Wire harness and wire harness routing structure

Abstract

To provide a wire harness and a wire harness routing structure enabling enhancement of work efficiency.SOLUTION: A wire harness 1 comprises: an electric wire 10; and a conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 including a nonwoven fabric, a conductive nonwoven fabric having a plated portion composed of a conductive metal coated on fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric, and an adhesive layer formed on at least one surface of the conductive nonwoven fabric, wherein the conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 is wound around the electric wire 10 with the one surface positioned outward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wire harness and a wiring structure of the wire harness. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, wire harnesses have been proposed that include a shielding section to protect electric wires and surrounding devices from noise. Such wire harnesses use, for example, a metal braid whose size and density are set according to the size of the electric wires and the required shielding performance. Also proposed is a wire harness in which an outer sheath made of an insulating material is provided around the metal braid (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-206527 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, the wire harness described in Patent Document 1 is fixed to the vehicle side using a fixing device such as a clip with a cable tie. Therefore, routing a wire harness with a shielded portion requires a number of operations. For example, it requires operations to form a shielded portion on the electric wire (e.g., covering it with a braid) and to attach a fixing device to the wire harness (e.g., tightening the wire harness with a cable tie). Furthermore, it requires operations to form an attachment point for the wire harness on the vehicle side (e.g., forming an opening for inserting a clip). As such, it cannot be said that the operation of routing a wire harness with a shielded portion is easy.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve such conventional problems, and its object is to provide a wire harness and a wiring structure for the wire harness that can further improve workability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The wire harness according to the present invention comprises an electric wire, a nonwoven fabric, a conductive nonwoven fabric having a plated portion made of a conductive metal coated on fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric, and a conductive nonwoven fabric tape having an adhesive layer formed on at least one surface of the conductive nonwoven fabric, and the conductive nonwoven fabric tape is wrapped around the electric wire with the one surface facing outward.

[0007] The wiring structure of the wire harness according to the present invention has the adhesive layer of the above-described wire harness attached to the vehicle side. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a wire harness and a wiring structure for the wire harness that can further improve workability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a wire harness according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are cross-sectional views showing details of the conductive nonwoven fabric tape shown in FIG. 1, where (a) shows a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tape, and (b) shows an enlarged view of a part of (a). [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the AA section of FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the longitudinal direction of the wire harness shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are conceptual diagrams showing the state of magnetic field generation, in which (a) shows the state of the magnetic field in a reference example, and (b) shows the state of the magnetic field in this embodiment. [Figure 6]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of an arrangement state of the wire harness shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention will be described below in accordance with preferred embodiments. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, in the embodiments shown below, some components are omitted from illustration and description, but it goes without saying that publicly known or well-known technologies are applied as appropriate to the details of the omitted technologies within the scope of the content described below.

[0011] 1 is a perspective view showing a wire harness according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the wire harness 1 according to this embodiment includes an electric wire 10 and a conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20.

[0012] The electric wire 10 includes a conductor 11 made of, for example, copper, aluminum, or an alloy thereof, and an insulating sheath 12 that covers the conductor 11. The conductor 11 of the electric wire 10 according to this embodiment may be a stranded wire formed by twisting together a plurality of conductive wires, or may be a single solid wire. The sheath 12 may be made of PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), PP (Polypropylene), PE (Polyethylene), or the like. However, the sheath 12 is not limited to these materials, and may also be made of silicone, polyurethane, nylon, or the like. Furthermore, although the example shown in FIG. 1 shows a single electric wire 10, the number is not limited to one and may be multiple.

[0013] Although not shown, the wire harness 1 having such electric wires 10 may be provided with, for example, a connector at the terminal portion, or may be partially wrapped with resin tape to the extent that it does not interfere with adhesive attachment, which will be described later. Furthermore, the wire harness 1 may be provided with other members in addition to the connector and resin tape.

[0014] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing details of the conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 shown in Fig. 1, where (a) shows a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tape, and (b) shows an enlarged view of a portion of (a). As shown in Fig. 2(a), the conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 comprises a conductive nonwoven fabric 21 and an adhesive layer 22 provided on one surface (front or back) of the conductive nonwoven fabric 21.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 2(b), the conductive nonwoven fabric 21 is configured with fibers 21a that constitute the nonwoven fabric and plated portions 21b. The nonwoven fabric is a sheet-like member in which the fibers 21a are intertwined without being woven. As shown in FIG. 2(b), due to the manufacturing characteristics of this nonwoven fabric, the fibers 21a are formed as multiple layers in the thickness direction. The fibers 21a that constitute such a nonwoven fabric are configured, for example, from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), PP, nylon, acrylic, glass fiber, carbon fiber, aramid fiber, polyarylate fiber, etc.

[0016] The plated portion 21b is a conductive metal that coats the fibers 21a that make up the nonwoven fabric. The plated portion 21b is made of, for example, copper, nickel, tin, silver, or an alloy of these metals. The plated portion 21b may be formed as a single layer on the fibers 21a that make up the nonwoven fabric, or may be formed as multiple layers. Therefore, the plated portion 21b may be formed, for example, with copper (first layer) and tin (second layer) on the fibers 21a that make up the nonwoven fabric. Note that in this embodiment, the conductive nonwoven fabric 21 may be formed by plating the nonwoven fabric after formation, or by forming the fibers 21a into a nonwoven fabric after plating.

[0017] The adhesive layer 22 is made of a material that exhibits adhesive strength, and the material is not particularly limited. The adhesive layer 22 is provided on at least one surface of the conductive nonwoven fabric 21 shown in FIG. 2(a). In this embodiment, the adhesive layer 22 is formed only on one end (one example) in the width direction of one surface. The adhesive layer 22 is not limited to being formed only on one end of the conductive nonwoven fabric 21, but may also be formed only on the center, or may be formed in the form of multiple stripes along the longitudinal direction, and its shape is not limited.

[0018] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the AA cross section of Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 3, in the wire harness 1 according to this embodiment, a conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 is wound around an electric wire 10. In particular, as shown in Fig. 3, the conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 is wound around the electric wire 10 so that the side on which the adhesive layer 22 is provided faces outward. The conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 is wound spirally around the electric wire 10, but is not limited to a spiral shape and may be wound vertically. In the following description, the conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 is assumed to be wound spirally.

[0019] Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the longitudinal direction of the wire harness 1 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 4, when the conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 is wound spirally around the electric wire 10, it forms a wrap portion L that overlaps in the radial direction. The conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 according to this embodiment is wound around the electric wire 10 so that the adhesive layer 22 is positioned outside the wrap portion L. As a result, the conductive nonwoven fabrics 21 come into contact with each other at the wrap portion L.

[0020] The wire harness 1 according to this embodiment has improved shielding performance compared to the reference example in which the adhesive layer is interposed between the conductive nonwoven fabrics.

[0021] 5A and 5B are conceptual diagrams showing the generation of a magnetic field, with (a) showing the magnetic field in a reference example and (b) showing the magnetic field in this embodiment. First, as shown in Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B, a current flows in the electric wire 10 in the direction in which the conductor 11 extends. Therefore, a magnetic field MF1 (see the broken line) is generated in a direction perpendicular to the current.

[0022] In the reference example shown in Figure 5(a), the adhesive layer is interposed between the conductive nonwoven fabrics, preventing electrical continuity between the conductive nonwoven fabrics in the wrap portion. Therefore, the conductive nonwoven fabric tape shown in the reference example forms a spiral conductive path CP. In this case, a magnetic field MF2 (see solid line) is generated on the conductive nonwoven fabric tape side in a direction perpendicular to the spiral direction. This magnetic field MF2 cannot cancel out the magnetic field MF1 generated by the current flowing through the conductor 11.

[0023] On the other hand, in the conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 according to this embodiment, the conductive nonwoven fabrics 21 are in contact with each other at the wrap portion L, as described with reference to Fig. 4, and are therefore electrically conductive. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 5(b), the conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 forms a conductive path CP along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 10. Therefore, the wire harness 1 according to this embodiment can generate a magnetic field MF2 (see solid line) that cancels out a magnetic field MF1 (see dashed line) generated by a current flowing through the conductor 11.

[0024] Next, a structure and method for routing the wire harness 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of the routing state of the wire harness 1 according to this embodiment.

[0025] In this embodiment, the conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 is wrapped around the electric wire 10 with the adhesive layer 22 facing outward. At this time, the conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 is wrapped, for example, spirally so that the adhesive layer 22 is not interposed between the lap portion L of the conductive nonwoven fabric 21.

[0026] 6, the wire harness 1 with the adhesive layer 22 facing outward is installed at a predetermined location on the vehicle-side VS. At this time, the adhesive layer 22 exerts adhesive force on the vehicle-side VS, and the wire harness 1 is fixedly routed at a predetermined location. In this fixed state, the conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 is adhered to the vehicle-side VS, and therefore the conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 and the electric wire 10 are prevented from unraveling via the adhesive layer 22 even if they are not in an adhered state.

[0027] In this way, the wire harness 1 according to this embodiment includes the conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 that is wound around the electric wire 10, and the conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 is wound so that the adhesive layer 22 faces outward. Therefore, the wire harness 1 has a configuration in which the shielding portion is formed by the conductive nonwoven fabric 21 of the conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20, while the fixing portion (attaching portion) to the vehicle-side VS is formed by the outer adhesive layer 22. This allows the fixing portion to the vehicle-side VS to be formed simultaneously with the formation of the shielding portion, making it possible to provide a wire harness 1 that can further improve workability.

[0028] In addition, since the adhesive layer 22 is attached to the vehicle-side VS, the wire harness 1 can be fixed to the vehicle-side VS over a wide area, rather than being fixed in a spot manner as in the case of using a fixing device. Furthermore, when other shielded wires are used, the wire diameter tends to be large and hard, but the wire harness 1 according to this embodiment can also contribute to a thinner diameter.

[0029] Furthermore, since the conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 is in a state where the adhesive layer 22 is not interposed between the conductive nonwoven fabrics 21 in the wrapping portion L, a conductive path CP is formed along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 10. This makes it possible to provide a wire harness 1 that can easily exhibit a suitable shielding effect.

[0030] Furthermore, since the adhesive layer 22 is attached to the vehicle-side VS in the wiring structure of the wire harness 1, there is no need to use a fixing device such as a clip with a cable tie, and there is no need to form an opening for inserting a clip in the vehicle-side VS. Therefore, it is possible to provide a wiring structure of the wire harness 1 with improved workability.

[0031] In particular, since there is no need to perform hole processing or the like on the vehicle-side VS, it is possible to flexibly lay out the wire harness 1 without being restricted by the structure of the vehicle-side VS.

[0032] The present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and modifications may be made within the scope of the spirit of the present invention, and if possible, publicly known or well-known technologies may be combined.

[0033] For example, in the above embodiment, the conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 is wrapped around one electric wire 10, but it is not limited to one, and may be wrapped around multiple electric wires 10. In this case, the conductive nonwoven fabric 21 functions as a converging portion that converges the multiple electric wires 10, and the adhesive layer 22 functions as a fixing portion to the vehicle side VS. Therefore, it is possible to provide not only a fixing function but also a converging function.

[0034] Furthermore, in the wire harness 1 according to the present embodiment, the conductive nonwoven fabrics 21 are in contact with each other over the entire area of ​​the wrap portion L as shown in Fig. 4, but this is not limited to the entire area of ​​the wrap portion L, and the conductive nonwoven fabrics 21 may be in contact only over a part of the wrap portion L. This is because it is possible to form a conductive path CP along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 10. In particular, by having the conductive nonwoven fabrics 21 in contact with each other over only a part of the wrap portion L and the adhesive layer 22 being interposed in the remaining part, the conductive nonwoven fabrics 21 can be firmly bonded to each other, preventing the spirally wound conductive nonwoven fabric tape 20 from unraveling.

[0035] In addition, although the adhesive layer 22 is provided on only one surface of the wire harness 1 according to the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this and may be provided on the other surface as well. Furthermore, the adhesive layer 22 of the wire harness 1 may be conductive. In this case, even if the adhesive layer 22 is present over the entire wrap portion L, the conductive path CP can be formed along the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 10.

[0036] Furthermore, the wire harness 1 according to the above embodiment has a gap (a gap along the longitudinal direction) between the adhesive layer 22 and the wrap portion L as shown in Fig. 4, but is not particularly limited to this, and it is preferable that there is no gap. This is because the absence of a gap means that the adhesive layer 22 is provided over the entire area of ​​the portion of the wire harness 1 that is exposed to the outside, and more of the adhesive layer 22 is exposed to the outside of the wire harness 1, thereby enhancing the fixing effect of the wire harness 1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 1: Wire harness 10: Electric wire 20: Conductive nonwoven tape 21: Conductive nonwoven fabric 21a: Fiber 21b: Plated part 22: Adhesive layer L: Wrap section VS: Vehicle side

Claims

1. Electric wires and A conductive nonwoven fabric tape comprising: a nonwoven fabric; a conductive nonwoven fabric having a plated portion made of a conductive metal coated on fibers constituting the nonwoven fabric; and a conductive nonwoven fabric tape having an adhesive layer formed on at least one surface of the conductive nonwoven fabric; The conductive nonwoven fabric tape is wrapped around the electric wire so that the one side faces outward. A wire harness characterized by:

2. The conductive nonwoven fabric tape has the adhesive layer formed on a part of the one surface, has a wrap portion overlapping in the radial direction, and is spirally wound around the electric wire, and has a portion in the wrap portion where the adhesive layer is not interposed between the conductive nonwoven fabrics, so that the conductive nonwoven fabrics are in contact with each other.

2. The wire harness according to claim 1.

3. The adhesive layer of the wire harness according to claim 1 is attached to a vehicle side. A wiring harness arrangement structure characterized by the above.

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