Coupling member and coupling structure

Abstract

To provide a coupling member capable of easily protecting a long-sized body having a simple structure and various modes, and a coupling structure obtained by coupling a plurality of protective members with the coupling member.SOLUTION: A coupling member 20 mounted on the large and small diameter slits 113 and 123 of cross-section annular large and small diameter corrugated tubes 11 and 12 having the large and small diameter slits 113 and 123 communicating an internal space S into which a wire harness WH is inserted and the external, includes a plurality of first and second holding bodies 30 and 40 for holding the large and small diameter corrugated tubes 11 and 12. The first holding body 30 holds a part of the large corrugated tube 11 on the front side Lf in the longitudinal direction L; the second holding body 40 holds a part of the small corrugated tube 12 on the rear side Lb in the longitudinal direction L; and the large corrugated tube 11 held by the first holding body 30 connects with the small diameter corrugated tube 12 held by the second holding body 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a connecting member that connects a plurality of protective members that protect an elongated body by inserting it therethrough, and to a connected structure in which a plurality of protective members are connected by the connecting member. [Background technology]

[0002] An automobile is equipped with long bodies such as wire harnesses that electrically connect electrical components, communication cables such as optical fibers used for communication, and washer hoses through which washer fluid passes, and these long bodies are sometimes protected from interference with other components and damage. For example, wire harnesses are inserted into a protective member to prevent them from colliding with other components arranged nearby and being damaged. One example of such a protective member is a corrugated tube having a bendable bellows structure.

[0003] Such a corrugated tube has a slit formed along the longitudinal direction for inserting the wire harness through. However, if the slit is open, there is a risk that the wire harness may slip out of the slit. Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses an attachment member for closing the slit.

[0004] More specifically, the mounting member described in Patent Document 1 has a protrusion protruding from a protective plate having the same curvature as the corrugated tube, and the protrusion is fitted to the slit of the corrugated tube to close the slit. This is said to prevent the wire harness from protruding from the slit and colliding with other components, resulting in damage.

[0005] In recent years, the number of electrical components installed in a vehicle in the initial state has increased, and the number of optional devices installed in a vehicle has increased. As a result, the outer diameter of a long body such as a wire harness changes along the wiring path, or the long body branches, and the wiring patterns of the long body are also diversified. In addition, due to the increase in electrical components, there is a risk that a lead-out portion leading out from a connector connected to an end of the wire harness may interfere with other members. There is an increasing demand for appropriate protection of such long bodies in various modes. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of workability, there is a demand for easy protection of such long bodies arranged in various modes with a simple structure. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-64917 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a connecting member that has a simple structure and can easily protect elongated bodies of various types, and a connected structure in which a plurality of protective members are connected by the connecting member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] This invention is characterized in that the connecting member is attached to the slit of a protective member having a ring-shaped cross section, the slit having a slit connecting an internal space through which a long body is inserted with the outside, and is provided with a plurality of clamping portions for clamping the protective member, the protective member arranged on one side of the wiring direction of the long body being a first protective member, and the protective member arranged on the other side of the wiring direction being a second protective member, the clamping portion of the plurality of clamping portions that clamps a portion of the first protective member on the other side of the wiring direction being a first clamping portion, and the clamping portion that clamps a portion of the second protective member on one side of the wiring direction being a second clamping portion, and the connecting member connects the first protective member clamped by the first clamping portions and the second protective member clamped by the second clamping portions.

[0009] The present invention is also characterized in that it comprises a plurality of protective members having an annular cross section and having slits that connect an internal space through which a long, elongated body is inserted with the outside, and a connecting member that connects the plurality of protective members along the wiring direction of the long body, the connecting member being provided with a plurality of clamping portions that are attached to the slits and clamp the protective members, the protective members arranged on one side of the wiring direction being referred to as first protective members, and the protective members arranged on the other side of the wiring direction being referred to as second protective members, the clamping portions of the plurality of clamping portions that clamp a portion of the first protective members on the other side of the wiring direction being referred to as first clamping portions, and the clamping portions that clamp a portion of the second protective members on one side of the wiring direction being referred to as second clamping portions, and the connecting structure connects the first protective members clamped by the first clamping portions and the second protective members clamped by the second clamping portions.

[0010] The long body is a member to be protected, and includes, for example, a wire harness formed by bundling a plurality of coated electric wires, a single coated electric wire, a communication cable such as an optical fiber cable for transmitting information, or a bundle of communication cables, an annular body through which a fluid such as a washer fluid flows, an annular or solid heat conductor for conducting heat, etc. Furthermore, the end of the wire harness or communication cable may be provided with a terminal or a connector for connecting to an electrical component.

[0011] The protective member is not particularly limited as long as it is a cylindrical body with a circular cross section having a slit along the longitudinal direction of the protective member, and examples of the protective member include cylindrical bodies such as resin pipes or metal pipes, and corrugated tubes having a bellows-like configuration with repeated concave and convex portions along the longitudinal direction.

[0012] The first clamping portion and the second clamping portion may be provided side by side along the wiring direction, or may be provided side by side along the plate thickness direction of the protection member. In addition, when the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion are arranged side by side along the plate thickness direction, at least a portion of the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion may be arranged to overlap in the plate thickness direction.

[0013] According to the present invention, various types of elongated objects can be easily protected with a simple structure. In detail, the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion, which are attached to the slit and clamp the protective member, respectively clamp the first protective member arranged on one side of the wiring direction and the second protective member provided on the other side of the wiring direction, thereby easily connecting the first protective member and the second protective member along the wiring direction and regulating the relative positions of the first protective member and the second protective member.

[0014] In this way, the connecting member that can easily connect the first protective member and the second protective member along the wiring direction can, for example, connect the first protective member and the second protective member that are spaced apart along the wiring direction with a predetermined interval therebetween, or connect the first protective member and the second protective member that have different outer diameters along the wiring direction. Therefore, the long body that is routed on one side and the other side of a branch point, the long body whose diameter changes along the wiring path, etc. can be protected by the connected first protective member and the second protective member.

[0015] In this way, the connecting member provided with the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion that are attached to the slits to clamp the first protective member and the second protective member can connect the first protective member and the second protective member that are adapted to the elongated body of various configurations. Therefore, the connected first protective member and second protective member can easily protect the elongated body of various configurations.

[0016] As an aspect of the present invention, a connection portion may be provided that connects the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion, which clamps the second protective member having a smaller diameter than the first protective member, along the thickness direction of the protective member. According to this invention, the first protective member and the second protective member can be connected so that, when viewed from the wiring direction, the center of the first protective member and the center of the second protective member, which has a smaller diameter than the first protective member, are close to each other.

[0017] This allows, for example, when protecting the elongated body whose diameter changes along the wiring path or the elongated body having a connector at its end, the thin-diameter elongated body or the elongated body derived from the connector to be protected by being inserted through the second protective member which has a smaller diameter than the first protective member, and the thick-diameter elongated body or the connector to be protected by being inserted through the first protective member which has a larger diameter than the second protective member. Furthermore, by making the second protective member thin to match the outer diameter of the elongated body, the surrounding space can be effectively utilized.

[0018] In addition, the first protective member and the second protective member are connected so that their centers are close to each other when viewed from the wiring direction. Therefore, even if the elongated body has a diameter that changes along the wiring path or is led out from a connector, the elongated body led out from the first protective member is inserted into the second protective member without being excessively bent in the plate thickness direction. In other words, the elongated body can be protected while reducing the burden on the elongated body.

[0019] As a further aspect of the present invention, the connection portion may connect the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion such that at least a portion of each of the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion overlap in the plate thickness direction. According to this invention, the first protective member and the second protective member can be connected to each other such that the second protective member, which has a smaller diameter than the first protective member, enters the internal space of the first protective member, thereby preventing the elongated body from being exposed from the connecting portion between the first protective member and the second protective member.

[0020] In a further aspect of the present invention, the connection portion may be flexible. According to this invention, the connection portion can be deformed to match the wiring path of the elongated body, so that the orientation of the second protective member relative to the first protective member can be changed. This makes it possible to connect the first protective member and the second protective member so as to follow the desired wiring path of the elongated body, compared to a case in which the connection portion is not flexible. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the elongated body inserted through the first protective member and the second protective member from bending excessively. In other words, it is possible to reduce the load on the elongated body.

[0021] In another aspect of the present invention, one first clamping portion and a plurality of second clamping portions are provided, and a holding portion is provided for holding the plurality of second clamping portions, and the plurality of second clamping portions may be connected to the connection portion via the holding portion.

[0022] According to this invention, the first protective member having a large diameter and the second protective members having a small diameter can be connected along the wiring direction. Therefore, one side of the elongated body can be protected by the first protective member, and the other side of the elongated body can be protected by the second protective member by dividing the elongated body into groups, for example, by branch lines branched along a predetermined wiring direction, or by the type, outer diameter, wiring route, etc. of the elongated body. Therefore, the elongated body before being divided into groups can be protected on the one side, and the grouped elongated bodies can be protected on the other side. In addition, the grouped elongated bodies can be efficiently wired and connected to electrical equipment.

[0023] As a further aspect of the present invention, the second clamping portions may be arranged at predetermined intervals along a circumferential direction of the elongated body inserted into the first protective member. According to this invention, the second protective member clamped by the second clamping portions can be arranged along the circumferential direction inside the first protective member as viewed from the wiring direction. Therefore, for example, the elongated bodies protected by the first protective member can be divided into groups, and the grouped elongated bodies can be inserted into the second protective member without being excessively bent.

[0024] As a further aspect of the present invention, the second clamping portions may be arranged at predetermined intervals in a cross direction crossing the wiring direction. According to this invention, the second protective member clamped by the multiple second clamping portions can be arranged along the intersecting direction, so that, for example, the elongated body can be grouped with respect to the intersecting direction and each of the elongated bodies can be protected by the second protective member.

[0025] As a further aspect of the present invention, a rotation support portion may be provided that supports the second clamping portion so as to be rotatable relative to the holding portion. According to this invention, the second clamping portion can be rotated relative to the holding portion using the rotating support portion as a rotation axis, so that the direction of the second protective member clamped by the second clamping portion relative to the first protective member clamped by the first clamping portion can be appropriately changed.

[0026] This allows the first protective member and the second protective member to be connected to each other along a desired routing path in the elongated body, compared to when the rotation support portion is not provided. Therefore, the elongated body inserted through the first protective member and the second protective member can be prevented from bending excessively. In other words, the load on the elongated body can be reduced.

[0027] In another aspect of the present invention, between two protective members arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other along the wiring direction, the protective member arranged in a cross direction that crosses the wiring direction is defined as a cross protective member, and a cross clamping portion that is the clamping portion that clamps the cross protective member is provided, and the cross clamping portion may be arranged between the clamping portions that clamp the two protective members arranged so as to be spaced apart from each other.

[0028] According to this invention, the cross clamping portion arranged between the clamping portions for clamping the two protective members arranged at a distance from each other can clamp the cross protective member arranged in the cross direction, so that the two protective members arranged at a distance from each other and the cross protective member can be connected to each other. This makes it possible to mutually regulate the relative positions of the two protective members and the cross protective member, and the branched elongated body can be protected by the two protective members and the cross protective member arranged at a distance from each other.

[0029] In another aspect of the present invention, when the protective member is attached to the clamping portion, a covering portion is provided to cover the elongated body, and the covering portion may be provided on the side opposite to the side on which the cross clamping portion is provided in the crossing direction. According to this invention, the covering portion can cover the exposed side of the elongated body opposite to the transverse direction between the first protective member and the second protective member, thereby enabling the covering portion to protect the side of the elongated body opposite to the transverse direction.

[0030] In another aspect of the present invention, the diameter of the second protective member may be set to be smaller than the diameter of the first protective member, a connection portion may be provided that connects the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion along the plate thickness direction of the protective members, and the second protective member may be arranged such that one end portion of the second protective member in the wiring direction fits into the internal space of the other end portion of the first protective member in the wiring direction.

[0031] According to this invention, the first protective member and the second protective member can be connected so that the center of the first protective member is close to the center of the second protective member having a smaller diameter than the first protective member when viewed from the wiring direction. Also, the first protective member and the second protective member can be connected so that the second protective member having a smaller diameter than the first protective member enters the internal space of the first protective member. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the elongated body from being exposed from the connecting portion between the first protective member and the second protective member.

[0032] In addition, the first protective member and the second protective member are connected to each other so that their centers are close to each other when viewed from the wiring direction. Therefore, the long body can be inserted into the first protective member and the second protective member without being excessively bent in the plate thickness direction. Therefore, the long body can be protected while reducing the burden on the long body.

[0033] In another aspect of the present invention, one first clamping portion and a plurality of second clamping portions are provided, and a holding portion is provided for holding the plurality of second clamping portions, and the plurality of second clamping portions may be connected to the connection portion via the holding portion.

[0034] According to the present invention, the first protective member having a large diameter and the second protective members having a small diameter can be connected to each other along the wiring direction. Therefore, one side of the elongated body can be protected by the first protective member, and the other side of the elongated body can be protected by the second protective member by dividing the elongated body into groups, for example, by branch lines branched along a predetermined wiring direction, or by the type, outer diameter, wiring route, etc. of the elongated body. Therefore, the elongated body before and after dividing into groups can be protected, and the wiring of the grouped elongated bodies and connection to electrical equipment can be made more efficient on the other side of the elongated body. Effect of the Invention

[0035] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a connecting member that can easily protect various types of wire harnesses with a simple structure, and a connected structure in which a plurality of protective members are connected by the connecting member. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0036] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a harness protection structure. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a connecting member in a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a harness protection structure according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] 13 is an explanatory diagram of a connecting member and a harness protection structure in a third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a connecting structure in a fourth embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a connecting member in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 11] 13 is an explanatory diagram of a harness protection structure according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. [Figure 12]FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a connection structure according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0037] 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 a harness protection structure 1, FIG. 2 shows a schematic exploded perspective view of a connecting structure 2, FIGS. 3 and 4 show explanatory views of a connecting member 20, and FIG.

[0038] 3 to 5 will be described in detail. Fig. 3(a) shows a schematic front view of the connecting member 20, and Fig. 3(b) shows a schematic side view of the connecting member 20 as viewed from the front side Lf. Fig. 4(a) shows an end view of line AA in Fig. 3(a), Fig. 4(b) shows an enlarged end view of part a in Fig. 4(a), and Fig. 4(c) shows an enlarged end view of part a in Fig. 4(a) in a state where the rotation restriction between the second clamping body 40 and the connecting plate 52 is released. Fig. 5(a) shows a schematic side view of the connecting structure 2 as viewed from the front side Lf, and Fig. 5(b) shows a schematic plan view of the harness protection structure 1 in a state where the second clamping body 40 has rotated relative to the connecting plate 52. In addition, in Figure 5 (b), in order to explain the inside of the thick corrugated fiber 11 and the thin corrugated fiber 12, the thin corrugated fiber 12 and a part of the connecting member 20 that have entered the internal space S of the thick corrugated fiber 11, and the wire harness WH that is inserted into the inside of the thick corrugated fiber 11 and the thin corrugated fiber 12 are illustrated by dotted lines.

[0039] 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 wire harness WH is the longitudinal direction L. The direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L and the height direction H is the width direction W. In FIG. 1, the left side along the longitudinal direction L is the front side Lf, and the right side along the longitudinal direction L 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. The directions defined in FIG. 1 are the same in FIG. 2 to FIG. 12.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1, the harness protection structure 1 includes a wire harness WH that is arranged in a vehicle, and a connection structure 2 that protects the wire harness WH. The wire harness WH is a bundle of covered electric wires, each of which has a conductor surrounded by an insulating coating, and is routed along a predetermined routing path to electrically connect electrical components mounted on the vehicle. The wire harness WH may include a communication cable or may be composed of a communication cable.

[0041] The wire harness WH thus configured is routed along the longitudinal direction L and is branched into two on the way. Here, the wire harness WH before branching is referred to as a trunk wire WH1, and each of the branched wire harnesses WH is referred to as a branch wire WH2. The branch wires WH2 are appropriately grouped, for example, into branch wires branched along a predetermined routing direction, or by type of electric wire, outer diameter, routing path, or the like.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 1, the connecting structure 2 is composed of a thick corrugated sheet 11 and a thin corrugated sheet 12 that protect the wire harness WH, and a connecting member 20 that connects the thick corrugated sheet 11 and the thin corrugated sheet 12 along the longitudinal direction L.

[0043] 1 and 2, the thick corrugated tube 11 and the thin corrugated tube 12 are corrugated tubes made of resin and formed into a cylindrical shape having an internal space S. The thick corrugated tube 11 and the thin corrugated tube 12 will be described in detail below.

[0044] The thick corrugated steel sheet 11 has a bellows structure in which thick convex portions 111, which protrude radially outward over the entire circumference of the outer circumferential surface, and thick concave portions 112, which recess radially inward over the entire circumference of the outer circumferential surface, are alternately arranged in succession along the longitudinal direction L. In other words, the thick corrugated steel sheet 11 has flexibility.

[0045] Such a large-diameter corrugated gate 11 is provided with a large-diameter slit 113 that cuts a portion of the outer circumferential surface in a straight line from an end of the front side Lf to an end of the rear side Lb along the longitudinal direction L. That is, the large-diameter slit 113 connects the outside of the large-diameter corrugated gate 11 with the internal space S.

[0046] The small diameter corrugated gate 12 has the same shape as the large diameter corrugated gate 11, except that the small diameter corrugated gate 12 is smaller than the large diameter corrugated gate 11. More specifically, the small diameter corrugated gate 12 has a bellows structure in which small diameter convex portions 121 protruding radially outward over the entire circumference of the outer circumferential surface and small diameter concave portions 122 recessed radially inward over the entire circumference of the outer circumferential surface are alternately arranged in succession along the longitudinal direction L. In other words, the small diameter corrugated gate 12 is flexible.

[0047] The small diameter corrugated gate 12 is provided with a small diameter slit 123 that cuts the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter corrugated gate 12 linearly from an end of the front side Lf to an end of the rear side Lb along the longitudinal direction L. That is, the small diameter slit 123 communicates the outside of the small diameter corrugated gate 12 with the internal space S.

[0048] Here, the outer diameter of the small diameter convex portion 121 is configured to be shorter than half the inner diameter of the large diameter concave portion 112. In other words, the small diameter corrugated glass 12 can be inserted into the internal space S of the large diameter corrugated glass 11.

[0049] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the connecting member 20 is composed of a first clamping body 30 that clamps the thick corrugated steel sheet 11, two second clamping bodies 40 that clamp the thin corrugated steel sheet 12, a connecting portion 50 integrally connected to the first clamping body 30, and a rotational support portion 60 that rotatably supports the second clamping body 40 relative to the connecting portion 50.

[0050] The first clamping body 30 is a long resin molded product having a horizontal H-shape in cross section, and as shown in Figures 2 and 3, is integrally formed with a pair of first extension portions 31 spaced apart at a distance approximately equal to the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the thick-diameter convex portion 111 and the inner peripheral surface of the thick-diameter concave portion 112, and a first insertion shaft portion 32 connecting the pair of first extension portions 31.

[0051] The first extension portion 31 is a flat plate having a generally rectangular shape in a plan view, with long sides shorter than the length of the large-diameter slits 113 along the longitudinal direction L and short sides sufficiently shorter than the outer diameter of the large-diameter corrugated gate 11. The long sides of the first extension portion 31 extend along the longitudinal direction L, and the short sides of the first extension portion 31 extend along the width direction W. The first insertion shaft portion 32 integrally connects central portions in the width direction W of the pair of first extension portions 31 from the end portions on the front side Lf to the end portions on the rear side Lb.

[0052] 3 and 4, the second clamping body 40 is an elongated resin molded product having a horizontal H-shaped cross section and has substantially the same configuration as the first clamping body 30. In detail, the second clamping body 40 is composed of a pair of second extension parts 41 provided at a distance substantially equal to the distance between the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter convex part 121 and the inner circumferential surface of the small diameter concave part 122, and a second insertion shaft part 42 connecting the pair of second extension parts 41.

[0053] The second extension portion 41 is a flat plate having a generally rectangular shape in a plan view, with long sides shorter than the length of the small diameter slits 123 along the longitudinal direction L and short sides sufficiently shorter than the outer diameter of the small diameter corrugated gate 12. The long sides of the second extension portion 41 extend along the longitudinal direction L, and the short sides of the second extension portion 41 extend along the width direction W. The second insertion shaft portion 42 integrally connects central portions in the width direction W of the pair of second extension portions 41 from the ends on the front side Lf to the rear side Lb.

[0054] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the connecting portion 50 is integrally formed by an extension portion 51 extending from one of a pair of first extension portions 31, and a connecting plate 52 connected to the end of the extension portion 51 opposite the side connected to the first extension portion 31.

[0055] The extending portion 51 is a plate material having a width equal to the length of the first extending portion 31 in the width direction W, and extends downward from one side of the pair of first extending portions 31 toward the lower side Hd. In this manner, the end portion on the rear side Lb of the extending portion 51 extending from the first extending portion 31 is flush with the end portion on the rear side Lb of the first extending portion 31. The length of the extending portion 51 in the longitudinal direction L is approximately one-third of the length of the first clamping body 30 and the second clamping body 40 in the longitudinal direction L.

[0056] The connecting plate 52 is a flat plate made of resin and has a generally rectangular shape in a plan view. More specifically, the long side of the connecting plate 52 is approximately half the inner diameter of the large-diameter recess 112 and is aligned along the width direction W. On the other hand, the short side of the connecting plate 52 is equal to the length of the extending portion 51 along the longitudinal direction L and is aligned along the longitudinal direction L. The lower end of the extending portion 51 is connected to the central portion of the connecting plate 52, which is formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view, in the width direction W.

[0057] In addition, at both ends of the connecting plate 52 in the width direction W, a pair of through hole portions 521 are provided at an interval slightly longer than the radius of the large diameter recess 112, forming a through hole with a circular cross section that penetrates the connecting plate 52 along the height direction H (see Figure 4).

[0058] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the rotation support part 60 is composed of a substantially cylindrical rotating shaft part 61, a nut 62 that screws into the upper side Hu of the rotating shaft part 61, and a rotation regulating part 63 that is attached to the lower side Hd of the rotating shaft part 61.

[0059] The rotating shaft portion 61 is a generally cylindrical shape extending along the height direction H, and has a screw thread on the upper side Hu to which a nut 62 can be screwed. Also, a flange that protrudes outward is provided at the end of the lower side Hd of the rotating shaft portion 61. The rotating shaft portion 61 configured in this manner is molded by insert molding so that the lower end portion of the rotating shaft portion 61 is embedded in the second extension portion 41 (see FIG. 4). That is, the rotating shaft portion 61 and the second extension portion 41 are molded integrally.

[0060] As shown in Figure 4 (b), the rotation regulating portion 63 is composed of a collar 64 that can be inserted into the through hole portion 521, and an engaging retaining portion 65 that engages with the rear side Lb of the second clamping body 40 to hold the second clamping body 40. The collar 64 is a metallic cylinder having an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of the through-hole portion 521 and an inner diameter equal to the outer diameter of the rotating shaft portion 61. The length of the collar 64 along the height direction H is sufficiently longer than the plate thickness of the extension portion 51, and a flange extending radially outward is provided at the end of the upper side Hu of the collar 64.

[0061] The lower end of the collar 64 configured in this manner is provided with a first gear 641 in which portions that protrude in an approximately triangular shape toward the lower side Hd and portions that are recessed in an approximately triangular shape toward the upper side Hu are arranged alternately along the circumferential direction.

[0062] The fitting retaining portion 65 is integrally formed with a fitting portion 651 that fits into the second extending portion 41, and an erecting portion 652 that erects from the fitting portion 651 toward the upper side Hu. The fitting portion 651 is a flat metal plate whose length in the width direction W and height direction H is slightly larger than that of the second extension portion 41. The length of the fitting portion 651 in the longitudinal direction L is approximately twice the outer diameter of the rotating shaft portion 61. A concave fitting groove 653 having a width equal to the length of the second extension portion 41 in the width direction W and a depth equal to the plate thickness of the second extension portion 41 is formed on the lower side Hd of the flat fitting portion 651. That is, the fitting portion 651 can be fitted into the second extension portion 41 from the upper side Hu.

[0063] The fitting portion 651 configured in this manner has a central portion provided with a through hole having a circular shape in plan view, penetrating the fitting portion 651 along the height direction H. The inner diameter of the through hole provided in the fitting portion 651 is equal to the outer diameter of the rotating shaft portion 61.

[0064] The erected portion 652 is a metal cylinder erected from the center of the fitting portion 651 toward the upper side Hu, and has approximately the same configuration as the collar 64. In detail, the erected portion 652 is a cylinder having an outer diameter equal to the outer diameter of the collar 64 and an inner diameter equal to the inner diameter of the collar 64, and extends a predetermined length along the height direction H. The inner edge of the erected portion 652 is flush with the inner edge of the through hole provided in the fitting portion 651. That is, the fitting holding portion 65 allows the rotating shaft portion 61 to be inserted therethrough.

[0065] A second gear 654 configured to be able to fit with the first gear 641 provided on the collar 64 is provided at the upper end of the upright portion 652 configured in this manner. This second gear 654 has portions that are recessed in a substantially triangular shape toward the lower side Hd so that the protruding portion of the first gear 641 can fit therein, and portions that protrude in a substantially triangular shape toward the upper side Hu so that they can fit into the recessed portions of the first gear 641, which are alternately arranged along the circumferential direction.

[0066] As described above, the rotation support portion 60 is configured so as to be able to be assembled to the connecting portion 50 . More specifically, the fitting holder 65 is inserted into the rotating shaft 61 so that the fitting groove 653 and the second extension portion 41 face each other, and the second extension portion 41 is fitted into the fitting groove 653. Next, the collar 64 is inserted into each of the paired through-hole portions 521 from the upper side Hu to the lower side Hd so that the first gear 641 is disposed on the lower side Hd.

[0067] Then, the rotating shaft portion 61, which has been inserted through the fitting holding portion 65 from the lower side Hd toward the upper side Hu, is inserted through the collar 64, and the nut 62 is screwed onto the upper end of the rotating shaft portion 61. This makes it possible to assemble the rotation support portion 60 to the connecting portion 50. That is, it is possible to manufacture the connecting member 20 in which the first clamping body 30 configured integrally with the connecting portion 50 and the second clamping body 40 configured integrally with the rotation support portion 60 are connected.

[0068] In the connecting member 20 configured in this manner, the two second clamping bodies 40 are connected to the connecting portion 50 via the rotating shaft portions 61 inserted into the pair of through-hole portions 521. That is, the second clamping bodies 40 connected to the connecting portion 50 are disposed at an interval slightly longer than the radius of the large-diameter recessed portion 112 in the large-diameter corrugated gate 11 along the width direction W.

[0069] In addition, since the extension portion 51 extends from a part of the front side Lf of the first extension portion 31 to the downward side Hd, the first clamping body 30 and the connecting portion 50 overlap along the height direction H. In addition, since the second extension portion 41 is integrally molded with the rotating shaft portion 61 inserted into the through-hole portion 521, the second clamping body 40 and the connecting portion 50 overlap along the height direction H. In other words, the first clamping body 30 and the second clamping body 40 overlap along the height direction H (see FIG. 3(a)).

[0070] The connecting member 20 configured in this manner can connect the large diameter corrugated fiber 11 and the small diameter corrugated fiber 12. Hereinafter, a brief description will be given of the connected structure 2 in which the large diameter corrugated fiber 11 and the small diameter corrugated fiber 12 are connected via the connecting member 20.

[0071] First, the second insertion shaft portion 42 is inserted into the vicinity of the end portion on the front side Lf of the small diameter slit 123, whereby the small diameter corrugated gate 12 can be clamped by the paired second extension portion 41. This allows the small diameter corrugated gate 12 to be attached to the second clamping body 40. Similarly, the first insertion shaft portion 32 is inserted into the vicinity of the end portion on the rear side Lb of the large diameter slit 113, whereby the large diameter corrugated gate 11 can be clamped by the paired first extension portion 31. This allows the large diameter corrugated gate 11 to be attached to the first clamping body 30.

[0072] In this way, by attaching the large diameter corrugated fiber 11 to the first clamping body 30 and attaching two small diameter corrugated fiber 12 to the paired second clamping body 40, a connected structure 2 can be manufactured in which the large diameter corrugated fiber 11 and the two small diameter corrugated fiber 12 are connected via the connecting member 20.

[0073] Here, the length of the extension 51 in the height direction H is configured to be slightly longer than one-tenth of the inner diameter of the large diameter recess 112. Also, the outer diameter of the small diameter protrusion 121 is configured to be shorter than half the inner diameter of the large diameter recess 112. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 5(a), the small diameter corrugated fiber 12 clamped by the two second clamping bodies 40 spaced apart by a predetermined distance in the width direction W is disposed in the internal space S of the large diameter corrugated fiber 11 clamped by the first clamping body 30 in a side view.

[0074] In addition, since a portion of the first clamping body 30 and the second clamping body 40 overlap along the height direction H, the small diameter corrugated steel 12 clamped between the two second clamping bodies 40 enters the internal space S of the large diameter corrugated steel 11 clamped between the first clamping body 30 (see Figure 5 (b)).

[0075] The connection structure 2 configured in this manner can protect the trunk wire WH1 with the thick corrugated fiber 11 by inserting the trunk wire WH1 through the thick corrugated fiber 11. Also, the connection structure 2 can protect the branch wires WH2 with the thin corrugated fiber 12 by inserting the branch wires WH2, which are grouped according to the insulated wires that are routed in a common direction, through the thin corrugated fiber 12 arranged in parallel along the width direction W.

[0076] In the harness protection structure 1 in which the wire harness WH is inserted through the large-diameter corrugated tube 11 and the small-diameter corrugated tube 12 that constitute the connecting structure 2, the main wire WH1 branches into two branch wires WH2 in the internal space S of the large-diameter corrugated tube 11. That is, the main wire WH1 and the branch wire WH2 can be inserted through the large-diameter corrugated tube 11 and the small-diameter corrugated tube 12 without the branch wire WH2 being exposed to the outside, so that the wire harness WH can be reliably protected.

[0077] In addition, as shown in Figure 5 (b), by rotating the second clamping body 40 relative to the connecting plate 52, the connecting structure 2 can, for example, position the thin-diameter corrugated wire 12 clamped by the second clamping body 40 so that it is aligned with the wiring path of the wire harness WH.

[0078] More specifically, by rotating the nut 62 fastened to the upper side Hu of the rotating shaft portion 61 in a loosening direction, the rotating shaft portion 61, whose lower end portion is embedded in the second extension portion 41, moves toward the lower side Hd. As a result, the collar 64 inserted into the through-hole portion 521 and the fitting holding portion 65 fitted into the second clamping body 40 are separated in the height direction H, and the fitting between the first gear 641 and the second gear 654 can be released. Therefore, the rotating shaft portion 61 can be rotated relative to the connecting plate 52, and the extension direction of the second clamping body 40 can be changed with respect to the extension direction of the first clamping body 30.

[0079] Then, after changing the extending direction of the thin corrugated tube 12 with respect to the thick corrugated tube 11, the nut 62 is rotated in a tightening direction, whereby the rotating shaft portion 61, the lower end of which is embedded in the second extending portion 41, moves toward the upper side Hu. As a result, the collar 64 inserted in the through hole portion 521 and the fitting holding portion 65 fitted into the second clamping body 40 approach each other in the height direction H, and the first gear 641 and the second gear 654 can be fitted together. Therefore, the relative rotation of the rotating shaft portion 61 with respect to the connecting plate 52 can be restricted, and the thick corrugated tube 11 and the thin corrugated tube 12 can be connected together in a state where the extending direction of the second clamping body 40 is restricted with respect to the extending direction of the first clamping body 30.

[0080] In this way, by changing the extending direction of the thin corrugated tube 12 relative to the thick corrugated tube 11 along the direction in which the branch wire WH2 is routed, the thin corrugated tube 12 can be connected to the thick corrugated tube 11 along the route in which the branch wire WH2 is routed. Therefore, the wire harness WH inserted through the thick corrugated tube 11 and the thin corrugated tube 12 can be prevented from bending excessively. In other words, the load on the wire harness WH can be reduced.

[0081] In the above-mentioned connection structure 2, the two small diameter corrugated gates 12 and the large diameter corrugated gate 11 are connected via the connection member 20 so that the two small diameter corrugated gates 12 arranged in parallel along the width direction W enter the internal space S of the large diameter corrugated gate 11. However, the number of small diameter corrugated gates 12 connected to the large diameter corrugated gate 11 is not limited to two. For example, by providing a plurality of through holes 521 in the connection part 50 and assembling a rotation support part 60 integrated with the second clamping body 40 in each of the through holes 521, a plurality of small diameter corrugated gates 12 can be connected to the large diameter corrugated gate 11.

[0082] Also, for example, the multiple small diameter corrugated gates 12 may be arranged in parallel along the inner peripheral surface of the large diameter corrugated gate 11. Below, a brief description will be given of a connecting member 20a that can arrange three small diameter corrugated gates 12 in parallel along the inner peripheral surface of the large diameter corrugated gate 11, and a connecting structure 2a that connects the three small diameter corrugated gates 12 and the large diameter corrugated gate 11 via the connecting member 20a, with reference to Figs. 6 and 7.

[0083] Second Embodiment Fig. 6(a) shows a side view of the connecting member 20a as viewed from the front side Lf, and Fig. 6(b) shows a front view of the connecting member 20a. Fig. 7(a) shows a schematic perspective view of the connecting structure 2a, and Fig. 7(b) shows a schematic front view of the connecting structure 2a. In Fig. 7(b), in order to explain the inside of the thick corrugated fiber 11 and the thin corrugated fiber 12, the thin corrugated fiber 12 entering the internal space S of the thick corrugated fiber 11 and the wire harness WH inserted into the thick corrugated fiber 11 and the thin corrugated fiber 12 are shown by dotted lines. In addition, in the connecting member 20a and the connecting structure 2a, the same configurations as those of the connecting structure 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0084] The connecting member 20a is composed of a first clamping body 30, three second clamping bodies 40a, and a connecting portion 50a that holds the first clamping body 30 and the second clamping bodies 40a. The second clamping body 40a has the same configuration as the second clamping body 40, except that the lower end portion of the rotating shaft portion 61 is not embedded, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0085] The connecting portion 50a is integrally formed by an extending portion 51a extending from one of a pair of first extending portions 31, and a connecting plate 52a connected to the end of the extending portion 51a opposite the side connected to the first extending portion 31. The extending portion 51a has the same configuration as the extending portion 51, except that the length of the extending portion 51a in the height direction H is longer than that of the extending portion 51. The length of the extending portion 51a in the height direction H is approximately half the inner diameter of the large-diameter recess 112.

[0086] As shown in Figure 6(a), the connecting plate 52a is composed of a regular hexagonal columnar central shaft portion 523 to which the end of the extension portion 51a opposite to the side connected to the first extension portion 31 is connected, and three protrusions 524 extending from the central shaft portion 523.

[0087] In a side view, the central shaft portion 523 is a columnar body having a substantially regular hexagonal shape with sides equal to the width (length in the width direction W) of the first extension portion 31. The length along the longitudinal direction L is about one-third of the length along the longitudinal direction L of the first clamping body 30 and the second clamping body 40.

[0088] Such a generally regular hexagonal prism-shaped central shaft portion 523 has two faces along the longitudinal direction L and the width direction W. That is, two of the side faces constituting the central shaft portion 523 are disposed so as to be perpendicular to the height direction H. Of the two faces facing each other in the height direction H, the one disposed on the upper side Hu is connected to the extending portion 51a.

[0089] Furthermore, among the side surfaces constituting central shaft portion 523, protrusions 524 protrude from two surfaces adjacent to the surface to which extending portion 51a is connected, and from the surface opposite to the surface to which extending portion 51a is connected. The protruding portion 524 protrudes outward from the side surface of the central shaft portion 523 by approximately twice the plate thickness of the first extension portion 31. The end portion on the rear side Lb of the second extension portion 41 is connected to the tip portion of the protruding portion 524 protruding from the central shaft portion 523 in this manner. That is, three second clamping bodies 40a are arranged at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the central shaft portion 523 in a side view.

[0090] As described above, the connecting portion 50a integrally connects the vicinity of the end portion on the front side Lf of the first clamping body 30 and the vicinity of the end portion on the rear side Lb of the second clamping body 40a. Therefore, the first clamping body 30 and the second clamping body 40a partially overlap each other along the height direction H (see FIG. 6(b)).

[0091] The connecting member 20a configured in this manner, like the connecting member 20, can be used to manufacture a connecting structure 2a in which three thin corrugated tubes 12 and the thick corrugated tubes 11 are connected along the longitudinal direction L by attaching a thick corrugated tube 11 to the first clamping body 30 and attaching a thin corrugated tube 12 to each of the second clamping bodies 40a.

[0092] Here, the length of the extension 51a along the height direction H is approximately half the inner diameter of the large diameter recess 112. That is, the central shaft 523 is disposed in the central portion of the large diameter corrugated fiber 11 in side view. Also, the outer diameter of the small diameter protrusion 121 is configured to be shorter than half the inner diameter of the large diameter recess 112. Therefore, the three small diameter corrugated fiber 12 clamped by the second clamping body 40a are disposed in the internal space S of the large diameter corrugated fiber 11 clamped by the first clamping body 30 in side view (see FIG. 7(a)).

[0093] In addition, in a side view, the connecting member 20a has a central shaft portion 523 positioned in the central portion of the thick diameter corrugated fiber 11, and the amount of protrusion 524 protruding from the central shaft portion 523 is sufficiently smaller than the inner diameter of the thick diameter recess 112, so that the thick diameter corrugated fiber 11 and the thin diameter corrugated fiber 12 can be connected together so that the center of the thick diameter corrugated fiber 11 and the center of the thin diameter corrugated fiber 12 are close to each other in a side view.

[0094] In addition, since the front side Lf of the first clamping body 30 and the rear side Lb of the second clamping body 40a overlap along the height direction H, the three small diameter corrugated steel sheets 12 clamped by the second clamping body 40a enter the internal space S of the large diameter corrugated steel sheet 11 clamped by the first clamping body 30 (see Figures 7(a) and 7(b)).

[0095] The connecting structure 2a configured in this manner allows the main wire WH1, which is the front side Lf of the wire harness WH, to be inserted into the thick corrugated fiber 11, and allows, for example, three branch wires WH2, which are grouped according to the insulated electric wires having a common wiring direction, to be inserted into the thin corrugated fiber 12 arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the wire harness WH in the internal space S of the thick corrugated fiber 11 (see Figure 7(a)).

[0096] In this manner, in the harness protection structure 1a in which the wire harness WH is inserted through the large-diameter corrugated fiber 11 and the small-diameter corrugated fiber 12 that constitute the connecting structure 2a, the main wire WH1 branches into three branch wires WH2 in the internal space S of the large-diameter corrugated fiber 11. That is, the main wire WH1 and the branch wires WH2 can be inserted through the large-diameter corrugated fiber 11 and the small-diameter corrugated fiber 12 without the branch wires WH2 being exposed to the outside, so that the wire harness WH can be reliably protected by the large-diameter corrugated fiber 11 and the small-diameter corrugated fiber 12.

[0097] In the above-mentioned connecting structure 2, 2a, a plurality of second clamping bodies 40, 40a are connected to the first clamping body 30, but it is not necessarily necessary to connect a plurality of second clamping bodies 40, 40a to the first clamping body 30, and a configuration in which one second clamping body 40, 40a is connected to the first clamping body 30 may also be used. Hereinafter, a brief description will be given of the connecting member 20b that connects one second clamping body 40a to the first clamping body 30 and the connecting structure 2b that connects the large diameter corrugated tube 11 and the small diameter corrugated tube 12 via the connecting member 20b, with reference to FIG.

[0098] Third embodiment 8(a) shows a front view of the connecting member 20b, and FIG. 8(b) shows a plan view of the connecting structure 2b in a state in which the extending portion 51b is deformed. In FIG. 8(b), in order to explain the inside of the thick corrugated fiber 11 and the thin corrugated fiber 12, the thin corrugated fiber 12 entering the internal space S of the thick corrugated fiber 11 and the wire harness WH inserted into the thick corrugated fiber 11 and the thin corrugated fiber 12 are illustrated by dotted lines. In addition, in the connecting member 20b and the connecting structure 2b, the same configurations as those of the connecting members 20, 20a and the connecting structures 2, 2a are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0099] As shown in Figure 8(a), the connecting member 20b is integrally formed of a first clamping body 30, a second clamping body 40a, and an extension portion 51b that connects the vicinity of an end portion of the front side Lf of the first clamping body 30 and the vicinity of an end portion of the rear side Lb of the second clamping body 40a.

[0100] The extending portion 51b is a flexible cylindrical body, and extends from one of the paired first extending portions 31. In addition, a tip of the extending portion 51b is connected to one of the paired second extending portions 41 in the second clamping body 40a. The height of the extending portion 51b (length along the height direction H) is approximately half the inner diameter of the large-diameter recess 112.

[0101] The connecting member 20b configured in this manner can manufacture a connected structure 2b in which the large diameter corrugated fiber 11 and the small diameter corrugated fiber 12 are connected along the longitudinal direction L by mounting the large diameter corrugated fiber 11 on the first clamping body 30 and mounting the small diameter corrugated fiber 12 on the second clamping body 40a. In the connected structure 2b, the small diameter corrugated fiber 12 is disposed so as to enter the internal space S of the large diameter corrugated fiber 11.

[0102] Therefore, for example, the trunk wire WH1 is protected by the large-diameter corrugated fiber 11, and the trunk wire WH1, which is thinned halfway as a result of a branch wire WH2 having a connector C at its tip branching off from the large-diameter corrugated fiber 11, can be protected by the small-diameter corrugated fiber 12. In this manner, in the harness protection structure 1b in which the wire harness WH is inserted through the large-diameter corrugated fiber 11 and the small-diameter corrugated fiber 12 constituting the connection structure 2b, the small-diameter corrugated fiber 12 is disposed to enter the internal space S of the large-diameter corrugated fiber 11, as in the harness protection structures 1 and 1a, so that the branch portion between the trunk wire WH1 and the branch wire WH2 can be protected by the large-diameter corrugated fiber 11 (see FIG. 8(b)).

[0103] In addition, since the extending portion 51b has flexibility, the extending portion 51b can be deformed to match the wiring path of the wire harness WH inserted through the thin corrugated fiber 12, and the orientation of the thin corrugated fiber 12 with respect to the thick corrugated fiber 11 can be changed. As a result, even if the wiring path of the wire harness WH is curved, the wire harness WH inserted through the thick corrugated fiber 11 and the thin corrugated fiber 12 can be prevented from bending excessively, and the load on the wire harness WH can be reduced.

[0104] In the above-mentioned connection structures 2, 2a, and 2b, the large diameter corrugated steel sheets 11 and the small diameter corrugated steel sheets 12 having different diameters are connected, but for example, it may be configured to connect large diameter corrugated steel sheets 11 having the same diameter to each other. Below, a connection member 20c capable of connecting a plurality of large diameter corrugated steel sheets 11 and a connection structure 2c in which a plurality of large diameter corrugated steel sheets 11 are connected via the connection member 20c will be briefly described with reference to Figs. 9 to 11.

[0105] (Fourth embodiment) Fig. 9(a) shows a schematic perspective view of the connection structure 2c, and Fig. 9(b) shows a schematic exploded perspective view of the connection structure 2c. Fig. 10(a) shows a side view of the connection member 20c seen from the front side Lf, and Fig. 10(b) shows a front view of the connection member 20c. Fig. 11(a) shows a side view of the connection structure 2c seen from the front side Lf, and Fig. 11(b) shows a plan view of the connection structure 2c.

[0106] Here, the left side in Fig. 9(a) is the left side Wl, and the right side is the right side Wr along the width direction W. The left side Wl and the right side Wr defined in Fig. 9(a) are the same in Fig. 9(b), Fig. 10, and Fig. 11. Moreover, in the connecting member 20c and the connecting structure 2c, the same configurations as those of the connecting members 20, 20a, and 20b and the connecting structures 2, 2a, and 2b are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0107] The connecting member 20c is integrally formed of two first clamping bodies 30 arranged at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction L, an extension portion 51c connecting the first clamping bodies 30 to each other, a cross clamping portion 70 extending from the extension portion 51c along the width direction W, and a cover 80 provided on the opposite side of the cross clamping portion 70.

[0108] The extending portion 51c is a rectangular parallelepiped whose bottom surface is a square having sides the same length as the width (length in the width direction W) of the first extending portion 31, and whose height (length in the height direction H) is the same as the height of the first clamping body 30. The first clamping body 30 is connected to the front side Lf and rear side Lb surfaces of the extending portion 51c configured in this manner, and the cross clamping portion 70 is connected to the right side Wr surface of the extending portion 51c.

[0109] The cross clamping portion 70 has the same configuration as the first clamping body 30. More specifically, the cross clamping portion 70 is integrally formed of a pair of cross extension portions 71 provided at a distance substantially equal to the distance between the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter convex portion 111 and the inner circumferential surface of the large diameter concave portion 112, and a cross insertion shaft portion 72 connecting the pair of cross extension portions 71. The cross extension portion 71 has the same configuration as the first extension portion 31, and the cross insertion shaft portion 72 has the same configuration as the first insertion shaft portion 32.

[0110] In a side view, the cover 80 is an arc-shaped resin plate having an inner diameter equal to the outer diameter of the thick-diameter protrusion 111, and extends from the end face of the first clamping body 30, the extension portion 51c, and the left side Wl of the first clamping body 30, which are arranged in this order from the rear side Lb to the front side Lf.

[0111] More specifically, the cover 80 is a semicircular arc protruding toward the left side Wl in a side view, and extends toward the lower side Hd from an end face of the left side Wl of the first extension portion 31 disposed on the upper side Hu. The plate thickness of the cover 80 is equal to the plate thickness of the first extension portion 31.

[0112] The connecting member 20c configured in this manner can manufacture a connected structure 2c in which three large diameter corrugated gates 11 are connected by mounting the large diameter corrugated gates 11 to the first clamping bodies 30 arranged on the front side Lf and rear side Lb and mounting a large diameter corrugated gate 11 (hereinafter referred to as a cross corrugated gate 11w) to the cross clamping portion 70. In this connected structure 2c, the cover 80 is arranged so as to cover the outer periphery of the left side Wl of the large diameter corrugated gate 11 mounted on the first clamping body 30 (see Figures 11(a) and 11(b)).

[0113] In addition, the connecting structure 2c can protect the wire harness WH, which is arranged along the longitudinal direction L, and the branch harness WH3, which branches off from the wire harness WH toward the right side Wr, by inserting the wire harness WH and the branch harness WH3 into the cross corrugation 11w.

[0114] In detail, the wire harness WH is inserted through the large diameter corrugated wire 11 arranged on the front side Lf and the rear side Lb, and the branch harness WH3 is inserted through the cross corrugated wire 11w clamped in the cross clamping portion 70, thereby protecting the wire harness WH and the branch harness WH3.

[0115] In this manner, in the harness protection structure 1c in which the wire harness WH and the branch harness WH3 are inserted into the three large-diameter corrugated wires 11 that constitute the connecting structure 2c, the cover 80 covers the left side Wl of the branch point of the branch harness WH3 in the wire harness WH, so that the branch point of the wire harness WH can also be protected (see FIG. 11(b)).

[0116] In this manner, the connecting members 20, 20a, 20b, 20c are attached to the large diameter slits 113 and the small diameter slits 123 of the large diameter corrugated gate 11 and the small diameter corrugated gate 12, which have an annular cross section and have large diameter slits 113 and small diameter slits 123 communicating with the outside and the internal space S through which the wire harness WH is inserted, and a plurality of first clamping bodies 30 and second clamping bodies 40, 40a are provided to clamp the large diameter corrugated gate 11 and the small diameter corrugated gate 12. The first clamping body 30 clamps a part of a front side Lf in the longitudinal direction L of the large diameter corrugated gate 11, and the second clamping bodies 40, 40a clamp a part of a rear side Lb in the longitudinal direction L of the small diameter corrugated gate 12, thereby connecting the large diameter corrugated gate 11 clamped by the first clamping body 30 and the small diameter corrugated gate 12 clamped by the second clamping bodies 40, 40a.

[0117] The connecting structure 2, 2a, 2b, 2c is provided with a plurality of thick-diameter corrugated gates 11 and thin-diameter corrugated gates 12 each having a circular cross-section and having a thick-diameter slit 113 and a thin-diameter slit 123 that connect the internal space S through which the wire harness WH is inserted with the outside, and connecting members 20, 20a, 20b, 20c that connect the plurality of thick-diameter corrugated gates 11 and thin-diameter corrugated gates 12 along the longitudinal direction L of the wire harness WH, and connects the thick-diameter corrugated gates 11 clamped by the first clamping body 30 to the thin-diameter corrugated gates 12 clamped by the second clamping bodies 40, 40a.

[0118] The connecting members 20, 20a, 20b, 20c thus configured can easily protect various types of wire harnesses WH (main wire WH1, branch wire WH2, branch harness WH3) with a simple structure. More specifically, the first clamping body 30 and the second clamping body 40, 40a, which are fitted into the large diameter slits 113 and the small diameter slits 123 to clamp the large diameter corrugated fiber 11 and the small diameter corrugated fiber 12, can respectively clamp the large diameter corrugated fiber 11 arranged on the rear side Lb in the longitudinal direction L and the small diameter corrugated fiber 12 arranged on the front side Lf in the longitudinal direction L. This makes it possible to easily connect the large diameter corrugated fiber 11 and the small diameter corrugated fiber 12 along the longitudinal direction L and to regulate the relative positions of the large diameter corrugated fiber 11 and the small diameter corrugated fiber 12.

[0119] In this way, the connecting members 20, 20a, 20b, 20c capable of easily connecting the thick corrugated steel 11 and the thin corrugated steel 12 along the longitudinal direction L can connect the thick corrugated steel 11 and the thin corrugated steel 12 spaced apart along the longitudinal direction L at a predetermined interval (see FIG. 9(a)), or can connect the thick corrugated steel 11 and the thin corrugated steel 12 having different outer diameters along the longitudinal direction L (see FIGS. 1 and 7). Therefore, the wire harness WH (main wire WH1 and branch wire WH2) routed on the rear side Lb and the front side Lf of the branch point, the wire harness WH whose diameter changes midway along the route, and the like can be protected by the connected thick corrugated steel 11 and thin corrugated steel 12.

[0120] In this manner, the connecting members 20, 20a, 20b, 20c provided with the first clamping body 30 and the second clamping body 40, 40a that are fitted to and clamp the large diameter slits 113 and the small diameter slits 123 of the large diameter corrugated steel 11 and the small diameter corrugated steel 12 can connect the large diameter corrugated steel 11 and the small diameter corrugated steel 12 that are adapted to various wire harnesses WH. This makes it possible to easily protect various wire harnesses WH by the connected large diameter corrugated steel 11 and small diameter corrugated steel 12.

[0121] In addition, the connecting members 20, 20a, 20b are provided with extension portions 51, 51a, 51b that connect the first clamping body 30 and the second clamping body 40, 40a that clamps the thin corrugated fiber 12, which is thinner than the thick corrugated fiber 11, along the height direction H of the thick corrugated fiber 11 and the thin corrugated fiber 12.

[0122] This allows the large diameter corrugated spirals 11 and the small diameter corrugated spirals 12 to be connected together so that the center of the large diameter corrugated spirals 11 and the center of the small diameter corrugated spirals 12, which are smaller in diameter than the large diameter corrugated spirals 11, are close to each other when viewed from the longitudinal direction L. Therefore, for example, when protecting a wire harness WH whose diameter changes along the way, the thin branch wire WH2 can be protected by being inserted through the thin corrugated fiber 12 having a smaller diameter than the thick corrugated fiber 11, and the thick main wire WH1 can be protected by being inserted through the thick corrugated fiber 11 having a larger diameter than the thin corrugated fiber 12.

[0123] In the connecting members 20a, 20b, the large diameter corrugated tube 11 and the small diameter corrugated tube 12 are connected so that their centers are close to each other when viewed from the longitudinal direction L. Therefore, even if the diameter of the wire harness WH changes midway along its routing path, the branch wire WH2 extending from the large diameter corrugated tube 11 is inserted into the small diameter corrugated tube 12 without being excessively bent in the height direction H. In other words, the wire harness WH can be protected while reducing the burden on the wire harness WH.

[0124] Furthermore, in the connecting members 20, 20a, 20b, the extending portions 51, 51a, 51b connect the first clamping body 30 and the second clamping body 40, 40a such that at least a portion of them overlap in the height direction H. This allows the thick corrugated fiber 11 and the thin corrugated fiber 12 to be connected to each other such that the thin corrugated fiber 12, which has a smaller diameter than the thick corrugated fiber 11, enters the internal space S of the thick corrugated fiber 11. This prevents the wire harness WH from being exposed from the connecting portion between the thick corrugated fiber 11 and the thin corrugated fiber 12.

[0125] In addition, the connecting member 20, 20a is provided with one first clamping body 30 and multiple second clamping bodies 40, 40a, and is equipped with connecting plates 52, 52a that hold the multiple second clamping bodies 40, 40a, and the multiple second clamping bodies 40, 40a are connected to extension portions 51, 51a via the connecting plates 52, 52a.

[0126] This allows the large-diameter corrugated fiber 11 and a plurality of small-diameter corrugated fiber 12 having a smaller diameter than the large-diameter corrugated fiber 11 to be connected together along the longitudinal direction L. Therefore, one side (main wire WH1) of the wire harness WH can be protected by the large-diameter corrugated fiber 11, and the other side (branch wires WH2) of the wire harness WH can be grouped into branch wires branched along a predetermined longitudinal direction L and protected by the small-diameter corrugated fiber 12. Therefore, the main wire WH1 before being grouped can be protected on one side, and the grouped branch wires WH2 can be protected on the other side, while the arrangement of the branch wires WH2 and the connection to electrical equipment can be made more efficient.

[0127] In the connecting member 20, the second clamping bodies 40 are arranged at predetermined intervals in intersecting directions, such as the width direction W and the height direction H, which intersect with the longitudinal direction L, so that the thin corrugated wires 12 clamped by the second clamping bodies 40 can be arranged along the intersecting directions. This allows the thin corrugated wires 12 to protect the branch wires WH2 of the wire harness WH, which are grouped in the intersecting direction.

[0128] Furthermore, since the connecting member 20 is provided with a rotation support part 60 that supports the second clamping body 40 so as to be rotatable relative to the connecting plate 52, the second clamping body 40 can be rotated relative to the connecting plate 52 around the rotation support part 60 as a rotation axis. This makes it possible to appropriately change the direction of the thin corrugated tube 12 clamped by the second clamping body 40 relative to the thick corrugated tube 11 clamped by the first clamping body 30.

[0129] Therefore, compared to a case where the rotation support portion 60 is not provided, the large diameter corrugated tube 11 and the small diameter corrugated tube 12 can be connected to each other so as to follow a desired wiring path of the wire harness WH. Therefore, the wire harness WH inserted through the large diameter corrugated tube 11 and the small diameter corrugated tube 12 can be prevented from bending excessively. In other words, the load on the wire harness WH can be reduced.

[0130] In the connecting member 20a, the second clamping bodies 40a are arranged at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the wire harness WH inserted through the large corrugated tube 11, so that the small corrugated tube 12 clamped by the second clamping bodies 40a can be arranged along the circumferential direction inside the large corrugated tube 11 as viewed from the longitudinal direction L. Therefore, for example, the main wire WH1 protected by the large corrugated tube 11 can be divided into groups, and the grouped branch wires WH2 can be inserted through the small corrugated tube 12 without being excessively bent.

[0131] Furthermore, in the connecting member 20b, the extending portion 51b has flexibility. This allows the extending portion 51b to be deformed in accordance with the wiring path of the wire harness WH. This allows the orientation of the thin corrugated fiber 12 relative to the thick corrugated fiber 11 to be changed. That is, compared to a case in which the extending portion 51b does not have flexibility, the thick corrugated fiber 11 and the thin corrugated fiber 12 can be connected to each other so as to follow a desired wiring path of the wire harness WH. This prevents the wire harness WH inserted through the thick corrugated fiber 11 and the thin corrugated fiber 12 from bending excessively. That is, the load on the wire harness WH can be reduced.

[0132] The connecting member 20c is provided with a cross clamping portion 70 that clamps the cross corrugated tube 11w arranged in a width direction W intersecting with the longitudinal direction L between two large corrugated tubes 11 arranged to be spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction L. The cross clamping portion 70 is arranged between the first clamping bodies 30 that clamp the two large corrugated tubes 11 arranged to be spaced apart from each other.

[0133] The connecting member 20c configured in this manner can clamp the cross corrugated tube 11w arranged in the width direction W with the cross clamping portion 70 arranged between the first clamping bodies 30 which clamp the two large diameter corrugated tubes 11 spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction L. This allows the two large diameter corrugated tubes 11 spaced apart from each other to be connected to the cross corrugated tube 11w arranged in the width direction W. This allows the relative positions of the two large diameter corrugated tubes 11 and the cross corrugated tube 11w arranged in the width direction W to be regulated relative to each other, and the branched wire harness WH can be protected by the two large diameter corrugated tubes 11 spaced apart from each other and the cross corrugated tube 11w arranged in the width direction W.

[0134] In addition, a cover 80 is provided to cover the wire harness WH when the large diameter corrugated tube 11 is attached to the first clamping body 30, and the cover 80 is provided on the opposite side (left side Wl) to the side where the cross clamping portion 70 is provided in the width direction W. This allows the cover 80 to cover the left side Wl of the wire harness WH that is exposed between the two large diameter corrugated tubes 11 that are arranged to be spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction L, and the left side Wl of the wire harness WH can be protected by the cover 80.

[0135] In the configuration of the present invention and the correspondence between the above-mentioned embodiments, the long body of the present invention corresponds to the wire harness WH of the embodiment, and similarly, The internal space corresponds to the internal space S, The slits correspond to the large diameter slit 113 and the small diameter slit 123, The protective member corresponds to the large diameter corrugated tube 11 and the small diameter corrugated tube 12, The clamping portion corresponds to the first clamping body 30 and the second clamping body 40, 40a. The wiring direction corresponds to the longitudinal direction L, One side corresponds to the rear side Lb, The first protective member corresponds to the large diameter corrugated 11, The other side corresponds to the front side Lf, The second protective member corresponds to the small diameter corrugated wire 12, The first clamping portion corresponds to the first clamping body 30, The second clamping portion corresponds to the second clamping body 40, 40a, The connecting members correspond to the connecting members 20, 20a, 20b, and 20c. The thickness direction corresponds to the height direction H, The connection parts correspond to the extension parts 51, 51a, 51b, and 51c. The holding portion corresponds to the connecting plates 52, 52a, The rotation support corresponds to the rotation support 60, The cross protection member corresponds to the cross corrugated 11w, The cross clamping portion corresponds to the cross clamping portion 70, The covering portion corresponds to the cover 80, The connecting structures correspond to the connecting structures 2, 2a, 2b, and 2c, The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0136] For example, in this embodiment, the corrugated tube 10 is a corrugated tube having a large diameter slit 113 or a small diameter slit 123 along the longitudinal direction L, but is not limited to this and may be a cylindrical body with a circular cross section, such as a resin pipe or a metal pipe having a slit.

[0137] In the present embodiment, the corrugated wire WH is inserted through the corrugated wire 10 that constitutes the connecting structures 2, 2a, 2b, and 2c to protect the wire harness WH, but the object to be protected is not limited to the wire harness WH. For example, as described above, the object to be protected may be a communication cable such as an optical fiber cable that transmits information, a bundle of communication cables, or a single coated electric wire. In addition, the object may be, for example, an annular body that allows a fluid such as a washer fluid to flow, or an annular or solid heat conductor for conducting heat. In addition, when a heat conductor is used as the long body instead of the wire harness WH, the connecting structures 2, 2a, 2b, and 2c can not only protect the heat conductor but also protect the surrounding members from heat.

[0138] In addition, in the connecting structures 2, 2a, 2b, 2c, the first clamping body 30 and the second clamping body 40, 40a are respectively attached near the end of the front side Lf of the thick corrugated gate 11 and near the end of the rear side Lb of the thin corrugated gate 12, but the attachment locations are not limited to this and may be changed as appropriate.

[0139] In addition, in the connecting member 20, the length of the extending portion 51 along the height direction H is set to about one-tenth of the inner diameter of the large diameter recess 112, but is not limited to this length and can be changed as appropriate as long as it is shorter than the inner diameter of the large diameter recess 112. In addition, the position and number of the through-hole portions 521 can also be changed as appropriate.

[0140] Furthermore, in the connecting member 20c, the cover 80 has a semicircular arc shape in a side view, but is not limited to this shape as long as an opening through which the WH3 can be led out is formed on the right side Wr. For example, the cover 80 may have a semicircular C shape in a side view that extends from the first extension portion 31 to the right side Wr as well.

[0141] In the connection structures 2, 2a, and 2b, the large diameter corrugated wire 11 protects the inserted trunk wire WH1, but for example, a neck portion of a wire harness WH having a connector C at its end may be inserted into the large diameter corrugated wire 11. Also, the connector C at the end of the wire harness WH may be inserted into the large diameter corrugated wire 11 (see FIG. 12).

[0142] Here, Fig. 12 shows a schematic plan view of the harness protection structure 1b that protects the wire harness WH derived from the end of the connector C. In Fig. 12, in order to explain the inside of the large diameter corrugated fiber 11 and the small diameter corrugated fiber 12, the small diameter corrugated fiber 12 that has entered the internal space S of the large diameter corrugated fiber 11 and the wire harness WH that is inserted into the large diameter corrugated fiber 11 and the small diameter corrugated fiber 12 are illustrated by dotted lines.

[0143] For example, in the harness protection structure 1b, an end portion on the rear side Lb of the thick corrugated fiber 11 constituting the connecting structure 2b abuts against an end portion on the front side Lf of the connector C. In addition, the neck portions of the multiple covered electric wires led out from the connector C are inserted into the thick corrugated fiber 11. The multiple covered electric wires led out from the connector C are bundled together to form a wire harness WH, which can be inserted into the thin corrugated fiber 12. This allows the neck portions of the covered electric wires led out from the connector C to be protected by the thick corrugated fiber 11, and allows the wire harness WH to be protected by the thin corrugated fiber 12. In addition, since the thin corrugated fiber 12 enters the internal space S of the thick corrugated fiber 11, the lead-out portion of the wire harness WH led out from the connector C can also be reliably protected by the thick corrugated fiber 11 (see FIG. 12). [Explanation of symbols]

[0144] 2,2a,2b,2c…connected structure 11…Large diameter corrugated 11w...Cross corrugated 12...Thin corrugated 20, 20a, 20b, 20c...Connecting members 30...first clamping body 40,40a...Second clamping body 51,51a,51b,51c...extension part 52,52a…Connection plate 60...Rotation support part 70...Cross clamping part 80…Cover 113…Thick slit 123...Narrow slit L…Longitudinal direction S…interior space H: Height direction Lb…back side Lf: Front side WH: Wire harness

Claims

1. a plurality of clamping parts are provided, the clamping part being attached to a slit of a protective member having an annular cross section, the slit communicating an internal space through which the elongated body is inserted and an outside, and clamping the protective member; Among the protective members, the protective member arranged on one side of the elongated body in the wiring direction is a first protective member, and the protective member arranged on the other side of the wiring direction is a second protective member, Among the plurality of clamping portions, the clamping portion that clamps a portion of the first protection member on the other side in the wiring direction is defined as a first clamping portion, and the clamping portion that clamps a portion of the second protection member on one side in the wiring direction is defined as a second clamping portion, The first protective member clamped by the first clamping portion and the second protective member clamped by the second clamping portion are connected to each other. Connecting member.

2. A connecting portion is provided that connects the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion that clamps the second protective member having a smaller diameter than the first protective member along a plate thickness direction of the protective member. The connecting member according to claim 1 .

3. The connection portion is At least a part of the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion are connected to each other so as to overlap in the plate thickness direction. The connecting member according to claim 2 .

4. The connection portion is flexible. The connecting member according to claim 2 or 3.

5. One of the first clamping portions and a plurality of the second clamping portions are provided, A holding portion is provided to hold a plurality of the second clamping portions, The second clamping portions are connected to the connecting portion via the holding portions. The connecting member according to claim 2 .

6. The second clamping portions include The first protective member is inserted into the elongated body. The first protective member is inserted into the elongated body in a circumferential direction of the elongated body. The first protective member is disposed at predetermined intervals. The connecting member according to claim 5 .

7. The second clamping portions include The wiring direction is intersecting with the wiring direction, and the wiring direction is intersecting with the wiring direction. The connecting member according to claim 5 .

8. A rotation support portion is provided to support the second clamping portion so as to be rotatable relative to the holding portion. A connecting member according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

9. The protective member arranged in a cross direction intersecting the wiring direction between two protective members arranged to be spaced apart from each other along the wiring direction is defined as a cross protective member, A cross clamping portion is provided as the clamping portion that clamps the cross protection member, The cross clamping portion is disposed between the clamping portions that clamp the two protective members disposed to be spaced apart from each other. The connecting member according to claim 1 .

10. a covering portion that covers the elongated body when the protective member is attached to the clamping portion, The covering portion is The cross clamping portion is provided on the opposite side to the cross clamping portion in the cross direction. The connecting member according to claim 9.

11. a plurality of protective members each having an annular cross section and each having a slit communicating an internal space through which the elongated body is inserted with the outside; a connecting member that connects the plurality of protective members along the wiring direction of the elongated body, The connecting member is A plurality of clamping parts are provided which are attached to the slits and clamp the protective member, Among the protective members, the protective member arranged on one side in the wiring direction is a first protective member, and the protective member arranged on the other side in the wiring direction is a second protective member, Among the plurality of clamping portions, the clamping portion that clamps a portion of the first protection member on the other side in the wiring direction is defined as a first clamping portion, and the clamping portion that clamps a portion of the second protection member on one side in the wiring direction is defined as a second clamping portion, The first protective member clamped by the first clamping portion and the second protective member clamped by the second clamping portion are connected to each other. Concatenated structure.

12. The diameter of the second protective member is set to be smaller than the diameter of the first protective member, A connection portion is provided that connects the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion along a plate thickness direction of the protection member, The second protective member is disposed so that an end portion on one side in the wiring direction of the first protective member is inserted into the internal space of the end portion on the other side in the wiring direction of the first protective member. The linked structure of claim 11.

13. One of the first clamping portions and a plurality of the second clamping portions are provided, A holding portion is provided to hold a plurality of the second clamping portions, The second clamping portions are connected to the connecting portion via the holding portions. The linked structure of claim 12.

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