Protection material for wire harness and method for manufacturing wire harness with protective material

Abstract

To provide a protective material for a wire harness that can achieve required protective performance while restraining an increase in the number of types of components.SOLUTION: A wire harness protective material 1 has a protective body 2 formed by overlapping a plurality of sheet materials 10, and a fixing portion 3 that fixes both end portions 2a of the protective body to each other in a state where the protective body is wrapped around the wire harness WH, and the plurality of sheet materials have the same material and the same shape. The plurality of sheet materials include a first sheet material and a second sheet material, the second sheet material is disposed at a position offset from the first sheet material in an axial direction X of the wire harness. The protective body is wrapped around the wire harness such that the inner surfaces of both end portions of the protective body face each other to form a mating surface extending in the axial direction X, and the fixing portion 3 fixes both end portions of the protective body to each other along a facing direction in which the inner surfaces of both end portions 2a of the protective body 2 face each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a protective material for a wire harness and a method for manufacturing a wire harness with a protective material.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a structure for protecting a wire harness. Patent Document 1 discloses a wire harness protection structure including a protective material that covers the outer periphery of the wire harness at a predetermined location, and a fixing adhesive tape whose starting end is wound around the wire harness and fixed, and whose ending end is wound around the wire harness on the opposite side of the starting end with the protective material sandwiched therebetween after being wound around the outer periphery of the protective material and fixed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When manufacturing a dedicated protective material according to the required protection performance for a wire harness protective material, it will lead to an increase in the types of components. It is desirable to be able to manufacture a protective material according to the required protection performance while suppressing an increase in the types of components.

[0005] One object of the present invention is to provide a protective material for a wire harness that can achieve the required protection performance while suppressing an increase in the types of components.

[0006] It is desirable to be able to streamline the process of attaching a protective material to a wire harness. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a wire harness with a protective material that can streamline the process of attaching a protective material to a wire harness.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The protective material for a wire harness according to the present invention includes a protective body formed by overlapping a plurality of sheet materials, and a fixing portion that fixes both end portions of the protective body to each other in a state where the protective body is wound around the wire harness. The plurality of sheet materials have the same material and the same shape, and the plurality of sheet materials include a first sheet material and a second sheet material. The second sheet material is disposed at a position shifted from the first sheet material in the axial direction of the wire harness and partially overlaps the first sheet material. The protective body has an inner surface facing the wire harness in a state where the protective body is wound around the wire harness. The protective body is wound around the wire harness such that mating surfaces extending in the axial direction are formed with the inner surfaces of both end portions of the protective body facing each other. The fixing portion fixes both end portions of the protective body to each other along the facing direction in which the inner surfaces of both end portions of the protective body face each other, which is characterized in that.

[0008] A method for manufacturing a wire harness with a protective material according to the present invention includes a step of placing a protective body formed by overlapping a plurality of sheet materials in a groove portion of a jig, a step of accommodating a wire harness in the protective body placed in the groove portion, and a step of fixing both end portions of the protective body to each other by a fixing portion and attaching the protective body to the wire harness, which is characterized in that it includes these steps.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] In the protective material for a wire harness according to the present invention, the plurality of sheet materials include a first sheet material and a second sheet material. The second sheet material is disposed at a position shifted from the first sheet material in the axial direction of the wire harness and partially overlaps the first sheet material. The fixing portion fixes both end portions of the protective body to each other along the facing direction in which the inner surfaces of both end portions of the protective body face each other. According to the protective material for a wire harness according to the present invention, it is possible to achieve the required protective performance while suppressing an increase in the types of members.

[0010] According to the method for manufacturing a wire harness according to the present invention, there is an effect that the process of attaching a protective material to the wire harness can be made more efficient.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

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Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19

Figure 20

Figure 21

Figure 22

Figure 23

Figure 24

Figure 25

Figure 26

Figure 27

Figure 28

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, a protective material for a wire harness and a method for manufacturing a wire harness with a protective material according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited by this embodiment. Also, the components in the following embodiments include those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art or those that are substantially the same.

[0013] [Embodiment] Embodiments will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 28. This embodiment relates to a protective material for a wire harness and a method for manufacturing a wire harness with a protective material. FIG. 1 is a front view of a wire harness with a protective material according to the embodiment, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wire harness with a protective material according to the embodiment, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the wire harness with a protective material according to the embodiment, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a sheet material according to the embodiment, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a protective body according to the embodiment, FIG. 6 is a side view of a jig according to the embodiment, FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the protective body placed in the groove of the jig, FIG. 8 is a side view showing the protective body placed in the groove of the jig, FIG. 9 is a side view showing the wire harness housed in the protective body, and FIG. 10 is a side view showing the wire harness housed in the protective body.

[0014] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a welding machine for forming a fixing portion, FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a sheet material according to the embodiment, FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the sheet material according to the embodiment, FIGS. 14 and 15 are plan views of the sheet material according to the embodiment, FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of how the sheet materials are stacked, FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the sheet material according to the embodiment, FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a wire harness with a protective material according to the embodiment, FIG. 19 is a front view of the wire harness with a protective material according to the embodiment, and FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the wire harness with a protective material according to the embodiment.

[0015] FIGS. 21 and 22 are perspective views of a protective material for a wire harness according to the embodiment, FIG. 23 is a side view of a wire harness with a protective material according to the embodiment, FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of how the sheet materials are stacked, FIG. 25 is a front view of a wire harness with a protective material according to the embodiment, FIGS. 26 and 27 are perspective views of a protective body according to the embodiment, and FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of the protective body positioned by positioning pins. FIG. 3 shows the III-III cross-section of FIG. 1. FIG. 13 shows the XIII-XIII cross-section of FIG. 12.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wire harness WH1 with a protective material of the present embodiment has a wire harness WH and a protective material 1 for the wire harness. The wire harness WH has a plurality of electric wires W. The electric wire W is, for example, a coated electric wire. The protective material 1 for the wire harness is a member that is attached to the wire harness WH to protect the wire harness WH. The protective material 1 for the wire harness has a protective body 2 and a fixing portion 3. The protective body 2 is wound around the outside of the wire harness WH to protect the wire harness WH. The fixing portion 3 fixes the two end portions 2a, 2a of the protective body 2 to each other.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 3, the protective body 2 is formed by overlapping a plurality of sheet materials 10. One sheet material 10 overlaps at least a part of another sheet material 10. The fixing portion 3 fixes the two end portions 2a to each other along the facing direction Op in which the end portions 2a of the sheet material 10 face each other. The fixing portion 3 is formed, for example, by welding. However, the fixing portion 3 may be a member attached to the protective body 2 and may be, for example, a clip or a binding member.

[0018] In the protective material 1 for the wire harness of the present embodiment, a plurality of sheet materials 10 are used, and the plurality of sheet materials 10 are arranged with a shift in the axial direction of the wire harness WH. In such a configuration, it is possible to realize the protective material 1 for the wire harness according to the required protective performance by the combination method of the same sheet materials 10. Note that the protective performance of the protective material 1 for the wire harness is a performance including rigidity, flexibility, impact resistance, size, etc. In the protective material 1 for the wire harness of the present embodiment, it is not necessary to hold a plurality of types of protective materials with different protective performances as inventory, so simplification of inventory management is realized.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 4, the shape of the sheet material 10 of the present embodiment is rectangular. The sheet material 10 is molded from a flexible insulating synthetic resin. The material of the sheet material 10 is, for example, soft polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The illustrated sheet material 10 has a flat plate shape. The thickness t [mm] of the sheet material 10 is determined so that the sheet material 10 has appropriate flexibility and appropriate strength.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 5, the protective body 2 is formed by overlapping a plurality of sheet materials 10. The plurality of sheet materials 10 constituting the protective body 2 have the same material and the same shape. That is, the material and shape of one sheet material 10 constituting the protective body 2 are the same as those of the other sheet materials 10 constituting the protective body 2. All the sheet materials 10 have the same dimensions. For example, when the shape of the sheet material 10 is rectangular, the lengths and thickness t of the corresponding sides 11, 12 of the plurality of sheet materials 10 are the same.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 5, the plurality of sheet materials 10 overlap such that one sheet material 10 covers at least a part of another sheet material 10. The illustrated rectangular sheet material 10 has a pair of first sides 11 and a pair of second sides 12. In the following description, the direction along the first side 11 is referred to as the first direction D1, and the direction along the second side 12 is referred to as the second direction D2. The first direction D1 and the second direction D2 are orthogonal to each other.

[0022] The plurality of sheet materials 10 constituting the protective body 2 in FIG. 5 include a first sheet material 10A and a second sheet material 10B. In the protective body 2 shown in FIG. 5, the second sheet material 10B overlaps the first sheet material 10A with a shift in the first direction D1. That is, the second side 12 of the second sheet material 10B is shifted in the first direction D1 with respect to the second side 12 of the first sheet material 10A. As a result, the length L10 of the protective body 2 in the first direction D1 becomes longer than the length L1 of the first side 11 of one sheet material 10. That is, by overlapping the plurality of sheet materials 10 with a shift, the protective body 2 having a desired length L10 is realized. The protective body 2 may have three or more sheet materials 10. The number of sheet materials 10 constituting the protective body 2 is determined according to the required protective performance and the like.

[0023] The operation of attaching the protector 2 to the wire harness WH is performed, for example, using a jig. FIG. 6 shows an example of the jig used for attaching the protector 2. The jig 100 in FIG. 6 is, for example, a jig plate. The jig 100 has a groove portion 110. The groove portion 110 may extend linearly or may have a curved portion. The shape of the groove portion 110 in plan view may be determined according to the shape of the routing path of the wire harness WH.

[0024] The groove portion 110 is composed of a bottom wall 111 and a pair of side walls 112. The groove portion 110 has a width and a depth capable of accommodating the wire harness WH. The cross-sectional shape of the internal space of the illustrated groove portion 110 is substantially rectangular. The groove portion 110 has an opening 110a into which the protector 2 and the wire harness WH are inserted.

[0025] A method for manufacturing a wire harness with a protective material using the jig 100 will be described. The method for manufacturing a wire harness with a protective material includes a step of placing the protector 2, a step of accommodating the wire harness WH, and a step of fixing.

[0026] In the step of placing the protector 2, the protector 2 is placed in the groove portion 110 of the jig 100. As shown in FIG. 7, the protector 2 is inserted into the groove portion 110 from the opening 110a in a state where a plurality of sheet materials 10 overlap. At this time, the protector 2 is placed in the groove portion 110 so that the first direction D1 coincides with the extending direction of the groove portion 110. Therefore, the protector 2 is placed in the groove portion 110 in a state where the second sheet material 10B is displaced in the extending direction of the groove portion 110 with respect to the first sheet material 10A.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 8, the protector 2 is placed in the groove portion 110 while bending the central portion of the protector 2 into a substantially U shape. The first side 11 of the protector 2 protrudes outside the groove portion 110. That is, the protector 2 is placed in the groove portion 110 so that the two end portions 2a protrude from the groove portion 110. The placed protector 2 has an opening 2e for receiving the wire harness WH. The jig 100 may have a holding structure for holding the two end portions 2a and forming the opening 2e.

[0028] In the step of accommodating the wire harness WH, the wire harness WH is accommodated in the protector 2 placed in the groove portion 110. As shown in FIG. 9, the wire harness WH is inserted into the protector 2 from the opening 2e with respect to the protector 2. The protector 2 accommodates the wire harness WH in a portion bent in a substantially U shape.

[0029] FIG. 10 shows the protector 2 accommodating the wire harness WH. The wire harness WH is placed on the protector 2 so that the wire harness WH penetrates through the space portion surrounded by the protector 2. The protector 2 is wound around the wire harness WH so as to wrap the wire harness WH. The protector 2 wound around the wire harness WH has an inner surface 2b facing the wire harness WH. The protector 2 is held by the groove portion 110 so that the inner surfaces 2b of both end portions 2a of the protector 2 face each other. The jig 100 may have a support structure that supports the end portions 2a so that the inner surfaces 2b face each other. The protector 2 is wound around the wire harness WH so that the openings of the plurality of sheet materials 10 face the same direction.

[0030] The fixing step is a step of fixing both end portions 2a of the protector 2 to each other by the fixing portion 3. The fixing portion 3 is formed, for example, by welding the two end portions 2a. The step of welding the end portions 2a is executed, for example, by a welding machine 200 as shown in FIG. 11. The welding means by the welding machine 200 may be ultrasonic welding, thermal welding, laser welding, or other means. The welding machine 200 sandwiches, for example, the two end portions 2a and melts the sheet material 10 by heat generated by ultrasonic waves or the like to form the fixing portion 3.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, a part of the sheet material 10 is melted to form the fixing portion 3. The protective body 2 is wound around the wire harness WH such that mating surfaces are formed where the inner surfaces 2b of both end portions 2a extend in the axial direction X while facing each other. That is, the inner surfaces 2b of the plurality of sheet materials 10 included in the protective body 2 form mating surfaces that extend in the axial direction X. In the state fixed by the fixing portion 3, the inner surfaces 2b of the two end portions 2a face each other in the facing direction Op.

[0032] The fixing portion 3 extends along the facing direction Op from one end portion 2a to the other end portion 2a. In other words, the fixing portion 3 penetrates the two end portions 2a along the facing direction Op. By forming the fixing portion 3, the opening between the two end portions 2a is closed. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of sheet materials 10 are fixed at the same location in the opening of the protective body 2.

[0033] Note that when the protective body 2 is wound around the wire harness WH, the position of the end face 2c of the sheet material 10 may shift. This shift is caused, for example, by the difference between the inner and outer circumferences of the portion wound around the wire harness WH. The end face 2c of the sheet material 10 that is relatively inner protrudes with respect to the end face 2c of the sheet material 10 that is relatively outer.

[0034] The protective material 1 for a wire harness may have a plurality of fixing portions 3 as shown in FIG. 2. The plurality of fixing portions 3 shown in FIG. 2 are arranged at intervals along the axial direction X of the wire harness WH. The plurality of fixing portions 3 may be arranged at equal intervals. Between the two fixing portions 3, the two end portions 2a can slide or the two end portions 2a can be separated. Also, when a plurality of sheet materials 10 overlap in the section between the two fixing portions 3, the plurality of sheet materials 10 can slide or the plurality of sheet materials 10 can be separated. Therefore, the protective material 1 for a wire harness having a plurality of fixing portions 3 can be bent flexibly. That is, the protective material 1 for a wire harness having a plurality of fixing portions 3 has high followability with respect to the wire harness WH that is routed while being bent.

[0035] By fixing both end portions 2a to each other by the fixing portion 3, the protective material 1 for the wire harness is attached to the wire harness WH. Thereby, the wire harness WH1 with a protective material is manufactured.

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the protective material 1 for the wire harness according to the present embodiment has a relatively low-rigidity portion 15 and a relatively high-rigidity portion 16. The high-rigidity portion 16 is composed of a relatively larger number of sheet materials 10 than the low-rigidity portion 15. For example, in the protective material 1 for the wire harness shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the high-rigidity portion 16 is formed by overlapping a first sheet material 10A and a second sheet material 10B. Further, in the high-rigidity portion 16, a plurality of sheet materials 10 are fixed to each other by the fixing portion 3.

[0037] The low-rigidity portion 15 is composed of a relatively smaller number of sheet materials 10. For example, in the protective material 1 for the wire harness of FIGS. 1 and 2, the low-rigidity portion 15 is composed of a single first sheet material 10A or a single second sheet material 10B. The low-rigidity portion 15 has a lower rigidity compared to the high-rigidity portion 16 due to being composed of a smaller number of sheet materials 10. That is, the low-rigidity portion 15 has higher flexibility than the high-rigidity portion 16.

[0038] The high-rigidity portion 16 is provided corresponding to, for example, a portion arranged linearly in the wire harness WH. The low-rigidity portion 15 is provided corresponding to, for example, a portion arranged in a bent manner in the wire harness WH. The high-rigidity portion 16 may be provided in a portion where high protection performance is required.

[0039] Note that the sheet material 10 may have concave portions and convex portions. FIGS. 12 and 13 show a sheet material 10 having a curved portion 13 curved in a spherical shape. The sheet material 10 in FIG. 12 has a plurality of curved portions 13. As shown in FIG. 13, the curved portion 13 is curved toward one side in the thickness direction Z of the sheet material 10. One surface of the curved portion 13 is a convex surface, and the other surface of the curved portion 13 is a concave surface.

[0040] The rigidity and flexibility of the sheet material 10 can be adjusted by the arrangement of the curved portions 13. In the sheet material 10 shown in FIG. 14, a plurality of curved portions 13 are arranged in a lattice pattern. That is, the plurality of curved portions 13 are arranged along the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. When the plurality of curved portions 13 are arranged in a lattice pattern, a region 18 having high flexibility is formed between adjacent curved portions 13. Such a sheet material 10 has high flexibility when wound around the wire harness WH.

[0041] In the sheet material 10 shown in FIG. 15, a plurality of curved portions 13 are arranged alternately in a staggered manner. The plurality of curved portions 13 have a first row R1 and a second row R2. The first row R1 and the second row R2 have a plurality of curved portions 13 arranged in the first direction D1. The first row R1 and the second row R2 are arranged offset in the first direction D1. For example, in the first direction D1, the curved portion 13 of the second row R2 is arranged between two curved portions 13 of the first row R1.

[0042] The sheet material 10 in FIG. 15 is wound around the wire harness WH, for example, with a portion along the first side 11 as the end portion 2a. The sheet material 10 in which the plurality of curved portions 13 are arranged alternately has high rigidity when wound around the wire harness WH. Such a sheet material 10 can improve the rigidity of the protective material 1 for the wire harness against bending. Note that the sheet material 10 may have other rows in addition to the first row R1 and the second row R2. In other words, the sheet material 10 may have curved portions 13 arranged in three or more rows.

[0043] The sheet materials 10 having the curved portions 13 may be stacked so that the curved portions 13 fit together. As shown in FIG. 16, a plurality of sheet materials 10 may be stacked such that the curved portion 13 of one sheet material 10 enters the curved portion 13 of another sheet material 10. Alternatively, a plurality of sheet materials 10 may be stacked so that the positions of the curved portions 13 are shifted. In this case, a gap is formed between the two sheet materials 10, and the rigidity and impact resistance of the protective material 1 for the wire harness are improved.

[0044] The protective body 2 may be wound around the wire harness WH with the convex surface of the curved portion 13 facing outward. In this case, the contact between the peripheral components and the wire harness protective material 1 becomes point contact, improving the wear resistance of the wire harness protective material 1. Also, since the contact area with the peripheral components is small, the generation of abnormal noise is suppressed.

[0045] The shape of the curved portion provided in the sheet material 10 is not limited to a spherical shape. FIG. 17 shows a sheet material 10 having a groove-shaped curved portion 14. The sheet material 10 has a plurality of curved portions 14. The curved portion 14 extends linearly and has an arcuate cross-sectional shape. The curved portion 14 in FIG. 17 extends in the second direction D2. A predetermined interval is provided between two adjacent curved portions 14. The plurality of curved portions 14 are arranged at equal intervals along, for example, the first direction D1.

[0046] The sheet material 10 is wound around the wire harness WH, for example, with the portion along the second side 12 as the end portion 2a. In this case, the sheet material 10 can improve the rigidity of the wire harness protective material 1 against bending. Alternatively, the sheet material 10 may be wound around the wire harness WH with the portion along the first side 11 as the end portion 2a. In this case, the sheet material 10 can flexibly bend following the wire harness WH.

[0047] The sheet material 10 having the curved portion 14 is, for example, overlapped so that the curved portions 14 fit together. That is, in the protective body 2, a plurality of sheet materials 10 may be overlapped such that the curved portion 14 of one sheet material 10 enters the curved portion 14 of the other sheet material 10. Alternatively, a plurality of sheet materials 10 may be overlapped such that the positions of the curved portions 14 are shifted. Note that a plurality of sheet materials 10 may be overlapped such that the curved portions 14 protrude in opposite directions. For example, a plurality of sheet materials 10 may be overlapped such that the convex surfaces of the curved portions 14 contact each other, or such that the concave surfaces of the curved portions 14 face each other.

[0048] The protective material 1 for the wire harness may have a fixing portion 3 provided linearly. FIG. 18 shows the protective material 1 for the wire harness having a linear fixing portion 3. The fixing portion 3 extends linearly along the axial direction X. The fixing portion 3 is provided, for example, from one end to the other end of the axial direction X at the end portion 2a. The linear fixing portion 3 can improve the rigidity of the end portion 2a and the straightness of the wire harness WH.

[0049] Note that the mode of the fixing portion 3 provided in the high-rigidity portion 16 and the mode of the fixing portion 3 provided in the low-rigidity portion 15 may be different. The mode of the fixing portion 3 includes at least one of the shape of the fixing portion 3, the arrangement of the fixing portion 3, or the number of the fixing portions 3 per unit length. For example, as shown in FIG. 19, a linear fixing portion 3 may be provided in the high-rigidity portion 16, and a plurality of fixing portions 3 arranged at intervals may be provided in the low-rigidity portion 15.

[0050] In the high-rigidity portion 16, two end portions 2a are fixed to each other by one fixing portion 3 extending linearly. The shape of the fixing portion 3 provided in the high-rigidity portion 16 may be an oval shape, a rectangular shape, or other shapes. In the low-rigidity portion 15, two end portions 2a are fixed to each other by a plurality of fixing portions 3 arranged at intervals. The shape of the fixing portion 3 provided in the low-rigidity portion 15 may be a dot shape, a circular shape, or other shapes.

[0051] As the fixing portion 3, a bundling member 30 shown in FIG. 20 may be used. The bundling member 30 is, for example, a member called a bundling band, and has a head portion 31 and a band portion 32. The band portion 32 is inserted into a through hole 2d provided in the end portion 2a of the protective body 2 and engages with the head portion 31. The bundling member 30 fixes two end portions 2a to each other along the opposing direction Op. The through hole 2d is formed in each sheet material 10 constituting the protective body 2. The plurality of sheet materials 10 are overlapped so that the through holes 2d face each other. The illustrated protective body 2 has a plurality of through holes 2d. The plurality of through holes 2d are arranged at intervals along the axial direction X.

[0052] As the fixing part 3, the clip 40 shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 may be used. The clip 40 is a fastening member called a two-piece clip or a push rivet. The clip 40 shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 has a head part 41, a pin 42, and a plurality of leg parts 43. The pin 42 penetrates the head part 41. The pin 42 and the leg parts 43 are inserted into the through holes of the protective body 2. The clip 40 is configured such that the leg parts 43 expand when the pin 42 is pushed in. The clip 40 sandwiches the sheet material 10 between the expanded leg parts 43 and the head part 41, and fastens the two end parts 2a of the protective body 2. The clip 40 fixes the two end parts 2a to each other along the opposing direction Op.

[0053] When forming the linear fixing part 3 as shown in FIG. 18, for example, a linear clip such as a clip called a hood clip or a sealing clip may be used. FIG. 23 shows a side view of the protective body 2 fastened by the linear clip 50. The clip 50 has two holding bodies 51 and an engaging structure 52. The clip 50 is formed of, for example, an insulating synthetic resin.

[0054] The holding body 51 sandwiches and holds the two end parts 2a of the protective body 2. The two holding bodies 51 are formed in a plate shape or a rod shape, and face each other in the opposing direction Op with the two end parts 2a therebetween. The engaging structure 52 engages the two holding bodies 51. The engaging structure 52 is constituted by, for example, an engaging arm 52a of one holding body 51 and a locking part 52b of the other holding body 51. In this case, the locking part 52b locks the engaging arm 52a in the opposing direction Op. The engaging structure 52 is arranged at both ends in the axial direction X with respect to the holding body 51. The clip 50 can fix the two end parts 2a to each other along the opposing direction Op. In addition to both ends of the holding body 51, a further engaging structure may be provided at the middle part of the holding body 51.

[0055] A plurality of sheet materials 10 having a bent portion 14 may be stacked such that the extending directions of the bent portions 14 are different. FIG. 24 shows a protector 2 stacked such that the extending directions of the bent portions 14 are different. The protector 2 in FIG. 24 has a single first sheet material 10A and two second sheet materials 10B.

[0056] The two second sheet materials 10B are each offset in the axial direction X with respect to the first sheet material 10A and stacked. One second sheet material 10B is offset to the first side X1 of the axial direction X with respect to the first sheet material 10A. The other second sheet material 10B is offset to the second side X2 of the axial direction X with respect to the first sheet material 10A.

[0057] The bent portion 14 of the first sheet material 10A extends in the axial direction X. The bent portion 14 of the second sheet material 10B extends in a direction orthogonal to the bent portion 14 of the first sheet material 10A. The first sheet material 10A is stacked on a part of the second sheet material 10B. The protector 2 composed of three sheet materials 10 is attached to the wire harness WH using, for example, a jig 100 and a welding machine 200.

[0058] FIG. 25 shows a wire harness WH1 with a protective material composed of the wire harness WH and the protector 2 in FIG. 24. As shown in FIG. 25, the wire harness protective material 1 has a low-rigidity portion 15 and a high-rigidity portion 16. The high-rigidity portion 16 is formed by the overlapping of the first sheet material 10A and the second sheet material 10B. The low-rigidity portion 15 is formed by the second sheet material 10B.

[0059] In the first sheet material 10A, the bent portion 14 extends in the axial direction X. On the other hand, in the second sheet material 10B, the bent portion 14 extends in the circumferential direction so as to surround the wire harness WH. Therefore, in terms of the rigidity against bending, the first sheet material 10A has higher rigidity than the second sheet material 10B. That is, the high-rigidity portion 16 has higher rigidity than the low-rigidity portion 15 in that it has at least the first sheet material 10A.

[0060] Also, in the high-rigidity portion 16, the first sheet material 10A and the second sheet material 10B overlap. That is, the high-rigidity portion 16 has higher rigidity than the low-rigidity portion 15 in that a relatively large number of sheet materials 10 overlap. Therefore, in the high-rigidity portion 16, the rigidity is improved by both the extending direction of the curved portion 14 and the number of sheet materials 10.

[0061] When attached to the wire harness WH, means for suppressing displacement of the plurality of sheet materials 10 may be used in the protective body 2. For example, as shown in FIG. 26, a welding portion 17 for welding the plurality of sheet materials 10 may be formed. The protective body 2 in FIG. 16 has a plurality of welding portions 17. The welding portion 17 is formed so as to penetrate the protective body 2 along the stacking direction Ly in which the sheet materials 10 overlap. The welding portion 17 is arranged in a region where the plurality of sheet materials 10 overlap.

[0062] The plurality of welding portions 17 are arranged along the axial direction X of the wire harness WH when wound around the wire harness WH. In the protective body 2 of FIG. 26, the plurality of welding portions 17 are arranged side by side in the second direction D2. In this case, the protective body 2 is wound around the wire harness WH so that the wire harness WH extends in the second direction D2. The welding portion 17 is arranged, for example, at the central portion of the protective body 2 in the second direction D2.

[0063] The welding portion 17 may be formed linearly as shown in FIG. 27. The welding portion 17 in FIG. 27 extends along the axial direction X of the wire harness WH when wound around the wire harness WH. The linear welding portion 17 can improve the straightness of the wire harness protective material 1.

[0064] The means for suppressing the displacement of the sheet material 10 may be a positioning pin provided on the jig 100. FIG. 28 shows a jig 100 having a positioning pin 113. The positioning pin 113 is disposed, for example, on the bottom wall 111. The illustrated positioning pin 113 protrudes from the bottom wall 111 toward the opening of the groove portion 110. The protective body 2 has a through hole 2f into which the positioning pin 113 is inserted. The through hole 2f is disposed at a portion where a plurality of sheet materials 10 overlap. The through hole 2f is provided in each sheet material 10. That is, the plurality of sheet materials 10 are stacked so that the through holes 2f face each other. The positioning pin 113 is inserted into the through hole 2f of each sheet material 10 to suppress the displacement of the plurality of sheet materials 10.

[0065] According to the manufacturing method of the wire harness WH1 with a protective material according to the present embodiment, complicated operations such as spirally winding a tape around the wire harness WH are unnecessary. Therefore, the efficiency of the operation of manufacturing the wire harness WH1 with a protective material is improved.

[0066] Further, in the manufacturing method of the wire harness WH1 with a protective material according to the present embodiment, the operations of attaching a plurality of protective materials 1 for wire harnesses to the wire harness WH can be performed in parallel or simultaneously. In this case, in the step of placing the protective body 2, a plurality of protective bodies 2 may be placed in one groove portion 110. The plurality of protective bodies 2 are placed, for example, at different positions along the axial direction X of the wire harness WH. According to the number of the protective bodies 2 to be placed, a plurality of welding machines 200 may be arranged for one groove portion 110. Alternatively, one welding machine 200 may perform welding on a plurality of protective bodies 2.

[0067] The jig 100 may have a plurality of groove portions 110 corresponding to a plurality of protective bodies 2 and a plurality of welding machines 200 corresponding to each groove portion 110.

[0068] As described above, the protective material 1 for a wire harness according to the present embodiment includes a protective body 2 and a fixing portion 3. The protective body 2 is formed by overlapping a plurality of sheet materials 10. The fixing portion 3 fixes both end portions 2a of the protective body 2 to each other in a state where the protective body 2 is wound around the wire harness WH. The plurality of sheet materials 10 have the same material and the same shape. The plurality of sheet materials 10 include a first sheet material 10A and a second sheet material 10B. The second sheet material 10B is disposed at a position shifted from the first sheet material 10A in the axial direction X of the wire harness WH and partially overlaps the first sheet material 10A.

[0069] The protective body 2 has an inner surface 2b facing the wire harness WH in a state where the protective body 2 is wound around the wire harness WH. The protective body 2 is wound around the wire harness WH so that mating surfaces are formed where the inner surfaces 2b of both end portions 2a of the protective body 2 face each other and extend in the axial direction X. The fixing portion 3 fixes both end portions 2a of the protective body 2 to each other along the opposing direction Op in which the inner surfaces 2b of both end portions 2a of the protective body 2 face each other. In the protective material 1 for a wire harness according to the present embodiment, protective materials having different required protective performances can be manufactured from the same sheet material 10. Therefore, according to the protective material 1 for a wire harness of the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the types of parts required for protective materials having different protective performances.

[0070] The fixing portion 3 may be formed by welding the sheet materials 10 at both end portions 2a of the protective body 2. In this case, it becomes possible to automate the process of forming the fixing portion 3 and improve the efficiency. In the low-rigidity portion 15, the fixing portion 3 may be formed by welding both end portions 2a of a single sheet material 10. In the high-rigidity portion 16, the fixing portion 3 may be formed by welding both end portions 2a of a plurality of sheet materials 10.

[0071] In the protective material 1 for a wire harness, a plurality of fixing portions 3 may be arranged at intervals along the axial direction X of the wire harness WH. In this case, the protective material 1 for a wire harness can be flexibly bent.

[0072] The manufacturing method of the wire harness with a protective material according to this embodiment includes a step of placing the protective body 2, a step of accommodating the wire harness WH, and a step of fixing. In the step of placing the protective body 2, the protective body 2 composed of a plurality of sheet materials 10 overlapping each other is placed in the groove portion 110 of the jig 100. In the step of accommodating the wire harness WH, the wire harness WH is accommodated in the protective body 2 placed in the groove portion 110. In the step of fixing, both end portions 2a of the protective body 2 are fixed to each other by the fixing portion 3, and the protective body 2 is attached to the wire harness WH. According to the manufacturing method of the wire harness with a protective material according to this embodiment, the step of attaching the protective material to the wire harness WH is made more efficient.

[0073] The contents disclosed in the above embodiment can be executed in appropriate combination.

Explanation of Signs

[0074] 1: Protective material for wire harness 2: Protective body, 2a: End portion, 2b: Inner surface, 2c: End face, 2d: Through hole 2e: Opening 3: Fixing portion 10: Sheet material, 10A: First sheet material, 10B: Second sheet material 11: First side, 12: Second side 13, 14: Curved portion 15: Low-rigidity portion, 16: High-rigidity portion, 17: Welded portion, 18: Region 30: Binding member, 31: Head portion, 32: Band portion 40: Clip, 41: Head portion, 42: Pin, 43: Leg portion 50: Clip, 51: Holding body, 52: Engaging structure 100: Jig, 110: Groove portion, 113: Positioning pin 200: Welding machine D1: First direction, D2: Second direction Ly: Laminating direction, Op: Opposite direction, X: Axis direction, Z: Thickness direction W: Electric wire, WH: Wire harness, WH1: Wire harness with protective material

Claims

1. A protective body composed of a plurality of sheet materials, and a fixing portion for fixing both ends of the protective body to each other in a state where the protective body is wound around a wire harness. The plurality of sheet materials have the same material and the same shape. The plurality of sheet materials include a first sheet material and a second sheet material. The second sheet material is disposed at a position shifted with respect to the first sheet material in the axial direction of the wire harness and partially overlaps the first sheet material. The protective body has an inner surface facing the wire harness in a state where the protective body is wound around the wire harness. The protective body is wound around the wire harness so that mating surfaces where the inner surfaces of both ends of the protective body face each other and extend in the axial direction are formed. The fixing portion fixes both ends of the protective body to each other along the facing direction in which the inner surfaces of both ends of the protective body face each other. A protective material for a wire harness, characterized in that.

2. The fixing portion is formed by welding the sheet materials at both ends of the protective body. The protective material for a wire harness according to claim 1.

3. A plurality of the fixing portions are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the wire harness. The protective material for a wire harness according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A step of placing a protective body composed of a plurality of sheet materials overlapping each other in a groove portion of a jig. A step of accommodating a wire harness in the protective body placed in the groove portion. A step of fixing both ends of the protective body to each other by a fixing portion and attaching the protective body to the wire harness. A method for manufacturing a wire harness with a protective material, including.

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