Trunk line of wire harness, and wire harness

Abstract

A trunk line (10) of a wire harness (1) includes a flexible printed circuit (11) having a linear shape and a plurality of connectors (12). One or more of the plurality of connectors are respectively mounted at a first side end portion (11a) and a second side end portion (11b) of the flexible printed circuit (11). Each of the plurality of connectors (12) has a structure to engage with external connectors (13b to 21b) attached to external electric wires.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a trunk line of a wire harness and a wire harness. Background Art

[0002] Heretofore, there has been provided a wiring harness installed in a vehicle to supply power or transmit a communication signal. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of a flat wiring harness obtained by combining a flexible flat cable (FFC) and a flexible printed circuit (FPC) with each other.

[0003] Reference List

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-203431 Summary of the invention

[0006] The flat wiring harness disclosed in Patent Document 1 is obtained by combining two wiring lines, FFC and FPC, so it can be used for high current circuits and low current circuits respectively. However, due to its structure, it is difficult to increase the size, and since FFC and FPC are integrated with each other, the scalability is low.

[0007] The present invention is made to solve the problems existing in the prior art. In addition, the present invention aims to provide a trunk line of a wire harness and a wire harness, which can increase the size and improve the scalability.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, a trunk line of a wiring harness includes a flexible printed circuit in a straight shape and a plurality of connectors, and at least one of the plurality of connectors is installed at each of two side end portions of the flexible printed circuit, wherein each of the plurality of connectors has a structure for engaging with an external connector attached to a branch line constructed of external electric wires.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present invention, a wiring harness includes a trunk line and a plurality of branch lines electrically connected to the trunk line, wherein the trunk line is the above-mentioned trunk line of the wiring harness, and each of the plurality of branch lines is composed of an electric wire having one end attached to an external connector engaged with a connector of the trunk line. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 : is a diagram showing an installation example of the wire harness according to the first embodiment.

[0011] Figure 2 : is a diagram showing a configuration example of a wire harness according to the first embodiment.

[0012] Figure 3 : is a diagram showing a configuration example of a trunk line of the wire harness according to the first embodiment.

[0013] Figure 4 : is a diagram showing a configuration example of a wire harness according to the second embodiment.

[0014] Figure 5 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a wire harness according to a third embodiment.

[0015] Reference Numbers List

[0016] 1, 2, 3 wiring harness

[0017] 10, 30 trunk lines

[0018] 11.31 Flexible printed circuit

[0019] 11a, 31a first side end

[0020] 11b, 31b second side end

[0021] 12, 32 connector

[0022] 13 First Branch

[0023] 13b First external connector

[0024] 14 Second Branch

[0025] 14b Second external connector

[0026] 15 The Third Branch

[0027] 15b Third external connector

[0028] 16 The fourth branch

[0029] 16b Fourth external connector

[0030] 17 The Fifth Branch

[0031] 17b Fifth external connector

[0032] 18 The Sixth Branch

[0033] 18b Sixth external connector

[0034] 19 Seventh Branch

[0035] 19b Seventh external connector

[0036] 20 The Eighth Branch

[0037] 20b Eighth External Connector

[0038] 21 The Ninth Branch

[0039] 21b ninth external connector

[0040] 22 Auxiliary wiring

[0041] 31c terminal part

[0042] 32n auxiliary connector

[0043] 40 auxiliary trunk lines

[0044] 40A Auxiliary External Connector DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The trunk line and the wire harness of the wire harness according to each embodiment are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for the purpose of explanation and may be different from the actual ratios.

[0046] (First embodiment)

[0047] Figure 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an arrangement example of the wire harness 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 1 is a plan view schematically showing a configuration example of the wire harness 1. The wire harness 1 is a wiring member that is wired in a vehicle such as an automobile to electrically connect a plurality of vehicle-mounted devices to each other, for example.

[0048] In this embodiment, as an example, the wire harness 1 is attached to a cross member 111 installed inside an instrument panel 100 of an automobile. The instrument panel 100 is an interior panel disposed in front of a vehicle compartment and extending in the width direction of the vehicle to face a driver's seat and a passenger seat. Figure 1 In FIG. 1 , the instrument panel 100 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. The cross member 111 is a reinforcement member composed of a metal hollow tube and installed in the vehicle width direction. Flanges 112 are connected to both ends of the cross member 111, respectively. One of the flanges 112 is fastened to the left front pillar of the car by bolts, and the other of the flanges 112 is fastened to the right front pillar by bolts. Note that Figure 1 In the illustration, the front pillar is omitted.

[0049] The wiring harness 1 includes a trunk line 10 and a plurality of branch lines such as a first branch line 13 .

[0050] Figure 3 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration example of the trunk line 10. The trunk line 10 includes an FPC 11 and a plurality of connectors 12. Here, FPC is an abbreviation of a flexible printed circuit.

[0051] FPC11 is a thin printed circuit with excellent flexibility. FPC11 includes a base film 11f, a pattern layer 11g and a cover layer 11h. The base film 11f is a substrate with excellent flexibility and defines the shape of the entire FPC11. For example, the base film 11f is formed of a polyimide resin with excellent heat resistance. The pattern layer 11g is laminated on a portion of at least one main surface of the base film 11f and constitutes a plurality of conductive circuits. For example, the pattern layer 11g is formed of copper foil. The cover layer 11h is a protective layer laminated on the entire surface of the base film 11f, i.e., the base film 11f or the pattern layer 11g, via an adhesive not shown in the figure, and protects the pattern layer 11g and the like.

[0052] In addition, the FPC 11 as a whole has a linear shape defining a length L, a width W and a planar shape. Here, the length L corresponds to the length of the FPC 11 in the length direction. The FPC 11 includes two side ends, specifically, a first side end 11a and a second side end 11b each extending in the length direction. The second side end 11b is located on the side opposite to the first side end 11a in the width direction. The length L is in the range of 500mm to 1500mm. The width W is in the range of 40mm to 100mm.

[0053] More than one connector 12 is installed at each of the first side end 11a and the second side end 11b of the FPC 11. As an example, the trunk line 10 includes 12 connectors 12. The first connector 12a, the second connector 12b, the third connector 12c and the fourth connector 12d are arranged at intervals on the first side end 11a. At the same time, the fifth connector 12e, the sixth connector 12f, the seventh connector 12g, the eighth connector 12h, the ninth connector 12i, the tenth connector 12j, the eleventh connector 12k and the twelfth connector 12m are arranged at intervals on the second side end 11b. Each connector 12 has a structure that is engaged with any one of the external connectors attached to the plurality of branches respectively. Note that the specifications of the number of poles of each connector 12 in the FPC 11 or the arrangement of each connector 12 can be appropriately changed according to the attachment position of the wiring harness 1 in the vehicle, etc.

[0054] Further, each connector 12 is electrically connected to the pattern layer 11g of the FPC 11. Each of the plurality of conductive circuits constructed by the pattern layer 11g can be used as any one of a signal circuit, a signal GND circuit, a power supply dedicated ground circuit, etc. The signal circuit transmits communication signals between vehicle-mounted devices. The signal GND circuit electrically connects the vehicle-mounted devices along with the signal circuit, and makes the reference potential of the circuit operation consistent between the vehicle-mounted devices. The power supply system of the vehicle-mounted device is grounded by the power supply dedicated ground circuit.

[0055] Each of the plurality of branch lines is an electric wire, one end of which is connected to any one of the plurality of connectors 12 provided on the trunk line 10, and the other end is connected to each electronic device, etc. In the present embodiment, as an example, there are 9 branch lines including a first branch line 13, a second branch line 14, a third branch line 15, a fourth branch line 16, a fifth branch line 17, a sixth branch line 18, a seventh branch line 19, an eighth branch line 20, and a ninth branch line 21.

[0056] Each branch line includes an external connector engaged with any one of the connectors 12 of the trunk line 10, a branch end connected to each electronic device, etc., and an electric wire connecting the external connector and the branch end to each other. The electric wire in this embodiment is a linear conductive component formed of metal, rather than an FPC. In addition, the branch end in this embodiment can be selected according to the type and quantity of the electric wire, and can be a joint connector such as a multi-core connector or a crimping terminal. Further, the branch end in this embodiment can be a joint block, or a relay block, etc.

[0057] For example, the first branch line 13 includes a first electric wire 13a, a first external connector 13b and a first branch end 13c. A plurality of first electric wires 13a are provided according to two first branch ends 13c having different shapes from each other. These first electric wires 13a may be any one of a power line, a signal line, a ground line dedicated to electric power, and the like. Note that the plurality of first electric wires 13a may be protected by an external protective component constructed of a vinyl tube, an adhesive tape, and the like. Alternatively, the plurality of first electric wires 13a may be bundled by a cable tie not shown. The first external connector 13b has a structure that engages with the first connector 12a of the trunk line 10.

[0058] Meanwhile, for example, similar to the configuration of the first branch line 13, the eighth branch line 20 connected to the trunk line 10 via the tenth connector 12j provided at the second side end 11b may also include an eighth electric wire 20a, an eighth external connector 20b and an eighth branch portion 20c. The eighth external connector 20b has a structure that engages with the tenth connector 12j of the trunk line 10.

[0059] Furthermore, for example, the configuration of each branch line is not limited to the example of the first branch line 13 , and may be, for example, a configuration similar to the second branch line 14 , the fifth branch line 17 , or the seventh branch line 19 .

[0060] The second branch line 14 includes a second electric wire 14a, a second external connector 14b and a second branch end 14c. Compared with the first branch end 13c, the two second branch ends 14c can each include a simple structure. The second external connector 14b has a structure that is engaged with the second connector 12b of the trunk line 10. However, the size of the engagement structure between the second connector 12b and the second external connector 14b can be smaller than the size of the engagement structure between the first connector 12a and the first external connector 13b.

[0061] Meanwhile, for example, similar to the construction of the second branch line 14, the third branch line 15 connected to the trunk line 10 via the third connector 12c may also include a third electric wire 15a, a third external connector 15b, and a third branch end 15c. The third external connector 15b has a structure that engages with the third connector 12c of the trunk line 10. In addition, for example, similar to the construction of the second branch line 14, the fourth branch line 16 may also include a fourth electric wire 16a, a fourth external connector 16b engaged with the fourth connector 12d of the trunk line 10, and a fourth branch end 16c. In addition, similar to the construction of the second branch line 14, the sixth branch line 18 may also include a sixth electric wire 18a, a sixth external connector 18b engaged with the seventh connector 12g of the trunk line 10, and a sixth branch end 18c.

[0062] The fifth branch line 17 includes a fifth electric wire 17a, a fifth external connector 17b, and a fifth branch end 17c. In the fifth branch line 17, the number of the fifth branch ends 17c is greater than the number of the first branch ends 13c in the first branch line 13. In addition, in the fifth branch line 17, the number of the fifth external connectors 17b is greater than the number of the first external connectors 13b in the first branch line 13. In the example of the fifth branch line 17, there are two fifth external connectors 17b. In this case, one fifth external connector 17b has a structure that is engaged with the fifth connector 12e, and the other fifth external connector 17b has a structure that is engaged with the sixth connector 12f adjacent to the fifth connector 12e.

[0063] Meanwhile, for example, similar to the configuration of the fifth branch line 17, the ninth branch line 21 connected to the trunk line 10 via the eleventh connector 12k and the twelfth connector 12m may also include a ninth electric wire 21a, two ninth external connectors 21b, and three ninth branch end portions 21c. In this case, one ninth external connector 21b has a structure engaged with the eleventh connector 12k, and another ninth external connector 21b has a structure engaged with the twelfth connector 12m adjacent to the eleventh connector 12k.

[0064] The seventh branch line 19 includes a seventh electric wire 19a, a seventh external connector 19b, and a seventh branch end 19c. In the seventh branch line 19, the number of the seventh electric wires 19a is greater than the number of the first electric wires 13a in the first branch line 13. In addition, in the seventh branch line 19, the number of the seventh external connectors 19b is greater than the number of the first external connectors 13b in the first branch line 13. In the example of the seventh branch line 19, there are two seventh external connectors 19b. In this case, one seventh external connector 19b has a structure engaged with the eighth connector 12h, and the other seventh external connector 19b has a structure engaged with the ninth connector 12i adjacent to the eighth connector 12h.

[0065] Here, the first branch line 13, the second branch line 14, the third branch line 15, or the fourth branch line 16 routed from the first side end 11a of the FPC 11 to the driver seat side or the passenger seat side may be connected to electrical equipment such as an instrument panel and an air conditioning device attached to the instrument panel 100. Meanwhile, the fifth branch line 17, the sixth branch line 18, the seventh branch line 19, the eighth branch line 20, or the ninth branch line 21 routed from the second side end 11b of the FPC 11 to the engine compartment side may be connected to a main battery, various control boxes, and the like.

[0066] Next, the trunk line 10 of the wire harness 1 and the effects of the wire harness 1 including the trunk line 10 are described.

[0067] The trunk line 10 of the wire harness 1 according to the present embodiment includes an FPC 11 having a straight shape and a plurality of connectors 12, and one or more of the plurality of connectors 12 are installed at each of a first side end portion 11a and a second side end portion 11b which are both side end portions of the FPC 11. The plurality of connectors 12 each have a structure engaged with an external connector attached to an external electric wire.

[0068] Here, the external electric wires correspond to the above-mentioned branch lines in the wire harness 1, such as the first branch line 13, etc. The external connectors correspond to the above-mentioned first external connectors 13b, etc. attached to the respective branch lines.

[0069] Furthermore, the wiring harness 1 according to the present embodiment includes a trunk line 10 and a plurality of branch lines electrically connected to the trunk line 10, such as a first branch line 13, etc. The plurality of branch lines are each constituted by electric wires including one end to which an external connector engaged with the connector 12 of the trunk line 10 is attached.

[0070] First, in the present embodiment, the trunk line 10 of the wiring harness 1 is constituted by FPC11 instead of electric wires. Therefore, the weight of the trunk line 10 constituted by FPC11 is reduced compared with a trunk line obtained by bundling various types of general electric wires. Here, as described above, when the wiring harness 1 is installed in a vehicle, it is assumed that the length L of the trunk line 10 is about 1000 mm. Here, when a trunk line having such a length is entirely constituted by electric wires, the weight of the trunk line itself and thus the wiring harness as a whole is significantly increased. In contrast, according to the trunk line 10 or the wiring harness 1, the weight of the trunk line 10 or the wiring harness 1 as a whole is reduced to a greater extent as the length L is set longer, so it is possible to easily suppress an increase in the size of the wiring harness 1 while suppressing an increase in weight.

[0071] For example, as described above, it is assumed that the wiring harness 1 is attached to the inside of the instrument panel 100. Typically, the large-sized wiring harness attached to the inside of the instrument panel 100 as described above includes a large number of branch lines corresponding to various devices such as instruments, air conditioning devices, and audio devices, and is heavier than the wiring harness attached to other parts of the vehicle. In addition, in such a large-sized wiring harness, some branch lines may include connectors that are not actually used, such as joint connectors. In contrast, the wiring harness 1 according to the present embodiment enables connection of suitable branch lines including only required connectors, and thus can eliminate branch lines including prepared connectors that are not actually used. Therefore, according to the wiring harness 1 of the present embodiment, a weight reduction of approximately 30% can be achieved compared to a general wiring harness including a trunk line constituted by bundling various electric wires.

[0072] Furthermore, generally, in a large-sized wiring harness including a trunk line constituted by bundling various electric wires, it may be difficult to adopt a thin electric wire having a permissible current value of about several milliamperes as a branch line due to its structure. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the trunk line 10 has a relatively small thickness as a whole and is constituted by the FPC 11 including the fine pattern layer 11g, so it is easy to adopt a structure for connecting branch lines formed by electric wires limited to the above-mentioned current range.

[0073] In addition, generally, the wiring harness including the trunk line formed by bundling various electric wires is manually manufactured by workers. In view of this, the FPC 11 can be manufactured by automation, and thus the number of steps for manufacturing the trunk line 10, and thus the number of steps for manufacturing the wiring harness 1 can be reduced by constructing the trunk line 10 by the FPC 11.

[0074] In addition, in the present embodiment, the external electric wire, i.e., the branch line, is connected to the trunk line 10 via the connector 12, and is therefore freely attached and removed relative to the trunk line 10. Therefore, in the final step of manufacturing the wiring harness 1, it is only necessary for the worker to connect the plurality of branch lines prepared in advance to the trunk line 10. For example, the worker can assemble the wiring harness 1 as a whole by first attaching the trunk line 10 to the crossbeam 111 before connecting to the branch line, and then connecting the individual branch lines to the trunk line 10. In other words, this can help reduce the number of steps in designing the wiring harness 1 or help the manufacturing work of the vehicle adopting the wiring harness 1. In addition, according to the trunk line 10 and the wiring harness 1, the branch line can be replaced relative to one trunk line 10. Therefore, when one branch line is damaged, it is easy to replace only the damaged branch line. On the other hand, the trunk line 10 is shared in common, and only the desired branch line is appropriately changed. Thus, various wiring harnesses 1 adopting corresponding branch lines of different types or lengths can be easily configured. In addition, it is possible to provide a so-called additional expansion function, which enables a new function that is not initially provided in the wiring harness 1 when assembled to the vehicle to be added after assembly. Note that the trunk line 10 constructed of the FPC 11 may be attached to the beam 111 via a protector for covering and protecting the entire trunk line 10 .

[0075] In addition, the branch line can be freely attached and removed relative to the trunk line 10, and thus the following advantages are provided. First, according to the wiring harness 1, the trunk line 10 and multiple branch lines can be managed under their respective original item numbers. For example, as a comparative example, it is assumed that a plurality of general wiring harnesses that differ from each other only in the length of a specific branch line are provided. At this time, the multiple wiring harnesses 1 are represented by different item numbers, respectively, and are managed. In contrast, according to the wiring harness 1, the branch lines having different lengths are represented by item numbers, respectively, and the commonly shared trunk line 10 is represented by one item number and managed. Therefore, it is possible to easily increase the variation of branch line changes, and it helps to simplify the labor management associated with the structural changes of the wiring harness 1. Secondly, in general, for a large-sized wiring harness including a trunk line constituted by bundling various electric wires, transportation is difficult due to its weight. In contrast, according to the wiring harness 1, the trunk line 10 and the branch line can be transported separately, so there are advantages such as shortening the manufacturing days of the wiring harness 1 itself or the vehicle using the wiring harness 1 and reducing restrictions on the manufacturing site. Third, according to the wiring harness 1, the branch line can be manufactured independently of the trunk line 10, so it can be manufactured by an automated machine instead of by a worker manually. That is, according to the wiring harness 1, both the trunk line 10 constructed by the FPC 11 and the branch line constructed by the electric wire, that is, the wiring harness 1 as a whole, can be manufactured by an automated machine, which is conducive to reducing costs.

[0076] In addition, in the present embodiment, the FPC 11 has a straight shape, and therefore, the trunk line 10 and the wiring harness 1 are easily used for various attachment components in the vehicle. Note that even when the FPC 11 has an elongated shape with a length L of about 1000 mm, the FPC 11 having a straight shape can further facilitate the manufacture of the FPC 11 in the FPC manufacturing equipment.

[0077] In addition, in the present embodiment, one or more connectors 12 are installed at the first side end 11a and the second side end 11b, respectively, so that the trunk line 10 can connect the respective branch lines to each other from opposite sides. Therefore, as described above, when the wiring harness 1 is installed in the vehicle, the trunk line 10 makes it possible to increase the set number of branch lines to be connected and increase the variation of the configuration of the wiring harness 1.

[0078] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, each of the plurality of connectors 12 has a structure for engaging with an external connector attached to an external electric wire. In other words, the external electric wire, i.e., the branch wire itself has a structure similar to that of a branch wire of a general wiring harness, so the wiring harness 1 can be easily used instead of a general wiring harness constructed entirely of electric wires.

[0079] As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the trunk line 10 of the wire harness 1 and the wire harness 1 which can increase in size and improve expandability.

[0080] Further, in the trunk line 10, the length L of the FPC 11 may be in the range of 500 mm to 1500 mm. The width W of the FPC 11 may be in the range of 40 mm to 100 mm.

[0081] The trunk line 10 is particularly suitable for the case where the wiring harness 1 is installed in a vehicle as described above. In addition, when the length L and width W of the FPC 11 are set within the above ranges, the wiring harness 1 including the trunk line 10 can be more widely used to replace a general wiring harness constructed entirely of electric wires.

[0082] (Second embodiment)

[0083] In the wire harness 1 according to the first embodiment, only the trunk line 10 constructed by the FPC 11 is employed as the trunk line. In view of this, in the wire harness 2 according to the second embodiment, in addition to the FPC 11, an auxiliary wiring 22 capable of serving as a part of the trunk line is employed.

[0084] Figure 4 2 is a plan view schematically showing a configuration example of the wire harness 2 . Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the wire harness 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 Hereinafter, among the constituent elements of the wire harness 2, the same constituent elements as those of the wire harness 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

[0085] The wiring harness 2 includes an auxiliary wiring 22 composed of electric wires. In the wiring harness 2, the position where the auxiliary wiring 22 is arranged is not particularly limited, and as an example, in the present embodiment, it is arranged between the fifth branch line 17 and the sixth branch line 18. The auxiliary wiring 22 includes an auxiliary electric wire 22a, a first wiring terminal 22b attached to one end of the auxiliary electric wire 22a, and a second wiring terminal 22c attached to the other end of the auxiliary electric wire 22a. For example, the auxiliary wiring 22 can be bundled together with other adjacent branches (such as the sixth branch line 18). Here, a portion of the auxiliary wiring 22 is arranged along at least a portion of the length direction of the trunk line 10. Figure 4 In the example shown, the trunk line 10 and a portion of the auxiliary wiring 22 are arranged in parallel with each other in the parallel section P. In other words, in addition to the trunk line 10, a portion of the auxiliary wiring 22 in the parallel section P can be regarded as a portion of the trunk line in the wiring harness 2 together with the trunk line 10.

[0086] In this way, the wire harness 2 may include the auxiliary wiring 22 configured by the electric wires. Furthermore, a part of the auxiliary wiring 22 may be arranged along at least a part of the trunk line 10 in the length direction.

[0087] Herein, the trunk line 10 is constructed by the FPC 11, but when attempting to conduct a relatively large current from one branch line to another branch line via the trunk line 10, it is conceivable that conduction may actually be difficult in the conductor circuit included in the pattern layer 11g of the FPC 11. In view of this, according to the wiring harness 2, when it is necessary to pass such a large current through the trunk line, it can be solved by passing the current through the auxiliary wiring 22 constructed by the electric wire, rather than passing it through the trunk line 10 constructed by the FPC 11. In this state, as the auxiliary electric wire 22a, an auxiliary electric wire having an appropriate wire width for conducting the desired current is preselected.

[0088] (Third Embodiment)

[0089] In the wire harness 2 according to the second embodiment, the portion of the auxiliary wiring 22 that can further function as a trunk is arranged in parallel with the trunk 10 constructed by the FPC 11. In view of this, in the wire harness 3 according to the third embodiment, an auxiliary trunk 40 is employed as a trunk connected in series with the FPC 31.

[0090] Figure 5 2 is a plan view schematically showing a configuration example of the wire harness 3 . Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the wire harness 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 Hereinafter, among the constituent elements of the wire harness 3, the same constituent elements as those of the wire harness 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

[0091] First, the wiring harness 3 includes a trunk line 30 replacing the trunk line 10 of the wiring harness 1. The trunk line 30 includes an FPC 31, a second connector 32b, a third connector 32c, a fourth connector 32d, a seventh connector 32g, an eighth connector 32h, a ninth connector 32i, a tenth connector 32j, an eleventh connector 32k, and a twelfth connector 32m. The FPC 31 has a substantially identical structure to the FPC 11 of the trunk line 10, but in this embodiment, the region where the first branch line 13 and the fifth branch line 17 are connected to each other in the trunk line 10 is replaced by an auxiliary trunk line 40. Note that the above connectors of the trunk line 30 correspond to the connectors of the trunk line 10, respectively, and are represented by the same names.

[0092] In addition, similar to the FPC 11, the FPC 31 includes a first side end portion 31a and a second side end portion 31a, and in the present embodiment, defines a terminal portion 31c perpendicular to both the first side end portion 31a and the second side end portion 31b along the width W. At the terminal portion 31c, an auxiliary connector 32n is mounted. Similar to the second connector 32b, etc., the auxiliary connector 32n is also electrically connected to a pattern layer not shown included in the FPC 31.

[0093] Further, the wiring harness 3 includes an auxiliary trunk line 40 composed of electric wires. An auxiliary external connector 40a connected to the auxiliary connector 32n is attached to one end of the auxiliary trunk line 40. In other words, the auxiliary connector 32n of the FPC 31 has a structure that engages with the auxiliary external connector 40a. At the same time, at the other end of the auxiliary trunk line 40, an end connector 40b that can be connected to other electrical equipment, etc. can be attached.

[0094] At least one branch line is branched from the auxiliary trunk line 40. Figure 4 In the example shown, a tenth branch line 41 replacing the first branch line 13 of the trunk line 10 and an eleventh branch line 42 replacing the fifth branch line 17 of the trunk line 10 branch from the auxiliary trunk line 40. The tenth branch line 41 includes a tenth electric wire 41a and a tenth branch end 41b. The eleventh branch line 42 includes an eleventh electric wire 42a and an eleventh branch end 42b.

[0095] In this way, the wiring harness 3 may include the auxiliary trunk line 40 constructed of electric wires. The trunk line 30 may include an auxiliary connector 32n installed at one end portion 31c of the FPC 31. The auxiliary connector 32n may have a structure engaged with the auxiliary external connector 40a attached to the auxiliary trunk line 40.

[0096] In the wiring harness 3, not all trunks are constructed of FPC, but a trunk is provided in which the FPC portion corresponding to the FPC 31 and the wire portion corresponding to the auxiliary trunk 40 are connected in series with each other. For example, the auxiliary trunk 40 can be used as a circuit for an airbag or an antenna. In this state, the auxiliary trunk 40 can include an important circuit or a conditional circuit such as a power line. Therefore, according to the wiring harness 3, the scalability can be further improved.

[0097] Note that in the description given above, the case where the wire harness 1 is attached to the inside of the dashboard 100 of the car is given as an example. However, the attachment position of the wire harness 1 is not limited thereto, and may be, for example, under the floor or inside the roof of the car.

[0098] Although the embodiment is described above, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made within the gist of the embodiment.

[0099] The entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-173132 (filed on October 28, 2022) are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A trunk line of a wiring harness, comprising: A flexible printed circuit having a straight line shape; as well as A plurality of connectors, at least one of which is mounted at each of two side ends of the flexible printed circuit, wherein: Each of the plurality of connectors has a structure that engages with an external connector attached to an external electric wire.

2. The wire harness trunk line according to claim 1, wherein: The length of the flexible printed circuit is in the range of 500 mm to 1500 mm, and The width of the flexible printed circuit is in the range of 40 mm to 100 mm.

3. A wiring harness comprising: Trunk line; as well as A plurality of branch lines, the plurality of branch lines are electrically connected to the trunk line; wherein, The trunk line is a trunk line of the wiring harness according to claim 1 or 2, and Each of the plurality of branch lines is constituted by an electric wire one end of which is attached to the external connector engaged with a connector of the trunk line.

4. The wiring harness according to claim 3, further comprising: Auxiliary wiring consisting of wires, where A portion of the auxiliary wiring is arranged along at least a portion in a longitudinal direction of the trunk line.

5. The wiring harness according to claim 3, further comprising: Auxiliary trunks consisting of electric wires, where The trunk line includes an auxiliary connector mounted at one end portion of the flexible printed circuit, and The auxiliary connector has a structure engaged with an auxiliary external connector attached to the auxiliary trunk line.

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