JP7385982B1 - power supply rail - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a power supply rail that can stably operate a flexible flat cable without damaging it and can prevent abnormal noise from occurring due to vibration of a vehicle body. A power supply rail 1 of the present invention includes a long cylindrical case 8, a flexible flat cable 11 housed inside the case 8, a fixed terminal 12 fixed to the case 8, and a longitudinal direction of the case 8. a movable terminal 13 that is movable; an actuator 16 that fixes the movable terminal 13 and moves along the case 8; and a guide rail 17 that presses down the flexible flat cable 11 and guides the movement of the actuator 16. and a guide rail guide 24 integrated with the guide rail 17 so as to support the guide rail 17 and maintain a distance from the case 8. [Selection diagram] Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a power supply rail for supplying power to a sliding seat mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile.

Conventionally, as this type of device, a power supply rail, which was previously filed by the present applicant, is known (see Patent Document 1 below).

This power supply rail accommodates a flexible flat cable housed in the case, a fixed terminal fixed to the case, a movable terminal that moves in the longitudinal direction of the case, and a movable terminal that moves along the slit in the case. It is comprised of an actuator and a guide plate that guides the movement of the actuator while holding down the flexible flat cable in response to the movement of the actuator. Further, the fixed terminal is connected to the wiring of the power supply circuit of the vehicle, and the movable terminal is connected to the wiring on the sliding seat side. As a result, the flexible flat cable expands and contracts as the sliding seat moves forward and backward, and power is supplied from the power supply circuit of the vehicle to the sliding seat via the flexible flat cable.

JP2020-032862A

According to the conventional power supply rail as described above, the guide plate is long, and if it is not supported, the guide plate may fall and tilt due to its own weight, and a stable force cannot be applied to the flexible flat cable. , there was a problem that malfunctions occurred. Additionally, since the guide plate is made of metal, it may rub and damage the flexible flat cable when it slides, potentially causing a short circuit. Furthermore, when the vehicle body vibrates while the vehicle is running, the guide plate moves and collides with the case, causing abnormal noise.

Therefore, the present invention was made to solve these problems, and its purpose is to be able to operate the flexible flat cable stably without damaging it, and to reduce noise caused by vibrations of the vehicle body. The object of the present invention is to provide a power supply rail that can prevent the occurrence of

In order to achieve the above object, the power supply rail according to the present invention includes a long cylindrical case, a flexible flat cable housed inside the case, and a flexible flat cable provided at one end of the flexible flat cable and fixed to the case. a movable terminal provided at the other end of the flexible flat cable and movable in the longitudinal direction of the case; an actuator that fixes the movable terminal and moves along the case; a guide rail that is housed in the actuator and guides the movement of the flexible flat cable while holding down the flexible flat cable in response to the movement of the actuator; and a guide rail guide integrated with the guide rail so as to maintain a distance between the guide rail and the guide rail.

According to the present invention, since the guide rail guide supports the guide rail, the guide rail does not fall due to its own weight, and a stable force can be applied to the flexible flat cable to allow it to operate normally. Furthermore, since the distance between the guide rail and the case is maintained constant, the guide rail does not damage the flexible flat cable during operation, and failure of the flexible flat cable can be prevented. Furthermore, even if the vehicle body vibrates while the vehicle is running, the guide rail will not rattle, so collision with the case can be avoided and abnormal noises can be prevented.

A front view showing the structure around the slide seat of a vehicle equipped with the power supply rail of the present invention. A side view showing the structure around the sliding seat of a vehicle equipped with the power supply rail of the present invention. A perspective view showing the external structure of the power supply rail of the present invention A vertical cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the power supply rail of the present invention An enlarged cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the power supply rail of the present invention Detailed diagram of the flexible flat cable constituting the power supply rail of the present invention An enlarged perspective view of a guide rail and a guide rail guide that constitute the power supply rail of the present invention A vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the actuator is at the rear position in the power supply rail of the present invention A longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which the actuator is in the forward position in the power supply rail of the present invention

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the power supply rail 1 of this embodiment is for supplying electric power from a power source of the vehicle to a slide seat 2 mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile. The power supply rail 1 is attached to and integrated with the side surface of the side rail 3 so that power can be continuously supplied when the slide seat 2 moves back and forth along the side rail 3. Note that the present invention is applicable regardless of whether the slide sheet 2 is an electric type or a non-electric type (manual type).

As shown in FIG. 2, a rail cover 4 made of resin is placed over the power supply rail 1 to protect it from foreign matter such as dust and sand inside the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 3, the power supply rail 1 of this embodiment is housed in an aluminum formwork 5 designed to match the moving distance of the long slide type slide seat 2, and the entire power supply rail 1 is formed into a long shape. has been done. Furthermore, a front cap 6 and a rear cap 7 are fitted and fixed to the front and rear ends of the formwork 5 to prevent the internal parts of the power supply rail 1 from popping out. Further, a mounting piece (not shown) is provided on the side surface of the formwork 5, and the power supply rail 1 can be attached to the side surface of the side rail 3 by fixing the mounting piece with screws.

As shown in FIG. 4, the case 8 is made of metal such as aluminum and is formed into an elongated rectangular tube shape so that it can be accommodated within the mold 5. As shown in FIG. A cavity 9 extending in the longitudinal direction is provided inside the case 8, and a movable mechanism 10 described below reciprocates along the longitudinal direction within this cavity 9.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the movable mechanism 10 includes a flexible flat cable 11, a fixed terminal 12, a movable terminal 13, bus bars 14, 15, an actuator 16, and a guide rail 17. It is configured.

As shown in FIG. 6(A), the flexible flat cable 11 consists of a thin plate 18 made of a conductor (copper plate in this embodiment) and a long cable whose outer surface is covered with a heat-resistant insulating tape 19 (polyimide tape in this embodiment). It is formed into a flat shape and is housed in a cavity 9 within the case 8. In this embodiment, three flexible flat cables 11 are stacked one on top of the other, in order to increase the electric capacity so that the thin plate 18 does not melt due to heat when a large current flows through the flexible flat cable 11. This flexible flat cable 11 may be constructed of a larger number of cables as long as it can be bent and deformed, or may be composed of only one cable as long as sufficient electrical capacity can be secured. In addition, in order to alleviate the heat caused by the large current, a flexible flat cable 11 may be used in which thin plates 18 are stacked on top of each other, as shown in FIG. 6(B).

At one end of the flexible flat cable 11, a fixed terminal 12 made of a conductor is integrally provided on each of the thin plates 18. The fixed terminals 12 are housed inside a rear cap 7 provided at the rear end of the case 8, and a copper plate bus bar (hereinafter referred to as a "fixed side bus bar") 14 is fixed to each by welding. This fixed-side bus bar 14 functions as a vehicle-side connector connected to vehicle-side wiring.

On the other hand, at the other end of the flexible flat cable 11, a movable terminal 13 made of a conductor is integrally provided on each of the thin plates 18. The movable terminals 13 are attached and fixed to actuators 16, and bus bars 15 made of copper plates (hereinafter referred to as "movable bus bars") are fixed to each by welding. This movable bus bar 15 functions as a seat-side connector connected to the seat-side wiring.

The actuator 16 is made of an insulator such as ABS resin, is housed inside the case 8, and protrudes to the outside through a slit 20 provided on the left side of the case 8, as shown in FIG. A convex guide piece 21 is provided on the right side surface of the actuator 16, and the guide piece 21 is received in a recess 22 formed on the bottom surface of the case 8. Thereby, the actuator 16 to which the movable bus bar 15 is fixed is configured such that the guide piece 21 slides along the recess 22 and can reciprocate in the longitudinal direction of the case 8.

In this way, by fixing the fixed side bus bar 14 and the movable side bus bar 15 at both ends of the flexible flat cable 11, the wiring work is easier than connecting with lead wires, and the electric resistance is low, so a large amount of current can be carried out. It can flow. Note that the method of fixing the fixed terminal 12 and the fixed bus bar 14 and the movable terminal 13 and the movable bus bar 15 is not limited to welding, and other methods such as soldering, welding, screwing, or caulking may be used.

The guide rail 17 is made of a metal plate such as stainless steel, and is formed into a long flat shape having a width comparable to that of the flexible flat cable 11, and by drawing the metal plate, its cross-sectional shape becomes that of the flexible flat cable. It is formed into a curved shape (arc shape) that is convex toward 11. The guide rail 17 is housed inside a rail 23 laid on the inner surface of the case 8, and has its tip fixed to the actuator 16, and presses the flexible flat cable 11 with a spring force in response to the movement of the actuator 16. It is configured to guide its movements while being worn. Note that the material of the guide rail 17 may be a metal material other than stainless steel or a resin material, and the cross-sectional shape is not limited to a curved shape as long as the flexible flat cable 11 can be pressed down with a spring force.

In this embodiment, in order to prevent the elongated guide rail 17 housed in the case 8 from falling due to its own weight, a guide rail guide 24 is provided to support the guide rail 17. The guide rail guide 24 is disposed approximately at the center of the entire length of the case 8, and has a height H within the case 8 so that the distance between the guide rail 17 and the case 8 is maintained constant as shown in FIG. They have substantially the same height h. The guide rail guide 24 has a through hole 17a for positioning formed in the center of the guide rail 17, as shown in FIG. It is integrated with the guide rail 17 by insert molding an insulator such as resin.

According to the structure of the present embodiment, since the guide rail guide 24 supports the long guide rail 17 at approximately the center of the case 8, the guide rail 17 does not fall due to its own weight, and the flexible flat cable 11 You can apply a stable force to it to make it work normally. In addition, since the distance between the guide rail 17 and the case 8 is maintained constant, the guide rail 17 does not rub and damage the flexible flat cable 11 when it slides, which prevents failure of the flexible flat cable 11. can be prevented. Furthermore, by integrating the guide rail guide 24 into the guide rail 17 by insert molding, there is no wobbling of the parts compared to the method of outsert molding separate parts by gluing or screwing, and there is no need to worry about the looseness of the metal and resin during assembly. It is possible to eliminate work such as removing resin scraps generated by fitting.

The power supply rail 1 configured as described above has a movable mechanism 10 provided inside the case 8, is housed in the formwork 5, and is attached to the side surface of the side rail 3 via an attachment piece. At this time, since the actuator 16 that fixed the movable bus bar 15 protrudes outside the case 8, the wiring of the motor circuit of the sliding seat 2 is connected to the movable bus bar 15, and the vehicle side power source is connected to the fixed bus bar 14. Just connect the circuit wiring. Thereby, the power supply circuit of the vehicle and the motor circuit of the sliding seat 2 can be electrically connected via the power supply rail 1 .

That is, as shown in FIG. 8, when the actuator 16 of the power supply rail 1 is at the rear position of the case 8, the fixed bus bar 14 and the movable bus bar 15 are connected via the flexible flat cable 11, so that the vehicle Electric power can be supplied to the motor circuit of the slide sheet 2 from the power supply circuit.

Here, when the slide seat 2 shown in FIG. In conjunction with this, it moves in the direction of arrow F in the figure. At this time, in response to the movement of the actuator 16, the flexible flat cable 11 slides in the direction of arrow F within the cavity 8 while being pressed by the spring force of the guide rail 17.

On the other hand, when the slide seat 2 shown in FIG. It moves in the direction of arrow R in the figure in conjunction with . Here, the flexible flat cable 11 connected to the actuator 16 slides in the direction of arrow R within the cavity 8, but at this time, the flexible flat cable 11 follows the spring deformation of the guide rail 17 and returns to its original position. . In other words, since the flexible flat cable 11 is pressed against the guide rail 17 and restricted from moving independently, the flexible flat cable 11 does not bend or wave during movement, and the flexible flat cable 11 remains constant at all times. It is designed to move smoothly with the tension applied.

In this way, when the slide sheet 2 moves forward or backward, the actuator 16 slides along the slit 20 of the case 8 in conjunction with the movement, and following this, the guide rail 17 and the flexible flat cable 11 are integrated. It is designed to expand and contract. In addition, since there are no complicated electric wires such as wire harnesses inside the cavity 9, the troublesome effort of wiring the wire harness can be saved, and the electric wires are not moved inside the cavity 9 when the slide sheet 2 moves forward or backward. There is no risk of it getting caught and hindering movement, or being twisted or pulled, causing malfunction. Moreover, since the flexible flat cable 11 is expanded and contracted following the spring deformation of the guide rail 17, the actuator 16 moves along the longitudinal direction of the case 8 from the tip to the rear end, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. This makes it possible to secure a long travel distance.

Therefore, according to this power supply rail 1, the flexible flat cable 11 guided by the guide rail 17 follows the movement of the slide seat 2 and expands and contracts smoothly, so that the power supply circuit of the vehicle is stably connected to the slide seat 2. can continue to supply power. Further, even if the vehicle body vibrates while the vehicle is running, the guide rail 17 does not rattle due to the presence of the guide rail guide 24, and collision with the case 8 can be avoided and abnormal noise can be prevented from occurring.

In addition, in this embodiment, one movable mechanism 10 is provided in the cavity 9 to form one circuit, but the circuit configuration is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of movable mechanisms 10 may be arranged in the height direction of the case 8 by stacking flexible flat cables 11 one above the other, or flexible flat cables 11 with narrow widths may be arranged horizontally and the movable mechanisms 10 may be arranged in the width direction of the case 8. It is also possible to arrange a plurality of them to form a circuit configuration of two or more circuits. Thereby, even if a failure occurs in the movable mechanism 10 of any one circuit, the movable mechanisms 10 of the remaining circuits operate normally, thereby providing a fail-safe function that ensures safety.

Further, in this embodiment, power is supplied from the power supply circuit of the vehicle to the motor circuit of the slide seat 2 via the power supply rail 1, but the application of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the power supply rail 1 can be used for applications such as a USB charger mounted on a vehicle, a seat heater device, a seatbelt reminder (alarm device), and power supply/signal transmission to a rear seat.

1: Power supply rail 2: Slide sheet 3: Side rail 4: Rail cover 5: Formwork 6: Front cap 7: Rear cap 8: Case 9: Cavity 10: Movable mechanism 11: Flexible flat cable 12: Fixed terminal 13: Movable terminal 14: Fixed side bus bar 15: Movable side bus bar 16: Actuator 17: Guide rail 18: Thin plate 19: Heat resistant insulation tape 20: Slit 21: Guide piece 22: Recess 23: Rail 24: Guide rail guide

Claims (1)

A long cylindrical case,
a flexible flat cable housed inside the case;
a fixed end provided at one end of the flexible flat cable and fixed to the case;
a movable terminal provided at the other end of the flexible flat cable and movable in the longitudinal direction of the case;
an actuator that fixes the movable terminal and moves along the case;
a guide rail that is housed inside the case and guides the movement of the actuator while holding down the flexible flat cable;
a guide rail guide disposed approximately in the center of the entire length of the case, supporting the guide rail and integrated with the guide rail so as to maintain a distance from the case;
A power supply rail characterized by being equipped with.