Wire harness

Abstract

The objective is to reduce the thickness of the laminated wire harness. [Solution] The wire harness 30 comprises a first wiring group 54 and a second wiring group 60 that overlaps the first wiring group. The first wiring group includes a first base member 56 and a plurality of first wires 55 arranged on the first base member. The second wiring group includes a second base member 62 and a plurality of second wires 61 arranged on the second base member. The plurality of first wires are arranged on the first base member so as not to cross each other. The plurality of second wires are arranged on the second base member so as not to cross each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a wire harness.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an interconnecting box that electrically connects an instrument panel harness, an engine room harness, a door harness, and a floor harness to each other.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] It is desired to reduce the thickness dimension of a laminated wire harness.

[0005] Therefore, an object is to reduce the thickness dimension of a laminated wire harness.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The wire harness of this disclosure includes a first wiring group and a second wiring group that overlaps the first wiring group. The first wiring group includes a first base member and a plurality of first wirings disposed on the first base member. The second wiring group includes a second base member and a plurality of second wirings disposed on the second base member. The plurality of first wirings are arranged on the first base member so as not to cross each other, and the plurality of second wirings are arranged on the second base member so as not to cross each other.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to this disclosure, the thickness dimension of a laminated wire harness can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing how the wire harness according to Embodiment 1 is installed in a vehicle. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a plan view showing a wire harness according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the correspondence between multiple types of connectors and multiple wirings. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the correspondence between the equipment connector, the first harness connector, and the second harness connector. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an exploded plan view showing a wire harness according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view along the line VI-VI in Figure 2. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a wire harness according to the first modified example. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an exploded plan view showing the wire harness according to the first modified example. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a plan view showing a wire harness according to the second modified example. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is an exploded plan view showing a wire harness according to the third modified example. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a perspective view showing a wire harness according to the fourth modified example. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is an exploded perspective view showing the wire harness according to the fourth modified example. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a wire harness according to the fifth modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] The wire harness of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0011] (1) A wire harness including a plurality of types of connectors with different connection destinations and a plurality of wirings connecting between the plurality of types of connectors. The plurality of types of connectors include a device connector connected to a connector of a device and a plurality of types of harness connectors to which connectors of different counterpart wire harnesses are connected respectively. The plurality of wirings include a through-circuit wiring connecting a first harness connector and a second harness connector among the plurality of types of harness connectors, and a plurality of device wirings connecting the device connector to the first harness connector and the second harness connector. By way of the wire harness of the present disclosure including a through-circuit wiring connecting a first harness connector and a second harness connector and a plurality of device wirings connecting a device connector to the first harness connector and the second harness connector as the plurality of wirings, connection between a plurality of types of counterpart wire harnesses and connection between the plurality of types of counterpart wire harnesses and a device are simplified.

[0012] (2) In the wire harness of (1), a part of the plurality of wirings may be grouped together to form a first wiring group, and another part of the plurality of wirings may be grouped separately from the first wiring group to form a second wiring group. Thereby, the first wiring group and the second wiring group can be manufactured separately and then combined later to form a wire harness.

[0013] (3) In the wire harness of (2), the first wiring group and the second wiring group may be formed flat and laminated on each other. Thereby, the wire harness is more easily arranged in a narrow space in a vehicle.

[0014] (4) In the wire harness of (3), each of the first wiring group and the second wiring group may include a plurality of electric wires and a flat base member that keeps the plurality of electric wires flat. As a result, the flat first wiring group and second wiring group can be easily provided respectively.

[0015] (5) In the wire harness of (4), at corresponding locations of each of the first wiring group and the second wiring group, a plurality of the base members may be provided at intervals along the extending direction of the plurality of electric wires. As a result, compared with the portions where the plurality of base members are provided, between the plurality of base members, the plurality of electric wires are more likely to bend, and it is easier to absorb path differences or extra lengths. Thereby, it becomes easier to apply the common wire harness to vehicles of different sizes.

[0016] (6) In the wire harness of (4) or (5), the base member may be a flexible sheet member and include a rigid member that has higher rigidity than the sheet member and holds the wiring forms of the first wiring group and the second wiring group. As a result, when the rigid member is arranged in the vehicle, the wiring can be arranged along a predetermined path.

[0017] (7) In the wire harness according to any one of (2) to (6), more than half of the first wiring group may be the wiring for the device, and more than half of the second wiring group may be the wiring for the through circuit. As a result, it is possible to separate most of the wiring for the device from most of the wiring for the through circuit.

[0018] (8) In the wire harness according to any one of (2) to (6), more than half of the first wiring group may be signal lines, and the proportion of power supply lines in the second wiring group may be higher than the proportion of power supply lines in the first wiring group. As a result, it is possible to separate most of the power supply lines from most of the signal lines.

[0019] (9) In any one of the wire harnesses described in (2) to (8), at least one of the multiple types of connectors consists of a plurality of split connectors, and the plurality of split connectors may include a first split connector to which the first wiring group is connected and a second split connector to which the second wiring group is connected. This makes it easy to manufacture the first wiring group and the second wiring group separately and then assemble them into a wire harness.

[0020] (10) In any one of the wire harnesses from (1) to (9), three or more types of harness connectors may be provided as the connectors for multiple types of harnesses. This allows the wire harness to connect three or more types of mating wire harnesses to the equipment.

[0021] (11) In any one of the wire harnesses from (1) to (10), the length of each of the multiple wires may be 1 meter or less. This allows the wire harness to connect equipment and the other wire harness in a narrow area within the vehicle.

[0022] (12) In any one of the wire harnesses from (1) to (11), the installation area in the vehicle is the area where the dash panel and the cowl side panel intersect, and two or more types of connectors for the multiple types of harnesses may be provided from among the engine room harness connector, instrument panel harness connector, door harness connector and floor harness connector. This simplifies the connection work of the multiple types of connectors in the narrow area where the dash panel and the cowl side panel intersect in the vehicle.

[0023] In the wire harness of (13)(12), the engine room harness connector, the instrument panel harness connector, the door harness connector and the floor harness connector are provided as the multiple types of harness connectors, and the wiring portion extending from the engine room harness connector is held to be positioned along the dash panel, and the instrument panel harness connector, the door harness connector and the floor harness connector are aligned in the height direction, and the wiring portions extending from each of the instrument panel harness connector, the door harness connector and the floor harness connector are held to be positioned along the cowl side panel. This allows the instrument panel harness, engine room harness, door harness and floor harness to be connected to the engine room harness connector, instrument panel harness connector, door harness connector and floor harness connector, respectively, at a position close to their own wiring area.

[0024] [Details of the embodiments of this disclosure] Specific examples of the wire harnesses of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, this disclosure is not limited to these examples and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims as indicated by the claims.

[0025] [Embodiment 1] The wire harness according to Embodiment 1 will be described below. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the wire harness 30 according to Embodiment 1 arranged in a vehicle 10. The front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction shown in Figure 1 correspond to the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction in the vehicle 10. Figure 2 is a plan view showing the wire harness 30 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the correspondence between multiple types of connectors 40 and multiple wires 50. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the correspondence between the equipment connector 42, the first harness connector 44X, and the second harness connector 44Y. Figure 5 is an exploded plan view showing the wire harness 30 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view along the line VI-VI in Figure 2.

[0026] The wire harness 30 is, for example, located in the vehicle 10. The wire harness 30 is interposed between multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20 and equipment 22, connecting the multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20 to each other and connecting each of the multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20 to equipment 22. The multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20 are located in different areas of the vehicle 10.

[0027] For convenience, the placement area of ​​the wire harness 30 in the vehicle 10, the opposing wire harness 20, and the equipment 22 will be explained first.

[0028] The placement area of ​​the wire harness 30 in the vehicle 10 is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. Considering that the wire harness 30 is interposed between multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20, it is preferable that the placement area of ​​the wire harness 30 be an area close to the boundary of multiple areas where the multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20 are each placed. Here, the placement area of ​​the wire harness 30 is described as the area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect.

[0029] The dash panel 11 separates the engine compartment from the passenger compartment in the vehicle 10. The area in front of the dash panel 11 is the engine compartment, and the area behind the dash panel 11 is the passenger compartment. Typically, the instrument panel is located behind the dash panel 11, and the instrument panel is exposed to the passenger compartment. The dash panel 11 includes a main body portion 12 and an overhang portion 13. The main surface of the main body portion 12 of the dash panel 11 extends in the left-right and up-down directions in the vehicle 10. The overhang portion 13 is located below the left-right ends of the main body portion 12. The overhang portion 13 is the part that extends from the main body portion 12 towards the passenger compartment. The overhang portion 13 is the part that provides the wheel wells in the vehicle 10.

[0030] The cowl side panel 15 is connected to the dash panel 11 on both the left and right sides. The main surface of the cowl side panel 15 extends in the front-rear and up-down directions on the vehicle 10. Figure 1 shows the area where the cowl side panel 15, located on the left side of the dash panel 11, intersects with the dash panel 11. The lower front edge of the cowl side panel 15 is curved in accordance with the protruding portion 13.

[0031] The end of the instrument panel reinforcement 17 is fixed to the cowl side panel 15. The instrument panel reinforcement 17 is provided between the dash panel 11 and the instrument panel. The instrument panel reinforcement 17 is a rod-shaped member that is elongated in the left-right direction.

[0032] A floor panel 18 is provided below the area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect. The main surface of the floor panel 18 extends in the front-rear and left-right directions within the vehicle 10.

[0033] If the area where the wire harness 30 is located is the area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect, the corresponding wire harness 20 could be an engine room harness 20A, an instrument panel harness 20B, a door harness 20C, or a floor harness 20D. The engine room harness 20A is located in the engine room. The instrument panel harness 20B is located so as to extend along the instrument panel reinforcement 17. The door harness 20C is located in the door. The floor harness 20D is located on the floor. The corresponding wire harness 20 could also be a roof harness 20E. The roof harness 20E is located in the roof.

[0034] In this disclosure, the term "engine room" is a convenient designation for the front compartment located in front of the passenger compartment, and it is not necessarily required that an engine be located in the engine room. Similarly, in this disclosure, the term "engine room harness 20A" is a convenient designation for the mating wire harness 20 located in the front compartment located in front of the passenger compartment.

[0035] The area where the wire harness 30 is located and the area where the engine room harness 20A is located are separated by the dash panel 11. A through-hole 14 is formed in the dash panel 11. The wire harness 30 and the engine room harness 20A are connected through this through-hole 14. Similarly, the area where the wire harness 30 is located and the area where the door harness 20C is located are separated by the cowl side panel 15. A through-hole 16 is formed in the cowl side panel 15. The wire harness 30 and the door harness 20C are connected through this through-hole 16. On the side edge of the floor panel 18 in the vehicle, for example, there is a rocker section 18a. The end of the floor harness 20D that connects to the wire harness 30 extends along the rocker section 18a in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The roof is located above the area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect. For example, the end of the roof harness 20E that connects to the wire harness 30 extends along the A-pillar 19 from the roof to the area where the dash panel 11 and cowl side panel 15 intersect or near thereto.

[0036] The device 22 is located in the same area as the wire harness 30. In the example shown in Figure 1, the device 22 is fixed to the cowl side panel 15. The device 22 may also be fixed to the dash panel 11, instrument panel reinforcement 17, or floor panel 18, etc.

[0037] Device 22 is, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). In the vehicle 10, one central ECU and multiple zone ECUs may be provided. Zone ECUs are provided for each of the multiple zones that are divided into in the vehicle 10. Zone ECUs mainly control the devices located within their respective zones. The central ECU coordinates the multiple zone ECUs to achieve cooperative control throughout the entire vehicle 10. Device 22 may be, for example, a zone ECU. In this case, the devices controlled by device 22 as a zone ECU are multiple devices to which the engine room harness 20A, instrument panel harness 20B, door harness 20C, and floor harness 20D are connected.

[0038] However, the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) device 22 may be a general-purpose ECU other than a zone ECU. Also, device 22 does not have to be an ECU; for example, it may be a junction block (also called an electrical connection box).

[0039] The wire harness 30 comprises multiple types of connectors 40 and multiple wires 50 that connect the multiple types of connectors 40.

[0040] The multiple types of connectors 40 have different destinations for connection. The multiple types of connectors 40 include equipment connectors 42 and multiple types of harness connectors 44. The equipment connectors 42 are connected to the connectors of the equipment 22. Each of the multiple types of harness connectors 44 is connected to a different connector of the mating wire harness 20. Here, the multiple types of harness connectors 44 include an engine room harness connector 44A, an instrument panel harness connector 44B, a door harness connector 44C, and a floor harness connector 44D. However, it is not necessary to provide all of the multiple types of harness connectors 44, including the engine room harness connector 44A, instrument panel harness connector 44B, door harness connector 44C, and floor harness connector 44D; it is sufficient to provide two or more types. Furthermore, if a roof harness 20E is assumed to be the mating wire harness 20, a roof harness connector 44E is provided as one of several types of harness connectors 44. The roof harness connector 44E may be positioned above, for example, the equipment connector 42, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D in the vehicle. The wiring connected to the roof harness connector 44E may extend vertically along the side of the equipment 22.

[0041] In the example shown in Figure 2, each type of connector 40 is considered a single connector. That is, the equipment connector 42, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are each considered a single connector. In this disclosure, even if there are two or more connectors, they are considered a single type of connector if they are connected to the same destination. In other words, no matter how many connectors are connected to the same equipment 22 or the same mating wire harness 20, they are considered a single type of connector. Another way of looking at it is that each of the multiple types of connectors 40 consists of one or more connectors (hereinafter referred to as split connectors). Each connector may include connectors having the same structure. Here, even if connectors have the same structure, if they are connected to different destinations, they are considered different types of connectors.

[0042] At least one of the multiple types of connectors 40 may have two or more split connectors. For example, the connector 40 with the most pins among the multiple types of connectors 40 (e.g., equipment connector 42) may have two or more split connectors. This makes it easier to manufacture the connector 40 with the most pins among the multiple types of connectors 40.

[0043] When connector 40 includes multiple split connectors, it is preferable that there are four or more types of connectors 40, and that the number of split connectors is N or less. However, N is the number obtained by subtracting 2 from the number of types of connectors 40 in the wire harness 30. This reduces the number of connector pairs to be mated compared to the case where each of the other types of connectors 40 is connected to the connection partner of one type of connector 40. Specifically, here there are five types of connectors 40 in the wire harness 30: equipment connector 42, engine room harness connector 44A, instrument panel harness connector 44B, door harness connector 44C, and floor harness connector 44D. Therefore, when each of the equipment connector 42, engine room harness connector 44A, instrument panel harness connector 44B, door harness connector 44C, and floor harness connector 44D includes multiple split connectors, it is preferable that the number is three or less. For example, if four mating wire harnesses 20—engine room harness 20A, instrument panel harness 20B, door harness 20C, and floor harness 20D—are each connected to equipment 22, then four sets of connectors need to be mated. In contrast, if the equipment connector 42 consists of three or fewer split connectors, the number of connector sets to be mated can be reduced to three or fewer.

[0044] Multiple wirings 50 include through-circuit wiring 52 and multiple device wirings 51. Through-circuit wiring 52 connects harness connectors 44 to each other. Device wiring 51 connects device connectors 42 to harness connectors 44.

[0045] As shown in Figure 3, here, equipment wiring 51A, 51B, 51C, and 51D are provided as equipment wiring 51. Equipment wiring 51A connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the equipment connector 42. Equipment wiring 51B connects the instrument panel harness connector 44B and the equipment connector 42. Equipment wiring 51C connects the door harness connector 44C and the equipment connector 42. Equipment wiring 51D connects the floor harness connector 44D and the equipment connector 42. Note that each of the equipment wirings 51A, 51B, 51C, and 51D may be one or multiple wires.

[0046] As shown in Figure 3, through-circuit wiring 52 is provided, consisting of through-circuit wiring 52A, 52B, 52C, 52D, and 52E. Through-circuit wiring 52A connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the instrument panel harness connector 44B. Through-circuit wiring 52B connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the floor harness connector 44D. Through-circuit wiring 52C connects the instrument panel harness connector 44B and the door harness connector 44C. Through-circuit wiring 52D connects the instrument panel harness connector 44B and the floor harness connector 44D. Through-circuit wiring 52E connects the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D. Note that each of the through-circuit wirings 52A, 52B, 52C, 52D, and 52E may be a single wire or multiple wires.

[0047] Therefore, in this case, wiring 50 is provided in nine of the ten paths between the five types of connectors 42 and 44, excluding one path between the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C.

[0048] As shown in Figure 4, in this disclosure, the multiple types of harness connectors 44 include a first harness connector 44X and a second harness connector 44Y. The first harness connector 44X is connected to a first mating wire harness 20X. The second harness connector 44Y is connected to a second mating wire harness 20Y. The three types of connectors 42, 44, the equipment connector 42, the first harness connector 44X, and the second harness connector 44Y are interconnected by wiring 50. Specifically, the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y are connected to the equipment connector 42 by a plurality of equipment wirings 51. The equipment connector 42 and the first harness connector 44X are connected by the first equipment wiring 51X. The equipment connector 42 and the second harness connector 44Y are connected by the second equipment wiring 51Y. The first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y are connected by a through-circuit wiring 52. The following explains whether the four types of harness connectors 44—engine room harness connector 44A, instrument panel harness connector 44B, door harness connector 44C, and floor harness connector 44D—correspond to the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y.

[0049] Six combinations are generated by selecting two of the four types of harness connectors 44: the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D. Of these six combinations, five of the six, excluding the one consisting of the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C, have through-circuit wiring 52 that connects the two types of harness connectors 44 in the set. Furthermore, all four types of harness connectors 44, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D, are connected to the equipment connector 42 via equipment wiring 51. Therefore, five of the six combinations, excluding the one consisting of the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C, can be considered as combinations of the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y.

[0050] On the other hand, in this case, the wire harness 30 does not have through-circuit wiring 52 that connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C. For this reason, in this case, the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C are not considered to be a combination of the first harness connector 44X and the second harness connector 44Y.

[0051] As multiple types of harness connectors 44, three or more types of harness connectors 44 may be provided, and the wire harness 30 may have through-circuit wiring 52 that connects the three or more types of harness connectors 44 to each other. Four sets are generated by selecting three types from the engine room harness connector 44A, instrument panel harness connector 44B, door harness connector 44C, and floor harness connector 44D. Of these four sets, two sets excluding the two sets that simultaneously include the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C have through-circuit wiring 52 that connects the three types of harness connectors 44 to each other. Of these four sets excluding the two sets that simultaneously include the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C can be considered as the three or more types of harness connectors 44.

[0052] Specifically, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, and the floor harness connector 44D are interconnected via through-circuit wiring 52A, 52B, and 52D. Therefore, the combination of the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, and the floor harness connector 44D can be considered as three or more harness connectors 44. Similarly, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are interconnected via through-circuit wiring 52C, 52D, and 52E. Therefore, the combination of the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D can be considered as three or more harness connectors 44.

[0053] However, the wire harness 30 may also be provided with through-circuit wiring 52 that connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the door harness connector 44C. In this case, the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are connected to each other via through-circuit wiring 52.

[0054] As shown in Figure 5, in this case, a portion of the multiple wires 50 are bundled together to form a first wiring group 54, while another portion of the multiple wires 50 are bundled separately from the first wiring group 54 to form a second wiring group 60. Here, the multiple wires 50 are fixed and bundled together to base members 56 and 62. However, the configuration in which the multiple wires 50 are bundled together is not limited to this and can be set as appropriate. For example, the multiple wires 50 may be bundled together in a circular bundle shape using tape.

[0055] The method by which multiple wires 50 are divided into a first wiring group 54 and a second wiring group 60 is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. Here, multiple wires 50 are divided based on equipment wiring 51 and through-circuit wiring 52. Specifically, the majority of the first wiring group 54 are equipment wiring 51. The majority of the second wiring group 60 are through-circuit wiring 52. More than 60% of the first wiring group 54 may be equipment wiring 51, more than 70% may be equipment wiring 51, more than 80% may be equipment wiring 51, or more than 90% may be equipment wiring 51. Also, all (100%) of the first wiring group 54 may be equipment wiring 51. Similarly, more than 60% of the second wiring group 60 may be through-circuit wiring 52, more than 70% may be through-circuit wiring 52, more than 80% may be through-circuit wiring 52, or more than 90% may be through-circuit wiring 52. Furthermore, all (100%) of the second wiring group 60 may be through-circuit wiring 52.

[0056] In the example shown in Figure 5, all (100%) of the first wiring group 54 are equipment wiring 51. Also, more than 90% of the second wiring group 60 are through-circuit wiring 52. Of the equipment wiring 51, equipment wiring 51A, which connects the engine room harness connector 44A and the equipment connector 42, is provided in the second wiring group 60. Of the equipment wiring 51, equipment wiring 51B, 51C, and 51D, excluding equipment wiring 51A, are provided in the first wiring group 54. All of the through-circuit wiring 52 is provided in the second wiring group 60.

[0057] The first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 are each formed flat and stacked on top of each other. Here, the first wiring group 54 has a plurality of electric wires 55 and a flat base member 56 that keeps the plurality of electric wires 55 flat. Here, the electric wires 55 and the base member 56 are fixed. The electric wires 55 and the base member 56 do not have to be fixed. The second wiring group 60 has a plurality of electric wires 61 and a flat base member 62 that keeps the plurality of electric wires 61 flat. Here, the electric wires 61 and the base member 62 are fixed. The electric wires 61 and the base member 62 do not have to be fixed. Each electric wire 55, 61 is an insulated electric wire having a core wire and a covering layer that covers the core wire. The insulated electric wire may have an extruded covering layer. The insulated electric wire may also be an enameled electric wire. Each base member 56, 62 may be a resin member, a metal member, or a composite member having both a resin part and a metal part. The following explanation focuses on the relationship between the electric wire 55 and the base member 56 in the first wiring group 54. The relationship between the electric wire 55 and the base member 56 in the first wiring group 54 is applicable to the relationship between the electric wire 61 and the base member 62 in the second wiring group 60, as long as there is no contradiction.

[0058] Multiple electric wires 55 are arranged in a line on the main surface of the base member 56. The parallel arrangement is maintained by fixing each electric wire 55 to the base member 56. The method of fixing the electric wires 55 to the base member 56 is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. For example, the electric wires 55 and the base member 56 may be fixed by fusion bonding. In this case, the resin contained in at least one of the insulation of the electric wire 55 and the main surface of the base member 56 melts and adheres to the surface of the other member, fixing them in place. Alternatively, for example, the electric wires 55 and the base member 56 may be attached together with an adhesive or tack.

[0059] In the first wiring group 54, the electric wires 55 are arranged so as not to cross each other on the base member 56. Similarly, in the second wiring group 60, the electric wires 61 are arranged so as not to cross each other on the base member 62. This prevents the thickness of the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 from increasing, and prevents the thickness of the wire harness 30 formed by stacking the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 from increasing. However, at least one of the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 may have an intersection where the electric wires cross each other on the base member.

[0060] The base members 56 and 62 are flexible sheet members 56 and 62. The sheet members 56 and 62 may be sheets having fibrous material, such as nonwoven fabric. The sheet members 56 and 62 may be sheets having a solid cross-section. The sheet members 56 and 62 have the flexibility to follow the bending of the electric wires 55 and 61.

[0061] Here, a portion of the wire harness 30 is routed along the dashboard panel 11. The portion of the wiring extending from the engine compartment harness connector 44A is held in place so that it is routed along the dashboard panel 11.

[0062] The remaining portion of the wire harness 30 is positioned along the cowl side panel 15. The instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are aligned in the vertical direction, and the wiring portions extending from each of the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are held to be positioned along the cowl side panel 15.

[0063] The wire harness 30 is positioned with the electric wires 61 and the sheet member 62 bent in the thickness direction between the portion positioned along the dash panel 11 and the portion positioned along the cowl side panel 15. In this case, the portion positioned along the dash panel 11 consists only of the second wiring group 60 of the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60. Therefore, the wire harness 30 is easily bent in the thickness direction between the portion positioned along the dash panel 11 and the portion positioned along the cowl side panel 15.

[0064] As shown in Figure 6, the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 are stacked such that the main surface of the base member 56 to which the electric wire 55 is fixed faces the main surface of the base member 62 to which the electric wire 61 is fixed. This protects the electric wires 55 and 61 by surrounding them with the base members 56 and 62. However, the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 may also be stacked such that the main surface of the base member 56 to which the electric wire 55 is fixed faces the main surface of the base member 62 to which the electric wire 61 is not fixed, or the main surface of the base member 62 to which the electric wire 61 is fixed faces the main surface of the base member 56 to which the electric wire 55 is not fixed. Furthermore, the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 may also be stacked such that the main surface of the base member 56 to which the electric wire 55 is not fixed faces the main surface of the base member 62 to which the electric wire 61 is not fixed.

[0065] The first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 are stacked so that the electric wires 55 and 61 overlap. The electric wires 55 and 61 are arranged in two layers, with one layer of electric wire 55 and one layer of electric wire 61 overlapping. Depending on the space constraints at the location where the wire harness 30 is placed, it may be desirable for at least a portion of the wire harness 30 to have a smaller width, even if the thickness is slightly larger. In such cases, for example, the electric wires 55 and 61 may be arranged in three or more layers. Alternatively, for example, the base members 56 and 62 may not be provided, and the electric wires 55 and 61 may be bundled together with a binding member such as tape so that they have a circular cross-section.

[0066] The base member 56 has extension pieces 56a. The extension pieces 56a are provided on both sides of the portion where the electric wires 55 are arranged. The base member 62 also has similar extension pieces 62a. The first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 are fixed together by fixing the extension pieces 56a of the base member 56 and the extension pieces 62a of the base member 62. However, the extension pieces 56a of the base member 56 and the extension pieces 62a of the base member 62 do not necessarily have to be fixed together.

[0067] The connector 40 may be held by the base members 56 and 62. Alternatively, the electric wires 55 and 61 may extend from the ends of the base members 56 and 62, and the connector 40 may be provided separately from the base members 56 and 62.

[0068] Each of the multiple wires 50 is no more than 1 meter long. In the wire harness 30, the longest wire 50 is either the through-circuit wire 52B connecting the engine room harness connector 44A and the floor harness connector 44D, or the through-circuit wire 52C connecting the instrument panel harness connector 44B and the floor harness connector 44D. The lengths of these through-circuit wires 52B and 52C are no more than 1 meter long.

[0069] <Effects, etc.> As described above, the wire harness 30 configured in this way simplifies the connection of multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20 to each other and the connection of multiple types of mating wire harnesses 20 to each other. This is achieved by using the wire harness 30 of this disclosure, which includes multiple equipment wiring 51 that connects equipment connectors 42 to multiple types of harness connectors 44, and through-circuit wiring 52 that connects a first harness connector 44X to a second harness connector 44Y among the multiple types of harness connectors 44.

[0070] Furthermore, some of the multiple wires 50 are bundled together to form a first wiring group 54, while other parts of the multiple wires 50 are bundled separately from the first wiring group 54 to form a second wiring group 60. This allows the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 to be manufactured separately and then combined later to form the wire harness 30.

[0071] Furthermore, the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 are each formed in a flat shape and stacked on top of each other. This makes it easier for the wire harness 30 to be installed in narrow spaces within the vehicle 10.

[0072] Furthermore, each of the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 has multiple electric wires 55 and 61 and flat base members 56 and 62 that keep the multiple electric wires 55 and 61 flat. This allows for the easy installation of the flat first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60, respectively.

[0073] Furthermore, the majority of the first wiring group 54 consists of wiring 51 for multiple devices, and the majority of the second wiring group 60 consists of wiring 52 for through circuits. This allows a large portion of the wiring 51 for devices and a large portion of the wiring 52 for through circuits to be separated. In addition, the crossing of the wiring 51 for devices and the wiring 52 for through circuits on the base members 56 and 62 to which they are fixed is suppressed. This suppresses an increase in the thickness of the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60.

[0074] As multiple types of harness connectors 44, three or more types of harness connectors 44 are provided. This allows the wire harness 30 to connect three or more types of mating wire harnesses 20 to the equipment 22.

[0075] Furthermore, the length of each of the multiple wires 50 is within 1 meter. This allows the wire harness 30 to connect the equipment 22 and the other wire harness 20 in a narrow area within the vehicle 10.

[0076] Furthermore, the placement area in the vehicle 10 is the area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect, and two or more types of harness connectors 44 are provided from among the engine room harness connector 44A, instrument panel harness connector 44B, door harness connector 44C, and floor harness connector 44D. This simplifies the connection work of the multiple types of connectors 40 in the narrow area where the dash panel 11 and the cowl side panel 15 intersect in the vehicle 10.

[0077] Furthermore, the wiring portion extending from the engine room harness connector 44A is held so as to be positioned along the dash panel 11, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are aligned in the height direction, and the wiring portions extending from each of the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D are held so as to be positioned along the cowl side panel 15. As a result, the instrument panel harness 20B, the engine room harness 20A, the door harness 20C, and the floor harness 20D can each be connected to the engine room harness connector 44A, the instrument panel harness connector 44B, the door harness connector 44C, and the floor harness connector 44D, respectively, at a position close to their respective placement areas.

[0078] [Note] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the wire harness 130 according to the first modified example. Figure 8 is an exploded plan view showing the wire harness 130 according to the first modified example.

[0079] The wire harness 130 according to the first modified example differs from the wire harness 30 in that it further comprises a rigid member 70. The rigid member 70 is more rigid than the sheet members 56 and 62. The rigid member 70 maintains the wiring configuration of the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60. As a result, by placing the rigid member 70 in the vehicle 10, the wiring 50 can be arranged along a predetermined path. Such a rigid member 70 may be formed of, for example, metal or hard resin.

[0080] In the wire harness 30, the location where the rigid member 70 is provided is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. Here, the rigid member 70 is provided in the portion of the wire harness 130 that is arranged along the cowl side panel 15. The rigid member 70 is not provided in the portion of the wire harness 130 that is arranged along the dash panel 11.

[0081] The rigid member 70 is provided to cover the entire portion of the wire harness 130 that is positioned along the cowl side panel 15. The rigid member 70 may also be provided to cover only a portion of the wire harness 130 that is positioned along the cowl side panel 15. For example, the rigid member 70 may be provided to cover the portion located upward in the vertical direction (in this case, the portion extending from the instrument panel harness connector 44B and the portion extending from the equipment connector 42).

[0082] The rigid member 70 may be positioned between the wire harness 130 and the cowl side panel 15. The wire harness 130 may be positioned between the rigid member 70 and the cowl side panel 15.

[0083] The shape of the rigid member 70 is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. Here, the rigid member 70 is trough-shaped with a bottom portion 71 and side walls 72. The first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 are housed in the housing portion enclosed by the bottom portion 71 and the side walls 72. The rigid member 70 may have a lid that covers the opening of the housing portion. The rigid member 70 may have only a bottom portion 71 without side walls 72.

[0084] The wire harness 30 may not have a flexible sheet member as a base member, but may instead have a rigid member 70 as a base member instead of a sheet member. A partition wall may be provided between a pair of side walls 72 in the rigid member 70. This provides the rigid member with multiple housing sections. In this case, a portion of the multiple wirings may be housed in the first housing section to form a first wiring group, and the remaining portion of the multiple wirings may be housed in the second housing section to form a second wiring group. Alternatively, for example, equipment wiring and through-circuit wiring may be housed separately in multiple housing sections. Alternatively, for example, power lines and signal lines may be housed separately in multiple housing sections.

[0085] Figure 9 is a plan view showing a wire harness 230 according to the second modified example.

[0086] In the wire harness 230 according to the second modification, the locations where the base members 256 and 262 are provided differ from the locations where the base members 56 and 62 are provided in the wire harness 30 described above. Specifically, at corresponding locations in the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60, multiple base members 256 and 262 are provided at intervals along the extending direction of multiple electric wires 55 and 61. More specifically, the base member 256 is separated into a part on one end and a part on the other end in the extending direction of the electric wire 55, and the separated parts are provided at intervals from each other, sandwiching the corresponding locations along the extending direction of the electric wire 55. Similarly, the base member 262 is separated into a part on one end and a part on the other end in the extending direction of the electric wire 61, and the separated parts are provided at intervals from each other, sandwiching the corresponding locations along the extending direction of the electric wire 61. As a result, the multiple wires 55 and 61 become more flexible in the sections between the multiple base members 256 and 262 compared to the sections where multiple base members 256 and 262 are provided, making it easier to absorb differences in path length or excess length. This makes it easier to apply the common wire harness 230 to vehicles of different sizes.

[0087] Here, the section where the base members 256 and 262 are interrupted in the middle along the extending direction of the wiring 50 is provided in the portion of the wire harness 230 that is arranged along the cowl side panel 15 and extends vertically. In this case, the wire harness 230 is easily applicable to multiple types of vehicles with different height dimensions. In this case, the wire harness 230 is formed according to the height of the vehicle. When the wire harness 230 is applied to a vehicle with a smaller height, the electric wires 55 and 61 are bent in the section where the base members 256 and 262 are interrupted, and the excess length is absorbed. For example, the section where the base members 256 and 262 are interrupted may be provided between the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D.

[0088] Figure 10 is an exploded plan view showing a wire harness 330 according to the third modified example.

[0089] In the wire harness 330 according to the third modified example, the division between the first wiring group 354 and the second wiring group 360 differs from the division between the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 in the wire harness 30 described above. Here, the wiring 50 is divided into the first wiring group 354 and the second wiring group 360 based on whether it is a signal line 355 or a power line 361. Specifically, the majority of the first wiring group 354 are signal lines 355. Also, the proportion of power lines 361 in the second wiring group 360 is higher than the proportion of power lines in the first wiring group 354. This makes it possible to separate a large portion of the power lines 361 from a large portion of the signal lines 355.

[0090] The proportion of power lines 361 within the second wiring group 360 is not particularly limited and can be set as appropriate. For example, the proportion of power lines 361 within the second wiring group 360 may be 50% or more, or less than 50%. In other words, the majority of the second wiring group 360 may be power lines 361, or they may be signal lines.

[0091] Furthermore, the majority of all power lines in the wire harness 330 may be placed in the second wiring group 360. The majority of all signal lines in the wire harness 330 may be placed in the first wiring group 354. The second wiring group 360 may or may not include signal lines. The first wiring group 354 may or may not include power lines.

[0092] In the example shown in Figure 10, of the wiring 50 connected to the door harness connector 44C and the wiring 50 connected to the floor harness connector 44D, the power line 361 is provided in the second wiring group 360, and the signal line 355 is provided in the first wiring group 354. The power line 361A in the second wiring group 360 connects the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D, respectively, to the equipment connector 42. The power line 361B in the second wiring group 360 connects the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D, respectively, to the other harness connector 44. The signal line 355A in the first wiring group 354 connects the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D, respectively, to the equipment connector 42. The signal line 355B in the first wiring group 354 connects the door harness connector 44C and the floor harness connector 44D, respectively, to the other harness connector 44.

[0093] Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the wire harness 430 according to the fourth modified example. Figure 12 is an exploded perspective view showing the wire harness 430 according to the fourth modified example.

[0094] In the wire harness 430 according to the fourth modified example, the shape of the connector 46 differs from the shape of the connector 40 in the wire harness 30. Specifically, at least one of the multiple types of connectors 40 consists of multiple split connectors 47 and 48. The multiple split connectors 47 and 48 include a first split connector 47 and a second split connector 48. The wiring 50 of the first wiring group 54 is connected to the first split connector 47. The wiring of the second wiring group 60 is connected to the second split connector 48. As a result, compared to the wire harness 30, it is less necessary to insert the other of the wiring 50 of the first wiring group 54 and the wiring 50 of the second wiring group 60 into a connector 40 into which either one of the wiring 50 of the first wiring group 54 or the wiring 50 of the second wiring group 60 has already been inserted. This makes it easier to manufacture the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 separately and later combine them into the wire harness 430.

[0095] Here, the first split connector 47 and the second split connector 48 are combined to form a laminated connector 46. Therefore, in this case, at least one of the multiple types of connectors 40, the connector 46, is a laminated connector 46 consisting of multiple split connectors 47, 48 that are combined with each other. The various types of connectors 40 may be divided in ways other than a laminated connector 46. For example, the equipment connector 42 may be divided into multiple split connectors arranged in a direction intersecting the thickness direction. The two split connectors may be connected to the equipment 22 separately without being combined.

[0096] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a wire harness 530 according to the fifth modified example.

[0097] In the wire harness 530 according to the fifth modified example, the stacking configuration of the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 differs from the stacking configuration in the wire harness 530 described above. In the portion where the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 are stacked, the wiring 50 of the first wiring group 54 and the wiring 50 of the second wiring group 60 are offset in the parallel direction so that they are not stacked on top of each other. As a result, the thickness of the wire harness 530 in which the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60 are stacked is reduced compared to the case where the wiring 50 of the first wiring group 54 and the wiring 50 of the second wiring group 60 are stacked on top of each other. In addition, since the number of layers of wiring 50 is suppressed, the wire harness 530 becomes more flexible in the thickness direction. This stacking configuration may be provided in a part of the wire harness 530 or throughout the entire wire harness. For example, this stacking configuration may be provided in the portion of the wire harness 530 that extends from the door harness connector 44C.

[0098] In addition, although it has been explained so far that multiple wires 50 are designated as the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60, this is not a mandatory configuration. Multiple wires 50 may be grouped together without being designated as the first wiring group 54 and the second wiring group 60.

[0099] Furthermore, at least some of the multiple types of connectors 40 may be standby connectors. For example, at least some of the multiple types of harness connectors 44 may be standby connectors. This makes it easier to connect the mating wire harness to the harness connector 44.

[0100] Furthermore, the placement area of ​​the wire harness 30 may be an area adjacent to the rear seat or rear luggage compartment. In this case, the opposing wire harness 20 could be a floor harness, a seat harness, or a rear harness.

[0101] Furthermore, the configurations described in each of the above embodiments and modifications can be combined as appropriate, as long as they do not contradict each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 10 vehicles 11. Dashboard 12 Main body part 13 Overhang part 14 Through holes 15 Cowl Side Panels 16 Through holes 17. Instrument Panel Reinforcement 18 Floor Panels 18a Locker section 19 A-pillar 20. Reciprocal wire harness 20A Engine Room Harness 20B Instrument Panel Harness 20C Door Harness 20D Floor Harness 20E Roof Harness 20X First mating wire harness 20Y Second opposing wire harness 22 Equipment 30, 130, 230, 330, 430, 530 Wire Harness 40 connectors 42 Equipment Connectors 44 Connectors for harnesses 44A Engine Room Harness Connector 44B Instrument panel harness connector 44C Door Harness Connector 44D Floor harness connector 44E Roof Harness Connector 44X Connector for the first harness 44Y Second harness connector 46 Laminated Connectors 47. First Split Connector 48. Second Split Connector 50 Wiring 51, 51A, 51B, 51C, 51D equipment wiring 51X First equipment wiring 51Y Second equipment wiring 52, 52A, 52B, 52C, 52D, 52E Wiring for through circuits 54, 354 1st wiring group 55 Electric wire 355, 355A, 355B signal line 56, 256 Base members (sheet members) 56a Extension piece 60, 360 2nd wiring group 61 Electric wire 361, 361A, 361B power wire 62,262 Base members (sheet members) 62a Extension piece 70 Rigid members 71 Bottom 72 Side wall

Claims

1. The first wiring group and, A second wiring group overlapping the first wiring group, Equipped with, The first wiring group includes a first base member and a plurality of first wirings arranged on the first base member. The second wiring group includes a second base member and a plurality of second wirings arranged on the second base member. The plurality of first wirings are arranged on the first base member so as not to cross each other. The plurality of second wirings are arranged on the second base member so as not to cross each other, forming a wire harness.

2. A wire harness according to claim 1, The surface of the first base member on which the first wiring is arranged faces the second base member, A wire harness in which the side of the second base member on which the second wiring is arranged faces the first base member.

3. A wire harness according to claim 1 or claim 2, The device comprises a first connector provided at one end of the first wiring and the second wiring, and a second connector provided at the other end of the first wiring and the second wiring. A wire harness in which each of the first base member and the second base member has a portion extending from one end to the other end.

4. The wire harness according to claim 3, A wire harness comprising a third connector provided at an intermediate position between the first base member and the second base member.

5. A wire harness according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A wire harness in which some of the multiple first wires and some of the multiple second wires intersect.

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