Wire harness

Abstract

A crossover part (11) allows passing through the cylinder of a cylinder part (614) of an arm member (610), allows being drawn out through a first opening (610a) of the arm member toward a vehicle body-side assembly structure (20), and allows being drawn out through a second opening (610b) of the arm member toward a door-side assembly structure (30). The vehicle body-side assembly structure is provided with a first harness holding member (21) that is fixed to a vehicle body (510) and holds a vehicle body-side end part of the crossover part so as to be kept in that position. The door-side assembly structure is provided with a second harness holding member (31) that is fixed to a slide door (520) and holds a door-side end part of the crossover part so as to be kept in that position. The crossover part is caused to slide in cylinder axial directions in the cylinder of the cylinder part, in conjunction with door opening / closing operations of the slide door.

Description

Wire harness

[0001] The present invention relates to a wire harness.

[0002] Conventionally, vehicles such as automobiles are equipped with a power supply device for a sliding door that electrically connects a power source (such as a secondary battery) on the vehicle body side to switches and electrical components on the sliding door side. In this power supply device for a sliding door, the electrical connection is performed by a wire harness. This wire harness has a crossover section of an electric wire that spans between the vehicle body and the sliding door, with one end of the crossover section fixed to a fixed section on the vehicle body side and the other end of the crossover section fixed to a fixed section on the door side. The crossover section is routed along an arm member of a link mechanism that also spans between the vehicle body and the sliding door. For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a wire harness in which the crossover section passes through the arm member.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-1514

[0004] In this wire harness, the shortest path connecting the vehicle body-side fixed portion and the door-side fixed portion varies depending on the open / closed position of the sliding door relative to the vehicle body. Therefore, in the wire harness, when the shortest path between the vehicle body-side fixed portion and the door-side fixed portion is longest, the electric wires are routed without slack between the vehicle body-side fixed portion and the door-side fixed portion, and the path length of the electric wires is set as the length of the crossing portion. Here, the path length of the electric wires routed without slack between the vehicle body-side fixed portion and the door-side fixed portion is shorter when the shortest path between the vehicle body-side fixed portion and the door-side fixed portion is shortest than when the shortest path between the vehicle body-side fixed portion and the door-side fixed portion is longest. Therefore, the excess length of the crossing portion appears as an excess length when the shortest path between the vehicle body-side fixed portion and the door-side fixed portion is shortest. In conventional wire harnesses, the excess length of the crossing portion may detract from the appearance of the wires.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a wire harness that can improve the appearance.

[0006] The present invention provides a harness main body having a crossover section that is traversed along an arm member having one end journaled to the vehicle body via a vehicle body-side rotating shaft whose axial direction is the vertical direction and the other end journaled to the sliding door via a door-side rotating shaft whose axial direction is the vertical direction, a vehicle body-side routing section that is routed at the tip of the vehicle body-side end of the crossover section, and a door-side routing section that is routed at the tip of the door-side end of the crossover section, a vehicle body-side assembly structure that assembles the crossover section to the vehicle body, and a door-side assembly structure that assembles the crossover section to the sliding door, wherein the arm member has a bottom wall whose groove bottom faces the door-opening direction or the door-closing direction of the sliding door, a pair of side walls that hang down from each end of the bottom wall in the same direction in the door-opening / closing direction of the sliding door, and an opening formed by each free end of the pair of side walls. the bridge portion has a first opening on the vehicle body side and a blocking wall that blocks the openings between them except for a first opening on the vehicle body side and a second opening on the sliding door side, the bridge portion passes through a cylindrical interior of a cylindrical portion formed by the bottom wall, the pair of side walls, and the blocking wall, and is pulled out from the first opening toward the vehicle body side assembly structure and from the second opening toward the door side assembly structure, the vehicle body side assembly structure has a first harness holding member that is fixed to the vehicle body and holds the vehicle body side end of the bridge portion to keep it in that position, the door side assembly structure has a second harness holding member that is fixed to the sliding door and holds the door side end of the bridge portion to keep it in that position, and the bridge portion slides in the cylindrical axial direction within the cylindrical portion in conjunction with the door opening and closing operation of the sliding door.

[0007] In the wire harness according to the present invention, the transition portion passes through the tubular portion of the arm member, thereby preventing deterioration of the appearance due to exposure of the transition portion and improving the appearance. Furthermore, in the wire harness according to the present invention, the transition portion slides in the axial direction within the tubular portion in conjunction with the opening and closing of the sliding door. In this wire harness, when slack occurs due to the excess length of the transition portion as the sliding door opens and closes, a force acts on the transition portion. However, the transition portion can slide axially within the tubular portion to release the force, preventing deterioration of the appearance due to exposure of the transition portion and improving the appearance.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a wire harness of an embodiment when the door is fully open. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the wire harness of the embodiment when viewed from above the vehicle when the door is fully open. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the wire harness of the embodiment when the door is fully closed. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the wire harness of the embodiment when viewed from above the vehicle when the door is fully closed. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a wire harness of a modified example when the door is fully open. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the wire harness of a modified example when viewed from above the vehicle when the door is fully open. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the wire harness of a modified example when the door is fully closed. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the wire harness of a modified example when viewed from above the vehicle when the door is fully closed.

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a wire harness according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0010] [Embodiment] One embodiment of a wire harness according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figs.

[0011] 1 to 4, reference numeral 1 denotes a wire harness according to this embodiment.

[0012] For example, a vehicle such as an automobile is known that is equipped with a sliding door 520 that can slide (move back and forth in a sliding direction) relative to a vehicle body 510. In this vehicle, a link mechanism provided with an arm member 610 or the like is interposed between the vehicle body 510 and the sliding door 520, and by operating this link mechanism, the sliding door 520 is opened and closed relative to the vehicle body 510 between a door fully closed position and a door fully open position.

[0013] One end of the arm member 610 is pivotally supported by the vehicle body 510 via a rotation shaft 621 on the vehicle body 510 side (hereinafter referred to as the "vehicle body-side rotation shaft") whose axial direction is the vertical direction (FIGS. 1 to 4). A first arm holding member 622 is fixed to the vehicle body 510, which holds one end of the arm member 610 rotatably around the axis of the vehicle body-side rotation shaft 621. The other end of the arm member 610 is pivotally supported by the sliding door 520 via a rotation shaft 623 on the sliding door 520 side (hereinafter referred to as the "door-side rotation shaft") whose axial direction is the vertical direction (FIGS. 1 to 4). A second arm holding member 624 is fixed to the sliding door 520, which holds the other end of the arm member 610 rotatably around the axis of the door-side rotation shaft 623.

[0014] The arm member 610 has a bottom wall 611 with the groove bottom facing the door-opening or door-closing direction of the sliding door 520, a pair of side walls 612, 612 extending downward from each vertical end of the bottom wall 611 in the same direction in the door-opening or door-closing direction of the sliding door 520, and a blocking wall 613 that closes the openings formed by the free ends of the pair of side walls 612, 612, leaving a first opening 610a on the vehicle body 510 side and a second opening 610b on the sliding door 520 side (FIGS. 1 to 4). Thus, the arm member 610 has a cylindrical portion 614 formed by the bottom wall 611, the pair of side walls 612, 612, and the blocking wall 613.

[0015] The arm member 610 shown here has a bottom wall 611 with the groove bottom facing the door opening direction (FIGS. 1 to 4). The arm member 610 shown here has the bottom wall 611, side wall 612, and closing wall 613 formed in a rectangular flat plate shape (FIGS. 1 to 4). Therefore, in this arm member 610, the tubular portion 614 has a square cylindrical shape, and the first opening 610a and the second opening 610b have a rectangular shape.

[0016] This vehicle is equipped with a power supply device for a sliding door that supplies power from a power source (such as a secondary battery) on the vehicle body 510 to electrical connection objects on the sliding door 520. The electrical connection objects are installed on the sliding door 520, such as electrical components and switches. For example, the electrical components of the sliding door 520 refer to a drive device for operating a power window, a speaker, etc. Furthermore, the switches of the sliding door 520 refer to switches for operating a power window, a power seat, etc. The power supply device for a sliding door includes a wire harness 1 that electrically connects the power source on the vehicle body 510 to the electrical connection objects on the sliding door 520.

[0017] The wire harness 1 includes a harness body 10 having one end electrically connected to a power source and the other end electrically connected to an object to be electrically connected (FIGS. 1 to 4). The harness body 10 may be a bundle of multiple electric wires, or multiple electric wires covered and protected by an exterior member such as a corrugated tube.

[0018] The harness main body 10 has a bridge portion 11 that is stretched along the arm member 610 between the vehicle body 510 and the sliding door 520, a vehicle body-side routing portion 12 that is routed at one end of the bridge portion 11 (hereinafter referred to as the "vehicle body-side end"), and a door-side routing portion 13 that is routed at the other end of the bridge portion 11 (hereinafter referred to as the "door-side end") (Figures 1 to 4).

[0019] The crossover portion 11 is passed through the inside of the tubular portion 614 of the arm member 610 and is stretched between the vehicle body 510 and the sliding door 520 ( FIGS. 1 to 4 ). The wire harness 1 includes a vehicle-body-side assembly structure 20 that assembles the crossover portion 11 to the vehicle body 510, and a door-side assembly structure 30 that assembles the crossover portion 11 to the sliding door 520 ( FIGS. 1 to 4 ). The crossover portion 11 passes through the inside of the tubular portion 614 and is drawn out from a first opening 610 a of the arm member 610 toward the vehicle-body-side assembly structure 20, and is also drawn out from a second opening 610 b of the arm member 610 toward the door-side assembly structure 30.

[0020] In this manner, the arm member 610 causes the transition portion 11, which passes through the cylindrical portion 614, to be pulled outward from the first opening 610a and the second opening 610b at both ends of the cylindrical portion 614. Therefore, it is desirable to set the position and length of the cylindrical portion 614 (i.e., the position and length of the blocking wall 613) so that the transition portion 11 can maintain a predetermined bending radius or greater throughout the entire trajectory of the arm member 610 during the door opening and closing operation. The predetermined bending radius is the minimum bending radius that can be achieved without applying an excessive load to the transition portion 11 (e.g., without applying excessive compressive stress or tensile stress). It is also desirable to form the end of the blocking wall 613 on the first opening 610a side and the end of the blocking wall 613 on the second opening 610b side into an arc shape, for example, so that they are curved outward, and to form both ends of the cylindrical portion 614 in the cylindrical axis direction into a trumpet shape. As a result, in this arm member 610, it is possible to prevent the transition portion 11 being pulled out from the first opening 610a or the second opening 610b from getting caught, and to prevent a decrease in the durability of the transition portion 11.

[0021] The vehicle body-side assembly structure 20 includes a first harness holding member 21 that holds the vehicle body-side end of the transition portion 11 and maintains it in position (FIGS. 1 to 4). The first harness holding member 21 is fixed to the vehicle body 510. The first harness holding member 21 shown here routes the vehicle body-side end of the transition portion 11, which is pulled out from the first opening 610a of the arm member 610, in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the door opening / closing direction. For example, the first harness holding member 21 is shaped so that the transition portion 11 is inserted axially through a through hole, and the peaks and valleys of the inner peripheral surface of the through hole are fitted into the peaks and valleys of the bellows portion of the corrugated tube at the vehicle body-side end of the transition portion 11, thereby maintaining the vehicle body-side end in position.

[0022] Furthermore, the vehicle body side assembly structure 20 includes a harness slide member 22 that holds the crossover portion 11 between the first opening 610a of the arm member 610 and the first harness holding member 21 and slides together with the crossover portion 11 in the door opening and closing direction, and a guide rail 23 that is fixed to the vehicle body 510 and receives a force input from the crossover portion 11 to the harness slide member 22 during the door opening and closing operation, causing the harness slide member 22 to slide together with the crossover portion 11 in the door opening and closing direction (FIGS. 1 to 4). As will be described later, the harness slide member 22 functions as a slack absorption member that slides in the door opening and closing direction to absorb slack in the crossover portion 11.

[0023] The harness slide member 22 routes the crossing portion 11, which is pulled out from the first opening 610a of the arm member 610, in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the door opening / closing direction, and guides the vehicle body side end thereof to the first harness holding member 21. The harness slide member 22 is provided with a harness holding portion 22a that holds the crossing portion 11. For example, the harness holding portion 22a is formed so that the crossing portion 11 is inserted into a through hole along its axial direction, and the peaks and valleys of the bellows portion of the corrugated tube in the crossing portion 11 fit into the valleys and crests on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole, thereby holding the crossing portion 11 in that position. Alternatively, for example, the harness slide member 22 may be provided with a through hole through which the crossing portion 11 is inserted so as to be freely movably inserted in the axial direction, thereby holding the crossing portion 11 so as to be freely movably inserted in the axial direction.

[0024] The harness slide member 22 is provided with a T-shaped guided portion 22b (FIGS. 1 and 3). The guide rail 23 has a guide groove portion 23a that fits into the guided portion 22b and guides it in the door opening / closing direction (FIGS. 1 and 3).

[0025] The vehicle body side assembly structure 20 shown here is disposed on the door opening direction side of one end of the arm member 610 .

[0026] The door-side assembly structure 30 includes a second harness holding member 31 that holds the door-side end of the transition portion 11 and maintains that position (FIGS. 1 to 4). The second harness holding member 31 is fixed to the sliding door 520. The second harness holding member 31 shown here routes the door-side end of the transition portion 11, which has been pulled out from the second opening 610b of the arm member 610, vertically upward.

[0027] For example, the second harness holding member 31 shown here is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the door-side end of the transition portion 11 is pulled in through a through-hole on the outer circumferential surface and routed vertically upward along the interior of the cylinder (FIGS. 1 and 3). For example, the second harness holding member 31 is formed so that the transition portion 11 is inserted axially through the through-hole, and the peaks and valleys of the bellows portion of the corrugated tube at the door-side end of the transition portion 11 are fitted into the valleys and valleys of the inner circumferential surface of the through-hole, thereby holding the door-side end in place.

[0028] The door-side assembly structure 30 is fixed to the sliding door 520 and includes bearing members 32 that rotatably support the respective ends of the second harness holding member 31 in the axial direction (FIGS. 1 to 4). The second harness holding member 31 is fixed to the sliding door 520 via the bearing members 32. The second harness holding member 31 receives a force from the door-side end of the bridge portion 11 in conjunction with the opening and closing of the sliding door 520, and rotates around the axis of the axial shaft.

[0029] The door-side assembly structure 30 shown here is disposed on the door opening direction side of the other end of the arm member 610 .

[0030] In this wire harness 1, if the harness slide member 22 and the guide rail 23 are not present, the path length of the crossover portion 11 connecting the first harness holding member 21 and the second harness holding member 31 via the shortest path is longest when the door is in the fully open position, and the path length of the crossover portion 11 connecting the first harness holding member 21 and the second harness holding member 31 via the shortest path is shortest when the door is in the fully closed position. In this wire harness 1, the crossover portion 11 is set to have the path length when the door is in the fully open position. Therefore, in the crossover portion 11, the excess length increases like slack as the sliding door 520 in the fully open position moves in the door closing direction, and the excess length is maximized when the door is in the fully closed position.

[0031] However, in this wire harness 1, the transition portion 11 is passed through the tubular portion 614 between one end and the other end of the arm member 610, so that deterioration in appearance due to exposure of the transition portion 11 is suppressed, and the appearance can be improved. Furthermore, in this wire harness 1, the transition portion 11 slides in the axial direction of the tube within the tubular portion 614 in conjunction with the opening and closing of the sliding door 520. In this wire harness 1, when slack occurs in the transition portion 11 due to excess length as the sliding door 520 is opened and closed, a force acts on the transition portion 11. However, since the transition portion 11 can be slid in the axial direction within the tubular portion 614 to release the force, deterioration in appearance due to exposure of the transition portion 11 is suppressed, and the appearance can be improved.

[0032] On the other hand, in this wire harness 1, by sliding the crossover portion 11 inside the tubular portion 614 in conjunction with the door opening and closing operation, when the sliding door 520 in the fully open position moves in the door closing direction, there is a possibility that slack will occur due to excess length in the crossover portion 11 pulled out from the first opening 610a and the crossover portion 11 pulled out from the second opening 610b.

[0033] However, since this wire harness 1 includes the harness slide member 22 and the guide rail 23, when the sliding door 520 in the fully open position moves in the door closing direction, a force is applied to the harness slide member 22 from the crossover portion 11 drawn out from the first opening 610a, and this crossover portion 11 pushes the harness slide member 22 in the door opening direction. In other words, the crossover portion 11 slides inside the tube portion 614 in conjunction with the movement of the sliding door 520 in the fully open position in the door closing direction, and pushes the harness slide member 22 in the door opening direction along the guide rail 23, so that the increasing trajectory of slack caused by the excess length generated at that time can be controlled without applying excessive tensile or compressive force.

[0034] Furthermore, when the sliding door 520 in the fully closed position moves in the door opening direction, a force is applied to the harness slide member 22 from the crossover portion 11 drawn out from the first opening 610a, and the crossover portion 11 pushes the harness slide member 22 in the door closing direction. In other words, the crossover portion 11 slides within the cylindrical portion 614 in conjunction with the movement of the sliding door 520 in the fully closed position in the door opening direction, and pushes the harness slide member 22 along the guide rail 23 in the door closing direction, thereby reducing the slack due to the excess length.

[0035] In this way, this wire harness 1 can absorb the excess length of the bridge portion 11 when the door is opened or closed, and the location where the excess length is absorbed can be controlled to the vehicle body 510 side where the harness slide member 22 and the guide rail 23 are present, thereby improving the appearance.

[0036] Here, the harness slide member 22 is positioned on the guide rail 23 at the most door closing direction side when the door is in the fully open position, and is positioned on the guide rail 23 at the most door opening direction side when the door is in the fully closed position. In other words, the harness slide member 22 reciprocates between the position most door closing direction side and the position most door opening direction side in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the sliding door 520. When the door is in the fully open position, the harness slide member 22 is disposed on the path of the bridge portion 11 that connects the first harness holding member 21 and the second harness holding member 31 via the shortest path.

[0037] As described above, the wire harness 1 of the present embodiment can improve its appearance.

[0038] 5 to 8, reference numeral 2 denotes a wire harness according to this modification. In this wire harness 2, the vehicle body side assembly structure 20 in the wire harness 1 according to the above-described embodiment is replaced with a vehicle body side assembly structure 120 described below.

[0039] The vehicle body side assembly structure 120 of this modified example includes a first harness holding member 21, a harness slide member 22, and a guide rail 23 (FIGS. 5 to 8), similar to the vehicle body side assembly structure 20 of the embodiment. The vehicle body side assembly structure 120 of this modified example further includes an elastic member 124 that applies a tensile load in the door opening direction as a preload to the harness slide member 22 when the door is in the fully closed position (FIGS. 5 to 8).

[0040] One end of this elastic member 124 is connected to the harness slide member 22 (FIGS. 5 to 8). The harness slide member 22 is provided with a holding portion 122c that holds one end of the elastic member 124. The vehicle body side assembly structure 120 is provided with a holding member 125 that holds the other end of the elastic member 124 on the door opening direction side of the guide rail 23 (FIGS. 5 to 8). Here, a helical spring is used as the elastic member 124. One end of the elastic member 124 is hooked and held by the holding portion 122c of the harness slide member 22, and the other end is hooked and held by the holding member 125.

[0041] The elastic member 124 applies a tensile load in the door opening direction to the harness slide member 22 when the door is in the fully open position. Therefore, in the wire harness 2 of this modified example, when the sliding door 520 at the fully closed position moves in the door opening direction, the transition portion 11 pushes the harness slide member 22 along the guide rail 23 in the door closing direction, thereby stretching the elastic member 124 and increasing the tensile load. As a result, in the wire harness 2 of this modified example, when the sliding door 520 at the fully open position moves in the door closing direction, the elastic member 124 assists the movement of the harness slide member 22 in the door opening direction. Therefore, in the wire harness 2 of this modified example, even if the rigidity of the harness main body 10 changes due to a change in ambient temperature or even if the rigidity of the harness main body 10 increases due to an increase in the number of circuits (i.e., an increase in the number of wires), the wire harness 2 of this modified example can stabilize the movement of the harness slide member 22 in the door opening / closing direction, thereby enabling stable absorption of slack. Furthermore, in the wire harness 2 of this modified example, the elastic member 124 applies tension to the crossover portion 11 via the harness slide member 22, so that the generation of abnormal noise due to vibration or the like can be suppressed.

[0042] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1, 2 Wire harness 10 Harness main body 11 Crossover portion 12 Vehicle body side wiring portion 13 Door side wiring portion 20, 120 Vehicle body side assembly structure 21 First harness holding member 22 Harness slide member 23 Guide rail 30 Door side assembly structure 31 Second harness holding member 124 Elastic member 510 Vehicle body 520 Sliding door 610 Arm member 610a First opening 610b Second opening 611 Bottom wall 612 Side wall 613 Blocking wall 614 Cylinder portion 621 Vehicle body side rotating shaft 623 Door side rotating shaft

Claims

1. A harness main body having a crossover section that is supported at one end on the vehicle body via a vehicle body-side rotating shaft whose axial direction is the vertical direction and that is passed along an arm member that is supported at the other end on the sliding door via a door-side rotating shaft whose axial direction is the vertical direction, a vehicle body-side routing section that is routed at the tip of the vehicle body-side end of the crossover section, and a door-side routing section that is routed at the tip of the door-side end of the crossover section; a vehicle body-side assembly structure that assembles the crossover section to the vehicle body; and a door-side assembly structure that assembles the crossover section to the sliding door, wherein the arm member has a bottom wall with a groove bottom facing the door-opening direction or the door-closing direction of the sliding door, a pair of side walls that hang down from each vertical end of the bottom wall in the same direction in the door-opening / closing direction of the sliding door, and a blocking wall that closes the openings formed by the free ends of the pair of side walls, leaving a first opening on the vehicle body side and a second opening on the sliding door side, the crossover portion passes through a tubular portion formed by the bottom wall, the pair of side walls, and the blocking wall, and is pulled out from the first opening toward the vehicle body side assembly structure, and from the second opening toward the door side assembly structure; the vehicle body side assembly structure includes a first harness holding member fixed to the vehicle body and holding the vehicle body side end of the crossover portion and keeping it in that position; and the door side assembly structure includes a second harness holding member fixed to the sliding door and holding the door side end of the crossover portion and keeping it in that position; and the crossover portion slides in the axial direction within the tubular portion in conjunction with the door opening and closing operation of the sliding door.

2. The wire harness described in claim 1, wherein the vehicle body side assembly structure comprises: a harness slide member that holds the bridge portion between the first opening and the first harness holding member and slides together with the bridge portion in the door opening / closing direction; and a guide rail that is fixed to the vehicle body and receives force input from the bridge portion to the harness slide member during the door opening / closing operation, causing the harness slide member to slide together with the bridge portion in the door opening / closing direction.

3. A wire harness as described in claim 2, wherein the vehicle body-side assembly structure is arranged on the door opening direction side of the one end of the arm member, the door-side assembly structure is arranged on the door opening direction side of the other end of the arm member, and the arm member has a bottom wall with the groove bottom facing the door opening direction.

4. A wire harness as described in claim 3, wherein the transition portion slides within the cylindrical portion in conjunction with the movement of the sliding door in the door closing direction when the sliding door is in the fully open position, pushing the harness slide member along the guide rail in the door opening direction, and also slides within the cylindrical portion in conjunction with the movement of the sliding door in the door opening direction when the sliding door is in the fully closed position, pushing the harness slide member along the guide rail in the door closing direction.

5. A wire harness as described in claim 4, wherein the harness slide member is positioned on the guide rail closest to the door closing direction when the door is in the fully open position, and is positioned on the guide rail closest to the door opening direction when the door is in the fully closed position.

6. A wire harness according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the vehicle body side assembly structure comprises an elastic member that applies a tensile load in the door opening direction as a preload to the harness slide member when the door is in the fully closed position.

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