Manufacturing apparatus of wire harness, manufacturing method of wire harness and wire harness

Abstract

To provide a manufacturing apparatus of a wire harness, a manufacturing method of a wire harness and a wire harness, capable of appropriately disposing a molding part covering a wiring material.SOLUTION: A manufacturing apparatus of a wire harness 2 includes: a molding tool 3 with a molding space 33 formed to allow a wiring material W to be placed; and an injection unit 4 configured to inject a molding material 41 to the molding space 33 with the wiring material W placed to form a molding member 1 so as to cover the wiring material W. The molding tool 3 includes: a center mold part 31 with the molding space 33 formed; and an end mold part 32 disposed neighboring the center mold part 31 in an extension direction X of the molding space 33. The end mold part 32 is formed with a material having lower rigidity than that of the center mold part 31 and includes a small diameter part 334 that allows an insertion of the wiring material W placed in the molding space 33.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wire harness manufacturing apparatus, a wire harness manufacturing method, and a wire harness. [Background technology]

[0002] An exterior material is essential for a wire harness to protect the electric wires from external structures such as steel plates of a vehicle. Conventional wire harnesses use various types of exterior materials to protect the electric wires. For example, the wire harness described in Patent Document 1 includes a bundle of electric wires and a molded body integrally provided on a mounting portion that is a part of the axial direction of the bundle of electric wires, and the molded body is made of a thermoplastic resin. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-160568 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When this type of wire harness is installed in a vehicle, it is often routed between on-board components, and therefore the wire harness is required to be appropriately manufactured in a desired shape and size, including a molded body.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a wire harness manufacturing apparatus, a wire harness manufacturing method, and a wire harness that can appropriately provide a molded member that covers a wiring material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] That is, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus of the present invention comprises a molding die in which a molding space in which wiring material can be placed is formed, and a material injection section that injects molding material into the molding space in which the wiring material is placed to form a molded member to cover the wiring material, and the molding die has a central mold section in which the molding space is formed, and end mold sections arranged adjacent to the central mold section in the extension direction of the molding space, and the end mold sections have small diameter sections through which the wiring material placed in the molding space is inserted, and are configured to be formed from a material with lower rigidity than the central mold section. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The wire harness manufacturing apparatus, the wire harness manufacturing method, and the wire harness according to the present invention can appropriately be provided with a molded member that covers the wiring material. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wire harness according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the wire harness manufacturing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of a forming die of the wire harness manufacturing apparatus taken along line III-III in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the wire harness manufacturing method according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a modified example of the wire harness according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments include those that are easily replaceable by those skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same.

[0010] [Embodiment] As shown in Fig. 1, a wire harness WH according to this embodiment is used by being routed in a vehicle, and electrically connects devices, components, etc. mounted on the vehicle. The wire harness WH is configured with a routing material W and a molded member 1. The wire harness WH may further include various components such as exterior members such as a corrugated tube, a resin tape, and a protector, an electrical connection box, and a fixture.

[0011] The wiring material W is a conductive linear member, and is composed of, for example, a metal rod, an electric wire, etc. A metal rod is a rod-shaped member that is conductive. An electric wire is a conductor member (core wire) made up of multiple conductive metal wires. The wiring material W may be covered with an insulating coating. Multiple wiring materials W are provided, and each is arranged facing the same direction. Multiple wiring materials W may be provided, for example, in a bundled state. For example, the wiring material W is used by attaching connecting parts such as terminals and connectors to its end.

[0012] The molded member 1 is a member that covers the wiring material W and is formed integrally with the wiring material W, and functions as an exterior member that covers the outer periphery of the wiring material W. The molded member 1 covers the wiring material W along the longitudinal direction L in which the multiple wiring materials W extend, and is formed around the multiple wiring materials W. The molded member 1 allows the wiring material W to extend from both ends, enabling connection to equipment, etc.

[0013] The molded member 1 is formed from a flexible or elastic insulating molding material, such as resin, rubber, or elastomer, specifically, thermoplastic elastomer, ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM), or the like. The molded member 1 is integrally formed around the wiring materials W by molding the molding material so as to cover the wiring materials W. This allows the wire harness WH to have flexibility together with the molded member 1. The molded member 1, for example, covers a portion of the wiring materials W collectively. Note that while the covering portion constituting the wiring material W is an insulating covering member provided over the entire length of the wiring material W, the molded member 1 is a protective member partially provided on the wiring material W at a necessary location outside the covering member for protecting the wiring material W, regulating the route, etc.

[0014] The molded member 1 has a central portion 11, end portions 12, and a boundary portion 13. The central portion 11 is located in the central region of the molded member 1 in the longitudinal direction L and is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape. A cylindrical shape also includes a shape that is approximately cylindrical. The end portions 12 are located adjacent to the central portion 11 and are continuous with the end portions of the central portion 11. That is, the end portions 12 are located at the end portions of the molded member 1, are formed in a cylindrical shape, and are provided in the longitudinal direction L toward the end portion 14. For example, the end portions 12 are provided so that the cross-sectional area in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction L is smaller than that of the central portion 11. Specifically, the end portions 12 are provided coaxially with the central portion 11 and have a diameter smaller than that of the central portion 11.

[0015] The boundary 13 is provided at an end of the molded member 1 in the longitudinal direction L and extends in the circumferential direction. The boundary 13 is provided at a position corresponding to a seam of the mold part of the forming die 3 used to form the molded member 1. For example, the boundary 13 is formed in a circumferential direction at the boundary position between the central portion 11 and the end portion 12. The boundary 13 is formed as a protrusion such as a burr or an inflection portion such as a step formed in a circumferential direction of the molded member 1. In FIG. 1 , the boundary 13 is formed as a step formed by the difference in diameter between the central portion 11 and the end portion 12.

[0016] The wire harness WH according to this embodiment has a molded member 1 having a boundary 13 formed at an end thereof. This allows the molded member 1 to be molded using different mold parts with the boundary 13 as a boundary. Therefore, the wire harness WH according to this embodiment can be appropriately molded by using a mold having a structure that makes it easy to fasten the wiring material W extending from the molded member 1.

[0017] Next, the wire harness manufacturing device according to this embodiment will be described.

[0018] 2, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 2 is an apparatus for manufacturing a wire harness WH by molding a molded member 1 around a wiring material W, and includes, for example, a molding die 3 and an injection unit 4. The wire harness manufacturing apparatus 2 is configured as an injection molding machine, for example, for manufacturing the wire harness WH by injection molding. The molding die 3 includes a fixed die 3A and a movable die 3B, and a molding space 33 is formed by abutting the movable die 3B against the fixed die 3A and clamping the mold.

[0019] The injection unit 4 is a material injection section that injects the molding material 41 into the molding space 33. The injection unit 4 injects the molten molding material 41 into the molding die 3 through a flow path 34, forming the molded member 1 so as to cover the wiring material W. The flow path 34 constitutes the sprue, runner, and gate of the molding die 3. The molding material 41 is a material such as resin, rubber, or elastomer, and is heated to a high temperature and injected into the molding die 3 in a molten state, filling the molding space 33.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3 , the molding die 3 has a central die portion 31 and end die portions 32. The central die portion 31 is a portion that forms the molding space 33 and is formed to include the central portion of the molding die 3. The end die portions 32 are provided adjacent to the central die portion 31 in the extension direction X of the molding space 33. For example, the molding die 3 is configured with the end die portions 32 adjacent to both ends of the central die portion 31. The extension direction X of the molding space 33 is the same direction as the longitudinal direction L of the molded member 1 during molding. The central die portion 31 and the end die portions 32 are used as nests and are fitted into a holder 35 for installation. The central die portion 31 and the end die portions 32 are formed from separate members and are arranged side by side. In the molding die 3, the boundary between the central die portion 31 and the end die portions 32 forms a mold joint and can cause flash or other defects during molding. The end die portions 32 are formed from a material with lower rigidity than the central die portion 31. For example, the central mold portion 31 is a metal mold, and the end mold portions 32 are resin molds made of resin. The end mold portions 32 are formed of resin, for example, a resin with a melting point higher than that of the molding material 41. The end mold portions 32 are formed of, for example, polyurethane or a resin containing polyurethane as a main material. As shown in FIG. 2, the central mold portion 31 and the end mold portions 32 are provided in the fixed mold 3A and the movable mold 3B, respectively.

[0021] The central mold portion 31 and the end mold portions 32 may be configured as solid blocks without hollow portions inside, or may have hollow structures with hollow portions inside. In particular, by making the resin end mold portions 32 hollow, the elasticity of the portions that may come into contact with the wiring material W can be increased, and damage to the wiring material W can be suppressed.

[0022] In FIG. 3 , the molding space 33 is formed according to the shape of the molded member 1. The molding space 33 is composed of a central space 331 and edge space 332. The central space 331 is a space portion that molds the central portion 11 of the molded member 1 and is formed in the center of the molding space 33. The central space 331 is formed as a cylindrical space and is formed in the central mold portion 31. The edge space 332 is a space portion that molds the edge portion 12 of the molded member 1 and is formed at each end of the molding space 33 in the extension direction X. The edge space 332 is formed as a cylindrical space and is formed in the end mold portion 32. The end mold portion 32 has a smaller cross-sectional area of the molding space 33 in a direction intersecting the extension direction X than the central mold portion 31. That is, the edge space 332 is formed so that the cross-sectional area in a direction intersecting the extension direction X is smaller than that of the central space 331. For example, the space end portion 332 is formed as a space having a smaller diameter than the space center portion 331 .

[0023] The molding space 33 has open ends, allowing the wiring material W to be placed therein while extending outside the molding die 3. That is, the molding space 33 has openings 333 at both ends, allowing the wiring material W to be placed therein as an insert part while extending out of the molding die 3 through the openings 333. The end mold portion 32 is formed with a small diameter portion 334. The small diameter portion 334 is a space that is connected to the molding space 33 and serves to clamp the wiring material W placed in the molding space 33 during molding. The small diameter portion 334 is formed so that its cross-sectional area in a direction intersecting the extension direction X of the molding space 33 is smaller than that of the molding space 33 formed in the center mold portion 31. This prevents the molding material 41 filled in the molding space 33 from leaking out of the molding die 3.

[0024] For example, when the opening 333 is formed in the molding space 33 and the molten molding material 41 is filled into the molding space 33 during molding of the molded member 1, there is a concern that the molding material 41 may leak out of the opening 333. However, by forming the small diameter portion 334 connected to the end of the molding space 33, the gap between the wiring material W and the opening 333 is reduced, and the molding material 41 is prevented from leaking out of the opening 333.

[0025] Furthermore, the wire harness production apparatus 2 can have a structure that makes it easy to tighten the wiring material W while preventing damage to the wiring material W by forming the end mold portions 32 of the molding die 3 from a material that is less rigid than the central mold portion 31. In other words, even if the small diameter portions 334 of the end mold portions 32 are formed thin, the wiring material W is prevented from coming into contact with the end mold portions 32 and being damaged, so a structure that makes it easy to tighten the wiring material W can be achieved. As a result, the wire harness production apparatus 2 according to this embodiment can prevent the molding material 41 from leaking from the end portions of the molding space 33, and can properly mold the molded member 1.

[0026] Next, a method for manufacturing a wire harness according to this embodiment will be described.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a wire harness manufacturing method according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, in manufacturing a wire harness WH, an arrangement process is first performed (S10). The arrangement process is a process of arranging a wiring material W in the molding space 33 of the molding die 3. For example, the molding die 3 is opened and the movable die 3B is separated from the fixed die 3A. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the wiring material W is arranged in the molding space 33. The wiring material W is arranged so that its end extends from the opening 333 of the molding space 33. FIG. 3 shows, for example, a simplified representation of multiple wiring materials W as a single wiring material W.

[0028] In this arrangement step, since the end mold portions 32 of the forming mold 3 are formed of a material with lower rigidity than the central mold portion 31, damage to the wiring material W is suppressed even when the wiring material W comes into contact with the end mold portions 32. Therefore, the forming mold 3 can form the small diameter portions 334 of the end mold portions 32 to be narrow.

[0029] Then, the process proceeds to S12 in FIG. 4, where the molding process is performed. In the molding process, a molding material 41 is injected into the molding space 33 in which the wiring material W is placed, and the molded member 1 is molded to cover the wiring material W. In the molding process, first, the mold 3 is clamped, and as shown in FIG. 2, the movable mold 3B is fitted into the fixed mold 3A. At this time, the wiring material W can be clamped by the end mold portion 32 of the mold 3 at the small diameter portion 334. In other words, because the small diameter portion 334 is a space with a small cross section, the gaps between the multiple wiring materials W and the gaps between the end mold portion 32 and the wiring material W can be reduced at the position of the small diameter portion 334. In addition, because the end mold portion 32 is formed of a material with low rigidity, damage to the wiring material W is suppressed. Then, the molten molding material 41 is injected into the molding space 33. The molding material 41 is injected, for example, from the space center 331 of the molding space 33, fills the space center 331, and flows to the space end 332. The space end 332 is connected to the small diameter portion 334, and since the wiring material W is arranged in a tight state in the small diameter portion 334, the gap between the opening 333 and the wiring material W is small, and leakage of the molding material 41 from the opening 333 is suppressed.

[0030] Then, once the molding material 41 has hardened, the mold 3 is opened, and the wire harness WH is removed from the mold 3. As shown in Fig. 1, the wire harness WH is removed from the mold 3 in a state in which the molded member 1 is formed so as to cover the periphery of the wiring material W. This wire harness WH is subjected to deburring, attachment of exterior parts and components, etc. as necessary, and the manufacture of the wire harness WH is completed.

[0031] As described above, the wire harness production apparatus 2 according to this embodiment has a structure in which the end mold portions 32 of the molding die 3 are formed from a material with lower rigidity than the central mold portion 31, thereby making it possible to easily fasten the wiring material W while preventing damage to the wiring material W. Therefore, the wire harness production apparatus 2 according to this embodiment can prevent the molding material 41 from leaking from the end portions of the molding space 33, and can properly mold the molded member 1.

[0032] Furthermore, in the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 2 according to this embodiment, the small diameter portion 334 of the end mold portion 32 in the molding mold 3 is formed with a smaller cross-sectional area than the molding space 33 formed in the central mold portion 31, thereby preventing the molding material 41 from leaking from the molding mold 3.

[0033] The wire harness manufacturing method according to this embodiment uses a molding die 3 in which the end mold portions 32 are formed of a material with lower rigidity than the central mold portion 31, thereby making it possible to tighten the wiring material W while preventing damage to the wiring material W to form the molded member 1. Therefore, the wire harness manufacturing method according to this embodiment can appropriately form the molded member 1 by preventing the molding material 41 from leaking from the end portions of the molding space 33 in the molding process.

[0034] The wire harness WH according to this embodiment has a boundary 13 formed at an end of the molded member 1, and therefore can be molded using different mold parts with the boundary 13 of the molded member 1 as a boundary. Therefore, the wire harness WH according to this embodiment can be appropriately molded by using a mold structured to easily fasten the wiring material W extending from the molded member 1.

[0035] Although the wire harness WH, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 2, and the wire harness manufacturing method according to the present embodiment have been described above, the wire harness, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus, and the wire harness manufacturing method according to the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. The wire harness WH, the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 2, and the wire harness manufacturing method according to the present embodiment may be configured by appropriately combining the components of the embodiments described above.

[0036] For example, in the wire harness WH according to the above-described embodiment, the boundary portion 13 is formed as a step formed by the difference in diameter between the central portion 11 and the end portion 12. However, other structures or shapes are also possible. For example, the boundary portion 13 may be a burr, protrusion, or the like formed during molding, or may be a remaining portion after the burr, protrusion, or the like is removed. As an example, as shown in FIG. 5 , the molded member 1 in the wire harness WH may not have an end portion 12. In this case, the boundary portion 13 is formed as a burr formed at the end portion of the central portion 11. In FIG. 2 , the wire harness manufacturing apparatus 2 does not form a hollow end portion 332 in the end mold portion 32, but forms a small diameter portion 334 over the entire region of the end mold portion 32 in the extension direction X. This results in a wire harness WH in which the molded member 1 does not have an end portion 12 and the wiring material W extends from the end face of the central portion 11.

[0037] Furthermore, the wire harness WH, wire harness manufacturing apparatus 2, and wire harness manufacturing method according to the above-described embodiments have been described as being applied to a wire harness WH to be mounted on a vehicle, but may also be applied to a wire harness that is not mounted on a vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1: Molded parts 2: Wire harness manufacturing equipment 3: Molding mold 4: Injection unit (material injection section) 11: Central part 12:End 13: Boundary 31: Central mold part 32: End mold part 33: Molding space 41: Molding material 334: Small diameter section L: Longitudinal direction X: Extending direction W: Routing material WH: Wire harness

Claims

1. a molding die having a molding space in which a wiring material can be placed; a material injection section that injects a molding material into the molding space in which the wiring material is placed to form a molded member so as to cover the wiring material; the molding die has a central mold portion in which the molding space is formed, and end mold portions provided adjacent to the central mold portion in the extension direction of the molding space, The end mold portion has a small diameter portion through which the wiring material to be placed in the molding space is inserted, and is formed of a material having lower rigidity than the central mold portion. Wire harness manufacturing equipment.

2. the small diameter portion has a cross-sectional area in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the molding space, which is smaller than that of the molding space formed in the central mold portion; The wire harness manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. an arrangement step of arranging the wiring material in a molding space of the molding die; a molding step of injecting a molding material into the molding space in which the wiring material is arranged to mold a molded member so as to cover the wiring material, the molding die has a central mold portion in which the molding space is formed, and end mold portions provided adjacent to the central mold portion in the extension direction of the molding space, The end mold portion has a small diameter portion through which the wiring material to be placed in the molding space is inserted, and is formed of a material having lower rigidity than the central mold portion. Wire harness manufacturing method.

4. A conductive wiring material; A molded member that covers the wiring material and is integrally formed with the wiring material, The molding member has a boundary portion extending in the circumferential direction at a longitudinal end portion thereof at a position corresponding to a seam of a molding portion of a molding die. Wire harness.

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