Cable Winding Device for Sliding Seat Power Supply
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power supply devices for sliding seats, which use a U-turn portion of the wire harness, require significant space and compromise the compactness and durability of the system due to the movement of the U-turn portion with the sliding seat.
Innovation Solution
A cable winding device where one end of a flexible flat cable is fixed to a fixed rail, and the other end is wound and housed in a winding housing portion attached to the sliding seat's movable body, allowing the cable to be wound or fed out along the rail without the need for a large harness housing space, enhancing durability by minimizing bending loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a U-turn portion of the wire harness is used to supply power to the sliding seat, then the power supply function is achieved, but the device size increases and compactness is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply system is segmented into a fixed rail portion and a movable winding housing portion. The flexible flat cable is divided into a fixed end portion connected to the rail and a wound portion housed in the movable housing, allowing the system to maintain power supply reliability while reducing overall volume by separating stationary and moving components.
Solution Approach 2:
The winding housing portion is made movable relative to the fixed rail, allowing dynamic adjustment of cable length as the sliding seat moves. This dynamic configuration eliminates the need for excessive cable length required in static U-turn designs, thereby reducing device volume while maintaining continuous power supply.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the U-turn portion moves with the sliding seat, then the cable can follow seat movement, but the cable experiences large bending loads that reduce durability
Solution Approach 1:
The winding housing portion acts as an intermediary between the fixed cable end and the moving sliding seat. It provides a buffer zone that absorbs movement variations, allowing the cable to follow seat movement adaptably while preventing excessive bending loads from directly transmitting to the cable, thus improving durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable routing configuration is changed from a fixed U-turn shape to a dynamically adjustable wound configuration in the housing. This parameter change allows the effective cable length and routing path to vary with seat position, maintaining adaptability while reducing bending stress through smoother curvature radii.
3Ease of manufacture
If a harness housing portion is provided to house the U-turn portion, then the wire harness can be routed, but the power supply device becomes non-compact
Solution Approach 1:
The winding housing portion merges the functions of cable storage, cable routing, and cable protection into a single integrated component. This eliminates the need for separate harness housing portions required in U-turn designs, achieving ease of manufacture through consolidation while significantly reducing overall device volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible flat cable is nested within the winding housing portion in a wound configuration, similar to a doll within a doll. This nested arrangement allows the cable to be compactly stored when not in use and easily deployed when needed, providing routing capability without requiring extensive housing space.
Data Source
AI summary
A cable winding device is provided, which is for a flexible flat cable routed to a sliding seat slidably supported allowing for forward and backward movement in a longitudinal direction of a fixed rail; a first side end portion of the cable being fixed to an end of the fixed rail corresponding to a first rail end portion; the device including a winding housing portion inside which a second side end portion of the cable is fixed; the winding portion being fixed to a movable body supporting the seat and configured to slide in a forward and backward direction relative to the fixed rail; in a case where the winding portion moves in a forward (or backward) movement direction toward (or away from) the first rail end portion, the cable is wound in the winding portion (or is fed out along the fixed rail from the winding portion).