JPH10269890A - Cord switch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent such trouble of the parts of an electrode as being brought into contact with each other with no external force applied (bending trouble), even though a cord switch is subjected to bending moment applied from any direction. SOLUTION: Force permitting both electrode members 42 and 43 to be brought into contact with each other, can be made small by letting wires 45 and 46 be sufficiently approached each other, and thereby letting them be buried in the respective members 42 and 43. And furthermore, both the electrodes 42 and 43 can surely be prevented from being brought into contact with each other by interposing an insulating member 47 integrally formed with a tube 41 in a space between an area A and an area B, where the respective wires 45 and 46 are buried in, out of the respective electrode members 42 and 43.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cord switch which emits a signal when an external force exceeding a predetermined value acts thereon, and is effective when used in a power window having a pinch prevention mechanism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A general structure of a power window (hereinafter, abbreviated as a power window) with an anti-jamming mechanism is that a code switch is provided in a window frame, and an external force of a predetermined value or more is detected by the code switch. Sometimes, it is considered that a foreign object is caught, and the closing operation of the window glass is reversed.

[0003] Incidentally, the structure of a general code switch is such that a pair of electrode members made of a flexible conductive material such as a conductive rubber material are provided at a predetermined interval in a tube made of an insulating material such as rubber. In addition, a metal wire is embedded in each electrode member in order to reduce the electric resistance value of the pair of electrode members (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-2).
60054 and JP-A-7-7033.

[0004]

By the way, the inventors made a prototype of the above-mentioned power window and confirmed the operation thereof. In a vehicle equipped with a side visor covering the periphery of the window opening, The inventor has discovered that even if a foreign object is caught between the glass and the side visor, a problem occurs that the closing operation of the window glass does not reverse. Then, the inventors and the like continued examination and examination to determine the cause of the problem, and the following points became clear.

That is, FIG. 6 shows a state in which a foreign substance is sandwiched. As is clear from FIG.
Contacts the tip 2a of the window glass 2, the tip 5a of the side visor 5, and the weather strip 8 that seals the gap between the window glass 2 and the window frame (vehicle body) 3. Since the external force F acting on the cord switch 4 acts on the contact point between the weather strip 8 and the foreign matter 7 as an operation point f, the external force F acts as the dimension h in the opening and closing direction of the window glass 2 among the external dimensions of the side visor 5 increases. The point f moves toward the vehicle interior.

Accordingly, when the dimension h exceeds the predetermined dimension, the action point f is located outside the range where the code switch 4 can sense (the two electrode members can be in a conductive state). For this reason, the cord switch 4 cannot detect the external force, and the above-described problem occurs. Further, since the tip 5a of the side visor 5 is located closer to the closing direction of the window glass 2 than the position where the cord switch 4 is assembled, particularly when the foreign matter 7 is inserted from above the vehicle interior toward the vehicle interior. In FIG. 6 (two-dot chain line), the foreign matter 7 is interposed between the window glass 2 and the side visor 5 before coming into contact with the code switch 4, so that the above problem also occurs in this case.

As described above, it has been found by the present inventors that the situation in which the foreign matter 7 is pinched varies greatly depending on the presence or absence of the side visor 5. Therefore, the present inventors have conducted trial production of means for disposing the code switch 4 at the tip 5a of the side visor 5,
The following new problems have occurred. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the tip 5a of the side visor 5 is twisted while bending along the shape of the window frame 3 (equivalent to a state in which bending moments are acting from a plurality of directions). Also the tip 5a of the side visor 5
It will be twisted while bending along the shape of.

Therefore, in the cord switch 4 having the above-described structure, the electrode members of the cord switch 4 which are twisted while being bent (bent in a plurality of directions) are in contact with each other even though no external force is applied. (Hereinafter, this defect is referred to as a bending defect). Then, the inventors and the like continued studying the cause of the occurrence of the bending defect, and found the following.

That is, when a bending moment acts on the cord switch, in addition to the bending stress, a force in a direction such that the cord switch collapses toward the neutral axis in accordance with the increase of the bending stress (hereinafter, this force). Is called compression force.)
Occurs in the code switch. Moreover, this compressive force
As the Young's modulus of the material increases, the wire has a higher Young's modulus than the electrode member and the tube.
Since a larger compressive force is generated than the electrode member and the tube, if the bending curvature increases and the bending moment increases, the portion between the two electrode members where the wire is buried first collapses.

By the way, when the bending moment acts on the cord switch, if the wire is buried on the neutral axis of the bending, no bending stress is generated, so that no compressive force is generated on the wire. That is, if the wire is buried on the neutral axis of bending, occurrence of bending failure can be prevented. However, as described above, since the bending moment acts from a plurality of directions, a large compressive force is generated in the wire due to the bending moment acting in any direction, and the two electrode members come into contact with each other, causing a bending defect. Resulting in.

[0011] In view of the above, the present invention provides a cord switch that can be operated in any direction from any direction.
An object of the present invention is to prevent a bending defect from occurring.

[0012]

The present invention uses the following technical means to achieve the above object. In the first or second aspect of the present invention, the portion (A) of the first electrode member (42) in which the first wire (45) is embedded and the second wire (46) of the second electrode member (43). ) Is embedded between the portion (B) and the insulating member (4) made of an insulating material.
7) is provided.

Thus, since the insulating member (47) is provided between the portion (A) and the portion (B), even if the cord switch is bent in any direction, each of the electrode members (4) is not required.
2, 43), since the portion (A) where the wires (45, 46) are embedded and the portion (B) do not come into contact with each other, bending failure can be prevented. According to the present invention,
Since the part (A) and the part (B) do not come into contact with each other in the electrode members (42, 43), the distance between the wires (45, 46) can be made sufficiently small as described later.

Therefore, even if a bending moment acts such that a neutral axis of bending exists between the wires (45, 46), the compressive force generated in the wires (45, 46) can be reduced. Therefore, both electrode members (4
2, 43) can be made smaller. As a result, it is possible to more reliably prevent the cord switch from being bent.

The reference numerals in parentheses of the above means indicate the correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiment described later.

[0016]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a power window provided with a code switch according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a drive motor (window body driving means) for vertically moving a window glass (window body) 2 for opening and closing the window opening 3a, and reference numeral 3 denotes a window frame defining the window opening 3a. A resin-made side visor 5 that covers the periphery of the window opening 3a is attached to an outer periphery of the window frame 3 via an elastic member (not shown).

A single cord switch 4 for sensing an external force acting on the side visor 5 is provided at the tip 5a (the end on the opening side) of the side visor 5 along the shape of the tip 5a. The code switch 4 issues a pinch signal to the control device 6 when the external force acting on the code switch 4 (the tip 5a of the side visor 5) becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The structure of the code switch 4 will be described later.

In addition to the pinch signal, an open / close signal from an open / close switch (not shown) for instructing the window glass 2 to open / close is input to the control device 6. The control device 6 normally controls the operation of the drive motor 1 based on the open / close signal, and when a pinch signal is input during the closing operation of the window glass 2, it is regarded that foreign matter has been trapped, and the drive is performed. Invert the rotation of the motor 1 to make the window glass 2
Is opened.

Next, the structure of the code switch 4 will be described.
FIG. 2A shows a cross section of the cord switch 4.
41 is a tube made of a flexible insulating material such as rubber, and 42 and 43 are electrode members extending in the longitudinal direction of the tube 41. The electrode members 42 and 43 are
The electrode member 42 is made of a conductive material obtained by mixing a conductive material such as metal with a flexible material such as rubber.
, And the electrode member 43 is referred to as a second electrode.

The first electrode 42 has a predetermined distance (gap) from the first electrode 43 over substantially the entire circumference of the inner wall of the tube 41 except for the portion where the second electrode 43 is provided. 4
4, and both electrodes 42 and 43 are
It is integrally formed with the tube 41 by extrusion. Then, when an external force acts on the tube 41, the electrodes 42 and 43 are elastically deformed together with the tube 41, so that the two electrode members 42 and 43 come into contact with each other and energize to generate the above-described pinch signal.

A power supply made of a conductive material having a higher Young's modulus than the tube 41 such as copper and the electrodes 42 and 43 extends to the two electrodes 42 and 43 along with the electrodes 42 and 43 in the longitudinal direction of the tube 41. First, second for
Wires 45 and 46 are embedded. Then, a portion A of the first electrode 42 in which the first wire 45 is buried,
Part (B) of the electrode 43 in which the second wire 46 is embedded.
Between them, an insulating member (insulator) 47 integrally formed with the tube 41 is provided (see FIG. 2B).

Next, the code switch 4 according to the present embodiment
The features of According to the present embodiment, site A and site B
The insulating member 47 is disposed between the electrodes 42 and 4 regardless of the direction in which the cord switch is bent.
Of the three, the part A in which the wires 45 and 46 are buried does not come into contact with the part B, so that bending failure can be prevented.

Further, according to the present embodiment, each electrode 42,
Of the 43, the portions A and B in which the wires 45 and 46 are buried do not come into contact with each other, so that the distance between the wires 45 and 46 can be made sufficiently small as shown in FIG. Therefore, even if a bending moment acts such that the neutral axis of the bending of the cord switch 4 exists between the wires 45 and 46, the compressive force generated in the wires 45 and 46 can be reduced. Electrodes 42, 4
3 can be made smaller. As a result, the bending failure of the cord switch 4 can be more reliably prevented.

As described above, both wires 4
If the distance between 5, 46 is made sufficiently small, both electrodes 42,
Since the contact force of the contact member 43 can be reduced, if the curvature of the bend and the direction of the bend can be specified at the design stage, the insulating member 47 may be omitted as shown in FIG. Further, in the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the cross-sectional shape of the first electrode 42 is a symmetrical substantially U-shape, but the present invention is not limited to this, and is shown in FIG. Thus, the cross-sectional shape of the first electrode 42 may be an asymmetric substantially U-shape.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first electrode 42 may be formed in an arc shape, and the second electrode 43 may be disposed substantially at the center of the arc. According to this example, the sensing range of the code switch 4 (the range in the direction of the external force with which the electrodes 42 and 43 can come into contact) can be expanded. Further, as is clear from FIGS. 2 to 5, in the present invention, the embedment positions of the two wires 45 and 46 are not limited to the neutral axis of the bending of the cord switch 4 but of course, on the neutral axis of the bending. , May be embedded in other positions.

Further, the cord switch 4 according to the present invention comprises:
The present invention is not limited to the case where the cord switch 4 is bent in any direction as described above. It may be disposed at a portion of the window frame 3 which is twisted while being bent, such as a portion inclined with respect to the front-rear direction.

Further, the code switch 4 may be provided in a weather strip 8 (see FIG. 6) provided along the window frame 3. In this case, the tube 41 of the cord switch 4 and the weather strip 8 may be integrated (shared). Still further, the cord switch 4 according to the present invention
May be used as a pinch detection means in a door opening and closing device that opens and closes a vehicle door (particularly, a slide door) using an actuator.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a power window.

FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view of a cord switch according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2B is an enlarged view of a portion C.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a cord switch.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a cord switch according to a modification of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a code switch according to a modification of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a problem to be solved by the invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

41: tube, 42: first electrode member, 43: second electrode member, 44: gap (interval), 45: first wire, 46 ...
Second wire, 47 ... an insulating member.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A tube (41) made of an insulating material having flexibility, and a tube (41) disposed at a predetermined interval (44) in the tube (41) in a longitudinal direction of the tube (41). Extend,
First and second electrode members (42, 43) made of a conductive material having flexibility; and a metal material embedded in each of the two electrode members (42, 43) and extending in the longitudinal direction of the tube (41). And first and second wires (45, 46) made of the first electrode member (42).
5) and the second electrode member (4).
An insulating member (47) made of an insulating material is provided between the portion (B) where the second wire (46) is buried in 3).
A cord switch, wherein a cord switch is provided. 2. The cord switch according to claim 1, wherein the insulating member (47) is formed integrally with the tube (41).