JP2000030540A - Wiring structure for flat cable - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically return a flat cable to a housing part without providing a returning means. SOLUTION: In this flat cable wiring structure, one end of a flat cable 10 is connected to a fixing body and the other end thereof is fixed to a moving body. In addition, the flat cable 10 is pulled out of a housing part 11 depending on the travel of the moving body, and when the moving body returns to an original state, the flat cable 10 is reset to an original state as well. In this case, the housing part 11 of the flat cable 10 is formed so as to be capable of housing the flat cable 10 in a U-bent state and on the other hand, the flat cable 10 has rigidity with a thick-wall laminate material bonded to the external surface of an insulation resin film covering the conductor. The rigidity of the flat cable 10 is set at such a level as enabling the flat cable 10 to be reset to an original state in the housing part 11 without using a reset means.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flat cable routing structure connected to electric components of an automobile, and has one end connected to a fixed body and the other end connected to a movable body. In particular, the flat cable can be returned to the original position without using a return means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an automobile, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, a wire harness routed between a vehicle body C and a door D must follow the opening and closing of the door. When the door is closed, it must be retracted.

As the above-mentioned wire harness, a curl cord 1 wound spirally as shown in FIG. 9 is used and accommodated in a bellows-shaped duct 2 attached between a door D and a vehicle body C. (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-4814)
No. 6).

When the curl code 1 is used, FIG.
When the curl cord 1 enters the bellows portion 2a of the duct 2 when the door is opened, the duct 2 cannot be contracted when the door is closed. When the door is closed in this state, the duct 2
In addition, there is a problem that the curl cord 1 is sandwiched between the door D and the vehicle body C and is forcibly applied with a force to easily cause damage. Further, the curled cord 1 has a problem that it is difficult to return to the original winding state when contracted, and the contractibility is poor.

A wiring structure using a flat cable in place of the curl cord 1 has been proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-95286. In this wiring structure, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the rear portion of the flat cable 5 is fixed to the door D with screws 6, while the front portion is guided into the pillar 7 on the vehicle body side. It is connected to a main harness 9 routed to the vehicle body via connectors 8A and 8B. Also,
A guide 10 for guiding the flat cable 5 to the pillar 7
Is provided.

In the pillar 7, when the door D is closed as shown in FIG. 12A, the flat cable 5 is bent in a substantially inverted U-shape and accommodated in the pillar 7, and the door D is opened. 12B, the portion accommodated in the pillar 7 is pulled out as shown in FIG.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Flat cable 5
Has a structure in which a conductor made of copper foil is usually coated on both sides with a thin insulating resin film, and has no rigidity itself, and has a problem that it is very weak and easily hangs down. Therefore, when the door D shown in FIG.
When the flat cable 5 is returned to the closed state as shown in (1), the flat cable 5 cannot be returned to the pillar 7 side unless means (for example, a spring) for forcibly returning the flat cable 5 to the pillar 7 side of the vehicle body is used. As a result, the flat cable 5 hangs down between the guide 10 on the pillar 7 side and the door D side, and the flat cable 5 may be bitten between the door D and the pillar 7.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to enable a flat cable to be returned to an original position without using a return means such as a spring.

[0009]

According to the present invention, there is provided a flat cable having one end fixed to a fixed body and the other end fixed to a movable body. A flat cable routing structure in which the flat cable is returned to its original state when the movable body returns to its original state as the flat cable is pulled out of the accommodation section. On the other hand, the flat cable has a rigidity by attaching a thick laminated material to the outer surface of the insulating resin film covered with the conductive material, and the flat cable has a rigidity. Providing a flat cable routing structure, wherein the flat cable is set to such an extent that the flat cable can return to its original state without using a return means. I have.

[0010] Specifically, the laminate is made of a thick vinyl chloride tape coated on one surface with an adhesive, and the vinyl chloride tape is fixed to both sides of the flat cable. At this time, if the width of the thick vinyl chloride tape is set to approximately twice the width of the flat cable, and the vinyl tape is folded in two and fixed to the outer surfaces on both sides of the flat cable, it can be easily attached.

[0011] By attaching the laminate material to the flat cable which is thin and weak as described above, the required rigidity can be imparted to the flat cable. As a result, when wired between the car body and the door, when the door is closed from the state where the flat cable is extended with the door opened, the flat cable does not break down and hang down, following the door closing operation , And can be returned to the drawn-out storage section.

A housing box serving as the housing portion is fixed to a fixed body on which one end of the flat cable is fixed, and the housing box has a shallow and elongated shape, and the flat cable is drawn out with one side opening. In the original position, the folded portion of the U-turn portion contacts the closed side surface facing the opening and is located along the curved inner surfaces of the upper and lower surfaces, while the folded portion of the U-turn portion is located at the position where the flat cable is most pulled out. Are located in the storage box near the opening. In addition,
It is not always necessary to provide a storage box, and when laying a flat cable between the vehicle body and the door, the internal shape of the pillar may be the above shape.

When a flat cable storage box is formed, the flat cable can be held in the storage box in a required U-shape. Also, even in the most pulled-out state, it can be held in a U-shape in the storage box,
From this state, it can be smoothly pushed back into the storage box and returned to the original position while maintaining the U-shape.

[0014] A lubricating material may be provided on a surface that slides along the inner surface of the housing box for the flat cable. It is preferable to use a fluororesin as a lubricating material and apply the fluororesin to the surface of a laminate made of a vinyl chloride tape or the like. When the lubricating material is applied in this way, no friction occurs on the inner surface of the storage box, and the storage box can be slid smoothly.

[0015] A small convex portion inclined in the pull-out direction may be provided on a surface of the flat cable that slides along the inner surface of the storage box. By providing such a convex portion inclined in the drawing direction, when the flat cable is pulled out, the convex portion becomes a resistance and the flat cable is pulled out according to the moving speed of a movable body such as a door, and the flat cable is excessively larger than the housing portion. Can be prevented from being pulled out. On the other hand, when returning to the storage portion from the pulled-out state, the convex portion does not become a resistance, and can smoothly return to the original position.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 1 to 5 show a first embodiment, and a flat cable 10 is routed between a door D and a vehicle body C as in FIGS. That is, an accommodation box 11 for accommodating one end of the flat cable 10 is fixed in a pillar 7 fixed to the vehicle body C, and the other side of the flat cable 10 is fixed inside the door D through an opening 12 provided in the door D. Connected to the connector 13.

As shown in FIG. 2, the flat cable 10 is formed by arranging conductive materials 5a made of copper foil in parallel at a required pitch, and connecting both surfaces of these conductive materials 5a to the insulating resin film 5a.
b, 5c. An adhesive 15 is applied to the entire outer surface of the insulating resin films 5a and 5b of the coating material.
The thick-walled vinyl chloride tape 16 coated with is adhered and fixed in two, and the films 5b and 5c are laminated.

The storage box 11 fixed in the pillar 7 is a shallow and elongated shape, one side of which is an opening 11a, the opposite side is a closed side 11b, and the upper and lower sides 11c and 11d are closed side from the opening 11a as shown. It is curved upward toward 11b. A through hole 11g is provided near the opening side of the upper surface 11c, the flat cable 10 is pulled out from the through hole 11g, and one end of the flat cable 10 is connected to a connector 18 fixed to the outer surface of the upper surface 11c.

On the side of the opening 11a, the lower surface 11 is lower than the upper surface 11c.
In addition to projecting d, inward ribs 11e and 11f are protrudingly provided at the edges of the upper and lower surfaces, and the upper surface edge is made closer to the lower surface side to reduce the internal cross section close to the opening.

When the door D is closed, it is necessary to contract the flat cable 10 in the storage box 11,
At this time, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. That is, in the original position, the turning point P of the U-turn portion of the flat cable 10 abuts on the closed side surface 11b and is located along the curved inner surfaces of the upper and lower surfaces 11c and 11d. That is, the flat cable 10 is housed in contact with the entire inner surface of the housing box 11.

In this state, when the door D opens and operates,
The flat cable 10 is pulled in response to the opening operation of the door D and is forcibly pulled out of the storage box 11 as shown in FIG. When the door D is fully opened and the flat cable 10 is pulled out most, the turning point P of the U-turn portion is located in the storage box 11 near the opening 11a as shown in FIG. That is, even when the flat cable 10 is pulled out most, the U-turn part is stored in the storage box 1.
The shape of the storage box 11 is set so as to be held in the storage box 1.

When the door is operated in the closing direction from the fully opened state of the door, the flat cable 10
Pushed back to the side. At this time, the conventional flat cable having no rigidity hangs down without returning to the housing box side, but the flat cable 10 of the present invention has the rigidity, and therefore does not hang down, and therefore does not hang down.
It is pushed back inside and can be returned to the original state shown in FIG.

As described above, by providing the flat cable 10 with rigidity, the flat cable 10 can be used without using a return spring or the like.
The flat cable can be stored in the original position in the storage box.

FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment, in which a vinyl chloride tape 1 constituting a laminate of the flat cable 10 is used.
6 is coated with a lubricating material made of fluororesin 20. The application surface of the fluororesin 20 is arranged on the side in contact with the inner surface of the storage box. When the lubricating material is applied to the flat cable 10 in this manner, when the flat cable is pulled out and returned, the flat cable 10
Can be operated smoothly.

FIGS. 7A and 7B show a third embodiment.
On one surface of the laminated material 16 ′ of the flat cable 10, a small convex portion 21 inclined in the pull-out direction is provided.
The surface on which these convex portions 21 are provided is arranged on the side in contact with the inner surface of the storage box. When the protrusion 21 is provided in this manner,
When the flat cable 10 is pulled out, the convex portion 21 becomes a resistance, and it is possible to prevent the flat cable 10 from being pulled out excessively from the housing portion. Further, when the flat cable 10 is returned to the housing portion, the convex portion 21 does not become a resistance, and can be smoothly returned to the original position.

[0026]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, since the flat cable is laminated to provide the required rigidity, when the movable body such as the door is returned to the original position, it is pulled out. The flat cable can be returned to its original position without sagging. As a result, it is possible to prevent the flat cable from being caught between the door and the vehicle body. Further, it is not necessary to provide another forcible return means such as a return spring, and the flat cable can follow the movement of the movable body.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a flat cable according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a state of a flat cable when a door is closed.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a state of a flat cable when a door is opened.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a storage box.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a flat cable according to a second embodiment.

7A and 7B show a third embodiment, in which FIG. 7A is an overall view of a flat cable, and FIG. 7B is a partially enlarged sectional view.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a conventional example.

9 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a problem of a conventional example.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing another conventional example.

12 (A) and (B) are explanatory views of the operation of the conventional example of FIG. 11;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Flat cable 11 Storage box 16 Vinyl chloride tape (laminated material) 20 Fluororesin 21 Convex part C Body D Door

Claims (5)

[Claims] An end of a flat cable is fixed to a fixed body and the other end is fixed to a movable body. In response to movement of the movable body, the flat cable is pulled out of a housing and the movable body is restored to its original shape. A flat cable routing structure in which the flat cable also returns to its original shape when it returns, wherein the flat cable accommodates the flat cable accommodation section.
On the other hand, the flat cable has a rigid shape by sticking a thick laminated material to the outer surface of the insulating resin film covered with the conductive material, and has a rigidity. The flat cable routing structure, wherein the rigidity is set to such an extent that the flat cable can return to its original state without using a return means. 2. The flat cable arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the laminate is made of a thick vinyl chloride tape coated on one side with an adhesive, and the vinyl chloride tape is fixed to both sides of the flat cable. Cord structure. 3. A storage box serving as the storage section is fixed to a fixed body side to which one end of the flat cable is fixed, the storage box has a shallow and elongated shape, and the flat cable is drawn out with one side opening. The flat cable has a closed side facing the opening in the original position.
While the folded portion of the turn portion is in contact with and located along the curved inner surface of the upper and lower surfaces, the folded portion of the U-turn portion is located in the accommodation box near the opening at the position where the flat cable is most pulled out. The wiring structure of a flat cable according to claim 1 or 2, wherein 4. A sliding material is provided on a surface that slides along an inner surface of the flat cable storage box.
The wiring structure of the flat cable described in the above. 5. The flat cable routing structure according to claim 3, wherein a small convex portion that is inclined in a pull-out direction is provided on a surface of the flat cable that slides along an inner surface of the storage box.