Protector

Abstract

To provide a protector capable of protecting a wire harness arranged in a passenger compartment.SOLUTION: A protector 10 includes an inner case 20 having an opening 24 in which a wire harness is housed, and an outer case 30 that covers the opening 24 of the inner case 20. The outer case 30 has a cover portion 31 that covers the side of the inner case 20 opposite the installation surface 15, and a pair of outer wall portions 32 that extends from the cover portion 31 and faces each other. The inner case 20 is attached between the pair of outer wall portions 32. Each of the pair of outer wall portions 32 has an abutment portion 33 that can abut against the installation surface 15 when the protector 10 is placed on the installation surface 15.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a protector. [Background technology]

[0002] In a conventional vehicle, when electrical devices are attached to the vehicle, a wire harness that connects the electrical devices may be disposed inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this case, the wire harness is generally disposed in a position that is not exposed, such as inside an interior member that constitutes the passenger compartment. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-151778 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described above, when arranging the wire harness inside the interior member, the interior member needs to be attached and detached, which makes the arrangement of the wire harness complicated. In order to arrange the wire harness inside the passenger compartment easily, it is possible to arrange the wire harness in an exposed state inside the passenger compartment. In that case, it is necessary to consider how to protect the wire harness.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a protector capable of protecting a wire harness arranged in a passenger compartment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The protector of the present disclosure is configured to accommodate a wire harness and is placed on an installation surface inside the passenger compartment of a vehicle, and comprises an inner case having an opening in which the wire harness is accommodated, and an outer case covering the opening of the inner case, the outer case having a covering portion covering the side of the inner case opposite the installation surface, and a pair of outer wall portions extending from the covering portions and facing each other, the inner case being attached between the pair of outer wall portions, and each of the pair of outer wall portions having an abutment portion capable of abutting the installation surface when the protector is placed on the installation surface. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the protector of the present disclosure, it is possible to protect a wire harness arranged in the passenger compartment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle equipped with a protector according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the protector in the same embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the protector in the same embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a protector in a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described. The protector of the present disclosure includes: [1] A protector configured to accommodate a wire harness and placed on an installation surface inside a passenger compartment of a vehicle, comprising: an inner case having an opening in which the wire harness is accommodated; and an outer case covering the opening of the inner case, wherein the outer case has a cover portion covering the side of the inner case opposite the installation surface, and a pair of outer wall portions extending from the cover portion and facing each other, the inner case is attached between the pair of outer wall portions, and each of the pair of outer wall portions has an abutment portion that can abut against the installation surface when the protector is placed on the installation surface.

[0010] According to this configuration, the wire harness arranged on the installation surface in the passenger compartment can be protected by the protector. In addition, since the abutment portions of the outer walls of the protector abut on the installation surface, even if the protector is stepped on from above, force is unlikely to be applied to the inner case arranged between the pair of outer walls. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively protect the inner case and the wire harness housed in the inner case.

[0011] [2] In the above [1], the inner case has a bottom wall and a pair of side walls extending from the bottom wall and facing each other in the width direction of the protector, the bottom wall and the pair of side walls cooperate with each other to form a groove portion for accommodating the wire harness, and the opening may be formed by an end portion of each of the pair of side walls opposite the bottom wall.

[0012] According to this configuration, the bottom wall and the pair of side walls can form a groove portion of the inner case for accommodating the wire harness. [3] In the above [2], the covering portion covers the opening, and when the inner case is attached between the pair of outer wall portions, the pair of outer wall portions may be located outside each of the pair of side walls along the width direction.

[0013] According to this configuration, the side walls of the inner case are covered by the outer wall portions of the outer case, so that the rigidity of the protector can be suitably improved. [4] In the above item [3], the inner case may have an extending wall extending from the bottom wall between the pair of side walls and having a tip end in the extending direction that is capable of contacting the cover portion.

[0014] According to this configuration, the extension wall can increase the rigidity of the inner case. Also, for example, when the cover of the outer case is deflected toward the groove of the inner case by an external force, the extension wall can receive the external force.

[0015] [5] In the above [3] or [4], the cover portion may have a reinforcing rib protruding toward the groove portion, and the reinforcing rib may be configured to be positioned between a plurality of electric wires included in the wire harness housed in the groove portion.

[0016] According to this configuration, the reinforcing rib can suppress deformation such as warping of the cover portion during molding of the outer case. In addition, since the reinforcing rib is configured to be disposed between the multiple electric wires housed in the groove, it is possible to suppress the reinforcing rib from interfering with the electric wires.

[0017] [6] In any one of the above [2] to [5], a depth of the groove may be set to be larger than an outer diameter of an electric wire of the wire harness. According to this configuration, it is possible to provide a clearance between the inner surface of the protector and the electric wire, thereby making it possible to prevent the electric wire from being pinched between the inner case and the outer case.

[0018] [7] In any one of the above [1] to [6], each of the pair of outer wall portions may have a support portion that supports the inner case. According to this configuration, the support portions of each outer wall portion can prevent the inner case from falling out from between the pair of outer wall portions.

[0019] [Details of the embodiment of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the protector of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, for convenience of explanation, some of the configuration may be exaggerated or simplified. In addition, the dimensional ratio of each part may differ in each drawing. Note that the "cylindrical" used in the description of this specification includes not only those in which a peripheral wall is formed continuously around the entire circumference, but also those in which a plurality of parts are combined to form a cylindrical shape, and those having a notch in a part of the circumference such as a C-shape. In addition, the shape of the "cylindrical" includes a circle, an ellipse, and a polygon with sharp or rounded corners.

[0020] In addition, "facing" in this specification refers to surfaces or members facing each other, and includes not only cases where they are completely facing each other, but also cases where they are partially facing each other. In addition, "facing" in this specification includes both cases where a member other than the two parts is interposed between the two parts, and cases where nothing is interposed between the two parts.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 1, the protector 10 of this embodiment is attached to a wire harness 13 arranged in a passenger compartment 12 of a vehicle 11. The wire harness 13 includes, for example, a plurality of electric wires 14 (see Fig. 2). In this embodiment, the wire harness 13 includes four electric wires 14. The wire harness 13 electrically connects a first electric device E1 and a second electric device E2 that are both attached to the vehicle 11.

[0022] The first electric device E1 may be, for example, a sensor device such as an imaging device. The first electric device E1 is provided at a position toward the rear of the passenger compartment 12 of the vehicle 11, such as a back door of the vehicle 11.

[0023] The second electric device E2 may be, for example, an electronic control unit (ECU). The second electric device E2 is provided, for example, inside or outside the passenger compartment 12 at a position near the front of the passenger compartment 12. The passenger compartment 12 is a room in the vehicle 11 where passengers including the driver sit.

[0024] The wire harness 13 that connects the first electric device E1 and the second electric device E2 is routed inside the passenger compartment 12. The protector 10 protects the wire harness 13 routed inside the passenger compartment 12 by covering a predetermined range in the longitudinal direction of the wire harness 13.

[0025] 3, the protector 10 that houses the wire harness 13 is disposed on an installation surface 15 in the passenger compartment 12. The installation surface 15 is, for example, the floor surface of the passenger compartment 12, and the protector 10 is placed on the floor surface.

[0026] (Configuration of Protector 10) 2 and 3, the protector 10 includes an inner case 20 and an outer case 30. The inner case 20 and the outer case 30 are separate bodies. The inner case 20 and the outer case 30 are each formed of, for example, a synthetic resin. The protector 10 is formed into a cylindrical shape capable of housing the wire harness 13 by combining the inner case 20 and the outer case 30. Therefore, the inner case 20 and the outer case 30 can cover the entire outer periphery of the wire harness 13.

[0027] (Configuration of the inner case 20) The inner case 20 has an elongated shape along the longitudinal direction of the wire harness 13. The inner case 20 has a groove 21 capable of accommodating the wire harness 13 including the electric wires 14. The groove 21 extends along the longitudinal direction of the wire harness 13. The groove 21 is formed by a bottom wall 22 and a pair of side walls 23 that the inner case 20 has.

[0028] The pair of side walls 23 extend from the bottom wall 22 so as to face each other in the width direction of the protector 10. The bottom wall 22 and the pair of side walls 23 are each provided, for example, over the entire length of the inner case 20. The inner case 20 including the bottom wall 22 and the pair of side walls 23 has a substantially U-shaped cross section. The cross section of the inner case 20 is, for example, uniform over the entire length of the inner case 20.

[0029] The groove 21 of the inner case 20 has an opening 24 formed by the end of each of a pair of side walls 23 on the opposite side to the bottom wall 22. The opening 24 opens, for example, toward the upper side in the height direction of the protector 10. Each electric wire 14 is housed, for example, from the opening 24 into the groove 21. Note that, for example, the protector 10 is placed on the installation surface 15 such that the height direction of the protector 10 is approximately perpendicular to the installation surface 15.

[0030] Each electric wire 14 of the wire harness 13 is disposed in the groove 21 of the inner case 20. For example, the electric wires 14 are disposed in the groove 21 so as to be aligned along the width direction of the protector 10. The wire harness 13 including the electric wires 14 is drawn out from both ends of the groove 21 in the length direction of the protector 10 to the outside of the protector 10. The depth of the groove 21 is set to be larger than the outer diameter of each electric wire 14 of the wire harness 13. That is, a clearance is set between the inner surface of the protector 10 and the electric wires 14. The depth of the groove 21 is the dimension of the groove 21 in the direction along the opening direction of the opening 24. That is, the depth of the groove 21 in this embodiment is the dimension of the groove 21 in the height direction of the protector 10.

[0031] The inner case 20 has an extending wall 25 extending from the bottom wall 22 between a pair of side walls 23. The extending wall 25 is, for example, linear along the longitudinal direction of the inner case 20. The extending wall 25 faces each side wall 23 in the width direction of the protector 10. The extending wall 25 is provided, for example, in the center of the bottom wall 22 in the width direction of the protector 10. The formation of the extending wall 25 on the bottom wall 22 improves the rigidity of the bottom wall 22.

[0032] (Configuration of outer case 30) The outer case 30 is configured to cover the opening 24 of the groove portion 21 in the inner case 20. The outer case 30 includes a cover portion 31 and a pair of outer wall portions 32 each extending from the cover portion 31. The outer case 30 including the cover portion 31 and the pair of outer wall portions 32 has a substantially U-shaped cross section.

[0033] The covering portion 31 covers the side of the inner case 20 opposite to the installation surface 15. In this embodiment, the covering portion 31 covers the upper side of the inner case 20 in the height direction of the protector 10. In this embodiment, the covering portion 31 covers, for example, the opening 24 of the inner case 20.

[0034] The extending wall 25 of the inner case 20 is configured so that a tip portion in the extending direction thereof can come into contact with the cover portion 31. Note that the tip portion of the extending wall 25 may be in contact with the cover portion 31 when no external force is applied to the cover portion 31. Also, a clearance may be set between the tip portion of the extending wall 25 and the cover portion 31 when no external force is applied to the cover portion 31. In this case, it is only necessary that the cover portion 31 can come into contact with the tip portion of the extending wall 25 when the cover portion 31 is bent toward the groove portion 21 of the inner case 20 due to an external force or the like.

[0035] The extension wall 25 of the present embodiment divides the storage space in the groove portion 21 into a plurality of spaces. The number of extension walls 25 of the present embodiment is, for example, one. Thus, the extension wall 25 divides the storage space in the groove portion 21 into two spaces, for example. In the two storage spaces divided by the extension wall 25 in the groove portion 21, a plurality of electric wires 14 are respectively housed, for example. In the present embodiment, two electric wires 14 are housed in each of the two storage spaces.

[0036] (Configuration of the pair of outer wall portions 32) The outer wall portions 32 extend, for example, from both widthwise end portions of the cover portion 31. Each outer wall portion 32 extends, for example, along the height direction of the protector 10. The pair of outer wall portions 32 face each other in the width direction of the protector 10. The inner case 20 is attached between the pair of outer wall portions 32. The pair of outer wall portions 32 of the outer case 30 are respectively located outside the pair of side walls 23 in the width direction of the protector 10.

[0037] The pair of outer wall portions 32 each have an abutment portion 33. Each abutment portion 33 is set at the lower end portion of each outer wall portion 32. Each abutment portion 33 abuts against the installation surface 15 when the protector 10 is placed on the installation surface 15. That is, in this embodiment, the height dimension of each outer wall portion 32 is set to be equal to or greater than the height dimension of the inner case 20. The height dimension of the outer wall portion 32 is the dimension from the lower surface of the cover portion 31 to the upper end of each outer wall portion 32 in the height direction of the protector 10. The height dimension of the inner case 20 is the dimension from the lower surface of the bottom wall 22 to the upper end of each side wall 23 in the height direction of the protector 10.

[0038] Each of the pair of outer wall portions 32 has a support portion 34 that supports the inner case 20. The support portion 34 protrudes, for example, from a lower end portion of each outer wall portion 32 inward in the width direction. Each support portion 34 has an elongated shape along the length direction of the protector 10. As a result, each outer wall portion 32 including the support portion 34 has a rail shape along the length direction of the protector 10. Note that each support portion 34 may be provided over the entire length direction of the protector 10, or may be provided partially in the length direction of the protector 10.

[0039] The inner case 20 can be assembled between a pair of outer wall portions 32 of the outer case 30 along the longitudinal direction of the protector 10. When the inner case 20 is assembled to the outer case 30 along the longitudinal direction, the inner case 20 is guided by the pair of rail-shaped outer wall portions 32.

[0040] Each support portion 34 is configured to hook onto each side wall 23 of the inner case 20 in the height direction of the protector 10. Each support portion 34 is configured to hook onto, for example, the lower end portion of each side wall 23. This prevents the inner case 20 from falling off downward in the height direction from between the pair of outer wall portions 32.

[0041] The cover portion 31 of the outer case 30 has a reinforcing rib 35 that protrudes toward the groove portion 21. The reinforcing rib 35 protrudes from the cover portion 31 toward the groove portion 21. The reinforcing rib 35 has an elongated shape that extends along the length direction of the protector 10, for example. The reinforcing rib 35 has a linear shape that extends along the length direction of the protector 10, for example.

[0042] For example, a plurality of reinforcing ribs 35 are provided. For example, the number of reinforcing ribs 35 is the same as the number of storage spaces divided by the extension walls 25 in the groove portion 21. That is, in this embodiment, two reinforcing ribs 35 are provided. The reinforcing ribs 35 are configured to be disposed between the plurality of electric wires 14 accommodated in the groove portion 21.

[0043] The effects of this embodiment will be described. (1) The protector 10 can protect the wire harness 13 arranged on the installation surface 15 in the passenger compartment 12. In the protector 10, each of the pair of outer wall portions 32 of the outer case 30 has an abutting portion 33 that can abut against the installation surface 15 when the protector 10 is arranged on the installation surface 15. Therefore, even if the protector 10 is stepped on from above, the abutting portion 33 of each outer wall portion 32 of the protector 10 abuts against the installation surface 15, so that force is not easily applied to the inner case 20 arranged between the pair of outer wall portions 32. Therefore, the inner case 20 and the wire harness 13 housed in the inner case 20 can be more suitably protected. In addition, since force is not easily applied to the inner case 20 as described above, the freedom of selection is improved in the selection of the material for forming the inner case 20, for example, a low-cost material with low rigidity can be selected.

[0044] (2) The inner case 20 has a bottom wall 22 and a pair of side walls 23 extending from the bottom wall 22 and facing each other in the width direction of the protector 10. The bottom wall 22 and the pair of side walls 23 cooperate with each other to form a groove 21 that accommodates the wire harness 13. The opening 24 is formed by an end portion of each of the pair of side walls 23 on the opposite side to the bottom wall 22. According to this configuration, the bottom wall 22 and the pair of side walls 23 can form the groove 21 of the inner case 20 for accommodating the wire harness 13.

[0045] (3) The cover portion 31 covers the opening 24 of the groove portion 21 in the inner case 20. When the inner case 20 is attached between the pair of outer wall portions 32, the pair of outer wall portions 32 are located outside the pair of side walls 23 along the width direction. With this configuration, each side wall 23 of the inner case 20 is covered by each outer wall portion 32 of the outer case 30, and thus the rigidity of the protector 10 can be suitably improved.

[0046] (4) The inner case 20 has an extending wall 25 extending from the bottom wall 22 between the pair of side walls 23. The extending wall 25 is configured so that its tip in the extending direction can come into contact with the cover portion 31. With this configuration, the extending wall 25 can improve the rigidity of the inner case 20. In addition, for example, when the cover portion 31 of the outer case 30 is deflected toward the groove portion 21 of the inner case 20 by an external force, the extending wall 25 can receive the external force.

[0047] (5) The cover 31 has reinforcing ribs 35 that protrude toward the groove 21. The reinforcing ribs 35 are configured to be disposed between the multiple electric wires 14 included in the wire harness 13 housed in the groove 21. With this configuration, the reinforcing ribs 35 can suppress deformation, such as warping, of the cover 31 during molding of the outer case 30. In addition, since the reinforcing ribs 35 are configured to be disposed between the multiple electric wires 14 housed in the groove 21, it is possible to suppress the reinforcing ribs 35 from interfering with the electric wires 14.

[0048] (6) The depth of the groove portion 21 may be set to be larger than the outer diameter of the electric wires 14 of the wire harness 13. With this configuration, it is possible to provide a clearance between the inner surface of the protector 10 and the electric wires 14. This makes it possible to prevent the electric wires 14 from being pinched between the inner case 20 and the outer case 30.

[0049] (7) The pair of outer wall portions 32 each have a support portion 34 that supports the inner case 20. According to this configuration, the support portion 34 of each outer wall portion 32 makes it possible to prevent the inner case 20 from falling out from between the pair of outer wall portions 32.

[0050] The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that no technical contradiction occurs. The protector 10 in the above embodiment is configured to accommodate a plurality of electric wires 14, but is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, the protector 10 may be configured to accommodate only one electric wire 14. Note that in Fig. 4, the same reference numerals are used for the same or corresponding configurations as those in the above embodiment. Note that in the example shown in Fig. 4, the extension wall 25 is omitted from the inner case 20, and the reinforcing rib 35 is omitted from the outer case 30.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the outer case 30 is U-shaped, but this is not limited thereto and may be changed to another shape. Even if the outer case 30 is changed to another shape, the outer case 30 needs to be provided with a pair of outer walls 32 each having a contact portion 33 that contacts the installation surface 15.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the inner case 20 has a U-shaped cross section, but this is not limited thereto and the cross section may be changed to another shape. In the above embodiment, the opening 24 of the inner case 20 is open toward the upper side in the height direction of the protector 10, but this is not limited thereto, and may be open in another direction, such as the width direction of the protector 10. When the opening 24 is configured to open toward the width direction of the protector 10, the opening 24 is covered by the outer wall portion 32. When the opening 24 is configured to open toward the width direction of the protector 10, the cover portion 31 of the outer case 30 is configured to cover the upper side of the side wall 23 of the inner case 20 that extends along the width direction of the protector 10.

[0053] In the inner case 20 of the above embodiment, the extension wall 25 may be omitted. In the outer case 30 of the above embodiment, the reinforcing ribs 35 may be omitted. The protector 10 of the above embodiment may be configured such that, when the protector 10 is placed on the installation surface 15 , at least a portion of the inner case 20 in the length direction is floating above the installation surface 15 .

[0054] In the protector 10 of the above embodiment, at least one of the inner case 20 and the outer case 30 may have a fixing portion that is fixed to the installation surface 15 . The material from which the inner case 20 and the outer case 30 are made is not limited to synthetic resin, and may be changed to, for example, a metal material.

[0055] The number of electric wires 14 included in the wire harness 13 is not limited to that in the above embodiment, and may be three or less, or five or more. The installation surface 15 on which the protector 10 is disposed is not limited to the floor surface of the passenger compartment 12, but may be, for example, a side wall or a ceiling member of the passenger compartment 12.

[0056] The embodiments and modified examples disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects, and the present invention is not limited to these examples. That is, the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and it is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10 Protector 11 Vehicles 12 Crew compartment 13 Wire Harness 14 Electric wire 15 Installation surface 20 Inner case 21 Groove 22 Bottom wall 23 Side wall 24 Opening 25 Extension wall 30 Outer case 31 Cover 32 Exterior wall 33 Contact part 34 Support part 35 Reinforcing rib E1 First Electrical Equipment E2 Second Electrical Equipment

Claims

1. A protector configured to be able to accommodate a wire harness and disposed on an installation surface in a passenger compartment of a vehicle, an inner case having an opening and accommodating the wire harness; an outer case covering the opening of the inner case, the outer case has a cover portion that covers a side of the inner case opposite to the installation surface, and a pair of outer wall portions that extend from the cover portion and face each other, The inner case is attached between the pair of outer wall portions, Each of the pair of outer wall portions has an abutment portion that can abut against the installation surface when the protector is placed on the installation surface. Protector.

2. The inner case has a bottom wall and a pair of side walls each extending from the bottom wall and facing each other in a width direction of the protector, The bottom wall and the pair of side walls cooperate with each other to form a groove for accommodating the wire harness, The opening is formed by an end portion of each of the pair of side walls opposite to the bottom wall. The protector according to claim 1 .

3. The cover portion covers the opening, When the inner case is attached between the pair of outer wall portions, the pair of outer wall portions are located outside the pair of side walls along the width direction. The protector according to claim 2 .

4. The inner case has an extending wall extending from the bottom wall between the pair of side walls and having a tip end in an extending direction that can come into contact with the cover portion. The protector according to claim 3.

5. The cover portion has a reinforcing rib protruding toward the groove portion, The reinforcing rib is configured to be disposed between a plurality of electric wires included in the wire harness housed in the groove. The protector according to claim 3.

6. The depth of the groove is greater than the outer diameter of the electric wire of the wire harness. The protector according to claim 2 .

7. Each of the pair of outer wall portions has a support portion that supports the inner case. The protector according to claim 1 .

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