Electricity: conductors and insulators – Conduits – cables or conductors – Accessories
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-10
2004-09-14
Nguyen, Chau N. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Conduits, cables or conductors
Accessories
C174S0720TR, C174S136000, C439S447000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06791032
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fitting device of a wiring harness protector mounted in a sliding door of a motor vehicle. The fitting device prevents deformation of the wiring harness protector disposed in the sliding door to reliably accommodate a wiring harness therein.
2. Related Art
As illustrated in
FIG. 16
, a wiring harness (a plurality of electrical cables)
70
is arranged in a sliding door
71
of a motor vehicle such as a so-called one-box car. The wiring harness
70
leads to a vehicle body side for supplying electrical powers and electrical signals to electric equipment and auxiliary machineries. The wiring harness
70
is curved within a synthetic resin protector
72
disposed in the sliding door
71
such that the wiring harness
70
can expand and contract in response to opening and closing movements of the sliding door
71
.
The protector
72
is defined not only in a rectangular shape but also in a generally semicircular form in conformity with a curved part
70
a
of the wiring harness
70
. The protector
72
has a pair of broad front and rear walls
73
and three narrow walls
74
constituting an upper wall and two side walls. The protector
72
has a slit opening
75
elongated in a longitudinal direction of the sliding door. The protector
72
is secured to a metal door panel
76
with bolts or clips (not shown) at a plurality of peripheral points in a front side of the protector
72
. The protector
72
is close to or in contact with a synthetic resin door trim (trim cover)
77
at a rear side thereof. The door trim
77
is fixed to the door panel
76
with bolts or clips
78
.
In
FIG. 16
, when the sliding door
71
slides forward (in a rightward direction in
FIG. 16
) to fully close the sliding door, the wiring harness
70
is drawn rearward to be stretched as illustrated with chain lines. Meanwhile, when the sliding door
71
sides rearward to fully open the sliding door, the wiring harness
70
is pulled forward to define a smaller radius bend as illustrated generally with solid lines in FIG.
16
. The opening and closing movements of the sliding door
71
cause the wiring harness
70
to expand or contract. This decreases the protector
72
in thickness to achieve a reduced volume of the sliding door.
Other than this aspect of the wiring harness protector, it has been proposed that the wiring harness
70
is urged upward by a resilient member within the protector for surely absorbing looseness of the wiring harness
70
. In place of the resilient member, it has been proposed that the wiring harness
70
slides in a lower part of the protector
72
with using a horizontal rail and a slider.
However, since the protector
72
with the foregoing structure has thin walls made of a synthetic resin material, the protector
72
may deform in a thickness direction thereof due to heat or an external force. This reduces a harness accommodating space in the protector so that the wiring harness
70
can not move smoothly within the protector
72
during the opening and closing movements of the sliding door
71
. At worst, the protector
72
is pushed out of the protector
72
to be pinched between the sliding door
71
and a body of the vehicle, causing damage of the wiring harness.
Furthermore, the protector
72
has the lower slit opening
75
elongated in a longitudinal direction of the car for leading the wiring harness
70
out of a lower side of the door trim
77
so that the lower side of the door trim
77
can not be secured to the door panel
76
. Thus, the door trim
77
is not stable enough to prevent deformation or vibration of the door trim
77
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of this situation, a first object of the invention is to provide a fitting device of a wiring harness protector mounted in a vehicle sliding door of a motor vehicle, the harness protector preventing deformation of the wiring harness protector disposed in the sliding door to reliably accommodate a wiring harness therein. A second object of the invention is to provide a fitting device of a wiring harness protector mounted in a vehicle sliding door, the harness protector enabling a sufficient fixture of a door trim.
For achieving the objects, a first aspect of the invention is a fitting device of a wiring harness protector mounted in a sliding door of a motor vehicle, the harness protector accommodating a wiring harness leading to a vehicle body side, the harness protector having a first wall and a second wall opposed to the first wall. The fitting device comprises a first securing means and a second securing means, and the first securing means secures the first wall to a door panel of the sliding door, while the second securing means secures the second wall to a door trim of the sliding door.
The foregoing structure secures the door trim to the second wall of the harness protector, preventing at least an inward deformation of the second wall of the harness protector. Meanwhile, the first wall of the harness protector is secured to the door panel, preventing sufficiently an inward deformation of the first wall of the harness protector. This keeps an enough space in the protector for receiving smoothly reliably the wiring harness. The second wall of the harness protector is secured to the door trim so that the door trim can have an increased rigidity strength, preventing vibration and a noise thereof.
Accordingly, during the opening and closing of the sliding door, the wiring harness is not jammed within the protector, eliminating damage of the wiring harness to ensure a reliable power supply to a side of the sliding door. Furthermore, the looseness and falling-out of the door trim is eliminated, improving the vehicle in reliability.
Preferably, the second securing means is a fabric fastener. Thus, the protector is easily secured to the door trim with the fabric fastener. The fabric fastener provides a little positioning allowance between the harness protector and the door trim, enabling an easy securing work thereof. Alternatively, the second securing means comprises a resilient stopper clip and a hole engageable with the stopper clip. Thus, the stopper clip can secure the harness protector to the door trim more reliably than the fabric fastener.
Preferably, the second securing means comprises a stopper protrusion and an engagement portion engageable with the stopper protrusion. The engagement of the stopper protrusion with the engagement portion reliably secures the harness protector to the door trim with an increased strength.
Preferably, the engagement portion comprises a pair of resilient pinching pieces opposed to each other, and the stopper protrusion enters between the pair of resilient pinching pieces to engage with the engagement portion. Thus, the resilient pinching pieces pinch the stopper protrusion to easily surely hold the stopper protrusion with the insertion completion of the stopper protrusion. Furthermore, the stopper protrusion can be removed from the pinching pieces with ease if desired.
Preferably, the engagement portion comprises a through hole and an embossed wall positioned around the through hole, and the stopper protrusion has a plurality of resilient hook pieces that are engageable with the embossed wall. The resilient hook pieces pass through the hole of the engagement portion so that the hook pieces engage with the embossed wall to secure the harness protector to the door trim. The stopper protrusion is elongated by the provision of the embossed wall so that the resilient hook pieces can deflect with ease. The stopper protrusion can be inserted into and removed from the hole with a less force.
Preferably, the stopper protrusion is horizontally elongated along the second wall of the harness protector. This configuration enables an increased bending strength of the stopper protrusion in a vertical direction thereof, so that the door trim can be supported via the harness protector against the weight and vibration of the door trim. The elongated stopper projection formed on the protector wal
Aoki Tohru
Doshita Kenichi
Armstrong Kratz Quintos Hanson & Brooks, LLP
Nguyen Chau N.
Nino Adolfo
Yazaki -Corporation
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