Wire harness routing structure for vehicle

Abstract

To provide a wire harness wiring structure of a vehicle capable of easily and highly accurately setting a dimension such as an extra length dimension of a wire harness.SOLUTION: The held member (6) is connected to an 5a of a distal end portion of the protection tube (5) in such a manner that a lead wire region (40) of the wire (4) is inserted through the held member (6) and is drawn out to the outside from one end portion side of the held member (6) in an axial length direction, and the held member (6) includes a protection tube abutment surface (5a) that abuts against the 63a of the distal end portion of the protection tube (5) in the axial length direction in this connection state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wiring harness arrangement structure for a vehicle such as an automobile. [Background technology]

[0002] A specific example of a conventional wiring harness routing structure for a vehicle is described in Patent Document 1. In the vehicle wiring harness routing structure described in the document, the wiring harness has a configuration in which multiple electric wires are inserted into a corrugated tube (protective tube). A means for positioning the wiring harness uses a cylindrical clamping member (held member) that can clamp the corrugated tube from the outside, and a means for holding the clamping member on a bracket member attached to a predetermined location on the vehicle is employed. This configuration simplifies the wiring harness routing structure and also makes it easier to route the wiring harness.

[0003] However, the above-mentioned prior art has room for improvement, as will be described below.

[0004] That is, when actually installing a wire harness, it is common to leave a portion of the electric wires drawn out from the tip end of the corrugated tube as a lead-out wire region, and to attach a connector for supplying power or transmitting and receiving electric signals to the tip end of this lead-out wire region. In such cases, it is required to take care so that the excess length on the tip end side of the wire harness (the side closer to the bracket member) is an appropriate dimension. In contrast, the prior art employs a method in which a clamping member (held member) clamps the corrugated tube from the outside at a midpoint. This means that the mounting position of the clamping member relative to the corrugated tube is prone to variation. This means that when the clamping member is attached to a bracket member on the vehicle, the excess length beyond the bracket member is unlikely to be the intended length. As a result, for example, the excess length may be too long, causing problems such as part of the wire harness getting caught in surrounding components. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 03-73779 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 09-100955 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6971525 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention has been devised under the circumstances described above, and has as its object to provide a wiring harness arrangement structure for a vehicle that enables dimensions such as the excess length of the wiring harness to be set easily and with high precision. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions.

[0008] In the wiring harness arrangement structure for a vehicle provided by the present invention, electric wires are inserted into a protective tube, and a region of the electric wires near one end is pulled out from the tip end side of the protective tube to the outside. A vehicle wire harness routing structure comprising: a wire harness having an extended pull-out wire region; and a tubular held member that is held by a bracket member attached to a vehicle component or a vehicle-mounted member and is used to attach the wire harness to the bracket member, wherein the held member is connected to the tip of the protective tube in a manner that the pull-out wire region of the electric wire is inserted through the held member and pulled out to the outside from one end side of the held member in the axial direction, and is characterized in that in this connected state, the held member has a protective tube abutment surface that abuts against the tip of the protective tube in the axial direction.

[0009] This configuration provides the following effects. In other words, unlike the prior art, the present invention does not attach the held member so as to clamp the protective tube of the wire harness at an intermediate portion thereof, but connects it to the distal end of the protective tube. Moreover, in this connected state, the protective tube contact surface provided on the held member abuts against the distal end of the protective tube in the axial direction. Therefore, the held member and the protective tube can be accurately positioned, and large errors in the relative positional relationship between them can be prevented. On the other hand, the lead-out region of the wires of the wire harness is inserted through the held member and led out from one end of the held member in the axial direction, so the presence of the held member does not cause an error in setting the length of the lead-out region of the wires, and the dimension can be properly controlled. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily and appropriately set the extra length of the tip end of the wire harness (the tip end side of the bracket member) to the originally intended dimension with high accuracy, and as a result, it is possible to prevent problems such as part of the wire harness being caught in a surrounding member due to the extra length being too long.

[0010] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a main portion showing an example of a wiring harness routing structure for a vehicle according to the present invention; [Figure 2] 2(a) is an enlarged schematic perspective view of a main part of the wiring harness routing structure of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2(b) is an exploded perspective view of FIG. [Figure 3] 2(a) is a front cross-sectional view of FIG. 2(a), and FIG. 2(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along IIIb-IIIb of FIG. 2(a). [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a comparative example 1 of the embodiment shown in FIGS. [Figure 5] 1 to 3 in a bent state, and FIG. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a comparative example 2 of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0013] 1, a vehicle wire harness routing structure A of this embodiment is used for electrical wiring of accessories of a vehicle seat 1 of a cab-over vehicle. This vehicle seat 1 corresponds to a specific example of a vehicle component or a vehicle-mounted member according to the present invention. More specifically, the cab-over vehicle is provided with a seat riser 2 that is raised upward from the floor portion at the front of the vehicle compartment, and a vehicle seat 1, 1a is arranged above the seat riser 2. The vehicle seat 1 can be rotated in the direction of the arrow Na around a seat rotation support shaft portion 28 provided on the seat riser 2, and is normally in a non-reclining position in which a vehicle occupant can be seated. However, when performing maintenance on the engine room, the seat is tilted toward the rear of the vehicle. A cover 11 is provided on the rear surface (lower surface) of the seat cushion portion 10 of the vehicle seat 1 to cover the service hole 20 on the upper surface of the seat riser 2 when the vehicle seat 1 is set in the normal position.

[0014] The wire harness routing structure A of this embodiment will be described below in the case where it is applied to the vehicle seat 1. A description of the case where it is applied to the vehicle seat 1a will be omitted, but it can have the same configuration as this embodiment.

[0015] The wire harness H is, for example, a power supply and / or signal transmission harness for a seat belt reminder or a seat heater. One end (base end) of the wire harness H is connected to an electrical component (not shown) for the seat belt reminder or the seat heater that is attached to the vehicle seat 1. A connector 48 is attached to the other end (tip end) of the wire harness H, and this connector 48 is connected to a predetermined location of an adapter 98 provided on the upper surface of the seat riser 2 near one side of the installation location of the vehicle seat 1. The adapter 98 is connected by wiring to an on-board ECU and a power supply unit (not shown).

[0016] The wire harness routing structure A of this embodiment includes a bracket member 3 for positioning and holding the wire harness H. 2, the bracket member 3 has a configuration in which a hook portion 31 having a semicircular arc portion in side view is connected to one end side (the lower side of the figure) of a flat plate-shaped portion 30, and is formed, for example, by bending a metal plate. The bracket member 3 is attached, using a fastening member 99 such as a screw, to one of a pair of support frames 10b, for example made of sheet metal, which are fixed to the back surface (lower surface) of the seat cushion main body 10a of the seat cushion portion 10.

[0017] As clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the wire harness H includes a plurality of flexible electric wires 4 and a protective tube 5, and further includes a held member (grommet) 6.

[0018] The plurality of electric wires 4 are, for example, coated electric wires made of copper wires coated with resin. The protective tube 5 is, for example, a corrugated tube. The plurality of electric wires 4 are inserted into the protective tube 5 for protection, and a region of the electric wires 4 near one end thereof is a drawn-out wire region 40 drawn out from inside the tip portion 5a of the protective tube 5 to the outside thereof, and the above-mentioned connector 48 is attached to the tip of this drawn-out wire region 40.

[0019] The held member 6 is a member for holding the wire harness H to the bracket member 3, and has an overall shape of a stepped, generally cylindrical member with multiple steps on the outer circumferential surface, and is made of, for example, synthetic resin or rubber. The held member 6 is roughly divided into first to fourth cylindrical portions 61 to 64 aligned in the axial direction of the held member 6. The left-right direction in Figure 3(a) corresponds to the axial direction.

[0020] The first cylindrical portion 61 is an area on the tip side of the held member 6 (the left end side in Figs. 2(a), (b) and Fig. 3(a)), and is relatively thin, and has flexibility in a direction intersecting the axial length direction of the held member 6. This configuration produces an effect that will be described later with reference to Fig. 5.

[0021] The second cylindrical portion 62 is a region for mounting to the bracket member 3, and has a pair of protruding stepped portions 62a spaced apart in the axial direction, and an intermediate portion 62b located between them. The intermediate portion 62b is fitted into the hook portion 31 of the bracket member 3. This allows the held member 6 and therefore the wire harness H to be held by the bracket member 3. The width of the intermediate portion 62b, i.e., the inner width dimension between the pair of protruding step portions 62a, is approximately the same as the width of the hook portion 31, making it possible to combine the two in a state where the held member 6 has very little play with respect to the bracket member 3.

[0022] The third and fourth cylindrical portions 64 are regions that are sequentially connected to the rear end side of the second cylindrical portion 62. The fourth cylindrical portion 64 is a region near the rear end of the held member 6, and in this embodiment, the held member 6 and the protective tube 5 are connected in a state in which this fourth cylindrical portion 64 is fitted into the tip portion 5a of the protective tube 5. Preferably, the difference between the outer diameter of the fourth cylindrical portion 64 and the inner diameter of the protective tube 5 is made very small.

[0023] The rear surface of the third cylindrical portion 63 is a protective tube contact surface 63a that contacts the tip end 5a of the protective tube 5 in the axial direction when the held member 6 and the protective tube 5 are connected. This contact ensures accurate alignment between the held member 6 and the protective tube 5. An adhesive tape 7A such as vinyl tape is wound continuously around the outer circumferential surfaces of the third cylindrical portion 63 and the tip portion 5a of the protective tube 5 to ensure a secure connection between them.

[0024] In the above-described connected state between the held member 6 and the protective tube 5, the lead-out regions 40 of the plurality of electric wires 4 are inserted through the held member 6 and are led out from the tip (first tubular portion 61) of the held member 6 to the outside. Of the lead-out regions 40 of the plurality of electric wires 4, a portion 40a (portion of dimension Lb in FIG. 3(a)) that is further led out from the held member 6 to the outside and the outer surface of the first tubular portion 61 of the held member 6 are continuously wrapped with adhesive tape 7B such as Tesa Tape, to protect the above-described portion 40a of the plurality of electric wires 4 and prevent misalignment between the held member 6 and the plurality of electric wires 4 (preventing fluctuations in dimension Lb).

[0025] Next, the operation of the above-mentioned wire harness routing structure A will be described.

[0026] When the vehicle seat 1 is set in the normal position, a portion of the region of the wire harness H near the front end is located between the vehicle seat 1 and the upper surface of the seat riser 2. Therefore, if the dimension La (see FIG. 3(a)) of the portion of the wire harness H near the front end from the bracket member 3 is inappropriate and the excess length is too long, the portion of the wire harness H may be inappropriately pinched between the vehicle seat 1 and the seat riser 2 and damaged. Conversely, if the excess length is too short, the wire harness H may not be set to a desired, appropriate routing path, and for example, the connector 48 may not reach the adapter 98.

[0027] In contrast, in the wire harness routing structure A of this embodiment, the held member 6 is not attached to the middle of the protective tube 5 of the wire harness H, but is connected to the tip end 5a of the protective tube 5. Moreover, in this connected state, the protective tube abutment surface 63a of the held member 6 abuts against the tip end 5a of the protective tube 5 in the axial direction. Therefore, the held member 6 and the protective tube 5 can be accurately positioned, and a large error in the relative positional relationship between them 6, 5 can be prevented. On the other hand, the lead-out regions 40 of the multiple electric wires 4 are inserted through the held member 6, with a portion of them being led out from the tip end side of the held member 6. Therefore, the presence of the held member 6 does not become a major factor in error in setting the length of the lead-out regions 40 of the multiple electric wires 4, and the dimensions can also be managed appropriately. For this reason, according to this embodiment, it is possible to easily and appropriately set the excess length dimension of the tip end side of the wire harness H (the tip end side of the bracket member 3) to an appropriate and accurate dimension as originally intended. Therefore, it is possible to prevent problems such as the excess length being too long and causing a relatively long portion of the wire harness H to unsightly protrude to the side of the vehicle seat 1, or a part of the wire harness H slipping under the held member 6 and being unduly pinched between the vehicle seat 1 and the upper surface of the seat riser 2.

[0028] 4 shows Comparative Example 1 of the present embodiment. In Comparative Example 1, a held member 6e is attached to a midpoint in the axial direction of the protective tube 5e, and this held member 6e is held by the bracket member 3. According to Comparative Example 1, in order to set the dimension La from the bracket member 3 to the tip of the electric wire 4 to a predetermined dimension, it is necessary to appropriately control not only the dimension Lb' of the drawn-out wire region 40 of the electric wire 4, but also the dimension Lc relating to the relative positioning of the protective tube 5e and the held member 6e. In contrast, in the present embodiment, it is not necessary to control the dimension Lc, and it is only necessary to control the dimension Lb, which increases the accuracy in setting the dimension La.

[0029] FIG. 5(b) shows Comparative Example 2 of the present embodiment. In Comparative Example 2, the electric wire 4 is bent, but the bend is abrupt at the tip of the held member 6f. This may cause damage to the electric wire 4. In contrast, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5(a), when the electric wire 4 is bent, the first tubular portion 61 of the held member 6 is also bent accordingly. This prevents the electric wire 4 from being bent abruptly, and the electric wire 4 is bent more gently, which is preferable for solving the problem in Comparative Example 2.

[0030] Additionally, in this embodiment, when connecting the held member 6 to the tip portion 5a of the protective tube 5, it is sufficient to insert the fourth cylindrical portion 64 of the held member 6 into the tip portion 5a of the protective tube 5. This makes the connection easy and is also preferable in terms of stabilizing the connection state between the held member 6 and the protective tube 5.

[0031] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the specific configuration of each part of the vehicle wire harness routing structure according to the present invention can be freely modified in various ways within the intended scope of the present invention.

[0032] In the above-described embodiment, a portion of the held member 6 (fourth cylindrical portion 64) is fitted into the tip end 5a of the protective tube 5, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the held member 6 may be connected to the protective tube 5 without being provided with a portion that fits into the tip end 5a of the protective tube 5. The point is that the held member 6 and the protective tube 5 are connected to each other so that the tip end 5a of the protective tube 5 abuts against the protective tube abutment surface 63a of the held member 6 in the axial direction. A means may be employed in which the protective tube abutment surface 63a and the tip end 5a of the protective tube 5 are bonded to each other using an adhesive. In the above embodiment, the held member 6 is a single cylindrical member, but instead, for example, it may be formed by combining two half-split members to form a cylindrical overall shape. The point is that it is sufficient if it is cylindrical, allowing the wires of the wire harness to be inserted therethrough, and has the protective tube abutment surface 63a intended by the present invention. The specific shape, size, and material of the held member 6 are not limited.

[0033] The wire harness H is not limited to a wire harness for a seat belt reminder or a wire harness for a seat heater, and is not limited to a wire harness attached to the vehicle seat 1. It can be used for various power supplies or data transmissions in the vehicle. There are no limitations on the specific type or number of the electric wires 4 of the seat H. Furthermore, the bracket member 3 may be attached to either a vehicle component or a vehicle-mounted member, and the object to which it is attached is not limited to the vehicle seat 1. The protective tube is not limited to a corrugated tube, but may be, for example, a simple non-corrugated tube made of rubber or resin. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] A Vehicle wiring harness arrangement structure H Wire harness 1. Vehicle seat (vehicle component or vehicle-mounted component) 3 Bracket member 4 electric wire 40 Leader Area 5 Protective tube 6 Part to be held 63a Protective tube contact surface

Claims

[Claim 1] a wire harness in which an electric wire is inserted into a protective tube, and a region of the electric wire near one end is a drawn-out wire region drawn out from a tip end side of the protective tube to the outside; a cylindrical held member that is held by a bracket member attached to a vehicle component or a vehicle-mounted member and that is used to attach the wire harness to the bracket member; A vehicle wire harness routing structure comprising: The held member is connected to the tip of the protective tube in a manner that the pull-out wire region of the electric wire is inserted into the held member and pulled out from one end side of the held member in the axial direction, and in this connected state, the held member is provided with a protective tube abutment surface that abuts against the tip of the protective tube in the axial direction.

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