Wire harness and clamp

Abstract

To provide a wire harness and a clamp which suppresses enlargement of components while maintaining a waterproof function.SOLUTION: A wire harness has: an anchor part 11 having an arm part 22 inserted in a through-hole 51 formed on an attachment panel 50 to be fit into the through-hole 51 and a dish-shaped pedestal 20 for supporting the attachment panel 50 in cooperation with the arm part 22; a flatly formed dual-sleeve clip member 4 for laying a wiring material W; and a packing supporting surface 14A provided oppositely to the arm part 22 across the pedestal 20, the packing supporting surface being larger than the pedestal 20 and supporting the packing 5. The packing 5 surrounds an outside periphery of the pedestal 20 and a thickness H1 of the packing 5 is set larger than a height H2 from the packing supporting surface 14A to an outer peripheral edge 20A of the pedestal 20 in an insertion direction Z of the arm part 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for a wire harness to be installed in a vehicle, which includes a clamp having a clip portion that fits into a through-hole formed in a vehicle body panel, an elastic waterproof member that is attached to the clamp and seals the periphery of the through-hole watertightly, a wiring material such as an electric wire that is supported by the clamp, and a band that secures the clamp to the wiring material. In this type of wire harness, the elastic waterproof member is provided in a disk portion of the clamp that supports the clip portion, and the disk portion presses the elastic waterproof member against the vehicle body panel, thereby sealing the gap with the vehicle body panel (through-hole) and achieving waterproofing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-108588 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the conventional configuration, in order to improve waterproofing, it is necessary to set the distance between the clip portion and the plate portion long, which means that the components become larger, leaving room for improvement.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wire harness and a clamp that maintain waterproofing function while suppressing an increase in the size of components. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the wire harness of the present invention comprises a wiring material, a clamp that supports the wiring material, a fixing member that fixes the clamp to the wiring material, and a circular elastic waterproof member attached to the clamp, and the clamp has an anchor portion having an arm portion that is inserted into a through hole formed in a mounting panel and fits into the through hole, and a dish-shaped base that cooperates with the arm portion to support the mounting panel, a wiring portion that is formed in a flat plate shape and through which the wiring material is routed, and a waterproof member support surface that is larger than the base and is located on the opposite side of the arm portion across the base, and supports the elastic waterproof member, the outer periphery of the base is surrounded by the elastic waterproof member, and the thickness of the elastic waterproof member is set to be greater than the height from the waterproof member support surface to the edge of the base in the insertion direction of the arm portion, and the elastic waterproof member is crushed by being sandwiched between the waterproof member support surface and the mounting panel, so that the elastic waterproof member expands outward and inward to seal the gap with the mounting panel.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the clamp of the present invention has an arm portion that is inserted into a through hole formed in the mounting panel and fits into the through hole, an anchor portion that has a dish-shaped base that cooperates with the arm portion to support the mounting panel, a routing portion that is formed in a flat plate shape and through which a routing material is routed, and a waterproofing member support surface that is larger than the base and is located on the opposite side of the arm portion across the base, and that supports a circular elastic waterproofing member, and is characterized in that when the outer periphery of the base is surrounded by the elastic waterproofing member, the thickness of the elastic waterproofing member is set to be greater than the height from the waterproofing member support surface to the edge of the base in the insertion direction of the arm portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The wire harness and clamp of the present invention have a waterproof member support surface that is larger than the base and is located on the opposite side of the arm portion across the base, and that supports the elastic waterproof member.The outer periphery of the base is surrounded by the elastic waterproof member, and the thickness of the elastic waterproof member is set to be greater than the height from the waterproof member support surface to the edge of the base in the insertion direction of the arm portion.As a result, the elastic waterproof member is crushed by being sandwiched between the waterproof member support surface and the mounting panel, and the elastic waterproof member expands outward and inward to seal the gap with the mounting panel, so that it is possible to prevent the part from becoming larger while maintaining waterproofing function. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of a schematic configuration of a wire harness according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the wire harness according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state before the wire harness according to the present embodiment is attached to the attachment panel. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state after the wire harness according to this embodiment has been attached to a mounting panel. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a part of a schematic configuration of a wire harness according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments include those that are easily replaceable by those skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a part of the schematic configuration of the wire harness according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the wire harness according to the present embodiment. Fig. 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the wire harness according to the present embodiment in a state before being attached to a mounting panel. Fig. 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the wire harness according to the present embodiment in a state after being attached to a mounting panel.

[0012] The wire harness WH of this embodiment includes a wiring material W used for power supply and signal communication to connect various devices mounted on a vehicle, and the wiring material W is connected to the devices via connectors or the like. As shown in FIG. 1 , the wire harness WH includes, for example, a conductive wiring material W, a clamp 1 supporting the wiring material W, a fixing band 2 (fixing member) provided at the longitudinal center of the clamp 1 and fixing the clamp 1 to the wiring material W, and a packing (elastic waterproof member) 5 attached to the clamp 1. The wire harness WH may further include various components such as an exterior member such as a corrugated tube or a protector, and an electrical junction box. In the following description, of the first, second, and third directions that intersect with each other, the first direction is referred to as the "longitudinal direction X," the second direction is referred to as the "width direction Y," and the third direction is referred to as the "insertion direction Z." The longitudinal direction X, the width direction Y, and the insertion direction Z are typically perpendicular to each other. Here, the longitudinal direction X corresponds to the routing direction of the above-mentioned routing material W and the longitudinal direction of the clamp 1. The width direction Y corresponds to the width direction of the clamp 1, and the insertion direction Z corresponds to the insertion direction in which the clamp 1 is inserted into and fitted into the fitting hole of the mounting panel, and the height direction of the clamp 1.

[0013] The wiring material W is composed of, for example, a metal rod, an electric wire, a bundle of electric wires, etc. A metal rod is a conductive rod-shaped member whose outside is covered with an insulating covering. An electric wire is a conductor (core wire) made of multiple conductive metal wires whose outside is covered with an insulating covering. A bundle of electric wires is a bundle of these electric wires. In the example of Figure 1, the wire harness WH includes one wiring material W, but this is not limited to this and may be configured to include multiple wiring materials.

[0014] 1 and 2, the clamp 1 includes a clamp anchor 3 that is fixed to the routing material W by a fixing band 2 at the center of the clamp 1 in the longitudinal direction X, and two sleeve clip members (routing portions) 4 that engage with the routing material W on both sleeve (end) sides of the clamp anchor 3 in the longitudinal direction X. In this embodiment, the clamp anchor 3 and the two sleeve clip members 4 are configured as separate members (separate bodies), and the clamp 1 is formed by assembling the clamp anchor 3 and the two sleeve clip members 4.

[0015] The clamp anchor 3 comprises an anchor portion 11 that fits into a through hole formed in the vehicle body, a band fixing portion 12 to which a fixing band 2 is attached to fix the anchor portion 11 to the wiring material W, a neck portion 13 that connects the anchor portion 11 and the band fixing portion 12, and a flange 14 formed at the boundary between the anchor portion 11 and the neck portion 13 and supporting the above-mentioned gasket 5, and is integrally molded from the same resin material (for example, a thermoplastic resin such as polypropylene or nylon).

[0016] The anchor portion 11 includes a base 20 formed in the shape of an elliptical dish with its major axis extending in the longitudinal direction X of the sleeve clip members 4 when the clamp anchor 3 is assembled to the sleeve clip members 4, a support post 21 protruding from the base 20 in the insertion direction Z, and a pair of arms 22 joined to the tips of the support post 21. These arms 22 are inserted into and fitted into through-holes formed in, for example, a mounting panel of a vehicle body. Each arm 22 extends from the tip of the support post 21 toward the base 20 so as to expand in the longitudinal direction X, and is elastically deformable with its joint with the support post 21 as a fulcrum. Furthermore, the tips of the arm portions 22 are provided with a plurality of step-like locking steps (locking portions) 22A. These locking steps 22A lock onto the periphery of the through-hole. Therefore, the arm portion 22 and the base 20 cooperate to sandwich and support the mounting panel, and the anchor portion 11 is fitted into the through-hole.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1 , the band fixing portion 12 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and serves to fix the clamp anchor 3 to the routing material W. It has a band through-hole 25 through which the fixing band 2 passes and a fixing surface 12A that is fixed to the routing material W by the fixing band 2. When the clamp anchor 3 is assembled to the sleeve clip members 4, the band through-hole 25 passes through the band fixing portion 12 along the width direction Y of the sleeve clip members 4. Therefore, the routing material W routed along the longitudinal direction X of the sleeve clip members 4 can be sandwiched and fixed between the fixing surface 12A and the fixing band 2. Here, the band fixing portion 12 is provided on the same straight line as the support 21 of the anchor portion 11, so that the position at which the clamp anchor 3 is fixed to the routing material W can be easily determined, for example, to match the pitch (spacing) of the through-holes 51 of the mounting panel 50.

[0018] The fixing band 2 is a so-called cable tie. The fixing band 2 includes a main body 41 and a band 42 extending from the main body 41. The main body 41 is formed with a hole (not shown) through which the band 42 can pass, and a locking claw (not shown) protrudes from the inner surface of the hole. A continuous locking groove is provided on the surface of the band 42, and the locking claw engages with the locking claw formed on the main body 41. In this embodiment, when the fixing band 2 is inserted into the main body 41, the locking claws and the locking grooves are disengaged, allowing the band 42 to be inserted. On the other hand, when the band 42 is removed from the main body 41, the locking claws are engaged with the locking grooves and are not released, so the band 42 cannot be removed (loosened).

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the neck portion 13 is the part that is connected to both sleeve clip members 4 when the two sleeve clip members 4 are assembled to the clamp anchor 3, and the cross section (horizontal cross section) of the neck portion 13 is formed, for example, in an elliptical shape with its major axis extending in the longitudinal direction X of the two sleeve clip members 4.

[0020] The flange 14 is a plate-like member that supports the packing 5 attached to the clamp 1, and is formed larger than the above-mentioned base 20. The flange 14 has a packing support surface (waterproof member support surface) 14A located on the opposite side from the wiring material W, and one end of the packing 5 is supported by contacting the packing support surface 14A. In addition, since this packing support surface 14A is formed larger than the above-mentioned base 20, the force that presses the packing 5 in the insertion direction Z of the anchor part 11 can be transmitted to the packing 5 evenly.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, both sleeve clip members 4 have a shape formed by bending a flat plate and include a base plate portion 30, a wiring plate portion 31, and a connecting plate portion 32. The base plate portion 30 is located in the center of both sleeve clip members 4 in the longitudinal direction X, and this base plate portion 30 has a notch 30A (Figure 2) formed therein that fits with the neck portion 13 of the clamp anchor 3. This notch 30A is formed in a shape that opens in the width direction Y of both sleeve clip members 4 and allows the neck portion 13 to fit in, i.e., an elliptical shape with its major axis extending in the longitudinal direction X of both sleeve clip members 4. Therefore, in this embodiment, by rotating both sleeve clip members 4 around an axis extending in the insertion direction Z, the notch 30A of the base plate portion 30 can be fitted into the neck portion 13 of the clamp anchor 3 for assembly.

[0022] The wiring plate portion 31 is located on both sleeves (both ends) of the sleeve clip members 4 in the longitudinal direction X, and the wiring material W fixed to the clamp anchor 3 is routed through the wiring plate portion 31. When the clamp anchor 3 is assembled to the sleeve clip members 4, the wiring plate portion 31 has a wiring surface 31A on the band fixing portion 12 side of the clamp anchor 3. The wiring plate portion 31 also includes a pair of support pieces 33 erected on the wiring surface 31A on both sleeves of the wiring surface 31A, and clip pieces 34 that cooperate with the support pieces 33 to clamp the wiring material W. In this embodiment, the pair of support pieces 33 and the clip pieces 34 function as engaging portions that engage with the wiring material W.

[0023] The pair of support pieces 33 extend in the width direction Y of both sleeve clip members 4 at a predetermined interval. The clip piece 34 is located between the pair of support pieces 33 and extends from one end to the other end in the width direction Y with a gap in the insertion direction Z from the support piece 33. The tip 34A of the clip piece 34 is bent in a direction away from the routing surface 31A, and an opening (opening) 35 through which the routing material W is introduced is formed between the tip 34A of the clip piece 34 and the support piece 33. The openings 35 of each clip piece 34 are located on opposite sides of each other in the width direction Y. In other words, when both sleeve clip members 4 are rotated around an axis (not shown) that penetrates the base plate portion 30, the openings 35 of each clip piece 34 are formed to be located on the same rotational side.

[0024] In addition, in this embodiment, since the band fixing portion 12 of the clamp anchor 3 is fixed to the wiring material W, it is possible to easily position the anchor portion 11 of the clamp anchor 3 relative to the wiring material W. Therefore, when assembling the wire harness WH to a vehicle, it is possible to easily assemble the clamp anchor 3 into the through hole 51 formed in the vehicle, ensuring appropriate workability. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the clamp 1 is fixed to the wiring material W at one point in the center in the longitudinal direction X, compared to a conventional configuration in which both ends of the clamp in the longitudinal direction are fixed to the wiring material W, the number of steps for fixing can be reduced and the number of fixing bands (fixing members) used for fixing can be reduced.

[0025] Next, the packing 5 will be described. The packing 5 is made of an elastic material such as urethane or rubber, and is a circular molded body having an inner circumferential surface 5A that is perforated at the center. The packing 5 is attached to the anchor part 11 by surrounding the outer periphery of the base 20 of the anchor part 11, and one end (upper end) is supported by contacting the packing support surface 14A of the flange 14. In this embodiment, the packing support surface 14A is formed larger than the base 20, so that the force that presses the packing 5 in the insertion direction Z of the anchor part 11 can be transmitted to the packing 5 evenly.

[0026] 3, before the wire harness WH is attached (fitted) to the mounting panel 50, the packing 5 is deformed to fit the outer peripheral shape of the base 20 and overlaps the outer peripheral edge (edge ​​portion) 20A of the base 20 by a predetermined distance L (e.g., 2 mm or more) all around. The thickness H1 of the packing 5 is set to be larger than the height H2 from the packing support surface 14A to the outer peripheral edge 20A of the base 20 in the insertion direction Z. Specifically, the difference H1-H2 between the thickness H1 of the packing 5 and the height H2 from the packing support surface 14A to the outer peripheral edge 20A of the base 20 is set to be a predetermined height (e.g., 2 mm) or more.

[0027] According to this configuration, the packing 5 comes into contact with the mounting panel 50 before the wire harness WH is attached to the mounting panel 50. Therefore, when the wire harness WH is attached to the mounting panel 50, the packing 5 is sandwiched and crushed between the packing support surface 14A and the mounting panel 50, as shown in Fig. 4, and the packing 5 spreads outward and inward to close the gap with the mounting panel 50. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the components of the wire harness WH from becoming larger while maintaining the waterproof function.

[0028] Here, when the anchor portion 11 (wire harness WH) is attached to the mounting panel 50, the base 20 approaches the mounting panel 50, and the packing 5 is compressed between the base 20 and the mounting panel 50. Meanwhile, a force acts on the anchor portion 11 in a direction that presses the mounting panel 50 away from the mounting panel 50 as a reaction to the compression of the packing 5. For this reason, in this configuration, by providing the packing 5 around the outer periphery of the base 20, the anchor portion 11 is inserted into the through-hole 51 of the mounting panel 50 with an insertion force greater than the normal insertion force, and the pressing force of the packing 5 on the mounting panel 50 also increases as the insertion force increases.

[0029] In this embodiment, the anchor portion 11 has a plurality of locking steps 22A each formed in a stair-like pattern at the tip of the arm portion 22. The locking steps 22A are multi-stepped to correspond to the thickness of the mounting panel 50 to be used in common, so that the wire harness WH can be attached to mounting panels 50 of a plurality of thicknesses. In this embodiment, the gap (pitch) between the peaks of the multi-step locking steps 22A is widened (for example, the pitch width is changed from 0.9 mm to 1.2 mm), and any play that occurs at this time can be absorbed by the pressing force of the packing 5 described above.

[0030] As described above, the wire harness WH and clamp 1 of this embodiment include an anchor portion 11 having an arm portion 22 that is inserted into and fits into the through hole 51 formed in the mounting panel 50, and a dish-shaped base 20 that cooperates with the arm portion 22 to support the mounting panel 50, a double sleeve clip member 4 that is formed in a flat plate shape and onto which the wiring material W is routed, and a packing support surface 14A that is larger than the base 20 and supports the packing 5, and is located on the opposite side of the arm portion 22 across the base 20, and is larger than the base 20.The outer periphery of the base 20 is surrounded by the packing 5, and the thickness H1 of the packing 5 is set to be greater than the height H2 from the packing support surface 14A to the outer peripheral edge 20A of the base 20 in the insertion direction Z of the arm portion 22.As a result, the packing 5 is sandwiched between the packing support surface 14A and the mounting panel 50 and crushed, causing the packing 5 to spread outward and inward to seal the gap with the mounting panel 50. Therefore, the waterproof function of the wire harness WH, the clamp 1, and the mounting panel 50 can be maintained, while suppressing an increase in size of each component of the wire harness WH and the clamp 1.

[0031] Furthermore, in the wire harness WH and clamp 1 of this embodiment, the arm portion 22 of the anchor portion 11 is formed with multiple locking step portions 22A that lock onto the periphery of the through hole 51, so that the wire harness WH and clamp 1 can be attached to mounting panels 50 of multiple thicknesses.

[0032] Next, another embodiment will be described. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a part of the schematic configuration of a wire harness according to another embodiment. The same components as those in the above-described embodiment are given the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, the wire harness WH1 includes a clamp 101 that supports a wiring material W, and fixing bands 102 (fixing members) that are provided at both ends of the clamp 101 in the longitudinal direction X and fix the clamp 101 to the wiring material W. The fixing bands 102 are so-called binding bands. The fixing bands 102 are provided at both ends of the clamp 101 and fix the clamp 101 to the wiring material W. The fixing bands 102 include a main body 141 and a band 142 extending from the main body 141.

[0033] The clamp 101 includes an anchor portion 11 that fits into a through-hole formed in the vehicle body, and a wiring portion 112 in which a wiring material W is routed. In this embodiment, the anchor portion 11 and the wiring portion 112 are integrally molded from the same resin material (for example, a thermoplastic resin such as polypropylene or nylon).

[0034] 5, the wiring portion 112 is formed in a flat plate shape, and the anchor portion 11 described above is provided on one surface 112A side of this wiring portion 112. In this embodiment, a packing 5 is attached to surround the outer periphery of the anchor portion 11, and one surface 112A of the wiring portion 112 functions as the packing support surface (waterproof member support surface) described above.

[0035] As described above, the wire harness WH1 and clamp 101 of this embodiment have an anchor portion 11 having an arm portion 22 that is inserted into a through hole formed in the mounting panel and fits into the through hole, and a dish-shaped base 20 that cooperates with the arm portion 22 to support the mounting panel, a routing portion 112 that is formed in a flat plate shape and through which the routing material W is routed, and one surface 112A of the routing portion 112 that is located on the opposite side of the arm portion 22 across the base 20, is larger than the base 20, and supports a gasket 5, and the outer periphery of the base 20 is surrounded by the gasket 5, and the thickness of the gasket 5 is set to be greater than the height from one surface 112A of the routing portion 112 to the outer periphery of the base 20 in the insertion direction Z of the arm portion 22. Even with this configuration, the packing 5 is sandwiched and crushed between one surface 112A of the wiring portion 112 and the mounting panel, causing the packing 5 to expand outward and inward to close the gap with the mounting panel. This makes it possible to prevent the wire harness WH1 and the clamp 101 from becoming larger in size while maintaining the waterproof function between the wire harness WH1, the clamp 101, and the mounting panel.

[0036] The wire harness and the clamp according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. In the above description, the wiring material is described as an electrically conductive electric wire, but is not limited thereto. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1, 101 clamp 2, 102 Fixing band (fixing member) 3 Clamp Anchor 4. Double sleeve clip components 5. Packing 5A Inner surface 11 Anchor part 12 Band fixing part 12A fixed surface 13 Neck 14 flange 14A Packing support surface (waterproof member support surface) 20 pedestal 20A outer edge 21 Post 22 Arm 22A Locking step (locking part) 50 Mounting Panel 51 Through hole 112 Wiring section 112A One side (waterproof member support surface) H1 Thickness (thickness of packing) H2 Height (height from packing support surface to outer edge of base) W Routing material WH, WH1 wire harness X Longitudinal direction Y width direction Z Insertion direction

Claims

1. The wiring material, A clamp for supporting the wiring material; A fixing member for fixing the clamp to the wiring material; a circular elastic waterproof member attached to the clamp; The clamp is an anchor portion having an arm portion that is inserted into a through hole formed in a mounting panel and fits into the through hole, and a dish-shaped base that cooperates with the arm portion to support the mounting panel; A wiring portion formed in a flat plate shape and in which the wiring material is arranged; a waterproof member support surface that is provided on the opposite side of the base from the arm portion, is larger than the base, and supports the elastic waterproof member; This wire harness is characterized in that the outer periphery of the base is surrounded by the elastic waterproof member, the thickness of the elastic waterproof member is set to be greater than the height from the waterproof member support surface to the edge of the base in the insertion direction of the arm portion, and the elastic waterproof member is crushed by being sandwiched between the waterproof member support surface and the mounting panel, so that the elastic waterproof member expands outward and inward to seal the gap with the mounting panel.

2. 2. The wire harness according to claim 1, wherein the arm portion of the anchor portion has a multi-stage locking portion that locks with an edge portion of the through hole.

3. an anchor portion having an arm portion that is inserted into a through hole formed in a mounting panel and fits into the through hole, and a dish-shaped base that cooperates with the arm portion to support the mounting panel; A wiring portion formed in a flat plate shape and in which a wiring material is arranged; a waterproof member support surface that is provided on the opposite side of the arm portion across the base, is larger than the base, and supports a circular elastic waterproof member; A clamp characterized in that when the outer periphery of the base is surrounded by the elastic waterproof member, the thickness of the elastic waterproof member is set to be greater than the height from the waterproof member support surface to the edge of the base in the insertion direction of the arm portion.

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