Protectors and Wire Harnesses

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a protector and a wire harness that can maintain the routing path of electric wires. [Solution] The protectors 1, 1A are configured to have an electric wire 2 inserted therethrough, and include a cylindrical protector body 3 having an opening 30, a cover 4 that closes the opening 30, and cylindrical portions 5A to 5F that are provided continuously with the protector body 3 and through which an end portion of the electric wire 2 can be inserted. With this, even if the electric wire 2 is pulled due to vibration of the vehicle or the like, the electric wire 2 is positioned inside the cylindrical portions, and therefore the routing path of the electric wire 2 can be maintained.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a protector through which electric wires are inserted and a wire harness. [Background technology]

[0002] One example of a wire harness installed in a vehicle includes electric wires and a protector (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The protector protects the electric wires inserted inside and is fixed to the vehicle body to maintain the wiring path of the electric wires, and includes a gutter-shaped protector main body and a gutter-shaped cover that covers the opening of the protector main body. The cover is provided with a locking portion, and the protector main body is provided with a locking receiving portion.

[0003] In such a conventional protector, when the cover is brought close to the protector body and pressed against it with the electric wires inserted in the protector body, the locking portion locks with the lock receiving portion, and the protector is assembled to the protector body, thus maintaining the routing path of the electric wires inserted inside the protector. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-198135 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when an electric wire is inserted into a conventional protector, for example, if the electric wire is pulled due to vehicle vibration or the like, the locking portion will be released from the locking receiving portion, the protector body and the cover will be separated, and the electric wire may fall out of the protector, and the routing path of the electric wire may not be maintained.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a protector and a wire harness that can maintain the routing path of electric wires. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem and achieve the object, the invention described in claim 1 is a protector into which an electric wire is inserted, characterized in that it comprises a cylindrical protector body having an opening, a lid portion that closes the opening, and a cylindrical portion that is provided continuous with the protector body and through which an end portion of the electric wire can be inserted. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the invention of claim 1, even if the electric wire is pulled by vibration of the vehicle or the like, the routing path of the electric wire can be maintained. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a wire harness provided with a protector according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a main part of the wire harness. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing a modified example of the protector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a wire harness 10 equipped with a protector 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, and is a see-through view of the inside of the protector 1. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing a main part of the wire harness 10.

[0011] 1 has a plurality of electric wires 2 inserted therein and protects these electric wires 2, and is fixed to a vehicle body (not shown) and has terminal portions 2S of each electric wire 2 pulled out, through which the plurality of electric wires 2 are inserted, thereby regulating (maintaining) the routing path of each electric wire 2. The protector 1, together with the electric wires 2, constitutes a wire harness 10 for an automobile.

[0012] 1 and 2, the protector 1 includes a cylindrical protector body 3 having an opening 30 through which the electric wires 2 are inserted and through which the electric wires 2 are inserted, a cover 4 (shown in FIG. 2 but omitted in FIG. 1) that closes the opening 30 provided in the protector body 3, a pair of end-drawn portions 5A and 5B (cylindrical portions) located at both ends of the protector body 3 in the axial direction X, and four middle-drawn portions 5C, 5D, 5E, and 5F (cylindrical portions) provided to protrude from a peripheral wall 31 that constitutes the protector body 3. Hereinafter, one of the pair of end-drawn portions 5A and 5B may be referred to as the "one-side drawn portion 5A," and the other may be referred to as the "other-side drawn portion 5B." Furthermore, the axial direction of the protector body 3 may be referred to as the "front-rear direction X," the one-side drawn portion 5A may be referred to as the "front (X1)," and the other-side drawn portion 5B may be referred to as the "rear (X2)." The four intermediate drawers 5C, 5D, 5E, and 5F are provided so as to protrude in a cylindrical shape in a transverse direction Y that intersects with the front-rear direction X.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the protector 1 is made up of a protector main body 3, a cover portion 4 (shown in Figure 2), a pair of end drawers 5A and 5B, and four intermediate drawers 5C, 5D, 5E, and 5F, which are configured to be interconnected. The protector main body 3, the pair of end drawers 5A and 5B, and four intermediate drawers 5C, 5D, 5E, and 5F are configured to be interconnected.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the protector main body 3 is configured to have substantially the same inner diameter from one end to the other end in the axial direction X.

[0015] 1 and 2, the opening 30 is formed by cutting out, for example, a rectangular shape, the peripheral wall 31 that constitutes the protector body 3. The opening 30 is configured to allow communication between the inside and outside of the protector body 3. The opening 30 also functions as an entrance when inserting the electric wire 2 into the protector 1. The opening 30 is formed to be large enough to allow the middle portion 2M of the electric wire 2 to be assembled inside the protector body 3.

[0016] The cover 4 is configured so as to be able to cover the opening 30 provided in the protector body 3, as shown in FIG.

[0017] 1, the one-side lead portion 5A is continuous with the protector main body 3 toward one side in the axial direction X (front X1) and is provided in a cylindrical shape that opens toward the front X1. In this embodiment, the one-side lead portion 5A is formed so that an inner diameter dimension L2 is larger than an inner diameter dimension L1 of the protector main body 3.

[0018] 1, the other-side lead-out portion 5B is continuous with the protector main body 3 toward the other side (rear side X2) in the axial direction X and is provided in a cylindrical shape that opens toward the rear side X2. In this embodiment, the inner diameter dimension L3 of the other-side lead-out portion 5B is formed to be larger than the inner diameter dimension L1 of the protector main body 3.

[0019] 1, the four intermediate drawers 5C, 5D, 5E, and 5F include a first drawer 5C, a second drawer 5D, a third drawer 5E, and a fourth drawer 5F. The first drawer 5C and the second drawer 5D are each tubular and open to one side Y1 of the transverse direction Y, while the third drawer 5E and the fourth drawer 5F are each tubular and open to the other side Y2 of the transverse direction Y. The four intermediate drawers 5C, 5D, 5E, and 5F are offset from one another in the front-to-rear direction X, and are arranged in the following order from front to back: third drawer 5E, first drawer 5C, second drawer 5D, and fourth drawer 5F.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, each intermediate drawer section 5C to 5F has a base end portion 51 that is continuous with the peripheral wall 31 of the protector main body 3, and a tip end portion 52 that is continuous with the base end portion 51 on the side away from the protector main body 3.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 2, the base end portion 51 has a curved surface 510 whose inner diameter gradually increases from a boundary 51a between the protector body 3 and the base end portion 51 to a boundary 52a between the base end portion 51 and the tip end portion 52 with increasing distance from the tip end portion 52. In other words, the base end portion 51 has a rounded shape that convexly extends outward from the inner surface of the protector body 3. That is, the base end portion 51 is formed so that the inner diameter L4 is larger than the inner diameter L5 of the tip end portion 52. By providing such a base end portion 51, the electric wire 2 inserted into the protector body 3 from the opening 30 can be led out from the tip end portion 52 without being caught by the base end portion 51.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the distal end portion 52 is configured to have the same inner diameter from the boundary portion 52a with the base end portion 51 to the distal end portion 5s.

[0023] Next, a procedure for assembling the wire harness 10 by inserting the electric wires 2 into the protector 1 will be described.

[0024] First, the middle portions 2M of the multiple electric wires 2 are inserted into the opening 30, and the multiple electric wires 2 are assembled together inside the protector body 3. Then, the terminal portions 2S of each electric wire 2 are passed through the base end portions 51 of the planned lead-out portions 5A to 5F and drawn out from the tip end portions 52. At this time, since the base end portions 51 are configured to have a rounded shape that convexly extends from the inner surface of the protector body 3, the electric wires 2 are not caught and are drawn out from the tip end portions 52. As a result, each terminal portion 2S of the multiple electric wires 2 is drawn out from the planned lead-out portions 5A to 5F. Then, the opening 30 is covered with the lid 4. In this way, the multiple electric wires 2 are inserted inside the protector 1, and the routing path of each electric wire 2 is regulated (maintained). In this way, the assembly work of the wire harness 10 is completed.

[0025] According to the above-described embodiment, the protector 1 through which the electric wire 2 is inserted and the wire harness 10 including the protector 1 include a cylindrical protector main body 3 having an opening 30, a cover 4 closing the opening 30, and cylindrical lead-out portions 5A-5F (cylindrical portions) that are provided continuously with the protector main body 3 and through which the end portion 2S of the electric wire 2 can be inserted. With this, even if the electric wire 2 inserted inside the protector 1 is pulled, for example, due to vehicle vibration or the like, the electric wire 2 is not disassembled as in conventional protectors because it is pulled out from the cylindrical lead-out portions 5A-5F, and the wiring path of the electric wire 2 is maintained because the electric wire 2 is positioned inside the cylindrical lead-out portions 5A-5F. As a result, even if the electric wire 2 is pulled due to vehicle vibration or the like, the wiring path of the electric wire 2 can be maintained.

[0026] Moreover, the lead-out portions 5A to 5F (cylindrical portions) are formed so that the inner diameter L4 of the base end portion 51 continuing to the protector body 3 is larger than the inner diameter L5 of the tip end portion 52. This increases the volume inside the protector 1, improving the workability when inserting the electric wire 2 into the inside of the protector 1.

[0027] The inner diameter L4 of the base end portion 51 is configured to include a curved surface 510 that gradually increases toward the protector body 3. In other words, the base end portion 51 is configured to have a rounded shape that convex outward from the inner surface of the protector body 3. This improves the durability of the protector 1. Furthermore, the reduction in corners improves the safety of the worker who inserts the electric wire 2 into the protector 1.

[0028] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but includes other configurations that can achieve the object of the present invention, and the following modifications are also included in the present invention.

[0029] In the above embodiment, when inserting the electric wire 2 into the protector 1, the middle portion 2M of the electric wire 2 is inserted into the protector body 3 from the opening 30, and the terminal portion 2S is pulled out from the pull-out portions 5A to 5F (cylindrical portions), thereby inserting the electric wire 2 into the protector 1, but the present invention is not limited to this. The electric wire 2 may be inserted into the protector body 3 from one cylindrical portion and pulled out from another cylindrical portion.

[0030] In addition to the configuration of the protector 1 of the above embodiment, the inside of the tip portion 52 of each of the lead-out portions 5A to 5F (cylindrical portion) may be partitioned by a partition portion 53 to provide a plurality of (two in the illustrated example) electric wire insertion portions 54. Fig. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing a protector 1A according to a modified example, and is a see-through view of the inside of the protector 1A. The protector 1A, together with the electric wire 2, constitutes a wire harness 10A for an automobile.

[0031] 3, in the protector 1A according to the modified example, each of the draw-out portions 5A to 5F is provided with two electric wire insertion portions 54 arranged side by side, separated by a partition portion 53. Each electric wire insertion portion 54 is configured to have an inner circumferential surface whose axis is the direction in which each of the draw-out portions 5A to 5F extends, so as to communicate with the inside and outside of the protector main body 3.

[0032] In this way, two (multiple) wire insertion portions 54, 54 are provided in each of the draw-out sections 5A to 5F, and wires 2 on the same routing path are inserted into one wire insertion portion 54, thereby preventing the wires 2 from becoming entangled inside each of the draw-out sections 5A to 5F.

[0033] In the protectors 1 and 1A of the above-described embodiments, the boundary 51a between the protector body 3 and the base end portion 51 and the boundary 52a between the base end portion 51 and the tip end portion 52 may be smoothly curved without corners. This further improves the durability of the protectors 1 and 1A. Furthermore, the reduction in the number of corners improves the safety of the worker inserting the electric wire 2 into the protector 1.

[0034] Although the best configurations and methods for carrying out the present invention have been disclosed above, the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, although the present invention has been particularly illustrated and described mainly with reference to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art can make various modifications to the above-described embodiments in terms of shape, material, quantity, and other detailed configurations without departing from the scope of the technical idea and purpose of the present invention. Therefore, the above-disclosed descriptions limiting the shape, material, etc. are provided as examples to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, descriptions using names of components that are free from some or all of the limitations on shape, material, etc. are included in the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1, 1A protector 10, 10A Wire Harness 2 electric wire 3 Protector body 4 Lid 30 Open area 5A One-side drawer (cylindrical part) 5B Other side drawer portion (cylindrical portion) 5C First drawer section (cylindrical section) 5D Second drawer section (cylindrical section) 5E Third drawer (cylindrical part) 5F 4th drawer (cylindrical part) 51 Proximal part 510 curved surface 52 Tip part 53 Partition 54 Multiple wire insertion parts L4 Inner diameter of base end L5 Inner diameter of tip

Claims

1. A protector through which an electric wire is inserted, a cylindrical protector body having an open portion; a lid portion that closes the open portion; a cylindrical portion provided continuously with the protector body and through which an end portion of the electric wire can be inserted.

2. 2. The protector according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical portion has an inner diameter of a base end portion that is continuous with the protector body and is larger than an inner diameter of a tip end portion.

3. 3. The protector according to claim 2, wherein the inner diameter of the base end portion includes a curved surface that gradually increases with increasing distance from the tip end portion.

4. a partition portion that partitions the inside of the cylindrical portion, 2. The protector according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical portion is partitioned by the partition portion and has a plurality of wire insertion portions into which the wires can be inserted.

5. A protector according to any one of claims 1 to 4; and an electric wire inserted into the protector.

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