Visual self-sealing retaining clip for automotive wiring harness

Abstract

The application discloses a visual self-sealing fixing buckle for automobile wire harness, which comprises a wire harness cable tie (1) and a cable tie locking head (2), the wire harness cable tie (1) is fixed on the cable tie locking head (2), a sealing cap (3) and a connecting plug (4) are further fixed on the cable tie locking head (2), and an annular hot melt adhesive sealing ring is fixed on one side of the sealing cap (3) and faces the connecting plug (4). The application solves the sealing problem of the opening of the vehicle body, provides instant visual verification of assembly quality, and supports non-destructive or low-damage disassembly during maintenance.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a fastening clip, and more particularly to a visible self-sealing fastening clip for automotive wiring harnesses. Background Technology

[0002] In automotive wiring harness assembly, plastic retaining clips are one of the most widely used basic components, used to reliably secure the wiring harness to pre-drilled holes in the body sheet metal.

[0003] Traditional clips face three major pain points: First, poor sealing. After the clip passes through the sheet metal hole, water and dust can easily enter the gap, leading to corrosion on the inside of the sheet metal. Second, the installation status is not visible. Whether the clip is installed correctly depends entirely on feel or the "click" sound, which can easily lead to missed inspections or misjudgments in noisy workshops. Third, disassembly is difficult and easily damaged. During maintenance, tools are needed to pry it out forcefully, which often results in damage to the clip or the wire harness sheath. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a visual self-sealing fixing clip for automotive wiring harnesses to solve the technical problems in the prior art.

[0005] The present invention provides a visual self-sealing fixing buckle for automotive wiring harnesses, including a wiring harness cable tie and a cable tie locking head. The wiring harness cable tie is fixed to the cable tie locking head, and a sealing cap and a connecting plug are also fixed on the cable tie locking head. An annular hot melt adhesive sealing ring is fixed on the side of the sealing cap facing the connecting plug.

[0006] In the aforementioned visual self-sealing fastener for automotive wiring harnesses, preferably, the side of the wiring harness cable tie facing the wiring harness is encapsulated with a thermosensitive color-changing sheet, and the wiring harness cable tie is made of transparent or semi-transparent plastic material.

[0007] In the aforementioned visual self-sealing fastener for automotive wiring harnesses, preferably, the wiring harness cable tie has a plurality of first locking teeth evenly spaced on the side facing away from the wiring harness.

[0008] In the aforementioned visual self-sealing fastener for automotive wiring harnesses, preferably, the cable tie locking head has a locking hole for the wiring harness cable tie to pass through, and the locking hole has a second locking tooth that engages with the first locking tooth.

[0009] In the aforementioned visual self-sealing fastener for automotive wiring harnesses, preferably, the open end of the sealing cap faces the connecting plug, and the closed end of the sealing cap is fixedly connected to the cable tie locking head.

[0010] In the aforementioned visual self-sealing fastener for automotive wiring harnesses, preferably, the outer wall of the connecting plug has several reverse tooth structures.

[0011] Compared with existing technologies, this invention includes a wire harness cable tie and a cable tie locking head. The wire harness cable tie is fixed to the cable tie locking head, which is also fixed with a sealing cap and a connecting plug. An annular hot melt adhesive sealing ring is fixed on the side of the sealing cap facing the connecting plug. This invention, by setting the annular hot melt adhesive sealing ring, softens it during installation by heating, and forms a tight fit with the sheet metal surface under continuous external pressure. After cooling, it forms a highly elastic waterproof sealing layer. This effectively solves the sealing problem at sheet metal openings, preventing water and dust from entering the sheet metal openings and preventing corrosion on the inner side of the sheet metal. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention in its unheated state;

[0013] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention after heating.

[0014] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 1. Cable tie; 2. Cable tie locking head; 3. Sealing cap; 4. Connecting plug; 5. Thermosensitive color-changing sheet; 6. Locking hole; 7. Reverse tooth structure. Detailed Implementation

[0015] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0016] Embodiments of the present invention: such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a visual self-sealing fixing buckle for automotive wiring harnesses includes a wiring harness cable tie 1 and a cable tie locking head 2. The wiring harness cable tie 1 is fixed on the cable tie locking head 2. A sealing cap 3 and a connecting plug 4 are also fixed on the cable tie locking head 2. An annular hot melt adhesive sealing ring is fixed on the side of the sealing cap 3 facing the connecting plug 4.

[0017] It should be noted that the annular hot melt adhesive sealing ring is not shown in the figure. By setting the annular hot melt adhesive sealing ring on the sealing cap 3, it is softened by heating during use, and continuous external force is applied to make the annular hot melt adhesive sealing ring fit tightly against the sheet metal surface. After cooling, a permanent, highly elastic waterproof sealing layer is formed, which upgrades the traditional physical bonding that may leak to a molten seal that is "molecularly bonded", and can easily achieve an IP67 or higher protection level.

[0018] The annular hot melt adhesive sealing ring is located inside the sealing cap 3, and the sealing cap 3 also serves to protect the annular hot melt adhesive sealing ring. With the double sealing of the sealing cap 3 and the annular hot melt adhesive sealing ring, sheet metal corrosion and electrical failures caused by water ingress at the wiring harness fixing point are fundamentally prevented.

[0019] The annular hot melt adhesive seal can be made of PA, PO, or EVA-based hot melt adhesive. The annular hot melt adhesive seal is initially solid and slightly protrudes from the connection surface of the sealing cap 3.

[0020] Furthermore, a thermosensitive color-changing sheet 5 is encapsulated on the side of the wire harness cable tie 1 facing the wire harness, and the wire harness cable tie 1 is made of transparent or semi-transparent plastic. Several first locking teeth are evenly spaced on the side of the wire harness cable tie 1 facing away from the wire harness.

[0021] By encapsulating a thermochromic sheet 5 inside the online cable tie 1, the thermochromic sheet 5 will be heated simultaneously when the annular hot melt adhesive seal is heated. When the temperature reaches the set threshold (indicating that the annular hot melt adhesive seal has been fully activated), the thermochromic sheet 5 will permanently change color, providing operators and quality inspectors with irreversible visual evidence that it has been correctly installed and sealed, achieving 100% online visual quality inspection and eliminating errors and omissions.

[0022] Furthermore, the cable tie locking head 2 has a locking hole 6 for the cable tie 1 to pass through, and the locking hole 6 is provided with a second locking tooth that engages with the first locking tooth.

[0023] The structural design of the cable tie locking head 2 is a conventional design. The first and second locking teeth are not shown in the figure. Their working principle is exactly the same as that of the existing design.

[0024] The open end of the sealing cap 3 faces the connecting plug 4, and the closed end of the sealing cap 3 is fixedly connected to the cable tie locking head 2. The outer wall of the connecting plug 4 has several reverse tooth structures 7.

[0025] The structure of this invention eliminates the need for a separate sealing gasket, simplifying the inspection process and assembly procedure.

[0026] The working principle of this invention is as follows: When in use, align the wire harness with the cable tie locking head 2, and use the wire harness cable tie 1 to hold the wire harness. The free end of the wire harness cable tie 1 passes through the locking hole 6. The second locking tooth in the locking hole 6 engages with the first locking tooth on the wire harness cable tie 1, so that the wire harness cable tie 1 firmly holds the wire harness.

[0027] Then, insert the connecting plug 4 into the mounting hole on the body sheet metal, press it firmly into place, and the toothed structure 7 opens and locks. At the same time, use a special hot air gun (equipped with a ring nozzle) to heat the sealing cap 3 area for 3-5 seconds.

[0028] Heat conduction causes the ring-shaped hot melt adhesive ring to soften rapidly, forming a tight bond with the sheet metal surface under continuous external pressure. After cooling, it forms a permanent, highly elastic waterproof sealant layer.

[0029] During the heating process, heat is simultaneously transferred to the thermochromic sheet 5. When the temperature reaches the set threshold, the annular hot melt adhesive ring is fully activated, and the thermochromic sheet 5... Figure 1 The white in the middle permanently turns Figure 2 The blue color in the image provides operators and quality inspectors with irreversible visual evidence that the device has been correctly installed and sealed.

[0030] If it is necessary to remove the clip, use a special hot air gun to heat the sealing cap area 3 for 3-5 seconds. After the annular hot melt adhesive ring softens, use a special tool to unlock and pull out the clip without damage, realizing the reversible operation of the sealing interface, which facilitates the maintenance and replacement of the wiring harness assembly.

[0031] The above description, based on the embodiments shown in the figures, details the structure, features, and effects of the present invention. The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the scope of implementation shown in the figures. Any changes made in accordance with the concept of the present invention, or equivalent embodiments modified to have equivalent changes, that do not exceed the spirit covered by the specification and figures, should be within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A visual self-sealing fastener for automotive wiring harnesses, comprising a wiring harness cable tie (1) and a cable tie locking head (2), characterized in that: The cable tie (1) is fixed on the cable tie locking head (2). The cable tie locking head (2) is also fixed with a sealing cap (3) and a connecting plug (4). An annular hot melt adhesive sealing ring is fixed on the side of the sealing cap (3) facing the connecting plug (4).

2. The visual self-sealing fixing clip for automotive wiring harnesses according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wire harness cable tie (1) has a thermosensitive color-changing sheet (5) encapsulated on the side facing the wire harness. The wire harness cable tie (1) is made of transparent or semi-transparent plastic material.

3. The visual self-sealing fixing clip for automotive wiring harnesses according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cable tie (1) has several first locking teeth evenly spaced on the side facing away from the cable harness.

4. The visual self-sealing fixing clip for automotive wiring harnesses according to claim 3, characterized in that: The cable tie locking head (2) has a locking hole (6) through which the cable tie (1) passes, and the locking hole (6) is provided with a second locking tooth that engages with the first locking tooth.

5. The visual self-sealing fixing clip for automotive wiring harnesses according to claim 4, characterized in that: The open end of the sealing cap (3) faces the connecting plug (4), and the closed end of the sealing cap (3) is fixedly connected to the cable tie locking head (2).

6. The visual self-sealing fixing clip for automotive wiring harnesses according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer wall of the connecting plug (4) has several inverted tooth structures (7).

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