JP6353960B2 - Feed rail - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a power supply rail for supplying electric power to a slide seat mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile.

  Conventionally, as this type of device, for example, a power supply device for a slide sheet described in Patent Document 1 is known. This power supply device includes a case having a harness housing portion, a movable body that advances and retreats along the case, a wire harness that supports one end portion on the movable body, supports the other end portion on the case, and bends in the harness housing portion. It is prepared for. The wire harness is routed along the movable body and connected to the circuit on the slide seat side, and the circuit on the power source side of the vehicle is connected to the connector of the case. As a result, the movable body advances and retreats simultaneously with the advance and retreat of the slide seat, and power is supplied from the power supply side circuit of the vehicle to the slide seat side circuit via the wire harness.

JP 2005-59745 A

  By the way, according to the conventional power supply device as described above, the wire harness is housed in the harness housing portion of the case in a bent state. Therefore, when the movable body moves back and forth as the slide sheet advances and retreats, There is a risk of malfunctioning due to being caught in the case and hindering the movement of the movable body, or the wire harness being twisted or pulled. For this reason, there has been a problem that the power supply from the power source of the vehicle to the slide seat becomes unstable.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a power supply rail that can stably supply power to the slide seat from the power source of the vehicle. It is to provide.

In order to achieve the above object, a power supply rail according to the present invention includes a long cylindrical case, a rail laid on the inner surface of the case, and a flexible flat cable accommodated inside the rail in the case. A fixed terminal provided at one end of the flexible flat cable and fixed to the case; a movable terminal provided at the other end of the flexible flat cable; movable in the longitudinal direction of the case; , An actuator that moves along the slit of the case, and a cross-sectional shape is formed into a curved shape that is convex toward the flexible flat cable, and is accommodated in a state where both curved ends are pressed into the rail, in response to movement of the actuator, pressing the flexible flat cable by the spring force Wherein the reluctant is configured to include a guide plate for guiding the movement.

  According to the present invention, the slide seat and the power source of the vehicle can be electrically connected via the power supply rail. In particular, since there are no complicated wires such as a wire harness in the cavity of the case, the wiring harness is arranged. This has the effect of eliminating the troublesome work of searching.

  Further, when the slide sheet moves back and forth, the electric wires are caught in the hollow portion to prevent the movement, and the electric wires are not twisted or pulled to cause malfunction. That is, the actuator moves according to the movement of the slide sheet, and the guide plate is configured to guide the movement while pressing the flexible flat cable in response to the movement of the actuator, so that the flexible flat cable is bent. The flexible flat cable smoothly expands and contracts in the cavity without being bent or waved. Therefore, there is an effect that power can be stably supplied to the slide seat from the power source of the vehicle.

It is a front view which shows the structure of the slide seat periphery of the motor vehicle with which the electric power feeding rail of this invention was mounted | worn. It is a side view which shows the structure of the slide seat periphery of the motor vehicle with which the electric power feeding rail of this invention was mounted | worn. It is a figure which shows the whole structure of the electric power feeding rail of this invention. It is the A section expanded sectional view of Drawing 3, and the detailed figure of a flexible flat cable. It is sectional drawing which shows the other structural example of the flexible flat cable of FIG. It is BB expanded sectional drawing of FIG. It is an expansion perspective view of the flexible flat cable and guide plate which comprise the electric power feeding rail of this invention. In the power supply rail of the present invention, (a) is a diagram showing a state where the actuator is in the front position, and (b) is a diagram showing a state where the actuator is in the rear position.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the power supply rail 1 of this embodiment is for supplying electric power from a vehicle power source to a slide seat 2 mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile. The power supply rail 1 is attached to and integrated with a side surface of the side rail 3 so that power can be continuously supplied when the slide seat 2 reciprocates back and forth along the side rail 3. Note that the present invention can be applied regardless of whether the slide sheet 2 is an electric type or a non-electric type (manual type).

  As shown in FIG. 2, a rail cover 4 made of resin is placed on the power supply rail 1 to protect foreign matter such as dust and sand from entering the vehicle.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the power supply rail 1 of the present embodiment is housed in an aluminum mold 5 designed in accordance with the moving distance of the long slide type slide sheet 2, and is formed into a long shape as a whole. Has been. In addition, caps 6 and 6 for retaining are fixed and fitted to both ends of the mold 5 so that components inside the power supply rail 1 do not protrude, and mounting holes 7 and 7 provided in the cap 6 are fixed. Can be attached to the side surface of the side rail 3 by screwing.

  The case 8 is made of a metal such as aluminum and is formed into an elongated rectangular tube shape so that it can be accommodated in the mold 5. A hollow portion 9 extending in the longitudinal direction is provided inside the case 8, and the following movable mechanism 10 is reciprocated along the longitudinal direction in the hollow portion 9.

  As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 4, the movable mechanism 10 includes a flexible flat cable 11, a fixed terminal 12, a movable terminal 13, bus bars 14 and 15, an actuator 16, and a guide plate 17. It is configured.

  The flexible flat cable 11 is formed into a long flat shape in which a thin plate (copper plate in this embodiment) 18 made of a conductor and an outer surface thereof are covered with a heat-resistant insulating tape (polyimide tape in this embodiment) 19. Is accommodated in the cavity 9. In the present embodiment, three flexible flat cables 11 are overlapped. The reason is to increase the electric capacity so that the thin plate 18 does not melt by heat when a large current flows through the flexible flat cable 11. It should be noted that the flexible flat cable 11 may be stacked in a larger number as long as it is within a range in which it can be bent and deformed, and may be composed of only one sheet as long as sufficient electric capacity can be secured. Moreover, in order to relieve the heat | fever by a large electric current, it is good also as the flexible flat cable 11 which piled up the thin plate 18 as shown in FIG.

  At one end of the flexible flat cable 11, fixed terminals 12, 12, 12 made of a conductor are integrally provided on each of the thin plates 18, 18, 18. The fixed terminal 12 is accommodated in a cap 6 provided at the tip of the case 8, and copper bar bus bars (hereinafter referred to as “fixed side bus bars”) 14, 14, 14 are fixed to each by welding. . This fixed-side bus bar 14 functions as a vehicle-side connector connected to the vehicle-side wiring.

  On the other hand, at the other end of the flexible flat cable 11, movable terminals 13, 13, 13 made of conductors are integrally provided on each of the thin plates 18, 18, 18. The movable terminal 13 is accommodated in the actuator 16, and copper plate bus bars (hereinafter referred to as “movable side bus bars”) 15, 15, 15 are fixed to each by welding. The movable bus bar 15 functions as a seat-side connector connected to the seat-side wiring.

  The actuator 16 is made of an insulator such as ABS resin, and is formed in a convex cross section having a width corresponding to the cavity 9 as shown in FIG. 6, and is fitted and supported by the slit 20 of the case 8. Recesses 21 and 21 are provided. As a result, the actuator 16 that houses the movable bus bar 15 slides along the slit 20 and is configured to be able to reciprocate in the longitudinal direction of the case 8.

  In this way, by fixing the fixed side bus bar 14 and the movable side bus bar 15 to both ends of the flexible flat cable 11, wiring work is easier than connecting with lead wires, and since electric resistance is small, a large capacity current is generated. It can flow. The fixing method of the fixed terminal 12 and the fixed bus bar 14 and the movable terminal 13 and the movable bus bar 15 is not limited to welding, and other methods such as soldering, welding, screwing, or caulking may be used.

  The guide plate 17 is made of a metal plate such as stainless steel, and is formed into a long flat shape having a width comparable to that of the flexible flat cable 11 as shown in FIG. The cross-sectional shape is formed into a curved shape (arc shape) that is convex toward the flexible flat cable 11. As shown in FIG. 6, the guide plate 17 is accommodated in a rail 22 laid on the inner surface of the case 8, and its tip is fixed to the actuator 16. The movement of the flat cable 11 is guided while being pressed by a spring force. The material of the guide plate 17 may be a metal material other than stainless steel or a resin material, and the cross-sectional shape is not limited to a curved shape as long as the flexible flat cable 11 can be pressed by a spring force.

  The power supply rail 1 configured as described above is provided with a movable mechanism 10 inside the case 8, accommodated in the mold 5, and attached to the side surface of the side rail 3 via the caps 6, 6 at both ends. . At this time, since the actuator 16 accommodating the movable bus bar 15 protrudes outside the case 8, the wiring of the motor circuit of the slide seat 2 is connected to the movable bus bar 15, and the vehicle-side power supply is connected to the fixed bus bar 14. What is necessary is just to connect the wiring of a circuit. Thereby, the power supply circuit of the vehicle and the motor circuit of the slide seat 2 can be electrically connected via the power supply rail 1.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 8A, when the actuator 16 of the power supply rail 1 is in the front position of the case 8, the fixed side bus bar 14 and the movable side bus bar 15 are connected via the flexible flat cable 11. Electric power can be supplied from the power supply circuit of the vehicle to the motor circuit of the slide seat 2.

  Here, when the slide seat 2 shown in FIG. 1 retreats along the side rail 3, the actuator 16 accommodating the movable bus bar 15 is pushed to the rear of the case 8 as shown in FIG. It moves in the direction of arrow R in the figure in conjunction with the sheet 2. At this time, in response to the movement of the actuator 16, the flexible flat cable 11 is slid in the direction of the arrow R while being pressed by the spring force of the guide plate 17.

  On the other hand, when the slide seat 2 shown in FIG. 1 moves forward along the side rail 3, the actuator 16 that houses the movable bus bar 15 is pushed forward of the case 8, as shown in FIG. It moves in the direction of arrow F in the figure in conjunction with the slide sheet 2. Here, the flexible flat cable 11 connected to the actuator 16 slides in the cavity 8 in the direction of arrow F. At this time, the flexible flat cable 11 follows the spring deformation of the guide plate 17 and returns to the original position. . In other words, since the flexible flat cable 11 is pressed against the guide plate 17 and the movement of the flexible flat cable 11 is restricted, the flexible flat cable 11 does not bend or bend in the middle of the movement, and the flexible flat cable 11 is always constant. It is designed to move smoothly with the tension applied.

  As described above, when the slide sheet 2 moves forward or backward, the actuator 16 slides along the slit 20 of the case 8 in conjunction with the operation, and the guide plate 17 and the flexible flat cable 11 are integrated as a result. It is designed to expand and contract. In addition, since there are no complicated wires such as a wire harness in the hollow portion 9, the troublesome work of wiring the wire harness can be saved, and the wires can be moved in the hollow portion 9 when the slide sheet 2 moves back and forth. There is no risk of hindering movement due to being caught, or twisting or pulling. Moreover, since the flexible flat cable 11 is expanded and contracted following the spring deformation of the guide plate 17, the actuator 16 moves from the front end along the longitudinal direction of the case 8 as shown in FIGS. 8 (a) and 8 (b). It can move to the end, and it is possible to ensure a long moving distance.

  Therefore, according to the power supply rail 1, the flexible flat cable 11 guided by the guide plate 17 follows the movement of the slide seat 2 and smoothly expands and contracts, so that the power supply circuit of the vehicle stably stabilizes the slide seat 2. Can continue to supply power.

  In the present embodiment, one movable mechanism 10 is provided in the hollow portion 9 to form one circuit, but the circuit configuration is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of the movable mechanisms 10 are arranged in the height direction of the case 8 by stacking the flexible flat cables 11 in the vertical direction, or the movable mechanisms 10 are arranged in the width direction of the case 8 by arranging the flexible flat cables 11 having narrow widths on the left and right. It is possible to arrange a plurality of circuits to have a circuit configuration of two or more circuits. As a result, even when a failure occurs in the movable mechanism 10 of any one of the circuits, a fail-safe function for ensuring safety can be exhibited by the normal operation of the movable mechanisms 10 of the remaining circuits.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, although electric power is supplied with respect to the motor circuit of the slide seat 2 via the electric power feeding rail 1 from the power supply circuit of a vehicle, a use is not restricted to this. For example, the power supply rail 1 can be used for a USB charger mounted on a vehicle, a seat heater device, a seat belt reminder (alarm device), power supply / signal transmission to a rear seat, and the like.

1: Feed rail 2: Slide sheet 3: Side rail 4: Rail cover 5: Form frame 6: Cap 7: Mounting hole 8: Case 9: Cavity 10: Movable mechanism 11: Flexible flat cable 12: Fixed terminal 13: Movable Terminal 14: Fixed side bus bar 15: Movable side bus bar 16: Actuator 17: Guide plate 18: Thin plate 19: Heat-resistant insulating tape 20: Slit 21: Recess 22: Rail

Claims (1)

A long cylindrical case,
A rail laid on the inner surface of the case;
A flexible flat cable housed inside the rail in the case;
A fixed terminal provided at one end of the flexible flat cable and fixed to the case;
A movable terminal provided at the other end of the flexible flat cable and movable in a longitudinal direction of the case;
An actuator that houses the movable terminal and moves along the slit of the case;
The flexible flat cable is formed in a curved shape with a cross-section projecting toward the flexible flat cable, accommodated in a state where both ends of the curve are pressed inside the rail, and corresponding to the movement of the actuator. A power supply rail comprising a guide plate that guides the movement of the power supply while being pressed by a spring force .