JP3924934B2 - Flat cable - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a flat cable wiring structure connected to an electrical component of an automobile, wherein one end is connected to a fixed body and the other end is connected to a movable body to follow the movement of the movable body. In particular, the flat cable can be accommodated in its original position without using a return means.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In an automobile, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, a wire harness routed between a vehicle body C that is a fixed body and a door D that is a movable body needs to be followed according to opening and closing of the door. It must be extended when it is opened and contracted when the door is closed.
[0003]
As the wire harness, a curl cord 1 spirally wound as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 is used, and is housed in a bellows-like duct 2 attached between the door D and the vehicle body C. Has been proposed (JP-A-8-48146).
[0004]
When the curl cord 1 is used, as shown in FIG. 12, if the curl cord 1 enters the bellows portion 2a of the duct 2 when the door is opened, the duct 2 cannot contract when the door is closed. If the door D is closed in this state, there is a problem that the duct 2 and the curl cord 1 are sandwiched between the door D and the vehicle body C and are forcibly applied and are likely to be damaged. Further, the curl cord 1 has a problem that it is difficult to return to the original winding state when contracted and the contractibility is poor.
[0005]
An example in which a flat cable is used in place of the curl cord 1 is proposed in JP-A-10-95286. In this example, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14A and 14B, the rear portion of the flat cable 5 is fixed to the door D with a screw 6, while the front portion is placed in the pillar 7 on the vehicle body C side. It is connected to the main harness 9 routed to the vehicle body C side through the connectors 8A and 8B in the pillar 7. The pillar 7 is provided with a guide 10 for guiding the flat cable 5.
[0006]
In the pillar 7, when the door D is closed as shown in FIG. 14A, the flat cable 5 is bent in a substantially inverted U shape and accommodated in the pillar 7, and when the door D is opened, As shown in FIG. 14B, the portion accommodated in the pillar 7 is pulled out so that it can follow the door D.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The flat cable 5 usually has a configuration in which both surfaces of a conductor made of copper foil are coated with a thin insulating resin film. The flat cable 5 itself is not rigid and has a problem that it is very weak and easily hangs down. Therefore, when the door D shown in FIG. 14 (B) is returned to the closed state shown in FIG. 14 (A), a means (for example, a spring) for forcibly returning the flat cable 5 to the pillar 7 side of the vehicle body is used. Otherwise, the flat cable 5 cannot be returned to the pillar 7 side. As a result, the flat cable 5 hangs down on the guide 10 on the pillar 7 side and the door D side, and the flat cable 5 may be caught between the door D and the pillar 7.
[0008]
This invention is made | formed in view of the said problem, and makes it a subject to enable it to return a flat cable to an original position, without using return means, such as a spring.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention has one end fixed to the fixed body and the other end fixed to the movable body, and is pulled out from the accommodating portion and returns to the original shape as the movable body moves. A flat cable adapted to return to the housing portion, and a metal plate or a resin plate is applied to at least one side of the flat cable main body over the entire length in the length direction, and is laminated on the metal plate or resin plate and the flat cable main body. There is provided a flat cable characterized in that a material is covered, the ends of the laminate material are fixed to each other, and a metal plate or a resin plate is released from the flat cable body and covered with the laminate material.
[0010]
By applying a metal plate or a resin plate to the flat cable body as described above, the rigidity of the flat cable is increased, and drooping can be eliminated. Moreover, when the flat cable to be used is long, the rigidity of the flat cable can be reliably increased by applying the metal plate or the resin plate to both surfaces of the flat cable body.
[0011]
When the flat cable is bent in a U-shape, the bending radius varies between the inside and outside of the bent portion depending on the thickness of the flat cable body and the thickness of the metal plate or resin plate, but the metal plate or resin plate is flat. By separating from the cable body, each can be bent and moved freely, so that the flat cable can be bent into a U shape without difficulty.
[0012]
Moreover, when the cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the length direction of the metal plate or the resin plate is curved, the cross-sectional shape of the entire flat cable is also curved, and the flat cable is bent when the flat cable is bent into a U shape. The concave side may be directed to the inside of the U shape. As described above, since the cross-sectional shape of the entire flat cable is curved, the rigidity of the flat cable is further increased, and when the flat cable is bent into a U shape, the concave side is directed to the inside of the U shape. Thus, the U-shaped bent portion is stabilized and the radius of the U-shaped bent portion is regulated, so that the flat cable can be prevented from spreading outward at the bent portion.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 6 show a first embodiment of the present invention, and a flat cable 10 is routed between a door D and a vehicle body C as in FIG. That is, an accommodation box 11 that accommodates one end of the flat cable 10 is fixed in the pillar 7 fixed to the vehicle body C, and the other end of the flat cable 10 passes through the opening 12 provided in the door D and enters the door D. It is connected to a fixed connector 13.
[0014]
A flat cable 10 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B has a connector 10 a at one end, and is composed of a flat cable body 15, a metal plate 16, and a laminate material 17. The flat cable body 15 is formed by arranging conductive materials 15a made of copper foil in parallel with a predetermined pitch, and covering both surfaces of the conductive materials 15a with insulating resin films 15b and 15c.
[0015]
For the metal plate 16, a material excellent in spreadability and fatigue resistance is selected. For example, a spring steel material used for a tape measure may be used, and the metal plate 16 can be bent following the opening and closing of the door D. The door D can be opened and closed sufficiently. In addition, the thickness of the metal plate 16 is set to about 0.1 mm in order to reduce the weight and not hinder the flexibility, the plate width is set to be equal to or less than the flat cable body 15a, and the total length is the flat cable. It is set to be equivalent to the main body 15a.
[0016]
A resin plate may be used in place of the metal plate 16, and the resin plate is made of a material having excellent flexibility and fatigue resistance. The thickness of the resin plate does not hinder the flexibility of the resin. The width and the total length are set in the same manner as the metal plate 16 as well as the dimensions. The metal plate and the resin plate can be used properly when the rigidity of the flat cable is surely increased, and the metal plate is used, and the resin plate is used in an environment that is easily affected by noise or the like.
[0017]
The laminate material 17 is made of synthetic resin such as polyethylene terephthalate. The entire length of the laminate material 17 is set to be equal to that of the flat cable main body 15, and the width is set to be longer than the width of the flat cable main body 15, and an allowance is provided at both ends. The thickness of the laminate material 17 is set to a dimension that can sufficiently protect the flat cable body 15.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 3, the flat cable 10 has a metal plate 16 applied to one surface of the flat cable main body 15, and is covered with the laminate material 17 so as to sandwich the metal plate 16 and the flat cable main body 15 from above and below. The joining margins at both ends of each are fixed with an adhesive or the like. At this time, the laminating material 17 is fixed in a state in which the flat cable body 15 and the metal plate 16 in the interior are free from each other and are not compressed so that they can move independently.
[0019]
The flat cable 10 is not limited to the above configuration. For example, when the flat cable to be used is long and the rigidity of the flat cable is to be further increased, as shown in FIG. In addition, the metal plate 16 or the resin plate may be applied to both surfaces of the flat cable body 15. Further, when the flat cable 10 is manufactured, the width of the laminate material 17 is set longer than the entire circumference of the flat cable body 15 as shown in FIG. 15 may be wrapped so that the number of adhesion points of the laminate material 17 may be reduced.
[0020]
The storage box 11 to be fixed in the pillar 7 shown in FIGS. 1, 5 and 6 has a shallow and elongated shape, one side is an opening 11a, the opposite side is a closed side 11b, and the upper and lower surfaces 11c and 11d are openings. It is curved upward from 11a toward the closed side surface 11b. A through hole 11g is provided in the vicinity of the opening side of the upper surface 11c, the flat cable 10 is drawn out from the through hole 11g, and one end of the flat cable 10 is connected to the connector 18 fixed to the outer surface of the upper surface 11c.
[0021]
On the opening 11a side, the lower surface 11d is protruded from the upper surface 11c, and inward ribs 11e and 11f are projected on the edges of the upper and lower surfaces, and the upper surface edge is brought close to the lower surface side, and the interior close to the opening The cross section is reduced.
[0022]
When the door D shown in FIG. 5 is closed, the flat cable 10 is bent in a U-shape in the housing box 11 so that the turning point P of the U-shaped portion contacts the closed side surface 11b and the curved surfaces of the upper and lower surfaces 11c and 11d. It is located along the inner surface. That is, the flat cable 10 is accommodated in contact with the entire inner surface of the accommodation box 11.
[0023]
From the above state, when the door D is opened, the flat cable 10 is pulled according to the opening operation of the door D and is forcibly pulled out from the housing box 11 as shown in FIG. When the flat cable 10 in the fully opened state of the door D is pulled out most, the folding point P of the U-shaped portion is located in the accommodation box 11 in the vicinity of the opening 11a. That is, the shape of the storage box 11 is set so that the U-shaped portion can be held in the storage box 11 even when the flat cable 10 is pulled out most.
[0024]
When the door is operated in the direction of closing the door from the fully opened state, the flat cable 10 is pushed back to the housing box 11 side. At this time, in the case of the conventional flat cable without rigidity, it hangs down without returning to the accommodation box side, but since the flat cable 10 of the present invention is given rigidity, it does not hang down and enters the accommodation box 11. Can be returned to the original state shown in FIG.
[0025]
Thus, by giving rigidity to the flat cable 10 by the metal plate 16 or the resin plate, the flat cable 10 can be stored in the original position in the housing box 11 without using a return spring or the like. Furthermore, since the flat cable 10 can move the metal plate 16 or the resin plate and the flat cable main body 15 freely inside the laminating material 17, the flat cable 10 is U-shaped and can be easily put in and out.
[0026]
The flat cable 10 is not limited to use only for a normal door that opens and closes via a hinge as described above, and is also preferably used for a sliding door used in a one-box vehicle. Yes.
[0027]
FIGS. 7A and 7B show a second embodiment, in which a metal plate 16 ′ having rigidity in the flat cable 10 ′ is curved so that the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the length direction is an arcuate shape. ing. The degree of bending is such that the distance H from the tangent to the end of the central portion is about 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm, and the thickness, width, total length, etc. of the metal plate 16 'are the same as in the first embodiment. . It should be noted that a resin plate may be used instead of the metal plate 16 ′ to be similarly bent.
[0028]
The flat cable 10 'has a flat cable main body 15' along the arcuate convex side of the metal plate 16 ', and the flat cable main body 15' is curved in the same manner as the metal plate 16 ', as in the first embodiment. The entire flat cable 10 'is covered with the laminate material 17'. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7C, when the flat cable 10 ′ is bent into a U-shape so as to be accommodated in the receiving box 11, the arcuate concave side of the flat cable 10 ′ has a U-shape. It is made to face not the outer side S of the bending part but the inner side I.
[0029]
With the above configuration, the radius of the U-shaped portion of the flat cable 10 ′ is regulated by the curvature of the metal plate 16 ′, the width of the U-shaped portion can be kept constant, and the storage box 11 Since only the center portion of the flat shape of the flat cable 10 ′ is in contact with the inner surface, the contact area can also be reduced. Therefore, the flat cable 10 ′ can move more smoothly in the accommodation box 11. The movement of the flat cable 10 ′ by opening and closing the door is the same as in the first embodiment.
[0030]
In addition, flat cable 10 'of 2nd embodiment is not limited to said structure, As shown to FIG. 8 (A) similarly to 1st embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8 (A), it is metal plate 16 on both surfaces of flat cable main body 15'. Alternatively, a resin plate may be installed, and as shown in FIG. 8 (B), the flat cable body 15 ′ is placed along the flat side of the metal plate 16 ′ or the arcuate concave side of the resin plate. When configured and bent in a U shape, the arcuate concave side may face the inside I.
[0031]
As a third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, after the metal plate 16 ″ or the resin plate is bonded to the laminate material 17 ″, the laminate material 17 ″ is used with only the flat cable body 15 ″ released. You may coat similarly to 1st embodiment. In this case, even if the flat cable 10 ″ is bent in a U shape, the metal plate 16 ″ is fixed to the laminate material 17 ″ and only the flat cable body 15 ″ moves within the laminate material 17 ″. Since the friction frequency between 16 ″ and the flat cable body 15 ″ decreases, the flat cable 10 ″ can be bent and moved more smoothly.
[0032]
【The invention's effect】
As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, since the flat cable is provided with the required rigidity by the metal plate, the flat cable pulled out when the movable body such as the door is returned to the original position. Does not hang down and can be returned to its original position. As a result, the flat cable can be prevented from being caught between the door and the vehicle body. Further, there is no need 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. 2A is a perspective view showing the flat cable of the first embodiment, and FIG. 2B is a schematic cross-sectional view orthogonal to the length direction of the flat cable.
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the flat cable of the first embodiment.
4A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a flat cable showing a modification of the first embodiment, and FIG. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a flat cable of another modification.
FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a state of the flat cable when the door is closed.
FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a state of the flat cable when the door is opened.
7A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a flat cable, FIG. 7B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the flat cable, and FIG. 7C is a U-shaped flat cable. It is the schematic made bent.
8A is a schematic sectional view of a flat cable showing a modification of the second embodiment, and FIG. 8B is a schematic sectional view of a flat cable showing another modification.
FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a flat cable showing a third embodiment.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a conventional example.
11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of FIG.
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a problem of a conventional example.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing another conventional example.
14A and 14B are operation explanatory diagrams of the conventional example of FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
10, 10 ', 10 "flat cable 11 housing box 15, 15', 15" flat cable body 16, 16 ', 16 "metal plate 17, 17', 17" laminate material C body D door

Claims (2)

A flat cable having one end fixed to the fixed body and the other end fixed to the movable body, and is pulled out of the accommodating portion according to the movement of the movable body and returns to the accommodating portion when the movable body returns to its original shape. Because
At least one side of the flat cable main body is applied with a metal plate or a resin plate over the entire length in the length direction, and the metal plate or resin plate and the flat cable main body are covered with a laminate, and the ends of the laminate are fixed together. A flat cable characterized in that a metal plate or a resin plate is separated from the flat cable body and covered with a laminate material. By curving the cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the length direction of the metal plate or resin plate, the cross-sectional shape of the entire flat cable is also curved, and when the flat cable is bent into a U shape, the concave portion of the flat cable is The flat cable according to claim 1, wherein the side faces the inside of the U shape.

Images