Wire harness

Abstract

To improve heat dissipation of electrical equipment connected to a wire harness.SOLUTION: A wire harness comprises: a circuit that has at least a wire extending from electrical equipment having a heat-generating component; a thermally conductive plate that extends along the wire; and a thermal conductor that thermally connects the circuit and the thermally conductive plate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an interconnection box that electrically connects an instrument panel harness, an engine room harness, a door harness, and a floor harness to one another. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-202352 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, it is desirable to improve the heat dissipation performance of the electrical equipment to which the wire harness is connected.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to improve the heat dissipation performance of an electrical device to which a wire harness is connected. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The wire harness of the present disclosure is a wire harness comprising: a circuit having at least wiring extending from an electrical device having a heat-generating component; a thermally conductive plate extending along the wiring; and a thermal conductor thermally connecting the circuit and the thermally conductive plate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the heat dissipation performance and reduce the size of an electrical device to which a wire harness is connected. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a wiring system including a wire harness in a vehicle. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the wire harness according to the embodiment is arranged in a vehicle. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the wire harness according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of area A in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exploded plan view of the wire harness. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a base member according to a first modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a circuit and a thermal conductor according to the second modification. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the connection relationship between a plurality of types of connectors and a plurality of wires. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the connection relationship between the device connector, the first harness connector, and the second harness connector. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing wiring and a base member according to the third modified example. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of how to divide a plurality of wirings. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing another example of how to divide a plurality of wirings. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a wire harness according to a fourth modified example. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view showing a wire harness according to a fourth modified example. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a plan view showing a wire harness according to a fifth modified example. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a state in which the wire harness according to the fifth modification is arranged in a vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] The wire harness of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0011] (1) A wire harness comprising: a circuit having at least wiring extending from an electrical device having a heat-generating component; a thermally conductive plate extending along the wiring; and a thermal conductor thermally connecting the circuit and the thermally conductive plate.

[0012] According to the present disclosure, by providing a thermal conductor that thermally connects the circuit and the thermally conductive plate, heat generated by the heat-generating component is transferred to the thermally conductive plate via the circuit and the thermal conductor. The thermally conductive plate is a plate that extends along the wiring. Therefore, the heat from the heat-generating component is effectively dissipated by the thermally conductive plate, thereby improving the heat dissipation of the electrical equipment to which the wire harness is connected.

[0013] (2) In the wire harness of (1), the wiring may have a core wire and a coating covering the core wire, and the thermal conductor may be connected to the core wire, thereby increasing thermal conductivity between the wiring and the thermal conductor.

[0014] (3) In the wire harness of (2), an intermediate stripped portion where the coating covering the core wire is partially removed may be provided in an intermediate portion along the extending direction of the wiring, and the thermal conductor may be connected to the core wire at the intermediate stripped portion. This allows the coating to be interposed between the connection position of the core wire and the thermal conductor and the electric device, making it easy to ensure necessary insulation.

[0015] (4) The wire harness of (2) or (3) may further include a base member interposed between the wiring and the thermally conductive plate, and the thermal conductor may connect the core wire and the thermally conductive plate through a window formed in the base member. This allows the wiring to be protected by the base member while ensuring connection between the core wire and the thermally conductive plate by the thermal conductor.

[0016] (5) In the wire harness of (4), the base member may be a protector having a main body having grooves for receiving the wiring and a lid that covers the wiring from the opposite side of the main body, and the window may be formed in a plate portion of either the main body or the lid that is interposed between the wiring and the thermally conductive plate, and the other of the main body and the lid may press the wiring toward the thermal conductor. This improves the adhesion between the wiring and the thermal conductor, thereby improving the thermal conductivity between the wiring and the thermal conductor.

[0017] (6) In the wire harness of (4), the base member may be a flexible sheet member. This allows the base member to be easily installed, and the wires and the sheet member to be bent together.

[0018] (7) In the wire harness of any one of (4) to (6), the base member may keep the plurality of wires flat, thereby enabling effective heat dissipation by a thermally conductive plate that can be easily set wide.

[0019] (8) In the wire harness of any one of (1) to (7), the circuit may further include a terminal connected to an end of the wiring, and the thermal conductor may connect the terminal and the thermal conductive plate, thereby allowing the thermal conductor to be connected to the circuit at a position closer to the electric device.

[0020] (9) In the wire harness of (8), the thermal conductor may have a heat lead wire connected to the terminal, thereby increasing the thermal conductivity of the thermal conductor.

[0021] (10) In the wire harness of (8) or (9), the terminals may be accommodated in cavities in a connector housing, and the thermal conductor may include an insulating filler member filled in the cavities. This allows for easy provision of the thermal conductor connected to the terminals.

[0022] (11) In the wire harness of any one of (1) to (10), the wiring may include a signal line and a power line having a conductor cross-sectional area larger than that of the signal line, and the thermal conductor may be connected to the circuit of the power line. The power line often has a higher thermal conductivity than the signal line because of its larger conductor cross-sectional area. By connecting the thermal conductor to the circuit of this power line, the heat dissipation of the electrical device is further improved.

[0023] (12) In any one of the wire harnesses (1) to (11), an equipment connector connected to a connector of the electric equipment, and a first harness connector and a second harness connector connected to connectors of mating wire harnesses, respectively, may be provided, and the wiring may include a plurality of wirings branching from the equipment connector and connected to the first harness connector and the second harness connector. In this case, the number of connectors connected to the electric equipment can be reduced. This allows the number of connectors in the electric equipment to be reduced, thereby enabling the electric equipment to be made smaller.

[0024] (13) In the wire harness of (12), the wiring may include through-circuit wiring that connects the first harness connector and the second harness connector. In this case, it is possible to connect multiple types of mating wire harnesses to each other via the wire harness, which simplifies the connection of multiple types of mating wire harnesses to each other and the connection of the multiple types of mating wire harnesses to devices.

[0025] [Details of the embodiments of the present disclosure] Specific examples of the wire harness of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims.

[0026] [Embodiment 1] The wire harness according to the first embodiment will be described below. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a wiring system including a wire harness 30 in a vehicle 10. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the wire harness 30 according to the embodiment is arranged in the vehicle 10. The front-rear direction (FRONT, REAR), left-right direction (LEFT, RIGHT), and up-down direction (UP, LOW) shown in FIG. 2 correspond to the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction of the vehicle 10. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the wire harness 30 according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of area A in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is an exploded plan view of the wire harness 30. In FIG. 4, the lid 56 of the protector 54 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. In addition, the lid 56 of the protector 54 is omitted in FIG. 6.

[0027] <Overall structure of the wire harness> The wire harness 30 is arranged in, for example, a vehicle 10. The wire harness 30 is interposed between a plurality of types of mating wire harnesses 20 and an electric device 22, and connects each of the plurality of types of mating wire harnesses 20 to the electric device 22. The plurality of types of mating wire harnesses 20 are arranged in different areas of the vehicle 10. The electric device 22 is an apparatus having a heat-generating component 24 (see FIG. 9 ), which will be described later. The wire harness of this embodiment also connects the plurality of types of mating wire harnesses 20 to each other. The wire harness 30 includes a circuit, a thermally conductive plate 70, and a thermal conductor 80.

[0028] The circuits of the wire harness 30 include circuits for connecting each of the multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20 to the electric device 22. In this embodiment, the circuits of the wire harness 30 also include circuits for connecting the multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20 to each other.

[0029] The circuit of the wire harness 30 includes at least wires 50. At least a part of the path of the circuit of the wire harness 30 is formed by the wires 50. The plurality of wires 50 are arranged so as to run along a flat path.

[0030] The thermally conductive plate 70 is a plate that extends along the wiring 50. In other words, the plurality of wirings 50 includes a portion that extends along the thermally conductive plate 70. The thermally conductive plate 70 is arranged along the flat shape of the plurality of wirings 50, and the wire harness 30 as a whole has a flat shape. Because the wire harness 30 has a flat shape, it is easy to arrange the wire harness 30 along one main surface of the panel.

[0031] The thermally conductive plate 70 is a plate with good thermal conductivity, such as a metal plate made of iron, aluminum, copper, or the like. The thermal conductivity of the thermally conductive plate 70 is greater than that of air, and preferably greater than that of resin. For example, the thermal conductivity of the thermally conductive plate 70 is 80 (W / mK) or more, and preferably 230 (W / mK) or more.

[0032] The thermal conductor 80 is interposed between the circuit and the thermally conductive plate 70, and thermally connects the circuit and the thermally conductive plate 70. In this embodiment, the thermal conductor 80 is connected to the wiring 50 of the circuit. In this embodiment, the thermal conductor 80 is insulating. As a result, when the portions of the circuit and the thermally conductive plate 70 that come into contact with the thermal conductor 80 are both conductors, electrical connection between the circuit and the thermally conductive plate 70 via the thermal conductor 80 is suppressed.

[0033] For example, the thermal conductor 80 may be thermally conductive insulating rubber that has good thermal conductivity and insulating properties. The thermally conductive rubber is, for example, rubber containing a filler (such as magnesium oxide) that has good thermal conductivity and insulating properties. The thermal conductor 80 may be ceramics or thermally conductive grease. The thermal conductor 80 has better thermal conductivity than air, and preferably has better thermal conductivity than the resin that forms the base member 54 and the resin that forms the coating 53b of the wiring 50. For example, the thermal conductivity of the thermal conductor 80 is 1.0 (W / mK) or more, preferably 6.5 (W / mK) or more. The thermal conductor 80 may be a conductor (a good conductor of electricity).

[0034] <Wire harness layout area and connection relationship> For convenience, examples of the layout area of ​​the wire harness 30 in the vehicle 10, the mating wire harness 20, and the electrical device 22 will be described first.

[0035] The arrangement area of ​​the wire harness 30 in the vehicle 10 is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. Considering that the wire harness 30 is interposed between multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20, the arrangement area of ​​the wire harness 30 is preferably an area close to the boundary between multiple areas in which the multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20 are respectively arranged. Here, the arrangement area of ​​the wire harness 30 will be described as being the area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect.

[0036] The dash panel 11 separates the engine compartment from the passenger compartment in the vehicle 10. The engine compartment is located in front of the dash panel 11, and the passenger compartment is located behind the dash panel 11. Typically, an instrument panel is provided behind the dash panel 11 and is exposed to the passenger compartment. The dash panel 11 includes a main body portion 12 and a protruding portion 13. The main surface of the main body portion 12 of the dash panel 11 extends in the left-right and up-down directions in the vehicle 10. The protruding portion 13 is provided below the left-right ends of the main body portion 12. The protruding portion 13 is a portion that protrudes toward the passenger compartment beyond the main body portion 12. The protruding portion 13 is a portion for providing a wheelhouse in the vehicle 10.

[0037] The cowl side panels 15 are continuous with the dash panel 11 on both the left and right sides of the dash panel 11. The main surfaces of the cowl side panels 15 extend in the front-to-rear and up-to-down directions of the vehicle 10. FIG. 2 shows the area where the dash panel 11 intersects with the cowl side panel 15 provided on the left side of the dash panel 11. The lower front edge of the cowl side panel 15 is curved in accordance with the protruding portion 13.

[0038] An end of an instrument panel reinforcement 17 is fixed to the cowl side panel 15. The instrument panel reinforcement 17 is provided between the dash panel 11 and the instrument panel. The instrument panel reinforcement 17 is a rod-shaped member that is long in the left-right direction.

[0039] A floor panel 18 is provided below the area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect. The main surface of the floor panel 18 extends in the front-rear and left-right directions of the vehicle 10.

[0040] When the arrangement area of ​​the wire harness 30 is the area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect, the mating wire harness 20 may be an engine room harness 20A, an instrument panel harness 20B, a door harness 20C, a floor harness 20D, or the like. The engine room harness 20A is arranged in the engine room. The instrument panel harness 20B is arranged to extend along the instrument panel reinforcement 17. The door harness 20C is arranged in the door. The floor harness 20D is arranged on the floor. The mating wire harness 20 may also be a roof harness 20E. The roof harness 20E is arranged on the roof.

[0041] In this disclosure, the term "engine room" is a convenient name for the front compartment located in front of the vehicle interior, and does not necessarily mean that the engine is located in the engine room.Similarly, in this disclosure, the term "engine room harness 20A" is a convenient name for the mating wire harness 20 located in the front compartment located in front of the vehicle interior.

[0042] The layout area of ​​the wire harness 30 and the layout area of ​​the engine room harness 20A are separated by a dash panel 11. Here, a through hole 14 is formed in the dash panel 11. The wire harness 30 and the engine room harness 20A are connected through the through hole 14. Similarly, the layout area of ​​the wire harness 30 and the layout area of ​​the door harness 20C are separated by a cowl side panel 15. Here, a through hole 16 is formed in the cowl side panel 15. The wire harness 30 and the door harness 20C are connected through the through hole 16. For example, a rocker portion 18a is located at the side edge of a floor panel 18 of the vehicle. An end of the floor harness 20D connected to the wire harness 30 extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle along the rocker portion 18a. The roof is located above the area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect. For example, the end of the roof harness 20E that is connected to the wire harness 30 extends along the A-pillar 19 from the roof to the area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect or in the vicinity thereof.

[0043] <About electrical equipment> The electrical device 22 is arranged in the same area as the wiring harness 30. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the electrical device 22 is fixed to the cowl side panel 15. The electrical device 22 may also be fixed to the dash panel 11, the instrument panel reinforcement 17, the floor panel 18, or the like.

[0044] The electrical equipment 22 is an electrical equipment having a heat-generating component 24, and is, for example, an ECU (electronic control unit). The vehicle 10 may be provided with one central ECU and multiple zone ECUs. A zone ECU is provided for each of the multiple zones into which the vehicle 10 is divided. The zone ECU mainly controls the equipment present in that zone. The central ECU supervises the multiple zone ECUs to achieve cooperative control of the entire vehicle 10. The electrical equipment 22 may be, for example, a zone ECU. In this case, the control targets of the electrical equipment 22 as a zone ECU include multiple equipment connected to the engine room harness 20A, the instrument panel harness 20B, the door harness 20C, and the floor harness 20D.

[0045] However, the electric device 22, which is an ECU, may be a general ECU other than a zone ECU. Furthermore, the electric device 22 does not have to be an ECU, and may be, for example, a junction block (also called an electrical connection box). The electric device 22 has heat-generating components. The heat-generating components are elements that generate heat in an electric circuit, such as electromagnetic relays, semiconductor switches, fuses, and integrated circuits (ICs).

[0046] <About wire harnesses> In this embodiment, the wire harness 30 includes a circuit including the wiring 50, a thermally conductive plate 70, and a thermal conductor 80, as well as a plurality of types of connectors 42, 44 and a base member .

[0047] The wiring 50 extends from the electrical device 22 having the heat-generating component 24. In this embodiment, the wiring is an electric wire 53. The electric wire 53 has a core 53a and a coating 53b that covers the core 53a. The electric wire 53 is a solid wire in which one core 53a is covered by one coating 53b. The electric wire may also be a composite wire in which multiple cores are covered by one coating.

[0048] An intermediate stripped portion 53c is provided in the middle portion along the extending direction of the electric wire 53. The intermediate stripped portion 53c is a portion where the coating 53b covering the core wire 53a is partially absent. The coating 53b is present on both one end side and the other end side of the electric wire 53 from the intermediate stripped portion 53c. A thermal conductor 80 is connected to the intermediate stripped portion 53c of the electric wire 53.

[0049] Here, a thermal conductor 80 is connected to some of the multiple wirings 50, and no thermal conductor is connected to the remaining wirings 50. Here, a signal line 50S and a power line 50P are provided as the wirings 50. The conductor cross-sectional area of ​​the power line 50P is larger than that of the signal line 50S. The power line 50P is configured to allow a larger current to flow than the signal line 50S. A thermal conductor 80 is connected to the power line 50P, and no thermal conductor 80 is connected to the signal line 50S.

[0050] The multiple types of connectors 42, 44 have different connection destinations. The multiple types of connectors 42, 44 are arranged at positions corresponding to the connection positions of the electrical device 22 and the mating wire harness 20 to be connected.

[0051] Connectors 42, 44 are connected to each of a plurality of ends of the wiring 50. The wiring 50 is connected to the electric device 22 via the connector 42, and is connected to the mating wire harness 20 via the connector 44. It is not essential that the wiring 50 be connected to the electric device 22 and the mating wire harness 20 via the connectors 42, 44. At least a portion of the wiring 50 may be wiring that is directly drawn out from the electric device 22 or wiring that is directly connected to wiring in the mating wire harness 20.

[0052] The base member 54 is interposed between the wiring 50 and the thermally conductive plate 70. A window portion 55e is formed in the base member 54. The thermal conductor 80 connects the core wire 53a at the position of the intermediate peeled portion 53c to the thermally conductive plate 70 via the window portion 55e. For example, the base member 54 may be a member that keeps the multiple wirings 50 flat. Furthermore, for example, the base member 54 may be a member that protects the multiple wirings 50. The base member 54 may be formed in a shape that branches or bends depending on the positions of the multiple types of connectors 42, 44 and the paths of the wirings 50.

[0053] In this embodiment, the base member 54 is a protector 54. The protector 54 has a main body 55 and a lid 56. A groove 55d is formed in the main body 55. The wiring 50 is housed in the groove 55d. The lid 56 covers the opening of the groove 55d. The protector 54 is a molded product made of a relatively rigid resin and does not have the flexibility to bend along with the wiring 50. The protector 54 is molded in advance to have a shape that corresponds to the path of the wiring 50 and has the rigidity to maintain that shape. By being housed in the protector 54, the wiring 50 is held in a state that corresponds to the shape of the protector 54, that is, in a state that follows the predetermined path of the wiring 50.

[0054] The main body 55 has a bottom plate 55a and multiple side plates 55b. The multiple side plates 55b protrude from the main surface of the bottom plate 55a. The main body 55 has enough rigidity to maintain the side plates 55b protruding from the bottom plate 55a. The multiple side plates 55b are arranged at intervals in the width direction of the bottom plate 55a. The side plates 55b are provided at both ends of the bottom plate 55a in the width direction. The side plates 55b separate the inside and outside of the main body 55. The protrusion dimension of the side plates 55b from the bottom plate 55a is smaller than the width dimension of the bottom plate 55a. Therefore, the main body 55 has a flat storage space that accommodates the multiple wires 50. Furthermore, by providing the side plates 55b along a predetermined path, a flat storage space that accommodates the multiple wires 50 is formed in the protector 54 along the predetermined path. The wire harness 30 is maintained in a flat shape by accommodating the plurality of wires 50 in the flat accommodating space. It is not essential that the wire harness 30 be flat. The protector may be formed to have approximately the same width and height dimensions.

[0055] At the end on the device connector 42 side, a plate portion is also provided in the middle portion along the width direction of the bottom plate 55a. The plate portion in the middle portion along the width direction of the bottom plate 55a is a partition plate 55c. The partition plate 55c divides the internal space of the main body 55. By providing the partition plate 55c, a plurality of grooves 55d are provided in parallel in the internal space of the main body 55.

[0056] Partition plate 55c is partially provided at the end on the device connector 42 side. A configuration in which a plurality of parallel storage spaces are formed in the portion where partition plate 55c is provided is combined with a configuration in which a single storage space is formed in the portion where partition plate 55c is not provided. Either the configuration in which a plurality of parallel storage spaces are formed in the portion where partition plate 55c is provided or the configuration in which a single storage space is formed in the portion where partition plate 55c is not provided may be omitted, and the other may be continuous.

[0057] Here, three partition plates 55c are provided in parallel at the end on the device connector 42 side. As a result, four grooves 55d are provided in parallel in the internal space of the main body 55 at the end on the device connector 42 side. Three of the four grooves 55d each accommodate one wire 50. The wire 50 is a power line 50P or a ground wire. One of the four grooves 55d accommodates a plurality of wires 50 together. The wire 50 is a signal line 50S.

[0058] The lid 56 has a lid plate portion 56a and a side plate portion 56b. The lid plate portion 56a covers the opening of the groove 55d. The side plate portion 56b overlaps the outside of the side plate 55b. The side plate portion 56b may be omitted. The lid 56 is attached to the main body 55. For example, a locking portion provided on the lid 56 may lock into a receiving portion provided on the main body 55, thereby locking the lid 56 to the main body 55.

[0059] The connectors 42, 44 may be held by a protector 54. The wiring 50 may extend from an end of the protector 54, and the connectors 42, 44 may be provided separately from the protector 54.

[0060] In this embodiment, the thermally conductive plate 70 is flat. The thermally conductive plate 70 may be curved in the thickness direction. The thermally conductive plate 70 includes a wiring overlap region 72. The wiring overlap region 72 is a region that extends along the wiring 50. In this embodiment, the wiring overlap region 72 extends along the entire path of the wiring 50, except for the region adjacent to the connector 44 at the end of the wiring 50. The wiring overlap region 72 only needs to overlap at least a portion of the path of the wiring 50. The wiring overlap region 72 may have an additional region that does not overlap the path of the wiring 50.

[0061] The thermally conductive plate 70 may have a fixing portion for fixing to the vehicle with a fixing device such as a bolt or a clip. FIG. 3 illustrates a portion of a fixing piece 71 as an example of the fixing portion. The fixing piece 71 is a partial plate-like portion extending outward from the outer peripheral edge of the thermally conductive plate 70 and has an insertion hole 71a. The fixing piece 71 is fixed to the vehicle with a bolt or the like while in contact with the vehicle (e.g., the cowl side panel 15). The thermally conductive plate 70 contacting the vehicle facilitates heat transfer from the thermally conductive plate 70 to the vehicle. A plurality of fixing pieces 71 may be provided around the periphery of the thermally conductive plate 70 as needed.

[0062] The structure for fixing the thermally conductive plate 70 to the vehicle is not limited to the above example. The thermally conductive plate 70 may be fixed to the vehicle by other fitting structures, welding, etc., or may be supported in a fixed position by the electrical equipment 22, etc.

[0063] The protector 54 may be integrated with the thermally conductive plate 70. For example, the protector 54 may have a fixing portion for fixing to the thermally conductive plate 70 with a fixing device such as a bolt or a clip. FIG. 3 shows a portion of a fixing piece 55f as an example of the fixing portion. The fixing piece 55f is a partial plate-like portion that extends outward from the outer peripheral edge of the main body 55 or the lid 56 and has a hole 55g. With the fixing piece 55f in contact with the thermally conductive plate 70, the fixing piece is fixed to the thermally conductive plate 70 with a bolt S or the like. A plurality of fixing pieces 55f may be provided around the periphery of the protector 54 as needed.

[0064] Furthermore, for example, the wiring 50 and the protector 54 may be arranged on one main surface (the side opposite to the side that contacts the vehicle) of the thermally conductive plate 70, and then bound to them with a binding member 76 (see FIG. 3), such as adhesive tape or a cable tie. The integration of the wiring 50 and the protector 54 with the thermally conductive plate 70 is not limited to the above example, and may be achieved by, for example, double-sided tape, adhesive, or the like.

[0065] If the wiring 50 and the thermally conductive plate 70 are integrated, the thermally conductive plate 70 can serve to keep the wiring 50 flat along the thermally conductive plate 70 .

[0066] In this embodiment, the thermally conductive plate 70 includes a device overlapping region 74. The device overlapping region 74 is a region that overlaps with the electric device 22. In this embodiment, the connector 42 is connected to the electric device 22. Therefore, the electric device 22 is located on an extension of the connector 42 of the wiring 50. The device overlapping region 74 is a region that extends from the wiring overlapping region 72 toward the region where the electric device 22 is located. In this embodiment, the device overlapping region 74 overlaps the entire electric device 22. It is sufficient that the device overlapping region 74 overlaps at least a portion of the electric device 22. The device overlapping region 74 may also have an additional region that does not overlap with the electric device 22.

[0067] The plurality of wirings 50 may be fixed to the thermally conductive plate 70 by adhesive tape, a binding member such as a cable tie, double-sided tape, adhesive, or the like.

[0068] <Heat dissipation path using thermally conductive plates in wire harnesses> The heat dissipation path using the thermally conductive plate 70 in the wire harness 30 will be described.

[0069] A window portion 55e is formed in a plate portion of the base member 54 facing the wiring 50 from which heat is desired to be dissipated. The window portion 55e may be formed in a position that allows at least a portion of the wiring 50 to face the outside. In other words, when the plate portion of the base member 54 on which the window portion 55e is formed is observed from the outside in a direction perpendicular to the plate portion, at least a portion of the window portion 55e and at least a portion of the wiring 50 may overlap. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the window portion 55e is provided individually for each of the multiple wirings 50 from which heat is desired to be dissipated. The window portion may be formed in multiple regions that overlap with the multiple wirings 50 from which heat is desired to be dissipated, or may connect these multiple regions. In other words, the window portion may be formed as a single window portion common to the multiple wirings 50 from which heat is desired to be dissipated.

[0070] A window portion 55e is formed in the bottom plate 55a and the cover plate portion 56a, which plate portion is interposed between the wiring 50 and the thermally conductive plate 70. Here, the protector 54 is arranged so that the bottom plate 55a is interposed between the wiring 50 and the thermally conductive plate 70. Therefore, the window portion 55e is formed in the bottom plate 55a. The protector 54 may be arranged so that the cover plate portion 56a is interposed between the wiring 50 and the thermally conductive plate 70. In this case, the window portion may be formed in the cover plate portion 56a.

[0071] The window 55e is located slightly inward from the edge of the bottom plate 55a on the device connector 42 side. The intermediate stripped portion 53c is located at a position corresponding to the window 55e. Here, the intermediate stripped portion 53c is longer than the window 55e along the extension direction of the wiring 50. The dimension of the window 55e along the width direction of the wiring 50 is larger than the diameter of the core wire 53a.

[0072] The wiring overlap region 72 of the thermally conductive plate 70 is arranged along the plate portion of the base member 54 where the window portion 55e is formed. It is preferable that the thermally conductive plate 70 be maintained in a fixed position relative to the base member 54. The base member 54 may be fixed to the thermally conductive plate 70. For example, the hole 55g of the fixing piece 55f may be aligned with the hole 70a formed in the thermally conductive plate 70. In this case, a bolt S may be inserted into the hole and fastened to a nut. If a nut is provided on the vehicle side, the protector and the thermally conductive plate 70 can be fixed to the vehicle 10 together. FIG. 6 shows an example of one fixing piece. Multiple fixing pieces may be provided around the base member as necessary. The thermally conductive plate 70 and the base member may be separately fixed to the vehicle 10, etc., thereby maintaining a fixed positional relationship between the thermally conductive plate 70 and the base member.

[0073] The thermal conductor 80 is formed in a shape that can be placed within the window portion 55e. In this embodiment, the window portion 55e is rectangular, and the thermal conductor 80 is rectangular so that it can be placed within the window portion 55e. The surface of the thermal conductor 80 facing the wiring 50 can face the wiring 50. The surface of the thermal conductor 80 may face at least a portion of the wiring 50. The surface of the thermal conductor 80 may have a portion that protrudes laterally from the wiring 50. In this embodiment, the surface of the thermal conductor 80 extends to the same size as the window portion 55e. The surface of the thermal conductor 80 is flat before coming into contact with the wiring 50, and may be deformed into a concave surface corresponding to the convex outer surface of the wiring 50 when pressed toward the wiring 50.

[0074] The thermal conductor 80 may have a shape other than a rectangular parallelepiped. For example, the thermal conductor 80 may have a cylindrical shape with its circular end face facing the wiring 50.

[0075] The outer peripheral surface of the thermal conductor 80 is preferably disposed so as to contact the inner peripheral surface of the window portion 55e, thereby making it difficult for water, dust, and the like to enter the base member 54 through the gap between the thermal conductor 80 and the window portion 55e.

[0076] If the thermal conductor 80 is made of rubber, it is easy to bring the thermal conductor 80 into close contact with the wiring 50 and the thermally conductive plate 70. It is also easy to bring the thermal conductor 80 into close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the window portion 55e.

[0077] The lid 56 may press the wiring 50 toward the thermal conductor 80. The wiring 50 and the thermal conductor 80 may be pressed against the lid 56 and the peripheral portion of the window portion 55e of the bottom plate 55a. In this case, the thermal conductor 80 protrudes into the internal space of the protector 54 through the window portion 55e and presses the core wire 53a at the intermediate stripped portion 53c toward the lid 56. As a result, the window portion 55e and the portion of the wiring 50 located adjacent to it move away from the bottom plate 55a and toward the lid plate portion 56a. The lid plate portion 56a presses this portion, thereby pressing the core wire 53a at the intermediate stripped portion 53c toward the thermal conductor 80. The lid 56 may be provided with a pressing member that protrudes from the inner surface of the lid plate portion 56a toward the wiring 50. The pressing member and the thermal conductor 80 may sandwich the wiring 50 so as to press it from opposite sides.

[0078] The thermal conductor 80 does not have to protrude into the internal space of the protector 54 through the window portion 55e. In this case, a pressing member provided on the lid 56 may press the wiring 50 toward the thermal conductor 80. A part of the wiring 50 pressed by the pressing member may enter the window portion 55e.

[0079] Other intervening materials may be interposed between the thermal conductor 80 and the wiring 50, or between the thermal conductor 80 and the wiring overlapping region 72. The intervening materials may be thermally conductive sheets, thermally conductive adhesives, thermally conductive double-sided tape, or thermally conductive grease, which improve adhesion to the mating surface. If the intervening material is thermally conductive adhesive or thermally conductive double-sided tape, the thermal conductor 80 can be kept fixed to the wiring 50 or the wiring overlapping region 72.

[0080] The thermal conductor 80 may be fixed to the thermal conductive plate 70. If the thermal conductor 80 is fixed to the thermal conductive plate 70, it becomes easy to interpose the thermal conductor 80 between the wiring 50 and the wiring overlapping region 72 when integrating the protector 54 and the thermal conductive plate 70. For example, when assembling the protector 54 to the thermal conductive plate 70, if the thermal conductor 80 fixed to the thermal conductive plate 70 is inserted into the window portion 55e, the thermal conductor 80 will be disposed between the wiring 50 and the wiring overlapping region 72.

[0081] The thermal conductor 80 may be fixed to the protector 54. If the thermal conductor 80 is fixed to the protector 54, it becomes easy to interpose the thermal conductor 80 between the wiring 50 and the wiring overlap region 72 through the window portion 55e when integrating the protector 54 and the thermally conductive plate 70. For example, a groove that fits into the peripheral edge of the window portion 55e may be formed on the outer periphery of the thermal conductor 80. Alternatively, for example, the thermal conductor 80 may have a main body portion whose size corresponds to the window portion 55e and a flange portion that extends outside the main body portion and is larger than the window portion 55e. The main body portion may protrude toward the outside of the protector 54 through the window portion 55e, and the flange portion may be hooked onto the peripheral edge of the window portion 55e inside the protector 54.

[0082] The thermal conductor 80 may be fixed to the wiring 50. If the thermal conductor 80 is fixed to the wiring 50, it is not necessary to position the thermal conductor 80 in the window portion 55e when integrating the protector 54 and the thermally conductive plate 70, and it becomes easy to interpose the thermal conductor 80 between the wiring 50 and the wiring overlap region 72. For example, the thermal conductor 80 may have a wiring fixing portion fixed to the wiring 50 and a protruding portion protruding from the wiring fixing portion. The protruding portion may protrude to the outside of the protector 54 through the window portion 55e.

[0083] A first modified example of the base member 54 is shown in FIG. 7. As shown in the figure, the base member 362 according to this modified example is a flexible sheet member 58. The sheet member 58 has flexibility that allows it to follow the bending of the wiring 50. This allows the base member 362 to be easily installed. Furthermore, the wiring 50 and the sheet member 58 can be bent together. The sheet member 58 covers the wiring 50 from one side. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, an insulating member 59 such as insulating tape separate from the sheet member 58 may cover the core wire 53a of the intermediate peeled portion 53c on the side where the sheet member 58 is not present. This prevents the core wire 53a from being exposed.

[0084] The sheet member 58 is, for example, a resin sheet. The sheet member 58 may be a sheet containing a fibrous material such as a nonwoven fabric. The sheet member 58 may be a sheet having a solid cross section.

[0085] The wiring 50 may be fixed to the sheet member 58. The manner in which the wiring 50 and the sheet member 58 are fixed is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. For example, the wiring 50 and the sheet member 58 may be fixed by fusion. In this case, a resin contained in at least one of the coating 53b of the electric wire 53 serving as the wiring 50 and the main surface of the sheet member 58 melts and adheres to the surface of the opposing member to be fixed. Also, for example, the wiring 50 and the sheet member 58 may be attached with an adhesive or a sticky material. A plurality of wirings 50 are arranged on the main surface of the sheet member 58. The wirings 50 may be fixed to the sheet member 58 to maintain a parallel state.

[0086] A window portion 58a is formed in the sheet member 58. As in the case where the base member is the protector 54, the core wire 53a in the intermediate peeled portion 53c and the thermal conductor 80 are connected via the window portion 58a. The wiring 50 may be fixed to the sheet member 58 at positions on both sides of the intermediate peeled portion 53c. This makes it difficult for the thermal conductor 80 to separate from the wiring 50 when the thermal conductor 80 protrudes through the window portion 58a toward the wiring 50 beyond the surface of the sheet member 58 on which the wiring 50 is arranged and comes into contact with the wiring 50.

[0087] A second variation of the circuit and heat conductor 80 is shown in FIGS.

[0088] The circuit further has a terminal 42a connected to an end of the wiring 50. The thermal conductor 82 connects the terminal 42a and the thermally conductive plate 70. This allows the thermal conductor 80 to be connected to the circuit at a position closer to the electric device 22. The terminal 42a is a connector terminal provided on the device connector 42. The terminal 42a is held in a connector housing 42b of the device connector 42. Here, the terminal 42a is housed in a cavity 42c of the connector housing 42b.

[0089] The electric device 22 shown in FIG. 9 includes a case 23, a heat-generating component 24, a circuit board 25, and a connector 26.

[0090] Case 23 is a box made of resin or the like. For example, case 23 is formed in the shape of a flat box. Heat-generating component 24 is housed inside case 23. Circuit board 25 is fixed inside case 23. Heat-generating component 24 is mounted on circuit board 25. Circuit board 25 has circuit pattern 25a made of copper foil or the like. In FIG. 9, one heat-generating component 24 and the circuit pattern 25a on which this heat-generating component 24 is mounted are shown as a representative. The number and positions of heat-generating components 24 are arbitrary. Other electronic components may be mounted on circuit board 25.

[0091] Connector 26 penetrates from the inside to the outside of case 23 at one side plate portion of case 23. Terminals 26a of connector 26 are electrically connected to circuit pattern 25a of circuit board 25 inside case 23.

[0092] When the connector 26 and the device connector 42 are connected, the circuit pattern 25a of the electric device 22 is connected to the wiring 50 via the terminals 26a and 42a. In the example shown in Fig. 9, the circuit to which the thermal conductor 82 is connected in the wire harness 230 is connected to the circuit pattern 25a on which the heat-generating component 24 is mounted. This makes it easier for heat from the heat-generating component 24 to be transferred to the thermal conductor 82. The circuit to which the thermal conductor 82 is connected in the wire harness 230 may be connected to a circuit pattern different from the circuit pattern 25a on which the heat-generating component 24 is mounted.

[0093] Here, the thermal conductor 82 is a heat pull-out wire 82. The heat pull-out wire 82 is connected to the terminal 42a. This increases thermal conductivity via the thermal conductor 82. The heat pull-out wire 82 has a conductor wire 82a and a coating 82b. For example, one end of the conductor wire 82a is connected to the terminal 42a together with the wiring 50. The manner in which the wiring 50 and the conductor wire 82a are connected to the terminal 42a is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. For example, the core wire 53a of the wiring 50 and the conductor wire 82a may be co-crimped to the terminal 42a. For example, the conductor wire 82a and the terminal 42a may be connected by welding, soldering, or the like. The other end of the conductor wire 82a is connected to the thermally conductive plate 70. The other end of the conductor wire 82a and the thermally conductive plate 70 are connected by welding, soldering, or the like.

[0094] The thermal conductor 84 is a filler 84. The filler 84 has insulating properties. The filler 84 fills the space in the cavity 42c on the side where the wiring 50 is drawn out. This allows the thermal conductor 84 to be easily provided and connected to the terminal 42a. The filler 84 is, for example, thermally conductive grease. In this example, the filler 84 does not have a portion that protrudes outside the cavity 42c and is not connected to the thermally conductive plate 70. The filler 84 is in close contact with the heat-drawing wire 82 and the terminal 42a within the cavity 42c, thereby assisting in the conduction of heat to the heat-drawing wire 82. The filler 84 may have a portion that protrudes outside the cavity 42c, or the portion that protrudes outside the cavity 42c may be connected to the thermally conductive plate 70. In this case, the heat-drawing wire 82 may be omitted.

[0095] <Examples of wiring connections> Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating the connection relationship between the multiple types of connectors 42, 44 and the multiple wirings 50. Fig. 11 is a diagram illustrating the connection relationship between the device connector 42, the first harness connector 44X, and the second harness connector 44Y.

[0096] The wire harness 30 includes an equipment connector 42 and multiple types of harness connectors 44. The equipment connector 42 is connected to the connector 26 of the electrical equipment 22. Each of the multiple types of harness connectors 44 is connected to a different connector of the mating wire harness 20. In this example, the multiple types of harness connectors 44 include an engine room (ER) harness connector 44A, an instrument panel (IP) harness connector 44B, a door (DR) harness connector 44C, and a floor (FL) harness connector 44D. However, it is not necessary to provide all of the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D as the multiple types of harness connectors 44; it is preferable to provide two or more types. Furthermore, when a roof harness 20E is assumed as the mating wire harness 20, a roof harness connector 44E is provided as one of the multiple types of harness connectors 44. For example, the roof harness connector 44E may be disposed in the vehicle above the device connector 42, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D. Wiring connected to the roof harness connector 44E may extend vertically along the side of the device 22.

[0097] In the example shown in FIG. 6 , the various types of connectors 40 are one connector. That is, the device connector 42, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are each one connector. In the present disclosure, two or more connectors are also considered to be one type of connector if they have the same connection destination. In other words, regardless of the number of connectors connected to the same device 22 or the same mating wire harness 20, they are considered to be one type of connector. From another perspective, each of the multiple types of connectors 40 consists of one or more connectors (hereinafter referred to as split connectors). Each type of connector may include connectors having the same structure. Here, even if connectors have the same structure, they are considered to be different types of connectors if they have different connection destinations.

[0098] At least one of the multiple types of connectors 40 may have two or more divided connectors. For example, the connector 40 with the largest number of poles among the multiple types of connectors 40 (e.g., device connector 42) may have two or more divided connectors. This makes it easier to manufacture the connector 40 with the largest number of poles among the multiple types of connectors 40.

[0099] When the connector 40 includes multiple split connectors, it is preferable that the number of types of connectors 40 is four or more and that the number of split connectors is N or less, where N is the number of types of connectors 40 in the wire harness 30 minus two. This allows for a smaller number of pairs of connectors to be mated compared to when one type of connector 40 is connected to another type of connector 40. Specifically, here, the connectors 40 in the wire harness 30 are five types: an instrument connector 42, an engine room harness connector 44A, an instrument panel harness connector 44B, a door harness connector 44C, and a floor harness connector 44D. Therefore, when each of the instrument connector 42, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D includes multiple split connectors, it is preferable that the number of split connectors is three or less. For example, when four mating wire harnesses 20, i.e., an engine room harness 20A, an instrument panel harness 20B, a door harness 20C, and a floor harness 20D, are connected to the device 22, four sets of connectors must be mated. On the other hand, when the device connector 42 is made up of three or less divided connectors, the number of sets of connectors to be mated can be three or less.

[0100] The plurality of wirings 50 includes a through circuit wiring 52 and a plurality of device wirings 51. The through circuit wiring 52 connects the harness connectors 44 together. The device wiring 51 connects the device connectors 42 and the harness connectors 44.

[0101] As shown in Fig. 10, here, device wirings 51A, 51B, 51C, and 51D are provided as the device wiring 51. The device wiring 51A connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the device connector 42. The device wiring 51B connects the instrument panel harness connector 44B and the device connector 42. The device wiring 51C connects the door harness connector 44C and the device connector 42. The device wiring 51D connects the floor harness connector 44D and the device connector 42. Note that each of the device wirings 51A, 51B, 51C, and 51D may be one or more.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 10 , here, through circuit wirings 52A, 52B, 52C, 52D, and 52E are provided as the through circuit wiring 52. The through circuit wiring 52A connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the instrument panel harness connector 44B. The through circuit wiring 52B connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the floor harness connector 44D. The through circuit wiring 52C connects the instrument panel harness connector 44B and the door harness connector 44C. The through circuit wiring 52D connects the instrument panel harness connector 44B and the floor harness connector 44D. The through circuit wiring 52E connects the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D. Note that each of the through circuit wirings 52A, 52B, 52C, 52D, and 52E may be one or more.

[0103] Therefore, here, out of the ten paths between the five types of connectors 42, 44, the wiring 50 is provided in nine paths other than the one path between the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C.

[0104] As shown in FIG. 11 , in the present disclosure, the multiple types of harness connectors 44 include a first harness connector 44X and a second harness connector 44Y. The first harness connector 44X is connected to a first mating wire harness 20X. The second harness connector 44Y is connected to a second mating wire harness 20Y. The three types of connectors 42, 44, i.e., the device connector 42, the first harness connector 44X, and the second harness connector 44Y, are connected to each other by wiring 50. Specifically, the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y are connected to the device connector 42 by multiple device wirings 51. The device connector 42 and the first harness connector 44X are connected by first device wirings 51X. The device connector 42 and the second harness connector 44Y are connected by second device wirings 51Y. The first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y are connected by a through circuit wiring 52. We will now explain whether the four types of harness connectors 44, namely, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D, qualify as the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y.

[0105] Six combinations are generated by selecting two of the four types of harness connectors 44, i.e., the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D. Of the six combinations, five combinations, excluding one combination consisting of the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C, have through-circuit wiring 52 connecting the two types of harness connectors 44 in that combination. Furthermore, all of the four types of harness connectors 44, i.e., the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D, are connected to the device connector 42 via device wiring 51. Therefore, of the six combinations, five combinations, excluding one combination consisting of the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C, can be considered to be combinations of the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y.

[0106] On the other hand, here, the wire harness 30 does not have the through circuit wiring 52 that connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C. Therefore, here, the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C are not considered to be a combination of the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y.

[0107] As the multiple types of harness connectors 44, three or more types of harness connectors 44 may be provided, and the wire harness 30 may have through circuit wiring 52 connecting the three or more types of harness connectors 44 to each other. Four combinations are generated by selecting three types from the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D. Of the four combinations, two combinations, excluding two combinations that simultaneously include the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C, have through circuit wiring 52 connecting the three types of harness connectors 44 to each other. Of the four combinations, two combinations, excluding two combinations that simultaneously include the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C, can be considered to be the three or more types of harness connectors 44.

[0108] Specifically, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, and the floor harness connector 44D are connected to one another via through circuit wiring 52A, 52B, and 52D. Therefore, the combination of the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, and the floor harness connector 44D can be considered to be the three or more types of harness connectors 44. Similarly, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are connected to one another via through circuit wiring 52C, 52D, and 52E. Therefore, the combination of the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D can be considered to be the three or more types of harness connectors 44.

[0109] However, a through-circuit wiring 52 that connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C may be provided in the wire harness 30. In this case, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are connected to one another via the through-circuit wiring 52.

[0110] The wiring 50 can also be understood to include a plurality of wirings 51X, 51Y branching from the device connector 42 and connected to the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y.

[0111] Based on the above example of the connection relationship of the wiring 50, an example of the arrangement of the wire harness 30 in the vehicle 10 will be described.

[0112] 2, a portion of the wire harness 30 is arranged along the dash panel 11. The wiring portion extending from the engine room harness connector 44A is held so as to be arranged along the dash panel 11.

[0113] Another part of the wire harness 30 is arranged along the cowl side panel 15. The instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are aligned in the height direction, and the wiring portions extending from the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are held so as to be arranged along the cowl side panel 15.

[0114] Furthermore, wire harness 30 is arranged in a state where it is bent in the thickness direction between a portion arranged along dash panel 11 and a portion arranged along cowl side panel 15. For example, protector 54 may be provided in the portion of wire harness 30 arranged along cowl side panel 15. Wiring 50 may be bent outside protector 54. Sheet member 58 may be provided in the portion of wire harness 30 arranged along cowl side panel 15 and a portion arranged along dash panel 11. Sheet member 58 may be bent together with wiring 50 between the portion arranged along cowl side panel 15 and the portion arranged along dash panel 11.

[0115] The length of each of the multiple wirings 50 is within one meter. In the wire harness 30, the longest wiring 50 is the through circuit wiring 52B connecting the engine room harness connector 44A and the floor harness connector 44D, or the through circuit wiring 52C connecting the instrument panel harness connector 44B and the floor harness connector 44D. The lengths of these through circuit wirings 52B and 52C are within one meter.

[0116] <Configuration example for keeping wiring flat> A third modified example relating to the wiring 50 and the base member 54 is shown in Fig. 12. As shown in the figure, a plurality of wiring groups 360, 364 may be stacked to form a wire harness 330. In the example shown in Fig. 12, some of the plurality of wirings 50 are grouped together to form a first wiring group 360, and another portion of the plurality of wirings 50 are grouped separately from the first wiring group 360 to form a second wiring group 364. Here, the plurality of wirings 50 are fixed to and grouped together by base members 362, 366.

[0117] First wiring group 360 and second wiring group 364 are each formed flat and stacked on top of each other. Here, first wiring group 360 has a plurality of electric wires 361 and a flat base member 362 that keeps the plurality of electric wires 361 flat. Here, electric wires 361 and base member 362 are fixed. Electric wires 361 and base member 362 do not have to be fixed. Furthermore, second wiring group 364 has a plurality of electric wires 365 and a flat base member 366 that keeps the plurality of electric wires 365 flat. Here, electric wires 365 and base member 366 are fixed. Electric wires 365 and base member 366 do not have to be fixed.

[0118] The first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 are stacked so that the main surface of the base member 362 to which the electric wire 361 is fixed faces the main surface of the base member 366 to which the electric wire 365 is fixed. This allows the electric wires 361 and 365 to be surrounded and protected by the base members 362 and 366. However, the first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 may also be stacked so that the main surface of the base member 362 to which the electric wire 361 is fixed faces the main surface of the base member 366 to which the electric wire 365 is not fixed, or so that the main surface of the base member 366 to which the electric wire 365 is fixed faces the main surface of the base member 362 to which the electric wire 361 is not fixed. In addition, the first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 may be stacked so that the main surface of the base member 362 to which the electric wire 361 is not fixed faces the main surface of the base member 366 to which the electric wire 365 is not fixed.

[0119] The first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 are stacked so that the electric wires 361 and the electric wires 365 overlap each other. The electric wires 361 and 365 are arranged in two layers, with one layer of the electric wires 361 and one layer of the electric wires 365 overlapping each other. Depending on the space available where the wire harness 30 is arranged, it may be desirable to reduce the width of at least a portion of the wire harness 30 even if this results in a slight increase in the thickness. In such a case, for example, the electric wires 361 and 365 may be arranged in three or more layers. Alternatively, for example, the base members 362 and 366 may not be provided, and the electric wires 361 and 365 may be bundled together with a bundling member such as tape to have a circular cross section.

[0120] The base member 362 has extension pieces 362a. The extension pieces 362a are provided on both sides of the portion where the electric wires 361 are arranged. The base member 366 also has similar extension pieces 366a. The extension pieces 362a of the base member 362 and the extension pieces 366a of the base member 366 are fixed to each other, thereby fixing the first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364. However, the extension pieces 362a of the base member 362 and the extension pieces 366a of the base member 366 do not have to be fixed to each other.

[0121] <Examples of how to separate multiple wiring> When the first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 are laminated to form the wire harness 330 as in the example shown in Fig. 12, the manner in which the plurality of wirings 50 are divided into the first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. Examples of how the plurality of wirings 50 are divided will be described with reference to Figs. 13 and 14. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing one example of how the plurality of wirings 50 are divided. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing another example of how the plurality of wirings 50 are divided.

[0122] In the example shown in FIG. 13 , the multiple wirings 50 are sorted based on the device wirings 51 and the through circuit wirings 52. Specifically, the majority of the first wiring group 360A are device wirings 51. The majority of the second wiring group 364A are through circuit wirings 52. 60% or more of the first wiring group 360A may be device wirings 51, 70% or more of the first wiring group 360A may be device wirings 51, 80% or more of the first wiring group 360A may be device wirings 51, or 90% or more of the first wiring group 360A may be device wirings 51. Similarly, 60% or more of the second wiring group 364A may be device wirings 52, or 70% or more of the first wiring group 360A may be device wirings 52, or 80% or more of the second wiring group 364A may be device wirings 52, or 90% or more of the second wiring group 364A may be device wirings 52. Furthermore, all (100%) of the second wiring group 364 may be the through circuit wirings 52.

[0123] In the example shown in FIG. 13, all (100%) of the first wiring group 360A are device wirings 51. Furthermore, 90% or more of the second wiring group 364A are through circuit wirings 52. Of the device wirings 51, device wiring 51A connecting the engine room harness connector 44A and the device connector 42 is provided in the second wiring group 364A. Of the device wirings 51, device wirings 51B, 51C, and 51D excluding device wiring 51A are provided in the first wiring group 360A. All of the through circuit wirings 52 are provided in the second wiring group 364A.

[0124] In the first wiring group 360A, the electric wires 361 are arranged so as not to cross each other on the base member 362. In the second wiring group 364A, the electric wires 365 are arranged so as not to cross each other on the base member 366. This prevents the first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 from becoming thicker, and prevents the wire harness 30 in which the first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 are stacked from becoming thicker. However, at least one of the first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 may be provided with an intersection where the electric wires cross each other on the base member.

[0125] 14, the wirings 50 are sorted into a first wiring group 360B and a second wiring group 364B based on whether they are power lines 50P or signal lines 50S. Specifically, the majority of the first wiring group 360B are power lines 50P, and the majority of the second wiring group 364B are signal lines 50S. Alternatively, the proportion of power lines 50P in the first wiring group 360B is higher than the proportion of power lines in the second wiring group 364B. This allows most of the power lines 50P to be separated from most of the signal lines 50S.

[0126] The proportion of power supply lines 50P in the first wiring group 360B is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. For example, the proportion of power supply lines 50P in the first wiring group 360B may be 50% or more, or may be less than 50%. In other words, the majority of the first wiring group 360B may be power supply lines 50P or signal lines.

[0127] Furthermore, a majority of all power supply lines in the wire harness 330 may be arranged in the first wiring group 360B. A majority of all signal lines in the wire harness 330 may be arranged in the second wiring group 364B. The first wiring group 360B may or may not include signal lines. The second wiring group 364B may or may not include power supply lines.

[0128] 14, of the wiring 50 connected to the door harness connector 44C and the wiring 50 connected to the floor harness connector 44D, the power supply wire 50P is provided in the first wiring group 360B, and the signal wire 50S is provided in the second wiring group 364. The power supply wire 50P1 in the first wiring group 360B connects the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D to the device connector 42, respectively. The power supply wire 50P2 in the first wiring group 360B connects the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D to the other harness connectors 44, respectively. The signal wire 50S1 in the second wiring group 364B connects the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D to the device connector 42, respectively. The signal line 50S2 in the second wiring group 364B connects the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D to the other harness connectors 44, respectively.

[0129] Of the first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364, only the second wiring group 364 is disposed along the dash panel 11 in the wire harness 330. Therefore, the wire harness 330 is easily bent in the thickness direction between the portion disposed along the dash panel 11 and the portion disposed along the cowl side panel 15.

[0130] <Effects, etc.> The wire harness 30 configured as described above includes the thermal conductors 80, 82 that thermally connect the circuit and the thermally conductive plate 70, so that heat generated by the heat-generating component 24 is transferred to the thermally conductive plate 70 via the circuit and the thermal conductors 80, 82. The thermally conductive plate 70 is a plate that extends along the wiring 50. Therefore, the heat from the heat-generating component 24 is effectively dissipated by the thermally conductive plate 70, thereby improving the heat dissipation of the electrical device 22 to which the wire harness 30 is connected. Furthermore, heat generated by the circuit itself of the wire harness 30 due to the current is also transferred to the thermally conductive plate 70 via the thermal conductors 80, 82. Therefore, the temperature rise in the circuit of the wire harness 30 can be suppressed, and the circuit size can be reduced relative to the current size.

[0131] In particular, in recent years, there has been an increase in configurations in which zone ECUs (electronic control units) are installed for each zone of a vehicle, separate from a central ECU. It is desirable to reduce the size of at least one of the central ECU and the zone ECU while taking heat countermeasures into consideration. According to this embodiment, by using the electrical device 22 as a zone ECU, heat countermeasures for the zone ECU can be implemented, and by taking heat countermeasures for the zone ECU, the zone ECU can be reduced in size.

[0132] Furthermore, if the thermal conductor 80 is connected to the core wire 53a, the thermal conductivity between the wiring 50 and the thermal conductor 80 is improved. This also makes it possible to suppress a temperature rise in the core wire 53a, and allows the size of the core wire 53a to be reduced relative to the current value.

[0133] Furthermore, if the thermal conductor 80 is connected to the core wire 53a at the intermediate peeling portion 53c, the coating 53b can be interposed between the connection position between the core wire 53a and the thermal conductor 80 and the electrical equipment 22, making it easier to ensure the necessary insulation.

[0134] Furthermore, if the thermal conductor 80 connects the core wire 53a and the thermal conductive plate 70 through the window portions 55e, 58a formed in the base members 54, 58, the wiring 50 can be protected by the base members 54, 58 while ensuring the connection between the core wire 53a and the thermal conductive plate 70 by the thermal conductor 80.

[0135] Furthermore, if the lid 56 holds down the wiring 50 that contacts the thermal conductor 80 through the window 55e formed in the main body 55, the adhesion between the wiring 50 and the thermal conductor 80 is improved. This improves the thermal conductivity between the wiring 50 and the thermal conductor 80.

[0136] Furthermore, if the base members 54, 58 keep the plurality of wirings 50 flat, the heat conductive plate 70, which can be easily set wide, can effectively dissipate heat.

[0137] Furthermore, the power line 50P has a larger conductor cross-sectional area than the signal line 50S, and therefore often has higher thermal conductivity. If a thermal conductor 80 is connected to the circuit of this power line 50P, the heat dissipation of the electric device 22 is further improved.

[0138] The wire harness 30 includes an instrument connector 42 and a first harness connector 44X and a second harness connector 44Y to which the connectors of the mating wire harnesses 20X and 20Y are respectively connected. The wiring 50 includes a plurality of wires branching from the instrument connector 42 and connected to the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y. Therefore, the electrical device 22 can be provided with only the connector 26, without providing separate connectors for the mating wire harnesses 20X and 20Y. This allows the number of connectors in the electrical device 22 to be reduced. Even if the total number of connector terminals in an electrical device remains the same, a larger number of connectors may result in an increased size of the electrical device due to the space required for installing connector housings. Reducing the number of connectors in the electrical device 22 allows the electrical device 22 to be made smaller.

[0139] The wiring 50 also includes through circuit wiring 52 that connects the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y. Therefore, the mating wire harness 20X connected to the first harness connector 44X and the mating wire harness 20Y connected to the second harness connector 44Y are connected via the through circuit wiring 52. This makes it possible to connect multiple types of mating wire harnesses together via the wire harness 30, facilitating the connection of multiple types of mating wire harnesses together and the connection of the multiple types of mating wire harnesses to devices.

[0140] Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing a wire harness 430 according to the fourth modified example. Fig. 16 is an exploded perspective view showing a wire harness 430 according to the fourth modified example.

[0141] In a wire harness 430 according to the fourth modification, the shape of the connector 46 is different from the shape of the connector 44 in the wire harness 30. Specifically, at least one of the multiple types of connectors 44 is composed of multiple split connectors 47, 48. The multiple split connectors 47, 48 include a first split connector 47 and a second split connector 48. The wires 50 of the first wiring group 360 are connected to the first split connector 47. The wires of the second wiring group 364 are connected to the second split connector 48. This makes it less necessary to insert either the wires 50 of the first wiring group 360 or the wires 50 of the second wiring group 364 into the connector 44 into which either the wires 50 of the first wiring group 360 or the wires 50 of the second wiring group 364 have already been inserted, compared to the wire harness 30. This makes it easier to separately manufacture the first wiring group 360 and the second wiring group 364 and later combine them to form the wire harness 430.

[0142] Here, a first split connector 47 and a second split connector 48 are combined to form a stacked connector 46. Therefore, here, at least one type of connector 46 of the multiple types of connectors 40 is a stacked connector 46 made up of multiple split connectors 47, 48 combined with each other. The various connectors 44 may be divided in a manner other than a stacked connector 46. For example, the device connector 42 may be divided into multiple split connectors arranged in a direction intersecting the thickness direction. Two split connectors may be connected to the electrical device 22 separately without being combined.

[0143] FIG. 17 is a plan view showing a wire harness 530 according to the fifth modified example.

[0144] In the wire harness 530, the wiring 550 corresponding to the wiring 50 includes a plurality of wirings 550X, 550Y branching out from the device connector 42 to a plurality of (here, two) harness connectors 544X, 544Y. The wiring 550 is fixed to a base member 558 such as a sheet member and maintained in a flat state.

[0145] A thermally conductive plate 570 corresponding to the thermally conductive plate 70 extends along the wiring 550. The thermally conductive plate 570 extends, for example, along the base member 558. As in the above embodiment, the thermally conductive plate 570 also overlaps the electric device 22. In this modification, the wire harness 530 does not have through circuit wiring 52. Furthermore, the multiple wirings 50 are not divided into multiple groups, but are grouped together and maintained in a flat shape.

[0146] 18 is a schematic perspective view showing an arrangement area of ​​the wire harness 530 according to the fifth modified example. The arrangement area of ​​the wire harness 530 may be, for example, an area close to the rear seat or the rear luggage compartment. In this case, the mating wire harness 20 may be a floor harness, a seat harness, a rear harness, or the like. When the wire harness 530 is arranged in a curved manner, the thermally conductive plate 570 may be configured to be divided into a portion located on one side of the bent portion and a portion located on the other side. This makes it easy to bend the wire harness 530 at the bent portion after the thermally conductive plate 570 is attached.

[0147] Alternatively, the window 55e of the protector 54 may be formed in the side plate 55b, and the thermal conductor 80 may be in contact with the wiring 50 through the window of the side plate 55b. The window 55e of the protector 54 may be formed in the bottom plate 55a or the cover plate 56a whichever is farther from the thermally conductive plate 70, and the thermal conductor 80 may be in contact with the wiring 50 through the window. In this case, it is preferable that a portion of the thermally conductive plate is formed to extend outside the side plate 55b, the bottom plate 55a, or the cover plate 56a of the protector 54, and the thermal conductor 80 be in direct or indirect contact with the extended portion.

[0148] At least some of the multiple types of connectors may be standby connectors fixed to a vehicle, etc. For example, at least some of the multiple types of harness connectors 44 may be standby connectors. This makes it easier to connect a mating wire harness to the harness connector 44.

[0149] The configurations described in the above embodiments and modifications can be combined as appropriate as long as they are not mutually contradictory. [Explanation of symbols]

[0150] 10 vehicles 11 Dash panel 12 Main body part 13 Overhang part 14, 16 Through holes 15 Cowl side panel 17 Instrument panel reinforcement 18 Floor Panel 18a Rocker Club 19 A-pillar 20 Mating wire harness (20A engine room harness, 20B instrument panel harness, 20C door harness, 20D floor harness, 20E roof harness) 20X 1st mating wire harness 20Y Second mating wire harness 22 Electrical Equipment 23 cases 24 Heat-generating components 25 Circuit Board 25a Circuit pattern 26 Connectors 26a terminal 30, 230, 330, 430, 530 Wire harness 42 Equipment Connectors 42a terminal 44 Harness connector (44A Engine room harness connector, 44B Instrument panel harness connector, 44C Door harness connector, 44D Harness connector, 44E Roof harness connector) 44X, 544X 1st harness connector 44Y, 544Y Second harness connector 46 Stacked Connector 47 First division connector 48 Second split connector 50, 550, 550X, 550Y wiring 50P power wire 50S signal line 51, 51A, 51B, 51C, 51D equipment wiring 51X Wiring for 1st device 51Y 2nd device wiring 52, 52A, 52B, 52C, 52D, 52E Through circuit wiring 53, 361, 365 electric wire 53a core wire 53b Covering 53c Intermediate peeling section 54 Protector (base component) 55 Main Unit 55a bottom plate 55b side plate 55c Divider 55d groove 55e Window section 55f fixed piece 55g hole 56 Lid 56a Lid plate part 56b Side plate part 58, 362, 366, 558 Sheet material (base material) 58a Window section 70, 570 Thermally conductive plate 70a hole 71 Fixed piece 71a Insertion hole 72 Wiring overlap area 74 Equipment overlap area 76 Binding member 80 Thermal Conductors 82 Heat wire (thermal conductor) 82a Conductor wire 82b Covering 84 Filler material (thermal conductor) 360, 360A, 360B 1st wiring group 362a, 366a extension piece 364, 364A, 364B 2nd wiring group S bolt

Claims

1. a circuit including at least wiring extending from an electrical device having a heat-generating component; a thermally conductive plate extending along the wiring; a thermal conductor that thermally connects the circuit and the thermally conductive plate; Equipped with The wiring has a core wire and a coating that covers the core wire, The heat conductor is connected to the core wire by coming into contact with the core wire.

2. The wire harness according to claim 1, an intermediate stripped portion in which the coating covering the core wire is partially removed is provided in an intermediate portion along the extending direction of the wiring; The heat conductor is connected to the core wire at the intermediate stripped portion.

3. The wire harness according to claim 1 or 2, a base member interposed between the wiring and the thermally conductive plate; The heat conductor connects the core wire and the heat conductive plate through a window formed in the base member.

4. The wire harness according to claim 3, the base member is a protector having a main body in which a groove for receiving the wiring is formed, and a lid for covering the wiring from the side opposite to the main body, the window portion is formed in a plate portion of either the main body or the lid, the plate portion being interposed between the wiring and the thermally conductive plate; The other of the main body and the lid presses the wiring toward the heat conductor.

5. The wire harness according to claim 3, The wire harness, wherein the base member is a flexible sheet member.

6. The wire harness according to any one of claims 3 to 5, The base member keeps the plurality of wires flat.

7. The wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the circuit further has a terminal connected to an end of the wiring; The thermal conductor connects the terminal and the thermally conductive plate.

8. The wire harness according to claim 7, The heat conductor has a heat lead wire connected to the terminal.

9. The wire harness according to claim 7 or 8, The terminals are received in cavities in a connector housing, The heat conductor has an insulating filler member filled in the cavity.

10. The wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 9, As the wiring, a signal line and a power supply line having a conductor cross-sectional area larger than that of the signal line are provided, the heat conductor is connected to the circuit of the power supply line.

11. The wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 10, an equipment connector to be connected to a connector of the electrical equipment, and a first harness connector and a second harness connector to be connected to connectors of mating wire harnesses, The wiring includes a plurality of wires branching from the device connector and connected to the first harness connector and the second harness connector.

12. The wire harness according to claim 11, The wiring includes a through circuit wiring that connects the first harness connector and the second harness connector.

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