Wire harness

Abstract

To provide a wire harness capable of improving workability in assembly.SOLUTION: A wire harness 3 includes a wire group 7 including: a first wire group 7A composed of a plurality of first wires 11A whose ends are integrated into a first connector 9A; and a second wire group 7B composed of a plurality of second wires 11B whose ends are integrated into a second connector 9B. The first wire group 7A includes a first sheath 13A integrating the plurality of first wires 11A and coating outer peripheries of the plurality of first wires 11A. The second wire group 7B includes a second sheath 13B integrating the plurality of second wires 11B and coating outer peripheries of the plurality of second wires 11B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, a wire harness including an electric wire group consisting of a plurality of electric wires is known (see Patent Document 1). The electric wire group includes a first electric wire group consisting of a plurality of first electric wires whose ends are gathered at a first connector, and a second electric wire group consisting of a plurality of second electric wires whose ends are gathered at a second connector. In an arrangement step during manufacture of such a wire harness, the first electric wire group and the second electric wire group are held in a holding portion of an assembly jig with the plurality of first electric wires and the plurality of second electric wires being independent of each other. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-16424 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the wire harness as disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, since the electric wires in the electric wire group are independent from each other, when the electric wire group is arranged in the holding part of the assembly jig, some electric wires come off from the holding part. In addition, in order to separate the first electric wire group and the second electric wire group, for example, in adjacent assembly jigs, the second electric wire group is not arranged in the holding part of one of the assembly jigs. However, in the wire harness as disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, since the electric wires in the electric wire group are independent from each other, the second electric wire of the second electric wire group may be arranged in the holding part of one of the assembly jigs. When the electric wires come off from the holding part of the assembly jig or when a different electric wire is arranged in the holding part, it is necessary to redo the arrangement work, which reduces the efficiency of the assembly work.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the problems of such prior art. And an object of the present invention is to provide a wire harness capable of improving the assembly workability.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The wire harness according to the present embodiment includes a wire group having a first wire group composed of a plurality of first electric wires whose at least ends are gathered at a first connector, and a second wire group composed of a plurality of second electric wires whose ends are gathered at a second connector. The first wire group has a first sheath that gathers the plurality of first electric wires and covers the outer periphery of the plurality of first electric wires. The second wire group has a second sheath that gathers the plurality of second electric wires and covers the outer periphery of the plurality of second electric wires.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a wire harness capable of improving the assembly workability.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram of a wire harness arrangement structure according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] It is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of a wire harness arrangement structure according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] It is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of a first wire group of a wire harness arrangement structure according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] It is an enlarged side view of a main part when a first terminal is assembled to a first electric wire of a wire harness arrangement structure according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 5] It is a perspective view of a first housing of a first connector of a wire harness arrangement structure according to the present embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, a wire harness and a wire harness arrangement structure according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual ratios.

[0010] 1, the wire harness 3 according to the present embodiment electrically connects electrical components (not shown), for example, between a power source and equipment mounted on a vehicle, or between equipment and equipment. The wire harness 3 is manufactured in a state before being mounted on a vehicle, for example, in a manufacturing facility to which the wire harness arrangement structure 1 according to the present embodiment is applied.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the wire harness arrangement structure 1 includes a wire harness 3 and an arrangement member 5. The wire harness 3 and the arrangement member 5 are arranged in a substantially rectangular shape.

[0012] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the wire harness 3 includes a group of electric wires 7 and a connector 9.

[0013] The electric wire group 7 is made up of a plurality of electric wires 11. The electric wire group 7 is made up of a plurality of (four in this example) electric wire groups 7 corresponding to the electrical components to be electrically connected. Here, the electric wire group 7 is made up of a first electric wire group 7A, a second electric wire group 7B, a third electric wire group 7C, and a fourth electric wire group 7D. Note that the basic configurations of the multiple electric wire groups 7 are similar, so hereinafter, the first electric wire group 7A will be mainly described, and detailed descriptions of the other electric wire groups 7 will be omitted.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the first electric wire group 7A includes a plurality of first electric wires 11A and a first sheath 13A.

[0015] The first electric wire 11A is, for example, a coated electric wire in which the outer circumference of a core wire 15 made of a conductive material is covered with an insulating coating 17 made of an insulating material. A plurality of first electric wires 11A (six in this example) with different types of signal wires, power wires, etc., and different wire diameter sizes are used according to the circuits of the electric components to which they are applied. Both ends of the plurality of first electric wires 11A are electrically connected to two electric components, respectively, thereby electrically connecting the two electric components.

[0016] The first sheath 13A is made of an insulating material such as polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene. The first sheath 13A covers the outer periphery of the first electric wires 11A in a state where the first electric wires 11A are collected and bundled. By collecting and covering the first electric wires 11A with the first sheath 13A, the first electric wire group 7A can be handled as a single electric wire. In addition, the first electric wires 11A can be protected. The first electric wire group 7A in which the first electric wires 11A are bundled with the first sheath 13A is also called a cab-tire cable.

[0017] The connectors 9 are provided at both ends of the electric wire groups 7, and one pair is used for each electric wire group 7. For this reason, four pairs of connectors 9 are used here, including a pair of first connectors 9A, 9A, a pair of second connectors 9B, 9B, a pair of third connectors 9C, 9C, and a pair of fourth connectors 9D, 9D, corresponding to the four electric wire groups 7. Note that the basic configurations of the multiple connectors 9 are the same, so hereinafter, the first connector 9A will be mainly described, and detailed descriptions of the other connectors 9 will be omitted.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5, the first connector 9A includes a plurality of first terminals 19A and a first housing 21A.

[0019] A plurality of first terminals 19A (12 in this example) are used corresponding to both ends of a plurality of first electric wires 11A (six in this example). The first terminals 19A are made of a conductive material and include, for example, an electric wire connecting portion 23 and an electrical connection portion 25. The electric wire connecting portion 23 includes a covering fixing portion 27 and a core wire fixing portion 29. The covering fixing portion 27 includes a pair of crimping pieces, and the pair of crimping pieces are crimped to the outer periphery of the insulating covering 17 of the first electric wire 11A to fix the first terminal 19A to the first electric wire 11A. The core wire fixing portion 29 includes a pair of crimping pieces, and the pair of crimping pieces are crimped to the outer periphery of the core wire 15 exposed from the insulating covering 17 of the first electric wire 11A to electrically connect the first terminal 19A and the first electric wire 11A. The electrical connection portion 25 is formed in a tab shape by a single member continuous with the electric wire connecting portion 23. The electrical connection portion 25 comes into contact with a mating terminal (not shown) of a mating connector (not shown) provided on the electrical component, thereby electrically connecting the first terminal 19A to the mating terminal.

[0020] The first housing 21A is used in a pair corresponding to both ends of the first electric wire group 7A. Although the number of first terminals 19A provided at one end of the first electric wire group 7A is six, the description will be given here assuming that four first terminals 19A are provided at one end of the first electric wire group 7A. The first housing 21A is made of an insulating material such as synthetic resin, and is formed in a casing shape that can be fitted with a mating housing (not shown) of a mating connector provided in an electric component. The first housing 21A is provided with a plurality (four in this case) of terminal accommodating chambers 31 capable of accommodating the first terminals 19A corresponding to the plurality (four in this case) of first terminals 19A provided at one end of the first electric wire group 7A. By accommodating the plurality of first terminals 19A in the plurality of terminal accommodating chambers 31, the ends of the plurality (four in this case) of first electric wires 11A are gathered in the first connector 9A. A lock arm 35 having a lock portion 33 engageable with a locked portion (not shown) provided on the mating housing is provided on the upper portion of the first housing 21A in an elastically deformable manner. The lock portion 33 of the lock arm 35 engages with the locked portion to maintain the mating state between the first housing 21A and the mating housing. The engagement between the lock portion 33 and the locked portion can be released by pressing an operating portion 37 of the lock arm 35, whereby the lock arm 35 is elastically deformed and released, thereby releasing the mating between the first housing 21A and the mating housing. When the first housing 21A is mated with the mating housing, the first terminal 19A and the mating terminal are electrically connected.

[0021] Such a wire harness 3 is manufactured, for example, on a jig stand 39 installed in a manufacturing facility, as shown in Fig. 1. The jig stand 39 is provided with a placement member 5 on which the electric wire group 7 is placed when the wire harness 3 is manufactured.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a plurality of (here, 10) arrangement members 5 are provided on a jig stand 39 so as to correspond to the wire harness 3 to be manufactured, spaced apart from each other in the length direction of the electric wire group 7 (first electric wire group 7A). The arrangement member 5 includes a base 41 and a holding portion 43. The base 41 extends axially upward from the jig stand 39. The jig stand 39 side of the base 41 is fixed to the jig stand 39. The holding portion 43 is provided integrally with the base 41 on the side of the base 41 opposite to the jig stand 39. The holding portion 43 is formed in a U-shape with an opening on the side opposite to the base 41 so as to be able to accommodate a plurality of electric wire groups 7. By accommodating the electric wire groups 7 in the plurality of holding portions 43, the arrangement shape of the electric wire group 7 on the jig stand 39 can be maintained. By maintaining the arrangement shape of the electric wire group 7 with multiple arrangement members 5, for example, it is possible to facilitate the assembly work of the connectors 9 at the ends of each electric wire group 7, thereby improving the manufacturing workability of the wire harness 3.

[0023] Here, in the wire harness 3 according to the present embodiment, the electric wire group 7 has a first electric wire group 7A, a second electric wire group 7B, a third electric wire group 7C, and a fourth electric wire group 7D. The first electric wire group 7A is made up of a plurality of first electric wires 11A. The second electric wire group 7B is made up of a plurality of second electric wires 11B. The third electric wire group 7C is made up of a plurality of third electric wires 11C. The fourth electric wire group 7D is made up of a plurality of fourth electric wires 11D. The first electric wire group 7A is made up of a plurality of first electric wires 11A bundled together by the first sheath 13A and can be handled as a single electric wire. The second electric wire group 7B is made up of a plurality of second electric wires 11B bundled together by the second sheath 13B and can be handled as a single electric wire. The third electric wire group 7C is formed by bundling a plurality of third electric wires 11C together with a third sheath 13C, and can be handled as a single electric wire. The fourth electric wire group 7D is formed by bundling a plurality of fourth electric wires 11D together with a fourth sheath 13D, and can be handled as a single electric wire. Therefore, in the wire harness 3, the four electric wire groups 7 can be handled as four electric wires.

[0024] In such a wire harness 3, a pair of connectors 9, 9 is provided at both ends of the plurality of electric wire groups 7. In this case, if all of the plurality of electric wires 11 constituting the electric wire group 7 are held by the holding portion 43 of one arrangement member 5, an operation of sorting the electric wires 11 to which the respective connectors 9 are to be assembled is required from the plurality of electric wires 11, and the assembling workability of the connectors 9 is reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to sort the plurality of electric wire groups 7 in advance at the end side of the electric wire group 7 by using the adjacent arrangement members 5, 5. For example, the first electric wire group 7A and the second electric wire group 7B are held by the holding portion 43 of one arrangement member 5, the end side of the first electric wire group 7A is held by the holding portion 43 of the other arrangement member 5, and the end side of the second electric wire group 7B is arranged between the adjacent arrangement members 5, 5. In this arrangement, the end of the first electric wire group 7A is pulled out from the holding portion 43 of the other arrangement member 5, and the end of the second electric wire group 7B is pulled out from between the adjacent arrangement members 5, 5. Therefore, the end of the first electric wire group 7A and the end of the second electric wire group 7B are arranged in separate positions, and the work of assembling the first connector 9A to the end of the first electric wire group 7A and the work of assembling the second connector 9B to the end of the second electric wire group 7B can be easily performed.

[0025] In the conventional wire harness arrangement structure, the multiple electric wires 11 constituting the electric wire group 7 are held in the holding portion 43 of the arrangement member 5 in an independent state. For this reason, among the multiple electric wires 11, there are cases where the electric wires 11 come off the holding portion 43 of the arrangement member 5 or the electric wires 11 get tangled in the holding portion 43, and the arrangement work has to be redone. In addition, there are cases where the electric wires 11 are arranged in the holding portion 43 of the adjacent arrangement members 5, 5 that is not intended to be held, and the arrangement work has to be redone.

[0026] On the other hand, in the wire harness arrangement structure 1, the wire harness 3 is configured such that a plurality of electric wires 11 can be handled as a single electric wire by being covered with a sheath 13 in each electric wire group 7. Therefore, with respect to the holding portion 43 of the arrangement member 5, the occurrence of the electric wire 11 coming off, the occurrence of the electric wire 11 getting entangled with the holding portion 43, and the arrangement of different electric wires 11 on the holding portion 43 can be prevented, and the rework of the arrangement work can be prevented, improving the assembly workability. In addition, in adjacent arrangement members 5, 5, the end portions of the plurality of electric wire groups 7 can be easily sorted, and the work of assembling the connector 9 to the end portion of the electric wire group 7 can be easily performed.

[0027] 2, the first sheath 13A of the first electric wire group 7A, the second sheath 13B of the second electric wire group 7B, and the third sheath 13C of the third electric wire group 7C are held by the holding portion 43 of one of the arrangement members 5. At this time, in the holding portion 43 of one of the arrangement members 5, the second electric wire group 7B and the third electric wire group 7C are in a state in which a partial section of the second sheath 13B and the third sheath 13C is fixed along the first sheath 13A of the first electric wire group 7A. In this arrangement work, the first electric wire 11A, the second electric wire 11B, and the third electric wire 11C are not removed from the holding portion 43 or entangled with the holding portion 43 of the one of the arrangement members 5. The end side of the first sheath 13A of the first electric wire group 7A is held by the holding portion 43 of the other arrangement member 5, and the end sides of the second sheath 13B of the second electric wire group 7B and the third sheath 13C of the third electric wire group 7C are arranged between the adjacent arrangement members 5, 5. At this time, in the holding portion 43 of the other arrangement member 5, the second sheath 13B of the second electric wire group 7B and the third sheath 13C of the third electric wire group 7C are in a state of being branched off from the first sheath 13A of the first electric wire group 7A. In this arrangement work, the second electric wire 11B and the third electric wire 11C are not arranged in the holding portion 43 of the other arrangement member 5. Therefore, the end of the first electric wire group 7A, the end of the second electric wire group 7B, and the end of the third electric wire group 7C can be easily sorted by the adjacent arrangement members 5, 5. Therefore, the first connector 9A can be easily assembled to the end of the first electric wire group 7A, the second connector 9B to the end of the second electric wire group 7B, and the third connector 9C to the end of the third electric wire group 7C, improving the efficiency of the assembly.

[0028] Such a wire harness 3 includes an electric wire group 7 having a first electric wire group 7A including a plurality of first electric wires 11A whose ends are at least gathered in a first connector 9A, and a second electric wire group 7B including a plurality of second electric wires 11B whose ends are gathered in a second connector 9B. The first electric wire group 7A includes a first sheath 13A that gathers together the plurality of first electric wires 11A and covers the outer periphery of the plurality of first electric wires 11A. The second electric wire group 7B includes a second sheath 13B that gathers together the plurality of second electric wires 11B and covers the outer periphery of the plurality of second electric wires 11B.

[0029] Therefore, during the arrangement process, such as when manufacturing the wire harness 3 or when assembling it to a vehicle, the electric wires 11 do not come off from the arrangement target or a different electric wire 11 is arranged, so that redoing the arrangement work can be prevented and assembly workability can be improved.

[0030] Therefore, in such a wire harness 3, the assembly workability can be improved.

[0031] In addition, in the second electric wire group 7B, a partial section of the second sheath 13B is fixed along the first sheath 13A of the first electric wire group 7A.

[0032] Therefore, the end side of the first electric wire group 7A and the end side of the second electric wire group 7B can be easily separated. Therefore, the first connector 9A and the second connector 9B located at the ends of the first electric wire group 7A and the second electric wire group 7B can be easily assembled and fitted together, improving the efficiency of the assembly work.

[0033] The wire harness arrangement structure 1 includes the wire harness 3 and a plurality of arrangement members 5 having holding portions 43 for holding the electric wire group 7. The holding portions 43 of the arrangement members 5 hold at least one of the first sheath 13A and the second sheath 13B.

[0034] As a result, the electric wire 11 does not come loose from the holding portion 43 of the placement member 5, the electric wire 11 does not get tangled in the holding portion 43, and a different electric wire 11 is not placed in the holding portion 43, so that redoing the placement work can be prevented and assembly workability can be improved.

[0035] Therefore, in such a wire harness arrangement structure 1, the efficiency of assembly work can be improved.

[0036] In addition, adjacent arrangement members 5, 5 at the end side of the wire group 7 have the first sheath 13A and the second sheath 13B held in the holding portion 43 of one arrangement member 5, and the first sheath 13A held in the holding portion 43 of the other arrangement member 5.

[0037] Therefore, the end side of the first electric wire group 7A and the end side of the second electric wire group 7B can be easily separated in the adjacent arrangement members 5, 5. Therefore, the first connector 9A and the second connector 9B located at the ends of the first electric wire group 7A and the second electric wire group 7B can be easily assembled and fitted together, improving the efficiency of the assembly work.

[0038] Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present embodiment.

[0039] For example, in the wire harness according to the present embodiment, the number of the electric wire groups is four, but the number of the electric wire groups is not limited to four, and may be three or less, or five or more.

[0040] In the wire harness arrangement structure according to the present embodiment, the arrangement member is applied when the wire harness is manufactured, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the holding portion of the arrangement member is formed in a clamp or clip shape so as to fix the outer periphery of the sheath of the group of electric wires. Such an arrangement member may be provided on, for example, a panel or a body of a vehicle where the wire harness is arranged, and may be applied when the wire harness is assembled to the vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 3 Wire Harness 7 wire group 7A 1st wire group 7B 2nd wire group 9 Connectors 9A 1st Connector 9B 2nd Connector 11 Electric wire 11A 1st wire 11B 2nd electric wire 13 Sheath 13A First sheath 13B Second sheath

Claims

1. an electric wire group including a first electric wire group including a plurality of first electric wires whose ends are gathered in a first connector, and a second electric wire group including a plurality of second electric wires whose ends are gathered in a second connector; The first electric wire group includes a first sheath that collects the first electric wires and covers an outer periphery of the first electric wires, The second electric wire group is a wire harness having a second sheath that gathers together the second electric wires and covers the outer periphery of the second electric wires.

2. The wire harness according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of the second sheath of the second electric wire group is fixed along the first sheath of the first electric wire group.

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