Exterior materials and wire harnesses

Abstract

The present invention provides an exterior material and a wire harness that can suppress the force that causes the exterior material to return to a sheet-like shape after being curved in the width direction to form a cylindrical shape, and can also increase the flexibility of the exterior material in the longitudinal direction. [Solution] The exterior material 10 is a sheet in which rhombic recesses 11 are formed regularly adjacent to each other in the width direction and longitudinal direction, and the exterior material 10 is curved in the width direction and formed into a cylindrical shape, the recesses 11 are formed in a square pyramidal shape, and the valleys 11A extending along the width direction of the exterior material 10 and the valleys 11B extending along the longitudinal direction of the exterior material 10 intersect at the vertex 11C of the square pyramidal shape, and all four angles α of the recess 11 are right angles.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to an exterior material and a wire harness.

Background Art

[0002] As an exterior material for a wire harness, a sheet-like exterior material formed by embossing so that recesses are regularly adjacent to each other is known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 4). The exterior materials described in Patent Documents 1 to 4 are curved in the width direction and formed into a tubular shape. Further, in the exterior materials described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, horizontal folding lines are formed in each recess along the width direction of the exterior material, and the flexibility in the longitudinal direction of the exterior material is enhanced.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide an exterior material and a wire harness that can suppress the force that causes the exterior material to return to a sheet-like shape after being curved in the width direction to form a cylindrical shape, and that can increase the flexibility of the exterior material in the longitudinal direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The exterior material of the present invention is a sheet in which rhombic recesses are formed regularly adjacent to each other in the width direction and the longitudinal direction, and is formed into a cylindrical shape by curving in the width direction, wherein the recesses are formed in a square pyramidal shape, and a first valley extending along the width direction and a second valley extending along the longitudinal direction intersect at the vertex of the square pyramidal shape, and all four interior angles of the recesses are right angles.

[0007] The wire harness of the present invention is a sheet in which rhombic recesses are formed regularly adjacent to each other in the width direction and the longitudinal direction, comprising an outer covering material formed in a cylindrical shape by being curved in the width direction, and electric wires inserted through the outer covering material, wherein the recesses are formed in a square pyramidal shape, with a first valley extending along the width direction and a second valley extending along the longitudinal direction intersecting at the vertex of the square pyramidal shape, and all four interior angles of the recesses are right angles. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an exterior material and a wire harness that can suppress the force that causes the exterior material to return to a sheet-like shape after being curved in the width direction to form a cylindrical shape, and can also increase the flexibility of the exterior material in the longitudinal direction. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a wire harness according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the wire harness shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the wire harness shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a plan view showing the exterior material shown in Figure 1 in an unfolded state. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a plan view showing the exterior material of the comparative example in an unfolded state. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The present invention will be described below in accordance with preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown below, and the embodiments shown below can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, in the embodiments shown below, some components are not illustrated or described; however, details of the omitted technologies can be appropriately applied from publicly known or well-known technologies, to the extent that they do not contradict the content described below.

[0011] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a wire harness 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a plan view showing the wire harness 1 shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the wire harness 1 shown in Figure 1. The wire harness 1 shown in these figures electrically connects various devices mounted on a vehicle. This wire harness 1 comprises electric wires 2 and an outer covering material 10 through which the electric wires 2 are inserted.

[0012] The electric wire 2 comprises a metal core wire and an insulating covering layer that covers the metal core wire (both not shown in the illustration). The number of electric wires 2 inserted into the outer covering material 10 is one or more, as shown in the illustration.

[0013] The exterior material 10 is a flexible sheet material that is bent in the width direction by human force to form a cylindrical shape, and the electric wire 2 is inserted in the longitudinal direction. Multiple recesses 11 are regularly formed adjacent to each other vertically and horizontally (in the width direction and longitudinal direction) by embossing on the surface of this exterior material 10. Multiple ridges 12 and multiple ridges 13 are formed between adjacent recesses 11.

[0014] Here, after the exterior material 10 is bent in the width direction by human force to form a cylindrical shape, a force (hereinafter referred to as elastic reaction force) acts on the exterior material 10 that tries to return it to a sheet shape. Therefore, in order to prevent the exterior material 10 from opening up into a sheet shape and exposing the electric wires 2, multiple fixing points 3 are provided on the exterior material 10 using binding materials or tape. The greater the elastic reaction force acting on the exterior material 10, the more fixing points 3 are provided on the exterior material 10. Also, the ease of assembly of the exterior material 10 decreases. Furthermore, it is necessary to ensure the longitudinal flexibility of the exterior material 10. Therefore, in order to suppress the above-mentioned elastic force, improve ease of assembly, and ensure longitudinal flexibility, the recess 11 and ridges 12, 13 of the exterior material 10 according to this embodiment are formed as described below.

[0015] Figure 4 is a plan view showing the exterior material 10 shown in Figure 1 in an unfolded state. As shown in this figure, the width direction of the exterior material 10 is parallel to the winding direction, and the longitudinal direction of the exterior material 10 intersects the winding direction at a right angle. The material of the exterior material 10 is an elastic resin suitable for embossing, and examples of such resins include thermoplastic polyurethane, silicone resin, polyvinyl chloride, ethylene vinyl acetate, elastomer, and polyester resin.

[0016] Ridges 12 and 13 are straight lines. Multiple ridges 12 are parallel and equally spaced, and the direction of extension of the multiple ridges 12 intersects the longitudinal direction of the exterior material 10 at a 45° angle. Multiple ridges 13 are parallel and equally spaced, and each ridge 12 intersects each ridge 13 at a 90° angle. Here, multiple rhombus-shaped frame sections are partitioned by the multiple ridges 12 and 13 so as to be regularly adjacent to each other in the width and longitudinal directions of the exterior material 10, and recesses 11 are formed within these rhombus-shaped frame sections.

[0017] The recess 11 is a recess in the shape of a square pyramid with a rhombus-shaped base surface, and is recessed on the back side of the exterior material 10 in a rhombus-shaped space defined by a pair of ridge lines 12 and a pair of ridge lines 13. In the recess 11, a valley portion 11A parallel to the width direction of the exterior material 10 and a valley portion 11B parallel to the longitudinal direction of the exterior material 10 are formed, and the valley portion 11A and the valley portion 11B intersect at the apex 11C.

[0018] Here, since each ridge line 12 and each ridge line 13 intersect at an angle of 90°, the angles α of the four interior angles of the rhombus formed by the pair of ridge lines 12 and the pair of ridge lines 13 are all 90° (right angles). As a result, the angles α of the four interior angles of the recess 11 are all 90°. That is, in each recess 11 of the exterior material 10, the angle α of the diagonal facing the width direction of the exterior material 10 is 90°, and the angle α of the diagonal facing the longitudinal direction of the exterior material 10 is 90°.

[0019] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state where the exterior material 100 according to the comparative example is developed. In the exterior material 100 shown in this figure, a horizontal fold line 101C is formed in the rhombus-shaped recess 101. The horizontal fold line 101C is a linear groove portion formed along the valley portion 101A parallel to the width direction of the exterior material 100. Due to this horizontal fold line 101C, the flexibility in the longitudinal direction of the exterior material 100 is enhanced.

[0020] In the exterior material 100, a plurality of rhombus-shaped spaces regularly adjacent to each other in the vertical and horizontal directions of the exterior material 100 are defined by a plurality of ridge lines 102 and a plurality of ridge lines 103, and a recess 101 is formed within the frame portion of the rhombus. In the frame portion of the rhombus formed by the pair of ridge lines 102 and the pair of ridge lines 103, the angle α1 of the diagonal facing the width direction of the exterior material 100 is an angle smaller than 90°, and the angle α2 of the diagonal facing the longitudinal direction of the exterior material 100 is an angle larger than 90°. As a result, the angle α1 of the diagonal of the recess 101 facing the width direction of the exterior material 100 is an angle smaller than 90°, and the angle α2 of the diagonal of the recess 101 facing the longitudinal direction of the exterior material 100 is an angle larger than 90°.

[0021] In this case, the exterior material 100 has horizontal fold lines 101C formed in each recess 101 along the width direction of the exterior material 100, which reduces the flexibility of the exterior material 100 in the width direction. Therefore, after the exterior material 100 is bent in the width direction by human force to form a cylindrical shape, the elastic reaction force acting on the exterior material 100 becomes large. Consequently, the number of fixing points 3 (see Figure 2) to be provided on the exterior material 100 increases. For example, if the length of the exterior material 100 in the longitudinal direction is 300 mm, 4 fixing points 3 are required; if the length of the exterior material 100 in the longitudinal direction is 600 mm, 7 fixing points 3 are required; and if the length of the exterior material 100 in the longitudinal direction is 900 mm, 10 fixing points 3 are required. In addition, the ease of assembly of the exterior material 100 decreases.

[0022] In contrast, according to the exterior material 10 of this embodiment, each recess 11 is formed in a conical shape where the valleys 11A and 11B are perpendicular at the apex 11C, thereby increasing the flexibility of the exterior material 10 in the width direction compared to the exterior material 100 of the comparative example. As a result, the elastic reaction force acting on the exterior material 10 after it has been bent in the width direction by human force to form a cylindrical shape is suppressed. Therefore, the number of fixing points 3 on the exterior material 10 can be reduced. For example, if the length of the exterior material 10 in the longitudinal direction is 300 mm, the number of fixing points 3 is reduced to 3; if the length of the exterior material 10 in the longitudinal direction is 600 mm, the number of fixing points 3 is reduced to 5; and if the length of the exterior material 10 in the longitudinal direction is 900 mm, the number of fixing points 3 is reduced to 7.

[0023] Furthermore, according to the exterior material 10 of this embodiment, since the angles α of the four interior angles of each recess 11 are all right angles, the lengths of the valley portion 11A extending along the width direction of the exterior material 10 and the valley portion 11B extending along the longitudinal direction of the exterior material 10 are equal in each recess 11. Also, the lengths of the four sides of each recess 11 are equal. Therefore, due to the uniformity of each recess 11 and the ridges 12, 13 surrounding each recess 11, the bending force is evenly distributed, and the resistance to bending becomes uniform.

[0024] In contrast, in each recess 11, if the diagonal angle α opposite in the width direction of the exterior material 10 is greater than 90° and the diagonal angle α opposite in the longitudinal direction of the exterior material 10 is less than 90°, then the valley 11A becomes longer than the valley 11B, and the shape of the recess 11 becomes uneven. In this case, when the exterior material 10 bends along the valley 11A, the valley 11B, which is the shorter diagonal, bends, thus narrowing the bending range and concentrating the bending force. As a result, particularly strong stress is generated near the diagonals on both sides of the valley 11A, increasing the resistance to bending.

[0025] Therefore, with the exterior material 10 of this embodiment, the longitudinal flexibility of the exterior material 10 can be increased compared to the case where the diagonal angle α of the exterior material 10 facing each other in the width direction is greater than 90° and the diagonal angle α of the exterior material 10 facing each other in the longitudinal direction is less than 90°.

[0026] Although the present invention has been described above based on the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and modifications may be made to the above embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention, or publicly known or well-known technologies may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 1: Wire harness 2:Electric wire 10: Exterior materials 11: Recess 11A: Tanibe (1st valley) 11B: Valley (Second Valley) 11C: Vertex 12: Ridge (First Ridge) 13: Ridge (Second Ridge) α: Angle (interior angle)

Claims

1. A sheet having regularly adjacent rhombic recesses in the width direction and longitudinal direction, and an exterior material that is curved in the width direction to form a cylindrical shape, The recess is formed in the shape of a square pyramid, with a first valley extending along the width direction and a second valley extending along the longitudinal direction intersecting at the apex of the square pyramid shape. The four interior angles of the aforementioned recess are all right angles. Exterior materials.

2. Multiple first ridges intersect the longitudinal direction at a 45° angle and are parallel to each other, Multiple second ridges intersect the aforementioned first ridge at a 90° angle and are parallel to each other. Formed, The recess is formed in a rhombic space formed by the pair of first edges and the pair of second edges. The exterior material according to claim 1.

3. A sheet in which diamond-shaped recesses are formed regularly adjacent to each other in the width direction and the longitudinal direction, and an exterior material formed in a cylindrical shape by being curved in the width direction, The electric wire inserted through the exterior material and Equipped with, The recess is formed in the shape of a square pyramid, with a first valley extending along the width direction and a second valley extending along the longitudinal direction intersecting at the apex of the square pyramid shape. The four interior angles of the aforementioned recess are all right angles. Wire harness.

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