JP7580888B2 - Power supply device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a power supply device that supplies power to various devices mounted on a sliding door via a wire harness.

Conventionally, a power supply device for a sliding door is known in which the wire harness is bent into a U-shape to follow the opening and closing of the sliding door (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this power supply device, the wire harness is supported on the side of the sliding door in a state tilted toward the vehicle body when the sliding door is fully closed so that the wire harness bends smoothly when the sliding door is opened. With this support, when the sliding door is opened, the supported portion of the wire harness on the sliding door rotates toward the vehicle body to follow the movement of the sliding door and easily reverses, allowing the wire harness to bend smoothly.

JP 2017-192258 A

However, if the wire harness is supported on the sliding door side in a state where it is tilted toward the vehicle body as described above, the wire harness will be positioned closer to the passenger compartment when the door is fully closed, making it more visible to passengers. This is not desirable from the perspective of the appearance of the passenger compartment.

Therefore, the present invention focuses on the above problems and aims to provide a power supply device that can smoothly bend the wire harness when the sliding door is opened, and can make the wire harness less noticeable to passengers when the door is fully closed.

To solve the above problem, the power supply device includes a wire harness arranged from the vehicle body to the sliding door of the automobile, a body-side unit that supports the wire harness on the vehicle body side, and a door-side unit that supports the wire harness on the sliding door side, and the door-side unit has a pair of parallel rotation shafts that intersect the longitudinal direction of the wire harness and are aligned with the sliding door, a rotor that supports a part of the wire harness on the sliding door side, and a guide bearing that guides each of the pair of rotation shafts so that the rotor is fixed to the sliding door and rotatably supports each of the pair of rotation shafts and supports the rotor, and that positions the pair of rotation shafts so that the rotor is aligned with the sliding door when the sliding door is fully closed, and that when the sliding door is opened, first, the first rotation shaft is moved around the second rotation shaft to tilt the rotor toward the vehicle body, and then the rotor rotates around the first rotation shaft to which it has been moved.

According to the above power supply device, when the sliding door is fully closed, the rotor supporting a part of the wire harness on the sliding door side is in a position aligned with the sliding door, and when the sliding door is opened, the rotor is tilted toward the vehicle body in the initial stage. That is, the rotor is tilted in the initial stage to ensure smooth bending of the wire harness thereafter, and when the sliding door is fully closed, the wire harness is moved away from the vehicle body in a position aligned with the sliding door, making it difficult for passengers to notice it. In this way, according to the above power supply device, the wire harness can be smoothly bent when the sliding door is opened, and when the sliding door is fully closed, the wire harness can be made difficult for passengers to notice. Note that the "position aligned with the sliding door" mentioned here is not limited to a position in which the angle between the rotor and the sliding door is 0°, but also includes a position in which the rotor is slightly tilted with respect to the sliding door, for example, at an angle of less than 10°.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first embodiment of a power supply device. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the door-side unit shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the door-side unit shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . 2 is a view showing the door-side unit when the sliding door is in the fully closed position shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 13 is a view showing the door-side unit in the initial stage when the sliding door is opened. 2 is a view showing the door-side unit when the sliding door has reached the fully open position shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a power supply device as a comparative example to the power supply devices shown in FIGS. 1 to 6. 8 is an enlarged view of a door-side unit in the power supply device of the comparative example shown in FIG. 7 . 11 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a wire harness of a power supply device is housed in a sliding door when the sliding door is fully closed. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the wire harness of the power supply device of the comparative example shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 is supported on the side of the sliding door inclined toward the vehicle body when the door is fully closed. 9 is a diagram showing a state in which the wire harness of the power supply device according to the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 is supported on the side of a sliding door when the sliding door is fully closed. FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a door-side unit in a power supply device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a view showing the door side unit when the sliding door is in a fully closed position. FIG. 13 is a view showing the door-side unit in the initial stage when the sliding door is opened. 13 is a view showing the door-side unit when the sliding door reaches a fully open position. FIG.

The following describes an embodiment of the power supply device. First, the first embodiment will be described.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first embodiment of a power supply device.

The power supply device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on an automobile C1 having a sliding door DR1, and supplies power to various devices mounted on the sliding door DR1 via a wire harness 11. The left-right direction in FIG. 1 corresponds to the front-rear direction D11 of the automobile C1, with the right side in the figure corresponding to the front and the left side in the figure corresponding to the rear. The power supply device 1 includes a wire harness 11, a main body unit 12, and a door side unit 13.

The wire harness 11 is routed from the vehicle body C11 of the automobile C1 to the sliding door DR1. The wire harness 11 has electric wires 111 and a cylindrical exterior member 112 through which the electric wires 111 pass. The body-side unit 12 is a member that supports the wire harness 11 on the vehicle body C11 side, and the door-side unit 13 is a member that supports the wire harness 11 on the sliding door DR1 side.

When the sliding door DR1 is opened in the opening direction D111 from the fully closed position P11 on the front side of the automobile C1 to the fully open position P12 on the rear side, and conversely, when it is closed in the closing direction D112 from the fully open position P12 to the fully closed position P11, the wire harness 11 follows the movement. In this power supply device 1, when the sliding door DR1 is in the fully closed position P11, the wire harness 11 leaves the main unit 12 and curves forward, and assumes a fully closed position extending linearly forward in the front-rear direction D11 along the sliding door DR1 in the fully closed position P11. On the other hand, when the sliding door DR1 is in the fully open position P12, the wire harness 11 leaves the main unit 12 and curves backward, and assumes a fully open position extending diagonally backward toward the sliding door DR1 in the fully open position P12. When the sliding door DR1 is opened or closed, the door-side unit 13 rotates in a reverse direction and bends in a U-shape while following the opening and closing of the sliding door DR1 during the movement of the sliding door DR1. Here, in the power supply device 1 of this embodiment, the main body-side unit 12 fixedly supports the vehicle main body C11 side of the wire harness 11. On the other hand, the door-side unit 13 rotatably supports the sliding door DR1 side of the wire harness 11. The door-side unit 13 will be described in detail below.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the door side unit shown in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the door side unit shown in Figures 1 and 2. Note that Figure 2 shows the door side unit 13 in a state where the sliding door DR1 is in a fully closed position P11, and Figure 3 shows the door side unit 13 in a state where the sliding door DR1 is in a fully open position P12. Also, Figure 2 omits the illustration of the sliding door DR1, and Figure 3 omits the illustration of the sliding door DR1 and the wire harness 11.

The door side unit 13 is a member that rotatably supports the sliding door DR1 side of the wire harness 11, and includes a rotor 131 and a guide bearing 132.

The rotor 131 is a member that supports a portion of the wire harness 11 on the side of the sliding door DR1 so that it rotates in response to the opening and closing of the sliding door DR1. The rotor 131 is provided with a pair of rotation shafts 131a, 131b that serve as the rotation center. The pair of rotation shafts 131a, 131b are parallel axes that intersect with the longitudinal direction D12 of the wire harness 11 and extend along the sliding door DR1.

The first rotating shaft 131a of the pair of rotating shafts 131a, 131b serves as a rotation center when the rotor 131, i.e., the sliding door DR1 side of the wire harness 11, is rotated in an inverted manner. The second rotating shaft 131b serves as a rotation center when the rotor 131, i.e., the sliding door DR1 side of the wire harness 11, is tilted toward the vehicle body C11 in the initial stage of opening the sliding door DR1. The first rotating shaft 131a is provided at the opposite end 131c of the rotor 131 relative to the extending side of the wire harness 11. The second rotating shaft 131b is provided on the outer peripheral surface 131d of the rotor 131, which is located closer to the extending side of the wire harness 11 than the first rotating shaft 131a and faces the sliding door DR1 when fully closed.

In this embodiment, the rotor 131 is formed in a rectangular tube shape with a closed end 131c opposite the extension side of the wire harness 11, and is configured to hold the end 112a of the exterior member 112 of the wire harness 11 on the side of the sliding door DR1 at the open side. As shown in FIG. 2, the electric wire 111 that comes out of the end 112a of the exterior member 112 and is routed to the side of the sliding door DR1 is passed inside the rectangular tube-shaped rotor 131. The first rotating shaft 131a is formed in a cylindrical shape and also serves as a wiring passage through which the electric wire 111 passes inside, and the second rotating shaft 131b is formed in a rod shape that extends parallel to the central axis of the first rotating shaft 131a.

As shown in FIG. 3, the rotor 131 has a first cover part 131e and a second cover part 131f, which are assembled together. The first cover part 131e is a groove-shaped member that houses the end 112a of the exterior member 112, which is part of the wire harness 11, and the electric wires 111 that extend beyond the end 112a. The second cover part 131f is a lid-shaped member that covers the groove opening 131e-4 in the groove-shaped first cover part 131e.

The first cover part 131e has a bottom wall 131e-1 and a side wall 131e-2 erected on three sides of the bottom wall 131e-1 excluding the side from which the wire harness 11 extends. The second cover part 131f has a ceiling wall 131f-1 that closes the groove opening 131e-4 of the first cover part 131e and a side wall 131f-2 hanging down from three sides of the ceiling wall 131f-1 excluding the side from which the wire harness 11 extends. The second cover part 131f is placed over the first cover part 131e so that its side wall 131e-2 fits inside the side wall 131f-2 of the first cover part 131e. The three locking claws 131f-3 on the side wall 131f-2 of the second cover part 131f are engaged with the three locking holes 131e-3 on the side wall 131e-2 of the first cover part 131e, thereby forming a rectangular cylindrical rotor 131.

The first rotating shaft 131a has a pair of shaft portions 131a-1, 131a-2 that protrude coaxially in opposite directions from the first cover portion 131e and the second cover portion 131f, respectively. Of this pair of shaft portions 131a-1, 131a-2, the ceiling-side shaft portion 131a-1 provided on the second cover portion 131f is formed in a cylindrical shape and serves as a wiring passage for the electric wire 111. The bottom-side shaft portion 131a-2 provided on the first cover portion 131e is blocked by a cross-shaped rib 131a-3.

On the other hand, the second pivot shaft 131b is a single shaft formed on the side wall 131e-2 of the first cover part 131e, which is one of the first cover part 131e and the second cover part 131f.

The guide bearing 132, which rotatably supports the rotor 131 having such a structure, is fixed to the sliding door DR1 and rotatably supports each of the pair of rotation shafts 131a and 131b, thereby supporting the rotor 131. The guide bearing 132 positions the pair of rotation shafts 131a and 131b so that the rotor 131 is aligned with the sliding door DR1 when the sliding door DR1 is fully closed. Note that the "alignment with the sliding door DR1" mentioned here is not limited to an orientation in which the angle between the rotor 131 and the sliding door DR1 is 0°, but also includes an orientation in which the rotor 131 is slightly tilted, for example, at an angle of less than 10°, relative to the sliding door DR1. When the sliding door DR1 is opened, the guide bearing 132 first moves the first rotation shaft 131a around the second rotation shaft 131b to tilt the rotor 131 toward the vehicle body C11. Thereafter, the guide bearings 132 guide the pair of rotating shafts 131a and 131b so that the rotor 131 rotates around the first rotating shaft 131a to which the rotor 131 has been moved. The guidance of the pair of rotating shafts 131a and 131b by the guide bearings 132 when the sliding door DR1 is opened will be described again with reference to another drawing.

The guide bearing 132 has a first slit 132a that rotatably supports and guides the first rotating shaft 131a, and a second slit 132b that rotatably supports and guides the second rotating shaft 131b.

A pair of first slits 132a are provided so that a pair of ends of the first rotating shaft 131a are fitted into them. Each first slit 132a guides the first rotating shaft 131a to move in an arc-shaped first rotating direction D13 centered on the second rotating shaft 131b when the rotor 131 is aligned with the sliding door DR1. This guidance causes each first slit 132a to tilt the rotor 131 toward the vehicle body C11. Each first slit 132a extends in a short arc from the center of the shaft support plate portion 132d (described later) of the guide bearing 132 to a position closer to the sliding door DR1.

A pair of second slits 132b are provided so that a pair of ends of the second rotating shaft 131b are fitted into them. Each second slit 132b moves the second rotating shaft 131b in an arc-shaped second rotating direction D14 centered on the first rotating shaft 131a to which the second rotating shaft 131b has moved to the end of the first slit 132a in the first rotating direction D13. This guide causes each second slit 132b to rotate the rotor 131 in the second rotating direction D14. Each second slit 132b extends from a position on the shaft support plate portion 132d described below that is closer to the sliding door DR1 on the extension side of the wire harness 11 than the first slit 132a. That is, each second slit 132b extends from the above position in an oval arc so as to move away from the sliding door DR1 and then draw an arc to approach the sliding door DR1.

The guide bearing 132 includes a fixed plate portion 132c and a pair of pivot support plate portions 132d, and is a C-shaped member when viewed from the side in the direction of the arrow D15 along the sliding door DR1. The fixed plate portion 132c faces the sliding door DR1 and is fixed to the sliding door DR1. The pivot support plate portions 132d extend from the fixed plate portion 132c toward the vehicle body C11, facing each other with a space between them for arranging the rotor 131. Each pivot support plate portion 132d is provided with a first slit 132a and a second slit 132b as a pivot support structure for each of the pair of rotating shafts 131a, 131b. Furthermore, of the pair of pivot support plate portions 132d, the upper pivot support plate portion 132d in the figure that pivotally supports the ceiling-side shaft portion 131a-1, which is cylindrical and serves as a routing passage for the electric wire 111, is provided with a guide wall 132e that guides the electric wire 111 that exits the ceiling-side shaft portion 131a-1. This guide wall 132e is a square groove-shaped wall portion that communicates with the end of the first slit 132a in the first rotation direction D13 and extends upward in the figure.

Next, we will explain the guidance of the pair of pivot shafts 131a, 131b and the rotation of the rotor 131 caused by this guidance when the sliding door DR1 is opened by the guide bearing 132 in the door-side unit 13 of the power supply device 1 of this embodiment.

Figure 4 shows the door side unit when the sliding door is in the fully closed position shown in Figure 1, and Figure 5 shows the door side unit in the initial stage when the sliding door is opened. Also, Figure 6 shows the door side unit when the sliding door is fully open, having reached the fully open position shown in Figure 1.

4, in the door-side unit 13 when the sliding door DR1 is in the fully closed position P11, the first rotating shaft 131a in the rotor 131 abuts against the end of the shaft support plate portion 132d of the first slit 132a in the guide bearing 132 near the center. The second rotating shaft 131b abuts against the end of the second slit 132b near the sliding door DR1 on the extension side of the electric wire 111. Such positioning of the first rotating shaft 131a and the second rotating shaft 131b is achieved by the door-side unit 13 supporting the wire harness 11 being pulled forward of the automobile C1 by the sliding door DR1 that is closed to the fully closed position P11. When fully closed, the rotor 131 is aligned along the sliding door DR1 due to the above-described positioning of the first rotating shaft 131a and the second rotating shaft 131b, and as a result, the wire harness 11 also extends forward in a straight line along the sliding door DR1.

Next, in the initial stage of opening the sliding door DR1, as shown in Fig. 5, the first rotating shaft 131a is guided by the first slit 132a and rotates in the first rotation direction D13 around the second rotating shaft 131b abutting the end of the second slit 132b. This rotation continues until the first rotating shaft 131a abuts the end of the first slit 132a closer to the sliding door DR1. This rotation tilts the rotor 131 in the direction of arrow D16 toward the vehicle body C11, and as a result, the portion of the wire harness 11 closer to the sliding door DR1 is also tilted toward the vehicle body C11 as shown in Fig. 1. By tilting the portion of the wire harness 11 closest to the sliding door DR1 in this manner, the wire harness 11 rotates backwards and forwards as the sliding door DR1 moves, as shown in FIG. 1, and smoothly bends into a U-shape that protrudes forward.

When the sliding door DR1 is opened after the initial stage shown in FIG. 5, as shown in FIG. 6, the rotor 131 rotates in the direction of the arrow D17 around the first rotating shaft 131a that abuts against the end of the first slit 132a. The second slit 132b is provided in an arc shape along the rotation path of the rotor 131 so as to stabilize the movement of the rotor 131 without interfering with it. As a result, the rotor 131 rotates in a stable path following the movement of the sliding door DR1. In addition, the second slit 132b is formed longer than the orbit length of the rotor 131 until the sliding door DR1 reaches the fully open position P12. Therefore, even if the sliding door DR1 reaches the fully open position P12, as shown in FIG. 6, the second rotating shaft 131b does not abut against the end of the second slit 132b, and a gap is left between them.

When the sliding door DR1 is closed from the fully open position P12 to the fully closed position P11, the wire harness 11 bends in a U-shape along the way and rotates in the opposite direction in the door-side unit 13, reaching the fully closed state shown in Figure 1.

According to the power supply device 1 of the first embodiment described above, when the sliding door DR1 is fully closed, the rotor 131 supporting a part of the wire harness 11 on the side of the sliding door DR1 assumes a posture along the sliding door DR1. Then, in the initial stage when the sliding door DR1 is opened, the rotor 131 is tilted toward the vehicle body C11. That is, tilting the rotor 131 in the initial stage ensures that the wire harness 11 will bend smoothly thereafter. Before further explaining the effects obtained by the power supply device 1 of this embodiment, a comparative example to the power supply device 1 will be described.

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing a power supply device of a comparative example to the power supply devices shown in Figures 1 to 6, and Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the door-side unit in the power supply device of the comparative example shown in Figure 7. The left-right direction in Figures 7 and 8 corresponds to the fore-and-aft direction D51 of the automobile C5, the right side in the figure corresponds to the front, and the left side in the figure corresponds to the rear.

The power supply device 5 of the comparative example also includes a wire harness 51, a main body side unit 52, and a door side unit 53, similar to the first embodiment described above. The wire harness 51 is routed from the vehicle body C51 of the automobile C5 to the sliding door DR5. The wire harness 51 includes electric wires 511 and an exterior member 512. The wire harness 51 is supported on the vehicle body C51 side by the main body side unit 52, and on the sliding door DR5 side by the door side unit 53, thereby forming the power supply device 5.

Here, in this comparative example, as shown in FIG. 8, the rotor 531 in the door-side unit 53 is provided with only one pivot shaft 531a, and the rotor 531 is rotatably supported by the bearing 532 via this pivot shaft 531a. The rotor 531 is supported by this bearing 532 so that it is tilted at a predetermined tilt angle θ5 toward the vehicle body C51 with respect to the sliding door DR5 when fully closed. As a result, when the sliding door DR5 is opened, the rotor 531 smoothly rotates in the opposite direction following the movement of the sliding door DR5, and as shown in FIG. 7, the wire harness 51 is bent into a convex U-shape toward the front side of the automobile C5.

When the door is fully closed, the wire harness 51 of the power supply device 5 is stored as follows on the side of the sliding door DR1 so as to be as invisible as possible to passengers.

Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing how the wire harness of the power supply device is stored in the sliding door when it is fully closed. This Figure 9 shows a schematic plan view of the power supply device 5 and the sliding door DR5 when it is fully closed, as seen from inside the vehicle cabin, and a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line V51-V51 in the plan view.

As shown in Fig. 9, a storage groove DR51 is provided on the passenger compartment side of the sliding door DR5 to house inside the wire harness 51, which extends in a substantially straight line in the fore-and-aft direction D51 of the vehicle C5 when fully closed. The wire harness 51 extends from the door side unit 53 fixed to the sliding door DR5 to the body side unit 52 fixed to the vehicle body C51 while being housed inside the storage groove DR51, and is hidden from the eyes of the passengers.

As described above, in the door-side unit 53 of this comparative example, when the sliding door DR5 is fully closed, the side of the wire harness 51 facing the sliding door DR5 is supported at an angle toward the vehicle body C51 so that the wire harness 51 bends smoothly when the sliding door DR5 is opened.

Figure 10 shows how the wire harness of the power supply device of the comparative example shown in Figures 7 to 9 is supported on the side of the sliding door, tilted toward the vehicle body when the door is fully closed.

As shown in FIG. 10, the wire harness 51 of the power supply device 5, which is supported by the door-side unit 53 at an angle toward the vehicle body C51 on the side of the sliding door DR5, assumes the following posture inside the storage groove DR51 of the sliding door DR5. That is, the wire harness 51 curves slightly toward the vehicle body C51 in the vicinity of the door-side unit 53 so as to be convex in the direction of arrow D52, and then heads toward the body-side unit 52. In this state, when the door is fully closed, the wire harness 51 is positioned toward the passenger compartment, making it easy for the passengers to notice it. This state is not desirable in terms of the appearance of the vehicle interior.

In contrast to the comparative power supply device 5 described above with reference to Figures 7 to 10, in the power supply device 1 of the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 8, when the sliding door DR1 is fully closed, the rotor 131 is supported in the door-side unit 13 in a position aligned with the sliding door DR1. That is, in the power supply device 1 of this embodiment, when the door is fully closed, the wire harness 11 is in the following position.

Figure 11 shows how the wire harness of the power supply device of the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 8 is supported on the side of the sliding door when it is fully closed.

As shown in FIG. 11, when the door-side unit 13 is fully closed, the rotor 131 of the door-side unit 13 is aligned with the sliding door DR1, so that the wire harness 11 inside the storage groove DR11 extends in a substantially straight line in the front-rear direction D12 to reach the body-side unit 12. The wire harness 11 in this position is separated from the vehicle body C11 in a position aligned with the sliding door DR1 inside the storage groove DR11, so that it is less likely to catch the eye of the passengers. Then, when the sliding door DR1 is opened, as described above, the rotor 131 is tilted toward the vehicle body C11 at the initial stage, so that the wire harness 11 is guaranteed to bend smoothly thereafter. In this way, according to the power supply device 1 of this embodiment, the wire harness 11 can be smoothly bent when the sliding door DR1 is opened, and the wire harness 11 can be made less likely to catch the eye of the passengers when the sliding door DR1 is fully closed.

In this embodiment, the guide bearing 132 is provided with a first slit 132a that moves the first rotating shaft 131a to tilt the rotor 131, and a second slit 132b that moves the second rotating shaft 131b to rotate the rotor 131. With this configuration, the rotor 131 having a pair of rotating shafts 131a, 131b can be smoothly tilted in the initial stage when the sliding door DR1 is opened and rotated thereafter through the guidance of the first slit 132a and the second slit 132b.

In this embodiment, the first pivot shaft 131a is provided at the opposite end 131c of the rotor 131 relative to the extension side of the wire harness 11. The second pivot shaft 131b is provided on the outer peripheral surface 131d, which is closer to the extension side of the wire harness 11 than the first pivot shaft 131a and faces the sliding door DR1 when fully closed. With this configuration, the first pivot shaft 131a can be moved smoothly so as to tilt the rotor 131 toward the vehicle body C11 by centering the second pivot shaft 131b, which is closer to the extension side of the wire harness 11 and closer to the sliding door DR1 than the first pivot shaft 131a.

In addition, in this embodiment, the rotor 131 is formed in a cylindrical shape that holds the end of the exterior member 112 of the wire harness 11 and the electric wire 111 passes inside, the first rotating shaft 131a is formed in a cylindrical shape and the electric wire 111 passes inside, and the second rotating shaft 131b is formed in a rod shape. With this configuration, by passing the electric wire 111 of the wire harness 11 through the inside of the cylindrical rotor 131 and the inside of the cylindrical first rotating shaft 131a, the wire harness 11 can be arranged well while miniaturizing the door-side unit 13.

In this embodiment, the rotor 131 has a groove-shaped first cover portion 131e and a lid-shaped second cover portion 131f. The first rotating shaft 131a has a pair of shaft portions 131a-1 and 131a-2 that protrude coaxially in opposite directions from the first cover portion 131e and the second cover portion 131f, respectively. The second rotating shaft 131b is a single shaft formed on the side wall 131e-2 of the first cover portion 131e.

With this configuration, the rotor 131 has a groove-shaped first cover portion 131e and a lid-shaped second cover portion 131f, so that the rotor 131 can support the wire harness 11 with good workability when assembling the door-side unit 13. The first pivot shaft 131a can have a pair of shaft portions 131a-1, 131a-2 protruding from the first cover portion 131e and the second cover portion 131f, respectively, formed into a cylindrical shape as part of the wiring path of the wire harness 11, for example. Furthermore, since the second pivot shaft 131b is a single shaft, the central axis can be stabilized when tilting the rotor 131 in the initial stage of opening the sliding door DR1.

In addition, in this embodiment, the guide bearing 132 includes a fixed plate portion 132c and a pair of pivot plate portions 132d, and has a C-shape in side view. This configuration allows the guide bearing 132 to be compactly assembled to provide both good fixation to the sliding door DR1 and good pivot support for each of the pair of rotating shafts 131a, 131b of the rotor 131.

Next, the second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in the configuration of the door side unit, and the following description of the second embodiment will focus on the door side unit, which is the difference from the first embodiment.

Figure 12 is a schematic diagram showing the door-side unit of the power supply device of the second embodiment.

In this Figure 12, similar to Figure 2 which shows the door-side unit 13 in the first embodiment, the door-side unit 23 in the power supply device 2 is shown in a state in which the sliding door is in a fully closed position. In Figure 12, the sliding door is not shown.

The door-side unit 23 shown in FIG. 12 is a member that rotatably supports the sliding door side of the wire harness 21, and includes a rotor 231 and a guide bearing 232.

The rotor 231 is a member that supports a portion of the wire harness 21 on the sliding door side, and is provided with a pair of pivot shafts 231a, 231b, as in the first embodiment.

The first pivot shaft 231a is the pivot center when the sliding door side of the wire harness 21 is rotated in the reverse direction, and the second pivot shaft 231b is the pivot center when the sliding door side of the wire harness 21 is tilted toward the vehicle body in the initial stage.

The rotor 231 is configured to hold the end 212a of the exterior member 212 of the wire harness 21 on the side facing the sliding door at the opening side. The first rotating shaft 231a also serves as a wiring passage through which the electric wire 211 passes inside, and the second rotating shaft 231b is formed in a rod shape that extends parallel to the central axis of the first rotating shaft 231a.

In this embodiment, due to the compact structure of the guide bearing 232 described below, the first rotating shaft 231a and the second rotating shaft 231b are arranged closer to each other than the first rotating shaft 131a and the second rotating shaft 131b in the first embodiment.

The guide bearing 232, which rotatably supports the rotor 231 having such a structure, is fixed to the sliding door and rotatably supports the pair of rotating shafts 231a and 231b, thereby supporting the rotor 231. When the sliding door is opened, the guide bearing 232 first moves the first rotating shaft 231a around the second rotating shaft 231b, tilting the rotor 231 toward the vehicle body. After that, the guide bearing 232 guides the pair of rotating shafts 231a and 231b so that the rotor 231 rotates around the first rotating shaft 231a to which it has been moved. The guidance of the pair of rotating shafts 231a and 231b by the guide bearing 232 when the sliding door is opened will be described again using another drawing.

In this embodiment, the guide bearing 232 is provided with a guide hole 232a that supports and guides the first rotating shaft 231a and the second rotating shaft 231b. This guide hole 232a is a hole that integrally connects a first guide hole portion 232a-1 that supports and guides the first rotating shaft 231a and a second guide hole portion 232a-2 that supports and guides the second rotating shaft 231b.

The end of the first rotating shaft 231a is fitted into the first guide hole portion 232a-1. When the rotor 231 is aligned with the sliding door, the second rotating shaft 231b is positioned at the left end of the second guide hole portion 232a-2 in the figure, and the second guide hole portion 232a-2 is positioned at the left end of the figure. The first rotating shaft 231a moves in a short arc along the first guide hole portion 232a-1, which is an arc-shaped hole, as shown by the arrow in the first rotating direction D21, causing the rotor 231 to tilt toward the vehicle body.

The second guide hole portion 232a-2 is an arc-shaped hole centered on one end side where the first rotating shaft 231a to which the rotor 231 moves is located when the rotor 231 is tilted in the first guide hole portion 232a-1. This second guide hole portion 232a-2 is centered on the one end side of the first guide hole portion 232a-1 and extends in a thin, long arc shape, intersecting with the first guide hole portion 232a-1 so as to pass through the other end side. The second guide hole portion 232a-2 is integrally connected to the first guide hole portion 232a-1 at this other end side of the first guide hole portion 232a-1, forming a guide hole 232a shaped like a short arrow. The end of the second rotating shaft 2311b is fitted into the second guide hole portion 232a-2, which is an arc-shaped hole. Then, the second rotating shaft 231b moves in a long arc along the second guide hole portion 232a-2 as indicated by the arrow in the second rotating direction D22, causing the rotor 231 to rotate in the same direction.

As in the first embodiment described above, the guide bearing 232 is provided with a fixed plate portion 232c for the sliding door and a pair of pivot plate portions 232d, and is a C-shaped member when viewed from the side in the direction of the arrow D23 along the sliding door. The guide holes 232a, which are integrally connected with the first guide hole portion 232a-1 and the second guide hole portion 232a-2 described above, are provided in each of the pair of pivot plate portions 232d so as to face each other. The rotor 231 is disposed between the pair of pivot plate portions 232d, and each end of the pair of rotating shafts 231a, 231b provided on the rotor 231 is fitted into the guide holes 232a.

Next, we will explain how the pair of pivot shafts 231a, 231b are guided by the guide bearing 232 when the sliding door is opened in the door-side unit 23 of the power supply device 2 of this embodiment, and how the rotor 231 rotates due to this guidance.

Figure 13 shows the door side unit when the sliding door is in the fully closed position, and Figure 14 shows the door side unit in the initial stage when the sliding door is opened. Also, Figure 15 shows the door side unit when the sliding door is fully open and has reached the fully open position.

First, as shown in FIG. 13, when the sliding door DR2 is in the fully closed position P21, the first rotating shaft 231a of the rotor 231 is in the following state in the door-side unit 23. That is, the first rotating shaft 231a in the fully closed position P21 is positioned so as to abut the end of the first guide hole portion 232a-1 of the guide hole 232a of the guide bearing 232 on the intersecting side with the second guide hole portion 232a-2. On the other hand, the second rotating shaft 231b is positioned so as to abut the end of the second guide hole portion 232a-2 on the upper side in the figure, closer to the sliding door DR2. Such positioning of the first rotating shaft 231a and the second rotating shaft 231b is performed by the door-side unit 23 supporting the wire harness 21 being pulled forward of the automobile C2 by the sliding door DR2 closed to the fully closed position P21. When fully closed, the rotor 231 is aligned along the sliding door DR2 due to the above-described positioning of the first rotating shaft 231a and the second rotating shaft 231b, and as a result, the wire harness 21 also extends forward in a straight line along the sliding door DR2.

Next, in the initial stage of opening the sliding door DR2, the first pivot shaft 231a rotates as shown in FIG. 14. That is, the first pivot shaft 231a rotates in the first pivot direction D21 around the second pivot shaft 231b, which is in contact with the end of the second guide hole portion 232a-2, while being guided by the first guide hole portion 232a-1. This rotation continues until the first pivot shaft 231a abuts against the end of the first guide hole portion 232a-1 closer to the sliding door DR2. This rotation tilts the rotor 231 in the direction of arrow D24 toward the vehicle body, and as a result, the portion of the wire harness 21 closer to the sliding door DR2 is also tilted toward the vehicle body. By tilting the portion of the wire harness 21 closest to the sliding door DR2 in this way, the wire harness 21 rotates forward in reverse following the subsequent movement of the sliding door DR2, and smoothly bends into a U-shape that protrudes forward.

When the sliding door DR2 is opened after the initial stage shown in Figure 14, the second pivot shaft 231b pivots as shown in Figure 15. That is, the second pivot shaft 231b pivots in the second pivot direction D22 around the first pivot shaft 231a that abuts against the end of the first guide hole portion 232a-1 in the guide bearing 232, guided by the second guide hole portion 232a-2. This pivoting causes the rotor 231 to pivot in the reverse direction shown by the arrow D25. The second guide hole portion 232a-2 is provided in an arc shape along the pivot path of the rotor 231 so as to stabilize the movement of the rotor 231 without interfering with it. This allows the rotor 231 to pivot in a stable path following the movement of the sliding door DR2. The rotation of the second pivot shaft 231b guided by the second guide hole portion 232a-2 continues until the sliding door DR2 reaches the fully open position P22. In this embodiment, the second guide hole portion 232a-2 is formed to a length that allows the second pivot shaft 231b to be located at the end when the sliding door DR2 reaches the fully open position P22. Unlike this embodiment, this second guide hole portion may be formed to a length that is longer than the length at which the second pivot shaft 231b is located at the end when the sliding door DR2 reaches the fully open position P22, and such that the second pivot shaft 231b is located midway along the arc at the fully open position P22.

When the sliding door DR2 is closed from the fully open position P22 to the fully closed position P21, the wire harness 21 bends in a U-shape along the way and rotates in the opposite direction in the door-side unit 23 to reach the fully closed state.

It goes without saying that the power supply device 2 of the second embodiment described above provides the same effects as the power supply device 1 of the first embodiment described above. That is, the power supply device 2 of this embodiment also allows the wire harness 21 to be smoothly bent when the sliding door DR2 is opened, and makes it difficult for the passengers to see the wire harness 21 when the sliding door DR2 is fully closed.

In this embodiment, the guide bearing 232 is provided with a guide hole 232 in which a first guide hole portion 232a-1 that guides the first rotating shaft 231a and a second guide hole portion 232a-2 that guides the second rotating shaft 231b are integrally connected. With this configuration, the guide portions of the first rotating shaft 231a and the second rotating shaft 231b in the guide bearing 232 are more compact than when the first guide hole portion 232a-1 and the second guide hole portion 232a-2 are separate. By consolidating the guide portions in this way, the guide bearing 232 can be made smaller, and the space required to accommodate the harness end portion including the guide bearing 232 in the sliding door DR2 can be reduced.

In addition, in this embodiment, the first rotating shaft 231a is formed as a shaft thicker than the second rotating shaft 231b. As shown in FIG. 12, the hole width W21 in the width direction intersecting with the second rotation direction D22, which is the movement direction of the second rotating shaft 231b, in the second guide hole portion 232a-2 is shorter than the thickness dimension of the first rotating shaft 231a. With this configuration, it is possible to effectively prevent the first rotating shaft 231a from moving from the first guide hole portion 232a-1 to the second guide hole portion 232a-2 when the second rotating shaft 231b moves around the first rotating shaft 231a.

Note that the first and second embodiments described above are merely representative forms of the power supply device, and the power supply device is not limited to these and can be implemented in various modifications.

For example, in the first and second embodiments described above, power supply devices 1 and 2 are exemplified as an example of a power supply device, which include a main body unit 12 that fixedly supports the vehicle main body C11 side of the wire harness 11 and 21. However, the power supply device is not limited to this, and the main body unit may also be provided with a rotor that has a rotating shaft and supports the wire harness, so that the wire harness also rotates on the main body unit side in response to the opening and closing of the sliding door.

In the first embodiment described above, a guide bearing 132 having a first slit 132a for moving the first rotating shaft 131a and a second slit 132b for moving the second rotating shaft 131b is exemplified as an example of a guide bearing. In the second embodiment described above, a guide bearing 232 having a guide hole 232a in which a first guide hole portion 232a-1 for the first rotating shaft 231a and a second guide hole portion 232a-2 for the second rotating shaft 131b are integrated is exemplified. However, the structure for guiding the first and second rotating shafts in the guide bearing is not limited to the above structure using slits and guide holes, and may be, for example, a structure that uses grooves, rails, etc. to guide the rotating shafts. However, as described above in the first embodiment, by providing the first slit 132a and the second slit 132b in the guide bearing 132, both the tilt of the rotor 131 at the initial stage when the sliding door DR1 is opened and the subsequent rotation can be smoothly performed. Also, as described above in the second embodiment, by providing the guide hole 232a in which the first guide hole portion 232a-1 and the second guide hole portion 232a-2 are integrated, the accommodation space of the harness end portion in the sliding door DR2 can be reduced. In addition, in the first embodiment described above, the first slit 132a and the second slit 132b in the arc shape are exemplified as examples of the first slit and the second slit. Also, in the second embodiment described above, the first guide hole portion 232a-1 and the second guide hole portion 232a-2 in the arc shape are exemplified as examples of the first guide hole portion and the second guide hole portion. However, the first and second slits and the first and second guide hole portions are not limited to being arc-shaped as long as they move the first rotation shaft around the second rotation shaft and move the second rotation shaft around the first rotation shaft. For example, they may be linear slits or holes with a width that does not interfere with the arc-shaped movement around each rotation shaft.

In the first embodiment described above, the first rotating shaft 131a provided at the opposite end 131c of the wire harness 11 is exemplified as an example of the first rotating shaft in the rotor. Furthermore, the second rotating shaft 131b provided on the outer circumferential surface 131d facing the sliding door DR1 when fully closed, which is located on the extension side of the wire harness 11 from the first rotating shaft 131a, is exemplified as an example of the second rotating shaft in the rotor. However, the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft in the rotor are not limited to these. The first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are the first rotating shaft that is the center of the reverse rotation of the rotor when the sliding door is opened, and the second rotating shaft that is the center when the rotor is tilted in the initial stage, and the specific positional relationship, etc. can be set arbitrarily. However, by providing the first rotating shaft 131a and the second rotating shaft 131b in the rotor 131 in the above-mentioned positional relationship, the first rotating shaft 131a can be moved smoothly so as to tilt the rotor 131 toward the vehicle body C11, as described above in the first embodiment. Note that in the above-mentioned second embodiment, the positions at which the first rotating shaft 231a and the second rotating shaft 231b are formed in the rotor 231 are not described or illustrated. However, as with the first embodiment, the specific positional relationship, etc., of the first rotating shaft 231a and the second rotating shaft 231b in the rotor 231 in this second embodiment can be set arbitrarily.

In the first embodiment described above, the wire harness 11 having the electric wire 111 and the exterior member 112 is exemplified as an example of the wire harness in the power supply device. As an example of the power supply device, the power supply device 1 is exemplified in which the electric wire 111 is passed through the inside of the cylindrical rotor 131 and the inside of the cylindrical first rotating shaft 131a provided on the rotor 131, and the second rotating shaft 131b is formed in a rod shape. However, the power supply device is not limited to this, and the wire harness may be made of only electric wires without an exterior member, and the electric wire may not be passed through the inside of the rotor or the first rotating shaft, and the electric wire path may be provided separately. However, by using the above-mentioned wire harness 11 and making the inside of the rotor 131 and the first rotating shaft 131a the electric wire path, the wire harness 11 can be arranged well while reducing the size of the door side unit 13, as described above in the first embodiment.

In the first embodiment described above, the rotor 131 having the first cover portion 131e and the second cover portion 131f is exemplified as an example of the rotor. The first rotating shaft 131a having a pair of shaft portions 131a-1, 131a-2 protruding from each cover portion is exemplified as an example of the first rotating shaft. The second rotating shaft 131b, which is a single shaft formed on the side wall 131e-2 of the first cover portion 131e, is exemplified as an example of the second rotating shaft. However, the rotor, the first rotating shaft, and the second rotating shaft are not limited to these. The rotor may be an integrally molded cylindrical object, the first rotating shaft may be a single shaft, and the second rotating shaft may have a pair of shaft portions protruding from each of the two cover portions. However, as described above in the first embodiment, by using the rotor 131 having two cover portions, the rotor can support the wire harness with good workability. Also, as described above in the first embodiment, by using the first rotating shaft 131a having a pair of shaft portions 131a-1, 131a-2 protruding from each of the two cover portions, the first rotating shaft 131a can be used as part of the wiring path of the wire harness 11. And, by using the second rotating shaft 131b as a single shaft, the central axis when tilting the rotor 131 can be stabilized, as described above in the first embodiment.

In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the guide bearing 132, 232 is provided with a fixed plate portion 132c, 232c and a pair of support plate portions 132d, 232d, and has a C-shape in side view, as an example of a guide bearing. However, the guide bearing is not limited to this, and the specific shape, etc., can be set arbitrarily as long as it is capable of supporting/guiding two rotors. However, as described above, by using the above-mentioned C-shaped guide bearing 132, 232, it is possible to achieve both good fixation to the sliding door and good support of the rotor in a compact package.

In the second embodiment described above, in which a guide hole is provided in which the first guide hole portion and the second guide hole portion are integrally connected, the following form is exemplified as an example of the first rotating shaft and the second guide hole portion. That is, in the second embodiment, the first rotating shaft 231a that is thicker than the second rotating shaft 231b and the second guide hole portion 232a-2 whose hole width W21 is shorter than the thickness dimension of the first rotating shaft 231a are exemplified. However, even if a guide hole is provided in which the first guide hole portion and the second guide hole portion are integrally connected, the thickness of the first rotating shaft and the hole width of the second guide hole portion can be set arbitrarily. However, as described above, by adopting the first rotating shaft 231a and the second guide hole portion 232a-2 of the above dimensions, it is possible to effectively avoid a situation in which the first rotating shaft 231a moves to the second guide hole portion 232a-2 during operation as the center of rotation.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1, 2 Power supply device 11, 21 Wire harness 12 Body side unit 13, 23 Door side unit 111, 211 Electric wire 112, 212 Exterior member 112a, 212a End 131, 231 Rotor 131a, 231a First rotating shaft 131a-1 Ceiling side shaft portion 131a-2 Bottom side shaft portion 131b, 231b Second rotating shaft 131c Opposite end 131d Outer circumferential surface 131e First cover portion 131e-1 Bottom wall 131e-2, 131f-2 Side wall 131e-3 Locking hole 131e-4 Groove opening 131f Second cover portion 131f-1 Ceiling wall 131f-3 Locking claw 132, 232 Guide bearing 132a First slit 132b Second slit 132c, 232c Fixed plate portion 132d, 232d Axle support plate portion 132e Guide wall 232a Guide hole 232a-1 First guide hole portion 232a-2 Second guide hole portion C1, C2 Automobile C11 Vehicle body DR1, DR2 Sliding door P11, P21 Fully closed position P12, P22 Fully open position D11 Forward/backward direction D12 Longitudinal direction D13, D21 First rotation direction D14, D22 Second rotation direction D15, D16, D17 Arrow D111 Opening direction D112 Closing direction W21 Hole width

Claims (8)

A wire harness that is routed from a vehicle body to a sliding door of an automobile;
a main body side unit that supports the wire harness on the vehicle main body side;
a door-side unit that supports the wire harness on the side of the sliding door,
The door side unit is
a rotor having a pair of parallel rotation shafts that intersect with a longitudinal direction of the wire harness and extend along the sliding door, the rotor supporting a portion of the wire harness on the side of the sliding door;
and a guide bearing that guides each of the pair of rotating shafts so that the rotor is supported by being fixed to the sliding door and rotatably supporting each of the pair of rotating shafts, and that positions the pair of rotating shafts so that the rotor is aligned with the sliding door when the sliding door is fully closed, and that when the sliding door is opened, first, a first rotating shaft is moved around a second rotating shaft to tilt the rotor toward the vehicle body, and then the rotor rotates around the first rotating shaft to which it has been moved. The guide bearing includes:
a first slit into which an end of the first rotating shaft is fitted and which tilts the rotor toward the vehicle body by moving the first rotating shaft around the second rotating shaft when the rotor is aligned with the sliding door;
2. The power supply device according to claim 1, further comprising a second slit into which an end of the second rotating shaft is fitted to move the second rotating shaft around the first rotating shaft to rotate the rotor. The guide bearing includes:
a first guide hole portion into which an end portion of the first rotating shaft is inserted and which tilts the rotor toward the vehicle body by moving the first rotating shaft around the second rotating shaft when the rotor is in a position aligned with the sliding door;
a second guide hole portion that extends intersecting with the first guide hole portion and into which an end portion of the second rotating shaft is fitted to move the second rotating shaft around the first rotating shaft as a moving destination, thereby rotating the rotor;
2. The power supply device according to claim 1, further comprising a guide hole in which the electrodes are integrally connected to each other. The first rotating shaft is thicker than the second rotating shaft,
4. The power supply device according to claim 3, wherein a hole width in a width direction intersecting a moving direction of the second rotating shaft at the second guide hole portion is smaller than a thickness dimension of the first rotating shaft. The first rotation shaft is provided at an end of the rotor opposite to an extending side of the wire harness,
The power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the second rotating shaft is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rotor, on the extension side of the wire harness relative to the first rotating shaft, and facing the sliding door when fully closed. The wire harness has an electric wire and a cylindrical exterior member through which the electric wire passes,
The rotor is formed in a cylindrical shape that holds the end portion of the exterior member on the side of the sliding door, and the electric wire that comes out from the end portion and is arranged toward the side of the sliding door is passed through the inside,
The first rotating shaft is formed in a cylindrical shape and the electric wire is passed through the inside thereof,
6. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein the second rotation shaft is formed in a rod shape. the rotor has a groove-shaped first cover portion that accommodates a part of the wire harness therein, and a lid-shaped second cover portion that covers an opening of the groove in the first cover portion,
the first rotating shaft has a pair of shaft portions that protrude coaxially from the first cover portion and the second cover portion in opposite directions to each other,
The power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the second rotation shaft is a single shaft formed on a side wall of one of the first cover part and the second cover part. The power supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the guide bearing comprises a fixed plate portion that extends facing the sliding door and is fixed to the sliding door, and a pair of axle support plate portions that extend from the fixed plate portion toward the vehicle body while facing each other, and each of which is provided with a support structure for each of the pair of rotating shafts, and has a C-shape when viewed from the side along the sliding door.

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