wiring harness

Abstract

A cable harness (WH) comprises a flexible flat routing element (10), a connector (20) mounted on a surface (10a) of the flat routing element (10) and adapted to and connected with an electronic device (50) along an installation direction (Z) intersecting the surface (10a), and an electrically provided wire (30) comprising a terminal (31) housed in a housing (21) of the connector (20) and electrically connected to the electronic device (50), and an electrical wire (32) having one end electrically connected to the terminal (31) and the other end electrically connected to the flat routing element (10), and being arranged between the flat routing element (10) and the connector (20).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Scope of the invention

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

[0002] As a technique relating to a conventional cable harness, for example, Japanese patent application No. JP 2004 - 296 294 A discloses a cable harness comprising a flexible flat routing element and a connector mounted on a surface of the flat routing element and connected to an electronic device along a routing direction intersecting the surface.

[0003] Meanwhile, in the wiring harness described in the aforementioned Japanese patent application No. JP 2004 - 296 294 A, for example, the connector is attached to the surface of the flat routing element, and the wiring harness has room for further improvements regarding the functionality of the connection between the connector and the electronic device. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention was manufactured in view of the above circumstances, and one object of the present invention is to provide a cable harness that is able to improve the machinability of connection work.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned objective, a cable harness according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a flexible, flat routing element; a connector mounted on a surface of the flat routing element and attached to and connected with an electronic device along an installation direction intersecting the surface; and an electrically provided wire comprising a terminal housed in a casing of the connector and electrically connected to the electronic device, and an electrical wire the one end of which is electrically connected to the terminal and the other end of which is electrically connected to the flat routing element, and the wire arranged between the flat routing element and the connector.

[0006] The above and other tasks, features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of this invention will be better understood if one reads the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiments of the invention when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is an exemplary top view of a cable harness according to one embodiment; Fig. Figure 2 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of the cable harness according to the embodiment; Fig. Figure 3 is an exemplary schematic perspective view (partial cross-section) of the cable harness according to the embodiment; Fig. Figure 4 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of the cable harness according to the embodiment and is a view illustrating a state prior to connection in which a connector is deflected towards one end in the width direction with respect to an electronic device; Fig. Figure 5 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of the cable harness according to the embodiment and is a view illustrating a state after connection in which the positional deviation of the connector with respect to the electronic device is absorbed; Fig. Figure 6 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of the cable harness according to the embodiment and is a view illustrating a state prior to the connection in which the connector is deflected towards the other end in the width direction with respect to the electronic device; Fig. Figure 7 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of the cable harness according to the embodiment and is a view illustrating a state after connection in which the positional deviation of the connector in relation to the electronic device is absorbed; Fig. Figure 8 is an exemplary perspective view of a wiring harness according to a modification; Fig. Figure 9 is an exemplary perspective exploded view of the wiring harness according to the modification; and Fig. Figure 10 is an example cross-sectional view of the wiring harness according to the modification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EXECUTION FORMS

[0007] An embodiment of the present invention and a modification thereof are described in detail below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment and modification. Furthermore, the components of the following embodiment and modification include those that can be easily replaced by those skilled in the art or those that are essentially identical.

[0008] Furthermore, the embodiment and modification disclosed below have similar components. Therefore, common reference numerals are used in the following description for the similar components, and redundant descriptions are omitted. In this description, ordinal numbers are used only to distinguish components, elements, parts, positions, directions, and the like, and do not indicate any order or priority. embodiment

[0009] Fig. Figure 1 is a top view of a cable harness WH according to one embodiment. The in Fig. The wiring harness WH of the present embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, is used in a vehicle and serves for power supply and signal communication by connecting devices mounted in the vehicle. The wiring harness WH of the present embodiment comprises, for example, a flat routing element 10, a connector 20, and an electrical wire 30 provided with terminals. The wiring harness WH is, for example, provided on a mounting plate 100 of the vehicle and is routed along the mounting plate 100. The mounting plate 100 is an instrument panel or similar structure that separates the vehicle's engine compartment from the vehicle's interior (cabin) and constitutes a structural element (frame) of the vehicle. The wiring harness WH may further comprise various components, such as a bracket, a protector, and a bushing.

[0010] In the following description, a first direction, a second direction, and a third direction, which intersect, are referred to as the first direction as "extension direction X," the second direction as "lateral direction Y," and the third direction as "installation direction Z." The extension direction X, the lateral direction Y, and the installation direction Z are essentially orthogonal to each other. The extension direction X typically corresponds to the longitudinal direction or similar of the cable harness WH and the flat routing element 10. The lateral direction Y typically corresponds to the lateral direction (transverse direction) or similar of the cable harness WH and the flat routing element 10. The installation direction Z typically corresponds to a vertical direction (sheet thickness direction) of the cable harness WH and the flat routing element 10, an installation direction (connection direction) between the connector 20 and an electronic device 50 (see Fig. 4) and the like. Each direction used in the following description is defined as a direction in a state where the WH wiring harness is fitted to the vehicle, unless otherwise specified.

[0011] Fig. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the WH wiring harness, and Fig. Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view (partial cross-sectional view) of the WH wiring harness. As shown in the Fig. 2 and Fig. As shown in Figure 3, the flat routing element 10 is a routing element that forms the cable harness WH and is configured, for example, with a flexible printed circuit (FPC), a flexible flat cable (FFC), or the like. The flat routing element 10 is formed as a horizontally long rectangular plate along the extension direction X. The flat routing element 10 is a flat routing element that is thin along the installation direction Z and exhibits flexibility.

[0012] The flat installation element 10, for example, comprises a carrier film, a wiring pattern, and a cover layer. The carrier film is a base material with excellent flexibility that defines the overall shape of the flat installation element 10. The carrier film is made, for example, of a polyimide resin or the like with excellent heat resistance. The wiring pattern is laminated onto the surface of the carrier film to form a multitude of conductor circuit sections (pattern layers). The wiring pattern is made, for example, of a conductive material such as copper foil and printed as a printed circuit body onto the surface of the carrier film. The cover layer is laminated onto the surface of the carrier film with an interposed adhesive or the like and serves as a protective layer to protect the conductor track sections or the like of the wiring pattern.In the present embodiment, for example, at least a part of the wiring pattern is exposed from the cover layer on a surface 10a of the flat laying element 10, and the exposed part is electrically connected to the terminal-equipped electrical wire 30 via a soldered connection 12.

[0013] The connector 20 is attached to the surface 10a of the flat laying element 10 and is intended to engage in a counter connector 53 along the installation direction Z (see Fig. 4) fitted into and connected to the electronic device 50. The connector 20 comprises, for example, a housing 21 and a plurality of terminals 31 (see Fig. 2), which are housed in the casing 21. The casing 21 is, for example, formed in a flat, rectangular, tubular shape along the extension direction X. The casing 21 is provided with a plurality of recesses 22 into which the plurality of terminals 31 are inserted along the insertion direction Z. The plurality of recesses 22 are provided at intervals along the extension direction X and the width direction Y in the casing 21.

[0014] The connector 20 is electrically connected to the wiring pattern of the flat routing element 10 via the terminal-equipped electrical wire 30. The multitude of conductor circuit sections configured with the wiring pattern can function as any circuit, such as a signal circuit, a signal ground circuit, or a power supply ground circuit. For example, the signal circuit is a circuit that transmits a communication signal between the electronic device 50 and vehicle devices, such as various electronic devices within the vehicle. The signal ground circuit is a circuit that accompanies the signal circuit, establishes electrical conductivity between the vehicle devices, and sets a potential that serves as a reference for circuit operation between the vehicle devices.The power supply grounding circuit is a circuit that grounds a power supply system of the vehicle's equipment.

[0015] The electrically connected wire 30 forms the terminals 31 of the connector 20 and electrically connects the terminals 31 and the flat routing element 10. In the present embodiment, a plurality of electrically connected wires 30 are provided corresponding to the plurality of recesses 22 of the connector 20. Each of the electrically connected wires 30 has a terminal 31 and an electrical wire 32. The terminal 31 is, for example, a male terminal made of a conductive metal material and is to be electrically connected to a mating terminal of the mating connector 53. The terminal 31 has, for example, an electrical connection section that is to be electrically connected to the mating terminal and a wire crimp section that is electrically connected to a terminal (conductor section 32a) of the electrical wire 32.

[0016] The electrical wire 32 has a linear conductive conductor section 32a and an insulating sheath 32b that has insulating properties and covers the outside of the conductor section 32a. The electrical wire 32 is an insulated electrical wire in which the conductor section 32a is covered by the insulating sheath 32b. The conductor section 32a of the present embodiment is a core wire in which a plurality of conductive metal wires are bundled, but it can also be a stranded core wire obtained by twisting the plurality of metal wires together. The insulating sheath 32b is an electrical wire covering that covers the outer circumferential side of the conductor section 32a. The insulating sheath 32b is formed, for example, by extruding an insulating resin material or the like.

[0017] The electrical wires 32 extend linearly along the installation direction Z and are configured such that they have substantially the same diameter with respect to the installation direction Z (extension direction). For example, in each electrical wire 32, a cross-sectional shape of the conductor section 32a (cross-sectional shape intersecting the installation direction Z) is substantially circular, a cross-sectional shape of the insulating sheath 32b is substantially annular, and each electrical wire 32 as a whole has a substantially circular cross-sectional shape. In each electrical wire 32, the insulating sheath 32b is stripped at both ends in the installation direction Z, and the conductor section 32a is exposed from the insulating sheath 32b.Then the conductor section 32a exposed at one end of the electrical wire 32 is electrically connected to the terminal 31, and the conductor section 32a exposed at the other end of the electrical wire 32 is electrically connected to the flat laying element 10 via the soldered connection 12.

[0018] In the present embodiment, the flat routing element 10 and the housing 21 of the connector 20 are spaced apart from each other along the installation direction Z, and the terminaled electrical wire 30 is arranged between them such that it extends between the flat routing element 10 and the connector 20. The electrical wires 32 of the terminaled electrical wire 30 can be deformed (bent) in a direction that intersects the installation direction Z, i.e., along the extension direction X and the width direction Y, thus allowing the connector 20 to be displaced relative to the flat routing element 10 along the extension direction X and the width direction Y. That is, when the electronic device 50 described later (see Fig. 4 and Fig. 5) and the connector 20 are attached to and connected to each other, the electrical wires 32 of the terminalized electrical wire 30 are deformed (bent), allowing the terminalized electrical wire 30 to follow the movement of the connector 20. The connector 20 is positioned on the surface 10a of the flat laying element 10 in a ready state with respect to the electronic device 50.

[0019] Fig. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cable harness WH, showing a state before connection in which the connector 20 is deflected towards one end in the width direction Y with respect to the electronic device 50, and Fig. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the cable harness WH, showing a state after connection in which the positional deviation of the connector 20 with respect to the electronic device 50 is absorbed. Fig. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the cable harness WH, showing a state before connection in which the connector 20 is deflected in the lateral direction Y with respect to the electronic device 50 towards the other end, and Fig. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the cable harness WH, showing a state after connection in which the positional deviation of the connector 20 with respect to the electronic device 50 is absorbed.

[0020] As in the Fig. As shown in Figures 4 to 7, the electronic device 50, for example, comprises a housing 51, a flange 52, the mating connector 53, and an inclined surface 54. The flanges 52 are provided at both ends in the lateral direction Y of the housing 51 and project from both ends along the lateral direction Y towards the opposite side. Each flange 52 is provided with an insertion hole through which a fastening element 60, such as a bolt, is inserted to fasten the mounting plate 100 of the vehicle and the electronic device 50 to each other along the installation direction Z. When inserted into the insertion hole of the flange 52, the fastening element 60 is secured to a fastening element 70, such as a nut.

[0021] The mating connector 53 is formed, for example, in a recess on the bottom wall of the housing 51. The mating connector 53 has a mating terminal that is to be electrically connected to the terminal 31 of the connector 20. The mating terminal is, for example, formed with a female connector made of a conductive metal material. The inclined surface 54 is provided at the open end of the mating connector 53. The inclined surface 54 is inclined in the width direction Y to both sides and in the extension direction X to both sides when the inclined surface 54 extends along the insertion direction Z to the connector 20. In the present embodiment, the inclined surface 54 with this shape improves the insertion of the connector 20 into the mating connector 53.

[0022] In the present embodiment, the connector 20 is adapted along the installation direction Z to the mating connector 53 on the side of the electronic device 50, while the electronic device 50 is fastened to the mounting plate 100 of the vehicle by the fastening elements 60 and 70. In particular, in the present embodiment, the fastening element 60 is provided in a state in which it projects along the installation direction Z from the mounting plate 100 towards the electronic device 50, and is fastened to the fastening element 70 in a state in which it is inserted through a through-hole formed in the flange 52 described above.This means that the fastening elements 60 and 70 act as auxiliary bolts when installing the connector 20 and the mating connector 53 on the side of the electronic device 50, and finally the installation work between the connector 20 and the mating connector 53 can be carried out more easily or smoothly.

[0023] At this point in time, in the present embodiment, a displacement along the lateral direction Y and the longitudinal direction X, which intersects the installation direction Z of the connector 20, is permissible with respect to the flat laying element 10 due to the electrical wires 32 of the terminalized electrical wire 30, which is arranged between the flat laying element 10 and the connector 20. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the connector 20 moves relative to the flat laying element 10 at the time of installation of the connector 20 and the mating connector 53, so that it is possible to absorb the positional deviation between the connector 20 and the mating connector 53 along the lateral direction Y and the longitudinal direction X.

[0024] As described above, in the cable harness WH of the present embodiment, the electrically provided wire 30 has the terminal 31, which is received in the housing 21 of the connector 20 and is to be electrically connected to the electronic device 50, and the electrically provided wire 32, which is electrically connected at one end to the terminal 31 and at the other end to the flat routing element 10, and the electrically provided wire 30 is arranged between the flat routing element 10 and the connector 20.With this configuration, the WH cable harness, for example, allows displacement along the extension direction X and the width direction Y, which intersect the installation direction Z of the connector 20, with respect to the flat routing element 10 by the electrical wires 32 of the terminalized electrical wire 30, and can furthermore absorb the positional deviation (tolerance) along the extension direction X and the width direction Y of the connector 20 with respect to the electronic device 50. This allows the WH cable harness to improve the functionality of the connection.

[0025] In the wiring harness WH of the present embodiment, the flat routing element 10 is routed along the mounting plate 100 of the vehicle, and the connector 20 is attached along the installation direction Z to the mating connector 53 on the side of the electronic device 50 in response to the fastening of the electronic device 50 to the mounting plate 100 by the fastening elements 60 and 70. With this configuration, for example, in a case where the electronic device 50 is fastened and fixed to the mounting plate 100 of the vehicle by the fastening elements 60 and 70, the wiring harness WH can absorb the positional deviation (tolerance) along the extension direction X and the width direction Y of the connector 20 with respect to the electronic device 50 by the electrical wires 32 of the terminalized electrical wire 30. This allows the wiring harness WH to further improve the functionality of the connections. modification

[0026] Fig. Figure 8 is a perspective view of a WH1 wiring harness according to a modification. The one in Fig. Cable harness WH1 shown in Figure 8 has a similar configuration to cable harness WH of the embodiment described above. Therefore, due to this similar configuration, cable harness WH1 can achieve a similar function and effect to the embodiment described above.

[0027] However, as in Fig. As shown in Figure 8, the present modification differs from the embodiment described above in that a protective element 40 is provided which shields the periphery of the connector 20 and the terminaled electrical wire 30. The protective element 40 shields and protects the connector 20 and the terminaled electrical wire 30 from both sides in the longitudinal direction X and from both sides in the lateral direction Y. The protective element 40 is provided with an opening 41 into which the connector 20 and the terminaled electrical wire 30 are inserted along the installation direction Z. The protective element 40 is, for example, formed in a rectangular tubular shape along the outer circumferential surface of the housing 21 of the connector 20. The protective element 40 is attached to the surface 10a of the flat routing element 10 and connected via the soldered connection 12 (see Figure 8). Fig. 10) or the like attached to the flat laying element 10.

[0028] Fig. Figure 9 is an exploded view of the WH1 wiring harness, and Fig. Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the WH1 wiring harness. As shown in Fig. 9 and Fig. As shown in Figure 10, in the present modification a gap G is provided between an inner surface 41a of the opening 41 and the connector 20. The gap G allows relative movement of the connector 20 with respect to the protective element 40 along the extension direction X and the width direction Y. The gap G is, for example, designed with a rectangular opening that runs along the outer circumferential surface of the housing 21 of the connector 20 and is slightly larger than the outer circumferential surface.

[0029] A locking section 23, which is to be locked to the protective element 40, is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the housing 21. In the present modification, the locking section 23 is provided at each end in the extension direction X of the housing 21 and projects from the outer circumferential surface of the housing 21 in a cantilever spring shape towards the protective element 40. Each of the locking sections 23, forming a pair, has an arm section 23a and a claw section 23b and is elastically deformable along the extension direction X and locked to the inner surface 41a of the opening 41.

[0030] For example, the pair of arm sections 23a are formed at positions opposite each other in the extension direction X, with the housing 21 lying between them. The pair of arm sections 23a is formed in an arm shape (umbrella shape) that projects from the outer circumferential surface of the housing 21 along the installation direction Z and is inclined such that it gradually spreads out to both sides in the extension direction X while extending along the fitting direction Z towards the protective element 40. That is, the pair of arm sections 23a is configured such that one end of it is coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the housing 21 in the installation direction Z, and the other end of it is a free end in the installation direction Z that is elastically deformable along the extension direction X.

[0031] The pair of claw sections 23b is, for example, provided at the distal ends of the pair of arm sections 23a and is designed in a claw shape to lock onto the inner surface 41a of the opening 41 and the upper surface of the protective element 40. The pair of claw sections 23b has, for example, an essentially L-shaped cross-sectional form that opens towards the circumferential edge of the opening 41. In the present modification, the pair of claw sections 23b and the inner surface 41a of the opening 41 are elastically deformable and locked together along the extension direction X, so that the relative movement of the connector 20 with respect to the protective element 40 along the extension direction X is possible.

[0032] As described above, the WH1 cable harness of the present modification has the protective element 40, which is provided with the opening 41 into which the connector 20 and the terminaled electrical wire 30 are inserted along the installation direction Z, and the gap G, which allows the relative movement of the connector 20 along the extension direction X and the width direction Y, which intersect the installation direction Z with respect to the protective element 40, is provided between the inner surface 41a of the opening 41 and the connector 20. With this configuration, for example, the WH1 cable harness can protect the connector 20 and the terminaled electrical wire 30 while absorbing the positional deviation (tolerance) along the extension direction X and the width direction Y of the connector 20 with respect to the electronic device 50 due to the gap G of the protective element 40.

[0033] In the WH1 cable harness of the present modification, the connector 20 has the locking section 23, which projects in a cantilever spring shape towards the protective element 40 and is elastically deformable along the extension direction X and locked to the inner surface 41a of the opening 41. With this configuration, the WH1 cable harness allows, for example, the relative movement of the connector 20 with respect to the protective element 40 along the extension direction X due to the locking section 23 and can furthermore reduce the interference between the housing 21 of the connector 20 and the protective element 40 due to the relative movement.

[0034] In the present modification, the case in which the locking section 23 is provided at each end in the extension direction X of the connector 20 has been illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and the locking section 23 can, for example, be provided at each end in the width direction Y of the connector 20. In this case, the locking section 23 can be elastically deformable and locked to the inner surface 41a of the opening 41 along the width direction Y. Furthermore, for example, the locking section 23 can be provided at each end in the extension direction X of the connector 20 and at each end in the width direction Y of the connector 20.For example, the connector 20 does not necessarily have to be matched to the mating connector 53 on the side of the electronic device 50 at the time the electronic device 50 is attached to the mounting plate 100 by the fasteners 60 and 70.

[0035] Although the embodiment and modification of the present invention have been illustrated above by way of example, these embodiments and modifications are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The embodiments and modifications described above can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, combinations, and changes can be made without departing from the essential nature of the invention. Furthermore, the specifications (structure, type, orientation, shape, size, length, width, thickness, height, number, arrangement, position, material, and the like) of each configuration, shape, and the like can be modified and implemented in a suitable manner.

[0036] In a cable harness according to the present embodiments and modifications, an electrically provided wire has a terminal which is housed in a connector housing and is electrically connected to an electronic device, and an electrical wire the one end of which is electrically connected to the terminal and the other end of which is electrically connected to the flat routing element, wherein the electrically provided wire is arranged between the flat routing element and the connector.With this configuration, the cable harness allows for displacement along the direction that intersects the connector's installation direction with respect to the flat routing element, for example, by the electrical wire of the terminal-equipped electrical wire, and can furthermore absorb positional deviations (tolerances) along the direction that intersects the connector's installation direction with respect to the electronic device. This results in improved functionality of the connection process. QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

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

[0000] JP 2004 - 296 294 A [0002, 0003]

Claims

[1] A wiring harness (WH), comprising: a flat laying element (10) with flexibility; a connector (20) which is attached to a surface (10a) of the flat laying element (10) and is adapted to and connected to an electronic device (50) along an installation direction (Z) intersecting the surface (10a); and an electrical wire (30) provided with terminals, having a terminal (31) which is housed in a housing (21) of the connector (20) and is electrically connected to the electronic device (50), and an electrical wire (32) the one end of which is electrically connected to the terminal (31) and the other end of which is electrically connected to the flat wiring element (10), and which is arranged between the flat wiring element (10) and the connector (20). [2] The wiring harness (WH) according to claim 1, wherein the flat laying element (10) is laid along a mounting plate (100) of a vehicle, and the connector (20) is attached to a mating connector (53) on the side of the electronic device (50) along the installation direction (Z) in response to the fastening of the electronic device (50) to the mounting plate (100) by a fastening element (60, 70). [3] The wiring harness (WH) according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a protective element (40) having an opening (41) into which the connector (20) and the electrically supplied wire (30) is inserted along the insertion direction (Z), wherein a gap (G) is provided between an inner surface (41a) of the opening (41) and the connector (20), wherein the gap (G) allows a relative movement of the connector (20) along a direction (X, Y) that intersects the insertion direction (Z) with respect to the protective element (40). [4] The cable harness (WH) according to claim 3, wherein the connector (20) has a locking section (23) which projects in a cantilever spring shape towards the protective element (40) and is elastically deformable and locked to the inner surface (41a) of the opening (41) along the cutting direction (X).

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