Wire harness

Abstract

To provide a wire harness that can improve fittability to a vehicle or the like.SOLUTION: A wire harness WH is provided with: a main line module 10 that has a plurality of flexible print wiring plates 11, a plurality of main line-side connectors 12, and a first arrangement material module 16 connecting the plurality of flexible print wiring plates 11 to each other; and a plurality of branch line modules 20 that have a plurality of branch line-side arrangement materials 21 and branch line-side connectors 22 provided at end parts of the plurality of branch line-side arrangement materials 21 and are connected to the main line-side connectors 12, respectively. The plurality of flexible print wiring plates 11 are respectively provided with wiring patterns 13 which include a plurality of conductor circuit parts 13a electrically connected to the plurality of branch line-side arrangement materials 21 respectively through the main line-side connectors 12 and the branch line-side connectors 22 to constitute a transmission path and joint parts 13b jointing at least two of the plurality of conductor circuit parts 13a to each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wire harness. [Background technology]

[0002] As an example of a conventional technology relating to wire harnesses, Patent Document 1 discloses a wire harness including a trunk module having a flexible printed wiring board having flexibility and a plurality of trunk side connectors provided at an end of the flexible printed wiring board. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-150047 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the wire harness described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 has room for further improvement in terms of, for example, improving the ease of installation in a vehicle or the like.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a wire harness that can be easily installed in a vehicle or the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the wire harness of the present invention comprises a trunk module having a plurality of flexible printed wiring boards having flexibility, a plurality of trunk side connectors provided at ends of the plurality of flexible printed wiring boards, and a first wiring material module including a plurality of trunk side first wiring materials that are conductive and connect the plurality of flexible printed wiring boards, and a plurality of branch line modules each having a plurality of branch line side wiring materials that are conductive, and a branch line side connector provided at the ends of the plurality of branch line side wiring materials and connected to the trunk side connector, and the plurality of flexible printed wiring boards are each provided with a wiring pattern including a plurality of conductor circuit portions electrically connected to each of the plurality of branch line side wiring materials via the trunk side connectors and the branch line side connectors to form a transmission path, and a joint portion connecting at least two of the plurality of conductor circuit portions to each other. Effect of the Invention

[0007] In the wire harness according to the present invention, the flexible printed wiring boards are each provided with a wiring pattern including a plurality of conductor circuit portions that are electrically connected to the plurality of branch line wiring materials via the trunk line connector and the branch line connector to form a transmission path, and a joint portion that connects at least two of the plurality of conductor circuit portions to each other. With this configuration, the wire harness can further simplify the configuration on the branch line module side by, for example, the joint portion provided on the trunk line module side. As a result, the wire harness has an effect of improving the ease of installation on a vehicle, etc. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exemplary perspective view of a vehicle to which a wire harness according to an embodiment is applied. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exemplary schematic plan view of the wire harness according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an exemplary schematic plan view of a portion of a flexible printed wiring board of the wire harness according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exemplary schematic plan view of a branch line module of a wire harness according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an exemplary perspective view of a vehicle to which a wire harness according to a modified example is applied. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exemplary schematic plan view of a wire harness according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments and modifications of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and modifications. In addition, the components in the following embodiments and modifications include those that are replaceable and easy for a person skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same.

[0010] In addition, the embodiments and modifications disclosed below include similar components. Therefore, in the following, the similar components are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations are omitted. Note that in this specification, ordinal numbers are used only to distinguish parts, members, parts, positions, directions, etc., and do not indicate order or priority.

[0011] [Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle 100 to which a wire harness WH according to an embodiment is applied. In the following description, the first direction, the second direction, and the third direction intersect with each other, and the first direction is referred to as the "extension direction Y", the second direction is referred to as the "depth direction X", and the third direction is referred to as the "height direction Z". Here, the extension direction Y, the depth direction X, and the height direction Z are approximately perpendicular to each other. The extension direction Y typically corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the trunk module 10 of the wire harness WH, the vehicle width direction, etc. The depth direction X corresponds to the short side direction of the trunk module 10 of the wire harness WH, the vehicle front-rear direction, etc. The height direction Z corresponds to the thickness direction of the trunk module 10 of the wire harness WH, the vehicle up-down direction, etc. In addition, each direction used in the following description will be described as a direction in a state in which the wire harness WH is assembled to the vehicle 100, unless otherwise specified.

[0012] The wire harness WH of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is applied to a vehicle 100, and is used for connecting devices mounted on the vehicle 100 and supplying power and communicating signals. The wire harness WH of the present embodiment is attached to, for example, a structural member 111 installed inside an instrument panel 110 of the vehicle 100. The instrument panel 110 is an interior panel that is arranged at the front of the vehicle interior along the extension direction Y so as to face the driver's seat and the passenger seat of the vehicle 100. In addition, in FIG. 1, the instrument panel 110 is shown by a two-dot chain line. The structural member 111 is, for example, a reinforcement (reinforcing member) constituted by a hollow pipe made of metal and extending along the extension direction Y. Flanges 112 are joined to both ends of the structural member 111. One flange 112 is fixed to the left side of the body of the vehicle 100, and the other flange 112 is fixed to the right side of the body of the vehicle 100.

[0013] The wire harness WH includes, for example, a trunk module 10 and a plurality of branch modules 20. The trunk module 10 is an in-instrument panel structural module disposed in an instrument panel 110 of a vehicle 100, more specifically, on a structural member 111 along an extension direction Y. The trunk module 10 includes, for example, a plurality of flexible printed circuit boards 11 (Flexible Printed Circuits), a plurality of trunk side connectors 12 provided at ends of the flexible printed circuit boards 11, and a first wiring material module 16 connecting the plurality of flexible printed circuit boards 11. Here, each of the plurality of flexible printed circuit boards 11 is connected to an ECU 30 via one of the plurality of trunk side connectors 12, and is connected to a branch module 20 via the other trunk side connectors 12. The ECU 30 here is typically a zone ECU that comprehensively controls devices in a peripheral area (zone) of the instrument panel 110, but is not limited thereto.

[0014] The flexible printed wiring boards 11 include, for example, a first flexible printed wiring board 11A and a second flexible printed wiring board 11B. The first flexible printed wiring board 11A is provided at one end of the trunk module 10 in the extension direction Y, and is electrically connected to the first ECU 30A of the ECU 30 via the trunk side connector 12. The second flexible printed wiring board 11B is provided at the other end of the trunk module 10 in the extension direction Y, and is electrically connected to the second ECU 30B of the ECU 30 via the trunk side connector 12. The first flexible printed wiring board 11A and the second flexible printed wiring board 11B are provided at intervals from each other along the extension direction Y, and are electrically connected to each other via the first wiring material module 16. The first ECU 30A and the second ECU 30B are arranged offset from each other in the height direction Z intersecting with the extension direction Y with respect to both end portions 111a of the structural member 111.

[0015] The first flexible printed wiring board 11A includes, for example, a first portion 11c, a plurality of first folded portions 11d, 11e, and a second portion 11f. The first portion 11c is a portion of the first flexible printed wiring board 11A that is disposed on the structural member 111 and extends along the extending direction Y. The second portion 11f is a portion of the first flexible printed wiring board 11A that is connected to the first portion 11c via the plurality of first folded portions 11d, 11e and extends along the height direction Z toward the first ECU 30A. Here, the second portion 11f is folded back from the first portion 11c at the first folded portion 11d along the depth direction X, and is folded back at the first folded portion 11e along the height direction Z toward the first ECU 30A side. As a result, the main line side connector 12 (see FIG. 2) provided at the end of the second portion 11f is bent into a shape that can be connected (mated) with the connector on the first ECU 30A side, and is electrically and mechanically connected to the connector on the first ECU 30A side.

[0016] The second flexible printed wiring board 11B includes, for example, a third portion 11g, a plurality of second folded portions 11h and 11i, and a fourth portion 11j. The third portion 11g is a portion of the second flexible printed wiring board 11B that is disposed on the structural member 111 and extends along the extending direction Y. The fourth portion 11j is a portion of the second flexible printed wiring board 11B that is connected to the third portion 11g via the plurality of second folded portions 11h and 11i and extends along the height direction Z toward the second ECU 30B. Here, the fourth portion 11j is folded back from the third portion 11g at the second folded portion 11h along the depth direction X, and is folded back at the second folded portion 11i along the height direction Z toward the second ECU 30B. As a result, the main line side connector 12 (see FIG. 2) provided at the end of the fourth portion 11j is bent into a shape that can be connected (mated) with the connector on the second ECU 30B side, and is electrically and mechanically connected to the connector on the second ECU 30B side.

[0017] The first wiring material module 16 is a wiring module having one end connected to the first flexible printed wiring board 11A and the other end connected to the second flexible printed wiring board 11B. The first wiring material module 16 is configured to include, for example, a plurality of conductive trunk side first wiring materials 16a and a pair of trunk side first connectors 16b (see FIG. 2) provided at both ends of the plurality of trunk side first wiring materials 16a and connected to the first flexible printed wiring board 11A and the second flexible printed wiring board 11B. The trunk side first wiring material 16a is, for example, an electric wire having a conductor portion formed by twisting together a plurality of linear metal wires and an insulating coating that covers the outside of the conductor portion.

[0018] Note that trunk module 10 may have special electric wire 19 in addition to first flexible printed wiring board 11A, second flexible printed wiring board 11B, and first wiring material module 16. Special electric wire 19 is an electric wire that transmits signals or power that are difficult to transmit properly using first flexible printed wiring board 11A, second flexible printed wiring board 11B, first wiring material module 16, etc., and is used, for example, for transmitting high-speed communication signals or large-current power. Special electric wire 19 is routed along structural member 111, for example.

[0019] Each of the branch line modules 20 is a wiring module having one end connected to the trunk side connectors 12 of the first flexible printed wiring board 11A and the second flexible printed wiring board 11B and the other end connected to various electronic devices 40 in the vehicle 100. Each of the branch line modules 20 includes a plurality of conductive branch line side wiring materials 21 (see FIG. 2), a branch line side connector 22 provided at one end of the branch line side wiring materials 21 and connected to each trunk side connector 12, and a branch line side connector 23 provided at the other end of the branch line side wiring materials 21 and connected to various electronic devices 40 in the vehicle 100. Each of the branch line modules 20 is wired toward various electronic devices 40 arranged offset in a height direction Z intersecting with the extension direction Y with respect to the first flexible printed wiring board 11A and the second flexible printed wiring board 11B.

[0020] Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of the wire harness WH, and Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view of a portion of the flexible printed wiring board 11. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the flexible printed wiring board 11 is a thin and flexible printed circuit board, and is configured to include, for example, a wiring pattern 13, a base film 14, and a coverlay. Note that the multiple flexible printed wiring boards 11, i.e., the first flexible printed wiring board 11A and the second flexible printed wiring board 11B, have approximately the same configuration (specifications).

[0021] The base film 14 is a substrate having excellent flexibility and defining the overall shape of the flexible printed wiring board 11. The base film 14 is formed of, for example, a polyimide resin having excellent heat resistance. The wiring pattern 13 is laminated on the surface (mounting surface) of the base film 14 and constitutes a plurality of conductor circuit portions 13a (pattern layer). The wiring pattern 13 is formed of, for example, a conductive material such as copper foil, and is printed on the surface of the base film 14 as a printed circuit body. The coverlay is laminated on the entire surface of the base film 14, i.e., on the base film 14 or the wiring pattern 13 via an adhesive (not shown), and functions as a protective layer that protects the conductor circuit portions 13a of the wiring pattern 13, etc.

[0022] Moreover, the flexible printed wiring board 11 is formed as a whole in a rectangular shape that is long horizontally in the extension direction Y. That is, the flexible printed wiring board 11 has a pair of first ends 11a as long sides and a pair of second ends 11b as short sides. The first ends 11a are ends on both sides of the flexible printed wiring board 11 in the depth direction X, and the second ends 11b are ends on both sides of the flexible printed wiring board 11 in the extension direction Y. In this embodiment, one or more of the multiple trunk side connectors 12 are provided at each of the first end 11a and the second end 11b of the flexible printed wiring board 11.

[0023] Specifically, the first flexible printed wiring board 11A has, for example, four trunk side connectors 12. Here, two trunk side connectors 12 are provided at one of the pair of first ends 11a at an interval in the extending direction Y, and one trunk side connector 12 is provided at each of the pair of second ends 11b. Two of these trunk side connectors 12 are connected to the branch line module 20 via the branch side connector 22, one is connected to the first ECU 30A via a connector on the first ECU 30A side, and the remaining one is connected to the first wiring material module 16 via the trunk side first connector 16b.

[0024] The second flexible printed wiring board 11B has, for example, five trunk side connectors 12. Here, two trunk side connectors 12 are provided at one of the pair of first ends 11a at an interval in the extending direction Y, one trunk side connector 12 is provided at the other of the pair of first ends 11a, and one trunk side connector 12 is provided at each of the pair of second ends 11b. Three of these trunk side connectors 12 are connected to the branch line module 20 via the branch side connector 22, one is connected to the second ECU 30B via a connector on the second ECU 30B side, and the remaining one is connected to the first wiring material module 16 via the trunk side first connector 16b. The specifications of the trunk side connectors 12, such as the number of poles, and the arrangement of the trunk side connectors 12 can be appropriately changed according to the mounting position of the wire harness WH in the vehicle 100.

[0025] Moreover, the multiple main line side connectors 12 are electrically connected to the wiring patterns 13 of the first flexible printed wiring board 11A and the second flexible printed wiring board 11B. The multiple conductor circuit portions 13a formed by the wiring patterns 13 can function as any of circuits such as a signal circuit, a signal GND circuit, a power earth circuit, etc. The signal circuit is, for example, a circuit that transmits communication signals between on-board devices such as the ECU 30 and various electronic devices 40 in the vehicle 100. The signal GND circuit is a circuit that accompanies the signal circuit, provides electrical conduction between on-board devices, and adjusts the electric potential that serves as the reference for circuit operation between the on-board devices. The power earth circuit is a circuit that grounds the power supply system of the on-board devices.

[0026] Here, in this embodiment, the wiring pattern 13 is provided with a joint portion 13b (see FIG. 3) that connects at least two of the plurality of conductor circuit portions 13a to each other. The joint portion 13b is formed simultaneously with the plurality of conductor circuit portions 13a when the wiring pattern 13 is printed, for example, and connects the above-mentioned signal circuits to each other, signal GND circuits to each other, power earth circuits to each other, and the like. The joint portion 13b connects at least two conductor circuit portions 13a located in the same layer among the plurality of pattern layers that configure the wiring pattern 13 to each other. In this embodiment, the wiring pattern 13 is provided with a plurality of joint portions 13b, and the branching portions in the entire wire harness WH are concentrated in the joint portion 13b on the flexible printed wiring board 11. That is, the joint portion 13b includes a joint portion 13b1 having a joint function that can be provided on the ECU 30 (first ECU 30A or second ECU 30B) side, and a joint portion 13b2 having a joint function that can be provided on the branch line module 20 side.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the branch line module 20. As shown in FIG. 4, the branch line module 20 includes, for example, an I-shaped first branch line module 20A and a V-shaped second branch line module 20B. The first branch line module 20A is a branch line module 20 configured in a one-to-one relationship in which the number of branch line side connectors 22 provided at one end of the plurality of branch line side wiring materials 21 is the same as the number of branch line side connectors 23 provided at the other end of the plurality of branch line side wiring materials 21. On the other hand, the second branch line module 20B is a branch line module 20 configured in a one-to-plural relationship in which the number of branch line side connectors 23 is plural relative to the branch line side connectors 22. Here, the second branch line module 20B is provided with two branch line side connectors 23. The number of branch line side connectors 23 of the second branch line module 20B is not limited to this example, and may be, for example, three or more.

[0028] Such a first branch line module 20A and a second branch line module 20B are branch line modules 20 that can be manufactured by automation. That is, in the first branch line module 20A, all the branch line side wiring materials 21 constituting the first branch line module 20A extend from the branch line side connector 22 provided at one end to the branch line side connector 23 provided at the other end without a branch (joint portion). Similarly, in the second branch line module 20B, all the branch line side wiring materials 21 constituting the second branch line module 20B extend from the branch line side connector 22 to the two branch line side connectors 23 without a branch (joint portion). Therefore, compared with a case in which a joint portion is provided in the branch line module 20, the configuration of the branch line module 20 side can be simplified, and assembling to the vehicle 100 or the like can be improved.

[0029] In addition, in this embodiment, since the joint portion 13b is provided on the flexible printed wiring board 11, there is also an advantage that the configuration on the ECU 30 side can be further simplified. Specifically, if the ECU 30 is provided with a joint function, there is a risk that many circuits will exist in the ECU 30, and the number of poles (connecting connectors) between the ECU 30 and the trunk side connector 12 will increase, or the product number of the ECU 30 will increase. In this regard, according to this embodiment, since the joint portion 13b is provided on the trunk module 10 side, the configuration on the ECU 30 side can be further simplified, and as a result, the number of poles (connecting connectors) between the ECU 30 and the trunk side connector 12 and the product number of the ECU 30 can be reduced.

[0030] In addition, in this embodiment, the trunk module 10 of the wire harness WH is configured to include a plurality of flexible printed wiring boards 11. Therefore, the trunk module 10 configured with a plurality of flexible printed wiring boards 11 is lighter than a trunk in which various general electric wires are bundled. Here, when the above-mentioned wire harness WH is installed in the vehicle 100, it is assumed that the length of the trunk module 10 will be about 1000 mm. If the trunk of such a length is entirely made of electric wires, there is a risk that the weight of the trunk itself and the entire wire harness WH will increase. In this regard, according to this embodiment, since the trunk module 10 is configured to include a plurality of flexible printed wiring boards 11, it is possible to accommodate an increase in the size of the wire harness WH while suppressing an increase in the weight of the trunk module 10 or the entire wire harness WH.

[0031] Furthermore, when the wire harness WH is set in the instrument panel 110 of the vehicle 100, it includes many branch line modules 20 corresponding to various electronic devices 40 such as meters, air conditioners, and audio equipment, and is therefore heavier than wire harnesses WH attached to other parts of the vehicle 100. In addition, in such a large wire harness WH, some of the branch line modules 20 may have connectors such as joint connectors that are not actually used. In contrast, the wire harness WH according to the present embodiment can connect appropriate branch line modules 20 having only the necessary branch line side connectors 22, 23, so that the configuration of the branch line modules 20 can be further simplified and an increase in the overall weight of the wire harness WH can be suppressed.

[0032] Generally, in a large wire harness WH having a trunk module 10 in which various electric wires are bundled, it may be structurally difficult to adopt a thin branch-side wiring material 21 having an allowable current value of about several mA as the branch module 20. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the trunk module 10 is thin overall and is composed of a plurality of flexible printed wiring boards 11 including fine wiring patterns 13, so there is an advantage in that it is easy to adopt a structure for connecting branch modules 20 composed of thin branch-side wiring materials 21 defined by the above current range.

[0033] Generally, the wire harness WH having the trunk module 10 in which various electric wires are bundled is manually manufactured by an operator. In contrast, the flexible printed wiring board 11 can be manufactured by automation, so that by forming the trunk module 10 from the flexible printed wiring board 11, the number of steps in manufacturing the trunk module 10 can be reduced, and therefore the number of steps in manufacturing the wire harness WH can also be reduced.

[0034] In addition, in this embodiment, the branch line module 20 is connected to the trunk module 10 via the branch line side connector 22, and therefore can be attached to and detached from the trunk module 10. Therefore, in the final process of manufacturing the wire harness WH, a worker only needs to connect a plurality of branch line modules 20 prepared in advance to the trunk module 10. For example, a worker can assemble the entire wire harness WH by first mounting the trunk module 10 to which the branch line modules 20 are not yet connected on the structural member 111, and then connecting each branch line module 20 to the trunk module 10. In other words, this can contribute to reducing the number of design steps for the wire harness WH, or facilitating the manufacturing process of the vehicle 100 employing the wire harness WH.

[0035] In addition, according to the trunk module 10 and the wire harness WH of the present embodiment, only the branch line module 20 can be replaced for one trunk module 10. Therefore, when a problem occurs with one branch line module 20, only the branch line module 20 can be easily replaced. On the other hand, by making the trunk module 10 common and appropriately changing only the desired branch line module 20, various wire harnesses WH having different types or lengths of branch line modules 20 can be easily configured. Furthermore, it is possible to exert an expansion function as a so-called add-on, in which a function that was not set in the wire harness WH when it was assembled to the vehicle 100 is newly added after assembly. Note that, when the trunk module 10 composed of the flexible printed wiring board 11 is attached to the structural member 111, it may be attached via a protector for covering and protecting the entire trunk module 10.

[0036] In addition, since the branch line modules 20 can be attached to and detached from the trunk line module 10, there is an advantage that the trunk line module 10 and the multiple branch line modules 20 can be managed by their own product numbers. For example, as a comparative example, when there are multiple general wire harnesses WH in which only the length of a certain branch line module 20 differs from each other, the multiple wire harnesses WH are managed by being assigned different product numbers. In contrast, according to the wire harness WH of the present embodiment, a product number is assigned to each of the branch line modules 20 having different lengths, while the common trunk line module 10 is managed by being assigned a single product number. Therefore, it is possible to easily increase the variety of changes to the branch line modules 20, and this can contribute to simplifying the management of man-hours involved in changing the configuration of the wire harness WH.

[0037] In addition, in general, a large-sized wire harness WH having a trunk module 10 in which various electric wires are bundled is difficult to transport due to its weight. In contrast, according to the wire harness WH of the present embodiment, the trunk module 10 and the branch module 20 can be transported separately, which has the advantage of shortening the number of days required to manufacture the wire harness WH itself or the vehicle 100 using the wire harness WH, or making it difficult to limit the manufacturing location. According to the wire harness WH of the present embodiment, the branch module 20 can be manufactured independently of the trunk module 10, so it may be manufactured by an automatic machine instead of by manual labor by an operator. In other words, according to the wire harness WH of the present embodiment, both the trunk module 10 composed of the flexible printed wiring board 11 and the branch module 20 composed of the branch-side wiring material 21, i.e., the entire wire harness WH, can be manufactured by an automatic machine, which is advantageous for reducing the cost, for example.

[0038] In addition, in this embodiment, since the flexible printed wiring board 11 has flexibility, the trunk module 10 and the wire harness WH can be easily adapted to various mounting portions in the vehicle 100. In addition, in this embodiment, since one or more of the multiple trunk side connectors 12 are installed at each of the first end 11a and the second end 11b, the trunk module 10 can connect multiple branch line modules 20 from opposite sides to each other. Therefore, when such a wire harness WH is installed in the vehicle 100, the trunk module 10 can increase the number of branch line modules 20 that can be connected and increase the variation in the configuration of the wire harness WH.

[0039] As described above, in the wire harness WH of the present embodiment, the multiple flexible printed wiring boards 11 are provided with wiring patterns 13 including multiple conductor circuit portions 13a that are electrically connected (i.e., in a one-to-one relationship) to the multiple branch line wiring materials 21 via the trunk line connector 12 and the branch line connector 22 to form a transmission path, and joint portions 13b that connect at least two of the multiple conductor circuit portions 13a to each other. With this configuration, the wire harness WH can further simplify the configuration of the branch line module 20 side by, for example, the joint portion 13b provided on the trunk line module 10 side. That is, the branching portions in the entire wire harness WH can be consolidated into the joint portions 13b on the multiple flexible printed wiring boards 11. As a result, the wire harness WH can be easily installed in the vehicle 100 or the like.

[0040] Here, in the wire harness WH, if the trunk module 10 is configured by one long flexible printed wiring board 11 extending along the extension direction Y, there is a risk that the effort and cost required for manufacturing the wire harness WH will increase. In this regard, according to the present embodiment, the trunk module 10 is configured to include a plurality of flexible printed wiring boards 11 and a first wiring material module 16 that connects the plurality of flexible printed wiring boards 11, so that the length of each flexible printed wiring board 11 can be suppressed, and thus the effort and cost required for manufacturing the wire harness WH can be reduced. In addition, the trunk module 10 can be folded, for example, at the portion of the first wiring material module 16 that connects the plurality of flexible printed wiring boards 11, so that the packability, transportability, etc. of the wire harness WH can be improved.

[0041] Moreover, in the wire harness WH of the present embodiment, the multiple flexible printed wiring boards 11 are provided at intervals from one another along the extending direction Y of the trunk module 10, and the multiple branch line modules 20 are routed toward the electronic device 40 that is disposed offset in a height direction Z intersecting the extending direction Y with respect to the multiple flexible printed wiring boards 11. With this configuration, the wire harness WH can, for example, more efficiently arrange the multiple flexible printed wiring boards 11 and the multiple branch line modules 20, and thus can suppress an increase in the overall weight of the wire harness WH, an increase in the size of the wire harness WH, and the like.

[0042] In the wire harness WH of the present embodiment, the multiple flexible printed wiring boards 11 include a first flexible printed wiring board 11A provided at one end of the trunk module 10 in the extension direction Y and connected to the first ECU 30A via the trunk side connector 12, and a second flexible printed wiring board 11B provided at the other end of the trunk module 10 in the extension direction Y and connected to the second ECU 30B via the trunk side connector 12. With this configuration, the wire harness WH can further simplify the configurations on the first ECU 30A side and the second ECU 30B side and can further reduce its height, for example, by the first flexible printed wiring board 11A and the second flexible printed wiring board 11B.

[0043] In the wire harness WH of the present embodiment, the first flexible printed wiring board 11A has a first portion 11c extending in the extension direction Y along the structural member 111, and a second portion 11f connected to the first portion 11c via a plurality of first folded-back portions 11d and 11e and extending along the height direction Z toward the first ECU 30A, and the second flexible printed wiring board 11B has a third portion 11g extending in the extension direction Y along the structural member 111, and a fourth portion 11j connected to the third portion 11g via a plurality of second folded-back portions 11h and 11i and extending along the height direction Z toward the second ECU 30B. With this configuration, the wire harness WH can connect the first flexible printed wiring board 11A and the second flexible printed wiring board 11B arranged on the structural member 111 in a state where they are folded toward the first ECU 30A side and the second ECU 30B side, respectively.

[0044] [Variations] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a vehicle to which a wire harness WH according to a modified example is applied, and Fig. 6 is a schematic plan view of the wire harness WH according to the modified example. The wire harness WH shown in Figs. 5 and 6 has a similar configuration to the wire harness WH according to the above embodiment. Therefore, the wire harness WH can obtain the same action and effect as the above embodiment based on the similar configuration.

[0045] However, in this modification, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the trunk module 10 is different from the above embodiment in that it is configured to include a first flexible printed wiring board 11A, a second flexible printed wiring board 11B, and a third flexible printed wiring board 11C. The third flexible printed wiring board 11C is provided in the center of the trunk module 10 in the extension direction Y, and is electrically connected to each of the first flexible printed wiring board 11A and the second flexible printed wiring board 11B via the first wiring material module 16. In this modification, the length of the third flexible printed wiring board 11C along the extension direction Y is formed longer than the length of the first flexible printed wiring board 11A and the second flexible printed wiring board 11B along the extension direction Y. In addition, in this modification, a pair of first wiring material modules 16 is provided on both sides of the third flexible printed wiring board 11C along the extension direction Y.

[0046] In this modification, the first flexible printed wiring board 11A has, for example, three trunk side connectors 12. Here, one of the pair of first end portions 11a is provided with one trunk side connector 12, and one of the pair of second end portions 11b is provided with one trunk side connector 12. One of these trunk side connectors 12 is connected to the branch line module 20 via the branch side connector 22, one is connected to the first wiring material module 16 via the trunk side first connector 16b, and the remaining one is connected to the second wiring material module 17 via the trunk side second connector 17b described later.

[0047] The second flexible printed wiring board 11B has, for example, four trunk side connectors 12. Here, one trunk side connector 12 is provided at each of the pair of first ends 11a, and one trunk side connector 12 is provided at each of the pair of second ends 11b. Two of these trunk side connectors 12 are connected to the branch line module 20 via the branch side connector 22, one is connected to the first wiring material module 16 via the trunk side first connector 16b, and the remaining one is connected to the third wiring material module 18 via the trunk side third connector 18b described later.

[0048] The third flexible printed wiring board 11C also has, for example, four trunk side connectors 12. Here, two trunk side connectors 12 are provided at one of the pair of first end portions 11a at an interval in the extension direction Y, and one trunk side connector 12 is provided at each of the pair of second end portions 11b. Two of these trunk side connectors 12 are connected to the branch line module 20 via the branch line side connectors 22, and the remaining two are connected to the first wiring material module 16 via the trunk line side first connectors 16b.

[0049] Further, the multiple main line side connectors 12 are electrically connected to the wiring pattern 13 of the first flexible printed wiring board 11A, the wiring pattern 13 of the second flexible printed wiring board 11B, and the wiring pattern 13 of the third flexible printed wiring board 11C, respectively. The multiple conductor circuit portions 13a (see FIG. 3) formed by the wiring patterns 13 can function as any circuit such as a signal circuit, a signal GND circuit, or a power earth circuit. In this modification, the wiring pattern 13 of the first flexible printed wiring board 11A, the wiring pattern 13 of the second flexible printed wiring board 11B, and the wiring pattern 13 of the third flexible printed wiring board 11C each have a joint portion 13b connecting at least two of the multiple conductor circuit portions 13a to each other.

[0050] 6, the trunk module 10 includes, for example, a second wiring module 17 and a third wiring module 18. The second wiring module 17 is a wiring module having one end connected to the first flexible printed wiring board 11A and the other end connected to the first ECU 30A. The second wiring module 17 includes, for example, a plurality of conductive trunk side second wiring materials 17a and a pair of trunk side second connectors 17b provided at both ends of the plurality of trunk side second wiring materials 17a and electrically connected to the first flexible printed wiring board 11A and the first ECU 30A, respectively. The trunk side second wiring material 17a is, for example, an electric wire having a conductor portion formed by twisting together a plurality of linear metal wires and an insulating coating that covers the outside of the conductor portion. The second wiring material module 17 is routed from the first flexible printed wiring board 11A arranged on the structural member 111 toward the first ECU 30A arranged offset in the height direction Z with respect to the structural member 111.

[0051] The third wiring module 18 is a wiring module having one end connected to the second flexible printed wiring board 11B and the other end connected to the second ECU 30B. The third wiring module 18 includes, for example, a plurality of conductive trunk side third wiring materials 18a and a pair of trunk side third connectors 18b provided at both ends of the plurality of trunk side third wiring materials 18a and electrically connected to the second flexible printed wiring board 11B and the second ECU 30B, respectively. The trunk side third wiring material 18a is, for example, an electric wire having a conductor portion in which a plurality of linear metal wires are twisted together and an insulating coating that covers the outside of the conductor portion. The third wiring module 18 is wired from the second flexible printed wiring board 11B arranged on the structural member 111 toward the second ECU 30B arranged offset in the height direction Z with respect to the structural member 111.

[0052] As described above, in the wire harness WH of this modified example, the trunk module 10 has the second wiring material module 17 and the third wiring material module 18. With this configuration, the wire harness WH can more easily connect, for example, the first flexible printed wiring board 11A arranged on the structural member 111 and the first ECU 30A arranged offset in the height direction Z with respect to the structural member 111 by the second wiring material module 17, and can more easily connect the second flexible printed wiring board 11B arranged on the structural member 111 and the second ECU 30B arranged offset in the height direction Z with respect to the structural member 111 by the third wiring material module 18.

[0053] In the above embodiment and modified example, the wire harness WH is applied to the vehicle 100, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and the wire harness WH may be applied to devices, equipment, etc. other than the vehicle 100. Even with such a wire harness, it is possible to facilitate the manufacture, similarly to the wire harness WH according to the above embodiment and modified example.

[0054] Although the embodiment and the modified examples of the present invention have been illustrated above, the above-mentioned embodiment and the modified examples are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above-mentioned embodiment and the modified examples can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, combinations, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. In addition, the specifications of each configuration, shape, and the like (structure, type, direction, type, size, length, width, thickness, height, number, arrangement, position, material, etc.) can be appropriately changed and implemented. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 10 Trunk Module 11 Flexible printed wiring board 11A First flexible printed wiring board 11B Second flexible printed wiring board 11c Part 1 11d, 11e First folded part 11f 2nd part 11g 3rd part 11h, 11i Second fold 11j Part 4 12 Main line connector 13 Wiring Pattern 13a Conductive circuit section 13b Joint 16a Main line side first wiring material 16 First wiring module 17a Main line side 2nd wiring material 17 Second wiring module 18a Main line side 3rd wiring material 18 3rd wiring module 20 Branch Line Module 21 Branch line side wiring material 22 Branch line connector 30A 1st ECU 30B 2nd ECU 40 Electronic equipment 100 vehicles 111 Structural members WH Wire harness Y extension direction Z Height direction (direction intersecting with extension direction)

Claims

1. a main line module including a plurality of flexible printed wiring boards having flexibility, a plurality of main line side connectors provided at ends of the plurality of flexible printed wiring boards, and a first wiring material module including a plurality of main line side first wiring materials having electrical conductivity and connecting the plurality of flexible printed wiring boards; A plurality of branch line modules each including a plurality of conductive branch line side wiring materials and a branch line side connector provided at an end of the plurality of branch line side wiring materials and connected to the trunk line side connector; Equipped with Each of the flexible printed wiring boards is provided with a wiring pattern including a plurality of conductor circuit portions electrically connected to the plurality of branch line side wiring materials via the trunk line side connector and the branch line side connector to configure a transmission path, and a joint portion connecting at least two of the plurality of conductor circuit portions to each other. Wire harness.

2. the plurality of flexible printed wiring boards are provided at intervals from one another along an extension direction of the trunk module, the plurality of branch line modules are arranged toward electronic devices that are shifted relative to the plurality of flexible printed wiring boards in a direction intersecting the extending direction, The wire harness according to claim 1 .

3. the plurality of flexible printed wiring boards include a first flexible printed wiring board provided at one end of the trunk module in an extension direction and connected to a first ECU via the trunk side connector, and a second flexible printed wiring board provided at the other end of the trunk module in an extension direction and connected to a second ECU via the trunk side connector. The wire harness according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the trunk module is disposed on a structural member that is provided in an instrument panel of the vehicle and extends along the extension direction; the first ECU and the second ECU are arranged to be shifted from each other in a direction intersecting the extending direction with respect to both ends of the structural member, the first flexible printed wiring board has a first portion extending in the extension direction along the structural member, and a second portion connected to the first portion via a plurality of first folded portions and extending in a direction intersecting the extension direction toward the first ECU, the second flexible printed wiring board has a third portion extending in the extension direction along the structural member, and a fourth portion connected to the third portion via a plurality of second folded portions and extending in a direction intersecting the extension direction toward the second ECU, The wire harness according to claim 3.

5. the trunk module is disposed on a structural member that is provided in an instrument panel of the vehicle and extends along the extension direction; the first ECU and the second ECU are arranged to be shifted from each other in a direction intersecting the extending direction with respect to both ends of the structural member, The trunk module includes a second wiring material module including a plurality of trunk side second wiring materials that are conductive and connect the first flexible printed wiring board on the structural member and the first ECU, and a third wiring material module including a plurality of trunk side third wiring materials that are conductive and connect the second flexible printed wiring board on the structural member and the second ECU. The wire harness according to claim 3.

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