Wire harness module

Abstract

The objective is to provide a wire harness module that can improve the work efficiency of assembly work. [Solution] The wire harness module 1 comprises a vehicle reinforcement 10 that extends along the vehicle width direction Y (extension direction) and is fixed to the body VB of the vehicle V; a wiring member 20 that is routed along the vehicle width direction Y relative to the vehicle reinforcement 10; and a pair of holding members 30, each having a U-shaped cross-sectional shape that is open toward the vehicle reinforcement 10, supported so as to be movable along the vehicle height direction Z (first intersecting direction) relative to the vehicle reinforcement 10, and provided with a holding space 35 in the vehicle height direction Z for holding the wiring member 20, and elastically deformable to conform to the outer peripheral surface 20a of the wiring member 20 as the wiring member 20 is inserted into the holding space 35.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wire harness module.

Background Art

[0002] As a technology related to a conventional wire harness module, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a reinforcement having a structure divided into an upper reinforcement and a lower reinforcement, and a wire harness module in which the longitudinal direction inside the reinforcement is used as a wiring path for a wiring material.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, for such a wire harness module, for example, it is necessary to fix a wiring material to a reinforcement with a plurality of clamps or the like, and there is a risk that the workability of the assembling work deteriorates.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a wire harness module capable of improving the workability of the assembling work.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the wire harness module according to the present invention comprises: a vehicle reinforcement extending along the extending direction and fixed to the body of a vehicle; a wiring member routed along the extending direction relative to the vehicle reinforcement; and a pair of holding members, each having a U-shaped cross-sectional shape that opens toward the vehicle reinforcement, supported so as to be movable along a first intersecting direction that intersects the extending direction relative to the vehicle reinforcement, having a holding space for holding the wiring member between the first intersecting directions, and elastically deformable to conform to the outer circumferential surface of the wiring member as the wiring member is inserted into the holding space.

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the wire harness module according to the present invention comprises a vehicle reinforcement that extends along the extending direction and has a housing portion that is open at one end in a first intersecting direction intersecting the extending direction, and is fixed to the body of a vehicle; a wiring material routed within the housing portion along the extending direction; and a holding member having a U-shaped cross-sectional shape that opens toward the bottom wall side of the housing portion, being supported so as to be movable along the extending direction and a second intersecting direction intersecting the first intersecting direction relative to the housing portion, having a holding space portion for holding the wiring material between it and one of a pair of side walls of the housing portion, and being elastically deformable to conform to the outer circumferential surface of the wiring material as the wiring material is inserted into the holding space portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The wire harness module according to the present invention has the effect of improving the workability of assembly work. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a plan view showing an exemplary schematic configuration of a wire harness module according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of a wire harness module according to an embodiment, showing the state before the wiring material is inserted. [Figure 3]Figure 3 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of a wire harness module according to an embodiment, showing the state after the wiring material has been inserted. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an illustrative perspective view of a retaining member of a wire harness module according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of a retaining member of a wire harness module according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of a wire harness module according to the first modified example, showing the reinforcement cover removed from the reinforcement body. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of a wire harness module according to the first modified example, showing the reinforcement cover attached to the reinforcement body. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is an illustrative cross-sectional view of a wire harness module according to a second modified example, showing the state before the wiring material is inserted. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is an illustrative cross-sectional view of a wire harness module according to a second modified example, showing the state after the wiring material has been inserted. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is an illustrative cross-sectional view of a wire harness module according to a third modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments and modifications of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited by the embodiments and modifications described below. Furthermore, the components in the embodiments and modifications described below include those that are easily substituted or substantially identical to those that are easily substituted by those skilled in the art.

[0011] Furthermore, the embodiments and modifications disclosed below include similar components. Therefore, in the following, these similar components are given common reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted. In this specification, ordinal numbers are used solely to distinguish parts, components, parts, positions, directions, etc., and do not indicate order or priority.

[0012] [Embodiment] Figure 1 is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of a wire harness module 1 according to an embodiment. The wire harness module 1 of this embodiment shown in Figure 1 is incorporated into a vehicle V such as an automobile. Here, the wire harness module 1 is formed by bundling together wiring materials 20 used for power supply and signal communication to connect various devices mounted on the vehicle V, and connecting the wiring materials 20 to each device with connectors or the like. The wire harness module 1 of this embodiment includes, for example, a vehicle reinforcement 10, wiring materials 20, and a plurality of pairs of retaining members 30, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the wiring materials 20 and the retaining members 30 constitute a wire harness WH. In addition, the wire harness module 1 may also include various other components such as fasteners, protectors, and grommets.

[0013] In the following explanation, of the three intersecting directions, the first direction will be referred to as the "vehicle longitudinal direction X," the second direction as the "vehicle width direction Y," and the third direction as the "vehicle height direction Z." Here, the vehicle longitudinal direction X, the vehicle width direction Y, and the vehicle height direction Z are approximately orthogonal to each other. The vehicle width direction Y typically corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle reinforcement 10 or the extending direction of the cable members 20. The vehicle height direction Z typically corresponds to the height direction (up and down direction) of the vehicle reinforcement 10, the radial direction of the cable members 20, or the sliding direction of the retaining member 30 (see Figures 2 and 3) relative to the vehicle reinforcement 10, which will be described later. The vehicle longitudinal direction X typically corresponds to the opening direction of the housing section 13 of the vehicle reinforcement 10 or the radial direction of the cable members 20. In this embodiment, the vehicle width direction Y is an example of the extension direction, the vehicle height direction Z is an example of the first intersecting direction, and the vehicle longitudinal direction X is an example of the second intersecting direction. Unless otherwise specified, the directions used in the following description refer to the directions when the wire harness module 1 is assembled to the vehicle V.

[0014] The wiring material 20 is composed of, for example, a bundle of multiple electric wires. An electric wire consists of a conductor (core wire) made up of multiple conductive metal strands, with the outside covered by an insulating coating. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the core wire is approximately circular, and the cross-sectional shape of the insulating coating is approximately annular, resulting in an overall approximately circular cross-sectional shape. The wiring material 20 may also include communication cables such as shielded wires and optical communication cables. Furthermore, the wiring material 20 may include a main line section containing multiple electric wires and branch line sections branching off from the main line section. The main line section can be composed of bundles of multiple electric wires that constitute power lines for power supply, communication lines for signal communication, grounding wires, etc.

[0015] The vehicle reinforcement 10 is constituted by, for example, a reinforcing member made of resin. The vehicle reinforcement 10 can be manufactured, for example, by injection molding of resin. The vehicle reinforcement 10 is fixed to the body VB of the vehicle V. In the present embodiment, the vehicle reinforcement 10 is configured as, for example, an inner panel reinforcement disposed on the back side of an instrument panel (not shown) of the vehicle V. The vehicle reinforcement 10 is fixed, for example, at both end portions in the vehicle width direction Y to the left and right inner panels IP in the body VB of the vehicle V. The vehicle reinforcement 10 is formed in a long shape along the vehicle width direction Y.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the wire harness module 1 before the wiring material 20 is inserted, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the wire harness module 1 after the wiring material 20 is inserted. As shown in FIGS. and

[0016] , the vehicle reinforcement 10 includes, for example, a bottom wall 11, a pair of side walls 12, and a pair of flanges 14. The bottom wall 11, the pair of side walls 12, and the pair of flanges 14 are structures for partitioning the accommodating portion 13 of the vehicle reinforcement 10. The accommodating portion 13 is a space portion in which the wiring material 20 and the pair of holding members 30 are accommodated. The accommodating portion 13 is surrounded by the bottom wall 11, the pair of side walls 12, and the pair of flanges 14, and is open toward one end side (rear side) in the vehicle front-rear direction X.

[0017] The bottom wall 11 is formed, for example, in a horizontally long rectangular flat plate shape along the vehicle width direction Y. The pair of side walls 12 are provided at both ends of the bottom wall 11 in the vehicle height direction Z and project along the vehicle front-rear direction X. The pair of flanges 14 are provided at one end (the end opposite to the bottom wall 11) of the pair of side walls 12 in the vehicle front-rear direction X and project in a direction away from each other along the vehicle height direction Z. The bottom wall 11 covers the other end side (front side) of the accommodation portion 13 in the vehicle front-rear direction X, and the pair of side walls 12 and the pair of flanges 14 cover both end sides of the accommodation portion 13 in the vehicle height direction Z. In the present embodiment, the bottom wall 11, the pair of side walls 12, and the pair of flanges 14 constitute the reinforcement body 10A of the vehicle reinforcement 10. The reinforcement body 10A is integrally formed, for example, of a synthetic resin or the like with the bottom wall 11, the pair of side walls 12, and the pair of flanges 14.

[0018] The pair of holding members 30 are, for example, those called so-called two-fix, and fix the wiring material 20 to the vehicle reinforcement 10 as the wiring material 20 is inserted into the holding space portion 35 formed between the pair of holding members 30. In the present embodiment, the pair of holding members 30 are provided on the bottom wall 11 of the accommodation portion 13. The pair of holding members 30 are formed of, for example, an elastically deformable member such as resin or rubber. The pair of holding members 30 each have, for example, a U-shaped cross-sectional shape that is open toward the bottom wall 11 side of the accommodation portion 13, and are configured to be elastically deformable along the outer peripheral surface 20a of the wiring material 20 as the wiring material 20 is inserted into the holding space portion 35. In the present embodiment, a plurality of pairs of holding members 30 (see FIG. 1) are provided on the bottom wall 11 of the accommodation portion 13 at intervals along the vehicle width direction Y.

[0019] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the retaining member 30 of the wire harness module 1, and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the retaining member 30. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the retaining member 30 is composed of, for example, a base portion 31 and a pair of retaining pieces 32. In this embodiment, the pair of retaining members 30 are made of the same parts. The base portion 31 is the part that constitutes the bottom of the U-shaped cross-sectional shape of the retaining member 30. The base portion 31 is provided between the pair of retaining pieces 32 and is configured in an arc shape (semicircular shape) that connects the pair of retaining pieces 32. The pair of retaining pieces 32 extend in a band shape from both ends of the base portion 31 along the vehicle longitudinal direction X. In this embodiment, one of the pair of retaining pieces 32 faces the retaining piece 32 of the other retaining member 30 and together with the retaining piece 32 of the other retaining member 30 constitutes the retaining space portion 35 (see Figures 2 and 3) described above. On the other hand, the other of the pair of retaining pieces 32 faces the side wall 12 of the housing portion 13 and comes into contact with the side wall 12 of the housing portion 13 as the cable guide 20 is inserted into the retaining space portion 35.

[0020] In this embodiment, the pair of retaining members 30 are supported, for example, so as to be movable along the vehicle height direction Z relative to the vehicle reinforcement 10. Specifically, in this embodiment, the bottom wall 11 of the housing 13 is provided with an opening 15 (see Figure 5) into which the open end tips 33 of the pair of retaining pieces 32 of the pair of retaining members 30 are inserted. The tips 33 of the pair of retaining pieces 32 are also provided with grooves 34 that are movably locked to the edge of the opening 15 along the vehicle height direction Z. The grooves 34 are recessed, for example, from both ends of the tip 33 in the vehicle width direction Y toward each other along the vehicle width direction Y. The edge of the opening 15 is locked to the grooves 34 along the vehicle longitudinal direction X, thereby restricting the movement (detachment) of the pair of retaining pieces 32 (retaining members 30) toward one end in the vehicle longitudinal direction X relative to the bottom wall 11.

[0021] The opening 15 is formed, for example, by a through hole that penetrates the upper surface of the hollow bottom wall 11 along the vehicle longitudinal direction X, and communicates with the internal space 16 of the bottom wall 11. The opening 15 is configured such that, for example, the opening width along the vehicle width direction Y is narrower than the lateral width of the pair of retaining pieces 32 along the vehicle width direction Y. In addition, the tip portions 33 of the retaining pieces 32 are provided with a pair of tapered surfaces to improve insertion into the opening 15. The pair of tapered surfaces are inclined to approach each other along the vehicle width direction Y as they move toward the other end side (the lower surface side of the bottom wall 11) in the vehicle longitudinal direction X. The tip portions 33 of the retaining pieces 32 enter the internal space 16 of the bottom wall 11 with the edge of the opening 15 and the groove portion 34 locked together, and are locked to slide along the vehicle height direction Z within the internal space 16. The opening 15 and the internal space 16 constitute a rail that slidably supports the tip portions 33 of the pair of retaining members 30.

[0022] In this configuration, in this embodiment, the housing section 13 (see Figure 2) is configured such that the opening width along the vehicle height direction Z between the pair of side walls 12 is approximately the same as the width along the vehicle height direction Z of the pair of holding members 30 in their initial state (set state). Therefore, in this embodiment, by inserting the cable guide 20 into the holding space 35 between the pair of holding members 30 in their initial state, the pair of holding pieces 32 of the pair of holding members 30 slide along the vehicle height direction Z relative to the bottom wall 11. At this time, in this embodiment, the holding piece 32 on the cable guide 20 side of the pair of holding pieces 32 slides along the vehicle height direction Z and elastically deforms to conform to the outer peripheral surface 20a of the cable guide 20. On the other hand, the holding piece 32 on the side wall 12 side of the pair of holding pieces 32 comes into contact with the side wall 12, thereby restricting the sliding movement of the holding piece 32 on the side wall 12 side along the vehicle height direction Z. This increases the surface pressure between the outer surface 20a of the cable guide 20 and the pair of retaining members 30, thereby restricting the movement (detachment) of the cable guide 20 toward one end in the vehicle's longitudinal direction X relative to the pair of retaining members 30 and, consequently, the housing 13.

[0023] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which an opening 15 and an internal space 16 are provided in the bottom wall 11 of the housing section 13 as rails that slidably support the tip portions 33 of the pair of retaining members 30. However, the example is not limited to this, and for example, a rail with an opening 15 and an internal space 16 may be provided as a separate member, and this separate member rail may be attached and fixed to the bottom wall 11 of the housing section 13. Also, in this embodiment, the initial state (set state) of the pair of retaining members 30 refers to the state in which the cable guide 20 is not sandwiched between the pair of retaining members 30 shown in Figure 2, that is, the amount of elastic deformation of the pair of retaining members 30 is less than in Figure 3, or the state in which the pair of retaining members 30 are not elastically deformed.

[0024] As described above, in the wire harness module 1 of this embodiment, each of the pair of retaining members 30 has a U-shaped cross-sectional shape that opens toward the vehicle reinforcement 10, and is supported so as to be movable along the vehicle height direction Z (first intersecting direction) relative to the vehicle reinforcement 10. A retaining space 35 for holding the wiring material 20 is provided between the vehicle height direction Z, and is configured to be elastically deformable along the outer circumferential surface 20a of the wiring material 20 as the wiring material 20 is inserted into the retaining space 35. With this configuration, the wire harness module 1 can fix the wiring material 20 to the vehicle reinforcement 10 by, for example, inserting the wiring material 20 into the retaining space 35, and thereby push and fix the wiring material 20 toward the tip end 33 side (the bottom wall 11 side of the housing 13) of the pair of retaining members 30. As a result, the wire harness module 1 can improve the workability of the assembly work.

[0025] Furthermore, in the wire harness module 1 of this embodiment, the vehicle reinforcement 10 is provided with an opening 15 into which the tip portions 33 on the open end side of a pair of retaining members 30 are inserted, and the tip portions 33 of the pair of retaining members 30 are provided with grooves 34 that are movably locked to the edge of the opening 15 along the vehicle height direction Z. With this configuration, the wire harness module 1 can support the pair of retaining members 30 so as to be movable along the vehicle height direction Z by, for example, the grooves 34 and the edge of the opening 15, thereby ensuring both the ease of inserting the wiring material 20 into the retaining space 35 and the holding force of the wiring material 20 by the pair of retaining members 30.

[0026] Furthermore, in the wire harness module 1 of this embodiment, the vehicle reinforcement 10 has a reinforcement body 10A which has a housing section 13 that is open at one end in the vehicle longitudinal direction X (second intersecting direction) and through which the wiring material 20 is routed along the vehicle width direction Y (extending direction), and a pair of retaining members 30 are provided on the bottom wall 11 of the housing section 13. With this configuration, the wire harness module 1 can fix the wiring material 20 to the housing section 13 of the reinforcement body 10A by, for example, the pair of retaining members 30. Also, for example, the pair of side walls 12 of the housing section 13 can function as stoppers for the pair of retaining members 30, thereby restricting the movement of the pair of retaining members 30 along the vehicle height direction Z relative to the vehicle reinforcement 10.

[0027] [First variation] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the wire harness module 1A according to the first modified example, showing the state in which the reinforcement cover 10B has been removed from the reinforcement body 10A, and Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the wire harness module 1A showing the state in which the reinforcement cover 10B has been attached to the reinforcement body 10A. The wire harness module 1A shown in Figures 6 and 7 has the same configuration as the wire harness module 1 of the above embodiment. Therefore, the wire harness module 1A can obtain the same operation and effect as the above embodiment based on the same configuration.

[0028] However, this modified example differs from the above embodiment in that a pair of retaining members 30 are provided on the reinforcement cover 10B, as shown in Figures 6 and 7. That is, in this modified example, the vehicle reinforcement 10 is composed of a reinforcement body 10A, which has an opening at one end (rear side) in the vehicle longitudinal direction X and is provided with a housing portion 13 through which the cable material 20 is routed along the vehicle width direction Y, and a reinforcement cover 10B that covers the housing portion 13 of the reinforcement body 10A.

[0029] The reinforce cover 10B is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate extending, for example, along a direction (YZ plane) intersecting the vehicle's longitudinal direction X. The reinforce cover 10B is configured such that, for example, its width along the vehicle's height direction Z is wider than the opening width between the pair of side walls 12 of the housing section 13, and it covers (closes) the housing section 13 from one end side in the vehicle's longitudinal direction X. The reinforce cover 10B is also provided with an opening 15 (see Figure 5) and an internal space 16 that serve as rails to support the tip portions 33 of the pair of retaining members 30 described above so as to be movable along the vehicle's height direction Z. In this modified example, the vehicle reinforce 10 is provided with a plurality of reinforce covers 10B and a plurality of pairs of retaining members 30 (see Figure 1) spaced apart from each other along the vehicle's width direction Y.

[0030] In this configuration, in this modified example, the housing section 13 (see Figure 6) is configured such that the opening width along the vehicle height direction Z between the pair of side walls 12 is approximately the same as the width along the vehicle height direction Z of the pair of retaining members 30 in their initial state (set state). Therefore, in this modified example, the reinforcement cover 10B is attached to cover the housing section 13 with the cable routing material 20 routed inside the housing section 13, thereby inserting the pair of retaining members 30 into the housing section 13, and consequently inserting the cable routing material 20 into the retaining space 35 between the pair of retaining members 30. At this time, the retaining piece 32 on the cable routing material 20 side of the pair of retaining pieces 32 slides along the vehicle height direction Z and elastically deforms to conform to the outer circumferential surface 20a of the cable routing material 20. On the other hand, the retaining piece 32 on the side wall 12 side of the pair of retaining pieces 32 comes into contact with the side wall 12, thereby restricting the sliding movement of the retaining piece 32 on the side wall 12 side along the vehicle height direction Z. As a result, the surface pressure between the outer surface 20a of the cable guide 20 and the pair of retaining members 30 increases, and the cable guide 20 is held in the retaining space 35 between the pair of retaining members 30. The reinforcement cover 10B can be fixed to the reinforcement body 10A by fastening members such as screws, for example, while covering the housing portion 13 shown in Figure 7.

[0031] As described above, in the wire harness module 1A of this modified example, the pair of retaining members 30 are provided on the reinforcement cover 10B. With this configuration, the wire harness module 1A can fix the wiring material 20 to the housing portion 13 of the reinforcement body 10A by the pair of retaining members 30 provided on the reinforcement cover 10B. In addition, for example, the pair of side walls 12 of the housing portion 13 can function as stoppers for the pair of retaining members 30, thereby restricting the movement of the pair of retaining members 30 along the vehicle height direction Z relative to the vehicle reinforcement 10.

[0032] [Second variation] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the wire harness module 1B according to the second modified example, showing the state before the cable routing material 20 is inserted, and Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the wire harness module 1B showing the state after the cable routing material 20 is inserted. The wire harness module 1B shown in Figures 8 and 9 has the same configuration as the wire harness module 1 of the above embodiment. Therefore, the wire harness module 1B can obtain the same operation and effects as the above embodiment based on the same configuration.

[0033] However, in this modified example, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the retaining member 30 is composed of a single unit, and a retaining space 36 is provided between the retaining member 30 and one of the pair of side walls 12 of the housing section 13, which is different from the above embodiment. That is, in this modified example, the wire harness module 1B comprises, for example, a vehicle reinforcement 10, a cable routing member 20, and at least one retaining member 30. The vehicle reinforcement 10 is composed of a reinforcement body 10A which has an opening at one end (rear side) in the vehicle longitudinal direction X and is provided with a housing section 13 through which the cable routing member 20 is routed along the vehicle width direction Y. In this modified example, the vehicle width direction Y is an example of an extending direction, the vehicle longitudinal direction X is an example of a first intersecting direction, and the vehicle height direction Z is an example of a second intersecting direction.

[0034] The retaining member 30 has, for example, a U-shaped cross-section that opens toward the bottom wall 11 of the housing section 13, and is supported so as to be movable along the vehicle height direction Z relative to the housing section 13. In this modified example, the retaining member 30 is provided with a retaining space 36 for holding the cable guide 20 between itself and one of the pair of side walls 12 of the housing section 13, and is configured to be elastically deformable along the outer circumferential surface 20a of the cable guide 20 as the cable guide 20 is inserted into the retaining space 36. Furthermore, the bottom wall 11 of the housing section 13 is provided with an opening 15 (see Figure 5) and an internal space 16 that serve as rails to support the tip 33 of the retaining member 30 so as to be movable along the vehicle height direction Z. In this modified example, the vehicle reinforcement 10 is provided with a plurality of retaining members 30 (see Figure 1) spaced apart from each other along the vehicle width direction Y.

[0035] In this modified configuration, the retaining member 30 (see Figure 8) is positioned towards the other side of the pair of side walls 12 (opposite to the retaining space 36) in its initial state (set state) when attached to the housing 13. At this time, the opening width along the vehicle height direction Z between one of the pair of side walls 12 and the retaining member 30, that is, the opening width of the retaining space 36 along the vehicle height direction Z, is set to be smaller than the diameter of the cable guide 20. Therefore, in this modified configuration, by inserting the cable guide 20 into the retaining space 36 in its initial state, the pair of retaining pieces 32 of the retaining member 30 slide along the vehicle height direction Z relative to the bottom wall 11. At this time, the retaining piece 32 on the cable guide 20 side of the pair of retaining pieces 32 slides along the vehicle height direction Z and elastically deforms to conform to the outer circumferential surface 20a of the cable guide 20. On the other hand, the retaining piece 32 on the side wall 12 side of the pair of retaining pieces 32 comes into contact with the side wall 12, thereby restricting the sliding movement of the retaining piece 32 on the side wall 12 side along the vehicle height direction Z. As a result, the surface pressure between the outer circumferential surface 20a of the cable guide 20 and the retaining member 30 increases, and the movement (detachment) of the cable guide 20 toward one end in the vehicle longitudinal direction X relative to the retaining member 30 and, consequently, the housing 13 is restricted.

[0036] As described above, in the modified wire harness module 1B, the retaining member 30 has a U-shaped cross-section that opens toward the bottom wall 11 side of the housing 13, is supported so as to be movable along the vehicle height direction Z (second intersecting direction) relative to the housing 13, and a retaining space 36 for holding the wiring material 20 is provided between it and one of the pair of side walls 12 of the housing 13, and is configured to be elastically deformable along the outer circumferential surface 20a of the wiring material 20 as the wiring material 20 is inserted into the retaining space 36. With this configuration, the wire harness module 1B can fix the wiring material 20 to the vehicle reinforcement 10 by, for example, inserting the wiring material 20 into the retaining space 36, and thereby push and fix the wiring material 20 toward the tip end 33 side (the bottom wall 11 side of the housing 13) of the retaining member 30. As a result, the wire harness module 1B can improve the workability of the assembly work.

[0037] [Third variation] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of a wire harness module 1C according to a third modified example. The wire harness module 1C shown in Figure 10 has the same configuration as the wire harness module 1 of the above embodiment. Therefore, the wire harness module 1C can obtain the same functions and effects as the above embodiment based on the same configuration.

[0038] However, this modified example differs from the above embodiment in that, as shown in Figure 10, a pair of retaining members 30 are provided on the outer surface of the vehicle reinforcement 10. That is, in this modified example, the vehicle reinforcement 10 is composed of a reinforcement body 10A which has a bottom wall 11 (side wall) on which, for example, the cable routing material 20 is routed along the vehicle width direction Y. The reinforcement body 10A has, for example, a substantially rectangular cylindrical cross-sectional shape or a substantially H-shaped cross-sectional shape and extends along the vehicle width direction Y. Note that in Figure 10, for convenience, only a part of the reinforcement body 10A having a substantially rectangular cylindrical cross-sectional shape or a substantially H-shaped cross-sectional shape (bottom wall 11) is shown. Thus, in this modified example, the reinforcement body 10A does not have a recessed housing portion 13 (see Figure 2) for housing the pair of retaining members 30 and the cable routing material 20, and the pair of retaining members 30 and the cable routing material 20 are provided on the outer surface of the reinforcement body 10A.

[0039] In this modified example, a pair of stoppers 40 are provided on both sides of the pair of retaining members 30 in the vehicle height direction Z. The pair of stoppers 40 restrict the movement of the pair of retaining members 30 along the vehicle height direction Z by contacting them. The pair of stoppers 40 protrude from the bottom wall 11 of the vehicle reinforcement 10 along the vehicle longitudinal direction X. In this modified example, the bottom wall 11 is provided with an opening 15 (see Figure 5) and an internal space 16 that serve as rails to support the tip portions 33 of the retaining members 30 so that they can move along the vehicle height direction Z. In this modified example, the vehicle reinforcement 10 is provided with a plurality of pairs of retaining members 30 (see Figure 1) spaced apart from each other along the vehicle width direction Y.

[0040] In this configuration, in this modified example, the width along the vehicle height direction Z between the pair of stoppers 40 is set to be approximately the same as the width along the vehicle height direction Z of the pair of retaining members 30 in their initial state (set state). Therefore, in this modified example, by inserting the cable guide 20 into the retaining space 35 between the pair of retaining members 30 in their initial state, the pair of retaining pieces 32 of the pair of retaining members 30 slide along the vehicle height direction Z relative to the bottom wall 11. At this time, the retaining piece 32 on the cable guide 20 side of the pair of retaining pieces 32 slides along the vehicle height direction Z and elastically deforms to conform to the outer circumferential surface 20a of the cable guide 20. On the other hand, the retaining piece 32 on the stopper 40 side of the pair of retaining pieces 32 comes into contact with the stopper 40, thereby restricting the sliding movement of the retaining piece 32 on the stopper 40 side along the vehicle height direction Z. This increases the surface pressure between the outer surface 20a of the cable guide 20 and the pair of retaining members 30, thereby restricting the movement (detachment) of the cable guide 20 toward one end in the vehicle's longitudinal direction X relative to the pair of retaining members 30 and, consequently, the vehicle reinforcement 10.

[0041] In the above embodiments and modifications, the vehicle reinforcement 10 is exemplified as an instrument panel reinforcement located on the back side of the instrument panel (not shown) of the vehicle V, but is not limited to this example and may be configured as other reinforcements (reinforcement members) within the vehicle V. Also, in the above embodiments and modifications, the vehicle reinforcement 10 is exemplified as being formed of a resin material, but is not limited to this example and may be formed of a metal material, for example. Also, in the above embodiments and modifications, the vehicle reinforcement 10 is exemplified as having a housing portion 13 that opens toward one end side in the vehicle longitudinal direction X, but is not limited to this example and may open toward one end side (upper end side) in the vehicle height direction Z, for example.

[0042] Although embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been illustrated above, these embodiments and modifications are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above embodiments and modifications can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, combinations, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, each configuration, shape, and other specifications (structure, type, direction, form, size, length, width, thickness, height, number, arrangement, position, material, etc.) can be modified as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1. 1A~1C Wire Harness Module 10 Vehicle reinforcements 10A Reinforce main unit 10B Reinforcement Cover 11 Bottom wall 12 Side wall 13. Detention Unit 15 Opening 20 Routing material 20a Outer surface 30 Retaining member 34 Groove 35, 36 Holding space V Vehicle VB Body X Vehicle front-to-back direction (second intersection direction, first intersection direction) Y: Vehicle width direction (extension direction) Z Vehicle height direction (first intersection direction, second intersection direction)

Claims

1. A vehicle reinforcement that extends along the direction of extension and is fixed to the vehicle body, A support member arranged along the extending direction with respect to the vehicle reinforcement, Each of the holding members has a U-shaped cross-sectional shape that opens toward the vehicle reinforcement side, is supported so as to be movable along a first intersecting direction that intersects the extending direction with respect to the vehicle reinforcement, has a holding space for holding the cable material between the first intersecting directions, and is elastically deformable to conform to the outer circumferential surface of the cable material as the cable material is inserted into the holding space, A wire harness module equipped with [features / equipment].

2. The vehicle reinforcement is provided with an opening into which the tip portions of the open end of the pair of retaining members are inserted. The tip portions of the pair of retaining members are provided with grooves that are movably engaged with the edge of the opening along the first intersecting direction. The wire harness module according to claim 1.

3. The vehicle reinforcement has a reinforcement body having an opening at one end in a second intersecting direction that intersects the extending direction and the first intersecting direction, and a housing portion provided in which the cable material is routed along the extending direction. The pair of retaining members are provided on the bottom wall of the housing section. A wire harness module according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The vehicle reinforcement comprises a reinforcement body having an opening at one end in a second intersecting direction that intersects the extending direction and the first intersecting direction, and a housing portion in which the cable material is routed along the extending direction, and a reinforcement cover that covers the housing portion of the reinforcement body. The pair of retaining members are provided on the reinforcement cover. A wire harness module according to claim 1 or 2.

5. A vehicle reinforcement is provided which extends along the extending direction, has an opening at one end in a first intersecting direction that intersects the extending direction, and is fixed to the vehicle body. A cable material is arranged within the housing portion along the extending direction, A retaining member having a U-shaped cross-section that opens toward the bottom wall side of the housing portion, supported so as to be movable along the extending direction and a second intersecting direction intersecting the first intersecting direction relative to the housing portion, having a retaining space for holding the cable material between it and one of the pair of side walls of the housing portion, and being elastically deformable to conform to the outer surface of the cable material as the cable material is inserted into the retaining space, A wire harness module equipped with [features / equipment].

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