Electricity: conductors and insulators – Conduits – cables or conductors – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-10
2003-08-05
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Conduits, cables or conductors
Combined
C174S135000, C174S136000, C174S0720TR, C174S07000A, C174S07000A, C174S069000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06603076
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a power supply structure in a sliding structure which is applied to a slide door of a motor vehicle, and can absorb the looseness of a wire harness with opening/closing of the slide door in order to supply power from e.g. a vehicle body (power source) to the slide door all the time.
2. Description of the Related Art
The slide door of e.g. one-box car is provided with functional components such as various electric appliances (e.g. a power window motor, a switch unit for operating a motor and a window scissoring preventing sensor) and an auxiliary component.
In order to supply these functional components with a power and signal current, a wire harness is wired from a vehicle body (battery side) to a slide door, and connected to each of the functional components within the slide door. Power supply to the respective functional components must be done regardless with the opening/closing state of the slide door.
However, in order to make charging all the time, the wire harness on the side of the slide door must be caused to expand or contract to absorb the opening/closing stroke with the opening/closing operation of the slide door or sliding structure (looseness absorbing mechanism). To this end, various components such as a guide rail, slider and an arm member are required. This gave rise to various problems of an increase in the number of components, complication, high cost and upsizing of the structure and an increase in the weight of the slide door.
Where such a looseness absorbing mechanism is not provided, when the slide door is opened or closed, the wire harness sags or looses so that it is caught into between the slide door and a vehicle body. In addition, it may vibrate owing to vibration while a vehicle runs so that it is damaged owing to its interference with other components.
Even where the looseness absorbing mechanism is used, if the slide door is opened or closed in a greater degree than a prescribed opening/closing stroke, excessive tension may be applied to the wire harness, and hence undue stress may be applied to the respective wires of the wire harness. Where the wire harness with relatively long wires has been manufactured, the wire harness (electric wires) may be caught into between the slide door and the vehicle body when the slide door is opened or closed. On the other hand, where the wire harness with relatively short wires has been manufactured, excessive tension may be applied to the wires when the side door is opened or closed, and hence undue stress may be applied likewise.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to provide a power supply structure in a sliding structure with a simple, inexpensive and small structure which can surely absorb the looseness of a wire harness when the slide structure is opened or closed and prevent an excessive tension from being applied to the wire harness, the wire harness from being caught into between itself and a vehicle body and the wire harness from interfering with other components owing to vibration.
In order to attain the above object, in accordance with this invention, there is provided a power supply structure in a sliding structure comprising:
a wire harness a first end of which is secured to one of a sliding structure and a body and a second end of which is connected to the other of the sliding structure and the body, the wire harness being arranged between the sliding structure and the body; and
an elastic member arranged along the wire harness in a longitudinal direction of the wire harness from the first end of the wire harness so that wire harness is supported by the elastic member.
In this configuration, even if the wire harness is pulled when the sliding structure is closed, the wire harness is supported in the curved state by the elastic member. In this case, the curved portion of the wire harness is extended against urging by the elastic member so that the pulling force is absorbed, and not tightened. Thus, the wire harness does not suffer from undue stress, which prevents the wire harness from being damaged. Since the wire harness is urged always in a pulling direction by the elastic member, it does not have looseness. Therefore, it does occur that the wire harness is damaged owing to interference with other components owing to e.g. vibration.
The pulling force of the wire harness is relaxed as the sliding structure is opened. However, simultaneously, the elastic member urges the wire harness in the pulling direction so that the looseness of the wire harness is absorbed. This prevents the wire harness from being caught in between the sliding structure and the body. Further, since the looseness of the wire harness can be absorbed by a simple structure using only the elastic member, the component cost and assembling cost is low and an increase in the weight of the sliding structure can be suppressed.
Preferably, the elastic member is secured to the wire harness. In this configuration, since the wire harness and the elastic member are integrated, the wire harness neither deviates from the elastic member nor floats therefrom. When the wire harness is pulled and contracted, the elastic member surely follows the wire harness to urge the wire harness in a direction of suppressing the looseness. Thus, the looseness of the wire harness can surely be absorbed. Previous assembling of the wire harness with the wire harness can facilitate the assembling of the wire harness with a motor vehicle.
Preferably, the elastic member is a lengthy flat spring. In this case, since the elastic member is simple in shape, the material cost and production cost of the elastic member are low. The lengthy flat spring can be easily secured along and to the wire harness. Further, since the lengthy elastic member is in contact with the wire harness in face or linear contact over the entire length, the urging force is uniformly acted on the wire harness. Therefore, the bending operation of the wire harness when it is pulled and the operation of absorbing the looseness when it is contacted can be done smoothly and surely. This prevents the wire harness from suffering from undue stress.
Preferably, a stem of the elastic member is located at a fixed side of the wire harness whereas a tip of the elastic member is located at a top of a curved segment of the wire harness. In such a configuration of the elastic member, since the one end of the elastic member is located on the fixed side of the wire harness, the elastic member makes smooth bending at a fulcrum of the fixed side of the wire harness. This permits the looseness of the wire harness from being surely absorbed. Further, the other end of the elastic member is located at the top of the curved portion of the wire harness, the clear arc shape of the curved portion of the wire harness is assured when the sliding structure is opened/closed. This prevents the wire harness from being bent unduly, and prevents the wire harness from suffering from undue stress.
Preferably, the elastic member is arranged along a curved inner face of the wire harness. In this case, since the elastic member is located not along the curved outer face but along the curved inner face, the stretch of the elastic member when the curved portion of the wire harness is warped is prevented so that the curved portion can be smoothly warped in directions of reducing or increasing the diameter of the curve. Thus, the looseness of the wire harness can be absorbed smoothly and surely.
In a preferred embodiment, the elastic member includes a first spring segment along a curved outer face of the wire harness and a second spring segment along a curved inner face of the wire harness, the second spring segment protrudes toward a free end of the elastic member and the spring segment has a spring constant larger than that of the first spring segment.
In this configuration, the curved portion of the wire harness is drawn up by the outer first spring segment and is pushed up by the inner second spring segment. Thus, the looseness of the wir
Aoki Tohru
Doshita Kenichi
Fukumoto Ryoichi
Kato Mitsunobu
Tsunoda Mitsunori
Armstrong Westerman & Hattori, LLP
Lee Jinhee J
Reichard Dean A.
Yazaki -Corporation
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