Support member

Abstract

To provide a support member that can suppress damage to electric wires and the like in a configuration in which the electric wires and the like are laid inside a hollow member.SOLUTION: A support member 10 supports an electric wire and the like 8 laid inside a hollow member 7 of a vehicle. The support member 10 includes: a through-hole 11 through which the electric wire and the like 8 penetrates; and a bowl-shaped peripheral edge part 13 provided around the through-hole 11. The peripheral edge part 13 is constituted of an elastic material and can be inserted into the hollow member 7.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a support member for supporting electric wires, such as power lines, such as harnesses for supplying electric power, and signal lines for transmitting signals, which are arranged within a hollow member of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Vehicle side detection devices have been developed for vehicles such as trucks, which detect conditions on the sides of the vehicle and issue warnings or the like to the driver. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a sensor for detecting an object on the side of the vehicle is provided at the tip of a bracket extending from a vehicle frame. Such a sensor is connected to a power line such as a harness for power supply and a signal line for signal transmission. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-192873 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, the power lines and signal lines (collectively referred to as "electrical wires") connected to the above-mentioned sensors need to be protected from flying stones and the like, depending on, for example, the positional relationship between the rear of the wheels and the sensor. Furthermore, in other components equipped with electric wires, power lines and signal lines may need to be protected from damage such as heat as well as flying stones.

[0005] Therefore, it is conceivable to protect the electric wires from flying stones and heat damage by arranging them inside a hollow member such as a pipe. However, in this case, depending on the state in which the electric wires are arranged, friction may occur between the inner wall of the hollow member and the electric wires due to contact caused by vehicle vibrations, etc., and the electric wires may be damaged.

[0006] The present invention was devised with an eye toward the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a support member that can suppress damage to electric wires in a configuration in which electric wires are arranged within a hollow member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention can be realized as the following application examples. The support member according to this application example is a support member for supporting electric wires arranged in a hollow member of a vehicle, the support member having a through hole through which the electric wires pass and a bowl-shaped peripheral portion provided around the through hole, the peripheral portion being made of an elastic material and capable of being inserted into the hollow member. Note that the electric wires include power lines and signal lines.

[0008] In the support member of this application example, when the electric wires are inserted and arranged inside the hollow member with the electric wires passing through the through holes of the support member, the bowl-shaped peripheral portion of the support member is interposed between the electric wires and the inner surface of the hollow member, which reduces the risk of contact between the electric wires and the inner surface of the hollow member and suppresses damage to the electric wires due to contact between the electric wires and the inner surface of the hollow member. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the support member of this application example, the risk of contact between the electric wires and the inner surface of the hollow member can be reduced, and damage to the electric wires due to contact between the electric wires and the inner surface of the hollow member can be suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1A is an oblique view showing the use state of a support member according to a first embodiment, where (a) is an oblique view showing the support member and electric wires, (b) is an oblique view showing the state in which electric wires are passed through the through holes of multiple support members, and (c) is an enlarged oblique view of the main parts showing the state in which the support member is positioned within a hollow member. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of a vehicle, showing an example of an application location of the electric wires and hollow members according to each embodiment. [Diagram 3] 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the support member shown in FIG. 1 is arranged inside a plurality of hollow members. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of a main portion showing a state in which a support member according to a second embodiment is disposed inside a hollow member. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of a main portion showing a state in which a support member according to a third embodiment is disposed inside a hollow member. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are diagrams relating to the division points of the support member shown in FIG. 5, in which (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the division points before they are joined, and (b) is a cross-sectional view (a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 5) showing the state of the division points after they have been joined. [Figure 7] 6A and 6B are diagrams relating to modified examples of the division points of the support member shown in FIG. 5, in which (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the division points before they are joined, and (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the division points after they have been joined (corresponding to the cross section taken along the arrow AA in FIG. 5). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] The embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. This embodiment is merely an example, and is not intended to exclude various modifications or application of techniques not specified in the following embodiment. Each configuration of this embodiment can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. In addition, they can be selected or combined as necessary.

[0012] [1. First embodiment] [1.1. Configuration] 1 to 3 are diagrams illustrating a support member 10 according to a first embodiment. First, an example of the electric wires 8 and hollow member 7 in which the support member 10 of this embodiment is used will be described. Note that the electric wires 8 collectively refer to power lines such as harnesses for power supply and signal lines for signal transmission.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 2, in this embodiment, a side radar (also called a "side sensor") 3 is disposed behind a wheel (left front wheel) 2 of a vehicle (truck) 1. This side radar 3 detects pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, etc. in the area to the left of the vehicle 1, which is a blind spot for a driver (not shown) seated in the driver's seat on the right side of a cab 4. The side radar 3 detects these objects, and is a component of a side collision warning device that warns the driver by sounding an alarm, turning on a lamp, etc., if there is a risk of collision due to a left turn. Note that arrows in Fig. 2 indicate the front of the vehicle F and the rear of the vehicle R.

[0014] The side radar 3 is attached to the tip of a hollow member (pipe-shaped mounting stay) 7, the base end of which is supported via a bracket 6 on a side rail 5 of the vehicle 1. Electric wires 8 are connected between the side radar 3 and a power source (battery) and a control device (both not shown) equipped on the vehicle 1. The electric wires 8 are arranged inside the hollow pipe 7. However, this configuration in which the pipe-shaped mounting stay supporting the side radar 3 is applied to the hollow member 7 inside which the electric wires 8 are arranged is only one example, and the manner in which the electric wires 8 are arranged inside the hollow member 7 is not limited to this.

[0015] In this manner, the electric wires 8 connected to the side radar 3 can be protected by arranging the electric wires 8 inside the hollow member 7. When the electric wires 8 are arranged behind the wheels 2 as in this embodiment, the electric wires 8 can be protected from flying stones kicked up by the wheels 2. In addition, by arranging the electric wires 8 inside the hollow member 7, the electric wires 8 can be protected from flying stones as well as heat damage and the like.

[0016] Next, the support member 10 of this embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 1(b) and Fig. 1(c), the support member 10 is for supporting the electric wires 8 arranged in the hollow member 7 within the hollow member 7. The support member 10 is made of an elastic material, and as shown in Fig. 1(a), the support member 10 is provided with a cylindrical portion 12 having a through hole 11 through which the electric wires 8 are inserted and penetrated as shown by the outlined arrow, for example, and a bowl-shaped peripheral portion 13 provided around the cylindrical portion 12 (through hole 11). One end of the cylindrical portion 12 is open, and the peripheral portion 13 is formed on the other end side of the cylindrical portion 12.

[0017] Examples of the elastic material include synthetic rubbers such as nitrile rubber (NBR) and chloroprene rubber (CR), and it is preferable to use an elastic material that is relatively soft and has weather resistance, heat resistance, etc. In this embodiment, the entire support member 10 is made of an elastic material, but it is sufficient that at least the peripheral portion 13 is made of an elastic material.

[0018] As described above, the peripheral portion 13 is bowl-shaped, i.e., a curved surface shape extending in the axial direction while gradually expanding in diameter from the annular central portion constituting the edge of the cylindrical portion 12. In addition, the peripheral portion 13 is made of rubber and formed to have a thin thickness, so that it is soft and can easily be elastically deformed. In this embodiment, the peripheral portion 13 is bowl-shaped with a curved vertical cross section, but the peripheral portion 13 may also be bowl-shaped with a linear vertical cross section (i.e., conical).

[0019] Moreover, peripheral portion 13 is insertable into hollow member 7, and the outer diameter of the maximum diameter portion of peripheral portion 13 is preferably formed to be approximately the same as the inner diameter of hollow member 7. In particular, it is also preferable that the outer diameter of the maximum diameter portion of peripheral portion 13 is set slightly larger than the inner diameter of hollow member 7, and the maximum diameter portion of peripheral portion 13 is elastically deformed to slightly reduce in diameter and be pressed against the inner surface of hollow member 7. Moreover, the inner diameter of through hole 11 (cylindrical portion 12) is formed to be larger than the outer diameter of electric wires 8.

[0020] Then, as shown in FIG. 1(b), the electric wires 8 are passed through the through holes 11 of the required number of support members 10, and the required number of support members 10 are attached to the outer periphery of the electric wires 8. The support members 10 are all aligned so that the cylindrical portion 12 is located at one end side (left side in FIG. 1(b)) and the peripheral portion 13 is located at the other end side (right side in FIG. 1(b)). Also, each support member 10 is placed at a predetermined position relative to the electric wires 8. After each support member 10 is positioned, a tape 14 is wrapped around the cylindrical portion 12 of each support member 10 and the outer periphery of the electric wires 8 adjacent thereto, for example, as shown in FIG. 1(c), to fix each support member 10 to the electric wires 8. It should be noted that the peripheral portion 13 shown by the dashed double-dashed line in FIG. 1(c) represents the peripheral portion 13 in its natural state, while the peripheral portion 13 shown by the solid line in FIG. 1(c) represents the state in which the peripheral portion 13 has been elastically deformed to have a slightly reduced diameter and is pressed against the inner surface of the hollow member 7.

[0021] Connectors 15 are attached to both ends of the electric wires 8. If the connectors 15 can pass through the through holes 11 by utilizing the elastic deformation of the through holes 11, the connectors 15 are attached to both ends of the electric wires 8 in advance, and then the electric wires 8 are passed through each of the through holes 11. If the size of the connectors 15 is large, the connectors 15 are attached to both ends of the electric wires 8 after the electric wires 8 are passed through each of the through holes 11.

[0022] In this way, the electric wires 8 with the required number of support members 10 attached and fixed to the outer periphery are arranged inside the hollow member 7, for example, as shown in Fig. 3. At this time, for example, a guide wire (not shown) is engaged with the connector 15 on one end side (left side in Fig. 3) of the electric wires 8, the guide wire is passed into the hollow member 7 from the other end side (right side in Fig. 3) of the hollow member 7, and the guide wire protruding from the opening on one end side (left side in Fig. 3) of the hollow member 7 is pulled to arrange the electric wires 8 inside the hollow member 7.

[0023] As described above, the support members 10 are disposed at predetermined positions relative to the electric wires 8, and this predetermined position is a position suitable for the support members 10 to support the electric wires 8 so that the electric wires 8 do not come into contact with the inner surface of the hollow member 7. In other words, if the number of support members 10 is small (if the distance between adjacent support members 10 is long), the electric wires 8 are likely to move around inside the hollow member 7 and come into contact with the inner surface of the hollow member 7. Therefore, it is necessary to dispose adjacent support members 10 at a certain distance or less. In particular, as shown in FIG. 3, in the portion where the hollow member 7 is bent, the electric wires 8 are likely to come into contact with the inner surface of the hollow member 7, so it is preferable to dispose adjacent support members 10 close to each other.

[0024] [1.2. Actions and Effects] Since the support member 10 according to this embodiment is configured as described above, when the electric wires 8 and the support member 10 are inserted and disposed inside the hollow member 7 with the electric wires 8 passing through the through holes 11 of the support member 10, the bowl-shaped peripheral portion 13 of the support member 10 is interposed between the electric wires 8 and the inner surface of the hollow member 7. This reduces the risk of contact between the electric wires 8 and the inner surface of the hollow member 7, and prevents damage to the electric wires 8 due to contact between the electric wires 8 and the inner surface of the hollow member 7.

[0025] When passing the electric wires 8 through the through holes 11 of the support members 10, the direction of the support members 10 is aligned in advance, and after the electric wires 8 are passed through, each support member 10 is arranged and fixed at a predetermined position relative to the electric wires 8, thereby enabling the electric wires 8 to be smoothly arranged inside the hollow member 7. In other words, by inserting the electric wires 8 into the hollow member 7 in a direction such that one end side of each support member 10 is at the front, the tapered outer surface of the bowl-shaped peripheral portion 13 of each support member 10 acts as a guide surface, allowing the electric wires 8 to be smoothly inserted.

[0026] The peripheral portion 13 of the support member 10 is made of rubber and is thin in thickness, so that it is soft and easily elastically deformable, which also contributes to smooth insertion of the electric wires 8. After the electric wires 8 are placed in the hollow member 7, since an elastic material is used for the support member 10, the electric wires 8 come into flexibly and closely contact with the through holes 11, reducing the risk of the electric wires 8 being worn down due to contact with the support member 10.

[0027] [2. Second embodiment] [2.1. Configuration] Similarly to the first embodiment, the support member 10B according to this embodiment is provided to support the electric wires 8 inside the hollow member 7 in a structure in which the electric wires 8 are arranged inside the hollow member 7 (see FIG. 2).

[0028] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part, showing a state in which a support member 10B according to the second embodiment is disposed inside a hollow member 7. As shown in FIG. The support member 10B of this embodiment is also made of an elastic material like the first embodiment, and includes a cylindrical portion 12 with a through hole 11 through which the electric wires 8 pass, and a bowl-shaped peripheral portion 13B provided around the cylindrical portion 12 (through hole 11) as shown in Fig. 4. The cylindrical portion 12 is similar to the support member 10 of the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted, but the shape of the peripheral portion 13B formed on the other end side of the cylindrical portion 12 is different from that of the first embodiment, and will be described below. An example of the elastic material is synthetic rubber like the first embodiment.

[0029] The peripheral portion 13B of the support member 10B is bowl-shaped, i.e., includes a main portion 131 having a curved surface shape extending in the axial direction while gradually expanding in diameter from the annular central portion constituting the edge of the cylindrical portion 12, and a cylindrical portion 132 extending in the axial direction in a cylindrical shape from the outer peripheral end of the main portion 131. The peripheral portion 13B consisting of the main portion 131 and the cylindrical portion 132 is also made of rubber as in the first embodiment, and is formed with a thin thickness, so that it is soft and can easily be elastically deformed. The main portion 131 of the peripheral portion 13B is bowl-shaped with a curved vertical cross section as in the first embodiment, but the main portion 131 may also be bowl-shaped with a linear vertical cross section (i.e., conical).

[0030] Moreover, it is preferable that the outer diameter of the maximum diameter portion (cylindrical portion 132) of peripheral portion 13B is formed to be approximately the same as the inner diameter of hollow member 7. In particular, it is preferable that the outer diameter of the maximum diameter portion of peripheral portion 13B is set slightly larger than the inner diameter of hollow member 7, so that elastic deformation of peripheral portion 13B causes cylindrical portion 132 to contract slightly in diameter and come into pressure contact with the inner surface of hollow member 7.

[0031] [2.2. Actions and Effects] Since the support member 10B according to this embodiment is configured as described above, when the electric wires 8 and the support member 10B are inserted and arranged inside the hollow member 7 with the electric wires 8 passing through the through-holes 11 of the support member 10B, the bowl-shaped peripheral portion 13B of the support member 10B is interposed between the electric wires 8 and the inner surface of the hollow member 7. This reduces the risk of contact between the electric wires 8 and the inner surface of the hollow member 7, and prevents damage to the electric wires 8 due to contact between the electric wires 8 and the inner surface of the hollow member 7.

[0032] The support member 10B of the present embodiment can be configured so that the tubular portion 132 can be in pressure contact with the inner surface of the hollow member 7 over a wide area, and it is possible to suppress variation in the fixing angle of the electric wires 8 inside the hollow member 7. This can further reduce the risk of contact between the electric wires 8 and the inner surface of the hollow member 7.

[0033] [3. Third embodiment] [3.1. Configuration] Similar to the first and second embodiments, the support member 10C according to this embodiment is equipped to support the electric wires 8 within the hollow member 7 in a structure in which the electric wires 8 are arranged inside the hollow member 7 (see FIG. 2).

[0034] Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part showing a state in which a support member 10C according to a third embodiment is disposed inside a hollow member 7. For convenience, the tape 14 shown in the first embodiment (see Fig. 1(c)) and the second embodiment (see Fig. 4) is omitted in Fig. 5. The support member 10C of this embodiment is also made of an elastic material, as in the first and second embodiments, and as shown in FIG. 5, has a cylindrical portion 12C with a through hole 11 through which the electric wires 8 pass, and a bowl-shaped peripheral portion 13C provided around the cylindrical portion 12C (through hole 11).

[0035] In the present support member 10C, a split portion 101 is added to the cylindrical portion 12C and the peripheral portion 13C by a split line extending in the axial direction. By widening the gap of this split portion 101, the support member 10C can be inserted into the electric wires 8 from the side of the electric wires 8, and the electric wires 8 can be inserted into the through hole 11 in a state where they pass through.

[0036] The split portion 101 has two opposing edges 102, 103 (see Figures 6(a) and (b)) on each of the cylindrical portion 12C and the peripheral portion 13C, and these edges 102, 103 are provided with a joining structure 104 for joining together. As shown in FIG. 6(a), this connecting structure 104 is composed of a groove portion 105 formed along the parting line on the edge surface of one edge portion 102, and a protrusion portion 106 formed along the parting line on the edge surface of the other edge portion 103.

[0037] The groove 105 is formed so that the inner part is wider than the opening, and the protruding portion 106 is also formed so that the protruding portion is wider than the base end. As a result, while the periphery of groove portion 105 and protrusion portion 106 are elastically deformed, protrusion portion 106 is inserted into groove portion 105 as shown by the white arrow in Figure 6(a), and as shown in Figure 6(b), protrusion portion 106 is fitted into groove portion 105, thereby joining both edges 102, 103 to each other.

[0038] The coupling structure 104 is not limited to this, and any appropriate structure may be used. For example, a coupling structure 104B as a modified example shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7(a), this connection structure 104B is composed of a step 107 formed along the parting line on one edge 102B, a hole 107b formed along the axial direction on the protruding portion 107a side of this step 107, a step 108 formed along the parting line on the other edge 103B, and a protrusion 108b formed along the axial direction on the protruding portion 108a side of this step 108.

[0039] A plurality of pairs of holes 107b and protrusions 107a are provided and arranged at positions facing each other. An expanded diameter portion 108c having an outer diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the holes 107b is formed at the tip of the protrusions 108b. As a result, while the periphery of hole 107b and enlarged diameter portion 108c are elastically deformed, protrusion 108b is inserted into hole 107b as shown by the white arrow in Figure 7(a), and as shown in Figure 7(b), protrusion 108b penetrates hole 107b, enlarged diameter portion 108c protrudes from hole 107b and engages with the peripheral wall portion of hole 107b, thereby joining both edges 102B, 103B to each other.

[0040] [3.2. Actions and Effects] Since the support member 10C according to this embodiment is configured as described above, the split portion 101 of the support member 10C can be widened and the support member 10C can be placed on the electric wires 8 from the side of the electric wires 8 to insert the electric wires 8 into the through hole 11, so that the electric wires 8 pass through the through hole 11 of the support member 10C. Then, the coupling structure 104 or 104B is coupled.

[0041] That is, in the case of the connection structure 104B, the protrusion 108b is inserted into the hole 107b while the periphery of the hole 107b and the enlarged diameter portion 108c are elastically deformed, and as shown in FIG. 7(b), the protrusion 108b penetrates the hole 107b and the enlarged diameter portion 108c protrudes from the hole 107b. As a result, the enlarged diameter portion 108c is engaged with the peripheral wall of the hole 107b, and both edges 102B, 103B are connected to each other. Thereafter, the support member 10C is fixed to the electric wires 8 using tape 14 or the like.

[0042] In this manner, when the electric wires 8 are inserted into the hollow member 7 together with the support member 10C, the bowl-shaped peripheral portion 13C of the support member 10C is interposed between the electric wires 8 and the inner surface of the hollow member 7, thereby reducing the risk of the electric wires 8 coming into contact with the inner surface of the hollow member 7. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the electric wires 8 due to contact between the electric wires 8 and the inner surface of the hollow member 7.

[0043] If the outer diameter of the connector 15 is large, it may be necessary to pass the connector 15 through the support member 10C before attaching it to the electric wires 8. In contrast, the support member 10C of this embodiment has an additional split portion 101, which allows the electric wires 8 to be easily arranged in a penetrating state in the through hole 11 as described above. Therefore, it is possible to attach the connector 15 to the electric wires 8 to complete the electric wires 8 as a single item, and then attach the support member 10C to the electric wires 8. This improves the ease of assembly of the parts.

[0044] [4.Other] The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and each configuration of the above-described embodiment can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the embodiment. In addition, some of the elements can be selected as necessary, or can be combined with other known techniques.

[0045] For example, in each of the above embodiments, an example was described in which support members 0, 10B, and 10C were applied inside a hollow member (pipe-shaped mounting stay) 7 that supports a side radar 3 arranged behind a wheel (left front wheel) 2 of a vehicle (truck) 1, but this support member can be applied inside various hollow members as long as it is for supporting electric wires arranged inside the hollow member of a vehicle. In the above-described embodiments, the tape 14 is used to fasten the support members 10, 10B, and 10C to the electric wires 8, but the method of fastening the support members to the electric wires is not limited to this. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, a truck has been exemplified as the vehicle 1, but the vehicle to which the present support member can be applied is not limited to this. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1 vehicle (truck) 2 wheels (left front wheel) 3. Side radar (side sensor) 4 Cab 5 Side rail 6 Bracket 7 Hollow member (pipe-shaped mounting stay) 8 Electric wires 10, 10B, 10C Support member 11 Through hole 12,12C Cylindrical section 13, 13B, 13C Periphery 14 Tape 15 Connectors 101 Split part 102,103,102B,103B Edge 104,104B bond structure 105 Groove 106 Projection part 107 Multilayered section 107a: protruding portion of step 107 107b Hole 108 Multilayered section 108a: protruding portion of step 108 108b Protrusion 108c Expanded diameter part 131 Main part of peripheral portion 13B 132 Cylindrical portion of peripheral portion 13B

Claims

[Claim 1] A support member for supporting electric wires arranged in a hollow member of a vehicle, The support member has a through hole through which the electric wire passes, A bowl-shaped peripheral portion provided around the through hole, The rim portion is made of a resilient material and is insertable into the hollow member. A support member comprising:

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