JP6376542B2 - Flat cable protection member, fitting structure of flat cable protection member, method of using flat cable protection member, and method of manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a flat cable protection member used for a slide door harness, a linear motion member cable, and the like, a fitting structure of the flat cable protection member, a method of using the flat cable protection member, and a manufacturing method thereof.

  Conventionally, in a mechanism that moves linearly, such as a sliding door of an automobile, for example, a cable protection member that can follow the operation of the mechanism is used. As such a cable protection member, there is a method in which a part of the cable protection member is opened along the longitudinal direction and the electric wire is inserted from the opening in order to insert the electric wire into the inside. In this case, workability is good because there is no need to feed the electric wires in the longitudinal direction.

  As such a cable protective tube having an opening partly in the longitudinal direction, there is, for example, a corrugated tube having an oval cross section disposed in a sliding door of an automobile and split at one end in the longitudinal direction ( Patent Document 1).

The corrugated tube described in Patent Document 1 has ribs protruding in the height direction of the corrugated tube corrugated tube on both sides of the split, and is disposed so as to be repeatedly bent by opening and closing the sliding door. When this corrugated tube is bent by opening and closing the sliding door, the ribs on both sides of the split are rubbed by surface contact between the flat surfaces. Therefore, even when the corrugated tube is bent and both sides of the corrugated tube are in contact with each other, it is difficult for abnormal noise to occur, and the corrugated tube is not pulled out even if a tensile bending force or the like acts on the corrugated tube.

  Further, there is a wire harness exterior protection tube which is formed from a flexible elastic material and has a vertical flat plate portion on one side (Patent Document 2).

The exterior protection tube of the wire harness of patent document 2 is provided with other parts, such as a semicircular cross section for a wire harness penetration, continuously with one side part. The part facing the flat plate part of the other part becomes a bellows part having a corrugated shape in which convex parts and concave parts are alternately continued at intervals in the length direction. The thickness of the flat plate portion is restrained from sagging due to the weight of the wire harness, while being bent at the bellows portion .

  The exterior protection tube of Patent Document 2 allows the flat plate portion to be opened and closed over the entire length in the length direction. After inserting the wire harness from the side surface of the tube, the inner flat portion can be easily overlapped inside the outer flat plate portion and the tube side surface can be closed.

  Further, there is a harness protecting exterior member configured by connecting the plate portions of a pair of piece members so as to contact each other (Patent Document 3).

  According to Patent Literature 3, since the inclination of the harness protecting exterior member can be set loosely, the harness protecting exterior member can be bent to a large diameter, and the wire harness and the vehicle body center pillar can be prevented from being buffered. Furthermore, the multiple electric wires installed inside the harness protection tube are double protected by both the harness protection member and the harness protection tube.

  Further, a cable protection tube through which a cable is passed, which is flexible and has a corrugated tube in which peaks and valleys are alternately formed on the outer peripheral portion, and an outer periphery of the corrugated tube. A cable protection tube comprising a shield layer provided and a sheath layer provided on the outer periphery of the shield layer is disclosed. (Patent Document 4)

  Here, the shield layer is formed by spirally winding a metal tape so that a wrap portion is formed on the outer periphery of the corrugated tube, and the shield layer is only in contact with the outer peripheral portion of the peak portion of the corrugated tube It is.

  Further, there is disclosed a corrugated tube and an electromagnetic shield tube which is provided on the inner surface side of the corrugated tube and covers the entire inner surface of the shield tube with a shield layer formed by a stretchable tubular conductive cloth. (Patent Document 5)

  Here, as the conductive cloth, a cloth body having elasticity and copper / nickel plating is used, but the conductive cloth is bonded to the inner surface of the shield tube by inserting a split diameter-expanding member. Thus, it can be attached to the valley portion of the shield tube on the inner surface of the shield tube having a corrugated shape.

JP 2005-328692 A JP 2009-171649 A Special table 2005-8010 gazette JP 2010-246296 A JP 2012-104727 A

  However, in the corrugated tube of Patent Document 1, the rib portion is not completely fixed, and it is difficult to insert the harness. Moreover, since the corrugated tube of patent document 1 is integrally molded with the wall thickness including an oval linear part and a curved part being substantially constant, it is difficult to insert an injection mold inside the corrugated tube. It is. For this reason, since the corrugated tube of patent document 1 is normally manufactured by blow molding, productivity is bad and dimensional accuracy is also low.

  Moreover, since the corrugated tube of patent document 1 has the narrow opening part of a split part, the workability | operativity at the time of inserting a flat wire harness into this corrugated tube is bad. Further, in order to prevent the flat wire harness from being exposed from the corrugated tube and to prevent dust and dirt from entering the corrugated tube, it is necessary to close the rib provided in the split portion. For this reason, it is necessary to provide an adhesive, an adhesive tape, a piercing, a cover member, etc.

  In addition, Patent Document 2 is difficult to insert the wire harness from the gap between the inner flat plate portion and the outer flat portion on the side surface having a quadrangular or semicircular cross section. Since the inner flat part must be opened and stored inside the outer flat part, workability is poor. Thus, although patent document 2 can be set as the structure which prevents opening of a mouth by covering one side of the side part of a protection tube cross section, the insertion of the harness to the exterior protection tube is difficult.

  Further, the harness protecting exterior member of Patent Document 3 is configured by connecting a large number of a pair of piece members, so that the structure is complicated and the number of parts is high, and the piece members are rubbed with each other. There is a risk to do. In addition, the workability is poor because the harness must be inserted from the front and rear ends of the member.

In the corrugated tube of Patent Document 4, it is difficult to form a metal layer on the inner surface of the corrugated tube. Therefore, the metal tape is wound around the outer periphery of the corrugated tube. Due to the uneven shape of the corrugated tube after being attached, it is difficult to wrap the metal tape in accordance with the corrugated shape of the corrugated tube, and the flexibility of the corrugated tube is impaired. In addition, when the shield tube is bent and used, the metal tape peels off or breaks, so that good shield characteristics cannot be obtained.

  Moreover, since the shield pipe of patent document 5 sticks a conductive cloth on the inner surface of a shield pipe, a shield pipe cannot be expanded and it needs to stick after inserting a conductive cloth inside a corrugated pipe. . Therefore, a spacer or expansion / contraction member, which is a member for attaching a conductive cloth as a shield layer to the inside of the corrugated tube, is necessary, and the member cost is high and the productivity is poor. Moreover, since it is difficult to form the wave shape of the shield tube even after pasting, there is a problem in the flexibility of the tube.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and is a flat cable protection member that is excellent in electric wire insertion workability and has no opening, a flat cable protection member fitting structure, and a flat cable protection member It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of using and a method of manufacturing the same.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the first invention is a flat cable protection member having a hinge portion, a pair of cable storage portions, and a pair of fitting portions, wherein the hinge portion, the pair of cable storage portions, a pair of fitting portions are formed continuously in the longitudinal direction, in the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flat cable protection member via said hinge portion, the pair of cable storage portion on both sides of the hinge portion There is formed, wherein the respective ends of the opposite side of the hinge portions of the pair of cable receiving portion, the pair of fitting portions are respectively formed, before Symbol cable storage portion, a linear portion, said linear Formed in a substantially U shape having bent portions provided at both ends of the cable-shaped portion, and the cable storage portion is alternately predetermined in the longitudinal direction of the flat cable protection member in parallel with the linear portion. Mountains and valleys are formed at intervals When the hinge portion is opened, a pair of the cable storage portions are formed in a substantially straight shape via the hinge portion, and when the hinge portion is bent and the fitting portion is fitted and closed, Cable storage spaces having the same cross-sectional shape continuously in the longitudinal direction are formed opposite to each other, and a bending prevention function is provided by directly fitting the engagement portions facing each other. rib structure having are flat cable protection member, wherein Rukoto is formed continuously in the longitudinal direction.

  One of the fitting portions is a fitting convex portion and the other is a fitting concave portion, both the fitting convex portion and the fitting concave portion have a base, and the fitting convex portion has a convex shape. Formed on the base, the fitting recess has an undercut portion, and a concave shape into which the convex shape corresponding to the fitting convex portion can be inserted is formed on the base, and the undercut The part may have a shape that expands inward from the tip of the opening and then contracts the diameter.

  The hinge portion is composed of a curved bent portion and a pair of connecting portions that are opposed to each other with the bent portion interposed therebetween, and connects the bent portion and the cable storage portion.When the hinge portion is opened, The connecting portions are arranged in a substantially straight line, and when the bent portion is bent and the hinge portion is closed, the connecting portions face each other substantially parallel to each other, and the bent portion has a maximum at the center of the bent portion. It may be thick.

  The thickness of the bent portion and the connecting portion is thinner than the thickness of the peak portion and the trough portion, and the radius of curvature of the outer periphery of the boundary between the bent portion and the connecting portion when the hinge portion is opened is the connection. And the curvature radius of the outer periphery of the bent portion may be equal to or greater than the thickness of the center of the bent portion.

  The thickness of the peak portion may be greater than the thickness of the valley portion.

  It is desirable that the flat cable protection member is made of EPDM rubber or thermoplastic elastomer.

V-grooves or slits are formed on the outer surface of the base portion of the fitting portion in the width direction of the flat cable protection member on the outer surface of the base portion at a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the flat cable protection member. It may be.

At both ends in the longitudinal direction of the flat cable protection member, a protection member connection portion may be formed as a connector connection portion in which a mountain valley portion is not formed.

  According to the first invention, since the pair of cable storage portions can be opened and closed via the hinge portion, when the hinge portion is opened, the pair of cable storage portions can be opened to each other so as to be substantially linear. . For this reason, it is easy to load the cable inside.

  Further, when the hinge portion is bent, the fitting portions formed at the ends of the pair of cable storage portions can be fitted to each other, so that the internal cable is exposed from the flat cable protection member or flat. It is possible to prevent water and foreign matter from entering the mold cable protection member. Moreover, since a pair of cable storage parts fit reliably, generation | occurrence | production of the noise by vibration can also be suppressed.

  Moreover, if a fitting part is fitting with a fitting convex part and a fitting recessed part, both can be reliably fitted. At this time, since the undercut portion is formed in the fitting concave portion, the fitting concave portion and the fitting convex portion are unlikely to come off.

  In addition, if the hinge part is composed of a curved bent part and a pair of connecting parts connected to the cable storage part, and the connecting part is substantially straight when the hinge part is opened, as described above. The pair of cable storage portions can be opened to each other so as to be substantially linear. In addition, by making the center of the bent portion the maximum thickness, the pair of cable housing portions can be reliably opened and closed while ensuring the strength of the hinge portion.

  Further, by appropriately setting the thickness of the hinge portion and the radius of curvature of each portion, the pair of cable storage portions can be reliably opened and closed by the hinge portion.

  Moreover, the flexibility of a flat cable protection member can be improved by making the thickness of a peak part thicker than the thickness of a trough part.

  If the flat cable protection member is made of EPDM rubber or thermoplastic elastomer, the member is soft, so that even if an undercut portion is generated in the fitting portion, the die can be removed.

  Moreover, the bendability of the said part can be improved by forming V groove | channel or a slit in the width direction at predetermined intervals on the outer surface of the base part of a fitting part. For this reason, the flexibility of the predetermined range of the longitudinal direction of a flat cable protection member can be improved compared with another site | part.

  Moreover, it can connect with another member easily by forming a connector connection part in the both ends of the longitudinal direction of a flat cable protection member.

2nd invention uses the flat cable protection member which concerns on 1st invention, the said hinge part is bend | folded, and the fitting convex part of one said fitting part is a fitting recessed part of the other said fitting part is in mated closed der pressed into is, that a state in which the fitting portion is closed, is a fitting structure of the flat cable protection member characterized by bend preventing portion is formed .

The flat cable is further provided along the longitudinal direction of the cable protection member in the cable storage space of the cable protection member in a state where the hinge portion is folded and closed and the cable storage portion is closed. It may be arranged.

A metal layer is opened on the inner surface of the cable storage portion and the hinge portion that forms the cable storage space of the cable protection member, and the pair of cable storage portions of the flat cable protection member is substantially linear by opening the hinge portion. You may arrange | position in the open state so that it may become. As the metal layer disposed on the inner surface of the cable housing member, copper, aluminum, typically a steel material such as a silicon steel plate or stainless steel, Zn, or the like can be used.

The flat cable protection member may be disposed and fixed to a movable portion of the flat cable so as to form a bent portion in the cable longitudinal direction of the flat cable.

  The flat cable protection member may be used for a linearly movable part of a robot or a machine tool.

  According to the second invention, a cable housing space can be formed inside. Moreover, an electromagnetic shielding property can be provided to the cable protection member by arranging the metal layer on the inner surface of the cable storage member that forms the cable storage space of the cable protection member.

  In addition, the flat cable can be reliably protected in the cable storage space by arranging the flat cable in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the cable protection member.

Such a flat cable protection member fitting structure is particularly preferably used for a bent portion of a flat cable such as a sliding door of an automobile in a cable longitudinal direction or a linearly movable portion of a robot or a machine tool.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the flat cable protection member according to the first aspect of the present invention is opened in a state where the flat cable protection member is opened so that the pair of cable storage portions are substantially straight. Use of a flat cable protection member characterized in that a cable is disposed in a cable housing portion of a flat cable protection member and the hinge portion is bent so that the fitting portion is fitted and closed. Is the method.

In addition, a third aspect of the invention is that the hinge portion of the flat cable protection member according to the first aspect of the invention is opened, and the flat cable protection member is opened so that the pair of cable storage portions are substantially linear. After forming a metal layer separately on the inner surface of the cable housing part and the hinge part, the flat cable is placed in the cable housing part of the flat cable protection member, and the hinge part is bent to fit the fitting part The flat cable protection member may be used in a closed state.

  At this time, the formation of the metal layer on the inner peripheral surface of the flat cable protection member can be realized by attaching a metal foil, local plating on the inner peripheral surface, or the like. The metal layer can be formed on the inner peripheral surface of the flat cable protection member by thermal spraying.

  Here, in the case of steel, copper, aluminum, etc., where the melting point of the metal layer is high, the metal layer can be formed by adhesion or plating. In the case where the metal layer is Zn, etc., where the melting point is low, the metal layer by thermal spraying can be formed. Can be formed. Moreover, when forming a metal layer by adhesion | attachment, each metal foil can be affixed and a metal layer can be formed.

  The most typical metal layer to be formed is a copper or aluminum metal layer. In this case, copper foil or aluminum foil is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the flat cable protection member with an adhesive. Thus, a metal layer can be formed. The thickness of the copper foil used for this is in the range of 12 μm to 210 μm. Similarly, the thickness of the aluminum foil used for this is 20 to 300 μm. Desirable ranges of the thickness of the copper foil and the thickness of the aluminum foil are 12 μm to 35 μm in the case of the copper foil, and 20 to 30 μm in the case of the aluminum foil.

  Here, when the metal layer is formed on the inner surface by bonding, the inner surface of the cable protection member having a predetermined length is covered by the presence or absence of the corrugated portion between the inner surface of the cable storage member and the hinge portion forming the cable storage space. Since the required surface area is different because the surface area of the copper foil to be applied is different, prepare copper foils of different lengths, and separate the cable storage part and the hinge part sandwiching the hinge part. A plurality of copper foils will be pasted.

  Here, since the flat cable protection member of the present invention can be opened and closed, the flat cable protection member in which the metal foil is arranged at a predetermined position in an open state is placed on the closed mold, and the mold is removed. While pressing, it is possible to apply a negative pressure or light vacuum inside the mold. By using a copper foil attached to the hinge portion that is thinner than the copper foil used for the cable housing portion, the influence on the opening and closing of the hinge portion can be minimized.

The flat cable protection member may be arranged and fixed to a movable part of the flat cable such that a bent portion is formed in the cable longitudinal direction .

  By disposing the fitting part downward or upward, the cable may be prevented from drooping when the cable is bent.

  According to the third invention, the flat cable can be easily arranged and accommodated in the open flat cable protection member.

Further, if the flat cable protection member is arranged and fixed so that a bent portion is provided in the cable longitudinal direction, the degree of freedom in layout is high.

  Further, by disposing the fitting portion downward or upward, it is possible to prevent the cable from drooping when the cable is bent.

4th invention is the manufacturing method of the flat cable protection member concerning 1st invention, Comprising: After shape | molding the fitting recessed part of the said fitting part which has an undercut shape, in a subsequent die cutting process, undercut It is a manufacturing method of the flat cable protection member characterized by pressing the outer surface of a part with an ejector pin, and carrying out die cutting.

  According to the fourth invention, the flat cable protecting member having the undercut portion can be easily punched by pressing the undercut portion with the ejector pin by being composed of EPDM rubber or thermoplastic elastomer. Can be manufactured by injection molding.

5th invention is a manufacturing method of the flat cable protection member using the flat cable protection member as described in the flat cable protection member concerning 1st invention, Comprising: Opening the said hinge part and protecting the said flat cable A method of manufacturing a flat cable protection member, wherein a metal layer is formed on the inner surfaces of the cable storage portion and the hinge portion in a state where the member is opened so that the pair of cable storage portions are substantially linear. is there.

After arranging the metal foil separately for the inner surface of each of the cable storage portions formed facing each other across the hinge portion and the hinge portion, while pressing the flat cable protection member with the mold, simultaneously The metal layer may be formed by applying a negative pressure or a light vacuum inside the mold. Regarding the formation of the metal layer, there are various methods such as plating and thermal spraying in addition to the application of the metal foil. However, in consideration of productivity, cost and environmental load, the application of the metal foil is the most. desirable.

  According to the fifth invention, it is possible to form a metal layer on the inner surface of the cable housing member after injection molding of the flat cable protection member. This makes it possible to impart electromagnetic shielding properties to the flat cable protection member. The formation of the metal layer on the inner surface of the cable housing member may be performed after die-cutting after injection molding, or may be performed in an injection-molded state without performing die-cutting.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a flat cable protection member having excellent workability for electric wire insertion and having no opening, a fitting structure of the flat cable protection member, a method for using the flat cable protection member, and a method for manufacturing the protection member. Can be provided.

The top view which shows the flat type cable protection member 1 of the open state. 1A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-B in FIG. 1, FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 1, and FIG. The EE sectional view taken on the line D in FIG. (A) is an expanded sectional view of fitting part 7a, (b) is an expanded sectional view of fitting part 7b. It is an enlarged view of the hinge part 5, Comprising: The F section enlarged view of FIG.2 (c). (A) is a side view of the flat cable protection member 1, (b) is an I-part enlarged view of (a), and (c) is a sectional view taken along line JJ of (b). (A) is a side view of the flat cable protection member 1, (b) is an enlarged view of a portion G of (a), and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line HH of (b). (A) is a figure which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the flat cable 31 in the flat cable protection member 1, (b) is a figure which shows the state which closed the flat cable protection member 1. FIG. (C) is an enlarged view of a T portion. (A) is a figure which shows the state which has arrange | positioned the flat cable 31 in the flat cable protection member 1 which provided the metal layer in the inner surface of the cable storage part, (b) is the flat cable protection member 1 of (a). The figure which shows the closed state. The figure which shows the use condition of the flat type cable protection member. The QQ sectional view taken on the line of the flat cable protection member 1 in FIG. The figure which shows the state which injection-molded the flat cable protection member 1. FIG. The figure which shows the state which mold-releases the flat cable protection member 1. FIG. (A), (b) is a figure which shows the method of forming the flat cable protection member 1a.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the flat cable protection member 1 in an open state, FIG. 2 (a) is a view taken along arrow A in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2 (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. FIG. 2 and FIG. 2C are cross-sectional views taken along the line CC of FIG. The flat cable protection member 1 includes a hinge portion 5, cable storage portions 3a and 3b, and fitting portions 7a and 7b. The flat cable protection member 1 is integrally formed of, for example, EPDM rubber or thermoplastic elastomer.

  Connector connecting portions 11 a and 11 b are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the flat cable protection member 1. As shown in FIG. 2A, the connector connecting portion 11 b is formed in a substantially U shape having a linear portion 17 and bent portions 19 provided at both ends of the linear portion 17. The connector connecting portion 11a has a similar shape. The connector connecting portions 11a and 11b are portions connected to other members when the flat cable protection member 1 is installed.

  In addition, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the pair of cable storage portions 3 a and 3 b are hinged via a hinge portion 5 in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flat cable protection member 1. Provided on both sides of the portion 5. When the hinge part 5 is opened, the pair of cable storage parts 3 a and 3 b are formed in a substantially straight line shape via the hinge part 5.

  Similarly to the connector connecting portions 11a and 11b, the cable housing portions 3a and 3b are also formed in a substantially U shape having a linear portion 17 and bent portions 19 provided at both ends of the linear portion 17. The Further, in the cable housing portions 3a and 3b of the flat cable protection member 1, peaks 9a and valleys 9b are formed at predetermined intervals alternately in the longitudinal direction of the flat cable protection member 1 in parallel with the linear portion 17. Is done.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE in a D portion of FIG. Here, it is desirable that the thickness t1 of the peak portion 9a is thicker than the thickness t2 of the valley portion 9b. When the flat cable protection member 1 is bent, the trough portion 9b is mainly deformed. However, the bendability is further improved by reducing the thickness of the trough portion 9b. Moreover, since the peak portion 9a is thick, it is possible to suppress wear and damage due to contact with the outside.

  Fitting portions 7a and 7b are formed at the respective ends of the cable storage portions 3a and 3b on the opposite side to the hinge portion 5 respectively. 4A is an enlarged sectional view of the fitting portion 7a, and FIG. 4B is an enlarged sectional view of the fitting portion 7b.

  One fitting part 7a is a fitting convex part 21a, and has a base part 23a. The fitting convex portion 21a has a convex shape formed on the base portion 23a.

  The other fitting portion 7b is a fitting recess 21b and has a base portion 23b. The fitting concave portion 21b has an undercut portion 25, and a concave shape into which a convex shape corresponding to the fitting convex portion 21a can be inserted is formed on the base portion 23b. The undercut portion 25 has a shape that expands inward from the tip of the opening 28 and then contracts the diameter. That is, the fitting convex portion 21a and the fitting concave portion 21b both include the base portions 23a and 23b and can be fitted to each other.

  FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the F part in FIG. 2C, and is an enlarged cross-sectional view in the vicinity of the hinge part 5. The hinge portion 5 includes a curved bent portion 27 and a pair of connecting portions 29 that face both sides of the bent portion 27 and connect the bent portion 27 and the cable storage portions 3a and 3b (not shown). In the state in which the hinge portion 5 is opened, the pair of connection portions 29 are arranged in a substantially straight line with the bent portion 27 interposed therebetween.

  Here, it is desirable that the thickness t4 of the bent portion 27 and the thickness t3 of the connection portion 29 are thinner than the thickness t1 of the peak portion 9a and the thickness t2 of the valley portion 9b. Further, it is desirable that the radius of curvature R1 of the outer periphery of the boundary between the bent portion 27 and the connection portion 29 with the hinge portion 5 opened is 2/3 or less of the wall thickness t3 of the connection portion 29. Furthermore, the radius of curvature R2 of the outer periphery of the bent portion 27 is desirably equal to or greater than the thickness t4 at the center of the bent portion 27. Moreover, as for the bending part 27, it is desirable that the center of the bending part 27 is the maximum thickness.

  6 (a) is a side view of the flat cable protection member 1, FIG. 6 (b) is an enlarged view of a portion I in FIG. 6 (a), and FIG. 6 (c) is a line JJ in FIG. 6 (b). It is sectional drawing. The predetermined range in the longitudinal direction of the flat cable protection member 1 is the V-groove non-forming portion 15a, and the other part is the V-groove forming portion 15b. The V-groove forming portion 15b is formed to have a predetermined length from the end side of the flat cable protection member 1.

  In the V groove forming portion 15b provided at a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the flat cable protection member 1, the V groove 13a is provided on the outer surface of the base portion 23a of the fitting portion 7a. The V-shaped groove 13a is formed in the width direction of the flat cable protection member 1 (a direction substantially parallel to the peak portion 9a or the valley portion 9b) at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction of the flat cable protection member 1. A slit may be formed instead of the V groove 13a.

  Similarly, FIG. 7A is a side view seen from the reverse side of the flat cable protection member 1, FIG. 7B is an enlarged view of a portion G of FIG. 7A, and FIG. 7C is FIG. It is HH sectional view taken on the line of b). As described above, the predetermined range in the longitudinal direction of the flat cable protection member 1 is the V-groove non-forming portion 15a, and the other part is the V-groove forming portion 15b.

  In the V groove forming portion 15b provided at a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the flat cable protection member 1, the V groove 13b is provided on the outer surface of the base portion 23b of the fitting portion 7b. The V-groove 13b is formed in the width direction of the flat cable protection member 1 (a direction substantially parallel to the peak portion 9a or the valley portion 9b) at a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction of the flat cable protection member 1. A slit may be formed instead of the V groove 13b.

  Thus, the V-groove forming portion 15b is provided with the V-grooves 13a and 13b in the fitting portions 7a and 7b. The fitting parts 7a and 7b are higher in rigidity than other parts and cause the flexibility to be deteriorated, but the V grooves 13a and 13b are provided in the fitting parts 7a and 7b of the V groove forming part 15b. Therefore, the flexibility of the V groove forming portion 15b is improved as compared with the V groove non-forming portion 15a.

  Next, a method for using the flat cable protection member 1 will be described. First, the flat cable protection member 1 is injection molded in an open state. Details of the injection molding will be described later. Next, as shown in FIG. 8A, the flat cable 31 is arranged on the flat cable protection member 1 in the opened state. Next, by closing the hinge part 5 (cable storage parts 3a, 3b) (arrow K in the figure), the fitting parts 7a, 7b are fitted.

  FIG. 8B shows a state in which the hinge portion 5 is bent, and the fitting convex portion 21a of one fitting portion 7a is press-fitted into the fitting concave portion 21b of the other fitting portion 7b to be fitted and closed. It is a figure which shows the flat cable protection member fitting structure 30 of this. When the hinge portion 5 is bent and the fitting portions 7a and 7b are fitted and closed, the pair of cable housing portions 3a and 3b face each other to form a cable housing space 33.

  As described above, the flat cable 31 is arranged in the cable storage space 33 of the flat cable protection member 1 in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the cable protection member in a state where the cable storage portions 3a and 3b are closed.

  FIG.8 (c) is the T section enlarged view of FIG.8 (b). When the bent part 27 of the hinge part 5 is bent and the hinge part 5 is closed, the connection parts 29 described above face each other substantially in parallel. By optimizing the shape of the hinge portion 5 as described above, when the hinge portion 5 is closed, the connection portions 29 of the hinge portion 5 are not separated from each other, and the cable storage portions 3a and 3b are not lifted.

  In the present embodiment, a metal layer may be further formed on the inner surfaces of the cable storage portions 3 a and 3 b and the hinge portion 5. 9 (a) and 9 (b) are diagrams showing the flat cable protection member 1a provided with the metal layer 10, and correspond to FIGS. 8 (a) and 8 (b), respectively. .

  A metal layer 10 is formed on the inner surface of the flat cable protection member 1a. That is, the metal layer 10 is formed so as to cover the inner surfaces of the cable storage portions 3 a and 3 b and the inner surface of the hinge portion 5 that are opposed to each other with the hinge portion 5 interposed therebetween. The metal layer 10 is, for example, a metal foil such as a copper foil, and is formed by attaching a copper foil to both the cable housing portions 3 a and 3 b and the hinge portion 5.

  In this embodiment, as shown to Fig.9 (a), the flat cable 31 is arrange | positioned to the flat cable protection member 1a of the open state. Next, by closing the hinge part 5 (cable storage parts 3a, 3b) (arrow K in the figure), the fitting parts 7a, 7b are fitted.

  9B, from this state, the hinge part 5 is bent, and the fitting convex part 21a of one fitting part 7a is press-fitted into the fitting concave part 21b of the other fitting part 7b and fitted. It is a figure which shows the flat cable protection member fitting structure 30a of the closed state. When the hinge portion 5 is bent and the fitting portions 7a and 7b are fitted and closed, the pair of cable housing portions 3a and 3b face each other to form a cable housing space 33.

  As shown in FIG. 9B, when the hinge portion 5 is bent and the fitting portions 7a and 7b are fitted and closed, the pair of cable storage portions 3a and 3b face each other, and the cable storage space 33 Can be formed. At this time, since the cable housing space 33 is covered with the metal layer 10, the metal layer 10 functions as a shielding layer. Thus, the metal layer 10 is formed on the inner surfaces of the cable storage portions 3a, 3b and the hinge portion 5 with the cable protection member 1a opened, and then the flat cable 31 is disposed in the flat cable protection member 1a. By fitting the fitting portions 7a and 7b, the flat cable protection member 1a can be used in a closed state.

Such flat cable protection member fitting structures 30 and 30a are provided, for example, in a sliding door of an automobile. In this case, the flat cable protection members 1 and 1a are flat cable cables. It is provided at the bent portion in the longitudinal direction . The flat cable protection members 1 and 1a can also be used for a linearly movable part of a robot or a machine tool. In the following description, an example of the flat cable protection member 1 will be described unless otherwise specified.

  FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which the flat cable protection member 1 (flat cable protection member fitting structure 30) is applied to a sliding door of an automobile, and FIG. 11 shows the flat cable protection in FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the member fitting structure 30 taken along the line QQ. In FIG. 10, N indicates a state in which the slide door 43 is closed, P indicates a state in which the slide door 43 is completely opened, and O indicates a state in which the slide door 43 is being moved.

One end of the flat cable protection member 1 is connected to a vehicle body side support member 41 provided on the vehicle body 39. The other end of the flat cable protection member 1 is connected to a door-side support member 45 provided on the slide door 43. In the present embodiment, for example, in the state where the slide door 43 is closed, the flat cable protection member 1 is disposed and fixed to the vehicle body 39 and the slide door 43 so that the bent portion 47 is provided in the cable longitudinal direction .

  As shown in FIG. 11, the flat cable protection member 1 is arranged with the fitting portions 7a and 7b facing downward. The flat cable protection member 1 may be disposed with the fitting portions 7a and 7b facing upward. That is, the flat cable protection member 1 may be disposed with the fitting portions 7a and 7b facing upward or downward (in the direction of arrow S in the figure). By doing in this way, the flat cable protection member 1 (flat cable 31) can be prevented from drooping when the flat cable protection member 1 (flat cable 31) is bent.

When the slide door 43 is opened, the flat cable protection member 1 is bent so as to follow the operation of the slide door 43. For example, when the slide door 43 is in an opening / closing operation (O in the figure), a large S-shaped bent portion may be formed in the cable longitudinal direction . In this case, the flat cable protection member 1 is arranged in an S shape with respect to the slide door 43, and has an inflection point in the middle of the S shape.

Here, when the sliding door 43 is closed, the sliding door 43 is pulled, so that the S-shape extends in a long direction, so that the change in curvature before and after the inflection point tends to decrease. For this reason, the reversal of the curvature before and after the inflection point in the S-shaped bent portion in the cable longitudinal direction hardly occurs.

On the other hand, when the slide door 43 is opened, different bending stresses act at each position of the S-shaped flat cable protection member 1, so that the curvature before and after the inflection point of the flat cable protection member 1 may be reversed. (For example, S in the figure). At this time, if the rigidity in the vicinity of the attachment end of the flat cable protection member 1 is higher than that in the vicinity of the inflection point, the inversion of the curvature before and after the inflection point in the S-shaped bent portion in the cable longitudinal direction is unlikely to occur. It is done.

  Therefore, it is desirable to reduce the rigidity in the vicinity of the S-shaped inflection point. On the other hand, since the S-shape changes as the slide door 43 moves, the inflection point position also changes within a predetermined range. For this reason, it is desirable to make the rigidity of the change range (for example, R in the figure) of the S-shaped inflection point lower than other parts.

  In the present embodiment, a range that can be an S-shaped inflection point is the above-described V groove forming portion 15b. That is, it is desirable that the flat cable protection member 1 is provided with V-grooves 13a and 13b and slits in the vicinity of a range that can be an S-shaped inflection point. Specifically, the positions where the V grooves 13a and 13b and the slits are provided are provided in opposite directions at positions symmetrical to each other in the direction of the center of curvature of the S-shape.

  Note that it is considered that the inversion of the S-shape is unlikely to occur even when the thickness near the fixed end of the flat cable protection member 1 is increased toward the end. In particular, it is preferable to thicken the opposite side of the center of curvature of the flat cable protection member 1.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the flat cable protection member 1 will be described. As described above, in the present embodiment, the flat cable protection member 1 is formed by injection molding. FIG. 12 is a view showing a state in which the molds 35a and 35b are arranged to face each other and the resin constituting the flat cable protection member 1 is injected into the internal cavity. Note that, with the exception of the ejector pin 37, the configuration of other ejector pins and the like is not shown.

  As described above, the undercut portion 25 is formed in a part of the flat cable protection member 1. Normally, the undercut portion 25 may be damaged by the mold when the mold is opened after injection molding. Therefore, the shape design is generally such that the undercut portion 25 is not formed.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the flat cable protection member 1 is formed of an extremely soft material such as EPDM rubber or thermoplastic elastomer. Further, the die 35a is provided with an ejector pin 37 that can be pressed against the outer surface near the undercut portion 25.

  As shown in FIG. 13, when the molds 35a and 35b are opened after injection molding (arrow M in the figure), the ejector pin 37 is protruded (arrow L in the figure), so that the resin in the vicinity of the undercut portion 25 is removed. It can be easily deformed and die cut. That is, in the flat cable protection member 1, after the fitting recess 21 b having the undercut shape is injection-molded, the outer surface of the undercut portion 25 is pressed with the ejector pin 37 to be die-cut in a subsequent die-cutting step. The flat cable protection member 1 can be molded.

  14 (a) and 14 (b) are diagrams showing a method for manufacturing the flat cable protection member 1a. First, the flat cable protection member 1 including the fitting portion 7b having the undercut portion 25 is injection molded by the method described above.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 14A, the injection-molded flat cable protection member 1 is placed on the lower mold 49 in an open state. Furthermore, the metal foil 50 is divided and arranged on the inner surfaces of the respective cable storage portions 3a and 3b and the hinge portion 5 that face each other with the hinge portion 5 interposed therebetween. In this state, the upper mold 48 is moved to the lower mold 49 (arrow U in the figure). The upper mold 48 and the lower mold 49 have an uneven shape corresponding to the shape of the flat cable protection member 1.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 14B, the flat cable protection member 1 and the metal foil 50 are pressed by the upper mold 48 and the lower mold 49. As a result, the metal foil 50 and the flat cable protection member 1 can be bonded. Thus, the flat cable protection member 1a having the metal layer 10 can be formed by bonding the metal foil 50 to the inner surfaces of the cable storage portions 3a and 3b and the hinge portion 5 forming the cable storage space 33. it can.

  When the metal foil 50 is pressed by the upper mold 48, for example, it may be formed by applying a negative pressure or a light vacuum inside the mold from a suction port 51 formed in the lower mold 49 as shown in the figure. That is, while pressing the flat cable protection member 1 with the upper mold 48, the inside of the cavities of the upper mold 48 and the lower mold 49 is applied with a negative pressure or a light vacuum to form the metal layer 10. By doing in this way, the metal layer 10 can be easily formed in the flat cable protection member 1.

  Here, in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the suction port 51 is provided only in the lower mold 49, but may be provided in the upper mold 48. Even if the metal foil 50 for forming the metal layer 10 is installed on the flat cable protection member 1 before the flat cable protection member 1 is installed on the lower mold 49, the metal foil 50 is flat on the lower mold. It may be performed after the mold cable protection member 1 is installed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the flat cable protection member 1 having the hinge portion 5 and the cable housing portions 3a and 3b of the flat cable protection member 1 are completely opened at about 180 ° in the flat state. Since the mold cable 31 can be inserted, the flat cable 31 can be easily inserted.

  In particular, by appropriately setting the shape and thickness of the hinge portion 5, the cable storage portions 3 a and 3 b can be completely opened, and the pair of connection portions 29 are substantially mutually closed when closed. It can be made to face in parallel.

  Moreover, the flat cable protection member 1 becomes easy to deform | transform by making the thickness of the trough part 9b thinner than the peak part 9a thickness.

  Further, the end portions of the cable storage portions 3a and 3b are provided with fitting portions 7a and 7b, and the end portions of the cable storage portions 3a and 3b are fitted to each other when the flat cable protection member 1 is closed. It has a lock mechanism (fitting mechanism). For this reason, the flat cable 31 is not exposed. Moreover, it can suppress that the cable accommodating parts 3a and 3b rub against each other and an abnormal noise generate | occur | produces.

  Further, since the flat cable protection member 1 is made of EPDM rubber or thermoplastic elastomer, it is easily deformed and can be easily deformed to follow the operation of the movable part even when applied to the movable part. Further, if the flat cable protection member 1 is made of EPDM rubber or thermoplastic elastomer, it is easy to remove the fitting portion at the time of injection molding. In particular, even if the undercut portion 25 is provided, since the material is soft, it can be easily punched with an ejector pin. Further, by forming the undercut portion 25 in this manner, the fitting portions 7a and 7b can be more reliably fitted.

  Moreover, since it shape | molds in the state which opened the flat cable protection member 1, and it can be used by bending at a hinge part, manufacturability is favorable. For example, in the case where the thin flat cable protection member 1 is molded in a closed state, it is difficult to directly injection-mold the internal closing structure, so that it is necessary to perform molding by blow molding. However, in blow molding, it is practically impossible to form a complicated fitting structure. Furthermore, if it is injection molding, it can be realized with a simple mold structure, and productivity is higher than that of blow molding.

  Further, since the flat cable protection member 1 is formed in an open state, the metal layer 10 can be easily formed on the inner surface side of the flat cable protection member 1, and the flat cable is inserted after the formation. Is also easy.

  The fitting portions 7a and 7b are formed with base portions 23a and 23b that are thicker than the mountain portions 9a and the valley portions 9b. For this reason, when fitting parts 7a and 7b are fitted and fitting parts 7a and 7b are arranged in the up-and-down direction, flat cable protection member 1 is prevented from hanging down by fitting parts 7a and 7b. be able to.

  Moreover, since the flat cable protection member 1 is normally used by being arranged in an S shape, there is a concern that the shape of the arrangement at that time may be reversed with respect to the inflection point. However, such a reversal of curvature can be prevented by providing V-grooves 13a, 13b and slits on the outer surface of the fitting portions 7a, 7b at predetermined intervals in a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the flat cable protection member 1. Can do.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, the technical scope of this invention is not influenced by embodiment mentioned above. It is obvious for those skilled in the art that various modifications or modifications can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. It is understood that it belongs.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1a ......... Flat cable protection member 3a, 3b ......... Cable storage part 5 ......... Hinge part 7, 7a ......... Fitting part 9a ......... Mountain part 9b ......... Valley part 10 ... ... Metal layers 11a, 11b ......... Connector connecting portions 13a, 13b ......... V-groove 15a ......... V-groove non-forming portion 15b ......... V-groove forming portion 17 ......... Linear portion 19 ......... Bending Part 21a ......... Fitting convex part 21b ......... Fitting concave part 23a, 23b ......... Base 25 ......... Undercut part 27 ......... Bending part 28 ......... Opening part 29 ......... Connecting part 30, 30a ......... Flat cable protection member fitting structure 31 ......... Flat cable 33 ......... Cable storage space 35a, 35b ......... Mold 37 ......... Ejector pin 39 ......... Car body 41 ......... Car body Side support member 43 ......... Slide door 45 ......... Door side support member 47 ......... Bending part 8 ......... upper mold 49 ......... lower mold 50 ...... metal foil 51 ......... suction port

Claims (20)

A flat cable protection member having a hinge part, a pair of cable storage parts, and a pair of fitting parts,
The hinge portion, the pair of cable storage portions, and the pair of fitting portions are formed continuously in the longitudinal direction,
In the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flat cable protection member,
The pair of cable storage portions are formed on both sides of the hinge portion via the hinge portion,
The pair of fitting portions are respectively formed at the end portions of the pair of cable storage portions on the opposite side of the hinge portion,
The cable housing portion is formed in a substantially U shape having a linear portion and bent portions provided at both ends of the linear portion,
The cable housing portion is formed with crests and troughs at predetermined intervals alternately in the longitudinal direction of the flat cable protection member in parallel with the linear portion.
When the hinge portion is opened, the pair of cable storage portions are formed in a substantially straight shape via the hinge portion,
When the hinge portion is bent and the fitting portion is fitted and closed, the pair of cable housing portions face each other, and a cable housing space having the same cross-sectional shape is formed continuously in the longitudinal direction, Furthermore, the flat cable protection member characterized by forming the rib structure which has a bending prevention function continuously by making the said fitting part which mutually opposes fit directly in a longitudinal direction. As for the said fitting part, one is a fitting convex part, the other is a fitting recessed part, and both the said fitting convex part and the said fitting recessed part have a base part,
The fitting convex portion has a convex shape formed on the base portion,
The fitting recess has an undercut portion, a concave shape into which the convex shape corresponding to the fitting convex portion can be inserted is formed in the base portion, and the undercut portion is formed from the tip of the opening. The flat cable protection member according to claim 1, wherein the flat cable protection member has a shape that decreases in diameter after expanding toward the inside.   The hinge portion is composed of a curved bent portion and a pair of connecting portions that are opposed to each other with the bent portion interposed therebetween, and connects the bent portion and the cable storage portion.When the hinge portion is opened, The connecting portions are arranged in a substantially straight line, and when the bent portion is bent and the hinge portion is closed, the connecting portions face each other substantially parallel to each other, and the bent portion has a maximum at the center of the bent portion. The flat cable protection member according to claim 1, wherein the flat cable protection member is thick.   The thickness of the bent portion and the connecting portion is thinner than the thickness of the peak portion and the trough portion, and the radius of curvature of the outer periphery of the boundary between the bent portion and the connecting portion when the hinge portion is opened is the connection. The flat cable protection member according to claim 3, wherein the thickness of the bent portion is 2/3 or less, and the radius of curvature of the outer periphery of the bent portion is equal to or greater than the thickness of the center of the bent portion.   The flat cable protection member according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a thickness of the peak portion is larger than a thickness of the valley portion.   The flat cable protection member according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the flat cable protection member is made of EPDM rubber or thermoplastic elastomer. V-grooves or slits are formed on the outer surface of the base portion of the fitting portion in the width direction of the flat cable protection member on the outer surface of the base portion at a predetermined position in the longitudinal direction of the flat cable protection member. The flat cable protection member according to claim 2, wherein the flat cable protection member is provided.   8. The protective member connecting portion as a connector connecting portion having no ridges or valleys is formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the flat cable protective member. The flat cable protection member according to any one of the above.   The flat cable protection member according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the hinge portion is bent, and the fitting convex portion of one fitting portion is fitted to the other fitting portion. A fitting structure for a flat cable protection member, wherein the fitting portion is in a state of being press-fitted into a concave portion and fitted and closed, and the bending portion is closed to form a bending prevention portion. A flat cable,
The flat cable is disposed in the cable storage space of the cable protection member along the longitudinal direction of the cable protection member in a state where the hinge portion is folded and closed and the cable storage portion is closed. The flat cable protection member fitting structure according to claim 9.   A metal layer is formed on the inner surfaces of the cable storage portion and the hinge portion forming the cable storage space so that the flat cable protection member has a pair of cable storage portions in a substantially linear shape by opening the hinge portion. The flat cable protection member fitting structure according to claim 10, wherein the flat cable protection member is arranged in an open state. The flat cable according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the flat cable protection member is disposed and fixed so as to form a bent portion in a cable longitudinal direction in a movable portion of the cable of the flat cable. Cable protection member fitting structure.   The flat cable protection member fitting structure according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the flat cable protection member is used in a linearly movable part of a robot or a machine tool.   Opening the hinge portion of the flat cable protection member according to any one of claims 1 to 8, and opening the flat cable protection member so that the pair of cable storage portions are substantially straight, A flat cable protection member, wherein the flat cable protection member is used in a state in which the cable is disposed in a cable housing portion of the flat cable protection member and the hinge portion is bent so that the fitting portion is fitted and closed. how to use. 9. The flat cable protection member according to claim 1, wherein the flat cable protection member is opened such that the flat cable protection member is opened so that a pair of cable storage portions are substantially straight. After forming a metal layer separately on the inner surface of the storage part and the hinge part, a flat cable is placed in the cable storage part of the flat cable protection member, and the hinge part is bent to fit the fitting part. The flat cable protection member is used in a closed state. The flat cable protection member according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the flat cable protection member is disposed and fixed to a movable portion of the flat cable so that a bent portion in a cable longitudinal direction is formed. How to use the member.   The flat cable protection member according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the fitting portion is disposed downward or upward to prevent the cable from drooping when the cable is bent. how to use. It is a manufacturing method of the flat type cable protection member in any one of Claims 1-8, Comprising: After shape | molding the fitting recessed part of the said fitting part which has an undercut shape, in a subsequent die cutting process, A method for producing a flat cable protection member, wherein an outer surface of a cut portion is pressed with an ejector pin to perform die cutting.   The flat cable protection member manufacturing method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the hinge portion is opened so that the pair of cable storage portions are substantially straight. A metal cable layer is formed on the inner surface of the cable housing part and the hinge part in a state opened to a flat cable protection member.   After arranging the metal foil separately for the inner surface of each of the cable storage portions formed facing each other across the hinge portion and the hinge portion, while pressing the flat cable protection member with the mold, simultaneously 20. The method of manufacturing a flat cable protection member according to claim 19, wherein the metal layer is formed by applying a negative pressure or a light vacuum inside the mold to form the metal layer.

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