Cover and cover unit

Abstract

To provide a cover excellent in workability and manufacturing cost.SOLUTION: A cover 2 for closing an opening 7 provided in a panel-like component 6 of a vehicle includes a plate-like body part 4, and an electric wire guide part 5 integrally provided so as to extend from a peripheral edge of the body part 4 and capable of guiding an electric wire 3. The electric wire guide part 5 has a holding structure 10 capable of surrounding and holding the electric wire 3. The electric wire guide part 5 has a regulating structure 20 capable of regulating the attitude of the electric wire 3 by placing the electric wire 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cover that closes an opening provided in a panel-like part of a vehicle, and a cover unit that includes the cover and a wire. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Covers for closing service holes provided in vehicle door panels have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7375726 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional covers described above, the electric wires are fixed to the cover using dedicated fasteners while the electric wires are aligned on the plate surface of the cover. However, in the conventional covers, the fasteners are manufactured separately from the cover body, making it difficult to reduce the manufacturing cost of the cover. Furthermore, in the conventional covers, it is necessary to manage the product numbers of not only the cover body but also the fasteners, making it difficult to increase the productivity of the cover. In light of this background, there is a demand for improvements in the manufacturing cost and productivity of this type of cover.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a cover and a cover unit that are excellent in manufacturing cost and productivity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the cover and cover unit according to the present invention are characterized as follows.

[0007] A cover for closing an opening provided in a panel-like part of a vehicle, The vehicle steering apparatus includes: a plate-shaped main body; and a wire guide portion that is integrally provided with the main body so as to extend from a periphery of the main body and that can guide a wire used in the vehicle. It's a cover.

[0008] The cover as described above; a wire guided by the wire guide section. It is a cover unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the cover of the present invention, the main body portion and the wire guide portion are integrated, allowing, for example, the main body portion and the wire guide portion to be molded integrally. Furthermore, because the wire guide portion is provided on the periphery of the main body portion, the cover can be easily molded without using a complex mold, compared to when the wire guide portion is provided on the plate surface of the main body portion. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the cover can be reduced compared to conventional covers in which the main body portion and the wire guide portion are separate. In addition, because the main body portion and the wire guide portion are integrated, there is no need to separately manage the part numbers of the main body portion and the wire guide portion. Therefore, the productivity of the cover can be improved compared to conventional covers in which the main body portion and the wire guide portion are separate. Therefore, the cover of the present invention is excellent in terms of manufacturing cost and productivity. Similarly, by using such a cover, the cover unit of the present invention is excellent in terms of manufacturing cost and productivity.

[0010] The present invention has been briefly described above. The details of the present invention will become clearer by reading the detailed description of the invention below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cover unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 showing a first modified example of the holding portion. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 showing a second modified example of the holding portion. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 showing a first modified example of the restricting portion. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 6 showing a second modified example of the restricting portion. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 showing a modified example of the cover unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along CC in FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 showing a third modified example of the holding portion. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 showing a fourth modified example of the holding portion. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 showing a fifth modified example of the holding portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, a cover unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, the cover unit 1 is typically a component that is attached to the passenger compartment side of an automobile door panel 6 to cover a service hole 7 (a through-hole for performing maintenance work on electrical equipment attached to the door panel 6) provided on the passenger compartment side of the door panel 6.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1 , the cover unit 1 includes a cover 2 that functions to cover the service hole 7 and an electric wire 3 held by the cover 2. The electric wire 3 is to be connected to an electrical component attached to the door panel 6. As shown in FIG. 3 and other figures, the electric wire 3 is typically a single electric wire, and is composed of a rod-shaped conductor core wire and a cylindrical resin insulating coating that covers the outer periphery of the conductor core wire. Note that the electric wire 3 may also be composed of a bundle of multiple electric wires. Connectors 8 are connected to both ends of the electric wire 3. In this example, the electric wire 3 is exemplified as a "wire" held by the cover 2. However, the "wire" may also be, for example, an electric wire such as a twisted wire or a shielded wire, a communication cable, a hose, or a wire cable. Furthermore, the "wire" may be provided with an outer tube, a protector, a tape, or other components.

[0014] The cover 2 is a resin-molded body, and as shown in FIG. 1 , includes a flat main body 4 and wire guide portions 5 integrally formed to extend from multiple circumferential positions on the outer peripheral surface (peripheral edge) of the main body 4 and guide the wires 3. Each of the wire guide portions 5 functions to guide the wires 3 along the outer peripheral surface of the main body 4. By providing the wire guide portions 5 on the outer peripheral surface (peripheral edge) of the main body 4 in this manner, the cover 2 can be molded without using a complex mold, compared to when the wire guide portions 5 are provided on the plate surface of the main body 4. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the terms "inside," "outside," "front," and "back" are defined as shown in FIG. 3 and other figures. The "circumferential direction," "inside-outside direction," and "front-back direction" of the main body 4 are perpendicular to each other. The front-back direction coincides with the thickness direction of the cover 2, and when the cover 2 is attached to a door panel 6, the "front" side corresponds to the passenger compartment side of the door panel 6 of the automobile. The cover 2 may be made of metal such as iron, aluminum, or magnesium, or may be made of carbon fiber or the like.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the cover 2 includes, as the electric wire guide section 5, a holding section 10 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) that surrounds and holds (fixes) the electric wires 3, and a restricting section 20 (see FIGS. 6 and 7) that places the electric wires 3 and restricts the position of the electric wires 3. The holding section 10 surrounds and holds (fixes) the electric wires 3, thereby guiding the electric wires 3 along the outer peripheral surface of the main body section 4 of the cover 2. The restricting section 20 can restrict the position of the electric wires 3 while preventing the electric wires 3 from interfering with peripheral components of the door panel 6, etc. The restricting section 20 restricts the position of the electric wires 3, but does not hold (fix) the electric wires 3.

[0016] In the example shown in Figure 1, the retaining portion 10 is provided at each of multiple locations (five locations) in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 4, and the restricting portion 20 is provided at one location in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 4 that corresponds to "the combination of two retaining portions 10 adjacent in the circumferential direction of the main body portion 4 that has the largest distance between them."

[0017] 2, the holding portion 10 is composed of a base 11 extending outward from the outer peripheral surface of the main body 4 of the cover 2, a pair of first side walls 12 each extending at an inclination such that the distance between them in the front-to-back direction increases as they extend outward from the extending ends of the base 11, and a pair of second side walls 13 each extending at an inclination such that the distance between them in the front-to-back direction decreases as they extend outward from the extending ends of the pair of first side walls 12. The pair of first side walls 12 are elastically deformable in the front-to-back direction. The distance between the extending ends of the pair of second side walls 13 is smaller than the outer diameter of the electric wire 3. 2, by pushing the electric wire 3 inward from a state in which the electric wire 3 is in contact with the extending ends of the pair of second side walls 13, the electric wire 3 passes through the gap between the extending ends of the pair of second side walls 13 through temporary elastic deformation of the pair of first side walls 12, and moves into the space defined by the base 11, the pair of first side walls 12, and the pair of second side walls 13. In this way, by simply performing the "one-touch" action of pushing the electric wire 3, the holding part 10 can surround and hold the electric wire 3.

[0018] In the example shown in FIG. 3 , the retaining portion 10 includes a base 11 extending outward from the outer peripheral surface of the main body 4 of the cover 2, a pair of first side walls 12 extending inward and outward from the base 11 to the front side at a distance from each other, and a pair of second side walls 13 extending at an inclination such that the distance between the first side walls 12 in the inward and outward direction narrows as the extending ends of the first side walls 12 move toward the rear side. The pair of first side walls 12 are elastically deformable inward and outward. The distance between the extending ends of the pair of second side walls 13 is smaller than the outer diameter of the electric wire 3. In the example shown in FIG. 3 , when the electric wire 3 is pushed toward the rear side from a state in which it is in contact with the front surfaces of the pair of second side walls 13, the electric wire 3 passes through the gap between the extending ends of the pair of second side walls 13 through temporary elastic deformation of the pair of first side walls 12 and moves into the space defined by the base 11, the pair of first side walls 12, and the pair of second side walls 13. In this way, by simply pressing the electric wire 3 in with a "one-touch" operation, the holding portion 10 can surround and hold the electric wire 3.

[0019] In the example shown in Fig. 4, the holding part 10 is composed of a base part 11 extending outward from the outer peripheral surface of the main body part 4 of the cover 2, a first side wall 12 connected to the extending end of the base part 11 and having a shape curved in a direction convex toward the back side, and a second side wall 13 supported on the first side wall 12 via a hinge part 14 so as to be openable and closable. The second side wall 13 has a shape curved in a direction convex toward the front side in the closed state, and is configured to be able to define a space between the second side wall 13 and the first side wall 12 to surround and hold the electric wire 3 in the closed state. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the state in which the holding part 10 surrounds and holds the electric wire 3 can be achieved by a simple "one-touch" operation of placing the electric wire 3 on the front side of the first side wall 12 with the second side wall 13 in the open state and then closing the second side wall 13 as indicated by the black arrow in the figure.

[0020] 5, the restricting portion 20 is configured only with a base portion 21 that extends outward from the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 4 of the cover 2 and in the circumferential direction. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the electric wire 3 is placed on the front side of the base portion 21, thereby restricting the posture of the electric wire 3.

[0021] 6, the restricting portion 20 is composed of a base 21 that extends outward from the outer peripheral surface of the main body 4 of the cover 2 and extends in the circumferential direction, and a pair of first side walls 22 that extend inward and outward from the base 21 to the front side with a gap therebetween and also extend in the circumferential direction. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the position of the electric wire 3 is restricted by placing the electric wire 3 on the front side of the base 21 located between the pair of first side walls 22.

[0022] 7, the restricting portion 20 is configured only with a base portion 21 that extends outward from the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 4 of the cover 2 and in the circumferential direction. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the electric wire 3 is placed on the back side of the base portion 21, thereby restricting the posture of the electric wire 3.

[0023] <Actions and Effects> As described above, according to the cover 2 of this embodiment, the main body 4 and the wire guide portion 5 are integrated, which makes it easier to attach the wires 3 to the wire guide portion 5 than if they were separate bodies. By providing the wire guide portion 5 on the periphery of the main body 4, the cover 2 can be molded without using a complex mold, compared to when the wire guide portion 5 is provided on the plate surface of the main body 4. Furthermore, by integrally molding the main body 4 and the wire guide portion 5, manufacturing costs can be reduced. Therefore, the cover 2 of this embodiment is easier to work with and has lower manufacturing costs.

[0024] Furthermore, according to the cover 2 of this embodiment, the holding portion 10 surrounds and holds the electric wires 3, so that the electric wires 3 can be guided along the periphery of the cover 2.

[0025] Furthermore, according to the cover 2 of this embodiment, the restricting portion 20 can restrict the position of the wires 3 while preventing the wires 3 from interfering with peripheral parts of the vehicle.

[0026] According to the cover unit 1 of this embodiment, the unit in which the cover 2 and the electric wires 3 are integrated can be assembled all at once into an opening (for example, a service hole 7) provided in a panel-like part (door panel 6) of a vehicle. Therefore, the cover unit 1 of this embodiment is easy to work with. <Other aspects> It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications, improvements, etc. are possible as appropriate. Furthermore, the material, shape, dimensions, number, location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary as long as they can achieve the present invention, and are not limited thereto.

[0027] In the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the wire guide portion 5 is provided with a plurality of holding portions 10 and a single restricting portion 20. In contrast, as shown in Fig. 8, the wire guide portion 5 may be provided with only a plurality of holding portions 10.

[0028] In the example shown in FIG. 8 , one of the multiple holding portions 10 (i.e., the holding portion 10 at the upper left in the figure) has a base portion 11 extending outward from the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 4 of the cover 2, as shown in FIG. 9 . Furthermore, in this example, a band clamp 15, which is a separate member from the base portion 11, fixes the electric wire 3 to the base portion 11. The band clamp 15 integrally has a band portion 16 and a clamp portion 17. In this example, the band portion 16 holds the electric wire 3 so as to cover the outer periphery of the electric wire 3, and the clamp portion 17 is inserted into a locking hole provided in the base portion 11, whereby the clamp portion 17 is fixed to the locking hole of the base portion 11. In this way, the electric wire 3 is fixed to the base portion 11.

[0029] Furthermore, in the example shown in FIG. 8 , another one of the multiple holding portions 10 (i.e., the holding portion 10 at the bottom right in the figure) has a base portion 11 extending outward from the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion 4 of the cover 2, as shown in FIG. 10 . Furthermore, in this example, a tie band 18, which is a separate member from the base portion 11, secures the electric wires 3 to the base portion 11. In this example, the tie band 18 is inserted into a locking hole provided in the base portion 11 while covering the outer periphery of the electric wires 3 with the tie band 18. Then, the tip end of the tie band 18 is held by the base end of the tie band 18, thereby securing the tie band 18 to the locking hole of the base portion 11. In this way, the electric wires 3 are secured to the base portion 11.

[0030] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the holding portion 10 has a shape capable of surrounding and holding one electric wire 3. In contrast to this, as shown in Figures 11 to 13, which correspond to Figures 3 and 4, the holding portion 10 may have a shape capable of surrounding and holding, for example, an electric wire 3 made of a so-called flat cable in which a plurality of electric wires 3a are fixed so as to be aligned in one or more rows in the arrangement direction. In this case, the plurality of electric wires 3a may be fixed so as to be aligned in one or more rows in the arrangement direction by fastening them with a resin molding such as insert molding or with an adhesive, or may be fixed so as to be aligned in one or more rows in the arrangement direction by bundling them with a filament.

[0031] Here, the features of the above-described embodiments of the cover 2 and cover unit 1 according to the present invention will be briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [6].

[0032] [1] A cover (2) for closing an opening (7) provided in a panel-like part (6) of a vehicle, The vehicle steering device includes a plate-shaped main body (4) and a wire guide (5) that is integrally provided with the main body (4) so ​​as to extend from the periphery of the main body (4) and that can guide a wire (3) used in the vehicle. Cover(2).

[0033] According to the cover having the configuration [1] above, since the main body portion and the wire guide portion are integrated, for example, the main body portion and the wire guide portion can be molded integrally. Furthermore, since the wire guide portion is provided on the periphery of the main body portion, the cover can be easily molded without using a complex mold, compared to when the wire guide portion is provided on the plate surface of the main body portion. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the cover can be reduced compared to conventional covers in which the main body portion and the wire guide portion are separate. In addition, since the main body portion and the wire guide portion are integrated, there is no need to separately manage the part numbers of the main body portion and the wire guide portion. Therefore, the productivity of the cover can be improved compared to conventional covers in which the main body portion and the wire guide portion are separate. Therefore, the cover having this configuration is excellent in terms of manufacturing cost and productivity.

[0034] [2] In the cover (2) described in [1] above, The wire guide unit (5) A holding structure (10) capable of surrounding and holding the wire (3) is provided. Cover(2).

[0035] According to the cover having the configuration [2] above, the holding structure surrounds and holds the wire, so that the wire can be guided along the periphery of the cover.

[0036] [3] In the cover (2) described in [1] above, The wire guide unit (5) A restricting structure (20) is provided to which the wire (3) is brought into contact to restrict the position of the wire (3). Cover(2).

[0037] According to the cover having the configuration [3] above, the restricting structure can restrict the position of the wire while preventing the wire from interfering with peripheral parts of the vehicle.

[0038] [4] A cover (2) according to any one of the above [1] to [3], and a wire (3) guided by the wire guide portion (5). Cover unit (1).

[0039] In the cover unit having the configuration [4] above, the main body portion and the wire guide portion of the cover are integrated, allowing, for example, the main body portion and the wire guide portion to be molded integrally. Furthermore, since the wire guide portion is provided on the periphery of the main body portion, the cover can be easily molded without using a complex mold, compared to when the wire guide portion is provided on the plate surface of the main body portion. This reduces the manufacturing cost of the cover compared to conventional covers in which the main body portion and the wire guide portion are separate. Additionally, since the main body portion and the wire guide portion are integrated, separate part number management for the main body portion and the wire guide portion is not required. This improves the productivity of the cover compared to conventional covers in which the main body portion and the wire guide portion are separate. Furthermore, this integrated unit of the cover and the wire can be assembled together into an opening in a panel-like component of a vehicle (e.g., a service hole in a door panel). Therefore, the cover unit of this configuration offers excellent manufacturing costs, productivity, and workability.

[0040] [5] The cover unit according to [4] above, The wire guide portion (5) of the cover (2) is further provided with a fixing device (15, 18) for fixing the wire (3). Cover unit.

[0041] According to the cover unit having the configuration [5] above, by using a fixing device (for example, a band clamp or a tie band), the accuracy of the position at which the wire is guided can be improved.

[0042] [6] In the cover unit described in [4] above, The wire guide portion (5) of the cover (2) is The wire bundle (3) is guided by the wires (3). Cover unit.

[0043] According to the cover unit having the configuration [6] above, it is possible to use the cover to guide not only a single wire but also a wire bundle of any shape in which multiple wires are bundled together. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1 cover unit 2 Cover 3. Electrical Wires 4 Main body 5 Wire guide section 6 Door panel (panel-shaped part) 7 Service hole (opening) 10 Holding part (holding structure) 15 Band clamp (fixing device) 18 Tie band (fixing device) 20 Regulatory Department (Regulatory Structure)

Claims

1. A cover for closing an opening provided in a panel-like part of a vehicle, The vehicle steering apparatus includes: a plate-shaped main body; and a wire guide portion that is integrally provided with the main body so as to extend from a periphery of the main body and that can guide a wire used in the vehicle. cover.

2. The cover according to claim 1, The wire guide unit a holding structure capable of surrounding and holding the wire; cover.

3. The cover according to claim 1, The wire guide unit a restricting structure that can restrict the position of the wire by contacting the wire; cover.

4. A cover according to any one of claims 1 to 3; a wire guided by the wire guide section. Cover unit.

5. The cover unit according to claim 4, The wire guide portion of the cover is further provided with a fastener for fastening the wire to the wire guide portion of the cover. Cover unit.

6. The cover unit according to claim 4, The wire guide portion of the cover is a wire bundle formed by bundling a plurality of the wires; Cover unit.

Images