Cable

Abstract

To provide a cable capable of achieving both proper fixation of a plurality of electric wires or the like and reduction of manufacturing cost, weight or the like.SOLUTION: The cable 1 includes a plurality of electric wires 10 and a bundling body 20 for bundling the plurality of electric wires 10. The plurality of electric wires 10 are arranged side by side in an arrangement direction intersecting the axial direction of the cable 1. The binding body (20) includes a plurality of fixing portions (21 to 26) arranged at a plurality of positions in the axial direction and configured to fix and bundle the plurality of electric wires (10). In the plurality of fixing portions (21 to 26), the shape of the fixing portion (one of the fixing portions 21 to 26) disposed at one position is different from the shape of the fixing portion (another one of the fixing portions 21 to 26) disposed at another position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cable including a plurality of wires and a binder that bundles the plurality of wires. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, flat cables have been proposed in which a plurality of electric wires arranged in a planar shape are integrated by covering them with a resin, etc. For example, in one conventional flat cable, the plurality of electric wires are sandwiched between a pair of resin films coated with an adhesive, and then the films are heated and pressed together to integrate the plurality of electric wires (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-115346 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional flat cable described above, the multiple electric wires are entirely covered with a resin film and an adhesive, which has the advantage of firmly fixing the multiple electric wires, but the disadvantage is that the use of a resin film and an adhesive for fixing increases manufacturing costs and weight. In other words, with conventional flat cables, it has been difficult to achieve both proper fixing of the multiple electric wires and reductions in manufacturing costs and weight.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a cable that can properly fix a plurality of electric wires and the like while reducing manufacturing costs, weight, and the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the cable according to the present invention has the following features.

[0007] A cable comprising a plurality of wires and a binder that bundles the plurality of wires, The plurality of wires include: The cables are arranged in an arrangement direction that intersects with the axial direction of the cable, The binding body is a plurality of fastening portions arranged at a plurality of positions on the cable in the axial direction and configured to fasten and bundle the plurality of wires; The plurality of fixing portions are The shape of the fixing portion disposed at one of the locations is configured to be different from the shape of the fixing portion disposed at the other location. It's a cable. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the cable of the present invention, multiple wires (e.g., electric wires) are arranged in a line in the arrangement direction, and a bundling body (i.e., multiple fixing portions) bundles the wires. More specifically, multiple fixing portions (e.g., resin molded bodies, adhesives, etc.) are arranged at multiple locations on the cable in the axial direction. Furthermore, the shape of the fixing portion arranged at one location is different from the shape of the fixing portions arranged at other locations. The shape of the fixing portion can be determined, for example, based on the difficulty of bundling the wires at each location. Furthermore, the location of the fixing portions can be determined, for example, based on the degree of rigidity required for the cable at each location. The difficulty of bundling the wires and the rigidity required for the cable are related to, for example, the number of wires, the wire diameter, whether the routing path is branched, and whether the routing path is curved. By providing a bundling body (i.e., multiple fixing portions) taking these factors into consideration, multiple wires can be properly bundled and fixed without using a resin film or the like that covers the entire wires, as in conventional flat cables. Furthermore, by distributing the fixing portions at multiple locations, the manufacturing cost and weight of the cable can be reduced compared to conventional flat cables in which the entire wire is covered with a resin film, etc. Therefore, the cable of the present invention can achieve both appropriate fixing of multiple wires and reduction in manufacturing cost and weight, etc.

[0009] 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]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cable according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 3] 3(a) to 3(f) are first diagrams for explaining that the shapes of the bundles at the multiple locations shown in FIG. 1 are different from one another. [Figure 4]4(a) to 4(f) are second diagrams for explaining that the shapes of the bundles at the multiple locations shown in FIG. 1 are different from one another. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a third diagram for explaining that the shapes of the bundles at the multiple locations shown in FIG. 1 are different from one another. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side view showing a binder provided on a cable according to a modified example. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 of a cable according to another modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] <Embodiment> A cable 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the cable 1 is a so-called flat cable composed of a plurality of electric wires 10 arranged in a plane. In this embodiment, the cable 1 has a trunk portion 2 extending in a substantially L-shape including straight portions and curved portions 6, and branch portions 3 branching from a midpoint of the straight portion of the trunk portion 2 (hereinafter referred to as a "branch portion 5") and extending linearly. At the branch portion 5, some of the plurality of electric wires 10 extend in a direction different from that of the other portions. As shown in FIG. 2, for example, each of the plurality of electric wires 10 includes a rod-shaped conductor core wire 11 and a cylindrical resin insulating coating 12 covering the outer periphery of the conductor core wire 11. The electric wire 10 may be a shielded wire having a shielding layer for noise reduction, or may be an enameled wire without the resin insulating coating 12. A connector 4A is connected to each of both ends of the trunk portion 2, and a connector 4B is connected to the extending end of the branch portion 3. In this example, an electric wire 10 is exemplified as the "wire" used in the cable 1. The "wire" may 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.

[0012] The plurality of electric wires 10 arranged in a plane are bundled at each of a plurality of locations in the axial direction of the cable 1 (= trunk section 2 + branch sections 3) by binders 20 so as to be aligned in a line in an arrangement direction (corresponding to the left-right direction in FIG. 2; hereinafter referred to as the "arrangement direction") that intersects with the axial direction of the cable 1. The binders 20 securely fasten the plurality of electric wires 10 together to be aligned in a line in the arrangement direction, and are specifically made of a resin molded body such as an insert molding, an adhesive, or the like.

[0013] For ease of explanation, each of the multiple bundling bodies 20 will be referred to as fixing portions 21-26, as shown in Figure 1. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the axial direction and arrangement direction of the cable 1 will be referred to as the "thickness direction" (corresponding to the up-and-down direction in Figure 2), with one side in the thickness direction being referred to as the "upper" side and the other side in the thickness direction being referred to as the "lower" side. Each of the fixing portions 21 and 22 bundles five electric wires 10 (straight portions of the trunk portion 2) so that they are aligned in a row in the arrangement direction. The fixing portion 23 covers the entire branch portion 5 and bundles five electric wires 10 (straight portions of the trunk portion 2) extending from the branch portion 5 in a first direction, four electric wires 10 (straight portions of the trunk portion 2) extending from the branch portion 5 in a second direction, and three electric wires 10 (branch portions 3) extending from the branch portion 5 in a third direction, all of which are aligned in a line in the arrangement direction (see also FIG. 3(e)). In this way, the electric wires 10 extend in three directions from the fixing portion 23 located at the branch portion 5. The fixing portion 24 bundles four electric wires 10 (straight portions of the trunk portion 2) in a line in the arrangement direction. Each of the three fixing portions 25 bundles four electric wires 10 (curved portions 6 of the trunk portion 2) in a line in the arrangement direction.

[0014] As shown in Figure 2, each of the multiple bundles 20 shown in Figure 1 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape extending in the axial direction of the cable 1 (= trunk section 2 + branch section 3), with the cross section perpendicular to the axial direction of the cable 1 having a rectangular shape that is long in the arrangement direction. However, the shape of the bundle 20 at one location is different from the shape of the bundle 20 at another location. For ease of explanation, the axial dimension, thickness dimension, and arrangement dimension of the bundle 20 will be referred to as the "length," "thickness," and "width," respectively.

[0015] In this example, the shape of the bundling body 20 is determined according to the difficulty of bundling the electric wires 10 at each location, and the arrangement of the bundling body 20 is determined based on the magnitude of the rigidity required for the cable 1 at each location. First, the shape of at least a part of the bundling body 20 is determined such that the length becomes longer as the axial distance between the bundling body 20 and the branching portion 5 becomes smaller. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the axial distance between the fixing portion 22 and the branching portion 5 is smaller than the axial distance between the fixing portion 21 and the branching portion 5, and the axial distance between the fixing portion 23 and the branching portion 5 is smaller than the axial distance between the fixing portion 22 and the branching portion 5. For this reason, as shown in FIGS. 3(a) to (f), the length d2 of the fixing portion 22 is larger than the length d1 of the fixing portion 21, and the length d3 of the fixing portion 23 is larger than the length d2 of the fixing portion 22 (d1 < d2 < d3). Similarly, as shown in FIG. 1, the axial distance between the fixing portion 24 and the branching portion 5 is smaller than the axial distance between the fixing portion 21 and the branching portion 5, and the axial distance between the fixing portion 24 and the branching portion 5 is equal to the axial distance between the fixing portion 26 and the branching portion 5. For this reason, as shown in FIGS. 4(a) to (f), the length d4 of the fixing portion 24 is larger than the length d1 of the fixing portion 21 (d1 < d4). Note that not necessarily all of the bundling bodies 20 need to follow such a length relationship. For example, in this example, the fixing portion 26 is closer to the branching portion 5 than the fixing portion 24, but the length d4 of the fixing portion 24 and the length d6 of the fixing portion 26 are the same. As described above, by making at least a part of the bundling body 20 larger (i.e., longer in the axial direction) closer to the branching portion 5 where it is difficult to bundle the electric wires 10, when the branching portion 5 exists in the cable 1, the electric wires 10 can be properly bundled.

[0016] Second, the shape of binder 20 is determined so that the thickness increases as the number of the plurality of electric wires 10 bundled by binder 20 increases, and the width increases as the number of the plurality of electric wires 10 bundled by binder 20 increases. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, the number (five) of the plurality of electric wires 10 bundled by fastening portions 21, 22, and 23 is the same. Therefore, as shown in Figs. 3(a) to 3(f), the width w1 of fastening portion 21, the width w2 of fastening portion 22, and the width w3 of fastening portion 23 are the same (w1 = w2 = w3), and the thickness t1 of fastening portion 21, the thickness t2 of fastening portion 22, and the thickness t3 of fastening portion 23 are the same (t1 = t2 = t3). 1, the number (five) of the plurality of electric wires 10 bundled by the fastening portion 21 is greater than the number (four) of the plurality of electric wires 10 bundled by the fastening portion 24, and the number (four) of the plurality of electric wires 10 bundled by the fastening portion 24 is greater than the number (three) of the plurality of electric wires 10 bundled by the fastening portion 26. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 4(a) to 4(f), the width w1 of the fastening portion 21 is greater than the width w4 of the fastening portion 24, and the width w4 of the fastening portion 24 is greater than the width w6 of the fastening portion 26 (w1>w4>w6), and the thickness t1 of the fastening portion 21 is greater than the thickness t4 of the fastening portion 24, and the thickness t4 of the fastening portion 24 is greater than the thickness t6 of the fastening portion 26 (t1>t4>t6). Note that not all of the bundled body 20 necessarily have to follow this width relationship. In this way, the more difficult it is to bundle the electric wires 10 due to the large number of electric wires 10, the larger the binder 20 can be made (i.e., thicker in the thickness direction and wider in the arrangement direction), so that the electric wires 10 can be properly bundled.

[0017] Furthermore, the distance between adjacent bundles 20 in the axial direction is set to be smaller in the curved portion 6 of the cable 1 than in the straight portion. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the distance L1 between adjacent fastening portions 24 and 25 in the axial direction in the straight portion of the cable 1 (main portion 2) is larger than the distances L2, L3 between adjacent fastening portions 25 in the axial direction in the curved portion 6 of the cable 1 (main portion 2) (L1 > L2 = L3). Note that not all bundles 20 necessarily have to follow this distance relationship. In this way, by reducing the distance between adjacent bundles 20 in the curved portion 6, where it is more difficult to bundle the electric wires 10 than in the straight portion, the electric wires 10 can be properly bundled even when the cable 1 has a curved portion 6.

[0018] Since the binder 20 bundles the plurality of electric wires 10 in this manner, in this example, unlike conventional flat cables, a resin coating is not provided to collectively cover the entire plurality of electric wires 10. The process of bundling the plurality of electric wires 10 using the binder 20 is preferably performed after the work of connecting the connectors 4A, 4B to the ends of the plurality of electric wires 10 arranged in a planar manner has been performed.

[0019] <Actions and Effects> As described above, according to the cable 1 of this embodiment, the plurality of electric wires 10 are arranged side by side in the arrangement direction, and the bundling body 20 (i.e., the plurality of fastening portions 21-26) bundles the electric wires 10. More specifically, the plurality of fastening portions 21-26 (e.g., resin molded bodies, adhesives, etc.) are arranged at a plurality of locations on the cable 1 in the axial direction. Furthermore, the shape of the fastening portions 21-26 arranged at one location is different from the shape of the fastening portions 21-26 arranged at other locations. The shape of the fastening portions 21-26 can be determined, for example, based on the difficulty of bundling the electric wires 10 at each location. Furthermore, the arrangement of the fastening portions 21-26 can be determined, for example, based on the magnitude of rigidity required for the cable 1 at each location. The difficulty of bundling the electric wires 10 and the rigidity required for the cable 1 are related to, for example, the number of electric wires 10, the thickness of the electric wires 10, whether the wiring route is branched, whether the wiring route is curved, etc. By providing the bundling body 20 (i.e., the multiple fixing portions 21-26) in consideration of these factors, the multiple electric wires 10 can be properly bundled and fixed without the need for a resin film or the like that covers the entire electric wires 10 as in conventional flat cables. Furthermore, by distributing the fixing portions 21-26 at multiple locations, the manufacturing cost and weight of the cable 1 can be reduced compared to when the entire electric wires 10 are covered with a resin film or the like as in conventional flat cables. Therefore, the cable 1 of this configuration can achieve both proper fixing of the multiple electric wires 10 and reductions in manufacturing cost and weight.

[0020] Furthermore, in the cable 1 according to this embodiment, the fixing portion 23 arranged at the branch portion 5 of the cable 1 is longer in the axial direction than the fixing portions 21, 22, 24 to 26 arranged at positions other than the branch portion 5. As a result, by making the fixing portion 23 larger (i.e., longer in the axial direction) at the branch portion 5, which is a location where it is difficult to bundle the electric wires 10 because the electric wires 10 are branched in multiple directions, the electric wires 10 can be bundled appropriately even when the cable 1 has a branch portion 5.

[0021] Furthermore, according to the cable 1 of this embodiment, the electric wires 10 extend in three or more directions from the fixing portion 23 provided at the branch portion 5. That is, in a typical branch portion 5 where one cable 1 branches in two directions (in other words, a branch portion 5 where the electric wires 10 extend in three directions), the electric wires 10 can be properly bundled.

[0022] Furthermore, according to the cable 1 of this embodiment, the shorter the axial distance between the fixing parts 21-23 and the branch part 5, the longer the axial length of the fixing parts 21-23. As a result, by making the fixing parts 21-23 larger (i.e., longer in the axial direction) the closer they are to the branch part 5, where it is more difficult to bundle the electric wires 10, it is possible to properly bundle the electric wires 10 while reducing the manufacturing cost, weight, etc. of the cable 1 compared to when all the fixing parts 21-23 are unified to the same size as the fixing part 23 provided at the branch part 5.

[0023] Furthermore, according to the cable 1 of this embodiment, the greater the number of electric wires 10, the thicker the fastening parts 21 to 26 in the thickness direction. As a result, by making the fastening parts 21 to 26 larger (i.e., thicker in the thickness direction) in locations where it is difficult to bundle the electric wires 10 due to the large number of electric wires 10, it is possible to properly bundle the electric wires 10 while reducing the manufacturing cost, weight, etc. of the cable 1 compared to when all the fastening parts 21 to 26 have the same thickness as the fastening part 21, etc., provided in the location where the number of electric wires 10 is greatest.

[0024] Furthermore, according to the cable 1 of this embodiment, the greater the number of electric wires 10, the wider the width of the fastening parts 21 to 26 in the arrangement direction. As a result, by making the fastening parts 21 to 26 larger (i.e., wider in the arrangement direction) in locations where it is difficult to bundle the electric wires 10 due to the large number of electric wires 10, it is possible to properly bundle the electric wires 10 while reducing the manufacturing cost, weight, etc. of the cable 1 compared to when all the fastening parts 21 to 26 have the same width as the fastening part 21, etc., provided in the location where the number of electric wires 10 is greatest.

[0025] Furthermore, in the cable 1 according to this embodiment, the intervals between the fixing portions 25 at the curved portion 6 of the cable 1 are narrower than the intervals between the fixing portions at other positions. As a result, by narrowing the intervals between the fixing portions 25 at the curved portion 6, where it is difficult to bundle the electric wires 10 due to the curve, the manufacturing cost and weight of the cable 1 can be reduced and the electric wires 10 can be bundled properly, compared to when all the intervals between the fixing portions 21 to 26 are unified to the same intervals as at the curved portion 6.

[0026] <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, the wires 10 extend in three directions from the binder 20 provided at the branch portion 5. However, the wires 10 may extend in four (or more) directions from the binder 20 provided at the branch portion 5.

[0028] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, each of the multiple binders 20 does not have a portion curved in the thickness direction (the position of the axis of the binder 20 in the thickness direction is constant regardless of the position of the binder 20 in the axial direction). In contrast, as shown in Fig. 6, one or more of the multiple binders 20 may have a portion curved in the thickness direction and extend in the axial direction (the position of the axis of the binder 20 in the thickness direction may vary depending on the position of the binder 20 in the axial direction).

[0029] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, each of the binders 20 at multiple locations "fixes" the multiple electric wires 10 to bundle the multiple electric wires 10 so that they are aligned in a row in the arrangement direction (see FIG. 1). In contrast to this, as shown in FIG. 7, some of the binders 20 at multiple locations may bundle the multiple electric wires 10 to be aligned in a row in the arrangement direction by a form other than "fixing" the multiple electric wires 10. In the example shown in FIG. 7, instead of the fixing portion 21 shown in FIG. 1, a binder 30 made of thread "bundles" the multiple electric wires 10 to be aligned in a row in the arrangement direction by "sewing" the multiple electric wires 10, and instead of the fixing portion 26 shown in FIG. 1, a binder 40 made of tape "wraps" the multiple electric wires 10 to be aligned in a row in the arrangement direction.

[0030] In the example shown in Fig. 7, the bundle 30 is composed of an upper thread 31 that contacts the outer peripheral surfaces of the upper sides of the plurality of electric wires 10 aligned in the arrangement direction, and a lower thread 32 that contacts the outer peripheral surfaces of the lower sides of the plurality of electric wires 10 aligned in the arrangement direction, as shown in Fig. 8. The upper thread 31 and the lower thread 32 are independent threads (separate threads). The bundle 30 bundles the plurality of electric wires 10 in a so-called machine stitching manner that can be performed using a "sewing machine device of a general configuration that uses an upper thread and a lower thread." The upper thread 31 and the lower thread 32 are preferably the same type of thread, but may be different types of thread.

[0031] More specifically, as shown in Fig. 8 , the upper thread 31 extends over the entire area in the arrangement direction of the plurality of electric wires 10 so that, for example, wire covering portions 31a curved convexly upward along the outer peripheral surfaces of the upper sides of the electric wires 10 and engaging portions 31b curved convexly downward and positioned between adjacent electric wires 10 are alternately continuous along the arrangement direction. The lower thread 32 extends over the entire area in the arrangement direction of the plurality of electric wires 10 so that, for example, wire covering portions 32a curved convexly downward along the outer peripheral surfaces of the lower sides of the electric wires 10 and engaging portions 32b curved convexly upward and positioned between adjacent electric wires 10 are alternately continuous along the arrangement direction. Then, at each of a plurality of locations corresponding to the spaces between adjacent electric wires 10 in the arrangement direction, the engaging portions 31b of the upper thread 31 and the engaging portions 32b of the lower thread 32 engage with each other in a pulling manner in the thickness direction, whereby the bundle 30 bundles the plurality of electric wires 10 so as to be aligned in a line in the arrangement direction. The position where the engaging portion 31b and the engaging portion 32b engage with each other may vary in the thickness direction depending on the magnitude relationship between the tension applied to the upper thread 31 and the tension applied to the lower thread 32. As a result, the position where the engaging portion 31b and the engaging portion 32b engage with each other is not necessarily between adjacent electric wires 10, and may be located above or below the electric wire 10.

[0032] The type, material, thickness, color, stretch rate, and tensile strength characteristics of the upper thread 31 and the lower thread 32 are not particularly limited as long as they are selected so as to be suitable for fastening the electric wire 10. Furthermore, the upper thread 31 and the lower thread 32 may have the same characteristics or different characteristics.

[0033] At each end of the bundle 30 in the arrangement direction, the ends of the upper thread 31 and the lower thread 32 are fixed to each other so that they do not separate by tying them together, by using fasteners, or by welding or gluing.

[0034] In the example shown in Fig. 8, the upper thread 31 in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the upper side of the electric wire 10 and the lower thread 32 in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the lower side of the electric wire 10 are different filament-like bodies. In contrast, the upper thread 31 in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the upper side of the electric wire 10 and the lower thread 32 in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the lower side of the electric wire 10 may be the same filament-like body, as long as the engaging portion 31b of the upper thread 31 and the engaging portion 32b of the lower thread 32 are engaged with each other so as to attract each other in the thickness direction. In other words, the bundle may bundle multiple electric wires in the form of a single-thread type "sewing machine stitch."

[0035] Here, the features of the above-described embodiment of the cable 1 according to the present invention will be briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [7].

[0036] [1] A cable (1) comprising a plurality of wires (10) and a bundling body (20) that bundles the plurality of wires (10), The plurality of wires (10) The cables (1) are arranged in an arrangement direction that intersects with the axial direction of the cable (1), The binding body (20) is a plurality of fastening portions (21 to 26) arranged at a plurality of positions on the cable (1) in the axial direction and configured to fasten and bundle the plurality of wires (10); The plurality of fixed portions (21 to 26) are The shape of the fixing portion (one of 21 to 26) arranged at one of the locations is configured to be different from the shape of the fixing portion (another one of 21 to 26) arranged at the other location. Cable(1).

[0037] According to the cable having the configuration [1] above, multiple wires (e.g., electric wires) are arranged in a line in the arrangement direction, and a bundling body (i.e., multiple fixing portions) bundles the wires. More specifically, multiple fixing portions (e.g., molded resin bodies, adhesives, etc.) are arranged at multiple locations on the cable in the axial direction. Furthermore, the shape of the fixing portion arranged at one location differs from the shape of the fixing portions arranged at other locations. The shape of the fixing portion can be determined, for example, based on the difficulty of bundling the wires at each location. Furthermore, the arrangement of the fixing portions can be determined, for example, based on the degree of rigidity required for the cable at each location. The difficulty of bundling the wires and the rigidity required for the cable are related to, for example, the number of wires, the wire diameter, whether the routing path branches, and whether the routing path is curved. By providing a bundling body (i.e., multiple fixing portions) taking these factors into consideration, multiple wires can be properly bundled and fixed without using a resin film or the like that covers the entire wires, as in conventional flat cables. Furthermore, by distributing the fixing portions at multiple locations, the manufacturing cost and weight of the cable can be reduced compared to conventional flat cables in which the entire wire is covered with a resin film, etc. Therefore, the cable of this configuration can achieve both appropriate fixing of multiple wires and reduction in manufacturing cost and weight, etc.

[0038] [2] In the cable (1) described in [1] above, The cable (1) A branched portion (5) is formed at a portion of the plurality of wires (10) that is separated from the other portions and extends in a direction different from the other portions, The plurality of fixed portions (21 to 26) are the fixing portion (23) arranged at the branch portion (5) has a longer length in the axial direction than the fixing portions (21, 22, 24 to 26) arranged at positions different from the branch portion (5); Cable(1).

[0039] According to the cable having the configuration [2] above, the fixing part located at the branch point of the cable is longer in the axial direction than the fixing part located at a position other than the branch point. As a result, by making the fixing part larger (i.e., longer in the axial direction) at the branch point, where it is difficult to bundle the wires because the wires are branched in multiple directions, it is possible to properly bundle the wires even when the cable has a branch point.

[0040] [3] In the cable (1) described in [2] above, The wire (10) extends in three or more directions from the fixing portion (23) provided at the branch portion (5). Cable(1).

[0041] According to the cable having the configuration [3] above, the wires extend in three or more directions from the fixing part provided at the branching part. That is, the wires can be properly bundled not only in a typical branching part where one cable branches in two directions (in other words, a branching part where the wires extend in three directions), but also in a branching part where one cable branches in three or more directions (in other words, a branching part where the wires extend in four or more directions).

[0042] [4] In the cable (1) described in [2] above, At least some (21 to 23) of the plurality of fixed portions are The shorter the distance in the axial direction between the branch portion (5) and the fixing portion (21-23), the longer the length (d1-d3) of the fixing portion (21-23) in the axial direction. cable.

[0043] In the cable having the configuration [4] above, the shorter the axial distance between the fixing part and the branch part, the longer the axial length of the fixing part. This allows the fixing part to be made larger (i.e., longer in the axial direction) the closer it is to the branch part, where it is more difficult to bundle the wires. This reduces the manufacturing cost and weight of the cable and allows the wires to be bundled properly, compared to when all fixing parts are standardized to the same size as the fixing parts provided at the branch part.

[0044] [5] In the cable (1) described in [1] above, At least some (21 to 26) of the plurality of fixed portions are The greater the number of the plurality of wires (10), the greater the thickness (t1 to t6) of the fixing portions (21 to 26) in a thickness direction perpendicular to the axial direction and the arrangement direction. Cable(1).

[0045] In the cable having the configuration [5] above, the greater the number of wires, the thicker the fixing portion in the thickness direction. This allows the wires to be properly bundled while reducing the manufacturing cost and weight of the cable, by making the fixing portion larger (i.e., thicker in the thickness direction) in areas where it is difficult to bundle the wires due to the large number of wires, compared to when all fixing portions are made the same thickness as the fixing portion provided in the area with the largest number of wires.

[0046] [6] In the cable (1) described in [1] above, At least some (21 to 26) of the plurality of fixed portions are The greater the number of the plurality of wires (10), the greater the widths (w1 to w6) of the fixing portions (21 to 26) in the arrangement direction. Cable(1).

[0047] In the cable having the configuration [6] above, the greater the number of wires, the wider the fixing portion in the arrangement direction. This allows the wires to be properly bundled while reducing the manufacturing cost and weight of the cable, by making the fixing portion larger (i.e., wider in the arrangement direction) in areas where it is difficult to bundle the wires due to the large number of wires, compared to when all fixing portions have the same width as the fixing portion provided in the area with the largest number of wires.

[0048] [7] In the cable described in [1] above, The cable (1) The wires (10) have a curved portion (6) at which they are integrally curved, At least some (24, 25) of the plurality of fixed portions are The distances (L2, L3) between the fixing portions (25) in the curved portion (6) are narrower than the distances (L1) between the fixing portions (24) at positions other than the curved portion (6). It's a cable.

[0049] According to the cable having the configuration [7] above, the spacing between the fixing points at the curved portion of the cable is narrower than the spacing between the fixing points at other positions. This narrows the spacing between the fixing points at the curved portion, where bundling wires is difficult due to the curve, and allows the wires to be bundled properly while reducing the manufacturing cost and weight of the cable, compared to when all the spacing between the fixing points is standardized to the same spacing as at the curved portion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1 cable 5 Branch 6 Curved section 10 Electrical Wires 20 Binding body 21 Fixing part 22 Fixing part 23 Fixation part 24 Fixing part 25 Fixing part 26 Fixing part

Claims

1. A cable comprising a plurality of wires and a binder that bundles the plurality of wires, The plurality of wires include: The cables are arranged in an arrangement direction that intersects with the axial direction of the cable, The binding body is a plurality of fastening portions arranged at a plurality of positions on the cable in the axial direction and configured to fasten and bundle the plurality of wires; The plurality of fixing portions are The shape of the fixing portion disposed at one of the locations is configured to be different from the shape of the fixing portion disposed at the other location. cable.

2. 2. The cable of claim 1, The cable a branched portion in which a portion of the plurality of wires is separated from the other portion and extends in a direction different from the branched portion, The plurality of fixing portions are The fixing portion disposed at the branching portion is configured to have a longer length in the axial direction than the fixing portion disposed at a position different from the branching portion. cable.

3. 3. The cable according to claim 2, The wire extends in three or more directions from the fixing portion provided at the branch portion. cable.

4. 3. The cable according to claim 2, At least some of the plurality of fixed portions are The shorter the distance between the branch portion and the fixing portion in the axial direction, the longer the length of the fixing portion in the axial direction. cable.

5. 2. The cable of claim 1, At least some of the plurality of fixed portions are The greater the number of the plurality of wires, the greater the thickness of the fixing portion in a thickness direction perpendicular to the axial direction and the arrangement direction. cable.

6. 2. The cable of claim 1, At least some of the plurality of fixed portions are The greater the number of the plurality of wires, the wider the width of the fixed portion in the arrangement direction. cable.

7. 2. The cable of claim 1, The cable The plurality of wires have a curved portion where they are curved integrally, At least some of the plurality of fixed portions are The interval between the fixing portions in the curved portion is narrower than the interval between the fixing portions in a position other than the curved portion. cable.

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