JP2002002288A - Power supply stracture for slide door - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow a wire harness provided between a slide door and a motor vehicle body to absorb its looseness and ease its tension, easily and securely. SOLUTION: A slide door 1 is provided with a guide rail 2 to which a slider 3 is jointed, and a middle part of the length of a wire harness 4 is fixed to the slider 3. One end of the wire harness is led to the slide door side, and the other end of the slide door is led to the motor vehicle body side where a box 7 is provided on a step 6 of a motor vehicle body 5, wherein the wire harness 4 between the slider 3 and the motor vehicle body 5 is wound up in loop shape to be contained in the box. The wire harness loop 28 in the box extends or contracts to absorb a looseness of the wire harness between the slider and the motor vehicle body. Upon full opening of the slide door 1, the slider 3 is to be pushed to the one end of a guide rail 2, while, upon full closing of the slide door 1, the slider 3 is to be pushed to the other end of the guide rail 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a slide door capable of absorbing slack in a wire harness in a structure in which a wire harness is routed between a slide door of an automobile and a vehicle body and power is always supplied to the slide door. Of the present invention.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Electric power is supplied from a vehicle body side (power supply side) to functional parts of a sliding door used in a one-box car, a wagon car, and the like, and an electric signal is transmitted from the sliding door side to a vehicle body side. In order to do so, various power supply structures have been conventionally proposed.

Various functional components such as a power window motor, a door lock unit, a speaker, a switch unit, and an electronic control unit are mounted on the slide door. A power supply current or a signal current is supplied or received to or from these functional components, and it is necessary to supply and receive power not only when the slide door is closed but also when it is opened.

FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b) show an embodiment of a conventional power supply structure for a sliding door described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-222274.

[0005] In this structure, an electric wire (wire harness) 119 is extended and opened with the opening / closing operation of the slide door 118.
A windable reel 120 is provided on the vehicle body 121 side, one end of an electric wire 119 is connected to a speaker 123 as a functional component on the door side via a hinge 122, and the other end of the electric wire 119 is a functional component on the vehicle body side Audio (not shown).

When the slide door 118 shown in FIG. 3A is closed, the electric wire 119 is drawn out from the reel 120 and extends.
When the slide door shown in FIG. 3B is opened, the electric wire 119 is wound around the reel 120.

[0007]

However, in the above structure, there is a concern that the electric wire is easily damaged because the electric wire must be wound around the reel several times. Further, there is a problem that it is difficult to apply a wire harness having a large number of circuits due to poor flexibility.

In order to solve these problems, the present applicant has previously disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 11-374770, a guide rail in the horizontal direction of a sliding door, and a slider slidably engaged with the guide rail. The wire harness on the slide door side is fixed to the connector, and the wire harness on the slide door side is bent into a substantially U-shape from the slider to the connector connection portion of the wire harness on the vehicle body side. A power supply structure (not shown) for a slide door that absorbs the pulling force and the like of the wire harness has been proposed.

However, in this structure, since the wire harness is curved between the slide door and the vehicle body, the wire harness is easily loosened, and is easily caught between the slide door and the vehicle body. There were concerns. In addition, the use of long guide rails extending almost the entire length of the slide door to absorb slack in the wire harness when the slide door is opened and closed increases the weight due to the increase in the size of the guide rail, and the functional components on the slide door side. There is a problem that the degree of freedom of the arrangement is limited.

In view of the above points, the present invention eliminates the concern that a wire harness is pinched between a slide door and a vehicle body, and can prevent a guide rail from being enlarged.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a power supply structure for a slide door that can eliminate the increase in weight and the restriction on the degree of freedom in arranging functional components and the like on the slide door side.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a slide door provided with a guide rail, a slider slidably engaged with the guide rail, and a longitudinal direction of the wire harness. Fix the middle part,
Wiring one of the wire harnesses to the slide door side,
In a power supply structure for a slide door in which the other of the wire harness is routed to the vehicle body, a box 7 is provided on the vehicle body side, and the wire harness between the slider and the vehicle body is looped in the box. The slack of the wire harness between the slider and the vehicle body is absorbed by expansion and contraction of the loop portion of the wire harness in the box (claim 1). It is also effective that the slider comes into contact with one end of the guide rail before the slide door is fully opened (claim 2). It is also effective that the slider abuts on the other end of the guide rail before the slide door is fully closed (claim 3). It is also effective that a portion of the wire harness that continues from the loop to the vehicle body side is fixed in the box. It is also effective that the box is disposed on a step of the vehicle body. Also,
It is also effective that the guide rail is provided on the vehicle body side instead of the slide door, and the box is provided on the slide door side instead of the vehicle body.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a power supply structure for a sliding door according to the present invention.

In this structure, a short guide rail 2 in the horizontal direction is provided on a slide door 1, a slider 3 is slidably engaged with the guide rail 2, and the slider 3 is connected to the middle of the wire harness 4 on the slide door side in the longitudinal direction. Fix the part,
In the step portion 6 of the vehicle body 5, the tip side of the wire harness 4 on the slide door side, that is, the connection side with the wire harness 8 on the vehicle body side is accommodated in a box 7 in a loop shape, and the slide door 1 and the vehicle body 5 are connected. The slack of the wire harness 4 on the slide door side during the period is eliminated (absorbed).

The base end of the wire harness 4 on the slide door side is fixed to the surface of the panel 10 of the slide door 1 by a first clip (fixing member) 9, and the base end side connector 11 is a functional component in the slide door. (Not shown).
The connector 11 may be introduced in the sliding door.

The wire harness 4 is formed by winding a plurality of electric wires with a vinyl tape. The vinyl tape may be wound roughly at intervals and may be wound tightly without an interval. It is also possible to use one cabtire cable as the wire harness 4. Also,
A plurality of electric wires may be inserted into a flexible corrugated tube (not shown) made of synthetic resin to form a wire harness.

A clearance (extra length) 12 is provided in the wire harness 4 between the first clip 9 and the slider 3. For example, the clearance 12 is set to be maximum when the sliding door 1 is fully opened (the sliding door 1 is half-opened in the state of FIG. 1), and to be minimum or zero when the sliding door 1 is fully closed. .

The first clip 9 is composed of a substantially circularly curved portion (not shown) made of synthetic resin, for example, and a fixed portion (not shown) following the curved portion, and the fixed portion is flexible. A pair of umbrella-shaped locking portions (not shown) are inserted into and engaged with holes (not shown) of the panel 10 of the sliding door 1.

Note that a plate-shaped portion may be formed instead of the curved portion, and the wire harness 4 may be wound around the plate-shaped portion with a vinyl tape and fixed. Alternatively, the fixing portion may be formed in a plate shape, a bolt insertion hole may be provided instead of the locking portion, and the fixing portion may be fixedly fastened to the panel with a bolt. Also, the first clip 9
Of the sliding door 1 made of synthetic resin or metal
It may be formed in a hook shape integrally with the zero.

In any case, the wire harness 4 is fixed to the slide door 1 with the first clip 9 without displacement.
It is necessary to prevent a tensile force from acting on the connector 11 when the sliding door is opened and closed.

When the slide door 1 is opened and closed, the wire harness 4 swings back and forth between the first clip 9 and the slider 3. This is because the slider 3 relatively moves in the front-rear direction along the guide rail 2.

When the slide door 1 is opened, the guide rail 2 retreats integrally with the slide door 1, and the slider 3 stays at a substantially fixed position while being slightly pulled backward by friction with the guide rail 2, and the slider 3 is moved to the guide rail. 2 guide holes 13
Abuts on the front end 13a. When the slide door 1 is closed, the guide rail 2 moves forward integrally with the slide door 1, and the slider 3 stays in a substantially fixed position while being pulled slightly forward by friction with the guide rail 2, and the slider 3 is moved into the guide hole 13. Abuts on the rear end 13b. These operations will be described later in detail.

The guide rail 2 is arranged near the lower end of the slide door 1 and on the rear half side of the slide door 1. The length of the guide rail 2 is, for example, the sliding door 1.
Is set to be as short as about 1/2 to 2/3 of the length.

The guide rail 2 is made of synthetic resin or metal, and has a horizontally long rectangular plate portion 14 and a slit-like (long hole) guide hole 13 provided at the center of the plate portion 14 in the height direction.
It is composed of The plate portion 14 is fixed to the panel 10 of the slide door 1, and the guide hole 13 follows an elongated hole (not shown) provided in the panel 10, or the plate portion 14 is connected to the panel 10 by a column (not shown). By fixing, the plate portion 14
Continues into the space behind.

The slider 3 is mounted on the plate 14 of the guide rail 2.
15, a shaft portion (not shown) protruding into the guide hole 13 from the substrate portion 15, and a flange portion provided at the tip of the shaft portion and sliding on the back side of the guide rail 2 (see FIG. (Not shown) and a harness fixing portion 16 provided on the front side of the substrate portion 15. The harness fixing portion 16 is formed in a semi-annular shape. For example, by fixing a plate portion (not shown) integrally having the harness fixing portion 16 to the board portion 15 with bolts, the wire harness 4 is connected to the harness fixing portion 16 and the board portion. 15 and fixed between them. The structures of the guide rail 2 and the slider 3 have been proposed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application No. 11-374770.

The transition portion 4a of the wire harness 4 led out from the harness fixing portion 16 passes through the inside of the box 7, and is connected to the wire harness 8 on the vehicle body side at the exit side of the box 7.
They are connected by female connectors 17 and 31.

The box 7 is a step portion 6 of the vehicle body 5.
Is fixed horizontally and horizontally (flat) on the rear end side. As shown in FIG. 2, the box 7 is preferably made of a synthetic resin, and when it is necessary to have strength such as being stepped on with a foot, is made of a metal, and is formed in a flattened rectangular three-dimensional shape. A rectangular upper wall (lid portion) 18 (FIG. 1), and front, rear, left and right low wall portions 19
To 22 and a bottom wall 23 (FIG. 2) facing the top wall 18.

An opening 25 for introducing a harness is cut out in a left wall 21 (FIG. 2) of the box 7 facing the sliding door 1, and is connected to a rear wall 26 of the step 6 (FIG. 1). The rear wall portion 20, that is, the left wall portion 2
An opening 27 for leading out a harness is cut out in a wall portion orthogonal to 1. The opening 27 for harness introduction is located substantially diagonally with the opening 25 for harness introduction. In the box 7, the loop portion 28 of the wire harness 4 is located horizontally.

In the harness introduction opening 25, the substantially straight introduction portion 4b of the wire harness 4 can freely move in and out of the box 7 as shown by the arrow c without impairing any freedom. The wire harness 4 introduced into the box 7 is wound once in a loop shape in a rectangular space 29 in the box 7, and a slightly arcuate curved portion 4 c following the loop portion 28 is located near the opening 27 for leading out the harness. Is fixed to the inner surface of the right wall 20 of the box 7 with a second clip (fixing member) 30. A connector 17 for connecting to the vehicle body-side wire harness 8 (FIG. 1) outside the opening 27 is provided at the lead-out portion 4d of the wire harness 4.
Is provided.

No structure other than the second clip 30 is provided in the box 7, so that the structure is extremely simplified. The bottom wall 23 or the top wall 18 of the box 7 (FIG. 1)
Further, a boss (not shown) for positioning the center of the loop portion 28 of the wire harness 4 may be protruded.

The second clip 30 is formed into a substantially semicircular shape by resin molding integrally with the box 7, for example.
0a is integrally connected to the inner surface of the wall portion 22 of the box 7, and the lower end 30b has a gap between the inner surface of the wall portion 22 and can be bent upward. The wire harness 4 is inserted into the inside of the second clip 30 from a gap that is largely opened while the second clip 30 is bent radially outward.

By molding the second clip 30 integrally with the box 7 by resin molding, the structure is simplified and the cost is reduced. The opening 27 for leading out the harness also serves as a punching hole at the time of clip molding.

The second clip 30 may be formed of a synthetic resin or metal separately from the box 7 and fixed to the box 7 with screws or the like. In this case, similarly to the first clip 9 (FIG. 1), the shape of the second clip 30 may be constituted by a substantially curved portion and a fixed portion following the curved portion. Also, the second clip 3
0 may be provided on the front wall 19 of the box 7, and an opening 27 for leading out the harness may be provided on the right wall 22 of the box 7.

The upper wall (lid) 18 (FIG. 1) of the box 7 is preferably openable and closable, and the upper wall 18 is integrated with any of the vertical walls 19 to 22 via a thin hinge, for example. It is also possible to form the upper wall 18
Can be locked to a wall opposite to the hinge by a locking means (not shown) such as a locking projection and an engagement frame piece.

Also, by removing the bottom wall 23 of the box 7,
The upper wall surface of the step portion 6 (FIG. 1) may also serve as the bottom wall 23. Also, the walls other than the upper wall (for example, the front or left walls 19 and 21) can be opened and closed freely.
It is also possible to open the walls 19 and 21, set the wire harness 4 in a loop shape in the box 7, and set the wire harness 4 in a loop shape so that the connector 17 is led out from the harness lead-out part 27.

The box 7 can be formed integrally with the step portion 6. In this case, it is preferable that at least one wall (not limited to the upper wall 18) of the box 7 can be opened and closed. It goes without saying that the openings 25 and 27 for introducing and leading out the harness are provided substantially diagonally or opposed to each other.

In any of the boxes, the spaces in the rectangular box 7 can be used effectively by providing the harness introduction and exit openings 25 and 27 substantially diagonally. That is, a portion 4b on the introduction side of the wire harness 4 is located at one corner of the box 7, a portion 4c on the exit side of the wire harness 4 is located at the other corner of the box 7, and the four corners of the box 7 The loop portion 28 of the wire harness 4 is expanded by maximizing the space other than the portion. In FIG. 2, a chain line 28 ′ indicates a reduced diameter state of the loop portion 28.

In FIG. 1, the box 7 can be disposed vertically (vertically) at the rear end of the step portion 6. In this case, for example, the vertical rear end wall 2 of the step portion 6
6, the horizontal top wall 18 of the box 7 is joined to form a vertical rear wall, the horizontal bottom wall 23 (FIG. 2) becomes a vertical front wall, and the vertical front wall 19 becomes a horizontal top wall. The vertical rear wall 20 becomes a horizontal bottom wall, and the left and right vertical walls 21 and 22 become left and right vertical rising walls. In the box 7, the loop portion 28 of the wire harness 4 is located vertically.

By placing the box 7 vertically, the effective area of the step portion 6 is increased (the step surface is enlarged), and the opening 25 for introducing the harness is almost at the same height as the guide rail 2. The slack of the wire harness 4 is further suppressed between the guide rail 2 and the box 7.

As shown in FIG. 1, the wire harness 4 on the slide door side from the guide rail 2 to the wire harness 8 on the vehicle body side is housed in the box 7 on the step portion side in a loop-like shape, so that the slide door is provided. The slack of the wire harness 4 at the time of opening / closing 1 is absorbed in the box 7, and pinching of the wire harness 4 between the slide door 1 and the vehicle body 5 is prevented.

Also, when the slide door 1 is fully closed, the loop portion 28 of the wire harness 4 in the box 7 is reduced in diameter and the wire harness 4 is extended, so that the guide rail 2 can be shortened. It is possible to reduce the weight and cost, to shorten the wire harness 4 from the first clip 9 to the slider 3, and to reduce the flutter.

That is, in FIG. 1, the slide door 1 is in a half-open state, and the wire harness 4 on the slide door side is accommodated in the box 7 in a loop shape with a large diameter. In this state, as the slide door 1 is slid rearward as shown by the arrow a and opened, the guide rail 2 retreats integrally with the slide door 1, and the slider 3 to which the wire harness 4 is fixed exerts a frictional force with the guide rail 2. , The wire harness 4 having a length corresponding to the movement of the slider 3 is drawn out of the box 7 by slightly reducing the diameter of the loop portion 28 in the box 7, whereby the tension of the wire harness 4 is reduced. Is prevented, and then the slider 3 strikes the front end 13a of the guide hole 13 of the guide rail 2, whereby the wire harness 4 is pulled and the box 7
From the loop portion 28 of the wire harness 4 in FIG.
It is further reduced in diameter as shown at 8 'and fed out.

This prevents an excessive pulling force from acting on the wire harness 4 when the sliding door 1 is opened. In addition, since the wire harness 4 is always kept in a tight state (not loosened) between the slide door 1 and the vehicle body 5, a wire is provided between the lower end 32 of the slide door 1 and the vehicle body 5, for example. The transition portion 4a of the harness 4 is prevented from being pinched. In addition, since the front end of the guide rail 2 may be located not in the front end side of the slide door 1 but in the middle part in the longitudinal direction, the degree of freedom in arranging the functional components on the front half side of the slide door 1 is increased.

As the slide door 1 is slid forward and closed as indicated by the arrow b from the fully opened state of the slide door 1, the guide rail 2 advances integrally with the slide door 1,
While the slider 3 moves forward by the frictional force with the guide rail 2,
The wire harness 4 is fed into the box 7 and wound in a loop, and the loop portion 28 is gradually expanded in diameter. When the slider 3 and the box 7 are located at the shortest distance, the diameter of the loop portion 28 becomes maximum. When the slider 3 is pulled forward, the loop portion 28 is gradually reduced in diameter, the wire harness 4 is pulled out of the box 7 and extended, and when the slider 3 hits the rear end 13b of the guide hole 13, the loop is closed. The diameter of the portion 28 is greatly reduced, and the wire harness 4 is
It is paid out from.

This prevents an excessive tensile force from acting on the wire harness 4 when the slide door 1 is closed. In addition, since the wire harness 4 is always kept in a tight state (not loosened) between the slide door 1 and the vehicle body 5, a wire is provided between the lower end 32 of the slide door 1 and the vehicle body 5, for example. Harness 4 is prevented from being pinched. Also, guide rail 2
Since the rear end of the slide door 1 can be positioned larger than the rear end of the slide door 1, the degree of freedom in arranging the functional components at the rear end of the slide door 1 is increased.

Further, as the slide door 1 is slid backward from the fully closed state and opened, the guide rail 2 retreats integrally with the slide door 1 and the slider 3 retreats due to the frictional force with the guide rail 2. Then, the wire harness 4 is drawn into the box 7 and gradually wound in a loop to absorb the slack, and the diameter of the loop portion 28 becomes maximum when the slider 3 and the box 7 are located at the shortest distance. Thereafter, as described above, the loop portion 28 is fed out of the box 7 while gradually reducing the diameter, thereby preventing the wire harness 4 from being forcibly pulled.

In the above embodiment, the guide rail 2 is provided on the slide door side, and the box 7 is provided on the vehicle body side. Conversely, the guide rail 2 is provided on the vehicle body side, and the box 7 is provided on the slide door side. Can also be provided. In this case, the wire harness 8 on the vehicle body side
Is fixed to the slider 3, and the wire harness 8 on the vehicle body side is accommodated in the box 7 in a loop shape. Remove the wire harness 8 on the slide door side from the box 7 to the slider 3
It is also possible to route to the connector 11 via the first fixing portion (clip) 9 and connect the connector 11 to the wire harness 4 on the slide door side.

Further, it is possible to dispose the box 7 at a portion other than the step portion of the vehicle body 5, for example, behind the rear end wall 26 of the step portion 6. Further, the number of turns of the loop portion 28 of the wire harness 4 is not limited to one, but may be two or more. Also, before the slide door 1 is fully opened, the slider 3 abuts on the front end (one end) 13a of the guide groove 13 of the guide rail 2 and / or before the slide door 1 is fully closed, the slider 3 is moved into the guide groove 1.
It is also possible to adjust the length and position of the guide rail 2 so as to hit the rear end (the other end) 13b of the guide rail 2.

[0048]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the wire harness extended from the vehicle body to the slide door is expanded in a loop shape in the box when the slide door is opened and closed, so that the wire harness is expanded. The slack of the harness is absorbed, and the pinching of the wire harness between the sliding door and the vehicle body and the forcible bending of the wire harness are prevented. Also, by reducing the diameter of the wire harness in the box when the slide door is opened and closed, the wire harness is extended from the box and extended, thereby preventing the wire harness from being forcibly pulled. As a result, the wire harness is prevented from being damaged or deformed. Further, since a special component such as a swing arm is not used as the slack absorbing mechanism of the wire harness, the structure is simple, the cost is reduced, and the number of assembly steps is reduced.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the slider abuts one end of the guide rail before the slide door is fully opened, so that further movement of the slider is prevented and the wire harness in the box is prevented from moving. The loop portion is fed out with a reduced diameter, thereby preventing the wire harness from being forcibly pulled and opening the slide door smoothly. As a result, the one end of the guide rail can be shortened, so that the guide rail can be reduced in size and weight, cost can be reduced, and the degree of freedom in arranging functional components on the slide door side can be increased.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the slider abuts on the other end of the guide rail before the slide door is fully closed, thereby preventing further movement of the slider as in the second aspect. Then, the loop portion of the wire harness in the box is reduced in diameter and fed out, whereby the slide door is smoothly closed while preventing the wire harness from being forcibly pulled. As a result, the other end of the guide rail can be shortened, so that the guide rail can be further reduced in size, weight and cost, and the degree of freedom in arranging functional components on the slide door side can be increased.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the wire harness is pulled, the loop portion in the box is reliably reduced in diameter and fed out, and when the wire harness is loosened, the wire harness is securely looped in the box. It is transferred to. Thereby, the absorption of the slack of the wire harness and the prevention of the tension are more reliably performed.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the box can be easily assembled to the step portion of the vehicle body, so that the box assembling workability is improved. Further, since the box can be arranged at a position substantially opposite to or near the guide rail on the slide door side, the slack of the wire harness from the slide door to the vehicle body is minimized, and the wire harness of the box is reduced. The accommodation effect is further promoted.

According to the invention, when the number of functional parts of the slide door is large, the guide rail is provided on the vehicle body side, and the box is provided on the slide door side. The same effects as the first to third aspects are achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of a power supply structure for a slide door according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state where a wire harness is housed in a loop in the box.

3A and 3B are cross-sectional views showing one form of a conventional power supply structure for a sliding door, in which FIG. 3A shows a state when the sliding door is fully closed, and FIG. 3B shows a state when the sliding door is fully opened.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Slide door 2 Guide rail 3 Slider 4 Wire harness 5 Vehicle body 6 Step part 7 Box 28 Loop part

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A guide rail is provided on a slide door, a slider is slidably engaged with the guide rail, and a longitudinal middle portion of a wire harness is fixed to the slider.
Wiring one of the wire harnesses to the slide door side,
In a power supply structure of a slide door in which the other of the wire harness is arranged on a vehicle body side, a box is provided on the vehicle body side, and the wire harness between the slider and the vehicle body is looped in the box. A wire harness between the slider and the vehicle body is absorbed by the expansion and contraction of the loop portion of the wire harness in the box, so that the slack of the wire harness is absorbed. 2. The power supply structure for a slide door according to claim 1, wherein the slider contacts one end of the guide rail before the slide door is fully opened. 3. The power supply structure for a slide door according to claim 1, wherein the slider contacts the other end of the guide rail before the slide door is fully closed. 4. The power supply structure for a slide door according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the wire harness from a loop portion to a vehicle body side is fixed in the box. 5. The power supply structure for a slide door according to claim 1, wherein the box is disposed on a step portion of the vehicle body. 6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the guide rail is provided on the vehicle body side in place of the slide door, and the box is provided on the slide door side in place of the vehicle body. A power supply structure for a slide door according to any one of the above.