Protector

Abstract

To provide a protector having versatility capable of coping with various wiring paths.SOLUTION: The protector 10 includes the flexible protective sheet 3 that is wound around the electric wires 2, the support member 4 that is disposed at both end portions of the protective sheet 3 in the axial direction of the electric wires and supports the end portion 3e of the protective sheet 3 and the electric wires 2, and the band member 5 that fixes the end portion 3e of the protective sheet 3 and the electric wires 2 to the support member 4, and the support member 4 has the opening 65 through which the electric wires 2b of some of the plurality of electric wires inserted through the support member 4 can be drawn out as branch lines.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a protector. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a protector having a wire accommodating portion that accommodates a portion of the length of an electric wire. The wire accommodating portion has a slack absorbing portion that absorbs the slack of the electric wire. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-049458 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Manufacturing a protector with a special shape for each wire routing route would likely lead to increased manufacturing and transportation costs, so a highly versatile protector is desired.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a versatile protector that can be adapted to various wiring routes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The protector of the present invention comprises a flexible protective sheet that is wrapped around an electric wire, support members that are respectively arranged at both axial ends of the electric wire on the protective sheet and support the end of the protective sheet and the electric wire, and a band member that fixes the end of the protective sheet and the electric wire to the support member, and is characterized in that the support member has an opening that allows some of the electric wires among the multiple electric wires inserted into the support member to be pulled out as branch wires. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The protector according to the present invention includes a flexible protective sheet and a support member to which an end of the protective sheet is fixed. The support member has an opening that allows some of the electric wires to be pulled out as branch wires. The protector according to the present invention has the advantage of being adaptable to various wiring paths. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a protector and a wire harness according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the protector and the wire harness according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view of the protector and the wire harness according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the protector and the wire harness according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the support member according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the main body of the support member according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a plan view of the protector and the wire harness according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A protector according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art or those that are substantially the same.

[0010] [Embodiment] An embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7. This embodiment relates to a protector. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a protector and a wire harness according to an embodiment, Fig. 2 is a side view of a protector and a wire harness according to an embodiment, Fig. 3 is a plan view of a protector and a wire harness according to an embodiment, Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a protector and a wire harness according to an embodiment, Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a support member according to an embodiment, Fig. 6 is a plan view of a main body of a support member according to an embodiment, and Fig. 7 is a plan view of a protector and a wire harness according to an embodiment. Fig. 4 shows a cross section taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 3.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 1, the wire harness 1 of this embodiment includes electric wires 2 and a protector 10. The protector 10 is a protective member that houses and protects the electric wires 2. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the protector 10 includes a protective sheet 3, a support member 4, and a band member 5.

[0012] The support member 4 is a cylindrical protective member through which the electric wire 2 can be inserted. The illustrated support member 4 has a rectangular cylindrical shape. As shown in FIG. 5, the support member 4 has a main body 6 and a cover 7. The main body 6 and the cover 7 are molded from, for example, an insulating synthetic resin. The main body 6 has a groove-shaped wiring path 60. The wiring path 60 extends linearly.

[0013] The support member 4 of this embodiment has an extension direction X and a width direction Y. The extension direction X is the extension direction of the wiring path 60, and the width direction Y is the width direction of the wiring path 60. The width direction Y is perpendicular to the extension direction X.

[0014] The wiring path 60 has a flat bottom wall 61 and a pair of flat side walls 62, 63. The bottom wall 61 is a wall portion that supports the electric wires 2 and the protective sheet 3. In the wire harness 1 of this embodiment, the electric wires 2 and the protective sheet 3 are fixed to the bottom wall 61. The side walls 62, 63 are arranged on both sides of the bottom wall 61 in the width direction Y. The two side walls 62, 63 face each other in the width direction Y. The ends of the protective sheet 3 and the electric wires 2 are accommodated in a space surrounded by the bottom wall 61 and the side walls 62, 63.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 6 , the main body 6 of this embodiment has a first member 8 and a second member 9. The first member 8 and the second member 9 engage with each other to form the main body 6. The first member 8 has a bottom wall 61a and a side wall 62. The side wall 62 stands upright from the end of the bottom wall 61a. The second member 9 has a bottom wall 61b and a side wall 63. The side wall 63 stands upright from the end of the bottom wall 61b. The bottom wall 61a forms a part of the bottom wall 61, and the bottom wall 61b forms another part of the bottom wall 61.

[0016] The bottom wall 61a of the first member 8 has a plurality of protrusions 61c that engage with the mating bottom wall 61b. The plurality of protrusions 61c protrude in the extension direction X and are aligned in the width direction Y. The bottom wall 61b has a plurality of engagement holes 61d that receive the protrusions 61c. The plurality of engagement holes 61d are aligned in the width direction Y. The first member 8 and the second member 9 are connected by inserting the protrusions 61c into the engagement holes 61d. The first member 8 and the second member 9 can form wiring paths 60 with different dimensions in the width direction Y by combining the plurality of protrusions 61c and the plurality of engagement holes 61d.

[0017] The wiring path 60 of the support member 4 is provided with two fixing portions 64. The fixing portions 64 are portions to which the electric wires 2 are fixed by the band member 5. One fixing portion 64 includes two through holes 64a, 64b arranged in the bottom wall 61. The two through holes 64a, 64b are arranged at an interval in the width direction Y. In the illustrated wiring path 60, the two through holes 64a, 64b are arranged at the ends of the bottom wall 61 in the width direction Y.

[0018] In the main body 6 of this embodiment, one through hole 64a is provided in the first member 8, and the other through hole 64b is provided in the second member 9. That is, the through hole 64a is provided in the bottom wall 61a of the first member 8, and the through hole 64b is provided in the bottom wall 61b of the second member 9. The illustrated through holes 64a, 64b have a rectangular shape. The through holes 64a, 64b have a shape that allows the band portion 50 of the band member 5 to be inserted therethrough.

[0019] An opening 65 is provided in the side wall 62 of the first member 8. The opening 65 is formed so that some of the electric wires 2 among the plurality of electric wires 2 inserted into the support member 4 can be pulled out as branch wires. The opening 65 penetrates the side wall 62 along the width direction Y of the main body 6. The opening 65 is arranged between the two fixing portions 64 in the extension direction X. In the illustrated main body 6, the opening 65 is arranged at a midpoint between the two fixing portions 64. The width of the opening 65 in the extension direction X is set to a size that allows the electric wires 2 to pass through.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 5, the cover 7 is a member that engages with the main body 6 to cover the internal space of the wiring passage 60. The engagement of the cover 7 with the main body 6 forms a rectangular cylindrical support member 4. The cover 7 has a flat main wall 70 and a plurality of engagement portions 71. The engagement portions 71 are arranged on both sides of the main wall 70 in the width direction Y. The main body 6 has a plurality of engagement portions 66 that correspond to the engagement portions 71. The engagement portions 66 are provided on the side walls 62, 63 and engage with the engagement portions 71.

[0021] The protective sheet 3 is a flexible sheet, and is made of, for example, an insulating synthetic resin. The material of the protective sheet 3 is, for example, vinyl acetate, but is not limited to this. The protective sheet 3 has flexibility that allows it to bend or curve while wrapped around the electric wire 2. In other words, the protective sheet 3 can follow the curved shape of the electric wire 2 that is bent according to the shape of the wiring path. The protective sheet 3 is wrapped around the electric wire 2 to cover and protect the electric wire 2. As shown in FIG. 4 , the protective sheet 3 is wrapped around the electric wire 2 to have a cylindrical shape. The protective sheet 3 is wrapped around the electric wire 2 at least once.

[0022] The electric wire 2 is, for example, a covered electric wire having a core wire and a covering covering the core wire. The electric wire 2 may be a bundle of electric wires. In this case, the protective sheet 3 is wrapped around the bundle of electric wires to protect the bundle of electric wires. The electric wire 2 wrapped with the protective sheet 3 is routed in the routing path 60 of the support member 4.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3 , the protective sheet 3 wrapped around the electric wire 2 has two ends 3e. The ends 3e are the ends of the protective sheet 3 in the axial direction of the electric wire 2. Support members 4 are disposed at both ends of the protective sheet 3. The support members 4 support the end 3e of the protective sheet 3 and the electric wire 2. As shown in FIG. 4 , the end 3e of the protective sheet 3 and the electric wire 2 are accommodated in the internal space of the main body 6. That is, the end 3e of the protective sheet 3 and the electric wire 2 are accommodated in the space between the side walls 62, 63.

[0024] 3, the support member 4 is arranged so that one of the two fixing portions 64 is positioned at the end 3e of the protective sheet 3. Therefore, the electric wire 2 protruding from the protective sheet 3 is positioned at the other fixing portion 64. Both the electric wire 2 and the protective sheet 3 are fixed to one fixing portion 64, and the electric wire 2 extending from the protective sheet 3 is fixed to the other fixing portion 64.

[0025] The band member 5 fixes the end 3e of the protective sheet 3 and the electric wires 2 to the support member 4. The band member 5 is, for example, a member called a cable tie. The band member 5 is molded, for example, from an insulating synthetic resin. The band member 5 illustrated in FIG. 4 has a band portion 50 and a head 51. The band portion 50 is flexible and formed in a strip shape. The head 51 is connected to the base end of the band portion 50 and has a passage through which the band portion 50 can be inserted. A locking structure for locking the band portion 50 is provided in this passage.

[0026] The band portion 50 is inserted into the two through holes 64a, 64b in the bottom wall 61. FIG. 4 shows a cross section of one of the two fixing portions 64. Both the electric wire 2 and the protective sheet 3 are fixed to this fixing portion 64. The band portion 50 is inserted into the head 51 while being wrapped around the electric wire 2, the protective sheet 3, and the bottom wall 61. By inserting the band portion 50 into the head 51, the electric wire 2 and the end portion 3e are fastened to the main body 6. The band member 5 fixes the electric wire 2 and the protective sheet 3 while aligning them along the bottom wall 61.

[0027] At the other fixing portion 64, the wires 2 are fixed to the bottom wall 61 by the band member 5. After the wires 2 and the protective sheet 3 are fixed to the two fixing portions 64, the cover 7 is assembled to the main body 6.

[0028] The protector 10 is configured by fixing both end portions 3e of the protective sheet 3 to the corresponding support members 4. The protector 10 includes the protective sheet 3, a pair of support members 4, and a plurality of band members 5. The protector 10 of this embodiment protects the electric wires 2 with the flexible protective sheet 3 and the support members 4 arranged on both ends of the protective sheet 3. The protective sheet 3 is flexible and can be easily deformed according to the wiring route. Furthermore, the length of the protective sheet 3 can be freely set according to the length of the wiring route. Therefore, the protector 10 of this embodiment is highly versatile and can be used with a variety of wiring routes.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4 , a clip 67 is attached to the main body 6. The clip 67 is disposed on the bottom wall 61. The clip 67 protrudes in the depth direction Z of the wiring path 60 toward the side opposite to the electric wire 2. The clip 67 engages with a panel or the like of a vehicle to fix the support member 4 to the panel or the like. That is, in the protector 10 of this embodiment, the support members 4 at both ends can be fixed to the panel or the like by the clip 67. When the support members 4 at both ends are fixed to the panel or the like, the protective sheet 3 is disposed in the wiring path between the two support members 4. Because the protective sheet 3 is flexible, the work of fixing the support member 4 to the panel or the like is easy.

[0030] The protector 10 of this embodiment is configured so that some of the multiple electric wires 2 can be drawn out as branch wires from the support member 4. As shown in FIG. 7 , the branch wires are drawn out to the outside of the support member 4 through an opening 65. Multiple electric wires 2 are inserted into the support member 4 of FIG. 7 . Some of the multiple electric wires 2, electric wires 2a, are drawn out from the support member 4 along the extending direction X. Other electric wires 2b are drawn out to the outside from the opening 65 as branch wires.

[0031] The protective sheet 3 is wrapped around a plurality of electric wires 2 including electric wires 2a and 2b, and is fixed to the bottom wall 61 by a band member 5. Some of the electric wires 2a are fixed to the bottom wall 61 by the band member 5. Other electric wires 2b are branched from the bundle of electric wires between two fixing portions 64 and extend into the external space through an opening 65. In the protector 10 of this embodiment, the opening 65 is provided between the two fixing portions 64, so that the electric wires 2 can be fixed to the bottom wall 61 on both sides of the branching portion.

[0032] As described above, the protector 10 of this embodiment includes a flexible protective sheet 3, a support member 4, and a band member 5. The protective sheet 3 is wrapped around the electric wire 2. The support members 4 are disposed on both axial ends of the electric wire 2 on the protective sheet 3, respectively, to support the end 3e of the protective sheet 3 and the electric wire 2. The band member 5 fixes the end 3e of the protective sheet 3 and the electric wire 2 to the support member 4. The support member 4 has an opening 65 through which some electric wires 2b of the multiple electric wires 2 routed in the support member 4 can be pulled out as branch wires. The protector 10 of this embodiment is capable of branching some of the multiple electric wires 2 at the support member 4, and is therefore versatile and applicable to various routing configurations. Furthermore, the flexibility of the protective sheet 3 improves workability when packaging and transporting the wire harness 1. Furthermore, the container for transporting the wire harness 1 can be made smaller.

[0033] In the protector 10 of this embodiment, the support member 4 has a wiring path 60 including a bottom wall 61 and side walls 62 and 63. The side walls 62 and 63 are arranged on both sides of the bottom wall 61 in the width direction Y. The opening 65 is provided in the side wall 62. With this configuration, the electric wire 2 can be branched out from the opening 65 while being fixed to the bottom wall 61.

[0034] The support member 4 of this embodiment has a wiring path 60 in which the electric wire 2 is routed. The wiring path 60 is provided with two fixing portions 64 to which the electric wire 2 is fixed by the band member 5. The two fixing portions 64 are arranged at an interval along the extending direction X of the wiring path 60. The opening 65 is arranged between the two fixing portions 64. With this configuration, it is possible to fix the electric wire 2 to the support member 4 on both sides of the branch portion.

[0035] The two support members 4 arranged at both ends of the protective sheet 3 may have the same shape. In this case, it is possible to prevent an increase in the number of product numbers of the support members 4. Depending on the direction in which the branch wires are drawn, the support member 4 is arranged at the end 3e so that the opening 65 faces in the drawing direction.

[0036] A plurality of protectors 10 may be attached to one set of electric wires 2. In this case, a plurality of protective sheets 3 are wrapped around the electric wires 2 at different positions along the axial direction. Support members 4 are arranged at both ends of each protective sheet 3. Each support member 4 is fixed to the end 3e by a band member 5. When a plurality of protective sheets 3 are wrapped around the electric wires 2, the end portions 3e of two protective sheets 3 may be fixed to one support member 4. In this case, one protective sheet 3 is fixed to one fixing portion 64, and another protective sheet 3 is fixed to another fixing portion 64.

[0037] When the protective sheet 3 is long, a clip for adjusting the thickness may be attached to the central portion of the protective sheet 3 in the axial direction of the electric wires. The clip may, for example, flatten the shape of the bundle of electric wires. The clip may be a band clip that can be fixed to a panel or the like.

[0038] The support member 4 may have openings 65 on both sides in the width direction Y. In this case, one opening 65 is provided in one side wall 62, and another opening 65 is provided in the other side wall 63.

[0039] The main body 6 of the support member 4 is not limited to being composed of the first member 8 and the second member 9. In this case, the bottom wall 61 and the pair of side walls 62, 63 may be integrally molded. The configuration for fixing the band member 5 in the fixing portion 64 is not limited to the through holes 64a, 64b. For example, the side walls 62, 63 may be provided with a through hole or a slit through which the band member 5 is inserted.

[0040] The contents disclosed in the above embodiments can be implemented in appropriate combinations. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1: Wire harness 2: Electric wire, 3: Protective sheet, 4: Support member, 5: Band member 6: main body, 7: cover, 8: first member, 9: second member 10: Protector 60: Cable routing 61, 61a, 61b: Bottom wall, 61c: Protrusion, 61d: Engagement hole 62, 63: Side wall, 64: Fixed part, 64a, 64b: Through hole 65: Opening, 66: Engagement portion X: Extending direction Y: Width direction Z: Depth direction

Claims

1. a flexible protective sheet that is wrapped around the electric wire; support members disposed at both axial ends of the protective sheet for supporting the end portions of the protective sheet and the electric wires; a band member that fixes the end portion of the protective sheet and the electric wires to the support member; Equipped with The support member has an opening through which some of the electric wires inserted into the support member can be drawn out as branch wires. A protector characterized by the above.

2. The support member has a wiring path including a bottom wall and side walls arranged on both sides of the bottom wall in a width direction, The opening is provided in the side wall. The protector according to claim 1 .

3. the support member has a wiring path through which the electric wire is routed, The wiring path is provided with two fixing portions to which the electric wire is fixed by the band member, The two fixing portions are arranged at an interval along the extension direction of the wiring path, The opening is disposed between the two fixing portions. The protector according to claim 1 .

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