FR3058843A1 - SLIDING STRUT ELECTRIC CABLE CONNECTION SYSTEM AND INSTALLATION METHOD - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a dual function connection system (1) for an electrical connecting cable (2) between a sliding panel frame (10) (20) and a fixed frame (30) equipped with a profile (31). ) for the sliding frame (10). This system comprises a housing (4) formed in a spar (3) fixed upper frame (30s) and in the profile (31), and a connector (5) having an advance (5a) integrated in said housing (4) . The connector (5) also has a base (5b) extending parallel to the spar (3), the base (5b) being fitted into the profile (31) and fixed to the spar (3). The electrical connection is made by conductors (2c, 6c) aligned in a main plane (PV) of the frames (10, 30) and coming from the connecting cable (2) fixed by an end portion (2a) and of a power supply cable via the cutout (32). Stripped ends of each conductor (6c, 2c) of the power cable (6) and the connecting cable (2) extend into each of the conductive bores (50) passing through the connector (5).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a dual-function connection system for an electric cable of sliding structure on a fixed structure, in particular of a cable for sliding heating glass, as well as to a method of installing such a system.

The invention relates to the field of electrical connection between a fixed frame or frame structure, which provides an electrical supply, and a movable panel structure by sliding in the frame, for example a motor vehicle door or a heated bay window. At the sliding panel, the electrical energy received can be transformed into another form of energy, for example heating, and / or can supply electrical voltages suitable for the operation of drive motors or measurement sensors.

The connection between a fixed electrical power supply, located on the frame of the rack or door, and a mobile electrical access input, located in the upper part of a slide, is made between the ends of a electric cable. This electric cable is not extensible but generally has a certain longitudinal flexibility so that it can be folded in a loop at least once to allow it to travel from a fixed point of the frame to the mobile access to the sliding panel which moves. in one direction and in the opposite direction.

STATE OF THE PRIOR ART For reasons of space and aesthetics, the connection between the cable and the frame as well as that between the cable and the slide are generally installed in the upper part of the assembly, between the frame and sliding structure.

Currently, the cable is placed in cable carriers, in general a support chain as illustrated by patent document EP 0 173 829 in connection with pinions or racks, in order to achieve repetitive routing during unfolding or cable folding. Such a framework indeed makes it possible to ensure a secure cable routing, this routing constituting the critical point of the installation.

However, the radius of curvature of a cable holder is too large for the assembly to be placed between the frame and the slide, the cable holder then being mounted outside the frame and hidden by an additional profile. . This architecture makes the installation of the cable complex, in particular the mechanical connection on the frame between the cable and the electrical intake presents a space not very compatible with mounting the cable outside the frame.

PRESENTATION OF THE INVENTION The invention aims precisely to achieve a double connection, electrical and mechanical, of the electric cable on the frame allowing a secure routing of the cable when it is driven by the slide while freeing from complex cable assembly. To do this, the invention provides for simplifying the electrical and mechanical connections by the integration of a flat cable connector in a housing of the frame so as to align the electrical connections in the plane of the slide.

To this end, the present invention relates to a dual function connection system of an electrical connection cable between a sliding panel frame and a fixed frame equipped with a profile for the sliding frame, in particular of a sliding heated glass cable, these structures extending in the same main plane. This system comprises a housing formed in a fixed upper framing spar and in the facing profile, and a connector extending generally in said main plane and having a parallelepipedal projection integrated in said housing. The connector also has a base extending parallel to the spar, the base being fitted into the profile on a lateral portion and fixed to the spar by another lateral portion. In addition, the electrical connection is made by conductors aligned in the main plane and coming from the connection cable fixed under the base by an end portion and an electrical power cable via the cutout. Bare ends of each conductor of the power cable and the connecting cable extend into each of the conductive bores passing through the connector to be fixed there.

According to preferred embodiments:

the electrical connecting cable is flat and integrates over substantially its entire length at least one elongate element sufficiently rigid and flexible so that this cable forms a mobile loop extended by two substantially linear strands of variable and complementary lengths when it is driven by the sliding frame;

at least two areas for fixing the connection cable to the connector base are provided in order to eliminate any angular offset relative to the longitudinal direction of the base;

the connector base is fixed to the side member by the lateral portion on which the electrical connection cable is also fixed;

the base has a "T" shaped section and is fitted into the profile by ribbing on its lateral portion which is not fixed to the spar;

the fixed upper framing profile is cut to present a free space in line with the connection between the base and the spar;

the number of bores in the connector and the conductors in the connecting electrical cable as well as in the power supply cable is at least three.

The invention also relates to a method for installing a dual-function connection system as defined above. This process includes the following successive steps:

cut out the fixed upper frame spar at a location determined according to the maximum opening amplitude and cut the opposite profile to form a housing of dimensions adapted to the parallelepipedal projection and to the ribbed lateral portion of the base the connector to be fitted into the profile;

position and then introduce the parallelepipedal projection and the ribbed lateral portion of base on the right then in said housing, the other lateral base portion then being introduced into the profile located opposite;

the ribbed lateral portion of base being positioned opposite the profile, translate this lateral portion into said profile so that the ribs of said lateral portion come to fit into grooves formed for this purpose in the profile;

fix the non-ribbed lateral portion of the base to the fixed upper frame;

clear the end portions of the conductors of the power supply cable and the connection cable over a sufficient length for their connection, fix the power supply cable at the cutout of said frame and fix the electrical connection cable under the portion non-ribbed side of the connector base;

- adjust the length of the conductors of the power supply cable and the connection cable, strip their ends, introduce them into the bores of the connector and fix them in these bores.

According to a preferred embodiment, the profile is also cut to form a fixing space for the non-ribbed side portion directly on the spar of the upper frame, the loop of the connecting cable being pushed back during this operation in order to free an end zone from the lateral base portion intended for this fixing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES [0012] Other data, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear on reading the following non-limited description, with reference to the appended figures which represent, respectively:

Figures la and lb, schematic front views of a sliding heating glass structure in closed and open positions in a frame structure equipped with an electrical cable connection system according to the invention;

Figures 2a and 2b, bottom and top perspective views of an example of a dual function connection system according to the invention;

FIG. 3, an exploded perspective view of an example of a connector of a connection system according to the invention, and FIGS. 4a to 4d, views in lower perspective of the main stages of installation of the dual-function connection system according to the previous figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS In the present text, the qualifiers “superior”, “vertical”, and their derivatives or equivalents, relate to relative arrangements of elements of the connection system in a configuration of standard use. . The qualifier "lateral" designates an adjacent positioning with respect to a reference structure, while "transverse" means in a direction which crosses a main plane of the reference structure. The adjectives "internal" and "external" refer to faces facing the inside or outside of the connector of the connection system according to the invention.

Referring to the front and partial schematic views of Figures la and lb, a sliding frame structure 10 of a heating glass 20 is illustrated in the closed and open positions respectively. The framing structure 10 slides in a fixed framing structure 30 equipped with a connection system 1 of electrical connecting cable 2 according to the invention. The framing structures 30 and 10, and in particular the upper framing 30s and 10s, extend mainly in the same vertical plane PV, that of the heated glass

20.

The connection system 1 is mounted substantially in the middle of the fixed upper frame 30s. The electrical connecting cable 2 is fixed on an end portion 2a to the connection system 1 and in its other end portion 2b to the sliding upper frame 10s to form a movable loop 21 extended by two strands 22a, 22b. These two strands 22a, 22b are of complementary lengths passing from the closed position (FIG. 1a) to the open position (FIG. 1b). The electrical connecting cable 2 is flat and incorporates a metal sheet which extends over the entire length of the cable in order to maintain, by its slender rigidity, the strands 22a and 22b substantially parallel to the upper frames 10s and 30s, and to form the movable loop 21 by its flexibility in folding.

The fixing positions of the end portions 2a, 2b of the electric cable 2 on the upper frames 10s and 30s are determined as a function of the maximum opening amplitude. In the example illustrated, the middle and extreme fixing positions of the ends 22a and 22b of the electric cable 2 correspond to a maximum opening amplitude of the sliding structure 10 substantially equal to its width "L".

The example of connection system 1 is more specifically illustrated by the lower and upper perspective views of Figures 2a and 2b.

This connection system 1 provides a double connection to the electrical cable 2 coming from the sliding upper frame 10s: an electrical connection with an electrical supply cable 6, fixed on the upper face 3f (FIG. 2b) of a spar 3 (partially torn off) of the fixed upper frame 30s, and a mechanical connection with this upper frame 30s which also includes a grooved profile 31 (FIG. 2a) on which slides the sliding upper frame 10s (cf. also FIG. 3a ).

The connection system 1 comprises a housing 4, formed by a cutout 32 in the side member 3 and a cutout of the profile 31 opposite, and a connector 5. This connector 5 extends mainly in the vertical plane PV and is consists of a parallelepipedal projection 5a, integrated in said housing 4, and a base 5b which extends mainly in the longitudinal direction DL of the spar 3.

This base 5b, which has a section in the form of an inverted "T" in the illustrated use position, is fitted on one side of the projection 5a in the grooved section 31 and is fixed on the other. side of the projection 5a, to the spar 3 by a screw VI (see below the installation steps with reference to FIGS. 4a to 4d). To clear the space crossed by the screw VI, the section 31 is cut to the right of this connection between the base 5b and the beam 3.

In addition, the base 5b has a lower face 5i along which the end portion 2a of the flat electrical cable 2 is attached using two plates 11 fixed by screws V2. These plates 11 form pressure zones which, by their combination - and by combination with the long rigidity of the cable 2 - maintain the cable longitudinally in the direction DL without risk of angular shift.

Regarding the electrical connection, and as also appears in the exploded view of the connector 5 illustrated in Figure 3, the bores 50 are formed in the parallelepipedal projection 5a perpendicular to the longitudinal direction DL to open on one side in look of the cutout 32 of the beam 3 and, on the other hand, on the base 5b. These bores are therefore aligned in the PV plane and extend in the vertical direction DV in the position of use. The bores 50 are lined with metal pipes 5t which make them conductive.

More specifically, stripped ends (not shown) of the conductors 6c of the power cable 6 from an electrical source (not shown) are integrated into the bores 50 of the projection 5a via the cutout 32 of the spar 3 by alignment in the direction DL. The stripped ends (not shown) of the conductors 2c of the electrical connection cable 2 are also aligned in the bores 50 from the base 5. The stripped ends are fixed in each bore 50 by clamping screws V3 in holes of adapted transverse thread Tl. Thus the conductors 2c and 6c of the cables 2 and 6 extend vertically in the direction DV and in the same plane PV at their connection.

Figure 3 also shows in detail the two lateral portions 51 and 52 of the base 5b which extend longitudinally in the direction DL, on either side of the parallelepipedal projection 5a. Thus, on the lateral portion 52 also appear the tapped holes T2 and T3, respectively intended for the fixing screws V2 of the electric cable 2 on the base 5b and of the fixing screw VI of the base 5b on the spar 3 (cf. also Figure 2a). In addition, on the lateral portion 51 appear the ribs NI and N2 which make it possible to fit the base 5b in the grooved section 31 (see also the installation method below with reference to FIGS. 4b and 4c).

An example of installation of the dual function connection system 1 is now described according to its main steps with reference to the perspective views of Figures 4a to 4d.

In Figure 4a, the spar 3 of the fixed upper frame 30s is clipped to form the cutout 32 at a location determined according to the maximum amplitude of the opening by sliding the heating glass 20 (cf.

Figures 1a and 1b). The section 31 provided with the grooves RI and R2 is cut over the same length as the cutout 32 to form the housing 4 of dimensions adapted to the assembly of the parallelepipedal projection 5a and of the ribbed lateral portion 51 of the base 5b, as shown in Figure 4b. The profile 31 is also cut near the housing 4 to form a space El allowing the subsequent fixing of the non-ribbed lateral portion 52 of the base 5b directly in the beam 3 by a tapped hole T4.

In this Figure 4b, the connector 5 is positioned at right and then in the housing 4 (see Figure 4a) with the projection 5a adjusted against the profile 31 on the side of the non-ribbed side portion 52 of the base 5b (cf. FIG. 3) which is introduced into this profile 31. The ribbed lateral portion 51 of the base 5b is then placed facing the grooved profile 31.

FIG. 4b also shows the sliding upper frame 10s from which the electrical connecting cable 2 comes out, previously fixed to an internal lp beam in the sliding upper frame 10s in an end portion 2b (cf. FIG. 1a) , and at the base 5b at its other end portion 2a (as described with reference to FIGS. 2a and 3). Previously, end portions of conductors 2c have been freed from the connecting electrical cable 2 for their connection (cf. FIG. 2a).

The connector 5 is then translated (arrow TL) in the longitudinal direction DL so that the ribbed lateral portion 51 fits into the grooved section 31 until, in accordance with Figure 4c, the advance 5a of the connector 5 comes to be positioned against the grooved profile 31.

Then, the loop 21 of the electrical connecting cable 2 is pushed back (arrow Fl) during the final fixing operation of the connector 5, as illustrated in FIG. 4d. This clearance makes it possible to release the tapped hole T3 formed in an end zone Z5 of the non-ribbed lateral portion 52 of base plate 5b and intended to receive the screw VI so that it can reach directly, through the space El, the tapped hole T4 of the beam 3 then screw into this tapped hole T4 provided for this purpose.

The conductors 2c and 6c of the connection cables 2 and of the electrical supply 6 are then released, the cable 6 being previously fixed near the cutout 32 of the beam 3 (in accordance with FIG. 2b). The ends of the conductors 2c and 6c are then stripped over a sufficient length to allow their fixing in the bores 50 of the connector advance 5a using the screws V3 (cf. also the description with reference to Figures 2b and 3).

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown. In particular, the connector 5 is preferably made of plastic and the profiles of aluminum.

Furthermore, the attachments of the electrical connection cable 2 on the base 5b, of the base 5b on the spar 3 and of the conductors 2c, 6c in the bores 50 of the connector 5 are produced by a technique chosen between clipping , screwing and riveting.

Claims (10)

Dual function connection system (1) of an electrical connection cable ( 2) between a frame (10, 10s) of a sliding panel (20) and a fixed frame (30, 30s) equipped with a profile (31) for the sliding frame (10), these frame structures (10, 30) extending in the same main plane (PV), characterized in that it comprises a housing (4) formed in a spar ( 3) fixed upper frame (30s) and in the facing section (31), and a connector (5) extending generally in said main plane (PV) and having a parallelepipedal projection (5a) integrated in said housing ( 4), in that the connector (5) also has a base (5b) extending parallel to the beam (3), the base (5b) being fitted into the profile (31) on a lateral portion (51) and fixed to the side member (3) by another lateral portion (52), and in that the electrical connection is made by conductors (2c, 6c) aligned in the main plane (PV) and coming from the fixed connection cable (2) under the base (5b) by an end portion (2a) and an electrical power cable (6) via the cutout (32), stripped ends of each conductor (6c, 2c) of the cable power supply (6) and the connecting cable (2) extending into each of the conductive bores (50) passing through the connector (5) to be fixed there (V3). Connection system (1) according to claim 1, in which the electrical connection cable (2) is flat and integrates over substantially its entire length at least one elongated element sufficiently rigid and flexible for this cable (2) to form a movable loop. (21) extended by two substantially linear strands (22a, 22b) of variable and complementary lengths when it is driven by the sliding frame (10). Connection system (1) according to either of Claims 1 and 2, in which at least two fixing zones (11, V2) of the connection cable (2) on the base (5b) of the connector (5) are provided to eliminate any angular offset relative to the longitudinal direction (DL) of the base (5b). 4. Connection system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the base (5b) of the connector (5) is fixed on the beam (3) by the lateral portion (52) on which is also fixed. the cable 5 electrical connection (2). 5. Connection system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the base (5b) has a section in the shape of a "T" and is fitted into the profile (31) by ribbing (NI, N2). on its lateral portion 10 (51) which is not attached to the beam (3). 6. Connection system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the attachments of the electrical connection cable (2) on the base (5b), of the base (5b) on the spar (3) and conductors (2c, 6c) 15 in the bores 50) of the connector (5) are produced by a technique chosen between clipping, screwing and riveting. 7. Connection system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the section (31) of fixed upper frame (30s) is 20 cut to present a free space (El) to the right of the connection between the base (5b) and the spar (3). 8. Connection system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the number of bores (50) in the connector (5) and of 25 conductors (2c, 6c) in the electrical connection cable (2) as well as in the electrical supply cable (6) is at least three. 9. A method of installing a dual function connection system (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it 30 comprises the following successive steps: cut the side member (3) of fixed upper frame (30s) at a location determined according to the maximum opening amplitude (20) and cut the profile (31) opposite to form a housing (4) of suitable dimensions to the parallelepipedal advance (5a) and to the ribbed lateral portion (51) of the base of the connector (5b) to be fitted into the profile (31); position and then introduce the parallelepipedic projection (5a) and the ribbed lateral portion of base (51) at right then in said housing (4), the other lateral portion of base (52) then being introduced into the profile ( 31) located opposite; the ribbed lateral portion of base (51) being positioned opposite the profile (31), translate (TL) this lateral portion (51) in said profile (31) so that the ribs (NI, N2) of said lateral portion (51) are fitted into grooves (RI, R2) formed for this purpose in the profile (31); attach the non-ribbed lateral portion (52) of the base (5b) to the fixed upper frame (30s); free end portions of the conductors (6c, 2c) from the power supply cable (6) and the connecting cable (2) over a sufficient length for their connection, fix the power supply cable (6) at the level cutting (32) of said upper frame (30s) and fixing the electrical connection cable (2) under the non-ribbed lateral portion (52) of the base (5b) of the connector (5); adjust the length of the conductors (6c, 2c) of the power supply cable (6) and the connection cable (2), strip their ends, insert them into the bores (50) of the connector (5) and fix them in these bores (50). 10. Installation method according to the preceding claim, wherein the profile (31) is also cut to form a space (El) for fixing the non-ribbed side portion (52) directly on the spar (3) of the frame. upper (30s), the loop (21) of the connecting cable (2) being pushed back during this operation in order to free an end zone (Z5) from the lateral base portion (52) intended for this fixing. 1/5