Wire harness routing structure

Abstract

To provide a wire harness routing structure which enables improvement of assemblability to a vehicle.SOLUTION: A wire harness routing structure 1 includes: a groove 111 formed in a dash panel 110 which is an example of a body member of a vehicle 100; a flat routing member 10 accommodated in the groove 111 of the dash panel 110, having flexibility, and extending along a vehicle width direction Y; and a lid member 20 which closes the groove 111 in a state where the flat routing member 10 is accommodated in the groove 111 of the dash panel 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] As an example of a technique relating to a conventional wiring harness wiring structure, Patent Document 1 discloses a wiring harness wiring structure including a flexible flat wiring material, a protector that protects the flat wiring material, and a fixing member that fixes the protector to a mounting portion of a vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-055105 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

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

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a wiring structure for a wire harness that can improve the ease of installation in a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the wiring structure of the wire harness of the present invention comprises a groove portion formed in a body member of a vehicle, a flat wiring material having flexibility that is accommodated in the groove portion of the body member, and a cover member that covers the groove portion while the flat wiring material is accommodated in the groove portion of the body member. Effect of the Invention

[0007] In the wiring structure of the wire harness according to the present invention, the flat wiring material constituting the wire harness can be assembled to the vehicle by closing the groove formed in the body member with a cover member while the flat wiring material is accommodated in the groove. As a result, the wiring structure of the wire harness has an effect of improving the ease of assembly to the vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exemplary perspective view of a vehicle to which a wiring structure of a wire harness according to an embodiment is applied. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exemplary perspective view of the wiring structure of the wire harness according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an exemplary exploded perspective view of the wiring structure of the wire harness according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of the wiring structure of the wire harness according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments include those that are easily replaceable by those skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same. Note that in this specification, ordinal numbers are used only to distinguish between parts, members, parts, positions, directions, etc., and do not indicate order or priority.

[0010] [Embodiment] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle 100 to which a wire harness routing structure 1 according to an embodiment is applied. The wire harness routing structure 1 of this embodiment shown in Fig. 1 is applied to the vehicle 100 and connects devices mounted on the vehicle 100 to be used for power supply and signal communication. The wire harness routing structure 1 of this embodiment is provided, for example, in a dash panel 110, which is an example of a body member of the vehicle 100. The dash panel 110 is a partition wall that separates the engine room and the vehicle interior (cabin) of the vehicle 100, and constitutes a structural member (framework member) of the vehicle 100.

[0011] Moreover, a reinforcing member 120 is provided above the wiring structure 1 for the wire harness, the reinforcing member 120 being installed inside the instrument panel of the vehicle 100. The reinforcing member 120 is, for example, a reinforcement member formed of a hollow metal pipe and extending along the vehicle width direction. Flanges 121 are joined to both ends of the reinforcing member 120. One of the pair of flanges 121 is fixed to the left side of the body of the vehicle 100, and the other is fixed to the right side of the body of the vehicle 100.

[0012] In the following description, of the first, second, and third directions that intersect with each other, the first direction is referred to as the "vehicle longitudinal direction X", the second direction is referred to as the "vehicle width direction Y", and the third direction is referred to as the "vehicle height direction Z". Here, the vehicle longitudinal direction X, the vehicle width direction Y, and the vehicle height direction Z are approximately perpendicular to each other. The vehicle longitudinal direction X typically corresponds to the overall length direction of the vehicle 100, the stacking direction of the wiring structure 1 of the wire harness, etc. The vehicle width direction Y typically corresponds to the overall width direction of the vehicle 100, the longitudinal direction (extension direction) of the wiring structure 1 of the wire harness, etc. The vehicle height direction Z typically corresponds to the vehicle height direction of the vehicle 100, the short side direction of the wiring structure 1 of the wire harness, etc.

[0013] In the following description, unless otherwise specified, each direction is a direction in a state where the wiring structure 1 for the wire harness is assembled to the vehicle 100. In the following description, for convenience, the lamination direction of the wiring structure 1 for the wire harness, i.e., the opening direction of a groove portion 111 (the plate thickness direction of the cover member 20) described later, is described as being along the vehicle longitudinal direction X, but the lamination direction of the wiring structure 1 for the wire harness may be along an inclined direction between the vehicle longitudinal direction X and the vehicle height direction Z.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wiring structure 1 of the wire harness, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the wiring structure 1 of the wire harness. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the wiring structure 1 of the wire harness includes, for example, a groove portion 111, a flat wiring material 10, a cover member 20, and an elastic member 30. The groove portion 111 is a recess formed in a dash panel 110, which is an example of the above-mentioned body member of the vehicle 100, and extends along the vehicle width direction Y. The groove portion 111 is recessed from the inner surface of the dash panel 110 toward the front side in the vehicle front-rear direction X, and is open toward the rear side in the vehicle front-rear direction X. The flat wiring material 10 is accommodated and routed in the groove portion 111 along the vehicle width direction Y.

[0015] The groove portion 111 extends integrally along the vehicle width direction Y so as to span between, for example, a first ECU 5A (see FIG. 1) of the control device 5 provided at one end of the vehicle width direction Y and a second ECU 5B of the control device 5 provided at the other end of the vehicle width direction Y. In this embodiment, the flat wiring material 10 has one end 10a and the other end 10b that rise from the groove portion 111 and are drawn out to the outside. The one end 10a and the other end 10b are folded back, for example, toward the upper side of the vehicle height direction Z via a folded back portion with respect to the main body of the flat wiring material 10. The one end 10a is connected to the first ECU 5A via a connector or the like, and the other end 10b is connected to the second ECU 5B via a connector or the like. The first ECU 5A and the second ECU 5B here are typically zone ECUs that comprehensively control devices in a peripheral area (zone) of the dash panel 110, but are not limited thereto.

[0016] The flat wiring material 10 is a wiring material that constitutes a wire harness, and is composed of, for example, FPC (Flexible Printed Circuits) or FFC (Flexible Flat Cable). The flat wiring material 10 is a thin, flexible, flat wiring material. The flat wiring material 10 is formed as a whole in a rectangular shape that is elongated horizontally in the vehicle width direction Y. The flat wiring material 10 is composed of, for example, a base film 11 (see FIG. 3), a wiring pattern 12, and a coverlay 13.

[0017] The base film 11 is a substrate having excellent flexibility and defining the overall shape of the flat wiring material 10. The base film 11 is formed, for example, from a polyimide resin having excellent heat resistance. The wiring pattern 12 is laminated, for example, on the surface (mounting surface) of the base film 11 to form a plurality of conductor circuit portions (pattern layers). The wiring pattern 12 is formed from a conductive material such as copper foil, and is printed as a printed circuit body on the surface of the base film 11. The coverlay 13 is laminated on the entire surface of the base film 11 via an adhesive (not shown), and functions as a protective layer that protects the conductor circuit portions of the wiring pattern 12, etc.

[0018] Furthermore, the multiple conductor circuit portions formed by the wiring pattern 12 can function as any of circuits such as a signal circuit, a signal GND circuit, a power earth circuit, etc. The signal circuit is, for example, a circuit that transmits communication signals between on-board devices such as the control device 5 and various electronic devices in the vehicle 100. The signal GND circuit is a circuit that accompanies the signal circuit, provides electrical continuity between on-board devices, and matches the electric potential that serves as the reference for circuit operation between the on-board devices. The power earth circuit is a circuit that grounds the power supply system of the on-board devices.

[0019] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the wiring structure 1 of the wire harness. As shown in FIG. 4, the cover member 20 covers the groove portion 111 in a state in which the flat wiring material 10 is accommodated in the groove portion 111. The cover member 20 is formed, for example, in a rectangular plate shape elongated in the vehicle width direction Y by a synthetic resin material or the like. The length of the cover member 20 along the vehicle width direction Y is configured to be shorter, for example, by an opening portion through which one end 10a and the other end 10b of the flat wiring material 10 are pulled out, compared to the length of the groove portion 111 along the vehicle width direction Y. The cover member 20 may be configured, for example, by one part extending integrally along the vehicle width direction Y, or may be configured by a plurality of divided bodies divided along the vehicle width direction Y.

[0020] Lid member 20 is attached to dash panel 110 so as to cover groove portion 111 from the rear side in the vehicle front-rear direction X. Lid member 20 is fastened (fixed) to each other via fastening members 50 such as bolts that penetrate them in the vehicle front-rear direction X while being superimposed on the inner surface of dash panel 110. Note that lid member 20 is not limited to this example, and may be configured to be fixed to dash panel 110 by, for example, a so-called snap fit using claw engagement.

[0021] The elastic member 30 is interposed between the flat wiring material 10 and the cover member 20 in an elastically compressed state, and is a member that fills the gap between the flat wiring material 10 and the cover member 20. The elastic member 30 is formed, for example, in a rectangular plate shape that is long horizontally in the vehicle width direction Y by a synthetic resin material or the like. The length of the elastic member 30 along the vehicle width direction Y is, for example, approximately the same as the length of the cover member 20 along the vehicle width direction Y. The elastic member 30 is, for example, integrated with the cover member 20, assembled into the groove portion 111 from the rear side in the vehicle front-rear direction X with respect to the dash panel 110. In addition, the elastic member 30 is configured, for example, such that the width along the vehicle height direction Z in a free state is approximately the same as the width along the vehicle height direction Z between a pair of side surfaces 111b of the groove portion 111.

[0022] The elastic member 30 is, for example, made of a sound absorbing material 30A. The sound absorbing material 30A is formed into a foamed or porous shape by finely dispersing gas in a synthetic resin, and an example of the sound absorbing material 30A is a urethane sponge. The sound absorbing material 30A (elastic member 30) can suppress the flat wiring material 10 from rattling in the groove portion 111 due to vibrations of the vehicle 100 input to the dash panel 110, and can absorb abnormal noises caused by the rattling of the flat wiring material 10.

[0023] In this embodiment, the bottom surface 111a of the groove portion 111 is provided with an adhesive portion 40 for adhering the flat wiring material 10. The adhesive portion 40 is made of, for example, double-sided tape or adhesive, and extends along the vehicle width direction Y. The adhesive portion 40 is provided in correspondence with the main body of the flat wiring material 10, i.e., the portion excluding the one end 10a and the other end 10b drawn out from the above-mentioned groove portion 111, and can fix the main body of the flat wiring material 10 to the bottom surface 111a of the groove portion 111.

[0024] Thus, the wiring structure 1 of the wire harness of this embodiment is configured to include the flat wiring material 10. Therefore, the wire harness configured with the flat wiring material 10 is lighter than a wire harness in which various general electric wires are bundled. Here, when the wiring structure 1 of the wire harness is installed in the vehicle 100, it is assumed that the length of the wire harness will be about 1000 mm. If a wire harness of such a length is configured entirely of electric wires, there is a risk that the overall weight of the wire harness will increase. In this regard, according to this embodiment, since the wire harness is configured to include the flat wiring material 10, it is possible to accommodate an increase in the size of the wire harness while suppressing an increase in the overall weight of the wire harness.

[0025] Generally, a wire harness in which various electric wires are bundled is manufactured manually by a worker. In contrast, the flat wiring material 10 can be manufactured by automation, so that the number of steps required for manufacturing the wire harness can be reduced by constructing the wire harness from the flat wiring material 10. Generally, a large wire harness in which various electric wires are bundled is difficult to transport due to its weight. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, the flat wiring material 10 has the advantage of shortening the number of days required to manufacture the wire harness itself or the vehicle 100 using the wire harness, or making it difficult to limit the manufacturing location.

[0026] As described above, the wiring structure 1 of the present embodiment includes the groove 111 formed in the dash panel 110, which is an example of a body member of the vehicle 100, the flat wiring material 10 accommodated in the groove 111 of the dash panel 110 and having flexibility, and the cover member 20 that closes the groove 111 when the flat wiring material 10 is accommodated in the groove 111 of the dash panel 110. With this configuration, the wiring structure 1 of the wire harness can be assembled to the vehicle 100 by, for example, closing the groove 111 with the cover member 20 when the flat wiring material 10 is accommodated in the groove 111 formed in the dash panel 110. As a result, the wiring structure 1 of the wire harness can be assembled to the vehicle 100 with improved ease of assembly.

[0027] In addition, the wiring structure 1 of the wire harness of this embodiment includes an elastic member 30 that is interposed between the flat wiring material 10 and the cover member 20 in an elastically compressed state. With this configuration, the wiring structure 1 of the wire harness can fill the gap between the flat wiring material 10 and the cover member 20 with the elastic member 30, so that, for example, the flat wiring material 10 can be prevented from rattling in the groove portion 111 due to vibrations of the vehicle 100 input to the dash panel 110, and the generation of abnormal noise caused by the rattling of the flat wiring material 10 can also be prevented.

[0028] In the wiring structure 1 of the present embodiment, the elastic member 30 is made of a sound-absorbing material 30A. With this configuration, the wiring structure 1 of the wire harness can further suppress the generation of abnormal noise caused by, for example, the vibration of the vehicle 100 input to the dash panel 110 by the sound-absorbing material 30A, or the rattle of the flat wiring material 10.

[0029] In the wiring structure 1 of the present embodiment, the bottom surface 111a of the groove portion 111 is provided with an adhesive portion 40 for adhering the flat wiring material 10. With this configuration, the wiring structure 1 of the wire harness can fix the flat wiring material 10 to the bottom surface 111a of the groove portion 111 by the adhesive portion 40, and therefore, for example, the flat wiring material 10 can be prevented from moving relative to the dash panel 110 or from rattling due to vibration of the vehicle 100 input to the dash panel 110.

[0030] In the wiring structure 1 of the present embodiment, the flat wiring material 10 is pulled out from the groove 111 so as to rise up, and has one end 10a and the other end 10b connected to the control device 5. With this configuration, the wiring structure 1 of the wire harness can, for example, house the main body between the one end 10a and the other end 10b of the flat wiring material 10 in the groove 111 for more reliable protection, and can pull out the one end 10a and the other end 10b from the groove 111 to connect to the control device 5.

[0031] In the present embodiment, the groove portion 111 extends continuously along the vehicle width direction Y so as to span between the first ECU 5A and the second ECU 5B of the control device 5, but the present embodiment is not limited to this example, and may be provided intermittently along the vehicle width direction Y. In addition, in the present embodiment, the elastic member 30 is provided between the flat wiring material 10 and the cover member 20, but the present embodiment is not limited to this example, and may not be provided, for example. In addition, in the present embodiment, the adhesive portion 40 for adhering the flat wiring material 10 to the bottom surface 111a of the groove portion 111 is provided, but the present embodiment is not limited to this example, and may not be provided, for example.

[0032] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated above, the above embodiment is merely an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, combinations, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. In addition, the specifications of each configuration, shape, and the like (structure, type, direction, format, size, length, width, thickness, height, number, arrangement, position, material, etc.) can be appropriately changed and implemented. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 1 Wire harness routing structure 10 Flat wiring material 10a One end 10b Other end 20 Cover member 30 Elastic member 30A Sound absorbing material 40 Adhesive part 100 vehicles 110 Dash panel (body component) 111 Groove 111a Bottom

Claims

1. A groove portion formed in a body member of a vehicle; A flat wiring material having flexibility and housed in the groove of the body member; A cover member that closes the groove portion of the body member in a state in which the flat wiring material is accommodated in the groove portion of the body member; The wiring harness arrangement structure includes:

2. An elastic member is provided between the flat wiring material and the cover member in an elastically compressed state. The wiring harness arrangement structure according to claim 1 .

3. The elastic member is made of a sound absorbing material. The wiring harness arrangement structure according to claim 2 .

4. An adhesive portion for adhering the flat wiring material is provided on the bottom surface of the groove portion, 3. The wiring harness arrangement structure according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The flat wiring material is pulled out so as to rise from the groove portion and has an end portion connected to a control device.

3. The wiring harness arrangement structure according to claim 1 or 2.

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