Winding – tensioning – or guiding – Reeling device – With spring motor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-31
2001-12-11
Jillions, John M. (Department: 3653)
Winding, tensioning, or guiding
Reeling device
With spring motor
C191S01220R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328243
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a reel device for a wire harness which is assembled onto a wire harness for being routed between a fixed body and a movable member, and which is suitable for use for a wire harness which is routed between, for example, the vehicle body of a vehicle such as an automobile and a door which is openably mounted therein.
Various electric equipment such as a motor for a power window and a door-mounted speaker are generally assembled in a door for a vehicle such as an automobile, and a wire harness needs to be routed between the vehicle body and the door so as to electrically connect such electric equipment on the one hand, and a power source, a control unit, and various sensors located on the vehicle body side on the other hand.
FIG. 14
shows a related reel device for a flat-cable disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 11-116145A. This reel device is comprised of a flat cable
72
having a distal end portion connected to a movable connector
70
and a proximal end portion connected to a fixed connector
71
; a fixed shaft member
73
on which the fixed connector
71
is disposed; and a carrier
74
supported by the shaft member
73
and adapted to rotate around its outer periphery. The arrangement provided is such that the carrier
74
is drawn out in a direction opposite to the taking-up direction of the flat cable
72
, and the flat cable
72
is taken up onto an outer peripheral face of the shaft member
73
and an outer peripheral face of the carrier
74
in such a manner as to be oriented in mutually opposite directions as the carrier
74
is rotated.
In addition,
FIGS. 15 and 16
show another related reel device for a wire harness disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-176272A. In this reel device, a movable connector
81
is disposed at one end of a flat cable
80
, while a fixed connector
82
is disposed at the other end thereof. A lengthwise intermediate point of the flat cable
80
is passed through an opening
84
provided in a side face of a reel body
83
, and is fixed to the reel body
83
in the vicinity of the opening
84
. One half of the flat cable
80
extending from the intermediate point to the movable connector
81
is wound around the reel body
83
, and can be drawn out from a casing
85
against the spring force of a reel spring. The remaining half of the flat cable
80
is placed on the outer side of the reel body
83
and is positioned in such a manner as to be capable of being tightened around an extended shaft of the reel body
83
. Further, the fixed connector
82
is provided in such a manner as to be exposed on the outer side of the casing
85
.
The above-described former and latter related techniques have the following problems, respectively.
(1) Each of the related techniques is a reel device for a flat cable, and the apparatus is difficult to be assembled onto a wire harness composed of a plurality of electric wires (wires having circular cross sections) which are routed between a fixed member and a movable member.
(2) Each time the flat cable is drawn out from the casing or rewound into the casing depending on the movement of the movable member, a force is applied to the flat cable, and the stress to which the flat cable is subjected is large. Hence, there is a possibility of the flat cable becoming disconnected.
(3) Connectors to be connected to other wires need to be provided at opposite ends of the flat cable, and connectors are also required on the other wire sides. In addition, since the cost of the flat cable itself is high, the manufacturing cost increases.
(4) The operation of assembling the flat cable into the casing is troublesome. For example, with the above-described latter related technique, a troublesome operation is required in which the intermediate point of the flat cable
80
is passed through the opening
84
in the reel body
83
, and its one half is wound around the reel body
83
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention has been devised in view of the above-described problems of the related arts, and its object is to provide a reel device which permits easy assembly onto an elongated wire harness at its arbitrary position, and which reduces stress on the electric wires and makes it possible to reduce the manufacturing cost.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a reel device assembled with a wire harness routed between a fixed member and a movable member, comprising:
a casing having a first port to which a fixed first portion of the wire harness is fixed and lead out therefrom, and a movable second port from a second portion of the wire harness is lead out;
a roller rotatably provided in the casing, the roller including a partition plate for partitioning inside of the casing a first accommodating space and a second accommodating space;
a shaft member formed on the partition plate so as to be located in the first accommodating space, on which the first portion of the wire harness is wound;
a reel drum formed on the partition plate so as to be located in the second accommodating space and having a belt member a first end of which is fixed thereon, the reel drum for winding a predetermined length of the second portion of the wire harness thereon together with the belt member the second end of which is attached to the second portion of the wire harness;
a notch formed on an outer periphery of the partition plate, to which a third portion defining a boundary between the first and second portions of the wire harness is engaged; and
a reel spring provided in the reel drum for urging the roller toward a direction for taking up the second portion of the wire harness into the casing.
In accordance with the above-described arrangement, when the reel device is assembled onto the wire harness, the belt member is drawn out, the third portion of the wire harness is retained at the notch, and the movable second portion of the wire harness is fixed to the belt member. If the belt member is released, the roller rotates by the urging force of the reel spring, so that the second portion of the wire harness, together with the belt member, is automatically taken up onto the outer periphery of the reel drum. The fixed first portion of the wire harness is loosely wound around the shaft member, is fixed at the first port of the casing, and is led to the outside. Moreover, since the slack wire harness can be accommodated in the first accommodating space, the apparatus can be assembled onto the elongated wire harness at its arbitrary position.
When a tensile force is applied to the belt member, this force is transmitted to the roller through the belt member. In turn, the roller rotates against the urging force of the reel spring, so that the second portion of the wire harness, together with the belt member, is drawn out to the outside. Meanwhile, when the tensile force is canceled, the roller rotates in the taking-up direction by the urging force, and this rotation is transmitted to the second portion of the wire harness through the belt member, thereby taking up the second portion of the wire harness together with the belt member. Thus, since practically no force is applied to the wire harness during both the drawing out and taking up of the movable-side wire harness, the stress to which the electric wires of the wire harness are subjected is small.
In addition, since this device is directly assembled onto the wire harness which is routed between the fixed member and the movable member, the device does not require connectors and can be manufactured at low cost.
Preferably, a retainer for fixing the second portion of the wire harness to either the fixed member or the movable member is provided on the second end of the belt member.
In accordance with the above-described arrangement, the movable second portion of the wire harness can be easily fixed to either the fixed member or the movable member by means of the retainer.
Preferably, the casing including an upper casing body and a lower casing body for accommodating the rol
Jillions John M.
Morgan & Lewis & Bockius, LLP
Yazaki -Corporation
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