JP6943784B2 - Cable sensor and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cable sensor used to detect contact or proximity of an obstacle and a method of manufacturing the cable sensor.

Conventionally, an automatic opening / closing device provided in a vehicle such as an automobile includes an opening / closing body for opening / closing an opening, an electric motor for driving the opening / closing body, and an operation switch for turning on / off the electric motor. .. Then, the electric motor is driven by the operation of the operation switch, whereby the opening / closing body is driven open or closed. However, the automatic switchgear allows the switchgear to be driven by conditions other than the operation of the operation switch.

For example, the automatic switchgear is provided with a cable sensor that detects that an obstacle is caught between the opening and the switchgear. The cable sensor is fixed to an opening or an opening / closing body to detect contact with an obstacle. Then, based on the input of the detection signal from the cable sensor, the automatic opening / closing device opens the closed / closed opening / closing body regardless of the operation of the operation switch, or opens / close-driving the closing / closing body on the spot. You can stop it with.

An example of a cable sensor used in such an automatic switchgear is described in, for example, Patent Document 1. The foreign matter detection sensor (cable sensor) described in Patent Document 1 includes a long hollow insulator, and two electrode wires are provided inside the hollow insulator. Then, the hollow insulator is adhered to the bracket fixed to the door panel by the holding force of the double-sided tape.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-175151

However, in the cable sensor described in Patent Document 1 described above, a relatively thick double-sided tape is used to fix the hollow insulator to the bracket. This is because a sufficient adhesive force can be obtained with respect to the bracket, and the curved portion of the bracket can be flexibly followed. Therefore, there may be a problem that the side portion of the double-sided tape is exposed to the outside and the appearance of the cable sensor is deteriorated. Further, dust or the like may adhere to the side portion of the double-sided tape, which may cause a problem that the double-sided tape is easily peeled off at an early stage.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cable sensor and a method for manufacturing the same, which can improve the appearance while suppressing peeling of the adhesive member for a long period of time.

The cable sensor of the present invention is a cable sensor used for detecting the contact or proximity of an obstacle, and is integrated with the sensor portion formed in a string shape and the sensor portion along the longitudinal direction of the sensor portion. The elastic base portion provided in the above, the adhesive member mounting surface provided on the side of the elastic base portion opposite to the side where the sensor portion is provided, and the adhesive member mounting surface on which the adhesive member is mounted, and the sensor portion from the adhesive member mounting surface. An adhesive member protective wall that protrudes to the side opposite to the position side and covers the side portion of the adhesive member is provided, and the adhesive member protective wall is provided on both sides in the width direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the elastic base portion. It covers both sides of the adhesive member and is elastically deformable in the height direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the elastic base portion.

In another aspect of the present invention, the adhesive member protective wall is bonded to a first wall surface extending in a direction orthogonal to the adhesive member mounting surface on the outer side in the width direction of the elastic base and on the inner side in the width direction of the elastic base. It has a second wall surface that is inclined with respect to the member mounting surface, and has a tapered shape from the base end side toward the tip end side.

In another aspect of the present invention, the adhesive force of the adhesive member is larger than the peeling force of peeling off the adhesive member due to elastic deformation of the adhesive member protective wall.

The method for manufacturing a cable sensor of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a cable sensor used for detecting contact or proximity of an obstacle, wherein the cable sensor includes a sensor unit formed in a string shape and the sensor unit. An elastic base integrally provided on the sensor portion along the longitudinal direction of the above, and an adhesive member mounting surface provided on the opposite side of the elastic base portion from the side on which the sensor portion is provided and on which the adhesive member is mounted. The adhesive member protective wall is provided with an adhesive member protective wall that protrudes from the adhesive member mounting surface to the side opposite to the side on which the sensor portion is located and covers the side portion of the adhesive member. It is provided on both sides in the width direction intersecting the longitudinal direction , covers both sides of the adhesive member, and is elastically deformable in the height direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the elastic base portion, and the adhesive member is attached. The adhesive member mounting surface is made to face the object to be fixed, the adhesive member is pressed against the object to be fixed, and the adhesive member is crimped to the object to be fixed while elastically deforming the protective wall of the adhesive member.

In another aspect of the present invention, the adhesive member protective wall is bonded to a first wall surface extending in a direction orthogonal to the adhesive member mounting surface on the outer side in the width direction of the elastic base and on the inner side in the width direction of the elastic base. It has a second wall surface that is inclined with respect to the member mounting surface, and has a tapered shape from the base end side toward the tip end side.

In another aspect of the present invention, the adhesive force of the adhesive member is larger than the peeling force of peeling off the adhesive member due to elastic deformation of the adhesive member protective wall.

According to the present invention, an adhesive member protective wall covering the side portion of the adhesive member is provided so as to project from the adhesive member mounting surface on the side opposite to the side where the sensor portion is located, and the adhesive member protective wall is provided on the elastic base portion. It is arranged within the range in the width direction that intersects the longitudinal direction, and is elastically deformable in the height direction that intersects the longitudinal direction of the elastic base.

As a result, the side portion of the adhesive member can be covered, dust and the like can be suppressed from adhering to the adhesive member, and peeling of the adhesive member can be prevented for a long period of time.

Further, the appearance of the cable sensor can be made clear and the appearance can be improved without increasing the dimension in the width direction of the cable sensor.

Further, when the adhesive member is adhered to the object to be fixed, the adhesive member protective wall can be elastically deformed. Therefore, the adhesive member can be sufficiently crimped to the object to be fixed, and the sensor portion can be fixed to the object to be fixed with sufficient fixing strength.

It is a front view which shows the tailgate of a vehicle. It is a side view which looked at the tailgate of FIG. 1 from the side. It is a perspective view which shows the touch sensor unit. It is sectional drawing which follows the AA line of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the cable sensor by itself. It is an enlarged perspective view of the tip side of a cable sensor. (A) and (b) are partially enlarged cross-sectional views explaining the function of the adhesive member protective wall. (A) and (b) are partially enlarged cross-sectional views corresponding to FIG. 7 for explaining the second embodiment.

Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 is a front view showing the tailgate of the vehicle, FIG. 2 is a side view of the tailgate of FIG. 1 as viewed from the side, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the touch sensor unit, and FIG. 4 is A of FIG. A cross-sectional view taken along line A, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the cable sensor alone, FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the tip side of the cable sensor, and FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b) are adhesive member protection. Partially enlarged cross-sectional views explaining the function of the wall are shown.

The vehicle 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a so-called hatchback type vehicle, and an opening 11 is formed on the rear side of the vehicle 10 so that a large cargo can be taken in and out of the vehicle interior. The opening 11 is provided by a tailgate 12 as an opening / closing body that is rotated around a hinge (not shown) provided on the rear side of the ceiling of the vehicle 10, as shown by the solid line arrow and the broken line arrow in FIG. It is opened and closed.

Further, the vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment is equipped with a power tailgate device 13. The power tailgate device 13 includes an actuator (ACT) 13a with a speed reducer that opens and closes the tailgate 12, a controller (ECU) 13b that controls the actuator 13a based on an operation signal of an operation switch (not shown), and an obstacle. It includes a pair of touch sensor units 20 for detecting contact with an object BL.

As shown in FIG. 1, the touch sensor units 20 are mounted on both sides (left and right sides in the drawing) of the tailgate 12 in the vehicle width direction. More specifically, the pair of touch sensor units 20 are provided so as to follow the curved shape of the door frames on both sides of the tailgate 12 in the vehicle width direction. That is, the pair of touch sensor units 20 are in a curved state following the curved shape of the door frame, and are fixed to the tailgate 12 under the curved state.

As a result, when the obstacle BL comes into contact with the touch sensor unit 20 between the opening 11 and the tailgate 12, the cable sensor 30 (see FIG. 3) forming the touch sensor unit 20 is immediately elastically deformed. NS.

Then, the pair of touch sensor units 20 are electrically connected to the controller 13b, respectively, and the detection signal generated when the cable sensor 30 is elastically deformed is input to the controller 13b. Based on the input of the detection signal from the touch sensor unit 20, the controller 13b either opens the closed tailgate 12 or drives the closed tailgate 12 on the spot regardless of the operation of the operation switch. Stop at. As a result, the obstacle BL is prevented from being pinched.

Here, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the cable sensor 30 is provided with a pair of electrodes 31b and 31c, and a resistor R is electrically connected to the tip side (right side in FIG. 6) thereof. .. As a result, when the cable sensor 30 is not elastically deformed, the pair of electrodes 31b and 31c are not in contact with each other, and the resistance value of the resistor R is input to the controller 13b. That is, when the resistance value of the resistor R is input, the controller 13b determines that the obstacle BL is not pinched, and continuously executes the closing drive of the tailgate 12.

On the other hand, when the obstacle BL comes into contact with the touch sensor unit 20 and the cable sensor 30 is elastically deformed, the pair of electrodes 31b and 31c are brought into contact with each other and short-circuited. Then, a resistance value (infinity) that does not pass through the resistor R is input to the controller 13b. As a result, the controller 13b detects the change in the resistance value and executes the control to open the tailgate 12 or stop the tailgate 12 on the spot by using the change in the resistance value as a trigger.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the touch sensor unit 20 includes a cable sensor 30 formed in a long string shape and elastically deformed by contact with an obstacle BL (see FIG. 2), and the cable sensor. A sensor bracket 40 for fixing the 30 to the tailgate 12 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) is provided. Here, in FIG. 3, in order to make the cable sensor 30 easy to understand, the cable sensor 30 is shaded.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cable sensor 30 includes a sensor main body 31 and a sensor holder 32 that holds the sensor main body 31. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the proximal end side of the pair of electrodes 31b and 31c is arranged on the proximal end side of the cable sensor 30, and the controller 13b (FIG. 5) is located on the proximal end portion of these electrodes 31b and 31c. A male connector 30a attached to a female connector (not shown) of (1 and FIG. 2) is provided.

As shown in FIG. 4, the sensor main body 31 includes an insulating tube 31a made of a flexible insulating rubber material or the like. The insulating tube 31a is elastically deformed by the application of an external force, and a pair of electrodes 31b and 31c are spirally held inside (inside) in the radial direction of the insulating tube 31a in a state of non-contact with each other. These electrodes 31b and 31c are provided with a conductive tube 31d made of a flexible conductive rubber or the like, and a conductive wire 31e formed by bundling a plurality of copper wires is provided inside the conductive tube 31d.

As shown in FIG. 4, the inner diameter of the insulating tube 31a is about three times as large as the diameter of the pair of electrodes 31b and 31c. In other words, a small gap S is formed between the pair of electrodes 31b and 31c facing each other about the axis of the insulating tube 31a so that about one electrode can be inserted.

As described above, inside the insulating tube 31a, a pair of electrodes 31b and 31c are arranged so as to face each other in the radial direction and are spirally fixed in the longitudinal direction, and an electrode is approximately between the pair of electrodes 31b and 31c. A small gap S is secured so that one can be inserted. As a result, no matter which part of the sensor body 31 is elastically deformed by the obstacle BL (see FIG. 2), the pair of electrodes 31b and 31c come into contact with each other and are short-circuited under substantially the same conditions (pressing pressure).

Here, in the touch sensor unit 20 used for the tailgate 12, the diameter dimension of the insulating tube 31a is about 5.0 mm. Therefore, considering the handling of the touch sensor unit 20 with respect to the tailgate 12 and the detection sensitivity, it is desirable to spirally provide a pair of electrodes 31b and 31c having a diameter of about 1.0 mm inside the insulating tube 31a.

For example, in the present embodiment, the pair of electrodes 31b and 31c are not short-circuited to each other even when the sensor main body 31 is wound around a small-diameter column having a radius of 4.0 mm. On the other hand, as a comparative example, for example, in the case where four same electrodes are provided in parallel inside the same insulating tube, even when the sensor body is wound around a large-diameter column having a radius of 7.5 mm, each electrode is used. It was short-circuited.

As described above, in the present embodiment, that is, in the case where the pair of electrodes 31b and 31c are spirally provided inside the insulating tube 31a, the door frame curved in a relatively wide angle range from an acute angle to an obtuse angle is provided. It is possible to deal with the tailgate 12 to have.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the sensor holder 32 is formed into a long string shape by extruding a flexible insulating rubber material or the like, and is hollow in which the sensor main body 31 is housed. The sensor holding cylinder 32a and the base portion 32b fixed to the sensor fixing portion 41 (see FIG. 4) of the sensor bracket 40 are provided.

Here, the sensor holding cylinder 32a and the sensor main body 31 held by the sensor holding cylinder 32a constitute the sensor unit in the present invention. Further, the base portion 32b constitutes the elastic base portion in the present invention. In FIG. 4, a broken line is provided at the boundary between the sensor holding cylinder 32a and the base portion 32b.

The cross-sectional shape of the sensor holding cylinder 32a along the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the sensor holder 32, that is, the lateral direction of the sensor holder 32 is formed in a substantially circular shape. Further, the wall thickness of the sensor holding tube 32a is slightly thinner than the wall thickness of the insulating tube 31a. That is, the sensor holding cylinder 32a can also be easily elastically deformed by applying an external force (contact with the obstacle BL).

Therefore, the pair of electrodes 31b and 31c held by the insulating tube 31a are easily contacted (short-circuited) with each other due to the elastic deformation of the sensor holding tube 32a and the insulating tube 31a, and thus the sensor body 31 has sufficient detection performance (sensitivity). ) Is secured.

The base portion 32b is integrally provided with the sensor holding cylinder 32a so as to be along the longitudinal direction of the sensor holding cylinder 32a. The base portion 32b has a function of fixing the sensor holding cylinder 32a to the sensor fixing portion 41, and the sensor holding cylinder 32a and the sensor main body 31 are attached to the sensor fixing portion 41 of the sensor bracket 40 via the base portion 32b. It is fixed.

Further, the cross-sectional shape of the base portion 32b along the lateral direction of the sensor holder 32 is formed into a substantially trapezoidal shape. An adhesive member mounting surface 32c is provided on the side of the base portion 32b opposite to the side on which the sensor holding cylinder 32a is provided (lower side in FIG. 4), and the adhesive member mounting surface 32c has both sides as an adhesive member. The tape 32d is attached (attached).

The double-sided tape 32d fixes (adhesively) the cable sensor 30 to the sensor bracket 40, and is between the sensor holder 32 and the sensor fixing portion 41 along the direction (short direction) intersecting the longitudinal direction of the sensor holder 32. Have been placed. The thickness dimension of the double-sided tape 32d is set to a relatively thick thickness dimension, and specifically, the thickness dimension is substantially half of the thickness dimension of the sensor bracket 40.

As a result, the cable sensor 30 can be adhered to the sensor bracket 40 with sufficient adhesive force, and the cable sensor 30 can flexibly follow the curved portion CV (see FIG. 3) of the sensor bracket 40. Therefore, both the sensor holder 32 (cable sensor 30) and the sensor fixing portion 41 (sensor bracket 40) are firmly adhered to each other by the double-sided tape 32d.

Further, the sensor holding cylinder 32a and the base portion 32b are smoothly connected to each other by a pair of inclined surfaces TP. In this way, by providing the inclined surface TP between the sensor holding cylinder 32a and the base portion 32b, stress is concentrated between the sensor holding cylinder 32a and the base portion 32b to prevent cracks and the like from occurring. .. This improves the durability of the sensor holder 32.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a pair of adhesive member protective walls 32e are provided on the side (lower side in the drawing) of the base portion 32b opposite to the side where the sensor holding cylinder 32a is located. These adhesive member protective walls 32e are provided over the entire area of the base portion 32b (sensor holder 32) in the longitudinal direction, and are arranged on both sides in the width direction (both sides in the left-right direction in the drawing) intersecting the longitudinal direction of the base portion 32b. There is. Further, the pair of adhesive member protective walls 32e project from the adhesive member mounting surface 32c to the side opposite to the side where the sensor holding cylinder 32a is located at a predetermined height. Here, in FIGS. 4 and 7, a broken line is provided at the boundary between the base portion 32b and the pair of adhesive member protective walls 32e.

Specifically, the pair of adhesive member protective walls 32e are arranged within a range in the width direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the base portion 32b, that is, within the range of the width dimension W of the base portion 32b. As a result, the width dimension W of the base portion 32b is suppressed from becoming large, and the cable sensor 30 is prevented from becoming unnecessarily thick. If the cable sensor 30 becomes thicker, not only the touch sensor unit 20 as a whole becomes larger, but also the followability of the cable sensor 30 to the curved shape is lowered.

Further, the protruding height of the pair of adhesive member protective walls 32e from the adhesive member mounting surface 32c is set to a height dimension slightly lower than the thickness dimension of the double-sided tape 32d. As a result, a minute gap D is formed between the tip portion of the pair of adhesive member protective walls 32e and the sensor fixing portion 41.

By providing the pair of adhesive member protective walls 32e in this way, most of the side SD (see FIG. 7A) of the double-sided tape 32d is covered (more than half of the portion), thereby covering the double-sided tape. The exposure of 32d to the outside is suppressed. Further, since most of the side SD of the double-sided tape 32d is covered with the adhesive member protective wall 32e, it is difficult for dust and the like to reach the side SD of the double-sided tape 32d. Therefore, there is no problem that the double-sided tape 32d deteriorates at an early stage and is peeled off at an early stage.

The dimension of the minute gap D between the adhesive member protective wall 32e and the sensor fixing portion 41 can be arbitrarily set according to needs (specifications) such as the appearance of the cable sensor 30. For example, by making the minute gap D smaller, the exposure of the double-sided tape 32d to the outside can be further suppressed, and dust and the like can be made less likely to reach the side SD of the double-sided tape 32d.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the pair of adhesive member protective walls 32e are arranged so as to be mirror image symmetric on both sides of the base portion 32b in the width direction, and the cross-sectional shape thereof is formed in a substantially triangular shape.

Specifically, the pair of adhesive member protective walls 32e includes a first wall surface 32e1 extending in a direction orthogonal to the adhesive member mounting surface 32c on the outer side in the width direction of the base portion 32b. That is, the first wall surface 32e1 extends straight toward the sensor fixing portion 41. Further, the pair of adhesive member protective walls 32e includes a second wall surface 32e2 that is inclined with respect to the adhesive member mounting surface 32c inside the base portion 32b in the width direction. That is, the second wall surface 32e2 extends in an inclined state toward the sensor fixing portion 41.

The second wall surface 32e2 gradually approaches the first wall surface 32e1 from the base end side (upper side in the figure) to the tip end side (lower side in the figure) of the adhesive member protective wall 32e. .. That is, the adhesive member protective wall 32e has a tapered shape from the base end side toward the tip end side.

In this way, by forming the adhesive member protective wall 32e into a tapered shape toward the tip side, the rigidity of the tip side of the adhesive member protective wall 32e is weakened, and the tip side of the adhesive member protective wall 32e is easily elastically deformed. ing. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 7, when fixing the cable sensor 30 to the sensor bracket 40, the fixing work (crimping work of the double-sided tape 32d) can be facilitated. The crimping work of the double-sided tape 32d will be described in detail later.

As described above, the sensor holder 32 has a non-circular cross-sectional shape along the direction (short direction) intersecting the longitudinal direction thereof. As a result, the rigidity of the base portion 32b is sufficiently increased while facilitating the elastic deformation of the sensor holding tube 32a and the insulating tube 31a. Therefore, the fixing strength of the cable sensor 30 to the sensor fixing portion 41 by the double-sided tape 32d is improved.

As shown in FIG. 6, the terminal of the sensor holder 32 (the tip end side of the cable sensor 30) is integrally provided with a mold resin portion 32f as a terminal portion. The mold resin portion 32f constitutes a part of the sensor holder 32 and covers the end portion of the insulating tube 31a (see FIG. 4) and the end portions of the pair of electrodes 31b and 31c (see FIG. 4). Further, inside the mold resin portion 32f, a separator SP made of an insulator, one resistor R, and two caulking members SW are provided.

In this way, the mold resin portion 32f prevents the end portion of the insulating tube 31a, the end portions of the pair of electrodes 31b and 31c, the separator SP, the resistor R, and the pair of caulking members SW from being exposed to the outside. It has a function to protect these components.

Here, a long connecting portion P1 and a short connecting portion P2 are provided at both ends of the resistor R. Then, by folding the long connecting portion P1 180 degrees with respect to the short connecting portion P2, the long connecting portion P1 and the short connecting portion P2 are subjected to a pair of caulking with respect to the conductive wires 31e of the pair of electrodes 31b and 31c. Each is electrically connected by a member SW. In this way, the ends of the pair of electrodes 31b and 31c are electrically connected to each other via the resistor R.

The pair of caulking members SW are crimped by a caulking jig (not shown) such as electric pliers, whereby the resistor R is strongly electrically connected to the conductive wires 31e of the pair of electrodes 31b and 31c. Connected to. Further, the pair of caulking members SW are arranged symmetrically on both sides of the separator SP at the center, and short circuits are prevented from being short-circuited at the portion of the separator SP.

Then, in the mold resin portion 32f, the end portion of the sensor holder 32 to which the separator SP, the resistor R, etc. are assembled is set in a mold (not shown), and the rubber material or the like melted in the mold is injected. It is formed by doing. That is, the components such as the separator SP and the resistor R are embedded in the mold resin portion 32f by insert molding.

Here, the mold resin portion 32f is formed of the same rubber material as the sensor holder 32 and has sufficient flexibility. However, for example, in order to more reliably protect the separator SP, the resistor R, etc. embedded inside the mold resin portion 32f, it can be formed of a rubber material having a hardness higher than that of the sensor holder 32.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the sensor bracket 40 is formed in a substantially plate shape having two curved portions CV by injection molding a resin material such as plastic. Specifically, the two curved portions CVs are provided following the curved shape of the door frame of the tailgate 12 (see FIG. 1). As described above, the sensor bracket 40 is made of plastic, and the hardness of the sensor bracket 40 is higher than the hardness of the cable sensor 30.

The sensor bracket 40 includes a sensor fixing portion 41 and a vehicle body fixing portion 42. Both the sensor fixing portion 41 and the vehicle body fixing portion 42 are formed in a substantially flat plate shape, and the sensor fixing portion 41 is arranged outside the vehicle interior in a state where the sensor bracket 40 is fixed to the tailgate 12 (see FIG. 1), and the vehicle body is formed. The fixed portion 42 is arranged on the vehicle interior side. Here, the vehicle body fixing portion 42 is a portion fixed to the tailgate 12, and the vehicle body fixing portion 42 is provided with three bolt holes 42a through which fixing bolts (not shown) are inserted. .. As a result, the vehicle body fixing portion 42 is firmly fixed to the tailgate 12 without rattling.

On the other hand, the sensor fixing portion 41 is a portion to which the cable sensor 30 (see FIG. 5) is fixed, and the double-sided tape 32d provided on the cable sensor 30 (see FIG. 5) is provided on the surface of the sensor fixing portion 41. Is affixed. The surface of the sensor fixing portion 41 is smoothed as compared with other parts of the sensor bracket 40 in order to increase the adhesive strength of the double-sided tape 32d. Therefore, the cable sensor 30 can be fixed to the sensor fixing portion 41 with sufficient strength.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, an inclined wall portion 43 is provided between the sensor fixing portion 41 and the vehicle body fixing portion 42. As a result, a stepped portion DS having a height dimension of H1 is formed between the sensor fixing portion 41 and the vehicle body fixing portion 42. In this way, by providing a height difference of the height dimension H1 between the sensor fixing portion 41 and the vehicle body fixing portion 42, the cable sensor 30 can be installed near the outer edge portion of the door frame in the tailgate 12. ..

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the sensor holding cylinder 32a (sensor body 31) is projected above the vehicle body fixing portion 42 in a state where the cable sensor 30 is attached to the sensor fixing portion 41 with the double-sided tape 32d. ing. Specifically, the height dimension H2, which is the sum of the thickness dimension of the double-sided tape 32d and the thickness dimension of the thinnest portion of the base portion 32b, is larger than the height dimension of the height dimension H1 of the step portion DS. (H2> H1). As a result, the pair of electrodes 31b and 31c held by the insulating tube 31a are arranged above the vehicle body fixing portion 42, and as a result, the sensitivity of pinching detection of the obstacle BL (see FIG. 2) is sufficiently ensured. ..

Further, the inclined wall portion 43 is inclined at an inclination angle α ° (about 30 degrees) with respect to the perpendicular line of the sensor fixing portion 41. Specifically, the inclined wall portion 43 has a steep uphill shape from the sensor fixing portion 41 toward the vehicle body fixing portion 42. As a result, as shown by the arrow M1 in FIG. 4, the cable sensor 30 faces from above the sensor bracket 40, and the cable sensor 30 can be easily fixed to the sensor fixing portion 41. That is, the inclined wall portion 43 has a function of positioning (guidance) the cable sensor 30 in the state before fixing indicated by the alternate long and short dash line to the regular fixed position indicated by the solid line.

Next, the attachment procedure (manufacturing method) of the cable sensor 30 formed as described above to the fixing object, that is, the sensor bracket 40 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

First, the sensor bracket 40 manufactured in another manufacturing process is prepared in advance, and the cable sensor 30 (with double-sided tape 32d) also manufactured in another manufacturing process is prepared. Next, as shown by the arrow M2 in FIG. 7A, the cable sensor 30 faces the sensor fixing portion 41 from above the sensor bracket 40. At this time, the adhesive member mounting surface 32c on which the double-sided tape 32d is mounted is made to face directly above the sensor fixing portion 41 so as to be parallel to each other.

Next, as shown by the arrow M2 in FIG. 7A, the double-sided tape 32d is applied to the sensor fixing portion 41 by pressing the base portion 32b (inclined surface TP) of the sensor holder 32 forming the cable sensor 30. Press with a relatively large pressing force F. Then, as shown by the arrow M3 in FIG. 7B, the double-sided tape 32d is crushed from the thickness direction to become thinner, and as also shown by the arrow M4, the side SD of the double-sided tape 32d is adhered. It swells toward the member protective wall 32e. However, the magnitude of the pressing force F should not exceed the elastic limit of the double-sided tape 32d (stop within the range of elastic deformation).

At this time, the tip side of the adhesive member protective wall 32e is brought into contact with the sensor fixing portion 41 and is elastically deformed as shown by the arrow M5 in FIG. 7B. That is, the adhesive member protective wall 32e is elastically deformable in the height direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the base portion 32b, and the double-sided tape 32d is elastically deformed to be thinner than the dimension of the minute gap D. Further, the adhesive member protective wall 32e is deformed toward the outside of the vehicle interior instead of the double-sided tape 32d side. Here, the adhesive member protective wall 32e on the opposite side (adhesive member protective wall 32e on the right side in FIG. 4) different from that shown in FIG. 7 is deformed toward the vehicle interior side instead of the double-sided tape 32d side. NS.

That is, each of the pair of adhesive member protective walls 32e is deformed outward in the width direction of the cable sensor 30. This is a first wall surface 32e1 extending in a direction orthogonal to the adhesive member mounting surface 32c on the outer side in the width direction of the base portion 32b, and an adhesive member mounting surface on the inner side in the width direction of the base portion 32b. This is due to the fact that it is formed from the second wall surface 32e2 that is inclined with respect to 32c. In other words, as shown in FIG. 4, the pair of adhesive member protective walls 32e face each other so as to be mirror-symmetrical to each other, and the cross-sectional shape thereof is formed into a substantially triangular shape to form the pair of adhesive member protective walls 32e. The deformation direction is controlled outside the width direction of the cable sensor 30.

As a result, the pair of elastically deformed adhesive member protective walls 32e do not fall toward the double-sided tape 32d and get caught in the double-sided tape 32d, and the double-sided tape 32d is accurately and reliably attached to the sensor fixing portion 41. Can be crimped. As a result, the work of attaching the cable sensor 30 to the sensor bracket 40 is completed. Here, after the double-sided tape 32d is crimped to the sensor fixing portion 41, that is, after the pressing force F is released, the elastically deformed double-sided tape 32d returns to its original shape and is shown in FIGS. 7A and 4. It will be in the state of being done.

As described in detail above, according to the first embodiment, the adhesive member protective wall 32e covering the side SD of the double-sided tape 32d is provided on the side opposite to the side where the sensor holding cylinder 32a is located from the adhesive member mounting surface 32c. The height of the adhesive member protective wall 32e that is projected and is arranged within a range in the width direction (within the range of the width dimension W) that intersects the longitudinal direction of the base portion 32b and intersects the longitudinal direction of the base portion 32b. It is elastically deformable in the vertical direction.

As a result, the side SD of the double-sided tape 32d can be covered, dust and the like can be suppressed from adhering to the double-sided tape 32d, and the double-sided tape 32d can be prevented from peeling off for a long period of time.

Further, the appearance of the cable sensor 30 can be made clear and the appearance can be improved without increasing the dimension of the cable sensor 30 in the width direction.

Further, when the double-sided tape 32d is adhered to the sensor fixing portion 41 of the sensor bracket 40, the adhesive member protective wall 32e can be elastically deformed. Therefore, the double-sided tape 32d can be sufficiently crimped to the sensor fixing portion 41, and the sensor holding cylinder 32a and the sensor main body 31 can be fixed to the sensor fixing portion 41 with sufficient fixing strength.

Further, according to the first embodiment, the adhesive member protective wall 32e has a first wall surface 32e1 extending in a direction orthogonal to the adhesive member mounting surface 32c on the outer side in the width direction of the base portion 32b and the inner side in the width direction of the base portion 32b. It has a second wall surface 32e2 that is inclined with respect to the adhesive member mounting surface 32c, and has a tapered shape from the base end side toward the tip end side.

As a result, the deformation direction of the pair of adhesive member protective walls 32e can be controlled to the outside in the width direction of the cable sensor 30, and the pair of elastically deformed adhesive member protective walls 32e do not have to be caught in the double-sided tape 32d. .. Therefore, the double-sided tape 32d can be accurately and reliably crimped to the sensor fixing portion 41.

Next, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same symbols will be added to the parts having the same functions as those in the first embodiment described above, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

8 (a) and 8 (b) show partially enlarged cross-sectional views corresponding to FIG. 7 for explaining the second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the cable sensor 50 of the second embodiment, only the shape of the sensor holder 32 is different from that of the cable sensor 30 of the first embodiment (see FIG. 7). Specifically, in the sensor holder 32 of the second embodiment, thin skirt portions 32e3 are integrally provided at the tip portions of the pair of adhesive member protective walls 32e.

The skirt portion 32e3 forms a part of the adhesive member protective wall 32e, and extends from the adhesive member mounting surface 32c to the side opposite to the side where the sensor holding cylinder 32a is located (upper side in the figure) (lower side in the figure). Being present. The tip portion of the skirt portion 32e3 is in contact with the sensor fixing portion 41 of the sensor bracket 40 in an elastically deformed state. That is, the length dimension of the skirt portion 32e3 is set to be slightly longer than the dimension of the minute gap D shown in FIG. 7. As a result, the side SD of the double-sided tape 32d is not completely exposed to the outside.

Further, the thickness dimension of the skirt portion 32e3 is substantially the same as the thickness dimension on the tip side of the adhesive member protective wall 32e, whereby the rigidity of the skirt portion 32e3 is higher than the rigidity of the main body portion of the adhesive member protective wall 32e. It has been weakened. In FIG. 8, a thin line is provided at the boundary between the adhesive member protective wall 32e and the skirt portion 32e3.

The procedure for attaching the cable sensor 50 to the sensor bracket 40 is substantially the same as that in the first embodiment. At this time, the pair of skirt portions 32e3 is also deformed to the outside in the width direction of the cable sensor 50 in the same manner as the pair of adhesive member protective walls 32e, so that the pair of skirt portions 32e3 collapses toward the double-sided tape 32d. It does not get caught in the double-sided tape 32d.

Here, after the double-sided tape 32d is crimped to the sensor fixing portion 41, that is, after the pressing force F is released, the elastically deformed double-sided tape 32d returns to its original shape and is in the state shown in FIG. 8A. become. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8A, the skirt portion 32e3 is in a state of being elastically deformed, and the elastic force (repulsive force) accompanying the elastic deformation of the skirt portion 32e3 at this time is applied to the sensor fixing portion 41. Will be done. That is, the repulsive force of the skirt portion 32e3 is the peeling force F1 acting in the direction of peeling the double-sided tape 32d. However, in the present embodiment, the peeling force F1 is a very small force with respect to the adhesive force F2 of the double-sided tape 32d (F1 << F2). Therefore, the double-sided tape 32d is not peeled off by the peeling force F1.

Also in the second embodiment formed as described above, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. In addition to this, in the second embodiment, the side SD of the double-sided tape 32d can be completely prevented from being exposed to the outside as compared with the first embodiment (see FIG. 7). Therefore, it is possible to more reliably suppress the adhesion of dust and the like to the double-sided tape 32d, and it is possible to prevent the double-sided tape 32d from peeling off for a longer period of time.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to each of the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist thereof. For example, in each of the above embodiments, a double-sided tape 32d is used as the adhesive member in the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, an adhesive having fluidity before curing is used. You can also do it.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, a pair of electrodes 31b and 31c are spirally fixed inside the insulating tube 31a, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the thickness of the electrodes and the required detection are not limited to this. Depending on the performance and the like, four or six electrodes may be provided spirally or in parallel.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, a sensor main body 31 in which a pair of electrodes 31b and 31c are spirally fixed inside the insulating tube 31a is used, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the sensor main body is not limited to this. , A capacitance sensor formed in a long string shape can also be used. In this case, the sensor holder that holds the capacitance sensor is made of a conductive elastic material, for example, conductive rubber used as a contact material for a remote controller. This makes it possible to detect that humans are in close proximity.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the case where the cable sensors 30 and 50 are fixed to the tailgate 12 of the vehicle 10 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the sunroof of the vehicle and the slide on the side of the vehicle are not limited to this. It may be fixed to the door or it may be fixed to the vehicle body side. Furthermore, it can be applied not only to the vehicle 10 but also to an automatic door device for opening and closing the entrance and exit of a building.

In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, number, installation location, etc. of each component in each of the above embodiments are arbitrary as long as the present invention can be achieved, and are not limited to the above embodiments.

10 Vehicle 11 Opening 12 Tailgate 13 Power tailgate device 13a Actuator 13b Controller 20 Touch sensor unit 30 Cable sensor 30a Male connector 31 Sensor body (sensor part)
31a Insulation tube 31b, 31c Electrode 31d Conductive tube 31e Conductive wire 32 Sensor holder 32a Sensor holding cylinder (sensor part)
32b Base (elastic base)
32c Adhesive member mounting surface 32d Double-sided tape (adhesive member)
32e Adhesive member protective wall 32e1 1st wall surface 32e2 2nd wall surface 32e3 Skirt part (adhesive member protective wall)
32f Molded resin part 40 Sensor bracket (fixed object)
41 Sensor fixing part 42 Body fixing part 42a Bolt hole 43 Inclined wall part 50 Cable sensor BL Obstacle CV Curved part D Micro gap DS Step part F Pushing pressure F1 Peeling force F2 Adhesive force P1 Long connection part P2 Short connection part R Resistance S Gap SD Side SP Separator SW Caulking member TP Inclined surface

Claims (6)

A cable sensor used to detect the contact or proximity of obstacles.
The sensor part formed in a string shape and
An elastic base integrally provided on the sensor portion along the longitudinal direction of the sensor portion,
An adhesive member mounting surface provided on the side of the elastic base portion opposite to the side on which the sensor portion is provided and on which the adhesive member is mounted.
An adhesive member protective wall that protrudes from the adhesive member mounting surface to the side opposite to the side where the sensor portion is located and covers the side portion of the adhesive member.
With
The adhesive member protective walls are provided on both sides in the width direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the elastic base portion, cover both side portions of the adhesive member, and are elastically deformable in the height direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the elastic base portion. Has become
Cable sensor. In the cable sensor according to claim 1,
The adhesive member protective wall is inclined with respect to the first wall surface extending in the direction orthogonal to the adhesive member mounting surface on the outer side in the width direction of the elastic base portion and the adhesive member mounting surface on the inner side in the width direction of the elastic base portion. It has a second wall surface and has a tapered shape from the base end side toward the tip end side.
Cable sensor. In the cable sensor according to claim 1 or 2.
The adhesive force of the adhesive member is larger than the peeling force of peeling off the adhesive member due to elastic deformation of the adhesive member protective wall.
Cable sensor. A method of manufacturing a cable sensor used to detect contact or proximity of an obstacle.
The cable sensor is
The sensor part formed in a string shape and
An elastic base integrally provided on the sensor portion along the longitudinal direction of the sensor portion,
An adhesive member mounting surface provided on the side of the elastic base portion opposite to the side on which the sensor portion is provided and on which the adhesive member is mounted.
An adhesive member protective wall that protrudes from the adhesive member mounting surface to the side opposite to the side where the sensor portion is located and covers the side portion of the adhesive member.
With
The adhesive member protective walls are provided on both sides in the width direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the elastic base portion, cover both side portions of the adhesive member, and are elastically deformable in the height direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the elastic base portion. It has become
The adhesive member mounting surface on which the adhesive member is mounted faces the object to be fixed, the adhesive member is pressed against the object to be fixed, and the adhesive member is elastically deformed while the adhesive member is to be fixed. Crimping to an object,
How to manufacture a cable sensor. In the method for manufacturing a cable sensor according to claim 4,
The adhesive member protective wall is inclined with respect to the first wall surface extending in the direction orthogonal to the adhesive member mounting surface on the outer side in the width direction of the elastic base portion and the adhesive member mounting surface on the inner side in the width direction of the elastic base portion. It has a second wall surface and has a tapered shape from the base end side toward the tip end side.
How to manufacture a cable sensor. In the method for manufacturing a cable sensor according to claim 4 or 5.
The adhesive force of the adhesive member is larger than the peeling force of peeling off the adhesive member due to elastic deformation of the adhesive member protective wall.
How to manufacture a cable sensor.

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