Protector and wire harness

Abstract

To provide a protector and wire harness that can prevent electric wires from being wrapped in tape while riding on the side wall. [Solution] The protector 11 comprises a housing section 21 in which the wire group 12 is housed between a pair of side walls 23, and outlet sections provided at both ends of the housing section 21 in the longitudinal direction X of the wire group 12. In the middle of the housing section 21 in the longitudinal direction X, the side wall 23 includes a reinforcing side wall 31 having a reinforcing section 32 extending outward in the width direction Y from at least the upper end of the side wall 23. The upper end surface of the reinforcing side wall 31 is provided with an inclined section 33 that slopes downward toward the inward direction Y and connects to the inner surface of the reinforcing side wall 31. By winding tape T around the outer circumference of the housing section 21 in a range including at least a part of the inclined section 33 in the longitudinal direction X, the space between the upper ends of the pair of side walls 23 is sealed with tape T.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a protector and a wire harness.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, in a protector used for a wire harness for a vehicle, there is one having a housing portion having a pair of side walls facing each other and a bottom wall connecting the lower ends of the pair of side walls (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Between the pair of side walls in the housing portion, a wire group composed of a plurality of electric wires is housed. The wire group is led out from both ends of the housing portion to the outside of the protector. The protector of Patent Document 1 includes a cover that covers an opening between the upper ends of the pair of side walls.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In protectors like the one described above, the height dimension may be designed to be low due to limited installation space, and it may not be possible to install the cover over the entire or a portion of the length of the housing. In this case, in areas where the cover cannot be installed, the opening between the upper ends of the pair of side walls can be sealed by wrapping tape around the outer circumference of the housing. Furthermore, if the height dimension of the housing is low and a cover cannot be installed, the rigidity of the housing will be low, and there is a risk that the areas where the cover cannot be installed may deform due to the bending reaction force of the wires. Therefore, in order to prevent deformation of the areas where the cover cannot be installed, it is conceivable to improve the rigidity of the area by providing a reinforcing section that extends outward in the width direction from at least the upper end of the side wall. However, in this case, since the upper end of the side wall is thickened by the reinforcing section, there is a risk that the wires may ride on the reinforcing section at the upper end of the side wall and be wrapped with tape in that state.

[0005] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a protector and wire harness that can prevent electric wires from being wrapped in tape while riding on the side wall. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The protector of this disclosure has a pair of side walls facing each other in the width direction and a bottom wall connecting the lower ends of the pair of side walls, a housing section between the pair of side walls in which a group of electric wires is housed, and outlet sections provided at both ends of the housing section in the length direction of the electric wires in which the group of electric wires is led out of the housing section, wherein in the middle of the housing section in the length direction, the side wall includes a reinforcing side wall having a reinforcing portion extending outward in the width direction from at least the upper end of the side wall, the upper end surface of the reinforcing side wall is provided with an inclined portion that slopes downward toward the inward in the width direction and connects to the inner surface of the reinforcing side wall, and tape is wrapped around the outer circumference of the housing section in a range including at least a part of the inclined portion in the length direction so that the space between the upper ends of the pair of side walls is sealed with the tape. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The protector and wire harness of this disclosure can prevent the electric wire from being wrapped in tape while riding on the side wall. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a wire harness according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the protector of the same embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an end view of line 4-4 in Figure 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described. The protectors of this disclosure are [1] A protector comprising a pair of side walls facing each other in the width direction, a bottom wall connecting the lower ends of the pair of side walls, a housing section between the pair of side walls in which a group of electric wires is housed, and outlet sections provided at both ends of the housing section in the length direction of the electric wires in which the group of electric wires is led out of the housing section, wherein in the middle of the housing section in the length direction, the side wall includes a reinforcing side wall having a reinforcing portion extending outward in the width direction from at least the upper end of the side wall, the upper end surface of the reinforcing side wall is provided with an inclined portion that slopes downward toward the inward in the width direction and connects to the inner surface of the reinforcing side wall, and tape is wrapped around the outer circumference of the housing section in a range including at least a part of the inclined portion in the length direction so that the space between the upper ends of the pair of side walls is sealed with the tape.

[0010] With this configuration, if a wire is riding up on the inclined section during tape winding, the wire will be pushed into the housing by the tape being wound. In this way, the inclined section can guide the wire into the housing. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the wire from being wound with tape while riding up on the reinforced side wall.

[0011] [2] In the above [1], the housing portion has a first range which is a part of the length of the housing portion and has the reinforcing side wall, and a second range which is a range in the length direction other than the first range, wherein the widthwise dimension of the pair of side walls in the second range is set to be smaller than the widthwise dimension of the reinforcing side wall including the reinforcing portion, and the second range may be provided with a cover which covers the space between the upper ends of the pair of side walls and has a heightwise thickness greater than the tape.

[0012] With this configuration, a cover is provided in the second area of ​​the housing that covers the space between the upper ends of a pair of side walls, thereby improving the rigidity of the second area.

[0013] [3] In the above [2], the housing portion has a flattened shape with a thin thickness in the height direction over its entire length, and the thickness of the housing portion in the height direction may be set to be thinner in the first range than in the second range.

[0014] This configuration makes it possible to keep the thickness in the height direction of the first range of the housing section small while ensuring rigidity in the first range through the reinforcing section. [4] In any of the above [1] to [3], the inclined portion may be formed on a part of the width direction of the upper end surface of the reinforcing side wall.

[0015] This configuration makes it possible to set up an inclined section while ensuring the cross-sectional area (i.e., rigidity) of the reinforced side wall. [5] In any one of the above [1] to [4], the reinforcing side wall has a pair of fixing portions that respectively extend from the outer surfaces in the width direction of the reinforcing side wall and are arranged side by side in the length direction, and the range between the pair of fixing portions in the length direction is the winding range in which the tape can be wound, and the inclined portion may be provided over a range that includes at least the winding range in the length direction.

[0016] According to this configuration, the inclined portion provided over the range including the winding range of the tape can effectively suppress the wire from climbing onto the reinforcing side wall. [6] In any one of the above [1] to [5], a pair of the reinforcing side walls including the inclined portion may be provided so as to face each other in the width direction.

[0017] According to this configuration, at the middle portion of the accommodating portion in the length direction, since the reinforcing portion and the inclined portion are provided on each of the pair of side walls, it is possible to further suppress the wire from being tape-wound in a state where it has climbed onto the reinforcing side wall.

[0018] [7] The wire harness of the present disclosure includes the protector according to any one of the above [1] to [6] and a group of wires passed through the protector. According to this configuration, in the wire harness including the group of wires and the protector, it is possible to suppress the wire from being tape-wound in a state where it has climbed onto the reinforcing side wall of the protector.

[0019] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] Specific examples of the protector and the wire harness of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, for convenience of explanation, a part of the configuration may be shown exaggeratedly or simplified. Also, the dimensional ratios of each part may be different in each drawing. "Orthogonal" in this specification includes not only the case of strict orthogonality but also the case of substantially orthogonality within the range where the actions and effects in the present embodiment are exhibited.

[0020] In this specification, “flattened shape” includes rectangles, ovals, ellipses, etc. Furthermore, “opposing” in this specification means that faces or members are facing each other, including not only cases where they are completely facing each other, but also cases where they are partially facing each other. Furthermore, “opposing” in this specification includes both cases where another member is interposed between the two parts, and cases where nothing is interposed between the two parts. Also, terms such as “first,” “second,” etc., in this specification are used merely to distinguish objects and do not rank them. The present invention is not limited to these examples and is shown in the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended.

[0021] (Configuration of wire harness 10) As shown in Figure 1, the wire harness 10 of this embodiment comprises a protector 11 and a group of wires 12 passing through the inside of the protector 11. The wire harness 10 is assembled, for example, to a battery module for a vehicle. The protector 11 is positioned on a fixing bracket 13. Above the protector 11, for example, a fire-resistant top plate (not shown) of the battery module is positioned.

[0022] The wire group 12 has multiple wires W (see Figure 4). Each of the multiple wires W is a coated wire including an insulating sheath. Inside the protector 11, the multiple wires W of the wire group 12 are not bundled together with tape or the like. The protector 11 is substantially straight along the length direction X of the wire group 12. The length direction X, the width direction Y, and the height direction Z are three mutually orthogonal directions. The wire group 12 is drawn out from both ends of the wire group 12 in the length direction X to the outside of the protector 11. Connectors 14 are provided at both ends of the wire group 12 that are drawn out to the outside of the protector 11. Each connector 14 is connected to a mating connector (not shown).

[0023] (Protector 11 configuration) The protector 11 comprises a housing portion 21 extending in the longitudinal direction X, and outlet portions 22 provided at both ends of the housing portion 21 in the longitudinal direction X.

[0024] (Configuration of the storage section 21) The storage section 21 has a pair of side walls 23 that face each other in the width direction Y, and a bottom wall 24 that connects the lower ends of the pair of side walls 23. Each side wall 23 and the bottom wall 24 are provided along the entire length direction X of the storage section 21. The storage section 21 has a flattened shape with a thin thickness in the height direction Z along its entire length direction X. That is, the height direction Z dimension of each side wall 23 is smaller than the width direction Y dimension of the bottom wall 24.

[0025] The wire group 12 is housed between a pair of side walls 23 in the housing section 21 along its length X. The wire group 12 is led out to the outside of the housing section 21 from each outlet 22. The wire group 12 is fixed to the protector 11 at each outlet 22 by fastening members 25 such as tape or cable ties. The wire group 12 led out from each outlet 22 may be covered by, for example, an outer covering member 26.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the housing section 21 has a first range A1 that occupies the middle portion of the length X in the housing section 21, and a second range A2 that occupies the area of ​​the first range A1. The second range A2 is provided on both sides of the length X in the first range A1. The thickness in the height Z direction of the housing section 21 is set to be thinner in the first range A1 than in the second range A2 (see Figure 3). In addition, the width dimension of the pair of side walls 23 in the second range A2 is set to be smaller than the width dimension of the reinforcing side wall 31 including the reinforcing section 32.

[0027] The protector 11 is provided with a cover 27 in each second range A2. Figures 1 and 2 show the protector 11 with the cover 27 (described later) open, and Figure 3 shows the cover 27 in a closed state. The cover 27 is configured to cover the space between the upper ends of a pair of side walls 23 in the second range A2. The cover 27 is integrally formed with one of the pair of side walls 23 via a hinge, for example. When the cover 27 is rotated around the hinge to close, the cover 27 is detachably locked to the other side wall 23. The thickness of the cover 27 in the height direction Z is set to be greater than that of the tape T (described later) (see Figure 3).

[0028] (Configuration of the reinforcing side wall 31) The housing section 21 has a pair of reinforcing side walls 31, each of which is part of a pair of side walls 23, within a first range A1. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the pair of reinforcing side walls 31 face each other in the width direction Y. Each reinforcing side wall 31 is provided with a reinforcing portion 32 that extends outward in the width direction Y. The reinforcing portion 32 extends outward in the width direction Y from at least the upper end of the reinforcing side wall 31. The first range A1 is the range in the length direction X of the housing section 21 where the reinforcing portions 32 are formed.

[0029] Each reinforcing side wall 31 has an inclined portion 33 that slopes downward toward the inside in the width direction Y and connects to the inner surface of the reinforcing side wall 31. The inclined portion 33 is formed in a part of the width direction Y on the upper surface of the reinforcing side wall 31 including the reinforcing portion 32. That is, the inclined portion 33 is formed from the middle position in the width direction Y on the upper surface of the reinforcing side wall 31 including the reinforcing portion 32 to the inner surface of the reinforcing side wall 31. With this configuration, compared to a configuration in which the inclined portion 33 is formed over the entire width direction Y on the upper surface of the reinforcing side wall 31, this embodiment can suppress the reduction in the volume of the reinforcing side wall 31, and as a result can contribute to improving the rigidity of the reinforcing side wall 31.

[0030] Each of the pair of reinforcing side walls 31 has a pair of fixing portions 34 extending from the outer surface of the reinforcing side wall 31 in the width direction Y. The pair of fixing portions 34 are arranged side by side in the length direction X. Each fixing portion 34 is fixed to the fixed portion 13a of the bracket 13.

[0031] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, tape T is wrapped around the outer circumference of the housing section 21 within the first range A1, for example, multiple times. Tape T is, for example, adhesive tape. Tape T seals the space between the upper ends of the pair of reinforcing side walls 31. This prevents the wires W from protruding within the first range A1.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2, in the longitudinal direction X, the windable range A3 around which the tape T can be wound is the range between the pair of fixing parts 34. The inclined portion 33 is provided over a range in the longitudinal direction X that includes at least the windable range A3. In this embodiment, the dimension of the inclined portion 33 in the longitudinal direction X is set to be larger than the windable range A3.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, the upper surface of the bracket 13 on which the protector 11 is mounted is raised in the height direction Z in the portion corresponding to the first range A1 of the protector 11. Also, as mentioned above, a top plate is positioned above the protector 11. For this reason, the thickness of the housing section 21 in the height direction Z is set to be thinner in the first range A1 than in the second range A2. In addition, in the height direction Z, the upper end position of the reinforcing side wall 31 is set higher than the upper end position of the side wall 23 in each of the second ranges A2, thereby securing space for housing the wire group 12 in the first range A1. Furthermore, in the first range A1, there is no cover 27, and the member covering the upper part of each reinforcing side wall 31 is a thin tape T, so that the protector 11 does not interfere with the top plate.

[0034] (Operation of this embodiment) The following describes the procedure for manufacturing the wire harness 10. First, the wire bundles 12 are housed in the housing section 21, and then the wire bundles 12 are secured to the protector 11 with binding members 25 at each outlet section 22. After that, each cover 27 is closed.

[0035] Subsequently, within the winding range A3, the tape T is wound around the outer circumference of the housing section 21. At this time, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 4, if the electric wire W is riding on the inclined section 33, the electric wire W is pushed into the housing section 21 by the tape T that is being wound. This prevents the electric wire W from being wrapped with tape while riding on the reinforcing side wall 31. As a result, interference between the electric wire W, which is fixed with tape T while riding on the reinforcing side wall 31, and the top plate can be prevented.

[0036] The wire harness 10 manufactured as described above is placed on the bracket 13 and fixed to the fixed portion 13a of the bracket 13 at each fixing portion 34. Then, each connector 14 is connected to the mating connector. If the wire group 12 led out from each lead portion 22 is bent as shown in Figure 1, the bending reaction force of the wire group 12 directed upward in the height direction Z may be applied to both ends of the protector 11 in the length direction X. In this embodiment, the protector 11 is rigid in each second range A2 by the cover 27 and in the first range A1 by the reinforcing side wall 31 having a reinforcing portion 32. Therefore, deformation of both ends of the protector 11 in the length direction X that bends upward in the height direction Z due to the bending reaction force of the wire group 12 is suppressed.

[0037] (Effects of this embodiment) The effects of this embodiment will be described below. (1) In the middle of the housing section 21 in the length direction X, each side wall 23 includes a reinforcing side wall 31 having a reinforcing portion 32. The upper end surface of the reinforcing side wall 31 is provided with an inclined portion 33 that slopes downward toward the inside in the width direction Y and connects to the inner surface of the reinforcing side wall 31. By winding tape T around the outer circumference of the housing section 21 in a range that includes at least a part of the inclined portion 33 in the length direction X, the space between the upper ends of the pair of reinforcing side walls 31 is sealed by the tape T. With this configuration, if the electric wire W is riding on the inclined portion 33 during tape winding, the electric wire W is pushed by the tape T during winding and enters the housing section 21. In this way, the inclined portion 33 can guide the electric wire W into the housing section 21. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the electric wire W from being wound with tape while riding on the reinforcing side wall 31.

[0038] (2) The housing section 21 has a first range A1 which is a part of the length direction X of the housing section 21 and has a reinforcing side wall 31, and a second range A2 which is the range in the length direction X other than the first range A1. The width direction dimension of the pair of side walls 23 in the second range A2 is set to be smaller than the width direction dimension of the reinforcing side wall 31 including the reinforcing section 32. The second range A2 is provided with a cover 27 which covers the space between the upper ends of the pair of side walls 23 and has a thickness in the height direction Z that is greater than that of the tape T. With this configuration, the second range A2 of the housing section 21 is provided with a cover 27 which covers the space between the upper ends of the pair of side walls 23, so that the rigidity of the second range A2 can be improved by the cover 27.

[0039] (3) The housing section 21 has a flattened shape with a thin thickness in the height direction Z throughout its entire length direction X. The thickness of the housing section 21 in the height direction Z is set to be thinner in the first range A1 than in the second range A2. With this configuration, it is possible to keep the thickness of the housing section 21 in the height direction Z in the first range A1 small while ensuring rigidity in the first range A1 with the reinforcing section 32.

[0040] (4) The inclined portion 33 is formed on a part of the width direction Y of the upper end surface of the reinforcing side wall 31. With this configuration, it is possible to set the inclined portion 33 while ensuring the volume (i.e., rigidity) of the reinforcing side wall 31.

[0041] (5) The reinforcing side wall 31 has a pair of fixing portions 34 that extend from the outer surface of the reinforcing side wall 31 in the width direction Y and are arranged side by side in the length direction X. The range between the pair of fixing portions 34 in the length direction X is the winding range A3 in which the tape T can be wound. The inclined portion 33 is provided over a range that includes at least the winding range A3 in the length direction X. With this configuration, the inclined portion 33 provided over a range that includes the winding range A3 of the tape T makes it possible to effectively suppress the electric wire W from riding up onto the reinforcing side wall 31.

[0042] (6) The reinforcing side walls 31, including the inclined portion 33, are provided in pairs so as to face each other in the width direction Y. With this configuration, in the intermediate portion (first range A1) of the housing portion 21 in the length direction X, the reinforcing portion 32 and the inclined portion 33 are provided on each of the pair of side walls 23, so that the electric wire W does not get wrapped in tape while riding on the reinforcing side walls 31.

[0043] (Other embodiments) The above embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

[0044] The number of wires W included in the wire group 12 is not limited to the above embodiment and can be changed as appropriate depending on the configuration of the wire harness 10. The cover 27 may be separate from the housing section 21.

[0045] The shape and other configurations of the reinforcing portion 32 in each reinforcing side wall 31 are not limited to the above embodiment and can be appropriately changed according to the configuration of the wire harness 10. The inclined portion 33 may be provided over the entire width Y direction on the upper end surface of the reinforcing side wall 31.

[0046] • In the above embodiment, the surface of the inclined portion 33 includes a flat portion, but is not limited to this, and the entire surface of the inclined portion 33 may be curved. The length X dimension of the inclined portion 33 may be set to a dimension equivalent to or smaller than the winding range A3. Furthermore, the length X dimension of the inclined portion 33 may be set to a dimension smaller than the length X dimension of the tape T.

[0047] The inclined portion 33 may be provided on only one of the pair of reinforcing side walls 31. The reinforcing side wall 31 may be provided on only one of the pair of side walls 23. The configuration of the protector 11 in the above embodiment is also applicable to protectors used in equipment other than battery modules for vehicles.

[0048] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects, and the present invention is not limited to these examples. That is, the scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0049] 10 Wire Harnesses 11 Protector 12 wire group 13 brackets 13a Fixed part 14 connectors 21 Storage Unit 22 Derivation part 23 Side wall 24 Bottom wall 25 Binding members 26 Exterior components 27 Cover 31 Reinforced side wall 32 Reinforcement section 33 Slope 34 Fixed part A1 First Range A2 Second Range A3 Winding range T Tape W electric wire X-length direction Y width direction Z (height direction)

Claims

1. It has a pair of side walls that face each other in the width direction, and a bottom wall that connects the lower ends of the pair of side walls, and a housing section in which a group of electric wires is housed between the pair of side walls, A protector comprising: an outlet portion provided at both ends of the housing portion in the longitudinal direction of the group of electric wires, for leading the group of electric wires to the outside of the housing portion, In the intermediate portion of the housing in the longitudinal direction, the side wall includes a reinforcing side wall having a reinforcing portion that extends outward in the width direction from at least the upper end of the side wall, The upper end surface of the reinforcing side wall is provided with an inclined portion that slopes downward toward the inward direction in the width direction and connects to the inner surface of the reinforcing side wall. By wrapping the tape around the outer circumference of the housing portion in a range that includes at least a portion of the inclined portion in the longitudinal direction, the space between the upper ends of the pair of side walls is sealed by the tape. Protector.

2. The housing portion has a first range which is a part of the length direction of the housing portion and has the reinforcing side wall, and a second range which is the range other than the first range in the length direction. The widthwise dimension of the pair of side walls in the second range is set to be smaller than the widthwise dimension of the reinforcing side wall including the reinforcing portion. The second range is provided with a cover that covers the space between the upper ends of the pair of side walls, and has a thickness in the height direction greater than that of the tape. The protector according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned housing section has a flattened shape with a thin thickness in the height direction throughout its entire length. The thickness of the housing in the height direction is set to be thinner in the first range than in the second range. The protector according to claim 2.

4. The inclined portion is formed in a part of the width direction of the upper end surface of the reinforcing side wall. The protector according to claim 1.

5. The reinforcing side wall has a pair of fixing portions that extend from the outer surface of the reinforcing side wall in the width direction and are arranged side by side in the length direction, The range between the pair of fixing parts in the longitudinal direction is the winding range in which the tape can be wound. The inclined portion is provided over a range that includes at least the winding range in the longitudinal direction. The protector according to claim 1.

6. The reinforcing side walls, including the inclined portion, are provided in pairs so as to face each other in the width direction. The protector according to claim 1.

7. A protector according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and a group of wires passed through the protector, Wire harness.

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