JP7085969B2 - Wire harnesses, wire harnesses with breaks, and HWD systems - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wire harness, a wire harness with a cutoff, and an HWD system HWD system, a wire harness, and a wire harness with a break.

Conventionally, as a method for removing dew condensation and freezing of the windshield and the rear glass of a vehicle, for example, there is a method using heating by a heating wire and a method using air blowing by an air conditioner.

However, in the case of the method using a heating wire, there is a problem that it is difficult to use it for a windshield because it blocks the driver's field of view.

Therefore, in recent years, HWD (Heated Windscreen Defroster) using a transparent conductive film made of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) or the like may be used.

Patent Document 1 describes two windowpanes, an intermediate layer for binding the windowpanes to each other, and at least one transparent conductive coating on at least one surface of the windowpane facing the intermediate layer, and transparent. It comprises at least two bus bars connected to the conductive coating and has n notches that divide the transparent conductive coating into multiple coating areas so that the coating areas are electrically connected in series with each other. The featured technology is disclosed.

Special Table 2013-531115 Publication No.

In the case of HWD using a transparent conductive film as described above, in order to prevent uneven temperature rise, a plurality of connectors and electric wires connected to the connectors are provided to supply electric power to the transparent conductive film. In such a case, assuming that a fuse is connected to each electric wire, when the transparent conductive film is damaged due to a collision of a vehicle or the like, a very large current flows as compared with the case of a heating wire. There is a problem.

Further, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 21, when one transparent conductive film A undergoes dielectric breakdown due to collision or the like, the other transparent conductive film B may undergo dielectric breakdown. .. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 21 (A), when the transparent conductive film A and the transparent conductive film B are arranged adjacent to each other, the potentials of the transparent conductive film in the lateral direction are substantially the same. In such a case, as shown in FIG. 21 (B), if dielectric breakdown occurs in the portion marked with a star in the transparent conductive film B, the transparent conductive film A and the transparent conductive film are formed in the region on the right side of the portion where the dielectric breakdown occurs. Since the potential difference between B becomes large, there is a problem that dielectric breakdown occurs in the transparent conductive film A, and an excessive current may flow not only in the transparent conductive film B but also in the transparent conductive film A.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is a wire harness that prevents an excessive current from flowing even when the transparent conductive film is short-circuited, a wire harness with a cutoff portion, and a wire harness with a cutoff portion. The purpose is to provide an HWD system.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is an HWD system for removing dew condensation or freezing of a vehicle window glass, which is arranged near both ends of a transparent conductive film laid on the window glass and is transparent. In a wire harness used in an HWD system having a plurality of connectors electrically connected to a conductive film, a pre-stage wire harness that transmits power supplied from a battery and a pre-stage wire harness that transmits the pre-stage wire harness are branched. It has a branch portion and a rear stage wire harness that supplies power supplied from the branch portion to at least one of a plurality of the connectors arranged at one end of the transparent conductive film, and the front stage wire harness. Is characterized in that the wire diameter is the same as that of the rear-stage wire harness, or the wire diameter of the rear-stage wire harness is larger than that of the front-stage wire harness.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent an excessive current from flowing even when the transparent conductive film is short-circuited.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the connector is arranged on a frame which is a member for fixing the window glass to the vehicle body.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the transparent conductive film from being damaged by the stress when attaching the wire harness.

Further, in the present invention, the connector has a main body portion arranged on the frame and a contact portion arranged on the transparent conductive film and electrically connected, and the rear-stage wire harness has the main body portion. It is characterized in that it is connected to a conductive bus bar provided in the above, and the bus bar and the contact portion are connected by a connecting wire.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the transparent conductive film from being damaged by the stress when attaching the wire harness and to secure the electrical connection with the transparent conductive film.

Further, in the present invention, the plurality of connectors have a conductive bus bar and are arranged at both ends of the transparent conductive film, and the subsequent wire harness is connected to the bus bar, and the bus bar and the transparent film are connected. It is characterized in that the conductive film is connected by a connecting wire.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the transparent conductive film from being damaged by the stress when attaching the wire harness.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the branch portion is one of a plurality of the connectors, and connects the front-stage wire harness and the rear-stage wire harness.
According to such a configuration, even if the transparent conductive film is short-circuited, it is possible to surely prevent an excessive current from flowing through the transparent conductive film.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the rear-stage wire harness is connected to each of the plurality of connectors, and the branch portion connects the front-stage wire harness to each of the plurality of connectors. ..
According to such a configuration, even if the transparent conductive film is short-circuited, it is possible to surely prevent an excessive current from flowing through the transparent conductive film.

Further, the present invention is arranged at any of the front-stage wire harness, the branch portion, and the rear-stage wire harness, and when the current supplied from the battery becomes a predetermined value or more, the current is applied. It is characterized by having a blocking portion for blocking.
According to such a configuration, when an excessive current is passed, the load can be protected by shutting off.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the cutoff portion gradually reduces the current when the current supplied from the battery becomes a predetermined value or more.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent other in-vehicle devices from malfunctioning when the current is cut off by the cutoff unit.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the blocking portion cuts off the reverse current from the transparent conductive film.
With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent other in-vehicle devices from malfunctioning due to the reverse current.

Further, in the present invention, an image pickup device for imaging the front of the vehicle is attached to the window glass with the field of view facing the outside of the vehicle, and another connector is provided in the vicinity of the field of view of the image pickup device of the window glass. Is arranged.
According to such a configuration, the field of view of the image pickup device can be secured by removing dew condensation and freezing existing in the field of view of the image pickup device.

Further, the present invention is a wire harness with a blocking portion used in a HWD system for removing dew condensation or freezing of a vehicle window glass, wherein the HWD system is located near both ends of a transparent conductive film laid on the window glass. A branch portion that has a plurality of connectors each arranged and electrically connected to the transparent conductive film, and branches a front-stage wire harness that transmits power supplied from a battery and a front-stage wire harness that transmits power transmitted through the front-stage wire harness. And a rear-stage wire harness that supplies power supplied from the branch portion to at least one of the plurality of the connectors arranged at one end of the transparent conductive film, and the front-stage wire harness is the said. The wire diameter is the same as that of the rear-stage wire harness, or the rear-stage wire harness has a larger wire diameter than the front-stage wire harness, and the cutoff portion is one of the front-stage wire harness, the branch portion, and the rear-stage wire harness. It is arranged at a location and is characterized in that when the current supplied from the battery exceeds a predetermined value, the current is cut off.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent an excessive current from flowing even when the transparent conductive film is short-circuited.

Further, according to the present invention, in an HWD system for removing dew condensation or freezing of a vehicle window glass, the present invention is arranged near both ends of a transparent conductive film laid on the window glass, and is electrically connected to the transparent conductive film. The transparent conductive film has a plurality of connectors, a front-stage wire harness that transmits power supplied from the battery, a branch portion that branches the power transmitted through the front-stage wire harness, and the power supplied from the branch portion. A rear wire harness that supplies at least one of the plurality of connectors arranged at one end, and a battery that is arranged at any of the front wire harness, the branch portion, and the rear wire harness. The front-stage wire harness has a wire diameter equal to that of the rear-stage wire harness, or the rear-stage wire harness has the same wire diameter as the rear-stage wire harness. It is characterized by having a larger wire diameter than the previous wire harness.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent an excessive current from flowing even when the transparent conductive film is short-circuited.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a wire harness capable of preventing an excessive current from flowing even when the transparent heater is short-circuited, a wire harness with a cutoff portion, and an HWD system. Become.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the HWD system which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the detail of the electric structure shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the detailed configuration example of the connector shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the conventional configuration example which used the heating wire. It is a figure which shows the conventional structural example using a transparent conductive film. It is a figure which shows the operation of the conventional example using a transparent conductive film. It is a figure explaining the operation of this invention. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the number of connectors, the wire diameter, the required steady-state current, and the total current in the IPD system and the single channel system. It is a figure which shows the operation of the conventional example using a transparent conductive film, FIG. 9A is a figure which shows the operation at the time of a short circuit, and FIG. 9 (B) is a figure which shows the back electromotive force at the time of a short circuit. It is a figure which shows the operation at the time of a short circuit of this invention. It is a figure explaining the operation at the time of a short circuit of a conventional example and the present invention, FIG. 11 (A) is a figure which shows the operation of the conventional example at the time of a short circuit, and FIG. be. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the detailed configuration example of the connector shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the modification of the present invention, FIG. 15A is a configuration example which connects connectors in series, and FIG. 15B is a configuration example which connects connectors in parallel. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the modified embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the conventional example, FIG. 17A is a configuration example using a fuse, and FIG. 17B is a configuration example using IPD. It is a figure which shows the modification of the connector of this invention, FIG. be. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the wire harness which used the crimp terminal. It is a figure which shows the connection example of the connector of this invention and a wire harness, FIG. 20 (C) is a configuration example in which the connection wire from the semiconductor fuse is connected to the portion where the connection wire of the connector is joined, and FIG. 20 (D) is a configuration example in which the connection wire from the semiconductor fuse is connected to the connector. This is a configuration example in which a connection line from a semiconductor fuse is connected to a part of one connector. It is a figure which shows the structure and operation of the conventional HWD system.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

(A) Explanation of Configuration of First Embodiment of the Present Invention FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle equipped with the HWD system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the vehicle 10 is equipped with a battery 50, a mechanical relay 51, a semiconductor fuse 52, wire harnesses 41 and 42, and connectors 31 and 32.

Here, the battery 50 is composed of a rechargeable battery such as a lead storage battery, a lithium battery, or a nickel cadmium battery, is charged by an alternator (not shown), and supplies power to an in-vehicle device (not shown).

The mechanical relay 51 is composed of, for example, an electromagnetic relay, and has a function of interrupting the current when a current exceeding a predetermined value flows.

The semiconductor fuse 52 is composed of a FET (Field Effect Transistor), an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor), or the like, and has a function of cutting off the current when a current of a predetermined value or more flows.

The wire harness 41 connects the semiconductor fuse 52 and the connector 31, and supplies electric power from the battery 50 to the transparent conductive film 20 described later. The wire harness 42 connects the connector 32 and the vehicle body, and flows (grounds) the electric power supplied from the battery 50 and transmitted through the transparent conductive film 20 to the vehicle body. The form of the wire harness 41, 42 is not limited, and for example, a flat metal arrangement body, a single-core electric wire, a stranded wire, or a flat stranded wire (a plurality of wires twisted so as to have a flat cross section). Can be used. When a current of about several tens of A is passed, an electric wire having a conductor cross section larger than 3 sq or 3 sq may be used. In addition, in FIG. 1, in order to simplify the explanation of the figure, the connectors 31 and 32 and the wire harnesses 41 and 42 are shown to be arranged outside the vehicle, but in reality, as shown in FIG. 2, It is located inside the car.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining in detail an example of an electrical configuration shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a view of the transparent conductive film 20 seen from the inside of the vehicle 10 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, a frame 12 is arranged around the windshield 11, and a transparent conductive film 20 is arranged in the center of the windshield 11.

The windshield 11 is arranged in front of the vehicle, and the driver visually recognizes the traffic conditions and the like in front of the windshield 11 through the windshield 11.

The frame 12 is made of, for example, resin or metal, the windshield 11 is fitted to the inside thereof, and the connectors 31 and 32 are fixed by, for example, screws.

As shown in an enlarged manner at the lower right of the figure, the connector 31 has a connecting line 411, 412, a main body portion 311 and a connecting line 313, and a contact portion 314.

Here, the connection lines 411 and 412 form a wire harness 41 and connect the connectors 31 to each other. The main body portion 311 is made of, for example, resin or the like, and is fixed to the frame 12 by a screw or the like through which the fixing hole 312 is inserted. In the main body 311, the connection lines 411 and 412 and the connection line 313 are connected, and these are electrically conductive. The contact portion 314 is composed of a conductive member (for example, copper or the like) and is electrically connected to the transparent conductive film 20. The contact portion 314 connects the main body portion 311 and the transparent conductive film 20 via the connection line 313.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the connector 31 shown in FIG. 2 in more detail. As shown in FIG. 3, the main body portion 311 of the connector 31 has a T-shape. A fixing hole 315 is drilled at the end of the main body 311. Further, a bus bar 316 is arranged at the central portion of the main body portion 311. The bus bar 316 is composed of a conductive member (for example, copper or the like). The bus bar 316 is connected to the connecting lines 411 and 412 and the ends of the connecting lines 313. As a result, the connecting lines 411 and 412 and the connecting lines 313 are electrically connected via the bus bar 316. The connecting wires 411 and 412 are in a state where the coating made of the insulating material is peeled off and the conductive wires inside are exposed. Further, the connecting wire 313 is composed only of a conductive wire having no coating. The connector 32 also has the same configuration as the connector 31.

(B) Explanation of the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention Next, the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. Hereinafter, the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described after the prior art has been described.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration and operation of the prior art. In FIG. 4, heating wires 611 and 612 are arranged on the windshield 11 as shown in detail below the figure. Further, electric power is supplied to the heating wire 611 via the fuse 711, and electric power is supplied to the heating wire 612 via the fuse 712. In such a configuration, for example, if the heating wire 611 is short-circuited due to a collision of the vehicle 10, for example, an excessive current flows through the fuse 711, so that the fuse 711 is blown. On the other hand, since the heating wire 612 is not short-circuited, the fuse 712 cannot be blown. The current flowing through the heating wire 611 is equal to the current at which the fuse 711 is blown.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration and operation of the prior art using the transparent conductive film 20 instead of the heating wires 611 and 612 shown in FIG.

In FIG. 5, the transparent conductive film 20 is arranged on the windshield 11, and two connectors 31 and 32 are arranged at both ends thereof. Further, the two connectors 31 are connected to the battery 50 (not shown) via fuses 711 and 712.

In the configuration example of FIG. 5, it is assumed that the transparent conductive film 20 is short-circuited due to a collision of the vehicle 10 or the like. In this case, since the transparent conductive film 20 is not independent for each connector like the heating wire, a current is passed until each of the fuses 711 and 712 connected to the plurality of connectors 31 is blown. Therefore, a current that is the sum of the currents flowing through the fuses 711 and 712 is passed through the transparent conductive film 20.

Here, it is assumed that, for example, 600 W of electric power is required to remove the frost adhering to the windshield 11. In this case, in the case of a 12V power supply, 50A is required as a steady current. As shown in FIG. 5, when there are two connectors 31, two electric wires having a nominal current diameter of 37 A and a nominal diameter of 3 sq are used.

Here, when the heating wire shown in FIG. 4 is used, the overcurrent flows through one electric wire. If the fuse blows at 1.2 times the allowable current value, the breaking current value is 44.4 A. On the other hand, in the case of the transparent conductive film 20 shown in FIG. 5, 50 A is required as a steady current. When having two connectors as in the case of using the heating wire shown in FIG. 4, two electric wires having a nominal diameter of 3 sq are used as in FIG. However, in the example of FIG. 5, when a short circuit occurs, an overcurrent flows through the two electric wires via the connector 31, so if the fuses 711 and 712 are blown at 1.2 times the allowable current value, the total is 88. 0.8A flows through the transparent conductive film 20. If four connectors are used, 177.6A will flow. That is, comparing FIGS. 4 and 5, when the transparent conductive film 20 shown in FIG. 5 is used, a larger current is applied to the transparent conductive film 20 at the time of a short circuit as compared with the heating wires 611 and 612 shown in FIG. Flow to.

Here, it is assumed that the windshield 11 is damaged due to a collision with another vehicle traveling in front due to a collision accident or the like, and the transparent conductive film 20 is short-circuited due to the damage. In such a case, a large current flows through the transparent conductive film 20 existing in the vicinity of the gasoline tank of another vehicle in front. Therefore, in order to prevent ignition and the like, it is desirable that the current flowing through the transparent conductive film 20 at the time of a short circuit is small, and it is desirable that the cutoff time is short.

Further, in the technique according to Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 21B, when a part of the transparent conductive film B is short-circuited due to a ball thrust accident or the like, the potential difference between the transparent conductive film A and the juxtaposed transparent conductive film A is large. Therefore, an excessive current may flow from the transparent conductive film A to the transparent conductive film B due to dielectric breakdown.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration and operation of a conventional example in which a transparent conductive film 20 is used and power is supplied to four connectors 31 via IPDs (Intelligent Power Devices) 81 to 84. In the conventional example shown in FIG. 6, the IPDs 81 to 84 are connected to each of the connecting lines, and the overcurrent is detected and cut off, so that the influence of the short circuit appears over a wide range for a long time. That is, in the example of FIG. 6, when a short circuit occurs at one position of the transparent conductive film 20, it passes over a long period of time in a wide range indicated by the broken line of the transparent conductive film 20 until all of IPD 81 to 84 are cut off. Current can pass.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the configuration and operation of the first embodiment of the present invention. In the configuration example of FIG. 7, four connectors 31 and connectors 32 are arranged at both ends of the transparent conductive film 20. The four connectors 31 are connected in series by the connecting wires constituting the wire harness 41 and connected to the semiconductor fuse 52. Further, the four connectors 32 are connected in series by the connecting wires constituting the wire harness 42 and are grounded to the vehicle body.

As shown in FIG. 7, in the first embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of connectors 31 are connected in series by a connecting line and connected to a semiconductor fuse 52. Therefore, as compared with the case where the IPDs 81 to 84 are connected to each of the connectors 31 shown in FIG. 7, the flowing current is concentrated in one connection line, so that the wire diameter of the connection line becomes thicker (for example,). When the allowable current is 50A, it becomes 5sq), but the breaking current value of the semiconductor fuse 52 becomes 60A when it is set to 1.2 times, for example. In consideration of the margin, it becomes 66A when 8sq thicker than 5sq is used, and 79.2A when 10sq is used. In the example of FIG. 7, when a short circuit occurs at one position of the transparent conductive film 20, the power supply of the transparent conductive film 20 is immediately cut off at the timing when the semiconductor fuse 52 is cut off. Therefore, the flowing current is smaller than that in FIG. 6, and the time for the current to flow is also shortened.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a list of overcurrent values in the case of the single channel (ch) method according to the embodiment of the present invention and the case of the IPD method according to the prior art. More specifically, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the number of connectors required for the IPD method and the single channel method, the wire diameter, the required steady current, and the total current. In the case of the IPD method shown in FIG. 6, the total current increases as the number of connectors increases, but in the case of the single channel method shown in FIG. 7, the total current does not increase even if the number of connectors increases. Further, in the case of the single channel method, as shown in FIG. 7, when a short circuit occurs on the rightmost connector 31 side of the four connectors 31, the resistance value in the vicinity of the rightmost connector 31 of the four connectors 31 is set. Since the decrease, the current flowing through the transparent conductive film 20 concentrates on the portion where the short circuit occurs. Therefore, the region surrounded by the broken line shown in FIG. 7 (the region narrower than that in FIG. 6) generates heat.

Further, in the conventional configuration, as shown in FIG. 9A, when a short circuit occurs at one place, an overcurrent flows until a plurality of IPDs 81 to 84 are cut off. Here, when there is a time difference between the plurality of IPDs 81 to 84 being cut off, a back electromotive force is generated by the inductor component between the connector 31 and the connector 32. For example, as shown in FIG. 9A, when the IPD81 is turned off due to an overcurrent, the inductor component between the connector 31 and the connector 32 generates a back electromotive force as shown in FIG. 9B, and the IPD82. A current in the opposite direction to the normal may flow with respect to ~ 84.

On the other hand, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, even if a short circuit occurs at one location, the semiconductor fuse 52 is immediately blown, so that no reverse current flows.

Further, when the large current is cut off, the terminal voltage of the battery 50 changes, which may affect the operation of other in-vehicle devices. For example, the microcomputer may have a momentary power outage or the lights may blink. As a method of reducing such an influence on other in-vehicle devices, for example, there is a method of gradually reducing the duty ratio of the current flowing through the transparent conductive film 20.

When realizing such a method, for example, in the conventional example shown in FIG. 11A, it is necessary to adjust the duty ratio so that all the IPDs 81 to 84 are synchronized. However, since the IPDs 81 to 84 have independent configurations, a new configuration for synchronizing them is required, which increases the manufacturing cost.

On the other hand, in the configuration according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 11B, since it is only necessary to control a single semiconductor fuse 52, it is possible to suppress an increase in cost.

As described above, conventionally, the current is supplied to the transparent conductive film 20 via a plurality of connection lines connected to a plurality of connectors and an IPD or the like, but in the first embodiment, the connection lines are connected in series. It was connected and aggregated, and the current was cut off collectively by one semiconductor fuse 52. This makes it possible to prevent an excessive current from flowing through the transparent conductive film 20.

By the way, when the above-mentioned configuration is adopted, the current flowing through all the connectors is aggregated, so that the thickness of the connecting wire becomes thicker than before. As the connecting wire becomes thicker, the rigidity of the connecting wire increases. Therefore, during connection work in a factory, for example, a large stress may be applied to the connector, and the connectors 31 and 32 and the transparent conductive film 20 may be damaged. be.

Therefore, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the main body portion 311 of the connector 31 is fixed to the frame 12 existing around the windshield 11 with screws or the like, and is fixed to the bus bar 316 of the connector 31. The connection lines 411 and 412 are connected. Further, the contact portion 314, which is a member separate from the main body portion 311, is connected to the transparent conductive film 20, and the contact portion 314 and the bus bar 316 are connected by a connecting line 313. As a result, it is possible to prevent the transparent conductive film 20 from being damaged by applying stress due to bending or the like of the connecting wires 411 and 412 to the transparent conductive film 20.

At the time of assembling the first embodiment, the windshield 11 is attached to the frame 12. Next, screws or the like are inserted into the fixing holes 315 of the connector 31 and the connector 32 to fix them to the frame 12. Next, the contact portion 314 crimped, soldered, or welded by the connecting wire 313 is bonded to the transparent conductive film 20 with, for example, a conductive adhesive. Next, the connecting wire 313 is crimped, soldered, or welded to the bus bar 316. Then, the coating of the connecting wires 411 and 412 connecting the adjacent connectors 31 and 32 is peeled off, and the internal conductive wire is crimped, soldered, or welded to the bus bar 316. Further, the wire harness 41 composed of the connecting wires connecting the connectors 31 is connected to the semiconductor fuse 52. The wire harness 42 composed of the connecting wires connecting the connectors 32 is grounded to the body of the vehicle. Through the above work process, the HWD system shown in FIG. 1 can be obtained.

As described above, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of connectors 31 and 32 connected to the transparent conductive film 20 are connected in series by connecting wires, respectively, and connected to the semiconductor fuse 52. When the transparent conductive film 20 is short-circuited, it is possible to prevent an excessive current from flowing or a counter electromotive force from being generated. Further, the duty ratio control when cutting off the current can be realized with a simple configuration.

Further, in the first embodiment, the connectors 31 and 32 are composed of two members, the main body portion 311 and the contact portion 314, and the connection line is connected to the main body portion 311 fixed to the frame 12, so that the thick connection line is formed. Even when the above is used, it is possible to prevent the stress due to the bending of the connecting wire from being applied to the transparent conductive film 20.

(C) Description of the configuration of the second embodiment of the present invention Next, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the configurations of the connectors 31 and 32 are different from those in the first embodiment as compared with the first embodiment.

That is, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the connectors 31 and 32 are configured to have only the main body portion 311 and do not have the contact portion 314. Further, the main body portion 311 is arranged not on the frame 12 but on the transparent conductive film 20. Therefore, the fixing hole 315 is also excluded. Further, in the second embodiment, the conductive wire of the connecting wire 411 from which the coating has been peeled off is connected to the bus bar 316 as the connecting wire 313 and is also connected to the transparent conductive film 20. Further, the conductive wire of the stripped connecting wire 412 is connected to the bus bar 316. The other connector 32 and the connector 31 have the same configuration as that in FIG.

(D) Explanation of the operation of the second embodiment of the present invention Next, the operation of the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Since the operation of passing the current in the second embodiment, the operation of cutting off the current, and the like are the same as those in the first embodiment described above, the description thereof will be omitted, and the assembly process of the second embodiment will be described.

At the time of assembling the second embodiment, first, the windshield 11 is attached to the frame 12. Next, the main body portion 311 of the connector 31 and the connector 32 is adhered to the transparent conductive film 20 with, for example, a conductive adhesive. Next, the coating of the connecting wire 411 is peeled off, and the connecting wire 313, which is an internal conductive wire, is crimped, soldered, or welded to the bus bar 316, and the tip portion is transparently conductive, for example, with a conductive adhesive. Adhere to 20. At this time, the electrical contact can be enhanced by widening the tip portion of the connecting wire 313 or dividing the connecting wire 313 into a plurality of parts. Further, the coating of the connecting wire 412 is peeled off, and the internal conductive wire is crimped, soldered, or welded to the bus bar 316. Such work is performed on all the connectors 31 and the connectors 32. Further, the wire harness 41 composed of the connecting wires connecting the connectors 31 is connected to the semiconductor fuse 52. Further, the wire harness 42 composed of the connecting wire connecting the connector 32 is grounded to the vehicle body of the vehicle 10. Through the above work process, the HWD system shown in FIG. 12 can be obtained.

As described above, in the second embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of connectors 31 and 32 connected to the transparent conductive film 20 are connected in series by connecting wires, respectively, and connected to the semiconductor fuse 52. When the transparent conductive film 20 is short-circuited, it is possible to prevent an excessive current from flowing or a counter electromotive force from being generated. Further, the duty ratio control when cutting off the current can be realized with a simple configuration.

Further, in the second embodiment, the connectors 31 and 32 are arranged on the transparent conductive film 20, and the connecting wire is connected to the bus bar 316 provided on the main body portion 311 of the connectors 31 and 32, so that the connector is thick. Even when the connecting wire is used, it is possible to prevent the stress due to the bending of the connecting wire from being directly applied to the transparent conductive film 20. Further, in the second embodiment, the number of parts can be reduced as compared with the first embodiment, so that the cost can be reduced.

(E) Description of the configuration of the third embodiment of the present invention Next, the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the third embodiment of the present invention. In the third embodiment, the connector 33 and the image pickup device 34 are newly added as compared with the second embodiment. The configuration other than these is the same as that of the second embodiment shown in FIG.

The connector 33 has the same configuration as that of FIG. 13, and is connected to the connector 31 arranged at the uppermost portion by a connecting line 43 and is connected to the image pickup apparatus 34 by a connecting line 44. The image pickup device 34, for example, takes an image of an object (for example, another vehicle, a motorcycle, a pedestrian, etc.) existing in front of the vehicle 10 and supplies it to the image processing control unit. The image processing control unit detects an object based on the image from the image pickup device 34, and executes automatic braking processing and automatic steering processing. The image pickup device 34 may be used as a drive recorder.

(F) Description of Operation of Third Embodiment of the Present Invention Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Since the connector 33 and the image pickup apparatus 34 are newly added in the third embodiment, these portions will be mainly described.

The electric power supplied through the semiconductor fuse 52 is supplied to the connector 31 via the wire harness 41. The electric power supplied from the plurality of connectors 31 is transmitted to the connector 32 through the transparent conductive film 20 and flows to the vehicle body of the vehicle 10 via the wire harness 42. Further, the electric power transmitted to the uppermost connector 31 is supplied to the connector 33 via the connection line 43. The electric power supplied to the connector 33 flows from the transparent conductive film 20 connected to the connector 33 toward the connector 32. As a result, the current density of the transparent conductive film 20 in the region around the image pickup apparatus 34 becomes high, so that the temperature becomes higher than the temperature in the other regions. As a result, dew condensation on the windshield 11 corresponding to the field of view of the image pickup device 34 is removed, and the field of view of the image pickup device 34 is secured.

In the assembly process of the third embodiment, first, the connectors 31 and 32 and the wire harnesses 41 and 42 are wired, and the connector 33 and the image pickup apparatus 34 are wired. More specifically, the connector 33 is arranged on the transparent conductive film 20, and the image pickup apparatus 34 is fixed to the windshield 11 or the frame 12. Next, the connector 31 at the top and the connector 33 are connected by a connection line 43, and the connector 33 and the image pickup device 34 are connected by a connection line 44. This makes it possible to obtain the HWD system shown in FIG.

As described above, in the third embodiment of the present invention, since the connector 22 is arranged around the area to be the field of view of the image pickup device 34, the current density of the portion is increased to increase the current density of the image pickup device 34. Condensation or freezing related to the field of view can be quickly removed.

(G) Modification Implementation The above embodiment is an example, and it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the cases described above. 15 and 16 show a modified embodiment of the present invention. In each of the above-described embodiments, three connectors 31 and 32 are provided, respectively, but for example, as shown in FIG. 15A, two connectors 31 and 32 may be provided. That is, in FIG. 15A, the two connectors 31 are connected to one end of the transparent conductive film 20, and the two connectors 32 are connected to the other end of the transparent conductive film 20. Further, the connector 31 is connected in series by the wire harness 41 and is connected to the semiconductor fuse 52. Further, the connector 32 is connected in series by a wire harness 42 and is connected to the vehicle body of the vehicle 10 by grounding. The configurations of the connectors 31 and 32 may be any of the configurations shown in FIGS. 3 and 13. The above-mentioned effect can also be obtained with the configuration shown in FIG. 15 (A).

FIG. 15B shows still another embodiment. In FIG. 15B, the two connectors 31 and the connector 32 are connected to the transparent conductive film 20. Further, the semiconductor fuse 62 is provided with bolts 63 for co-tightening, and the two connectors 31 are connected to the bolts 63 by individual connection lines 71 and 72. Further, the two connectors 32 are grounded to the vehicle by individual connection lines 81 and 82. The configurations of the connectors 31 and 32 may be any of the configurations shown in FIGS. 3 and 13. The above-mentioned effect can also be obtained with the configuration shown in FIG. 15 (B).

FIG. 16 is a modified embodiment of FIG. 15 (B). FIG. 16 is different from FIG. 15 (B) in that the two connectors 31 are connected in series by the wire harness 41 and the two connectors 32 are connected in series by the wire harness 42. Other than these, it is the same as in FIG. 15 (B). The configurations of the connectors 31 and 32 may be any of the configurations shown in FIGS. 3 and 13. The above-mentioned effect can also be obtained with the configuration shown in FIG.

FIG. 17 shows prior art for comparison with FIGS. 15-16. In FIG. 17A, the connection lines 71 and 72 are connected to the two connectors 31, respectively, and these connection lines 71 and 72 are individually connected to the two fuses of the fuse box 60, respectively. There is. Further, the connecting lines 81 and 82 are connected to the two connectors 32 and are grounded to the vehicle body of the vehicle 10, respectively.

Further, in FIG. 17B, which is a conventional technique, the connection lines 71 and 72 are connected to the two connectors 31, respectively, and these connection lines 71 and 72 are connected to the two IPDs of the IPD box 61. Each is connected individually. Further, the connecting lines 81 and 82 are connected to the two connectors 32 and are grounded to the vehicle body of the vehicle 10, respectively.

From the comparison of FIGS. 15 to 17, the present embodiment is characterized in that the branching of the connection line to the plurality of connectors is performed after the fuse. That is, in the example of FIG. 15A, the connector 31 on the right side is branched. Further, in the example of FIG. 15B, the bolt 63 is branched. Further, in the example of FIG. 16, the connector 31 on the right side is branched. On the other hand, in the conventional example of FIG. 17A, branching is performed on the battery 50 side of the fuse, and in the conventional example of FIG. 17B, branching is performed on the battery 50 side of the IPD.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing another configuration example of the connector. More specifically, the connector 32 shown in FIG. 18A has a main body portion 311, a contact portion 317, and connecting lines 411 and 412. Here, the main body portion 311 is made of, for example, a resin or the like, and the main body portion 311 is adhered to and fixed to the transparent conductive film 20 by an adhesive or the like. The contact portion 317 is made of a conductive metal member or the like. The conductive portions of the connecting lines 411 and 412 from which the coating has been peeled off are connected to the contact portion 317 by, for example, caulking. Further, the contact portion 317 is electrically connected to the transparent conductive film 20 by a conductive paste or welding.

The connector 32 shown in FIG. 18B has a main body portion 311, a connecting line 313, a bus bar 316, and a connecting line 411. Here, the main body portion 311 is made of, for example, a resin or the like, and the main body portion 311 is adhered to and fixed to the transparent conductive film 20 by an adhesive or the like. The bus bar 316 is made of a conductive metal member or the like. The conductive portion of the stripped connecting wire 411 is connected to the bus bar 316 by, for example, caulking. Further, one end of the connecting line 313 is connected to the bus bar 316 by, for example, caulking. Further, the other end of the connecting wire 313 is electrically connected to the transparent conductive film 20.

By using FIGS. 18A and 18B, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiments can be obtained. It should be noted that the fixing holes may be provided in FIGS. 18A and 18B so as to be fixed to the frame 12.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the two connecting lines are connected by using the bus bar, but for example, as shown in FIG. 19, the two connecting lines may be connected by caulking at the same time. good. In the example of FIG. 19, the other end of the connection wire 411 to which the crimp terminal 431 is attached to one end and the other end of the connection wire 412 to which the crimp terminal 432 is attached to one end are electrically connected by the double crimp terminal 433. ing. By using such a double crimp terminal 433, two connection lines 411 and 412 can be connected by a simple operation. In addition, such a double crimp terminal may be provided on the bus bar and connected by crimping the connection wire. Further, a triple crimp terminal may be provided in the main body to connect the connection wire 313 and the connection wire 411,412.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a connection form between the connector and the connection line. FIG. 20A shows a connection form similar to that of the first embodiment. In this example, the three connectors 31 and 32 are connected in series (daisy chain connection) by connecting wires. Further, the connection line from the semiconductor fuse is branched at the portion circled by the broken line (the bottom connectors 31 and 32).

In FIG. 20B, the three connectors 31 and 32 are connected in series (daisy chain connection) by connecting wires. Further, the connection line from the semiconductor fuse is connected to the connectors 31 and 32 in the center, and is branched at the portion circled by the broken line.

In FIG. 20C, the three connectors 31 and 32 are connected by three connection lines, respectively. Further, the connecting line from the semiconductor fuse is connected to the joint portion at the end of these three connecting lines, and is branched at the portion circled by the broken line.

FIG. 20D is composed of one connector 31 and 32. In the example of this figure, the connecting wire is connected to the lower end of the connectors 31 and 32. In the example of this figure, since there is only one connector, there is no branching portion for a plurality of connectors as in the other embodiments, but the circled portion is the connection line from the semiconductor fuse. Is connected to the connectors 31 and 32.

In each of the above embodiments, the connectors 31 and 32 of 1 to 4 are used, but five or more connectors may be used.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the connection form of the connection line connected to each of the connector 31 and the connector 32 is the same, but the connector 32 is on the ground side and the fuse is not connected. It may be a series connection or a parallel connection.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the case where the transparent conductive film 20 is arranged on the windshield 11 has been described as an example. However, for example, the transparent conductive film is arranged on the rear glass or the side glass, and the connector and the connecting line are used. You may try to connect.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the material constituting the connecting wire is not described in detail, but for example, copper having high electric conductivity may be used. For example, a connecting wire obtained by twisting a plurality of copper wires may be used, or a connecting wire using a single conducting wire may be used. It should be noted that a connecting wire made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, which has lower rigidity than copper, may be used. Since aluminum or an aluminum alloy has a lower electrical conductivity than copper, the wire diameter may be increased as long as the rigidity does not increase.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9B, in order to prevent the reverse current from flowing due to the inductor, for example, when a back electromotive force is applied to the semiconductor fuse 52, the connection is made by the semiconductor fuse 52. It may be cut off.

Further, in the third embodiment shown in FIG. 14, a slit (cut) may be provided on the right side of the connector 33 for the purpose of cutting off the current from the connector 31. According to such a configuration, the same voltage is applied at a shorter interval than the interval between the connector 31 and the connector 32, so that the temperature in the field of view of the image pickup apparatus 34 can be raised or the temperature can be raised rapidly. can do.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, a wire harness connected to the front stage of the branch portion (corresponding to the “pre-stage wire harness” in the claim) and a wire harness connected to the rear stage of the branch portion (“previous stage wire harness” in the claim). "Corresponding to the latter stage wire harness") was explained by taking the case of the same wire diameter as an example, but the wire diameter of the wire harness connected to the rear stage of the branch portion rather than the wire harness connected to the front stage of the branch portion. May be set to be thicker.

10 Vehicle 11 Front glass 12 Frame 20 Transparent conductive film 30-33 Connector 34 Imaging device 41-42 Wire harness 43-44 Connection line 50 Battery 51 Mechanical relay 52 Semiconductor fuse 60 Fuse box 61 IPD box 62 Semiconductor fuse 63 Bolt 71-72 Connection line 81 to 82 Connection line 311 Main body part 312 Fixing hole 313 Connection line 314 Contact part 315 Fixing hole 316 Bus bar 317 Contact part 411 to 421 Connection line 431 to 432 Crimping terminal 433 Double crimping terminal 611 to 612 Heating wire 711 to 712 fuse

Claims (12)

A HWD system for removing dew condensation or freezing of a vehicle window glass, which is a plurality of connectors arranged near both ends of a transparent conductive film laid on the window glass and electrically connected to the transparent conductive film. In wire harnesses used in HWD systems with
A front-stage wire harness that transmits the power supplied from the battery,
A branch portion for branching the electric power transmitted through the front-stage wire harness, and a branch portion.
It has a post-stage wire harness that supplies power supplied from the branch portion to at least one of the plurality of connectors arranged at one end of the transparent conductive film.
The front-stage wire harness has the same wire diameter as the rear-stage wire harness, or the rear-stage wire harness has a larger wire diameter than the front-stage wire harness.
A wire harness that features that. The wire harness according to claim 1, wherein the connector is arranged on a frame which is a member for fixing the window glass to a vehicle body. The connector has a main body portion arranged on the frame and a contact portion arranged on the transparent conductive film and electrically connected.
The rear-stage wire harness is connected to a conductive bus bar provided in the main body portion, and the bus bar and the contact portion are connected by a connecting line.
The wire harness according to claim 2. The plurality of connectors have a conductive bus bar and are arranged at both ends of the transparent conductive film, respectively.
The subsequent wire harness is connected to the bus bar, and the bus bar and the transparent conductive film are connected by a connecting wire.
The wire harness according to claim 1. The branch portion is one of the plurality of connectors, and connects the front-stage wire harness and the rear-stage wire harness.
The wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The post-stage wire harness is connected to each of the plurality of connectors, and is connected to each of the plurality of connectors.
The branch portion connects the front-stage wire harness and each of the plurality of connectors.
The wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 4. It is arranged at any of the front-stage wire harness, the branch portion, and the rear-stage wire harness, and has a cutoff portion that cuts off the current when the current supplied from the battery exceeds a predetermined value. The wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the wire harness is characterized in that. The wire harness according to claim 7, wherein the cutoff portion gradually reduces the current when the current supplied from the battery becomes a predetermined value or more. The wire harness according to claim 7, wherein the blocking portion cuts off a reverse current from the transparent conductive film. An imaging device for imaging the front of the vehicle is attached to the window glass with the field of view facing the outside of the vehicle.
The other connector is arranged in the vicinity of the field of view of the image pickup device of the window glass.
The wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 9. In wire harnesses with barriers used in HWD systems to remove condensation or freezing of vehicle windowpanes.
The HWD system has a plurality of connectors that are arranged near both ends of the transparent conductive film laid on the window glass and are electrically connected to the transparent conductive film.
A front-stage wire harness that transmits the power supplied from the battery,
A branch portion for branching the electric power transmitted through the front-stage wire harness, and a branch portion.
It has a post-stage wire harness that supplies power supplied from the branch portion to at least one of the plurality of connectors arranged at one end of the transparent conductive film.
The front-stage wire harness has the same wire diameter as the rear-stage wire harness, or the rear-stage wire harness has a larger wire diameter than the front-stage wire harness.
The cutoff portion is arranged at any of the front-stage wire harness, the branch portion, and the rear-stage wire harness, and cuts off the current when the current supplied from the battery exceeds a predetermined value. ,
A wire harness with a cutoff that is characterized by that. In an HWD system that removes condensation or freezing of vehicle windowpanes
A plurality of connectors arranged near both ends of the transparent conductive film laid on the window glass and electrically connected to the transparent conductive film, and
A front-stage wire harness that transmits the power supplied from the battery,
A branch portion for branching the electric power transmitted through the front-stage wire harness, and a branch portion.
A post-stage wire harness that supplies electric power supplied from the branch portion to at least one of the plurality of connectors arranged at one end of the transparent conductive film.
A breaking portion which is arranged at any of the front-stage wire harness, the branching portion, and the rear-stage wire harness and cuts off the current when the current supplied from the battery exceeds a predetermined value. Have and
The front-stage wire harness has the same wire diameter as the rear-stage wire harness, or the rear-stage wire harness has a larger wire diameter than the front-stage wire harness.
The HWD system is characterized by this.

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