Wire harness protector

Abstract

To extend a length as needed and keep high a strength of a joining part between protectors in that case.SOLUTION: A coupling part 12 with a sub protector 20 for extension is provided in one end of a main protector 10, and a fitting concave-convex row 14 is provided in an inner periphery of the coupling part. The fitting concave-convex row 14 is fitted with a fitting concave-convex row 24 in an outer periphery of an end portion of the sub protector, and the coupling part has a half-split structure. One half-split body 12A is provided in a stationary manner, and the other half-split body 12B is a lid body which is opened / closed by a hinge 17. When both the half-split bodies are closed and engaged, the fitting between the fitting concave-convex rows 14 and 24 is held.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] A typical wire harness protector has a semi-cylindrical protector body having a recess for accommodating the wire harness, and a cover body that is placed to cover the open surface of the protector body when the wire harness is accommodated in the protector body (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Also proposed is an integrated shield protector that is formed to have a high voltage first accommodating section, a high voltage second accommodating section, and a low voltage accommodating section that are partitioned according to voltage type (see, for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2021-106478 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2012-005272 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventional wire harness protectors have a fixed length, so when protecting a long range of a wire harness, multiple wire harness protectors are arranged in a line in the longitudinal direction. However, even when multiple protectors are arranged in a line, if the protectors are separated from each other, they cannot provide a stable protective function. Therefore, it was necessary to connect the protectors together by wrapping tape around them.

[0005] Other ideas include combining multiple protectors in a sliding manner to extend the length, or connecting multiple protectors via a bellows-like expandable section, but in such cases, the structure of the connecting section may become unstable, making it impossible to provide reliable protective function.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide a wire harness protector that can be extended in length as needed and can maintain the strength of the connecting parts when extended. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the wire harness protector according to the present invention has the following features. A wire harness protector that is disposed to surround an outer periphery of a wire harness in order to protect the wire harness, a cylindrical main body having an insertion hole through which the wire harness is inserted, A connecting portion for connecting another wire harness protector for extension is provided at at least one end in an axial direction of the cylindrical main body, An interlocking concave-convex row is provided on the inner periphery of the connecting portion, in which annular convex portions and annular concave portions are alternately arranged in a regular pattern in the axial direction; The fitting concave-convex row is configured to fit with a fitting concave-convex row formed on an outer periphery of an axial end portion of the cylindrical body of the other wire harness protector for extension, the fitting concave-convex row including annular convex portions and annular concave portions arranged alternately in a certain order in the axial direction, The connecting portion of the cylindrical main body has a half-split structure in which the connecting portion is split in half by a cutting plane including the axis, One half of the connecting portion having the split structure is fixedly formed on the cylindrical main body, and the other half-body is formed separately from the cylindrical main body and serves as a lid body that secures the insertion hole therein by covering the one half-body; The other half body serving as the lid body and the one half body, a locking portion is provided that engages with the other half-body, which is the lid body, when the other half-body is placed over the one half-body to close the other half-body to form the insertion hole, thereby maintaining the engagement between the mating concave-convex rows; Wire harness protector. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the wire harness protector of the present invention, the length can be extended as necessary, and the strength of the connecting portion can be maintained even when extended.

[0009] The present invention has been briefly described above. Furthermore, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by reading the following description of the embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, referred to as "embodiment") with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a wire harness protector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view for explaining a first operation step when the wire harness protector of the embodiment is used with its length extended. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a side view for explaining the next operation step of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view for explaining the next operation step of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an external perspective view showing the state in which the two protectors are completely connected. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front view showing the state in which the two protectors are completely connected. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a top view showing the two protectors in a completed connection state. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a case where three protectors are connected together. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a wire harness protector according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wire harness protector of the embodiment is an electric wire routing component disposed to surround the outer periphery of the wire harness W in order to protect the wire harness W. The wire harness protector M shown in FIG. 1 is formed by connecting two wire harness protectors 10 and 20, a main wire harness protector and a sub wire harness protector. For convenience, the wire harness protectors are referred to as the main wire harness protector 10 and the sub wire harness protector 20, but either of the wire harness protectors 10 and 20 can be used alone. The wire harness protectors M, 10, and 20 are also simply referred to as protectors M, 10, and 20, respectively.

[0012] The main wire harness protector 10 on the right side in Fig. 1 includes a cylindrical body 11 having an insertion hole 11a through which the wire harness W is inserted. The main wire harness protector 10 has an extension protector connecting portion 12 at one axial end of the cylindrical body 11 for connecting the extension sub wire harness protector 20 on the left side in the figure. The wire harness protector 10 has a cylindrical outer shape and an inner periphery also has a cylindrical shape.

[0013] The inner circumference of the connecting portion 12 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "connecting portion") is provided with a mating concave-convex row 14 in which annular convex portions 14a and annular concave portions 14b are alternately arranged in the axial direction with a certain rule. The mating concave-convex row 14 is configured to be mated with a mating concave-convex row 24 in which annular convex portions 24b and annular concave portions 24a are alternately arranged in the axial direction with a certain rule, which is formed on the outer circumference of the end portion in the axial direction of the cylindrical body 21 of the extension sub-wire harness protector 20. The mating concave-convex rows 14, 24 are formed as convex and concave stripes having rectangular cross sections. The mating concave-convex row 14 has at least one pair of annular convex portion 14a and annular concave portion 14b, and the mating concave-convex row 24 has at least one pair of annular convex portion 24b and annular concave portion 24a.

[0014] The end of the sub wire harness protector 20 having the mating embossed row 24 is the end that is connected to the main wire harness protector 10. This end is called the protector connecting portion 22. (Hereinafter, simply referred to as the "connecting portion." In the following, the connecting portion 12 having the mating embossed row 14 on its inner circumference, such as that of the main wire harness protector 10, is also referred to as the female connecting portion 12. Also, the connecting portion 22 having the mating embossed row 24 on its outer circumference, such as that of the sub wire harness protector 20, is also referred to as the male connecting portion 22. When the male connecting portion 22 and the female connecting portion 12 are fitted together, the male connecting portion 22 is on the inner circumference side and the female connecting portion 12 is on the outer circumference side, so that they fit together.

[0015] The connecting portion 12 (female connecting portion) of the cylindrical body 11 of the main wire harness protector 10 has a half-split structure in which the connecting portion 12 is split into upper and lower halves in the figure on a cross section including the axis. One half 12A (lower in FIG. 1) constituting the half-split structure connecting portion 12 is fixedly formed integrally with the end portion of the cylindrical body 11. The other half 12B (upper in FIG. 1) is formed separately from the cylindrical body 11 and is made into a lid 13 that secures an insertion hole 11a for the wire harness inside by covering the one half 12A. The other half 12B as the lid 13 is connected to the upper end of the end portion of the cylindrical body 11 via a hinge 17 so as to be freely opened and closed.

[0016] Locking portions 18, 19 that engage with each other in a closed state are provided on the outer surfaces of the other half-body 12B (upper in the figure) and one half-body 12A (lower in the figure), which are the lid body 13. The locking portions 18, 19 are formed symmetrically on both ends in the semicircular direction of the semi-cylindrical half-body 12A, 12B. The locking portion 18 of the lower half-body 12A is formed as a locking protrusion, and the locking portion 19 of the upper half-body 12B (lid body 13) is configured as a locking frame that engages with the locking protrusion.

[0017] The locking protrusion (locking portion 18) and the locking frame (locking portion 19) are in a corresponding relationship so as to engage with each other when the lid 13 is closed. When the upper half body 12B, which is the lid 13, is placed over the lower half body 12A and closed to form the insertion hole 11a, the locking portions 18, 19 engage the two halves 12A, 12B with each other, thereby maintaining the engagement between the mating concave-convex rows 14, 24.

[0018] The main wire harness protector 10 and the sub wire harness protector 20 are integrally molded from resin. The cylindrical bodies 11 and 21 have a hollow cylindrical shape with an approximately cylindrical outer shape and inner shape. The inner diameter and the outer diameter of the cylindrical bodies 11 and 21 are each equal. This is an optimal shape for accommodating the wire harness W with a circular cross section without wasting space. Therefore, it is possible to arrange them in a narrow space and regulate the path of the wire harness.

[0019] The above-mentioned main wire harness protector 10 and the sub wire harness protector 20 can of course be used individually, but as shown in FIG. 1, they can also be connected together to form an extended wire harness protector M.

[0020] When the length of the range to be protected is too long to use them alone, it is possible to select to use them in an extended (connected) state as shown in Fig. 1. That is, a main wire harness protector 10 and an extension sub wire harness protector 20 are used in an integrally connected state by fitting together the mating concave-convex rows 14, 24 provided on the inner and outer peripheries of the axial ends of both protectors 10, 20.

[0021] Next, the procedure for connecting the devices for use will be described with reference to Figs. Fig. 2 is a side view for explaining the first work step when using a wire harness protector with an extended length, Fig. 3 is a side view for explaining the work step after Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a side view for explaining the work step after Fig. 3. Note that while Fig. 2 shows a wire harness W, Figs. 3 and 4 omit the illustration of the wire harness W.

[0022] First, as shown in Fig. 2, before connecting the two wire harness protectors 10, 20, the wire harness W is passed through both wire harness protectors 10, 20. When passing the wire harness W, the ends with the mating concave-convex rows 14, 24 face each other. In addition, the upper half body 12B, which is the cover body 13 of the main wire harness protector 10, is rotated upward and lifted by bending the hinge 17.

[0023] Next, in this state, as shown in Fig. 3, the connecting portion 22 of the sub wire harness protector 20 is positioned above the connecting portion 12 of the main wire harness protector 10. Then, the annular convex portion 14a on the inner circumference of the connecting portion 12 on the main wire harness protector 10 side is aligned with the annular concave portion 24a on the outer circumference of the connecting portion 22 on the sub wire harness protector 20 side. Also, the annular concave portion 14b on the inner circumference of the connecting portion 12 on the main wire harness protector 10 side is aligned with the annular convex portion 24b on the outer circumference of the connecting portion 22 on the sub wire harness protector 20 side. In this aligned state, the mating concave-convex rows 14, 24 are mated with each other (operation of arrow X1 in Fig. 3).

[0024] Next, as shown by arrow X2 in Fig. 4, the cover 13 (upper half 12B) is rotated to close while straightening the bend of the hinge 17. At this time, the annular protrusion 14a on the inner circumference of the cover 13 is fitted into the annular recess 24a on the outer circumference of the connecting portion 22 of the sub-wire harness protector 20. Also, the annular recess 14b on the inner circumference of the cover 13 is fitted into the annular protrusion 24b on the outer circumference of the connecting portion 22 of the sub-wire harness protector 20.

[0025] By doing so, the mating concave-convex row 14 on the inner circumference of the connecting portion 12 of the main wire harness protector 10 and the mating concave-convex row 24 on the outer circumference of the connecting portion of the sub wire harness protector 20 can be mated. In this case, the annular convex portions 14a, 24b and the annular concave portions 14b, 24a can be easily aligned with each other because the operation and closed position of the cover body 13 are restricted by the hinge 17. When the cover body 13 is closed, the lock portion 19 of the cover body 13 engages with the lock portion 18 of the lower half body 12A, and the cover body 13 is locked in the closed position. This maintains the mating of the mating concave-convex row 14 of the main wire harness protector 10 and the mating concave-convex row 24 of the sub wire harness protector 20.

[0026] Fig. 5 is an external perspective view showing the wire harness protector M in a state where the connection of the main and sub wire harness protectors 10 and 20 is completed, Fig. 6 is a front view, and Fig. 7 is a top view. Fig. 6 is a view of the wire harness protector M shown in Fig. 5 as viewed from the right side in the plane of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a view of the wire harness protector M shown in Fig. 5 as viewed from above in the plane of Fig. 5, with the hinge 17 omitted. Fig. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the wire harness W, but Figs. 5 and 7 omit the illustration of the wire harness W.

[0027] When the connection is complete, as shown in Fig. 5, the wire harness protector M is integrated into one piece, and the wire harness W housed therein can be stably protected. Also, as shown in Fig. 6, the wire harness protector M has a substantially cylindrical shape so as to correspond to the housed wire harness W having a circular cross section, so that the wire harness W can be housed compactly while being protected without creating any wasted space.

[0028] As described above, the two wire harness protectors 10, 20 are connected using the mating concave-convex rows 14, 24, so that a strong connection state can be obtained. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, even when a large axial pulling force X5 acts between the connected protectors 10, 20, they do not easily separate (come off). In particular, when the annular convex portions 14a, 24b and the annular concave portions 14b, 24a are formed to have a rectangular cross section, when the pulling force X5 acts between the connected protectors 10, 20, an unnecessary component force, i.e., a component force in a direction different from the pulling direction, is not generated as in the case of a triangular cross-sectional concave-convex portion. Therefore, a strong resistance force can be exerted in the pulling direction, and a stable protective function for the wire harness W can be exerted.

[0029] In addition, since the fitting position of the fitting concave-convex rows 14, 24 can be changed in the axial direction, it is possible to adjust the length of the connected protector M. Therefore, it is possible to provide a protector M that matches the required length.

[0030] That is, as described above, it is possible to freely select whether the wire harness protectors 10, 20 are used alone or in an extended form by connecting them together, and it is also possible to finely adjust the length of the connecting portion, i.e., the fitting length between the fitting concave-convex rows 14, 24. Therefore, the length of the protector can be freely changed.

[0031] In addition, the upper half 12B as the lid 13 is connected to the end of the cylindrical body 11 via the hinge 17, so that it is easy to align the lid 13 with the fixed half 12A when closing the lid 13. Furthermore, even when the lid 13 is in the open state, the lid 13 is connected to the cylindrical body 11, so there is no risk of it being lost.

[0032] In the above embodiment, the upper half-body 12B serving as the lid body 13 is connected to the end of the cylindrical main body 11 via a hinge 17, but the lid body 13 may also be connected to the side of the fixed half-body 12A via a hinge.

[0033] In addition, the extension connecting portions 12 (female connecting portions) may be provided at both axial ends of the main wire harness protector 10. In this way, the sub wire harness protector 20 can be connected to both axial ends of the main wire harness protector 10.

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, if male connecting portions 22 are provided at both axial ends of the sub wire harness protector 120, the main wire harness protector 10 can be connected to both axial ends of the sub wire harness protector 120.

[0035] Furthermore, by providing the aforementioned female connecting portion 12 and male connecting portion 22 at one and the other axial ends of the cylindrical body, respectively, it is possible to connect multiple protectors one after another, not just two, to extend the overall length of the protector.

[0036] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified, improved, etc., as appropriate. In addition, the material, shape, dimensions, values, forms, numbers, locations, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiment are arbitrary as long as they can achieve the present invention, and are not limited. For example, in the above embodiment, the connecting portion 12 of the wire harness protector 10 is a half-split body, but the part that is a half-split body is not limited to only the connecting portion 12, and it is sufficient that at least the connecting portion 12 of the cylindrical body 11 is a half-split body.

[0037] In the above embodiment, the annular convex portions 14a, 24b and the annular concave portions 14b, 24a constituting the mating concave-convex rows 14, 24 are provided continuously around the entire circumference of the connecting portions 12, 22, but the mating concave-convex rows are not limited to this. For example, even if the convex portions and the concave portions are each provided discontinuously and arranged substantially in a ring shape, it is sufficient that the mating with the mating wire harness protector can be ensured.

[0038] Here, the features of the wire harness protector according to the embodiment of the present invention described above will be briefly summarized and listed in the following [1] to [5].

[0039] [1] A wire harness protector (10) arranged to surround an outer periphery of a wire harness (W) to protect the wire harness, The wire harness (W) is provided with a cylindrical body (11) having an insertion hole (11a) through which the wire harness (W) is inserted, At least one axial end of the cylindrical body (11) is provided with a connecting portion (extension protector connecting portion 12) for connecting another wire harness protector (20) for extension, The connecting portion has an inner periphery provided with an interlocking concave-convex row (14) in which annular convex portions (14a) and annular concave portions (14b) are alternately arranged in a regular pattern in the axial direction, the mating concave-convex row (14) is configured to mate with a mating concave-convex row (24) formed on the outer periphery of the axial end of the cylindrical body (21) of the other extension wire harness protector (20), in which annular convex portions (24b) and annular concave portions (24a) are alternately arranged in a regular pattern in the axial direction; The connecting portion (12) of the cylindrical body (11) has a half-split structure in which the connecting portion (12) is split in half along a cutting plane including the axis line, One half (12A) constituting the connecting portion (12) having the half structure is fixedly formed on the cylindrical main body (11), and the other half-body (12B) is formed separately from the cylindrical main body (11) and is placed on the one half-body (12A) to form a lid body (13) that secures the insertion hole therein; The other half body (12B) which is the lid body (13) and the one half body (12A) are connected to each other. When the other half-body (12B) serving as the lid body (13) is placed over the one half-body (12A) and closed to form the insertion hole (11a), locking portions (18, 19) are provided to engage with each other and thereby maintain the engagement between the mating concave-convex rows (14, 24). Wire harness protector (10).

[0040] According to the above configuration [1], the mating concave-convex row (14) of the connecting portion (12) provided at the end of the wire harness protector (10) is mated with the mating concave-convex row (24) provided at the end of another wire harness protector (20). This mating allows the multiple protectors (10, 20) to be connected together to extend the length of the protectors. In this case, the other half body (12B) as the cover body (13) is closed and engaged with the one half body (12A) in a state where the end of the other wire harness protector (20) for extension is mated with one half body (12A), thereby maintaining the mating. Therefore, the multiple protectors (10, 20) can be connected firmly in a stable state. Therefore, by maintaining a strong fit, even when an axial pulling force acts between the connected protectors (10, 20), they do not easily separate, and a stable protective function for the wire harness (W) can be exhibited. In addition, by changing the axial position of the fit of the fitting concave-convex rows (14, 24), the overall length of the connected wire harness protectors (M) can be adjusted. This makes it possible to provide a wire harness protector (M) that matches the required length.

[0041] [2] The other half (12B) as the cover (13) is connected to the cylindrical main body (11) or the one half (12A) via a hinge (17) so as to be freely opened and closed. The wire harness protector (10) according to the above [1].

[0042] According to the configuration [2] above, the other half (12B) as the lid (13) is connected to the cylindrical body (11) or one of the half bodies (12A) via the hinge (17). This configuration makes it easy to align the lid (13) with the fixed half body (12A) when closing it. In addition, even in the open state, the lid (13) is connected to the cylindrical body (11) or one of the half bodies (12A) via the hinge (17), so there is no risk of it being lost.

[0043] [3] The annular convex portion (14a, 24b) and the annular concave portion (14b, 24a) constituting the fitting concave-convex row (14, 24) are formed as a convex stripe and a concave stripe having a rectangular cross section. The wire harness protector (10) according to the above [1].

[0044] According to the configuration [3] above, the annular convex portion (14a, 24b) and the annular concave portion (14b, 24a) are formed to have a rectangular cross section. With this configuration, when a separating force acts between the connected protectors (10, 20), a strong resistance force can be exerted in the separating direction without generating an unnecessary component force, i.e., a component force in a direction different from the separating direction, as occurs with, for example, a concave-convex portion with a triangular cross section.

[0045] [4] The cylindrical body (11) and the connecting portion (12) in a state where the other half body is placed on the one half body have a hollow cylindrical shape. Wire harness protector (10).

[0046] According to the above configuration [4], since no wasted space is generated in accommodating the wire harness (W) having a circular cross section, it is possible to arrange the wire harness (W) in a narrow space and regulate the path of the wire harness (W).

[0047] [5] The wire harness protector (10) according to any one of [1] to [4] above and another wire harness protector (20) for extension are integrally connected by fitting the mating concave-convex rows (14, 24) provided on the inner and outer peripheries of the axial ends of both protectors (10, 20) together. Wire harness protector (M).

[0048] According to the above configuration [5], the overall length of the wire harness protector (M) can be freely changed by attaching and detaching the extension wire harness protector (20). [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] M Wire Harness Protector W Wire Harness 10 Main Wire Harness Protector 11 Cylindrical body 11a Insertion hole 12 Connection part (female connection part) 12A One half 12B The other half (lid) 13 Lid 14 Interlocking concave and convex rows 14a Annular protrusion 14b Annular recess 18 Rock Club 19 Rock Club 20 Sub Wire Harness Protector 21 Cylindrical body 22 Connection part (male connection part) 24 Interlocking concave and convex rows 24a Annular recess 24b Circular protrusion

Claims

1. A wire harness protector that is disposed to surround an outer periphery of a wire harness in order to protect the wire harness, a cylindrical main body having an insertion hole through which the wire harness is inserted, A connecting portion for connecting another wire harness protector for extension is provided at at least one end in an axial direction of the cylindrical main body, An interlocking concave-convex row is provided on the inner periphery of the connecting portion, in which annular convex portions and annular concave portions are alternately arranged in a regular pattern in the axial direction; The fitting concave-convex row is configured to fit with a fitting concave-convex row formed on an outer periphery of an axial end portion of the cylindrical body of the other wire harness protector for extension, the fitting concave-convex row including annular convex portions and annular concave portions arranged alternately in a certain order in the axial direction, The connecting portion of the cylindrical main body has a half-split structure in which the connecting portion is split in half by a cutting plane including the axis, One half of the connecting portion having the split structure is fixedly formed on the cylindrical main body, and the other half-body is formed separately from the cylindrical main body and serves as a lid body that secures the insertion hole therein by covering the one half-body; The other half body serving as the lid body and the one half body, a locking portion is provided that engages with the other half-body, which is the lid body, when the other half-body is placed over the one half-body to close the other half-body to form the insertion hole, thereby maintaining the engagement between the mating concave-convex rows; Wire harness protector.

2. The other half body as the lid body is connected to the cylindrical main body or the one half body via a hinge so as to be freely opened and closed. The wire harness protector according to claim 1 .

3. The annular convex portion and the annular concave portion constituting the fitting concave-convex row are formed as a convex stripe and a concave stripe having a rectangular cross section. The wire harness protector according to claim 1 .

4. The cylindrical main body and the connecting portion in a state where the other half body is placed on the one half body have a hollow cylindrical shape. The wire harness protector according to claim 1 .

5. The wire harness protector according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and the extension wire harness protector are integrally connected to each other by fitting the fitting concave-convex rows provided on inner and outer peripheries of the axial end portions of both the wire harness protectors. Wire harness protector.

Images