Wiring Harness

Abstract

One method of the present disclosure provides a wiring harness that can miniaturize an outer casing. A wiring harness (10) according to one method of the present disclosure has an electric wire (11) and an outer casing (12). The electric wire (11) has: a covering portion (16) in which a core wire (13) is covered by an insulating covering portion (14); and an exposed portion (17) in which the insulating covering portion (14) is removed and the core wire (13) is exposed from the insulating covering portion (14). The exposed portion (17) has a bending portion (25), and the bending portion (25) is bent in a manner protruding in a direction orthogonal to the length direction of the core wire (13). The covering portion (16) is arranged inside the outer casing (12), and the bending portion (25) is arranged outside the outer casing (12).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wiring harness. Background Art

[0002] For example, the wiring harness for a vehicle described in Patent Document 1 includes: an electric wire that electrically connects a pair of opposing parts to each other; and a cylindrical outer casing member that surrounds the outer periphery of the electric wire. The electric wire uses a flexible wire such as a stranded wire. In addition, a gap is set between the electric wire and the inner side surface of the outer casing member to allow the electric wire to bend inside the outer casing member. In this wiring harness, the length of the electric wire is set to a length that can cope with the situation where the position tolerance of a pair of opposing parts becomes the maximum. In addition, by making the electric wire bend inside the outer casing member, the position tolerance of the opposing parts is absorbed.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-44607 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] In the wire harness described above, a gap for absorbing tolerance needs to be set between the electric wires and the inner side surface of the exterior member, and therefore there is room for improvement in terms of miniaturization of the exterior member.

[0008] Therefore, an object is to provide a wire harness in which the exterior member is reduced in size.

[0009] Solutions to Solve Problems

[0010] The wiring harness disclosed herein comprises: an electric wire having a core wire and an insulating covering covering the core wire; and a cylindrical outer casing member surrounding the outer circumference of the electric wire, the electric wire having: a covering portion in which the core wire is covered by the insulating covering; and an exposed portion in which the core wire is exposed from the insulating covering, the exposed portion having a bending portion, the bending portion being bent in a manner protruding in a direction orthogonal to the length direction of the core wire, and the bending portion being arranged on the outside of the outer casing member.

[0011] Effects of the Invention

[0012] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a wire harness capable of reducing the size of an exterior member. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 It is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing the wire harness according to the embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the processing method of the wire harness of this embodiment.

[0015] Figure 3 It is a schematic cross-sectional view schematically showing a wire harness according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] [Description of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure]

[0017] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below.

[0018] The wiring harness disclosed herein,

[0019] [1] It comprises: an electric wire having a core wire and an insulating coating covering the core wire; and a cylindrical outer casing member surrounding the outer circumference of the electric wire, the electric wire having: a coating portion in which the core wire is coated by the insulating coating; and an exposed portion in which the core wire is exposed from the insulating coating, the exposed portion having a bent portion, the bent portion being bent in a manner protruding in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the core wire, and the bent portion being arranged outside the outer casing member.

[0020] According to this structure, the bent portion of the exposed portion where the core wire is exposed is provided outside the outer casing member. Furthermore, the position tolerance of the other component to which the wire is connected can be absorbed by the flexure of the bent portion. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a gap between the wire and the inner side surface of the outer casing member for absorbing the tolerance (or even if a gap is provided, it can be provided to be small), so the size of the outer casing member in the direction orthogonal to the direction in which the wire is inserted can be reduced.

[0021] [2] The core wire is composed of a plurality of wires, and the bent portion is formed into a bent shape by press working. According to this configuration, the exposed portion of the core wire having the bent portion can be appropriately formed.

[0022] [3] The exposed portion has a connection portion connected to a counterpart member, and the connection portion is solidified by bonding the plurality of wires to each other.

[0023] According to this structure, the connection portion formed at the exposed portion of the core wire is formed by joining a plurality of wires constituting the core wire together. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide a metal terminal or the like for connecting to a counterpart component at the exposed portion of the core wire, thereby suppressing an increase in the number of components of the wiring harness.

[0024] [4] The exposed portion has a solidifying portion separated from the connecting portion, the solidifying portion is solidified by the plurality of wires being joined together, and the bent portion is formed between the connecting portion and the solidifying portion in the exposed portion. According to this structure, a bent portion is formed between the connecting portion and the solidifying portion as the solidifying portion of the exposed portion, so that the plurality of wires are easily gathered when the bent portion is formed, and as a result, the bent portion can be easily formed. In particular, in the case of a long exposed length of the electric wire, the effect of facilitating the forming of the bent portion by providing the solidifying portion can be significantly obtained.

[0025] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure]

[0026] The following is a reference to the attached Figure 1 A specific example of the wiring harness disclosed in the present invention is described. In each of the drawings, for the sake of convenience of description, a part of the structure is sometimes enlarged or simplified. In addition, the size ratios of the various parts are sometimes different in the various drawings. In addition, the "parallel" and "orthogonal" in this specification include not only the cases of being strictly parallel and orthogonal, but also the cases of being approximately parallel and approximately orthogonal within the scope of the role and effect of the present embodiment. In addition, the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is shown by the claims, and it is intended to include all changes within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0027] Figure 1 The wire harness 10 shown is a wire harness used for electrical connection in a battery module (not shown) of, for example, a hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, or the like.

[0028] The wire harness 10 includes an electric wire 11 as a covered electric wire and a cylindrical outer casing member 12 that surrounds the outer circumference of the electric wire 11 in a part of the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 11 .

[0029] (Structure of the exterior member 12)

[0030] The outer casing 12 is formed into a long cylindrical shape as a whole. In addition, the cross-sectional shape (i.e., cross-sectional shape) of the outer casing 12 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction can be set to any shape such as a cylindrical shape, an elliptical cylindrical shape, a polygonal cylindrical shape, etc. The electric wire 11 is inserted into the internal space of the outer casing 12.

[0031] In addition, the term "cylindrical" in this specification may be regarded as a cylindrical shape as a whole, and includes a shape formed by combining a plurality of parts, a shape having a partial notch such as a C-shape, etc. The exterior member 12 of this embodiment is composed of a single part.

[0032] The outer casing 12 of this embodiment is configured as, for example, a shielding protector for preventing electromagnetic noise generated from the electric wire 11 from leaking to the outside. The outer casing 12 as a shielding protector is formed of, for example, a conductor such as metal. In addition, as a forming material of the shielding protector, a metal material such as copper or aluminum can be used.

[0033] (Structure of the electric wire 11)

[0034] The electric wire 11 includes a core wire 13 and an insulating coating 14 covering the core wire 13. The insulating coating 14 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin. The core wire 13 is configured to have increased flexibility. The core wire 13 is made of, for example, a plurality of wires 15. In addition, as the core wire 13, for example, a braided wire formed by braiding a plurality of wires 15 or a stranded wire formed by twisting a plurality of wires 15 can be used. In addition, as a forming material of the plurality of wires 15, for example, a metal material such as copper or aluminum can be used.

[0035] The electric wire 11 includes: a coating 16 in which a core wire 13 is coated with an insulating coating 14; and an exposed portion 17, in which the insulating coating 14 at the end portion in the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 11 is removed (i.e., stripped), so that the core wire 13 is exposed from the insulating coating 14. The exposed portion 17 is formed at the end portion in the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 11. Since the exposed portion 17 does not have the insulating coating 14, the softness (flexibility) is higher than that of the coating 16.

[0036] (Structure of Exposed Portion 17)

[0037] The exposed portion 17 of the core wire 13 includes a connecting portion 21 , a cured portion 22 , and a soft portion 23 formed between the connecting portion 21 and the cured portion 22 .

[0038] (Structure of the connecting portion 21)

[0039] The connection portion 21 is a portion connected to a counterpart component (not shown in the figure) (in this embodiment, a terminal on the battery module side, etc.). The connection portion 21 is solidified to a state where the rigidity is higher than the rigidity of the portion where the plurality of wires 15 are not joined together by joining the plurality of wires 15 to each other. In the connection portion 21, for example, the plurality of wires 15 are joined to each other (integrated) by ultrasonic welding, resistance welding, etc. The connection portion 21 is formed, for example, in a substantially flat plate shape that is flattened in a direction orthogonal to the length direction of the core wire 13.

[0040] The connecting portion 21 is provided with a through hole 24 that penetrates the connecting portion 21 in the plate thickness direction, for example. A bolt (not shown) for fixing to the other member is inserted through the through hole 24. The connecting portion 21 is fixed to the other member by tightening the bolt. The connecting portion 21 is solidified by mutually joining the plurality of wires 15 as described above, and thus has rigidity (rigidity to the extent that it is not damaged or deformed) that can withstand the tightening and fixing by the bolt.

[0041] (Structure of Curing Section 22)

[0042] The solidified portion 22 is a solidified portion (second solidified portion) formed by bonding a plurality of wires 15 to each other so as to have a higher rigidity than the soft portion 23. In the solidified portion 22, a plurality of wires 15 are bonded to each other (integrated) by, for example, ultrasonic welding, resistance welding, etc. The solidified portion 22 is formed into a substantially flat plate shape that is flattened in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the core wire 13.

[0043] (Structure of the soft portion 23)

[0044] The exposed portion 17 includes a portion between the connection portion 21 and the solidified portion 22 as a soft portion 23. In the soft portion 23, unlike the connection portion 21 and the solidified portion 22, solidification based on the bonding of the plurality of wires 15 is not performed, and the softness of the core wire 13 (the stranded wire or the braided wire) composed of the plurality of wires 15 is maintained as it is. Thus, the soft portion 23 has higher softness than the solidified connection portion 21 and the solidified portion 22, and the coating portion 16 where the insulating coating 14 covers the core wire 13.

[0045] The soft portion 23 has a bent portion 25 formed into a bent shape by a press process described later. The bent portion 25 is oriented in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the core wire 13 (in Figure 1 The bent portion 25 of the present embodiment protrudes in one direction along the direction A, for example, and is bent into, for example, a substantially U-shape.

[0046] In the electric wire 11 having the structure as described above, the covering portion 16 of the electric wire 11 is arranged inside the outer member 12. On the other hand, the bent portion 25 and the connecting portion 21 of the exposed portion 17 are provided outside the outer member 12. The solidified portion 22 of the exposed portion 17 is, for example, located on the inner peripheral side of the end face 12a in the longitudinal direction of the outer member 12. In other words, in the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 11, the end face 12a of the outer member 12 and the solidified portion 22 are arranged at the same position as each other. In addition, with respect to the solidified portion 22, for example, a part of the solidified portion 22 is located inside the outer member 12, and a part of the solidified portion 22 is located outside the outer member 12. In addition, the end portion in the direction A of the bent portion 25 protrudes, for example, to the outside than the outer side surface of the outer member 12.

[0047] Next, a method of processing the exposed portion 17 of the electric wire 11 will be described.

[0048] First, the insulating coating 14 at the end portion in the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 11 is peeled off to form the exposed portion 17 .

[0049] Then, at the exposed portion 17, the plurality of wires 15 constituting the core wire 13 are joined together and solidified by, for example, ultrasonic welding, resistance welding, etc., to form the connection portion 21 and the solidified portion 22. In addition, one of the connection portion 21 and the solidified portion 22 may be solidified first, and then the other may be solidified, or the connection portion 21 and the solidified portion 22 may be solidified at the same time. In addition, by solidifying the connection portion 21 and the solidified portion 22, the soft portion 23 between the connection portion 21 and the solidified portion 22 is formed.

[0050] Then, if Figure 2 As shown, the connection part 21 is held by the first holding jig 31, and the cured part 22 is held by the second holding jig 32. In addition, the soft part 23 is set to a straight line while holding the connection part 21 and the cured part 22. In addition, at this point in time, the through hole 24 has not yet been formed in the connection part 21.

[0051] Then, the bent portion 25 is formed in the soft portion 23 by punching using the pressing jig 33. At this time, the soft portion 23 set in a straight line is punched by the pressing jig 33 from a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the soft portion 23. In addition, while the soft portion 23 is punched by the pressing jig 33, at least one direction of the first holding jig 31 holding the connecting portion 21 and the second holding jig 32 holding the solidified portion 22 is moved in a direction close to each other. As a result, the bent portion 25 is formed into a bent shape protruding in the direction A orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the core wire 13.

[0052] The operation of this embodiment will be described.

[0053] The bent portion 25 provided on the outside of the outer casing 12 is formed into a bent shape protruding in the direction A orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the core wire 13, so the bent portion 25 is easy to bend mainly in the longitudinal direction of the core wire 13. Therefore, the position tolerance of the other parts connected to the two ends in the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 11 is absorbed by the bending of the bent portion 25. In addition, the bending of the bent portion 25 can also absorb the displacement caused by thermal expansion in the other parts.

[0054] The effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0055] (1) The covering portion 16 of the electric wire 11 is provided inside the outer casing 12, and the bent portion 25 of the exposed portion 17 of the electric wire 11 is provided outside the outer casing 12. According to this structure, the position tolerance of the other member (not shown) to which the electric wire 11 is connected can be absorbed by the bending of the bent portion 25 of the exposed portion 17 provided outside the outer casing 12. Therefore, it is not necessary to set a gap for absorbing the tolerance between the covering portion 16 of the electric wire 11 and the inner side surface of the outer casing 12, so that the size of the outer casing 12 in the direction orthogonal to the insertion direction of the electric wire 11 (the direction along the direction A) can be reduced.

[0056] (2) The core wire 13 of the electric wire 11 is composed of a plurality of wire materials 15. Furthermore, the bent portion 25 of the exposed portion 17 is formed in a bent shape by press working. With this configuration, the exposed portion 17 having the bent portion 25 can be formed appropriately.

[0057] (3) The exposed portion 17 has a connection portion 21 for connecting to a counterpart component. The connection portion 21 is solidified by joining the plurality of wires 15 to each other. According to this structure, the connection portion 21 formed in the exposed portion 17 of the core wire 13 is formed by joining the plurality of wires 15 constituting the core wire 13 to each other. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide a metal terminal or the like for connecting to a counterpart component in the exposed portion 17 of the core wire 13, thereby suppressing an increase in the number of components of the wiring harness 10.

[0058] (4) The exposed portion 17 has a solidified portion 22 which is separate from the connection portion 21, and the solidified portion 22 is solidified by joining the plurality of wires 15 to each other. In addition, a bent portion 25 is formed between the connection portion 21 and the solidified portion 22 in the exposed portion 17. According to this structure, the bent portion 25 is formed between the connection portion 21 and the solidified portion 22 which are the solidified parts of the exposed portion 17, so that the plurality of wires 15 are easily gathered when the bent portion 25 is formed, and as a result, the bent portion 25 can be easily formed. In particular, when the exposed portion 17 of the electric wire 11 is long, the effect of facilitating the formation of the bent portion 25 can be significantly obtained by providing the solidified portion 22.

[0059] (5) The solidified portion 22 of the exposed portion 17 is located on the inner circumference side of the end face 12a in the longitudinal direction of the outer casing 12. According to this structure, the bent portion 25 of the exposed portion 17 can be appropriately arranged outside the outer casing 12. When the solidified portion 22 is located on the inner circumference side of the end face 12a of the outer casing 12, the frequency of contact between the opening edge of the outer casing 12 and the solidified portion 22 increases. However, since the plurality of wires 15 are bonded and solidified to each other in the solidified portion 22, the wire breakage caused by the opening edge of the outer casing 12 can be prevented or suppressed.

[0060] This embodiment can be implemented by changing as follows. This embodiment and the following modified examples can be implemented in combination with each other within the range that there is no technical contradiction.

[0061] ■For example, Figure 3 As shown, the cured portion 22 may be omitted from the electric wire 11 of the above embodiment. This structure is suitable for a case where it is difficult to ensure the length of the exposed portion 17 in the electric wire 11. When the bent portion 25 in this structure is formed, it is preferred to hold the covering portion 16 (the outer peripheral surface of the insulating covering portion 14) with the second holding jig 32.

[0062] ■The entire cured portion 22 may be disposed inside the exterior member 12 or outside the exterior member 12 .

[0063] ■The connection portion 21 may be formed of a metal terminal that is separate from the core wire 13 .

[0064] ■ The bending shape of the bending portion 25 is not limited to a substantially U-shape protruding in only one direction along the direction A, and can be changed to a substantially V-shape, etc. In addition, for example, the bending shape of the bending portion 25 can be set to a wavy shape when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the core wire 13.

[0065] ■ For example, a braided wire formed by combining metal wires and resin wires may be used as the braided wire constituting the core wire 13. For example, a reinforcing fiber having excellent insulation and shear resistance such as para-aramid fiber may be used as the resin wire.

[0066] ■ The material for forming the core wire 13 is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be changed to a conductive member other than a braided wire or a twisted wire composed of a plurality of wires 15 when it is a conductive member with high softness (flexibility).

[0067] ■In the above embodiment, when the electric wire 11 is formed, the core wire 13 is covered by the insulating coating 14 over the entire length of the electric wire 11, and the exposed portion 17 is formed by removing the insulating coating 14 at the end of the length direction of the electric wire 11, but it is not limited to this, and the exposed portion 17 may also be a structure in which the exposed portion 17 is already formed when the electric wire 11 is formed.

[0068] ■In the above embodiment, the covering portion 16 (insulating covering portion 14) of the electric wire 11 is arranged inside the outer casing 12 throughout the entire length direction, but is not limited to this. For example, a structure may be provided in which the end portion of the covering portion 16 (insulating covering portion 14) of the electric wire 11 in the length direction protrudes to the outside of the outer casing 12.

[0069] ■ The exterior member 12 may be formed of a resin material. As a forming material of the exterior member 12 made of resin, for example, a synthetic resin such as polyolefin, polyamide, polyester, or ABS resin may be used.

[0070] ■ In the above embodiment, the wire harness 10 is applied to the electrical connection of the battery module, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be applied to the wire harness used to the electrical connection of vehicle-mounted devices other than the battery module.

[0071] ■ Figure 1 As shown in the side view of the outer casing 12, the solidified portion 22 may be located on the inner circumference of the outer casing 12 at a position overlapping with the end face 12a in the longitudinal direction of the outer casing 12. According to this structure, the bent portion 25 of the exposed portion 17 can be appropriately arranged outside the outer casing 12. In addition, it is helpful to reduce or prevent damage or disconnection of the wire 15 caused by the opening edge of the outer casing 12.

[0072] ■ Figure 1 As shown, part or all of the bent portion 25 may be arranged outside the opening end surface 12 a of the exterior member 12 in the longitudinal direction of the exterior member 12 .

[0073] ■ Figure 1 As shown, the wire 11 may be pre-bent in a state where the wire harness 10 is alone, for example, before the wire harness 10 is connected to a counterpart component, so that at least a portion of the bent portion 25 is arranged radially outward of the outermost surface of the outer casing 12 .

[0074] ■The first connection portion 21 of the embodiment is sometimes referred to as the tip of the exposed portion 17 of the electric wire 11 or the first length portion of the exposed portion 17. The cured portion 22 of the embodiment is sometimes referred to as the base end of the exposed portion 17 of the electric wire 11 or the second length portion of the exposed portion 17. The soft portion 23 of the embodiment is sometimes referred to as the middle portion between the tip and base end of the exposed portion 17 or the third length portion of the exposed portion 17.

[0075] ■The first connecting portion 21 of the embodiment is sometimes referred to as a first wire joint block, which is compressed and joined over the first length in a manner that the plurality of conductive wires 15 are immovable relative to each other. The solidifying portion 22 of the embodiment is sometimes referred to as a second wire joint block, which is compressed and joined over the second length in a manner that the plurality of conductive wires 15 are immovable relative to each other. The soft portion 23 of the electric wire 11 of the embodiment is sometimes referred to as a bundle or non-joined portion of the conductive wires 15, which allows the plurality of conductive wires 15 to move relative to each other without being joined relative to each other.

[0076] ■In the electric wire 11 of the embodiment, the volume percentage of the voids of the first connecting portion 21 per unit volume of the first connecting portion 21 is sometimes referred to as the first void ratio. The volume percentage of the voids of the solidified portion 22 per unit volume of the solidified portion 22 is sometimes referred to as the second void ratio. The volume percentage of the voids of the soft portion 23 per unit volume of the soft portion 23 is sometimes referred to as the third void ratio. The first void ratio may be the same as or different from the second void ratio. The first void ratio and / or the second void ratio may also be smaller than the third void ratio. In other words, in the embodiment, the volume ratio of the conductor of the soft portion 23 per unit volume of the soft portion 23, i.e., the conductor volume percentage, may also be lower than the volume ratio of the conductor of the first connecting portion 21 per unit volume of the first connecting portion 21, i.e., the conductor volume percentage, and / or lower than the conductor density in the solidified portion 22.

[0077] The conductive wire material 15 may extend continuously and seamlessly within a length range including at least the first connecting portion 21 and the cured portion 22 , for example, over the entire length of the electric wire 11 .

[0078] ■The entire first connection portion 21 and / or the entire cured portion 22 of the embodiment may be constituted only by the wire material 15 .

[0079] Description of Reference Numerals

[0080] 10. Wiring Harness

[0081] 11 Wire

[0082] 12 Exterior components

[0083] 12a End face

[0084] 13 core wire

[0085] 14 Insulation coating

[0086] 15 Wire

[0087] 16. Coating

[0088] 17 Exposed

[0089] 21 Connection

[0090] 22 Curing Department

[0091] 23 Soft part

[0092] 24 Through hole

[0093] 25 Bending part

[0094] 31 No.1 Holding Jig

[0095] 32 2nd holding jig

[0096] 33 Pressing fixture

[0097] A direction

Claims

1. A wiring harness having: An electric wire having a core wire and an insulating sheath covering the core wire; and The cylindrical outer member surrounds the outer circumference of the electric wire. The electric wire comprises: a covering portion where the core wire is covered by the insulating covering portion; and an exposed portion where the core wire is exposed from the insulating covering portion. The exposed portion has a bent portion, the bent portion is bent in a manner protruding in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the core wire, and the bending of the bent portion can absorb the positional tolerance of the other component to which the electric wire is connected. The bent portion is provided outside the exterior member.

2. The wire harness according to claim 1, wherein: The core wire is composed of a plurality of wires. The bent portion is formed into a bent shape by press working.

3. The wire harness according to claim 2, wherein: The exposed portion has a connection portion connected to a counterpart component, The connection portion is solidified by bonding the plurality of wires to each other.

4. The wire harness according to claim 3, wherein: The exposed portion includes a solidified portion separated from the connecting portion, and the solidified portion is solidified by the plurality of wires being bonded to each other. The bent portion is formed between the connecting portion and the solidified portion in the exposed portion.

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