Cable harness routing structure

Abstract

A cable harness guidance structure (1) comprises: a groove (111) formed in an instrument panel (110), which is an example of a body element (110) of a vehicle (100); a flat guide element (10) having flexibility and being received in the groove (111) of the instrument panel (110), and extending along a vehicle width direction (Y); and a cover element (20) that closes the groove (111) in a state in which the flat guide element (10) is received in the groove (111) of the instrument panel (110).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a wire harness routing structure. 2. Description of the state of the art

[0002] As a technique related to a conventional wire harness guide structure, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2012-055105 A discloses a wire harness guide structure including a flexible flat guide member, a protector for protecting the flat guide member, and a fixing member for fixing the protector to a fixing portion of a vehicle.

[0003] Incidentally, in the wire harness routing structure described in the above-described Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2012 055105 A, for example, there is still room for further improvement with regard to better mountability on a vehicle. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a wire harness guide structure capable of improving mountability to a vehicle.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned object, a wire harness guide structure according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a groove formed in a body member of a vehicle; a flat guide member having flexibility and accommodated in the groove of the body member; and a lid member that closes the groove in a state where the flat guide member is accommodated in the groove of the body member.

[0006] The above and other objects, features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of this invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is an exemplary perspective view of a vehicle to which a wire harness routing structure according to an embodiment is attached; Fig. 2 is an exemplary perspective view of the wire harness guide structure according to the embodiment; Fig. 3 is an exemplary exploded perspective view of the wire harness guide structure according to the embodiment; and Fig. 4 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of the wire harness routing structure according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] Hereinafter, an embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment. Furthermore, the constituent parts of the following embodiment include those that can be easily replaced by those skilled in the art or those that are substantially the same. Note that in the present description, ordinal numbers are used only to distinguish components, parts, positions, directions, and the like, and do not indicate order or priority. Embodiment

[0008] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle 100 to which a wire harness guide structure 1 according to an embodiment is attached. Fig. The wire harness routing structure 1 of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on the vehicle 100 and used for power supply and signal communication through connectors mounted on the vehicle 100. The wire harness routing structure 1 of the present embodiment is provided, for example, on an instrument panel 110, which is an example of a body member of the vehicle 100. The instrument panel 110 is a partition wall that separates an engine compartment and the interior (cabin) of the vehicle 100 and constitutes a structural member (frame member) of the vehicle 100.

[0009] Furthermore, a reinforcement member 120, which is installed in an instrument panel of the vehicle 100, is provided above the wire harness routing structure 1. The reinforcement member 120 is, for example, a metal hollow tube and reinforcement or the like that extends along the width of the vehicle. Flanges 121 are attached to both ends of the reinforcement member 120. One of the two flanges 121 is attached to the left side of the body of the vehicle 100, and the other to the right side of the body of the vehicle 100.

[0010] Note that in the following description, among a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction that intersect each other, the first direction is referred to as "vehicle front-rear direction X," the second direction is referred to as "vehicle width direction Y," and the third direction is referred to as "vehicle height direction Z." Here, the vehicle front direction X, the vehicle width direction Y, and the vehicle height direction Z are substantially orthogonal to each other. The vehicle front-rear direction X typically corresponds to the entire longitudinal direction of the vehicle 100, the stacking direction of the wire harness routing structure 1, and the like. The vehicle width direction Y typically corresponds to the entire width direction of the vehicle 100, the longitudinal direction (extension direction) of the wire harness routing structure 1, and the like.The vehicle height direction Z typically corresponds to a vehicle height direction of the vehicle 100, the transverse direction of the wire harness routing structure 1, and the like.

[0011] Note that each direction used in the following description is described as a direction in a state where the wire harness guide structure 1 is mounted on the vehicle 100, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, for the sake of simplicity, in the following description, it is assumed that a stacking direction of the wire harness guide structure 1, that is, an opening direction of a groove 111

[0012] (Sheet thickness direction of the cover member 20) described later is along the front and rear vehicle direction X, but the stacking direction of the wire harness guide structure 1 may be along an inclination direction between the front and rear vehicle direction X and the vehicle height direction Z.

[0013] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the wire harness guide structure 1, and Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the wire harness guide structure 1. As shown in the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the wire harness guide structure 1 includes, for example, the groove 111, a flat guide member 10, the cover member 20, and an elastic member 30. The groove 111 is a recess formed in the instrument panel 110, which is an example of the above-described body member of the vehicle 100, and extends along the vehicle width direction Y. The groove 111 is recessed from an inner surface of the instrument panel 110 toward the front in the vehicle front and rear direction X and opened toward the rear in the vehicle front and rear direction X. The flat guide member 10 is received and guided in the groove 111 along the vehicle width direction Y.

[0014] For example, the groove 111 extends integrally along the vehicle width direction Y so that it is located between a first ECU 5A (see Fig. 1) a control unit 5 provided at one end in the vehicle width direction Y, and a second ECU 5B of the control unit 5 provided at the other end in the vehicle width direction Y. In the present embodiment, the flat guide member 10 has one end 10a and the other end 10b drawn outward so as to protrude from the groove 111. For example, the one end 10a and the other end 10b are folded back toward the upper side in the vehicle height direction Z with respect to the main body of the flat guide member 10 via a fold-back portion. Then, one end 10a is connected to the first ECU 5A via a connector or the like, and the other end 10b is connected to the second ECU 5B via a connector or the like.Note that the first ECU 5A and the second ECU 5B here are typically zone ECUs that integrally control devices in a peripheral area (zone) of the instrument panel 110, but are not limited thereto.

[0015] The flat guide member 10 is a routing element that forms the wire harness and is made of, for example, flexible printed circuits (FPC), flexible flat cables (FFC), or the like. The flat guide member 10 is a thin and flexible flat guide member. The flat guide member 10 has a rectangular shape that extends horizontally in the direction of the vehicle width Y. The flat guide member 10 includes, for example, a base film 11 (see Fig. 3), a wiring pattern 12 and a cover layer 13.

[0016] The base film 11 is a base material with excellent flexibility that determines the overall shape of the flat guide member 10. The base film 11 is made of, for example, a polyimide resin or the like with excellent heat resistance. The wiring pattern 12 is laminated, for example, onto the surface (mounting surface) of the base film 11, forming a plurality of conductive portions (pattern layers). The wiring pattern 12 is made of a conductive material, such as copper foil, and is printed as a printed circuit body on the surface of the base film 11. The cover layer 13 is laminated onto the entire surface of the base film 11 via an adhesive (not shown) and serves as a protective layer for protecting the conductive portion and the like of the wiring pattern 12.

[0017] Furthermore, the plurality of conductor circuit sections formed by the wiring pattern 12 can function as any circuit, such as a signal circuit, a signal GND circuit, or a power ground circuit. The signal circuit is, for example, a circuit that transmits a communication signal between the control unit 5 and in-vehicle devices such as various electronic devices in the vehicle 100. The signal GND circuit is a circuit that, in conjunction with the signal circuit, establishes a connection between in-vehicle devices and sets a potential that serves as a reference for the operation of a circuit between the in-vehicle devices. The power ground circuit is a circuit that grounds a power supply system of the in-vehicle device.

[0018] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the wire harness guide structure 1. As shown in Fig.4, the lid member 20 closes the groove 111 in a state where the flat guide member 10 is accommodated in the groove 111. The lid member 20 is formed, for example, from a synthetic resin material or the like into a rectangular plate shape that is horizontally long in the vehicle width direction Y. The length of the lid member 20 along the vehicle width direction Y is, for example, shorter than the length of the groove 111 along the vehicle width direction Y through openings from which one end 10a and the other end 10b of the flat guide member 10 are drawn out. The lid member 20 can be formed, for example, by a single member extending along the vehicle width direction Y or by a plurality of bodies divided along the vehicle width direction Y.

[0019] The cover member 20 is mounted on the instrument panel 110 so as to cover the groove 111 from the rear side in the vehicle front-rear direction X. For example, the cover member 20 is fastened (fixed) to the inner surface of the instrument panel 110 via a fastening member 50 such as a bolt that penetrates the cover member 20 and the inner surface of the instrument panel 110 along the vehicle front-rear direction X, with the cover member 20 resting on the inner surface of the instrument panel 110. Note that the cover member 20 is not limited to this example and may be configured to be fastened to the instrument panel 110, for example, by a so-called snap-on fastening by claw fastening.

[0020] The elastic member 30 is arranged in an elastically compressed state between the flat guide member 10 and the cover member 20, and is a member that fills a gap between the flat guide member 10 and the cover member 20. The elastic member 30 is formed, for example, from a synthetic resin material or the like into a rectangular plate shape that is horizontally long in the vehicle width direction Y. The length of the elastic member 30 along the vehicle width direction Y is, for example, substantially the same as the length of the cover member 20 along the vehicle width direction Y. The elastic member 30 is, for example, installed in the groove 111 from the rear side in the vehicle front-rear direction X with respect to the instrument panel 110 in a state of being integrated with the cover member 20.In addition, for example, the width of the elastic member 30 along the vehicle height direction Z in a free state is configured to be substantially equal to the width between a pair of side surfaces 111b of the groove 111 along the vehicle height direction Z.

[0021] Furthermore, the elastic member 30 is formed, for example, from a sound-absorbing material 30A. The sound-absorbing material 30A is formed by finely dispersing a gas in a synthetic resin and molding it into a foamed or porous shape, and, for example, a urethane sponge or the like can be used. For example, the sound-absorbing material 30A (elastic member 30) dampens the rattling of the flat guide member 10 in the groove 111 due to vibrations or the like of the vehicle 100 input into the instrument panel 110, and can absorb abnormal noise or the like generated by the rattling of the flat guide member 10.

[0022] Additionally, in the present embodiment, a bottom surface 111a of the groove 111 is provided with an adhesive portion 40 for adhering the flat guide member 10. The adhesive portion 40 is formed, for example, from a double-sided adhesive tape, an adhesive, or the like, and extends along the vehicle width direction Y. The adhesive portion 40 is provided corresponding to a main body of the flat guide member 10, that is, a portion except for one end 10a and the other end 10b that are drawn out from the above-described groove 111, and can fix the main body of the flat guide member 10 to the bottom surface 111a of the groove 111.

[0023] As described above, the wire harness guide structure 1 of the present embodiment is configured to include the flat guide member 10. Therefore, the wire harness formed from the flat guide member 10 is reduced in weight compared to a general wire harness in which various electric wires are bundled. In a case where the wire harness guide structure 1 is installed in the vehicle 100, the length of the wire harness is assumed to be about 1000 mm, and if all the wire harnesses of such a length are formed from electric wires, the weight of the entire wire harness may increase. In this regard, according to the present embodiment, since the wire harness includes the flat guide member 10, it is possible to cope with an increase in the size of the wire harness while restraining an increase in the weight of the entire wire harness.

[0024] Furthermore, a wire harness in which various electric wires are bundled is generally manufactured manually by an operator. Since the flat guide member 10 can be manufactured by automation, it is also possible to reduce the number of manufacturing steps of the wire harness by forming the wire harness with the flat guide member 10. In addition, a large wire harness in which various electric wires are bundled is generally difficult to transport due to its weight. At the same time, the flat guide member 10 according to the present embodiment also has advantages such as shortening the number of manufacturing days of the wire harness itself or the vehicle 100 using the wire harness, or hardly limiting the manufacturing location.

[0025] As described above, the wire harness guide structure 1 of the present embodiment includes the groove 111 formed in the instrument panel 110, which is an example of a body member of the vehicle 100, the flat guide member 10 accommodated in the groove 111 of the instrument panel 110 and having flexibility, and the cover member 20 closing the groove 111 in a state where the flat guide member 10 is accommodated in the groove 111 of the instrument panel 110. With this configuration, the wire harness guide structure 1 can mount the flat guide member 10 constituting the wire harness to the vehicle 100 by closing the groove 111 formed in the instrument panel 110 with the cover member 20 in a state where the flat guide member 10 is accommodated in the groove 111, for example. As a result, the wire harness guide structure 1 can improve mountability to the vehicle 100.

[0026] Furthermore, the wire harness guide structure 1 of the present embodiment includes the elastic member 30 interposed between the flat guide member 10 and the cover member 20 in an elastically compressed state. With this configuration, in the wire harness guide structure 1, since the gap between the flat guide member 10 and the cover member 20 can be filled with the elastic member 30, for example, the rattling of the flat guide member 10 in the groove 111 due to vibration or the like of the vehicle 100 input to the instrument panel 110 can be suppressed, and the generation of abnormal noise or the like caused by the rattling of the flat guide member 10 can also be suppressed.

[0027] In the wire harness guide structure 1 of the present embodiment, the elastic member 30 is formed of the sound-absorbing material 30A. With this configuration, the sound-absorbing material 30A in the wire harness guide structure 1 can further suppress the generation of abnormal noise caused by, for example, the vibration of the vehicle 100 at the entrance of the instrument panel 110, the rattling of the flat guide member 10, and the like.

[0028] Furthermore, in the wire harness guide structure 1 of the present embodiment, the bottom surface 111a of the groove 111 is provided with the adhesive portion 40 for adhering the flat guide member 10. With this configuration, in the wire harness guide structure 1, since the flat guide member 10 can be fixed to the bottom surface 111a of the groove 111 by the adhesive portion 40, it is possible, for example, to prevent the flat guide member 10 from moving relative to the instrument panel 110 or from rattling due to the vibration of the vehicle 100 entering the instrument panel 110.

[0029] Furthermore, in the wire harness guide structure 1 of the present embodiment, the flat guide member 10 has one end 10a and the other end 10b that are extended to protrude from the groove 111 and connected to the control device 5. With this configuration, in the wire harness guide structure 1, for example, the main body can be accommodated between one end 10a and the other end 10b of the flat guide member 10 in the groove 111 to be more reliably protected, and the one end 10a and the other end 10b can be extended from the groove 111 to be connected to the control device 5.

[0030] Note that in the present embodiment, the case where the groove 111 extends continuously along the vehicle width direction Y to extend between the first ECU 5A and the second ECU 5B of the control device 5 was exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and for example, the groove may be provided intermittently along the vehicle width direction Y. Moreover, in the present embodiment, the case where the elastic member 30 is provided between the flat guide member 10 and the lid member 20 is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and for example, the elastic member 30 may be omitted.Moreover, in the present embodiment, the case where the bonding portion 40 for bonding the flat guide member 10 is provided on the bottom surface 111a of the groove 111 has been illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and for example, the bonding portion 40 may be omitted.

[0031] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above by way of example, the above embodiment is merely an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above-described embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, combinations, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. Furthermore, specifications (structure, type, direction, shape, size, length, width, thickness, height, number, arrangement, position, material, and the like) can be changed and implemented according to each configuration, shape, and the like.

[0032] In a wire harness guide structure according to the present embodiment, a flat guide member constituting the wire harness can be mounted on a vehicle by closing a groove formed in a body member with a cover member in a state where the flat guide member is accommodated in the groove. As a result, the wire harness guide structure can improve vehicle mountability. QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] JP 2012-055105 A [0002, 0003]

Claims

[1] A wiring harness routing structure (1) comprising: a groove (111) formed in a body member (110) of a vehicle (100); a flat guide element (10) which is flexible and is accommodated in the groove (111) of the body element (110); and a cover member (20) closing the groove (111) in a state in which the flat guide member (10) is accommodated in the groove (111) of the body member (110). [2] The wire harness guide structure (1) according to claim 1, further comprising: an elastic member (30) disposed between the flat guide member (10) and the cover member (20) in an elastically compressed state. [3] The wire harness guide structure (1) according to claim 2, wherein the elastic element (30) consists of a sound-absorbing material (30A). [4] The wire harness guide structure (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a bottom surface (111a) of the groove (111) is provided with an adhesive portion (40) for adhesively bonding the flat guide element (10). [5] The wire harness guide structure (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the flat guide element (10) has ends (10a, 10b) which are pulled out so that they protrude from the groove (111) and are connected to a control device (5).

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