Connector cover and connector holding structure

Abstract

To provide a connector cover and a connector holding structure that can reduce waste discharged when the position restriction of a connector position is released.SOLUTION: A connector cover 20 for holding a connector 13 provided at a tip of a branch line 12 branching from a main line 11 of a wire harness 10 is provided with: a deformable connector accommodating part 21 which accommodates the connector 13 while wrapping it and in which an opening portion for allowing at least the branch line 12 extending from the connector 13 to pass therethrough; and a fixing part 22 which fixes the connector accommodating part 21 to a fixing portion 111.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector cover and a connector holding structure for protecting a connector provided on, for example, a branch wire of a wire harness. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, electrical equipment installed in a vehicle such as an automobile includes not only electrical equipment that is pre-installed on the vehicle as standard equipment, but also optional electrical equipment that is added later. In order to facilitate the connection of such optional electrical equipment to a power source or the standard electrical equipment, the vehicle's wire harness is provided with branch wires that branch off from a main wire.

[0003] Incidentally, when optional electrical equipment is not installed in a vehicle, the connector at the end of the branch wire is fixed to a predetermined location and its position is regulated to prevent abnormal noise caused by contact between the connector and surrounding parts. For example, in Patent Document 1, a branch wire with a connector covered by a connector cover at its end is bent and fixed to the main wire with adhesive tape to prevent abnormal noise caused by contact with surrounding parts.

[0004] However, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, when connecting a branch wire of a wire harness to an optional electrical device that has been added later, it is necessary to remove the adhesive tape in order to extend the branch wire. This not only requires time and effort to remove the adhesive tape, but also causes problems in that the removed adhesive tape is disposed of as waste. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-235707 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector cover and a connector holding structure that can reduce the amount of waste that is discharged when the positional restriction of the connector is released. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention is a connector cover that holds a connector provided at the end of a branch wire branching off from a main wire of a wire harness, and is characterized in that it is provided with a deformable connector accommodating portion that encases and accommodates the connector and has an opening portion through which at least the branch wire extending from the connector can pass, and a fixing portion that fixes the connector accommodating portion to a predetermined location.

[0008] The present invention is also characterized in that it is a connector holding structure comprising a wire harness having branch wires branching off from a trunk wire, and the above-mentioned connector cover that holds a connector provided at the end of the branch wire, wherein the connector is held on the trunk wire via the connector cover.

[0009] The connector receiving portion includes a connector receiving portion formed by bending a sheet-like member, a tubular connector receiving portion having an opening, or a bag-like connector receiving portion having an opening. The predetermined portion includes the trunk line of the wire harness, or peripheral parts arranged around the wire harness.

[0010] The above-mentioned deformability includes deformability that allows the shape of the connector accommodating portion to elastically deform, and deformability that allows the shape of the connector accommodating portion to be irreversibly changed, such as when a part of the connector accommodating portion is cut off so that the connector accommodated in the connector accommodating portion can be removed.

[0011] According to this invention, since the fixing portion is provided for fixing the connector accommodating portion that holds the connector to a predetermined portion, the connector accommodating portion having an opening can be fixed to the predetermined portion, and thus the connector can be removed from the connector accommodating portion without removing the connector accommodating portion from the predetermined portion.

[0012] Therefore, the adhesive tape and the connector housing are not discharged as waste. In other words, since the connector provided at the tip of the branch wire can be fixed in a predetermined position, it is possible to prevent the connector from interfering with other components and generating abnormal noise, and also to reduce waste being discharged when the position restriction of the connector is released.

[0013] As a further aspect of the present invention, an enlarging / deforming means may be provided for deforming so as to enlarge the opening portion of the connector receiving portion. The above-mentioned "deforming so as to enlarge the opening" refers to enlarging the opening by deformation due to pulling or by deformation due to pressing. Note that the above-mentioned "enlarging the opening" refers to enlarging at least a part of the opening so that the connector can be removed.

[0014] According to the present invention, the opening of the connector housing can be deformed to be enlarged, so that the connector housed in the connector housing can be easily removed. Therefore, not only can the amount of waste generated be reduced, but the efficiency of the connector removal operation can also be improved.

[0015] As a further aspect of the present invention, the connector receiving portion may be configured to have cushioning properties and elasticity. According to the present invention, the connector accommodated in the cushioned connector accommodation portion can be protected, and the elastic opening portion can be expanded to allow the connector to be more easily removed from the opening portion.

[0016] In addition, by extending the connector accommodating portion, it is possible to accommodate connectors of various sizes, and the size of a connector accommodating portion that does not accommodate a connector can be reliably made more compact than a connector accommodating portion that accommodates a connector.

[0017] Therefore, a connector cover configured in this manner not only reduces the number of types of connector covers for each type of connector compared to a case in which the connector cover has a non-elastic connector accommodating portion, but also prevents the gap between the connector accommodating portion and surrounding components from becoming larger than necessary.

[0018] As another aspect of the present invention, the direction through the opening toward the inside of the connector accommodating portion is defined as the insertion direction, and the connector accommodating portion may be provided with a slit that is formed along the insertion direction and penetrates in the thickness direction.

[0019] According to this invention, the slit opens in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction, allowing the connector accommodating portion to further expand and contract in the perpendicular direction, so that connectors of various sizes can be accommodated in the connector accommodating portion and can be easily removed.

[0020] In addition, the opening of the slit allows the connector accommodating portion to be extended in the perpendicular direction while preventing the opening portion from opening too wide, thereby preventing the connector accommodated in the connector accommodating portion from falling out of the opening portion.

[0021] The connector cover configured in this manner can accommodate connectors of various sizes and prevent the connectors from falling off, compared to a connector cover having a connector accommodating portion that expands and contracts in the insertion direction. Therefore, connectors of various sizes can be accommodated in the connector accommodating portion and reliably protected, and the connectors can be easily removed from the connector accommodating portion.

[0022] As a further aspect of the present invention, the slits in the connector housing may be formed in a plurality of positions at predetermined intervals in a direction intersecting the insertion direction. According to this invention, the connector accommodating portion can be made to expand and contract more in the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction, so that connectors of various sizes and shapes can be accommodated.

[0023] As a further aspect of the present invention, a plurality of the slits may be provided at predetermined intervals in the insertion direction. According to this invention, the size of the opening of the open slit can be made smaller than that of a slit formed from near one end to near the other end in the insertion direction of the connector accommodating portion, thereby preventing the connector accommodated in the connector accommodating portion from being exposed to the outside through the slit and suppressing the intrusion of foreign matter into the connector accommodating portion through the slit.

[0024] As a further aspect of the present invention, a portion of the connector receiving portion with which a ridge portion of the connector comes into contact may be defined as a ridge contact portion, and the slit may be provided at a portion other than the ridge contact portion. According to this invention, it is possible to prevent the ridge portion of the connector from being exposed to the outside through the slit and receiving an unintended external force. In addition, since it is possible to prevent the ridge portion of the connector from pushing the slit apart, it is possible to suppress damage to the connector accommodation portion.

[0025] As a further aspect of the present invention, the edge contact portion may be configured to be thicker than the surrounding area. As a further aspect of the present invention, the ridge contact portion may be configured to be harder than the surrounding area.

[0026] The above-mentioned phrase "being made harder than the surrounding area" includes cases where the ridge contact portion is coated to make it harder than the surrounding area, cases where only the ridge contact portion is made of a hard material, and cases where a protective member is attached to the ridge contact portion to make it harder than the surrounding area.

[0027] According to this invention, the strength of the edge contact portion of the connector housing can be improved, so that damage to the connector housing due to contact with the edge portion of the connector housed in the connector housing and damage to the edge portion of the connector due to unintended external forces can be prevented, thereby reliably protecting the connector housed in the connector housing.

[0028] As an aspect of the present invention, a breaking means may be provided for breaking a part of the connector receiving portion along an insertion direction through the opening toward the inside of the connector receiving portion. The breaking means includes a handle for applying a pulling force to a part of the connector receiving portion, a slit or a thin-walled portion provided in a part of the connector receiving portion, or a combination of these.

[0029] According to this invention, by simply applying a pulling force to the connector accommodating portion accommodating the connector, a part of the connector accommodating portion can be broken and opened, so that the connector accommodated in the connector accommodating portion can be easily removed.

[0030] In another aspect of the present invention, the direction through the opening toward the inside of the connector accommodating portion is defined as the insertion direction, and the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction is defined as the orthogonal direction, and the fixing portion may be provided at an end of the connector accommodating portion in the orthogonal direction.

[0031] According to this invention, the connector accommodating portion can be fixed so as to be suspended from a predetermined portion without blocking the opening of the connector accommodating portion, which prevents the predetermined portion from interfering with removal of the connector, for example, when pulling out the connector from the connector accommodating portion.

[0032] As a further aspect of the present invention, the fixing portion may be provided with an extension portion extending in the insertion direction. According to this invention, the extension of the fixing part can be used as a part around which an adhesive tape or a cable tie for fixing the connector cover to a predetermined part is wound. Therefore, the connector cover can be fixed to a predetermined part without winding an adhesive tape or a cable tie around the connector housing part. Therefore, the connector can be removed from the connector housing part without removing the adhesive tape or the cable tie, and it is possible to prevent the discharge of waste due to the release of the position restriction of the connector.

[0033] As a further aspect of the present invention, the fixing portion may be provided with a fixing member for fixing the fixing portion to the predetermined portion. The fixing member may be any member capable of being fixed to the predetermined portion, and may include, for example, double-sided tape or adhesive.

[0034] According to this invention, the fixing portion of the connector cover can be easily and reliably fixed to the predetermined portion. This allows the connector to be removed from the connector accommodating portion without the fixing portion coming off the predetermined portion. This prevents the discharge of debris when the position of the connector is released.

[0035] As a further aspect of the present invention, the connector accommodation portion may be configured by bending back a flat plate-like developed shape. According to this invention, better moldability can be ensured compared to, for example, a bag-shaped connector accommodating portion. Also, since the connector can be accommodated while bending back the connector accommodating portion in its expanded shape, the workability in accommodating the connector can be improved compared to inserting the connector into a bag-shaped connector accommodating portion.

[0036] In another aspect of the present invention, the direction through the opening toward the inside of the connector accommodating portion is defined as the insertion direction, and the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction is defined as the orthogonal direction, and the fixing portion is configured as a pair provided at both ends of the orthogonal direction in the connector accommodating portion in the unfolded state, and each of the pair of fixing portions is provided with a fixing member for fixing to the specified portion, and the pair of fixing members may be provided on one of the main surfaces in the unfolded state.

[0037] According to this invention, by bending the connector cover in its expanded shape so that a pair of fixing portions sandwich a specified portion, the connector can be accommodated and fixed to the specified portion in succession, thereby improving the ease of assembly to the specified portion.

[0038] In another aspect of the invention, the direction through the opening toward the inside of the connector accommodating portion is defined as the insertion direction, and the direction perpendicular to the insertion direction is defined as the orthogonal direction, and the fixing portion is configured as a pair provided at both ends of the orthogonal direction in the connector accommodating portion in the unfolded state, and the pair of fixing portions are provided with a first fixing member and a second fixing member for fixing to the specified location, and the first fixing member is provided on one main surface in the unfolded state, and the second fixing member is provided on the other main surface in the unfolded state.

[0039] According to this invention, a pair of fixing parts can be attached to a specified location from the same direction, so that the connector accommodating part can be easily fixed even at a specified location that cannot be attached so as to be clamped by a pair of fixing parts. Effect of the Invention

[0040] The present invention can provide a connector cover and a connector holding structure that can reduce the amount of waste that is discharged when the positional restriction of the connector is released. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0041] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of the sheet material with the connector cover unfolded. [Diagram 5] 4 is an explanatory diagram of a method for removing the connector from the connector cover. [Figure 6] 4 is an explanatory diagram of a method for removing the connector from the connector cover. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of a connector holding structure according to another embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view of a sheet material with a connector cover in another embodiment unfolded. [Figure 9] 13A to 13C are explanatory diagrams of a method for removing a connector from a connector cover in another embodiment. [Figure 10] 13A to 13C are explanatory diagrams of a method for removing a connector from a connector cover in another embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of a sheet material with a connector cover in another embodiment unfolded. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a connector holding structure according to another embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a connector holding structure according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0042] First embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. Fig. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of the connector holding structure 1, Fig. 2 shows a schematic side view of the connector holding structure 1, and Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow AA in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows a schematic plan view of the sheet material 50 with the connector cover 20 unfolded, and Figs. 5 and 6 show explanatory views of a method for removing the connector 13 from the connector cover 20.

[0043] Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 will be described in detail. Fig. 5(a) shows a schematic side view of the connector cover 20 accommodating the connector 13, and Fig. 5(b) shows a schematic side view of the connector cover 20 in a state where a tensile force F1 is applied to the fixing portion 22. Fig. 6(a) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the connector cover 20 accommodating the connector 13, and Fig. 6(b) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the connector cover 20 in a state where a tensile force F1 is applied to the fixing portion 22. Fig. 6(a) and Fig. 6(b) are schematic cross-sectional views of a cut surface taken along the extension direction L and the width direction W of a central portion of the connector cover 20 in the width direction W, as viewed from the left Wl, but in order to clarify the connector 13 and the connector cover 20, only the cross section of the connector cover 20 is shown.

[0044] Here, in FIG. 1, the up-down direction in the figure is the height direction H, and the direction perpendicular to the height direction H and along the trunk line 11 is the extension direction L. The direction perpendicular to the extension direction L and the height direction H is the width direction W. In FIG. 1, the left side along the extension direction L is the front side Lf, and the right side is the rear side Lb. Similarly, the upper side along the height direction H is the upper side Hu, and the lower side is the lower side Hd. In addition, the left side along the width direction W is the left side Wl, and the right side along the width direction W is the right side Wr. The directions defined in FIG. 1 are the same in FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 5 to FIG. 7, FIG. 9, FIG. 10, FIG. 12, and FIG. 13.

[0045] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the connector holding structure 1 is composed of a wire harness 10 that is arranged in a vehicle, and a connector cover 20 that holds a connector 13 provided at the end of a branch wire 12 branched off from a main wire 11 of the wire harness 10.

[0046] The wire harness 10 is a bundle of insulated electric wires, each having a conductor covered with an insulating coating, and is composed of a trunk line 11 that electrically connects electrical devices that are pre-installed in the vehicle, and branch lines 12 that branch off from the trunk line 11.

[0047] The branch wire 12 is a bundle of covered electric wires that electrically connects an optional electrical device to be installed later and an electrical device that is pre-installed in the vehicle. A connector 13 that can be connected to the optional electrical device is provided at the tip of the branch wire 12.

[0048] The connector 13 is a housing that houses a terminal connected to the end of the conductor of the branch line 12, and by connecting it to an equipment-side connector provided on an optional electrical equipment that is added later, it is possible to electrically connect the electrical equipment connected to the main line 11 to the optional electrical equipment.

[0049] In this embodiment, the connector 13 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape that is elongated in the extension direction L and is thin in the width direction W. When the connector 13 is housed in the connector cover 20, the branch wire 12 is led out from the connector 13 toward the rear side Lb.

[0050] The connector cover 20 is made of a flexible resin material, has a generally bag-like shape, and is fixed to the trunk line 11 so as to be suspended therefrom. In detail, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the connector cover 20 is composed of a connector accommodating section 21 capable of accommodating the connector 13, a fixing section 22 that fixes the connector cover 20 to the main line 11, and a protruding piece section 23 that protrudes from the end of the lower side Hd of the connector accommodating section 21 toward the rear side Lb.

[0051] The connector accommodating portion 21 has cushioning properties and elasticity, and has a generally U-shaped cross section with a predetermined length along the extension direction L. In detail, the length of the connector accommodating portion 21 along the extension direction L is one size longer than the length of the connector 13 along the extension direction L, and the length of the connector accommodating portion 21 along the height direction H is generally the same as the length of the connector 13 along the height direction H.

[0052] A plurality of slits 24 penetrating in the plate thickness direction are provided in a lattice pattern on the side surface of connector accommodating portion 21. Slits 24 are slits having a length of approximately one-eighth of the length of connector accommodating portion 21 along extension direction L.

[0053] The slits 24 thus configured are arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals in the extension direction L. Moreover, the multiple slits 24 arranged in parallel in the extension direction L are arranged in parallel at equal intervals along the height direction H.

[0054] More specifically, the slits 24 are arranged in five rows at a predetermined interval in the height direction H. In the rows of slits 24 arranged at the uppermost side Hu, the lowermost side Hd, and the center with respect to the height direction H, four slits 24 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the extension direction L. In addition, in the row of slits 24 arranged between the rows of the slits 24, three slits 24 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the extension direction L. That is, a row in which four slits 24 are arranged in the extension direction L and a row in which three slits 24 are arranged in the extension direction L are arranged alternately along the height direction H. Here, the three slits 24 arranged in the extension direction L are arranged at positions corresponding to the positions between the four slits 24 arranged in the extension direction L.

[0055] The distance between adjacent slits 24 in the extension direction L is approximately half the length of the slits 24 in the extension direction L. The distance between the slits 24 arranged in parallel in the extension direction L in the height direction H is approximately half the length of the slits 24 in the extension direction L.

[0056] Further, reinforcing members 30 are provided in pairs in the width direction W on the inner surface of the side portion of connector receiving portion 21 on which multiple slits 24 are provided. The reinforcing member 30 is an elongated body made of a resin that is harder than the connector cover 20, and is attached along the extension direction L to the inner surface of the side portion of the connector accommodating portion 21, below the slit portion 24 located on the lowermost side Hd (see Figure 3).

[0057] 1 to 3, the fixing parts 22 are strips provided in pairs at the upper end portion of the connector accommodating part 21, which has a generally U-shaped cross section, and have double-sided tape 40 affixed to their inner surfaces in the width direction W. The fixing parts 22 are configured to be longer than the length of the connector accommodating part 21 along the extension direction L.

[0058] That is, both end portions of the fixing portion 22 are provided with extension portions 221 extending from both ends of the connector accommodating portion 21 in the extension direction L (see FIG. 2). The fixing portion 22 thus configured is fixed to the trunk line 11 via the adhesive tape T and the double-sided tape 40 wound around the extension portions 221 and the trunk line 11.

[0059] The protruding piece 23 is a protruding piece that protrudes from an end of the lower side Hd of the connector accommodating portion 21 toward the rear side Lb (see FIG. 2). The protruding amount of the protruding piece 23 is such that it can be gripped by a person's fingers.

[0060] The connector cover 20 thus constructed is formed by folding back a sheet-like material 50 having flexibility and cushioning properties, as shown in FIG. In detail, as shown in FIG. 4, the sheet material 50 is integrally composed of a flexible, approximately rectangular, flat sheet body 51, band-shaped extension portions 52 provided on both longitudinal ends of the sheet body 51, and a protrusion forming portion 53 protruding outward from the longitudinal central portion of the sheet body 51.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 4, the sheet body 51 has an approximately rectangular shape with long sides that are slightly less than twice the width (length along the height direction H) of the connector 13 and short sides that are one size longer than the depth (length along the extension direction L) of the connector 13.

[0062] The sheet body 51 configured in this manner is provided with a plurality of through cuts 54 corresponding to the slits 24 in the connector accommodating portion 21 . The through-slit portion 54 is a slit penetrating along the plate thickness direction, and has a length of approximately one-eighth of the short side of the sheet body 51 .

[0063] The through cuts 54 thus configured are arranged in a lattice pattern. More specifically, the through cuts 54 arranged at a predetermined interval along the short side are arranged in parallel along the long side. Specifically, four through cuts 54 arranged at a predetermined interval along the short side and three through cuts 54 similarly arranged are arranged alternately along the long side. The interval between the through cuts 54 along the short side and the long side is about half the length of the through cuts 54. Here, the three through cuts 54 provided in a row along the short side are disposed at positions corresponding to the spaces between the four through cuts 54 provided in a row along the short side.

[0064] The through cuts 54 arranged in parallel along the short side in this manner are arranged in a row of five from both outer sides of the long side toward the center. In other words, the through cuts 54 arranged in parallel along the short side are plane-symmetrical with respect to the center of the long side.

[0065] A pair of reinforcing members 30 are attached along the short side to the longitudinal center portion of the sheet body 51. More specifically, the reinforcing members 30 are attached between the longitudinal center of the sheet body 51 and four through-slits 54 arranged side by side along the short side in the longitudinal center portion of the sheet body 51.

[0066] The strip-shaped extension 52 is a strip along the short side of the sheet body 51, and is provided on the outer side in the longitudinal direction of the connector accommodating section 21. The strip-shaped extension 52 is configured to be longer than the short side of the sheet body 51. That is, both end portions of the strip-shaped extension 52 are provided with extensions 521 extending from both ends of the sheet body 51. The double-sided tape 40 is attached to the strip-shaped extension 52 configured in this manner. The surface to which the double-sided tape 40 is attached is the same side as the surface to which the reinforcing member 30 is attached.

[0067] The protrusion forming portion 53 protrudes outward along the short side from the center in the longitudinal direction of the sheet main body 51. The width (length along the long side) of the protrusion forming portion 53 is approximately equal to the distance between the reinforcing members 30.

[0068] Next, a method for forming the connector cover 20, which protects the connector 13 connected to the tip of the branch wire 12, from the sheet material 50 will be briefly described. First, one of the double-sided tapes 40 attached to a pair of strip-shaped extension portions 52 provided at both longitudinal ends of the sheet main body 51 is attached near the point where the branch line 12 branches off in the main line 11 (referred to as the fixed point 111), thereby fixing one of the strip-shaped extension portions 52 to the fixed point 111.

[0069] Next, the connector 13 is placed facing one side of the sheet body 51 so that the ridge portion 131, which is a corner portion of the lower side Hd of the connector 13, is located at a position corresponding to the reinforcing member 30 attached to the sheet body 51. Then, the other side of the sheet body 51 is folded back to the right Wr so as to wrap the connector 13, and the double-sided tape 40 attached to the other of the paired belt-shaped extending portions 52 is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the fixing point 111.

[0070] This allows the other end of the strip-shaped extension 52 to be fixed to the main wire 11. Then, adhesive tape T is wound around a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the main wire 11 where the extension 521 protruding from the sheet body 51 in the extension direction L and the fixed portion 111 overlap.

[0071] In this way, by adhering the double-sided tape 40 attached to the strip-shaped extending portion 52 to the fixing portion 111, the sheet body 51 is bent back to form the connector accommodating portion 21 having a generally U-shaped cross section, and the strip-shaped extending portion 52 forms the fixing portion 22 that is fixed to the fixing portion 111 (main line 11). Note that the adhesive tape T is wound around the extending portion 221. In other words, by bending back the sheet material 50, it is possible to form the connector cover 20 that is provided with the connector accommodating portion 21 that can hold the connector 13 and the fixing portion 22 that can fix the connector accommodating portion 21 to the fixing portion 111 (main line 11).

[0072] The connector cover 20 is fixed to the trunk line 11 so as to be suspended from the trunk line 11. In the connector holding structure 1 in which the connector cover 20 is fixed to the trunk line 11 in this manner, the connector cover 20 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape having openings on the front side Lf and the rear side Lb, and the branch wires 12 are led out from the opening on the rear side Lb.

[0073] Here, the long side of the sheet body 51 is slightly less than twice the width (length along the height direction H) of the connector 13. That is, when the sheet body 51 is bent back to wrap the connector 13, it is difficult to attach the strip-shaped extension portion 52 to the trunk line 11 while accommodating the connector 13 in the connector accommodating portion 21 formed by the sheet body 51. However, the sheet body 51 not only has elasticity but also has a plurality of through-cut portions 54. As a result, when the sheet body 51 is bent back to wrap the connector 13, the through-cut portions 54 open and the sheet body 51 can be stretched along the height direction H. In other words, the cut portions 24 provide further elasticity to the connector accommodating portion 21. Therefore, the sheet material 50 can form a connector cover 20 that can accommodate the connector 13 by bending the sheet body 51 back.

[0074] Further, a reinforcing member 30 is attached to a position in the connector accommodating portion 21 where the ridge portion 131 of the connector 13 accommodated in the connector cover 20 comes into contact (referred to as ridge contact position 211). That is, in the connector cover 20, the slit portion 24 is not provided at the ridge contact position 211. This makes it possible to prevent the ridge portion 131 from being exposed to the outside through the slit portion 24 and the ridge portion 131 from pushing the slit portion 24 apart.

[0075] When an optional electrical equipment is to be added later, the connector 13 thus accommodated in the connector cover 20 can be removed from the connector accommodating portion 21 and connected to the optional electrical equipment. More specifically, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, by pulling the protruding piece 23 protruding from the end of the lower side Hd of the connector cover 20 toward the rear side Lb toward the lower side Hd (see Figures 5(a) and 6(a)), a tensile force F1 acts on the protruding piece 23 toward the lower side Hd. This causes the slit portion 24 in the vicinity of the protruding piece 23 to open further, widening the opening on the rear side Lb of the connector cover 20, and the connector 13 can be easily removed from the connector cover 20 (see Figures 5(b) and 6(b)). Therefore, the connector 13 can be removed while the connector accommodating portion 21 remains fixed to the trunk line 11. In other words, it is possible to prevent the connector accommodating portion 21 from being discharged as waste.

[0076] In the above-described embodiment, the tensile force F1 toward the downward side Hd is applied to the protruding piece portion 23 to widen the opening on the rear side Lb of the connector cover 20, thereby removing the connector 13 without the connector accommodating portion 21 being discharged as waste. However, if the connector 13 can be removed without the connector accommodating portion 21 being discharged from the trunk line 11, the connector 13 may be removed without widening the opening on the rear side Lb of the connector cover 20.

[0077] Second Embodiment 7 to 10, a connector holding structure 1a, a connector cover 20a, and a sheet material 50a, which are another embodiment of the connector holding structure 1 and the connector cover 20. Here, in the connector holding structure 1a, the connector cover 20a, and the sheet material 50a, the same components as those in the connector holding structure 1, the connector cover 20, and the sheet material 50 are denoted by the same numbers, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0078] Here, Fig. 7 shows a schematic side view of the connector holding structure 1a, Fig. 8 shows a schematic plan view of the sheet material 50a with the connector cover 20a unfolded, and Fig. 9 and Fig. 10 show explanatory views of a method for removing the connector 13 from the connector cover 20a. Note that Fig. 9(a) shows a schematic side view of the connector holding structure 1a in a state in which a tensile force F2 is applied to the protruding piece portion 23a, and Fig. 9(b) shows a schematic side view of the connector holding structure 1a in the middle of breaking the connector accommodating portion 21a.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 7, the connector holding structure 1a is composed of a wire harness 10 that is arranged in a vehicle and a connector cover 20a that holds a connector 13 provided at the end of a branch wire 12 that branches off from a main wire 11 of the wire harness 10.

[0080] Like the connector cover 20, the connector cover 20a is made of a flexible resin material and has a generally bag-like shape, and is fixed to the trunk line 11 so as to be suspended therefrom. In detail, as shown in FIG. 7, the connector cover 20a is composed of a connector accommodating portion 21a capable of accommodating the connector 13, a fixing portion 22 that fixes the connector cover 20 to the fixing point 111 (main line 11), and a protruding piece portion 23a that protrudes from one side surface of the connector accommodating portion 21a.

[0081] As shown in FIG. 7, the connector receiving portion 21a has the same configuration as the connector receiving portion 21, except that a notch 25 is provided instead of the slit portion 24. The cut-out portion 25 is a so-called notch cut along both end portions of the extension direction L of one side surface of the connector accommodating portion 21a, and is provided on the lower side Hd of the fixing point 111 when fixed to the trunk line 11.

[0082] The connector cover 20a thus constructed is formed by folding back a sheet-like material 50a having flexibility and cushioning properties, as shown in FIG. In detail, as shown in FIG. 8, the sheet material 50a is integrally composed of a flexible, approximately rectangular, flat sheet body 51a, strip-shaped extension portions 52 provided at both longitudinal ends of the sheet body 51a, and a protrusion forming portion 53a protruding from a position slightly inside in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped extension portion 52 on one side toward one side in the lateral direction.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 8, the sheet body 51a has the same configuration as the sheet body 51, except that a cut-forming portion 55 is provided instead of the through-cut portion 54. The notch forming portion 55 is a notch corresponding to the notch portion 25 in the connector cover 20a, and is formed by cutting both ends of the sheet body 51a in the short direction along the sheet thickness direction. The notch forming portion 55 is provided slightly inward in the longitudinal direction of the sheet body 51a than one side of the pair of band-shaped extending portions 52.

[0084] The protrusion forming portion 53a is a protrusion that protrudes from one side in the short side direction of the sheet main body 51a along the short side direction so as to be continuous with the notch forming portion 55. The width (length along the long side) of this protrusion forming portion 53a is approximately equal to the distance between the reinforcing members 30 attached to the strip-shaped extending portion 52. The protrusion forming portion 53a is provided on the inner side of the notch forming portion 55 in the longitudinal direction.

[0085] The sheet material 50a configured in this manner, like the sheet material 50, forms the connector cover 20a that houses the connector 13 by fixing the strip-shaped extension 52 to the main line 11. In detail, the sheet main body 51a is bent back to form the connector accommodating section 21 having a generally U-shaped cross section, and the strip-shaped extension 52 forms the fixing section 22 that is fixed to the main line 11.

[0086] When an optional electrical equipment is retrofitted to the connector cover 20a configured in this manner, the connector 13 can be taken out of the connector accommodating portion 21a and connected to the optional electrical equipment. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, by pulling the protruding piece 23a protruding from the connector accommodating portion 21a toward the front side Lf toward the rear side Lb (see FIG. 9(a)), a tensile force F2 acts on the protruding piece 23a, and the portion corresponding to the notch 25 breaks along the extension direction L (see FIG. 9(b)). This opens the surface of the connector accommodating portion 21a on which the protruding piece 23a is provided, and the connector 13 can be easily removed from the connector cover 20 (see FIG. 10). Therefore, the connector 13 can be removed while the connector accommodating portion 21a remains fixed to the trunk line 11. That is, it is possible to prevent the connector accommodating portion 21a from being discharged as waste.

[0087] Furthermore, in the connector holding structures 1 and 1a, the double-sided tape 40 is affixed to the same surface of the paired band-shaped extending portions 52, so that the fixing portions 22 can be fixed to the right side Wr and the left side Wl of the outer circumferential surface of the main line 11. In contrast, in the connector holding structure 1b, the double-sided tape 40 is affixed to different surfaces on one side and the other side of the paired band-shaped extending portions 52 (see FIG. 11).

[0088] Third embodiment 11 to 13, a brief description will be given below of the sheet material 50b having double-sided tape 40 attached to different surfaces on one side and the other side of the band-shaped extension portion 52, the connector cover 20b formed by bending back the sheet material 50b, and the connector holding structure 1b in which the connector cover 20b is fixed to the trunk line 11. Note that in the connector holding structure 1b, the connector cover 20b, and the sheet material 50b, the same components as those in the connector holding structure 1, the connector cover 20, and the sheet material 50 are denoted by the same numbers, and their description will be omitted.

[0089] Here, Fig. 11 is a schematic perspective view of the sheet material 50b in a bent state, and Figs. 12 and 13 are schematic cross-sectional views of the connector holding structure 1b. Figs. 12 and 13 are cross-sectional views corresponding to the cross section taken along the line AA in Fig. 2.

[0090] The sheet material 50b forming the connector cover 20b is, like the sheet material 50a, integrally composed of a flexible, approximately rectangular sheet main body 51a, band-shaped extension portions 52 provided on both longitudinal ends of the sheet main body 51a, and a protrusion forming portion 53a protruding outward from the longitudinal central portion of the sheet main body 51a (see Figure 11).

[0091] The strip-shaped extending portions 52 provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the sheet main body 51a have double-sided tape 40 attached thereto. In more detail, on one side of the paired strip-shaped extending portions 52, double-sided tape 40 (hereinafter referred to as first tape 41) is attached to the same surface as the surface on which the reinforcing member 30 is provided, and on the other side of the strip-shaped extending portions 52, double-sided tape 40 (hereinafter referred to as second tape 42) is attached to the surface opposite to the surface on which the reinforcing member 30 is provided.

[0092] In the sheet material 50b configured in this manner, the second tape 42 attached to the other side of the pair of strip-shaped extensions 52 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the left side Wl of the main line 11, and the sheet main body 51a is bent back toward the left side Wl so as to wrap the connector 13. Then, the first tape 41 attached to one side of the strip-shaped extensions 52 is attached to the back side of the other side of the strip-shaped extensions 52 or to the outer peripheral surface of the left side Wl of the main line 11 (see FIGS. 12 and 13). In this way, the sheet main body 51a forms the connector accommodating section 21 having a substantially U-shaped cross section that accommodates the connector 13, and the strip-shaped extensions 52 form the fixing section 22 that is fixed to the main line 11.

[0093] The connector cover 20b thus constructed by bending the sheet material 50b can have a pair of fixing portions 22 attached to the main line 11 from the same direction, so that the connector accommodating portion 21 can be easily fixed in a location where it cannot be attached by being clamped between the pair of fixing portions 22 (see FIG. 12).

[0094] Here, the reinforcing member 30 is provided at the ridge contact position 211 that faces the ridge portion 131 arranged on the lower side Hd when the connector 13 is accommodated in the connector accommodating portion 21, but the reinforcing member 30 may also be provided at the ridge contact position 211 on the upper side Hu. Also, instead of attaching the reinforcing member 30, the connector accommodating portion 21 may be thickened at the location corresponding to the ridge contact position 211 (see FIG. 13). Alternatively, instead of attaching the reinforcing member 30, the connector accommodating portion 21 at the location corresponding to the ridge contact position 211 may be made harder than the location other than the ridge contact position 211. This can provide the same effect as when the reinforcing member 30 is attached.

[0095] In this way, the connector covers 20, 20a, 20b which hold the connector 13 provided at the end of the branch wire 12 branching off from the main wire 11 of the wire harness 10 wrap around and accommodate the connector 13, and are provided with a deformable connector accommodating portion 21, 21a which has an opening portion formed therein through which at least the branch wire 12 extending from the connector 13 can pass, and a fixing portion 22 which fixes the connector accommodating portion 21, 21a to the fixing point 111.

[0096] In addition, the connector holding structure 1, 1a, 1b includes a wire harness 10 having a branch wire 12 branching off from a main wire 11, and a connector cover 20, 20a, 20b that holds a connector 13 provided at the end of the branch wire 12, and the connector 13 is held on the main wire 11 of the wire harness 10 via the connector cover 20, 20a, 20b.

[0097] The connector cover 20 configured in this manner is provided with fixing portions 22 that fix the connector accommodating portions 21, 21a that hold the connector 13 to the fixing portions 111, and therefore, for example, the connector accommodating portions 21, 21a can be fixed so as to be suspended from the fixing portions 111. Therefore, the connector 13 can be removed from the connector accommodating portions 21, 21a without detaching the connector accommodating portions 21, 21a from the fixing portions 111.

[0098] Therefore, the adhesive tape T and the connector accommodating portions 21, 21a are not discharged as waste. In other words, since the connector 13 provided at the tip of the branch line 12 can be fixed to the fixing portion 111, it is possible to prevent the connector 13 from interfering with other components and generating abnormal noise, and also to reduce the discharge of waste when the position restriction of the connector 13 is released.

[0099] Furthermore, the connector accommodating portions 21, 21a have cushioning properties and elasticity, and thus can protect the connector 13 accommodated in the cushioning connector accommodating portions 21, 21a. In addition, the connector accommodating portions 21, 21a have elasticity, and therefore can expand the opening portion, making it easier to remove the connector 13 from the opening portion.

[0100] In addition, by extending the connector accommodating portions 21, 21a, connectors 13 of various sizes can be accommodated, and the size of the connector accommodating portions 21, 21a that do not accommodate the connector 13 can be reliably made more compact than the size of the connector accommodating portions 21, 21a that accommodate the connector 13.

[0101] Therefore, the connector covers 20, 20a, 20b configured in this manner not only reduce the number of types of connector covers 20, 20a, 20b for each type of connector 13 compared to a case in which the connector accommodating portion 21, 21a does not have elasticity, but also prevent the gap between the connector accommodating portion 21, 21a and surrounding components from becoming larger than necessary.

[0102] Furthermore, in the connector covers 20, 20a, and 20b, the ridge contact position 211 may be configured to be thicker than the surrounding area, or the ridge contact position 211 may be configured to be harder than the surrounding area. This can improve the strength of the ridge contact position 211 of the connector accommodating portion 21, 21a when the connector 13 is accommodated in the connector accommodating portion 21, 21a. Therefore, the connector covers 20, 20a, and 20b can prevent damage to the connector accommodating portion 21, 21a due to contact with the ridge portion 131 of the accommodated connector 13, and damage to the ridge portion 131 of the connector 13 due to unintended external force. Therefore, the connector 13 accommodated in the connector accommodating portion 21, 21a can be reliably protected.

[0103] In addition, the direction passing through the opening toward the inside of the connector accommodating portion 21, 21a is defined as the forward side Lf, and the direction perpendicular to the forward side Lf is defined as the height direction H, and the fixing portion 22 is provided at the end of the connector accommodating portion 21, 21a in the height direction H.

[0104] This allows connector accommodating portions 21, 21a to be fixed so as to be suspended from fixing points 111, without blocking the openings of connector accommodating portions 21, 21a. Therefore, for example, when pulling out and removing connector 13 from connector accommodating portions 21, 21a, removal of connector 13 can be prevented from being hindered by fixing points 111.

[0105] Furthermore, since the fixing portion 22 is provided with the extension portion 221 extending along the extension direction L, the extension portion 221 can be used as a portion around which the adhesive tape T is wound for fixing to the fixing portion 111. Therefore, the connector covers 20, 20a, 20b can be fixed to the fixing portion 111 without winding the adhesive tape T around the connector accommodating portions 21, 21a.

[0106] Therefore, the connector 13 can be removed from the connector accommodating portions 21, 21a without removing the adhesive tape T, and it is possible to prevent waste from being discharged when the positional restriction of the connector 13 is released.

[0107] Furthermore, since the fixing portion 22 is provided with the double-sided tape 40 for adhering to the fixing location 111, the fixing portion 22 of the connector covers 20, 20a, 20b can be easily and reliably fixed to the fixing location 111. Therefore, the connector 13 can be removed from the connector accommodating portion 21, 21a without the fixing portion 22 coming off the fixing location 111. This makes it possible to prevent waste from being discharged when the position restriction of the connector 13 is released.

[0108] In addition, since the connector accommodating portions 21, 21a are configured by bending back the flat plate-like developed shape, better moldability can be ensured compared to, for example, a case where the connector accommodating portions 21, 21a are bag-like. In addition, since the connector 13 can be accommodated while bending back the developed connector accommodating portions 21, 21a, the workability in accommodating the connector 13 can be improved compared to a case where the connector 13 is inserted into the bag-like connector accommodating portions 21, 21a.

[0109] Furthermore, the connector holding structure 1 is provided with a protruding piece 23 for deforming the opening of the connector accommodating portion 21, 21a so as to enlarge it. This allows the opening of the connector accommodating portion 21, 21a to be enlarged in diameter, so that the connector 13 accommodated in the connector accommodating portion 21, 21a can be easily removed. This not only reduces the amount of waste discharged, but also improves the workability of removing the connector 13.

[0110] In addition, in the connector holding structure 1, the direction toward the inside of the connector accommodating portion 21 through the opening portion is defined as the front side Lf, and the connector accommodating portion 21 is provided with a slit portion 24 that is formed along the front side Lf and penetrates in the thickness direction.

[0111] As a result, the slit 24 opens in the height direction H perpendicular to the front side Lf, allowing the connector accommodating portion 21 to further expand and contract in the height direction H, so that connectors 13 of various sizes can be accommodated in the connector accommodating portion 21 and can be easily removed. Furthermore, the opening of the slit 24 allows the connector accommodating portion 21 to extend in the height direction H while preventing the opening portion from opening too wide, so that the connector 13 accommodated in the connector accommodating portion 21 can be prevented from falling out of the opening portion.

[0112] The connector cover 20 configured in this manner can accommodate connectors 13 of various sizes and prevent the connectors 13 from falling off, as compared to a case in which the connector cover 20 is provided with a connector accommodating portion 21 that expands and contracts toward the front side Lf. Therefore, the connectors 13 of various sizes can be accommodated in the connector accommodating portion 21 and reliably protected, and the connectors 13 can be easily removed from the connector accommodating portion 21.

[0113] In addition, since the slit portions 24 of the connector accommodating portion 21 are formed at multiple intervals in a direction intersecting the forward side Lf, the connector accommodating portion 21 can be more expandable and contractable in the height direction H perpendicular to the forward side Lf, and therefore can accommodate connectors 13 of various sizes and shapes.

[0114] Furthermore, by providing the plurality of slits 24 at predetermined intervals on the front side Lf, the size of the opening of the open slits 24 can be made smaller than that of the slits 24 formed from the vicinity of one end to the vicinity of the other end of the front side Lf of the connector accommodating portion 21. Therefore, the connector 13 accommodated in the connector accommodating portion 21 can be prevented from being exposed to the outside through the slits 24, and foreign matter can be prevented from entering the inside of the connector accommodating portion 21 through the slits 24.

[0115] Furthermore, in the connector cover 20, a portion of the connector accommodating portion 21 where the ridge portion 131 of the connector 13 comes into contact is defined as an ridge contact position 211, and the slit portion 24 is provided at a position other than the ridge contact position 211. This makes it possible to prevent the ridge portion 131 of the connector 13 from being exposed to the outside through the slit portion 24 and receiving an unintended external force. Furthermore, since it is possible to prevent the ridge portion 131 of the connector 13 from pushing the slit portion 24 apart, damage to the connector accommodating portion 21 can be suppressed.

[0116] In addition, in the connector holding structure 1a, along the front side Lf that passes through the opening of the connector accommodating portion 21, 21a toward the inside of the connector accommodating portion 21, 21a, a cut portion 25 and a protruding piece 23a for breaking a part of the connector accommodating portion 21, 21a are provided. As a result, by simply applying a tensile force F2 to the protruding piece 23a that accommodates the connector 13, a part of the connector accommodating portion 21, 21a can be broken and opened, so that the connector 13 accommodated in the connector accommodating portion 21, 21a can be easily removed.

[0117] In addition, in the connector covers 20, 20a, the direction through the opening toward the inside of the connector accommodating portion 21, 21a is defined as the forward side Lf, and the direction perpendicular to the forward side Lf is defined as the height direction H. The fixing portions 22 are configured as a pair provided at both ends of the height direction H in the connector accommodating portion 21, 21a in the unfolded state, and each of the pair of fixing portions 22 has a double-sided tape 40 that is fixed to the fixing point 111, and the pair of double-sided tapes 40 are provided on one of the main surfaces in the unfolded state.

[0118] As a result, by bending the sheet material 50, 50a in its unfolded shape so that the pair of fixing portions 22 sandwich the fixing point 111, the connector 13 can be accommodated and fixed to the fixing point 111 in succession, thereby improving the ease of assembly to the fixing point 111.

[0119] In addition, in the connector cover 20b, the direction through the opening toward the inside of the connector accommodating portion 21a is defined as the front side Lf, and the direction perpendicular to the front side Lf is defined as the height direction H. The fixing portions 22 are configured as a pair provided at both ends of the height direction H in the connector accommodating portions 21, 21a in the unfolded state, and the pair of fixing portions 22 are provided with double-sided tape 40 (a first tape 41 and a second tape 42) that is fixed to the fixing points 111, the first tape 41 being provided on one main surface in the unfolded state, and the second tape 42 being provided on the other main surface in the unfolded state.

[0120] This allows a pair of fixing parts 22 to be attached to the fixing point 111 from the same direction, so that the connector accommodating parts 21, 21a can be easily fixed even in the fixing point 111 that is not attached so as to be clamped by the pair of fixing parts 22.

[0121] In the configuration of the present invention and the correspondence between the above-mentioned embodiments, the wire harness of the present invention corresponds to the wire harness 10, and the following similarly. The trunk line corresponds to trunk line 11, The branch line corresponds to branch line 12, The connector corresponds to connector 13. The connector covers correspond to the connector covers 20, 20a, and 20b. The connector housing corresponds to the connector housing 21, 21a, The predetermined portion corresponds to the fixed portion 111. The fixed portion corresponds to the fixed portion 22, The insertion direction corresponds to the front side Lf, The breaking means corresponds to the notch 25 and the protruding piece 23a. The expanding and deforming means corresponds to the protruding piece 23, The cut corresponds to the cut portion 24, The edge portion corresponds to edge portion 131; The edge contact portion corresponds to the edge contact position 211; The extension portion corresponds to the extension portion 221, The orthogonal direction corresponds to the height direction H, The fastening member corresponds to a double-sided tape 40; The first fastening member corresponds to the first tape 41, The second fastening member corresponds to the second tape 42; The connector holding structure corresponds to the connector holding structure 1, but The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0122] For example, the connector holding structure 1 accommodates the connector 13 in the connector accommodation portion 21 in the process of fixing the sheet material 50 to the trunk line 11, but is not limited thereto. For example, after the connector cover 20 is fixed to the trunk line 11, the connector 13 may be accommodated by inserting it through openings provided on the front side Lf and the rear side Lb. At this time, a tensile force F1 on the lower side Hd may be applied to the protruding piece portion 23 to deform the opening formed in the connector accommodation portion 21 so as to widen it.

[0123] Furthermore, for example, in the connector holding structures 1, 1a, and 1b, the connector 13 is accommodated in the connector accommodating portion 21 so that the width of the connector 13 is along the height direction H, but the connector 13 may be accommodated in the connector accommodating portion 21 so that the width of the connector 13 is along the width direction W. If the width of the connector 13 is longer than the outer diameter of the trunk line 11, it is preferable to provide reinforcing members 30 at ridge contact positions 211 opposing the ridge portions 131 not only on the lower side Hd but also on the upper side Hu of the connector accommodating portion 21.

[0124] Furthermore, in the connector holding structures 1, 1a, the fixing portion 22 is provided with double-sided tape 40 for fixing to the trunk line 11, but instead of the double-sided tape 40, an adhesive or the like may be applied.

[0125] In addition, in this embodiment, the connector accommodating portions 21, 21a have a generally cylindrical shape formed by bending a sheet-like material, but are not limited to this shape and may be configured in a pre-formed cylindrical or bag shape. In addition, in this embodiment, the fixing portion 22 is fixed to a fixing point 111, which is a part of the main line 11, but is not limited to the main line 11 and may be fixed to peripheral components arranged around the wire harness 10.

[0126] Furthermore, in the connector holding structure 1, the slit 24 is a slit penetrating in the plate thickness direction along the extension direction L, but is not limited to this configuration, and may be, for example, an elliptical shape that is long along the extension direction L, or a diamond shape. Also, the slit 24 may be a circle or the like.

[0127] In addition, the connector holding structure 1 is configured to deform so as to widen the opening of the connector accommodating portion 21 by applying the tensile force F1 to the protruding piece portion 23, but is not limited to this configuration. For example, a structure may be used in which an external force is applied so as to press the side surface portion of the connector accommodating portion 21, thereby deforming the opening of the connector accommodating portion 21 so as to widen it.

[0128] It should be noted that the configurations described in each embodiment can be implemented not only in each embodiment, but can be appropriately changed in combination as long as the effect is achieved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0129] 1. Connector retention structure 10…Wire harness 11…Main line 12...Branch line 13…Connector 20…Connector cover 21…Connector housing 22…Fixed part 23...Protruding piece 23a...Protruding piece 24…Cutting section 25…Notch 40…Double-sided tape 111…Fixed point 131...Ridge line part 211...Redge line contact position 221...Extension section Lf: Front side H: Height direction

Claims

1. A connector cover for holding a connector provided at an end of a branch wire branched from a trunk wire of a wire harness, a deformable connector housing portion that encases and houses the connector and has an opening portion through which at least the branch wire extending from the connector passes; and a fixing portion for fixing the connector receiving portion to a predetermined portion. Connector cover.

2. The connector housing is provided with an enlargement / deformation means for deforming the opening of the connector housing so as to enlarge the opening. The connector cover according to claim 1 .

3. The connector housing portion includes: The structure has cushioning and elasticity. The connector cover according to claim 1 .

4. A direction passing through the opening toward the inside of the connector accommodating portion is defined as an insertion direction, The connector housing portion includes: A cut is formed along the insertion direction and penetrates in the thickness direction. The connector cover according to claim 3 .

5. The slit in the connector housing portion is A plurality of the grooves are formed at predetermined intervals in a direction intersecting the insertion direction. The connector cover according to claim 4.

6. The plurality of slits are provided at predetermined intervals in the insertion direction. The connector cover according to claim 5 .

7. A portion where the ridge portion of the connector in the connector housing portion comes into contact is defined as a ridge contact portion, The cut is provided at a portion other than the edge contact portion. The connector cover according to claim 4.

8. The edge contact portion is configured to be thicker than the surrounding area. The connector cover according to claim 7.

9. The ridge contact portion is configured to be harder than the surrounding area. The connector cover according to claim 7.

10. A breaking means is provided for breaking a part of the connector housing along an insertion direction through the opening toward the inside of the connector housing. The connector cover according to claim 1 .

11. A direction passing through the opening toward the inside of the connector accommodating portion is defined as an insertion direction, and a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction is defined as an orthogonal direction. The fixing portion is The connector housing is provided at an end in the orthogonal direction. The connector cover according to claim 1 .

12. The fixing portion is The extension portion is provided in the insertion direction. The connector cover according to claim 11.

13. The fixing part, A fixing member for fixing to the predetermined portion is provided. The connector cover according to claim 1 .

14. The connector housing portion includes: It is constructed by folding back the flat surface of the developed shape. The connector cover according to claim 1 .

15. A direction passing through the opening toward the inside of the connector accommodating portion is defined as an insertion direction, and a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction is defined as an orthogonal direction. The fixing portion is The connector housing portion is provided with a pair of connectors at both ends in the perpendicular direction in the deployed state, The pair of fixing portions are each provided with a fixing member for fixing to the predetermined portion, The pair of fastening members include Provided on one of the main surfaces in the deployed state The connector cover according to claim 14.

16. A direction passing through the opening toward the inside of the connector accommodating portion is defined as an insertion direction, and a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction is defined as an orthogonal direction. The fixing portion is The connector housing portion is provided with a pair of connectors at both ends in the perpendicular direction in the deployed state, The pair of fixing portions are provided with a first fixing member and a second fixing member for fixing to the predetermined portion, The first fastening member is Provided on one of the main surfaces in the deployed state, The second fastening member is Provided on the other main surface in the deployed state The connector cover according to claim 14.

17. A wire harness having a branch line branched off from a trunk line; and a connector cover according to any one of claims 1 to 16 that holds a connector provided at an end of the branch line, The connector is The connector is held to the main line via the connector cover. Connector retention structure.

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