Wire harness

Abstract

To provide a wire harness capable of reducing a load on a flat wiring member when handling a case.SOLUTION: A wire harness 1 includes: a flat wiring member 100 formed in a U-shape having a linear first part 110, a linear second part 120, and an intermediate part 130 connecting an end part of the first part and an end part of the second part; a first case 10 holding the first part; a second case 20 holding the second part; and a connecting part 70 connecting the first case and the second case. The first case has a first support wall that supports the first part, the second case has a second support wall that supports the second part, the coupling part is configured to couple the first case and the second case in a state in which the first support wall and the second support wall are arranged along a width direction Y of the flat wiring material, and the connecting part 70 has a hinge part 72 that can relatively rotate the first case and the second case so that the first support wall and the second support wall face each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there are flat wiring materials such as flexible printed circuit boards. Patent Document 1 discloses a flexible printed circuit board that can easily realize long wiring. The flexible printed circuit board of Patent Document 1 includes a first strip-shaped member and a second strip-shaped member each having a conductive portion and an insulating portion covering the conductive portion, and a first connecting member that connects a first end of the first strip-shaped member to a first end of the second strip-shaped member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-170699 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, it is being considered to house part of a long flat wiring material in a first case and the other part in a second case. When one flat wiring material is housed in two cases, it is desirable to be able to reduce the load on the flat wiring material when handling the cases. For example, when the two cases are moved independently without being connected, a large load may be applied to the flat wiring material.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a wire harness that can reduce the load on a flat wiring material when handling the case. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The wire harness of the present invention comprises a flat wiring material formed in a U-shape having a straight first portion, a straight second portion, and an intermediate portion connecting an end of the first portion and an end of the second portion, a first case holding the first portion, a second case holding the second portion, and a connecting portion connecting the first case and the second case, wherein the first case has a first support wall supporting the first portion, and the second case has a second support wall supporting the second portion, the connecting portion is configured to connect the first case and the second case with the first support wall and the second support wall aligned along the width direction of the flat wiring material, and the connecting portion has a hinge portion that can rotate the first case and the second case relative to each other so that the first support wall and the second support wall face each other. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The wire harness according to the present invention includes a connecting portion that connects the first case and the second case, and the connecting portion has a hinge portion that can rotate the first case and the second case relative to each other so that the first support wall and the second support wall face each other. The wire harness according to the present invention has an effect of reducing the load on the flat wiring material when handling the first case and the second case. [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 perspective view of the wire harness according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the case according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the case according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view of the flat wiring material according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the wire harness according to the embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the wire harness according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the wire harness according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the wire harness according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the second rotation step of the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the wire harness according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a flat wiring material according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, a wire harness 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 to the embodiment. Furthermore, components in the following embodiments include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art or those that are substantially the same.

[0010] [Embodiment] An embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 12. The embodiment relates to a wire harness. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 are perspective views of the wire harness according to the embodiment, Fig. 3 is a plan view of a case according to the embodiment, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the case according to the embodiment, Fig. 5 is a plan view of a flat wiring material according to the embodiment, Fig. 6 is a plan view of the wire harness according to the embodiment, Figs. 7 to 9 are perspective views of the wire harness according to the embodiment, Fig. 10 is a diagram for explaining a second rotation step of the embodiment, Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the wire harness according to the embodiment, and Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the flat wiring material according to the embodiment.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the wire harness 1 of this embodiment has a connecting portion 70 that connects two cases 10, 20. The flat wiring material 100 that is assembled to the two cases 10, 20 has a substantially U-shape in a plan view, as shown in FIG. 5. The flat wiring material 100 has a first portion 110, a second portion 120, and an intermediate portion 130. The first portion 110 and the second portion 120 have a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view. The flat wiring material 100 has a slit 100s formed between the first portion 110 and the second portion 120.

[0012] The intermediate portion 130 connects the end of the linear first portion 110 and the end of the linear second portion 120. The shape of the intermediate portion 130 in a planar view is approximately trapezoidal. The intermediate portion 130 has a tapered shape in which its width narrows as it moves away from the first portion 110 and the second portion 120 along the extension direction X. The extension direction X is the direction in which the first portion 110 extends, and is the longitudinal direction of the first portion 110. In the flat wiring material 100 in its initial shape before deformation, the first portion 110 and the second portion 120 extend in the same extension direction X and are aligned in the width direction Y. The width direction Y is a direction perpendicular to the extension direction X and is the width direction of the first portion 110 and the second portion 120.

[0013] The flat wiring material 100 of this embodiment is provided with branch portions 170 connected to the bus bar 200. The branch portions 170 extend from the first portion 110 and the second portion 120 in the width direction Y. The tip portions of the branch portions 170 are connected to the bus bar 200 by solder or the like.

[0014] The flat wiring material 100 is, for example, an FPC (flexible printed circuit board). The flat wiring material 100 of this embodiment is disposed in a battery module and detects the voltage and temperature of the battery cells of the battery module.

[0015] When the flat wiring material 100 is an FPC, the flat wiring material 100 has a base film, a conductive layer, and a coverlay. The conductive layer is sandwiched and protected between the base film and the coverlay. The conductive layer is, for example, a conductive metal foil and has a circuit pattern including multiple detection lines 140. The flat wiring material 100 is flexible and can be bent when being wired.

[0016] Returning to FIG. 1, the connecting portion 70 of this embodiment has a hinge portion 72 configured to allow the two cases 10, 20 to rotate relative to one another. The hinge portion 72 is deformable so as to rotate the two cases 10, 20 relative to one another around the axis Cx as the center of rotation. The hinge portion 72 allows the two cases 10, 20 to rotate relative to one another to an overlapping relative position as shown in FIG. 2. The wire harness 1 of this embodiment can improve the workability of the work of deforming the flat wiring material 100 formed into a U-shape. Furthermore, the wire harness 1 of this embodiment can reduce the load on the flat wiring material 100 when handling the cases 10, 20.

[0017] Figures 3 and 4 show the first case 10 and the second case 20 of this embodiment. The first case 10 and the second case 20 are molded, for example, from an insulating synthetic resin. The first case 10 has a main body 11 and a cover 18. The main body 11 and the cover 18 are molded, for example, as a single unit. In the first case 10 of this embodiment, the main body 11 and the cover 18 are connected via a hinge portion 11e. The main body 11 has a first support wall 11a that supports the first portion 110 of the flat wiring material 100. The first support wall 11a is formed in a straight line along the extension direction X. The cover 18 has an opposing wall 18a that covers the first support wall 11a. The first portion 110 of the flat wiring material 100 is accommodated and held between the first support wall 11a and the opposing wall 18a.

[0018] A first shaft support portion 19A and a second shaft support portion 19B are provided at an end portion of the main body 11 in the extension direction X. The first shaft support portion 19A rotatably supports a first rotating shaft 25A of the second case 20. The second shaft support portion 19B rotatably supports a second rotating shaft 25B of the second case 20.

[0019] The second case 20 according to the embodiment has a main body 21, a cover 24, and a connecting portion 70. The main body 21, the cover 24, and the connecting portion 70 are, for example, molded integrally. In the second case 20 according to the embodiment, the main body 21 and the cover 24 are connected via a hinge portion 21e. The main body 21 has a second support wall 21a that supports the second portion 120 of the flat wiring material 100. The second support wall 21a is formed in a straight line along the extension direction X. The cover 24 has an opposing wall 24a that covers the second support wall 21a. The second portion 120 of the flat wiring material 100 is accommodated and held between the second support wall 21a and the opposing wall 24a.

[0020] A first rotating shaft 25A is disposed at an end of the main body 21 in the extension direction X. More specifically, an arm protruding in the extension direction X is provided at the end of the main body 21. The first rotating shaft 25A protrudes in the width direction Y from this arm.

[0021] The connecting portion 70 is connected to an end of the cover 24 in the extension direction X. The connecting portion 70 protrudes from the cover 24 in the width direction Y toward the side opposite to the main body 21. The connecting portion 70 has a main body 71, a hinge portion 72, and a second rotation shaft 25B. The main body 71 has a flat plate shape and is adjacent to the opposing wall 24a in the width direction Y. The main body 71 has a rectangular shape in a plan view. The hinge portion 72 connects the opposing wall 24a and the main body 71 and extends in the extension direction X. The hinge portion 72 is formed to be thinner than the main body 71 and the opposing wall 24a.

[0022] The main body 71 has a base end 71a and a tip end 71b, which are ends in the extension direction X. The base end 71a is an end that connects to the hinge portion 72. The tip end 71b protrudes in the extension direction X from the opposing wall 24a. The second rotating shaft 25B is disposed at the tip end 71b. The second rotating shaft 25B extends in the width direction Y so as to cross the tip end 71b. An end of the second rotating shaft 25B protrudes in the width direction Y from a side surface of the tip end 71b. Both ends of the second rotating shaft 25B are supported by the second bearing portions 19B.

[0023] In the wire harness 1 according to the embodiment, the rotation structure 60 is configured by the two pivotal support portions 19A, 19B of the first case 10 and the two rotation shafts 25A, 25B of the second case 20. The rotation structure 60 enables the two cases 10, 20 to rotate relative to each other as shown in FIG.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 4, the first case 10 has a first engagement portion 12, and the second case 20 has a second engagement portion 22. The first engagement portion 12 is disposed at an end of the main body 11 in the extension direction X. The second engagement portion 22 is disposed at an end of the main body 21 in the extension direction X. The two engagement portions 12, 22 engage with each other at a second relative position shown in Fig. 11.

[0025] Figure 6 shows the flat wiring material 100 assembled to the first case 10 and the second case 20. The first case 10 and the second case 20 shown in Figures 3 and 6 are arranged side by side in the width direction Y. In this specification, with respect to the first case 10 and the second case 20, the relative position at which the two cases 10, 20 are arranged side by side in the width direction Y is referred to as a first relative position. As shown in Figure 3, when the two cases 10, 20 are arranged in the first relative position, the first support wall 11a of the first case 10 and the second support wall 21a of the second case 20 are arranged side by side in the width direction Y.

[0026] The first portion 110 of the flat wiring material 100 is accommodated in the main body 11 of the first case 10 and is supported by the first support wall 11a. The process of accommodating the first portion 110 in the first case 10 is performed, for example, by a worker. The second portion 120 of the flat wiring material 100 is accommodated in the main body 21 of the second case 20 and is supported by the second support wall 21a. The process of accommodating the second portion 120 in the second case 20 is performed, for example, by a worker. The two accommodation processes are performed, for example, with the two cases 10, 20 held by a jig plate.

[0027] Once the flat wiring material 100 is housed in the two cases 10, 20, a closing process is performed to close the covers 18, 24. In the closing process, the cover 18 of the first case 10 is assembled to the main body 11 while bending the hinge portion 11e and engages with the main body 11. In the closing process, the cover 24 of the second case 20 is assembled to the main body 21 while bending the hinge portion 21e and engages with the main body 21. The two closing processes are performed, for example, by a worker. Figures 1 and 7 show the covers 18, 24 in a closed state. The opposing wall 18a of the cover 18 covers the first portion 110 of the flat wiring material 100. The opposing wall 24a of the cover 24 covers the second portion 120 of the flat wiring material 100.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 7, when the cover 24 is closed and engaged with the main body 21, the connecting portion 70 is connected to the first case 10. As shown in FIG. 7, the second shaft support portion 19B has slits 19f formed in the side walls 11h. The side walls 11h are disposed on both sides of the first support wall 11a in the width direction Y. Ends of the second rotating shaft 25B are inserted into the slits 19f and are rotatably supported by the side walls 11h. By inserting both ends of the second rotating shaft 25B into the slits 19f, the connecting portion 70 is connected to the first case 10.

[0029] A first rotation step is executed to rotate the second case 20 relative to the first case 10 from the state shown in FIG. 7. In the first rotation step, the second case 20 is rotated relative to the first case 10 around the axis Cx shown in FIG. 1 as the center of rotation. The axis Cx is a straight line in the extension direction X along the hinge portion 72. As shown in FIG. 7, the main body 71 of the connecting portion 70 is supported by the cover 18 of the first case 10. Therefore, with the main body 71 supported, the connecting portion 70 can bend the hinge portion 72, thereby rotating the second case 20 relative to the first case 10.

[0030] The wire harness 1 of this embodiment improves workability in the first rotation step. The connecting portion 70 stabilizes the center of rotation when the two cases 10, 20 rotate relative to each other. Furthermore, in the wire harness 1 of this embodiment, the first case 10 and the second case 20 are connected via the connecting portion 70. The connection structure using the connecting portion 70 can restrict the direction and range in which the two cases 10, 20 can move relative to each other. For example, the connecting portion 70 can suppress damage to the flat wiring material 100 caused by the two cases 10, 20 moving too far apart during the first rotation step. Therefore, the wire harness 1 of this embodiment can reduce the load on the flat wiring material 100 when handling the two cases 10, 20.

[0031] 8 shows the two cases 10, 20 stacked after the first rotation process is completed. When the two cases 10, 20 are stacked in the height direction Z, the first portion 110 and the second portion 120 of the flat wiring material 100 face each other in the height direction Z. In this specification, with respect to the first case 10 and the second case 20, the relative position in which the first portion 110 and the second portion 120 of the flat wiring material 100 face each other in the height direction Z is referred to as the facing position. When the two cases 10, 20 are positioned in the facing position, the first support wall 11a and the second support wall 21a face each other in the height direction Z.

[0032] A first folded portion 150 is formed in the flat wiring material 100 by a first rotation process. In the first folded portion 150, the middle portion 130 is folded along a folding line L1 (see FIG. 12) along the extension direction X. The folding line L1 is, for example, a straight line extending in the extension direction X between the two covers 18, 24. The middle portion 130 has a first region 130a connected to the first portion 110 and a second region 130b connected to the second portion 120. The middle portion 130 is folded so that the first region 130a and the second region 130b face each other in the height direction Z.

[0033] In the first rotation step, the first rotating shaft 25A of the second case 20 is engaged with the first pivotal support portion 19A of the first case 10. As shown in FIG. 8 , the first pivotal support portion 19A has a piece portion 19c standing in the height direction Z and a locking portion 19d. The piece portion 19c is provided with a slit 19e extending in the height direction Z. The end of the first rotating shaft 25A is inserted into the slit 19e and locked by the locking portion 19d. The engagement of the first rotating shaft 25A with the first pivotal support portion 19A connects the two cases 10 and 20 in an overlapping state. This forms a busbar module 400. The busbar module 400 includes a plurality of busbars 200 and the wire harness 1 of the embodiment.

[0034] When the two cases 10, 20 are stacked, the middle portion 130 is protected by the protective cover 11g, as shown in Fig. 9. The protective cover 11g is connected to the first support wall 11a via a hinge portion and is configured to engage with the main body 11 so as to cover the middle portion 130. The first case 10 houses the middle portion 130, which is folded back in a U-shape, between the first support wall 11a and the protective cover 11g. The opposing wall 18a of the cover 18 is sandwiched inside the folded middle portion 130.

[0035] The wire harness 1 is transported, for example, with the two cases 10, 20 overlapping each other and the intermediate portion 130 covered by the protective cover 11g. The two cases 10, 20 overlap so as to sandwich the flat wiring material 100, thereby protecting the flat wiring material 100 during transportation. In addition, the protective cover 11g covers the intermediate portion 130 and can suppress interference of peripheral components with the intermediate portion 130.

[0036] The rotation structure 60 of this embodiment is configured to allow the two cases 10, 20 to rotate relatively from the opposing position shown in Figures 8 and 9 to a second relative position shown in Figure 11. As shown in Figure 8, at the second relative position, the first rotation shaft 25A and the second rotation shaft 25B are rotatably supported by the first case 10. Therefore, the second case 20 can rotate relatively to the first case 10 around the central axes of the two rotation shafts 25A, 25B.

[0037] In the wire harness 1 of the present embodiment, the shape of the flat wiring material 100 can be deformed into a linear shape by a second rotation process described below. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the second rotation process. The second rotation process is performed, for example, in a factory where the busbar module 400 is assembled to a vehicle or the like. As shown in FIG. 10 , in the second rotation process, the second case 20 is rotated relative to the first case 10 from the opposing position toward a second relative position described later. In the second rotation process, the second case 20 rotates relative to the first case 10 around the central axes of the two rotation shafts 25A and 25B. As can be seen from FIG. 8 , the first engagement portion 12 of the first case 10 is positioned so as to be engageable with the second engagement portion 22 of the second case 20. That is, the first engagement portion 12 is positioned on a trajectory of the second engagement portion 22 when the second case 20 rotates relative to the first case 10.

[0038] FIG. 11 shows a state in which the two cases 10, 20 are positioned at a second relative position after the second rotation process is completed. At the second relative position, the first case 10 and the second case 20 are aligned linearly along the extension direction X. The first support wall 11a and the second support wall 21a are aligned linearly along the extension direction X. Therefore, the first portion 110 and the second portion 120 of the flat wiring material 100 are aligned linearly. In other words, the second portion 120 is positioned on an extension of the first portion 110 in a plan view. The bus bars 200 are aligned linearly along the extension direction X. The cover 18 of the first case 10 covers the first portion 110 with the opposing wall 18a to protect the first portion 110. The cover 24 of the second case 20 covers the second portion 120 with the opposing wall 24a to protect the second portion 120.

[0039] By performing the second rotation process, a second folded portion 160 is formed in the flat wiring material 100. As shown in FIG. 12, the second folded portion 160 is a portion folded along a folding line L2 perpendicular to the extension direction X. In the second folded portion 160, the second portion 120 is folded along the folding line L2 so that a part of the second portion 120 overlaps with the middle portion 130. In this embodiment, the folding line L2 is a straight line along the width direction Y. When the second folded portion 160 is formed, the second region 130b of the middle portion 130 and the base end portion 120a of the second portion 120 face each other. The base end portion 120a is the end portion of the second portion 120 closer to the middle portion 130.

[0040] The two cases 10, 20 can be engaged with each other while the shape of the flat wiring material 100 is linear. The first engaging portion 12 and the second engaging portion 22 position the two cases 10, 20 at a second relative position and engage with each other. The wire harness 1 of this embodiment can be routed to an object by deforming the U-shaped flat wiring material 100 into a linear shape.

[0041] As described above, the wire harness 1 of this embodiment includes the flat wiring material 100, the first case 10, the second case 20, and the connecting portion 70. The flat wiring material 100 is formed in a U-shape having a linear first portion 110, a linear second portion 120, and an intermediate portion 130 connecting the first portion 110 and the second portion 120. The first case 10 holds the first portion 110, and the second case 20 holds the second portion 120. The connecting portion 70 connects the first case 10 and the second case 20.

[0042] The first case 10 has a first support wall 11a that supports the first portion 110. The second case 20 has a second support wall 21a that supports the second portion 120. The connecting portion 70 is configured to connect the first case 10 and the second case 20 with the first support wall 11a and the second support wall 21a aligned along the width direction Y of the flat wiring material 100. The connecting portion 70 has a hinge portion 72. The hinge portion 72 can rotate the first case 10 and the second case 20 relative to each other so that the first support wall 11a and the second support wall 21a face each other. According to the wire harness 1 of this embodiment, the two cases 10, 20 are connected by the connecting portion 70, thereby reducing the load on the flat wiring material 100 when handling the cases 10, 20.

[0043] The second case 20 of this embodiment has a main body 21 having a second support wall 21a, and a cover 24 that engages with the main body 21 and covers the second support wall 21a. The connecting portion 70 is connected to the cover 24, and the cover 24 is connected to the first case 10 in a state where it is engaged with the main body 21. This makes it possible to perform the steps of closing the cover 24 and connecting the two cases 10, 20 in a single process, improving workability.

[0044] The wire harness 1 of this embodiment has a rotation structure 60 that connects the first case 10 and the second case 20 so that they can rotate relative to each other. The rotation structure 60 connects the first case 10 and the second case 20 in a state where the first support wall 11a and the second support wall 21a are facing each other and the first case 10 and the second case 20 are stacked. The rotation structure 60 is configured to allow the first case 10 and the second case 20 to rotate relative to each other so that the first support wall 11a and the second support wall 21a are aligned in a straight line. In the wire harness 1 of this embodiment, two rotation processes that deform the flat wiring material 100 can be performed in a state where the first case 10 and the second case 20 are connected to each other. This reduces the load on the flat wiring material 100 when handling the cases 10 and 20.

[0045] The shape of the flat wiring material 100 when it is routed to an object is not limited to a linear shape. For example, the flat wiring material 100 may be routed to an object in the U-shape shown in Fig. 5. In this case, the wire harness 1 may be transported to a factory where the wiring process is performed with the two cases 10 and 20 positioned opposite each other as shown in Fig. 9.

[0046] Alternatively, the flat wiring material 100 may be routed to an object with the two cases 10 and 20 positioned opposite each other. In these cases, the first case 10 and the second case 20 do not need to have the rotation structure 60.

[0047] The contents disclosed in the above embodiments can be implemented in appropriate combinations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 Wire harness 10: First case 11: Main body 11a: first support wall, 11e: hinge portion, 11g: protective cover, 11h: side wall 12:First engaging part 18: Cover, 18a: Opposing wall, 19A: First axis branch, 19B: Second axis branch 19f: slit, 20: Second case 21: Main body 21a: second support wall, 21e: hinge portion 22:Second engagement part 24: Cover, 24a: Opposing wall 25A: First rotating shaft, 25B: Second rotating shaft 60: Rotating structure 70:Connection part 71: Main body, 72: Hinge part 100: Flat wiring material, 110: First part, 120: Second part 130: Middle part, 130a: First area, 130b: Second area 140: Detection line 200: Bus bar 400: Busbar module Cx: Axis line L1, L2: Folding lines X: Extension direction, Y: Width direction, Z: Height direction

Claims

1. A flat wiring material formed in a U-shape having a linear first portion, a linear second portion, and an intermediate portion connecting an end of the first portion and an end of the second portion; a first case for holding the first portion; a second case for holding the second part; a connecting portion that connects the first case and the second case; Equipped with the first case has a first support wall that supports the first portion; the second case has a second support wall that supports the second portion, The connecting portion is configured to connect the first case and the second case in a state where the first support wall and the second support wall are aligned along the width direction of the flat wiring material, The connecting portion has a hinge portion that can rotate the first case and the second case relative to each other so that the first support wall and the second support wall face each other. A wire harness characterized by:

2. the second case includes a main body having the second support wall, and a cover that engages with the main body and covers the second support wall, The connecting portion is connected to the cover, and the cover is connected to the first case in a state where the cover is engaged with the main body. The wire harness according to claim 1 .

3. a rotation structure that connects the first case and the second case so that they can rotate relative to each other; the rotation structure connects the first case and the second case in a state where the first case and the second case are stacked with the first support wall and the second support wall facing each other, The rotation structure is configured to allow the first case and the second case to rotate relative to each other so that the first support wall and the second support wall are aligned in a straight line. The wire harness according to claim 2 .

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