Wire harness

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a wire harness that is easy to manufacture. A wire harness (WH) is provided with: a wire module (5) having a plurality of wires (51) and wire-side connectors (52) provided at the ends of the plurality of wires (51); and a substrate module (6) having a flexible substrate (61), a first substrate-side connector (62) provided at one end of the flexible substrate (61) and connected to the wire-side connector (52), and a second substrate-side connector (63) provided at the other end of the flexible substrate (61) and connected to the connector of the control unit (71), the flexible substrate (61) having a wiring section (611), and the first substrate-side connector (62) being connected to the wire-side connector (52) and the second substrate-side connector (63) being connected to the wire-side connector (52). The wiring section (611) has a plurality of wires (611A) electrically connected to the plurality of wires (51) via the wire-side connector (52) and the first substrate-side connector (62), respectively, and the wiring section (611) has a joint section (611B) that connects at least two wires (611A) among the plurality of wires (611A) to each other.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] As a conventional technology related to a wire harness, for example, as described in Patent Document 1, there is known a wire harness mounted on a vehicle, which is a wire harness formed by bundling covered electric wires.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-117619 Summary of the invention

[0006] Technical problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In such a wiring harness, there is room for improvement in terms of achieving improved manufacturability. For example, the above-mentioned wiring harness sometimes includes a connector that electrically connects the conductors of the coated wires to each other. With respect to the connector, automation of manufacturing becomes difficult, and the wiring harness becomes difficult to manufacture.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a wire harness that is easy to manufacture.

[0009] Technical solutions to the problem

[0010] That is, the wiring harness involved in the present invention is configured to include: a wire module, the wire module having a plurality of wires and a wire-side connector provided at the ends of the plurality of wires; and a substrate module, the substrate module having a flexible substrate, a first substrate-side connector provided at one end of the flexible substrate and connected to the wire-side connector, and a second substrate-side connector provided at the other end of the flexible substrate and connected to a connector of an electronic device, the flexible substrate having a wiring portion, the wiring portion having a plurality of wirings electrically connected to the plurality of wires respectively via the wire-side connector and the first substrate-side connector, and the wiring portion having a joint portion, the joint portion connecting at least two of the plurality of wirings to each other.

[0011] Effects of the Invention

[0012] According to the wire harness according to the present invention, it is possible to facilitate manufacturing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of a wire harness according to the embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 It is an exploded perspective view of the wire harness according to the embodiment.

[0015] Figure 3 It is an explanatory diagram of a wire-side connector of a wire harness according to the embodiment.

[0016] Figure 4 It is an explanatory diagram of a flexible substrate of a wire harness according to the embodiment.

[0017] Figure 5 It is an explanatory diagram of an assembled state of the wire harness according to the embodiment.

[0018] Description of Reference Numerals

[0019] 5: Wire module

[0020] 6: Baseboard module

[0021] 51: Wires

[0022] 52: Wire side connector

[0023] 61: Flexible substrate

[0024] 62: First substrate side connector

[0025] 63: Second substrate side connector

[0026] 71: Control unit (electronic equipment)

[0027] 100: Vehicles

[0028] 110: Dashboard

[0029] 111: Reinforcement

[0030] 611: Wiring Department

[0031] 611A: Cabling

[0032] 611B: Connector

[0033] 611C: Through hole

[0034] WH: Harness DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. In addition, the constituent elements in the following embodiments include elements that can be easily replaced by those skilled in the art, or substantially the same elements.

[0036] [Implementation Method]

[0037] The present embodiment relates to a wire harness. In the following description, the first direction among the mutually intersecting first direction, second direction and third direction is referred to as "extension direction X", the second direction is referred to as "width direction Y", and the third direction is referred to as "height direction Z". Here, the extension direction X, the width direction Y and the height direction Z are mutually orthogonal. The extension direction X is equivalent to the extension direction of the trunk portion of the wire harness or the vehicle width direction of the vehicle. The width direction Y is equivalent to the width direction of the trunk portion or the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The height direction Z is equivalent to the height direction of the trunk portion or the height direction of the vehicle. The width direction Y and the height direction Z are equivalent to the intersection direction intersecting with the extension direction X. In addition, the directions used in the following description represent the directions in the state where the parts are assembled to each other unless otherwise specified. In addition, the orthogonal mentioned here includes substantially orthogonal.

[0038] Figure 1 1 is a perspective view of a wire harness WH according to an embodiment, and shows a state in which the wire harness WH is assembled in a vehicle 100. For example, the wire harness WH is installed in an instrument panel 110 of the vehicle 100 for use. The instrument panel 110 is an interior panel disposed at the front of the vehicle interior along the vehicle width direction in a manner facing the driver's seat and the passenger seat of the vehicle 100. Figure 1 In the figure, the instrument panel 110 is indicated by a double-dashed line. The wire harness WH connects the devices mounted on the vehicle 100 and is used for power supply and signal communication. A reinforcement 111 is provided inside the instrument panel 110. The reinforcement 111 is a structural component or a reinforcing component provided inside the instrument panel 110, and is provided along the vehicle width direction (extension direction X). The reinforcement 111 is also called a reinforcement (Reinforcement), a reinforcement (レインフォース), a reinforcement (リーンフォース), etc. The reinforcement 111 is, for example, composed of a hollow metal tube, and flanges 112 are formed at both ends. One flange 112 is fixed to the left side of the vehicle body 100, and the other flange 112 is fixed to the right side of the vehicle body 100.

[0039] The wiring harness WH includes a trunk portion 2 and a plurality of branch portions 3. The trunk portion 2 is a wiring module having a plurality of transmission lines or wiring extending in the same direction. The trunk portion 2 is arranged along the reinforcement 111, and both ends are connected to the control unit 71. The control unit 71 is an electronic device having a control function, such as a regional ECU (Electronic Control Unit) of a device that uniformly controls the peripheral area (ゾーン) of the instrument panel 110, but is not limited thereto. The control unit 71 is, for example, arranged at a position deviating from the extension direction of the reinforcement 111 in the cross direction.

[0040] The branch line 3 is provided to branch from the trunk line 2, and is connected to, for example, an electronic device 4 at its terminal. The branch line 3 is formed by, for example, bundling a plurality of covered electric wires, and is connected to the electronic device 4 via a connector attached to the terminal.

[0041] The trunk portion 2 is configured to include a wire module 5 and a substrate module 6. The wire module 5 is configured by bundling a plurality of covered wires. The covered wire is a wire having an insulating coating provided on the outer periphery of the conductor. The wire module 5 is, for example, provided along the reinforcement 111 of the vehicle 100, and is arranged toward the control unit 71 arranged in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the reinforcement 111. The substrate module 6 is a wiring module having a flexible substrate 61, and is, for example, provided between one end of the wire module 5 and the control unit 71. That is, the substrate module 6 is provided at the end of the trunk portion 2, and is provided at a connection portion of an electronic device such as the control unit 71.

[0042] The substrate module 6 is formed shorter than the wire module 5 in the extension direction of the trunk portion 2. In the wire harness WH, by forming the substrate module 6, which has a higher cost than the wire module 5, shorter, it is possible to suppress the cost increase of the wire harness WH. In addition, the trunk portion 2 may also have special wires 30 in addition to the wire module 5 and the substrate module 6. The special wires 30 are wires for transmitting signals or power that are difficult to properly transmit in the wire module 5 and the substrate module 6, such as signals for high-speed communication or transmission of high-current power. The special wires 30 are laid, for example, along the reinforcement 111.

[0043] like Figure 2 As shown, the wire module 5 is connected to the control unit 71 via the substrate module 6. The wire module 5 has a wire 51 and a wire-side connector 52. The wire 51 is a covered wire in which the outer circumference of the conductor is covered with an insulating sheath, and is laid out in a bundled state, and connected to the wire-side connector 52 at the end. For example, the wires 51 are arranged side by side and connected to the wire-side connector 52, and a plurality of wire-side connectors 52 are provided in a longitudinally overlapping manner. By providing a plurality of wire-side connectors 52, the wire module 5 can form a plurality of transmission lines, and can transmit a large amount of signals and power.

[0044] The substrate module 6 has a flexible substrate 61, a first substrate-side connector 62, and a second substrate-side connector 63. The flexible substrate 61 is a planar circuit body that forms a circuit in a planar shape, and is called a flexible printed wiring board (FPC (Flexible Printed Circuits: Flexible Printed Circuits)), which is a printed wiring substrate with flexibility. The planar shape mentioned here also includes a substantially planar shape. The flexible substrate 61 is formed, for example, by bonding a base film, a conductor foil, and a cover layer via an adhesive layer. The conductor foil is a wiring pattern of the flexible substrate 61, and constitutes a wiring portion 611 (see Figure 4). The flexible substrate 61 uses, for example, a double-sided substrate having wiring patterns on both sides of a base film. In addition, the flexible substrate 61 may be a multi-layer substrate having three or more layers, or a single-sided substrate having wiring patterns only on one side of a base film. The flexible substrate 61 may be provided with electrical components such as resistors and capacitors mounted on the wiring patterns, or may not be provided with electrical components.

[0045] The first board-side connector 62 is a connector mounted on one end of the flexible board 61 and is mated and connected to the wire-side connector 52. The second board-side connector 63 is a connector mounted on the other end of the flexible board 61 and is mated and connected to the connector 711 provided in the control unit 71.

[0046] In the substrate module 6, for example, a plurality of flexible substrates 61 are provided and stacked. The second substrate-side connector 63 is configured to be able to mount the plurality of flexible substrates 61 in a stacked state. For example, the second substrate-side connector 63 holds a plurality of terminals mounted on each flexible substrate 61 and is electrically connected to the terminals of the connector 711. The first substrate-side connector 62 is mounted on each of the plurality of flexible substrates 61. The plurality of first substrate-side connectors 62 are respectively engaged and connected with the wire-side connector 52.

[0047] In this way, the substrate module 6 can compactly and collectively constitute a plurality of transmission lines by having a plurality of stacked flexible substrates 61. If a wiring module formed by bundling electric wires is used instead of the substrate module 6, a plurality of transmission lines are constituted by a plurality of covered electric wires, resulting in a relatively thick wiring module. In contrast, in the wire harness WH involved in this embodiment, the substrate module 6 can be configured to be thin and small by stacking the flexible substrates 61.

[0048] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the wire side connector 52. Figure 3 In the figure, for the convenience of explanation, a part of the wire side connector 52 is cut away and shown in the figure. Figure 3 As shown, the wire side connector 52 is a connector connected to the end of the wire 51 in the wire module 5. A connection terminal 511 is installed on the wire 51. The connection terminal 511 is, for example, a crimping terminal, and is connected to the wire 51 by crimping. The connection terminal 511 is a tuning fork terminal in which a pair of contact pieces extend in the mating direction, and is arranged and accommodated in the accommodation chamber 523 of the housing 521. The connection terminal 511 is electrically connected to the flexible substrate 61 by inserting the flexible substrate 61 and the first substrate side connector 62 between the pair of contact pieces. That is, the connection terminal 511 is connected to the wiring 611A (see Figure 4) is electrically connected. A locking portion 522 that can be engaged with the first substrate-side connector 62 is formed in the housing 521 of the wire-side connector 52. When the wire-side connector 52 is engaged with the first substrate-side connector 62, the locking portion 522 locks the first substrate-side connector 62. Figure 3 In FIG. 1 , an example of the wire side connector 52 is shown, but the wire side connector 52 may also have Figure 3 Structures other than those shown.

[0049] Figure 4 1 is a schematic top view of the flexible substrate 11, which is a view of the surface of the flexible substrate 11 viewed from above. Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , a wiring portion 611 including a plurality of wirings 611A is provided on the flexible substrate 11. The flexible substrate 11 extends in the direction ( Figure 4 A plurality of wirings 611A are formed on the substrate module 6 (in the left and right directions). The wirings 611A are conductors that serve as transmission lines for signals or power. The plurality of wirings 611A are electrically connected to the plurality of wires 51 via the wire-side connector 52 and the first substrate-side connector 62. That is, the plurality of wirings 611A are electrically connected to the plurality of wires 51 respectively when the substrate module 6 is connected to the wire module 5. The wiring portion 611 is, for example, a circuit portion constituting an electronic circuit or a circuit, and functions as a wiring pattern for signals, power supply, or grounding. The wiring portion 611 has a connector portion 611B that interconnects at least two wirings 611A among the plurality of wirings 611A. The connector portion 611B is, for example, a portion in the wiring portion 611 where the plurality of wirings 611A are branched or merged. The connector portion 611B interconnects at least two wirings 611A located in the same layer among the plurality of wiring layers constituting the wiring portion 611. The wiring harness WH according to the embodiment introduces a connector function into the flexible substrate 11 by forming the connector portion 611B on the flexible substrate 11. Therefore, the wire harness WH according to the embodiment can suppress the provision of a connector portion for electrically connecting conductors to each other in the wire module 5. Therefore, the wire harness WH according to the embodiment can be easily manufactured, and automation of the manufacturing can be easily achieved.

[0050] The wiring portion 611 may also include a through hole 611C that connects at least two wirings 611A among the plurality of wirings 611A. The through hole 611C is, for example, a portion that connects the wiring 611A formed on the front side of the flexible substrate 11 and the wiring 611A formed on the back side. In addition, when the flexible substrate 11 is a multilayer substrate with three or more layers, the through hole 611C may connect the wirings 611A of different wiring layers. Figure 4In the embodiment, a case where a plurality of through holes 611C are formed in a part of the wiring portion 611 is exemplified. The wire harness WH according to the embodiment forms the through holes 611C in the flexible substrate 11, thereby suppressing the provision of a connector portion for electrically connecting conductors to each other in the wire module 5. Therefore, the manufacturing of the wire harness WH becomes easy, and automation of the manufacturing is easily realized.

[0051] Figure 5 FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the assembly or routing of the wire harness WH according to the embodiment relative to the vehicle. Figure 5 As shown, in the wiring harness WH, as described above, the substrate module 6 engages the second substrate side connector 63 with the connector 711 and is connected to the control unit 71. At this time, the substrate module 6 can also be configured to bend or bend the flexible substrate 61 in the thickness direction. That is, the stacked flexible substrates 61 can also be configured to bend or bend in the same direction relative to the thickness direction. The flexible substrate 61 is formed to be thin, so it is easy to bend or bend, and the curvature radius can be bent to be smaller. Therefore, the wiring harness WH can reduce the mounting space of the substrate module 6.

[0052] As described above, the wire harness WH of this embodiment can connect a plurality of wires 611A to each other by forming a connector 611B in the wire portion 611 of the flexible substrate 61. Therefore, the wire harness WH involved in this embodiment can suppress the provision of a connector for connecting a plurality of wires in the wire module 5, and can be easily manufactured.

[0053] Furthermore, the wire harness WH of the present embodiment includes a plurality of flexible substrates 61 on which the substrate modules 6 are stacked, and thus a plurality of transmission lines can be compactly and collectively configured.

[0054] In addition, the wire harness WH of this embodiment can connect a plurality of wires 611A to each other by forming a through hole 611C in the wire portion 611 of the flexible substrate 61. Therefore, the wire harness WH involved in this embodiment can suppress the provision of a connector portion for connecting a plurality of wires in the wire module 5, and can be easily manufactured.

[0055] In addition, in the wire harness WH of the present embodiment, the wire module 5 is provided along the reinforcement 111 of the vehicle, and the substrate module 6 is provided between the wire module 5 and the control unit 71. Therefore, the wire harness WH of the present embodiment uses the substrate module 6 at the portion connected to the control unit 71, so that the substrate module 6 can be easily deformed and the wiring operation can be easily performed.

[0056] Furthermore, even when the wire harness WH of the present embodiment is provided in a bent or curved manner by bending the flexible substrate 61 , the radius of curvature can be reduced, and thus the mounting space can be reduced.

[0057] The above examples illustrate the embodiments of the present invention, but the above embodiments are examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, combinations, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0058] For example, in this embodiment, the case where the wire harness WH is used in the vehicle 100 is described, but the wire harness of the present invention can also be used for devices and equipment other than the vehicle 100. Even such a wire harness can be manufactured easily like the wire harness WH involved in this embodiment.

Claims

1. A wiring harness, characterized in that: have: an electric wire module having a plurality of electric wires and electric wire-side connectors provided at ends of the plurality of electric wires; and A substrate module, the substrate module comprising: a flexible substrate; a first substrate-side connector, the first substrate-side connector being arranged at one end of the flexible substrate and connected to the wire-side connector; and a second substrate-side connector being arranged at the other end of the flexible substrate and connected to a connector of an electronic device, The flexible substrate includes a wiring portion including a plurality of wirings electrically connected to the plurality of electric wires via the electric wire-side connector and the first substrate-side connector. The wiring portion has a joint portion that connects at least two of the plurality of wirings to each other.

2. The wire harness according to claim 1, characterized in that: The substrate module comprises: a plurality of the flexible substrates, the plurality of the flexible substrates being stacked and mounted on the second substrate-side connector; and a plurality of the first substrate-side connectors, the plurality of the first substrate-side connectors being mounted on the plurality of the flexible substrates, respectively. The electric wire module includes a plurality of the electric wire-side connectors connected to the plurality of the first board-side connectors, respectively.

3. The wire harness according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wiring portion has a through hole that connects at least two wirings among the plurality of wirings to each other.

4. The wire harness according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electric wire module is provided along a reinforcement member of the vehicle and is arranged toward the electronic device arranged in a direction intersecting with an extending direction of the reinforcement member. The substrate module is arranged between the wire module and the electronic device.

5. The wire harness according to claim 4, characterized in that: The flexible substrate is arranged to be bent or curved in a thickness direction.

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