 5, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0157] The winding mechanism 5C can adjust the distance D between the wound portion X around which the power supply harness 2 is wound and the pivot point P1, which is the pivot center of the winding mechanism 5, as the state changes from a tensioned state to a relaxed state. This winding mechanism 5C has substantially the same configuration as the winding mechanism 5, except that the second winding portion 70 that constitutes the winding mechanism 5 is called the second winding portion 70C.

[0158] Unlike the second winding section 70, the second winding section 70C, which replaces the second winding section 70, is assembled to the link case 50 so that it can rotate around the pivot point P1 as the center of rotation in accordance with the pivot of the link case 50 relative to the base plate 40.

[0159] In a front view, the second winding section 70C has a roughly egg-like shape, combining a semicircle and a semiellipse. More specifically, in the tensioned state, the second winding section 70C is composed of a semicircular section 741 on the lower side Hd having the same outer diameter as the first winding section 60, and a semielliptical section 742 on the upper side Hu having an orbital semi-minor radius ds that is the same length as the outer diameter of the first winding section 60, and an orbital semi-major radius dl that is longer than the outer diameter of the first winding section 60 (see Figure 12(a)).

[0160] In the winding mechanism 5C having the second winding section 70C configured in this way, as shown in Figure 12(a), the power supply harness 2 is wound around the rear side Lb of the second winding section 70C. In the tensioned state, the distance D between the tensioned winding section Xa and the pivot point P1 is the same as the semicircular radius ds of the orbit.

[0161] On the other hand, when the sliding door 200 is slid in the opening direction (rearward side Lb), the relative positions of the vehicle body side retaining part 3 and the sliding door side retaining part 4 become closer, reducing the tensile load acting on the power supply harness 2. As a result, the winding mechanism 5C pivots counterclockwise (pivot direction R) due to the biasing force of the coil spring 80.

[0162] As the winding mechanism 5C pivots, the second winding section 70C rotates 90 degrees around the pivot point P1 as its center of rotation. In this relaxed state, the distance D between the relaxed winding section Xb and the pivot point P1 is equal to the semi-major axis dl of the orbit (see Figure 12(b)).

[0163] Thus, the sliding door power supply device 1, equipped with the winding mechanism 5C, can be adjusted so that the distance D between the wound portion X and the pivot point P1 increases by changing its state from a tensioned state to a relaxed state. In other words, the semi-elliptical portion 742 that constitutes the roughly egg-shaped second winding portion 70C functions as a distance adjustment portion that adjusts the distance D between the wound portion X and the pivot point P1, and can adjust the length of the wound portion of the power supply harness 2 wound around the first winding portion 60 and the second winding portion 70C to increase. Therefore, slack in the power supply harness 2 in the relaxed state can be suppressed.

[0164] Furthermore, the second winding section 70C rotates with respect to the pivot of the link case 50, with the pivot point P1 being the pivot point of the second winding section 70C. The semi-elliptical section 742 is provided on the second winding section 70C and adjusts the distance D between the wound portion X and the pivot point P1 as the second winding section 70C rotates.

[0165] As a result, simply by pivoting the link case 50 in conjunction with the sliding movement of the sliding door 200, the second winding portion 70C can be rotated, and the wound portion X can be adjusted to the appropriate position according to the tension acting on the power supply harness 2. Therefore, the distance D between the wound portion X and the pivot point P1 can be easily adjusted.

[0166] Furthermore, the wound portion X in the tensioned state is designated as the tensioned wound portion Xa, and the wound portion X in the relaxed state is designated as the relaxed wound portion Xb. The second wound portion 70C is configured such that the distance D between the tensioned wound portion Xa and the pivot point P1 is different from the distance D between the relaxed wound portion Xb and the pivot point P1. This allows the location where the power supply harness 2 is wound to be easily and reliably changed to either the tensioned wound portion Xa or the relaxed wound portion Xb simply by pivoting the link case 50 in conjunction with the sliding movement of the sliding door 200, thereby rotating the second wound portion 70. Consequently, the distance D between the pivot point P1 and the wound portion X can be easily and reliably adjusted, and slack in the power supply harness 2 can be easily suppressed as the sliding door 200 slides.

[0167] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the pivot center of the link case 50 coincides with the center (center of gravity C) of the second winding portion 70, but it is not necessarily required that they coincide. That is, the pivot center of the link case 50 may be located on the pivot base end side of the second winding portion 70, or between the second winding portion 70 and the first winding portion 60.

[0168] For example, as shown in Figure 13, in a tensioned state where a relatively large tensile load is acting on the power supply harness 2, the center of gravity C of the second winding portion 70D may be located on the upper side Hu of the pivot center of the link case 50. Below, based on Figure 13, we will briefly describe the winding mechanism 5D in which the center of gravity C of the second winding section 70D is positioned above the pivot point P1 of the link case 50 in a tensioned state.

[0169] Here, Figure 13(a) shows a schematic enlarged front view of the second winding section 70D in the tensioned state, and Figure 13(b) shows a schematic enlarged front view of the second winding section 70D in the relaxed state. In the winding mechanism 5D, the same numbering is used for components that are the same as those in the winding mechanism 5, and their explanations are omitted.

[0170] The winding mechanism 5D has substantially the same configuration as the winding mechanism 5, except that the second winding section 70 constituting the winding mechanism 5 is called the second winding section 70D. The second winding section 70D has the same external shape as the second winding section 70C. That is, the second winding section 70D has a roughly egg shape, consisting of a semicircular section 751 on the lower side Hd having the same outer diameter as the first winding section 60, and a semi-elliptical section 752 on the upper side Hu having a semi-minor axis ds that is the same length as the outer diameter of the first winding section 60, and a semi-major axis dl that is longer than the outer diameter of the first winding section 60 (see Figure 13(a)).

[0171] Furthermore, the second winding portion 70D has an insertion hole 71 in the approximate center of the semicircular portion 751 through which the second locking shaft 542 can be inserted. In addition, a recess 72 is provided on the back side of the semicircular portion 751 that fits with the second mounting portion 53 so as to rotate the second winding portion 70D in accordance with the pivoting of the link case 50 relative to the base plate 40.

[0172] In the winding mechanism 5D having the second winding section 70D configured in this way, as shown in Figure 13(a), the power supply harness 2 is wound around the rear side Lb of the second winding section 70D. In this tensioned state, the distance D between the tensioned winding section Xa, the pivot point P1, and the winding section Xa is defined as the fourth tension distance D7.

[0173] On the other hand, when the sliding door 200 is slid in the opening direction (rearward side Lb), the relative positions of the vehicle body side retaining part 3 and the sliding door side retaining part 4 become closer, reducing the tensile load acting on the power supply harness 2. As a result, the winding mechanism 5D pivots counterclockwise (pivot direction R) due to the biasing force of the coil spring 80.

[0174] As the winding mechanism 5D pivots, the second winding section 70D rotates around the pivot point P1 as its center of rotation, while its center of gravity C moves along a circular orbit T centered on the pivot point P1. In this tensioned state, if the distance D between the relaxed winding section Xb and the pivot point P1 is defined as the fourth relaxation distance D8, then the fourth relaxation distance D8 is longer than the fourth tension distance D7 (see Figure 13(b)). More specifically, D8 is longer than the semi-major axis dl of the orbit.

[0175] Thus, in the sliding door power supply device 1 equipped with the winding mechanism 5D, by changing the state from a tensioned state to a relaxed state, the second winding section 70D, which has a center of gravity C at a different position from the pivot point P1, the pivot center of the link case 50, can be adjusted so that the distance D between the wound portion X and the pivot point P1 increases. That is, the semi-elliptical portion 752 constituting the roughly egg-shaped second winding section 70D functions as a distance adjustment section that adjusts the distance D between the pivot point P1, which is the reference point, and the wound portion X. Furthermore, the second winding section 70D, which is positioned so that its center of gravity C is at a different position from the pivot point P1, functions as a winding movement section 6, and the length of the wound portion of the power supply harness 2 wound around the first winding section 60 and the second winding section 70D can be adjusted so that it increases. Therefore, slack in the power supply harness 2 in the relaxed state can be suppressed.

[0176] Thus, the pivot point P1 is the pivot center of the link case 50, the second winding section 70D is provided on the pivot base end side of the link case 50, and the center of gravity C of the second winding section 70D is located at a position different from the pivot point P1. As a result, not only the first winding section 60 but also the second winding section 70D is provided on the link case 50, making the winding mechanism 5 more compact. Furthermore, since the first winding section 60 and the second winding section 70D can be attached to the link case 50 and then mounted together as a single unit to the mounting location, assembly can be improved.

[0177] In addition, the center of gravity C of the second winding section 70D is moved relative to the pivot point P1 on a circular orbit with the pivot point P1 as the center of rotation. That is, the position of the second winding section 70D relative to the pivot point P1 can be changed in accordance with the change in state, and the distance D between the wound-up section X and the pivot point P1 can be adjusted according to the state. As a result, for example, in the relaxed state, the distance D between the wound-up section X and the pivot point P1 can be increased, and slack in the power supply harness 2 in the relaxed state can be suppressed. Furthermore, the second winding section 70D does not necessarily have to be roughly egg-shaped; even if it is circular in front view, the same effect can be achieved by shifting the pivot point P1 and the center of gravity C of the second winding section 70D.

[0178] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the winding movement unit 6 moves the first winding unit 60 so as to approach or move away from the second winding unit 70 (pivot point P1). However, the embodiment is not limited to this one, and for example, in a tensioned state, the first winding unit 60 may be moved toward the rear side Lb (see Figure 14(a)). Also, in a relaxed state, the first winding unit 60 may be moved toward the upward side Hu (see Figure 14(b)).

[0179] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the contact portion 443 is provided at the tip of the extension portion 442, which is configured so that only the link case 50 can be inserted between it and the base body 41. However, for example, as shown in Figures 15 and 16, if the winding mechanism 5 is configured to be pivotable relative to the base body 41, the convex portion 45 provided on the base body 41 may contact the power supply harness 2 wound between the first winding portion 60 and the second winding portion 70.

[0180] The sliding door side retaining part 4E, which has a configuration in which a protrusion 45 abuts against the power supply harness 2 wound between the first winding part 60 and the second winding part 70, will be briefly described below with reference to Figures 15 and 16. Here, Figure 15(a) shows a schematic front view of the base plate 40E viewed from the right side Wr, Figure 15(b) shows a schematic side view of the base plate 40E viewed from the front side Lf, and Figure 15(c) shows a schematic front view of the link case 50E viewed from the right side Wr. Note that in the sliding door side retaining part 4E, the same numbering is used for components with the same configuration as the sliding door side retaining part 4, and their explanation is omitted.

[0181] The sliding door side retaining part 4E is composed of a base plate 40E and a winding mechanism 5E, similar to the sliding door side retaining part 4. The winding mechanism 5E is composed of a link case 50E, a first winding part 60, a second winding part 70, and a coil spring 80. As shown in Figures 15(a) and 15(b), the base plate 40E is composed of a base body 41 which is roughly rectangular in front view, and a center shaft 42, a stopper shaft 43, and a protrusion 45 are provided on the base body 41.

[0182] The protrusion 45 is a cylindrical body that protrudes from the base body 41 toward the right side Wr at a position approximately in the center of the base body 41, or more specifically, at a position a predetermined length forward Lf and downward Hd from the center of the center shaft 42 when viewed from the front. In other words, the protrusion 45 is erected on the base body 41 along the pivot axis of the link case 50E which pivots with respect to the base plate 40.

[0183] The link case 50E consists of a main plate 51, a first mounting portion 52, a second mounting portion 53, and a cover plate 54. The main plate 51 is provided with a passable portion 55 that allows the convex portion 45 to pass through in accordance with the pivoting of the link case 50E relative to the base plate 40E.

[0184] More specifically, as shown in Figure 15(c), the passage portion 55 is an arc-shaped through-hole that penetrates the main plate 51 in the thickness direction between the first mounting portion 52 and the second mounting portion 53. It consists of an arc-shaped hole 551 formed in an arc shape when viewed from the front, and a guide portion 552 provided at one end of the arc-shaped hole 551.

[0185] In a front view, the arc-shaped hole 551 is formed by passing through the main plate 51 in an arc shape, with the center of the through-hole 531 as its center and the radius equal to the distance from the center of the center shaft 42 to the protrusion 45. The width of this arc-shaped hole 551 is approximately the same length as the outer shape of the protrusion 45. One end of the arc-shaped hole 551 extends to the end face of the main plate 51 in the pivot direction R. The inscribed angle of the arc-shaped hole 551 is 70 degrees. The guide portion 552 provided at one end of the arc-shaped hole 551 is formed to gradually widen towards the tip.

[0186] As the state of the passage portion 55 configured in this way changes from a tensioned state to a relaxed state, the link case 50E pivots relative to the base plate 40E, thereby guiding the convex portion 45 along the arc-shaped hole 551 to a predetermined location on the main plate 51.

[0187] In more detail, as shown in Figure 16(a), in a tensioned state where a relatively large tensile load is acting on the power supply harness 2, the link case 50E is maintained in a state where it is pivoted clockwise relative to the base body 41, against the biasing force of the coil spring 80.

[0188] In contrast, as shown in Figure 16(b), sliding the sliding door 200 causes slack in the power supply harness 2. As a result, the biasing force of the coil spring 80 causes the link case 50E to pivot counterclockwise (pivot direction R) relative to the base body 41. At this time, as the link case 50E pivots, the protrusion 45 provided on the base body 41 is guided by the guide portion 552 and passes through the arc-shaped hole 551. As a result, in the relaxed state, the protrusion 45 is positioned between the first winding portion 60 and the second winding portion 70.

[0189] In this way, the protrusion 45 positioned between the first winding portion 60 and the second winding portion 70 comes into contact with the upper side Hu (pivot direction R) of the power supply harness 2 stretched between the first winding portion 60 and the second winding portion 70 due to the pivoting movement of the link case 50E. As a result, the power supply harness 2 is pushed down to the lower side Hd, and the power supply harness 2, which would otherwise be routed in a straight line between the first winding portion 60 and the second winding portion 70 if the protrusion 45 were not present, is rerouted to the lower side Hd. Therefore, in the sliding door power supply device 1 having a sliding door side holding portion 4E, the power supply harness 2 can be pulled towards the connector 203, and the slack of the power supply harness 2 on the vehicle body side of the second winding portion 70 can be reduced.

[0190] Thus, as the link case 50E pivots in the transition from a tensioned state to a relaxed state, the pivot direction R is defined as the pivot direction, and the protrusion 45 contacts the side of the power supply harness 2 in the pivot direction R when the state is relaxed. This makes it possible to easily bring the protrusion 45 into contact with the connecting portion of the power supply harness 2 simply by pivoting the link case 50E. In other words, the slack in the power supply harness 2 caused by the relaxation of the tension acting on the power supply harness 2 can be suppressed simply by having a structure that pivots the link case 50E. Furthermore, as the state changes from a relaxed state to a tense state, the link case 50E pivots in the opposite direction, making it easy to release the contact between the protrusion 45 and the connecting portion.

[0191] Furthermore, the protrusion 45 is erected on the base body 41 along the pivot axis of the link case 50E, and the link case 50E is provided with an arc-shaped hole 551 that avoids contact with the protrusion 45 during pivoting associated with sliding movement. This prevents the contact portion 443 from coming into contact with the link case 50E as the link case 50E pivots, while allowing the contact portion 443 to easily come into contact with the mounting portion of the power supply harness 2.

[0192] In the correspondence between the structure of the present invention and the embodiments described above, the sliding door power supply device corresponds to the sliding door power supply device 1, Similarly, The body is compatible with body 100. The sliding door is compatible with the 200 sliding door. The wire harness is compatible with power supply harness 2. The vehicle body side retaining part corresponds to the vehicle body side retaining part 3, The sliding door side retaining part corresponds to the sliding door side retaining parts 4 and 4E. The winding section corresponds to the first winding section 60 and the second winding section 70, The winding mechanism corresponds to winding mechanisms 5, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, and 5E. The winding movement part corresponds to the winding movement part 6, The pivot section corresponds to link cases 50 and 50E. The first winding section corresponds to the first winding section 60, The second winding section corresponds to the second winding sections 70, 70A, 70B, 70C, and 70D. The elastically deformable part corresponds to the shaft spring 522, The reference point corresponds to the pivot point P1, The wrapped portion corresponds to the wrapped portion X, The distance adjustment section corresponds to the leaf spring 731, the second winding section 70B, the semi-elliptical section 742, and the semi-elliptical section 752. The route detour section corresponds to the contact section 443, The pivot direction corresponds to the pivot direction R. The support body corresponds to the base body 41, The opposing portion corresponds to the extension portion 442, The avoidance portion corresponds to the arc-shaped hole 551, This invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiments described above, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0193] For example, in this embodiment, the leaf spring 731 is provided on the second winding section 70, but it may also be provided on the first winding section 60, or on both the first winding section 60 and the second winding section 70. Similarly, the winding movement section 6 is provided so that the first winding section 60 can move relative to the pivot point P1, but the second winding section 70 may be configured to move relative to the center of the first winding section 60 by providing the oval hole 61 and the first mounting section 52 on the second winding section 70 and the center shaft 42.

[0194] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the pivot point P1, which is a reference point for adjusting the distance D from the wound portion X, is the center of the second wound portion 70, which is the pivot center of the wound mechanism 5. However, it is not limited to this, and may be, for example, the center of the first wound portion 60 or a predetermined point in the wound mechanism 5.

[0195] In this embodiment, the leaf spring 731, semi-elliptical section 742, semi-elliptical section 752, etc., corresponding to the distance adjustment section continuously change the distance D between the pivot point P1 and the wound-up section X in accordance with the change in tension of the power supply harness 2. However, a configuration in which the distance D between the wound-up section X and the pivot point P1 is changed discontinuously may also be used for adjustment.

[0196] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second winding portion 70 is provided on the link case 50, but it is not necessarily required that the second winding portion 70 be provided on the link case 50. The second winding portion 70 may be fixed to the base body 41 and be a separate component from the link case 50.

[0197] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the winding mechanism 5 has a first winding section 60 and a second winding section 70 that wind a portion of the power supply harness 2, which are assembled to the link case 50. However, it is not necessarily required that there be two configurations for winding a portion of the power supply harness 2.

[0198] For example, the sliding door side retaining portion 4 may be configured such that the first winding portion 60 is assembled to a base plate 40 fixed to the sliding door 200, as shown in Figure 17. Here, the oval hole 61, which is an oval through hole, is configured to be inclined from the lower side Hd towards the upper side Hu as it moves from the rear side Lb towards the front side Lf.

[0199] Therefore, when the sliding door 200 is fully closed, a relatively large tensile load acts on the power supply harness 2, causing the first winding portion 60 to move parallel to the rearward Lb and downward Hd relative to the first mounting portion 52 provided on the base body 41. As a result, the first winding portion 60 and the vehicle body side holding portion 3 become closer together, and the tension on the power supply harness 2 extending from the first winding portion 60 to the vehicle body side holding portion 3 can be relieved.

[0200] On the other hand, when the sliding door 200 is slid to the rear side Lb, bringing the vehicle body side retaining part 3 and the sliding door side retaining part 4 closer together, the tension acting on the power supply harness 2 is relieved. As a result, the first winding part 60 moves parallel to the front side Lf and upward side Hu relative to the first mounting part 52 provided on the base body 41. This moves the first winding part 60 further away from the vehicle body side retaining part 3, thereby relieving the slack in the power supply harness 2 extending from the first winding part 60 to the vehicle body side retaining part 3.

[0201] Furthermore, although the winding mechanism 5 is provided on the sliding door side holding portion 4, it may also be provided on the vehicle body side holding portion 3, or it may be provided on both the vehicle body side holding portion 3 and the sliding door side holding portion 4. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the leaf spring 731 adjusts the distance D between the pivot point P1 and the wound portion X according to the tension acting on the power supply harness 2. However, the distance D between the pivot point P1 and the wound portion X may also be adjusted when the first wound portion 60 and the second wound portion 70 are positioned at a predetermined position and angle, regardless of the tension acting on the power supply harness 2.

[0202] The configuration described above can be modified as appropriate, such as by combining the second winding portion 70B with the sliding door side holding portion 4E, if it achieves the effect of the present invention, such as suppressing slack in the power supply harness 2. Modifying the combination as appropriate includes changing each component between the first winding portion 60 and the second winding portion 70, such as by providing the groove portion 73 in the first winding portion 60 and the winding movement portion 6 in the second winding portion 70, or by consolidating each component in the first winding portion 60 or the second winding portion 70. [Explanation of symbols]

[0203] 1…Sliding door power supply device 2…Wire harness 3…Vehicle body side retaining part 4…Sliding door side retaining part 5...Wrap mechanism 6...Wrap moving part 41...Bass body 50…Link case 60... Volume 1, Section 70... Volume 2, Part 1 100... Vehicle body 200... Sliding door 442...Extending part 443…Contact part 522... Axle spring 551...Arc-shaped hole 731... Leaf spring 742,752…Semi-elliptical part C...center of gravity R… Pivoting direction X…Wrapped part P1…Pivot point

Claims

1. A sliding door power supply device that supplies power from the vehicle body to electrical components installed on a sliding door that slides relative to the vehicle body, A wire harness is stretched between the vehicle body and the sliding door, A vehicle body side retaining part fixed to the vehicle body and holding one end portion of the wire harness, It has a sliding door side holding part that is fixed to the sliding door and holds the other end portion of the wire harness, At least one of the vehicle body side retaining portion and the sliding door side retaining portion, The aforementioned wire harness is provided with a winding mechanism that changes the length of the winding portion of the wire harness that is wound around the winding portion, In the aforementioned winding portion, A winding movement part is provided in the winding mechanism that moves the winding part relative to a base point in accordance with the state change due to the sliding movement between a taut state in which tension acts on the wire harness and a relaxed state in which tension acts on the wire harness. The winding mechanism is, It includes a pivot part that is supported to pivot in conjunction with the aforementioned sliding movement, The aforementioned winding portion is, The first winding portion is located on the pivot tip side of the pivot portion, It has a second winding portion that is positioned on the pivot base end side, separated from the first winding portion by at least a gap through which the wire harness passes, The aforementioned tension is achieved when the wire harness is wrapped around the first and second winding sections in an S-shape. The aforementioned relaxation state is achieved when the wire harness is wrapped around the first winding portion and the second winding portion in an S-shape. The winding movement unit moves at least one of the first winding unit and the second winding unit relative to the base point. The winding mechanism includes: The first winding portion and the second winding portion are configured separately, and in the relaxed state, a path bypass portion is provided that contacts the connecting portion stretched between the first winding portion and the second winding portion of the wire harness, thereby bypassing the connecting portion. As the transition occurs from the tensioned state to the relaxed state, the direction in which the pivot part pivots is defined as the pivot direction. The aforementioned path bypass portion, in the relaxed state, abuts against the pivot direction side of the wire harness, It has a support body that supports the pivot part which pivots in conjunction with the aforementioned sliding movement, An opposing portion is provided that faces the main body of the support portion and is configured to allow at least the pivot portion to be inserted through it. The aforementioned route detour section is provided on the opposing section Sliding door power supply device.

2. The aforementioned path bypass section is erected on the support body along the pivot axis of the pivot section, The pivot section is provided with an avoidance section that avoids contact with the path bypass section during pivoting associated with the sliding movement. The sliding door power supply device according to claim 1.

3. The base point is the center of either the first winding portion or the second winding portion. The aforementioned winding and moving part is As the pivot of the pivot part occurs due to the aforementioned sliding movement, the other of the first winding part and the second winding part moves relative to the base point in a direction perpendicular to the pivot axis of the pivot part. The sliding door power supply device according to claim 1.

4. It has an elastically deformable portion that undergoes elastic deformation in accordance with the change in state between the aforementioned tension state and the aforementioned relaxation state, The aforementioned winding and moving part is The elastic deformation of the elastically deformable portion accompanying the aforementioned change in state causes the other object to move relative to the base point. The sliding door power supply device according to claim 3.

5. The aforementioned base point is the pivot center of the pivot part, The second winding portion is provided on the pivot base end side of the pivot portion, and its center is located at a position different from the pivot center. The sliding door power supply device according to claim 1.

6. The aforementioned winding and moving part is As the tension acting on the wire harness changes due to the aforementioned sliding movement, the winding portion moves relative to the base point. The sliding door power supply device according to claim 1.

7. At least one of the first winding portion and the second winding portion, A distance adjustment unit is provided to adjust the distance between the reference point on one side and the wrapped portion of the wire harness on the other side. The sliding door power supply device according to claim 1.

8. The aforementioned reference point is the center of either the first winding section or the second winding section, when viewed from a direction along the pivot axis of the pivot section, where the distance adjustment section is provided. The distance adjustment unit is, As the state transitions from the tensioned state to the relaxed state, the distance between the wrapped portion and the reference point in one of the states is increased. The sliding door power supply device according to claim 7.

9. The aforementioned reference point is the center of either the first winding section or the second winding section, when viewed from a direction along the pivot axis of the pivot section, where the distance adjustment section is provided. The distance adjustment unit is, As the state transitions from the relaxed state to the taut state, the distance between the wrapped portion and the reference point on one side is shortened. The sliding door power supply device according to claim 7.

10. The distance adjustment unit is, The distance between the wrapped portion and the reference point is adjusted in accordance with the change in tension of the wire harness acting on the wrapped portion due to the sliding movement. A sliding door power supply device according to claim 8 or claim 9.

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