Branch portion protection member and branch portion protection structure

Abstract

To protect a branch part in a wire harness, and to prevent generation of hitting sound even if vibration acts on the branch part.SOLUTION: The wire harness 100 is provided with a branch part 130 where a branch line 120 is branched from a trunk line 110, and a branch part protection member 10B for sandwiching and protecting the branch part 130, and the branch part protection member 10B is made of a shock absorbing raw material for absorbing shock, such as polyurethane or EPDM foam.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a branch portion protecting member and a branch portion protecting structure for protecting a branch portion where a branch wire branches off in a wire harness, for example. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, various electrical devices mounted on automobiles are supplied with power via wire harnesses, etc. Such wire harnesses have branch points where branch wires branch off, and a protective structure for the branch points using a sheet as described in Patent Document 1 has been proposed to protect the branch points.

[0003] The sheet used in the branch section protection structure described in Patent Document 1 has slits formed in it into which the branch wires can be inserted, and it is disclosed that the branch section is protected by being wrapped in the sheet with the branch wires inserted into the slits. However, while the protective structure of Patent Document 1 can protect the branching portion, there is a problem in that the branching portion wrapped in the sheet comes into contact with the surrounding area due to vibrations during driving, etc., and makes a rattling noise. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-77944 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention can protect a branch portion in a wire harness. and Both of these aims are to provide a branch portion protection member and a branch portion protection structure that can prevent the generation of hammering sounds even when vibration acts on the branch portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to a branch portion protection member that sandwiches and protects a branch portion where a branch wire branches off from a main wire in a wire harness, and the branch portion protection member is made of a shock-absorbing material. An insertion slit is provided that connects the inside and the outside and allows the branch portion to be inserted from the outside toward the inside. It is characterized by the fact that

[0007] The present invention also provides a wire harness including a branch portion where a branch wire branches off from a main wire, and a branch portion protection member that sandwiches and protects the branch portion, the branch portion protection member being made of a shock-absorbing material that absorbs impact. An insertion slit is provided that connects the inside and the outside and allows the branch portion to be inserted from the outside toward the inside. The branch portion protection structure is characterized by the above.

[0008] This invention can protect the branched portion of the wire harness. and In both cases, even if vibrations or the like act on the branching portion, the generation of hammering sounds can be prevented. More specifically, the branch protection member, which sandwiches and protects the branch where the branch wire branches off from the main wire in the wire harness, is made of a shock-absorbing material. Therefore, even if vibrations or the like act on the branch and it comes into contact with the surroundings, the shock-absorbing material absorbs the impact caused by the contact with the surroundings, preventing the generation of impact noise.

[0009] In addition, an insertion slit is provided that connects the inside and the outside and allows the branch portion to be inserted from the outside toward the inside.By inserting the branch portion into the inside through the insertion slit, the branch portion can be contained and protected inside the branch portion protection member, and the generation of striking sounds can be prevented.

[0010] As another aspect of the present invention, the insertion slit may be formed along an imaginary plane formed by the trunk wire and the branch wire that constitute the branch portion disposed inside. According to this invention, by inserting the branch section through the insertion slit along the imaginary plane formed by the main line and the branch line, the branch section can be protected by being sandwiched between the branch section protection members on both sides of the insertion slit, and the generation of striking sounds can be prevented.

[0011] As another aspect of the present invention, the insertion slit may be formed in a direction intersecting an imaginary plane formed by the trunk wire and the branch wire that constitute the branch portion disposed inside. According to this invention, by inserting the branch portion from the insertion slit in a direction intersecting the imaginary plane formed by the main line and the branch line, the branch portion can be inserted into the inside of the branch portion protection member from the insertion slit to protect it and prevent the generation of striking sounds.

[0012] In one aspect of the present invention, a resin foam material may be used as the buffer material. According to this invention, the buffer material itself has high shock absorption properties, so that the occurrence of hitting noise can be more reliably prevented.

[0013] In another embodiment of the present invention, the resin foam material may be polyurethane foam or EPDM foam.

[0014] According to this invention, polyurethane foam or EPDM (ethylene propylene diene rubber) foam is highly versatile and durable, so that it is possible to stably and reliably prevent the occurrence of hitting noise.

[0015] The polyurethane foam (also referred to as "urethane foam") may be either a flexible polyurethane foam or a rigid polyurethane foam.

[0016] In another aspect of the present invention, the branch portion protection member may be formed in a sheet shape having a predetermined thickness, and may be provided with a holding material that maintains the branch portion sandwiched between the branch portion protection member. The holding member may be formed of, for example, an adhesive layer, a hook-and-loop fastener, a clip, a band, or tape, as long as it is a means capable of holding the branch portion in a sandwiched state of the branch portion protection member.

[0017] According to this invention, the branched portion can be reliably held in a sandwiched state by the holding material.

[0018] As another aspect of the present invention, the holding material may be an adhesive layer provided on at least one surface of the branching portion protection member formed in a sheet shape, and having lower deformability than the branching portion protection member. According to this invention, the branch portion protection member can be held in a sandwiched state by the holding material without impairing the shock absorbing properties of the branch portion protection member. Specifically, when the branch section protection member is stretched (excessively deformed) due to tension or the like, its inherent deformability (shock absorption) may be impaired. Therefore, by providing an adhesive layer with lower deformability than the branch section protection member on at least one side of the branch section protection member, the adhesive layer can restrict inadvertent stretching of the branch section protection member even if the branch section protection member is pulled when protecting the branch section with the branch section protection member. Therefore, the branch section protection member maintains its inherent deformability and can absorb shock.

[0019] As a further aspect of the present invention, a reinforcing material may be provided on the inside of the branch portion in a sandwiched state, the reinforcing material being arranged in correspondence with a convex portion of the branch portion to reinforce and protect the convex portion. The reinforcing material may be attached to a predetermined location on the sheet-like branch section protection member in advance, or may be formed separately from the branch section protection member and attached to the branch section protection member when or after the branch section is sandwiched between the branch section protection member. The reinforcing material may be provided, for example, simply interposed between the branch section protection member and the branch section without being attached to the branch section protection member or the branch section. Furthermore, the reinforcing material may be provided on either the inside or outside of the branch section protection member.

[0020] According to this invention, the convex portions that are prone to receiving impacts when coming into contact with the surroundings are reinforced with a reinforcing material, thereby further improving the protective performance and reliably preventing the generation of hitting noises. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] This invention can protect the branched portion of the wire harness. and In both cases, it is possible to provide a branch portion protection member and a branch portion protection structure that can prevent the generation of hammering sounds even when vibration acts on the branch portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1(a) is a front view of the branch portion protection structure of this embodiment, (b) is an end view taken along line AA in FIG. 1(a), and (c) is an end view taken along line BB in FIG. 1(a). [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is an external view of a branch portion protection structure according to a first modified example. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is an external view showing a state before the branching portion is protected by the branching portion protection member of the first modification. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an external view of a branch portion protection structure according to a second modified example. [Figure 5]FIG. 10 is an external view showing a state before the branch portion is protected by the branch portion protection member of the second modification. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a bifurcation portion protection structure according to another embodiment. [Figure 7] 3A is an external view of the branch portion protection structure of Modification 1A, corresponding to FIG. 3; FIG. 3B is an external view of the branch portion protection structure of a configuration associated with Modification 1A, corresponding to FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Here, in the drawings, the X direction indicates the longitudinal direction of the trunk line 110 at the branching portion 130, the Y direction indicates the direction perpendicular to the X direction in Fig. 1(a), and the Z direction indicates the direction perpendicular to the X and Y directions (the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Fig. 1(a)). Furthermore, the Xa direction indicates one side of the X direction, the Xb direction indicates the other side of the X direction, the Ya direction indicates one side of the Y direction, the Yb direction indicates the other side of the Y direction, the Za direction indicates one side of the Z direction, and the Zb direction indicates the other side of the Z direction. Note that the internal structure of the wire harness 100 is not shown in Figs. 1(b) and 1(c).

[0024] As shown in Figures 1(a), (b), and (c), the branch portion protection structure 1 of this embodiment includes a branch portion 130 in a wire harness 100 where a branch wire 120 branches off from a main wire 110, and a branch portion protection member 10 that sandwiches and protects the branch portion 130.

[0025] The wire harness 100 has longitudinal ends electrically connected to various electric devices and power sources (batteries) mounted on the vehicle via connectors, and is routed along a predetermined routing path in the vehicle. Although not shown, the wire harness 100 of this embodiment has a plurality of electric wires 140 (see FIG. 1(a)) bound together at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction by binding bands or the like.

[0026] The wire harness 100 includes a main line 110 (also referred to as a "main line harness") and branch lines 120 (also referred to as a "branch line harness"). The main line 110 and the branch lines 120 each include at least one group of electric wires, and the main line 110 generally has a larger diameter than the branch lines 120, for example, by bundling together more electric wires 140.

[0027] The branching portion 130 indicates a portion of the trunk line 110 where the branch lines 120 branch off, and a portion of the branch lines 120 where the branch lines 120 branch off from the trunk line 110. In the branching portion 130 of this embodiment, two branch lines 120 both branch off from one side Ya in the Y direction of the trunk line 110, which extends parallel to the X direction. The two branch lines 120 extend away from each other in the X direction from the trunk line 110 toward one side Ya in the Y direction. However, the branching portion 130 of this embodiment is just an example, and other branching shapes such as a T-shape, a Y-shape, or an X-shape may also be adopted.

[0028] The branch portion protection member 10 includes a main body sheet portion 2 and reinforcing sheet portions 3a and 3b that reinforce the main body sheet portion 2.

[0029] The main body sheet portion 2 is formed into a sheet shape of a predetermined thickness using a resin foam material as a shock-absorbing material. In this embodiment, the main body sheet portion 2 is formed of polyurethane foam, which has excellent cushioning properties and stretchability, and is formed to a thickness of, for example, about 3 mm to 7 mm.

[0030] In addition, an adhesive layer 4 (bonding layer) is formed over the entire surface of one side of the main body sheet portion 2. The adhesive layer 4 can be formed, for example, by applying an adhesive or by attaching one side of double-sided tape. The adhesive layer 4 has lower deformability than the main body sheet portion 2, and therefore forming the adhesive layer 4 on the main body sheet portion 2 has the effect of suppressing inadvertent stretching of the main body sheet portion 2, which has excellent stretchability.

[0031] The main body sheet portion 2 is attached to the branching portion 130 so as to sandwich the branching portion 130 from both sides in the Z direction (thickness direction). With the branching portion 130 sandwiched between the main body sheet portion 2, the main body sheet portion 2 is formed in a rectangular shape extending in the X and Y directions when viewed from the front (as shown in FIG. 1(a)).

[0032] The main body sheet portion 2 of this embodiment is formed as a single sheet as a whole so that it can be folded in half at an intermediate position in the Y direction so as to sandwich the branch portion 130. Figures 1(a), (b), and (c) show a state in which the branch portion 130 is sandwiched between the main body sheet portion 2 that is folded in half starting from a folded portion 5 (see Figures 1(a) and 1(c)) that extends parallel to the X direction. The main body sheet portion 2 is arranged along an imaginary plane H (see Figure 1(a)) formed by the main line 110 and two branch lines 120 that make up the branch portion 130, i.e., along the X and Y directions.

[0033] The main body sheet portion 2 has branch portion arrangement regions 6a, 6b on either side in the Y direction of the folded portion 5 located at the middle position in the Y direction. Each of the pair of branch portion arrangement regions 6a, 6b has a size large enough to accommodate the entire branch portion 130.

[0034] As shown in Figures 1(b) and (c), when the branching portion 130 is sandwiched between the main sheet portion 2, of the pair of branching portion arrangement regions 6a, 6b, one branching portion arrangement region 6a is arranged from one side Za in the Z direction relative to the branching portion 130, and the other branching portion arrangement region 6b is arranged from the other side Zb in the Z direction relative to the branching portion 130.

[0035] Furthermore, the pair of branch portion arrangement regions 6a, 6b have a length in the Y direction that spans at least the main line 110 and the branch line 120 within the branch portion 130, and therefore have a length in the Y direction that is longer than the combined length of the half circumference of the main line 110 and the half circumference of the branch line 120.

[0036] Furthermore, the pair of branch portion arrangement regions 6a, 6b has a length in the X direction that spans at least two branch lines 120 of the branch portion 130, and therefore has a length in the X direction that is longer than the combined length of half the circumference of the two branch lines 120. In this embodiment, the pair of branch portion arrangement regions 6a, 6b are formed in a rectangular shape that is longer in the X direction than in the Y direction.

[0037] The adhesive layers 4 are formed on opposing surfaces in the folded state of the main body sheet portion 2. Specifically, the adhesive layer 4 is formed on the surface of one branch portion arrangement region 6a on the other side Zb in the Z direction, and on the surface of the other branch portion arrangement region 6b on one side Za in the Z direction.

[0038] 1(a), 1(b), and 1(c), the branch portion protection member 10 further includes two reinforcing sheets 3a and 3b. As shown in FIGS. 1(b) and 1(c), on the inside of the main body sheet 2 in a state in which the branch portion 130 is sandwiched, one reinforcing sheet 3a is interposed between one branch portion arrangement region 6a and the branch portion 130. On the other hand, on the inside of the main body sheet 2 in a state in which the branch portion 130 is sandwiched, the other reinforcing sheet 3b is interposed between the other branch portion arrangement region 6b and the branch portion 130.

[0039] The reinforcing sheet portions 3a, 3b may be made of a different material and thickness than the main sheet portion 2 as long as they are made of a cushioning material that cushions impacts in the same way as the main sheet portion 2, but in this embodiment they are made of the same material and thickness as the main sheet portion 2.

[0040] The pair of reinforcing sheet portions 3a, 3b are formed to have the same shape, and each is formed to be slightly smaller than the pair of branch portion arrangement regions 6a, 6b. Specifically, when the branch portion 130 is sandwiched between the main body sheet portion 2, the reinforcing sheet portions 3a, 3b are arranged to correspond to at least the convex portions of the branch portion 130, i.e., the arrangement portions of the main wire 110 and the branch wire 120, in a front view of the main body sheet portion 2.

[0041] When placed on the main body sheet portion 2, the reinforcing sheet portions 3a and 3b are adhered to the main body sheet portion 2 via an adhesive layer 4 formed on the main body sheet portion 2. Although not shown, an adhesive layer may also be formed on the reinforcing sheet portions 3a and 3b. That is, the reinforcing sheet portions 3a and 3b may have an adhesive layer formed on at least one surface thereof, so that they are actively adhered to the main body sheet portion 2 and the branch portion 130.

[0042] Next, an example of a procedure for protecting the bifurcation section 130 using the bifurcation section protection member 10 of this embodiment will be described. The main body sheet portion 2 is placed in an unfolded state on a wiring jig (not shown). From this state, one reinforcing sheet portion 3a, the branch portion 130, and the other reinforcing sheet portion 3b are placed in one of the pair of branch portion arrangement regions 6a, 6b of the main body sheet portion 2, for example, in one branch portion arrangement region 6a, so that they are stacked in this order.

[0043] Next, the other branch portion arrangement region 6b of the main body sheet portion 2 is folded back toward the one branch portion arrangement region 6a, starting from the folded portion 5. In other words, the main body sheet portion 2 is folded in half. As a result, the branch portion 130 is sandwiched between the pair of branch portion arrangement regions 6a, 6b together with the pair of reinforcing sheet portions 3a, 3b.

[0044] In this state, a pair of reinforcing sheet portions 3a, 3b interposed between the branch portion 130 and a pair of branch portion arrangement regions 6a, 6b contact the convex portions of the branch portion 130, i.e., the outer peripheral surfaces of the two branch lines 120 and the main line 110, from each side in the Z direction.

[0045] Furthermore, the pair of main body sheet portions 2 are bonded to each other via their respective adhesive layers 4 at the portions where the pair of branch portion arrangement areas 6a, 6b contact each other, and are adhered to the contact portions with the reinforcing sheet portions 3a, 3b and the branch portion 130 via the adhesive layer 4. As described above, the bifurcation section 130 can be protected using the bifurcation section protection member 10.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 1, the branch portion protective structure 1 of the present embodiment described above includes a branch portion 130 where a branch wire 120 branches off from a trunk wire 110 in a wire harness 100, and a branch portion protective member 10 that sandwiches and protects the branch portion 130. The branch portion protective member 10 is made of a shock-absorbing material that absorbs impacts, and therefore can protect the branch portion 130 in the wire harness 100. and In both cases, even if vibrations or the like act on the branching portion 130, the generation of hammering sounds can be prevented. In more detail, the main body sheet portion 2 provided in the branch portion protection member 10 that sandwiches and protects the branch portion 130 where the branch wire 120 branches off from the main wire 110 in the wire harness 100 is made of a cushioning material that absorbs impacts, so that even if vibrations or the like act on the branch portion 130 and it comes into contact with the surroundings, the cushioning material absorbs the impact caused by the contact with the surroundings, preventing the generation of impact sounds.

[0047] Furthermore, since polyurethane foam is used as the buffer material, the polyurethane foam itself has high shock absorption properties, making it possible to more reliably prevent the generation of hitting noise.

[0048] Furthermore, polyurethane foam is highly versatile and durable, so that it can stably and reliably prevent the occurrence of hitting noise.

[0049] As shown in Figures 1(b) and 1(c), the branch portion protection member 10 has a main body sheet portion 2 formed in a sheet shape having a predetermined thickness, and an adhesive layer 4 is provided on the opposing surfaces of a pair of branch portion arrangement areas 6a, 6b as a retaining material for maintaining the sandwiched state of the main body sheet portion 2 sandwiching the branch portion 130.

[0050] According to the above configuration, the pair of branch portion arrangement areas 6a, 6b can be simply overlapped to sandwich the branch portion 130, and can be adhered via the adhesive layer 4, so that the sandwiched state of the main body sheet portion 2 can be firmly maintained.

[0051] Furthermore, since the adhesive layer 4 is provided on the main body sheet portion 2, the sandwiched state of the branch portion 130 can be maintained without impairing the shock absorption properties of the main body sheet portion 2.

[0052] Specifically, when the main body sheet portion 2 is stretched (excessively deformed) due to tension or the like, the original deformability (shock absorption) of the main body sheet portion 2 itself may be impaired. Therefore, by providing an adhesive layer 4 with lower deformability than the main body sheet portion 2 on at least one surface of the main body sheet portion 2, even if the main body sheet portion 2 is pulled when the branch portion protection member 10 protects the branch portion 130, the adhesive layer 4 can restrict inadvertent stretching of the main body sheet portion 2. Therefore, the branch portion protection member 10 maintains the deformability of the main body sheet portion 2 and can absorb shock.

[0053] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1(a), (b), and (c), on the inside of the clamped state in which the branching portion 130 is clamped, reinforcing sheet portions 3a, 3b (reinforcing materials) are provided which are arranged to correspond to the convex portions of the branching portion 130 and reinforce the protection of the convex portions.

[0054] According to the above configuration, the convex parts of the branching portion 130, which are prone to impacts due to contact with the surrounding area, are reinforced with the reinforcing sheet parts 3a, 3b, thereby further improving the protective performance of the branching portion 130 and reliably preventing the generation of impact sounds.

[0055] Next, branch section protecting members 10A and 10B according to modifications of the above-described embodiment of the branch section protecting member of the present invention will be described. However, the same components as those in the above-described embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0056] (Variation 1) The branch section protection member 10A provided in the branch section protection structure 1A of the first modification is entirely made of the same polyurethane foam as the main body sheet portion 2 of the above-described embodiment, and is formed into a three-dimensional shape with predetermined thicknesses in the X, Y, and Z directions, as shown in Fig. 2. Note that the branch section protection member 10A of the first modification is formed without the reinforcing sheet portions 3a and 3b, but may be provided with the reinforcing sheet portions 3a and 3b as appropriate.

[0057] The branch section protection member 10A has approximately the same shape as the branch section protection member 10 of the above-described embodiment when viewed from the front (viewed from one side Za in the Z direction), and is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape whose thickness (length in the Z direction) is thicker (longer) than the main body sheet portion 2 of the above-described embodiment.

[0058] In other words, the branching section protection member 10A is formed to be thicker than the thickness of the branching section 130 (i.e., the diameter of the trunk line 110 having the maximum thickness of the branching section 130). As a result, the branching section protection member 10A of the first modification is formed to have a thickness that allows the branching section 130 to be embedded therein. Furthermore, the branching section protection member 10A of the first modification protects the branching section 130 in a positioning configuration similar to the positioning configuration of the branching section 130 in the branching section protection member 10 of the embodiment described above, when viewed from the front. Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the location where the branch portion 130 is to be disposed inside the branch portion protection member 10A is set to a branch portion disposing portion 7.

[0059] The branch section arrangement section 7 includes a trunk line arrangement region 71 in which the trunk line 110 of the branch section 130 is arranged, and branch line arrangement sections 72 in which each of the two branch lines 120 is arranged. When arranged in the trunk line arrangement region 71, the trunk line 110 extends outward from both ends of the trunk line arrangement region 71, and when arranged in the branch line arrangement section 72, the branch line 120 extends outward from the end of the branch line arrangement section 72.

[0060] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the bifurcation portion protection member 10A is provided with an insertion slit 8A (a cut) through which the bifurcation portion 130 can be inserted from the outside of the bifurcation portion protection member 10A toward the bifurcation portion placement portion 7.

[0061] The insertion slit 8A is formed along an imaginary plane H (see FIG. 3) formed by the trunk wire 110 and the branch wires 120 that constitute the branch portion 130. In this embodiment, the insertion slit 8A is formed linearly on an end face 15fa of one side Ya in the Y direction of the branch portion protection member 10A from a middle position in the Z direction along the entire length in the X direction toward the other end Yb in the Y direction, parallel to the Y direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the insertion slit 8A is formed in a notch shape from the side of the branch portion 130 where the two branch wires 120 extend relative to the trunk wire 110 toward the trunk wire 110 (trunk wire arrangement region 71).

[0062] The insertion slit 8A connects the branching section arranging section 7 to the outside, but in this embodiment, the branching section arranging section 7 is formed to form part of the insertion slit 8A, and the main line arranging region 71 corresponds to the deepest part of the insertion slit 8A (see Figure 2).

[0063] The branch portion protection member 10A of the first modification is stretchable, so that, for example, when an operator releases the insertion slit 8A from an open state, the member deforms so as to close the insertion slit 8A due to its restoring force (elastic force) or its own weight.

[0064] Specifically, the opposing surfaces 11 (see Figure 3) on each side of the insertion slit 8A of the branch portion protection member 10A contact the branch portion 130 at the location corresponding to the branch portion placement section 7, and deform so as to contact each other at locations other than the branch portion placement section 7.

[0065] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an adhesive layer 4 is formed over the entire surface of the opposing surfaces 11 on each side of the insertion slit 8A.

[0066] Next, an example of a procedure for protecting the branching section 130 using the branching section protecting member 10A of the first modification will be described. The other end face 16fb (see Figure 3) of the branch portion protection member 10A on the other side Zb in the Z direction is placed on a wiring jig not shown, and one side portion 16a in the Z direction is rolled up relative to the insertion slit 8A over the other side portion 16b so that the insertion slit 8A opens, as shown in Figure 3.

[0067] Next, as shown in Fig. 3, adhesive is applied to each of a pair of opposing surfaces 11 that face the insertion slit 8A, thereby forming an adhesive layer 4. With the insertion slit 8A open, the branch portion 130 is arranged so as to be inserted into the branch portion arrangement portion 7 (see the outline arrow in Fig. 3), and by closing the insertion slit 8A in this state, the branch portion 130 is sandwiched between one side portion 16a and the other side portion 16b in the Z direction relative to the insertion slit 8A.

[0068] As a result, the opposing surfaces 11 on each side of the insertion slit 8A are adhered to the branching section arranging section 7 via the adhesive layer 4 at the locations corresponding to the branching section arranging section 7, and are bonded to each other via the adhesive layers 4 at locations other than the branching section arranging section 7. As described above, the branch portion 130 can be protected by using the branch portion protection member 10A. In addition, in the branch portion protection member 10A, after the branch portion 130 is inserted through the insertion slit 8A to the branch portion arrangement portion 7, the adhesive layer 4 may be formed by applying an adhesive to a pair of opposing surfaces 11 that face the insertion slit 8A. This allows the branch portion 130 to be smoothly inserted to the branch portion arrangement portion 7 without accidentally adhering to the adhesive layer 4 when inserted through the insertion slit 8A.

[0069] The bifurcation section protecting member 10A of the first modified example can achieve the same effects as the bifurcation section protecting member 10 of the above-described embodiment in terms of the same configuration. In addition, the branch portion protection member 10A of the first modification can achieve the following effects: That is, as shown in Fig. 3, the branch portion protection member 10A of the first modification is provided with an insertion slit 8A that connects the branch portion arrangement section 7 (inside) with the outside and into which the branch portion 130 can be inserted from the outside toward the branch portion arrangement section 7. Therefore, by inserting the branch portion 130 into the branch portion arrangement section 7 through the insertion slit 8A, the branch portion 130 can be accommodated and protected in the branch portion arrangement section 7 of the branch portion protection member 10A, and the generation of hitting sounds can be prevented.

[0070] Furthermore, the branch portion protection member 10A of the first modified example has an insertion slit 8A formed along an imaginary plane H (see FIG. 3) formed by the main line 110 and the branch line 120 that constitute the branch portion 130 arranged in the branch portion arrangement section 7, so that the branch portion 130 can be inserted through the insertion slit 8A that is along the imaginary plane H. Therefore, the branch portion protection member 10A can sandwich and protect the branch portion 130 between the portions 16a, 16b on both sides of the insertion slit 8A, and can also prevent the generation of hitting sounds.

[0071] (Variation 2) As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the branch section protection member 10B provided in the branch section protection structure 1B of modified example 2 is formed from the same material and has the same external shape as the branch section protection member 10A of modified example 1, and the branch section 130 is arranged in the branch section arrangement section 7 in a similar arrangement form, but the insertion slit 8B is formed in a manner different from that of the branch section protection member 10A of modified example 1.

[0072] The insertion slit 8B of variant example 2 is formed in the branch section protection member 10B as a notch in a direction (i.e., the Z direction) perpendicular to the imaginary plane H formed by the main line 110 and branch line 120 that constitute the branch section 130, and extends along the portion corresponding to the branch section placement section 7 when viewed from the front.

[0073] Specifically, the insertion slit 8B includes a main line insertion slit 8Ba for inserting the main line 110 from the outside to the main line arrangement area 71 of the branch unit arrangement section 7, and a branch line insertion slit 8Bb for inserting each of the two branch lines 120 from the outside to the branch line arrangement section 72 of the branch unit arrangement section 7.

[0074] The trunk cable insertion slit 8Ba is formed linearly from the end face 16fa on one side Za in the Z direction to the other side Zb in the Z direction parallel to the Z direction toward the trunk cable 110 (trunk cable arrangement area 71). The trunk cable insertion slit 8Ba extends linearly parallel to the X direction over the entire length of the branching section protection member 10B.

[0075] The branch wire insertion slit 8Bb extends linearly along the Y direction from the root of the branch wire 120 branching off from the trunk wire 110 to an end face 15fa on one side Ya in the Y direction (the face from which the branch wire 120 extends).

[0076] The branch wire insertion slits 8Bb are provided in pairs corresponding to the two branch wires 120, and extend obliquely with respect to the Y direction so as to be gradually spaced apart in the X direction toward one side Ya in the Y direction.

[0077] Next, an example of a procedure for protecting the branching portion 130 using the branching portion protection member 10B will be described. The branch portion protection member 10B is placed on a wiring jig (not shown) with the other end face 16fb in the Z direction facing downward, and the branch portion 130 is positioned above the branch portion protection member 10B so that it faces the branch portion placement section 7 in a plan view. The branch portion 130 is positioned on the upper face (end face 16fa on one side Za) of the branch portion protection member 10B, and by pressing the branch portion 130 toward the branch portion protection member 10B (see the hollow arrow in FIG. 5), the branch portion protection member 10B deforms so that the branch wire insertion slit 8Bb opens. This allows the branch portion 130 to be inserted into the branch portion placement section 7 through the insertion slit 8B.

[0078] Next, adhesive is injected into the insertion slit 8B from the opening (tip) of the insertion slit 8B to form adhesive layers 4 on the opposing surfaces on both sides of the slit. As a result, the opposing surfaces 11 (see FIG. 4) on each side of the insertion slit 8B are adhered to the branching unit arrangement portion 7 via the adhesive layers 4 in the areas corresponding to the branching unit arrangement portion 7, and are bonded to each other via the adhesive layers 4 in areas other than the branching unit arrangement portion 7. As described above, the branch portion 130 can be protected by using the branch portion protection member 10B.

[0079] The branch section protecting member 10B of the second modification can achieve the same effects as the branch section protecting member 10 of the above-described embodiment or the branch section protecting member 10A of the first modification, if the configuration is similar to these. In addition, the branching portion protection member 10B of Modification 2 can achieve the following effect: Since the branching portion protection member 10B of Modification 2 has an insertion slit 8B cut in the Z direction, the branching portion 130 can be placed in the branching portion placement portion 7 inside the branching portion protection member 10B by inserting the branching portion 130 into the insertion slit 8B from one side Za in the Z direction so as to press it against the insertion slit 8B. Therefore, the branch portion 130 can be protected by using the branch portion protection member 10B.

[0080] As with the above-described modified examples, the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, but can be formed in various other embodiments. The branch section protection member 10 of the present invention may be in any form that sandwiches and protects the branch section 130, and is not limited to the form in which a single main sheet portion 2 is folded over to sandwich the branch section 130, as in the branch section protection member 10 of the embodiment described above, and may be in any other form.

[0081] For example, as shown in Figure 6, the branch section protection member 10' provided in the branch section protection structure 1' may have two main body sheet portions 2a', 2b' formed to a size corresponding to each of a pair of branch section placement areas 6a, 6b, and may be configured to sandwich the branch section 130 from both sides in the Z direction.

[0082] Furthermore, the cushioning material of the branch portion protection members 10, 10A, 10B, and 10' is not limited to polyurethane foam, but may be EPDM foam. EPDM foam is as versatile as polyurethane foam and highly durable, so it can stably and reliably prevent the generation of hammering noise.

[0083] Furthermore, the branch portion protection member 10 of the above-described embodiment does not necessarily require the reinforcing sheet portions 3a and 3b, and may instead include only the main body sheet portion 2. Furthermore, the reinforcing sheet portion may be disposed on only one side of the branch portion 130 in the Z direction.

[0084] Furthermore, the branching section protecting member 10A of the first modification and the branching section protecting member 10B of the second modification are not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and may be, for example, a polyhedral shape other than a rectangular parallelepiped, or a three-dimensional shape such as a spherical shape, a cone shape, or a columnar shape.

[0085] Furthermore, the branch section protection member of the present invention is not limited to having the insertion slit 8B formed in a notch shape in a direction perpendicular to the imaginary plane H, as in the branch section protection member 10B of variant example 2 shown in Figure 5, but may also have the insertion slit 8B formed in a notch shape in a direction inclined relative to the imaginary plane H (not shown).

[0086] Furthermore, although not shown, the branch section protection member of the present invention is not limited to a configuration in which the branch section 130 is inserted into the interior through an insertion slit 8A that opens upward, as in the branch section protection member 10A of Modification 1 shown in Fig. 3. For example, the branch section 130 may be inserted into the interior through an insertion slit 8A that opens downward, as in the branch section protection structure 1A' shown in Fig. 7(a), i.e., the branch section protection member 10A' provided in the branch section protection structure 1A' of Modification 1A. In this case, it is preferable that the upper end of the branch section protection member 10A' (the portion on the back side of the insertion slit 8A') be configured to have branch wire arranging portions 72A' at positions corresponding to the respective branch portions of a pair of branch wires 120 that branch upward from the trunk wire 110 in a bifurcated manner.

[0087] The branch wire arrangement portion may be formed, for example, as a branch wire arrangement portion 72A' shown in Figure 7(a), in the shape of a hole that connects the innermost portion of the insertion slit 8A' to the outer upper side of the branch portion protection member 10A' in the Z direction, or as a branch wire arrangement portion 72A'' shown in Figure 7(b), in the shape of a notch that extends from both outer sides in the X direction toward the center as part of the insertion slit 8A'. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1, 1A, 1A', 1B, 1'... Branch protection structure 4…Adhesive layer (retention material) 3a, 3b...Reinforcing sheet portion (reinforcing material) 7...Branch placement section (inside) 8A, 8B, 8A''...insertion slit 10, 10A, 10A', 10B, 10'... Branch section protection member 100...Wire harness 110…Main line 120...branch line 130...Branch H...imaginary plane

Claims

1. A branch portion protection member that sandwiches and protects a branch portion where a branch wire branches off from a main wire in a wire harness, The branch portion protection member is made of a shock-absorbing material that absorbs shock, An insertion slit is provided which connects the inside and the outside and allows the branching portion to be inserted from the outside toward the inside. Branch section protection member.

2. The insertion slit is formed along an imaginary plane formed by the trunk line and the branch line that constitute the branch portion disposed inside the insertion slit. The bifurcation portion protection member according to claim 1 .

3. The insertion slit is formed in a direction intersecting an imaginary plane formed by the trunk line and the branch line that constitute the branch portion disposed inside the The bifurcation portion protection member according to claim 1 .

4. Resin foam material was used as the cushioning material. The bifurcation portion protection member according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. As the resin foam material, polyurethane foam or EPDM foam was used. The bifurcation portion protection member according to claim 4 .

6. a branch portion in the wire harness where a branch wire branches off from a trunk wire; a branch portion protection member that sandwiches and protects the branch portion, The branch portion protection member is made of a shock-absorbing material that absorbs shock, An insertion slit is provided which connects the inside and the outside and allows the branching portion to be inserted from the outside toward the inside. Branch protection structure.

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